The journey for TCU sophomore Kouat Noi has not always been an easy one.
“I was born in South Sudan, then we moved to Egypt because the war (in Sudan) got more serious,” said Noi. “Then the war started moving closer to (Egypt), so my dad decided to take us to Australia to give us a better opportunity.”
A better opportunity in many aspects, including with the game of basketball, where Kouat quickly began to show potential – and embraced the Australian style of play.
“Australia is known for passing and just being smart with the ball,” said Noi. “After learning that, then coming to America, I had to adjust to it but I thought I was a little more advanced.”
Advanced, and then after playing at a prep school in Florida, a great fit for Jamie Dixon and the TCU Horned Frogs, where Kouat has blossomed into a key player, and was recently named the Big 12 Player of the Week.
“It’s been fun to watch him,” said Dixon. “He’s been working hard, but there’s been a lot of challenges that come with it. As a kid coming from Sudan to Australia to Texas… I’m sure it’s a place he never thought he’d be, but it’s been quite a transformation for him.”
A transformation for Kouat Noi, a man on a journey that has not always been easy, but motivated to achieve greatness, hoping to inspire the people watching him closely from thousands of miles away.
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“I have a lot of support from South Sudan and Australia,” said Noi. “My family is behind me and I just want to make them proud. You just don’t want to let them down.”
