Dream farewell to Knox for Portland-bound Rapp

Austin Rapp has already achieved more in his career having just turned 19 than most will in a lifetime but he is thankful for back-to-back NBL1 National Championships at the Knox Raiders ahead of joining the University of Portland.

Rapp's very last day as an 18-year-old was last Sunday when he was part of the Raiders beating the Mackay Meteors to claim back-to-back National Championships on the Sunshine Coast.

As he now departs to begin his college career with Portland Pirates, he does so having now been a key figure on two National Finals winning teams with Knox and as an NBL1 South championship winner.

Not only that, but earlier this year he hit the game winning shot for the Victorian team at the Australian Under-20s Nationals Championships, and he has already shown glimpses in the NBL of what he can do in his time at the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

As a young big man who has the size and strength to match it on the inside while also having a terrific shooting touch for a young man his size, the upward trajectory Rapp is on is exciting and he couldn’t think of a better way to now head off to college.

Sacrificing to win as a group

The NBL1 South championship defence for the Raiders didn’t go to plan in 2024 as they finished the regular season in seventh spot and then were bundled out first up by the Dandenong Rangers.

However, the entire team and the coaching staff headed up by Matthew Nunn knew they still had a national title to defend. They continued to stick together and prepare themselves for the trip to the Sunshine Coast.

Rapp just felt that he and the entire playing group knew they were better than a team knocked out in the first week in the finals. They owed it to themselves to prove that – and they did that by winning a second straight National Championship.

"It's a credit to Anzac (Rissetto) whose back was screwed up all week but he came out and battled, and that last quarter he had eight points straight and helped us get over the line," Rapp said.

"But I think with this group none of us checked out. We lost in the first game of the finals and mentally we could have checked out, but we knew we were a lot better than that and we just had a bad game.

"We felt like we owed something to not just all our family and everyone who supports us, but we owed it to ourselves.

"We had put in all this work with individuals, weights and we owed it to ourselves to give it our best shot to win back-to-back. Now we got to do that and luckily enough we did it with a great group of guys for a great organisation."

Special connection in playing group

A big thing with Knox on the Sunshine Coast that everyone involved in the team talked about was how much they missed the opportunity to have a road trip this season to Tasmania.

It might sound like a small thing, but going away together for a couple of days and living in each other's pockets can bond you like few things else and everyone at the Raiders did miss that chance in 2024.

As a result, the trip to the Sunshine Coast for the National Finals gave them that chance to connect even further. Rapp has no doubt that the closeness of the group is why they did so well beating the Maitland Mustangs, Eltham Wildcats and Mackay Meteors for another national crown.

"It's crazy how close we are as a group. I think missing out on having that Tassie road trip this year was huge so this trip to the Sunshine Coast brought us so much closer," Rapp said.

"It's not that we weren’t close already, but there's something different about going away together and brings us all closer together.

"Just by spending all that time together gives you the chance to talk endless smack, we can have some beers together and then to end up winning with these guys, it means everything.

"I played with Anzac at the Phoenix last year, I've played with KJ, Bowen and I'm close with all these guys here. To win it with what I would call family and brothers now, it's a crazy feeling and it's honestly still surreal."

Comparing to last year's success

Rapp was just a 17-year-old star on the rise when the Raiders not only won the NBL1 South championship but also then went over to Perth to claim the national title even with just seven players available for three days in less than 48 hours.

That was an experience that was a whirlwind for him, but now after a huge year where he spent the NBL season with South East Melbourne and led Victoria to the under-20s championship, he feels more ready to understand how special a National Championship with Knox is.

Rapp had an outstanding three games on the Sunshine Coast averaging 17.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 blocked shots while knocking down nine three-point shots.

After a stirring win against Mackay in the Championship Game, Rapp couldn’t be more thankful for the experience with Knox over the previous two years.

"I think last year because I was so young it didn’t really sink in with everything, but now this year because I'm about to leave for Portland, this kind of could be the last time that I play with these guys ever again or even maybe in this Knox Raiders uniform," Rapp said.

"So this one means everything and I can't thank the Knox organisation enough for everything they've done for me. They brought me into the under-16s and I think I've grown my game so much over the last couple of years.

"Getting this win means more than anything but I can't thank Knox enough for everything over the last couple of years."

Perfect way to head off to college

Rapp can't think of a better way to now head off to the University of Portland on the back of winning a second National Championship with Knox, not to mention doing it one day before he turned 19.

After the NBL1 South season ended a month earlier for the Raiders, Rapp could have headed to Portland to get ready for college life but instead he delayed his departure until less than two days after the National Finals on the Sunshine Coast.

That commitment from everyone at the Raiders was a big reason for their ultimate success but Rapp wanted to complete the job at Knox before he moved onto the next phase of his life and basketball career.

"I don't think any 18-year-old has own back-to-back championships in the NBL1 so I think that says it itself in how blessed I am." Rapp said.

"I've come into an organisation where we've now won the last two years and I can go over to college knowing what a mentality in a club looks like.

"Portland has been struggling the last few years, but I want to try and bring that winning success to them and I know what that mentality and work ethic looks like.

"I want to try and bring that over to Portland and help them win now, but it's honestly still surreal what we've been able to do and I've got this second ring."

What can college do for your game

You can make the case that Rapp already has an all-round game that has him well set up to put together a terrific career given what he can do at his size as an inside and outside player, and what he's now proven he can do in big games.

However, it's only natural to think that Rapp will only continue to improve by being able to be in a full-time basketball environment at college. He can't wait to see how his game and how he himself physically can keep developing on the back of that.

"After spending a few years in college, one big focus for me will be to get my body under me. I grew quickly in my teenage years and I'm still a bit lanky and dopey, but I want to work on my body and build some muscle," Rapp said.

"I also just want to keep playing basketball, keep getting up the reps and I get to go to a place in college where every day I can go and get shots up whenever I want.

"I don't need to go drive to a gym and hope that I can find someone who is free to help me out, I will have GA's and coaches always ready for me whenever I want to shoot.

"We'll get to train every day, lift weights every day and I get to go to an environment where I know I'll get better as long as I put the effort in.

"I think it's a perfect situation for me and this game could take me wherever, but it's up to me. I feel like the sky's the limit but only if I put the work in and if the people around me keep me on track. I'm just so happy right now with the way I'm going and hopefully I continue on this track."