The five stand-out stars showing next level potential

• Vic Country won the gold medal, beating NSW Metro in the final
• Vic Metro's Jai Fa'ale averaged 18 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in his first nationals tournament
• Antonio Browne led the scoring in the final with 26 points

As NBL Next Stars general manager Liam Santamaria has said, the National Under-18 Championships has well and truly established itself as a breeding ground of future stars and this year's tournament in Brisbane was no different.

While Victoria Country took home the gold medal, many players pushed their names forward as potential talents who could go on to have long professional careers, whether that's in the NBL, Europe or even the bright lights of the NBA.

And from comparisons to scoring NBA wings, to physical hard-nosed athletes, our scouting expert Michael Houben picked his five standouts from last week's championships.

1. JAI FA’ALE - VIC METRO

Herky-jerky. It’s the first phrase that comes to mind when watching Jai Fa’ale. Yes, he’s 6’5", he’s got long arms, he can play above the rim and he’s faaaast!

But what became apparent watching him throughout the week of the nationals was just how frequently your eyes had to re-correct to keep him in focus — it was the decelerations, the change of direction and pace, and the disconcerting rhythm that he plays with off the dribble that kept my eyes, and defenders' feet, playing catch-up.

Like all athletes that age, there’s a way to go in Fa’ale’s development, but there was just so much to like about what he already brings to the table. He can score off the dribble, finishing at the rim or pulling up off the dribble, he can knock down the three, and can pick apart defences with his passing too — capable of whipping assists with both hands and seeing the game one step ahead. The physical tools and the feel illustrated a player that can play both on or off the ball at an elite level.

Watching his game, it was hard not to shades of Caris LeVert — a player with great size, smooth athleticism and an offensive game that dances on the edge of chaos. They’re shifty, and maybe Fa’ale is even a point guard in the long term, but like LeVert, reigning in the aggression and creativity and making strong decisions with the advantages he creates will be key to unlocking his ultimate potential.

2. WILL HAMILTON - VIC COUNTRY

It didn’t matter that Will Hamilton was a bottom-ager — the young forward was a one-man wrecking ball for Vic Navy and the star to their gold-medal winning performance across 18s.

Hamo stands around 6’4, but it’s almost hard to believe, because he plays so much bigger than his size. He plays with incredible verticality and physicality and essentially functions as a forward at this level. When he’s able to play his bully ball against similar size, Hamilton’s a problem — he’s quick, strong and will impose himself around the rim in the half-court or in transition. His activity on the glass was also exceptional, ranking 6th in rebounds per game.

At his size, Hamilton will need to continue evolving his game — it’s always the challenge for early blooming athletes. But with a combination of motor, strength, athleticism, and now a gold medal to his name, it’s hard to ask more of Will Hamilton this U18s campaign.

3. ISAIAH JORGENSEN - QLD SOUTH

Out of all the prospects on Queensland South, Isaiah Jorgensen might be the one. If not, he is the prototype (a little Outkast reference there). Isaiah Jorgensen is the absolute model for a modern forward — he stands already at about 6’6" but covers a ton of ground with his dimensions. He’s not necessarily explosive but he’s smooth, coordinated and was in equal parts capable of covering the rim, defending out on the perimeter, scoring on the block, or attacking out in transition.

Long term, I’d expect to see Jorgensen transition to the wing full-time, but in the absence of a lot of size at this year's competition, Jorgensen covered the four spot admirably, doing the dirty work and proving to be a challenging mismatch off the bench, leading the scoring for his team in the process. Jorgensen is a very talented driver capable of absorbing contact and finishing at the rim, and I would expect his outside game to only continue to improve in the upcoming years.

4. ANTONIO BROWNE - NSW METRO

Antonio Browne was that guy for New South Wales Metro this year. A big guard, Browne reads the game at a high level, and he loves getting his teammates involved - he’s a distributor at heart. However, we got to see glimpses where he wasn’t afraid to get going as a scorer as well — when he went for 11 straight points just before the half of the U18s Grand Final, I thought he might just put the team on his back and get them the win for a quick minute. Finishing with a team high 15 points per game, he certainly wasn’t afraid to go put the ball in the basket.

Antonio’s greatest skill is his composure. He’s a fantastic talent on the ball, he gets to his spots, and he consistently makes good decisions. He shared the back-court, and the ball handling duties, with Bol Diing, and I think we witnessed some room for growth as Browne finds more ways to be productive without the ball — his three point shooting in particular will be an area he needs to find greater consistency — but it will especially exciting seeing him as the full time lead guard as the top age star next year.

5. KALE MATTHEWS-HAMPTON - SA COUNTRY

It feels rude not to give a shoutout to Kale Matthews-Hampton — the South Australia Country guard was by far and away the most prolific scorer in Queensland, averaging 27 points per game — eight points clear of second best.

This was, admittedly, a function of Country’s dependence on Matthews-Hampton and back-court teammate Ethan Macdermot for the majority of the offense, but he confidently rose to the occasion, knocking down a dizzying array of off-dribble jumpers, getting to the rim and the line. His week headlined by a 38-point explosion against Tasmania that got them the win.

Matthews-Hampton’s a little smaller and won’t quite have the same usage rate should he transition to the college level but there’s something to be said for his pure shot-making ability, and his ability to put the ball in the basket was absolutely noteworthy.

OUR U18 NATIONALS COVERAGE

• A Victorian double as Metro and Country take home gold medals
• Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 and Day 5 Men's Daily Digests‍
• Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 and Day 5 Women's Daily Digests
• Grand Finals set for U18 Nationals
• Running and gunning: WA Metro catching everyone's eyes
• Michael Houben's key takeaways from day one and day two‍
• Every player at the U18 Men's National Championships‍
• A complete guide to the U18 Men's National Championships
• ‍Every player at the U18 Women's National Championships‍
• Your complete guide to the U18 Women's Nationals‍
• Heat Check: Jai Fa'ale and Sitaya Fagan stand out‍
• Meet the QLD teen prodigy with a big future

About the Author

Michael Houben is an Australian basketball writer and scout based in Melbourne, Victoria. As well as covering the game as a journalist, Michael supports US colleges to identify and recruit Australian talent as the owner of Airtime Scouting, and supports grassroots athletes through Airtime Basketball.