BIO: Armstrong grew up in Burnie, Tasmania. He was a member of the Tasmanian U20 State Team, shooting 44 percent from the field at the Basketball Australia U20 National Championships. This led to him accepting a NCAA scholarship from California Baptist University after being strongly recruited from a host of other NCAA schools. Armstrong received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 2018. He spent two years year there and played for the program’s state league team (2018, 2019).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Taran Armstrong made his NBL debut with the Cairns Taipans at 21 years of age. He scored 18 points in his first game.

After two years of college, Armstrong chose to play as a professional in Australia where the was a hot commodity by a host of NBL clubs, including his hometown Tasmania JackJumpers. The opportunity to play for Adam Forde however swayed his signature to play his rookie season with the Cairns Taipans.

2024/25
Heading into NBL25, Cairns began the season with a major roster overhaul following the departure of imports Patrick Miller and Tahjere McCall. Also exiting were Bul Kuol (to Sydney), Lat Mayen (to Adelaide), Bobi Klintman (NBA Draft), and Josh Roberts, leaving significant gaps in the roster.

To rebuild, Cairns brought in imports Rob Edwards, Pedro Bradshaw, and Tanner Groves, while naming rising point guard Taran Armstrong team captain and elevating him into the starting unit. Veteran guard Kyle Adnam (via Illawarra), athletic wing Jackson Makoi (via Sydney), and versatile forward Kyrin Galloway (via Adelaide) also joined the squad. Sam Waardenburg re-signed to anchor the frontcourt, while development players Alex Higgins-Titsha and Kody Stattmann (via South East Melbourne) added roster depth.

After splitting their opening games in September, they briefly surged to a 3–1 start following wins over Tasmania and Melbourne. but momentum quickly faded. A narrow home loss to Perth and a blowout in Sydney triggered a downward spiral.

Across November and December, Cairns endured their toughest run of the season—dropping ten consecutive games. Despite standout individual performances from Edwards (33 points vs New Zealand), Armstrong (29 vs Tasmania), and Groves (21 vs New Zealand), the team’s defensive lapses and inability to close out tight games left them reeling. They finished the calendar year at 3–16, anchored to the bottom of the NBL standings.

By the end of 2024, the Taipans had fallen to 3–16 and sat at the bottom of the ladder. Injuries played a significant role—Taran Armstrong missed several games with an ankle sprain suffered during warmups in Round 3, and import Tanner Groves was sidelined for multiple weeks with a calf injury. In fact, Kyrin Galloway was the only player to appear in all 28 games, with the projected starting lineup missing a combined 25 games across the season. To plug holes, Cairns turned to short-term additions Deshon Taylor (3 games) and Tad Dufelmeier Jr (4 games).

January offered a glimpse of the team’s potential. The Taipans went 4–3 that month, including an overtime win over Perth, a dominant 111–80 victory in Brisbane, and a home triumph against Illawarra. Edwards poured in 35 points against the Bullets, while Armstrong recorded the season’s only triple-double with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 100–88 win over Brisbane. Head coach Adam Forde praised Armstrong’s performance, calling it “an example of what he’s capable of” and hinting at his long-term potential on bigger stages.

“This is just an example of what he’s capable of doing and the evolution of his game from last year to this year,” Forde said post-game.

“Imagine what that’s going to look like five years from now, wherever he is in the world, just capitalising on his talent that he’s had to work really hard for.”

Taran Armstrong also showcased his scoring and playmaking ability when he dropped 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists against Illawarra on January 3, and his 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists against Perth on December 14.

Despite a more competitive finish—going 5–5 over their final 10 games—the Taipans ended the season at 8–21, last on the ladder with the league’s lowest points percentage (92.49%). Shortly after the season concluded, Adam Forde parted ways with the club, closing a three-year tenure that included one finals appearance.

Sam Waardenburg (14.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists) was a steady two-way contributor all year, earning Club MVP, Defensive Player, and Members’ Choice MVP honours at the end of the season. Tanner Groves (13.5 points and 5.7 rebounds) and Pedro Bradshaw (10.7 points and 5.7 rebounds) were both servicable while youngsters Kyrin Galloway (7.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks), Akoldah Gak (6.3 points, 5.6 rebounds), and Alex Higgins-Titsha (6.2 points, 3.9 rebounds) delivered a break out season, making the most of Cairns’ injury woes.

Taran Armstrong played two seasons with the Cairns Taipans. He averaged 11.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 42 NBL games.