2018 Australian Junior Championships Wrap-Ups

Whole of State Team Wrap Ups

Under 20 Australian Junior Championships – Gosford, New South Wales 2018

Under 20 Women

Boasting a wealth of talent and numerous Australian representatives, master coach Mark Wrobel led his team all the way to Grand Final undefeated. Falling short by 10 points to Victoria Metro in the final match of the tournament saw the team finish as Silver Medallists. This group of young ladies shared the load across the tournament, with Miela Goodchild, Haylee Andrews and Ula Motuga all having solid tournaments.

Under 20 Men

The Queensland Under 20 Men finished their tournament off in 4^th position, with 4 wins and 2 losses. A devastating loss in the semi-final to Victoria Metro dashed the hopes of Head Coach Bruce Palmer and his men to compete for the ultimate prize. Kody Stattman and Samson Froling were dominant throughout this championship, with most teams struggling to limit their effectiveness.

North Team Wrap Ups

Under 18 Australian Junior Championships – Geelong, Victoria 2018

Under 18 Queensland North Boys

The Queensland North U18 boys travelled to the Australian Junior Championship competition carrying 7 bottom age athletes. The team, headlined by outstanding individual performances from Tamuri Wigness and Alex Davies, finished the tournament with a record of 4 wins – 4 losses; good for 6th place. The highlight of the tournament was a tantalising opening day victory against South Australia Metro, with a winning margin of 48 points in a clinical performance. Unfortunately, the North Boys fell agonisingly short of a top 4 finish, with a dramatic quarter final loss on the buzzer against eventual silver medallists, Queensland South. Led by first time Head Coach Ray Cooper, this young team was forced into three overtime games over the course of the tournament. These close games establish a body of experience which should prove promising for their campaign on home soil (Townsville) in 2019.

Under 18 Queensland North Girls

The girls completed tournament play with a record of 3 wins – 5 losses; good for 7^th overall. This team had wins against Western Australia Country, Tasmania and Queensland South. Their best performance coming against Tasmania, where they held their opponents to 59 points and had a winning margin of 24. Coached by WNBL champion Claudia Brassard, this group demonstrated outstanding competitive spirit in their challenging quarter final matchup with Victoria Metro, eventually failing short. The tournament rounded out with a loss to WA Metro and a win against Queensland South to secure 7^th. This team was led by Alex Fowler, who was dominant in her performances with averages of 17 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists per game.

U16 Australian Junior Championships – Sunshine Coast, Queensland 2018

U16 Queensland North Boys

The Under 16 Queensland North Boys, coached by Greg Vanderjagt, had a mixed week of results at the Australian Junior Championship tournament. Finishing in 10^th place, with 3 wins – 5 losses, the team’s best moments came in victories against Northern Territory, WA Country and ACT. The North boys put on an outstanding defensive demonstration in their win against ACT, holding them to 49 points for the game. Their greatest winning margin was a 32-point display against Northern Territory.

U16 Queensland North Girls

It was a historic week for the Queensland North Under 16 girls at the 2018 Australian Junior Championship on the Sunshine Coast. Going 6 wins – 2 losses throughout the tournament, that was good enough for the team to secure a bronze medal result for Head Coach Mike St Maurice and his crew. This group was the first U16 girls’ team to win a medal in the history of the North program. A two-year investment which returned 7 players from the U16 Australian Junior Championship in 2017, this achievement was a great reward for all involved. The bronze medal was secured with a prolific performance against NSW Metro, holding their opponents to a 32-point total and wining by a margin of 41.

South Teams Nationals Wrap Ups

Under 18 Australian Junior Championships – Geelong, Victoria 2018

Under 18 Women

This year’s Under 18 Queensland South Women’s team had high hopes heading into the 2018 Australian Junior Championships. With Sapphires representative Ashlee Hannan and up and coming forward, Adelaide Fuller, coming off of time at the Centre of Excellence (CoE), this experienced group of young women, led by coach Darren Allie, were ready for a good tournament. However, injuries have a funny way of ruining the best laid plans, with Hannan ruled out of the team a week out from competition and starting point guard Siteri Vodo Rasova struck down with an ankle injury early in the round games. Despite the adversity, the team showed great fight, improving with every game with good contributions from Adelaide Fuller, Grace Champion, and Grace Ellis to finish a spirited 8^th in the country.

Under 18 Men

The Under 18 Queensland South Men’s team had a flying start with a near 30 point victory over a highly touted WA Metro in the first game of the tournament. From here on in, the Under 18 South Men mostly cruised through the pool stage, stumbling only to Victoria Metro and finishing 1^st in their pool. Consistent performances over the week from Kian Dennis and Donovan Crowe helped drive the team all the way to the Grand Final, setting up a rematch against WA Metro. The boys unfortunately went down on the back of some sharp shooting from WA Metro and concluded the tournament as Silver Medallists. Although the team’s final result wasn’t what they had aimed for, it wasn’t an overall reflection of the success of the campaign, with Blake Jones and Kian Dennis earning a spot in the Under 17 Australian squad, and Lucas Schmidt and Blake Jones receiving scholarships to Basketball Australia’s Centre of excellence. On top of this, Moses Majok, Mo King, Donovan Crowe, Tom Cordwell and Kian Dennis were invited to the NBA Global Academy Games; Dennis was also invited to the NBA Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp and Head Coach Luke Cann earned an invitation to the Australian Development Camp.

Under 16 Australian Junior Championships – Sunshine Coast, Queensland 2018

Under 16 Women

The U16 Queensland South Women ended their tournament with a respectable 6 wins & 3 losses, finishing in 7^th place. The ladies were outstanding in the pool games with a thrilling overtime win against NSW Metro the highlight, courtesy of a buzzer beater floater from Ella Brow. Katie Deeble was electric all week in the point guard position, earning herself an invitation to the Australian Development Camp, alongside rising star Lil Dart.

Under 16 Men

An up and down week for Head Coach Steve Edwards and his Under 16 Queensland South Men, resulting in a 6^th place finish with 3 wins and 5 losses. The boys showed promise in every game they played, with notable performances against ACT, NSW Country and SA Country. Bottom age point guard Kobe McDowell White was recognised for his efforts with an invitation to the Australian Development Camp.