We reveal the best young stars of Toowoomba basketball in 2024

With all eyes on the Australian Boomers and Opals in Paris, we reveal the Toowoomba basketball young stars who could one day shoot for gold themselves.

Toowoomba Mountaineers players celebrate their bronze medal at the Queensland Basketball Under-18 State Championships.

As the Australian Boomers and Opals tip off their 2024 Olympic campaigns in Paris, we take a look at some of the junior Toowoomba basketball stars who could be stars of the future.

From elite scorers to incredibly gifted athletes, the future of Toowoomba basketball is bright with these young guns set to pave the way for the future.

Under-12s

Freya Shipton

Shipton currently leads the Mountaineers Division 1 side in scoring averaging an impressive 12.8 points per game which has her sitting fifth overall in the competition.

She is a crafty, versatile weapon who can play in both the front and the back-court thanks to her size and skillset.

Despite her young age, Shipton already has good instincts driving the ball and an impressive mid-range jumpshot.

Her impact is not just limited to offence, as she competes hard on every play defensively and is often tasked with guarding the other teams’ best players.

The two-way star is in her second season with the under-12 side and has been a driving force behind the impressive turnaround from the relatively inexperienced group.

With her older sister Halle already one of the best young guns in Queensland basketball, the Shipton sisters are set to be cornerstones for the future of the Mountaineers’ women’s program.

Makanaka Ngorima

Ngorima provides the one-two punch with Shipton averaging eight points per game.

She has an excellent passing ability which has been the foundation to the duo’s rampaging success.

Ngorima also has an impressive on-ball defensive ability and is tasked with shutting down opposition guards.

Christopher Quick

Quick is in his second season with the U12 boys side and has been a scoring sensation in 2024.

His impressive scoring antics were on full show when he put 24 points past the Gold Coast in a crucial win for Toowoomba.

Quick has the size to play between the guard and forward positions and has the ability to pull down crucial rebounds.

Harry Salmi

Salmi is a crafty young guard as a current top age U12 player and has benefited from the

experience of last season.

He has an unbelievable ability to handle the ball, is a creative passer and finishes around the rim in a multitude of ways.

Salmi has shown he has potential to become a stellar talent as he has an impressive and continually developing basketball IQ.

Under-14s

Athena Whiriana

Athena Whiriana is a tall and long prodigy rising through the ranks.

She joined the Mountaineers after moving from Roma to enhance her opportunities and was selected in the Basketball Queensland FDP program which is the first step in talent identification in the state’s development pathway.

This season, she has provided great rim protection and with her size, proved a challenge to stop offensively around the rim with her trademark spin move.

Hannah and Georgia Petrie

Hannah and Georgia Petrie are twins that come from basketball royalty with their uncle being NBL legend Anthony Petrie.

With such incredible basketball ability and IQ in their blood, it is no surprise Hannah and Georgia have been lighting up the floor for the U14 Mountaineers.

The duo are both dynamic guards that have reminded Mountaineers veterans of former imports, Estela and Beatriz Royo-Torress.

The combo guards are fast in transition, have finishing packages around the rim and also have an impressive jumpshot as well.

When you have such a wide array of talent on the offensive end, it would be easy to rest on your laurels at the other end of the floor, however, these girls both work extremely well on defence together and will be key players for the Mountaineers to retain.

Justin Nelson

Nelson has been one of the big improvers for the U14 boys team and took on a big

chunk of the scoring load at the state titles.

He proved he is a player who thrives in the big occasions as he went from averaging five points per game in the regular season to an impressive 14 points per game.

Nelson is known for his excellent and hard working defence and is now becoming the complete package with an improving offensive skillset.

Dut Kuany

Kuany is an electric talent in attack and was the third-highest scorer in the South Queensland Junior Basketball Competition.

He has been touted as a future star by Basketball Queensland scouts and is one of the state’s best offensive talents for his age thanks to his variety of ways he can put points on the board.

The Toowoomba Mountaineers under-16 girls squad celebrate a win.

Under-16s

Lara Yaxley

Lara Yaxley is the ultimate leader who can always be counted upon to make her mark.

She is one of the most consistent players in the team and was a constant double-double threat, pulling in countless rebounds.

The young forward provided a great pick and roll combo with lead guard Millie Natalier and will return as a top age player.

Millie Natalier

Simply put, Millie Natalier is a superstar.

She is set to be a future Mountaineers star and will be ready to take over in the

Youth League competition and challenge for a QSL1 women’s roster spot next season.

Millie was a dominate force at the guard positions averaging a whopping

competition-high 33.8 points per game and scoring double anyone in the competition.

Her outstanding scoring ability has drawn extra attention from opposing defenders, which has unfazed the team-first young gun.

“I just try to play my game … I like to shoot the ball if I get a good look but if I can find a teammate in a better spot I’ll pass to them,” she told this masthead.

“It’s all about the team doing well for me.”

Lincoln Quinlan

Quinlan has shown he is not afraid to take on players older than him as he averaged double figures as a bottom aged player in the 16s.

He has the complete offensive package scoring inside, outside and the free throw line and has the makings of a future star.

Connor Stanton

Stanton led the Mountaineers and competition in scoring at the state champs where he averaged 20 points per game.

He has an impressive all-round skillset on the wing with a strong ability to drive in the keyway.

Stanton’s shown impressive leadership skills and is the ultimate team man.

He possesses impressive strength for his age and under the guidance of under-16s and senior men’s coach Sean Connelly, could pull on the senior QSL jersey one day.

Under-18s

Mia Wilson

While she might be small in stature, Mia Wilson is big at heart and demonstrates

everything a coach wants in a player with hard work and dedication to effort.

She is a great communicator with an abundance of energy at the defensive end.

Wilson took a big jump form a contributor in the U18s, to a pivotal member of the Youth League side where she is one of the youngest players in the competition.

She us set to return to U18s next season hungrier and better than ever and will have a huge role to play alongside fellow rising talent Natalier.

Kaley Markey

Markey was the leading scorer at the state titles for the Mountaineers where she averaged a solid 10 points per game.

She is a dynamic left-handed guard who is rapid on the offensive end and has showcased elite

potential on the defensive end often picking up with full court disruption.

Markey’s potential is sky-high as she was one of the most improved players in the Youth League campaign despite being a bottom-aged player.

She will return to U18s next season and has already caught the eye of Mountaineers senior women’s coach Matt Cox as a potential future QSL gun.

Toowoomba Mountaineers players celebrate their bronze medal at the Queensland Basketball Under-18 State Championships.

Zac Harvey

Harvey played in the second Mountaineers team as a bottom-aged player but showed great promise as a dynamic combo guard.

He is a long athlete who loves to play in the open floor offensively and is elite at getting on the rim.

Harvey will also be a player to watch in the elite TGS basketball program which has featured several young Mountaineers guns.

Kizito Oryem for Toowoomba Mountaineers Youth League side. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Kizito Oryem

Oryem has had a meteoric rise over the last 12 months and it is only a matter of time before we see him running onto the court at QSL level.

He has caught the eye of men’s coach Sean Connelly after sensational TBL and QSL Youth League seasons.

He was the second highest scorer for the U18s during the regular season with 14 points per game, which increased to 18 points at the state titles as he helped Toowoomba bring home the bronze medal.

He is a dynamic player between the guard and forward positions with an all around scoring skillset.

He has developed into an elite rim protector but it is his explosive athleticism which is most impressive.

Whether he is driving to the rim or taking jump shots, Oryem is an incredible talent and was a key reason why the Mountaineers made the Youth League grand final this year.

Notable mentions

While these young guns may not be a part of the Mountaineers’ junior system, they are still youth stars of the future of Toowoomba basketball.

Theo Hess for the Toowoomba Mountaineers. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Theo Hess

The Mountaineers Youth League and Toowoomba Grammar School First V star is at the cusp of breaking into the senior rotation after another impressive season.

He is a strong athlete and a talented scorer who has shown strong leadership skills out on the floor.

His efforts were rewarded as he took home the Youth league MVP award after a scintillating campaign where he averaged more than 20 points per game.

Samuel Geu. Picture: Capture the Dog Photography.

Samuel Geu

It is hard to believe that Geu is still in school as he has already asserted himself as a Darling Downs basketball star.

He brings QSL experience and was a star during the 2024 TBL season.

Now a year 12 student in the TGS First V squad, Geu’s unrivalled all-round athleticism on both ends of the floor make him a terrifying two-way player for opponents to come up against.

Queensland North’s Keahn Tuakura at the Under-18 National Championships. Picture: Taylor Earnshaw

Keahn Tuakura

Another gun at TGS, Tuakura’s rugby background makes him an imposing presence in the paint.

He is an elite defender and showed his lockdown capabilities during the TBL season, where he kept Mountaineers and QSL superstar Adam Gehrig quiet.

Halle Shipton takes to the court for the Toowoomba Mountaineers. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Halle Shipton

Already a key member of the Mountaineers Youth League and QSL sides, Shipton turned heads at the recent Queensland School Sport Titles where she was central to the strong performance from the Darling Downs.

She brings an impressive jumpshot and has a knack of scoring key baskets to change the momentum of games.