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 (appr ...
player for
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 as ...
of the
National Basketball League (NBL). He played
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
Neosho County Community College and
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the fir ...
.
Early life
Lual-Acuil was born in
Wau,
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 C ...
. Due to the
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same 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 ...
, he was relocated to a
refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary 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 internally displaced peo ...
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 capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
.
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
Jayhawk may refer to:
*Jayhawker, originally a term for United States Civil War guerrilla fighters, later applied generally to residents of Kansas
* Jayhawk (mascot), the mascot of many schools and their sports teams, derived from the term Jayhawk ...
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
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the fir ...
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
)
, established =
, closed =
, type = Public university, Public Historically black colleges and universities, historically black university
, parent = University System of Georg ...
. 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 leadi ...
of the
Israeli Premier League
The Israeli Premier League ( he, ליגת העל, ''Ligat Ha`Al'', ), is a professional association football league which operates as the highest division of the Israeli Football League – the state's league of Israel. The league is contested b ...
, 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 ( he, הפועל גליל עליון), 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 b ...
of the
Israeli National League
Liga Leumit ( he, ליגה לאומית, lit. ''National League'') is the second division of the Israeli Football League, and below its Premier League.
Structure
There are 16 clubs in the league. At the end of each season, the two lowest-place ...
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. ( he, מועדון כדורגל הפועל כפר סבא, ''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 Stadiu ...
. 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
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
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 ( he, מכבי חיפה) 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 ...
.
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 as ...
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.
Teams
Nine teams competed in the 2019–20 Season with the addition of South East Melbourne Phoenix.
Off-season changes
*The ...
. During the 2020–21 season, he was named NBL Best Sixth Man
The National Basketball League Best Sixth Man is an annual National Basketball League (NBL) award given since the 1996 NBL season
The 1996 NBL season was the 18th season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of 14 teams co ...
and helped lead Melbourne to a title. Lual-Acuil averaged 9.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game.
On 30 June 2021, Lual-Acuil re-signed with United on a one-year deal.
China / Lebanon (2022–2023)
After playing for the Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
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 campus ...
, Lual-Acuil joined the Nanjing Tongxi Monkey Kings of the Chinese Basketball Association
The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the CBA, is the first-tier professional men's 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 the top-tier professional men's basketball league in Lebanon. It is organized annually as a national championship with playoffs and a national cup by the Lebanese Basketball Federation (FLB).
Currently, the leagu ...
.
Return to Melbourne (2023–present)
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.
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 given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "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 mo ...
, was South Sudan's first Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management.
References
External links
Baylor Bears bio
RealGM profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lual-Acuil, Jo
1994 births
Living people
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)
Hapoel Galil Elyon players
Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. players
Melbourne United players
Nanjing Tongxi Monkey Kings players
Neosho County Panthers men's basketball players
Refugees in Uganda
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