Will 'Davo' Hickey continues stellar season with Australian Boomer selection for FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers

Illawarra Hawks guard Will 'Davo' Hickey has been selected to the Australian Boomers squad for the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers against Thailand and Korea.

He will join fellow Hawks players Sam Froling and Lachie Olbrich with the young gun also being selected to represent Australia for the first time at senior level.

Hickey a proud Wiradjuri and Gamilaroi/Gomeroi man, has had a phenomenal start to the NBL25 season for the league leading Hawks averaging 8.9 pts per game on 50% shooting, to go with 4.5 Reb, 3.6 Ast and 1.3 Stl, all career numbers for the 25 year old from Cowra, NSW.

Hickey's road to Boomers Selection

Davo as he is affectionately called by many has not had an easy path to the international scene. A solid performer with the Melbourne Tigers NBL1 team in the 2019 NBL1 season led to him being looked upon favourably at the NBL Next Gen camp that same year. Hickey signed as a Development Player at the South East Melbourne Phoenix for the NBL20 season but only managed to get on the court twice as the team finished 4th, being eliminated in the semis by United.

He then went back to the NBL1 South and the Ballarat Miners to hone his craft before commanding another Developmental spot, this time with Melbourne United. Coach Dean Vickerman who claimed to "have had his eyes on Davo for some time". Already at this stage Hickey's athleticism and natural talent were apparent.

A third team, a third Development Contract

Again Will Hickey was cast aside with the team not renewing his development contract for the second season. It was here that the Hawks swooped in to pick up the guard with then Illawarra coach Jacob Jackomas also saying he had been watching "Davo with interest over the years".

A third development contract for Hickey on a struggling Hawks team with injuries enabled him to see more court time and continue in his development as a professional basketball player. He played 24 games in NBL23 averaging 4.8 pts and 2.8 rebounds but it was his defensive efforts and athleticism that were provoking interest. His contract was upgraded to a full contract at seasons end.

Biding his time on the Illawarra roster paid dividends as the refreshed Hawks under new coach Justin Tatum, finished the NBL24 season strongly with Davo playing a key role in the new system. His expanded role within the team accelerated development with many commenting on his pick-and-roll plays as well as plus/minus differential in the second half of the season and play-offs, a testament to his work ethic.

High time for Hickey

A stint in NBL1 East team Albury-Wodonga Bandits following NBL24 led Hickey to be named All First Team and Best Defensive Player with 22.1 points per game, 10.4 rebounds and 7.9 assists. This form has carried over to NBL25 with Davo emerging as as a key player in Illawarra's surge to the top of the standings.

On October 24th it was announced Hickey had signed a three-year deal to stay in Illawarra with the team excited to lock down the 194cm guard for the foreseeable future.

Davo was humble in his reaction to the signing saying “It’s the first extended contract in my career, so it feels like all that hard work, all that sacrifice over all those years has been worth it,”

"He has worked tirelessly during my time coaching with him to prove himself not only to me, but to his teammates. I can rely on him to do his job and support the team, and he is really contributing to our current success."

Check out The Basketball Fix for Will Hickey's upcoming Game Preview Perth Wildcats vs Illawarra Hawks

To compound a breakout season for the Indigenous Star he has now been named to be a part of the Boomers squad for the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers against Thailand and Korea which will be played in November in the lead up to the tournament in Saudi Arabia in February.

New Boomers Coach

Basketball Australia has also appointed Melbourne United assistant Jacob Chance as coach for this FIBA window as the search continues for a permanent head-coach in the post Goorjian era.

Chance will be joined by assistant coaches Kerry Williams and Robbie McKinlay and has said he was thrilled to take the coaching reins.

“I’ve had a good depth of experience in professional basketball over the last decade with both the Boomers and in the NBL. Having exposure to major tournaments like the FIBA Asia Cup, World Cup, Olympics and other windows fills me with confidence for the challenge ahead,” Chance said.

Australia will play Thailand in Bangkok on Thursday 21st November and Korea in Goyang on Sunday 24th November. For full schedule and times check out the official FIBA site