Julius Halaifonua
Halaifonua at Georgetown in 2026 | |
| No. 11 – Georgetown Hoyas | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| League | Big East Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 9 May 2006 |
| Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) |
| Listed weight | 259 lb (117 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | |
| College | Georgetown (2024–present) |
Julius Halaifonua (born 9 May 2006) is a New Zealand college basketball player for the Georgetown Hoyas of the Big East Conference.
Early life and high school
Halaifonua grew up in Auckland, New Zealand, the son of Willie Halaifonua and his wife, Turea. His father played rugby, which the younger Halaifonua also played in addition to basketball. However, he quit the sport in 2013 after his father died as a result of injuries sustained during a match.[1]
Halaifonua attended Rosmini College before transferring to the NBA Global Academy in Australia.[2] In 16 games at the academy, he scored 12.8 points per game on 57% shooting from the field.[2]
Recruiting
Halaifonua was rated a four-star recruit and committed to play college basketball in the United States at Georgetown over offers from Kentucky, North Carolina, and Xavier.[3] At the time of his commitment, Halaifonua was considered by scouts to be the top New Zealand basketball prospect of his generation.[3]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julius Halaifonua C |
Auckland, New Zealand | NBA Global Academy (Australia) | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | 270 lb (120 kg) | Aug 5, 2024 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Rivals: 164 247Sports: 60 ESPN: NR | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
College career
Freshman
As a freshman, Halaifonua appeared in six games at Georgetown before a foot injury sidelined him for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.[4]
Sophomore
Halaifonua enjoyed greater success during his second collegiate season, and was named to the Big East weekly Honor Roll on 29 December 2025.[5] He scored 21 points and added 10 rebounds for his first collegiate double-double in the Hoyas' upset victory over Villanova in the Big East tournament.[6]
National team career
Halaifonua played a starring role for New Zealand at the 2025 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup. He helped lead the Junior Tall Blacks to a fourth-place finish in the tournament, the highest-ever finish for a New Zealand team in that competition.[7] During the tournament Halaifonua averaged 10.6 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game.[8]
Personal life
Halaifonua is Polynesian, and he cited the large number of fellow Polynesian athletes at Georgetown as part of his decision to attend the school.[9]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Georgetown | 6 | 0 | 13.3 | .412 | .250 | 1.000 | 2.0 | .7 | 0 | .5 | 3.0 |
| 2025–26 | Georgetown | 32 | 28 | 19.8 | .608 | .273 | .747 | 4.4 | 1.3 | .3 | .7 | 9.5 |
| Career | 38 | 28 | 18.7 | .591 | .267 | .753 | 4.0 | 1.2 | .2 | .7 | 8.4 | |
References
- ^ Manukia, Matt (26 April 2022). "North Harbour Basketball Prodigy Chasing NBA Dream". 1news.co.nz. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ^ a b "Julius Halaifonua". guhoyas.com. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ^ a b Hinton, Marc (5 August 2024). "Kiwi Basketball Prodigy Julius Halaifonua Heading to Georgetown for College Hoops". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ^ Bancroft, Bobby (2 December 2024). "Hoyas Center Julius Halaifonua Out with Fractured Left Ankle". msn.com. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ^ "Julius Halaifonua and KJ Lewis Named to Big East Weekly Honor Roll". guhoyas.com. 29 December 2025. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
- ^ "Georgetown Secures 78-64 Win in Big East Conference Tournament Over Villanova". ABC News. 13 March 2026. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- ^ Hinton, Marc (5 July 2025). "Junior Tall Blacks No Match for Mighty USA in FIBA U19 World Cup Semifinals". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ^ "Julius Halaifonua". FIBA. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ^ Flores, Brandy (5 November 2024). "Polynesian Athletes Find Community at Georgetown". dcnewsnow.com. Retrieved 23 December 2025.