Anchorage’s Mareng Gatkuoth drops a no-look dime at a 2022 World Cup qualifer. Photo courtesy FIBA
Three years before South Sudan qualified for this summer’s Paris Olympics in basketball, back when the team didn’t have an official nickname and didn’t command much respect on the world stage with a No. 94 FIBA ranking, Mareng Gatkuoth of Anchorage was among a dozen players on the national team.
The second youngest on the roster, Gatkuoth had a wealth of untapped potential and exemplified the South Sudan squad – a diamond in the rough hungry for a breakthrough moment.
The year was 2021 and South Sudan was ushering in a new era at the Africa Championships as a first-time qualifier just 10 years after the country gained its independence and seven years after playing its first international game.
It was then, in Rwanda, where Gatkuoth proved himself worthy of the moment after he delivered several big plays in the second half to fuel an 88-87 win over Uganda as the South Sudanese advanced to the next round. Gatkuoth came off the bench to log 18 minutes and produce five points, four steals, three rebounds and two assists.
Then there was the time he scored 12 points in 13 minutes off the bench as South Sudan shocked reigning Africa champion Tunisia 72-64 in a World Cup African qualifier. A few months later, he dropped in four 3-pointers and bagged his international scoring high of 16 points in 18 minutes in a 101-58 rout of Congo.
As the 6-foot-5 Alaskan’s confidence sprouted, so did his team in the world rankings as South Sudan climbed as high as No. 31.
The Bright Stars, as the team is now affectionally known, are currently ranked No. 33 as they head into training camp in advance of the Olympics, and Gatkouth will be there along with NBA player JT Thor of Anchorage. They are part of the 25 players who survived the first cut with one round of cuts still remaining.
The South Sudan talent pool at training camp is a considerable upgrade from 2021 when Gatkuoth first joined the national team. Today’s group is highlighted by former NBA G League MVP Carlik Jones and others with NBA experience like Marial Shayok, Wenyen Gabriel, Nuni Omot and Thor.
Thor, of West High fame, is a 6-foot-9 forward coming off his third season with the Charlotte Bobcats. A 3-and-D specialist, he furnished 199 points, 156 rebounds and 27 blocked shots in 63 games and shot a career-best 35% from downtown.
A former second-round draft pick out of Auburn, the 21-year-old high flyer has played 165 games in the NBA to rank fourth among Alaskans and his 368 rebounds rank third. His 34 points in the NBA G League is the third-highest scoring total for a player from The Last Frontier.
Anchorage’s JT Thor dressed for success before a game. Photo courtesy Charloette Bobcats Twitter
Thor doesn’t have any international experience, but common sense suggests he has a good chance to make the Olympic roster because South Sudan needs all the size it can muster as the road to the medal round in Paris will go through the U.S. and Serbia.
Gatkuoth’s path to making the final roster will be equally as difficult, but don’t put it past him. He’s got a knack for standing tall on the big stage. He plays with no fear and is not afraid to challenge top-flight competition.
In 16 caps with the national team, Gatkuoth has averaged 6.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Coming off the bench, his elite 3-point shooting and perimeter defense has been a game changer at times.
In 2022, he delivered arguably his finest game after going 4-for-4 from 3-point range to score 12 points in 15 minutes as South Sudan beat a Tunisian team that hadn’t lost a FIBA game on the continent of Africa in three years.
Gatkuoth, 23, has been a difference maker on the international scene after building his chops in junior college, playing for two different nationally ranked teams that combined for a 42-12 record.
Mareng Gatkuoth (@g_mareng) @NewMexicoJCMBB https://t.co/ZHU9JPtEPY pic.twitter.com/0muhFugp7O
— Mike Nesbitt (@mikenesbitt34) June 11, 2020
At New Mexico JC, Gatkuoth started 19 of 30 games and averaged 5.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 20.5 minutes per game. At South Plains College, he averaged 5.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists coming off the bench for a team that was ranked No. 1 in the country at one point and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NJCAA Championships.
In 2022-23 at Tarleton State, he averaged 3.7 points in nine games with a high of 10 points against Kansas Christian. The previous season at Montana State, he put up 3.2 points in five games with a high of 10 points against SAGU American Indian.
After struggling to find a home in college after making four stops at four schools, he fit in right away with the South Sudan squad. When given more opportunities in a South Sudan jersey, his numbers were better.
Here’s a number for you: South Sudan has won 13 of 16 games with Gatkuoth on the court. Maybe he’s a lucky rabbit’s foot. Maybe he’s just that good.
Maybe we’ll have two Alaskans hoopin’ in the Olympics. Gatkuoth and Thor will get their answer soon enough as South Sudan’s final roster is expected to be announced in the next few weeks, maybe sooner.
