Christian Vano

Position: Guard

Height: 190cm

Born: 2 April, 2005

Junior Association: 

High School: Rotorua Boys High School

Previous NBL clubs – Franklin Bulls (2023-present)

Has played 22 games for the Bulls. Scored a career high 11 points against the Hawks in Round 15 of the 2024 season.

Scored 112 Rapid League points in 14 games in 2024 – season high 16 points against Southland Sharks.

Played for Rotorua Boys High at the 2023 Secondary Schools National Championships – Rotorua were semi-finalists. 

Corey Perry

Position: Guard

Height: 185cm

Born: 11 April, 2002

Junior Association: Franklin

High School: Pukekohe High School

Previous NBL clubs – Franklin Bulls (2021 & 2024-present)

Has been a squad member of the Bulls since the club’s inception in 2020 – played a total of 6 NBL games.

Played 7 Rapid League games in 2024 – highest score 6 points v Manawatu Jets.

Was a member of the inaugural Franklin Tupu League team in 2024.

Older brother of Brody Perry.

David Okwera

Position: Forward

Height: 208cm

Born: 31 July, 2002 in Perth, Australia

High School: 

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Has played 4 seasons in the Australian NBL – 2 seasons with Melbourne United and the last 2 seasons with Perth Wildcats. Played 23 games for the Wildcats in the 2024-25 season.

Averaged 14.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game for East Perth Eagles in the 2024 NBL1 West season.

Debuted for the Australian Boomers in 2021 and played at the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup in Indonesia.

Ethan Rusbatch

Position: Guard

Height: 1.96m

Born: 24 May, 1992

Junior Association: Canterbury

High School: Cashmere High School

Highest Honour: Tall Blacks – Debut in 2016 (Appearances 35)

Previous NBL Clubs – Southland Sharks (2012), Taranaki Airs (2013), Canterbury Rams (2014-17), Hawks (2018-19 & 2021-23), Franklin Bulls (2024) 

Played the 2024-25 season in Finland averaging 8.7ppg for Pyrinto.

Played 18 games in NBL ‘24 – scored a season high 23 points against Canterbury Rams in Round 16.

Playing his 13th NBL season in 2025.  Played 201 games.

Won NBL Most Improved Player Award in 2019 after averaging 20.3 points per game – his three-point shooting percentage was an impressive 43.2%.

Played 16 games for the Breakers in the 2019-20 ANBL season.

Played both Asia Cup Qualifying games for the Tall Blacks in February 2024 – scored an international best 26 points against Chinese Taipei.

An ever present with the Tall Blacks during their qualifying campaign for the 2023 FIBA World Cup but missed the World Cup due to injury.

Rusbatch was a member of the bronze medal winning team at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and went on to play at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China.

After a year at Lincoln Trail Junior College, Illinois, Rusbatch joined the Southland Sharks in 2012. 

Ezekiel Otunuku

Flynn Cameron

Position: Guard

Height: 196cm

Born: 30 June, 2000

High School: Hillcrest Christian Academy, Gold Coast, Australia

Highest Honour: Tall Blacks – debuted 2022

Previous NBL clubs – Taranaki Airs (2024)

Played 17 games for the Airs in 2024 averageing 16.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Scored a season high 25 points (6/10 3PG) in the semi-final loss to the Canterbury Rams in NBL ‘24.

Played both games for the Tall Blacks at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Greece in July 2024 against  Croatia and Slovenia.

Graduated from the University of California Riverside in 2023 after making 123 NCAA Division I appearances. Along with his brother Tobias, one of only 17 Kiwi men to play 100 NCAA Division I games.

Recently completed a second season with Melbourne United in the Australian NBL.

At 20-years of age he was the youngest member of the Tall Blacks team at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Played 11 of the 13 games played by the Tall Blacks in the 2023 calendar year. Played his 22nd game for the Tall Blacks against Hong Kong in February 2024.

Following dad Pero, in being capped for the Tall Blacks, they became the 7th father/son duo to play for the Tall Blacks.

Halasiale Maile

Position: Centre

Height: 189cm

Born: 6 June, 1997

Junior Association: Waikato Country

High School: Fraser High School

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Debuted against the Giants in the opening game of the 2024 season. Scored a season best 6 points against Wellington Saints in the Play-in game in NBL ‘24.

One of only 7 players to play in all 20 Rapid League games in 2024 scored a season best 12 points against Southland Sharks.

Played for Fraser High School at the 2014 Secondary Schools National Championships. 

Harri Coker-Grey

Position: Guard

Height: 194cm

Born: 14 September, 2005

Junior Association: Auckland

High School: Mt Albert Grammar School

Previous NBL clubs – Franklin Bulls (2024-present)

Played 9 games in the 2024 season. Scored a season high 4 points against Wellington Saints in the Play-in game.

Also played 17 Rapid League games with a highest score of 8 points on two occasions.

Named the Bulls “Development Player of the Year” in 2024.

Played for Franklin Basketball at the 2024 U20 National Championships averaging 7.8 ppg.

Played for the Mt Albert Grammar School team that, in 2023, won the Auckland Secondary Schools title and finished 7th at the Secondary Schools National Championships. Averaged 12.6ppg at the National Championships.

Harry Kelso

Position: Guard

Height: 193cm

Born: 21 February, 2008

Junior Association: Franklin

High School: Pukekohe High School

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Was a Development Player with the Bulls in 2024.

A Year 13 pupil at Pukekohe High School – averaged 18 points and 7 rebounds per game at the 2024 Secondary Schools National Championships. 

Hunter Savill

Jaxson Macfarlane

Position: Forward

Height: 196cm

Born: 7 July, 1998

Junior Association: Hawkes Bay

High School: Napier Boys High School

Previous NBL clubs – Hawks (2015-16)

Previously played 10 games for the Hawks.

Played for Shepparton Gators in the Australian Big V League in 2019 – averaged 7.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

Captained the Napier Boys High School team in 2016, his final year at school – made his Hawks debut in the same year.

KC Nwafor

Position: Forward

Height: 202cm

Born: 23 April, 2003

High School: Rotorua Boys High School

Previous NBL Clubs – Franklin Bulls (2023-present)

Has played 6 NBL games – scored a career high 6 points against the Manawatu Jets in Round 3 of NBL ‘24. Opportunities were limited for the Nigerian born forward as he was regarded as an ‘import’.

He has been cleared to play as a local player in NBL ‘25.

Played 2 games for the Bulls in 2023 – scored 5 points on debut against the Tuatara. Also played for the Bulls at the 2023 3×3 Cup.

Named MVP at the 2023 U23 National Championship – had 32 points and 14 rebounds in Taranaki’s Grand Final win against Porirua.

Nigerian born KC Nwafor moved to New Zealand as a 16-year old. He was a key member of the Rotorua Boys High School team that gained a 4th place finish at the 2022 ‘AA” Secondary Schools National Championship.

Marcel Jones

Position: Forward

Height: 203cm

Born: 2 September, 1985

High School: Mater Dei High School, Santa Ana, California

Previous NBL Clubs – Manawatu Jets (2009 and 2012-13), Wellington Saints (2010), Canterbury Rams (2014, 2016 & 2017), Super City Rangers (2018), Southern Huskies (2019), Taranaki Mountain Airs (2020-23)

Most recently played in the NBL for Taranaki Airs in 2023 – averaged 6.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

Most recently played in Lebanon adding another country to his catalogue of world travels. 

In addition to playing in Uruguay and New Zealand Jones has played in Australia, Germany, Finland, Hungary, United Kingdom, Syria, Bosnia, Romania, Italy, Turkey, Kosovo, Slovenia, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay and Bahrain.

In his 14th season in the NBL total he has played 167 games with seven different clubs since debuting for the Jets in 2009.

A naturalised American, Jones graduated from Oregon State University in 2008.

Noah Williams

Payton Hughes

Position: Guard

Height: 180cm

Born: 24 April, 2006

Junior Association: Franklin

High School: Pukekohe High School

Previous NBL clubs – Franklin Bulls (2023-present)

Played 1 game for the Bulls in 2023 and 2 in 2024.

Played 3 Rapid League games in 2024 with a highest score of 10 points against Manawatu Jets.

Played for Franklin Basketball at the 2024 U20 National Championships averaging 11 ppg.

Played for the Pukekohe High School team that qualified for the Secondary Schools National Championships for the first time ever in 2023. Averaged 16.5 ppg at the tournament – scored 36 points against St Bede’s.

Tae Hardy

Position: Guard

Height: 190cm

Born: in Fayetville, North Carolina

High School: Miller Grove High School, Georgia

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Commencing his second professional season having played recently in Mongolia where he averaged 21.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game for Darkham United.

Had a five year collegiate career culminating in a 2-year stint at the University of Texas at El Paso. Averaged 14.8 points per game in his senior season (2023-24). Started in 65 of his 66 games at El Paso.

Till Gloger

Position: Forward

Height: 204cm

Born: 26 January, 1993 in Bochum, Germany

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

Played 116 games over 4 years at the University of Maine. Averaged 14.5 points and 4.4 rebounds in his senior year (2015-16).

Has since played all his professional career in Germany (over 250 games in 9 seasons), the last five seasons for Rostock Seawolves.

Tobias Cameron

Position: Guard

Height: 195cm

Born: 21 February, 1999

High School: Hillcrest Christian Academy, Gold Coast, Australia

Highest Honour: Tall Blacks – Debut in 2024 v Chinese Taipei

Previous NBL clubs – Taranaki Airs (2023-24)

Played all 22 games for the Airs in 2024 averageing  9.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Scored a season high 23 points against the Hawks. 

Played 10 games for the Airs in 2023, his rookie pro season – averaged 7.9 points per game with a season best 18 points against the Jets.

Earlier in 2023 Cameron completed a five year career at Abilene Christian University accumulating 679 points in 142 games. Those 142 appearances are the most by a Kiwi in Men’s NCAA Division I basketball – playing a fifth year enabled him to move beyond Rob Loe’s previous record of 133 appearances (in 4 seasons) at St Louis University.

Followed dad Pero and brother Flynn  in being capped for the Tall Blacks  when debuting against Chinese Taipei in February 2024.

He played alongside his brother on the Junior Tall Blacks team that defeated Australia at the 2016 FIBA Oceania Tournament to qualify for the 2017 U19 World Championship. The 2016 team also included Quinn Clinton, Dan Fotu, Josh Aitcheson and Taane Samuel.

Zion Anderson

Position: Wing

Height: 192cm

Born: 21 March, 2004

Junior Association: North Harbour

High School: Rosmini College

Previous NBL clubs – Tauranga Whai (2024)

Played 2 games for Tauranga Whai in NBL ‘24.

Also played 14 Rapid League games – scored a season high 10 points against the Franklin Bulls!

Won a bronze medal with Massey University at the 2024 Tertiary National Championships – scored 20 points in the 3rd/4th play-off game against AUT.

In 2023 won a New Zealand Secondary Schools 3×3 National Championship with Rosmini College.

Led the Rosmini College scoring at the 2023 Secondary Schools National Championships averaging 20.5ppg – scored 33 points against Otago Boys High School and Fielding High School.

Sebastian Gleim (Head Coach)

Joe Reddish (Assistant Coach)

Jeff Green (Assistant Coach)

Samara Funnell (Assistant Coach)