U18 Nationals a breeding ground for Next Stars

• NBL Next Stars general manager Liam Santamaria attended the Under-18 Nationals on the lookout for a future NBA talent
• The Next Stars program has helped develop talent such as Alex Toohey, who has declared for this year's NBA Draft
• Some of the names to look out forin the future from nationals include Jai Fa'ale, Antonio Browne and more

Amongst a sea of passionate parents and NBL coaches, one particularly discerning pair of eyes frequents the Under-18 Australian National Championships on the scout for NBA potential — NBL Next Stars general manager Liam Santamaria.

The event has been a breeding ground for Australian Next Star talent over recent years, and the point of discovery for current Next Stars Rocco Zikarsky, Alex Toohey and Dash Daniels, and with another successful cohort moving on to the programs ultimate KPI, the NBA, new doors open for fresh talent to take their place.

“It’s exciting to see the current group heading towards the draft,” Santamaria said.

“We’ve got four guys that are draft eligible.”

“I’m really excited for Alex Toohey, it was a big but I think a good decision for him to reset and reload for a second year as a Next Star, and he came back with a real determination to assert himself more in year two, which I thought he did really effectively, and now he’s single mindedly attacking this pre-draft process. My understanding is he’ll stay in this year’s draft and get his NBA career started. I think Izan is of a similar mindset, that’s the feedback that I’ve had. He’s pretty keen to enter and stay in the draft this year and get that next phase of his career started.”

With Toohey and Almansa near certainties to depart, big man Rocco Zikarsky and forward Malique Lewis seem more undecided. While Zikarsky had his struggles in year two, the long-term potential remains, with Santamaria citing his current health and "dominant" form at the Under-19 Emu’s camp a good indicator that he could rise during the pre-draft process and ultimately keep his name in the draft; a similar late surge of stock we saw with AJ Johnson this time last year.

He finds himself testing the waters of the pre-draft process along with Lewis, who will consider feedback from NBA teams before making his decision. If he ultimately decides to return, it’s hard not to imagine a full year playing under Josh King might elevate the defensive forward to new heights.

“I think there’s still room for growth and improvement in him, similar to what Toohey’s situation last year,” Santamaria said.

“I thought Josh (King) gave Malique a lot of responsibility and opportunity last season, and I thought Malique really contributed to winning and played an important role on a team that ended up one win away from a grand final appearance. South East Melbourne would be excited to have him back. I know Malique and his camp really appreciate the situation that he was in, between the coaching and support on and off the floor. There’s definitely the potential to go around again.”

Only Breakers phenom Karim Lopez and United’s recent recruit Dash Daniels are confirmed for next season, two younger projects for the program. Going younger feels like the latest gambit for a program that has successfully navigated recruitment competition from the G League Ignite program, most recently an NIL-era college landscape, but Santamaria is keen to note that while getting younger players may well be attractive for all parties, signing NBL-ready contributors remains the priority.

“I think we’re open minded to the two-year journey for younger prospects for the right type of guy. We want players that we feel can contribute in year one, even at that young age in some kind of way, but benefit from a high level development environment with a sight toward having a really positive impact in year two," Santamaria said.

"There’s something about that that’s really attractive to prospects depending on their circumstances, but there’s something really attractive for that for teams as well, growing with a prospect over two years, the process is a little less time pressured and it gives a player the chance to really know the league a little bit before that all important draft year arrives.

"I think the success of Karim (Lopez) in particular caught the attention of a lot of people around the league and the world and as a result he’s in a great position for this pre-draft year coming up, which has meant some other guys of that age exploring the program as a viable two-year journey.”

Despite Dash Daniels’ youth, he does make the cutoff for next year’s 2026 draft — affording the Melbourne guard a myriad of flexible and less time-sensitive outcomes.

“He’ll likely be the youngest guy in the draft if he’s in that. He doesn’t turn 18 until December so he’ll start the NBL season at 17. So, there’s probably some flexibility there depending on where he’s sitting and what that looks like,” Santamaria shared.

“I like the fact that Dash has prioritised his development for the next stage of his career. He wants to benefit from being in that pro environment and going up against big, strong bodies. He’s going to be in a terrific situation to build his body and his skillset. I think he’s going to be impactful, especially at the defensive end of the floor. So much about Dash is his potential and his upside, so I’m hoping that he can have a really positive impact for Melbourne at both ends of the floor, but at the same time people should keep their expectations reasonably realistic in terms of him coming out and putting up big numbers — that’s not what he’s going to be required to do.

"Impact winning, flash his potential and hopefully build that impact over the course of the season to where he's a really influential piece to a winning team later in the year.”

With the departure of Matthew Dellavaedova to Sydney, Dash finds himself with opportunity to grow into a significant role with Melbourne United, under esteemed coach Dean Vickerman, who between the 2025 NBL Finals MVP, Shea Ili and the other guards throughout his recruitment history, has a clear affinity for defensive guards in Daniels' mold. Santamaria expects an instant impact on the defensive end, with offensive growth to come over time.

With more and more younger prospects joining the Next Stars fold, the Under-18 event feels more immediately pertinent than ever for the program.

“This is a really important tournament for identifying future high-level Aussie talent, guys that are going to play in the NBL, the Boomers, the NBA in the future” Santamaria said.

“Some of those guys are of interest to us, the program and NBL teams immediately, while others are more a case of tracking their progress over the next period of time and tracking how well and quickly they develop.”

Santamaria was quick to highlight Victoria Metro guard Jai Fa’ale as someone with "a big future in the game", raving about his positional size, speed and quickness.

“I think the Next Stars pathway could be very beneficial moving forward (for him)," he said.

Bottom-agers Antonio Browne, Luke Paul, John Aryang and Will Hamilton also caught the GM’s sights, as well as top age wing Guer Bar.

It may be the first time many of these talents have made waves beyond their state, but it’s evident it won’t be the last. With plenty of future professionals gracing the courts of South Pine Stadium this week, it will be exciting to reflect in several years time to see if we indeed caught and early glimpse of yet another Australian talent to successfully make their way through the NBL’s Next Stars pipeline.

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.