Former NBL1 coach eager to lead University of the Sunshine Coast basketball program to greater heights in UBL 2026

The University of the Sunshine Coast’s preparations for the 2026 University Basketball League (UBL) season are already underway, with returning head coach Nathan Arousi confident UniSC is building towards another strong campaign.

UniSport caught up with Arousi during the UniSport 3x3Hustle Nationals in Canberra, where many of UniSC’s UBL players were using the tournament as an early step in their preparations for the season ahead.

After serving as UniSC’s inaugural UBL coach, Arousi returns to the role excited by how far the university’s basketball culture and student engagement have progressed.
“It’s been going pretty well,” Arousi said about the team’s preparations.

“Part of our preparation has been the 3×3, so a lot of our players representing UniSC in this current tournament or format that we’re in and it gives them an opportunity to get back into basketball after a fairly long off-season.”

For many student-athletes, the UniSport 3×3 competition has become an important stepping stone heading into the full UBL season, allowing players to reconnect with teammates while sharpening their competitive edge.

“A lot of players in the UBL playing in some form of state league basketball or representing the state,” he said.

“For us it’s NBL1 North or QSL where the players are playing, but certainly getting together again for UniSC and UniSport 3×3 is kind of the beginning.”

Having coached at the NBL1 level, Arousi believes the UniSC basketball program is now in a much stronger position compared to when he first led the side during the league’s early years.

“I was the inaugural coach for UniSC in the UBL all those years back and so I had a break from my NBL1 coaching and came back,” he said.

“UniSC is in a much better place now because of its student engagement.”

“There’s a lot more buy-in, so I’m really looking forward to kicking off from where we left off with the successful teams we had because I know that the product we’ll be putting out at home at UniSC is going to be great.”

The growing support around the UniSC program has also become a major source of motivation for the returning coach, particularly after strong crowd turnouts throughout last season.

“We had a lot of supporters last year so I’m really looking forward to that,” he said.

“I’m also looking forward to the rivalries we created last year. For the women’s side who made the grand final, there’s definitely mini rivalry developing with the University of Tasmania after we lost to them in the grand final.”

While the UniSC women’s side enters 2026 with momentum and confidence, Arousi acknowledged that the men’s program remains in a rebuilding phase following a difficult campaign last year.

“The women’s program has a strong core group and we’re confident we can push deep into finals again,” he said.

“We’ll have a few changes to the squad, but the core remains strong.”

“The men’s program is in more of a rebuilding phase after a disappointing season, but we’re focused on improving across the board.”

As UniSC continues preparations for the upcoming UBL season, Arousi remains focused on building a competitive culture across both programs while strengthening the growing basketball community on campus.

UniSC’s 2026 UBL campaign begins in August, with all matches streamed live on UniSportTV.

Article written by UniSport Communications Intern Amiel Luis Casambros (Griffith University)