Walter Brown

Position: Forward

Height: 193cm

Born: 23 May, 2003

Junior Association: North Canterbury

High School: St Bede’s College, Christchurch

Highest Representative Honour – Tall Blacks Debut: 2022 v Jordan

Previous NBL clubs – Canterbury Rams (2021-present)

Named 2023 Sal’s NBL Youth Player of the Year – averaged 9.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game for the Canterbury Rams championship winning team.

Scored a career high 20 points on two occasions in 2023 – against the Hawks and then the Saints.

His good domestic form in 2023 propelled him into the Tall Blacks team for the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Played for the Tall Blacks in both of the Asia Cup Qualifying games in February 2024 – has played 14 games in total.

A Development Player for the Tasmanian Jack Jumpers in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 ANBL seasons.

A member of Canterbury’s 2021 and 2022 U19 National Championship winning teams.

Will Blight

Position: Centre

Height: 206cm

Born: 12 January, 2006

Junior Association: Nelson

High School: Waimea College

Highest Representative Honour – NZ U17 National Team (2023)

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Played for the New Zealand silver medal winning team at the 2023 FIBA U17 Oceania Championship in Papua New Guinea.

A member of the Waimea College silver medal winning team at the 2023 NZ Secondary Schools National Championships..

Claimed gold at the 2023 AON U17 National Championships where he helped Nelson to a 78-71 Grand final victory against Canterbury.

Blight was also a member of the Waimea College volleyball team that finished runners-up at the 2023 Secondary Schools National Championship.

Jonty Bond

Position: Guard

Height: 184cm

Born: February, 2006

Junior Association: Nelson

High School: Waimea College

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Scored a game high 30 points in the Grand Final of the 2023 AON U17 National Championships where he helped Nelson to a 78-71 Grand final victory against Canterbury.

Played for Waimea College, the beaten finalists at the 2023 Secondary Schools National Championship – Named to the Tournament Team after averaging 19.7ppg. 

Studying at University of Canterbury

Reuben Booth

Position: Forward

Height: 201cm

Born: 14 January, 2005

Junior Association: Canterbury

High School: Cashmere High School

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Played for Canterbury at the 2023 U19 National Championships.

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)

Averaged 9.5 points and 4.0 assists per game for the Canterbury Rams NBL Championship winning team in 2023. Along with Aidan Tonge and Kaia Isaac helped the Rams complete the double in 2023 by winning the 3×3 Cup.

2024 is Britt’s 7th season with the Rams. Has made 93 appearances with his 31 points against the Airs in 2020 a career high.

Played for the Tall Blacks in both of the Asia Cup Qualifying games in February 2024. Has played 27 games for the Tall Blacks including 4 at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

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

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

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

Kenyon ‘KJ’ Buffen (Import)

Position: Forward

Height: 201cm

Born: 27 May, 2000 in Cainesville, Georgia

High School: Gainesville HS

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

Arrives at the Rams after playing his rookie pro season in Finland. Averaged 14.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game for the Kobrat club where he scored between 17 points and 34 points in every game.

Following high school played three years at the University of Mississippi followed by two years at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers.

In his senior year with the Blazers (2022-23) started 33 of 35 games averaging 10.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. The Blazers made the NIT Grand Final losing 68-61 to North Texas University.

Ihaka Cate

Position: Forward

Height: 196cm

Born: 29 August, 2007

High School: Christ’s College, Christchurch

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

A Christ’s College student.

Played for the silver medal winning New Zealand team at the 2023 FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Doha. 

A member of the Canterbury team that played at the U17 National Championships.

Max Darling

Position: Forward

Height: 196cm

Born: 30 September, 2000

Junior Association: Nelson

High School: Christ’s College

Highest Honour – Tall Blacks; Debut in 2022 

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

A member of the Canterbury Rams 2023 Sal’s NBL Championship winning team, Darling averaged 12.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Scored a career high 22 points on two occasions against the Hawks and then the Bulls.

Played for the Tall Blacks in both of the Asia Cup Qualifying games in February 2024 – scored 8 points against Hong Kong.

Was a Development Player with the New Zealand Breakers in 2023-24 debuting against the Adelaide 36ers in Christchurch to become Breaker #150. 

Played for Neptune Constanta in the Rumanian League in 2021-22 having previously played for Illawarra Hawks (2020-21) and Vrijednosnice Osijek (Croatia) in 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Darling was New Zealand’s leading rebounder at the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup in Greece.

Taki Fahrensohn

Position: Forward

Height: 200cm

Born: 29 January, 2009

Junior Association: Waitakere West Auckland

High School: Auckland Grammar School

Highest Honour – Tall Blacks; Debut in 2022 v India 

Previous NBL clubs – Auckland Huskies (2021), Auckland Tuatara (2022)

Missed the 2023 NBL season – played 18 games for the Tuatara in 2022 averaging 14.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

Played in the German ProA League in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Played all 7 games on the Tall Blacks bronze medal winning team at the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup in Indonesia, averaging 11.7 points per game.

Was a member of the 3×3 Tall Blacks team that defeated Australia to win the inaugural Trans-Tasman Cup in Invercargill in 2023.

Played NCAA Division I at the University of Portland (2018-21), playing 61 games for the Pilots before graduating in 2021.

Father Jeff and brother Chris both played in the NZ NBL.

Hugo Gonazalez

Position: Guard

Height: 194cm

Born: 6 May, 2005 in Alicante, Spain

Junior Association: Canterbury

High School: St Thomas of Canterbury College

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

A member of the Rams wider training squad in 2023.

Graduated from St Thomas of Canterbury College last year. He was the leading scorer (244 points) at 2023 Secondary Schools National Championship Tournament averaging 27.1ppg – had a top score of 39 points v Pukekohe High School.

St Thomas were also the Canterbury Schools (Thompson Trophy) champions in 2023.

Hit the game winner for Canterbury in the 2022 U17 National Championships Grand Final. Played for Canterbury U19 team in 2023.

Louie Gordon

Kaia Isaac

Position: Point Guard

Height: 185cm

Born: 16 September, 2003

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

Previous NBL Clubs – Canterbury Rams (2021-present).

Played 18 games for the Sal’s NBL Championship Rams in 2023 – scored a career high 19 points against the Airs. Averaged 4.9ppg shooting the 3-ball at 46% (20/46).

Along with Aidan Tonge and Taylor Britt helped the Rams complete the double in 2023 by winning the 3×3 Cup.– named Tournament MVP.

Trained with the Breakers during the 2023-24 ANBL season.

Named to Tournament Team at 2022 U19 National Championship, helping Canterbury claim the title.

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

Tama Isaac

Position: Point Guard

Height: 186cm

Born: 27 December, 2006

Junior Association: Canterbury

High School: Christ’s College

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

A current student at Christ’s Collegehe was named to the 2023 Secondary Schools National Championship Tournament Team. Averaged 22.0ppg with a top score of 44 points v Rotorua Boys High School. 

Played for the New Zealand silver medal winning team at the 2023 FIBA U17 Oceania Championship in Papua New Guinea – averaged 10.2 points and 4.6 assists per game.

Younger brother of Kaia Isaac

Corban Mason

Position: Forward

Height: 204cm

Born: 16 June, 2001

Junior Association: Waikato

High School: Hamilton Boys High School

Previous NBL Clubs – Nelson Giants (2022)

Played 3 games for the Nelson Giants in 2022.

The Coromandel native and former Waikato representative was on a basketball scholarship at Lincoln University before graduating in 2023.

Played for Canterbury at the 2023 U23 National Championships.

Played for Hamilton Boys’ High School at the 2018 Secondary School Nationals. 

Mana Martin

Position: Guard

Height: 194cm

Born: 31 July, 2007

Junior Association: Canterbury

High School: St Thomas of Canterbury College, Christchurch

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

A St Thomas of Canterbury College student. Averaged 18.4ppg for St Thomas at the 2023 Secondary Schools National Championships.

Played for the silver medal winning New Zealand team at the 2023 FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Doha – averaged 8 points per game.

A member of the Canterbury team at the 2023 U17 National Championships.

Joshua Nickel

Position: Forward

Height: 191cm

Born: 30 September, 1999

Junior Association: Canterbury

High School: Hillmorton High School

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

Played for Samoa at the 2023 Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea.

Played for Tavake Pasifika in the 2023 3×3 Cup.

Graduated from Hillmorton High in 2017 the year they finished runner-up to Stratford High in the Secondary Schools ‘A’ National Championships – named to the Tournament Team.

Lachlan Olbrich (Import)

Position: Forward/Centre

Height: 208cm

Born: 30 December, 2003 in Adelaide

High School: Reynella East College.

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

Following high school played one season in the ANBL as a Development Player for the Adelaide 36ers (2021-22).

Then played at the University of California Riverside alongside Flynn Cameron. Olbrich was named the 2022-23 Big West Conference Freshman of the Year after averaging 11.4 points and 6.1 rebounds across 34 games.

Played the 2023-24 Australian NBL season with Illawarra Hawks

Also played 3 seasons in NBL1 Central for Noarlunga City Southern Tigers (2021 and 2022) and in 2023 produced 21 points and 9 rebounds per game to help the West Adelaide Bearcats win the NBL1 Central championship.

Mac Stodart

Position: Forward

Height: 202cm

Born: 16 February, 2002

Junior Association: Southland

High School: James Hargest College, Invercargill then St Andrew’s College for final 2 years.

Previous NBL Clubs – Rams (2020)

Played 13 games for the Rams in 2020.

Stodart returns to the Rams having played over 100  games in a 4-year NCAA Division II collegiate basketball career. 

Played a year at Concordia University, Irvine and subsequently three years at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

Played 94 games for the Mountain Lions with 56 starts. In the 2023-24 season averaged 10.5 points and 4.5 rebound and had the distinction of being named to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference All-Academic First Team for the second year running.

He represented NZ at the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup in Argentina.

Aidan Tonge

Position: Forward

Height: 198cm

Born: 19 July, 2002

Junior Association: Rotorua

High School: Rotorua Boys High School

Previous NBL Clubs – Rams (2021-present)

Played 9 games for the NBL Championship winning Rams in 2023. Along with Taylor Britt and Kaia Isaac helped the Rams complete the double in 2023 by winning the 3×3 Cup.

In 2023 led the University of Canterbury teams to the National Tertiary Championship and the National Tertiary 3×3 titles. MVP at the National Champs and named to the All-Star 4 at the 3×3 Tournament.

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

Graduated from Rotorua Boys High School in 2020.

MJ Walker Jr.

Position: Guard

Height: 196cm

Born: 28 March, 1998 in Riverdale, Georgia

High School: Jonesboro High School, Georgia

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

Played 2 games in the NBA for the Phoenix Suns over the 2021-22 Xmas/New Year period.

Played two seasons in the G League for New York Knicks affiliate Westchester Knicks. More recently played in the G League for the Greensboro Swarm in 2024 when he averaged 8.5ppg over 14 games  – shot the three ball at 43.4%.

Has also played in Canada and France.

Played 4 years at Florida State University making 119 appearances for the Seminoles.

Judd Flavell (Head Coach

Adam Morgan (Assistant Coach)

Liam Connelly (Assistant Coach)