Happy in FNQ despite NBA dreams for NBL forward
Athletic forward Kouat Noi has two feet settled in FNQ, but admits he still has two eyes hovering across towards the NBA draft.
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Athletic forward Kouat Noi has two feet settled in FNQ, but admits he still has two eyes hovering across towards the NBA draft.
The 22-year-old runner-up in rookie of the year voting last NBL season was confirmed as one of three Cairns re-signings this week, alongside teammates Mirko Djeric and Fabijan Krslovic.
Djeric was originally proclaimed as a two-year deal when he first signed while Krslovic earnt himself another year through strong play last season, but it was the return of Noi that came as more of a surprise than the other two.
Noi has long spoken of his NBA ambitions and when he first signed, it was mooted the Sudan product would be one and done in the Australian pro ranks, before heading to “the show”.
The three-point shooting forward has his name in the upcoming NBA draft and says if league commissioner Adam Silver does not read his name out, he will be more than happy to spend another campaign in Cairns.
“I love it here, I know I’m going to get better here. I’m still doing the draft process, having interviews with NBA teams. But besides that, I’m working out and putting my focus on the Taipans,” Noi said.
“Every off-season I get better in different aspects of my game. I’ve been working on my moves, different countermoves, and I’ve been in the weight room working on my strength and conditioning. I’ve been getting a lot of reps up and trying to be more consistent with my shot.
“Hopefully we get most of the guys back this season, and we can all be a stronger and more prepared group. We want to win a championship.”
Noi has remained in FNQ since the 2019-20 NBL season wrapped up, when the club was eliminated by Perth, continuing to work on his game.
Noi, who attended TCU college, would not confirm how many NBA clubs he had interviewed with.
Emerging forward Krslovic said he was confident he would get a fresh deal in Cairns following an encouraging rookie campaign, declaring conversations with coaches had been positive over the off-season.
Silky shooter Djeric said it was easy decision to come back for a second season with the team after making the finals last campaign.
Taipans squad locked in for next season:
Scott Machado, Mojave King, Majok Deng, Mirko Djeric, Fabijan Krslovic and Kouat Noi.
Originally published as Happy in FNQ despite NBA dreams for NBL forward