Expanded Rio Tinto Wildcats Academy up and going for season three

The 2025 Wildcats Academy squad has been selected ahead of their first hit-out against Perry Lakes Hawks at Bendat Basketball Centre on Sunday.

“We’re really lucky to have partnered with these NBL1 clubs and working with them to get these games and treat it like it’s a proper season schedule,” Wildcats Academy Director Keegan Crawford said.

‘It doesn’t have that scratch match feel to it, we’ve got stats and referees as we try to make it as much of a professional game atmosphere which helps with warm-ups and scouting and film and those sorts of things.”

The squad, made up of emerging athletes from 14-19 years of age with an emphasis on local Indigenous and African juniors, was picked after a pair of try-outs this month.

In addition to 10 games, the 30-player squad practices twice a week at Bendat Basketball Centre before school to go with one weekly weights session until the end of August.

There’s several familiar names in the squad including Dylan Redhage, the son of Wildcats legend Shawn Redhage who played 380 games and won four championships with the club, and another father-son connection in Channing Olowoyo whose father Carmie who spent three seasons at the Wildcats.

 There's also multiple younger brothers of Academy graduates in the squad.

“All of our selections are 100 per cent merit-based but it’s cool to see family members flow through the program and these kids have a good experience and there’s a pretty good word of mouth about the program and a lot of people want to be involved,” Crawford said.

“We’ve had multiple pairs of brothers like the Fitzgeralds, the Ibukunoluwas and the Dimmocks, so it’s pretty cool to see them go through it and the little brother take the mantle from the older brother.”

The Wildcats Academy, now in its third year, is run by Wildcats Assistant Coach Keegan Crawford.

It was introduced to help identify the top basketball prospects in WA, Australia and New Zealand, while providing the environment and structure to help develop selected athletes into potential future players for the Wildcats.

“We’re excited to go into year three of this program and partnership with Rio Tinto,” Crawford said.

“During our orientation we talk about past alumni and where guys have gone and Gero (Academy graduate turned Wildcats Development Player Tom Gerovich) is a primary example of someone who was a great kid and dominated the program and did all the right things and got rewarded with a role in the NBL.

“We’ve also had guys to go prep schools and colleges in the US, Josh Ibukunoluwa just played in March Madness (for High Point College) and he was in our program and practicing with the Wildcats in pre-season.

“Having those faces talk so well about the program is really cool to see where they can get to.”

2025 Wildcats Academy squad: Zachary Allen, John Aryang, Wieu Atuer, Isaac Averil, Riley Barmentloo, Aaron Briggs, Benjamin Bul Gayo, Juma Chol Bior, Lowell Jude Christopher, James Dalton, Max Dimmock, Lassie Edgar, Jaden Exeter, Harry Fitzgerald, Jeremiah Gatluak, Tim Ibukunoluwa, Samuel Johnson, Jake Lobik, Zak Magdy, Mayen Mayen, Bill McRae, Channing Olowoyo, Luke Paul, Dylan Redhage, Angus Sallie, Marley Sam, Jhye Stoker, Peter Thuch, Luke Websdale Jr, Mason West.