Alex Condon set to debut with Australia's senior basketball team

While Florida prepares for the 2026-27 season, rising senior Alex Condon prepares to take on a new stage: representing his country at the senior level.

On June 2, he was selected for Australia’s 12-man roster for the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers in Perth, marking his debut with the Aussie senior men’s basketball team.

Condon became the third Gator to represent their nation's senior basketball team while at Florida, following Andrew Nembhard, who participated in the 2019 FIBA World Cup for Canada, and Mike Rosario, who was called up to Puerto Rico’s team for the 2012 Centrobasket tournament.  

Australia will first take on Guam on Friday, followed by a meeting against the Philippines on Monday. Both games will be played in Perth at 6:30 p.m. local time (6:30 a.m. EST).

Here’s a preview of Australia’s team and it’ll ace off against its opponents:

Australia’s team

Under the leadership of head coach Adam Caporn, former assistant coach of the Washington Wizards, the 12-man roster features a mix of experienced Australian players and highly anticipated debutants.

Alongside Condon in making his debut for Australia is Bryce Cotton, a point guard for the Adelaide 36ers in Australia’s National Basketball League.

Despite being a legend in Perth Wildcats history, Cotton was not called up to Australia’s senior team until he recently completed the process of becoming an Australian citizen. He was born in Tucson, Arizona, and played college basketball for Providence from 2010 to 2014. He spent two seasons in the NBA, playing for the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies.

The 33-year-old is coming off a 2025-26 campaign with the 36ers, during which he averaged 25.7 points and 7.6 assists per game.

Along with Condon, many Western Australian players made the team, including Elijah Pepper and Ben Henshall, who play for the Perth Wildcats in the NBL.

"Having a squad with such strong Western Australian ties, alongside fan favorites like Bryce Cotton, makes this series even more special for local fans,” Reece Whitby, Western Australia’s Minister of Police, Road Safety and Tourism, said in a Wednesday press release.

Another notable name on Australia’s roster is Tyreese Proctor.

At 22 years old, Proctor was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the No. 49 pick in the 2025 draft. In his rookie season, the Sydney, Australia, native appeared in 50 regular-season contests, averaging 5.4 points per game. He recorded a season-high 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting against the Washington Wizards on April 12.

Before the NBA, the 6-foot-4 guard spent three seasons at Duke, where, during the 2024-25 season, the Blue Devils reached the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. Proctor averaged 12.4 points per game on 45.2% shooting from the field during that season.

Australia will also see continuity from notable returners Mitch Creek and Kanu Pinder.

Creek, a 6-foot-5 small forward for the Vancouver Bandits in the Canadian Elite Basketball League, had stints with the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2018-19 NBA season. He is averaging 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists per game during this qualification cycle.

Pinder, a 6-foot-8 power forward for the Akita Northern Happinets in Japan’s B1 League, is averaging 14 points, 5.5 rebounds and three blocks per outing during this qualification cycle.

Overall, the Boomers, Australia’s team nickname, lead their group in the qualifiers with a 4-0 record, earning eight points and putting them two points ahead of the Philippines and New Zealand.

With the guard combo of Proctor and Cotton posing a threat, Condon is expected to get involved early in the Aussie offense, especially with Pinder in the paint.

“As we continue building towards Qatar 2027, we’ve brought together a strong mix of experience, emerging talent and athletes earning their first opportunity with the Boomers, which makes this window particularly exciting,” Caporn said on June 1.

Australia vs. Guam - Friday, July 3

The Boomers open FIBA play against Guam at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Guam is last in the group after losing its first four games in the qualification cycle, earning zero points.

The only time Australia and Guam faced each other was on Feb. 26, when the Boomers prevailed 93-80. That game was the last for EJ Calvo, the current Guam Basketball Confederation President. He will be replaced by head coach Mekeli Wesley after stepping down from his coaching duties. 

“I’m extremely confident in our coaching staff and leaders on the team,” Calvo said Monday. “We are already focusing on the road back to the Asia Cup in 2029, and it starts with getting these much-needed reps against the region’s best.”

One of those leaders on the team is BJ Freeman, who leads Guam this qualification cycle, averaging 18 points, 6.5 rebounds and four assists per game. Freeman played for Arizona State during the 2024-25 season after spending the two prior seasons at Milwaukee. Last time he faced Australia, Freeman led Guam with 25 points on 9-of-22 shooting from the field, including five 3-pointers.

Takumi Simon and Jericho Cruz follow suit, averaging 15.3 and 13.3 points per game, respectively during this qualification cycle. Against Australia on Feb. 28, Simon recorded 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field. Cruz was held to 9 points on 4-of-10 shooting.

In the paint, Condon will battle with Jonathan Galloway, who is averaging 11 points and a team-high nine rebounds per game. The 6-foot-11 center plays for Cocodrilos de Caracas in Venezuela 's Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto. He was limited to 6 points and five boards against Australia on Feb. 28.

If Australia can keep Freeman, Simon and Cruz at bay, they will be poised for their fifth win in as many games during the first round of qualifications.

Australia vs. Philippines - Monday, July 6

Australia's second game during this window will be against the Philippines, also at the RAC Arena in Perth.

Overall, Australia has a 7-1 advantage in the head-to-head, winning six straight against the Philippines. The two last met on March 1, when the Aussies came out on top 93-66.

Much of the Philippines’ offense runs through Justin Brownlee, who is averaging a team-leading 16.5 points and 4.8 assists per outing. The 38-year-old was with the New York Knicks’ Summer League roster in 2012 and 2013. He’s played overseas since. Last time out against Australia, he led the Philippines with 20 points on 8-of-19 shooting and eight rebounds.

Behind Brownlee is Dwight Ramos, a 6-foot-5 small forward, who is averaging 13.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game throughout the qualification cycle. Against Australia on March 1, he was limited to 9 points on 2-of-10 shooting.

Finally, in the paint, Condon will face off against Quentin Millora-Brown. A 6-foot-10 forward who plays for the Chiba Jets in Japan. He is averaging a team-high eight rebounds to go along with 8.3 points per game during the qualification cycle. The former Vanderbilt Commodore scored 11 points and gathered seven rebounds in the Philippines’ last matchup against Australia.

If Condon can gain an advantage near the basket, he can position Australia to finish group play with a 6-0 record. As a result, Australia would advance to the second round of the qualifiers, where it would be placed in a group with the first-place team from group C and the second- and third-place teams from groups A and C.

During this round, each team will carry over its point total from the first round and play three new opponents from the merged group. Therefore, Australia would play each team that advanced from Group C. In the end, the top two teams from each group automatically qualify for the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar.

“We know Perth fans will bring incredible energy at RAC Arena and our group is excited for the chance to compete in front of them and represent Australia the right way,” Aussie head coach Caporn said when this window’s team was announced June 1.

Contact Jeffrey Serber at Jserber@alligator.org. Follow him on X @JeffreySerber.

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