Jack Andrew

Club: Otago Nuggets
Position: Forward
Height: 2.08m
Born: 10 August, 2001
Junior Association: North Otago
High School: St Kevin’s College, Oamaru

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Andrew finished school at St Kevin’s College, Oamaru in 2019. From Twizell he was a boarder at St Kevin’s.
St Kevin’s were runners-up in the 2019 ‘A’ Secondary Schools National final with Andrew named to the Tournament Team.

Sam Aruwa

Club: Otago Nuggets
Position: Forward
Height: 1.94m
Born: 20 January, 1998
Junior Association: Auckland
High School: Auckland Grammar
Highest Representative Honour: NZ U23 3×3 Team and Junior Tall Blacks.

Previous NBL clubs – Super City Rangers (2019)

Aruwa is from Auckland but does have links with Otago as brother Samson is at Med School at Otago University.

Aruwa was named to the New Zealand 3×3 team for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in India (scheduled for Bengaluru, India in March but cancelled due to Co-vid). He would have been playing alongside Hyrum Harris, Taane Samuel and Alonzo Burton.

Played alongside Taylor Britt, Josh Aitcheson and Taane Samuel at the FIBA U23 3×3 World Cup in China in 2018.

Photo: @PhotosportNZ

Josh Aitcheson

Club: Otago Nuggets
Position: Guard
Height: 1.98m
Born: 25 May, 1998
Junior Association: Otago
High School: Kings High School, Dunedin
Highest Representative Honour: Junior Tall Blacks (2017)

Previous NBL clubs – Southland Sharks (2017), Canterbury Rams (2018)

The former Kings High School and Otago University wing is equally adept in the 3×3 Arena having played for New Zealand at the 2019 U23 World Cup in China playing alongside Taylor Britt and Taane Samuel and Sam Aruwa.

Aitcheson was a key figure in the Otago University line-up in 2019 as UO completed the Tertiary Tournaments double winning both the 3×3 and 5×5 National titles.

Aitcheson averaged 4.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game playing for the Junior Tall Blacks at the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup in Egypt.

Matt Bardsley

Club: Otago Nuggets
Position: Guard
Height: 1.89m
Born: 8 August, 1995
Junior Association: Manawatu
High School: Palmerston North Boys High School

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

The 84th pick in the 2020 NBL draft!

Bardsley has twice been named the Otago Club player of Year.
In 2019 he helped Otago University complete the Tertiary Tournaments double winning both the 3×3 and 5×5 National titles.
He was named to the Tournament Team at the 2018 Tertiary Tournament which was also won by Otago.

Benoit Hayman

Club: Otago Nuggets
Position: Guard
Height: 1.87m
Born: 3 January, 1997
Junior Association: Otago
High School: Otago Boys High School

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

A dual national with Swiss heritage on his mother’s side, Hayman was playing for Nyon in the Swiss League when Covid-19 shut down all basketball. Studying economics at Lausanne University, the point guard averaged 7.1 points and 2.3 assists in 17 games for Nyon in the 2019-20 season.

Jordan Hunt

Club: Otago Nuggets
Position: Forward
Height: 2.05m
Born: 12 September, 1997
Junior Association: Hutt Valley
High School: Hutt Valley High School

Previous NBL Clubs – Wellington Saints (2016)

After high school Hunt headed to Southern Oregon University on a four-year scholarship.
In his senior year (2019-20) he finished second in scoring (12.9ppg) and third in rebounding (5.6rpg) for the Raiders. He finished his career with 1147 points, the 11th highest scorer all-time at SOU, and 741 rebounds to place 8th in programme history.
In his junior year Hunt was named to the Academic All-Cascade Conference team for the second straight season.

Named to the 2019 U23 Tournament Team after helping Wellington/Hutt Valley claim the U23 National title – scored 17 points in the 93-74 win against Manawatu in the Grand Final.

Kane Keil

Club: Otago Nuggets
Position: Forward
Height: 1.98m
Born: 13 July, 1997
Junior Association: Waitakere West
High School: Auckland Grammar School
Highest Honour: NZ U17 Team (2013)

Previous NBL Clubs – Super City Rangers (2014)

Following high school spent 2-years at Barstow Community College playing 52 games.
Then had 2-years at Antelope Valley University (NAIA) where in over 58 games he averaged 9.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Graduated from Antelope Valley in 2020.

Keil’s 2013 NZ U17 Team included Joe Cook Green, Isaac Davidson, Isaac Letoa, Nico McCullough, Richie Roger, Sam Timmins and Tai Wynyard.

Jarrod Kenny

Club: Otago Nuggets
Position: Guard
Height: 1.88m
Born: 17 September 1985
Junior Association: North Harbour
High School: Westlake Boys High School
Highest Representative Honour: Tall Blacks (Appearances 70)

Previous NBL Clubs – Harbour Heat in 2002-2008, Bay Hawks (2009-15 and 2017-19), Nelson Giants (2016)

A member of the victorious Tall Blacks team that defeated Australia in Brisbane in February 2020. One of just three survivors, along with Loe and Vukona, from the team that beat Australia to win the 2009 FIBA Oceania Championships 10 years earlier.

He and Rob Loe were the only two players to appear in all 12 FIBA World Cup Asia Qualifiers.

Was a member of the bronze medal winning team at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Was a member of the Tall Blacks team at both the 2014 FIBA World Championship in Spain and 2019 World Cup in China.

Played three seasons with the Perth Wildcats in the Australian NBL and won back-to-back Championships with the Wildcats in 2016 and 2017 before signing with Cairns helping the Taipans to the Final Four in 2020.

Won the Dave Taylor Award in 2019 for Most Assists in the NBL, averaging 6.5apg.

Darcy Knox

Club: Otago Nuggets
Position: Guard
Height: 1.86m
Born: 10 May, 1995
Junior Association: Otago
High School: Otago Boys High School

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

After High School attended Kansas Technical College for one year (2015-2016)

Knox was the starting point guard as Otago University completed the Tertiary Tournaments double in 2019 winning both the 3×3 and 5×5 Tertiary National titles. Named to the All-Star 5 at the Tertiary Championships.
He was also named Otago Basketball’s Coach of the Year in 2019 after guiding Mid City Magic to the Club Championship as player-coach.

Akiva McBirney-Griffin

Club: Otago Nuggets
Position: Forward
Height: 2.04m
Born: 29 January, 2003
Junior Association: Waikato
High School: St John’s College, Hamilton
Highest Representative Honour: NZ U16 Team

Previous NBL Clubs – rookie

McBirney-Griffin attends St John’s College, Hamilton and is one of the very few high school players in the 2020 NBL.
Named to the NZ Team to contest the 2020 FIBA U16 Asia Cup but the event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jordan Ngatai

Club: Otago Nuggets
Position: Forward
Height: 1.96m
Born: 7 March, 1993
Junior Association: Porirua
High School: Mana College
Highest Representative Honour: Tall Blacks – Debut: 2013 (Appearances 53)

Previous NBL Clubs – Wellington Saints (2012, 2014 and 2017-19), Manawatu Jets (2015) Taranaki Mountain Airs (2016)

Ngatai has played over 50 games for the Tall Blacks winning a bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and appearing at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China.

A three-times NBL Championship winner with the Saints, Ngatai has also played the last six seasons with the Breakers enjoying championship success in 2014-15.

Following school Ngatai played one year at Sierra Junior College followed by another year at Brigham Young University (BYU), Hawaii in 2013-14.

Richie Rodger

Club: Otago Nuggets
Position: Guard
Height: 1.88m
Born: 27 January, 1997
Junior Association: Otago
High School: Kavanagh College (Dunedin)
Highest Representative Honour: NZ U18 (2014)

Previous NBL Clubs – Taranaki Mountain Airs (2018)

Rodger spent two-years at Southeast Community College, Nebraska (2015-2017) playing a total of 59 games.
Returned from the States to play a season for Taranaki and then headed to the Philippines on a basketball scholarship at University of the East in 2019 and 2020.

Photo: @PhotosportNZ

Aaron Roydhouse

Club: Otago Nuggets
Position: Forward
Height: 1.96m
Born: 19 June, 1998
Junior Association: Otago
High School: Otago Boys High School

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

Roydhouse is studying for a Master’s in Biochemistry at the University of Otago.

Basketball took a back seat in his first 2 years of varsity as he focused on competing for the University of Otago in rowing.
In 2019 he went back to playing basketball and helped Otago win the National Tertiary Championship Title.

Brent Matehaere

Club: Otago Nuggets
Position: Head Coach

Aik Ho

Club: Otago Nuggets
Position: Assistant Coach