A great tournament with the majority of teams being of a high standard!
The 4 SAC teams really struggled however and looked out of place at the tournament with one of the boys teams even having a average losing margin of 50pts per game!
Apart from that the VIC teams again looked really strong!!

WA Metro in the 15 boys showed great signs, well done to all concerned with the team.

Vic Metro & Vic Country- Very Good A-A+
SA Metro - Average- good B-
WA Metro & ACT - Better & Improving C+
WA & SA Country- A lot of work needed D-

Wa basketball seems to be on the upper.

Coaching ranks has a lot to do with it! Vic teams had quality coaches and mentor coaches talking with the kids.
The bottom teams had none of this and looked lost

Why do vics dominate over other states?

Vics have great depth and great coaches in all grades. The pathway programs are quality and they have great leadership.

Population and participation along with loads more stadiums than anyone else per capita. Bigger pool with more fish to choose from. That makes for more quality teams to play against with more clubs in play Simples.... Although questionable some of the players left at home for some states but it is a development tournament. And betting there are some players trapped in lower grades with no opportunity or others with no confidence to trial despite ability. For some states it is also a development tournament for coaches so may not be the best and for Vic they don't have to travel to also opens up the door for some coaches to apply where other states may have better coaches not available to travel because of family or work commitments. I also think here is too much showcasing and with the focus of the stats on points not defence and team related data that lends itself to that. That may too affect who is selected and the team work and defence that is required to win. Just a thought.

Less populated states still fielding multiple teams effectively weakens teams as well as they try to balance out and not have one team flogged. % of players/teams per population means less talent as well and higher population have more strength in all teams. Numbers game.

Cost is always an issue for parents and the States, but when we are looking at development and maybe a way to even out the competition why not double the amount of Victorian teams?

Why not. Still think the participation rates in Vic and Population would need them to have at least 6 teams to spread the talent. It is what it is and just an explanation of why the dominance. But a great program and many clubs developing their players well and talent sourcing and identification clearly doing their job well too. What it does tell you is that when an non Vic team fairs well at Nationals then they are fielding some sensational talent and programs from their home clubs. I repeat Home Clubs as they are the ones who do all the work. Maybe the coaching needs to be a focus in those states as that makes a massive difference across an entire comp and multiple clubs. Perhaps if all the clubs worked together for the good of the state and the entire basketball population rather than just their own, then they will have good competition as possible field better teams and not just a few individuals. I say this not to be critical but with concern for the untapped or underdeveloped talent out there that our Country needs in our teams and role modelling to increase participation at all levels. This is a great sport for all. Where you only need a few players and everyone can shoot a goal. It is great for asthma players due to environmental triggers being low low low.. Its all year round and games are short and can be localised.

Onto state champs next year
It looks asthough vic domination will continue..

Pretty impressive..

State Champs U20
Vic m Men (8 titles in last decade)
Vic m Women (8 titles in last decade)

State champs u18
Vic m men (5 titles in last decade)
Vic m women (7 titles in last decade)

State champs u16
Vic m men (4 titles in last decade)
Vic m women (8 titles in last decade)

2017 will probably bring another clean sweep for vic m.

SA Country teams didn't fair well last year with one team in the 15's competition! Why they were allowed to nominate extra teams is very surprising indeed.

If SAC were not very good last year why on earth would they send two teams this year? and why would the tournament organisers allow them to send two teams?
Is it a money grab for SAC and tournament organisers? Isn't this meant to be a high level tournament so why dilute it by sending teams that aren't up to the standard??

Surely they will come to their senses and send one team next year.

Everything nowadays is the $ my friend! The more kids, the more icing on the cake.
Get accustomed too it!!!

The u14 boys final is on YouTube. Pretty amazing skills for kids that are only 13 years of age.

Problem is that WA Metro and SA Metro are good or improving. Yet their Country teams stink it up big time!
Vic on the other hand seem to have a good blend of both.

Wa country is improving.
I think you'll see them move up the ladder over the next few years.

More so than tas, act, or nt which continue to slide.

Vic metro men and women look to be at the top for,years to come.
Sa metro men and qld Sth/sa metro women's the only ones to challenge.

You don't think an all-NSW Metro grand final at u14 Boys Club Champs last year says maybe they're headed in the right direction? That QLD North and NSW Country go into 18 Mens with as much chance as either Vic? That Qld North, having finished 4th at 16s last year with 8 bottom age kids including the tournament's leading scorer might be presumptive favourites in 16 Mens?

There's no doubt the Vics are the best in the country, top to bottom, country and metro. In almost any given age group they're more likely to put 4 teams (country and metro, mens and womens) in the top 4 than to have a team finish outside the top 8. But I don't think you're paying much attention if you think they're unchallenged at the very top, nor if you think the teams you named are the only ones to worry about.

The vic u14 teams have a more even spread of talent in the vjbl
Many good players did not make the u14 state champs.

The comets and hornets who were stacked no doubt. But it doesn't give you a good representation of the depth of talent throughout the league.

This years u18 vics 00/01 doesn't have great depth in the front court.
Yes, qld North look deep. Combination of guards and bigs..
U16s also. But with only 1 stand out.

Wa u18 metro will turn heads.
Bowen, Jackson, Buluk front court?

Vic u16 also have 02 centre back and 2 top of the table ecc u16 teams + more.

Sa women 00/01 u18 are strong, so too qld Sth.
But vic have a far superior front court.
Cochrane, nankervis, anstey, locandro, Hollingsworth maybe?

U20
Sa men
Vic women

U18
Vic m men just over qld n
Vic m women just over qld s

U16
Vic m men
Vic m women

SCC is a development tournament and nothing more than that. SAC were off the pace in some games but were competitive in others . Why not expose country athletes to a high level of competition when you can, they certainly can't get that at club or association level. My child came away with a great appreciation of how much improvement is needed to compete at the top level. SAC however would be well advised to not send the best 4 U15's to Albury for the Country Cup in the U16's and send them to SCC instead.

Exposing kids to 40-60 point beltings with other teams carrying on as though it's a training run isn't going to help anyone!
Way off the pace

Who's in charge of wa metro development?

The boys are going to be very strong this year in u18s and 16s.
A really bright future with u15/u14 boys also.

Wa men are on the way up for sure.
The women on the other hand are sliding.

It looks asthough the vics men and women will continue to dominate.
Plenty of talented 03/04 athletes...
Only other contenders in the next few years are

Sa metro men
Wa metro men

Sa metro women
Qld Sth women

A lot of great things going on down in SA since the Dinger has been running the show down there. This dude has the midas touch.