Former Husker Jack McVeigh led Australia with a game-high 24 points off the bench in a 107-87 victory over China early Tuesday morning, as Australia began its preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
McVeigh, who played at Nebraska for three seasons before returning home to begin his professional career, came off the bench and finished with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 6-of-8 from 3-point range in just 13 minutes of action.
McVeigh has been a pair of the Australian national program pool since making his debut in 2019 and is one of 17 players vying for 12 roster spots. His most recent national team appearance before today came in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifier in 2023, when he averaged 10.0 points and 2.3 rebounds per game in three contests.
He enjoyed an outstanding 2023-24 season with the Tasmania JackJumpers in the Australian National Basketball League, as they won the NBL championship. On the season, he averaged 16.4 points, 5.3 rebounds 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.
McVeigh and Australia will be in action on Thursday, as they will face China in the second game of the two-game series before traveling to Abu Dhabi for USA Basketball Showcase. Australia will play the United States on July 15 and Serbia on July 16.