Joseph Lual-Acuil Jr. (born 26 April 1994) 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 Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for

Al Ittihad Alexandria Al Ittihad Alexandria Club (), locally known as El Ittihad El Skandary, is an Egyptian sports club based in Alexandria. The club is mainly known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Egyptian Premier League, the high ...

of the

Basketball Africa League The Basketball Africa League (BAL) is the premier men's basketball league in Africa. Founded in 2019, the league was established and is co-organized by NBA Africa and the FIBA, International Basketball Federation (FIBA). Each season typically r ...

He played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for Neosho County Community College and

Baylor University Baylor University is a Private university, private Baptist research university in Waco, Texas, United States. It was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Te ...

. Lual-Acuil had a record-breaking season in the

(BAL) with Al Ahly Ly in 2024, in which he won MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and broke the league scoring record.

Early life

Lual-Acuil was born in

Wau Wau may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Papua New Guinea * Wau, Papua New Guinea * Wau Airport (Papua New Guinea) * Wau Rural LLG, (local level government) South Sudan * Wau State, South Sudan * Wau, South Sudan, city * Wau railway s ...

South Sudan South Sudan (), officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the north by Sudan; on the east by Ethiopia; on the south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya; and on the ...

. Due to the

civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, he was relocated to a

refugee camp A refugee camp is a temporary Human settlement, settlement built to receive refugees and people in refugee-like situations. Refugee camps usually accommodate displaced people who have fled their home country, but camps are also made for in ...

in Uganda at the age of three where he lived for three years until his family moved to Australia. Lual-Acuil attended Kingsway Christian College in

Perth, Western Australia Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

. He was a soccer player growing up, but picked up the game of basketball after his soccer coach suggested he play for the team one year.

College career

Neosho County CC (2013–2015)

Lual-Acuil played two seasons for Neosho County Community College. In his sophomore year at Neosho County, he averaged 20.1 points, 11.2 rebounds and 4.7 blocks while playing all 30 games. He was named 2015

Jayhawk Conference The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) is a college athletic conference that is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). As of 2007, the KJCCC was home to more than 3,000 student-athletes in the 19 m ...

Defensive Player of the Year and earned a spot in the All-Conference First Team and All-Region First Team.

Baylor (2016–2018)

Lual-Acuil joined

in the summer of 2015, but sat out his first season for a heart condition. In his year off, Lual-Acuil focused on improving his fitness and strength. In his junior year, Lual-Acuil was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for games played from 12 December through 18 December. In 35 games played during the 2016–17 season, Lual-Acuil averaged 9.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game and helped the Bears to a 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. On 5 March 2017, Lual-Acuil earned a spot in the 2017 Big 12 All-Defensive Team and All-Newcomer Team. On 17 December 2017, Lual-Acuil recorded a double-double and college career-highs of 31 points and 20 rebounds, shooting 10-of-15 from the field, along with three blocks and two assists in a 118–86 blowout win over Savannah State. Lual-Acuil finished his senior year averaging 14 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. On 8 March 2018, Lual-Acuil earned a spot in the 2018 All-Big 12 Third Team. He graduated with a degree in Health Studies and Kinesiology.

Professional career

Hapoel Jerusalem (2018–2019)

On 13 August 2018, Lual-Acuil started his professional career with

Hapoel Jerusalem Hapoel Jerusalem is a sport organization in Jerusalem as a local branch of the Hapoel movement. The branch was established in the 1920s and represents the city in more sports than any other sport organization in Jerusalem. Today, the club's lead ...

of the

Israeli Premier League The Israeli Premier League (, Ligat HaAl, ) is a professional association football league in Israel and the highest level of the Israeli football league system. The league is contested by 14 clubs, and operates on a system of promotion and rele ...

, signing a three-year deal. On 6 February 2019, Lual-Acuil agreed terms to join the Hungarian team

Atomerőmű SE Atomerőmű SE, sometimes shortened to ASE, is a Hungarian professional basketball team based in Paks. The team plays in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I/A, the highest professional league in Hungary. The team was founded in 1979 and has won the Hungaria ...

, but eventually the deal fell through.

Hapoel Galil Elyon (2019)

On 10 February 2019, Lual-Acuil was loaned to

Hapoel Galil Elyon Hapoel Galil Elyon (), also known as Hapoel Nofar Energy Galil Elion for sponsorship reasons, is an Israeli basketball club. The team competes in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, the top tier of Israeli basketball, and internationally in t ...

of the Israeli National League for the rest of the season. On 5 March 2019, Lual-Acuil recorded a season-high 27 points in his fourth game with Galil Elyon, shooting 11-of-17 from the field, along with eleven rebounds and three blocks in an 86–65 win over

Hapoel Kfar Saba Hapoel Kfar Saba F.C. (, ''Moadon Kaduregel Hapoel Kfar Saba'') is an Israeli football club based in Kfar Saba. The club competes in the Liga Leumit and plays home matches at Levita Stadium. History The club was established in 1928. In 1951– ...

. In 19 games played for Galil Elyon, he led the

league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football * ''League of Legends'', a 2009 multiplayer online battle a ...

in blocks with 2.3 per game, while averaging 16.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Lual-Acuil helped Galil Elyon reach the league finals, where they eventually were defeated by

Maccabi Haifa Maccabi Haifa () is one of the biggest sports clubs in Israel and a part of the Maccabi association. It runs several sports clubs and teams in Haifa which have competed in a variety of sports over the years, such as Football, Basketball, Weightl ...

Melbourne United (2019–2022)

On 20 August 2019, Lual-Acuil signed with

Melbourne United Melbourne United is an Australian professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Victoria. United compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at John Cain Arena. The team made their debut in the NBL in 1984 ...

in Australia for the

2019–20 NBL season The 2019–20 NBL season was the 42nd season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. The Perth Wildcats became champions. They drew an average home attendance of 12,974, the highest in the 2019–20 NBL season. Team ...

. He returned to United for the

2020–21 NBL season The 2020–21 NBL season was the 43rd season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. A total of nine teams contested in the 2020–21 season. The regular season was played between January and June 2021, followed by a ...

and was named NBL Best Sixth Man while helping the team win the

championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...

. He averaged 9.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. On 30 June 2021, Lual-Acuil re-signed with United for the

2021–22 NBL season The 2021–22 NBL season was the 44th season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. A total of ten teams contested the 2021–22 season, which commenced on 3 December 2021. Australian broadcast rights to the season ...

China / Lebanon (2022–2023)

After playing for the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

in the

2022 NBA Summer League The 2022 NBA Summer League, also branded as the NBA 2K23 Summer League 2022, was an off-season competition held by the National Basketball Association (NBA) primarily at the Thomas and Mack Center and Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada on the cam ...

, Lual-Acuil joined the

Nanjing Monkey Kings The Nanjing Monkey Kings () are a Chinese professional basketball team based in Nanjing, Jiangsu, which plays in the Southern Division of the Chinese Basketball Association The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the CB ...

of the

Chinese Basketball Association The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the CBA, is the first-tier men's professional basketball league in China. The league is commonly known by fans as the CBA, and this acronym is even used in Chinese on a regular basis ...

(CBA) for the 2022–23 season. Following the CBA season, he joined Dynamo Lebanon of the

Lebanese Basketball League The Lebanese Basketball League is recognized as the top-tier professional men's basketball list of basketball leagues, league in Lebanon. It is organized annually as a national championship with playoffs and a national cup by the Lebanese Basketb ...

Return to Melbourne (2023–2024)

On 12 April 2023, Lual-Acuil signed a two-year deal with Melbourne United, returning to the franchise for a second stint. On 7 July 2023, he was ruled out for four to five months with a right wrist injury. On 26 January 2024, he had a career-high 33 points and 13 rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench in a 93–77 win over the

Brisbane Bullets The Brisbane Bullets are an Australian professional men's basketball team in the National Basketball League (NBL) based in Brisbane, Queensland. They competed from 1979 to 2008, and returned to the league in 2016. Brisbane were one of ten NBL ...

. At the conclusion of the

2023–24 NBL season The 2023–24 NBL season was the 46th season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. A total of ten teams contested in the 2023–24 season. Australian broadcast rights to the season are held by ESPN in the third seas ...

, Lual-Acuil parted ways with United.

Al-Ahly Ly (2024)

In April 2024, Lual-Acuil joined Al-Ahly Ly of the

(BAL) for the 2024 season. On 27 April 2024, he had 42 points and 13 rebounds in a 110–78 win over

City Oilers City Oilers is a basketball club based in Lugogo, Kampala, Uganda. The team competes in the Ugandan National Basketball League (NBL), where it has won 10 championships, the most in league history. The Oilers currently also play in the Basketball A ...

, setting a new record for most points in a single game. He helped Al Ahly Ly reach the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...

, where they lost to Petro de Luanda. He was named the league's

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...

as well as the

Defensive Player of the Year Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY or DPOTY) is the name of an award given in sports for outstanding defensive play by a single player over the course of a season. Many sports leagues award this type of award. League awards for Defensive Player o ...

, becoming the first player to win both awards in one season. Lual-Acuil led the league in scoring with 21.1 points per game, and also averaged 9.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

Sandringham Sabres (2024)

He is also set to join the Sandringham Sabres during the 2024

NBL1 South NBL1 South is a semi-professional basketball league in Victoria (state), Victoria and Tasmania, Australia, comprising both a men's and women's competition. In 2019, Basketball Victoria partnered with the National Basketball League (Australia), ...

season.

Liaoning Flying Leopards (2024)

On September 14, 2024, Lual-Acuil joined the

Liaoning Flying Leopards The Liaoning Flying Leopards (), also known as the Liaoning Shenyang Sansheng Flying Leopard Club or Liaoning Bengang (), are a Chinese professional basketball team based in Hunnan District, Shenyang, Liaoning, which plays in the Northern Divisi ...

of the

. On November 14, his contract was terminated.

Manisa Basket (2024–2025)

On December 8, 2024, he signed with

Manisa Basket Manisa Basket, mostly known as Manisa Basket Divissa for sponsorship reasons, is a Turkish professional basketball club based in Manisa, that competes in the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi. The team plays its matches in Muradiye Sports Hall. Cur ...

of the Turkish

Basketbol Süper Ligi The Basketball Super League (; TBSL), also known as the Türkiye Sigorta Basketbol Süper Ligi for sponsorship reasons, is the top men's professional basketball division of the Turkish basketball league system. It replaced the former Turkish Bas ...

(BSL).

Al Ittihad (2025–present)

In May 2025, he signed with

from Egypt to play in the

2025 BAL season The 2025 BAL season, also known as BAL Season 5, will be the 5th season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The season will begin on 5 April and end on 14 June 2025 with the final. The playoffs and finals will be held in Pretoria, South Africa, ...

's playoffs, returning for a second straight year in the BAL.

National team

In 2022, Lual-Acuil was selected to play for the South Sudanese national team in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.

Personal life

Lual-Acuil's father,

Joseph Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew (). "Joseph" is used, along with " Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic count ...

, was South Sudan's first Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management. He is married and has two children.

References

External links

NBL profile

Baylor Bears bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lual-Acuil, Jo 1994 births Living people 21st-century Australian sportsmen Al Ahly Benghazi basketball players Australian expatriate basketball people in China Australian expatriate basketball people in the United States Basketball players from Perth, Western Australia Baylor Bears men's basketball players Centers (basketball) Dynamo Lebanon players Hapoel Galil Elyon players Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. players Liaoning Flying Leopards players Manisa Basket players Melbourne United players Nanjing Monkey Kings players Neosho County Panthers men's basketball players Refugees in Uganda Sandringham Sabres players South Sudanese emigrants to Australia South Sudanese expatriate basketball people in China South Sudanese expatriate basketball people in Israel South Sudanese expatriate basketball people in the United States South Sudanese men's basketball players South Sudanese refugees Sportsmen from Western Australia Al Ittihad Alexandria Club basketball players