As part of a regular series, BBNZ shines the spotlight on the Kiwi athletes who are leaving their mark in collegiate basketball in the United States. This week we profile 6’5″ Tobias Cameron, who is turning heads this season while playing for the NCAA Division 1 school, Abilene Christian University (ACU) Wildcats .
Former Junior Tall Black, Tobias Cameron became just the thirteenth Kiwi to play 100 games of NCAA Division I Men’s basketball at the weekend.
The eldest son of Tall Blacks Head Coach Pero Cameron brought up his century of appearances for Abilene Christian University (ACU) Wildcats, when they faced the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley last Sunday. In doing so, he joins the likes of Kirk Penney, Jack Salt, Mark Dickel and Rob Loe as those who have achieved this feat.
ACU were victorious (83-66) in that game with Tobias playing a steady hand of 4 assists, 4 rebounds, a steal and 2 points in 24 minutes as a starter.
“That’s crazy, I had no idea,” said Tobias prior to the game, acknowledging, “it’s definitely something I am grateful for,” in reference to the centurion mark.
The 210cm guard is optimistic this season pans out as well as his 2020-21 campaign.
“This season is going well so far, we are currently in the middle of the Western Athletic Conference standings with a 7-5 record. We faced some adversity early in conference play but it’s nothing that myself and my team haven’t seen before.”
There are six regular season games remaining before the conference championship in early March.
“Our goal is to win the conference championship in Vegas and punch another ticket to the big tourney (NCAA Division I National Championship) in March.”
The Abilene Wildcats had previously progressed to the 2020-21 National Championship, as conference champions, where they defeated powerhouse Texas University 53-52 in the first round. Their most successful season in ACU men’s basketball history came to a crashing end against UCLA in the second round – but the team finishing with an impressive 24-5 record.
23 year-old Cameron had first journeyed to Abilene, Texas in 2017, the year after playing for the Junior Tall Blacks at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Egypt. New Zealand’s appearance at that World Cup was only made possible in December the year prior, when Tobias and the New Zealand team claimed a thrilling 6-point victory over Australia in the gold medal game at the FIBA U18 Oceania Championships in Fiji – with Cameron averaging 8.5 points and 4 assists per game.
That 2017 Junior Tall Blacks team at the World Cup also featured a bunch of players destined to play collegiate hoops; Dan Fotu, Quinn Clinton (both Saint Mary’s, California), Sam Waardenburg (Miami), Callum McRae, Flynn Cameron (both UC Riverside), Isaac Letoa (formerly Dartmouth College) and Taki Fahrensohn (formerly Portland), all went on – like Tobias – to play NCAA Division I collegiate basketball.
In addition, both Taane Samuel and Josh Aitcheson are now playing NBL basketball for the Wellington Saints and Otago Nuggets respectively.
After redshirting his first year at university, the Queensland-educated guard played 24 games in the Wildcat’s 2018-19 season – averaging 4 minutes per game. The 2019-20 season also tested Cameron’s resolve as again his opportunities were limited. Despite shooting an impressive 44% from the 3-point line, he averaged only 6 minutes per game.
When given an opportunity in the 20/21 season, Tobias was able to break out and show his skill-set – becoming an integral part of last season’s championship winning team. His 38% shooting from beyond the arc was second on the team, with his 31 offensive rebounds also second-best for the Wildcats.
This season Tobias continues to improve; his 3-point shooting is again hovering around the 40% mark and recently he scored a career-high 17 points against University of the Incarnate Word – making 5 from 5 from three-point land in that game.
It’s to be hoped Tobias and the Abilene Wildcats have a successful finish to the season, but whatever the outcome there will be a proud family looking on, with none more proud than New Zealand’s only FIBA Hall of Famer.
Full list of Kiwis to have played 100 NCAA Division I Men’s basketball games (*indicates current players).
| 133 | Rob Loe (University of St Louis, 2010-14) | ||
| 128 | Sam Timmins (University of Washington 2016-20) | ||
| 127 | Jack Salt (University of Virginia, 2014-19) | ||
| 127 | Kirk Penney (University of Wisconsin, 1999-2003) | ||
| 127 | Tai Webster (University of Nebraska, 2013-17) | ||
| 125 | Mark Dickel (UNLV, 1996-2000) | ||
| 123 | Craig Bradshaw (Winthrop University, 2003-7) | ||
| 120 | Tom Vodanovich (James Maddison University, 2013-17) | ||
| 117 | Izayah Mauriohooho-Le’afa (Sacramento State, 2016-20) | ||
| 115 | Matt Freeman (Oklahoma (2016-19), UCSB (19-20) | ||
| 114 | *Dan Fotu (St Mary’s College, 2018-present) | ||
| 104 | *Sam Waardenburg (University of Miami, 2016-present) | ||
| 101 | Rory Fannon (Utah Valley, 2007-12) | ||
| 100 | *Tobias Cameron (Abilene Christian, 2017-present) | ||
