27
Jun
Under-19 Men's
Zik-gonsky: Rocco-less Emus up for World Cup
Luke Fennell of Australia shoots from the arc during the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifier match between Australia Boomers and Indonesia at Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium on February 20, 2025 in Gippsland, Australia. Photo: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images
The Australian Emus will take on the powerhouse USA to start their U19 World Cup campaign.
- The Emus tip-off their FIBA U19 World Cup campaign against the USA on Sunday at 1.15am (AEST)
- Australia will be without big man Rocco Zikarsky who was picked 45th in the NBA Draft
- Roman Siulepa, Jacob Furphy (UCONN) and Luke Fennell (Syracuse) will lead the Emus
The FIBA Under 19 World Cup is right around the corner, and Australia is ready to make some noise.
The Emus, who tip-off their tournament on Sunday morning (AEST), are stacked with high end college and pro bound talent.
The group is headlined by Melbourne United’s Next Star Dash Daniels, a 6'5" guard currently mocked 9th on ESPN’s 2026 NBA mock draft — and his performance this week in Switzerland will be a massive platform to influence his draft stock.
Enigmatic forward Roman Siulepa is also anticipated to be a major piece to the Emus puzzle. Coming off a productive Adidas Eurocamp appearance last month, Siulepa has garnered excitement for years with his high flying, high motor dominance at the Australian youth level, but question marks around his translation to higher levels, and an NBL Next Stars deal with the Tasmania JackJumpers for NBL25 that fell through have left question marks about the Queenslanders future.
While not currently mocked on draft boards or considered within FIBA.com’s Top 20 prospects of the tournament, Siulepa has undeniable talent and will be a key factor in Australia’s success throughout the tournament.
While initially named to the Emus roster, big man Rocco Zikarsky will not be participating after remaining in the 2025 NBA Draft, picked 45th en route to the Minnesota Timberwolves during Friday’s second round.
Competing for Australia in Albert Schweitzer Cup, Zikarsky won tournament MVP, dominating with 20 points and nine rebounds in the gold medal game against Serbia to help Australia win gold for the second ever time in the event’s history.
His absence will leave a big hole for the Emus to fill in Switzerland, with 6'10" big man Ajak Nyoun expected to step up the most in his absence. Zikarsky’s absence on the roster will be replaced by New South Wales big man, Goc Malual.
The team is supported by a cast of elite, college-bound talent, including swingman Jacob Furphy (UCONN) and guard Luke Fennell (Syracuse).
Despite a medal-worthy lineup, Australia will be pushed to its limits in their group phase, facing international powerhouses USA and France, as well as Cameroon. Australia plays the USA in their first game at 1.15am Sunday AEST — a team of superstars led by projected No.2 overall pick AJ Dybantsa.
Thankfully, pool results will only influence knock-out seeding and not eliminate any teams, so Australia can survive losses within their pool and continue in the competition.
For a more detailed breakdown on the Emus roster, read the deeper preview here.
The women’s FIBA Under 19 World Cup commences July 13. Stay tuned for future content.
About the Author
Michael Houben is an Australian basketball writer and scout based in Melbourne, Victoria. As well as covering the game as a journalist, Michael supports US colleges to identify and recruit Australian talent as the owner of Airtime Scouting, and supports grassroots athletes through Airtime Basketball.
