Cochise lands Australian forward Mannie Quin for 2026 roster

Mannie Quin gave Cochise another Australian forward with size, versatility and a track record that already stretches beyond school basketball. The 6-foot-7, 225-pound Class of 2026 prospect from Birkdale, Queensland, committed to the Apaches after building his case at Cleveland District State High School and with the North Gold Coast Seahawks in NBL1 North.

Quin’s profile reads like the type of résumé Cochise has long valued. He played multiple frontcourt spots, listed as a small forward, power forward and center, and his school career ended with Cleveland District State High School going 50-7 across his three years there and reaching its first-ever Australian state championship game in 2024. At the Australian National Schools Championships, Quin led his team in scoring and rebounding, and earlier with Red City Raw’s under-18 boys team he helped secure a silver medal in SQJBC competition.

That production helped make him a fit for a program that has made recruiting identity part of its edge. Jerry Carrillo entered his 27th season as Cochise head coach in 2025-26, and the school said he had piled up 581 wins over his first 26 years, a program record for victories under one coach. Cochise also has 25 consecutive Region playoff appearances on its ledger, and it carried that standard into this spring by beating College of Southern Nevada 102-76 on March 7 to win the NJCAA Region I title. The Apaches finished 21-12 overall and 9-6 in ACCAC play, then reached the West District title game.

Quin’s background also fits the pathway Cochise has repeatedly mined from Australia. NBL1 North is a semi-professional league, so Quin’s time with the North Gold Coast Seahawks meant he was already testing himself against older, stronger opponents before arriving in the junior college game. That matters for a roster built to win now and develop for later, especially under Carrillo, whose program has moved 74 players on to the next level.

The precedent is already there. Cochise previously signed Oscar Cluff out of Queensland, and Cluff later became an All-American and advanced into Power Five basketball. For Quin, the connection is more than geography. It is a chance to enter a system that has repeatedly turned Australian size and skill into college production, and Cochise is betting his mix of rebounding, scoring touch and physical experience will make him the next one to follow that path.