Could Jai Fa'ale be Australia's next great isolation scorer?

Jai Fa'ale is turning heads in the NBL1 competition at the age of just 17. Could an NBL Next Stars contract be on the cards?

17 year old Jai Fa’ale is arguably Australia’s top 2008-born prospect, and after making a name for himself at the 2025 FIBA U17 Oceania Cup, his star has only continued to grow.

Credit: @DiscoveryOne_Photography / Greg Francis

Fa’ale averaged a team-high 17.8 points in that tournament, proving to be a bright spot as the Aussies came out second best against New Zealand. The Victorian has been afforded plenty of opportunities to play against grown men this year, suiting up for Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in the NBL1 competition. He has emerged as the team’s standout player, setting the scene for a future that could include collegiate basketball, NBL among others.