Why Sunday Dech landed in Knox

After playing in the West conference last season with the East Perth Eagles, he’s moved to the NBL1 South conference this year to join the two-time defending National Champion Knox Raiders.

Knox is currently in second place with a 5-1 record and Dech is averaging 17.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.5 steals, while making 2 threes per game and shooting 49.4% from the field (36.4 3FG%).

Dech was considering not playing this off-season, but the chance to work with Head Coach Matt Nunn, team up with former 36ers teammate Tad Dufelmeier Jr., as well as Brody Nunn (Tasmania) and Keli Leaupepe (Sydney), on a team that has a strong winning culture, was too exciting to pass up.

“He’s [Nunn] put together a really good team, Knox are always in the finals, they’ve won the National Finals the last two years, so practices were going to be competitive,” said Dech. 

“Also, they’re very well resourced in terms of taking care of your body and looking after the health and wellbeing side of things, which was going to be an emphasis of mine this off-season, just having a few injuries this past season. So, when I talked to Nunny, he explained what they were about and it’s everything that I was looking for in a club to come and be a part of. 

“To play winning basketball, be held accountable and push for a championship, that’s the joy of it. To do it alongside Tad, who was my teammate in Adelaide, who I’ve stayed close with and Keli who I’ve gotten to know really well, it’s really good. 

“And when I came in the first week, I was like ‘wow, this is tough.’ We train hard and we play hard, but we reap the rewards of that. So, it took an adjustment period, but it’s paying dividends because we pay a lot of attention to our bodies through the strength and conditioning side, the rehab side, and being located at the State Basketball Centre where we have access to great facilities there and a bunch of resources. 

“So, that was the drawcard and obviously we’re winning a lot of games, so that makes it easier as well.”

Of course, Dech is hoping that those winning habits will extend to NBL26 when he takes the floor at RAC Arena as his home court for the first time since NBL19.

Playing in front of the Red Army is something he is very excited about as he knows what an advantage they can provide on certain nights. And if he’s going to help the Wildcats win another title, his third potentially, then they’ll need that ‘jungle’ atmosphere to be in full force.

“I think the Perth fans have been known to be some of the loudest and best in the competition, and to be able to play with them and not against them, it’s going to be a change and something I’m looking forward to,” he admitted. 

“Because, when they get roaring it’s very hard to stop that momentum and stop that wave, so to be on the good side now is going to be fun. 

“The Red Army has always been very vocal and very supportive, so to return home to your home city and have my mum in the crowd every game as well, is going to be pretty special.”