GPS Basketball: The super 25 players revealed after round 5
Meet the 25 top players from GPS Basketball’s fifth round as Brisbane State High charge ahead, Toowoomba creep up behind them and a sharp shooting Nudgee Year 10 draws his team clear.
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The Brisbane State High School First V basketball team took one step closer towards premiership glory with a dominant 96-54 win over Ipswich Grammar School.
They had no problems getting the job done without towering big man Abass Bodija, with the squads depth on full display in the 42 point triumph.
Meanwhile, Toowoomba returned from a week off in style with a convincing 82-63 victory over a challenging Churchie outfit more than capable of an upset.
The Southport School continued to build momentum towards rounds 7 and 8 opponents State High and Gregory Terrace, defeating BBC 91-74.
At Nudgee, Year 10 Rylan Carlisle shot the lights out in the fourth to edge his team ahead against Brisbane Grammar, Nudgee coming away 77-68 winners.
THE SUPER 25 FROM ROUND 5
Kailan Sales (Brisbane State High)
Sales gave Ipswich a very hard time with his efficient shot making, rebounding and harassing nature on defence.
He was making cuts to the basket, running in transition and doing the little things right. When he started to get going, his teammates joined in and their lead ballooned out from 10 to 30 in no time.
It was his best game all season
Caleb Isaac (Brisbane State High)
Isaac was his usual crafty self. With a combination of speed, instinctual playmaking ability, handles and sharp shooting, Isaac is one of the competition’s best guards.
This was made clear on Saturday.
Srijesh Sharma (Brisbane State High)
Sharma was super off the bench. When Brisbane State High took off their starters you thought maybe that would be the end of the domination.
But, Sharma thought otherwise. He showed just how deep the State High First V squad is.
He reminded the competition not to sag off on defence when the starters are subbed out, or else he and his sharp shooting partner in CJ Amos among other threats will deal damage.
Jimmy Ellis (Brisbane State High)
Ellis’ height advantage at the guard position came into play against Ipswich, with a destructive showing on both ends of the floor.
With a few dazzling passes, deep treys and a mix of blocks and steals, Ellis piled points for his team while preventing Ipswich from getting any momentum.
Elijah Kamu (Brisbane State High)
Kamu’s defensive presence alone was enough to have him on the list. With his big frame and athleticism, Kamu deterred Ipswich from operating in the interior. Instead they were forced to hoist up threes.
On offence, His second chance efforts and dominant rebounding led the way for his team.
Fletcher Doyle (Ipswich Grammar)
Even through some struggles in the first half, Doyle was Ipswich’s best—alongside James Pearson.
State High’s determined defence in the paint prevented Doyle from causing much of an impact. And so he took it behind the arc.
With a smooth stroke, Doyle drained three quick threes, after a slow first quarter where nothing was falling for him or the team.
His athleticism, ball handling and game IQ was evident. But, frustratingly for Doyle and Co, State High had too much firepower.
James Pearson (Ipswich Grammar)
Pearson pushed the pace and ran the floor with great urgency to score. His ball security was admirable, never giving in to the pressure that would have caused most primary ball handlers to throw turnovers.
He finished some tough shots at the rim and kept getting to his spot despite the adversity of the tall and athletic defence of State High.
Jalen Pitman (Southport)
Pitman’s pace proved deadly against BBC on Saturday.
He was able to burn past his defender on every drive to the cup. Then, extremely efficiently, he would make sure of it with a strong finish.
Ben Tweedy (Southport)
Tweedy was once again a bucket getter. He scored with an array of different shots. Whether it was behind the arc, mid range jump shots, floaters or tough layups off the backboard, he found the bottom of the net.
If Tweedy turns it on, then Southport have every chance to take it to State High and give them a real run for their money.
Indy Cotton (Southport)
Trusty Year Nine Indy Cotton was really good in his minutes on the floor. He was very solid defensively and came up big with some clutch plays on the offensive end when Southport needed it most.
Emerson Juhasz (BBC)
Two words come to mind—powerful and efficient.
Emerson Juhasz kept BBC in the fight against Southport until the final stretch where they stormed ahead late.
His confidence saw him knock down timely and tough shots from different areas on the court. He lit it up from behind the arc, while using his size in the paint to get easy deuces.
He had one of his best of the season.
Daniel Graham (BBC)
The sharp shooter was back at it. This time, not only was he crisp from three-point-land, but he was running the point.
The Year 10 was conjuring up plays, finding the cutter and hitting shots of his own. The more games he gets under his belt the more deadly he will become in this competition.
Caleb Cronn (Churchie)
Cronn had a tough day from behind the arc, but still managed to make an impact.
With 18 points and five assists, Cronn put in his best effort against an on-the-rise Toowoomba outfit.
Edward Storen (Churchie)
Storen was on double double watch with eight points and 11 rebounds. He shot 40% from three point territory but wasn’t given enough looks.
Kurt Siwek (Churchie)
Churchie had a better chance with Siwek on the floor. Siwek, with a +15 efficiency, had eight points, six rebounds and two blocks in a strong showing from the big man.
Rylan Carlisle (Nudgee)
Clutch Carlisle is another Year 10 stud who continues to take the competition by storm. His showing on the weekend let Nudgee fans rest assured the future of the First V Basketball team is in good hands.
His bag runs deep, with not only his passing and strong takes to the cup but sharp shooting from deep.
He was a sniper in the fourth quarter against Brisbane Grammar, knocking down three after three to nudge Nudgee ahead.
Joaquin Tulloch (Nudgee)
Tulloch and Carlisle steered Nudgee home to a tight 77-68 victory.
What was most impressive about Tulloch was his ability to get to the free throw line and cash in the freebies at a very high percentage.
Unlike other players his size, Tulloch drives with confidence and intent to score, which is the reason he landed himself countless trips to the line.
On top of that, he sunk a few threes and dished out some flashy passes to get a vocal Nudgee crowd cheering.
Nate Scott (Nudgee College)
Year 12 Nate Scott had another solid performance following last week’s 44 point explosion against BBC.
It was deja vu in the fourth, with Scott sinking a timely three to call game and stun Brisbane Grammar who were right there till the end,
Lachlan Curtin (Brisbane Grammar)
Curtin is a consistent performer for the Brisbane Grammar first V team.
He always brings effort and passion to the table, leading from the front with his rebounding, among other strongpoints of his game.
As a constant scoring threat, Curtin worked well with Lebron Brooks as is the case each week, but Nudgee College’s execution down the stretch proved vital in their nine point win.
Lebron Brooks (Brisbane Grammar)
Brooks boasted yet another 20-point-performance, as Brisbane Grammar fell just short at Nudgee. The Year 10 continues to sound a warning across the competition of his exceptional knack for the game.
With ease, the youngster gets to his spot and delivers. Time and time again, he is a reliable source for points.
Samuel Geu (Toowoomba Grammar School)
Towering power forward Samuel Geu picked up where he left off in round 3 when steering Toowoomba to a 78-75 win over Southport.
Geu was too much to handle for Churchie this week, with his presence on both ends leading the way for his team.
He swatted the ball against the backboard, he used his ridiculous wingspan to earn turnovers, and used all 2.01m of him to rebound Churchie out of the game.
You’d need a counter on the second chance points he racked up just by following loose rebounding opportunities.
Rahul Captain (Toowoomba Grammar School)
Captain needed a fire extinguisher to put him out in the first quarter, as he immediately gave Toowoomba the upperhand.
Multiple swishes from behind the arc highlighted Captain’s start to the game. Clearly he stayed in the gym during Toowoomba’s bye week.
James Nugent (Toowoomba Grammar School)
Nugent had it all on Saturday. With strong slashes to the basket, persistent defence, selfless passing and threes of his own, Nugent had an invaluable impact.
Tawana Ngorima (Toowoomba Grammar School)
Ngorima came out firing and with his energy and enthusiasm, sparked a Toowoomba surge.
He drew charges, moved the ball, shot the three-ball well and before Churchie knew it, they were down 47-26 at half time.
Although he is small, he finds a way to weave through the defence and drop in plenty of high-percentage floaters. It’s easier when you have shifty handles like Ngorima.
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