FIBA U19 World Cup: Breaking down the 2025 Australian Emus roster
Australia's Under 19 men's team will be in action over the next week, at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The Australian Emus have a stored history in the FIBA Under 19 World Cup, including a gold medal finish in 2003, second place in 1995, and two fourth place finishes in 2009 and 2011 respectively. In more recent years however, Australia failed to qualify in 2017, before falling at the round of 16 stage in 2019 and 2021. The 2023 tournament beckoned as an opportunity for redemption, but due to security concerns around the host nation of Iran, Australia did not enter qualifying through FIBA Asia, and ultimately missed out on the 2023 Under 19 World Cup.
Now, Australia has produced one of the strongest ever Emus teams on paper, and will be looking to enter medal contention for the first time since 2013. The 12-man Emus roster includes a college sophomore, a high major college commit and an NBL Next Star.
It’s worth noting that Australia has been drawn into a “group of death” in Group D which includes the United States and France, along with Cameroon, and have taken an 88-73 loss to USA.
The Emus will definitely have to earning their keep into the round of 16 over this tournament.
Dash Daniels (VIC)
17 year old guard Dash Daniels became one of the youngest players to sign an NBL contract when he committed to Melbourne United for the 2025-26 season, as a Next Star. The 6’6 guard can function either in a score-first or pass-first role, and in many ways his game is reminiscent of older brother Dyson Daniels. The younger Daniels also uses his lanky frame to good effect on the defensive end, and especially knows how to attack the passing lanes. At the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup, Daniels was one of Australia’s most productive players, averaging 14.3 points, five rebounds and 4.1 assists. He will be hoping to replicate these feats in the Under 19 age division, with the added prospect of team success on such a talented roster.
Daniels is arguably a more polished offensive prospect than his older brother at the same age, but questions have been raised about his scoring efficiency. The younger Daniels has a penchant for taking tough looks beyond the arc, and especially off the dribble, which results in a field goal percentage often under 40%. He struggled to get going offensively at the Under 18 national championships earlier this year, averaging a touch over 11 points. While the 17 year old is an exciting prospect who looms as a triple double threat, scouts will be looking for refinement in his jump shot, and whether he can generate more high percentage looks around the basket.
Credit: FIBA
Roman Siulepa (QLD)
Queenslander Roman Siulepa is arguably the most well-built player on this list, and part of that may be attributable to his junior rugby background. Since he was released from his contact with the Tasmania JackJumpers last year, Siulepa has largely flown under the radar, but is still putting up numbers for his home state. The rising star averaged a whopping 25.9 points, 10.7 points and 4.6 assists for Queensland at the Under 20 nationals earlier this year, proving far too dominant for his age group peers. Scouts will be watching the development of his jump shot closely, as he shot just 32.8% from downtown (on 9.1 attempts per game) and 54.5% from the foul line (on 9.4 attempts per game) in the aforementioned tournament.
Siulepa is a proponent of bully ball, and often forces his way inside with brute strength. At 6’7 however, it remains to be seen whether this approach will translate to the professional arena. It’s encouraging that he has grown as a playmaker, but the jump shot still remains a major question mark. There are few players in professional basketball that can reliably sink mid range or three-point shots while missing free throws, so Siulepa’s development at the foul line will also be a point of interest moving forward.
Siulepa performed well in Australia’s opening game, an 88-73 defeat at the hands of a favoured USA team. The Queenslander came away with an impressive double double, logging 19 points and twelve rebounds in 29 minutes of play.
Ajak Nyuon (ACT)
ACT product Ajak Nyuon is the only Canberra-based prospect from this list, and recently stood out at the the 2025 Under 20 nationals, representing his home territory. In three matches for the ACT, Nyuon averaged 13.3 points, 8 rebounds and a whopping 4.7 blocks. Small sample size aside, Nyuon excelled for a bottom ager who was yet to even turn 18 at the time. The 6’10 big man is an athletic rim protector and excels around the basket. He may even be yet to fully fill out his frame; don’t be surprised to see a listed height of 6’11 or 7’0 in coming years.
Like most promising forward or centre prospects, Nyuon’s jumper has been under the microscope. At the 2024 Under 17 World Cup, he shot under 50% (11/23) from the foul line, suggesting that his shooting mechanics have plenty of room for improvement. For Nyuon to become more than just an old school big man, he will have to spread the floor at the next level, or develop a reliable passing game. But he has all the physical tools to succeed, and currently projects as one of Australia’s most exciting forward/centre prospects.
Jacob Furphy (TAS)
Jacob Furphy was a top performer for Tasmania at the 2025 Under 20 nationals, where he averaged 24.1 points, eight rebounds and 3.3 assists on 44.5% shooting from the field. The 18 year old has also committed to play college basketball for the University of Connecticut, a powerhouse program that recently won back to back titles in 2023 and 2024. It remains to be seen as to whether Furphy can be impactful for the Connecticut Huskies from day one, but he certainly has the skillset to provide instant offence.
Furphy has been a pillar of efficiency for the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence (CoE) in the NBL1 competition, averaging 17.0 points on 56.1% shooting from the field, and 91.7% from the foul line (albeit on one free throw attempt per game). More intriguingly, he has shot 43.1% from downtown through 11 games, while attempting a touch under five three-pointers on average. Furphy thus has the makings of an exciting perimeter/wing player, with a quintessential shooting guard’s frame at 6’5 tall. His defensive abilities and perimeter shooting will ultimately have the greatest say in determining his minutes in the Connecticut rotation.
Furphy was a standout in Australia’s opening contest against the USA, dropping 24 points on 9/18 shooting from the floor. Although the Emus ended up losing this contest, Furphy’s stocks received a substantial boost.
Nash Walker (TAS)
6’5 guard Nash Walker is the definition of a pure shooter, and one of the Emus’ go to marksmen from downtown. At the 2025 Under 20 Nationals, Walker shot 36.6% from beyond the arc, while attempting a whopping 11.7 threes per game. Across his seven appearances for Tasmania, Walker sank just one two point field goal, highlighting his well defined perimeter role. Walker has also suited up for the CoE in the 2025 NBL1, although he has only managed a 27.9% clip from three-point range in that competition, while attempting a touch under five per game.
On an Emus roster featuring several noted playmakers, including Dash Daniels and Alexander Dickeson, Walker will be a key target for drive-and-kick plays and perimeter handoffs. The Emus will be looking to inject Walker for instance offence, especially in games where they aiming to overcome a deficit in a scoreboard. Walker’s defence will be under the microscope as he transitions to the next level, given the high value placed on the “3 and D” archetype in modern basketball.
Luke Fennell (VIC)
Like Walker, Luke Fennell is known for his shooting, and will be in the conversation for best three-point marksman on this team. The 19 year old is one of the more experienced players on this team, and was a key player for Victoria at the Under 20 Nationals earlier this year. Fennell averaged 15.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists for Victoria, while shooting an impressive 38.2% from downtown - on a touch under eight attempts per game.
Fennell has shown sound underlying shooting mechanics by maintaining a free throw percentage above 80% this season - first at the Under 20 Nationals with Victoria (81.8% across seven games), and then for the NBL1 CoE team (82.1% across eleven games). The swingman will likely be a key cog in the Emus’ offence, especially at a level of competition where accurate three-point shooting is all the more valuable.
Jack Whitbourn (VIC)
Jack Whitbourn is arguably the most experienced player on this roster, with a full season of Division I college basketball under his belt. Whitbourn recently completed his freshman year with the UC Riverside Highlanders, averaging 3.3 points and 4.4 rebounds in 13 minutes of play on average. The 19 year old stands at 6’11 tall and very much players like an old school big man, doing most of his damage in the paint and on the boards. Whitbourn excels on the offensive glass in particular, although he doesn’t quite project as a rim protector or shot blocker at the next level.
On a roster that recently lost Rocco Zikarsky, Whitbourn is a key candidate to step up and fill that big man void. Like many other centres in this age group, Whitbourn is still raw offensively, and doesn’t quite have the range to spread the floor yet. But if he can show flashes of accurate free throw shooting or a mid range jumper, that may be a ticket to increased minutes on the Highlanders next season.
Emmett Adair (NSW)
Emmett Adair will be joining US Division I school Loyola Marymount for the 2025-26 season, but before making the move across the Pacific ocean, he will suit up for the Emus in Switzerland. Adair is one of the team’s senior statesmen, at 19.5 years of age, and was a key contributor in the 2024 FIBA U18 Asia Cup. He averaged 13.3 points and 7.7 rebounds in the aforementioned competition, which was capped off by a dominant 96-33 victory over New Zealand.
Adair has even suited up for the senior national team, making his Boomers debut at the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers. He averaged 9.5 points across two appearances for the Boomers, proving he could hold his own against senior competition. As a 6’9 forward, Adair has the makings of an oversized wing at the next level, although his jump shot will be under the microscope in the competition. A productive campaign with the Emus might be the perfect segue into his collegiate career with his Los Angeles-based school.
Che Brogan (VIC)
Che Brogan is arguably the best all-around contributor on this roster, offering a blend of interior scoring, rebounding and playmaking. Brogan has featured heavily for the CoE in the 2025 NBL1 competition, with averages of 13.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 4.1 assists across 15 appearances. He also suited up for Victoria at the 2025 Under 20 nationals, where he averaged 5.4 assists and 2.43 steals - ranking fourth and third in the competition respectively.
Brogan is a prolific pest in the passing lanes, and racks up steals regularly. He will also share some of the playmaking load alongside Dickeson and Daniels, in order to drive the Emus’ offence. Brogan’s three ball remains a question mark, as he has shot 12/49 (24.4%) across 22 appearances this year - fifteen for the Centre of Excellence, and seven for Victoria at the under 20 nationals.
Mading Kuany (VIC)
6’8 forward Mading Kuany is an above the rim athlete who has made highlight reels in the NBL1 with his dunking exploits. Kuany has averaged 5.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 13 games for Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence, proving to be a productive interior forward. His three-point shot still requires some work, with a 30.3% clip from downtown on 2.5 attempts per game.
Although he remains raw on the offensive end, Kuany has showcased his athleticism and defensive abilities at multiple basketball meets, including the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp.
“I’d point out my defence, that’s who I am. I get energy from playing defence so I’d point out my on-ball defence or my help defence. I’m very good at blocking shots.”
As Kuany told Pro Insight in a March 19 interview, he describes himself as a defence-first player, and if he can develop the offensive skills to match, he may project as a high value perimeter forward.
Alex Dickeson (SA)
Alex Dickeson is arguably the closest thing to a pure point guard on this list, after leading the 2025 Under 20 Nationals in assists. Dickeson averaged 12.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists for South Australia, who ultimately finished third after beating Victoria in the bronze medal game. The 17 year old has also been productive in his sixteen NBL1 appearances for the CoE team, putting up 10.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and an impressive 2.5 steals per contest.
Dickeson has also developed into a reliable three-point shooter, sinking 40% of his looks from downtown - on 3.4 attempts per game - in those aforementioned NBl1 games. Despite being a bottom ager, Dickeson is one of the Emus’ top all-around contributors, and an impactful defensive player. Alongside Daniels and Brogan, expect to see Dickeson handling the ball frequently for Australia.
Goc Malual (NSW)
Goc Malual was a late addition to the team, after Zikarsky was forced to pull out due to NBA commitments. Like Zikarsky, Malual offers a hulking interior presence, although without quite as much size. Malual stands at 6’8 tall but plays bigger than that, recently excelling as a big man for the Sydney City Comets in the NBL1. The 18 year old averaged 8.0 points and 7.6 reounds, including 2.4 on the offensive glass, in five wins for the Comets.
Malual also featured in the 2024 FIBA U18 Asia Cup, where he averaged 6.7 points and 8.0 rebounds for Australia. While he may not have the NBA credentials or 7’3 frame of Zikarsky, Malual is a well-built big man who will bring energy to the Emus’ front court, especially in competing for offensive rebounds. In order to expand his game, Malual would do well to develop a mid range jumper or a passing game out of the post, to match his athletic gifts.
Upcoming games for the Emus in Group D
Cameroon: Monday 30 June 2025, 03:30
France: Wednesday 2 July 2025, 01:15