Zavier Adam

Position: Guard

Height: 180cm

Born: 12 June, 2005

Junior Association: Taranaki

High School: New Plymouth Boys High School

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

A Development Player for the Airs in 2022 but yet to make his NBL debut.

Quintin Bailey

Position: Forward

Height: 201cm

Born: 20 December, 1997

Junior Association: Taranaki

High School: Stratford High School

Previous NBL clubs – Taranaki Mountain Airs (2014-2016 and 2018-19), Canterbury Rams (2020-21), Hawks (2022)

Bailey returns to his native Taranaki, where he played all his junior representative basketball,  after stints with the Rams and Hawks.

Averaged 5.1 points and 4.3 rebounds for the Hawks in 2022

Following high school went to Citrus College (JUCO) in Glendora, California for two years. Then spent two years at John Brown University (NAIA) in Arkansas before graduating in 2020. He played 30 games for the Golden Eagles in his senior year finishing second on the rebounding list (5.6rpg) and also averaged 10 points per game.

Bailey was named to the Tournament Team at the 2016 ‘A’ National Secondary Schools Championships where Stratford High were beaten in the Final by Melville High School.

Tobias Cameron

Position: Guard

Height: 195cm

Born: 21 February, 1999

High School: Hillcrest Christian Academy, Gold Coast, Australia

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

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 at St Louis University.

Son of Tall Blacks Head Coach Pero Cameron and older brother of Tall Black guard Flynn Cameron.

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 included current NBL players Quinn Clinton, Dan Fotu, Josh Aitcheson and Taane Samuel as well as Sam Waardenburg and Flynn Cameron.

Carlin Davison

Position: Forward

Height: 197cm

Born: 21 August, 2003

Junior Association: Taranaki

High School: New Plymouth Boys High School

Previous NBL clubs – Taranaki (2020-present)

Davison spent the bulk of the off-season training and working out in the USA.

Played all 19 games for the Airs in 2022 averaging 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Scored a season best 16 points against the Otago Nuggets. Posted his first career double-double against the Hawks finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Named to the New Zealand team to attend the 2019 FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Beirut, Lebanon – unfortunately this tournament was subsequently cancelled due to Covid.

Oscar Goodman

Position: Forward

Height: 198cm

Born: 5 February, 2007

Junior Association: Taranaki

High School: New Plymouth Boys High School

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

A Development Player for the Airs in 2022 but year to make his NBL debut.

Played for New Zealand at the 2022 FIBA Oceania Championship in Guam where he averaged 11.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

Has progressed through the Taranaki age-group teams including being named to the Tournament Team at2021 U15 National Championships.

Anthony Hilliard (Import)

Position: Guard

Height: 195cm

Born: 28 June, 1986

High School: Seventy First High School, Fayeteville, North Carolina

Previous NBL Clubs – Taranaki (2022-present)

Named to the 2022 NBL All-Star Five after averaging 26.3 points per game for the Regular Season champions. Hilliard also received the Alan Bland Memorial Trophy for averaging the most points per game during the season.

Played four years at Elizabeth City State University (NCAA Division II) from 2005-2009.

Played his first season out of college in Belgium and most recently has been playing his second season in Uruguay.

In his 15 year pro career he has also played in Germany, France, Finland, Belarus, Israel, Russia and Lebanon.

Armon Fletcher (Import)

Position: Guard

Height: 196cm

Born: 19 November, 1995

High School: Edwardsville HS, Illinois

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

Recently played in the G League for the Ontario Clippers.

Previously played in Luxembourg and Belgium.

Played 4 years at Southern Illinois University (NCAA Division I) from 2015-19 making 115 appearances. Averaged 16.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in his senior year and named to the Missouri Valley All-Conference Second Team.

Benji Freeman

Position: Guard

Height: 188cm

Born: 21 July, 2003

Junior Association: Canterbury

High School: St Andrew’s, Christchurch

Previous NBL clubs – Airs (2022 – present)

Played 11 games for the Airs in 2022 – scored a career high 10 points against the Jets.

Named to the Tournament Team at 2022 U23 National Championships after helping Taranaki secure the title.

Scored 20 points in the 2021 U19 National Championship Grand Final for champions Canterbury in the 93-88 defeat of Wellington.

Kendrick Ray (Import)

Position: Guard

Height: 188cm

Born: 26 January, 1994 in the Bronx, New York

High School: Middletown High School, New York

Ray joins the Airs after recently playing in the Italian Serie A for Venezia (Isaac Fotu’s former club). Earlier in the 2022-23 European season he played in Bosnia.

Has also played in Israel, France, Greece, Czech Republic and Turkey as well as stints in the NBA Summer League with the Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz.

Ray played two years at Quinnipiac University and a further two years at Kennesaw State University. In his senior year (2016-17) became the first player in Kennesaw State history to be named to the Atlantic Sun Conference First Team All-Conference First Team. Led the team and was second in the conference averaging 21.2 points per game.

Brother Allan played at Villanova University before signing for the Boston Celtics for the 2006-07 season.

Richie Rodger

Position: Guard

Height: 189cm

Born: 27 January, 1997

Junior Association: Otago

High School: Kavanagh College (Dunedin)

Highest Honour – Tall Blacks (2022)

Previous NBL Clubs – Taranaki Mountain Airs (2018 and 2022), Otago Nuggets (2020-21)

Played 15 games for the Airs in 2022 averaging 8.4 points and 3.1 assists per game. Shot the 3-ball at an impressive 46.4%.

His good NBL form with the Airs earned him his first call-up to the Tall Blacks in 2022 – played 4 games.

Won an NBL Championship with the Nuggets in 2020.

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.

Anzac Rissetto

Position: Forward/Centre

Height: 208cm

Born: 24 January, 2001

High School: Auckland Grammar School / Nelson College

Highest Representative Honour – NZ U17 Team (2018)

Previous NBL clubs – Wellington Saints (2019), Nelson Giants (2021), Franklin Bulls (2022)

In 2021 averaged 7.3 points and 3.3 rebounds for the Nelson Giants, increasing his output to 10.4ppg and 5.3rpg in 2022 with the Bulls.

Spent the 2022-23 Australian NBL season as a Development player with South East Melbourne Phoenix and has been re-signed for a further two seasons.

After graduating from Auckland Grammar School Rissetto played 11 games for the NBL championship winning Saints team in 2019 before heading to the States.

Played 33 games for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (NCAA Division I) over 2 seasons (2019-21).

He was the NZ’s leading rebounder at the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup in Argentina averaging 8.9rpg and also scored 6.3ppg.

His aunty Brenda Ellison (nee Roberts) played over 50 games for the Tall Ferns between 1982 and 1988, whilst uncle Riki Ellison won three NFL championships with the San Francisco 49ers during the 1980’s. Rissetto’s father Allen Ellison, and uncle Morris Roberts, both played for the Maori All Blacks.

Scott Telfer

Position: Forward

Height: 196cm

Born: 23 December 1998

Junior Association: North Harbour

High School: Westlake Boys High School

Previous NBL Clubs – Super City Rangers (2019), Taranaki Airs (2021-present)

Played all 19 games for the Airs in 2022, averaging 4.4 points and 2 rebounds per game.

Has played 52 NBL games with career high’s in points (12) and rebounds (9).

Riley Tuuta

Position: Guard

Height: 190cm

Born: 10 August,2004

Junior Association: Taranaki

High School: New Plymouth Boys HS

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

A Development Player with the Airs in 2022 although didn’t make an NBL appearance.

Named to the New Zealand U18 team in 2022.

Graduated from New Plymouth Boys High School in 2022.

Cameron Quinnell

Position: Forward

Height: 203cm

Born: 13 September, 2004

Junior Association: Taranaki

High School: Opunake High School

Previous NBL Clubs – Taranaki Airs (2022 – present)

Named to the New Zealand U18 team in 2022.

Led Opunake High School to the ‘A’ Secondary Schools National Championship in 2022. Recorded a monster double-double of 34 points and 17 rebounds in the Grand Final victory – named Tournament MVP.

Trent Adam (Head Coach)

Andrew Green (Assistant Coach)