Australia’s best 128 junior teams have earned their places in the 2022 Kumon National Junior Classic!
Victorian invitations were sent to affiliated associations based off their performances in the Victorian Junior Basketball League, with selected Junior Country Championship winners also invited to represent regional Victoria. They will take on the rest of the nation in Australia’s peak elite junior invitational tournament, held 11-13 June 2022 over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.
Leading the way in Kumon National Junior Classic qualification is Casey with seven teams across the age groups set to compete, while Melbourne (six teams), Nunawading (six teams), Sandringham (six teams) and Frankston (five teams) are also set to feature prominently in the tournament.
State championship winning and high-ranking sides from South Australia (33 teams), New South Wales (20 teams) and Canberra (six teams) have been participate in the Classic.
Selected winners from the Basketball Victoria Junior Country Championships teams not competing in VJBL – Korumburra Under-16 Girls, Warrnambool Under-14 Girls, Maffra Under-12 Boys and Bendigo Under-12 Girls –– have also earned their spots in the Classic.
Other regional Victorian teams to qualify through VJBL qualification include Geelong United (three teams), Bendigo (two teams) and Ballarat (two teams).
Basketball Victoria General Manager - Leagues and Competitions Greg Jeffers said the return of the Kumon National Junior Classic after a two-year hiatus was well overdue as Australia’s best 128 sides battle it out for the Classic title.
“The return of the Kumon National Junior Classic - after we missed out on running it in 2020 and 2021 – is exciting for the Australian basketball community,” Jeffers said. “It’s always a great thrill to have the best teams from across Victoria and Australia come together for this elite junior tournament – especially given what has happened in sport over the last few years.
“For the invited VJBL teams and Junior Country Championships winning teams, the Classic is an incredible way to showcase their skills in the national spotlight.
“Basketball Victoria would like to wish all 128 competing teams the best of luck heading to the Kumon National Junior Classic and also like to thank naming-rights partner Kumon Australia and New Zealand as well as livestreaming partner News Corp Australia.”
The invitation-only event is capped at 16 teams per age group with invitations to the Classic extended to the top interstate teams and the highest-ranking eligible Victorian VJBL teams and selected Junior Country Championships winning teams.
The Kumon National Junior Classic is held at the State Basketball Centre and Dandenong Basketball Stadium. Entry is free for all spectators.
For further information on the Kumon National Junior Classic livestreams with NewsCorp Australia, please visit the Herald Sun website.
2022 KUMON NATIONAL JUNIOR CLASSIC – QUALIFYING TEAMS
UNDER-12 BOYS
Bulleen
Camberwell
Canberra
Casey
Dandenong
Knox
Maffra
North Adelaide
Norths Bears
Norwood
Sandringham
South Adelaide
Sturt
Sydney Comets
Waverley
Westgate
UNDER-12 GIRLS
Bendigo
Bulleen
Camberwell
Canberra
Casey
Forestville
Frankston
Kilsyth
Manly Warringah
McKinnon
Melbourne
Nunawading
Sandringham
South Adelaide
Sturt
West Adelaide
UNDER-14 BOYS
Ballarat
Bendigo
Canberra
Casey
Geelong United
Hills Hornets
Kilsyth
Norths Bears
Norwood
Nunawading
Sandringham
South Adelaide
Sturt
Sydney Comets
Whittlesea
Woodville
UNDER-14 GIRLS
Camberwell
Casey
Diamond Valley
Eastern Mavericks
Frankston
Illawarra
Keilor
Manly Warringah
Melbourne
Norwood
Nunawading
Sandringham
Sturt
Sydney Comets
Warrnambool
West Adelaide
UNDER-16 BOYS
Canberra
Dandenong
Diamond Valley
Forestville
Frankston
Hawthorn
Hills Hornets
Keilor
Kilsyth
Knox
Norths Bears
Norwood
Southern Tigers
Sydney Comets
Waverley
Woodville
UNDER-16 GIRLS
Bankstown Bruins
Canberra
Casey
Dandenong
Eastern Mavericks
Frankston
Geelong United
Hawthorn
Keilor
Korumburra
Melbourne
North Adelaide
Norths Bears
Norwood
Nunawading
West Adelaide
UNDER-18 BOYS
Ballarat
Bulleen
Canberra
Casey
Eastern Mavericks
Geelong United
Hills Hornets
Knox
Manly Warringah
Melbourne
North Adelaide
Norwood
Nunawading
Sandringham
Sturt
Sydney Comets
UNDER-18 GIRLS
Bulleen
Casey
Eastern Mavericks
Forestville
Frankston
Hornsby Ku-ring-gai
Kilsyth
Knox
Manly Warringah
Melbourne
Norths Bears
Norwood
Nunawading
Sandringham
Sturt
West Adelaide