We rank Australia’s best men’s country basketball players from 2000 onwards
Regional Australia has been a breeding ground for some of the country’s best male basketballers since 2000. See who we’ve ranked as the best.
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Regional Australia has been the breeding ground to some of the nation’s best basketballers to ever step foot on the court.
From NBA players to Olympic medallists, the regions are producing and delivering us the best men’s basketballers have to offer.
We rate our best ever men’s basketballers to come from the regions since the year 2000 (all players outside the five major capital cities).
To make the list, players had to be either been born in a town or started their basketball journeys there.
Stay tuned for our list of the best women’s basketballers since 2000 set to be released on Thursday.
Queensland
Aron Baynes – Mareeba
Born in Gisborne, New Zealand, Baynes was raised in Mareeba and grew up playing rugby league before switching to basketball at the age of 15. After joining the AIS in 2004, Baynes represented Washington State University from 2006 to 2008. Before making his NBA debut with the San Antonio Spurs, Baynes played for the Lietuvos Rytas, Oldenburg, Ikaros and Olimpija from 2009 to 2013. Baynes won the 2014 NBA Championship with the Spurs, alongside Patty Mills, and has since played for the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors and currently plays for the Brisbane Bullets in the NBL.
Sam Froling – Townsville
A Townsville product that played college basketball for the Creighton Bluejays, Froling returned to Australia after one season and represented the Dandenong Rangers in the NBL1. In 2019, Froling signed with the Illawarra Hawks in the NBL and won the NBL Most Improved Player award in the 2020-21 season. His father Shane played in the NBL for twenty years while his mother was a four-time women’s NBL champion. His sisters Alicia and Keely have also played in the WNBL while his brother Harry currently plays for the Brisbane Bullets.
Clint Steindl – Mackay
After attending AIS in 2007 and 2008, Steindl played college basketball for Saint Mary’s. Steindl played 122 games from 2009 to 2012 and roomed with fellow Australians Matthew Dellavedova and Mitchell Young. Following his return to Australia he joined the Cairns Taipans in the NBL and has also represented the Townsville Crocodiles, the Perth Wildcats and currently the Tasmania JackJumpers. He’s a two-time NBL champion (2019 and 2020) and was the 2016 NBL most-improved player.
Todd Blanchfield – Mackay
Blanchfield began his professional career in 2009 with the Townsville Crocodiles, representing them until 2015. Between that time he also played for the Mackay Meteors and the Townsville Heat in the QBL competition. Between 2015 and 2020, he played for Melbourne United (2015–17), Sydney Kings (2017–18) and Illawarra Hawks (2018–20). He currently plays for the Perth Wildcats in the NBL and the Rockhampton Rockets in the NBL1 North competition. Some of his major career milestones include NBL Cup winner (2021), NZNBL champion (2015), NZNBL All-Star Five (2015), All-NBL Second Team (2015), NBL Most Improved Player (2015), QBL MVP (2018), A four-time QBL All-League Team representative (2011, 2012, 2014, 2018) and a two-time QBL U23 Youth Player of the Year (2011, 2012).
Rory Hawke – Townsville
Hawks is currently at the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence on a scholarship, after making his debut for the Boomers in a 2022 exhibition match in Bendigo. His consistent performance at U20 Australian Championship for Queensland was an added advantage to making a strong case for Boomers selection and even before starting university, the 19-year-old has proved to be one of Australia’s strongest young prospects.
Christopher Cedar – Townsville
Born in Townsville, Cedar began playing with the Whirlwinds Basketball Club and in 2007 he led the Queensland under-20 side at the National Championships. He joined the Townsville Crocodiles in 2007, teaming up with his older brother Michael, and represented the club until 2013. At the same time he also played for the Townsville Heat in the NBL1 North competition. Since 2014 Cedar has bounced between several NBL1 sides such as the Rockhampton Rockets, Mackay Meteors, Townsville Crocodiles, Logan Thunder, Mackay Meteors and currently the Southern Districts Spartans.
Michael Cedar – Townsville
Cedar made his NBL debut in 2006 at 19-years-old for the Townsville Crocodiles. The talented shooting guard played eight seasons and 219 games with his hometown NBL team, from 2006-2013, which included averaging double digits in scoring during the 2010/11 season. He has also played for Townsville, Mackay, Gladstone and the Logan Thunder in the Queensland State League. His best season was in 2012 with the Mackay Meteors, winning the championship and the league MVP award.
Tamuri Wigness – Cairns
Wigness, who was born in the Torres Strait Islands and is of Indigenous Australian heritage, moved with his family to Cairns when he was young and began playing rugby league at 10-years-old. He also played Aussie Rules when in high school and was scouted by the Gold Coast Suns but decided to focus on basketball. At 14 years of age he played for Queensland at the 2016 under-16 national championships and starred throughout the tournament scoring an average of 25.56 points per game, with a 45-point highlight coming against South Australia. He later played for Australia at the under-17 and under-18 FIBA Championships. He‘s since played for the Southern District Spartans, Brisbane Capitals and North Gold Coast Seahawks in the NBL1 North competition and signed a two-year deal with the Brisbane Bullets in the NBL in 2020.
Damon Heuir – Townsville
Heuir made his NBL debut with the Cairns Taipans at 23-years-old in 2014, going on to play a further 74 games until 2018. He finished his professional career with the Nelson Giants averaging 19.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
Harry Froling – Townsville
Harry Froling, the older brother to Sam and siblings to Alicia and Keely who all play in the NBL or WNBL, grew up in Townsville before relocating to Canberra to attend the AIS in 2014. Since 2015 Froling has bounced between NBL1 and NBL competitions playing for the Townsville Heat, Townsville Crocodiles, Adelaide 35ers, Southern Huskies, RedCity Roar, Brisbane Bullets, Mackay Meteors, Illawarra Hawks and the Hobart Chargers. He was named as NBL’s Rookie of the year in 2019 and has spent the 2022 winter being a winning member of the NBL1 South Champions Hobart Chargers. He is also a NBL1 North and South All-Star.
Stephen Weigh – Mount Isa
Weigh started his NBL career in 2008 after a two-year college stint at Utah. He won his only NBL Championship in 2010 with the Wildcats before joining the Adelaide 36ers in 2011. After two seasons with the 36ers, Weigh returned to his home state of Queensland and played out his final five seasons with the Cairns Taipans. He also played four seasons with his hometown Rockhampton Rockets and won QBL Championships with them in 2008 and 2013.
Mitchell Norton – Townsville
Arguably one of Queensland‘s greatest NBL stars, Norton began his career in 2011 with the Townsville Crocodiles before joining the Illawarra Hawks in 2016. He joined the Perth Wildcats in 2018, where he remains, and won two consecutive championships in 2019 and 2020. He has also played for the Townsville Heat in the Queensland Basketball League and the Southland Sharks in the New Zealand NBL.
Peter Crawford – Townsville
At the age of 19, Crawford made his NBL debut for the Townsville Crocodiles in 1999. In 2001, he was a member of the Crocodiles‘ losing grand final team. In 2004, he was cut by Townsville and was picked up by the Perth Wildcats. In his first season with the Wildcats, he was named the NBL Most Improved Player. From 2007 to 2011, he played for the Perry Lakes Hawks in the NBL1 West. In 2009, Crawford left the Wildcats and returned to the Townsville Crocodiles, where he spent the next five seasons and is the all-time leader in games played for the Crocodiles with 292 games. His final season in the NBL was in the 2014–15 season with the Adelaide 36ers. In 2021, Crawford joined the Brisbane Bullets as an assistant coach.
John Rillie – Toowoomba
After graduating from Gonzaga University, Rillie debuted in the NBL for the Brisbane Bullets where he won the 1995 Rookie of the Year. The following season he joined the Adelaide 36ers where he played for three years, winning a championship in 1998. He then had stints with the West Sydney Razorbacks and the AEK Athens in Greece before representing the Townsville Crocodiles from 2004 to 2009. He finished his playing career with the New Zealand Breakers and has since been in coaching roles with American high School and College teams. He returned to Australia in 2022 and took over as the head coach for the Perth Wildcats.
Kerry Williams – Cairns
Williams made his NBL debut with the Cairns Taipans at 21 years of age. Across his four year career in the NBL Williams played 105 games for the Taipans.
New South Wales
Nick Kay – Tamworth
Born and bred in Townsville, Kay moved to Sydney at age 17 to attend Newington College, and was subsequently selected to represent Australia in the under 19 men’s team. Kay moved abroad to the United States in 2011, where he attended college at the Metropolitan State University of Denver and won four consecutive NCAA tournaments. After going undrafted in the 2015 NBA draft, Kay headed back to Australia to play in the NBL, where he was named NBL Rookie of the year in 2016 and won two Championships with the Perth Wildcats (2019, 2020). In his national career, Kay claimed gold with the Boomers at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and was part of the historic bronze-medal team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Ben Simmons – Newcastle
Although Simmons was born in Melbourne, he moved to Newcastle when he was just under 2-years-old. He started his basketball career for the Newcastle Hunters, making the under-12 team when he was just 7-years-old, and played there for two more years for the Hunters and Lake Macquarie while also dabbling in junior rugby league. Simmons was the first overall draft pick in the 2016 NBA draft for the Philadelphia 76ers, and has gone on to be a 3-time NBA All-Star (2019-2021) and was named the 2018 Rookie of the Year.
Damian Martin – Gloucester
Growing up in the NSW town of Gloucester, Martin made the decision at age 15 to focus on basketball and hang up his rugby league boots. After going undrafted in the 2007 NBA draft, Martin achieved huge success in the NBL, winning five Championships with the Perth Wildcats (2010, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020) during his 11-year stint with the club, and was named NBL Grand Final MVP in 2016. He won gold for Australia at the 2003 FIBA under-19 World Championship, and for the Boomers at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. After announcing his retirement from basketball in 2020, the NBL named its Best Defensive Player trophy in Martin’s honour.
Anthony Petrie – Tenterfield
Pretie grew up in the small rural town of Tenterfield, playing cricket, rugby league and athletics along with basketball. He made his NBL debut for the Western Sydney Razorbacks in 2007, and played for a myriad of teams during his 11-year tenure, including helping the Adelaide 36ers reach the NBL Final in 2014 where they eventually lost to Perth. Following his retirement in 2018, Petrie was named the head coach of the Gold Coast Rollers for the 2022 NBL1 North season where he led them to their third championship.
Xavier Cooks – Wollongong
At just 27-years-old, Xavier Cooks is a name Australian basketball will likely see for the foreseeable future. The Ballarat-born power forward has made a significant impact in his short professional career, most recently leading the Sydney Kings to the 2022 NBL Championship, where he was also named Grand Final MVP. Cooks was on the verge of making his Boomers debut for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, but was forced to withdraw just a week after being named in the squad due to a knee injury he picked up in practice.
Tyson Demos – Wollongong
Growing up in the Illawarra region, Demos honed his basketball talents with the Illawarra Basketball Association before heading to the Australian Institute of Sport in 2006. Demos debuted in the NBL in 2007 for the Gold Coast Blaze, playing there for three seasons before heading home to the Wollongong Hawks in 2016. Demos also played in different state leagues during the off-seasons, and won the Queensland Basketball League Championship with the Mackay Meteors in 2015. After ending his playing career, Demos had a short stint as an assistant coach of the Illawarra Hawks for the 2019-2020 NBL season.
Ben Melmeth – Newcastle
Melmeth started his junior career with Newcastle Basketball, and made his NBL debut for his home city in 1996 at the age of just 22. He stayed in the NBL for 14 seasons playing for six different NBL teams, including the Newcastle Falcons, Sydney Kings and New Zealand Breakers.
Ben Knight – Wollongong
Another Wollongong talent, Knight began his junior career with Penrith Basketball before joining the Sydney Sky under 18s team and playing his first season in the state league competition. He debuted in the NBL for the Sydney Kings in 1997 when he was 21-years-old and stayed in the league for an incredible 16 seasons, winning a championship in 2005 during his second stint with the Kings. Retiring from full-time competition in 2010, Knight has been an assistant coach with the Kings for the past six years, and was awarded the 2022 Kings’ Ring of Honour.
Victoria
Dyson Daniels – Bendigo
The young star is quickly establishing himself as one of the country’s best prospects after an impressive start to life in the NBA. Drafted to the New Orleans Pelicans, after coming through the Bendigo program and NBA’s G-league, Daniels has won strong plaudits for his defensive play.
Matthew Dellavedova – Maryborough
After coming thorough Maryborough and the AIS, the man affectionately known as “Delly” eventually earned his shot in the NBA with Cleveland in the NBA where he won a championship in 2016, playing a key role as a defensive stopper. He returned home to the NBL with Melbourne United for one season in 2021-22 before being picked up by the Sacramento Kings. His number four singlet is retired by college side the Saint Mary’s Gaels. Was part of the bronze medal winning squad at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Mitch Creek – Horsham
The 30-year-old is currently one of the best players in the NBL. His performances with the Adelaide 36ers led to two NBA opportunities with Brooklyn and Minnesota in 2019. Since then, he’s returned to be the face of the South East Melbourne Phoenix.
Jack White – Traralgon
Currently in the G-League, a stepping stone to the NBA, due to his two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets. White headed overseas after starring for Melbourne United in his return season following a series achilles injury. In college he was the captain of Duke, one of the United States’ biggest basketball schools.
Mat Campbell – Bendigo
After a career spanning 16 years with the Illawarra and Wollongong Hawks, the former guard/wing remains as the club’s general manager. He has his jersey retired by the Hawks and was an NBL champion in 2001.
Nathan Sobey – Warrnambool
Sobey has built a nice career for himself at the top level but his success for his hometown club, the Warrnambool Seahawks, in Victoria’s elite Big V competition has been just as impressive. He started his NBL career with the Adelaide 36s before becoming one of the league’s premier point guards with the Brisbane Bullets. Sobey was also part of the Australian Olympic team in 2020.
Damien Ryan – Gisborne
A successful time in the NBL pre-2000 saw Ryan earn several opportunities in Europe. His NBL career saw him spend time with the Canberra Cannons, Brisbane Bullets and Sydney Kings.
Aaron Bruce – Horsham
His exploits as a junior saw Bruce earn his way to Baylor, a major college basketball program in the US. Eventually he came back and played two seasons in the NBL and was part of Australia’s 2006 FIBA World Cup squad.
Shaun Bruce – Horsham
Bruce successfully used the former SEABL competition, now NBL1, as a launching pad for his career to the top level. He’s since earned a reputation as hard working guard and has gone onto play for several clubs in the NBL. Bruce was also an integral part Sydney Kings title winning squad in 2022.
Rhys Carter – Sale
Carter is currently an assistant coach of Melbourne United after a successful playing career. During his career he played over 380 professional games between the NBL (including two championships) and in Sweden.
Glen Saville – Bendigo
Saville enjoyed a standout NBL career across two clubs including an NBL Grand Final MVP as the Illawarra Hawks claimed the championship in 2001. He has his number 12 jersey retired by the club following his retirement. Saville played 563 NBL games and also represented Australia at two Olympic Games.
Dominique Cooks – Ballarat
Cooks had a strong college career with Chaminade, before returning to Australia where he played two NBL seasons with the Illawarra Hawks.
South Australia
Luke Schenscher – Hope Forest
Schenscher grew up in Alexandrina on a farm near the Adelaide Hills. He spent his junior career playing for Noarlunga City Tigers, before making his way to the AIS around 2000-2001 and heading overseas to Georgia Tech for college. Schenscher’s time in the NBA was disappointing after going undrafted in 2005 and only picking up short-term contracts for the next two years. He moved back to Australia in 2008, joining the Adelaide 36ers, before securing a move to Perth where he claimed the NBL Championship in 2010.
Brad Hill – Adelaide Hills
Hill is another successful player-turned-coach, currently serving as an assistant coach for the Cairns Taipans in the NBL. He started his junior career playing for Sturt Sabres, before joining the AIS in 2005. Hill had two stints with his home NBL team the Adelaide 36ers from 2004-2007 and then from 2008-2011, and played for the Taipans and Sydney Kings in the interim.
Ben Magden – Barossa Valley
Growing up in Williamstown, Magden moved to the United States in 2006 to play four years of college basketball for Augusta State University, where his number 1 jersey was retired while he was still an active player. He had two stints in the NBL with the Kings (2010-2015) and South East Melbourne Phoenix (2019-2020), and played in multiple different European teams in the interim. Magden now serves as the CEO for NBL1 team Sydney Comets.
Brad Newley – Barossa Valley
Newley’s career has taken him across the country and across the world and is still going strong. After his initial stint in the NBL from 2004-2007, Newley headed overseas and played in various European leagues in countries including Greece, Spain and Turkey. Coming back to the Australian league in 2016, Newley has played for the Sydney Kings and currently for Melbourne United. He has also claimed multiple gold medals representing Australia at the FIBA Oceania Championship, the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup in Lebanon, and two gold medals at the 2006 and 2018 Commonwealth Games respectively.
Tasmania
Sam McDaniel – Hobart
McDaniel has been an integral player for the Tasmanian Jack Jumpers inaugural seasons in the NBL, helping them reach the NBL final in just their first year (2021-22). He joined the new team from his home state after departing Melbourne United, following their championship-winning season in 2021. McDaniel followed in his father Wayne McDaniel’s footsteps when he represented Australia in their gold medal triumph at the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup.
Adam Gibson – Launceston
Gibson is arguably one of the best defensive guards the NBL has seen in the last two decades. He’s been part of two NBL Championship sides, first with the Brisbane Bullets in 2007 and then with the South Dragons in 2009. Gibson retired from professional basketball in 2022, following 17 seasons in the NBL.
Chris Goulding – Launceston
Goulding has been hailed as one of the greatest shooters in recent memory to have taken to the floor in the NBL. He is a three-time NBA champion (one with Brisbane in 2007, two with Melbourne United in 2018 and 2021) and was consistently one of the best shooters from three.
Goulding represented Australia in under 18s, 19s and 20s, including at the 2007 FIBA Under 19 World Championship in Serbia. He won gold with the Boomers at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and was part of the historic medal-winning Olympic team at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
Lucas Walker – Launceston
Walker retired from the NBL in 2021, following a professional career spanning more than a decade. He was a key part of the Perth Wildcats’ title success in 2017, and won gold with the Boomers at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on home soil.
Matthew Knight – Burnie
After starting his career with the West Sydney Razorbacks and Sydney Spirit, Knight eventually found a home when he returned from Europe, landing in Perth. There, he went onto win three championships (2014, 2016, 2017) and earned several All-NBL team honours including making the NBL First Team in 2013.
ACT
Patty Mills – Canberra
The only Canberran on this list, Patty Mills’ career almost speaks for itself. Mills only played two years in College before declaring for the 2009 NBA draft, where he joined the Portland Trail Blazers until 2011. His most impressive stint in the league was with the San Antonio Spurs, where he played for just under a decade and the 2014 NBA Championship before heading to the Brooklyn Nets where he currently plays alongside countryman Ben Simmons. Mills was also part of the Boomers 2020 bronze-medal Olympic squad, and had previously represented Australia at the FIBA Oceania Championship, winning gold in 2007, 2011, 2013 and 2015. Alongside his impressive playing career, Mills has also used his platform to protest against racism and police brutality in Australia, and was subsequently named the 2022 ACT Representative for Australian of the Year.
Northern Territory and Western Australia
Mitch McCarron – Alice Springs
McCarron moved from Alice Springs to Canberra in 2010 to attend the AIS, before heading to America for college at the Metropolitan State University of Denver between 2012-2015. He played one season in the Spanish second division, before signing a two-year deal with the Cairns Taipans in the NBL. In 2021, McCarron claimed the NBL Championship with Melbourne United, and is currently in the midst of a three-year-deal with the Adelaide 36ers.
Mark Worthington – Bunbury
Worthington commenced his junior career for the Bunbury Slammers as well as a development player for the Cairns Taipans, before heading to the Metropolitan State University of Denver from 2001-2005. He won the NBL Championship with the Melbourne Tigers (now Melbourne United), and made the All-NBL First team on four occasions (2008-2010, 2012). Worthington was part of the Sydney Kings 25th Anniversary team in 2013, and was inducted into the WA Hall of Fame in 2022.
Nate Jawai - Bamaga
Born in Sydney Jawai lived in the area for a year before his parents, Lynette and Ron, moved back to Bamaga, a small town of about 1000 people, located north of the Jardine River and only 40 km from the tip of Cape York Peninsula.
Jawai, who is an Indigenous Australian of Torres Strait Islander descent, is the cousin to NBA star Patty Mills, NRL players Edrick and Brenko Lee, his uncle is former Olympian basketballer Danny Morseu and his great uncle is Indigenous land rights activist Eddie Mabo.
His professional career began in 2007 with the Cairns Taipans before being awarded the NBL Rookie of the Year in 2008 and in that same year was the first Indigenous player selected in the NBA draft at pick 41 by Indiana.
He played 45 games in the NBA for the Toronto Raptors and the Minnesota Timberwolves. In 2016 he won a championship with the Perth Wildcats and between 2010 to 2019 Jawai represented a series of teams in various European leagues.
His career highlights include NBL champion (2016), Copa del Rey de Baloncesto winner (2013), Serbian League champion (2011), Radivoj Korać Cup winner (2011), Adriatic League champion (2011), Adriatic League Final Four MVP (2011), NBL Rookie of the Year (2008), All-NBL Second Team (2008), NBL All-Star Game MVP (2008), 2× QBL champion (2004, 2007), 2× ABA champion (2004, 2007) and ABA All-Star Five (2007).
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