Kot and Tainamo Looking to Make National Team Rosters

Nick Seeman, Assistant Athletic Director, Communications University of Wyoming Athletics

Kot is going to camp with South Sudan and Tainamo with Finland

LARAMIE, Wyo. (June 7, 2024) – The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris is right around the corner and a current Cowboy in Touko Tainamo is in camp hoping for a roster spot with the Finnish National Team and later this month former Cowboy Akuel Kot looks to make the team for South Sudan.

The Finnish team will look to qualify for the Olympics in early July in the Spain qualifier. South Sudan has already qualified for a spot in Paris.

Tainamo, a 6-9, 220-pound forward from Helsinki, Finland spent three seasons at Denver. He ranks third in career rebounding at 630 and 14th in career scoring at 1,094 points. He was an Honorable Mention All-Summit League selection last season. He led the Pioneers to the Summit League Championship game.

As a junior, Tainamo added 15.2 points per game and 7.7 rebounds. He shot 46.7 percent from the field and scored 20 or more points in 11 games. He had eight games of 10 or more rebounds. He recorded 35 three-pointers on the season and was 118-of-162 from the free throw line shooting 72.8 percent.

A member of the national team in Finland representing the country at the U18 European Championships in 2019. In 2021, he was captain of the U20 squad. Also represented his country at the 2023 FISU World University Games in China.

Kot, who recently graduated ranked second on the Cowboys last season averaging 14 points per game. He knocked down 155 field goals a season ago and finished the campaign with 61 three-pointers.

He recorded two buzzer beaters for the Brown and Gold last season. He added a winner against Fresno State and a few weeks later did the same against San Jose State. Kot finished his collegiate career with over 2,000 career points.

Kot ranked in the top-30 in career points amongst active NCAA players. He also ranked in the top-20 in career free throws and finished his career averaging over 15.8 points per game.

The basketball portion of the 2024 Paris Olympics is set to open on July 27 and run through August 10.