FOUR of Portland’s youngest representative basketballers attended one of Basketball Victoria’s first talent pathways, competing in the under-12 Jamboree in Echuca last week.

Nason Lovett-Murray, Ivy Oliver, Summer Stone and Kaydence Oswald all took part in the four-day tournament which saw them come up against some of the best young players in country Victoria.

120 boys and 120 girls from across country Victoria participate with 12 teams of 10 players playing in a round-robin style.

The teams also had daily training where they learn the fundamentals of the game while playing five other teams across the tournament.

Lovett-Murray and Oswald were in the Magpies team while Oliver played for Jackaroos and Stone was in team Pioneers.

The Observer caught up with Oliver, Stone and Oswald before their under-14 girls Coasters training to discuss the tournament.

“We didn’t play everyone, I played five games and got to play Ivy’s team,” Oswald said.

“I tried to play on Ivy but the taller kids on my team had to go on her.

“We did one hour a day of training – we did a bit of everything, defence and offence.”

Oliver said there was some different plays that they were shown to build on their game.

“We learned different plays, like curl and pop from the top of the key and that kind of thing,” she said.

“That’s when you screen off the ball and then they roll around the key and you pop out to get the ball,” Stone added.

“We knew a lot of it already because we learned it here in Portland.

“We also did split kick extra so when you’re driving in you make sure someone is out on the wing and you can pass out when all of the defence comes to you.”

While the primary focus was on developing their basketball skills the players said it was fun to play with and against some different opponents.

 “It was cool to come up against people at a different level,” Oswald said.

“Meeting new people and playing basketball with new people was the best.”

“I enjoyed playing with people where we’re doing the same stuff,” Stone added.

With winning not a primary focus of the tournament, Oliver said her team showed their talents both on and off the basketball court.

“I liked playing against different people and also the talent show,” she said.

“My team won – we did a lip sync, we didn’t win a game but we won the talent show so that was cool.”