GPS Basketball heats up as the top 25 players from Round 6 are revealed
Meet the top 25 players from the latest round of GPS Basketball as the competition’s heavyweights continued on their winning ways and a Gold Coast youngster put on a show. SEE THE LIST
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The latest round of GPS Basketball continued to provide highlights as the competition’s heavyweights continued on their winning ways while a youngster also put on a show.
Nudgee College gave the Brisbane State High School a fright on Saturday in an agonisingly close 83-84 loss.
In another Round 6 spectacle, Ipswich Grammar looked to have secured an upset over Gregory Terrace before the boys in red and black came away with the victory in an overtime thriller, winning 85-82.
All the while, Toowoomba Grammar escaped against BBC with a 71-69 victory and The Southport School warmed up for State High next week with a convincing 107-81 win over Brisbane Grammar.
See our top 25 players from Round 6 below.
THE SUPER 25 FROM ROUND 6
Jaylen Pitman (The Southport School)
With his pace, Pitman penetrated holes in Brisbane Grammar’s defence.
But it wasn’t the difficulty of the shots he made or how many points he dropped that was the most impressive – what made his latest performance special was he didn’t force anything.
He let the game come to him, played his game, which led to Pitman scoring bursts on more than one occasion.
Jack Foley (The Southport School)
It must be good having a teammate like Foley.
If you can’t get it going, trust he will.
That was the case on Saturday, when making it rain from different spots on the floor to get Southport through somewhat of a first half slump.
He was lights out from deep and aggressive to the cup in the first quarter and he stayed hot.
Indi Cotton (The Southport School)
Cotton was captivating, even though he found the bottom of the net all afternoon, it was his passing which stood out.
He had the best part of 10 flashy passes in Southport’s 107-81 victory over Brisbane Grammar and by no means were they easy, he just knows where the basket and his teammates are.
It’s worth noting the Year 9 had a dunk to top-off arguably his best performance of 2022.
Lachlan Curtin (Brisbane Grammar)
Curtin fuels his team and leads not only with his encouragement but with his effort.
He’s a work horse with so much talent and that is why he has been one, if not the most, reliable scorers of the 2022 season.
Curtin will grab you an offensive rebound, he will draw fouls, he will swat away shots, run the floor and give you a full game with one or two minutes rest to get his breath back from being an animal on both ends of the floor.
Max Balthes (Brisbane Grammar)
Balthes stood up in Round 6.
With Brisbane Grammar star Lebron Brooks out, Lachlan Curtin needed someone to share the load and fill Brooks’ shoes as a primary scorer.
That’s exactly what Balthes did in his best of 2022.
He was calm and collected, efficient from the field and gave Southport a run for their money until the fourth quarter where they caught fire.
It was always going to be hard with Brooks out but Balthes put on just as good a show for the Brisbane Grammar supporters.
James Eccleston (Brisbane Grammar)
Eccleston gave us glimpses of what he’s capable of.
A crafty ball handler, with great ball security and a smooth stroke.
He’s a great ball handler and can weave his way through the defence to get the strike.
Xavier Chio (Brisbane State High)
Chio got off a plane from playing with the Philippines under-18 team and drove straight to the game.
A game in which he had 22 points in just 20 minutes, shooting 50 per cent from behind the arc.
Jimmy Ellis (Brisbane State High)
Ellis was unable to train during the week due to illness and as the captain he led from the front.
Once again he stepped up at both ends to run the team – his never give up attitude setting the tone for State High.
Kailan Sales (Brisbane State High)
Sales played all 40 minutes in a depleted Brisbane State High line-up and did a little of everything.
What did he do best – he held down the interior defence.
Yuvraj Gill (Brisbane State High)
Gill, a towering athlete, had to be on the list.
He had the game-sealing steal against a Nudgee College outfit inches away from an upset.
Phoenix Trego (Gregory Terrace)
Phoenix Trego got Terrace’s offence clicking with his trademark sharpshooting from the perimeter.
He attacked the basket in the second half, made some critical plays defensively and made the layup to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Tama Tuhi (Gregory Terrace)
Terrace’s workhorse made up for the job Ipswich Grammar’s defence did on teammate Paul Papacostas.
Tuhi attacked the basket off the dribble and on the offensive rebounds to allow his team to make their way back from a 20-point deficit.
Nazar Angallo (Gregory Terrace)
Along with Phoenix Trego, Angallo had the Terrace offence clicking when they came back from a big deficit.
He attacked the basket with athleticism and grabbed the steal which allowed Trego to make the game-tying layup.
Angallo was the unsung hero, sending Terrace to overtime where they eventually won.
James Pearson (Ipswich Grammar)
Pearson was the Ipswich Grammar engine room all game, relentlessly attacking the basket. He helped his young side answer several runs from Terrace and put themselves in a position to win.
He was the player of the game from both sides.
Fletcher Doyle (Ipswich Grammar)
Doyle proved a tough challenge for Terrace’s defence to stop, especially in the first half, attacking the basket using his length and athleticism.
He made several tough mid-range jump shots. Although he was kept quiet in the second half he still made several crucial plays for Ipswich Grammar.
Harry McAuliffe (Ipswich Grammar)
Harry McAuliffe had a big first half and helped Ipswich push out to a major lead.
McAuliffe couldn’t be stopped when attacking the basket with his size and length too much for Terrace – especially on the offensive boards.
Samuel Geu (Toowoomba Grammar)
With 18 points on 6 from 11 shooting and 6 from 8 from the free-throw line, it is no secret that Geu’s efficiency is simply incredible.
To go along with that, he had three steals, three blocks and 16 rebounds.
He doesn’t necessarily shoot the ball a lot, but when he has the ball in hand, he allows Tyler Saal and other players to stretch the floor. Geu, attracting double teams on every possession.
Geu has led from the front all year with his super efficient game style.
Tyler Saal (Toowoomba Grammar)
Saal, who had his first career start at shooting guard, dropped 17 points, with four three pointers and five rebounds.
Saal is a kid that pushes hard everyday in practice.
Coach Kabe Cicolini said “for him to put it on the court was pleasing”.
“His shooting got the team over the line and he most definitely made the most of the opportunity,” Cicolini said.
Rahul Captain (Toowoomba Grammar)
Captain played limited minutes but had the highest plus minus out of everyone in his team.
He finished with six points, 10 rebounds, two assists, contributing across the court wherever he could.
Coach Kabe Cicolini had high praise for not only his effectiveness but his growth within his role in the group, “finding his groove in his first season of GPS basketball”.
Nate Scott (Nudgee College)
Scott is just a pleasure to watch, he’s crafty and is a born scorer.
Scott proved the competition is closer than we think, steering his team to an agonising one point loss against Brisbane State High.
He can finish through contact, knock down threes, set up his teammates and get an easy shot in the paint thanks to the mix of speed and crisp ball handling he possesses.
Tyson Warren (Nudgee College)
It’s hard to leave someone out who hit two clutch and-one’s in the final moments of the game to keep Nudgee in the fight until the last possession.
Warren, not once but twice, drew the contact and finished the shot.
As a Year 10, he must give Nudgee fans a good deal of hope for the future.
Daniel Graham (BBC)
It was the same story as it is every week for this young gun.
He just hits shots, he’s consistent with his defence and due his consistent performances and “looks great for the future.”
That’s what director of Basketball David Bennett said in praise of Graham’s strong 2022 season.
Jared Gluch (BBC)
Gluch was solid at centre and as captain.
He got a few blocks in the second half to stem the bleeding and in defence he covered up really well.
Emerson Juhasz (BBC)
Juhasz was BBC’ best on floor, showing once again how valuable he is to the team.
With a 30-point showing, Juhasz kept BBC in the game against a premiership contending Toowoomba team.
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