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 179 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 played four seasons in the NBL. He averaged 4.4 points, 2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 57 NBL games.
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 | 57 | 752 | 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 | 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 | 57 | 13.2 | 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 (2013–2014), Hobart (2019, 2021) | Darwin (2022) | Cairns (2023) | Dandenong (2024) | Knox (2025)
Dufelmeier Jr joined the Canberra Gunners for the 2013 SEABL season, and in his first senior state league stint he played on a team that finished 8–20 in the East Conference, did not qualify for the finals, and saw him win the Canberra Gunners Rising Star award in the club’s 25th anniversary year.
Dufelmeier remained with Canberra in 2014 for the SEABL season, with the Gunners improving to 10–16 and finishing seventh in the East Conference, and he left mid-season to head to Salt Lake Community College after appearing in 10 games, with Canberra going 7–3 in the matches he played.
Dufelmeier joined Hobart for the 2019 NBL1 season, and with the Huskies he averaged 18.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.9 steals across 18 games while shooting 50 per cent from the field.
Dufelmeier joined Hobart again in 2021 for the NBL1 South season, this time with the Chargers, and he made an immediate impact with 22 points and six assists on debut against North West Tasmania, later produced 30 points and nine rebounds against Geelong, and added 15 points, nine assists, nine rebounds and three steals in a road win over Knox.
Dufelmeier joined Darwin for the 2022 NBL1 North season, and he was one of the Salties’ key guards with averages of 19.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, earned a weekly player honour in July, posted 34 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in a win over Gold Coast, and helped Darwin reach the finals before an 89–86 first-round loss to USC Rip City.
Dufelmeier joined Cairns for the 2023 NBL1 North season, signing with the Marlins in March and delivering one of the strongest years of his state league career with averages of 21.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game, including a 15-point, 11-assist outing against Sunshine Coast, and his season was recognised with All-NBL1 North Second Team selection.
Dufelmeier joined Dandenong for the 2024 NBL1 South season, and he led the Rangers in scoring at 17.9 points per game while also averaging 4.3 assists and 5.9 rebounds, helping them reach the semi-finals after a 98–91 finals win over defending champion Knox before their season ended with a 91–78 semi-final loss to Ballarat.
Dufelmeier joined Knox for the 2025 NBL1 South season, and he averaged 13.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.1 steals per game as the Raiders finished first on the NBL1 South ladder, with his season featuring a 24-point, six-rebound and five-assist performance against Mount Gambier.
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 Huskies (2019) | India - Chennai Heat (2025)
Dufelmeier Jr joined the Southern Huskies for the 2019 New Zealand NBL season, playing his first season in New Zealand, and in his two-game stint with the Tasmania-based side he averaged 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists across 28.6 minutes per game.
During that June 2019 spell, Southern lost 97–71 to the Canterbury Rams and 93–73 to the Southland Sharks, with Dufelmeier polling three TAB MVP votes in the Rams game and one more in the Sharks game.
Tad Dufelmeier Jr joined the Chennai Heat for the 2025 Indian National Basketball League season in India, where he played 10 games, averaged 17.4 points per game, and was recognised by Asia-Basket as the INBL Guard of the Year.
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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