WHO 13

Peter Jok’s journey from Iowa to South Sudan Olympic basketball team

By Kelly Maricle,

23 hours ago

Kacoul Dut “Peter” Jok grew up in the Des Moines metro and was a local high school basketball star before moving on to the University of Iowa. Jok is now on the South Sudan National Men’s Basketball Team that is making waves at the Olympics in Paris.

Jok was born in Rumbek, South Sudan and after the death of his father in the Second Sudanese Civil war his family fled the region. They eventually settled in Des Moines when Jok was still a child.

In his first two years of high school, Jok played for Des Moines Roosevelt. Then he transferred to West Des Moines Valley, where he was coached by former Iowa Hawkeye all-time assists leader Jeff Horner. Jok’s senior year, 2013, he averaged 23.6 points a game.

At Iowa, he averaged 19.9 points his senior season(2016-2017) and was first-team All-Big Ten. He also had a college career high of 42 points in a game against Memphis that season. He finished his Hawkeye career with 1,508 points.

WHO 13 Sports Director Keith Murphy has had plenty of fun covering Jok over his career and Jok has been a great sport about it. Check out one of our favorite Murphy/Jok interactions below:

After college, Jok has played professionally domestically and overseas. He was waived by the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the NBA G League in March and is currently signed with the Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

As a member of the South Sudan National Men’s Basketball Team, Jok has already had a chance to face off against Team USA. In a pre-Olympics warmup game on July 20, Jok played 15 minutes and had 8 points and 2 rebounds.

LILLE, FRANCE – JULY 28: Carlik Jones #4 of Team South Sudan and Peter Jok #14 of Team South Sudan celebrate during the Men’s Group Phase – Group C match between Team South Sudan and Team Puerto Rico on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade Pierre Mauroy on July 28, 2024 in Lille, France. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
LILLE, FRANCE – JULY 28: Peter Jok #14 of Team South Sudan and Wenyen Gabriel #9 of Team South Sudan celebrate victory during the Men’s Group Phase – Group C match between Team South Sudan and Team Puerto Rico on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade Pierre Mauroy on July 28, 2024 in Lille, France. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
LILLE, FRANCE – JULY 28: Peter Jok of South Sudan celebrates during the Men’s Basketball Group Phase – Group C match between Team South Sudan and Team Puerto Rico on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade Pierre Mauroy on July 28, 2024 in Lille, France. (Photo by Christina Pahnke – sampics/Getty Images)
LILLE, FRANCE – JULY 28: Peter Jok of South Sudan celebrates during the Men’s Basketball Group Phase – Group C match between Team South Sudan and Team Puerto Rico on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade Pierre Mauroy on July 28, 2024 in Lille, France. (Photo by Christina Pahnke – sampics/Getty Images)
TOPSHOT – (From L) South Sudan’s #11 Marial Shayok, South Sudan’s #10 Jt Thor, South Sudan’s #13 Majok Deng, South Sudan’s #26 Sunday Dech, South Sudan’s #14 Peter Jok and South Sudan’s #09 Wenyen Gabriel acknowledge the public at the end of the men’s preliminary round group C basketball match between South Sudan and Puerto Rico during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, northern France, on July 28, 2024. (Photo by Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP) (Photo by SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP via Getty Images)
(From L) South Sudan’s #10 Jt Thor, South Sudan’s #13 Majok Deng, South Sudan’s #26 Sunday Dech and South Sudan’s #14 Peter Jok celebrate at the end of the men’s preliminary round group C basketball match between South Sudan and Puerto Rico during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, northern France, on July 28, 2024. (Photo by Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP) (Photo by SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP via Getty Images)
Puerto Rico’s #28 Ismael Romero (R) goes to the basket past South Sudan’s #14 Peter Jok (C) and South Sudan’s #10 Jt Thor in the men’s preliminary round group C basketball match between South Sudan and Puerto Rico during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, northern France, on July 28, 2024. (Photo by POOL / AFP) (Photo by -/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
An overview shows Puerto Rico’s #28 Ismael Romero (R) go to the basket past South Sudan’s #10 Jt Thor (L) and South Sudan’s #14 Peter Jok in the men’s preliminary round group C basketball match between South Sudan and Puerto Rico during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, northern France, on July 28, 2024. (Photo by POOL / AFP) (Photo by -/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
An overview shows South Sudan’s #14 Peter Jok (L) and Puerto Rico’s #01 George Conditt IV (C) eye the ball in the men’s preliminary round group C basketball match between South Sudan and Puerto Rico during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, northern France, on July 28, 2024. (Photo by POOL / AFP) (Photo by -/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Peter Jok, left, of the Ottawa BlackJacks is battling Zane Waterman of the Brampton Honey Badgers in Canadian Elite Basketball League action at the CAA Centre in Brampton, Ontario, on May 26, 2024. Brampton is defeating Ottawa by a 99-82 score. (Photo by Mike Campbell/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Peter Jok of the Ottawa BlackJacks is talking with a teammate in Canadian Elite Basketball League action at the CAA Centre in Brampton, Ontario, on May 26, 2024. Brampton is defeating Ottawa by a 99-82 score. (Photo by Mike Campbell/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 17: Peter Jok of South Sudan catches the ball during the match between the Australian Boomers and South Sudan at Rod Laver Arena on August 17, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 17: Patty Mills of Australia drives past Peter Jok of South Sudan during the match between the Australian Boomers and South Sudan at Rod Laver Arena on August 17, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 17: Peter Jok of South Sudan warms up ahead of the match between the Australian Boomers and South Sudan at Rod Laver Arena on August 17, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 17: Peter Jok of South Sudan warms up ahead of the match between the Australian Boomers and South Sudan at Rod Laver Arena on August 17, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, CATALONIA, SPAIN – 2021/01/31: Peter Jok of Murcia and Sergi Martinez of Barcelona in action during the Spanish basketball league (Liga Endesa) Round 22, match between FC Barcelona Bàsquet and Club Baloncesto Murcia at Palau Blaugrana. (Final score; Barcelona Bàsquet 92:63 Club Baloncesto Murcia). (Photo by Thiago Prudêncio/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD – FEBRUARY 25: Peter Jok #14 of the Iowa Hawkeyes dribbles the bal up court during a college basketball game against the Maryland Terrapins at the XFinity Center on February 25, 2017 in College Park, Maryland. The Hawkeyes won 83-69. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD – FEBRUARY 25: Peter Jok #14 of the Iowa Hawkeyes takes a foul shot during a college basketball game against the Maryland Terrapins at the XFinity Center on February 25, 2017 in College Park, Maryland. The Hawkeyes won 83-69. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD – FEBRUARY 25: Peter Jok #14 of the Iowa Hawkeyes dribbles the ball during a college basketball game against the Maryland Terrapins at the XFinity Center on February 25, 2017 in College Park, Maryland. The Hawkeyes won 83-69. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IA. – FEBRUARY 18: Iowa guard Peter Jok (14) looses the ball during a Big Ten Conference basketball game between the University of Illinois Fighting Illini and the University of Iowa Hawkeyes on February 18, 2017, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, IA. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IA. – FEBRUARY 18: Iowa Hawkeyes’ guard Peter Jok (14) tries to dribble azround Illinois guard Malcolm Hill (21) during a Big Ten Conference basketball game between the University of Illinois Fighting Illini and the University of Iowa Hawkeyes on February 18, 2017, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, IA. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
MADISON, WI – MARCH 02: Peter Jok #14 of the Iowa Hawkeyes shoots over Jordan Hill #11 of the Wisconsin Badgers during the second half of a game at the Kohl Center on March 2, 2017 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)