Basketball: National title hopes for Tall Black – and schoolmates

The Napier Boys' High School basketball team, which next week chases the school's first national tournament title in 33 years. Captain and Tall Blacks national men's representative Jackson Ball is fourth from the left, and younger brother Kees, far left.

Napier Boys’ High School’s senior basketball team have hopes of claiming the national schools title for the first time in 33 years as they farewell theirTall Black Jackson Ball at the annual tournament in Palmerston North.

Napier – the current Super 8 champions – have won the title once, in 1992, when current assistant coach Jamie Henare was on the team.

Ball, a fourth-year Napier Boys’ team member who earlier this year became the third-youngest Tall Black in New Zealand men’s national team history, was on the team when the blues were beaten 91-88 by Christ’s College in the 2024 final.

With Ball’s elevation to the Tall Blacks and a big year in the Sal’s NBL, it’s changed the landscape.

“Last year we were the underdogs in every game, but this year we’re the favourites. Everyone knows Jackson,” Henare says.

After the tournament, starting Monday, Ball heads to the Illawarra Hawks in the Australian NBL, returns for the New Zealand NBL, then joins the Wisconsin Badgers in the United States.

His appearance as a national senior basketball representative in a schools’ tournament is not particularly rare.

Former Hastings Girls’ High School player Pahlyss Hokianga, the youngest-ever Tall Fern national women’s team member, has played for Tauranga Girls’ High School.

Hokianga relocated last year to gain national league experience with Tauranga team the Whai.

Henare lists Ball’s younger brother, Kees, Hawks development programme players Isaac Allen, Lennox Singh and Balin Gasson, and starting point guard Gyle Adams as others potentially going places.

With US colleges now able to pay players direct, the NZ Herald reports 60 New Zealand players – 36 female and 24 male – have been confirmed on Division 1 US college rosters for 2025-2026.

Their scholarships come with high academic standards, another sign of the times.

“I think when we won the title in 1992, most of the players could have been suspended for [non-]attendance,” Henare reckoned.

Napier Boys’ have five games in pool play, starting against Cashmere High School, of Christchurch, and Pukekohe High School on Monday.