Marley Sam earns first Australian selection

Perth Wildcats Development Player Marley Sam has earned his first national team selection, joining Rio Tinto Wildcats Academy teammate John Aryang in the Australian Emus squad for the FIBA Under-18 Asia Cup.

Sam and Aryang are among 12 players selected to represent Australia at the tournament, which will be held in Ahmedabad, India, from 13–23 August.

The pair secured their places following a competitive four-day selection camp under incoming Emus coach Luke Brennan.

“One of the things that I asked of the group in camp was that they play the right way and compete in everything that they do,” Brennan said.

“My biggest takeaway after the four days in camp was we’ve got a super competitive bunch and the guys just went after it.

“It made selection really difficult because there were so many talented athletes who all played the right way.”

Sam joined the Wildcats as a Development Player on a three-year deal last month after emerging as one of Western Australia’s brightest young prospects.

The 17-year-old has averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 3.2 steals per game for the Eastern Suns during the 2026 NBL1 West season.

Sam and Aryang have both developed through the Rio Tinto Wildcats Academy, which provides Western Australia’s leading young players with access to an elite training environment and a pathway towards professional basketball.

The Asia Cup represents another important step in their development, with Brennan looking to introduce values from the senior Boomers program to Australia’s emerging players.

“When you think of Australians in general, we’re tough, we’re hardworking,” Brennan said.

“We really celebrate mateship and doing things as a collective rather than individually.

“We want teams and players that are unselfish and do things together, whether it’s sharing the ball and making the right play offensively or selling out for each other, competing and playing hard defensively.”

Australian Emus squad

Riak Akhuar
John Aryang
Ahmet Yahya Basaran
Antonio Browne
Harry Cook
Curtis Evic
Jai Fa’ale
William Hamilton
Bailey Hanson
Josh McCann
Isaac Riddle
Marley Sam