Alex Higgins-Titsha
October 29, 2024
Tad Dufelmeier Jr
- Nationality: AUS
- Date of Birth: 9/02/96
- Place of Birth: Canberra (ACT)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 183
- Weight (KG): 79
- Junior Assoc: ACT - Tuggeranong
- College: Salt Lake CC (2015-2016) / Concordia (CA) (2017-2018)
- NBL DEBUT: 12/06/19
- AGE AT DEBUT: 23
- LAST NBL GAME: 19/10/24
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 28
- NBL History: Cairns 2020-21, 2025 | Adelaide 2022 | Brisbane 2026
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Born and raised in Canberra, Australia, Dufelmeier attended Erindale College.
FAMILY: Tad Dufelmeier Jr is the son of Tad Dufelmeier Jr who played 178 games in the NBL. His sister Bianca played college basketball for the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Tad Dufelmeier Jr made his NBL debut with the Cairns Taipans at 23 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.
For the 2019/20 NBL season, Dufelmeier joined the Cairns Taipans as a development player. Dufelmeier Jr. found limited opportunities in the Cairns Taipans’ rotation, averaging 0.2 points, 0.2 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game. Despite his minimal role, the Taipans had a strong season, finishing third with a 16-12 record and making a playoff run. Dufelmeier gained valuable experience playing alongside established veterans, setting the stage for his future development.
2020/21
Tad Dufelmeier Jr. returned to the Cairns Taipans in February 2021 as an injury replacement for Majok Deng, stepping in to provide much-needed depth to the roster. With the additional opportunity, Dufelmeier Jr. took on a more prominent role, averaging 6.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. His contributions highlighted his versatility, impacting multiple areas of the game. However, despite his efforts, the Taipans struggled to gain momentum, finishing the season in ninth place with an 8-28 record.
ADELAIDE 36ERS
2021/22
After two seasons with Cairns, Tad Dufelmeier Jr. joined the Adelaide 36ers for the 2021/22 season. Adelaide made several roster changes, bringing in Mitch McCarron, Kai Sotto, and a mix of young talent and seasoned veterans. Dufelmeier provided depth in the backcourt but faced strong competition for minutes. He contributed solidly off the bench, averaging 4.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists over the season. Despite some promising individual performances, Adelaide finished in seventh place (10-18) for the third consecutive season.
CAIRNS TAIPANS
2024/25
Entering the 2024/25 season, Cairns found themselves undergoing a significant roster reset following the exits of import stars Patrick Miller and Tahjere McCall. Additional losses included Bul Kuol (to Sydney), Lat Mayen (to Adelaide), Bobi Klintman (NBA Draft), and Josh Roberts, creating a number of vacancies across the lineup.
In response, the Taipans reloaded by signing imports Rob Edwards, Pedro Bradshaw, and Tanner Groves, promoting Taran Armstrong to team captain and lead guard, and adding veterans Kyle Adnam (Illawarra), Jackson Makoi (Sydney), and Kyrin Galloway (Adelaide). Sam Waardenburg returned to lead the frontcourt, while development players Alex Higgins-Titsha and Kody Stattmann (South East Melbourne) filled out the depth chart.
With a string of injuries impacting key players by the end of 2024—including Armstrong’s ankle and Groves’ calf—the Taipans turned to short-term reinforcements to maintain rotation depth. Sitting at 3–16, the team signed Tad Dufelmeier Jr, who featured in four games.
Dufelmeier brought energy and experience to the point guard position in limited minutes. He averaged 2.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists across his four outings, highlighted by a strong showing in the season opener against Illawarra, where he tallied 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 points in 14 minutes off the bench.
Despite a spirited 5–5 finish over their final 10 games, Cairns ended the campaign at 8–21, bottom of the ladder with the NBL’s lowest points percentage (92.49%). Head coach Adam Forde parted ways with the club following the conclusion of the season.
Sam Waardenburg (14.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists) was a steady contributor and swept the club’s MVP, Defensive Player, and Members’ Choice awards. Tanner Groves (13.5 points, 5.7 rebounds) and Pedro Bradshaw (10.7 points, 5.7 rebounds) held their own, while young talents Kyrin Galloway (7.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.1 blocks), Akoldah Gak (6.3 points, 5.6 rebounds), and Alex Higgins-Titsha (6.2 points, 3.9 rebounds) made the most of their expanded roles.
Tad Dufelmeier Jr currently plays for the Brisbane Bullets and has played 58 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 4.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists since entering the league in 2019.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 29 | Cairns | 8-21 (10) | 4 | 47.3 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 23% | 1 | 5 | 20% | 1 | 1 | 100% | 30% | 27% | 5 |
| 2021-22 | 26 | Adelaide | 10-18 (7) | 27 | 367.2 | 116 | 55 | 59 | 28 | 27 | 15 | 1 | 28 | 36 | 45 | 115 | 39% | 8 | 33 | 24% | 18 | 27 | 67% | 45% | 43% | 12 |
| 2020-21 | 25 | Cairns | 8-28 (9) | 21 | 327.3 | 126 | 51 | 57 | 13 | 38 | 17 | 1 | 27 | 40 | 43 | 115 | 37% | 13 | 43 | 30% | 27 | 39 | 69% | 47% | 43% | 14 |
| 2019-20 | 24 | Cairns | 16-12 (3) | 5 | 9.8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 1 | 2 | 50% | 13% | 0% | 1 | Totals | 58 | 755 | 251 | 114 | 123 | 44 | 70 | 32 | 3 | 60 | 84 | 91 | 247 | 36.8% | 22 | 83 | 26.5% | 47 | 69 | 68.1% | 45% | 41% | 14 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 29 | Cairns | 8-21 (10) | 4 | 11.8 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 3.3 | 23% | 0.3 | 1.3 | 20% | 0.3 | 0.3 | 100% | 30% | 27% | 5 |
| 2021-22 | 26 | Adelaide | 10-18 (7) | 27 | 13.6 | 4.3 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 4.3 | 39% | 0.3 | 1.2 | 24% | 0.7 | 1.0 | 67% | 45% | 43% | 12 |
| 2020-21 | 25 | Cairns | 8-28 (9) | 21 | 15.6 | 6.0 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 5.5 | 37% | 0.6 | 2.0 | 30% | 1.3 | 1.9 | 69% | 47% | 43% | 14 |
| 2019-20 | 24 | Cairns | 16-12 (3) | 5 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0% | 0.2 | 0.4 | 50% | 13% | 0% | 1 | Total | 58 | 13.0 | 4.3 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 4.3 | 36.8% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 26.5% | 0.4 | 1.4 | 68.1% | 45% | 41% | 14 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 14 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Canberra 2014-2015 | Hobart 2019, 2021 | Darwin 2022 | Knox 2025
FIBA EXPERIENCE
He was named to the under-17 Australian national Team and won a Asia-Pacific Games Silver Medal.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- New Zealand - Southern (2019)
Dufelmeier had a two-game stint with the Southern Huskies, a team based in Tasmania but played within the NZNBL and averaged 6.5 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists per game.
COLLEGE
Tad Dufelmeier Jr began his US college career at Salt Lake Community College, suiting up for the Bruins across the 2014–15 and 2015–16 NJCAA seasons before moving on to NCAA Division II Concordia University Irvine (CUI).
As a freshman for SLCC in 2014–15, Dufelmeier played 31 games with 13 starts and averaged 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per game, while also contributing 2.7 assists per contest and recording 32 steals as the Bruins built him into their backcourt rotation.
In his sophomore season at SLCC in 2015–16, Dufelmeier’s role expanded into a near full-time starter, and he averaged 9.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while starting all but one contest as the Bruins surged all the way to the NJCAA Division I national title.
Salt Lake capped the 2016 tournament run by winning the NJCAA national championship, and Dufelmeier featured prominently in the title game with six points and six assists while being named to the NJCAA All-Tournament Team and receiving the Charles Sesher Sportsmanship Award.
After completing his NJCAA eligibility, Dufelmeier signed with Concordia University Irvine and immediately became a starter in 2016–17, playing 28 games (28 starts) while averaging 11.2 points and 4.4 rebounds, shooting .481 from the field, .333 from three, and .753 at the line, alongside 80 assists on the season as a primary creator in the CUI guard rotation.
He followed that with a bigger senior year in 2017–18, starting all 31 games and averaging 12.9 points per game on .493 shooting, while knocking down 34 threes at 40.5 percent (34-of-84), and his year-to-year rise culminated in Second Team All-PacWest recognition after earning All-PacWest Honorable Mention the season prior.
One of the notable statistical markers from that senior season came on December 30, 2017, when Dufelmeier logged 10 assists in a single game, a performance that placed him into Concordia’s record-book discussions for single-game playmaking impact.
AWARDS
- Second-team All-PacWest (2018)
-
NJCAA D1 champion (2016)
Related
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