Tom Daly (basketball)


Thomas "Tom" Daly is an Australian professional basketball player for the Mount Gambier Pioneers of the South Australian Premier League.

Professional career

Born and raised in Adelaide, Daly started playing for the Sturt Sabres of the Central Australian Basketball League in 2009, going on to win a championship with them in 2010 where he scored 26 points in the final. He was also the Frank Angove Medalist in 2010, an honour awarded to the best U/23 player in the Central ABL.
Following a successful 2010 Central ABL season, Daly joined the Adelaide 36ers as a development player for the 2010–11 NBL season. Due to various injuries on the squad, Daly managed 13 games in 2010–11 and averaged 2.2 points per game as a result. Following the conclusion of the NBL season, Daly re-joined the Sturt Sabres for the 2011 Central ABL season.
Daly re-joined the Adelaide 36ers as a development player for the 2011–12 NBL season and in 12 games, he averaged 1.8 points per game. Daly went on to win the Woollacott Medal for fairest and most brilliant in the Central ABL. He was also named the 2012 MVP and named to the All-Star five after averaging 17.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game for Sturt.
On 23 October 2012, Daly signed with the Mount Gambier Pioneers of the South East Australian Basketball League.
Daly was again one of the Adelaide 36ers' development players going into the 2012–13 NBL season. Following the mid-season release of import guard C. J. Massingale, and the season ending Achilles tendon injury to Mitch Creek, Daly signed a one-month contract with the 36ers, elevating him to the team's senior roster. Daly's performances saw him retain his roster spot until the end of the season and he was rewarded with nomination for the NBL's Rookie of the Year award. On 10 September 2014, Daly signed a full-time contract with the 36ers for the 2014–15 NBL season.
Daly played for the Mount Gambier Pioneers every year between 2013 and 2017, winning national championships in 2014, 2015 and 2017. On 19 January 2018, he committed to the Pioneers program for a further two seasons.

International career

In June 2009, Daly joined Australia for the 2009 FIBA Oceania Tournament in Saipan. The tournament was held over 6 days, and Australia's squad was made up of players all under the age of 20. They played against the senior men's teams of New Caledonia, New Zealand, Fiji, Palau, Tahiti, Guam and Northern Marianas. Despite this, Australia went on to win the gold medal and Daly was named to the tournament's All-Star five.