2020-2021 NBL Depth Charts
May 19, 2021
Mike Karena
- Nationality: NZL
- Date of Birth: 24/10/93
- Place of Birth: Nelson (New Zealand)
- Position: F/C
- Height (CM): 208
- Weight (KG): 122
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: South Plains (2012-2014) / Wright State (2014-2016)
- NBL DEBUT: 11/02/21
- AGE AT DEBUT: 27
- LAST NBL GAME: 8/06/21
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 27
- NBL History: South East Melbourne 2021
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Mike Karena was born in Nelson (New Zealand).
NBL EXPERIENCE
Mike Karena made his NBL debut with the South East Melbourne Phoenix at 27 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.
South East Melbourne looked to improve on their debut season, with coach Simon Mitchell providing franchise player Mitch Creek with some additional talent. Cam Gliddon and Reuben Te Rangi (both via Brisbane) were added to help spread the floor, providing more room for Creek to operate inside, and rookie Kiwi duo Izayah Mauriohooho-Le’afa and Mike Karena came on as development players.
Phoenix fans celebrated when Yanni Wetzell, who was on a number of NBA radars after a standout career at the University of San Diego State, only to see him exercise his European out clause and signed with German team Riesen Ludwigsburg. Imports Ben Moore and Keifer Sykes were then added to finalise the roster.
Due to COVID-19, the NBL was forced to postpone its season and start in January 2021, with the majority of players also asked to reduce their salaries due to the financial pressure caused by the pandemic. The impacts of Covid also created passport complications for Wetzell, who spun 180 and returned to play for the Phoenix after all.
Wetzell (11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) quickly established himself as one of the best young bigs in the competition, and together with Creek (18.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists), who led the team in scoring, and rebounds, provided a powerful one-two punch for the Phoenix.
South East Melbourne evolved into the highest-scoring team in the NBL, getting high-level production from Keifer Sykes (14.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.0 assists), Kyle Adnam (12.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists), Cameron Gliddon (10.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals) and Moore (10.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists), who would all top score for the team in different games.
Following a season ending injury to Dane Pineau before the season even started, Moore, Wetzell and Karena were asked to step up in his absence. This saw Karena appear in 15 games for the season, averaging 1.2 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.1 steals per game.
Mid-season, the Phoenix had the opportunity to add Australian Boomers forward Ryan Broekhoff to the roster. Broekhoff had spent the season sitting on the sidelines, rehabbing a fractured leg and hoping to sign another NBA deal. He joined the team as an injury replacement player for Dane Pineau, and his arrival also pushed Karena out of the regular rotation.
South East Melbourne (19-17) finished in fourth place and reached the NBL playoffs for the first time in their second NBL season. They would go on to face Melbourne (28-8) in a semifinal series, played in empty arenas in Sydney, with both team’s unable to play in Melbourne due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The team split the first two games of the series playing at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, with Creek (26 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists) leading the team in scoring in game two before returning home to play the decider at home. Leading United by as much as 15 points in the second quarter of the final game of the semi-final series (32-15), they gave away a turnaround of almost 30 points to finish 10-point losers (84-74). The Phoenix’s rebounding deficiencies (second last in the league for rebounds) were a major reason for the loss, combined with a season-high scoring effort from United’s big man Jock Landale (27 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks), who shot 11-13 from the floor and a perfect 3/3 from beyond, didn’t make things any easier.
Creek (19 points) and Reuben Te Rangi, who delivered a season high scoring night (22 points), were the key contributors for South East Melbourne in their final game of the season.
Mike Karena played one season in the NBL. He averaged 1.2 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0 assists in 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 27 | South East Melbourne | 19-17 (4) | 15 | 54.1 | 18 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 15 | 8 | 18 | 44% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 2 | 2 | 100% | 47% | 44% | 6 | Totals | 15 | 54 | 18 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 15 | 8 | 18 | 44.4% | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 2 | 100.0% | 48% | 44% | 6 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 27 | South East Melbourne | 19-17 (4) | 15 | 3.6 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 44% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0.1 | 0.1 | 100% | 47% | 44% | 6 | Total | 15 | 3.6 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 44.4% | 0.0 | 0.0% | 100.0% | 48% | 44% | 6 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- NW Tasmania (2021), Hobart (2023), Latrobe (2025)
Karena joined NW Tasmania for the 2021 NBL1 South season, with his arrival delayed until after his South East Melbourne commitments before he made his Thunder debut against Bendigo in June.
Karena scored 17 points off the bench in his first NW Tasmania appearance, then produced 25 points and 10 rebounds against Dandenong, including seven fourth-quarter points and three free throws in the final 30 seconds to help seal the win.
Karena joined Hobart for the 2023 NBL1 South season and averaged 10.33 points, 4.33 rebounds and 1.67 assists per game with the Chargers.
Karena recorded 12 points, five rebounds and four assists in Hobart’s 93–80 win over Ringwood, a result that lifted the Chargers to 7–7 after snapping a four-game losing run.
Karena joined Latrobe for the 2025 NWBU season after moving from Hobart, continuing his Tasmanian state-league career.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- New Zealand - Nelson Giants (2012, 2020), Canterbury Rams (2016, 2018–2019, 2022) | Spain - Sammic ISB (2016–2017), Força Lleida CE (2017–2018)
Karena joined Nelson Giants for the 2012 New Zealand NBL season, playing his first season in New Zealand, and he appeared in 12 games.
Karena joined Canterbury Rams for the 2016 New Zealand NBL season and averaged 8.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.3 assists in 12 games.
He moved to Spain with Sammic ISB for the 2016–17 LEB Plata season and averaged 14.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 30 games as the club won the league title and earned promotion to LEB Oro.
Karena remained in Spain with Força Lleida CE for the 2017–18 LEB Oro season and averaged 6.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 27 games after signing on June 14, 2017.
He returned to Canterbury Rams for the 2018 New Zealand NBL season and averaged 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 12 games.
Mike Karena played in New Zealand NBL for the Canterbury Rams from 2016 to 2019. His best season coming in 2019 where he averaged 13.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists across 19 games.
In 2019, Canterbury finished as New Zealand NBL semi-finalists.
In 2020 Mike Karena played for rival club the Nelson Giants during the COVID shortened season and averaged 17.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists across 12 games.
In 2022, Mike Karena played for the Canterbury Rams and averaged 10.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists across 18 games.
During the 2022 season, Karena posted 31 points and 11 rebounds against the Auckland Tuatara on July 10.
COLLEGE
Mike Karena played collegiate basketball first at South Plains College from 2012–13 to 2013–14 before transferring to Wright State University, where he competed in NCAA Division I from 2014–15 through 2015–16 as a center for the Raiders.
At South Plains, Karena appeared in 26 games across his two seasons, averaging 4.5 points and 1.9 rebounds per game as a freshman in 2012–13 and then 4.6 points and 2.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore in 2013–14 while shooting above 50 percent from the field in both seasons.
South Plains College finished the 2013–14 season with a 29–6 overall record and captured the WJCAC championship, with Karena contributing off the bench as part of a deep junior college rotation.
After his junior college career, Karena signed with Wright State in April 2014 and became a key rotation big man for the Raiders in the Horizon League beginning in the 2014–15 season.
In his junior season (2014–15) at Wright State, Karena started 30 of 31 games and averaged 9.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 22.5 minutes per game while shooting 54.0 percent from the field, producing a 278-point campaign that ranked among the team’s primary interior scoring options.
During that season, his career highs included 21 points in a game against UIC, and he contributed multiple double-digit scoring outings including 18 points versus Cleveland State and 17 points with eight rebounds against Green Bay.
As a senior in 2015–16, Karena appeared in 34 games with 28 starts and increased his scoring to 9.9 points per game while adding 3.7 rebounds and shooting 52.6 percent from the field and 67.3 percent from the free-throw line, finishing with a combined 338 points for the Raiders.
Across his two years at Wright State, he played in 65 Division I games with 58 starts, averaging 9.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game for his career while maintaining over 53 percent shooting from the field.
Karena became one of the few New Zealand-born players to compete in NCAA Division I basketball, standing 6-10 and listed at 255–270 pounds during his Raiders tenure, and left Wright State as a reliable frontcourt contributor over his final two college seasons.
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