Former Husker Jack McVeigh became the fourth Nebraska men’s basketball player to reach the Olympic Games, as he was selected to Australia’s 12-man roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics on Sunday.
McVeigh, who played at Nebraska from 2016 to 2018, will make his Olympic debut as Australia looks to its second straight medal after earning a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics. McVeigh joins Aleks Maric (Australia, 2012), Ade Dagunduro (Nigeria, 2012) and Keisei Tominaga (Japan 3×3, 2020) as former Huskers to play basketball at the Olympics. McVeigh could potentially be the first of three Huskers in the 2024 Olympics, as Keisei Tominaga (Japan) and Lat Mayen (South Sudan) are currently in training camps with their respective national teams.
Australia’s pool schedule includes matchups with Spain (July 27), Canada (July 30) and Greece (Aug. 2). Prior to playing in Paris, Australia will travel to Abu Dhabi for USA Basketball Showcase. Australia will play the United States on July 15 and Serbia on July 16.
Last week, McVeigh played in Australia’s two-game series China, averaging 13.5 points on 56 percent shooting, including 53 percent shooting from 3-point range, in a pair of victories. He has been in Australia’s national program pool since 2019.
McVeigh played three seasons at Nebraska before returning home to begin his professional career. His best year was in 2016-17, when he averaged 7.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in 30 games, including 11 starts. He was a member of the Huskers’ 2017-18 team that won 23 games, including a school-record 13 conference games.
McVeigh has played professionally in Australia and Germany since turning pro following the 2017-18 season. He enjoyed an outstanding 2023-24 season with the Tasmania JackJumpers, as they won the NBL championship. On the season, he averaged 16.4 points, 5.3 rebound and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 52 percent from the field, including 36 percent from 3-point range. McVeigh was MVP of the championship series against Melbourne United, averaging 17.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists in a five-game series.
Australia Olympic Schedule
|
Date |
Opponent |
Time |
|
July 27 |
vs. Spain |
11 a.m. |
|
July 30 |
vs. Canada |
1:30 p.m. |
|
Aug. 2 |
vs. Greece |
1:30 p.m. |
All times listed are central
Husker Men’s Basketball Players in the Olympics
Year Name, Pos. (Country)
2012 Aleks Maric, Center (Australia)
2012 Ade Dagunduro, Guard (Nigeria)
2020 Keisei Tominaga, 3×3 (Japan)
2024 Jack McVeigh, Guard (Australia)
