Julius Halaifonua
Julius Halaifonua is a New Zealand college basketball player for the Georgetown Hoyas of the Big East Conference.
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.
Halaifonua attended Rosmini College before transferring to the NBA Global Academy in Australia. In 16 games at the academy, he scored 12.8 points per game on 57% shooting from the field.
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. At the time of his commitment, Halaifonua was considered by scouts to be the top New Zealand basketball prospect of his generation.
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.
Sophomore
Halaifonua enjoyed greater success during his second collegiate season, and was named to the Big East weekly Honor Roll on December 29, 2025.
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. During the tournament Halaifonua averaged 10.6 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game.
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.