Top 20 players ranked from 2024 Basketball Australia Schools Championships
The school championships threw up plenty of shocks, surprises and super finishes - but among all the excitement, these 20 athletes stood tall above the rest. Find out who made the list.
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The best young ballers took over the Gold Coast last week, with Brisbane State High and Berwick College picking up historic national title wins.
But it was more than just school pride on show for the athletes at the Basketball Australia Schools Championships.
For a lot of them, it was the first time in front of the nation’s top scouts, and they definitely didn't disappoint.
We reveal our top 20 athletes from the tournament which includes a teenage Boomer, a couple of US college commits and an unknown state sheet stuffer from the Apple Isle.
CHECK OUT THE FULL LIST BELOW
CHAMPIONSHIP WOMEN
Prasayus Notoa (Brisbane State High)
It should come as no surprise that Notoa took these championships by storm given she’s an Australian Sapphires representative, but she was at the fore of Brisbane SHS’s title charge, pulling the strings on every attack with her unrivalled vision and producing some stunning assists, with a tournament-high average of 7.83. She also had the second-best three-point accuracy across the week.
Jessie-May Hall (Barker College)
The 17-year-old Barker College star was involved in everything on the way to a bronze medal finish. Hall finished in the top 10 for points per game with 18.33, top two for assists per game with seven and also averaged 6.33 rebounds for good measure. Hall’s impact on a game cannot be understated.
Olivia Olechnowicz (John Paul College)
The under-15 Oceania Cup MVP was on fire throughout the weekend for John Paul College, but particularly in a dramatic round robin overtime loss against Willetton Senior High when she dropped a whopping 45 points. Despite the struggles of the youthful John Paul outfit, Olechnowicz finished as the tournament’s most prolific scorer averaging 24 points per game and is a serious talent.
Aspen Crase (Immanuel College)
The Immanuel College big had a breakout tournament at the schools championships. Crase dominated the paint, finishing top five for both rebounds (11) and points (18.83) per game. She used her size to bully her opponents and played intelligent basketball by making the right choice under pressure.
Alleah Hanson (Brisbane State High)
It was easy to see why Hanson has cracked Australian Sapphires squads as she played a crucial role in containing opposition bigs all tournament, most notably Rowville spearhead Manuela Puoch who had one of her quieter games in their semi-final. Hanson’s put backs were also a key feature of Brisbane’s attack and she was among the tournament’s top-three scorers averaging over 20 points a game.
Sasha Clague (Barker College)
She gave up plenty of age and experience to her rivals, but it didn’t deter the towering Barker College teen. The underage centre dominated the post, and was impressive with her shooting ability, shooting at almost 60 per cent from the floor. Clague exploded in the clash with Caulfield when she finished with 30 points, 22 rebounds in four quarters.
Manuela Puoch (Rowville Secondary College)
Pouch proved near impossible to contain across the tournament and finished second for both average points and rebounds. While she used her size to great effect in the paint, she was also a potent shooter from deep and drained 13 threes with an accuracy that was in the top three from beyond the arc.
Sharni Reisinger (Brisbane State High)
The representative star was part of an impressive three-headed hydra at the national champions Brisbane State High. Reisinger averaged 15.5 points and 4.67 assists per game and had several stand-out moments across the week. Her ability to hit threes, shooting nearly one-from-three beyond the arc was game changing.
Sienna Lehmann (Immanuel College)
A dynamic player, every coach or player that came up against Lehmann throughout the tournament lamented how difficult she was to maintain, with the point guard able to assume the role of a power forward in the paint. Her only blight was her accuracy shooting from beyond the arc, but she finished among the top-five for both scoring and rebounds.
Emilija Dakic (Rowville Secondary College)
The Artful Dodger of the women’s tournament, Dakic picked the pockets of her rivals at will. The elite point guard was one of Rowville’s best for the week, and tried her best to make up for the loss of injured star Bonnie Deas. Dakic averaged 10 points, 3.83 assists and four steals per game across the week.
CHAMPIONSHIP MEN
Aidan Schubert (Trinity College)
Was on managed minutes in the round robin games but came to life at the pointy end of the tournament with a monster 22-point, 16-rebound double-double in the semi-final. His coach mused that the workhorse had the biggest motor of anyone he’s coached. The strong defensive player could produce big blocks, while on offence he had good footwork around the rim and was an unpredictable scorer.
Deng Manyang (Trinity College)
While stats are a key part of sports, there are times where they just don’t do justice to the impact one player had on a tournament. Manyang provided the highlight plays that will long be used in promo reels for the future of Aussie basketball. He nearly single-handedly spurred his team in the gold medal match with a couple of quintessential Manyang dunks.
Jacob Furphy (Lake Ginninderra College)
Furphy was one of the most hyped players leading into the championships given he was just two weeks off making his Australian Boomers debut. If it hadn’t already, his class became abundantly clear in the bronze medal match when he found another gear deep in the fourth quarter and led a miraculous comeback and eventual overtime win to finish the match with 39 points. He was the second-most prolific scorer and averaged 27 points across the tournament, but it was the intangibles such as his leadership and ability to improve those around him that were equally as impressive.
Charlie McBeath (St Gregory’s College)
There is a reason this Sydneysider is now known as McBeast. The NSW representative forward had a hand in everything the St Gregory’s College side did well. He led the tournament in both scoring (35) and rebounds (15.4) per game and laid claim to the best individual performance of the week with a 50-point showing against Willetton in the finals.
Truman Byrne (Berwick College)
You could throw a blanket over the possible best players In Berwick’s title-winning campaign which speaks volumes as to why they tasted success. Big man Byrne led the way with 16 points in his double-double in the final, and notably drained a pair of clutch triples. Was a consistent performer and matched it with some fearsome opponents.
Phoenix Windsor (Berwick College)
The load was shared heavily among Berwick’s plethora of skilful guards but Windsor rose to prominence in the round robin games when he produced a pair of clutch buckets inside the final 20 seconds to lift Berwick to a two-point victory over Lake Ginninderra. Was Berwick’s leading scorer and consistently notched 20 points. Had 15 among an even spread in the victorious gold medal match.
Ajak Nyuon (Lake Ginninderra College)
The Lake Ginny big man had plenty of big moments during the tournament whether it was put back jams or just putting his opponents back in their box with a huge block. The ACT monster finished with a tournament-high 19 blocks - eight clear of the next best on the list - while also averaging in the top five for points with 19.5 per game.
Emerson Juhasz (Brisbane Grammar School)
Formed a potent one-two punch with Charlie Winks all tournament and led his side for both points and rebounds as they fell agonisingly short of the bronze medal. Despite the loss, Juhasz was immense in that bronze medal clash with a 29-point, 19-rebound double-double if you don’t mind!
Ty Withers (Don College)
The Tasmanian guard was at the heart of the Don College’s valiant performances at the national championships. Withers stuffed the stat sheet most games, finishing among the tournament’s top 10 scorers with 17.4 points per game, while also averaging 8.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Withers saved his best for last coming up with 24 points and 17 rebounds against the reigning champions The Southport School in the consolation finals.
Harrison Fitzgerald (Willetton Senior High)
If there was one rule for teams at the schools championships, it was don’t leave Fitzgerald open beyond the arc. The long-haired guard from the wild west wasn’t afraid of a shootout, finishing with a tournament-high 39.47 per cent success rate from beyond the arc and averaging inside the top 10 for points per game (18.2).
Originally published as Top 20 players ranked from 2024 Basketball Australia Schools Championships
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