Men’s Basketball Signs Dontae Russo-Nance Out of New Zealand
6/11/2026 12:45:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MALIBU, Calif. — Pepperdine men's basketball head coach Griff Aldrich has announced the signing of guard Dontae Russo-Nance from New Zealand ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Russo-Nance is a 6-3 guard from Auckland, New Zealand, who joins the Waves following three seasons splitting time between the Australian and New Zealand National Basketball Leagues.
"We are thrilled to have Dontae join our program," said head coach Griff Aldrich. "Dontae is a big, physical guard that has played on and off the ball during his career. His versatility on both sides of the ball will provide us with an immediate-impact playmaking guard."
Russo-Nance spent three seasons with the Perth Wildcats, one of the premier clubs in the Australian NBL. He initially signed a three-year contract with Perth in 2023 and spent time as a development player while also competing in the New Zealand NBL during the offseason. Overall, he appeared in 36 games for the Wildcats from 2023-26.
This past season, Russo-Nance starred for the Manawatu Jets in the New Zealand NBL, averaging 18.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.5 steals per game while emerging as one of the league's top all-around guards. He appeared in two games for the Jets this season before committing to Pepperdine.
Prior to joining Perth, Russo-Nance established himself as an up-and-coming guard in New Zealand. He debuted professionally with the Auckland Huskies in 2021 before earning New Zealand NBL Youth Player of the Year honors in 2022 after averaging 15.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while leading the league in steals with 2.8 per contest.
On the international level, Russo-Nance has represented New Zealand throughout his career and earned his first selection to the Tall Blacks senior national team for the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup. He also participated in the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp during NBA All-Star Weekend in 2023.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN'S BASKETBALL
Pepperdine men's basketball has made 13 NCAA postseason appearances while earning 12 WCC Regular-Season Championships and three WCC Tournament Championships in its history. This success has spanned multiple decades, with the Waves most recently winning the 2021 CBI Tournament. The program has also seen 19 All-Americans along with 19 NBA players, which included a streak of 34 consecutive seasons with at least one alum on an NBA roster from 1976-2011.
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