2016 U20 Australian Junior Championships and Ivor Burge preview
Australia’s best under-20 basketballers meet this week in Ipswich for the 42nd Australian U20 Championships and the Ivor Burge Championships.
Thanks and credit to Basketball Australia and Kangaroo Photos for all images used in this article.
Tipping off on Sunday the 14th and wrapping up on Saturday the 20th, the championships will provide a showcase of the nations most talented up and coming basketballers, along with the immensely impressive Ivor Burge Championship competitors. The Ivor Burge competition is ran for athletes with an intellectual disability.
Headlining the weeks play is a handful of Centre of Excellence attendants, including Dejan Vasiljevic, Jack White, Jock Perry and Tom Wilson, all of which will be suiting up for an extremely talented Victorian Navy squad.
Vasiljevic has committed to the University of Miami and will look to add to his already impressive resume at the tournament. He will also be playing for Diamond Valley in the Big V competition this season.
White is visiting Duke Univerisy this month and has narrowed his college selection to the Blue Devils and Boise State, where he could join Aussies Nick Duncan and Anthony Drmic.
Already committed to SMU, Wilson will be joining Australian teammates and close friend Harry Froling at the Mustangs next season.
Finally, 7-footer Perry will be representing the Melbourne Tigers in the SEABL this season and will be joining the Saint Mary’s Gaels next season.
Before the foursome look ahead to their respective teams in the future though, they will want to take care of business for the Vic Navy team this week at the championships but it won’t be easy.
Notable names such as Bul Kuol will be representing the Australian Capital Territory, Ipswich’s own Kane Bishop will be playing for Queensland and 6’11 giant Andrew Ferguson from Western Australian will all be in action across the week.
For the women, the headliners are Zitina Aokusa (Queensland), Taylor Ortlepp (South Australia) and Alexandra Sharp (Vic Navy).
Harrison Mallard (South Australia) and Danni Burden (Vic Metro) will be the showcase of the Ivor Burge portion of the championship.
“The Under-20 Championship is exciting as it is the last chance for these athletes to represent their state in an Australian Championship,” said Basketball Australia General Manager of High Performance, Jan Stirling, per Basketball Australia.
“It is a significant part of the basketball pathway and can often be a stepping stone for athletes to move into the WNBL, NBL or college programs.” Stirling continued. “Many of Australia’s greatest players have taken part in this tournament before going on to represent Australia at the highest level.”
“Aligning the Under-20’s with the Ivor Burge Championships is a unique week of basketball that highlights the importance of the role that sport plays in the lives of young, developing athletes from all abilities.”
All of the action in all formats of the championships will begin on Sunday the 14th.
Queensland and the Vic White team will kick off the men’s competition, while in the women’s league, it will be Queensland and New South Wales getting us underway.
For the Ivor Burge champs, Western Australia and Vic Country will be the first game for the men and a battle between Vic Metro and Vic Country will see the beginning of the women’s tourney.
Here at ZOOM and The Pick And Roll, we will be keeping you updated on the championships with daily recaps of all games in the U20’s champs and the Ivor Burge tournament.
Rosters
U20 Men
Australian Capital Territory
Nathan Brown
Jarrod Hampton
Jarrod Phillips
Max Wallner
Thomas Parker
Jack Bartholomeusz
James Toohey
Bul Kuol
Patrick Cross
Jack Braddock
COACH: Jerry Lee
New South Wales
Clayton Carfino
Kenyon Matthew
Kieran Hayward
Mitchell Evans
Thomas Akamarmoi
Jonathon Marsh
Lachlan Anderson
Sean Cranney
Oliver Robilliard
Patrick Lancaster
COACH: Timofey Hudson
Queensland
Verle Williams Jn.
Tendekai Machando
Ethan Betts
Jarad Blanchard
Denzel Kennedy
Kane Bishop
Charlton Offermans
Deng Mayot
Will Magnay
Trevor Corrigan
COACH: Greg Vanderjagt
South Australia
Isaac White
William Gleeson-Pongrac
Brennan Cox
Nicholas Wurm
Brent Hank
Jacob Rigoni
Brad Rathjen
Lat Mayen
Thomas Goodall
Cale Matthews
COACH: Scott Whitmore
Victoria Navy
Dejan Vasiljevic
Jack White
Jack Bines
Samuel Short
Jock Perry
Andreas Panayiotou
Matthew Owies
Tom Wilson
Sebastiano Lamonato
Mason Peatling
COACH: Trevor Lee
Victoria White
Tom O’Connor
Gabe Hadley
Jack Macdonald
Ovie Magbegor
Tristan Lloyd
Harry Cheverley
Samuel Whelan
Blake Allison
Hugh Baxter
Daniel Roberston
COACH: Justin Schueller
Western Australia
Callum Kimberley
Sam Julitz
Matt Vinci
Jayden Coburn
Corey Shervill
Daniel Grida
Logan Thwaites
Lachlan Evans
Andrew Ferguson
Frank Johnson
COACH: Bradley Samuelson
U20 Women
New South Wales
Elizajane Loader
Bree Delaney
Kristen Vrcelj
Bailey Toleafoa
Madeleine O’Hehir
Abigail Curtin
Abbey George
Taylor Skelton
Madeleine Norris
Ella-Rosary Tofaeono
COACH: Lonergan Peter
Queensland
Sara Storeshaw
Alisha Foord
Jameson McMullen
Chole Tugliach
Kesley McDermott
Ashleigh Frampton
Briana Bailey
Zitina Aokuso
Sarah Hesp
Emma Cook
COACH: Jordan Mullan
South Australia
Lauren Brennan
Morgan Yaeger
Taylor Ortlepp
Jade Johnson
Sarah Elsworthy
Bianca Thacker
Chelsea Brook
Anne Hatchard
Hannah Stewart
Nicola Mathews
COACH: Kaye-Lee Stuart
Victoria Navy
Monique Andriuolo
Georgia Pineau
Alexandra Sharp
Shannon Dufficy
Brittany Wunhym
Chole Molloy
Chole Bibby
Courtney Wragg
Chantel Horvat
Courtney Middap
COACH: Deanne Butler
Victoria White
Olivia West
Alexandra Strawhorn
Jacqueline Trotto
Ally Bates
Grace Collett
Emma Pearce
Georgia Dale
Genna Ogier
Taylah Simmons
Maddison Rocci
COACH: Kristen Veal
Western Australia
Rachel Pettit
Georgia Haines
Morgan Ballantyne
Kasey Miegel
Raya Thompson
Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard
Samantha Groves
Amy Atwell
Isabelle Miotti
Cameron Flynn
COACH: Craig Allen
Ivor Burge Championships: Men
Australian Capital Territory
David Greig
Jon Kindl
Leigh Howard
Matthew Blatchford
Andrew Hoatson
Chris Ilic
Justin Koenig
Jack Littleton
Michael Tipler
Anthony Costa
COACH: James McGill
New South Wales
Dean Pallier
Lee Towers
Joseph Filikitonga
Kyle McIntosh
Alex Barnes
Timofey Devine
Koby Banks
Thomas Preston
Jayden Eyre
Keelan Crawford
COACH: Jarrad Klose
South Australia
Jim Taylor
Daniel Johnston
Shane Colmer
Wayne Kinross
Keenan Georg-Dent
Harrison Mallard
Franz Theodore
Con Gouras
Bradley Kinross
Shaun Sellers
COACH: Andrew Richards
Tasmania
Jeremiah Lowe
Ethan Dunian
Nick Heames
Dennis O’Keffe
Nathan West
Declan Wells
Dylan Pace
Vincent Hall
Jason Cooper
Joshua Cleary
Bruce Stanley
COACH: Odette Seabourne
Victoria Country
Nathan Walsh
Matthew Tuddenham
Philip Mahoney
Mark Hutton
Gheorge Boere
Jack Morrison
Ben Holt
Lachlan Brannelly
James Myers
Kyle Keane
COACH: Amy Moore
Victoria Metro:
Jake De La Motte
Jamie Phillips
Emmanuel Bongomin
Luke Eldridge
Hayden Ferguson
Cameron Slacik
Fraser Trenfield
Arthur Peters
Luke Nicholls
Frazer Dawber
COACH: Julia Walsh
Western Australia
Joshua Kinghorn
Geoffrey Stewart
Aiden Kaschull
David Rulyancich
Mark Ivey
Christopher Smith
Ricky Chittleborough
Trent Ramsey
Brent Yarran
Kenneth Opoku
COACH: Christine Saligari
Ivor Burge Championship: Women
New South Wales
Lorraine Archer
Melissa Gallagher
Dianne Demello
Nicole Harris
Brittany Anderson
Taylor Anderson
Lisa Mackie
Jessica Duncan
Tahlia Henson
Vanessa Ainger
COACH: Kim Murphy
South Australia
Nadia Procter
Catherine Beinke
Kellie Martlew
Kimberly Gardner
Lauren Packham
Mia Woods
Katie Williams
Amy Howard
Roslyn Thomas
Tahlia Batt
COACH: Robyn Wooden
Victoria Country
Georgia Hoad
Zoe Ford
Samantha Williver
Sophie Hughes
Brooke Baker
Laura Flynn
Evangeline Patterson
Monica Ward
Chloe Turner
COACH: Sarah Huxtable
Victoria Metro
Kate Leckenby
Jasmine Dellas
Sheree Marks
Danielle Phillips
Danni Burden
Shannon Hamilton
Sam Hough
Jessica McCulloch
Molly Urquhart-Moran
COACH: Sarah Parsons
ZOOM is a new Australian sports site with focus on juniors, pre-elite & recruiting news. Don't forget to follow ZOOM at @ZOOMSportsTV and ZoomSports.TV.