Smith joins Australia Select team in China

Taking a break from the NBL1 this off-season, Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans guard Reyne Smith has travelled with an Australian Select team for a tour of China.

Picked as the captain for the squad bound for Hangzhou, Zhejiang, Smith faced both China and the Netherlands, with a line-up of emerging Aussies joining him.

Led by SE Melbourne assistant coach Luke Brennan, the lineup first faced their hosts and fell 81-91 on Sunday night.

Putting up 16 points against China, only college-bound Emmett Adair outscored him, with the Taipan also contributing five rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes.

Returning to the court the following night, Smith hit four triples to score 16 points, with two rebounds, an assist and a steal with Australia sealing a 78-69 win over the Netherlands.

After the Netherlands pushed themselves ahead throughout the first half, the guard took charge after the main break with 13 of his 16 points coming in the second half, allowing Australia to hold onto the lead for the rest of the game.

With the series complete, Smith now returns to the Maitland Mustangs to close out the NBL1 East season, with five games remaining and currently sit in sixth.

Due to copyright, neither game was available for broadcast or streaming in Australia.

2026 Chinese Tour - Australian Select Squad

Reyne Smith - Cairns Taipans, NBL

Ben Griscti - Adelaide 36ers, NBL

Jacob Holt - Brisbane Bullets, NBL

Harry Rouhliadeff - Brisbane Bullets, NBL

Daniel Foster - SE Melbourne Phoenix, NBL

Emmett Adair - Loyola Maryland Greyhounds, NCAA

Biwali Bayles - Bendigo Braves, NBL1

Sam Brown - Davidson Wildcats, NCAA

Kuai Deng - Howard College

William Johnston - Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Spiders, NBL1