Deng Adel (born 1 February 1997) is a South Sudanese-Australian professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player for
BC Balkan Botevgrad
BC Balkan Botevgrad ( bg, БК Балкан Ботевград, BK Balkan Botevgrad) is a Bulgarian professional basketball club based in Botevgrad.National Basketball League. He played college basketball for the
Louisville Cardinals
The Louisville Cardinals (also known as the Cards) are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. The Cardinals teams play in the Atlantic Coast Conference, beginning in the 2014 season. While playing in the Big East Co ...
.
Early life
Adel was born in
Juba
Juba () is the capital and largest city of South Sudan. The city is situated on the White Nile and also serves as the capital of the Central Equatoria State. It is the world's newest capital city to be elevated as such, and had a population ...
under what is now
South Sudan
South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the ...
. As a youth, he, his mother and five siblings fled war-torn Sudan and moved to
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The south ...
to set up a move to Australia when Deng was 8 years of age. He settled in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...
in 2004 and lived in the suburbs of
Fitzroy Fitzroy or FitzRoy may refer to:
People As a given name
*Several members of the Somerset family ( Dukes of Beaufort) have this as a middle-name:
**FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855)
**Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beau ...
and
Sunshine
Sunlight is a portion of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun, in particular infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. On Earth, sunlight is scattered and filtered through Earth's atmosphere, and is obvious as daylight when ...
. Basketball only came into Adel's life when his friends introduced him to it as a 14-year-old. From there, he began playing locally for the Sunshine Longhorns, and in 2012, he joined the
Waverley Falcons
Waverley Falcons is a member club of the NBL1 South based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club fields both a men's and women's team. The club is a division of Waverley Basketball Association (WBA), the major administrative basketball organisation in t ...
'
Big V
Big or BIG may refer to:
* Big, of great size or degree
Film and television
* ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks
* ''Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show
* ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television show presente ...
team. Growing up, Adel also played soccer and ran track.
Adel attended high school at both
Keilor Downs College
Keilor Downs College (abbreviated as KDC) is a government-funded high school which services the Keilor Downs area of Melbourne, Australia. The co-educational school caters for students from Year 7 to Year 12
Year 12 is an educational year gr ...
and
Xavier College
Xavier College is a Roman Catholic, day and boarding school predominantly for boys, founded in 1872 by the Society of Jesus, with its main campus located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Classes started in 1878.
...
. In August 2013, he moved to the United States after landing a rare $20,000 basketball scholarship to Victory Rock Prep in
Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698.
History
Late 18th and early 19th centuries ...
.
High school career
As a junior at Victory Rock Prep in 2013–14, Adel averaged 22 points and eight rebounds per game in helping the Blue Devils to a 24–8 record.
In November 2014, Adel signed a
National Letter of Intent
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ...
to play
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
for the
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of ...
. Adel considered offers from
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
,
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mis ...
and
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
before choosing to sign with the Cardinals.
As a senior at Victory Rock Prep in 2014–15, Adel averaged 19.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in helping the Blue Devils to a 27–9 record. He subsequently earned all-state selection by the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches (FABC).
College career
In May 2015, Adel enrolled in classes and moved to the University of Louisville for the first session of summer school. He later joined the
Louisville Cardinals
The Louisville Cardinals (also known as the Cards) are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. The Cardinals teams play in the Atlantic Coast Conference, beginning in the 2014 season. While playing in the Big East Co ...
for the 2015–16 season, and was made a starter for the team to begin his freshman campaign. He started for the Cardinals in the first two games of the season, averaging 4.5 points in 17 minutes while helping the team win both games. However, on 20 November, the day before the team's third game, Adel landed awkwardly in practice and was subsequently ruled out for three to six weeks with an
MCL
The litre (international spelling) or liter (American English spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metre (m ...
sprain in his left knee. He returned to full practice on 21 December, and made his return to the court the following night against UMKC. On 30 January 2016, he recorded season highs in points (12), rebounds (five) and minutes played (21) against
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...
. On 6 February, he had a season-best game with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in 34 minutes as a starter in a 79–47 win over
Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifi ...
.
As a junior, Adel led Louisville in scoring with 15.0 points per game and also pulled down 5.2 rebounds per game. After completing his junior year at Louisville, Adel announced his intentions on enter the
2018 NBA draft
The 2018 NBA Draft was held on June 21, 2018, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, including inter ...
. Originally, he entered the draft without hiring an agent, but after a few weeks, he hired an agent of his own accord, thus removing any chance of him returning to Louisville for his senior year at the university.
Professional career
Raptors 905 (2018–2019)
After going undrafted in the
2018 NBA draft
The 2018 NBA Draft was held on June 21, 2018, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, including inter ...
, Adel signed with the
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Divisio ...
for the NBA Summer League. On 14 September 2018, Adel signed with the
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Atlantic Division (NBA) ...
on a training camp contract. After appearing in two preseason games, Adel was waived on 12 October.
After being waived by Toronto, Adel spent the 2018-19 season playing for Toronto's G-League affiliate, Raptors 905. Through mid-December, he averaged 12.0 points and 5.4 rebounds in 31.3 minutes per game.
Cleveland Cavaliers (2019)
On 15 January 2019, Adel signed with the
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
on a two-way contract. Adel made his NBA debut on 19 January 2019 against the
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
, scoring three points with two rebounds in five minutes of play in a 124-102 loss. With the Cavaliers, he would go on to average, 1.7 points, 1 rebound, and 0.3 assists per game.
Long Island Nets (2019–2020)
On 30 July 2019, Adel signed with the
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. T ...
. On 14 October 2019, Adel was waived by the Nets. He then landed with the
Long Island Nets
The Long Island Nets are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Uniondale, New York, and are affiliated with the Brooklyn Nets. The team plays its home games at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Nassau Count ...
. He scored a season-high 29 points in addition to 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks on 29 November, in a loss to the
Raptors 905
The Raptors 905 are a Canadian professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Mississauga, Ontario, and are affiliated with the Toronto Raptors. Raptors 905 began play in the 2015–16 season and play their home games at Paramount Fi ...
. On 8 January 2020, he was sidelined against the
Grand Rapids Drive
The Grand Rapids Gold are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and are affiliated with the Denver Nuggets. The Gold play their home games at Van Andel Arena. They began play as the Anaheim ...
with an undisclosed injury. Adel averaged 11.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.
Illawarra Hawks (2020–2021)
On 23 July 2020, Adel signed with the
Illawarra Hawks
The Illawarra Hawks (formerly the Wollongong Hawks and The Hawks) is an Australian professional basketball team based in Wollongong, New South Wales. The Illawarra Hawks compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games ...
of the National Basketball League (NBL). He set an NBL record for most field goal attempts without a make when he shot 0–15 during a game against the
Cairns Taipans
The Cairns Taipans are an Australian professional basketball team based in Cairns, Queensland. The Taipans compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at the Cairns Convention Centre, known colloquially as "The Sn ...
on 20 February 2021. He suffered from injuries throughout the season that Hawks coach
Brian Goorjian
Brian Warwick Goorjian (born 28 July 1953) is an American-Australian professional basketball coach and former player served as the head coach of the Bay Area Dragons of the East Asia Super League (EASL). He is also currently the head coach of t ...
believed hampered his output. On 3 May 2021, Adel and the Hawks mutually agreed to part ways. He averaged 5.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2 assists per game.
Maine Celtics (2021–2022)
On 28 October 2021, Adel signed with the
Maine Celtics
The Maine Celtics (formerly the Maine Red Claws) are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Portland, Maine, and are affiliated with the Boston Celtics. The Maine Celtics play their home games at the Portland Expo B ...
of the
NBA G League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA De ...
Canadian Elite Basketball League
The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) is a men's professional minor league basketball organization. The CEBL was founded in 2017 and began play in 2019 with six teams competing all owned and operated by ownership group Canadian Basketball V ...
. On May 26, Adel made his debut with a franchise record 37 points with nine rebounds and five assists, in a 90–87 away loss at
Fraser Valley
The Fraser Valley is a geographical region in southwestern British Columbia, Canada and northwestern Washington State. It starts just west of Hope in a narrow valley encompassing the Fraser River and ends at the Pacific Ocean stretching from the ...
.
Bakken Bears (2022)
On July 26, 2022, he has signed with
Bakken Bears
Bakken Bears is a Danish professional basketball club based in Aarhus. The club plays in the Basketligaen, the top tier basketball league in Denmark.
Founded in 1953, the club has won the Basketligaen 20 times and holds the record for the most c ...
of the Danish
Basketligaen
The Basketligaen ( en, The Basketball League) is the highest professional basketball league in Denmark. The original men's first division was founded in 1957 and the current league was founded in 1998. All-time record holder in league titles is ...
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal ...
and
South Sudanese
South Sudan is home to around 60 indigenous ethnic groups and 80 linguistic partitions among a population of around million. Historically, most ethnic groups were lacking in formal Western political institutions, with land held by the communit ...
national teams in international competitions, but made clear his intentions to represent Australia in 2015. On 24 May 2019 he was named in the Australian Boomers' squad for
2019 FIBA World Cup
The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup was the 18th tournament of the FIBA Basketball World Cup for men's national basketball teams. The tournament was hosted in China and was rescheduled from 2018 to 2019, becoming the first since 1967 that did not ...
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U ...
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
for the
South Florida Bulls
The South Florida Bulls (also known as the USF Bulls) are the sport, athletic teams that represent the University of South Florida. USF competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the American Athletic Conference for all sports besides sai ...