Scouting Report: Inside look at 5 players to know from Under-20 men's champs

• Victoria Navy beat Queensland in the final to take home the gold medal
• Roman Siulepa was named MVP of the tournament for the second year in a row
• Top 5 performers from the under-20 national championships

From NBA prospects to NBL Next Stars and others who may be underrated by most, the 2025 Australian Under-20 Championships was stacked with star power.

After witnessing these young athletes take centre stage at Ballarat to showcase their skills earlier this month, here are my top five talents to know.

ROMAN SIULEPA — QUEENSLAND

I’ve never seen an Australian basketball prospect quite like Roman Siulepa — he’s possibly the most physically dominant player we’ve ever seen come through the junior ranks since Ben Simmons.

Oozing with that rugby DNA, it’s rare to see a player with his combination of size and strength coupled with speed, dexterity and bounce. Seriously, the way Siulepa got his head at the rim on some of these dunks made me think he’s even more athletic than the last time we saw him.

More than anything, he’s not afraid to throw those attributes around on the floor; he has an immense capacity to run in transition, eat up boards on the glass and lay into guys with his body — he makes his presence felt on every possession of the game.

In a competition filled with future professional talent, guys on their way to big colleges or the Next Star program, there was no doubting who had the most ‘it’ factor. In the words of an NBA scout across the week, "this guy thinks he’s Michael Jordan".

But what happens when you can’t be Michael Jordan? What could his role look like at the pro level? Slightly more tenured NBA viewers like myself might remember these obscure comparisons — Corey Magette or Shabazz Muhammed — athletic, foul drawing forwards who thrived in transition.

There’s a reason I’m throwing out some older comparisons - these guys don’t really have a role in the modern NBA anymore - that’s why refinement of his shot, both from three and the charity stripe, and an improved willingness to go left feel like his logical next evolution.

When Siulepa did shoot the ball well, like when he hit seven threes against ACT, he looked impossible to guard. If he can get defenders to close out on him as a pro, he’s going to open the lane to have some emphatic drives to the hoop.

As a prospect, Siulepa remains enigmatic and no one knows what his next move will be but the potential is clear – he is a once in a generation physical talent out of Australia.

With another MVP to his name, he’s already cemented himself as one of the most dominant and exciting players we’ve ever seen play at the junior level.

AJAK NYOUN — ACT

We have to talk about ACT’s Ajak Nyoun.

He was far from the biggest name at the under-20 nationals but I’m going to argue that he has potentially the most upside out of anybody that played in Ballarat earlier this month.

Defensively, Nyoun is a game changer, standing 6’11” with a 7’5” wingspan, his limitless limbs covered immeasurable airspace in the paint — he was a one-man SWAT team, sending back shots in the key all week.

He’s big, it helps, but the thing that really makes him a special defender is he has timing, awareness, and perhaps most importantly, mobility. Nyoun can seriously move for his size, making him capable of moving into help positions in time and switching out onto the perimeter to bother guards as well.

The icing on the cake? He can also go get you a bucket. His dimensions make him a big-time dunker in the paint but he also has capable ball skills, footwork and some flashes of outside shooting to his game as well.

Ajak Nyoun is a name to remember. He may not be headlining junior events just yet, but if I had to pick a name that emerges as a surprise NBA prospect in the coming years, it’s the big man from the country's capital.

JACOB FURPHY — TASMANIA

He’s not the most athletic, the biggest, or the quickest, but there’s a reason Jacob Furphy is going to UCONN - he just knows how to play the game.

It’s hard to pick out a strength of Furphy’s, and for that, his greatest asset is his versatility.

Leave him open from three? He’s knock-down.

Put a smaller player on him? He’ll carve them up in this post.

Give him the ball? He’s got probably the best point guard skills of anyone in his class.

Play him off the ball? He’s an incredibly smart off ball cutter and connective player.

For Tasmania, they basically asked him to do all of the above, and he passed with flying colours.

It might be an easy comparison but Furphy reminds me of another lefty — a young Joe Ingles — not a conventional NBA athlete but smooth with indelible IQs and skill sets, capable of knocking down shots and handling the ball, trapping defenders in jail off a ball screen and picking apart defences as secondary creators.

As one of the powerhouse programs in college basketball, UCONN will be the ultimate test but Furphy is well equipped to stand up to the challenge.

DASH DANIELS — VICTORIA

For as many years as we’ve had talking about Dash Daniels already, he’s still only 17-years-old.

With people lauding his potential so early into his basketball journey and his brother, Dyson Daniels, making a case for best defensive player in the world right now, it mustn’t be hard to feel the weight of expectations on his shoulders.

Thankfully for Dash, those shoulders are filling out.

His frame has grown, he looks strong, and at 6’6”, he’s got a prototypical shooting guard physique for the NBA.

Much like his brother, he is tenacious on the defensive end, equipped with a preternatural instinct to play passing lanes and bother ball handlers.

Offensively, Dash took a bit of a backseat on a loaded Victorian team - he’s still got aways to develop offensively but Dash did shoot his best ever nationals clip from three at 34%.

We’re going to see a lot of Dash going forward, now committed to the NBL Next Stars program with Melbourne United.

Dean Vickerman was in the building at the tournament and it’s not hard to see him loving what Dash brings to the table, with his preference for guard defenders like Shea Ili.

A little more of a guard with slightly more comfort on the ball, Dash fits the archetype of defensive utility guards like Kris Dunn or Jrue Holiday, offense pending. 

LUKE FENNELL — VICTORIA

On a team of star talent, Luke Fennell shone brightest.

As a tough shot taker and maker, Fennell’s full bag was on display across the week in Ballarat, showcasing the scoring ability that led Syracuse to chase him for their roster next season.

Fennell possesses fantastic size as a guard and utilises that in combination with a crafty ability to create space and take jump-shots off the dribble.

Amidst a surplus of offensive options, Fennell was the one often hitting big shots for the Vics, and his experience as a development player for South East Melbourne had definitely contributed to a growing confidence on the floor.

Most comfortable playing out of ball screens or hand offs, Fennell scores at multiple levels and is also an adept facilitator with the ball in his hands.

He’ll be playing around even more talent in college, so picking his spots and playing off the ball while holding his own defensively, will be key to maximising his value at the college level.

Fennell should be a pro for a long time.

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.