BIO: Luca Yates was born in Townsville, QLD and began playing basketball as a junior with the Townsville basketball program. He was a part of the Queensland Under-20 state team for the 2023 Nationals. Yates received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 2022. He spent one year there and played for the program’s state league team.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Luca Yates made his NBL debut with the Illawarra Hawks at 19 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

After a challenging 2022/23 season, Illawarra entered the 2023/24 campaign with a restructured roster and renewed focus under second-year head coach Jacob Jackomas. The team aimed to recover from its worst record in franchise history (3-25), with a mix of veteran leadership and fresh talent. Luka Yates signed a development player deal with the Hawks, marking his entry into the NBL.

The Hawks made significant roster adjustments, acquiring veteran Todd Blanchfield through a buy-out, Mason Peatling (via Melbourne), and Biwali Bayles (via Sydney). Promising young players such as Korean sharpshooter Hyunjung Lee and NBA prospect AJ Johnson joined under the NBL’s ‘Asian player’ rule and Next Stars Program, respectively. Returning core players Tyler Harvey, Sam Froling, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, William “Davo” Hickey, and Daniel Grida provided continuity. Gary Clark, the team’s third import, and a healthy Justin Robinson further bolstered the squad.

Despite early struggles and injuries to Peatling and Lee, the Hawks held a 2-4 record by October, prompting a coaching change. Interim coach Justin Tatum led a turnaround, highlighted by wins from Clark (17 points, 7.8 rebounds), Froling (15.4 points, 7.8 rebounds), and Harvey (15.1 points, 2.5 assists). The Hawks finished 14-14, securing fourth place. After a loss to Tasmania (92-76), they beat New Zealand (88-85) before falling to Melbourne in the semi-finals by six points.

Luka Yates saw limited action during the season, appearing in just one game and not scoring.

Luca Yates currently plays for the Illawarra Hawks and has played 4 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 0 points, 0.2 rebounds, and 0 assists since entering the league in 2023.

CURRENT CONTRACT:

Illawarra Hawks – 1 Year Deal (2024-25)

Dan Boyce (815 Posts)

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.