Victoria’s rising star Austin Rapp on shot that won Basketball Australia Under-20 and Ivor Burge National Championships

One second to go, with the scores tied and a gold medal on the line. This NBL rising star knew it needed to be him to take the shot. Get inside the mind of Victorian champion Austin Rapp.

“I think we can finally say we are back, Victoria is back where it belongs.”

If his championship-winning, final-second buzzer beater didn’t say it, NBL rising star Austin Rapp certainly wasn’t mincing his words.

The rising star of Australian basketball was one of the premier athletes at the Basketball Australia Under-20 National Championships steering Victoria to its first gold medal in four years.

But it’s his final second heroics in the gold medal match that will be remembered for years to come.

In reality, Rapp won’t ever forget the moment, his TikTok won’t let him.

“I have seen the video so many times. People are sending it to me, or I open TikTok and it’s there. I can’t get away from it,” Rapp said.

“It still really hasn’t set in yet. It is so crazy how it all happened in those final moments. The shot just felt good out of the hand, it is crazy how it went in.”

It was an unbelievable final few moments of the Under-20 Nationals.

Austin Rapp during the Under-20 Nationals boys gold medal match. Picture: Taylor Earnshaw

After Rapp left the door ajar for Queensland by missing the second of his free throws, the boys in maroon went the length of the court with Jaylen Pitman landing a clutch three-pointer with a second to go to tie the scores.

Victoria had one chance to secure the gold, and Rapp knew he needed to be the one to take it.

“I was captain of that side, and I had made a few stupid mistakes in that final quarter that could have cost us the game,” he said.

“I took it upon myself, I said to the coach “I can win this for us”. The play was drawn up for me. Luke (Fennell) just said get open at the elbow, I will get you the ball.

“I don’t think he gets enough credit for that pass. It is one of the best passes I have ever seen. He whipped it right into my shot pocket and he had a 6 foot 11 guy standing in his face.”

Victoria's Austin Rapp during the Under-20 Nationals boys gold medal match. Picture: Taylor Earnshaw

Rapp credits Fennell, who finished with a tournament average of 15.71 points and 3.29 assists per game, and the hot-handed Joel Foxwell (18.43 points, 5.57 assists) as two key reasons the Victorian side brought home the gold at the nationals.

In a fitting moment, Rapp shot the buzzer beater over the top of Queensland rival, and tournament MVP, Roman Siulepa.

Austin Rapp tries to defend Roman Siulepa during the Under-20 Nationals boys gold medal match. Picture: Taylor Earnshaw

The pair of bigs, who are two of the most exciting young prospects in the country, had gone head to head all match with Rapp narrowly edging out his rival 32-29 on the scoreboard.

Rapp said while he felt for Siulepa immediately after the final, he said the pair had shared a few cheeky jabs on social media since.

“It had to be him at the end there,” Rapp said. “I have known him for a while now, we both played together for the Under-17 Australian team. We get along really well and I went and saw him after the game.

“I know it would have been tough on him to lose like that, but I reckon we can look back on it now and have a joke. I have sent him a few messages since the tournament.

“He is an unreal athlete and an unreal player. For him to average 24 points a game for the week, he’s not human.”

Originally published as Victoria’s rising star Austin Rapp on shot that won Basketball Australia Under-20 and Ivor Burge National Championships