U18 Nationals: 5 key takeaways from Day 2

The contenders are starting to separate themselves as the 2025 Footlocker Under-18 National Basketball Championships tournament heats up at the South Pine Sports Complex in Queensland's Moreton Bay.

Teams are fighting for crucial seeding spots in their pools, which could mean everything come quarter-finals time on Friday, with several overtime thrillers headling the second day of action.

• Photo Gallery from Day 1
• Complete Guide to U18 Girls National Championships
• Complete Guide to U18 Boys National Championships
• Five key takeaways from the opening day

Basketball.com.au's expert Michael Houben broke down his five takeaways from day two of the competition.

1. WA METRO WERE LIVING ABOVE THE RIM

After nearly claiming the herculean scalp of Victoria Metro on Sunday, you’d be forgiven for thinking Tasmania might be a dark horse of the men's competition, but they were brought back down to earth against a long and athletic WA Metro side today, losing 105-55.

The difference in athleticism was clear, with WA forcing 26 turnovers, speeding the game up and throwing down a variety of highlight dunks down the other end.

John Aryang is nothing short of an NBA level athletic prospect, standing around 6’8" with long arms, and with a capable handle and bounce, he was finishing above the rim in electric fashion.

Big man Wieu Atuer, and star point guard Luke Paul also got amongst the dunking action. The scariest thing? Aryang and Paul are both bottom-agers. Those two have some serious potential between them.

2. VIC METRO HAVE TALENT, BUT THEY'LL TAKE TIME

Death, taxes, and a loaded Victoria Metro squad are generally accepted to be the three constants in life, and as per usual, the Metro men have some talent with very high ceilings.

Big man Alex Mabbott played an impactful role on day two, with 12 points and three blocks, and while Guer Bar struggled to make shots (2-from-7 from the field), the flashes of hyper-athletic brilliance make him an exciting watch for the future.

It was another impressive effort from the Victoria Metro team, beating South Australia Country by 21, with all starters finishing in double figures and again led by Jai Fa’ale with 15 points. The depth of contributors was typically deep, but it feels like the best long-term prospects are only starting to tap into their potential with this group.

3. GAME OF THE DAY? QLD NORTH VS SA METRO WOMEN

Early today we saw an absolute thriller over on the women’s side, with two of the contenders, Queensland North and SA Metro, battling it out in OT.

There were big stat-lines all around. For South Australia, Annaliese Elliot led the way with 23 points while Keira Gardiner put up a dominant 22 point, 17 rebound double-double. Queensland had threats all over the floor with Taryn Bond scoring 24, Isabel Smith 19, as well as Simpson, Eden Catip and Cheyenne Bobongie all finishing in double figures.

It was South Australia Metro that came away with the big win, but putting on my scouting hat, I really enjoyed the play of Cheyenne Bobongie. The big guard was tenacious defensively, dynamic off the dribble.

4. QLD SOUTH'S JOVANA ILIC STANDS OUT

Queensland South women participated in their own overtime thriller against Victoria Country today, and while the Vics emerged victors at the end of extra time, Queensland's Jovana Ilic has started to establish herself as one of the top scoring threats on the women’s side.

Ilic scored all ten of South’s points in the fourth quarter to get them to OT, and at 6’4" stands tall as one of Queensland’s brightest prospects. She is a bottom-ager as well.

5. A BROAD NOTE - TALENT DOESN'T FEEL AS DEEP AS PAST YEARS

Based on years past, I would assess a slight dropoff in overall top tier talent at this year's event.

Perhaps we’ve been spoiled by a golden age of NBA talent being drip-fed through the National Championships every year of recent memory, but speaking to NBA scouts, it’s a trend noticeable worldwide throughout the age group.

One potential factor? Covid. This year's athletes would’ve been 12 or 13 during lockdown. If we were to run with the theory, one conclusion might be that those years might be the most pivotal in basketball development.

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.