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RNZ News
16-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Basketball: Tall Blacks tour China in preparation for Asia Cup
Luca Yates, Hayden Jones and Jordan Hunt Photo: Photosport The final Tall Blacks roster spot for the FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah in August will be filled after a five game tour of China. Basketball New Zealand has announced an 11-man squad for the Asia Cup with three more players vying for the last place on the team at the tournament where New Zealand will play Chinese Taipei, the Philippines and Iraq. Prior to the Asia Cup, the squad will travel to China for a series of warm-up games. The Tall Blacks will play three games in the FIBA Solidarity Cup against Brazil, Guangdong and Montenegro, before playing in the Four Nations Tournament again against Brazil and a yet to be decided opponent. The games in China are an opportunity for under-19 player Hayden Jones, 12-cap Tall Black Jordan Hunt and debutant centre Luca Yates to impress coach Judd Flavell. "We'll have 13 guys to rotate through in China, and I guess we'll see what we like, what we need and where we need cover, whether that be in our wings or in our guards," Flavell said. "We want to give guys a chance to actually pull on the black singlet and play up there. Then that'll give us the flexibility to make that decision as late as we can. "We've basically got two or three practices together over that time in China, so we've got more games than practices. "Overall, and I think the games in China will do this, we just want to speed up our connection. This group is very new in terms of a lot of new people coming in for the first time, there'll be new faces in the room. We want to make sure we keep things as simple as we can, so that we can have the highest execution rate leading into the Asia Cup." Flavell has named an Asia Cup squad that includes three debutants, Jack Andrew, Mojave King, and Dontae Russo-Nance after being impressed with how the trio had performed in their respective Sal's NBL sides this season. "The form that they've played with in the Sal's NBL and the roles and responsibilities that they've had with their teams. All of their teams were successful this past season, and a large part of that was down to how these guys contributed. All three of these guys I'm super excited for, they have an amazing opportunity in front of them right here." The youngest of the debutants, 20-year-old Russo-Nance, is someone who Flavell has been keeping an eye on for quite some time. "He's been on the periphery the last few windows. We just needed to see him on the floor for a large period of time so that we could see him with the responsibilities of leading his team, and carrying a workload. "If you look at the Jets success, they probably surprised a lot of people with how well they did. They only just missed out on the playoffs, and Dontae was a big reason for that." In Otago basketball, the last name King holds significance. With dad Leonard playing for the Nuggets, later turning to coaching, and mum Tracey also with a glittering collegiate career, Mojave King will be an exciting new addition to the Tall Blacks set up. "We always knew that Mojave was very talented. When you look at the Tall Blacks in the past, we've had to have a guy that can score, shoot the ball and get hot. And we know Mojave can put on 10-12 points in a short period of time." With an already well-travelled start to his young professional career, King has shown the ability to score the ball in numerous ways. In first most recent Australian NBL season with the New Zealand Breakers, King averaged 8.5 points. Alongside his recently completed Sal's NBL season with the Tauranga Whai, King averaged 22.2 points, shooting at 38 percent from beyond the arc. Andrew's debut inclusion into the Tall Blacks squad has come from a lot of grit, hardwork and determination. He averaged 13.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.2 blocks per game over the course of a breakout season with the Taranaki Airs. "Jack has had a phenomenal jump this season. He just really seemed to grow in confidence as well. For a big man to actually run and have a high activity rate that's something that we really like about them. He's been the first man down the floor, he's been active on the glass, and he's had great success in tandem with Carlin [Davison] off the pick and roll. I think those two have been one of the most dynamic duos." Jones and Hunt, both of whom have had standout seasons in the Sal's NBL, will provide depth and energy for the Solidarity Cup and Four Nations tournament alongside 21-year-old Yates who holds a development player contract with the NBL champion Illawarra Hawks squad. "I first saw him playing for the Illawarra Hawks and then got to see him up close and personal playing in the Sal's NBL. That gave us a great opportunity to see him perform each week, and playing against a lot of guys that were competing for these positions - and we just really liked what he had to offer. "We're just really excited to have another quality big man that has good size and good level of skill. He shoots the ball well from outside, it may not be his known quality but that's a skill we really like when it comes to playing international basketball." C - Jack Andrew* (Taranaki Airs), debutant G - Taylor Britt (Canterbury Rams & New Zealand Breakers), 34 games G - Flynn Cameron (Franklin Bulls & Adelaide 36ers), 28 games F - Max Darling (Canterbury Rams & New Zealand Breakers), 9 games F - Carlin Davison (Taranaki Airs & New Zealand Breakers), 4 games F - Ben Gold (Marquette University), 7 games G - Mojave King* (Tauranga Whai), debutant G/F - Taine Murray (Brisbane Bullets), 10 games G/F - Jordan Ngatai (Wellington Saints), 84 games G - Dontae Russo-Nance* (Manawatū Jets), debutant F/C - Tohi Smith-Milner (Canterbury Rams & Brisbane Bullets), 69 games New Zealand Tall Blacks Squad additions - FIBA Solidarity Cup & Four Nations F - Jordan Hunt (Franklin Bulls & Surrey 89ers), 12 games G - Hayden Jones (Nelson Giants & University of Wisconsin), 1 game C - Luca Yates* (Hawke's Bay Hawks & Illawarra Hawks), debutant 26 July - Tall Blacks v Brazil 27 July - Tall Blacks v Guangdong 28 July - Tall Blacks v Montenegro 30 July - Tall Blacks v Brazil 31 July - Tall Blacks v TBC 5 August - Tall Blacks v Iraq 8 August - Tall Blacks v Philippines 10 August - Tall Blacks v Chinese Taipei
RNZ News
06-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
NZ finish fourth at under-19 basketball World Cup
Hayden Jones top-scored for the Junior Tall Blacks. Photo: FIBA/Rana Elanwar New Zealand has finished fourth at the men's under-19 basketball World Cup in Switzerland. New Zealand was beaten 91-87 by Slovenia in the play-off for third. The Slovenians were up by seven at quarter-time, with the New Zealanders having already lost their big man, Oscar Goodman, after only four minutes. Slovenia were six up at half time and 11 at three-quarter time. But the Junior Tall Blacks clawed their way back into the game and closed to within two with just a few seconds to play before Slovenia sealed the game with a couple of free throws. Hayden Jones top the scoring with 21 points, while Tama Isaac hit 20. It is New Zealand's best ever result at the tournament. They have competed three previous times with their best result until today 11th in 2017. Their effort sits alongside the Tall Blacks' fourth placing at the FIBA World Cup in 2002 and the fourth placing by the under-17 team at their World Cup last year. The USA and Germany meet in the final. New Zealand lost 120-64 to the USA in the semi-finals. Australia finished sixth.
USA Today
05-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Saturday showdown: Team USA vs New Zealand in the FIBA U19 World Cup semifinals
As the FIBA U19 World Cup heats up, only four teams remain in the chase for glory, and it's shaping up to be a nail-biter! Team USA has proven their mettle, emerging victorious over Canada in a thrilling quarterfinal matchup on July 4th. With both Team USA and Germany favored to reach the finals, they now face formidable challengers—Slovenia and New Zealand—eager to upset the apple cart. Next up for Team USA is a showdown against New Zealand, who come into this clash with an impressive 4-1 record. They've made history by advancing past the quarterfinals for the first time ever after defeating host nation Switzerland 84-70. Leading the charge was Hayden Jones, who put on a spectacular performance with 23 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks. He wasn't alone; Julius Halaifonua added 17 points, while Oscar Goodman achieved a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds, showcasing a powerhouse trio that's ready to make waves! Match-Up Snapshot: A New Rivalry?The history between Team USA and New Zealand is brief but notable; their only previous encounter in 2019 saw Team USA dominate with a score of 111-71. Currently, they hold a 1-0 series lead. Will they extend that advantage to 2-0? This upcoming match-up promises to be electrifying! Hayden Jones is not just any player; he's averaging an impressive 15.2 points per game alongside 8.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists throughout this tournament. He's definitely someone to watch as he leads New Zealand into battle against one of the tournament favorites. As Team USA gears up for what could be another historic moment on their quest for gold, they know that every second counts on the hardwood. The tip-off is set for 2 PM ET at Lausanne Arena in Switzerland—don't miss out on this clash of titans! Stream live at FIBA U19 YouTube Channel.
RNZ News
04-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
New Zealand into semi finals at FIBA U19 World Cup
Hayden Jones, one of the stars of the 2025 New Zealand U19 World Cup basketball team. File picture. Photo: FIBA/Rana Elanwar New Zealand gets into the final four of a FIBA World Cup tournament for just the third time in history. The Junior Tall Blacks stellar performances at basketball's under 19 World Cup have continued, with a courageous win over host nation Switzerland in the quarter finals. In front of a packed house desperate for their team to win, New Zealand held their nerve to win 84 to 70 to set up a semi-final matchup with international basketball powerhouses the United States. The achievement is just the third time a New Zealand national team's made the final four of a FIBA World Cup tournament. Coach Matt Lacey told RNZ he couldn't be more delighted. "Yeah, it means a lot. So excited for our guys and all of the work that they've put in with their coaches back at home. It's it's a huge night for us here," he said. It wasn't an easy victory though, with Switzerland making the better start, largely on the back of forward Dayan Nessah, who scored seven points in the first quarter, to help them to a 23-16 lead at the end of the first quarter. The host nation then extended that lead to 10 points midway during the second quarter, but it was at this point, where New Zealand started to find its groove. Seven footer Julius Halaifonua, from Auckland, was instrumental during this period, with key back-to-back baskets and some impressive rebounding. The third quarter was when things really changed though, as the Junior Tall Blacks came out onto the floor and sent a shockwave through Lausanne Arena. Halaifonua scored four straight and then Nelson's Hayden Jones got cracking to help New Zealand score eight points in a row, which created scoreboard pressure on the Swiss. New Zealand ended up outscoring their opponents 29-12 in the third quarter, as they turned a six point deficit at half-time, into a 11 point advantage heading into the last quarter. Jones would pick up where he left off in the third, by opening the final quarter with another bucket, before Oscar Goodman's triple and another Hayden Jones bucket forced the Swiss into a time-out with five minutes to play, and the Kiwi's holding a big 16-point lead. As New Zealand has been all tournament, they were impressive down the stretch as they managed the game efficiently to the end. "The boys just really held their cool and to come back and have the third quarter performance that we did and close it out, just super proud of our guys to do that," Lacey said. Halaifonua finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and three steals, while Goodman, a forward from Taranaki, finished the game with a 13 point, 13 rebound double-double. Jones, the son of Tall Blacks great Phill, though, showed his huge promise for the fourth game in a row, finishing with 23 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four blocks. "I am extremely proud of the boys. We're all great friends, we get along really well. I'm just super proud of what we've achieved. We're just trying to go even further than we have right now and yeah, get that gold medal," Jones said. The Junior Tall Blacks will take on the United States on Sunday morning (6am NZT) to advance through to the final of the FIBA U19 World Cup, with Lacey super keen for his players to give it their best shot. "This group is a special one, and a lot of them are playing in the US against some of these players or will be in the future. So, the main thing for us is to come out fighting," he said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
02-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Basketball: NZ advance to first U19 World Cup quarter-finals
Hayden Jones of New Zealand. Photo: FIBA/Rana Elanwar New Zealand made history at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 by reaching the quarter-finals for the first time. They've booked themselves a ticket to the final 16 after beating China 99-86. New Zealand nearly wasted a 20-point lead but grabbed the win in a re-match of the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2024 Semi-Finals - won by New Zealand 86-71. Hayden Jones scored 16 points to go with 9 rebounds and 4 assists. "To get a win and head to the top eight is amazing. We had an up-and-down game. China had some runs but we weathered the storm and came out on top," Jones said. New Zealand are making their fourth appearance in the global junior tournament, taking 13th place in 2009 at home and then finishing 11th in 2017 and 13th in 2019. Four of the New Zealand U19 players were part of the team that last summer reached the Semi-Finals of the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024, which matched the greatest result in New Zealand basketball history - fourth place at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2002. Hayden Jones father Phill Jones was a member of that 2002 Tall Blacks World Cup campaign in Indianapolis. Jones was part of last year's U17 World Cup team and said they had meshed together well the players from the slightly older bracket. "We've got a special group with our U17 guys from last year and the older guys - we gel together really well. We were always going to go all out for each other," Jones said. They will face either Switzerland or France in their quarter-final.
