Hunter Adam

Position: Forward

Height: 201cm

Born: 29 September, 2004

Junior Association: Canterbury

High School: Christ’s College

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Attended the 2022 NZ U18 Selection Camp

Led Canterbury to the 2021 U17 National Championship – named Tournament MVP.

Larry Austin Jr. (Tier 2)

Position: Centre

Height: 188cm

Born: 18 February, 1996

High School: Lanphier HS , Springfield, Illinois

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

Has played professionally in Turkey, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

Graduated from Central Michigan University (2018-19) where he averaged 17.5ppg and 6 assists per game that season named to the Mid-American Conference All-Defensive team.

Previously spent his freshman and Sophomore years at Xavier University then Vanderbilt University for his Junior Year.

Played for the USA at the FIBA 3X3 U18 World Champs in 2013.

Josh Book

Position: Guard

Height: 193cm

Born: 8 June, 2003

Junior Association: Nelson/Canterbury

High School: Waimea College/Christ’s College

Highest Representative Honour – NZ U15 Team

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Led Canterbury to the 2021 U19 National Championship – named Tournament MVP.

Played for New Zealand at the 2018 FIBA U15 Oceania Championship in Papua New Guinea. Named to the All-Star 5 at the Tournament. Scored 16 points in the Final against Australia.

Father Ed was a Tall Black and mum Lisa a former Junior Tall Fern. Sister Amiee is on a basketball scholarship at Fresno State University.

Nic Book

Position: Forward

Height: 203cm

Born: 2 January, 2006

Junior Association: Canterbury

High School: Christ’s College

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Nic, the younger brother of Josh Book, is a Year 12 at Christ’s College.

Named to the 2022 New Zealand U17 team.

Helped Canterbury to the 2021 U17 National Championship – named to the Tournament Team.

Father Ed was a Tall Black and mum Lisa a former Junior Tall Fern. Sister Amiee is on a basketball scholarship at Fresno State University.

Walter Brown

Position: Forward

Height: 190cm

Born: 23 May, 2003

Junior Association: North Canterbury

High School: St Bede’s College, Christchurch

Previous NBL clubs – Canterbury Rams (2021-present)

The shooting guard scored 4 points on his Rams debut against Nelson Giants in May 2021 and went on to play 11 games during the season.

He has played his way through the Canterbury age-group teams. A member of Canterbury’s 2021 U19 National Championship winning team.

Taylor Britt

Position: Guard

Height: 187cm

Born: 22 September, 1996

Junior Association: Canterbury

High School: Papanui High School

Highest Representative Honour – Tall Blacks Debut: 2020

Previous NBL clubs – Canterbury Rams (2015 and 2018-present)

Led the Rams in scoring (19.6ppg) and assists (4.6apg) in 2020 but was unable to play in 2021 due to his commitments to the Perth Widcats.

Played 13 games for the NBL championship winning Perth Wildcats in 2019-20 and a further 13 games in 2020-21.

In 2019 represented NZ at the FIBA U23 3×3 World Cup in China.

Played at Southeast Community College (2015-17) playing 58 games averaging 11.2ppg.

Played 58 games over two seasons at Southeast Community College (2015-17).

Joe Cook-Green

Position: Guard

Height: 185cm

Born: 24 July, 1997

Junior Association: Otago

High School: Otago Boys High School/Cashmere High School

Highest Honour – Tall Blacks – debut in 2022

Previous NBL clubs – Otago Nuggets (2014), Canterbury Rams (2015 and 2021-22)

Missed the whole of the 2020 season due to injury returning in the second half of the 2021 season to play 8 games.

Played 5 games for Eastern Suns in Australian NBL West Conference in 2021 averaging 24.8ppg. Scored 43 points in one game!

Played at Northwest Florida State (2016-17) when the team reached the JUCO National Champs Final Four. Then played at Texas Wesleyan University (NAIA), 2018-20 alongside Sam Smith.

Played for NZ at the 2015 FIBA Oceania Championship in Suva, Fiji.

Max Darling

Position: Forward

Height: 196cm

Born: 30 September, 2000

Junior Association: Nelson

High School: Christ’s College

Highest Honour – Junior Tall Blacks (2019)

Previous NBL clubs – Canterbury Rams (2017-18 and 2021-present)

Played 7 games for the Rams in 2021 averaging 12.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

Played for Neptune Constanta in the Rumanian League in 2021-22, averaged 10.4 points and 6 rebounds per game.

Previously played for Illawarra Hawks (2020-21) and Vrijednosnice Osijek in 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Darling was New Zealand’s leading rebounder at the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup in Greece averaging 9.3rpg, also averaged 13.7ppg.

Sunday Dech (Tier 2)

Position: Forward

Height: 195cm

Born: 1 January, 1994

High School: Churchland Senior High, Perth

Previous NBL clubs – Wellington Saints (2019)

Won a championship with the Saints in 2019 averaging 10.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

Perth raised, Sunday Dech has played in the Australian NBL for Perth Wildcats (2018-19), Illawarra Hawks (2019-20) and Adelaide 36ers (2020-22).

Played NCAA Division II at Metro State University of Denver and Barry University. In his senior year at Barry (2017-18) he tied the school record with 10 made three-pointers in a career high 32 points against Nova Southeastern.

Junior De Young

Position: Guard

Height: 192cm

Born: 10 June, 2003

Junior Association: Te Aroha

High School: Te Aroha College

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

Captained the Waikato team that won the 2020 U17 National Championship.

Currently on a Sports Scholarship at Canterbury University.

Zach Hannen

Position: Guard

Height: 181cm

Born: 19 September, 2002

Junior Association: Canterbury

High School: Middleton Grange School

 Previous NBL clubs – Canterbury Rams (2021-present)

Debuted for the Rams against Wellington Saints in April, 2021 playing 8 games during the season.

Hannen has worked his way through the Canterbury age-group system. A member of the 2021 U19 National Championship winning team.

Attended Middleton Grange School where he was Basketball MVP in 2020.

Kaia Isaac

Position: Point Guard

Height: 185cm

Born: 16 September, 2003

High School: Hunter Sports HS, Gateshead, New South Wales

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

Played the 2021 season for Maitland Mustangs in the Waratah League averaging 10.5ppg.

Also in 2021 played for NSW at the Australian U20 State Championships.

Cousin of Joe Cook-Green.

Mike Karena

Position: Centre

Height: 2.06m

Born: 24 October, 1993

Junior Association: Tasman

High School: Nelson College

Highest Honour: Tall Blacks – Debut in 2016

Previous NBL Clubs – Nelson Giants (2011-12 and 2020), Canterbury Rams (2016-2019 and 2022).

Played NBL1 South for NW Tasmania Thunder in 2021 and prior to that for South East Melbourne Phoenix in the 2020-21 NBL season.

Was a key member of the Rams team that were NBL semi-finalist in 2019 averaging 13.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Played at South Plains Junior College before transferring to Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio where he played NCAA Division I basketball for the Raiders for two years .

Spent two years playing in Spain during the northern hemisphere winters of 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Matthew Moyer (Tier 2)

Position: Forward

Height: 203cm

Born: 30 June, 1997

High School: Gahanna Lincoln HS, Ohio

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

Played professionally in Germany in 2021-22 before signing for the Rams. 

Played his senior collegiate year at George Washington University (2020-21) – averaged 10.1ppg and 9.6rpg.

His freshman year was at Syracuse University and then moved to Vanderbillt University for the next two years.

Kalib Mullins

Position: Forward

Height: 198cm

Born: 16 September, 2000

Junior Association:

High School: Rotorua Boys High School

Previous NBL Clubs – Manawatu Jets (2020-21)

Played 17 games for the Jets in 2021 averaging 2.5 points and 1.8 rebounds per game.

Graduated from Rotorua Boys High School in 2019.

Born in Limerick (Ireland) he has Irish, Croatian and NZ eligibility.

Sam Smith

Position: Guard

Height: 190cm

Born: 8 April, 1996

Junior Association: Tauranga City

High School: Tauranga Boys College

Previous NBL clubs – Canterbury Rams (2019-present)

Played 17 games for the Rams in 2021 averaging 6.9 points and 2 assists per game.

After school, moved to Christchurch in 2014 to take up a basketball scholarship at Lincoln University.

The following year began a four-year college career in the States. He spent 2-years at Brown Mackie Junior College then 2-years at Texas Wesleyan University, graduating in 2019.

In 2019 Smith headed to Switzerland where he had a brief stint with Lugano Tigers.

Jackson Stent

Position: Forward

Height: 203cm

Born: 2 October, 1997

Junior Association: Canterbury

High School: Westlake Boys HS/Middleton Grange

Previous NBL clubs – Canterbury Rams (2015 and 2022)

Played 2 games for the Rams in 2015 as a Development Player.

Played at Nicholls State University and Casper College before completing his collegiate time at Houston Baptist University (NCAA Division I) from 2018-20 playing 54 games for the Huskies.

In the 2021-22 season Stent was Graduate Manager – Operations at Houston Baptist.

Alex Talma

Position: Forward

Height: 201cm

Born: 5 July, 1994

Junior Association: North Harbour

High School: Westlake Boys HS

Previous NBL clubs – Waikato Pistons (2014), Canterbury Rams (2019-22)

Highest Honour – Junior Tall Blacks (2012)

A full time firefighter on Auckland’s North Shore Talma has been coaxed back from retirement to help the Rams out for the second half of the season.

Averaged 7.2 points and 4.6 rebounds for the Rams in 2021.

Played NCAA Division II basketball for Biola University, California graduating in 2019. In his senior year for the Eagles he averaged 12.2 points per game and a team high 8.4 rebounds per game.

Helped Westlake Boys win Secondary Schools National Championship in 2012 playing alongside Jack Salt.

Aidan Tonge

Position: Small Forward

Height: 196cm

Born: 19 July, 2002

Junior Association: Rotorua

High School: Rotorua Boys High School

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

Currently on a Basketball Scholarship at University of Canterbury.

A member of the Canterbury 2021 U19 National Championship winning team – named to the Tournament Team.

Graduated from Rotorua Boys High School in 2020.