Players were awarded scholarships after being identified by Basketball Victoria's High Performance Head Coaches as having the potential to represent Australia in the future.

Many have already showcased their skills in the national and international arena with selected for junior Australian teams alongside plenty of appearances in Victoria Country and Victoria Metropolitan sides.

Burger,15, said he would also be selected straight into the state development program.

"We get some special camps just for the VNPP group," he said.

"We will get more programs than other squads I've been a part of. It's a much smaller group so we get more one-on-one training with the coaches.

"We also get a trip to Canberra next year to visit the Centre of Excellence which I think will be pretty fun."

Burger has also been named in the Ballarat Miners under-18 side for 2020-21.

"I'll also be going down to school in St Pats in Ballarat next year," he said.

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"I'll be coming home every night but because I have basketball every night down there. There's more opportunities down there for my sport and development. Some of my mates are going as well so that will be good to have some familiar faces."

During the covid pandemic restrictions, Burger said he had been practising basketball every day.

"I've been doing a lot of strength and conditioning training," he said.

"Just trying to get my body right so I don't get any injuries.

"I really missed playing. We got back on the court last week and it was so good to play and to see everyone.

"I was a bit rusty - had to get the cobwebs out."

Burger said despite the disappointment of not being able to play for almost 12 months, it was a "fantastic opportunity" to get his body right.

"It was good to get a bit of a break to focus on more specific parts of the sport," he said.

"You don't really get that opportunity during the season because it's team training and playing."

Burger has been training with the Ararat Redbacks' CBL team.

"When I'm available I'd love to come back and play with the guys," he said.

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