Swaka Lo Buluk eyes return to winning ways

Saturday, September 16, 2023

"I'm ready to take off this season. My number one goal is obviously winning the championship."

Wani Swaka Lo Buluk is no stranger to success. Across his first four NBL seasons, he played in an incredible three championships. That's some kind of start to your career.

His first season at the Hawks clearly didn't go to plan though. After boasting a 48-21 record at Perth and Sydney, he was part of just three wins in NBL24.

But this year is different - Illawarra has re-tooled, has key players back from injury, and all of a sudden loom as one of the most intriguing, most exciting teams in the league.

For Swaka Lo Buluk, this year is about upping his offensive impact, and of course getting back to something he's used to - winning.

“I'm feeling really good, hoping to have a better season than last season - both individually and as a group,” he said.

“I'm ready to take off this season. My number one goal is obviously winning the championship, but I'm also looking to be more of a threat offensively.”

There's a great feeling around the Hawks' group. Returning import Justin Robinson is back from a serious knee injury and ready to show what he can do, while Tyler Harvey has proven himself as an elite talent for multiple seasons now.

The Hawks have also gained a young, energetic Next Star by the name of AJ Johnson.

The 18-year-old decided to pursue the NBL pathway and start his professional career early – and is already projected a first-round pick ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Illawarra Hawks Next Star, AJ Johnson, is ready to roll for the upcoming NBL Blitz ??<br><br>Read more: <a href="https://t.co/Bg4TvZ62UM">https://t.co/Bg4TvZ62UM</a> <a href="https://t.co/jcZSRBCY2A">pic.twitter.com/jcZSRBCY2A</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1702110200243814514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Swaka Lo Buluk said he and his teammates can't wait to show what they can do, starting at the Hungry Jack's NBL Blitz.

“The Blitz is coming up in a week and the season starts in a couple of weeks, so we're wrapping things up and making sure that we're on the same page. Everything is going well so far,” he said.

“The chemistry here is pretty good and we all love each other here.”

The Hawks’ first game at the Blitz tips off on Monday at 5pm AEST against Melbourne United.

Watch all the Blitz action live and free on Kayo Freebies.