I don't mind kids not going to the AIS. I've got an unfounded theory that the AIS produces great team/role players, but not superstars who can take over games, which is what we need come Olympics/World Champs.

Again, its a personal unfounded theory!

Good one Anon^

Bogut and Mills are the exception to my theory, but that having been said, even Mills struggles with the weight of being 'the man'.

Given that the AIS have their pick of the absolute best players in the country, then those players get to train and learn in an environment similar to that of an elite athlete, you think there would be more guys that graduate who go on to be absolutely superstars wherever they play, but they don't.

For the most part, the AIS produces awesome team players, who blend well into any team, but never go on to be much more than role players at the very highest level.

You should check out some of the commentary on the AIS team during the Adidas Nations Vart from some of the bloggers that were there.

They mentioned how unselfish players like Simmons/Exum were and wish they could see them in an offense which allowed them more freedom instead of the structed team based offense the AIS kids played under.

Thanks sircreate. Do you have any links? It would be great to read that stuff.

That's precisely my point. And while its great to hear comments about how unselfish they are, what we (when I say 'we', I mean the Boomers) really need from guys as talented as Exum and Simmons, is for them to be absolute go-to players. They need to learn how to take a game completely over, and be able to put a team on their backs and carry them. I'm not sure they learn that in the AIS program.

Found some RAVE reviews about Exum and Simmons from rivals.com.

This was after the championship and consolotion games;


Dante Exum: After playing well in Las Vegas at the Super 64 and then drawing rave reviews early in the Adidas Nations event, the 6-foot-5 Australian combo guard was outstanding. He's got command of the ball, a great first step and a body built to finish through contact at the rim. His jumper is solid and he reads the high ball screen very well on both defense and offense. Could he be a five-star in 2014?

Ben Simmons: Simmons was a few finishes/shots that rattled out of the rim away from having a monster game. Still, he showed flashes of what appears to be a pretty immense talent level. The smooth southpaw is a dangerous jump shooter with easy three-point range, rebounds instinctively and has a high overall skill level.

It's funny, because both of their jump shots were pretty ugly at the U17 WCs. The American game creates different type of looks than the international game, and it's pretty common to read scouting reports of a US player having a good jumper and then shooting rotten percentages when they play overseas.

Looks like they are headed for some good scholarships. I notice Owen Odigie put up some nice numbers too, wonder if he will change his mind about college?

Here's some more Exum and Simmons love;

Dante Exum and Ben Simmons

The Australian pair turned heads Friday night with their electric play. Saturday, each proved they belong in the conversation with the top American athletes. Exum, a 6-foot-4 point guard is a steady floor leaders with a decisive first step. In the morning session against USA 2014 Blue, Exum finished with 13 points and 7 rebounds to lead the Aussies in a 83-61 rout over the likes of Jahlil Okafor (7 points, 5 rebounds) and Trey Lyles (16 points), Justise Winslow and Daniel Hamilton. Exum then responded with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists in a hard-fought victory over team Africa, 56-44, later that night.

Despite the attention Exum was receiving, his teammate Ben Simmons, a 6-foot-6, left-handed shooting guard from Melbourne, Australia, was quietly putting together his own strong showing. Simmons, like Exum, is an incredibly smart player who moves without the ball extremely well to get open for clean looks at the basket. In the morning session, Simmons connected on 8-of-11 field goals to finish with 18 points and 7 boards. Against team Africa, he added another 13 points and 6 rebounds.

Exum and Simmons each have plans to play collegiately in the United States. Their fathers each played at the highest levels in the Australian professional basketball leagues. Exum, whose mom and dad are originally from the state of North Carolina but moved to Australia to pursue basketball, professionally, says a move to the U.S. will be "comfortable" for him. While Exum did tell us his dad is handling all of his recruiting, did mention that LSU, Vanderbilt, SMU, and St. Mary's were among the colleges showing interest. Exum also said he was not sure if he was considered a 2013 or 2014 prospect. Born in July of 1995 he’ll be entering his senior high school season. However, we are trying to confirm when high school graduation is in Australian and we believe it is each December, meaning that Exum would have to join a college program after non-conference play at the start of the Spring Semester. This likely translates to Exum graduating in December 2013, enrolling in a college in the Spring of 2014, and then becoming an early enrollee for the Class of 2014.

Similarly, the younger Simmons will be entering his junior season in high school, meaning he likely qualifies as a Class of 2015 prospect, which is a scary thought. If so, many basketball recruiting analysts are already billing Simmons as a top 10 recruit in the 2015 class.

Vart - What you'll tend to find is that there are more & more athletes knocking back the opportunity/invitation to go the AIS these days, both boys & girls. The AIS is not seen as the Australian Mecca of basketball as it once was. There are many other pathways that athletes can take now to further progress their basketball skill set to get to the next level.