Greg Whittington
July 23, 2020
Tony Tolovae
- Nationality: NZL/AUS
- Date of Birth: 25/10/92
- Place of Birth: Sydney (NSW)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 196
- Weight (KG): 88
- Junior Assoc:
- College: Virginia University of Lynchburg (2013)
- NBL DEBUT: 14/10/15
- AGE AT DEBUT: 22
- LAST NBL GAME: 24/10/16
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 23
- NBL History: Illawarra 2016 | Sydney 2017
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Tony Tolovae was born in Sydney (NSW).
Tony is known for his defence, rebounding and ability to play multi-dimensional on the offensive end.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Tony Tolovae made his NBL debut with the Illawarra Hawks at 22 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.
After finishing last with a 6-22 record and entering Voluntary Administration during the previous season, Wollongong returned under the Illawarra Hawks name with Rob Beveridge replacing long-time coach Gordie McLeod. Gary Ervin, Jahii Carson, Luke Nevill, Adam Ballinger (retired), Brad Hill and David Gruber departed, while Oscar Forman, Tim Coenraad, Rhys Martin, Tyson Demos, Larry Davidson and development player Luke Jamieson returned. Beveridge added AJ Ogilvy (via Manresa), Kevin Lisch (via Zaragoza), Kirk Penney (via Sevilla), Kevin White (via Sydney) and Cody Ellis (via Sydney), with Tony Tolovae joining the Hawks as a development player.
Tolovae made his NBL debut against New Zealand at WIN Entertainment Centre on October 14, collecting 1 assist in 2:28 as Illawarra defeated the defending champion Breakers 96-75 behind Penney (36 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Ogilvy (23 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 blocks), while Charles Jackson (20 points and 9 rebounds) led New Zealand.
Tolovae (1 point across 7 games) remained outside Beveridge’s regular rotation and received opportunities when injuries left Illawarra short-handed. His highest-scoring game came against Sydney on November 25, when Tolovae (4 points) made both of his field-goal attempts in 2:30 as the undermanned Hawks defeated the Kings 96-90, with Penney (24 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists) and Ogilvy (20 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) leading Illawarra while Josh Childress (20 points and 15 rebounds) was Sydney’s best. The absence of three regular rotation players had forced Beveridge to elevate Tolovae and Jamieson to the bench.
Tolovae’s best all-round game came three days later against Townsville, where Tolovae (2 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, and 1 steal) played a season-high 12:18 as Illawarra defeated the Crocodiles 108-70. Penney (31 points) and Lisch (15 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) led the Hawks, while Brian Conklin (20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals) was Townsville’s best.
Penney (20.4 points and 3.1 assists across 27 games) led Illawarra in scoring, while Lisch (19.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.8 steals across 27 games) and Ogilvy (16.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.7 blocks across 31 games) formed the Hawks’ other major scoring options. Coenraad (9.5 points and 3.6 rebounds across 30 games), Martin (9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists across 18 games), Forman (8 points and 3.5 rebounds across 31 games), Weeks (6.1 points across 31 games) and Ellis (6 points across 29 games) provided the other main contributions. Penney earned All-NBL Second Team honours, while Ogilvy and Lisch were named to the All-NBL First Team and Lisch won both NBL Most Valuable Player and Best Defensive Player.
Tolovae’s final appearance came against Adelaide on February 12, where he went scoreless in 2:50 as Illawarra won 106-95 and completed the regular season in third place with a 17-11 record. Tolovae did not enter the rotation during the semifinals as Perth defeated Illawarra 80-68 in game one, the Hawks responded with a 104-87 win in Wollongong and Perth won the deciding game 89-74.
SYDNEY KINGS
2016/17
Sydney entered Andrew Gaze’s first season as head coach after finishing last with a 6-22 record in 2015/16. The Kings moved on from imports Josh Childress and Al Harrington and added Kevin Lisch (via Illawarra), Brad Newley (via Gran Canaria), Aleks Maric, Greg Whittington and Michael Bryson. With Julian Khazzouh unable to recover from his quadriceps tendon injury in time for the season, Josh Powell was brought in after the opening round to complete Sydney’s import group.
Tony Tolovae (via Illawarra) joined Sydney after spending the previous season with the Hawks, where he had made his NBL debut. Used as depth in Gaze’s extended playing group, Tolovae received only one regular-season opportunity with the Kings.
That appearance came against his former club at Qudos Bank Arena on October 24. Tolovae (0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, and 0 blocks) played 37 seconds and missed his only field-goal attempt as Sydney defeated Illawarra 90-73. Newley (20 points) and Lisch (19 points) led the Kings, while AJ Ogilvy (20 points) was Illawarra’s leading scorer.
Tolovae (0 points across 1 game) remained outside the regular rotation following that appearance. There was no reported injury accounting for his lack of court time during the opening months of the season, but his year was subsequently ended by an injury away from an NBL game.
In December, Tolovae suffered a season-ending ankle injury during a practice match involving Sydney’s younger players and the NSW Under-20 squad. The injury ruled him out for the remainder of 2016/17 and created an additional roster position. On December 28, Sydney signed highly rated Australian guard William McDowell-White as a development player for the remainder of the season, with the club specifically confirming Tolovae’s injury had opened the spot.
Tolovae’s injury-related replacement occurred alongside a separate import merry-go-round. Sydney had already released Michael Bryson and replaced him with former NBA guard Steve Blake. Blake then returned to the United States on compassionate leave because of a family illness and did not return, leading the Kings to sign Garrett Jackson for the remainder of the season. McDowell-White’s addition was therefore not another import change; his opportunity was created by Tolovae’s season-ending injury.
Sydney was unable to rediscover the form that produced an 8-3 start, going 5-12 thereafter and losing nine of its final twelve games. The Kings finished seventh with a 13-15 record and missed the playoffs, although Lisch and Newley were both selected to the All-NBL Second Team. Tolovae did not return to Sydney in 2017/18, with the ankle injury having ended his only season with the Kings after a single appearance.
Tony Tolovae played two seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Sydney Kings and the Illawarra Hawks.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 24 | Sydney | 13-15 (7) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0 |
| 2015-16 | 23 | Illawarra | 17-11 (3) | 7 | 29 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 30% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 1 | 2 | 50% | 32% | 30% | 4 | Totals | 8 | 29 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 27.3% | 0 | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | 2 | 50.0% | 0 | 0 | 4 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 24 | Sydney | 13-15 (7) | 1 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0 |
| 2015-16 | 23 | Illawarra | 17-11 (3) | 7 | 4.1 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 30% | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0% | 0.1 | 0.3 | 50% | 32% | 30% | 4 | Total | 8 | 3.7 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.375 | 1.375 | 27.3% | 0.03409090909 | 0.0% | 0.125 | 50.0% | 0 | 0 | 4 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Bankstown (2012), Inner West (2023–2024)
Tolovae joined Bankstown for the 2012 Waratah League season, giving the Sydney-born guard-forward a state league stop with the Bruins before his later senior career continued through college and professional basketball.
Tolovae joined Inner West for the 2023 NBL1 East season and played for the Bulls in their second year in the competition. Inner West built one of the strongest regular-season records in the league, finishing second at 18–4, while Tolovae averaged 13.60 points, 4.85 rebounds, 1.25 assists, 0.85 steals and 0.75 blocks per game. He ranked fourth on the team in scoring, fourth in rebounding, fourth in assists, third in blocks, fifth in steals and second in made threes at 1.30 per game.
His best scoring game of the 2023 NBL1 East season came in Round 12 against the Sydney Comets, when Inner West won 104–71 after overturning a 25–19 quarter-time deficit with a 31–8 second quarter and a 33–13 third quarter. Tolovae finished with 35 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots, shooting 7-of-12 from three-point range as the Bulls improved to 12–2.
Tolovae added another late-season scoring contribution against Bankstown in Round 17, finishing with 20 points and seven rebounds as Inner West beat the Bruins 102–90 at Concord Recreation Centre and moved to 16–4 with two regular-season home games remaining. He also hit two late threes against Central Coast in First Nations Round, finishing with 11 points on 2-of-3 shooting from deep as the Bulls nearly erased an 18-point fourth-quarter deficit before falling 104–102.
Tolovae returned to Inner West for the 2024 NBL1 East season, remaining with a Bulls roster that kept much of its 2023 core. He averaged 9.80 points, 4.10 rebounds, 1.55 assists, 0.80 steals and 0.55 blocks per game, again sitting among the club leaders in scoring, rebounding, assists, blocks, steals and made threes.
Inner West opened the 2024 season with Tolovae still part of the main rotation. He had 13 points and eight rebounds in a 101–79 Round 1 loss to Maitland, then added 12 points and five rebounds in a 77–63 Anzac Round win over Bankstown as the Bulls improved to 6–1 after a five-game winning streak.
Tolovae produced 19 points, three assists and two rebounds in an 88–85 Round 7 win over Illawarra, with Inner West recovering from a nine-point half-time deficit and moving to 8–3. He later had 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocks during Heritage Round as the Bulls beat Penrith 120–79, shooting 62.8 per cent from the field and improving to 9–5.
FIBA EXPERIENCE
Tony was part of the New Zealand Select tour who toured China in 2018 and was a part of the wider Tall Blacks Squad.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- New Zealand - Otago (2014), Canterbury (2015, 2018–2019), Taranaki (2016), Hawkes Bay (2017) | Norway - Gimle BBK (2018–2019)
Tolovae joined the Otago Nuggets for the 2014 New Zealand NBL season, playing his first season in New Zealand and averaging 5.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.5 assists across 15 games.
Tolovae moved to the Canterbury Rams for the 2015 New Zealand NBL season and averaged 3.0 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game.
He changed teams again for the 2016 New Zealand NBL season with the Taranaki Airs, playing 18 games and averaging 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per contest.
In 2017, Tolovae joined the Hawkes Bay Hawks for the New Zealand NBL season and averaged 13.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists across 18 games.
Tolovae returned to the Canterbury Rams for the 2018 New Zealand NBL season, starting every game and averaging 13.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists across 18 appearances.
During the 2018–19 season, Tolovae played in Norway for Gimle BBK in the BLNO, where he averaged 16 points and 5 rebounds per game, and was credited with helping lift the club from the bottom of the league to first place within a season of his arrival while sharing the roster with teammates including Milovan Savic, Eivind Lamo, Morten Osland, and Sigurd Lorange.
In January 2019, Tolovae was announced as the first signing for new Canterbury Rams head coach Mick Downer for the 2019 New Zealand NBL season, and he returned to New Zealand after the conclusion of the Norway season in early April, averaging 6.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists across 18 games for the Rams.
COLLEGE
Tolovae played college basketball at Virginia University of Lynchburg during the 2012–13 season, a schedule that included USCAA competition and games against NCAA programs, with his name also appearing in college records as “Tony Talavae.”
In the 2012–13 season opener on November 10, 2012, Virginia University of Lynchburg defeated Pfeiffer University 79–72 in the Best Western of Albemarle Highway 52 Shootout, and Tolovae finished with 10 points as the Dragons closed the game by making their final eight free throws in the last 50 seconds while recording eight blocks and 14 steals as a team in the win.
Virginia University of Lynchburg later played Daemen College on January 4, 2013 at the Ave Maria Classic in Ave Maria, Florida, and Tolovae started and logged 23 minutes in a 88–65 loss, scoring 6 points on 3-for-4 shooting while collecting 3 rebounds, committing 3 turnovers, and blocking 1 shot.
Across the NCAA-tracked portion of his 2012–13 season, Tolovae appeared in 2 games and averaged 1.5 points and 0.5 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game, with a 25.0 field-goal percentage and a 50.0 three-point percentage in the available stat record.
During that same season, Virginia University of Lynchburg was ranked as high as 14th in USCAA Division I coverage, and Tolovae’s documented single-game highs included a 23-point performance in a win over Bluefield in results coverage from that campaign.
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