Kouat Noi

Kouat Noi
Noi with the Cairns Taipans in 2019
No. 12 – Sydney Kings
PositionForward
LeagueNBL
Personal information
Born (1997-10-29) 29 October 1997 (age 27)
Khartoum, Sudan
NationalitySouth Sudanese / Australian
Listed height201 cm (6 ft 7 in)
Listed weight103 kg (227 lb)
Career information
High school
CollegeTCU (2017–2019)
NBA draft2020: undrafted
Playing career2019–present
Career history
2019–2022Cairns Taipans
2022–2023USC Rip City
2022–presentSydney Kings
2024Darwin Salties
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing Australia Australia
FIBA World U17 Championship
Silver medal – second place 2014 Dubai

Kouat Noi (born 29 October 1997) is a South Sudanese-Australian professional basketball player for the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the TCU Horned Frogs. Noi started his professional career in 2019 with the Cairns Taipans of the NBL. He joined the Kings in 2022 and won an NBL championship in 2023.

Early life

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Noi was born in Khartoum, Sudan during the height of the Second Sudanese Civil War. His family fled the country amid escalations of the conflict, first to Egypt and later to Australia in 2002.[1] Growing up in Newcastle, he blossomed into a basketball star, and went on to average 9.1 points and 4.3 rebounds while helping lead Australia to a silver medal at the 2014 FIBA Under-17 World Championship in Dubai.[2]

Noi attended San Clemente High School[3] and St Francis Xavier's College in Newcastle.[4] In 2014, Noi moved to the United States and enrolled at Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida, where he briefly played alongside Ben Simmons.[5] As a senior in the 2015–16 season, Noi averaged more than 19 points per game for the Eagles.[6]

College career

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Noi enrolled at Texas Christian University (TCU) on a basketball scholarship in the summer of 2016, and redshirted in his first season on campus as the Horned Frogs won the 2017 NIT title[7] under first-year head coach Jamie Dixon.

In 2017–18, Noi played in all 33 of TCU's games, starting nine of them. He averaged 10.2 points per game as the Frogs finished the season with a 21-12 record and secured a berth in the 2018 NCAA tournament, the program's first in 20 years.[8]

As a sophomore, Noi registered his first collegiate 20-point game with a 27-point performance against Eastern Michigan on 26 November 2018[9] and his first career 30-point game against Oklahoma on 12 January 2019.[10] Noi averaged 13.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game as a sophomore playing in 31 games, including 19 starts. He declared for the 2019 NBA draft, forfeiting his remaining two years of eligibility.[11] He later withdrew from the draft.[12]

Professional career

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Cairns Taipans (2019–2022)

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Noi shoots a lay-up against the Brisbane Bullets during a 2019 game

In July 2019, Noi signed with the Cairns Taipans of the Australian National Basketball League.[13] In March 2021, he suffered a PCL injury that ruled him out for 12 weeks.[14] He re-signed with the Taipans in June 2021.[15]

USC Rip City, Sydney Kings and Darwin Salties (2022–present)

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Following the 2021–22 NBL season, Noi joined the USC Rip City in the NBL1 North, where he earned league MVP and All-Star Five honours.[16][17]

In June 2022, Noi signed a two-year contract with the Sydney Kings.[18] After winning the 2022–23 championship, the club exercised its team option on his contract.[19] He then re-joined the USC Rip City for the 2023 NBL1 North season.[20][21] He was named to the All-NBL1 North First Team for the second straight year.[22]

On 18 March 2024, Noi signed with the Darwin Salties for the 2024 NBL1 North season.[23][24] He was named to the NBL1 North First Team for the third straight year.[25]

On 2 April 2024, Noi re-signed with the Kings on a three-year deal.[26]

National team career

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Noi was named to the training camp squad of the South Sudan basketball team for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[27]

Personal life

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Noi was born in Sudan but considers himself as South Sudanese.[28] His father, Ater Dhiu, played basketball for the Sudan men's national basketball team.[29][30] Noi is a cousin of fellow basketball players, Yuat Alok and Lat Mayen.[31][32]

Noi has two children with his partner who is an Indigenous Australian.[33]

References

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  1. ^ "TCU's Noi Goes from Fleeing South Sudan to College Basketball Success". NBSDFW.com. 31 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Kouat Noi". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  3. ^ Kerry, Craig (20 May 2013). "Hunters teen gets national call-up". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 12 March 2024. A San Clemente High School student, Noi was named in a 20-man Australian squad after representing NSW Country at the national under-16...
  4. ^ Keeble, Brett (10 September 2014). "Newcastle's Kouat Noi, out of Africa and bound for the US". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Newcastle's Kouat Noi, out of Africa and bound for the US". Newcastle Herald. 10 September 2014.
  6. ^ "TCU announces addition of Noi". GoFrogs.com. 22 August 2016.
  7. ^ "TCU uses fast start to rout Georgia Tech, captures first NIT title". ESPN.com. 30 March 2017.
  8. ^ "A Record 7 Texas Teams Are In The NCAA Tournament". KERA News. 12 March 2018.
  9. ^ "Frogs Down Eagles, 87-69". GoFrogs.com. 26 November 2018.
  10. ^ "Noi scores 30, Frogs fall to Sooners". GoFrogs.com. 12 January 2019.
  11. ^ Davison, Drew (11 April 2019). "'It's my time.' TCU's Kouat Noi is 'all-in' pursuing NBA, professional dreams". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  12. ^ Triebwasser, Melissa B. (13 June 2019). "Kouat Noi withdraws from the NBA Draft". Frogs o' War. SB Nation. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  13. ^ "Former Frog Kouat Noi signs with Cairns Taipans". Frogs O'War. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  14. ^ "Injury News: Kouat Noi". Taipans.com. 26 March 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  15. ^ "The sssssilent star". twitter.com/CairnsTaipans. 25 June 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  16. ^ "Congratulations to Kouat Noi (University of Sunshine Coast Basketball Club) on taking home the NBL1 North Men's Most Valuable Player Award". facebook.com/basketballqld. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  17. ^ "Congratulations to the NBL1 North Men's All Star Five". facebook.com/basketballqld. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  18. ^ "Kouat Noi signs on for two years with the Sydney Kings". SydneyKings.com. 6 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  19. ^ "Noi Aims to Continue Kings' Reign". NBL.com.au. 25 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  20. ^ "King of the north Noi returns to Rip City". sydneykings.com. 30 April 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  21. ^ "Noi makes NBL1 season debut as Rip City fall to Northside". sydneykings.com. 1 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  22. ^ "NBL1 North First & Second Team | Men's". facebook.com/basketballqld. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  23. ^ "The Tamboran Darwin SALTIES have secured a major coup by signing NBL champion Kouat Noi for the upcoming 2024 NBL1 season..." facebook.com/darwinsalties. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  24. ^ "NBL1 North superstar signs with Darwin". NBL1.com.au. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  25. ^ "NBL1 North Men's First Team". facebook.com/basketballqld. 15 July 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  26. ^ "King Kouat inks three-year deal with Sydney". NBL.com.au. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  27. ^ "South Sudan names NBL-laden Olympic squad". NBL. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  28. ^ Olivieri, Anthony (15 February 2019). "Fleeing violence in Sudan, TCU's Kouat Noi found a home in Australia". ESPN. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  29. ^ Keeble, Brett (16 September 2013). "Noi's Aussie hoop dream alive again". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  30. ^ Kerry, Craig (21 May 2012). "Long on ambition: Teenager reaches NSW Country start". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  31. ^ Olivieri, Anthony (15 February 2019). "Fleeing violence in Sudan, TCU's Kouat Noi found a home in Australia". ESPN.com.au. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  32. ^ Triebwasser, Melissa B. (11 July 2019). "Lat Mayen has left TCU Basketball". frogsowar.com. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  33. ^ "Noi proud to represent his family during Indigenous Round". Sydney Kings. 1 November 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
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