Riley O’Shannessy and Jeremy Harding played in the under 16s competition for the NSW Kookaburras and the NSW Waratahs respectively and Jeremy found himself in the winners’ circle after his side blew apart the Victorian Bushrangers in the fourth quarter to win the final 78-60.

O’Shannessy’s side went down to Tasmania in the third-place playoff but both found the week to be one of the best of their short basketball careers.

“It was a lot harder than anything I’ve played at before,” Jeremy said.

“The final was one of my favourite games I’ve played.”

The Carroll College pair had chances to start and both were also thrown in to different positions, sometimes unfamiliar, on the court.

“The coaches wanted us to play as a team and work on our defence,” Jeremy said.

“They also wanted us to keep the intensity and to remain consistent,” O’Shannessy said.

Jeremy felt that it was the most physical basketball he played and that he was a bit inconsistent after scoring in double figures in some matches.

“I was a bit up and down and I struggled a bit with the physicality,” he said. 

O’Shannessy, who played as bottom-age player at the tournament last year, said he found it easier to achieve consistency.

All 19 of NSW’s under 16s players stayed together and the bond the boys developed with their team mates made the week all the more special.

“Getting back to play with some of the guys and meeting old friends was great,” O’Shannessy said.

The boys have been back in the gym preparing for the state team try outs which begin on February 7 and 8 at Terrigal.

Jeremy’s brother Darcy received a late call up from the under 18s coach, Michael Cassidy, to be his assistant at the tournament.

Darcy had coached a little one-on-one before and leapt at the opportunity to return to his “favourite competition of the year”.

“It was good to be back and involved in the Country Cup even if it was coaching instead of playing,” Darcy said.

“Michael is a year older than me and we have been mates for a long time and also played on the same team at the competition in 2010.

“NSW Country has a lot of pride in the way they play so I knew it was going to be a great week to be involved in.”

Darcy’s role was to be an “individual kind of coach” and he took players aside before, during and after games to help them, and the team, play better basketball.

“I think it was good for the players to have someone like myself that did all the things that they are doing,” he said.

“I learnt a lot and would love the opportunity to help talented players like the NSW Country group I had to take it as far as they can.

“I have a lot of time for all the NSW Country coaches and athletes.”