We name the players who starred at the Basketball Queensland under-12 state titles

Queensland’s basketball stars of tomorrow faced off at the under-12 state titles with teams from across the Sunshine State battling it out for glory over the school holidays. Meet the players who stood out from the action-packed championships here.

Harry Salmi of the Toowoomba Mountaineers against Ipswich Force 1. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Some of the best young basketball stars from across the Sunshine State were on the court these school holidays for the 2024 under-12 Basketball Queensland State Titles.

The competition is for many a junior basketballer’s first stage of competing in state championships with several games played in a short window.

With several games played over the course of a few days, the inspiring leaders, lockdown defenders and x-factor players are crucial to a team’s success.

Check out our growing list of the stars from the tournaments and nominate your team’s today:

Star players

Saxon Bartlett (Toowoomba Mountaineers Division 5 boys)

He worked and worked every week and has improved beyond expectations.

Luca Collins (Toowoomba Mountaineers Division 5 boys)

He played as our centre all season while being undersized to the players he would have to defend.

Kenn Corpuz (Toowoomba Mountaineers Division 5 boys)

His speed, skill and shooting is well in advance of his age.

Clark Grech (RedCity Roar)

Clark was an unstopabble force from beyond the arc. After opening the tournament with six three-pointers in his first game he went on the score 19 threes including a five basket haul in another match.

Quinn Callaghan (Northside Wizards Division 6 boys)

Top scorer through dominating drives and led the team to a second-place finish.

Jacobi Brooks (Northside Wizards Division 6 boys)

A bottom, bottom age player (born 2015) who hit four three point shots in one game, scoring a total of 22 points.

Charlie Bale (Northside Wizards Division 6 boys)

Another bottom, bottom age player who provided tenacious defence and is also a world champion in karate.

Tarkhii Acoom (Cairns Dolphins Division 1 girls)

One of the most athletic girls in the division, was an offensive weapon and constantly got better as the tournament went on.

Zenzi Arnold (Cairns Dolphins Division 1 girls)

The glue girl, a rebounding machine who never backed down from any challenge defensively and always got to the right spots on offence and defence.

Isiah Graham for Ipswich Force 2. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Isiah Graham (Ipswich Force 2 Division 2 boys)

A relentless force at both ends of the court, disrupting opponent’s plays while electrifying our offence with his scoring abilities.

Kyle Santiago (Ipswich Force 2 Division 2 boys)

Remarkable basketball IQ, effortlessly orchestrating our plays and directing team’s effort on both defence and offence.

Avery McDonald (Ipswich Force 2 Division 2 boys)

A superstar in the making, adept at attacking in offence with finesse while also taking on key defensive responsibilities.

Ky Burston (Cairns Marlins Division 1 boys)

A class above and tough match up for other teams. Topped the championships in scoring (32 points per game) and the reason for Cairns’ success.

Crosby Thomas (Cairns Marlins Division 1 boys)

A passionate player who plays hard and came up big when we needed him.

Levi Moroney (Cairns Marlins Division 1 boys)

A versatile player who filled multiple roles for the team and rebounded well.

Elita Evalu and Faith White (Ipswich Division 1 girls)

Both hit the court in rep basketball for the first time this year putting in 100 per cent effort. And both showing huge improvement throughout the season on their individual skills earning big court time for the team.

Indee Mortimer and Azalia Power (Mackay Comettes Division 2 girls)

The duo never give up and always bring 100 per cent effort.

Onyx Wilson (Mackay Meteors Division 1 boys)

Brought steady leadership at the point guard position.

Jack Taylor (Mackay Meteors Division 1 boys)

Was a standout at the centre position with his rebounding and finishing.

Seth Cruickshank (Mackay Meteors Division 1 boys)

A player who was all heart and made countless hustle plays.

Avahna Shiels, Pennie Leaney and Madison Hickey (Ipswich Force 3 Division 4 girls)

Showed incredible focus and determination in crucial moments; lifting the team and changing the game when we needed it most.

Brody O’Keefe (Logan Thunder Blue Division 6 boys)

Brody received some feedback during the season and really worked on that feedback to really improve in the back end of state champs and finish on a high.

Zen Crawford (Logan Thunder Blue Division 6 boys)

Zen played a lot more minutes than usual and pushed through his physical and mental struggle to lead his team by example of hard work

Kian Seimens (Logan Thunder Blue Division 6 boys)

Kian’s energy on and off the court was amazing to see, he initiated the bench chants and cheering throughout games and encouraged the bench to cheer while on the court.

Harry Salmi (Toowoomba Mountaineers Division 2 boys)

Constantly works hard on both ends of the court. Can score from all areas and shuts down players on defence.

Christopher Quick in action for the Toowoomba Mountaineers. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Christopher Quick (Toowoomba Mountaineers Division 2 boys)

A strong all around player that can defend the paint and pull down boards, as well as score quickly by running the floor.

Daniel Napier (Toowoomba Mountaineers Division 2 boys)

A hustle player that never gives up, reads the ball well in defence which results in points off the back of his steals.

Bradley Harrison and Levi Meier (Logan Thunder Gold Division 3 boys)

Two point guards that can tackle it all. They will face any challenge ahead of them, have incredible skills both offensively and defensively and are rising stars in the making.

Orlando Wilson (Logan Thunder Division 1 boys)

delivered with his score making ability and rebounding throughout the tournament.

Blake Gilmour and Harrison Wicks (Logan Thunder Division 1 boys)

Blake Gilmour and Harrison Wicks impressed with their ability to create space, spread the floor and control the team structure and tempo utilising their basketball IQ and leadership while on and off the court.

Kingston Massingdale (Northside Wizards Division 1 boys)

Dominant guard, an amazing creator who could finish at will.

Duke Tupi (Northside Wizards Division 1 boys)

Versatile player who could play any position, great athleticism and defense.

Freya Shipton (Toowoomba Mountaineers Division 2 girls)

Shipton was the strongest player for the Mountaineers as she led the scoring and excelled in defence.

The 2024 Toowoomba Mountaineers under-12 side.

Makanaka Ngorima (Toowoomba Mountaineers Division 2 girls)

Stepped up when it counted playing offence and defence with intensity.

Grace Locker (Toowoomba Mountaineers Division 2 girls)

Demonstrated flexibility, playing a variety of roles.

Brenton Gaka (Rockhampton Rockets Division 1 boys)

Brenton was one of the best guards in the competition. He led rockhampton to a silver medal in Division 1. Top scoring for our team and being the primary ball handler.

Nathan Appleton (Rockhampton Rockets Division 1 boys)

In his first rep season he progressed so well guarding the opponents’ best guards and slowing them down to enable us to be successful.

Annie Ayuen (Rockhampton Rockets Division 1 boys)

In most games he stepped up and made some big shots to help the team.

India Taylor (Mackay Starettes Division 3 girls)

India has a never say die attitude and consistently performed throughout the season.

Brianna Sacca (Mackay Starettes Division 3 girls)

Brianna’s sportsmanship and team spirit throughout the entire season was instrumental to lifting our team.

Elba Ohl (Mackay Starettes Division 3 girls)

Elba’s growth as a player and team mate over the season was inspiring, making her our most improved player.

JT Smith (USC Ripcity White Division 5 boys)

An exceptional all-round player. Great feel for the game and good with the ball in hand as a scorer and playmaker.

Isaac Martin (USC Ripcity White Division 5 boys)

Improved tremendously as the tournament progressed. Great length, size and speed with exceptional touch and footwork. Productive on both ends of the floor with untapped potential for a kid relatively new to the game.

Joshua Tuhi and Lucas Tahata (Greater Springfield Pioneers Division 4 boys)

Both boys played with heart and determination lifting their performance in the finals games and finished season strong, improving mentally and physically.

Tuhi scored an impressive 32 points in the semi-final while bottom age young gun Tahat scored 26 points in the bronze medal game.

Harper Fredricks and Annabel Hill (Cairns Coral Division 3 girls)

The duo showed determination to make a difference for their team and reliability on the court.

Lockdown defender

Levi Meier – Logan Thunder Gold Division 3 boys

Daniel Napier – Toowoomba Mountaineers Division 2 boys

Ren Smith-Jones – Toowoomba Mountaineers Division 5 boys

Leo Chalmers – Logan Thunder Blue Division 6 boys

Piper Thompson – Ipswich Force 3 Division 4 girls

Onyx Wilson – Mackay Meteors Division 1 boys

Reese Geeves – Mackay Comettes Division 2 girls

Arizona Hawthorne – Ipswich Division 1 girls

Ryan Williams – Cairns Marlins Division 1 boys

Hunter Heard – Northside Wizards Division 6 boys

Zenzi Arnold – Cairns Dolphins Division 1 girls

Avery McDonald – Ipswich Force Division 2 boys

Lucas Jamieson - Logan Thunder Division 1 boys

Theo Ale - Northside Wizards Division 1 boys

Lexi Locker and Greta Stibbard - Toowoomba Mountaineers Division 2 girls

Nathan Appleton - Rockhampton Rockets Division 1 boys

Marli Steindl-Corrie - Mackay Starettes Division 3 girl

Talamoy Lorbach - USC Ripcity White Division 5 boys

Zael Ambat - Northside Wizards Division 6 boys

Simon Perez - Greater Springfield Pioneers Division 4 boys

Annabel Hill - Cairns Coral Division 3 girls

X-factor player

Logan Doyle – Toowoomba Mountaineers Division 5 boys

Ethan Bailey – Northside Wizards Division 6 boys

Blayze Taylor – Cairns Dolphins Division 1 girls

Isiah Graham – Ipswich Force Division 2 boys

Ned Isbel – Cairns Marlins Division 1 girls

Elita Avalu – Ipswich Division 1 girls

Charlotte Hellwege – Mackay Comettes Division 2 girls

Jack Taylor – Mackay Meteors Division 1 boys

Harper McQueen – Ipswich Force 3 Division 4 girls

Chayse Balm – Logan Thunder Blue Division 6 boys

Harry Salmi of the Toowoomba Mountaineers. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Harry Salmi – Toowoomba Mountaineers Division 2 boys

Bradley Harrison – Logan Thunder Gold Division 3 boys

Orlando Wilson - Logan Thunder Division 1 boys

Noah Newman - Northside Wizards Division 1 boys

Makanaka Ngorima - Toowoomba Mountaineers Division 2 girls

Annie Ayuen - Rockhampton Rockets Division 1 boys

Andee Ohl - Mackay Starettes Division 3 boys

Jett Young - USC Ripcity White Division 5 boys

Beau Dyer - Northside Wizards Division 6 boys

Tire Iluyemi - Greater Springfield Pioneers Division 4 boys

Harper Fredricks - Cairns Coral Division 3 girls

Inspirational leader

Lincoln Hollis – Logan Thunder Gold Division 3 boys

Toowoomba Mountaineers Division 5 boys with their medals after the 2024 under-12 boys state titles

Andrew Hunter - Toowoomba Mountaineers Division 5 boys

Carter Humphries – Northside Wizards Division 6 boys

Tess Bolton – Cairns Dolphins Division 1 girls

Kyle Santiago – Ipswich Force Division 2 boys

Ky Burston – Cairns Marlins Division 1 boys

Lola Guse – Ipswich Division 1 girls

Indee Mortimer – Mackay Comettes Division 2 girls

Seth Cruickshank – Mackay Meteors Division 1 boys

Avahna Shiels – Ipswich Force 3 Division 4 girls

Zen Crawford – Logan Thunder Blue Division 6 boys

Christopher Quick – Toowoomba Mountaineers Division 2 boys

Blake Gilmour and Harrison Wicks - Logan Thunder Division 1 boys

Toby Baker - Northside Wizards Division 1 boys

Freya Shipton - Toowoomba Mountaineers Division 2 girls

Gracie Ramsay - Mackay Starettes Division 3 girls

JT Smith - USC Ripcity White Division 5 boys

Charlie Bale - Northside Wizards Division 6 boys

Jacob Brinkman - Greater Springfield Pioneers Division 4 boys

India Scowcroft - Cairns Coral Division 3 girls

Originally published as We name the players who starred at the Basketball Queensland under-12 state titles