The 2024-25 American collegiate season sees a total of 12 New Zealand freshmen commence their NCAA Division I careers, while a further eight players have completed transfers during the off-season.
Five men are freshmen this year, the largest cohort since 2018-19 when Tall Blacks Dan Fotu, Taki Fahrensohn, Tobias Cameron and Flynn Cameron were amongst seven newcomers that year.
The women’s first year group sees seven female athletes heading to the States, including Tall Ferns Ritorya Tamilo and Lauren Whittaker. Again this is the largest intake since 2018-19, when the likes of Esra McGoldrick, Jade Kirisome and Amiee Book were freshmen.
With the new NCAA Transfer Portal in place, there are also eight Division I transfers – 5 women and 3 men – among them some high-profile graduates in Charlisse Leger-Walker and Tayla Dalton.
DIVISION I WOMEN – Freshmen
Kavanah Lene – University of Montana
Lene played for the Canterbury team that won the 2024 U20 National Championships, averaged 18.7 points per game. Named to the Junior Tall Ferns team for the 2024 FIBA U18 Asia Cup in China, she was only able to play in two games due to injury.
She averaged 15.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game for New Zealand at the 2023 FIBA U17 Oceania Championship in PNG and was outstanding in the gold medal game v Australia; scoring 27 points and being named to the Tournament All-Star-5.
Lene also played two games for Mainland Pouākai in the 2023 Tauihi Aotearoa league, and featured on the St Andrew’s College team that finished runners-up at both the 2022 and 2023 Secondary Schools National Championships; deservedly named to the 2023 Tournament Team.
Rebecca Moors – University of Hawaii
Moors led the New Zealand scoring (9.4ppg) and rebounding (6.8rpg) at the 2024 FIBA Asia Cup in China in June. She was also a key member of the New Zealand team that won silver at the 2023 FIBA Oceania Championships in Papua New Guinea, averaging 10 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game.
She played for the Westlake Girls High School team that won back-to-back Secondary Schools National Championships in 2022 and 2023 – named MVP at the 2023 Tournament.
Moors, along with Kavanah Lene, was amongst eight New Zealand athletes that were selected to attend the 2023 NBA Academy Men’s and Women’s Games in Atlanta, Georgia.
Shawnessy Nordstrom – California Baptist University
Nordstrom played for New Zealand at the 2024 FIBA Asia Cup in China in June, where she averaged 7.8 points per game.
After being named MVP at the 2019 U15 National Championship after guiding Waikato to the title, she then headed to Utah to complete her school education at Lone Peak High School. An All-State Player of the Year in 2022-23, she scored over 1,000 points in her four years at Lone Peak.
Nordstrom is the niece of former Tall Fern Noni Wharemate, a former NCAA Division I player at the University of Texas El Paso.
Hannah Richardson – St Bonaventure University
Playing alongside twin sister Zoe, Hannah was a member of the Westlake Girls High School team that won the 2022 Secondary Schools National Championship. Then headed to Hoosac Valley High School in Hoosick, New York to complete her high school education.
Richardson also played AAU basketball for Albany Capitals – named the She Got Game MVP. She also played on the Harbour team that claimed a bronze medal at the 2022 U17 National Championship.
Zoe Richardson – Siena College
Playing alongside twin sister Hanna, Zoe was a member of the Westlake Girls High School team that won the 2022 Secondary Schools National Championship. Then headed to Hoosac Valley High School in Hoosick, New York to complete high school education.
Richardson also played AAU basketball for Albany Capitals, and appeared on the New Zealand team at the 2022 FIBA 3×3 U17 Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur.
She was also named to the Tournament Team at the 2022 U17 National Championships
Ritorya Tamilo – University of Hawaii
Tamilo played all three games for the Tall Ferns at the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in China, averaging 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Most recently she has been named to the Tall Ferns team for the FIBA Women’s World Cup Pre-Qualifier tournament in Mexico from 19-25 August.
Tamilo debuted for Northern Kāhu in the 2023 Tauihi Aotearoa Basketball league, while still at Baradene College. Then went on to play for Bendigo Spirit as a Development player in the 2023-24 Australian NBL season.
Tamilo played on two international age group campaigns for New Zealand in 2022. At the FIBA U16 Asian Championship she averaged 6.7 points and 6.7 rebounds, as New Zealand finished fourth to qualify for the U17 World Cup.
At the U17 World Cup in Hungary she finished as the tournaments leading shot blocker -averaging 3.1 blocks per game – with the 192 cm centre also the team’s leading rebounder with 7.9 boards per game while also scoring 6.4 points per game.
Lauren Whittaker, Gonzaga University
Whittaker made her Tall Ferns debut in February 2024 against China at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, averaging 5 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game across three games.
She played 5 games for Mainland Pouākai in the 2023 Tauihi Aotearoa league, averaging 5.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, and was named MVP at the 2023 U19 National Championship after leading Canterbury to the title – and named to the Tournament Team at the 2023 Secondary Schools National Championships where St Andrew’s College finished runners-up.
Whittaker was the sole New Zealand representative at the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in as Vegas in July. the first women’s-only BWB camp ever held. She has also become the third member of her family to obtain an NCAA Division I scholarship following sister Charlotte (University of Colorado) and brother Mason (American University).
DIV I MEN – Freshmen:
Kaia Berridge – University of Evansville
Berridge is headed to Evansville, Indiana to commence his collegiate career. Formerly of Mt Maunganui High School and Tauranga City Basketball, he spent time at Archbishop Riordan High School, California before linking up with Evansville Purple Aces.
The 6’4” (193cm) guard has played for New Zealand at two FIBA events in 2022 – the U16 Asian Championships and the U17 World Cup in Spain.
Nic Book – University of South Carolina Upstate
Nic is the third member of the Book family to gain a basketball scholarship in the States, following in the footsteps of sister Amiee (CSU Fullerton & Fresno State) and brother Josh (Missouri Western State).
Nic attended Christ’s College in Christchurch, although he spent his last two school years in the USA; initially at Westfield High School, Indiana and then Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.
He was selected for the Junior Tall Blacks at the FIBA U18 Asia Cup in Jordan in September, in what will be his fourth FIBA Tournament. Like fellow freshman Julius Halaifonua, he has previously played at the 2023 U17 Oceania Championships and in 2022 at both the FIBA U16 Asia Championship and the FIBA U17 World Cup.
Isaiah Chappell – University of California, Davis
Chappell, the son of Mike Chappell (an American forward who played for the New Zealand Breakers) was educated at Crossroads School for Art and Sciences in Santa Monica, California. He was named MVP of the CIF Gold Coast League in 2022-23, his final year at Crossroads.
Born in Auckland, the 6’9” (206cm) forward was named to the New Zealand team for the 2022 FIBA Asian Championship but unfortunately the team was forced to withdraw from that tournament due to security concerns.
Julius Halaifonua – Georgetown University
Out of Harbour Basketball and Rosmini College, Halaifonua has spent the last two years at the NBA Global Academy in Canberra.
In February of this year Julius became the 8th youngest ever Tall Blacks debutant, at 17 years, 292 days, when making his mark against Hong Kong with 4 points, 4 rebounds and a couple of trademark blocks. He was also the recipient of The Ambassador Trophy after being named 2023 BBNZ Male Junior Player of the Year.
Ahead of his freshman year, he will be playing for the Junior Tall Blacks at the FIBA U18 Asia Cup in Jordan in September. This comes after he helped the New Zealand team to earn a silver medal at last year’s 2023 FIBA U17 Oceania Championship, with Julius selected for the tournament All-Star 5 team.
Amongst his other accomplishments in 2023, he was also chosen to attend the NBA Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp in Abu Dhabi, the NBA Academy Games in Atlanta, the Tall Blacks World Cup Pre-Tour Camp and the G-League Showcase Tournament in the USA.
Will Shortt – Niagara University
Shortt graduated from Auckland Grammar School in 2022 before heading to the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida for the 2023/24 varsity season.
The 6’8” (203cm) forward played for New Zealand at two FIBA events in 2022 – the FIBA U16 Asian Championships and the FIBA U17 World Cup in Spain. At the World Cup he averaged 5 points and was the Kiwis third highest rebounder averaging 5 boards per game.
The Niagara Purple Eagles are coached by Greg Paulus and are one of only six Men’s Division I teams not returning a scholarship athlete from the 2023-24 season.
DIV I WOMEN – Transfers
Tayla Dalton: St Mary’s College > Gonzaga University
After four successful years at St Mary’s College, California Dalton has linked with West Coast Conference rivals Gonzaga University for her fifth and final collegiate year.
Dalton played 119 games for St Mary’s, starting on 83 occasions, scoring 965 career points. Amongst active New Zealand Division I players she has played the second highest number of games; behind Emme Shearer (122 appearances) and is the third-highest points scorer behind Charlisse Leger-Walker (1,743 points) and Shearer (1,087 points).
Tayla debuted for the Tall Ferns against Serbia in Belgrade in June 2023 and most recently played all three games at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Xi’an, China in February 2024.
Waiata Jennings: Collin College (JUCO) > Baylor University
Jennings enjoyed an outstanding two-year Junior College career before being recruited by Baylor University. At Collin College she finished as the programme’s all-time leading scorer with 1,227 points; in her second year (2023-24) she was named to the NJCAA First Team All-American and Conference MVP after leading the team in points (718), rebounds (252), blocks (32) and steals (117).
Jennings played for the Tall Ferns Select team in their two-game series against the Japan Olympic team in July 2024.
Charlisse Leger-Walker: Washington State > UCLA
New Zealand’s all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball has shifted south to the University of California for her final collegiate year. Already with 1,743 career points from 105 appearances, Leger-Walker is set to improve that tally in the 2024-25 season.
Leger-Walker finished her graduate career at Washington State as their all-time third highest scorer (1,743pts), fourth highest in assists (389) and top five in threes made (199) and minutes played (3794). Prior to her season ending injury last January, she had posted two triple doubles and averaged 13.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists.
Since debuting at the 2018 Commonwealth Games as a 16 year old, Charlisse has made 42 appearances for the Tall Ferns, most recently a key player on the squad that finished fourth at the 2023 FIBA Asia Cup.
Lilly Taulelei: University of Massachusetts > Iowa State University
Taulelei played her freshman season at the University of Massachusetts, where she had 22 starts in 31 appearances while averaging 6.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. She scored a season-high 14 points against Dayton back in January.
Lilly debuted for the Tall Ferns on their tour of Australia in 2022, and went on to play in all 5 games on the Tall Ferns tour of Europe in June 2023. She also played for the NZ U17 National Team at the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup in Jordan and the 2022 FIBA World Cup in Hungary, averaging 7 points and 6.5 rebounds in 13 games across the two tournaments.
Lilly is a member of the Tokomanawa Queens team that won the inaugural Tauihi Aotearoa Championship in 2022.
Vitolia Tuilave from Wofford College to Santa Clara University
Out of Tauranga City and Mount Maunganui College, Vitolia Tuilave has transferred to Santa Clara University to play for the Broncos.
Tuilave spent her Freshman year at Wofford College, where she played all 30 games and enjoyed 25 starts for the Terriers – averaging 3.5 points and 3.8 rebounds with a season-high of 17 points and 12 rebounds against North Carolina Central.
Vitolia played for New Zealand at the 2022 FIBA U18 Asian Championship in India, and was also named to the Tournament Team at the U19 National Championships back in 2022.
DIV I MEN – Transfers
Wellingtonians Tafara Gapare and Ahmed Essahatay have both transferred from one NCAA Division I university to another while Finn Lally has moved from Junior College to a Division I university.
Ahmed Essahatay: Long Island > Southeastern Louisiana University
After 18 months at Long Island University, the former Onslow College and Scots College guard has transferred to Southern Louisiana University for his junior year.
In his time at Long Island he made 26 appearances, debuting against Stonehill College in January 2023 and scoring a career-high 12 points against the same opponents in January 2024.
Tafara Gapare: Georgia Tech > University of Maryland
Tafara Gapare is set to play at his third university in as many years. The former Wellington Basketball and Scots College forward played 30 games at the University of Massachusetts in his freshman year and 29 games – with 15 starts – for Georgia Tech University in his sophomore year.
At Georgia Tech he scored a career-high 20 points against Penn State, and had a team-high 33 blocked shots for the season – which was the 10th highest in the Atlantic Coast Conference. In all, Gapare has tallied 251 points across 59 Division I career appearances.
He averaged 11.7 points and 4.2 rebounds for New Zealand at the 2018 FIBA U15 Oceania Championships, where the Kiwis beat Australia in pool play before losing 61-58 in the final – Gapare named Tournament MVP following a strong tournament.
Finn Lally: Trinidad State College (JUCO) > College of William & Mary
Out of Waikato Basketball and St John’s College, Lally linked up with the Trinidad State Trojans in mid-season of 2021-22. In the 2023-24 season averaged 9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, scoring a career-high 30 points in a win over Laramie Country in November 2023.
Lally played for New Zealand at the 2019 FIBA U17 Oceania Championships in New Caledonia, averaged 5.4 points and 3.8 rebounds on the silver medal-winning team.
Lally will play this season at College of William and Mary, who are in the Coastal Athletic Association Conference.
As at 20 August 2024
