BIO: Wani Swaka Lo Buluk was born in Bedford (WA) and grew up in Perth where he began playing basketball, a product of the Stirling basketball program. As a teenager, he played his first state league season with Warwick Senators in the SBL.

a athletic, slashing, driving, defensive wing who can guard multiple positions. Swaka Lo Buluk received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 2018. He spent one year there and played for the program’s state league team.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Wani Swaka Lo Buluk made his NBL debut with the Perth Wildcats at 17 years of age. He scored two points in his first game.

During the off-season, Perth re-signed star Bryce Cotton (three-year deal), while also adding Nick Kay and Mitch Norton (both via Illawarra), former Wildcats big man Tom Jervis (via Brisbane), and new import Terrico White (via Turkey). This led to the departures of Lucas Walker, Jarrod Kenny, and Dexter Kernich-Drew, who all signed with Cairns.

Wani Swaka Lo Buluk made history in December 2018 when he debuted for the Wildcats at just 17 years and 6 months old, becoming the youngest ever player to represent the team. His debut came against the Cairns Taipans, where he took the court as injuries impacted several key players, including Damian Martin, Angus Brandt, Kevin White, and Bryce Cotton. Despite being thrust into the lineup earlier than expected, Swaka Lo Buluk made the most of his opportunities during the regular season, gaining valuable experience and showing glimpses of his potential.

He averaged 1.7 points per game and had some notable moments throughout the season. His best showing came in the regular season against Melbourne on 24 November 2018, where he recorded 2 points and 1 rebound in 9 minutes of action. His limited minutes offered him a chance to grow, and his contributions provided depth to a team dealing with injuries.

The Wildcats finished the regular season in first place with an 18–10 record, securing the top spot on the NBL ladder. Perth then went on to defeat Brisbane in the semi-finals, although Swaka Lo Buluk did not see minutes during the semi-finals, before defeating reigning champions Melbourne United in the Grand Final. Swaka Lo Buluk appeared in one game during the series but had minimal impact on the court. Despite his limited contributions, he was part of Perth’s 2018–19 title-winning team, gaining invaluable experience in his rookie season.

2019/20
The Wildcats’ first move of the 2019 off-season was re-signing four-time championship-winning coach Trevor Gleeson (three-year deal), as well as five-time championship-winning duo Damian Martin and Jesse Wagstaff and import Terrico White. In total, six members of the championship-winning squad returned, with Wani Swaka Lo Buluk being elevated from development player to the full roster, replacing the retiring Greg Hire. The team also added Dario Hunt and Majok Majok to replace exiting big men Tom Jervis and Angus Brandt (to Europe).

Perth started the season in dominant fashion (5–1), but by Round 10, had taken a step backward (8–5) following back-to-back losses. The Wildcats regrouped behind four straight wins and closed out December with a 13–6 record. In December, Damian Martin played his 300th game for the Wildcats but then suffered a left heel injury, which saw him miss the entire month of January. After losing back-to-back games to start 2020, coach Gleeson and the Wildcats decided to release Dario Hunt (8.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) and replace him with seven-year NBA veteran Miles Plumlee (9.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks).

The addition of Plumlee gave Perth the inside presence they needed, showcased in a Perth win over New Zealand (80–79), when he recorded 23 points and 18 rebounds, becoming the first Wildcat to record 20+ points and 15+ rebounds in a game since 2007.

With seven games remaining and Plumlee required to play all seven to qualify for the postseason, the Wildcats won six of seven games to secure their 34th consecutive finals appearance with a second-place finish (19–9). Fresh off his World Cup experience playing for the Australian Boomers, Nick Kay (15 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.1 steals) delivered a breakout season alongside Bryce Cotton (22.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists), who etched himself into the history books by becoming the first import to lead the league in scoring three years in a row.

In the semifinals, Perth defeated Cairns (2–1) to advance to their 15th NBL Grand Final. Thanks to big games from Cotton (32 points) and Kay (14 points and 6 rebounds), they claimed Game One (88–86) in front of 11,647 Kings fans.

As the teams prepared for Game Two in Perth, it was decided that the remaining games would take place with no fans in the building due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Without a single fan in the arena, the Kings evened the series (1–1) thanks to Jae’Sean Tate (21 points) hitting seven of his nine shots and Andrew Bogut (24 points and 14 rebounds) having one of his best games of the season.

In Game Three of the Grand Final series against the Sydney Kings, Kay (30 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists) delivered a career-high scoring effort, including seven three-pointers, alongside Cotton (31 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists) to propel Perth to a Game Three victory (111–96).

Prior to Game Four, the Sydney Kings chose to withdraw from the series due to uncertainties surrounding the coronavirus and travel restrictions. With multiple Kings players based overseas, there were concerns that restrictions would prevent their return home. After a week of deliberation, it was decided that Perth would be awarded the championship due to holding a 2–1 lead at the time, securing their tenth title. After averaging 30.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists over the three games, Cotton was named Grand Final MVP for the second time in four years, becoming the first player in Wildcats history to be named league MVP, Grand Final MVP, and win a championship all in the same season.

As a development player, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk appeared in only 11 games during the season, averaging 2.3 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.4 assists.

SYDNEY KINGS
2021/22
Wani Swaka Lo Buluk joined the Sydney Kings as an injury replacement for the 2021/22 season, which began with the Kings replacing coach Adam Forde with unproven American coach Chase Buford. Buford, the son of R.C. Buford—the mastermind behind the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA—took over a team with an already impressive core in Xavier Cooks, Jarell Martin, and Dejan Vasiljevic, and added former NBA talent Jaylen Adams and fellow import RJ Hunter.

Early-season injuries to RJ Hunter (who played only one NBL game), Adams (missed a third of the season), and young big man Jordan Hunter (missed the entire season) resulted in a sluggish start for the Kings. After a stretch in January where the Kings lost four consecutive games, Adams returned, the Kings added former NBA teammate of co-owner Andrew Bogut, Ian Clark, and things began to improve.

Swaka Lo Buluk averaged 4.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists, finishing the season fourth on the Kings in minutes played. The Kings then finished the year in spectacular fashion, winning 13 consecutive games to end the regular season.

In the semifinals, the Kings faced Brian Goorjian and the Illawarra Hawks, comfortably defeating them in two straight games. On the other side of the bracket, the Tasmania JackJumpers, in their debut NBL season and lucky to even be in the playoffs, defeated Melbourne United in three games. Tasmania had finished the season in fifth place and only qualified for the playoffs thanks to points percentage after South East Melbourne beat Perth in the final game of the season.

In the Grand Final series, Sydney continued to show their dominance, defeating Tasmania (95–78) in the opening game. Adams, who had been named NBL MVP the previous week, scored 18 points in the win but suffered a left hamstring injury that would see him miss the remainder of the series.

Game two saw JackJumpers fan favorite Josh Adams erupt for 36 points in front of a sell-out Tasmanian crowd, but thanks to 20-point efforts from both captain Xavier Cooks and Jarell Martin (who shot 80% from the field), as well as Dejan Vasiljevic, who nailed a long-range dagger in the closing minutes, the Kings clinched game two, 90–86. The win was Sydney’s 12th straight road victory—the most away wins ever during a single NBL season.

Dejan Vasiljevic with the ???????????????????????? ????️
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– ???? Watch the #NBLFinals Live on ESPN pic.twitter.com/XDIgoHVKo9

— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) May 8, 2022

The Kings then closed out the series in game three, ending their 17-year championship drought in front of 16,000 fans at Qudos Bank Arena. Xavier Cooks and Jarell Martin combined for 45 points and 29 rebounds, and the Kings secured their 19th win out of their final 21 games.

Cooks was named the MVP of the finals series, averaging 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists over the three games. At 33 years of age, Swaka Lo Buluk won his third title in just his 83rd NBL game (only Casey Prather has won that many rings in fewer games), and Buford became the fourth-youngest championship-winning coach in league history.

17 years in the making ????????#WeTheKings #NBL22 pic.twitter.com/Wz7uIGjTr6

— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) May 14, 2022

ILLAWARRA HAWKS
2022/23
In NBL23, Swaka Lo Buluk signed a two-year deal with the Illawarra Hawks, showcasing the team’s confidence in his abilities and potential. While he initially played in the sixth-man role, his importance became more evident when a string of injuries struck the Hawks.

After two straight seasons of reaching the NBL semifinals, head coach Brian Goorjian exited the Hawks, signing a deal to coach the Bay Area Dragons in the newly established East Asia Super League. Goorjian’s longtime assistant Jacob Jackomas was elevated to head coach, but Illawarra saw a mass exodus of talent after the coaching change. They retained only Tyler Harvey and Sam Froling from the main rotation, with Duop Reath (to Lebanon) and Justinian Jessup (to Spain) heading overseas, and Antonius Cleveland (to Adelaide), Xavier Rathan-Mayes (to Melbourne), Harry Froling (to Brisbane) signing with other NBL teams, and the retirement of longtime Hawk AJ Ogilvy.

Illawarra replaced the outgoing talent with Swaka Lo Buluk (via Perth), Deng Deng (via Brisbane), and Mangok Mathiang, who had been playing in the NBL1 state competition as he recovered from a long-term injury, before finalizing the roster with imports Justin Robinson and George King.

The Hawks split their opening games, losing to rivals Sydney (97–106) and then defeating South East Melbourne (85–72) behind a strong showing from Tyler Harvey (22 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists). The Hawks then embarked on an injury-riddled season, which saw Justin Robinson require surgery on a meniscus tear in his knee suffered in the opening game. Kevin White (via Perth) was brought in as a short-term injury replacement. Nine games later, Illawarra decided to release George King (10.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists), who struggled to overcome a persistent lower leg injury.

Former New Zealand guard Peyton Siva (9.3 points, 6.3 assists, and 1.6 steals) was brought in as a replacement for Robinson but managed only 11 games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury against Adelaide. By mid-November, the Hawks still hadn’t won another game (1–9), relying on Swaka Lo Buluk, Lachie Dent (4.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists), and injury replacement player Davo Hickey (4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steals). Shortly after, former Perth Wildcats import Michael Frazier II was signed to help carry the load.

In December, the Hawks snapped their nine-game losing streak by defeating Melbourne (93–79), who entered the game on a 0–4 losing streak. Sam Froling (29 points) dominated for the Hawks, scoring 16 in the first quarter at an efficient 64% from the field. Michael Frazier II (16 points) and Tyler Harvey (15 points) also played key roles in the win. After appearing in 8 games, Frazier suffered a broken arm during a game against Adelaide, causing him to miss the remainder of the season. Frazier (17.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists) was the Hawks’ highest-scoring player at the time.

As a result, Swaka Lo Buluk (4.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.9 assists) became a regular starter, primarily due to his ability to slow down the opposition’s offense, his strong defensive presence, and willingness to compete in the paint. This was rewarded with the club’s Defensive Player of the Year award in his first season with the team.

It wasn’t until the third-last game of the season that Illawarra registered another win, knocking off New Zealand in a nail-biter (78–76). A final-minute Tom Abercrombie steal and dunk put the Breakers up with just seconds remaining, but a Tyler Harvey (25 points and 3 steals) match-winning heave sealed the win and produced one of the team’s highest moments of the season.

Illawarra (3–25) finished the year with the worst record in club history. Tyler Harvey (18.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.5 steals) led the team in scoring, and Sam Froling (14 points, 8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists) won the Hawks’ MVP award.

ILLAWARRA HAWKS
2023/24
After a glut of player injuries led to the worst record in NBL history (3–25), the Hawks were looking for a fresh start in Jacob Jackomas’ second year as head coach.

Thanks to Perth wanting to move on from veteran Todd Blanchfield and being willing to cover part of his remaining contract, the Hawks were able to acquire him in a buyout. With an eye towards the future, young talent Mason Peatling (via Melbourne), Biwali Bayles (via Sydney), and former Adelaide 36ers development player Lachlan Olbrich (via NCAA) were signed. Korean shooter Hyunjung Lee was signed using the NBL’s ‘Asian Player’ rule, and NBA prospect AJ Johnson was brought in under the NBL’s Next Stars Program. Import Justin Robinson, who managed just one game before suffering a season-ending injury in 2022, returned to full health, and NBA veteran Gary Clark signed as the team’s third import. Long-serving import Tyler Harvey, captain Sam Froling, and guards Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, William “Davo” Hickey, and Daniel Grida returned as the Hawks’ core group.

Illawarra showed promising signs during the pre-season, but once the regular season got underway, they seemed to revert to old habits, continuing to produce disappointing losses.

Despite solid performances from Clark (17 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists), Froling (15.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists), and Harvey (15.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 steals), Illawarra struggled early in the season. Hyunjung Lee and Mason Peatling began the year under an injury cloud.

By October, the Hawks were sitting at 2–4 with wins against South East Melbourne and Cairns. They suffered two more brutal defeats in the next month against Sydney and Cairns, resulting in the team and Jackomas parting ways. While the Hawks looked for a replacement, assistant coach Justin Tatum stepped up as interim coach.

Under Tatum, they turned things around, winning four of their next six games. A knee injury sidelined Grida (5.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.4 assists) after ten games, but thanks to the emergence of Will Hickey (5.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists) and the signing of former South East Melbourne guard Kyle Adnam as an injury replacement, the Hawks continued their winning form.

Despite the challenges, the Hawks delivered wins under Tatum, and a late-season charge saw Illawarra finish the regular season in fourth place (14–14).

Illawarra saw a massive improvement in scoring. In the 2022/23 season, the Hawks ranked last for average points with 80.8 points per game. This season, they increased their offensive output to 91.6 points per game, finishing fourth in the league.

After making the play-in tournament, Illawarra lost to Tasmania (92–76) in the opening game but turned things around to defeat New Zealand in a nail-biter (88–85), earning a spot in the semifinals against Melbourne.

In Game One, despite a solid first half by the Hawks, United made a dramatic comeback, forcing the game into overtime and winning the opener 115–106.

Illawarra leveled the series by defeating United in a thriller by five points, pushing it to a decider. However, the Hawks’ dream run came up short, missing a Grand Final berth by six points.

Gary Clark delivered several big-time offensive performances, including his season-high 38 points against Cairns, which saw him voted as the Hawks’ Club MVP and selected to the All-NBL First Team.

Swaka Lo Buluk appeared in 32 games and averaged 6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.

Wani Swaka Lo Buluk currently plays for the Illawarra Hawks and has played 158 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 4.2 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.7 assists since entering the league in 2018.

CURRENT CONTRACT:

Illawarra Hawks – 3 Year Deal (2024-27)

Dan Boyce (823 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.