Aussies abroad: Who are the Australian men playing in NCAA March Madness Tournament
With March Madness in full swing, MICHAEL RANDALL and NCAA guru ANTHONY WALLIS run their eyes over the Aussies taking centre stage in the world’s biggest college basketball tournament.
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Hundreds of Australian men are competing in US college basketball this year, but only a few will get the chance to feature in the NCAA Division I ‘March Madness’ tournament.
Michael Randall and US-based Aussie ex-pat and NCAA guru Anthony Wallis run their eyes over the men taking centre stage in the world’s biggest college basketball tournament.
What is the NCAA Tournament?
Known as March Madness for how it captures the imagination of the USA during this month, the NCAA Division I tournament features 68 teams in a win-or-go-home knockout tournament across seven rounds, where one is left standing at the end.
Which Australians made it to the Tournament?
Duke
Tyrese Proctor, 19, 196cm guard, NSW
Biggest Aussie name in the NCAA at one of the biggest college’s, Proctor is highly-rated on NBA draft radars for his speed, ability to create for himself and teammates and outside shooting threat but injury has hampered him, at times this season. Already has eight international caps with the Boomers. The future is bright.
Kansas
Johnny Furphy, 19, 206cm forward, Vic
Late bloomer who has burst onto the scene in Kansas. Huge size combined with sneaky athletic ability helps him shift between three positions and bully smaller wings. Trained with South East Melbourne Phoenix last year and was on NBL Next Star radars but chose the college route and has flourished in Kansas.
Furphy broke out of a recent form slump to help the depleted Jayhawks, without breakout star Kevin McCullar. He posted 16 points and 8 rebounds in a 93-89 win against Samford.
Saint Mary’s
Alex Ducas, 23, 201cm forward, WA, Harry Wessels, 21, 215cm centre, WA, Jensen Bradtke, 19, 208cm centre, Vic, Rory Hawke, 20, 196cm guard, Qld
Fifth and last year for Ducas, who has seven national team caps and has had NBL teams clamouring for the past two seasons, with Cairns eyeing the Perth marksman.
Wessels is a giant who the Boomers brought into their pre-World Cup camp to go against Jock Landale and Duop Reath. Highly-rated with some watchers expecting him to be part of the national team set up in the future.
Bradtke is the son of Boomers legend Mark who is not in the St Mary’s rotation while Hawke is red-shirting this season.
Samford
Achor Achor, 22, 206cm forward, Vic
So nice they named him twice, Achor is big and strong with an Aussie rules background.
A latecomer to basketball who has exploded for exciting Samford this year.
Born in a refugee camp in Cairo, Egypt, after his mother fled war-torn South Sudan, Achor moved to Melbourne aged 5. Averaged 16 and 6 but the percentages are eye-popping — nearly 60 per cent from the field and 45 per cent from deep.
Achor was brilliant Thursday in a close loss to Furphy’s Kansas, with a game-high 23 points to go with 8 rebounds.
Florida
Alex Condon, 19, 211cm forward, WA
WA giant who last year won the U20 national title alongside Perth Wildcat Ben Henshall, Condon chose basketball over footy but already has a backup plan, choosing Collingwood as his preferred club, should he want to return to Australian rules. Hard to see that happening, though, with Condon’s size, athletic ability and development putting him on the path to the NBA.
Washington State
Oscar Cluff, 22, 208cm centre, Qld
Guaranteed coach’s pet who has perfected the dark art of screening, Cluff is beloved by his teammates for his work to get them open. But that is selling the Sunshine Coast giant, who loves surfing and deep sea fishing, short. He’s evolved into a solid rebounder and shotblocker who doesn’t make mistakes offensively.
Charleston
Reyne Smith, 21, 188cm guard, Tas, Evan Kilminster, 20, 185cm guard, NSW
One of the best young shooters in Australia, Smith buried a school record 10 three-pointers in a game last month and that elite talent, alone, will afford him a long professional career. Kilminster is used sparingly in his first campaign.
Oakland
Tuburu Naivalurua, 22 198cm forward, NSW
One of nine children, the imposing big man’s dream is to be the first Fijian Australian to break through to the NBA. Size and quickness gives him an opportunity and he grabbed five rebounds in 14th seed Oakland’s massive upset of No.3 Kentucky, who many had tipped to make it to the Final Four.
Stetson
Jackson Huxtable, 19, 196cm guard, NSW
Redshirt freshman who appeared in just the five games this campaign. Real rangy kid with springy athleticism and can shoot it, with plenty of development ahead.
Nevada
Daniel Foster, 22, 198cm guard, WA
High IQ baller with a tough defensive streak. Loved by coaches as Nevada’s dirty-work sixth man. Foster is almost unselfish to a fault and you’d be hard-pressed to find a kid who plays harder than the WA native who made the switch to Victoria.
Howard:
AJ Magbegor, 19, 206cm forward, Brisbane/Melbourne
Younger brother of Opals World Cup bronze medallist and WNBA All-Star Ezi Magbegor. Howard lost to Wagner on Wednesday and Magbegor wasn’t called on, but he has NBL1 experience with Melbourne Tigers under Aussie great Andrew Gaze, alongside NBL men Dane Pineau and Zac Triplett.
Follow Anthony on X here: @AUSSIESinNCAAB
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