The Basketball Australia Foot Locker Schools Championships kick off next week (December 2-6) with some of the best young basketball talent across the country ready to show out for their school pride.
For a lot of the players, this year's tournament will provide a chance to finish off their schooling on a winning note, while others will be determined to make their mark on the national stage.
Ahead of the tournament our broadcast partners at KommunityTV have run their eyes over the more than 150 athletes ready to take on the Championship division to find the ones you need to keep an eye on.
Check out a selection of the top young talents below.
Jacob Furphy
Lake Ginninderra College, ACT
Position: Guard, Height: 194cm, Age: 18
The Tassie flamethrower has become one of the hottest commodities in Australian junior hoops after being named to make his Boomers debut in Asia Cup qualifiers this month. He only recently committed to NCAA D1 college UConn and is coming off a massive gold medal campaign at the U18 Asia Cup where the left-hander averaged 16.8 points and 4.2 assists per game. He is money from deep, really anywhere on the floor.
Bonnie Deas
Rowville Secondary College, VIC
Position: Guard, Height: 175cm, Age: 18
She has been earmarked as one of the best rising stars and Deas has proved it time and time again. While she has been named in a stacked Rowville line-up hunting for back-to-back titles, whether Deas takes the court amid her Sydney Flames WNBL commitments remains to be seen. Deas is as close to the full package as it comes, crashes the glass like a big twice her size, hits threes for fun and is an elite mover on the court.
Indy Cotton
The Southport School, QLD
Position: Guard, Height: 195cm, Age: 17
The livewire was a key part of The Southport School’s national title campaign last year, and has been a part of the NBA Global Academy program for a number of seasons. The young point guard has been making waves on the national championships scene for that long, it’s hard to believe he is still only 17. Cotton has silky handles, a great basketball IQ and the ability to make those around him better ballers.
Jessie-May Hall
Barker College, NSW
Position: Guard, Height: 172cm, Age: 17
Jessie-May is tougher than most. The power-packed guard has been on the radar of national scouts since she could dribble a ball. She will fight for every opportunity on the court, regularly stuffing the stat sheet with steals, blocks, assists and points. Lots of points. Played a full season of NBL1 with the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Spiders, averaging 20 points and 7.19 rebounds per game at only 17-years-old.
Sienna Lehmann
Immanuel College, SA
Position: Forward, Height: 172cm, Age: 17
Lehmann form a dynamic duo with classmate Aspen Crase, with the dynamic guard/forward easily among the best talents for her age in the country. Lehmann was a gold medallist with the Australian Under-15 side last year, before backing it up with the Sapphires at the Under-17 World Championships this year. She is efficient and ruthless when she hits the floor.
Harrison Fitzgerald
Willetton Senior High, WA
Position: Guard, Height: 193cm, Age: 17
The long locks are unmistakable on court, but Fitzgerald has proven this year he is much more than his Samson-style hair. The point guard balled out at the Under-18 National Championships for WA Metro, before backing up with a team-of-the-tournament nod at the inaugural Under-18 Club Championships in September. He is a walking bucket.
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