Mana Martin, an 18‑year‑old shooting guard from New Zealand, has pledged to the Siena men’s basketball program for the upcoming season, bringing a blend of local league experience and international exposure.
A Strategic Commitment
His résumé includes nine appearances for the Canterbury Rams in New Zealand’s National Basketball League this spring, where he posted averages of five points per game while shooting 55.1 % from the field and 41.2 % from beyond the arc. He also showcased his scoring prowess for the New Zealand Select Team at the 2025 NBA Global Academy Games, averaging 17.8 points per game.
His recent stint in the Sky Broadband Rapid League, where he tallied 12.5 points per game, has left him eager to translate those lessons to the collegiate stage, a prospect that excites both the player and the coaching staff.
Building a Global Squad
Coach Nevada Smith, who has already secured commitments from eleven scholarship athletes, highlighted the strategic value of Martin’s skill set, noting that the guard’s versatility dovetails with the program’s ambitions.
The incoming class also features Spanish center Andrés Amón, who earned a spot on the Spain U20 National Team roster for the Eurobasket Tournament in Slovenia, and Turkish point guard Tan Yildizoglu, alongside other international signees such as Pace Prosser, Trent Egbiremolen, Tim Ibukunoluwa, Parrish Edmond Jr., Gerry McNamara, Brendan Coyle, Reid Ducharme, Isaiah Henderson and Owen Schlager.
Matt Blue, a Siena assistant coach with a background in NBA development programs across Australia and Asia, emphasized that the blend of talent from New Zealand, Spain, Turkey and the United States reflects a deliberate effort to broaden the program’s competitive edge.
The move underscores a growing trend of New Zealand prospects seeking pathways abroad, a journey that Martin began after stints with the Canterbury Rams and the NBA Global Academy, and now continues at Siena, a school located in Albany, New York, where the campus community anticipates a fresh infusion of global flair.