23 July
Kym West
Victoria, Australia – Victoria’s top Under 18, male basketballers proudly represented Australia at last week’s prestigious 2025 Shanghai Future Star Basketball Championship.
An invitation-only event, the Shanghai Future Star Championship is one of Asia’s premier youth basketball tournaments, offering elite athletes the opportunity to test their skills against international talent and gain invaluable experience with different playing styles and cultures.
As the 2025 national champions, Victoria was granted the honour of sending an Australia Select Team to compete, the team was comprised of athletes from both the Country and Metro Under-18 programs.
Team List
- Keegan Johnson – Country
- Christian Beecroft – Country
- Floyd Brooks – Country
- Ryder Cleary – Metro
- Archie Coady – Metro
- Riley Dilges – Country
- Asahel Fernandes – Metro
- Sam Haslett – Country
- Keegan Johnson – Country
- Liam Keogh – Metro
- Sonny Maxwell – Country
- Bior Mayen – Metro
- Edward O’Neill – Country
Staff
- Brenton O'Brien – Head Coach
- David Quinn – Assistant Coach
- Ben White – Team Manager
- Annabelle Treacy – Physiotherapist
In a repeat of last year’s tournament, Victoria earned their place, as the reigning national champions. The team, full of grit and determination, fought through a strong international field to finish third overall, to once again get on the podium, a repeat of the 2024 efforts!
“This repeat podium finish is a credit to the strength and depth of Victoria’s pathways programs,” said Brenton O’Brien, Head Coach. “It reflects the dedication and professionalism of our players, coaches and support staff, and showcases the talent we’re developing here at home.”
Assistant Coach David Quinn added, “Shanghai did an incredible job putting this tournament together and went above and beyond to ensure everyone had a great experience. We were looked after from the moment we landed.
The tournament provided a fantastic opportunity for our athletes to represent Basketball Australia and Basketball Victoria on the international stage. They showed great determination and resilience, especially as they adapted to different styles of play.”
The Shanghai tour proved to be a great experience for players and staff alike. Beyond the on-court challenges, the cultural exposure, team bonding, and professionalism shown throughout the week was awesome.
“We had the opportunity to compete against high-level opposition, which challenged us and pushed the group outside of their comfort zones,” said O’Brien. “We’re extremely proud of how the team performed and the way they represented Victoria and Australia.”
The whole team, coaches and staff extend they’re thanks to everyone who supported this international campaign.
To learn more about our high performance and state team programs, click below.
