Sad fact BA is cutting funds on all junior basketball. Not a great deal of future for our kids unless they are already under the National spotlight.

College in the USA is the next best step for any kind of future.

Have always preferred to see any junior with talent understand that hard work and a drive and passion for the game is what will get you there, not easy to fit 30 into 20.

Spots at the top of the pyramid are very few and I have also noticed that the dollar spent on basketball junior development here is so hard to find.

Agree, the college pathway can be a great option for those lucky enough to have the letters 'AIS' on their resume and for those who don't.

Effort has its own rewards, always has...

And now we have a pretty decent list of Aussie High School men complete with links to their AJC stats:

Aussie High School Prospects: Men

Not Daryl White , has had his chance and did not perform and has not ever performed at a National Level , his stats bear that out.
Will White is the real deal , i heard he declined and offer to attend the AIS and the lure of the AFL maybe too much to resist.

Agree with you Anon - it will be updated for sure and alreayd has been today!

We have also now incorporated links to the players' home club too!

Aussie High School Prospects: Men - Updated 1-Jan-14

who on earth wrote that article? I coached at U16 AJC this year in Adelaide and I would substitute all of the Born 1998 players (apart from Humphries, White and Froling). There were far more talented players there then the rest

In my opinion, LC did a decent job compiling this list. Nice way to promote some of our talent. Probably T. Maker and D. Adel should have been included but I guess this would depend on their past interests and impression they left on LC. D. Adel for example was a squad member for the last year nationals and then opted out.
Not sure how the bottom of the list was put together since did not see some of these kids. Based on the stats, personally I was not impressed. Yes they scored loads against weak opposition but nowhere to be found against the powerhouses.

Also about the height - LC, you can get in touch with many of these players and ask for an official measurement i.e. Aby and Jock are measured every month at the AIS, I know Jock is exactly 7'. Humphries is shorter by an inch or even 2 (check the pictures from the NZ series). Aby is at best 6'6 and Kyle is probably 6'7. What is presented on many sites may not be reliable.

Also Owies is not at the AIS.

Just wondering where you find this time, LC, to get all this info :)

@Anonymous - not shitty at all, just disagree with the inclusion of the majority of players from the Born 1998 section. And, for the record, I'm not talking about my players. It's entirely unfair to name particular players I don't think should be in there, but if you look at the stats and against which teams the particular player got the stats, they'll support that conclusion.

For example, I'd include a few more players from the 2 Grand Final teams who racked up consistently good numbers against some of the better teams. And no, I didn't coach either of those teams - I just think they were obvious standouts and played an amazing grand final.

I love how anytime someone sticks up for juniors who don't make a side get slagged for being biased.

There are plenty of people who love the game and juniors who make it and watch a lot of junior rep ball who know what they are talking about.

I watched some of the championship but couldn't make an assessment on anyone but I know plenty of others who could.

Keep having an opinion T-Time.

@BMF Exactly. I've coached at the Championships the past 2 years and even judging entirely on the statistics from this years' in Adelaide, there are certain players on the Born 1998 list who should count themselves very lucky to be included. For example, just from looking at the stats I believe Makuach Maluach, Myles Cherry (NSWC), Adam Lulka (NSWM) and possibly 1 VICM player whose name I cannot find deserve a spot in the Camp as well as the list above. All 3 put up solid, consistent numbers against some really tough opposition. (Maluach's Grand final and cherrys semi final were both standouts for mine). And no, I don't coach a NSW team before someone accuses me of bias.

@Anonymous - also a good point. Having watched a few of the VICM games at the Championships they really lacked the superstars they had in previous years. Maybe with more development one will emerge from that team in years to come but perhaps worrying signs.

I can't take any credit for the list of HS players. It was someone else! Happy to take feedback and pass it on though.

Just out of interest is Callum Barker (1996) really a 6'8 Guard or is that just a mistake on the list?

Sorry LC, thought it was you :) regardless a good effort and I guess a matter of opinion who are the emerging stars in younger age group.... seems the creator of the list is close to NSW players, but the list may crystallize after the nationals this year

Also C. Barker - the height about right but he played F/C last two nationals

How could anyone from Tasmania get picked in an elite squad when the only team they could beat in the U16s was NT. I agree with T-Team the good teams may not have had a lot of stand outs but they had good basketballers, not individuals just putting on a scoring show. This kid may have scored a few, what do percentages and turnovers mean, or do we just encourage scoring?

Well, there is plenty to look at in the near future with the Aus' Junior Country Cup on next week in Albury/Wodonga for those country states and NZ participating.

What other junior events worth following are up before the Nationals in April, I am not aware of all of them?

The metro teams have a big tournament soon do they not? Also, no QLD or WA or NT in Albury, what are those state teams up to...?

The Metro juniors are playing East Coast Challenge which started today, at Hills in Sydney.
East Coast Challenge involves U16 & U18's Men & Women.
Vic Metro (2 Teams)
NSW Metro (2 Teams)
SA (1 Teams)
ACT (1 Team)

Could not agree more with anon. It's almost as if the players in the top teams from U16 Nationals had to sacrifice spots in Aus Camps for the sake of having a shot at winning the tournament by sharing the ball and the scoring. Put any one of those kids from NSWC/NSWM in a Tasmanian or NT team and they could have put on a scoring show if they wanted to - but to the detriment of the teams fortunes. Perhaps if those kids knew that shooting % /turnovers were going to be irrelevant in selections then they would have put up 50 shots per game and averaged 20+ points. For me, the good, all round, un selfish players in the top teams weren't rewarded enough by being left out of the Aus camp.

Yes certainly. Having coached a team that didn't finish near the top I think NSWM and NSWC were the two standout teams. But you're absolutely right in saying that VICC and VICM had some solid players who wouldn't be out of place at the Aus camp