Deng Adel to Compete in 2020 Summer Olympics with Australian National Team

(Photo of Deng Adel: Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports)

MELBOURNE, Aus. - Former Louisville men's basketball forward Deng Adel has been named to the 24-man Australian Men's Olympic Squad for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Basketball Australia announced on Tuesday.

The roster is headlined by three-time Olympians Joe Ingles & Patty Mills, as well as two-time NBA All-Star Ben Simmons. As as Dec. 9, 2020, the Boomers are ranked as the No. 3 national team in the world by FIBA, behind only the United States and Spain.

The 2020 Summer Olympics are scheduled to begin on Jul. 23, 2021 after being postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 6-foot-7, 200-pound small forward was born in Sudan, Africa in 1997, but moved to Melbourne, Australia in 2004, before later coming to the United States in 2013. He was named to the Boomers' 17-man roster for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, but did not make the 12-man roster.

He currently competes in the National Basketball League, which features teams in Australia & New Zealand, signing with The Hawks (formerly the Illawarra Hawks and the Wollongong Hawks) last summer.

Prior to going overseas, Adel saw time mostly in the NBA G-League for the Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets affiliates. His only NBA action came during the 2018-19 season, averaging 1.7 points and 1.0 rebounds over 19 games and three starts for the Cavaliers.

Adel played for the Cardinals for three seasons from 2015 to 2018, averaging 11.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 87 career games. During his junior campaign, he put up 15.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, and was named an All-ACC honorable mention. He declared for the 2018 NBA Draft, but went undrafted. He finished just five points short of being a 1,000-point career scorer at Louisville.

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