As the Hungry Jacks NBL prepares to tip off their 2021 season in Adelaide on Friday night, the nation’s elite men’s league will feature 40 members of Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) alumni or current scholarship holders.
The CoE and NBA Global Academy programs, based at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, take a holistic approach in developing high performance athletes by immersing them into an elite daily training environment throughout the school year.
Some of Australia’s best male athletes begun their elite journey at the CoE, such as NBA and Australian Boomers’ Aron Baynes, Andrew Bogut, Ryan Broekhoff, Matthew Dellavedova, Dante Exum, Joe Ingles, Luc Longley and Patty Mills.
Basketball Australia (BA) Executive General Manager for High Performance & National Teams Jan Stirling reflects upon the opportunities that the globally revered program provides to Australia’s emerging elite boys and girls talent.
“The Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence is seen as one of the world’s most successful high performance basketball programs for emerging talent.
“Since its formation almost forty years ago, a large percentage of the athletes have gone onto play in the best domestic and international leagues around the world, not to mention represented Australia.
“40 athletes whose athletic journey included gaining access to our elite Centre of Excellence program will continue to excel in what is considered one of the toughest professional leagues in the world today.
“On behalf of Basketball Australia, I would like to wish all the athletes, teams and the NBL as a whole all the best for the 2021 season.”
A star-studded line-up of graduates include: Cam Bairstow (Hawks), Todd Blanchfield (Perth Wildcats), Mitch Creek (South East Melbourne Phoenix), Cam Gliddon (South East Melbourne Phoenix), Nathan Jawai (Cairns Taipans) and Daniel Johnson (Adelaide 36ers) return to the court for the 2021 season.
There is also the next generation of exciting young talents such as Josh Giddey (Adelaide 36ers), Tanner Krebs (Brisbane Bullets) and Tamuri Wigness (Brisbane Bullets) who will make their respective NBL debuts, whilst veteran Jason Cadee (Brisbane Bullets) enters his eleventh season in the league.
In an announcement made by Sydney Kings yesterday, current CoE scholarship holder Jaylin Galloway will also begin his NBL career after signing a development player contract with the Kings.
Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence alumni or current scholarship holders playing in the Hungry Jacks NBL21 Season:
Adelaide 36ers
Josh Giddey
Isaac Humphries
Daniel Johnson
Jack Mcveigh
Alex Mudronja
Brisbane Bullets
Jason Cadee
Anthony Drmic
Harry Froling
Matt Hodgson
Blake Jones
Tanner Krebs
Tamuri Wigness
Cairns Taipans
George Blagojevic
Mirko Djeric
Nathan Jawai
Mojave King
Hawks
Cam Bairstow
Sam Froling
Daniel Grida
Emmett Naar
Aj Ogilvy
Melbourne United
Mitch Mccarron
Jack White
Perth Wildcats
Todd Blanchfield
Andrew Ferguson
Mitch Norton
Clint Steindl
Wani Swaka
Luke Travers
South East Melbourne Phoenix
Mitch Creek
Adam Gibson
Cam Gliddon
Dane Pineau
Sydney Kings
Xavier Cooks
Jaylin Galloway
Angus Glover
Jordan Hunter
Daniel Kickert
Brad Newley
Dejan Vasiljevic
View the Hungry Jacks NBL21 fixture HERE
Image courtesy of FIBA
In the spirit of reconciliation Basketball Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.