Awards keep coming for Wisconsin’s promising New Zealand commits

The New Zealand Basketball League has ended, and the pair of Wisconsin commits, Hayden Jones and Jackson Ball, piled up the awards. They each ended up with multiple designations that will have Wisconsin fans very excited about their future Badgers.

Hayden Jones is coming this next season as he is now eligible, but the Badgers will be waiting one more season for Jackson Ball to come in the 2026 recruiting class. Both are stars in New Zealand and show a ton of promise for their NCAA career.

Hayden Jones and Jackson Ball both won multiple awards in the NBL

Hayden Jones walked away with the 2025 Rapid League MVP award and an all-star team selection. There were only five players selected for this group of all-stars, so it's a pretty prestigious designation.

"Emerging talent Hayden Jones (Nelson Giants) earned Rapid League MVP, finishing with 10.8 points and 2.2 assists, while also contributing 0.9 blocks per game and all-round hustle for the back to back Rapid League Champs and was also named a Rapid League All Star 5 Member for the second consecutive year as he prepares to embark to the University of Wisconsin."

Sal's NBL Awards

Jones was phenomenal at the FIBA U19 tournament to help the New Zealand team finish fourth overall. The performances in FIBA showed Wisconsin fans what he is capable of, while in the NBL, he often played a role rather than carried his team—the combo of the two showcases that Greg Gard loves him.

Jackson Ball also won two awards: Youth Player of the Year and Most Improved Player. The award writers were effusive in their praise for Ball.

"One of the league's fastest rising stars, Hawke’s Bay's 16 year old phenom Jackson Ball, took home a double honour as Most Improved Player and Youth Player of the Year. Ball played 34 minutes per game and averaged 19.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.9 apg and 2.3 three-pointers per game on strong efficiency, combining energy and polish to become a key contributor for the Hawks. His performance taking a massive leap from 2024 where he averaged 3.4ppg, 1rpg, 1apg while playing just over 11 minutes per game, showcasing his massive growth from one season to the next. "

Sal's NBL Awards

Ball has had Wisconsin fans jumping out of their seats all season as he has put up multiple 30+ games in New Zealand. He is absolutely electric, and yet he's also young at only 16 years old. One more year in the NBL will do him wonders as he prepares to join the Badgers as a young, almost 18-year-old player.

These awards are exciting for Wisconsin fans as they look to the future of both New Zealand prospects joining the Badgers.