Young Snakes Set to Strike in NBL24

There’s an old saying in sport that ‘you don’t win anything with kids’. It’s a saying that was first uttered on air in England in 1995, and it’s a saying that has been disproven countless times since in different sports all across the globe.

The Cairns Taipans look set to be the next side aiming to make doubters eat those words in NBL24, as Bul Kuol – who has reportedly signed an extension with the side – looms as being the most experienced campaigner in the starting five.

“The starting lineup, at least what I would project it as, is extremely young,” ESPN Insider Olgun Uluc said on The Marketplace.

“It’s Taran Armstrong as a first-year guy, it would be Sam Mennenga potentially as a first-year guy, Sam Waardenburg as a second-year guy, Bul Kuol as a third-year player, so it’s a really young group.

“That’s the sort of group I think Adam Forde gets the most out of.

“Jonah Antonio is back, Lat Mayen is back, they’ve got Akoldah Gak who’s playing really, really well in the NBL1 North. It’s a young team, but the pieces are seemingly fitting together quite nicely.”

At the time of writing, the signing of Armstrong to the Taipans is just rumour, but has been heavily reported by media outlets around the world.

The 21-year-old point guard most recently played for California Baptist in the NCAA beside brother Tre and Adelaide development player Keanu Rasmussen, where he averaged 11.5 points on 45 per cent shooting, 4.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in the 2022-23 season.

Uluc says now the side’s young core looks to be almost set in stone, priorities are moving to adding a more experienced presence in the locker room.

“As far as what’s next you look at that backup point guard spot,” Uluc said.

“They do want an import point guard to join the fold and that will be a player that more than likely comes off the bench and back up a Taran Armstrong.

“That’s the priority for the Cairns Taipans right now because otherwise their roster is filling up really nicely.”