Who caught our eye at Schools Nationals revealed

• The 2025 Australian School Championships were held on the Gold Coast from November 30 to December 5
• Lake Ginninderra College and Brisbane State High School won the men's and women's championships
• The tournament will be played on the Gold Coast for the next three years at least

Some of the best high schools across the country descended on the Gold Coast for the Australian Schools Championship last week.

Competing across under-20, under-17 and under-15 divisions, we saw some fun combinations of talent suit up across the week, and for some of the top prospects it was a fantastic new setting to see how they’ve been developing.

Here are some of the teams and talents who caught our eye.

U20: Lake Ginninderra College

The headline act of the week was certainly Lake Ginninderra, who were nothing short of dominant throughout the event, winning their gold medal match against Willetton High School 118-85.

Considering the roster at their disposal, this should not have been a surprise. Alex Dickeson and Ajak Nyoun may have been the two best prospects on the men’s side of the competition, and they proved to be a lethal combination.

Dickeson averaged a phenomenal 22.8 points and 10.8 assists per game, to go along with an event-leading 15.2 rebounds per game; a truly remarkable figure given the guard’s 6'4" frame. Despite going 5-from-24 from three across the week, Dickeson’s motor and feel for the game were unstoppable, reinforcing his status as an elite college recruit.

Nyoun brought a myriad of highlights to the table on route to his averages of 20.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.

Both Nyoun and wing Aleer Chol look set to be high-end Junior College prospects for the US Class of 2026 - Chol complementing the pair with 17.3 points and 8.3 rebounds a game.

With their closest winning margin 15 (in their pool game against Willetton), it was an undeniable effort by the competition’s best team. A big shoutout to Willetton too, who made the grand final after going 0-3 through the pool games, a miraculous comeback in their own right.

U20: Top Performers

Deng Manyang and Mack Schaftenaar (Trinity College)

Trinity College were a two-man show between Deng Manyang and Mack Schaftenaar, the pair putting up a combined 55.6 points per game.

Manyang, a 6'7" forward currently with the Adelaide 36ers on a pre-college development player year, may be the most athletic player in the country, and his game is really starting to round out.

This may have been his best shooting performance to date, going 10-from-21 from three and 34-from-45 from the free throw line. Add that to his exceptionally versatile defensive and athletic finishing, and he should have a bright Division 1 NCAA career ahead of him.

Mack Schaftenaar did a lot more damage from the outside, with his 19 triples across 6six games, proving to be a lethal perimeter foil.

Austin Foxwell (Rowville Sports Academy)

It wasn’t the most efficient showing we’ve seen from Austin Foxwell, but at 25 points a game, it’s yet another data point to show that the youngest Foxwell brother is one of the best scorers in the country.

Wing Lachlan Kangiesser and backcourt teammate Austin Foxwell were both prolific double-digit contributors, but Foxwell’s speed and shooting are particularly mesmerising, and he balanced it with great facilitation, putting up an average of 8eight assists and only one turnover per game across his first three performances.

Jordan Kaesler (Kings Christian College)

One of the top standouts at the Under 16 Australian National Championship earlier this year, point guard Jordan Kaesler played all the way up in the Under-20 competition, competing in Division 3 for Kings Christian College.

With an average of 10.9 points per game, Kaesler showed class well beyond his age - one can only imagine the sort of damage he’ll do at the level once he’s of natural age.

U17: Western Heights College

It was a much closer spread in the under-17 Division 1 competition, with Western Heights College coming out on top in a close game against St Patrick's College Ballarat.

Tasked with the unenviable job of slowing down top scorer Lucas Bryne (more on him to follow), it was Western Heights depth and two-way play that helped them across the line.

No one player averaged double-digits for Western Heights across the week, but they possessed fantastic length and defensive tenacity across the court, and Tyrese Kuridu stepped up in the final game with a big 17 points.

U17: Top Performers

Lucas Bryne (St Patricks College Ballarat)

We have to talk about Lucas Bryne, who was nothing short of unstoppable this year.

Carrying St Patrick's College Ballarat all the way to the final game, Byrne averaged a dominant 33.8 points per game (more than 14 points per game clear of second best).

As a prospect, it’ll be fascinating to see how Bryne plays out, but as a junior prospect, there is no denying that his motor, touch around the rim and physicality are an absolute force. One of the country's best players right now nationwide.

U15: Western Heights

It was a highly successful week for Western Heights, coming home strong to beat Rowville in the under-15 top division.

Deng Yak, Rafael Fryer and Finn Barnes were all double-digit scorers in the 60-48 end score, holding off a strong 15-point performance from Marqus Chunga.

Rafael Fryer was their top scorer across the week with more than 16 points per game, whilst Yak’s long term is exciting given his length and athletic abilities for the age group.

U15: Top Performers

Mobarade (Barry) Akingbade and Mofeoluwa (Nathan) Adio (Caulfield Grammar)

While they were playing in the competition’s second division, it’s hard to look past the talents of Barry Akingbade and Nathan Adio, who finished the event as Division 2’s first and second best scorers as teammates.

Akingbade, one of Australia’s brightest young prospects for the age group, simply has overwhelming physical tools given his size, length and frame, combined with touch and skill. Akingbade finished averaging 29.7 points per game. Adio is a shifty young guard who plays his VJBL basketball for Casey.

He proved to be a fantastic multi-level scorer, and should be someone in strong contention for Victoria Metro selection in years to come.

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.