UNDER-16 CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM LISTS ANNOUNCED

Held on the Sunshine Coast for the first time ever, the Under-16 Championships will be run from July 6-13 with every state and territory around the country represented by 13 teams in the boys and girls competitions.

In front of their home fans, Qld South have the chance to maintain their recent success after their Under-16 boys claimed the silver medal in 2017 while the Under-16 girls were victorious in 2015.

A couple of familiar surnames are included in this year’s boys Qld South roster with Kobe McDowell-White, the brother of Jessica and William and Tane Kirisome, brother of Jade who won the 2015 Under-16 Championship, both set to compete.

NSW Metro will be confident of upsetting the home side though and adding to their tally of three titles from the past five years, led by Eion Fitzgerald who lit up the Under-14’s last year with 32.4 points per game.

Other players to note are SA Metro’s Fiston Ipassou who can play well above the rim even at 14 years of age and Qld North duo Ky Stattmann and Kane Runnals (brothers of Under-17 Australian squad members Kody and Ryan).

For the girls, Vic Metro are the reigning Champions from the past two years and in 2018, their team includes Tess Heal who will be heading to the Jr. NBA World Championships later this year with the Bulleen Boomers.

They will have to counter their intrastate rivals in Vic Country though who will be led by Piper Dunlop after she averaged close to a double-double last year as a bottom-ager.

Qld North will also have a dangerous duo in Chailee Ward, who took the Townsville Flames to a gold medal at the Queensland Under-16 state Championships earlier this year while hitting 15 three-pointers for the competition as well as Shaneice Swain who finished as the Under-16 Championships’ third top scorer last year.

Famous names in the women’s competition also include Tyla Cubillo, sister of Under-17 World Champ Abby and Ruby Vlahov of WA Metro, daughter of four-time Olympian Andrew.

Stay tuned to Basketball Australia’s social media accounts throughout the week for all the action from the Under-16 Australian Championships and find the full draw and fixture here.

2018 Under-16 Australian Championships:

July 6-13, 2018
University of Sunshine Coast Stadium and Caloundra Stadium
Sunshine Coast, Queensland

As we count down the final days before the Under-16 Australian Championships, the team lists have been announced.