THERE are plenty of familiar names in the initial squad for the Australian Emus ahead of the 2025 Under-19 World Cup, with the Aussies looking to continue their hot streak of qualifying for the tournament.

Since 1979, Australia has qualified for the tournament on 15 out of a possible 17 occasions, and remains a steadfast presence in the world of emerging basketball talent. The Emus will be looking to bring another talented squad to the tournament, which is set to take place in Switzerland from the 28th of June to the 6th of July.

Headlining the squad is NBA Draft hopeful Rocco Zikarsky, who will be looking to bounce back after injuries interrupted his second NBL campaign with the Brisbane Bullets. Once a likely top 10 selection in the 2025 draft, Zikarsky could be in for a big tournament, although his availability will be dependant on if he is picked up by an NBA team in June.

Another big name in the squad is Dash Daniels ahead of his first NBL season. Daniels will be joining Melbourne United as a member of the Next Stars program, and is one of the most exciting young talents in the country, hoping to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Dyson, who is a finalist for the Most Improved Player at NBA level.

There are also plenty of names that have performed well at representative level in the past, with the likes of Roman Siulepa, Indy Cotton and Luke Fennell all performing strongly for their respective states at the National Championships in the past.

The squad will come together in May under the leadership of head coach Robbie McKinlay, before the list is trimmed to 12 players for the tournament itself.