MONROE, La. – Former ULM men's basketball standout Majok Deng will represent South Sudan at the Olympic Games in Paris, July 26-Aug. 11, 2024, after the South Sudanese national team qualified for this summer's Olympics.
Deng is the first ULM player since Glynn Saulters to participate in the Olympic Games. Saulters, the only former ULM men's player in program history to have his jersey retired, competed at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City and won a gold medal with the United States national basketball team.
Deng helped South Sudan earn a bid to the Olympics for the first time in history after his team defeated Angola 101-78 at the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Deng registered 10 points and four rebounds to go along with a trio of blocks and two steals as his team clinched a spot in the 2024 Olympics. He has been on the South Sudanese national team since 2022 when Deng played in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.
Deng has played professional basketball for the Tasmania JackJumpers of the National Basketball League since 2023 and has over eight seasons of playing professional basketball. Deng spent the first three years with the Adelaide 36ers of the NBL before playing the next four seasons with the Cairns Taipans. He was voted All-BAL Second Team in 2024 and All-NBL1 North First Team in 2023. Deng and the JackJumpers won the 2024 NBL Championship.
"We are so proud of Majok and look forward to watching him play in the Olympics," ULM Men's Basketball Head Coach Keith Richard said. "He not only was a great player here but also a fan and student favorite during his two years as a Warhawk."
While at ULM, Deng averaged 14.2 points per game in 69 games over two seasons. During the 2014-15 season, he logged eight double-doubles and received All-Sun Belt Conference Third Team, All-Louisiana First Team and College Sports Madness All-SBC Second Team accolades. He was an impactful player on the Warhawks' 2015 CBI Tournament run and helped ULM reach the CBI Championship Series. In his final season at ULM, Deng led the SBC with a league-scoring average of 19.0 points per game in conference play. He was named All-Sun Belt Conference First Team and was voted on the SBC All-Tournament Team and NABC All-District 24 Team.
Deng and South Sudan will make their Olympic debut on Sunday, July 28 versus Puerto Rico to open Group C play. The South Sudanese are scheduled to face the United States on Wednesday, July 31 and will round out group play on Aug. 3 versus Serbia.
