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
- 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.
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 Cairns Taipans and has played 57 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 4.4 points, 2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists since entering the league in 2019.
CURRENT CONTRACT:
Cairns Taipans – 1 Year Deal (2024-25)
Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.
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 | 23.0 | 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 | 367.0 | 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 | 327.0 | 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 | 10.0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 1 | 2 | 50% | 13% | 0% | 1 | Totals | 57 | 727 | 251 | 114 | 123 | 44 | 70 | 32 | 3 | 58 | 83 | 91 | 246 | 37.0% | 22 | 82 | 26.8% | 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 | 5.8 | 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 | 57 | 12.8 | 4.4 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 4.3 | 37.0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 26.8% | 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
FIBA EXPERIENCE
He was named to the under-17 Australian national Team and won a Asia-Pacific Games Silver Medal.
| Season | Team | PTS | AST | STL | BLK | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 44% | 79% | 62% | 40% | ||||||
| 2 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 91 | 246 | 37.0% | 22 | 82 | 26.8% |
NBA TOTAL STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 26 | Adelaide | 10-18 (7) | 27 | 367.0 | 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 | 327.0 | 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 | 10.0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 1 | 2 | 50% | 13% | 0% | 1 | Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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
Dufelmeier played his freshman season as a member of the SLCC Bruins. He averaged 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. In his sophomore season, he averaged 9.7 points and 3.9 rebounds, starting all the games but one. The Bruins would advance to the national championship game in 2016, winning the school's second title.
Dufelmeier was selected to the All-tournament team, and also received the Charles Sesher Sportsmanship Award. Upon completion of his NJCAA eligibility, Dufelmeier signed with NCAA Division II CUI.
In his first season at Concordia, he averaged 11.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. His following season saw those numbers rise to 12.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 5.5 assists.
AWARDS
- Second-team All-PacWest (2018)
-
NJCAA D1 champion (2016)
Related
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