U18 Nationals: 5 key takeaways from Day 1

We are off and running at the 2025 Footlocker Under-18 National Basketball Championships with some of Australia's brightest young prospects showcasing their skills on the big stage.

The tournament, from April 6 until April 13, is hosted by Northside Wizards Basketball at the South Pine Sports Complex at Brendale with the Victoria Metro men and New South Wales Metro looking to defend their titles from 2024.

• Photo Gallery from Day 1
• Complete Guide to U18 Girls National Championships
• Complete Guide to U18 Boys National Championships

After day one, basketball.com.au's expert Michael Houben broke down his five takeaways from the opening games of the competition.

1. THE BOYS SIDE IS ANYONE’S GAME

So far the spread of talent on the boys side of the competition feels as evenly matched as ever. Across the first day of games, there were numerous games that went down to the wire, with the talent seemingly casting a widespread across the competition.

Victoria Metro, often a favourite, were pushed to their limit against Tasmania, breaking out in the dying minutes to prevail 78-66.

Likewise, New South Wales Metro endured a thriller against Victoria Country, winning 76-80.

Rather than several powerhouses, rosters are solid across the board. It’s a really hard competition to forecast right now, making for an exciting week ahead.

2. VICTORIA METRO HAS A STAR OF THE FUTURE IN JAI FA’ALE

We’re used to a breadth of stars for Victoria Metro, but on this year’s team, Jai Fa’ale was the clear standout on day one.

Over the last twelve months, the guard has rapidly emerged as one of the best prospects within the age group. Despite it being his first ever nationals event, Fa’ale was instrumental for the Vics, dropping 24 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the win.

Fa’ale plays with incredible bursts of pace, proving to be a smooth ball-handler with vision, slashing ability and range, and his contributions were pivotal to their win against Tasmania.

3. THIS COULD BE THE YEAR FOR NSW METRO

If I had to pick an early favourite in the boys tournament, I’m very intrigued by this New South Wales Metro team, displaying one of the deeper under-18 groups they’ve put together over recent years.

They’re led by two-way menace Bol Diing and bottom-age phenom Antonio Browne in the backcourt, but complemented by a strong group of rangy, athletic forwards like Jamaal Osikoya, Curtis Evic and Zion Okeke, and skillful wings like Austin Prosser and Bailey Hansen.

Early days, but it looks like a talented and cohesive group for the boys in blue, and they made a strong first impression.

4. THE CONTENDERS MADE THEMSELVES KNOWN ON THE GIRLS SIDE

The girls side of the competition was headlined by two decisive wins from the powerhouse states.

Victoria Metro handled business with a 69-point win against Western Australia Country, showing off their immense depth of talent with no player tallying more than 20 minutes in the contest.

In similar fashion, New South Wales Metro handled ACT by 48, led by the sharpshooting Angela Tako, dropping a sizzling 21 points in 14 minutes of play, including four triples.

We also saw decisive wins from Queensland North against New South Wales Country and South Australia Metro against Tasmania.

While today’s games were largely one-sided, it sets the scene for some red-hot matchups as the week progresses. All the above winners seem a chance to take things all the way to gold.

5. SITAYA FAGAN IS A GAME-CHANGER

Victoria Metro’s girls squad is full of high-end talent, but there’s one superstar that stands tall from the pack. Sitaya Fagan.

The Centre of Excellence forward stands at 6’4”, and with her length, strides and mobility, her court coverage and athleticism is nothing short of elite.

Capable of scoring inside and out, whilst having a game-changing impact down the other end of the floor, I could not have been more convinced we were looking at a future star of the women’s game.

There’s little wonder she already has eleven high major division one US college scholarship offers to her name.

U18 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS COVERAGE

• Photo Gallery from Day 1
• Complete Guide to U18 Girls National Championships
• Complete Guide to U18 Boys National Championships

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.