‘Pretty sick’: How Tassie teen became a ‘Baby Boomer’

Tasmania’s rising basketball superstar Jacob Furphy described selection for his first senior Australia squad as “pretty sick” after being unveiled as the latest ‘Baby Boomer’.

Tasmania’s Jacob Furphy has been selected for the Boomers.

“It’s pretty sick.”

That’s how Tasmania’s ‘Baby Boomer’ Jacob Furphy described his first selection in a senior Australia squad, just days after committing to a US college giant.

The 18-year-old has been rushed into the Boomers squad for FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers at Thailand and Korea later this month.

The star guard is one of the top young prospects in Australia, and announced himself on the big stage by helping Tasmania to bronze when just 15 at the under-18 national championships.

He officially signed with back-to-back NCAA champions University of Connecticut on Wednesday, a couple of weeks after committing to the program.

It’s a lot for a teenager from a small Tasmanian town to absorb.

“I suppose it hasn’t really hit me yet, but I’m sure it will. It’s been a crazy week and I’m sure it will sink in, probably when I get on the plane,” Furphy told this masthead.

“For this trip I’m not holding too high expectations, just to get on that team and get that experience is the main thing I’ll get out of it.

“It’s pretty sick as an 18-year-old to even get that experience. Whether I get on the court or I don’t, I’ll make the most of it for sure.”

Temporary Boomers coach Jacob Chance, a former JackJumpers assistant now hold the same role at Melbourne United, has seen Furphy’s undeniable talent first-hand.

Jacob Furphy goes to work on Serbia in the gold-medal game at the Albert Schweitzer game in Germany.

“I know Chancey a little bit. When he was at the JackJumpers I trained with him at a couple of pre season trainings and built a relationship a bit from there,” Furphy said.

Furphy and Josh Bannon have been added to the Boomers squad for the Thailand (November 21) and Korea (November 24) games in place of Jack White (injury) and Nathan Sobey (managed).

“I have followed Jacob’s career along from afar and been a big fan for a long time,” Chance told Basketball Australia.

“Certainly, during my time in Tasmania and watching what he’s done lately, both in a national and international level has been very impressive.

“He is an elite human, a high-level player with elite basketball IQ. But most of all he embodies the Boomers qualities.

“He’s a winner, he makes his teammates better and plays with a great level of passion.”

Incredibly, Furphy and fellow Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence member Nash Walker both hail from Smithton.

In September, the duo helped Australia win the under-18 Asia Cup.

Tasmanian star Jacob Furphy in action for Tasmania. Picture: Taylor Earnshaw

Asked if there is something in the water in the northwest town, Furphy said: “I don’t know, to be quite honest. Nash and I have been training and playing together our whole life so we’re able to put our work ethic together.

“When Nash is away there’s still a way to get around not having someone to push you every day, but in my situation it for sure helped out a lot.

“I can get live reps with him every day going one-on-one, get more shots in as we can rebound for each other.

“There’s also that competitive edge, we both hate losing so that drives us both to get better.”

Furphy will wrap up his commitments at Canberra’s NBA Global Academy before heading to UConn midway through next year.

“It was the bond and commitment the coaches put into me in not only recruiting me, but when I was on my visit,” Furphy said.

“The way they went about things attracted me towards it. Then being able to see up close their training environment and how they go about it, I feel it fits me perfectly and will help me be the best I can be.”