Riley Bensemann
Position: Guard
Height: 193cm
Born: 31 March 1999
Junior Association: Nelson
High School: Waimea College
Previous NBL clubs – Nelson Giants (2015-present)
Played 6 games for the Giants in 2021. Primary school teacher at Enner Glynn School in Nelson. Mother Julie is the Nelson Giants administrator.
Riley Bensemann
Jarred Burnett
Position: Guard
Height: 200cm
Born: 19 April, 2000
Junior Association: Canterbury
High School: Middleton Grange School
Previous NBL Clubs – Rams (2021)
Played one game for the Rams in 2021. Burnett is a student at Lincoln University.
Girlfriend is Tall Fern and Pouakai guard Lauryn Hippolite.
Jarred Burnett
Nick Davidson
Position: Point Guard
Height: 185cm
Born: 4 March, 2005
Junior Association: Nelson
High School: Nelson College
Previous NBL clubs – Rookie
Year 13 at Nelson College.
Named as a reserve for the 2021 NZ U17 National Team competing at the FIBA Asia Cup in June.
Nick Davidson
Sam Dempster
Position: Forward
Height: 194cm
Born: 20 June, 1990
Junior Association: Nelson
High School: Nayland College
Previous NBL Clubs – Nelson Giants (2008-present)
Highest Representative Honour – NZ Universities Team (2011)
Missed the 2020 NBL Showdown season due to work commitments otherwise has played every season since 2008 for the Giants, closing in on 200 appearances.
Played all 16 games for the Giants in 2021 averaging 7.3 points per game and a team high 7.8 rebounds.
Head coach of Nelson College
Sam Dempster
Tom Ingham
Position: Guard
Height: 192cm
Born: 19 June, 1993
Junior Association: Nelson
High School: Waimea College
Previous NBL Clubs – Nelson Giants (2010-2011 and 2016-present), Otago Nuggets (2012-2014)
Played all 16 games for the Giants in 2021 averaging 10.9 points per game – scored a season best 17 points against the Hawks.
Also a Nelson cricket representative, Ingham has played over 100 games for the Giants. He also played for Otago Nuggets whilst studying at Otago University.
School teacher at Nelson Intermediate.
Tom Ingham
Garth Jepsen
Position: Wing
Height: 200cm
Born: 10 June, 2003
Junior Association: Tauranga
High School: Tauranga Boys College
Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie
Pursuing a basketball scholarship in the States.
Garth Jepsen
Ernest Kerr
Position: Forward
Height: 200cm
Born: 2 October, 2002
Junior Association: Rotorua
High School: Rotorua Boys HS/Rotorua Lakes HS
Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie
Ernest Kerr
Alex McNaught
Position: Guard
Height: 185cm
Born: 21 June, 2002
Junior Association: Auckland
High School: St Kentigern College
Highest Representative Honour – NZ U17 Team (2019)
Previous NBL clubs – Nelson Giants (2020-21)
The pugnacious guard played 8 games for the Giants in 2020 while still at Saint Kentigern College and a further 11 games in 2021.
He was the leading scorer at the 2021 U19 National Championships playing for Nelson.
Played on the St Kentigern College team that won the 2019 Secondary Schools National Championship.
Also in 2019 played for NZ at the FIBA U17 Oceania Championships in New Caledonia.
Alex McNaught
Jay Marsh
Position: Forward
Height: 195cm
Born: 15 January, 2003
Junior Association: Nelson
High Schools: Waimea College
Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie
Played just the one game for the Giants in 2021.
Jay Marsh
Tyler Marsh
Position: Guard
Height: 190cm
Born: 18 July, 2000
Junior Association: Nelson
High School: Waimea College
Highest Representative Honour – NZ U17 Team (2019)
Previous NBL Clubs – Nelson Giants (2015-19 and 2021-present)
Played 8 games for the Giants in 2021.
Marsh played a year (2019-20) at St Cloud State University (NCAA Division II) playing 13 games for the Huskies.
Played for NZ at the 2017 FIBA U17 Oceania Championships in Guam.
Tyler Marsh
Corban Mason
Position: Forward/Centre
Height: 203cm
Born: 16 June, 2001
Junior Association: Waikato
High School: Hamilton Boys High School
Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie
Class mate of Jarred Burnett at Lincoln University.
Corban Mason
Trey Mourning (Tier 2)
Position: Forward
Height: 206cm
Born: 21 August, 1996
High School: Ransom Everglades High School, Florida
Previous NBL clubs – Rookie
Has played the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons in the NBA G League totalling 76 games with the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Played four years at Georgetown University, where father Alonzo was an All-American.
Trey Mourning (Tier 2)
Jordan Schwalger
Position: Centre
Height: 208cm
Born: 19 July, 2001
High School: Hillcrest Christian College, Gold Coast
Previous NBL clubs – Rookie
Played for Southern District Spartans, with Mika Vukona, in the Australian NBL1 North competition in 2021.
Australian raised, Schwalger has New Zealand citizenship through his father.
Jordan Schwalger
Sam Thompson (Tier 2)
Position: Forward
Height: 200cm
Born: 11 November, 1992
High School: Whitney Young HS, Chicago
Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie
Played 146 games at Ohio State University for the Buckeyes. After graduating in 2015 played in the D League for Grand Rapids Drive and Delaware 87’ers.
Subsequently played in Hungary, Lebanon, Vietnam and Italy.
Comes to Nelson after playing 29 games for Sioux Falls Skyforce in the 2021-22 G League – averaged 9.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
Sam Thompson (Tier 2)
Nic Trathen
Position: Small Forward
Height: 200cm
Born: 12 June, 1997
Junior Association: Nelson
High School: Waimea College
Previous NBL Clubs – Nelson Giants (2015-present)
Played all 16 games for the Giants in 2021 averaging 9.3 points per game – shot the three-ball at an impressive 45% (27/60).
Trathen debuted for the Giants in 2015 as a 17-year old.
Nic Trathen
Jarrod West (Tier 2)
Position: Point Guard
Height: 182cm
Born: 29 March, 1999
High School: Notre Dame High School
Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie
Played his NCAA graduate year under Ross McMains at University of Louisville – co-captain of the Cardinals in 2020-21.
Previously played 4 years at Marshall University (NCAA Division I) tallying 1,200 career points and 424 career assists.
Since 1992-93 collegiate season West is one of only 22 players who have career totals of at least 1,200 points, 400 assists, 250 steals and 200 three-pointers.
Jarrod West (Tier 2)