Zavier Adam

Position: Guard

Height: 186cm

Born: 12 June, 2005

Junior Association: Taranaki

High School: New Plymouth Boys High School

Previous NBL clubs – Taranaki Airs (2023-present)

Played 3 games for the Airs in 2023 – debuted against the Nuggets before scoring his first points (a 3-pointer) against the Giants in his second appearance.

Adam played for New Plymouth Boys High School in 2023 finishing the regular season averaging 18.5ppg while shooting 48% from three.

Played for the silver medal winning Taranaki team at the 2023 U19 National Championships.

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, 2018-19 & 2023 – present), Canterbury Rams (2020-21), Hawks (2022)

Bailey returned to his native Taranaki, where he played all his junior representative basketball, in 2023 and averaged 8.8 points and 5.1 rebounds for the Airs in 17 games.

Has played 88 NBL games with a career high 28 points coming against the Jets in 2020.

Played for the Airs at the 2023 3×3 Cup.

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’ Secondary Schools National Championships where Stratford High were beaten in the Final by Melville High School.

Dane Bertinshaw

Position: Guard

Height: 194cm

Born: 30 June, 2004

Junior Association: Manawatu

High School: Palmerston North Boys High School

Returned to New Zealand after playing at College Prep in Italy in the European Youth Basketball League in the early months of 2023.

Averages 11.1ppg  for Manawatu at the 2023 U23 National Championships.

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 – Rookie

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

Recently completed his rookie pro season with Melbourne United in the 2023-24 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.

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 – Airs (2023-present)

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.

Jake Carr

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)

Played 9 games for the Airs in 2023 – his fourth season with the club – averaging 11.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Scored a career best 20 points against the Sharks.

Davison spent the 2023-24 off-season with the BNZ Breakers as a Development Player.

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.

Sam Froling (Import)

Position: Forward

Height: 205cm

Born: 10 February, 2000

High School: 

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Played one year at Creighton University in 2018-19.

Has since played 5 seasons in the Australian NBL for the Illawarra Hawks. Named the NBL 2024 Next Generation Award Winner after an outstanding season that saw the Hawks go all the way to the semi-finals (lost three game series v Melbourne United 2-1). Froling played all 33 games for the Hawks averaging 15.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.

A member of the Australian Boomers Asia Cup gold medal winning team in 2022.

The Froling family are well known in Australian basketball circles. Mother Jenny was a four-times WNBL champion while father Shane is an ex NBL player and coach.

Brother Harry is an ex ANBL player with twin sisters Alicia and Keely current Australian WNBL players.

Nico Hill

Position: Forward

Height: 193cm

Born: 13 March, 2000

Junior Association: Taranaki

High School: Opunake High School

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

Returns to Taranaki after a five year college stint in the USA. Initially played junior college at Missouri State University West Plains followed by two years at Missouri Baptist University Spartans (NAIA). 

In his senior year (2023-24) he led the Spartans in scoring averaging 14.3ppg – scored a career high 29 points in his penultimate collegiate game. 

Son of former NBL player and coach Angelo Hill.

Geordie Hoeata

Position: Forward

Height: 200cm

Born: 11 June, 2002

Junior Association: Tauranga City

High School: Mount Maunganui College

Previous NBL clubs – Taranaki Airs (2022 – present)

Hoeata has played 2 games for the Airs – one each in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. 

Won back to back U23 National championships with Taranaki in 2022 and 2023 – averaged 11.3ppg at the 2023 championships.

From a rugby playing family brother, Jarrad played for the Chiefs, Highlanders and All Blacks.

Mitch McCarron (Import)

Position: Guard

Height: 189cm

Born: 30 June, 1992

High School: Genesis Christian College, Brisbane

Previous NBL clubs – Super City Rangers (2017), Southland Sharks (2019)

Returns to the Sal’s NBL after previously playing for the Rangers and the Sharks.

A veteran of eight seasons in the Australian NBL – two seasons with Cairns Taipans, three with Melbourne United and most recently three with Adelaide 36ers. Won a championship with Melbourne United in 2021.

A member of the Australian Boomers Asia Cup gold medal winning teams in 2017 and 2022.

Has also played in Slovenia and Spain.

Played three seasons NCAA Division II basketball at Metropolitan State University of Denver. In his senior year in 2015 he was not only named Division II First Team All-American but also named the NCAA Division II National Player of the Year.

Elijah Minnie (Import)

Position: Forward

Height: 203cm

Born: 4 August, 1994 in Monessen, Pennsylvania, USA

High School: Lincoln Park  High School

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Was due to begin his professional career with the Manawatu Jets in 2020 but Covid put paid to that.

Since then has played in Switzerland, Britain, Iraq, Venezuela and most recently in Uruguay.

Began his collegiate career playing two years at Robert Morris University followed by two years at Eastern Michigan University where in his senior year (2018-19) he averaged 13.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Julius Irving Preseason Watchlist as one of the top 20 power forwards in college basketball prior to his senior season.

Cooper Ohlson

Position: Guard

Height: 194cm

Born: 19 April, 2005

Junior Association: Taranaki

High Schools: New Plymouth Boys High School

Previous NBL Clubs – Rookie

Top scored (22 points) for Taranaki in the Grand Final of the 2023 U19 National Championships – Taranaki finished runners-up. Averaged 16.3ppg at the Championships.

Named the Most Valuable Player on the New Plymouth Boys High senior team in 2022.

Derone Raukawa

Position: Guard

Height: 182cm

Born: 24 July, 1994

Junior Association: Tauranga City

High Schools: Otumoetai College/Rosmini College/Rangitoto College

Highest Honour: Tall Blacks – Debut in 2016 (Appearances 21)

Previous NBL Clubs – Waikato Pistons (2013), Manawatu Jets (2014-2015), Southland Sharks (2016-2018), Taranaki Mountain Airs (2019-20), Hawkes Bay Hawks (2021-2023)

Returns to the Airs after a previous spell with the club in 2019 and 2020. Has played 167 NBL games.

Played 18 games for the Hawks in 2023 averaging 15.8 points and 2.8 assists per game. Made 37 from 87 3-pointers at 42.5%. Scored a career high 32 points against the Rams in April 2023.

Named to the 2020 Sal’s NBL All-Star Five after averaging 23.9 points and 7.3 assists per game.

Averaged 9.0 points and 3.3 assists per game for the NBL Championship winning Sharks in 2018.

Averaged 10.0 points per game for the Tall Blacks at the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup in Lebanon and was also a member of the bronze medal winning team at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Morgan Trott

Position: Forward

Height: 198cm

Born: 7 April, 2001

Junior Association: Taranaki

High School: Stratford High School

Previous NBL Clubs – Taranaki Airs (2019 & 2021)

Has played 9 games for the Airs, most recently in 2021 when he made 6 appearances.

Named to the Tournament Team at both the 2022 and 2023 U23 National Championships – Taranaki winning back to back titles.

Played for New Zealand at the 2018 FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Foshan, China.

Named MVP at the 2018 ‘A’ Secondary Schools National Championships after leading Stratford High School to the title.

Riley Tuuta

Position: Guard

Height: 190cm

Born: 10 August, 2004

Junior Association: Taranaki

High School: New Plymouth Boys HS

Previous NBL Clubs – Taranaki Airs (2023-present)

A Development Player with the Airs in 2022 before making his debut against the Tuatara in April 2023 – played 4 games in the 2023 season.

Played 4 games for Cameron University (NCAA Division II) in the 2023-24 collegiate season.

Named to the Tournament Team at the 2023 U19 National Champs playing for finalists Taranaki.

Named to the New Zealand U18 team in 2022.

Sam Mackinnon (Head Coach)

Andrew Green (Assistant Coach)

Josh Cooper (Assistant Coach)