Auckland Tuatara guard Dontae Russo-Nance was named the Male Junior Player of the Year at the annual Basketball New Zealand Awards over the weekend.
The teenager enjoyed an outstanding rookie Sal’s NBL season last year. The youngest player in the 2021 competition, the then-16 year-old scored 196 points in his debut season averaging 11.5 points per game along with 2.5 assists, for the Auckland Huskies.
Currently a Year 13 student, and prefect, at St Kentigern College he will again be looking to guide his school team into the top four of the Auckland Schools Premier League. He did that successfully in 2021 before the season was cut short by Covid.
Playing for Waitakere West, Dontae was named to the Tournament Team at the 2021 U17 National Championships for the third year running. In 2019, at the same Championship, he was named MVP as Waitakere claimed the title. As recently as March this year he received an NBA Global Academy invite, spending a week at the AIS, in Canberra.
He has helped the Tuatara to a perfect 3-0 record so far this season.