Who to watch: U20's and Ivor Burge National Championships

The Basketball Australia Under-20 and Ivor Burge National Championships tip-off on Tuesday in Ballarat, Victoria, featuring a large number of NBL1 stars on the rise competing for their respective state teams. 

Several players have already re-signed for the 2024 season, with the likes of WNBL talent and Newcastle Falcons signing Isla Juffermans and athletic sensation Roman Siulepa having returned to the South West Metro Pirates. 

Check out some of the key names to watch from each conference below: 

Isla Juffermans (NSW women) 

After leading the Centre of Excellence to the Finals, the 6’4” Isla Juffermans will be a must-watch player in this tournament. Her size and skill have led her to the WNBL with the Sydney Flames, recently making her debut against the UC Capitals. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sydney Flames (@sydneyflames)




She averaged 16.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and shot 59 percent from the field for CoE last season in the NBL1 East, looking to only improve playing against her actual age group down in Ballarat. 

 

Caitlyn Martin  (NSW women) 

NBL1 East champion Caitlyn Martin will represent NSW after a massive season with the Norths Bears. The 18-year-old had a season-high of 15 points and showed glimpses of promise throughout the season, gaining invaluable experience as a role player on the championship team. 

Caitlyn Martin with the beautiful scoop ?

Watch the #NBL1NationalFinals Live & Free via Kayo Freebies ? pic.twitter.com/G44tCZnc3l

— NBL1 (@NBL1) August 19, 2023

In the National Finals, she scored a total of 20 points, with a high of nine against the Norwood Flames – showing confidence against the best teams in the country. 

Honourable mentions: James O’Donnell (CoE), Anthony Mundine III (Sydney Comets) 

Roman Siulepa (Queensland men) 

Always competing against age groups well above his own, the 17-year-old Roman Siuelepa will be a handful for this tournament nonetheless. 

Dropping 52 points in the 2023 U18 Division 1 State Championship game, he is talented enough to carry a team on his back in a single game. 

In the NBL1 with the South West Metro Pirates and competing against the likes of NBL stars Jaylin Galloway and Nathan Sobey, Siulepa averaged 8.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per game for the Finals team. 

 

Alice Dart and Hilary Fuller (Queensland women) 

Both young stars have signed on for next season, with the pair set to play together on the Brisbane Capitals for the 2024 NBL1 North season. 

Last season with the Southern Districts Spartans, Dart averaged 9.1 points with an impressive season-high of 26 points against the Ipswich Force.

Fuller on the other hand re-signed with the Capitals, averaging 5.8 points and 4.5 rebounds for the team – finishing 11th on the ladder and only two wins outside the Finals picture by the end of the season. 

Austin Rapp (Victoria men) 

Arguably the player with the most eyes on him heading into the tournament is Austin Rapp. The NBL1 South and National Champion showed immense composure last season, being thrust into the starting line-up during the Knox Raiders National Championship run. 

Austin Rapp sent that BACK! ?

Watch the #NBL1NationalFinals men's Championship Game Live & Free via Kayo Freebies ? pic.twitter.com/DjwRnkv2tD

— NBL1 (@NBL1) August 20, 2023

Against the NBL1 East championship team the Sutherland Sharks, he had an impressive 26 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks to secure their place in the Championship Game. 

In the title-clinching game against the Rockingham Flames, Rapp had 14 points, 12 rebounds and two assists in a five-point win to end the season. 

His success in the NBL1 led him to a development player contract with the South East Melbourne Phoenix, where he has played in five games for the NBL side.

Having recently committed to the University of Portland, Rapp will use this tournament to try to bring a title to Victoria and carry that momentum into his first college season. 

Rapp revealed to the Herald Sun he thinks Victoria will be the team to beat, 

“This year we’ve got a great team with great camaraderie and I think we’re the team to beat,” Rapp told Newscorp. 

Honourable mentions: Kye Savage (NW Thunder), Lily Carmody (Melbourne Tigers), Hannah Wickstorm  (Sandringham Sabres) 

Airlie Ramsey (South Australia women) 

For South Australia, Eastern Mavericks prospect Airlie Ramsey will be someone to keep an eye on throughout the tournament. 

The sharpshooting playmaker will have room to operate in this tournament, after experiencing the best of NBL1 Central last season. 

Her best performance last season came against the championship-winning Norwood Flames, scoring 11 points, dishing eight assists and grabbing four rebounds on the road – showing her abilities as a facilitator and scorer. 

Honourable mention: Alex Dodson (Norwood Flames) 

Josh Ibukunoluwa (Western Australia men)

Looking to go back-to-back in the U20’s tournament, the Willetton Tigers prospect has a lot on his shoulders heading into Ballarat. 

Ranked the seventh best player to watch by Newscorp,  the 6’9” forward proved this past NBL1 West season to be a valuable asset to the Finals squad, averaging six points and three rebounds for the Tigers. 

Last season he had four games in double-digit scoring, with a season-high of 17 points and 10 rebounds against the Perry Lakes Hawks. 

Grace Foster (Western Australian women) 

Another Willetton talent will be on display for WA in Ballarat, as Grace Foster will be one of the team’s go-to players through this week. 

Awarded Basketball Western Australia’s high-performance athlete of the year in 2022, the under-sized guard played in 14 games for the Grand Finalists last season – averaging seven points per game for the team. 

In the Grand Final against the Cougars, she scored eight points with four rebounds in only 12 minutes, showing just how valuable she can be on the highest levels. 

For more information on the event, click here.