News
In exciting news, our Basketball Program is now being led by Jerome Ramachandran. Jerome is committed to developing young athletes both on and off the court, focusing on skill enhancement, teamwork, and leadership qualities. He has over three years of coaching experience in representative basketball (VJBL) and will be the Nunawading 14.1 Boys coach in 2024 having coached the U16.3 boys team, followed by the U16.1 boys team in 2022 and the U14.1 boys team in 2023.
Jerome is partnered with Basketball Victoria, working with U14 to U18 athletes in the State/Future Development Program at the MSAC Hub. He is a qualified Level Two basketball coach certified by Basketball Victoria, with extensive training and experience in coaching techniques and player development. Jerome also holds Certificates I-IV in Sport and Recreation. We are fortunate to have him leading our basketball performance and development programs.
Each year Basketball Victoria coordinates a tournament of the best basketball schools in the state to compete with the aim of finding the best school in the state to represent Victoria in the National Championships on the Gold Coast in December. This year De La Salle College was fortunate to have a side represented in all three divisions of Senior, Intermediate and Junior.
Student Report: Champions Cup
Seniors
Tournament: Champions Cup
Record: 3-0 in Pool Play, Lost in First Round of Finals
Overview
In the Champions Cup, we demonstrated our potential with a flawless 3-0 record in pool play. Our speed and defensive intensity were key to our success, though we faced challenges in maintaining our structure in the finals, which led to a disappointing finish in our cross over match-up.
Pool Play Performance
During pool play, we thrived on our fast-paced game. Our ability to run the floor and capitalize on transition opportunities set us apart. Defensively, our full-court pressure was highly effective, creating numerous traps that forced turnovers and allowed us to control the tempo.
Key Players:
- Kai Lucas: Led our scoring efforts, consistently finding ways to finish in transition and break down the defense in half-court sets.
- Isaac Brown: Owned the glass, providing us with crucial rebounds that fueled our fast breaks and gave us second chances on offense.
- Benji Miller: Led our defensive efforts, playing top of the press and forcing countless turnovers.
Conclusion
The Champion’s Cup was a mixed experience for us. Our 3-0 run in pool play showcased our strengths, particularly in transition and full-court defense. However, the finals underscored the importance of sticking to our structure and staying disciplined under pressure. Isaac’s rebounding and Kai’s scoring were standout performances through-out the day. Being involved in this competition provided a great opportunity to showcase our ability against some of the best basketball schools in the state.
Juniors
Coming into the Championship Cup’s first game, the whole team didn’t know what to expect. The first game was against Rowville SC, which has a renowned successful basketball program and won the Junior Championship Cup the previous year. At the end of the first half, we were down 4-23. With a more composed second half we ended up chipping back at the lead with De La Salle College making a really strong effort with the second half score 15-23. There were lots of good things to take from the game and a lot to improve on for the rest of the day. End score 47-19 De La Salle College loss.
Game 2 and Game 3 saw De La Salle College switch on from the outset playing some great basketball. In game 2, De La Salle College won the second half 26-21, which provided a positive takeaway and boosted confidence. The final score was 46 for St. Paul’s Anglican Grammar School and 39 for De La Salle. After a slow first few minutes of the first half in Game Three the College had no problems switching into full attack mode and getting on the scoreboard. We showed the full potential of our team with an end score seeing De La Salle College winning 61-12.
After a solid win, the team were feeling confident. However, our opponent for the last game was Crest, who hadn’t lost all tournament. Crest College had arguably the best player in the State, so it was going to be a tall order. The game started off evenly, with both teams trading baskets and at halftime, the score was tied. The turning point in the game occurred when James M stopped Barry from scoring in the post, lifting our team’s spirits. With one minute remaining and De La Salle College up by two points, Crest was sent to the free-throw line and made both shots. Crest had a chance to win the game with 22 seconds left. However, Cooper J made a big defensive stop with 6 seconds left. From the ensuing possession a pass was lobbed to Ollie P running the break. With the whole stadium watching the match, Ollie drove to the basket and executed a double-clutch layup on the buzzer to win the game for De La Salle College by 2 points. The bench erupted with the final score DLS 29 – Crest 27.
A memorable day for the team winning their last two matches to finish third in what was the strongest pool of teams on the day.
A big thank you to Christian P along with Enzo S and Harley L for their contributions to this report.
