Background
Raukawa was born in Levin, New Zealand.
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Derone Raukawa
Edit ProfileEducation
Rangitoto College.
Career
He left Levin as a 5-year-old and spent time as a youth living in Tauranga, Australia and Auckland. In 2011, Raukawa played for Otumoetai College and the Tauranga representative team before moving to Auckland at the start of 2012, where he enrolled at Rosmini College. That same year, he joined the New Zealand Breakers Academy and often trained with the senior team
He also had two weeks in China, where he captained the Junior Tall Blacks against Slovenia, the United States and China.
He then played for Waitakere West at the national under-21 tournament in Porirua before leading Waitakere West to the under-19 title in Dunedin, downing North Harbour 90–89 in the final. He was subsequently named to the all-tournament team
Raukawa moved schools once again in 2013, this time to Rangitoto College. He guided Rangitoto to the 2013 National Secondary Schools Basketball Final, where they lost to Westlake Boys High School.
He scored 35 points in the final and was named to the all-tournament team
He was impressive in his first season, earning co-Rookie of the Week honours for Round 4 after scoring a season-high 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting against the Nelson Giants. In 12 games for the Jets in 2014, Raukawa averaged 4.8 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. Raukawa returned to the Jets for the 2015 season and found his niche as a livewire off the bench.
His high-tempo play gave the Jets a boost and despite more experienced guards in front of him, he made the most of his minutes on court.
In 17 games for the Jets in 2015, he averaged 10.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Following the New Zealand NBL season, Raukawa joined the New Zealand Breakers training squad for the 2015-2016 season.
On 6 November 2015, Raukawa signed with the Southland Sharks for the 2016 New Zealand NBL season. He made his debut for the Sharks in the team"s season opener on 12 March 2016, scoring a team-high 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting off the bench in a 106–80 loss to the Nelson Giants.
Raukawa"s father, Andrew McKay, also played in the New Zealand NBL for the Waikato Pistons.
Achievements
Membership
After spending the 2013 New Zealand NBL season as an extended squad member of the Waikato Pistons, Raukawa moved to Manawatu in 2014 and joined the Jets on an amateur contract, so as to keep his eligibility to play college basketball in the United States.
