Meet the home grown heroes of GPS basketball
Who are the homegrown talents of the GPS First V basketball competition? Revealed here, including a BSHS qualified pilot and why ball is booming at Gregory Terrace.
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With two days remaining until a huge game which can decide the GPS basketball premiership (Churchie v TSS) and as round 6 looms, we shine a light on the home grown talents of the competition.
It is, like last year, a competition going down to the wire. TSS are the only team left undefeated and Churchie, who have lost one game to Toowoomba Grammar, host the reigning premiers on Saturday.
In another blockbuster BSHS will travel to Gregory Terrace where basketball is booming.
More on why Terrace the Brave were resurgent in ball later in this story.
But first who are the Home Grown Heroes in the GPS First V basketball competition?
GPS BASKETBALL ROUND 5 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
HOME GROWN HEROES
GREGORY TERRACE
This year at Gregory Terrace, there are over 580 players across 60 basketball teams, making them the biggest school basketball program in the state and by a considerable margin, the biggest in the GPS.
How about that for a decorated rugby school with a rich history in the 15-a-side game.
“The achievement of having 60 school teams is a key performance indicator that we look at as a sign of success” said Terrace First V coach Matthew Hamilton-Smith.
“While we strive for excellence at the highest levels of competition, we take great pride in the fact that we do not turn away any student that wishes to play the sport at Terrace.”
The surge in the basketball culture within the school can be attributed to an all-round team effort starting at the top of the tree with principle Michael Carroll flowing down via Director of Basketball Tom O’Malley, Director of Sport Tony McGahan, onto the coaches and carried out by the hard working volunteers and students who are training hard to obtain these high standards.
Hamilton-Smith said the growth overall in the competition is testament to the hard work of directors competition wide.
“Without a combined effort, the sport of basketball would see less participants in a GPS setting,” Hamilton-Smith said.
PAUL PAPACOSTAS
The Gregory Terrace centre is in his third year of First V basketball and is indeed a home grown hero.
He started at the school in 2016 as a Year 5, and made his Firsts debut as a Year 10 student.
Now in his eighth year at the school, Papacostas is enjoying another successful Terrace First V basketball campaign.
ETHAN SUN
One of many talented Terrace guards, Sun started at the school in year 7 and is in his second year of First V basketball.
We named him as Terrace’s Rookie of the Year at the end of last season.
LOGAN SIOLO
Terrace will be in safe hands when Papacostas and the Trego twins (Phoenix and Hunter) graduate this year, with Year 11 Siolo back again next year.
In his second year of Firsts in what is his fifth year at the school, Siolo is providing a huge boost off the bench.
He is gaining more and more confidence and getting better every game.
ARCHIE MARSHALL AND DYLAN RYAN
Year 12 students Marshall and Ryan are both in their eighth year at Gregory Terrace after entering the College grounds in 2016.
Ryan is in year No. 1 of Firsts while Marshall is enjoying his second after a nice ride in last year’s side which remained intact for 2023.
Nazar Angallo of course has graduated.
WILL MCDONALD
The Year 11 student who started at Terrace in Year 5 and was selected in the First V team again this year after first making it as a Year 10.
BRISBANE GRAMMAR
MAX BALTHES
The shifty Brisbane Grammar guard began at the school in Year 7 and by Year 8 he was in the First V.
It was Dan George’s first year as coach of the team and he recalls Year 11 student Balthes being the best player at practise despite being one of the smallest.
“Ever since I’ve known him he’s been confident and doesn’t back down. That attitude I respect so much from him,” George said about Balthes, who is in his fourth year in the Firsts.
It’s hard to imagine that feat (making the team as a year 8) will ever be achieved again.
LACHLAN CURTIN
Curtin moved to Australia from Thailand in Year 7, and now in Year 12 he is one of the best and most consistent performers in the competition.
“He moved back from overseas as someone who just loved basketball,” George said about Curtin.
THE SOUTHPORT SCHOOL
CAYDEN BROWN
Brown started at TSS in prep and now as a Year 11 he is getting a taste of First V basketball with the premiership frontrunners.
NIKOS KARATHANOSOPOLOUS
The big man started his TSS journey as a Year 6 student, lives right across the road from the school and has been an integral piece of this formidable team for two years.
TOOWOOMBA GRAMMAR
JAMES NUGENT
Starting his Toowoomba Grammar journey in Year 7, senior Nugent made his First V debut as a Year 9 student leading a resurgent Toowoomba program with a focus on youth.
“We went with a young team and they (Nugent and Tawana Ngorima) were part of a new core group of kids and new type of play and values,” described coach Kabe Cicolini.
Securing last year’s joint premiership is proof of this approach coming to fruition.
TAWANA NGORIMA
Like Nugent, Ngorima started in Year 7. The scrappy point guard was then a development player in Year 9 before being handed the keys at the back end of Year 10.
The good news for Toowoomba supporters is he is back next year.
TYLER SAUL
Like Nugent and Ngorima, Saul is a local boy who arrived at the school as a Year 7. Now a Year 12, Saul was in the As all the way through and has been impressive so far this season.
“They (Nugent, Ngorima, Saul) are regular contributors … They are the backbone of the program,” Cicolini said.
“They work hard with their heads down.
“We are like the battlers. Underdogs and they are the epitome.”
IPSWICH GRAMMAR
JUSTIN VENTIC
Ventic started at Ipswich Grammar as a Year 8 student and will leave the school with three years of First V experience under his belt.
A Year 11 guard, Ventic handles the ball confidently and the pressure situations fearlessly.
LUKA TRIPKOVIC
Tripkovic makes up this young core of ballers leading Ipswich Grammar into the fray. Tripkovic is only in year 10 and has been at the school since Year 3.
JAMES CASAQUITE
Casaquite started at Ipswich Grammar School in 2020 as a Year seven, and now the Year 10 is experiencing his second year around the First V squad.
He is a combination guard who has plenty of buckets to provide Ipswich grammar over the next three seasons.
BRISBANE STATE HIGH SCHOOL
KAILAN SALES
Sales is the definition of a homegrown hero.
The BSHS captain, Sales is a Wizards Junior now playing for the Brisbane Capitals in their NBL1 squad.
Last week Sales had 44 points shooting 63 per cent from the field. In the same game he had 14 rebounds, nine assists, six steals and two blocks.
May we add that he did all that with just one turnover to his name. And don’t forget he was a part of BSHS’ GPS and State Championships winning team and their Nationals Schools Bronze medallist team after winning the First V coaches award as a Year 11 student.
All that while being a qualified aeroplane pilot achieving 100% in Physics, Chemistry and maths.
CHURCHIE
ED STOREN
Storen is coming off a strong game in round 5 against Toowoomba Grammar and is a great all-round-sportsman.
A wing, Storen has been filling up the scoresheet for the last two seasons.
He played First XI cricket earlier in the year.
MACKENZIE JOLLY AND KALLEN MATTSON
Churchie basketball over the years has had boys come through from as early as Reception through to the First V.
Returning players MacKenzie Jolly and Storen have been helping the school continue their dominance on the hardwood since 2011 when the pair began their schooling journey in Reception.
Storen and Jolly, who have been As players all the way through to the First V, are key to the fast paced offence Churchie is known for.
Another is Kallen Mattsson. Mattsson started in Year 6 and came all the way through the program to spend the last two years in the First V where he provides length and an attacking transition style.
Indeed the school continues to sustain a dominant win rate across all year levels.
BBC
LACHLAN SCROGGIE
The BBC First V captain has been at the school since Year 2 and is a great leader of both the basketball team and pipe band.
“He’s learned, come through from Year 2 and has had a lot of injuries so it is great to see him graduate as captain of the basketball team,” said director of basketball David Bennett.
DANIEL GRAHAM
He has suffered a season-ending injury but the Year 11 student, who started at BBC in Year 7, will be back better than ever in 2024.
He was also a talented cricketer but chose to pursue basketball, a decision which has proven successful after earning selection in Queensland’s Under 16 team last year.
RYAN SUI
Year 12 student, Ryan Sui is a local talent who loves playing against elite senior players in Brisbane’s A grade competition.
He is a state champion, as is Graham.
NUDGEE
MALDEN MARKOVIC
The big man started his Nudgee journey in Year 5 and is now the enjoying his final year of basketball in blue and white colours.
JOAQUIN TULLOCH
Tulloch is that player you hate to come up against in lunch time basketball games because he can knock them down from deep and also catch you napping with his drives to the cup.
Starting at Nudgee in year 7, Tulloch is in his sixth year of sinking swishes on his school’s pristine basketball courts.
TYSON WARREN
Like Tulloch, Warren started at the school in Year 7 and if he wasn’t ganging up with Tulloch on the court, he was going against him in some riveting lunch-time scrimmages.
The athletic Warren is game or two away from a big performance.
ISAIAH JORGENSON
Jorgenson is the baby of the team and has been improving every week.
He will come back match-hardened next year so watch out for him to have a breakout season.
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