Frankston Blues big man Thomas Nicholas has been named the first recipient of the AABL Next Scholarship, recognising one of Victoria’s emerging young players ahead of the 2026 Reebok AABL season.
Standing at 6’10”, Nicholas has continued to build his reputation through the Frankston Blues program and Basketball Victoria’s Metro pathway. He has been recognised through the Future Stars and ECC programs, was selected as a Victoria Metro emergency for the 2026 U18 Australian Junior Championships, and was later named to the AUS Select men’s team for the 2026 Shanghai Future Stars Basketball Championship.
That international selection saw Nicholas represent Australian basketball against high-level opposition including the Shanghai Sharks, China Basketball B-Team and Montverde Academy, adding valuable international experience to an already impressive junior basketball résumé.
The AABL Next Scholarship recognises players aged 16–17 who are already demonstrating the performance, competitiveness and potential to make an impact as they progress through the game. As the program’s inaugural recipient, Nicholas represents exactly what AABL Next was created to identify: emerging athletes ready to put their performance on record and step onto a larger platform.