He's had limited game time in 2021, but Hawks rookie Akoldah Gak has caught the eye of national selectors.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The teenager has been included in the Australian under-19s squad for a FIBA Basketball World Cup selection camp, to be held in Canberra from May 31 to June 2.
Gak has been picked alongside the likes of 2021 NBA draft prospect Josh Giddey and Bullets point guard Tamuri Wigness. The 18-man squad is part of final preparations ahead of the World Cup in Latvia this July, where Australia has been drawn into group D alongside Mali, Turkey and the US.
It is a chance for Gak to impress, who has featured in four games for the Hawks since arriving in Wollongong last October. Coach Brian Goorjian signed the the power forward as a development player, at the time saying Gak had NBA potential.
"[He's] tall, athletic, multi-skilled, multi-purposed and somebody that the NBA is pointing at," he said.
"The family has put him here because they see this as a place where he can be developed at home, with all that's going on around the world right now. And they've selected here, which is a real compliment."
We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.
Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
