THE AUSTRALIAN National Basketball Championships have begun in Geelong, as a the nation’s brightest young players hit the court and showcase their talents.

The first day of action saw the Under-20 Victoria Navy side hand the NBA Global Academy a significant loss, finishing their first match as 30-point winners. The Global Academy never took the lead over the course of the match, as Navy claimed a 96-66 triumph.

The star of the show for the victors was Joel Foxwell, with the talented youngster stuffing the stat sheet in an eye-catching outing. The guard did a bit of everything in an impressively limited amount of time on the court.

NBA Global Academy (66) def. by Victoria Navy Men’s (96)

Joel Foxwell – 28 mins, 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two steals

As his brother Owen has done in the past, Foxwell continues to shine as one of Australia’s most exciting young guards.

Foxwell finished with a game-high 25 points, displaying aggressiveness and skill almost every time he touched the basketball. He was exceptional in controlling the tempo of the play for Victoria, despite coming up against some highly touted opponents.

He shot 8/16 from the field, doing his best work from two-point territory as he attacked in transition and made the defence pay for some slack coverage. From inside the arc, he shot 6/10, and whether it was a mid-range shot or a drive inside, Foxwell looked confident in every single one of those takes.

He even showed his ever-improving perimeter game at stages throughout the match, draining a pair of three-pointers. Given how frequently he was scoring the rock inside the arc, switching it up and attempting a few three-pointers made him even more unpredictable.

At 6ft 1in, he is not the tallest player on the court, but Foxwell was able to crash the boards for two offensive and five defensive. He was also able to find his teammates with some exquisite passing, racking up six dimes.

Although he recorded some impressive stats, he was unable to add to his numbers after fouling out in 28 minutes of play.

The 17-year-old was playing against some more experienced and older talent, but looked far from out of place at Under-20 level. He is one of the most dynamic and skilled young guards in the nation at the moment. The Foxwell name appears to be on the rise in Australian basketball, and for good reason if Tuesday’s performance is anything to go off.