'Unreal': Furphy describes Emus 'group of death'

• Australia is in the World Cup group against the US, France and Cameroon
• Whether Australian Emus big man Rocco Zikarsky will play will be determined by the NBA Draft in late June
• The Under-19 FIBA Men's World Cup is in Switzerland between June 28 and July 6, 2025

The FIBA U19 World Cup is the pinnacle of international junior men's basketball.

Athletes on the verge of professional greatness suit up from every continent to do battle every two years, Australia included, and this year’s roster is set to do some damage, with a roster that stacks up as potentially one of our most talented amongst the most recent cycles of the event.

A historically successful team since joining the competition as part of its inception in 1979, including a gold medal finish in 2003, Australia has failed to live up to its usually lofty standards across more recent World Cup cycles.

Ninth and 10th placed finishes in 2019 and 2021 were Australia's weakest finishes since 1991, and the Emus failed to qualify in 2023 after choosing not to participate in the preceding FIBA Asia Cup in 2022 required for qualifying, after safety concerns around the event’s destination of Iran.

With basketball’s growing international talent pool year upon year, the competition provides our young stars with an ever increasing challenge, compounded by a cruel draw into the event’s proverbial ‘group of death’.

Australia’s first game will pit the Emu’s against USA — winner of six of the last eight U19 World Cups. This year’s US roster, while yet to be selected, will presumably be led by projected #2 and #3 picks in the 2026 NBA draft, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer. To round out the group is emerging international powerhouse France, who have medaled in the last three cycles, along with Cameroon.

While it’s a tall task, it’s one Emus star Jacob Furphy is embracing.

"It will be huge to play against the top competition of the USA. Most of their team, if not all of their team will be in high major (college) programs next year," he said.

"It will be a huge challenge first up. It's gonna be unreal."

Furphy, committed to the University of Connecticut for the 2025-26 NCAAM season, is one of many talents that comprise this year’s Emu’s squad that hope to give those basketball powerhouses a run for their money.

Projected Depth Chart - U19 Emus

• PG — Che Brogan | Alex Dickeson
• SG — Dash Daniels | Luke Fennell
• SF — Jacob Furphy | Nash Walker
• PF — Roman Siulepa | Mading Kuany | Emmett Adair
• C —  Rocco Zikarsky | Ajak Nyoun | Jack Whitbourn

The group selected is headlined by a few big names — specifically NBL Next Star’s Rocco Zikarsky and Dash Daniels, as well as former Next Star Roman Siulepa.

Filling out the roster, Fennell, Furphy, Walker and Adair bring shooting on the perimeter, Brogan and Dickeson bring incisive pick and roll playmaking, and Mading Kuany, Ajak Nyoun and Jack Whitbourn bring size, length and interior presence to the frontcourt.

The team's buildup suggests a focus on an egalitarian attack, with multiple ball-handlers and no obvious ball-carrying hierarchy.

Seven of the selected 12 players competed for Australia at the 2024 Albert Schweitzer Tournament, and all without the exception of Jack Whitbourn (preparing for his sophomore college season with Fordham) are heavily acclimatised through their shared time at the AIS between the Centre of Excellence and NBA Global Academy programs.

Daniels, Walker, Dickeson, Kuany and Nyoun also competed for Australia at the U17 World Cup in Turkey last year. While Daniels had his best FIBA outing in the event, finishing with a team high 14.3 points per game, Australia finished a disappointing 15th out of 16 teams.

The group will be coached by Centre of Excellence head coach Robbie McKinlay, supported by assistant’s Joel Khalu and Jacob Jackomas.

One major variable for the group is big man Rocco Zikarsky — at 7’4, the Albert-Schwertzer MVP-award winner brings game changing defensive coverage and physicality, but his participation may be up in the air. He is participating in the NBA Draft Combine, Zikarsky’s decision to stay in the draft, and ultimately get picked up, could result in his omission from the roster, as NBA draftees generally forego further junior competition.

Fortunately for the Emus, their tough pool grouping may not result in a quick demise — per the competition’s format, all team’s progress to the ‘Group of 16’, where group seeding determines their ultimate opponent before a series of knockout rounds to determine the winner.

While perhaps underdogs against France and the USA, the Emus have an elite group full of future professional athletes.

They’ll be tested early, but have all the potential to make a deep run.

Watch the FIBA Under-19 Men's World Cup in Switzerland from June 28 to July 6, 2025 on the FIBA Youtube Channel.