Meet the youngsters changing the game for Basketball in Queensland
Who are Queensland’s brightest basketball prospects? See the top players in the under 16s, under 18s and under 20s age groups as we reveal 30 of the best in the state.
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The future of basketball in Queensland looks in safe hands as we shine a light on the state’s brightest prospects.
From crafty guards to big men making a name for themselves, there are rising stars emerging from every corner of South East Queensland.
Below is a snapshot of just some, not all. of these upcoming athletes.
TOP 35 BASKETBALL GAME CHANGERS IN 2022
GPS BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
UNDER 20 (IN 2024)
Rocco Zikarsky (Brisbane Bullets)
Fan favourite Rocco Zikarsky is having himself a great debut season in the NBL as the Brisbane Bullet’s 220cm Next Star.
Hailing from the Sunshine Coast, the towering centre has performed well off the bench for Bullets head coach Justin Schueller in the absence of Aron Baynes.
Still just 17-years-old, Zikarsky is without a doubt Queensland’s brightest prospect having already made his professional debut.
Roman Siulepa (SWM Pirates)
The sky is the limit for this athlete out of the Logan region.
A Brisbane State High Year 11 student, Siuelepa has got every trick in the book, especially a competitive edge.
If he isn’t dropping 30 or more, he could be seen on a rugby field storming down the sideline on his way to score.
He is one of those talents who could play almost any sport.
Cooper Rowlings (CoE)
A towering figure who went from strength to strength this year.
Cooper Rowlings helped lead the Brisbane Capitals to both the SQJBC and state championship titles this past season, and St Peters to one of their best seasons in recent history.
Rowlings is a dynamic athlete for his size and has upside about him.
Jaylen Pittman (Gold Coast)
He is lightning fast, an unselfish player and a defensive juggernaut who can has springs under him.
A TSS premiership winner who has improved under the guidance of champion coach Anthony Petrie, Pitman can put opponents on a poster, pick their pocket, or finish through contact.
Ben Tweedy (Gold Coast)
The GPS competition hasn’t seen many like Ben Tweedy.
This year he was a lock to drop 30 points a game and he did it with ease.
At least it looked easy.
He knows his game and plays to his strengths, getting to his spots and making defenders pay with his soft touch and smooth handles.
Monique Bobongie (CoE)
Without a doubt one of the countries top junior prospects is this crafty guard who can do a bit of everything.
At her best with Teyahna Bond next to her in the back-court, the Mackay product has the handles to get past her rival and the finesse to finish around the rim.
Leave her open behind the arc at your peril.
Teyahna Bond (Cairns)
Are we looking at the best player in this age group? It is up to you to decide but Teyahna Bond is a special talent, someone who can catch fire and stay lit for the duration of the game.
She is athletic, has a v8 engine, can knock down threes while being efficient inside the arc, and her speed and hand-eye coordination make her one of the best defenders going around.
She is one of those players you stop to watch from the sidelines.
Hilary Fuller (Brisbane Capitals)
A robust forward who lives in the clutch, Hilary Fuller is an offensive weapon who is a leader for Queensland South.
A Brisbane Capitals product, Fuller is dangerous from deep, but also inside where her footwork and height prove a potent cocktail for success.
Fuller, a 17-year-old power forward, is now in the US college system.
Alice Dart (Spartans)
The Spartans junior who this month signed with Washington State.
This followed a strong NBL1 season where Dart, the second-youngest player in the league at just 17 years of age, averaged nearly 10 points-per-game.
From Moreton Bay College, Dart was a three-time Player of the Year, with 2023 her best year yet having averaged 27ppg at the State Championships, earning her MVP honours.
Summah Hanson (Logan Thunder)
Like Dart, the talented Hanson, who stands at 188cm tall, is now playing in the US.
And she is killing it with the Sacramento State Hornets women's team.
After spending two seasons at the Basketball Australia Centre Of Excellence in Canberra, the athletic Hanson, who hails from the Manly region, has burst onto the College scene and is quickly making a name for herself on one of the biggest stages there is for young hoopers.
UNDER 18 (IN 2024)
Indy Cotton (Gold Coast)
If you look in the dictionary for the word prodigy a picture of Indy Cotton should appear.
From Adelaide now honing his skills at TSS on the Gold Coast, Cotton has been earmarked as one of Australia’s rising stars in basketball and is under the guidance of TSS coaching doyen Anthony Petrie which will be great for his development.
Watch for Cotton to drop 25 points a game in next year’s GPS competition.
Issac Weldon (Townsville)
An anchor on defence, this young centre is the king of blocking shots or providing pressure around the rim.
The dangerous thing is he is still growing.
Prasayus Notoa (Logan Thunder)
Another with endless potential, Prasayus Notoa can truly do it all.
Out of the hotbed of basketball in Logan City, Notoa could play positions one through five and have an impact in every role.
She is a distributor, a trusted handler of the ball and she knows the game so well.
Emma Petrie
Of great basketball pedigree, Petrie’s parents as well as older sister Jessica are elite basketballers, Emma continues to shine in the junior ranks with her athleticism, versatility and touch on the offensive end.
Petrie can score and do it an efficient clip.
Jessica Petrie
Emma’s 188cm older sister who has joined the Nebraska women’s basketball team for the 2023-24 season.
The power forward, who competed at the international level for Australia in three different age divisions (U16, U17, U18) in 2022, represented Australia at the under-19 World Cup in Madrid, Spain during the year.
The 18-year-old is the real deal.
Vahayliah Seumanutafa (Logan Thunder)
The word explosive comes to mind.
A freakish athlete who outlasts her opponents with her speed, work ethic and gutsy defence, Seumanutafa is a difference maker who turns up when you need her most.
Taryn Bond (Cairns)
Aggressive, physical and a queen at pushing the pace.
In transition she is a scary sight, while on the glass her effort is unrivalled.
A dream deammate.
Adrianna Francis (Cairns)
A tough forward who brings physicality to the table, as well as an offensive punch.
The Cairns Dolphin is dangerous going downhill but is also a viable option from the perimeter, making her an all-round-threat.
Sharni Reisinger and Alleah Hanson (Logan)
Alleah Hanson, the younger sister of Summah, is also making her mark on the hardwood.
She is one of the top players for her age in the nation and is one of many incredible youth talents playing for the Thunder in the NBL1 North competition.
Meanwhile, Sharni Reisinger is a hard-nosed guard who can play all five positions.
She is a scrappy player, the dream teammate who can provide a spark on attack and make the big play on defence.
UNDER 16 (IN 2024)
Andrew Watene (Logan Thunder)
An athletic point guard with a turn of pace, Watene has shown maturity beyond his years on the court.
The Rockhampton product has eyes at the back of his head and a hall of fame passing badge which not many can compete with.
He can also get his own shot.
Trae Drombroski (Logan Thunder)
An exciting Logan Thunder junior who has x-factor.
A true scorer, Drombroski averaged over 30 points a game at the South, Central and North Queensland Junior Basketball Competition (SQJBC) this year to lead all scorers.
A forward who stands tall at 185cm, Drombroski has the height, athleticism, finishing touch, the mid-range game and is a willing passer.
He can also protect the rim with the best of them.
Sam McDowell-White (SD Spartans)
One of the youngest in a long line of McDowell-White’s who have represented Queensland, Sam is a spark plug and cagey defender who can cause problems for the opposition on both ends of the floor.
Olivia Olechnowicz (Logan Thunder)
Southern Districts Spartans talent Olivia Olechnowicz, now at the Logan Thunder, is not only regarded as one of Queensland’s best lockdown on-ball defenders but also around Australia.
A freight-train in transition, two-way-weapon Olechnowicz is someone who can attack the paint to create a bucket for herself and teammates.
Mya Moke (SD Spartans)
The Spartans guard who makes all the right reads on the offensive end.
A high IQ player, Moke does her best work finding teammates, cherishing possession, and also getting her own shots.
But don’t get it twisted, Moke is also an elite defensive disrupter.
Isabel Smith (Mackay)
From Mackay, exciting prospect Isabel Smith is a player with athleticism, all the skills, great footwork and a soft touch around the rim.
She has long been a bucket-getter, with 30-point-games no rare occurrence for the Meteorettes young gun.
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