Troy Plumtree, brother of Welsh rugby international Taine and son of former All Blacks assistant coach John, is among 60 young Kiwi basketballers offered scholarships to Division 1 US colleges. Photo / Photosport
A record number of young New Zealand basketball players are set to descend on the United States after being offered scholarships to play for Division 1 colleges.
It comes as schools have been granted the right to directly pay players for the first time in the history of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
For the 2025/26 season, 36 women and 24 men from New Zealand have been confirmed on Division 1 college rosters to date.
The previous high was 29 women in the 2021/22 and 22/23 seasons, and 20 men during the 2019/20 season.
“This milestone is a testament to the hard work of our athletes, their whānau, coaches and the wider basketball community,” New Zealand Basketball’s acting chief executive Belinda Edwards said.
“It also highlights the increasing visibility of Aotearoa talent on the global stage and the strength of our domestic competitions, including the Secondary Schools Nationals, the Sky Broadband Rapid League, and the G.J. Gardner Homes Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa and Sal’s National Basketball leagues.
“It’s fantastic to see.”
Among the list of promising youngsters is 18-year-old Troy Plumtree – the younger brother of Welsh Rugby international Taine and son of former All Blacks assistant coach John.
Plumtree told the Herald the opportunity to play college basketball for California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) arose after his selection in the New Zealand side at the 2024 Fiba Under-17 Basketball World Cup.
“My performance at this tournament got me to college in America, as my now college team by chance watched my game against Argentina,” he said.
The small forward is making the move after playing for the Wellington Saints in the National Basketball League (NBL) over the past two years. In 2023, he also captained Wellington College to their first national basketball title.
“I think NCAA will be a slight step up from the NBL,” Plumtree said. “I think there might be more skill in NCAA, but playing against older and grown men makes it difficult in the NBL.”
Plumtree said it was special being the only basketball player in a rugby-mad family.
“I feel like I’m helping my family branch out and not be known as only rugby ... My parents were sad for me to leave but they know it’s a stage I have to go through for my future in basketball, so they were happy.”
The record-high Kiwi presence in US college basketball comes as schools can pay their athletes directly – up to a certain limit – for the first time in NCAA history.
ESPN reported in June the annual cap is expected to start at roughly US$20.5 million ($34m) per school in 2025/26, and the payments are in addition to scholarships and other benefits the athletes already receive.
Some athletes have reportedly been offered multimillion-dollar NIL (name, image, likeness) deals with their respective schools.
Plumtree confirmed Cal Poly is paying their athletes to play for them and called it an “amazing opportunity”.
“I’m super happy and excited to represent Wellington alongside a few other D1 men’s basketball players. Being able to represent my school and the clubs I played for makes me happy and I’m honoured.”
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Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers sport and breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.