ONE OF Australia’s brightest young basketball prospects now has some valuable experience under his belt, with Dash Daniels helping the Boomers take home the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup in Saudi Arabia over the past few weeks.

Daniels is an exciting 17-year-old talent, and is the younger brother of NBA star Dyson Daniels, so there was always going to be plenty for the youngster to live up to. Dyson has forged a strong start to his career at the top level, and like his brother, was recognised as a strong talent early in his junior career.

The younger Daniels has been performing strongly both at junior and professional level, and was selected to the Boomers squad for the Asia Cup, where the Boomers were looking to defend their title and looked a strong chance to do so.

Although he did not feature too heavily in terms of court time, but still showed glimpses of the talent he possesses, in what was the first of many appearances for the Boomers at international level for the young star.

Daniels kickstarted his World Cup campaign by playing his first minutes in Australia’s big first-up win over Korea, knocking down a standing three-pointer in a display of his ability to stretch the floor. It was his only make for the match, but he was still heavily involved, and received valuable experience playing with his veteran teammates, who were guiding him on positioning midgame.

The 17-year-old got some more playing time in the Boomers’ second outing as they defeated Lebanon by 13 points. Although he did not register a made field goal, Daniels showed good instincts on the glass, chasing down multiple offensive rebounds and setting up second chance scores for his teammates. Daniels also showcased his ability to draw contact, converting two shots at the free throw line.

The Aussies’ final group stage match proved to be Daniels’ most productive yet, with the young gun productive on both ends of the floor as the Boomers claimed a big win over Qatar. Daniels was electric in his seven minutes of court time, bringing plenty of energy to finish with five points, which included another triple that showcases his three-level scoring.

Daniels also showed strong defensive instincts in that match as well, poking the ball free on multiple occasions and racking up a steal to go with a couple of rebounds and assists. It was his most balanced performance of the tournament and showed just how many ways he can impact the contest.

The NBA Draft prospect was a bit quieter in the finals as the Aussies looked to their more experienced players in the elimination stages, but still received 15 minutes as the Boomers recorded a blowout win over Iran. Although he was quiet in terms of the stat sheet, he looked as comfortable as any player on the court, and was able to fill his lane well.

It was a promising start to Daniels’ career with the Boomers, which is expected to last for at least a decade given the talent he holds. He has strong defensive instincts while his offensive game could be even better than his brother’s during the latter’s draft year. Dash has done no harm to his NBA Draft chances and has shown the ability to take it up to some of the best FIBA teams in the world.