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Sunday Dech

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Sunday Dech
No. 44 – Adelaide 36ers
PositionGuard
LeagueNBL
Personal information
Born (1994-01-01) 1 January 1994 (age 30)
Gambela, Ethiopia
NationalitySouth Sudanese / Australian
Listed height195 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Listed weight91 kg (201 lb)
Career information
High schoolChurchlands
(Perth, Western Australia)
College
NBA draft2018: undrafted
Playing career2013–present
Career history
2013–2016East Perth Eagles
2013–2015Perth Wildcats
2018Rockingham Flames
2018–2019Perth Wildcats
2019East Perth Eagles
2019Wellington Saints
2019–2020Illawarra Hawks
2020–presentAdelaide 36ers
2021North Adelaide Rockets
2022Canterbury Rams
2024East Perth Eagles
Career highlights and awards

Sunday Dech (born 1 January 1994) is a South Sudanese-Australian professional basketball player for the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He is a two-time NBL champion with the Perth Wildcats, having won in 2014 and 2019. Dech played NCAA Division II college basketball for the Metro State Roadrunners and Barry Buccaneers.

Early life

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Dech was born in Gambela, Ethiopia,[1][2] as one of seven children to South Sudanese parents Abraham Dech and Aret Ochala.[3][4][5] His family are members of the Anuak tribe.[6] Dech moved from Gambela to Perth, Western Australia, at the age of six when his father was able to secure immigration forms for his family.[6][7] He participated in a variety of sports growing up – including Australian rules football, soccer and skateboarding – that he credits as helping him to acclimatise to Australian life.[8] Dech began playing basketball at the age of 16.[8] He attended Churchlands Senior High School and graduated in 2012.[5]

Basketball career

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Early years

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Dech debuted in the State Basketball League (SBL) with the East Perth Eagles in 2013. For the 2013–14 NBL season, he joined the Perth Wildcats as a development player and was a member of the championship-winning team in April 2014. That year, he was named the SBL's Most Improved Player[9] and helped the Eagles win the championship. He then continued on with the Wildcats as a development player in 2014–15 before playing a third season with East Perth in 2015.

College

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The 2015–16 season saw Dech redshirt with the Metro State Roadrunners. He returned to the Eagles for the 2016 season and then made his college debut with the Roadrunners in the 2016–17 season. In 28 games for the Roadrunners, he averaged 13.0 points and a team-high 6.9 rebounds per game.[10] Dech transferred to Barry University and joined the Buccaneers for the 2017–18 season to play his final season of eligibility. In 32 games, he averaged 13.3 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game. He earned SSC All-Newcomer Team honours and was named in the SSC All-Tournament Team.[5]

Professional

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Following the 2017–18 U.S. college season, Dech returned to Australia to train with the Cairns Taipans and Brisbane Bullets.[4] After a three-game stint with the Rockingham Flames at the back-end of the 2018 SBL season,[11] Dech re-joined the Perth Wildcats for the 2018–19 NBL season as a training player.[12] He was later designated as Perth's nominated replacement player and filled in for the injured Damian Martin and Mitch Norton throughout the season.[4][13] In March 2019, he was crowned a champion for the second time when the Wildcats defeated Melbourne United in the 2019 NBL Finals. Dech was subsequently awarded the Coaches' Award by head coach Trevor Gleeson.[14][15] He went on to play in New Zealand during the off-season, where he helped the Wellington Saints win the NZNBL championship.

On 9 April 2019, Dech signed a two-year deal with the Illawarra Hawks after being highly sought after as a free agent.[14] The 2019–20 NBL season saw Dech earn nominations for both the league's Most Improved Player and Best Defensive Player.[16] His remaining contract with the Hawks was voided when the club was liquidated on 18 May 2020.[17]

Dech initially signed with the Southland Sharks before they withdrew prior to the start of the 2020 New Zealand NBL season.[16][18][19]

On 22 July 2020, Dech signed a three-year deal with the Adelaide 36ers.[7] He built a reputation as one of the league's standout defenders during the 2020–21 NBL season.[20] Following his first season with the 36ers, Dech played for the North Adelaide Rockets of NBL1 Central.[21] He helped the Rockets win the championship while earning grand final MVP honours.[22]

Dech missed the start of the 2021–22 NBL season with a hematoma of his quad.[20] For the season, he averaged 12.3 points, 2.43 assists, and 4.26 rebounds per game.[23]

Dech joined the Canterbury Rams for the 2022 New Zealand NBL season.[24] Dech made his debut for the team on 8 May 2022 against the Auckland Tuatara.[25] On 21 May 2022, Dech scored an NZNBL individual season-high 35 points in a loss to the Nelson Giants.[26]

On 29 April 2022, Dech signed a three-year contract extension with the 36ers.[23] He was selected as a member of the 36ers' leadership group alongside teammates Mitch McCarron, Daniel Johnson and Robert Franks for the 2022–23 season.[27] Following the 2023–24 NBL season, he joined the East Perth Eagles of the NBL1 West for the 2024 season.[28] On 31 May, he recorded a triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the Eagles' 90–78 win over the Perth Redbacks.[29][30]

National team

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In 2022, Dech was selected to play for the South Sudanese national team in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.[31]

Dech was named in South Sudan's final roster for the 2024 Olympics.[32]

References

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  1. ^ "Adelaide 36ers Sign Sunday Dech". Adelaide 36ers. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  2. ^ "Sunday Dech". Southland Sharks. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  3. ^ Jimma, Natal; Huntsdale, Justin (14 February 2020). "Australian basketball diversifies as 'tsunami' of African players hits NBL". ABC. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  4. ^ a b c O'Donoghue, Craig (2 March 2019). "Sunday Dech stepping up in Perth Wildcats' title push". thewest.com.au. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  5. ^ a b c "Sunday Dech Bio". Barry University. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  6. ^ a b Spreadborough, Joel (28 May 2021). "How connection to culture helps NBL stars 'light fire within'". SBS. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Sixers Land Sunday Dech". NBL.com.au. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Sunday Dech". Perth African Nations Sports Association. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  9. ^ "2014 Basketball WA Award Winners". Basketball Western Australia. 9 September 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  10. ^ "Sunday Dech Bio". Metropolitan State University of Denver Athletics. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  11. ^ Horton, Stuart (24 July 2018). "Rockingham Flames secure SBL play-off spot". The West Australian. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  12. ^ "Young guns to get their chance at pre-season games". Perth Wildcats. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  13. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (3 November 2018). "Perth Wildcats look for lift without inspirational skipper Damian Martin against New Zealand". The West Australian. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  14. ^ a b "Illawarra Sign Sunday Dech for NBL20". NBL. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  15. ^ Perth Wildcats (6 April 2019). "Sunday Dech has been awarded the Coaches' Award..." twitter.com. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Southland Sharks' ready for Sunday best in 2020 National Basketball League". stuff.co.nz. 18 February 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  17. ^ Hope, Shayne (18 May 2020). "NBL's Hawks liquidated amid huge debt". Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  18. ^ Jeffrey, Nick (18 February 2020). "Sunday best! Dech signs with Sharks". Sharks Basketball. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  19. ^ "2020 Update - Sharks confirm NBL plans". Southland Sharks. 16 May 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  20. ^ a b Pike, Chris (17 January 2022). "Cotton, Wildcats Ideal Return Challenge for Sunday Dech". NBL.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  21. ^ "Rockets set to launch with signings of star 36ers duo". NBL1.com.au. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  22. ^ "Rocket-Men fly to first since 2007". NBL1.com.au. 11 September 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  23. ^ a b "Sixers Sign Sunday Dech to Extension". NBL.com.au. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  24. ^ "Rams Secure Sunday Dech". Canterbury Rams. 6 April 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  25. ^ "NZNBL: New Zealand National Basketball League". Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  26. ^ "NZNBL: New Zealand National Basketball League". Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  27. ^ "Four-man leadership group announced". Adelaide 36ers. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  28. ^ "Sunday Dech returns home to join East Perth in 2024". NBL1.com.au. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  29. ^ "East Perth vs Perth". NBL1.com.au. 31 May 2024. Archived from the original on 31 May 2024.
  30. ^ Pike, Chris (1 June 2024). "Recap NBL1 West | Heritage Round Friday". NBL1.com.au. Archived from the original on 11 June 2024.
  31. ^ "NBL Stars to Represent USA, South Sudan and New Zealand". NBL.com.au. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  32. ^ "South Sudanese NBL stars to make history". NBL.com.au. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
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