Four Ballarat coaches have been named into the 2021 Victorian state team program.
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Ballarat Miners head coach Brendan Joyce will take the helm of the Victorian under-20 men's team at the 2021 Australian Junior Championships in Canberra.
It will be the first time Joyce has coached the under-20s Vic squad after captaining the team as a player back in the 70s. He said he was looking forward to the experience.
"I've been to quite a few of them, I always went to the under-20 championships as a coach in the NBL to scout," he said.
"I think one of the great things is you'll find sometimes kids are playing for their state for the first time and they are ones that have been told they're too small or too skinny, but by the time they get to that age it's sorted itself out."
Joyce, a three-time Olympic coach, will be backed up by fellow Ballarat Miners coach Matt Nunn, who has been named as his assistant for the tournament. Joyce the side would feature the best of both metropolitan and country players.
"I think the beautiful thing is they are pretty pumped up, they are looking to go to college or try and get in with an NBL team," he said.
"It's a good level."
Next year will be the third straight year Nunn has been a part of the under-20 state program. After playing under Joyce in the national championships as a player, he said it would be great to win a national title with Joyce as a coach.
"His style of play is very modern and contemporary, which fits kids at the elite level," he said.
Nunn was the assistant coach of the Victorian under-20 team which won a gold medal in 2019. With a number of Victorians represented at the Basketball Australia center of excellence, Nunn said the 2021 roster would feature some top talent.
"Last year we had seven or eight boys go to the US, it's the emerging talent and Victoria is always the red hot favorite to win," he said.
Meanwhile Ballarat Miners under-18 coach Joel Anderson was named head coach of the under-18 country men's squad.
He will be supported by Ballarat's Richard Morin, who will take on the role of team manager.
Basketball Victoria operations general manager Grant Wallace said the strength of the candidates in Victoria continues to make state team coaching staff nominations extremely difficult to choose from.
"We were impressed with the calibre of coaches who nominated for the State Team and appreciate those who applied," he said.
