Nyang Luol "Tako" Wek III (born 9 March 1996) is a South Sudanese

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 who last played for Bangui SC of the

Basketball Africa League The Basketball Africa League (BAL) is Africa's premier men's basketball league. The league consists of twelve teams, each qualified through their domestic competition, similar to the format of the UEFA Champions League. The league is a joint eff ...

(BAL). Wek has been a member of the South Sudan national team, and played at

FIBA AfroBasket 2021 FIBA AfroBasket 2021 was the 30th edition of the FIBA AfroBasket, a men's basketball continental championship of Africa. The tournament was hosted by Rwanda for the first time. It was originally scheduled to take place between 17 and 29 August 2 ...

with his country.

Early life and high school career

Wek was born in South Sudan but moved to the United States at age 9. He attended

French Camp Academy French Camp Academy (FCA) is an interdenominational Christian boarding home and academy in French Camp, Mississippi. It is intended to serve children and teenagers who need opportunities and resources not available in their home or peer environmen ...

in Mississippi, where he began playing basketball as a freshman. As a junior, Wek averaged 19 points per game and had consecutive 40-point games. He was expelled during his senior season. Wek moved to

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

and earned a football scholarship to

Lane College Lane College is a private historically black college associated with the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and located in Jackson, Tennessee. It offers associate and baccalaureate degrees in the arts and sciences. History Lane College was f ...

. He dropped out of Lane after a season, due to feeling that football was not right for him. Wek moved to

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

and found work delivering plumbing supplies.

Professional career

Wek played with the Dallas Ballers in the first season of the

Junior Basketball Association The Junior Basketball Association (JBA) was an American basketball league that intended to be an alternative to the NCAA by allowing high school and junior college players to immediately play professionally. The league was first announced in Dec ...

(JBA). His girlfriend spotted the ad for the tryout and sent it to him. He was suspended for three games due to a conflict with another player. On March 2, 2022, Wek signed with South Sudanese club

Cobra Sport Cobra Sports Club, commonly known as Cobra Sport, are a South Sudanese basketball team based in Juba, South Sudan. The team was established in 2017 and plays in the Central Equatoria State Basketball Association (CESBA). Cobra has won three natio ...

of the

(BAL). In November 2023, Wek played for Zimbabwean club JBC in the

Road to BAL The Road to BAL, also known as the BAL Qualifying Tournaments, are the qualifying tournaments of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The organization of the qualifiers is in hands of FIBA Africa. The first qualifying rounds were held on 16 October ...

. In two games, he averaged 11 points and 10.5 rebounds for JBC, who failed to advance to the final round. In April 2024, Wek joined

Bangui Sporting Club Bangui Sporting Club is a Central African basketball team based in Bangui. the team plays in the Bangui Basketball League (LBBB) and has won the championship in 2022. Founded in 2017 as GIBA-BCAGS, under former International player Cyrille Dama ...

for the 2024 BAL season.

National team career

Wek was on the

South Sudan national basketball team The South Sudan national basketball team is the national basketball team representing South Sudan. Its official name is South Sudan Basketball Federation. It was established in May 2011, and became a member of FIBA in December 2013. They are nic ...

for

AfroBasket 2021 FIBA AfroBasket 2021 was the 30th edition of the FIBA AfroBasket, a men's basketball continental championship of Africa. The tournament was hosted by Rwanda for the first time. It was originally scheduled to take place between 17 and 29 August 20 ...

. As a starter, he contributed 5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, helping South Sudan reach the quarterfinals.

BAL career statistics

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References

External links

Nyang Wek
at Eurobasket.com 1996 births Cobra Sport players Living people Small forwards Junior Basketball Association players Lane College alumni South Sudanese men's basketball players {{SouthSudan-basketball-bio-stub Bangui Sporting Club players