Adelaide 36ers expect Kai Sotto to perform despite being a rookie

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Adelaide 36ers in Australia’s National Basketball League has high expectations in Kai Sotto’s rookie year with the team.

Adelaide head coach CJ Bruton himself disclosed that the whole coaching staff is looking forward to working with Sotto as the Australian NBL nears kick-off.

“He has such a great upside even though I know he’s still young and as an 18-year-old kid there will be some adjustment for him to play against men in the NBL, I’m so excited by his ability to already make an impact,” Bruton said.

After a promising stint with the Gilas Pilipinas, Sotto is now ready to weather the storm in Australia and face the top big men of the league.

The experience that Sotto had during the off-season was no joke especially during their Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) when he faced Boban Marjanovic of Serbia.

From there, the seven-foot-three Filipino sensation got all the learnings he had in guarding basketball’s top-tier centers and vowed to perform with all that he can in Australia.

When asked regarding his future, Sotto reiterated that he is still focused on chasing his NBA dream in the next years.