Chadrack Lufile

Chadrack Lufile
Free agent
PositionPower forward
Personal information
Born (1990-09-11) September 11, 1990 (age 34)
Kinshasa, Zaire
NationalityCongolese / Canadian
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight265 lb (120 kg)
Career information
High schoolAssumption Catholic
(Burlington, Ontario)
College
NBA draft2014: undrafted
Playing career2014–present
Career history
2014–2015Sioux Falls Skyforce
2015–2016Puerto Montt
2016–2017Cape Breton Highlanders
2018St. John's Edge
2018–2019Halifax Hurricanes
2019Guelph Nighthawks
2019–2020Estudiantes Concordia
2021–2022Miercurea Ciuc
2022DUC Dakar
2022ABC Fighters

Chadrack Lufile (born September 11, 1990) is a Congolese-Canadian professional basketball player who last played for the ABC Fighters of the Road to BAL. Internationally, he also plays for DR Congo.

Early life

Lufile was born in Zaire but left for Texas with his family as the age of three. At the age of seven, he moved to Canada. Lufile grew up playing soccer. He learned basketball at Burlington's Assumption Catholic Secondary School as a junior and grew into a prominent recruit. Lufile averaged 20 points per game as a senior and scored 33 points against Central Commerce Collegiate.[1]

College career

Lufile attended Coffeyville Community College for two seasons, averaging 11.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore.[2] Lufile played two seasons at Wichita State. He was on the team that reached the 2013 NCAA Tournament Final Four as a junior, averaging 1.6 points and 1.8 rebounds per game off the bench.[3] He scored 12 points and pulled down eight rebounds in a 70–65 win against Saint Louis on December 1, 2013.[4] On December 7, Lufile scored a career-high 14 points and had seven rebounds in a 71–58 win over Oral Roberts.[3] He started 11 games and played in all 36 games as a senior, averaging 5.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.[5]

Professional career

In 2014, Lufile was selected in the third round of the NBA Development League draft by the Sioux Falls Skyforce.[2] The following season, he played in Chile for Puerto Montt. Lufile spent the 2016–17 season with the Cape Breton Highlanders of NBL Canada, averaging 12 points and eight rebounds per game. In 2018, he attempted to sell his Final Four ring to pay for medical expenses for his mother, but a Wichita State fan contributed to a GoFundMe account so he would not have to sell the ring. In November 2018, Lufile signed with the St. John's Edge.[6] After three games, he joined the Halifax Hurricanes and had 14 points and eight rebounds in his first start for the team.[7] He joined the Guelph Nighthawks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League for its inaugural season in 2019.[8] Lufile joined Estudiantes Concordia during the 2019–20 season and averaged 7.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He was waived on March 17, 2020.[9] On October 9, 2021, Lufile signed with CSM Miercurea Ciuc of the Romanian Liga Națională.[10]

On March 3, 2022, Lufile was announced to be on the roster of the Senegalese club DUC for the 2022 season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL).[11]

In November 2022, he played for Ivorian team ABC Fighters in the 2023 Road to BAL.[12]

National team career

Lufile represented the DR Congo national basketball team at the FIBA AfroBasket in 2017 and 2021.[13]

BAL career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2022 DUC 5 2 11.6 .333 .000 .556 3.4 1.0 0.2 0.2 3.4
Career 5 2 11.6 .333 .000 .556 3.4 1.0 0.2 0.2 3.4

Personal life

Lufile is the son of a minister. His brothers Meshack, Abednego, and Elijah are also basketball players.[3]

References

  1. ^ Grossman, David (February 4, 2019). "Hoop star's meteoric rise scores plenty of attention". Toronto Star. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Burlington's Heslip, Lufile selected in NBA D-League Draft". InsideHalton.com. November 2, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Lutz, Bob (December 8, 2013). "Bob Lutz: Lufile is making a name for himself". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  4. ^ Suellentrop, Paul (December 6, 2013). "WSU's Lufile gets tips from best big men around". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  5. ^ Eldridge, Taylor (November 24, 2019). "After watching his brother play at WSU, Elijah Lufile had 'chills' facing Shockers". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  6. ^ McCarthy, Brendan (November 30, 2018). "Edge adding Canadian power forward as they begin Maritime road trip". The Telegram. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  7. ^ MacDonald, Glenn (January 24, 2019). "Playing together a dream come true for Hurricanes' Lufile brothers". The Chronicle Herald. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  8. ^ "Guelph Nighthawks Reveal Selections From Inaugural Canadian Elite Basketball League 2019 Entry Draft". Guelph Nighthawks. March 29, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  9. ^ "Estudiantes de Concordia liberó a Lufile y a Nzeakor". IAM Noticias (in Spanish). March 17, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  10. ^ Beres, Arnold (October 9, 2021). "Miercurea Ciuc tabs Chadrack Lufile". Eurobasket. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  11. ^ "BAL – Team du Dakar Université Club (Duc) : Américain, Français, Ivoirien et Congolais en renfort". Le Quotidien. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  12. ^ "Abidjan Basket Club at the Africa Champions Clubs ROAD TO B.A.L. 2023 2022". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  13. ^ "Congo DR at the FIBA AfroBasket 2021". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 28 August 2021.