BIO: Jacob Rigoni was born in Adelaide (SA) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Sturt basketball program.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Jacob Rigoni made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 24 years of age. He scored five points in his first game.

Rigoni joined the 36ers as a development player in 2023. After a second disappointing season under coach CJ Bruton, the team underwent several roster changes. Despite Robert Franks and Antonius Cleveland being contracted for a second season, they both exited their deals to pursue opportunities overseas.

Key departures included Anthony Drmic (to Tasmania), Ian Clark (to Melbourne), and Kai Sotto (to Japan), but the biggest loss for 36ers fans was the decision not to bring back longtime big man Daniel Johnson after 13 years with the club.

Former Sixers Jason Cadee (via Brisbane), Isaac Humphries (via Melbourne), and import Jacob Wiley all returned to bring leadership. New additions included Trentyn Flowers (Next Stars program), AFL convert Alex Starling, and imports Trey Kell (via South East Melbourne) and Jamaal Franklin.

Franklin’s stint with the club was short-lived, as he was released during the NBL Blitz. Similar to the previous season, Adelaide struggled early (1-4), leading to the signing of DJ Vasiljevic, who had briefly joined the NBA’s Washington Wizards before being released right before the NBL season.

Vasiljevic (19.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists) provided instant offense, but a crushing loss to Tasmania, where Adelaide shot just 29 percent from the field and 2-11 from beyond the arc, led to Bruton’s dismissal. With the team sitting at 4-9, assistant coach Scott Ninnis took over, steering Adelaide to an impressive 5-1 run in January and bringing them back into playoff contention.

The 36ers finished the season as the league’s second-best rebounding team, averaging 43.5 boards per game, but struggled from three-point range, ranking last at 29.9 percent.

Kell (17.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.1 steals) and Humphries (15.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks) had standout seasons, while Wiley (10.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists) led the team in rebounding.

Ultimately, Adelaide finished just shy of a Play-In Tournament spot (12 wins, 16 losses), with Rigoni appearing in only two games and scoring a total of five points.

Jacob Rigoni currently plays for the Adelaide 36ers and has played 8 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 1.5 points, 0.2 rebounds, and 0 assists since entering the league in 2023.

CURRENT CONTRACT:

Adelaide 36ers – 2 Year Deal (2024-26)
2nd Year Team Option

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.