Mangok Mathiang

Junior Year:

Pronounced MANG-go like the fruit, with a silent “K”; MATH-ee-ang.
Team captain for the second straight year this season.
Averaged 7.1 points and 5.7 rebounds over the first 10 games of the season prior to his injury.
Broke the fifth metatarsal in his left foot against Western Kentucky on Dec. 19, ending his season. He had a screw inserted in the bone on Dec. 20 and missed the last 21 games of the season.
Had a steal in seven games and a blocked shot in seven games as a junior.
Named to the 2015 and 2016 All-ACC Academic Men’s Basketball team, one of a league-high seven Cardinals selected for the honor each of the last two years.
MVP of the Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational championship game vs. Saint Louis when he produced his first career double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Sophomore Year:

Top reserve/part-time starter at center was fourth on the team in rebounding (4.7). He grabbed at least three rebounds in 26 of his 34 games.
Ranked sixth in the ACC in blocked shots (1.4 bpg).
Hit the game-winning jumper with 2.7 seconds remaining in the Cards’ win over No. 2 Virginia in the regular season finale.
Named to the 2015 All-ACC Academic Men’s Basketball team.
Scored a season-high 11 points against Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh.
Hit a free throw with five seconds left in regulation to send the Cardinals’ East Region Championship game into overtime. He had seven rebounds and two blocked shots in the game.
Blocked a shot in 21 games as a sophomore, including a career-high five shots against NC State on Feb. 14.
Totalled six points, three rebounds and tied a career-high with four blocked shots in 17 minutes against Indiana.
Led the 23-team 2015 World University Games in rebounding and finished tied for eighth in scoring, producing five double-doubles. He started all eight games for Australia, averaging 13.5 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting 56.1 percent from the field (46-of-82, fourth-best in the event).
His top scoring effort in the World Univ. Games was 23 points against Chinese Taipei and his best rebounding game was 17 vs. Korea. Australia (5-3) finished 10th in the event played in Gwangju, South Korea July 4-13.

Freshman Year:

Finished the season averaging 3.6 points and 3.6 rebounds, with a team-high 51 blocks. He shot 52.8 percent from the field.
Had a blocked shot in 28 games and finished seventh in the AAC in blocked shots per game (1.4). He had 15 games with at least two swats.
Played in all three NCAA Tournament games, totaling six points, seven rebounds, five blocks, and three steals. He had two blocks versus both Manhattan and Kentucky.
Recorded his second double-digit scoring performance, totaling 10 points at USF on 4-of-6 shooting. He tied a season-best with two steals.
Matched a season high with four blocks against Kentucky, adding four points and three rebounds.
Named the American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week on Dec. 16 after he scored a season-best 13 points - he was 5-of-5 from the field - and totaled five rebounds and one block against Western Kentucky.
Totaled eight points, nine rebounds - six on the offensive end - and two blocked shots in the win over Missouri State.
Had a season high four blocks vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, while adding six points.
Earned first career start, totaling seven rebounds and three blocks against Southern Miss.
Had seven points and 10 rebounds in his collegiate debut and Louisville’s season opener versus College of Charleston. It was only the second time in the last 13 years that a Louisville freshman has grabbed that many rebounds in a debut (Chane Behanan, 12 rebounds vs. UT Martin on Nov. 11, 2011).

High School:

Sat out the 2012-13 season, but was able to practice with the Cardinals while attending UofL.
Averaged 12 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots his final prep year for IMG’s postgraduate team, which posted a 28-2 record in 2011-12. Eleven of his IMG teammates signed with NCAA Division I schools.
Born in Sudan, Africa, Mathiang lived in Melbourne, Australia for several years before moving to the United States to play a season of high school basketball at Carbondale (Ill.) Brehm Prep School in 2010-11. While at Brehm Prep, he blocked an event-high seven shots against Princeton Day Academy in the 2011 National Prep School Invitational.
A late addition to the Cardinal roster in 2012, joining the team in August 2012 after arriving on campus the day before classes started.
Chose to attend UofL after also receiving offers from Kansas State, Georgia, Mississippi State, Auburn and Central Michigan.
Also ran track and played rugby, soccer and Australian rules football in high school while in Australia.

Personal:

Born Oct. 8, 1992 ... Son of Alfret and Grace Mathiang ... Has four siblings (Elfret, Aledy are older, Piath, Shagi younger) ... Major is communication with a minor in marketing.
Personal goal at UofL is to win another championship.
Enjoys watching movies, working out and playing Batman in his spare time.
Chose to attend UofL because “of the people here.”
Best basketball advice given to him was “if you really love basketball, work hard and you will make it.”
Feels Michael Blackson would be the best actor to play him in a movie.
Few people know that he is scared of heights and he knows how to sing.
Most proud of “my mother for bringing me this far in life.”
His high school coach Loren Jackson, brother and Deng Adel have had the greatest influence on his athletic career.
Best thing about being a Cardinal is his teammates.
Wanted to wear No.12 because he couldn’t choose between one or two.
Chose to attend UofL because of the fans.
Best moment of his athletic career to date was UofL’s 2013 NCAA Championship.
What impresses him the most about Coach Pitino: “he is an outgoing person off the court, and the tattoo he got (depicting UofL’s NCAA championship).”