WITH the 2026 FIBA Under-17 World Cup set to take place in the coming months, both the Australian Crocs and the Australian Sapphires have announced their squads, as the Aussies look to make their mark in the men’s and women’s competitions respectively.
The Crocs are gearing up for a big tournament in the under-17 men’s division, having booked a spot to Türkiye following the FIBA Under-16 Asia Cup in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia last year. The team was stacked with talent during that run and the same crop of players are set to shine on the world stage in late June and early July.
Headlining the group once again is emerging talent Luke Paul, who is set to be the focal point of Australia’s offence. The point guard has already signed a deal to join the National Basketball League (NBL) Next Stars program, despite plenty of college interest, and has drawn comparisons to Chicago Bulls star Joshua Giddey.
Paul will be joined by fellow Centre of Excellence (CoE) cohorts Ahmet Yahya Basaran and William Hamilton, with the Victorian pair also expected to feature prominently on the international stage, while there are plenty of familiar faces from domestic competitions, such as Victoria’s Lucas Byrne and Queensland’s Isaiah Jorgenson.
The Sapphires have announced an equally impressive squad for their campaign at the Under-17 Women’s World Cup, which will be held in the Czech Republic in mid-July. The team brought home gold at the FIBA Under-16 Women’s Asia Cup in Malaysia last year, which also gained the team instant qualification at the international tournament, where they will be among the title fancies.
Another exciting name in the Australian basketball system, Madison Ryan is looming as the standout for the Sapphires after a superb junior career representing the Sandringham Sabres and Victoria, as well as numerous appearances in the green and gold in previous years. The small forward has game-breaking abilities on the offensive end, and will be integral to Australia’s chances.
Fellow Victorian and scoring machine Sophie Richardson will be one to watch as well given her offensive talents, while Queensland native and Centre of Excellence member Isabel Smith could be in for a big tournament on the big stage as well.
| Under-17 Men | |
| Ahmet Yahya Basran (VIC – CoE) | Josh McCann (VIC) |
| Alexander Edwards (WA) | Keenan Lawrence-Williams (SA) |
| Andrew Watene (QLD) | Lucas Byrne (VIC) |
| Antonio Browne (NSW) | Luke Paul (WA – CoE) |
| Awak Machar (SA) | Mobarede Akingbade (VIC) |
| Emin Joldic (NSW) | Riak Akhuar (VIC) |
| Isaiah Jorgenson (QLD) | Ryder Cleary (VIC) |
| John Aryang (WA) | Samson Nathan (NSW) |
| Johnty Dynan (TAS) | Tom Dammers (VIC) |
| Jordan Kaesler (QLD) | William Hamilton (VIC – CoE) |
| Under-17 Women | ||
| Daisy Hocking (SA) | Eliza Shanahan (VIC – CoE) | |
| Mya Moke (QLD) | Isabel Smith (QLD – CoE) | |
| Maddison Reisinger (QLD) | Lily Mapp (QLD – CoE) | |
| Jay Sebasio (QLD – CoE) | Madison Ryan (VIC) | |
| Violet Johnson (QLD – CoE) | Sophie Richardson (VIC) | |
| Olivia Olechnowicz (QLD – CoE) | Eliza Ashby (VIC) | |
| Jemyma Manyok (QLD – CoE) | Marianela Fakalata (VIC) | |
| Laura Seiz (VIC) | Matilda Trout (VIC) | |
| Jasmine Jones (VIC) | Eden Catip (QLD) | |
| Ella Duroux (QLD) | ||
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