Ater Majok
Encyclopedia
Ater Majok (born July 4, 1987 in Sudan
) is an Australia
n professional basketball player who was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers
in the 2011 NBA Draft
with the 58th overall pick in the 2nd round.
and has lived in Egypt
and Australia
. He attended high school at St Aloysius' College in Sydney
, Parramatta Marist High School
in Sydney
and the American International School
in Carlingford, New South Wales
where he graduated in 2008.
After graduating, he committed to the University of Connecticut
. He sat out during the 2008–09 basketball season because he was not cleared to play by the NCAA. Majok joined the UConn
roster in the second semester of the 2008-09 season and became eligible for action at the conclusion of the Fall semester in 2009 and had freshman eligibility.
When the season was over he declared for the 2009 NBA Draft
but did not sign with an agent. About a week before the draft he decided to withdraw his name and to return to UConn.
On 20 December 2009, Majok made his debut with the Huskies. He scored one point and collected three rebounds in 16 minutes of action as a starter.
In September 2010, Ater Majok announced that he was leaving Connecticut, though the reasons as to why remain unclear. In all he played 26 games for the Huskies averaging 2.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.
On the 23rd of December 2010, it was announced that Majok signed a six week contract to cover for the injured Jesse Wagstaff and Matthew Knight with the Perth Wildcats
in the Australian NBL
. He was benched mid-way through his stint in Perth for failing to attend a team meeting and once his short term contract was up he was released by the Wildcats. Majok played in 8 games for the defending NBL champions
where he averaged 7.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. Despite only having a short stint in Perth
, Majok became a favourite amongst the Wildcats fans with due to his shot blocking ability, blocking a total of 11 shots in his first three games.
After his 8 game stint in Perth, Majok then signed with another NBL team, the Gold Coast Blaze
as a replacement for injured Aussie Boomers player Mark Worthington
. He appeared in 6 games for the Blaze where he averaged 2.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game.
On March 22, 2011, just days before the Gold Coast's final home game of the 2010-11 NBL season against the Adelaide 36ers
, Ater Majok was released by the club so that he could advance his preparations and seek out training-camp opportunities in the US prior to the 2011 NBA Draft
in June. He was the 58th pick of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.
During the NBA lockout, Majok will be playing in Slovakia for BK SPU Nitra.
and Head Coach Ed Cooley
. Majok also considered Colorado, Alabama, Oklahoma, UTEP, Valparaiso, Oregon, Saint Louis, Penn State, Georgia Tech and Boston College before deciding on the Stags. It was announced in September 2010 however that he had failed to qualify academically.
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
) is an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n professional basketball player who was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the 2011 NBA Draft
2011 NBA Draft
The 2011 NBA Draft was held on June 23, 2011 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball...
with the 58th overall pick in the 2nd round.
High School / College
Ater Majok was born in SudanSudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and has lived in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He attended high school at St Aloysius' College in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Parramatta Marist High School
Parramatta Marist High School
Parramatta Marist High School is the oldest Catholic school in Australia.Parramatta Marist began as a school established by Father John Therry in 1820, under the direction of Mr George Morley. The school was transferred to the site of the present Cathedral in 1837 and entrusted to the care of the...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and the American International School
American International School of Sydney
The American International School of Sydney was an international school located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.The school operated, in part, under the sponsorship of the United States Ambassador to Australia and awarded the American High School Diploma, which all graduates received upon...
in Carlingford, New South Wales
Carlingford, New South Wales
Carlingford is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Carlingford is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of the The Hills Shire, Hornsby Shire and the City of Parramatta...
where he graduated in 2008.
After graduating, he committed to the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
. He sat out during the 2008–09 basketball season because he was not cleared to play by the NCAA. Majok joined the UConn
2009–10 Connecticut Huskies men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Connecticut Huskies men's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2009–2010 NCAA Division I basketball season. The Huskies were coached by Jim Calhoun and played their home games at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, and on campus at the Harry A. Gampel...
roster in the second semester of the 2008-09 season and became eligible for action at the conclusion of the Fall semester in 2009 and had freshman eligibility.
When the season was over he declared for the 2009 NBA Draft
2009 NBA Draft
The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
but did not sign with an agent. About a week before the draft he decided to withdraw his name and to return to UConn.
On 20 December 2009, Majok made his debut with the Huskies. He scored one point and collected three rebounds in 16 minutes of action as a starter.
In September 2010, Ater Majok announced that he was leaving Connecticut, though the reasons as to why remain unclear. In all he played 26 games for the Huskies averaging 2.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.
Professional career
After leaving the Huskies, Majok signed professionally with FMV Isikspor Istanbul, a 2nd division Turkish club. He played 7 games for them averaging 13.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocks in 28.3 minutes.On the 23rd of December 2010, it was announced that Majok signed a six week contract to cover for the injured Jesse Wagstaff and Matthew Knight with the Perth Wildcats
Perth Wildcats
The Perth Wildcats are an Australian professional basketball team competing in the National Basketball League. The Wildcats are the only team in the league representing the state of Western Australia and are based in the state capital, Perth...
in the Australian NBL
National Basketball League (Australasia)
The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia....
. He was benched mid-way through his stint in Perth for failing to attend a team meeting and once his short term contract was up he was released by the Wildcats. Majok played in 8 games for the defending NBL champions
2009–10 NBL season
The 2009–10 National Basketball League was the thirty-second season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of 8 teams contested the league. The regular season was played between 24 September 2009 and 14 February 2010, followed by a post-season involving the top four teams...
where he averaged 7.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. Despite only having a short stint in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Majok became a favourite amongst the Wildcats fans with due to his shot blocking ability, blocking a total of 11 shots in his first three games.
After his 8 game stint in Perth, Majok then signed with another NBL team, the Gold Coast Blaze
Gold Coast Blaze
The Gold Coast Blaze is an Australian professional basketball team which competes in the National Basketball League . The Blaze competed in their inaugural season in 2007/08. The club is based on the Gold Coast and joins two other NBL clubs competing from Queensland...
as a replacement for injured Aussie Boomers player Mark Worthington
Mark Worthington
Mark Worthington is an Australian professional basketball player. He was named the NBL rookie of the year in 2006 and won gold with the Australian basketball team at the 2006 Commonwealth Games....
. He appeared in 6 games for the Blaze where he averaged 2.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game.
On March 22, 2011, just days before the Gold Coast's final home game of the 2010-11 NBL season against the Adelaide 36ers
Adelaide 36ers
The Adelaide 36ers are Adelaide's men's professional basketball team, established as the Adelaide City Eagles when they joined the National Basketball League in 1982. The Adelaide 36ers tally of four championships is equal with the Melbourne Tigers and second behind the Perth Wildcats as the most...
, Ater Majok was released by the club so that he could advance his preparations and seek out training-camp opportunities in the US prior to the 2011 NBA Draft
2011 NBA Draft
The 2011 NBA Draft was held on June 23, 2011 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball...
in June. He was the 58th pick of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.
During the NBA lockout, Majok will be playing in Slovakia for BK SPU Nitra.
Los Angeles Lakers
On June 23, 2011, Majok was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association in the 2011 NBA Draft with the 58th overall pick.Personal
Ater’s cousin, Majok Majok, had committed to play college basketball for FairfieldFairfield Stags men's basketball
The Fairfield Stags men's basketball team represents Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut and competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I. The Stags play their home games in the 9,500 seat, state of the art Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut and plays...
and Head Coach Ed Cooley
Ed Cooley
Ed Cooley is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the Providence College Friars men's basketball team. Previously, Cooley had held the same position at Fairfield University from 2006–2011...
. Majok also considered Colorado, Alabama, Oklahoma, UTEP, Valparaiso, Oregon, Saint Louis, Penn State, Georgia Tech and Boston College before deciding on the Stags. It was announced in September 2010 however that he had failed to qualify academically.