(Photo credit: FIBA.basketball)

The 2026-27 NCAA season is going to start before you know it. Australians continue making their mark across the United States, with next March Madness shaping up to feature even more Aussies than this year. At this juncture of the college calendar, young Australian hoopers trade out a month of American summer for a slice of Aussie winter, with some of those players returning to a different school.

The full list of college transfers is available at the bottom of this article, but first, let’s take a look at some of the more interesting themes playing out here.

Freshmen graduating

Really, this could easily be read as “2025 Under-19 World Cup representatives” graduating, with a slew of boys and girls changing deck after their freshman year. Bonnie Deas, Emilija Dakic and Sienna Harvey all transferred from good to great programs, with opportunities likely to match.

Dakic and Harvey will be meeting at the Iowa State Cyclones, a school that rose to notoriety on the back of Audi Crooks. Crooks followed the ever-growing theme in college basketball transferring to Oklahoma State after three years at Iowa State. A new dawn beckons for the Buckeyes with Dakic and Harvey having the ability to shape it.

The former spent her freshman year at the Florida Gators who went 18-15 and missed out on the tournament. Harvey’s Washington Huskies were 22-11 and won a game in March Madness before falling to Olivia Miles’ TCU Horned Frogs, which is also Somfai’s new home. Neither of Dakic or Harvey started last year, but they were in the rotation and gameplan in their respective situations.

Although Lara Somfai wasn’t part of that Gems team, it feels like she was, plus she very conveniently bolsters the argument. Somfai was an instant starter for the Stanford Cardinals. She averaged a near double-double as a freshman with 10.8 points and 9.1 rebounds, with a few tantalising statlines sprinkled throughout. It’s hard to go past her monster 15 point, 23 rebound, eight assist, five stocks (steals plus blocks) performance against Pitt in February.

Somfai raised the standard at Stanford as one of the most consistent contributors during a 21-14 season that didn’t include a March Madness berth. Opportunities have opened up at TCU after Miles and Marta Suarez were selected in the WNBA draft. The pair were top two in scoring and assists, as well as making up two of the top three in rebounds. These are massive holes that will need to made up by committee, but Somfai tracks to provide a bit of everything. Her passing game was not much of a feature last season, by design of the Stanford offence, but it would be welcomed at TCU. At 19-years-old, she might not be the biggest part of TCU’s rotation right away, but she’s found herself in the right ecosystem for the next three years.

Her roommate at the CoE, Bonnie Deas, is in the same situation having transferred from the Arkansas Razorbacks to the UCLA Bruins. The parallels don’t stop there, with each player notching 32 games, all as starters, and Deas a fraction behind in points and rebounds, at 10.2 and 9.0. The Razorbacks finished with a 12-20 record but Deas clearly did enough to get noticed by one of the biggest programs in the entire NCAAW.

UCLA went on a tear last year, going 37-1 en route to the NCAAW championship. They had six, count them, six players selected in the WNBA draft with five in the first round and the sixth coming at the start of the second round.

What’s true of both UCLA and TCU is that they have proven track records of developing world-class basketball players. If a player puts in the hours at either of those schools, the opportunities will come. Deas and Somfai have always appeared to be on track for a professional career with Deas already getting her start in the WNBL. Although that might have always seemed like the case for both, this step appears to be the most substantial in attaining that goal. Whether it’s in the WNBA, WNBL, Europe or anywhere in between, these two CoE roommates have set themselves on the path for greatness.

We haven’t even flipped to the Emus side of the coin yet.

(Photo credit: FIBA.basketball)

Emmett Adair, Luke Fennell, Jacob Furphy and Roman Siulepa found new homes with all of them ostensibly moving to bigger schools except for Furphy. He’s made the move from UConn to Boston College after a freshman year in which he had 14 appearances for 35 total minutes. Two of UConn’s starters clocked more than that in their final game of the season against Michigan, with a third starter one minute behind at 34.

It’s an interesting dynamic that has been playing out in college basketball over the past few seasons. Historically, hitching your wagon to a big, reputable program for your entire college career would set you up for a professional career. In recent times, however, players have opted to start at smaller schools for the opportunity to showcase their game and move to the bigger school after.

Where Furphy’s situation gets even more interesting is that Boston College just hired a new head coach, Luke Murray, who was an assistant at UConn with Furphy last season. Murray has been a longstanding assistant to Dan Hurley, one of the most successful college basketball coaches ever. He was with Hurley at three different stops with the past five seasons at UConn being the most potent by far. They rebuilt the college back into a powerhouse with Hurley attaining his five best win-loss records when Murray was copilot. This included three runs to the NCAA men’s final which UConn turned into two championships.

Now, Murray is in the chair and he’s bringing Furphy with him. The two will embark on a new chapter for Boston College together. Furphy might not burst out the gates this season but it’s safe to say he will see a consistent role on the team. However you want to chop it, Jacob Furphy will have one of the most intruiging stories in college basketball next season.

He and Siulepa were by far and away the most relied upon contributors for the Emus in the under-19 World Cup last year and the latter will make his way from Pitt to Ole Miss. Both of these schools have shortened their names from Pittsburgh and Mississippi due to lore that is well above the understanding and, frankly, care, of an Australian.

Siulepa was the third best contributor for a 13-20 Pitt team and was only outplayed by two seniors, both of whom have been invited to pre-NBA draft workouts by multiple teams. The future for Pitt looks challenging, but that isn’t Siulepa’s problem anymore. He put up 10.0 points and 5.5 rebounds while leading the team in offensive boards at 2.9. This would place him fifth in the ACC, two spots behind Cameron Boozer and three spots above Caleb Wilson, both of whom are touted in the infamous top-4 prospects in the 2026 NBA draft (ESPN, yahoo!, The Ringer, Tankathon, CBS, nbadraft.net, NBA Draft Room, honestly add anywhere you get your basketball news).

It’s great company to keep and hopefully a sign of things to come for Siulepa. Not only did Ole Miss have a better record than Pitt last year, they did so in a harder conference as the SEC had 10 features in March Madness while the ACC had eight. Siulepa was not only able to get reps in his freshman year as a starter, but he’s hardened by the level of competition he has been in.

Emmett Adair sits in his own category, which seems to be the case for a lot of the Aussie freshman class. He transferred from Loyola Chicago to George Mason, which is a substantial step up. Adair was in and out of the starting lineup throughout the year before commanding a starting spot for Loyola’s last 10 games of the season. The school went 12-20 as a whole and 4-6 in this last stretch. Adair would average 20 points on 47% from the field, 37% from deep and 95% from the free throw line in these games, garnering attention throughout the NCAA.

George Mason had a very good season last year but narrowly missed March Madness due to their play within the A-10 conference. The two schools who made it to the tournament were Saint Louis and VCU who both went on to win their first games in the tournament. Adair’s previous conference, the Patriot League, had one school (Lehigh) invited to the first four who lost, unable to clinch a berth.

This leaves Luke Fennell, who’s the perfect segue for another major theme in this transfer window.

Hawai’i and Saint Mary’s

Now, why would these schools heavily feature for Australian collegiate basketballers during the transfer window?

It’s great to see how substantial the roots are that have been planted within the NCAA/W. Of the transfers, the University of Hawai’i has three women moving on to bigger things and the Gaels have two. Each school has one man joining the fray.

Fennell is transferring from Syracuse to Saint Mary’s with shades of Furphy’s situation, minus the head coach moving. He joins Josh Dent and Rory Hawke who both notched minutes in March Madness last season, albeit in a loss. Harry Wessels also led Saint Mary’s last year but has since finished his college tenure. Flynn Pavely will join the Aussie barrage at Saint Mary’s as a freshman. The school, with a longstanding connection to Australia, is primed to return to March Madness. Fennell and co. will be tasked with making it out of the first round with an amended roster.

Bol Dengit transferred from UC San Diego to Hawai’i. He replaces Harry Rouhliadeff who was the captain at the college but now plies his trade with the Brisbane Bullets in the NBL. Hawai’i have long had an affinity to Aussies, which only grew stronger after appointing Patty Mills as their general manager last June.

Dengit keeps his own Australian connections up as he has played at a school with at least one other at every stop. Last year he was at UC San Diego with Erin Condron, albeit on the women’s side. Before that, Dengit spent two seasons with the Portland Pilots who have also become synonymous with Australia. As a freshman, he shared the court with Tyler Robertson who then graduated before the school added Max Mackinnon and Austin Rapp. All three of those players have risen in profile and Dengit has the opportunity to cease his moment as a senior with Hawai’i.

Foxwell and Wickstrom: What lies ahead?

Speaking of the Portland Pilots, they just came off one of the more interesting seasons in their history behind Joel Foxwell. He led the WCC in assists per game at 6.5 while leading Portland in scoring with 15.6 points. These are incredible numbers for a freshman but it should really come as no shock, considering he had already been signed to and played for Melbourne United in 2024.

He now makes the move to Arizona State in the Big 12. His role will look different at his new school with less of a demand to create for his team and for himself, allowing him to round out his overall game. In the NCAAW, Hannah Wickstrom is faced with a similar opportunity following her transfer.

Wickstrom’s 2025-26 NCAAW season will go down in Australian basketball history. She led the Big West conference in scoring at 23.4 points per game, which was good for fifth across the NCAAW. She outscored countless women who are now in the WNBA, granted they were in tougher conferences and sharing the court with other players who made it to the league.

She now sets her sights on the Purdue Boilermakers in the Big Ten where she will likely spend her last two college seasons. Both her and Foxwell will be players to keep tabs on as they enter situations where their roles will change and allow them to develop their games beyond being the main source of offence. This season for each of them could have implications for Opals and Boomers teams down the line.

Those are just a few of the storylines and dynamics to keep an eye on following the college transfer portal. There are a number of young Australians who are still within the portal and seeking a new opportunity, so this story is ever-evolving. And these are just the players who have transferred, it doesn’t mention the players staying with their teams or freshmen entering college for the first time.

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NCAA women’s transfers

Jemma Amoore, IU Indy → Kentucky

Olivia Bradley, UCSB → Utah

Tabitha Betson, Colorado → Michigan State

Sophie Burrows, Syracuse → North Carolina

Layla-J Cameron, Tulsa → Central Arkansas

Lily Carmody, Boston College → Northwestern

Hannah Chicken, Portland State → Illinois State

Edie Clarke, Saint Mary’s → Clemson

Ella Collins, Hawai’i → Robert Morris

Georgia Cox, Evansville → East Carolina

Jada Crawshaw, Georgia Tech → Seton Hall

Emilija Dakic, Florida → Iowa State

Pania Davis, Florida State → USC

Bonnie Deas, Arkansas → UCLA

Jasmine Fearne, Bowling Green → Wright State

Kira-May Filemu, Hawai’i → CSUN

Harriet Ford, Duquesne → Richmond

Grace Foster, Utah → Boise State

Claire Fraser, Northern Colorado → Seattle

Hilary Fuller, Belmont → Oregon

Mia Galbraith, Texas State → Northern Colorado

Rubi Gray, Sacramento State → Fresno State

Sienna Grieger, Santa Clara → Cal Baptist

Sienna Harvey, Washington → Iowa State

Amelia Hobson, North Dakota State → FGCU

Phoebe Holmes, Xavier → North Alabama

Keira Hudson, New Mexico State → USC Upstate

Mia Jordan, Northern Kentucky → FAU

Isla Juffermans, Louisville → Charleston

Danijela Kujovic, Hawai’i → Long Beach State

Amy Kurkowski, Saint Mary’s → North Alabama

Makayla Minshall, UC Riverside → Queens

Liz Murphy, Akron → UT Arlington

Jess Petrie, Nebraska → Indiana

Madeline Potts, Syracuse → Saint Joseph’s

Shorna Preston, Pepperdine → FIU

Emmy Roach, Rider → Gonzaga

Jelena Savic, Evansville → Sacramento State

Lara Somfai, Stanford → TCU

Nikki Stanic, New Mexico State → Houston Christian

Malia Tharpe, San Diego → FIU

Hannah Wickstrom, UC Riverside → Purdue

NCAA men transfers

Emmett Adair, Loyola Chicago → George Mason

Truman Byrne, Central Arkansas → Lipscomb

Ryder Cheesman, Missouri State → WT

Nate Deer, Oakland → Canisius

Bol Dengit, UC San Diego → Hawai’i

Luke Fennell, Syracuse → Saint Mary’s

Joel Foxwell, Portland → Arizona State

Jacob Furphy, UConn → Boston College

Tasman Goodrick, Siena → Syracuse

RJ Greer, Davidson → UNCG

Joshua Hughes, Evansville → USC

Josh Ibukunoluwa, High Point → Bradley

Chol Machot, Charleston → Georgetown

Jesse McIntosh, South Dakota → William & Mary

Noah Pagotto, East Texas → Northern Kentucky

Roman Siulepa, Pitt → Ole Miss

Rex Stirling, Wofford → Jacksonville

Ben Tweedy, Colgate → Manhattan

Marcus Vaughns, LSU → Arizona State

Yaak Yaak, Oregon → New Mexico State

Photo credit: FIBA

Observing an otherwise empty gym in Adelaide, there’s mostly silence as Luke Fennell stands at the arc of a three-point line, save for one sound on repeat.

Swish, bounce. Swish, bounce. Swish, bounce.

The loop continues as the supremely talented 20-year-old rinses and repeats, catching, shooting, and resetting his feet as he’s fed the ball. Fennell’s long frame is far from filled out, but he moves with a steady grace and calculated control. He’s light on his feet, able to easily shift his body in motion, and has the kind of sweet stroke that just looks right.

“I can shoot it. I can really shoot it. That’s my main thing,” he explains at the end of his workout.

It’s not a brag, a boast, or even bravado. Fennell is undoubtedly one of the most gifted young snipers in Australia. It’s why he was signed by South-East Melbourne as a teenager, and recruited to the powerhouse that is Syracuse to play collegiately.

It’s also why Saint Mary’s - arguably the most potent pipeline for Australians within the NCAA - were desperate to land the young star when he hit the transfer portal earlier this year. After only playing sparingly at Syracuse, a lot of casual observers might have slept on Fennell.

Could he be the next Australian star to come out of Moraga, California?

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Adam and Lukas cover off on the current WNBL rosters, as the preseason schedule is released.

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If you haven’t played basketball’s newest craze 82-0, the big question is what on earth have you been doing.

Simply put, your task is to pick the best statistical team with selections taken from randomised teams and eras.

The rating of that team is based purely off the numbers, not reputation, awards, or championships. It boils down to points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per game.

So if an NBL version of the game existed, what teams and players would you need?

We went through the archives to find a team to go 33-0.

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Instead, a new league is heading our way, one that aims to combine the passion for college hoops seen in America with the growing love for basketball in Asia, and that is hoping to transform the talent pipeline in the region.

The Asian University Basketball League (AUBL) tipped off last year, bringing together 12 of the biggest universities from across the continent for a week-long tournament in Hangzhou, China. This year, they’ll do the same again, with the second edition of the event running from August 2-9, but with plenty of change to boot; while defending champions National Chengchi University are one of six teams to return, six new universities will enter the fold, including Australia’s own University of Sydney.

“New markets are going to add a different style of play and a different kind of atmosphere, which we’re really excited about,” Greg Stolt, Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations at AUBL, told The Pick and Roll’s Unwrapped Podcast recently.

That shuffling of teams isn’t the only change on the horizon, with the league also preparing for an extended season with home and away games in the near future. With Australia now in the fold, that means there could be AUBL action on our shores as soon as October, giving Aussie hoops fans a new outlet and providing a huge opportunity for emerging players and coaches alike.

While Australia’s University Basketball League has steadily grown since its inception in 2021, it exists off to the side of the traditional pathways in the sport – local clubs feed state programs, which develop talent for the pro game and national teams. The AUBL aren’t shying away from the fact that they’re looking to shake up Australia’s basketball norm; in fact, they’re embracing the opportunity to be the ones to break new ground. “There is a little bit of a ‘this is what we’ve always done’ mentality in the college level in many of these markets, and since we’ve done it the last 50 years let’s continue doing it this way,” Stolt said.

Credit: AUBL

“From a basketball perspective and for the top league’s perspective, enhancing the college level, and obviously down to the high school level and to the grassroots, is only going to make your pro level better.”

“The goal and objective for us is to create a relevant, meaningful league, but it is going to benefit everybody – players, coaches, professional leagues, national teams.”

While university sports are a little more established in some of the league’s other markets across Asia, last year’s tournament was still a big leap. China’s sports academies, for example, have traditionally fed right into their professional ranks, but more and more young players are starting to look elsewhere for opportunities. “Now you see a little bit of a shift in the market, and really top talent in high school is considering going to college basketball instead of becoming pros at a younger age,” Stolt said.

That inaugural AUBL event was the first step to giving those players a high-level college option closer to home. “Basically what we want to do is take the existing infrastructure and enhance it, make it more meaningful and beneficial for players and coaches and anybody participating,” Stolt said.

By all measures, the tournament was a huge success and a promising start towards that goal. On the court, over half of the 24 total games, including every playoff game, were decided by 10 points or less, with a high standard of play on display night after night. Off the court, the numbers were just as impressive – over 30,000 live attendees, 1.55 billion online impressions, and more than 200 million live broadcast views.

The on-court product is the lifeblood of any sports league, and the AUBL is confident in its ability to put forward a high-quality competition with high-level players. That fan engagement, though, was an even bigger tick in their favour, as they gained immediate cut-through and found fans quickly. “One of the things that I love about China and basketball in China, and I’ve spent about 14 years here, is it doesn’t really matter who’s playing, there’s always an interest in the game and watching the competition,” Stolt said.

They’re hoping that built-in interest in China will again come to the fore during this year’s tournament, but that alone won’t be enough once they spread further abroad in their first full season. It’s another built-in group of fans that they’ll be hoping to tap into, one that is unique to college sports and has long fuelled the passion seen in the NCAA. “These are all major universities in the region and globally, they have alumni everywhere… ultimately, the connection and access to the alumni base and the fanbase is a big piece, and it’s a little bit different than pro sports,” Stolt said.

“That’s the beauty of college sports, it’s the pageantry and passion of the fanbase and the alumni base. Whether or not it’s the best basketball or not, that’s irrelevant – it’s this is our program, they’re representing us, we want to support them, and we’re going to be there for them.”

In markets like Korea and the Philippines, where the game has huge popularity but the national leagues sit below the likes of Australia’s own NBL and Japan’s B.League, that college connection could provide a real point of difference. Fans there watch the NBA, sure, but it’s hard to create a genuine connection from afar, as Stolt well knows after 12 years working for the NBA in China. “Now I’m in this new world of creating a product that’s based here in Asia,” he said, “and it’s going to be for the people here that can watch it in real time, with every year having teams and players that they can support.”

Credit: AUBL

That connection won’t truly be complete, of course, until teams are playing games on their own home turf. The same goes for the AUBL as a whole – while a week-long tournament each year is a start, they know it’s not enough to fulfil the potential they see for the league, both on and off the court. “We really felt like to create something meaningful for basketball it needs to go on more consistent throughout the year… for us to really build this and make it important for basketball and create a business out of it, it needed to be bigger and a little bit more over a period of time,” Stolt said.

While exact details will be announced following August’s event, the blueprint is in place for what that will look like. Tipping off in October, teams will travel across the region in a full regular season, aiming to qualify for championship finals in April 2027. Just as six new teams have entered the fold for the second tournament, Stolt says the lineup of universities could still change before October’s tipoff – “we think it’s really important to have the most compelling basketball teams out there, so that’s the first goal for us” – but with Australia now a part of the league through the University of Sydney, it seems like a safe bet that games will be heading down under.

Having previously played professionally in Australia, including a stint under current JackJumpers assistant coach Mark Radford in Burnie, Stolt knows the potential that is here. “I know a lot about Australian basketball from my playing time and of course watching the great players that have come out of the system, so we’re really excited about having [the University of Sydney] as part of this and really helping us grow the platform,” he said.

He also knows what the current basketball landscape in the country looks like, with the NBL and the NCAA fighting for the top young talent. The AUBL isn’t looking to upend or compete directly with either, but rather give even more opportunities to more people across the whole basketball pipeline. The end goal is to help everyone, from top to bottom – more players will have a high-level competition to compete in, more coaches will have jobs and chances to develop, more fans will be able to access games, and more money will come into the sport.

“I think ultimately the more funding that goes into sports, it’s going to help grow basketball, make it a better experience for those players, staff, and people involved in it,” Stolt said.

“Instead of having a coach that’s working part-time because he can’t earn enough as a coach, you hire a full-time coach, you hire a full-time staff, you’re building your facilities, you travel more often to get high-level competition.”

Long-term, the league is open to any and all ideas. Could the number of teams be expanded? Could a women’s division be introduced? What do broadcast rights look like if their brand continues to grow? For now, though, the focus is on putting on the best show that they can over the next year and showing it to as many people as possible. Big crowds are expected in Hangzhou once again, games will be live streamed into all participating countries, including Australia, and there’s plenty of reason to be excited about the action on the court.

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“I think year one was explaining to people what we were doing, and the challenge was we hadn’t done anything yet, but now we did something,” Stolt said. “The ones that experienced it saw how good it was and how good it can become, and so for us the really exciting part is we’re just getting started.”

Credit: @DiscoveryOne_Photography / Greg Francis

Fa’ale averaged a team-high 17.8 points in that tournament, proving to be a bright spot as the Aussies came out second best against New Zealand. The Victorian has been afforded plenty of opportunities to play against grown men this year, suiting up for Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in the NBL1 competition. He has emerged as the team’s standout player, setting the scene for a future that could include collegiate basketball, NBL among others.

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Adam is joined by Jordan Hutchinson to discuss Australia’s performance at the recent 3X3 FIBA World Cup.

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Marena Whittle in action against the USA. Photo credit: FIBA 3x3

With only one win to their name after three games, the women’s Gangurrus team looked to be under the pump as they vied to return to the podium at this year’s FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Warsaw, Poland.

They may have only just survived the group stage, but this team, comprising Amy Atwell, Marena Whittle, Hannah Hank and Emma Clarke (and coached by Damon Lowery) were a resilient bunch with palpable chemistry. They didn’t just make it out of the pool stage, they came within one shot of winning it all.

Australia’s campaign began with a pool game against 10^th-seeded Mongolia. While the 21-15 final scoreline looks relatively comfortable, this was probably Australia’s least convincing effort, and despite a size advantage and some flashes of slick ball movement, they struggled to close out the game. Hannah Hank set the tone for her tournament by relentlessly hunting mismatches and finished with nine points and six rebounds, while Emma Clarke’s dominance on the boards (nine rebounds) helped Australia win this stat 26-16, and the extra possessions went a long way towards the win.

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Photo credit: NTUA Basketball

It was a chilly five degrees Celsius on a Tuesday morning, and Phoenix Robey had just finished his skills session. The 6’5 swingman grew up in Tasmania, and he’s back home enjoying the quiet. He spends his offseasons away from the bustle of Taiwan, where he plays for the college NTUA (National Taiwan University of Arts) Sharks.

“[The solace] is so good, it’s just so peaceful,” he said, a few hours after the session. “In Taiwan there’s so much noise. Everyone drives a moped because there’s so many people, so there’s always noise and so many people out. It’s nice to be back in rural Tasmania and just peace and quiet for a bit.”

It’s definitely a contrast, to experience life in a land the same size as his native state, except with a population closer to his home country.

“They’re completely different. I’m in Taipei, in the city. There’s 25 million people in Taiwan, and Taiwan’s around the same size as Tassie. So it’s super densely populated. And especially in Taipei, there’s always noise. So that was a big culture shock for me.

“I live in rural Tasmania where the closest neighbour is, you know, a kilometre away, and I’m on my own farm in my rural property. So going to Taiwan was definitely a big change.”

Robey has been something of an Aussie pioneer in Taiwan and chuckled at the likening to what Nick Kay has been in Japan.

“So I think I might have been the first. There’s been a few other Aussies that have come and gone in my time, maybe three, two or three, but I think I’m the person who’s been there the most and still there.”

He has put together a solid career in Taiwan, with his most recent season his best. He averaged 16.1 points on 50% from the field, 39.3% from deep and shooting nearly as many threes as twos. His three-point shooting took a substantial leap from his first to his second year, from 27.5% to 35.7%. It’s a key strength to his game and a reflection of his own work, as well as the countless hours that come with the territory playing in Taiwan.

“In Taiwan they train a lot more than here. We used to train twice a week, but in Taiwan there’s, you know, three sessions a day sometimes with school, so it’s really full on. And on top of that having to try and learn the language. So you have your school, you have your studies. And then at night I’m trying to open up the language textbook. I think that’s when the academic routine sort of helps.”

The academic routine he’s talking about is something he established in high school as he tried to balance his studies with basketball en route to a 99.95 ATAR.

“It was a big challenge with basketball… trying to balance both of them. So during my last year at high school it was a lot. Trying to play NBL1, trying to play club and then also having exams and stuff. So that was a big struggle. But, you know, time management was a big thing. And yeah, I mean, I’m pretty happy with the result. It was a lot of hard work.”

As full as his days were, he revealed the separate arenas of basketball and academia helped keep the other fresh.

“I definitely think one helped with the other. Basketball just in general, just having, you know, the routines that you make with your study routines, how that helps in basketball and on the court stuff. And even in Taiwan with learning Chinese, it all sort of carries over.”

Resourcefulness, work ethic and attention to detail naturally permeate through all aspects of his life. This comes down to scouring the internet for his own drills.

“[I] sort of have to sift through and, you know, figure out what works for me. Is that helpful for me for my game. And I’m a shooter. I want to be known as a shooter. So, you know, those kind of drills are very beneficial to me, I find.”

Regardless of whether or not he likes a drill he’s true to himself, ensuring he does all of the ones that improve his game.

“A drill that I really don’t like is the validation drill. It’s pretty popular, but there’s seven spots around the three-point line and if you make the shot, you advance to the next spot. And if you miss, you go back a spot and you have limited time like four minutes. And that drill really works on your mental game.

“A drill I love, I’ve been doing a just a catch and shoot drill sort of thing where you’re just running in from every shot. You run back to the half way [line] and then come in for a step in three, and you have to have eight shots to make 15 [points]. A swish is worth three. A back rim is two and a just a make is one, and you only get eight shots. So I’ve been doing that a fair bit lately and I’m enjoying those.”

Even if he isn’t able to achieve a score of 15, he still finishes the drill. “I usually go through the eight just to end the drill. If you’re down, you have to keep going.”

He keeps accountability and doesn’t take shortcuts. Again, something that could be said of his basketball, or other parts of his life. Playing college ball in Taiwan, of course, comes with studies as well.

“I’m at an art school and I’m doing graphic communication… The skills that I learnt and I’ve developed an interest in graphic communication helps with the videos I’ve been doing lately.”

Although basketball is the top priority, he has brought his degree to his social media account lately.

“I wish I started it sooner. My journey is pretty unique. If you look at it, you know, I’m going in Taiwan and going to Antarctica. Just the journey that I’ve done is pretty unique. I wanted to share it with other people. And, you know, there’s more pathways than just us in America. So that’s why I wanted to share.”

There’s a bit to unpack there, with a trip to Antarctica that’s a story in itself, but his resourcefulness extends to a US college tilt that didn’t eventuate. When asked if anything in his basketball journey has ever been a waste of time, Robey didn’t mince his words.

“No. I think in my journey, everything that I do has helped. Everything I’ve done has put me where I am today. So I wouldn’t be there without doing those things. Probably one thing that sticks out is America. I tried to go the American route to college. I even a hired an agent in America, and that didn’t work out.”

Missing out on the States has allowed him to get even more volume in Taiwan, with no empty reps.

“In Taiwan it’s all about training and playing games, and you’re doing sometimes six hours a day, three sessions a day. And that just adds up. All of it just just adds up. So I found that my fitness is a lot better. My weights [are a] lot better. And I’m just getting more volume in.”

The ecosystem coming out of high school is the best in the US. It’s a high level of competition with the best infrastructure, often besting professional environments for locker rooms, training facilities and the like. Robey however, along with many other young Aussies, are continually proving that it isn’t the be all and end all if you miss out on American college. Dedication to the right work yields great results regardless of where you are.

“Goal setting was big for me. You know, I think understanding where I want to be and what I want my journey to look like definitely helps with what I prioritise now and through my days. I want to play professionally. My own goal is EuroLeague or, you know, NBA, NBL.

“So what am I doing today to get there?”

He sets his end goal and works back from there. Within Europe, he has already identified his ideal first and last stops.

“The goal is always Greece, isn’t it? To play for one of those EuroLeague teams. It’s crazy. I’ve seen some of those videos. Any of those stadiums are insane. But I think Germany is a very good starting point to try and climb the ladder. So that’s sort of something I’m looking at for the next year.”

A future in Taiwan also isn’t off the cards.

“The big thing about Taiwan college is that after two years playing in college system, foreign students are then eligible as a foreign student in the pro league. So If I was to go professional there, I wouldn’t be considered an import or a local but a special position as foreign student. Each team is allowed to play one on the court at any time. It’s very enticing and a big reason a lot of young ballers come over is for that pathway. You can go pro and not have to compete for minutes with NBA veterans, like Dwight Howard, in the pro league.”

Like a lot of Asian countries, Taiwan has had a longstanding cultural passion for the sport, especially at the grassroots level. They’re still far from being on the global stage, but that doesn’t change the fact that the country embraces it. Taiwan currently ranks 68th for men and 39th for women at the FIBA level. In their pool for the men’s 2027 World Cup qualifiers, they went 1-3. They had two losses against Japan and one against China, with a win against South Korea. Aside from a blowout 90-64 loss against Japan to kick things off, they were competitive in their other two defeats.

Like China’s CBA, attracting former big NBA names has become a recent trend in Taiwan, with Howard and DeMarcus Cousins both joining the Taoyuan Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League in 2024. And not forgetting Asian American Jeremy Lin of Linsanity fame, whose parents hail from Taiwan; he signed with the Kaohsiung 17LIVE Steelers in the P League+ (PLG) in 2023. Lin subsequently joined his brother Joseph on the New Taipei Kings, which moved from PLG to the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL) in between, and won back-to-back championships with the team prior to his recent retirement.

Like Japan, China and other Asian basketball markets, they have import limits for how many players are allowed on the court, with some exceptions. Robey would now be an exception in Taiwan and be able to share the court with the next 35+ year old ex-NBA player looking for a payday.

This new reality is worlds different from what he grew up around and he harkens back to when he first arrived in Taipei.

“It was crazy. I was lucky that I had a teammate that could speak English, he helped a lot. But everything was a struggle from trying to order food at the night market, going to the hospital for a doctor’s appointment and everything’s in Chinese. All my classes are in Chinese. So it was a huge shock to start with.”

Shockingly, he didn’t know a word of Chinese before he landed in Taiwan.

“I’ve done three years there now. And I didn’t know any Chinese before that. So I had to learn to learn over there. So my third year just gone. I was probably the most fluent and was pretty good, but before that it was a struggle.”

It’s crazy that he even ended up there, recalling how it came about.

“I was trying to go to the US route after high school, and I was, you know, emailing US coaches and stuff. I got some interest but in the meantime, I was off doing skill sessions with coaches around Australia. And I had a session with Kirron Byrne. He’s from Brisbane and him and Cam Bairstow knew of an opportunity in Taiwan to just go play college there.”

Robey kept an open mind which unlocked a door he didn’t know was there. His maturity at his age is setting him up for long term success and has already taken him beyond most people’s horizons.

Oh yeah, Antarctica

It was known ahead of time that Robey would be making history as the first kid, or equal first, to be technical, to set foot on the south pole.

Prepped by Tassie winters, the tour guides went a bit overboard with the gear they gave Robey and his year 9 classmates.

Photo supplied: Phoenix Robey

“It was clear, clear blue sky, it was a great day. It was a pretty big aeroplane. I don’t know if you’ve seen any photos from how they do it, but they land on an ice runway. So the runway’s just made of ice and you have this huge Boeing 747 or something just landing down on ice. And then you step down the steps and everywhere is just white. It’s just ice, just snow everywhere. Nothing else. It was pretty crazy to see. Surreal.

“I think it was -10 and the wind chill factor maybe -15. But that was considered summer. That was very warm for that day. Usually it’s -70 or something. So yeah, but I think I think Melbourne and Tassie probably felt colder.”

They had the full tourist experience in Antarctica. Checking out the local industry, the suburbs and partaking in the activities Antarcticans do for fun.

“We got a few tours of the science departments down there and where people are living and had a snowball fight and stuff.”

Robey and his cohort were rockstars returning back to school after making the day trip down south.

“It was a school day. And I think we got back as school was kind of ending at the end of the day. Everyone was asking how it was and just couldn’t believe that we went down there.”

They were atop the Taswegian bulletin for their history making feat. Holding that flag was somewhat a returning of the favour from Robey, who credits a lot of the people and places in Tasmania for his development.

“Anthony Stewart who used to coach the Hobart Chargers. He’s been very big in the development of my age group down here throughout the years. Very fortunate to have you know I have him and my dad’s also you know coach that’s been coaching me personally for a while. So very fortunate for those people.”

Stewart and the Chargers provided a source of motivation before Tasmania entered the NBL and are now entering the WNBL. There were countless positives to being part of the Tassie pipeline that still pair well with Robey’s work ethic and playstyle today.

“I think the mental side is pretty neglected, I reckon, in sports. It’s gotten a lot better and I was fortunate enough to be in the program I was in Tasmania. It was a heavy focus on the mental side of it. So I love the drills I was doing in my junior year were these drills that work on your mental side. So I’ve been doing it for quite a while.”

There was a huge chunk of his juniors when there were no Tasmania JackJumpers or Tasmania Jewels, so kids had to look elsewhere for motivation.

“There’s definitely people in NBL1 and Chargers. There were a few locals that everyone aspired to and liked to, you know, wanted to be like them one day. Tanner Krebs is a guy from Hobart who grew up here and he’s getting great success everywhere. So it’s always good to see that, see how he did it.”

There were individuals who told this story that young Tasmanians could try and emulate, but when the JackJumpers joined this NBL, it changed the game.

“I think before that there wasn’t anything to aspire to for all of us, me, including all the other juniors there was no real pathway, I guess, for where to go. But now, you know, JackJumpers are here, the Jewels are here. I think it’s definitely an aspiration for everyone. And there’s now a pathway that’s going to start to get there. So it’s great for everyone here and definitely something that I aspire to in the future.”

Robey then took a wide lens at his future as a whole.

“I have one more year in Taiwan. I want to keep seeing the world keep travelling so Europe is probably my next sights, wanting to try and start the step ladder path ladder over there. And then obviously, you know, NBL. Playing for my state is something big.”

Phoenix Robey’s basketball career is just getting started. His focus on understanding the foundation of any skill bodes well in basketball. Mix this with his obsession to perfect fundamentals and it seems as though he’s setting himself up for sustainable, long term success. He’s taking a path that has yet to be beaten so it’s hard to make assumptions on where he ends. You can’t point to anyone else, so you have to point back at Phoenix; excellence is routinely the outcome for him.

Whether he ends up in a EuroLeague team or the NBL, your best investment is to bet on Robey.

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Follow Phoenix Robey on Instagram (@phoenixrobey) and the 臺藝大鯊魚籃球隊 NTUA Sharks on Instagram (@ntuasharksofficial).

Adam chats to Asian University Basketball League Senior Vice President Greg Stolt about the league’s second tournament, introduce of the University of Sydney and upcoming home and away season.

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The Basketball Gods giveth, and the Basketball Gods taketh away.

NBL Finals. Game Two, Adelaide. Scores tied. Bryce Cotton’s attempt at a game-winning lay-up drops through the rim just as time expires. Pandemonium.

NBL Finals. Game Five, Sydney. Scores tied. Bryce Cotton’s attempt at a championship-winning lay-up falls short just as time expires. Pandemonium.

Arguably the greatest single play in the club’s history, before arguably the greatest play that never was. And if Cotton did convert in game five, this would be an entirely different story.

Instead, we’re here talking about how the Adelaide 36ers have appointed Trevor Gleeson as their new head coach. It’s not quite divine intervention, but it still feels like a miracle. First they signed Bryce Cotton, and now they’ve landed the man who guided the Wildcats to five championships?

Despite what Perth fans might think, this is not some kind of biblical event, or a precursor to the apocolypse. This is the result of a club willing to leave no stone unturned, and exhaust every possible avenue, in its quest to bring a drought breaking title back to Adelaide.

The seed of signing Trevor Gleeson was first planted back in February.

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Learn a little about his journey, though, and you’ll see a player that’s been underestimated for years. He grew up with dreams of playing professionally, and the pathway to get there is well established – star for your club, represent your state, and put yourself on the radar early. Instead, he was overlooked often, first missing selection for his club’s top-grade side as a youngster, then missing out on state team honours every year up until this past April.

Why was that the case? Looking back now, there’s an obvious reason that Davis is honest in recognising.

“Other guys were definitely better than me.”

Now, the 18-year-old is proof of just how quickly things can change. After finally breaking through and starring at this year’s Under-20 National Championships, a whirlwind recruitment has seen him commit to play for the Davidson Wildcats in the NCAA. In a matter of weeks he’ll be in North Carolina, playing at a high-profile school, following in the footsteps of his basketball idol, and on the path towards his ultimate goal of going pro.

It’s been a rapid rise, but it’s also deserved reward for a player that has been willing to outwork everyone along the way. “Being overlooked was probably just because of that lack of skill at that time compared to everyone else my age,” he said, “and that was ok, because it was something I could fix and get better at.”

Davis’ climb through the ranks, from fringe junior to DI commit, might seem sudden; in reality, it’s the result of a mountain of hard work over the years. That started with his junior club Geelong United, where he once missed selection in their top Under-14 side but continued to grow, even as he was overlooked for Victoria’s Under-16 and Under-18 state teams.

Credit: Lawrence Surgers | @pics.by.tre

It continued at Western Heights College, a government school in Geelong with a dedicated basketball program, designed to support talented athletes while they study. It’s that school environment that Davis credits with taking his game to the next level in recent years. Playing under Ash Arnott, the head coach of the Keilor Thunder men’s side and previously with Australia’s junior national teams, the daily training sessions and high-level competition fed his desire to improve. “That sort of group around me really supported me and helped me, and that was pretty big for my development and getting better,” he said.

“Yes, I was overlooked, but there were definitely people that saw that I could be great and took me in to build me up.”

Even with their support, there were challenges along the way. Most notable was a horror year in 2020, where the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was added to a foot injury that kept him sidelined for six months. Those already in the state pathways held their place among the chaos; those stuck on the outside had less and less opportunities to break in, with Davis’ injury pushing him even further back in the pecking order.

“It was definitely hard, mentally frustrating, seeing everyone else up above,” he said of that time. “A lot of people at that age would give up and quit… I thought, no, I’m going to stay true to it and not give up, play basketball and stick to it and just try to get better.”

That dedication has paid off in spades in the years since, with Davis going from strength to strength on the court. He led Western Heights to victory in the 2023 Basketball Victoria Champions Cup, breaking traditional power Rowville Secondary College’s stranglehold on the event in the process; he made his NBL1 debut for Geelong earlier this year, marking his first step into the semi-professional ranks; and he moved closer to a state team breakthrough, named as a National Championships emergency as a top-age Under-18 and a bottom-age Under-20 player.

That breakthrough finally came this year when he earned a call-up for Victoria Navy at January’s Under-20 National Championships. One year after watching the same tournament from afar, as an emergency for the Navy side that shocked the country to win a national title, he got his shot in Ballarat. “It was so fun, playing in a tournament that so many of my friends have played in before, and being able to be a part of it and playing on a team with probably my closest friends,” Davis said.

Given all of the work that it took him to get there, Davis was never going to let the opportunity slip. He dominated the tournament from start to finish, averaging 16.8 points to finish as a top-ten scorer, along with 7.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and one steal per game. In a win over the ACT, he exploded with one of the standout performances of the tournament, finishing with 34 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal. After years spent watching from the sidelines, it was a release of all of his pent-up energy across one incredible week.

The eyes of the Aussie basketball world are always on the National Championships, and Davis certainly got their attention. News Corp ranked him eighth in their top players at the championships, and he was one of Michael Houben’s 14 standouts from the event. The timing couldn’t have been better, with his college recruitment ramping up and schools looking for more evidence that he could be their guy.

None of that crossed his mind, though; instead, it was all about that sense of fun, being on the court with his mates and doing what they love. “We thought back to why we actually play basketball, and it was for the love and the fun of the game, and that joy definitely is why I performed well,” he said of the tournament.

“I try to play with joy and fun whenever I play and that’s a mentality that not everyone has, everyone takes things really serious and overthinks things.”

“Our team mentality was thinking back to ourselves as kids and how proud we’d be of our accomplishments so far, and just play for them.”

Some colleges would have already had Davis on their radar, but the National Championships kicked his recruitment into overdrive. One of the many schools lighting up his phone was Davidson, with a catch – they wanted him to be a Wildcat but redshirt for a year, and sit out an entire season in the process. “I was completely honest with them and said I didn’t want to go somewhere where I was going to redshirt,” he said of that first call.

They stayed in contact, but when the time came to make a decision, Davis had settled on Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. At 9PM in Melbourne, he made the call and verbally committed to the Hatters; 12 hours later, though, things drastically changed. “The next morning at about 9AM I got a call from the Davidson coach again, and they said that they had a few guys transfer out and they wanted me,” Davis said.

It was a big call to wake up to, and with a tournament to play in Geelong that same day, it left him with plenty to think about. “Mum said ‘just don’t think about it, focus on playing, and then afterwards see what your heart says’,” Davis said, “and afterwards I just thought, yeah, I want to go to Davidson.”

It makes sense that his heart landed there, and not just because he’d be joining one of the top mid-majors in the country. After all, he has long idolised the most famous alumni in Wildcats history, who also happens to be one of the greatest hoopers of all time. As a kid, Davis would watch Steph Curry’s highlights from his time as a Wildcat, and then followed along as he lit up the NBA and won four titles with Golden State. He remembers being on the couch watching the famous “double bang” game winner against the Thunder in 2016 – “as soon as he made it I got up and started running around the room” – and he even wore Curry’s number 30 as a junior in Geelong.

All of a sudden, he’ll be side by side with his hero in less than a week, with the Wildcats heading to San Francisco for a training camp with the Warriors superstar. “Like, I get to train with Steph for four days – I think that’s going to be so surreal,” Davis said. “Even just being able to wear the Davidson jersey will just be surreal, thinking back to when I was a kid watching his highlights.”

Strangely enough, hitting the court with one of his hoops heroes won’t be a totally new experience. Growing up as a basketball-mad kid in Geelong, DeMarcus Gatlin was an ever-present figure, first starring with the Supercats in the SEABL, and now with United in the NBL1. Davis was eight years old when the star guard first came to town; now, they’ve shared the court together as equals. “Playing NBL1 here, I grew up idolising [Gatlin] and now he’s just another teammate… he used to coach me when I was younger, and now being on the same team is pretty cool,” he said.

Even still, Davis is allowing himself a little leeway once he gets to the Bay Area and meets Curry. “Off the court, I’ll definitely be like a fanboy a little bit,” he said with a laugh, “but as soon as we step between those lines, it’s straight to business mode.”

He knows he’ll need to be on his game from the moment he lands, with every second of training camp and the preseason a chance to impress a new group of coaches and teammates. Transfers might have opened up an active roster spot for him, but beyond that, there are no guarantees. “Every team with a sense of professionalism like Davidson, a team’s not going to promise you X amount of minutes or promise you a start, and that’s what I really like about it – everyone has an opportunity to show what you have,” he said.

As he has through his whole career, though, he’s staying grounded and ready for whatever comes his way. “If I get over there and for us to be a winning team I have to play two minutes a game, I’ll be ok with that because we’re a winning team, and if they need me to play 20 minutes a game, I can do that,” he said.

“I’ll make whatever sacrifices I need to and do what I have to to make sure we’re a winning team, and hopefully that’s one where I have a big impact on it and can play a bit.”

It’ll be a familiar feeling for Davis as he’s once again forced to earn his spot, but everything else will be brand new. It’s basketball on a different level – the fervour of college fans, crowds of over 5,000 at home and as many as 13,000 on the road in the Atlantic 10 Conference, and a murderer’s row of players chasing the same professional dream that he is.

It would be easy to get lost in the pressure of it all, but after years spent grinding just to get to this point, he knows that it all comes back to that one special thing. “I’m definitely not someone that’s going to change up who I am because of the people that I’m around, I’m still going to try and make training fun and have that joy,” he said.

“It’ll be really cool to just think back on that and remember that that’s why I play basketball, that joy.”

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The Crocs were knocked out in the round of sixteen in 2024, and haven’t featured in a medal game since 2014, so the 2026 edition looms as an opportunity to return to the podium. Head coach Greg Vanderjagt has selected his final 12-man roster to travel to Turkey, and here’s a breakdown of some of Australia’s most promising basketball talents.

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Adam and Lukas discuss the signings of Saffron Shiels, Sami Whitcomb, Gemma Potter and Darcee Garbin to WNBL clubs - and discuss the first fortnight of the WNBA.

Unwrapped is presented by C2C Sport. Get 10% exclusive discount on your initial order, use code PICKROLL on the checkout page at c2csport.com.au. Valid for custom orders. Contact sales@c2csport.com or call 02 6581 1558 if you need help.

The operative word in that sentence is BACK.

In 2006 an 18-year-old Ingles took the league by storm, announcing himself in a big way on the Aussie hoops scene.

He may have only spent three seasons in the NBL, but his impact was felt, especially in an era of the competition where audience wasn’t always easy to find.

THE TEAM

The South Dragons arrived to the NBL alongside fellow new franchise the Singapore Slingers, a club who had taken over the Hunter Pirates’ license.

The Dragons filled the second Melbourne team hole that had been left vacant since the Victoria Giants departed the league at the end of the 2003/04 season. They brought with them a new exciting brand that took inspiration from the Magic glory years.

Much had been made of just who their first signing would be. Luke Schenscher, who had just completed a fantastic college career at Georgia Tech, was a rumoured name, but eventually it was Joe Ingles who signed the dotted line first. It was a move that stunned some in his home state, with many thinking he would sign with the 36ers, but some missteps from the Adelaide franchise saw him take his talents to Victoria.

A flurry of signings followed, including Shane Heal, who would eventually go on to be player-coach after NBA legend Mark Price lasted just five games in the role. His departure was closely followed by the sacking of import Todd Fuller.

THE DEBUT

No Australian has scored more points than Joe Ingles on debut in the NBL.

He poured in 29 against the New Zealand Breakers, a team that featured the likes of Carlos Powell, Paul Henare, Brian Wethers, and of course, Mika Vukona.

Ingles went 11/15 from the field, buried four triples from five attempts, collected seven board and had multiple dunks. He was the Dragons leading scorer and played 40 of a possible 48 minutes.

The Dragons would go down 112-106, but it was the closest they got to a victory in the very short-lived Mark Price era. Despite the loss Ingles had announced his arrival in a big way and people were starting to take notice of this lanky kid from South Australia.

He finished his debut season averaging 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and three assists per game, collecting the Rookie of the Year award while shooting 46% from the field and 32% from deep.

THE DEVELOPMENT

Joe Ingles’ second season in the NBL saw him develop the parts of his game that helped take him to Europe, the NBA and five Olympics.

His assist numbers rose from three to 4.9 per game and his three-point shooting percentage went from 32% in his debut season to 38% despite taking more attempts.

Despite his individual success it was a brutal season for the South Dragons, who floundered to a 5-25 regular season record which triggered the departure of Shane Heal, with assistant coach Guy Molloy coaching the final five games of the season.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP

As soon as Brian Goorjian signed on to be coach of the South Dragons, things changed.

He bought Mark Worthington with him from Sydney, added even more grunt in the form of Mika Vukona and Adam Gibson, and recruited imports Tremmell Darden and Cortez Groves, the latter of which was eventually replaced by Donta Smith due to injury.

They joined Ingles and instantly clicked, finishing atop the regular season ladder with a 22-8 record.

Ingles wasn’t asked to do as much as he was in his first two season with the Dragons, but still carved out 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting just under 40% from deep.

He would also of course help them to their first grand final series and subsequently their first NBL championship. It was a memorable series against their crosstown rivals the Tigers and small glimpse at what the NBL could possibly, and eventually did, return to.

THE DEPARTURE

Sadly, for the South Dragons, we know how the story ended.

Less than two months after they hoisted the trophy, the Dragons withdrew from the league.

Joe Ingles didn’t hang around to find another club, he was swiftly off to Granada in Spain, beginning his storied European career which eventually led to the bright lights of the NBA. What made his move even easier was the fact that Ingles holds a British passport, which actually allowed him to sign as a European player.

Despite his growth, Ingles’ departure from the NBL was what was best for his career. However, it proved to be the perfect base to launch one of the greatest overseas careers a male Australian player has put together.

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Photo credit: Mark Filpo/@codexdesignstudio

When Jonah Antonio talks to The Pick and Roll, he’s just returned to Perth from a national 3x3 camp in Melbourne, satisfied with the hit-out and crossing his fingers for a spot in this year’s FIBA 3x3 World Cup.

Shortly after, the Perth-born sharp-shooter was named in the team, alongside Jarred Bairstow, Lachlan Barker and Alex Higgins-Titsha. The group is currently in Serbia for a pre-tournament camp before the main event in Warsaw, Poland, from June 1 to 7.

The 29-year-old has previously represented Australia in the format at last year’s FIBA 3x3 World Cup, the FIBA Champions Cup and Asia Cups in 2026 and 2025 (which the team won) and says playing 3x3 has been enjoyable and has added new dimensions to his 5x5 game.

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Credit: May Bailey Photography

The 24-year-old oozes talent, with playmaking flair, good size, plenty of upside, and Tasmanian roots that will have the crowds even more invested than ever before.

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Photo credit: Purdue Athletics

Entering the 2025-26 college basketball season, Hannah Wickstrom probably wasn’t the first name that came to mind. Exiting it, she became undeniable.

“As the season went on we had injuries with seniors as well that were going to be a big part of our program,” she told The Pick and Roll. “That also allowed me to step up even more than what I was gonna have to in my second year.”

It wasn’t just a step up, Wickstrom led the Big West in scoring at 23.4 points per game, good for fifth in the entirety of the NCAAW. The uptick in volume and production was kindly met with efficiency, shooting 48.5% on all field goals, 34.0% from deep and 83.0% at the line on 6.1 free throws a night.

“My goal for the season was to be consistent and I think I was as soon as I got those first few games away, I was very consistent in my scoring and what I could do on the court. I think my teammates would always put me in really good positions to score. My coaches would always put me in good positions where I wanted to be, like driving, getting downhill, coming off on ball screens.”

She’s a pure scorer that strives to be multi-dimensional.

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Adam and Jacob discuss the key signings and coaching moves of NBL Free Agency so far.

Unwrapped is presented by C2C Sport. Get 10% exclusive discount on your initial order, use code PICKROLL on the checkout page at c2csport.com.au. Valid for custom orders. Contact sales@c2csport.com or call 02 6581 1558 if you need help.

Photo credit: Dan Cowley / Images by Dan

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Tayla Brazel?

For those familiar with the ascending Adelaide Lightning guard, it’s usually the knees. More specifically, the two surgically repaired knees that robbed her of two full seasons in the formative stages of her career.

Since then, those knees have been both the context commentators used to fill dead air during broadcasts, and the subtext GMs would keep in mind during recruitment conversations. They’ve been both a blessing and a burden, a key part of Brazel’s personal growth as a pro, and a constant shadow still lingering over the player she’s turning into. Frustratingly, they’ve also been the only thing that people seem to be able to associate with one of the WNBL’s elite young talents.

“I feel like people don’t know the full Tayla Brazel as a basketball player yet.”

Brazel tells me this over a coffee at the South Australian Institute of Sport, the Lightning’s training base just outside of Adelaide’s CBD. Because like most players who’ve been through the throes of rehab, she’s sick to death of the baggage that accompanies two major injuries.

It’s not that she isn’t open to sharing the journey that’s shaped her, or unwilling to impart her own experiences for anyone going through something similar. But at what stage does she become defined by something other than a (tired) narrative that overlooks the infinite hours spent rebuilding her body, the measurable output she’s produced the court, the respect she commands from team-mates, as well as the integral role she played in literally saving her team from extinction?

Let’s unpack what you should really know about the full Tayla Brazel as a basketball player.

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