Mach's next step decided in 'next six, seven months'

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Western Australian Jongkuch Mach wasn't the best player at the Australian Under-20 Men's Basketball Champions in Ballarat last week but he was the most talked about.

The 18-year-old 2.28m (7'6") centre stepped into the spotlight last year when NBA Draft analyst Nick Kalinowski wrote on Twitter: "Standing at an absurd 7'6" at just 17 years old, Australian-South Sudanese big man Jongkuch Mach may be the most intriguing prospect in the world currently. The absurdly tall Mach is extremely mobile for a player his size, able to get up the court with ease & dunk without jumping."

Mach, who turned 18 on October 7, played a key role as a bottom-aged player in Western Australia making it to the Gold Medal game on Sunday, February 1, 2026 before falling short to NSW 74-71. He had SIX blocks in the final.

Highlights of Mach in the warm-up line dunking with ease and doing the same in games, including two explosive finishes in the championship game, spread across Instagram and Twitter/X like wildfire.

Jongkuch Mach Under-20 Tournament Average

Minutes: 20.6 │ Points: 7.2 │ FG: 71.4% │ 2PT FG: 71.4% │ 3PT FG: — │ FT: 54.5% │ Rebounds: 6.4 │ Assists: 0.6 │ Steals: 0.2 │ Blocks: 1.4 │ Efficiency: —

Best Game: Gold Medal Play-off

Minutes: 30.0 │ Points: 14 │ FG: 6/8 (75%) │ 2PT FG: 6/8 (75%) │ 3PT FG: — │ FT: 2/3 (66%) │ Rebounds: 9 │ Assists: 1 │ Steals: 0 │ Blocks: 6 │ Efficiency: —

Tournament Snapshot

• Averaged 7.2 points and 6.4 rebounds across five games.
• Shot 71.4% from the field, all scoring coming inside the arc.
• Free-throw shooting was inconsistent (54.5%).
• Best performance came in a 30-minute outing with 14 points and 6 blocks.
• Minutes fluctuated between 12–30, including both bench and starter roles.
• Provided interior finishing, rim protection, and defensive rebounding.

Mach's agent Solomon Dech told Fox Sports: "Being 7’6” and just 18, it’s challenging – but he’s put on 20 kilos in the last 12 months.

"It’s a blessing and a curse at the same time, because being that tall comes with a lot of physical challenges. But I think what the Centre of Excellence has done is an excellent job stripping him back and rebuilding him properly."

The path Mach takes is still not determined whether it be the NBL Next Stars program as 16-year Western Australian Luke Paul has done or college in the US, where players are paid via the NIL.

“It’s important to sit down with the family, identify the ultimate goal, and then figure out the best developmental pathway to get there," Dech said.

“Some guys work better in certain systems. Others are better suited to college or going overseas. It’s case by case – mentally and physically – and money is a by-product of the work they put in.

“We’ve had initial conversations, but nothing is set in stone.

“We’re still talking about staying in Australia, potentially Next Stars – it really comes down to how fast he develops.

“He does have a number of college offers, so it’s about finding the best fit where he can develop the most.

“We’ve spoken with LSU – he was meant to visit during HoopsFest but had games on – and there’s also interest from Colorado, Washington State, Santa Clara, South Carolina and UNC Charlotte, just to name a few.

“Now that he’s graduated school-wise, he has more time to dedicate to his basketball and his body.

“I think the next six to seven months will really determine where we go.”

Under-20: Game 1

Minutes: 16:56 │ Points: 4 │ FG: 1/3 (33%) │ 2PT FG: 1/3 (33%) │ 3PT FG: — │ FT: 2/2 (100%) │ Rebounds: 6 │ Assists: 0 │ Steals: 0 │ Blocks: 0 │ Efficiency: —

Under-20: Game 2

Minutes: 17:25 │ Points: 8 │ FG: 4/4 (100%) │ 2PT FG: 4/4 (100%) │ 3PT FG: — │ FT: 0/0 │ Rebounds: 3 │ Assists: 0 │ Steals: 1 │ Blocks: 0 │ Efficiency: —

Under-20: Game 3

Minutes: 12:10 │ Points: 6 │ FG: 2/3 (66%) │ 2PT FG: 2/3 (66%) │ 3PT FG: — │ FT: 2/4 (50%) │ Rebounds: 4 │ Assists: 1 │ Steals: 0 │ Blocks: 0 │ Efficiency: —

Under-20: Game 4

Minutes: 26:22 │ Points: 4 │ FG: 2/3 (66%) │ 2PT FG: 2/3 (66%) │ 3PT FG: — │ FT: 0/2 (0%) │ Rebounds: 10 │ Assists: 1 │ Steals: 0 │ Blocks: 1 │ Efficiency: —

Under-20: Game 5

Minutes: 30:04 │ Points: 14 │ FG: 6/8 (75%) │ 2PT FG: 6/8 (75%) │ 3PT FG: — │ FT: 2/3 (66%) │ Rebounds: 9 │ Assists: 1 │ Steals: 0 │ Blocks: 6 │ Efficiency: —

Mach is just 3cm shorter than the two tallest players in NBA history — Gheorghe Mureșan and Manute Bol — and already taller than Australian 2025 NBA Draft pick Rocco Zikarsky.

Mach's potential upside is extreme. He's played just 120 minutes in 11 games this season for CoE.

Best Game (statistically) — June 21st, 2025

• 19:33 minutes
• 3-from-3 FG (100%) and 1/2 FT (50%)
• Seven rebounds
• Two blocks
• Nine points

But it's Mach's Per 36 minutes breakdown based on his 2025 averages that US college and professional scouts will be studying and drooling over.

• 14 PPG
• 14 RPG
• 4.5 BPG
• 2.4 SPG

Four and a half blocks per game and 14 boards for a player who can dunk the ball without jumping. Even more tantalising is Mach is mobile, although yet to grow into his extraordinarily tall body.

Tallest Players in NBA history

1. 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m) – Gheorghe Mureșan
2. 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m) – Manute Bol
3. 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) – Tacko Fall
4. 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) – Yao Ming
5. 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) – Shawn Bradley
6. 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) – Sim Bhullar
7. 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) – Slavko Vraneš
8. 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) – Pavel Podkolzin
9. 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) – Chuck Nevitt
10. 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) – Priest Lauderdale
11. 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) – Zach Edey
12. 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) – Boban Marjanović
13. 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) – Mark Eaton
14. 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) – Rik Smits
15. 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) – Ralph Sampson
16. 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) – Rocco Zikarsky
17. 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) – Ha Seung-jin
18. 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) – Arvydas Sabonis
19. 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) – Peter John Ramos
20. 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) – Serge Zwikker
21. 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) – Walter Tavares
22. 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) – Hasheem Thabeet
23. 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) – Žydrūnas Ilgauskas
24. 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) – Tibor Pleiß
25. 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) – Aleksandar Radojević
26. 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) – Victor Wembanyama
27. 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) – Swede Halbrook
28. 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) – Randy Breuer
29. 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) – Bol Bol
30. 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) – Keith Closs