Houben's Highlights: 14 standouts from U20 nationals

• ‍Box Scores & Results: 2026 Under-20 National Champions Crowned‍
• Every 2026 Under-20 player and games in one list‍
• Watch the replays of every game at the 2026 Under-20 National Championships

With the Basketball Australia Under-20 National Championships in the books, we got to see a last look at many college-bound prospects as they made a final attempt to consolidate their stocks ahead of their recruitment.

Here’s my favourite prospects throughout the week.

Ajak Nyoun

Ajak Nyoun was simply my favourite long term prospect at this year’s event.

The ACT big man has always been exciting, gifted with fantastic mobility and length in the frontcourt. This year’s event was his most complete showing to date, showcasing an ability to anchor ACT on both ends of the floor and take game into his own control as required.

Standing around 6'10" now, and listed with a +6 inch wingspan, Nyoun commanded the paint defensively, covering incredible ground and swatting shots all week with emphasis.

Offensively, Nyoun showed growth as a comfortable ball handler for the position, capable of pushing the ball down the floor, attacking bigs off the dribble, and most importantly, converting around the rim with footwork and touch, with some particularly impressive finishes with his left hand.

Consistent outside shooting has been a longer term project for the big man, and the release is still slightly clunky, but with shooting performances like his 8 from 15 three point and 13-from-16 free throw performance against Victoria Navy, the final piece could be coming together for Nyoun’s game to make him a true two-way unicorn of a prospect.‍

Jai Fa'ale

It was an underwhelming team result for the Vics, but Jai Fa’ale continues to emerge as a special talent.

Coming off the back of a breakout Under 18 National Championships last year, Fa’ale was a key piece in the backcourt as a bottom-ager, demonstrating exceptional on-ball scoring ability coupled with projectable size and length at the guard position.

Fa’ale possesses a shifty change of direction and speeds to keep defenders on their toes, and shot making ability from both inside and outside the three point line. We saw him more geared towards scoring this tournament, though there is the potential for playmaking upside, and his scoring will only continue to get more exciting as his off-hand continues to develop.

His overall production isn’t yet at the level of the event’s more dominant performers, but the glimpses of upside are incredibly encouraging long term, including this big poster against Tasmania.

Alex Dickeson

I’m told he was sick to start the week, which is some important context for his performance this week, but Alex Dickson was a cornerstone for a successful South Australian group, and given discussions across the week, he has a bright future ahead of him.

Dickeson has lots of size as a point guard, he’s relentless when playing downhill, and while inconsistent can be a confident shot-maker. He’s physically slight right now, but don’t mistake him for being weak - Dickeson plays with a ton of attitude and toughness, and when he fills out his frame over the coming years he’s going to be a particularly difficult physical cover.

Word on the street is Dickeson is deciding between three college programs, located in the Southeastern, Atlantic 10 and Pac-12 Conferences - a confident reflection of his undeniable talent and long term appeal.

Marley Sam

Standing well below six foot, Marley Sam may have been one of the week's smallest players, but that didn’t stop Sam from being an unstoppable offensive force for a highly successful West Australian team.

Undeniably quick and relentlessly confident attacking the rim, Sam put pressure on opposing defences, and quickly formed a fun two-man game with big man Jongkuch Mach.

It can be easy to write off the upside of smaller guards at national tournaments, but Sam’s talent completely supersedes his stature, and there is certainly some upside for Sam to play at the division one level if a team is bold enough to see the vision.

Bailey Hanson

It’s hard to go past the best scorer on the best team. Bailey Hanson was a weapon all week, with the 6'4" guard scoring at every level against every opponent.

Hanson doesn’t stand out with exceptional physical attributes, but with a great feel for the game and a craft getting to his spots and particularly knocking down shots from outside, he was a tough cover for opponents.

It’s hard to say whether his tools will provide him the upside to contribute at the division one level collegiately, but there is no doubt he has the immediate polish to dominate other levels of college basketball from the get go.

‍Austin Foxwell

Expectations are high for any player with the Foxwell surname at this point, and it’s always a joy to see another sibling come through the ranks and make waves at the junior level.

Foxwell continues to be one of the more lethal scoring threats nation-wide in his age group. A relentless off-ball mover and unconscionable outside shooter, we saw Foxwell adapt to a different dynamic this year, without the foil of Ryder Cheesman running the offence to perfection.

As a result, it felt Foxwell’s skillset was a little less optimised, as he was asked to do more off his own creation, but despite this, Foxwell was a highly successful piece for the Victorian’s once again.‍

Henry Sewell

I’m a big fan of Henry Sewell. The big man is an extremely skilled four/five, and with a year training with Melbourne United, coupled by an early commitment to the Portland Pilots, I’m not the only person that thinks highly of his game.

Perhaps also hurt by the lack of traditional point guard play on this year’s Victorian roster, it wasn’t Sewell’s most productive campaign, but the skill-set, which includes footwork, touch and potential range out to three, were all clearly evident.

Physically, his lack of elite length or athleticism may hurt his ability to play the five at higher levels, but for a program like Portland in the West Coast Conference, Sewell should be primed for plenty of opportunity and production as a freshman.‍

Jongkuch Mach

Very quickly, it’s been hard to ignore Centre of Excellence big man Jongkuch Mach, whose stature makes him an undeniable presence whenever he’s in the building.

Not only has he kept growing (now up to what I would estimate to be 7'6"), but he’s actually turning from a novelty into an increasingly functional talent.

It’s still hard for Mach to play big minutes, and he had his foul issues at points, but it was a much larger role than what we saw from Mach last year, and his presence on the defensive end is undisputable; his listed blocks only a small percentage of the ones he deterred with his mere existence on the defensive end.

His mythology still far outweighs his on-court impact for now, but he is such a unique prospect that it would be fair to expect Mach has a highly successful and lucrative NCAA career when the time comes.

Flynn Pavely

A somewhat more modestly-standing big man, 6'11" Flynn Pavely, had a statistically unexciting week for New South Wales, but as is the case with many bigs, he continues to have some solid long-term intrigue.

The former cricketer is highly coordinated and runs the floor with energy, and if his skill-set can play catch up once he gets to college there could be the upside of an NBL level big here.

Pavely holds an early commitment to Saint Mary’s college, who have a long-standing tradition of snapping up Australian center’s in the recruiting market, and with West Australian big Harry Wessels currently in his senior year for the program, Pavely looks set to be a handy replacement and someone that will benefit greatly from their resources and development.‍

Harry Cook

The Queensland big man may have come off the bench for the maroons, but it didn’t stop him having some monster performances, including a 24 point, 18 rebound effort against during the week.

Those performances weren’t consistent across the week, and Cook has to fill out his frame and refine his skillset to tap into his impressive upside, but there’s plenty of time on his side. I’d expect him to project as a mid major big man by the time his college recruitment rolls around.

Logan Gibson

Every year Tasmania seem to punch above their weight, and produce impressive talent year in and year out, and this year’s group was headlined by big man Logan Gibson.

At 6'9", Gibson has plenty of size to throw around, and it’s complemented by a well rounded skill-set that sees him scoring both inside and out.

That combination of size and skill should make him a chance to land on a division one roster.

Malik Davis

While the Under 20 competition is largely fought between established junior talents, there are always a few players that get their long awaited turn and break out just in the nick of time to get their college recruitment buzzing. This year, Malik Davis was one of those players.

Davis has a prototypical wing physique, with long arms and a 6’5 frame. He used his length defensively, played above the rim in space, but most importantly was an incredibly reliant perimeter threat, knocking down feet-set threes with consistency.

Also a high level student, Davis seems like a highly desirable recruit for college programs.

Deng Manyang

Deng Manyang has been a fascinating talent to watch evolve over the years. The forward has consistently been one of, if not the most athletic player nation-wide for his age group, and with glimpses of highlight-reel athleticism and exciting defensive versatility, the skill-set has been the differentiator between a good prospect and greatness.

On an undersized South Australian team, Manyang was once again shoe-horned into a small-ball five role, which while effective at times has seemingly limited Manyang’s offensive growth at times.

This year however, we started to see Manyang start to let the three-ball fly, and while it’s not consistent, there is certainly the capabilities of a future floor spacer there. The handle is also not quite where you’d hope to see him transition to a hybrid forward role (which his body would optimally allow), but the potential, and considerable upside, is there.

Harry Fitzgerald

If you squint closely, the West Australian forward has a rough resemblance to Perth’s own NBA talent Luke Travers. That’s mainly a nod to the flowing hair, which Travers wore in similar fashion before the mullet entered the fold, but at around 6’7, Fitzgerald possesses a few parallels on the court, too.

A big wing, Fitzgerald possesses a fantastic shooting stroke with a high, unguardable release, and is a fluid athlete who finishes comfortably above the rim.

Fitzgerald is committed to Eastern Arizona Junior College, following in the footsteps of NSW’s Bradley Ballinger the year prior. Ballinger, who currently holds an offer to Manhattan for next season, has used the program as a valuable springboard, and it’s easy to see Fitzgerald doing the same.

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.