Kings confirm college superstar signing

The Sydney Kings have confirmed their signing of one of the most exciting local collegiate prospects heading into NBL25, with undersized, athletic big Keli Leaupepe signing for Brian Goorjian’s side on a three-year deal.

Leaupepe is the first official signing of Sydney’s first free agency period in Goorjian’s second tenure, and played under the Australian coaching legend’s brother, Kevin, whilst playing in high school.

The 23-year-old played five seasons of collegiate basketball at Loyola Marymount College, and has already experienced a trophy-laden, high-level junior international career having represented Australia at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament, FIBA U17 Oceania Cup, FIBA U18 Asian Championship and the Australian U20 National Title.

"This [joining the Kings] is kind of a full-circle moment for me, as my high school coach was Kevin Goorjian, who had a lot to do with my development," said the 198cm Leaupepe.

"That's where I actually met Goorj too, as he came down for a camp.

"He's obviously a legendary coach and to play for the Kings with him, just felt like an opportunity too good to pass up - not to mention it felt like the perfect spot for the next stage of my career.

"I know the hard work is still in front of me and feel as though Goorj and our coaches are the perfect fit to help me continue to improve my shooting, IQ of the game, post-game and become more versatile defensively."

Leaupepe was reportedly a target for a number of NBL clubs heading into the recently completed NBL24 season, but he elected to return for a fifth season at Loyola-Marymount.

Kings CEO Chris Pongrass says the emerging talent has been on the club’s radar for some time now.

“To be honest, Keli is someone that we have been chasing for years - to have him join us on a long-term deal is quite a significant coup," Pongrass said.

“Keli is about all the right things - he plays hard, he cares for his teammates, and impacts winning at the highest level.

"He adds another layer of toughness and physicality to our group, something we have prioritised this off-season.”

Leaupepe has joined Kouat Noi, Shaun Bruce, Makuach Maluach, Alex Toohey and Klairus Amir on Sydney’s NBL25 roster.