With March Madness seeing the NCAA men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments being held across the United States from next week, it’s a chance to see some of our US-based Kiwi basketballers in action for their respective US College teams.
It’s also the perfect opportunity to look back on the 2023/24 US Collegiate season. For one Kiwi freshman, Grinnell College’s Kairangi (Kai) Te Huki, his first year playing in NCAA Division III has seen him achieve something no New Zealander has ever done at any level – lead the entire nation in scoring.
At the conclusion of the Pioneers season, 6’6” (198cm) forward Te Huki finished with 27.8 points per game; good enough to be first overall across all three men’s divisions (NCAA Div I, Div II and Div III), which covers over 1,000 combined colleges and universities that play men’s NCAA basketball.
Te Huki’s 3-pointers made (122) and 3-pointers per game (4.69) also led the nation, while his two 51-point games – along with his 724 overall point tally for the season – are both believed to be unsurpassed by a Kiwi in American college basketball.
His efforts earned Te Huki the Midwest Conference’s Newcomer of the Year and All-Midwest Conference (MWC) first team honours, while also becoming the first Pioneer in program history to be named D3hoop.com All-Region 9 Rookie of the Year.
Hailing from the Manawatu region, Te Huki graduated from Palmerston North Boys High School in 2022; although he spent the majority of his childhood overseas. His parents Jennifer and Murray were international school teachers, with Kai being born in Bulgaria before the family moved to Senegal – where he first took up basketball – and then Malaysia for their work.
Returning to New Zealand in March 2021 for his Year 12 schooling, Te Huki quickly established himself in the Palmerston North Boys High and Manawatu teams. In 2023 he also earned himself a Development player role with the Manawatu Jets under coach Natu Taufale. That experience, as Te Huki explains, was one of the factors that helped contribute to his outstanding freshman season.
“The majority of my success this season has to be credited to my team, to put a freshman in a spot to shoot 20-25 shots a game is a risk – and having upperclassmen sacrifice shots they used to get to let a younger player shoot them is a huge ask,” says Te Huki.
“Aside from the team being the foundation of my success, I feel the play-style of New Zealand basketball and coaches such as Tim McTamney enabled me to develop my skills as a guard, rather than pushing me into being a ‘big’.
“Also having played a season with the Manawatu Jets as a development player gave me insight into what it meant to be a ‘pro’ calibre player. Aside from the competitive skill level that I was surrounded by, it was more of a confidence aspect that the imports and certain players on the team carried with them – which allowed me to emulate them to become a confident and successful player at Grinnell.”
Te Huki says the adjustment from playing basketball in New Zealand to competing in Div III in the United States, required him to work harder to lift his game.
“The level of physicality, even at the D3 level, is a step up from anything in New Zealand. The guys there are always a step faster, another few inches off the ground, and just overall built like rugby locks.”
Te Huki’s family have been influential in helping him adjust – and thrive – in his new setting.
“My mom and brother are not sport fanatics like my dad, but they all play a special role in influencing me as an athlete. My father has been my coach, fan, and manager before, but he has never put pressure on me – he has always had an emphasis on playing because you enjoy the sport.
“My mom helped influence me to be a great teammate and to display sportsmanship, I’m not 100% she knows the rules of the game but her influence on my mentality and disposition towards the game has been so impactful. And my brother has always kept me grounded yet competitive; whether it’s him telling me I got “cooked” by another player – even after playing a great game – or reminding of all the one-on-one games I’ve lost to him, he’s helped provide a unique edge to my game.”
