The Australian basketball trail shines in the US, with a growing representation of Australian stars with 187 Australians on college rosters in the NCAA.
Men’s team snapshot
Plenty of Australians are contributing to teams competing for the championship, perhaps none more so than Oscar Cluff of the 16-1 Purdue Boilermakers. Cluff is averaging the second-most rebounds per game on the team, a major contributor to being the top-ranked team in the Big Ten.
The Wild cats from Arizona have been touted as championship frontrunners after a perfect 16-0 start to the season. Victoria-born guard Anthony Dell’Orso is getting big minutes for the No. 1-ranked ESPN program, contributing with an impressive shooting percentage (42.1 FG, 87.9 FT) until mid-season.
Despite a slow start to the season for the 12-5 Florida Gatorsthe reigning NCAA champions still loom as a threat to the championship race. Australian Alex Condon returns for his third season as a Gator and picks up where he left off in 2025, currently averaging the second-most points and rebounds per game for Florida.
Snapshot of the men’s player
Joshua Dent:
St Mary Gael’s long-standing Australian connection has returned once again with New South Welshman Joshua Dent leading the team in assists per game as starting point guard. Dent joins compatriots Harry Wessells and Rory Hawke in the Gael squad, which has developed to a 16-2 record and currently sits top of the table in the WCC.
Harry Rouhliadeff:
Leading the way for the Golden Rainbows in Hawaii was Harry Rouhliadeff. Entering his third season with the program, Rouhliadeff is the team’s second-highest leader in points per game, with healthy shooting percentages that demonstrate his ability to spread the field.
Roman Siulepa:
Queensland product Roman Siulepa’s first collegiate basketball season was a big hit, with the freshman playing every game at forward for the 7-9 Pittsburgh Panthers. Siulepa impressed midway through the season with his explosiveness as a hallmark for the Panthers.
Austin Rap:
The Wisconsin Badgers have had a solid start to the season, moving to a 12-5 record. Six-foot-1 Victorian Austin Rapp is proving to be a good player on both ends of the pitch for the Badgers following his move from Portland for the 2025-26 season.
Max Mackinnon:
After multiple program changes during his tenure, LSU Senior Max Mackinnon has made waves in the SEC. The Tigers have shown themselves to be a true contender with a 12-4 record, with the starting guard making a big impact on the team from beyond the arc. Mackinnon has played in every game for the team all season and has the team’s highest three-point percentage at 14.4 points per game.
Women’s team snapshot
The women’s NCAA Tournament is heating up, with clear frontrunners falling into place midway through the season. UConn rose as the clear favorite with a perfect 17-0 record South Carolina, UCLA, Texas and Vanderbilt are not far behind all those in the top five of ESPN’s rankings as of round 11. Australian Jessica Petrie is leading a battle Nebraska program that currently occupies 24th place in the ESPN rankings.
Snapshot of the women’s player
Bonnie Deas:
Bonnie Deas’ stock has skyrocketed following the freshman’s hectic start to the NCAA season. The Victorian has taken over her 11-8 Arkansas Razorbacks team and leads the squad in rebounds, assists and steals.
Charlise Dunn:
Entering her third season at Davidson, Charlise Dunn is in the midst of a career-best season in her senior year by improving her career averages to date in every department in 2025-26. The 12-6 Wildcats have relied heavily on Dunn, who leads the team in all but one major stat, as the guard leads the team in minutes, points, rebounds, steals, blocks per game and free throw percentage.
Rubi Gray:
Tasmania-born Rubi Gray was a key figure on both offense and defense for the 8-8 Sacramento State Hornets in 2025-26. Despite the team’s down season, Gray has risen to the occasion in her sophomore year. She led the team in points per game, increasing from an average of 13 minutes per game in 2024-25 to 32.3 in 2025-26. Gray’s progress has been tremendous as she has taken the reins in Sacramento.
Jessica Petrie:
Jessica Petrie, a 6-foot-4 forward from Queensland, has lived up to the preseason hype and made a name for herself in the Big Ten for the 14-3 Nebraska Cornhuskers. Petrie leads the Cornhuskers in blocks and is the team’s second-highest leader in points and rebounds. Now in her third season at Nebraska, Petrie has steadily increased her average to become a key leader at Nebraska.
Hannah Wickstrom:
After playing 12 of the first 15 games of the season, sophomore Hannah Wickstrom has stepped up in the 2025-26 season and leads the UC Riverside team in points, rebounds and steals per game. Hannah has done everything she can to become the team’s starting point guard and integral part of the roster.
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