Tall Blacks name squad for China Tour and Asia Cup

Basketball New Zealand is proud to announce the 11-man squad that will represent the Tall Blacks at the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup, held in Jeddah from August 5–17, 2025.

Coach Judd Flavell’s squad features a blend of experience and exciting new talent, with three debutants—Jack Andrew, Mojave King (196-G/F-2002), and Dontae Russo-Nance—earning their first opportunities to pull on the heralded black singlet.

How these three young men performed in their respective Sal’s NBL seasons was pivotal in their inclusions into Coach Flavell’s FIBA Asia Cup squad.

“The form that they’ve played with in the Sal’s NBL and the roles and responsibilities that they’ve had with their teams. All of their teams were successful this past season, and a large part of that was down to how these guys contributed. All three of these guys I’m super excited for, they have an amazing opportunity in front of them right here.”

New Zealand topped Group B in the Asia Cup qualifiers, finishing with an impressive 5-1 record, including memorable wins over Chinese Taipei and a split series against the Philippines. The home victory at Spark Arena against the Philippines was a standout moment, showcasing the growing passion for basketball across Aotearoa.

At the Asia Cup, the Tall Blacks will compete in Group D, facing Chinese Taipei, the Philippines, and Iraq. Having already faced Chinese Taipei and the Philippines during qualifying, the team is well-prepared for the challenge ahead.

In preparation for the tournament, the squad will travel to China for a series of warm-up games. The Tall Blacks will play three games in the FIBA Solidarity Cup against Brazil, Guangdong and Montenegro, before playing in the Four Nations Tournament again against Brazil and a yet to be decided opponent.

Ben Gold is available to suit up for the Tall Blacks in China, but joining the team for this leg of the trip are Hayden Jones and Jordan Hunt, both of whom have had standout seasons in the Sal’s NBL and will provide valuable depth and energy.

Another player added to the Solidarity Cup and Four Nations squad is Hawke’s Bay Hawk, Luca Yates, who will join Andrew, King and Russo-Nance in making his debut in the black singlet.

Yates, still just 21 years-old still holds a development player contract with the NBL champion Illawarra Hawks squad.

One of these three players will join the squad in Jeddah, becoming the twelfth and final player of the FIBA Asia Cup squad. For Coach Flavell, the games leading into the Asia Cup will provide key preparation that should put the team in a good space heading into the tournament.

New Zealand Tall Blacks Squad – FIBA Asia Cup 2025

C - Jack Andrew* (Taranaki Airs), debutant
G - Taylor Britt (Canterbury Rams & New Zealand Breakers), 34 games
G - Flynn Cameron (Franklin Bulls & Adelaide 36ers), 28 games
F - Max Darling (Canterbury Rams & New Zealand Breakers), 9 games
F – Carlin Davison (Taranaki Airs & New Zealand Breakers), 4 games
F – Ben Gold (Marquette University), 7 games (ONLY FOR FIBA ASIA CUP)
G – Mojave King* (Tauranga Whai), debutant
G/F – Taine Murray (Brisbane Bullets), 10 games
G/F – Jordan Ngatai (Wellington Saints), 84 games
G – Dontae Russo-Nance* (Manawatu Jets & Perth Wildcats), debutant
F/C – Tohi Smith-Milner (Canterbury Rams & Brisbane Bullets), 69 games

New Zealand Tall Blacks Squad additions – FIBA Solidarity Cup & Four Nations in China

F – Jordan Hunt (Franklin Bulls & Surrey 89ers), 12 games
G – Hayden Jones (Nelson Giants & University of Wisconsin), 1 game
C – Luca Yates* (Hawke’s Bay Hawks & Illawarra Hawks), debutant