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Writer's pictureSpencer Davies

‘Show Some People Up’: Australian Prospect Alex Toohey Proving He’s NBA Ready


Alex Toohey, Sydney Kings

At just 20 years old, Alex Toohey is proving he's more than just hype. The Sydney Kings standout combines talent, leadership, and charisma, capturing the attention of NBA scouts. In this exclusive feature, Spencer Davies takes a deep dive into the journey and potential of the Australian NBA prospect.


There’s got to be something wrong with the kid, right?


When Sydney Kings chief executive officer Chris Pongrass fields phone calls from basketball scouts and executives regarding 20-year-old standout Alex Toohey, the consensus assumption is that he is too good to be true.


“Honestly, he's not,” Pongrass told Babcock Hoops over the phone in an exclusive interview. “It's just his character. It's hard to find a fault in it.”


Whether it's his natural leadership qualities as a teammate, his tremendous progression as a player or his boyish charm as a person, Toohey has garnered attention for all the right reasons.


“I would say childish and bubbly is how I'd explain his personality,” Kings teammate Xavier Cooks told Babcock Hoops in a phone conversation.


“I mean, I try to lighten a lot of parties up. Anytime I see someone down, I try to make 'em laugh. I can definitely see that,” Toohey responded in an exclusive conversation with Babcock Hoops. “I'd say I'm quite an interesting character. I'm pretty unique and an energetic guy that always likes to have a laugh. I've sometimes got a range in when I can joke around and stuff, but yeah, I think I'm a relaxed, funny, outgoing person.”


If he’s not at the beach or hanging out with his friends, Toohey’s swinging his clubs on the links. It’s been an easy way for him to connect with his guys over the years, particularly Shaun Bruce and Angus Glover. Just a couple of months ago, he played a round with Cooks.


“He's the kinda guy that tells ya, 'I'm not very good at golf,' and then he gets out there and he's got a handicap of like five, which just makes me feel like shit,” Cooks said with a laugh. 


“Always would rather be underrated and overperform,” Toohey cunningly replied.


He and Cooks have been virtually inseparable as soon as the veteran signed back with the Kings, an organization the longtime NBL swingman is familiar with.


“I just love his energy, his youthness, playing Call of Duty, those kinda things,” Cooks said. “He's the kinda guy that wants to spend time with people away from the court as well and wants to build relationships, which is huge.”


One afternoon in Sydney, Pongrass walked into the Kings’ team room and everything was rearranged, including the couches. Inspecting the rest of the space, he noticed a big whiteboard with names and scores listed on it. 


There sat a brand new ping-pong table. Pongrass snickered and asked where it came from. Toohey told him he bought it and had it delivered so people on the team and the organization could have a bit of competitive fun after practices.


“Little things like that, I'm like, 20-year-olds don't do that naturally,” Pongrass said. “He's done something that he finds engaging, but he's engaging his teammates. Little things like that, I think you can see is part of his leadership and unique to him as a person.”


Alex Toohey, Syndey Kings

Toohey’s parents, Kath and Mick, have influenced him greatly. 


Before her retirement, his mother was a major general and one of the most respected people in the Australian army since 1990. She currently serves as a board member for many different organizations, including Basketball ACT and the GWS Giants. Toohey’s father also worked in the military for decades and spent a long time in the defense department. 


Along with his older brother, James – who played basketball at Saginaw Valley State, dabbled in cross country and participated in Australian Rules football – Alex grew up disciplined. Many of his lessons and traits come from how he was raised: be a good person, get things done and “don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.”


“My mom's big on the academics,” Toohey said. “Until about two years ago, she didn't really know that professional basketball in Australia was a job. She was thinking that I was just gonna go to school in Australia and study and then go and get a job from there. I think just learning, no matter how good you are at basketball or how good you are at your job, you're a person among all else, so you've got to be able to have people talk about you in high regard. 


“You never know who's watching with those sort of things. Not a military childhood, but a lot of discipline, a lot of making sure we're on time for stuff and being well-dressed and making sure the haircut's uniform.”


As a youngster, Toohey fell in love with cricket because Mick played frequently and it was the only sport on television other than the AFL. The only way he could consume the NBA was through highlights on YouTube. He first picked up a basketball at 5 or 6 years old. Years later, he had what he referred to as a “crescendo” moment. Would it be the gentleman’s game, or would it be hoops?


Toohey obviously chose the latter, but he learned a valuable lesson about really knowing the game years down the road. He recalls being interviewed at a local AAU tournament after a game with Basketball ACT, where a reporter asked him who his favorite player to watch in the NBA was. Candidly, Toohey replied that he didn’t watch that much NBA.


Later, when he arrived at the Centre of Excellence at the Australian Institute of Sport in 2020, Toohey was approached. Adam Caporn, then an AIS player development coach and now a first-year Washington Wizards assistant, had a stern message.


Don’t you ever say you don’t watch basketball. You’re going to start watching so much more basketball.


Though Toohey considers that a turning point with his priorities, he’d already been drawn toward two established yet vastly different players in the league.


“I was a big Blake Griffin fan growing up,” Toohey said. “It was like prime Lob City when that was going on, so that was pretty cool. And then I kinda figured out how I played and I liked watching Manu Ginobili a lot. I thought he was super cool and the way that he gets to his finishes and how he creates for his teammates and finds others.”


A native of Canberra, the nation’s capital, Toohey had the benefit of having the AIS and CoE in his backyard as a youngster. Just when he was born, the program began to churn out notable names who made it to the NBA. CoE alumni include former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Bogut, Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova, Joe Ingles, Aron Baynes and Cameron Bairstow. (2001 No. 1 overall pick Lauren Jackson and Penny Taylor made it to the WNBA on the women’s side.)


All of these talents proudly represented Australia in international competitions, setting the standard for future Boomers and Opals to live up to and exceed. From the moment he was invited to be a part of the U15 National Team in 2018, he was around many of the most admired names in the program’s history as a teenager. So too were Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels, notable graduates of the NBA Academy that the CoE welcomed with open arms in 2019.


“I was like a 16-year-old kid playing against Dyson,” Toohey said. “I was like, 'Oh my god, this dude's the best player in the world,' which he's showing now... I've been with him and seeing his character stay the same, and he's the same guy he's always been. So I think just those conversations about what it takes to get to that next level and a lot of these Aussies have now, so it's just trying to go and join them [in the league].”


Toohey first represented his country in the 2020 AsiaCup Qualifiers and participated in FIBA World Cup qualifying matches with the senior group thereafter. Last year, he suited up for the Boomers Select Team at the Nissay Cup in Japan, then found himself at training camp mixed in with the main roster again. 


“As we're growing up in Australia or playing basketball, the coaches refer to the Boomers and that green-and-gold mentality and the culture they have. You've kind of heard it your whole life,” Toohey said. “But then to finally get amongst it and realize that all those guys that are getting paid millions of dollars to do what they love, they're still just as committed and always on time to things, always putting the team first and having that Aussie mentality of being a team player. 


“It's cool, but I feel like it's just another level when you get 10 of those guys together. I think it forms something special, and I think that's a testament to the culture we have in Australia and also a big reason why the Boomers might've punched above their weight for a number of years. I think the talent is just growing, so I think there's gonna be a lot of good results to come from this.”


He had examples to look up to left and right. Toohey mentions Dellavedova as somebody who “absolutely made everything he could out of what he had.” Ingles is another archetype he sees as similar to his.


Leading is in Toohey’s DNA too. Having been brought up to help others, he feels it’s a privilege to be in a position where he can lend an ear. It’s important to him to empathize and read people so he can help them prosper. The basketball component is just as significant as the personal side. 


Trying to make the Boomers’ primary roster in his own right, Cooks saw Toohey take charge on the floor among the seasoned veterans and the younger crop.


“To come in as a 19-year-old and to have a voice to communicate when people were fuckin' up on rotations, he was telling 'em and helping 'em out, which is huge,” Cooks said. “A lot of those young guys come in there and just try to stay in their shell and kinda press a little bit. I think if he were to try out for the team, he'd have a good chance to make it.”


Toohey viewed the NBA Academy as “basically two-and-a-half years of college” and a great resource to use.


“I was able to come in and train with them before I was a scholarship athlete, just seeing the guys come through,” Toohey said. “We'd go to school, we'd come back, we'd eat as a team and we'd go training, so that basically felt like a college life for me. I think that was super beneficial to me. Honestly, so much so that I felt that I got so much development from that, I felt like I was ready to go straight into the pros. 


“Some other guys, they kinda struggle with maybe their body or their skill development or their level of maturity, and I knew that college route. I felt like I was mature enough to look after myself and just go straight into the pros. I'm super grateful for that, and I think what they're doing is incredible.”


Alex Toohey, Sydney Kings

In June 2023, on the heels of decommitting from Gonzaga University in the United States, Toohey elected to join the National Basketball League’s Next Stars program as a part of the Kings. Coming off a season where he won NBL1 East Young Player of the Year, Toohey became just the third Next Star in Sydney franchise history behind Makur Maker and Didi Louzada.


Toohey’s first year with the Kings was an adjustment. Admittedly, he didn’t want to “stir the pot too much by barking orders.” He wanted to make sure he was punctual, playing hard and being a good person first and foremost. On the court, he adapted quickly but tailed off and wound up coming off the bench. It was a rough NBL24 for the team overall on top of that.


Sydney made significant changes in the offseason, overhauling the roster and bringing in Boomers head coach Brian Goorjian in March 2024 to right the ship. Meanwhile, Toohey was tirelessly working on his craft with Jordan Lawley in Irvine, California. It paid off.


“There's a huge progression,” Cooks said. “Before I went to Japan [in 2023-24], I was working out with the Kings and I saw him then and he looked good. He was a little bit raw then, and then I saw him at the Boomers camp [this past offseason], and he was a star.


“When he showed up his first year in training camp and played, he kind of blew everyone away with his skill but how he is as a person and leader. But then, when he showed up this year, he put on like six kilos of muscle and he came back physically a different person,” Pongrass added. “You can put on that muscle, but it was kind of lower body – in his legs and in his frame. He kind of looks like a swimmer when he takes his shirt off, broad shoulders.”


When he returned from America, Toohey was a new man. Bulked up, more vocal and eager to apply his practices. 


He came out of the gate scoring 50 points on 15 of 29 from the field in two NBL Blitz games, increasing his shooting volume and getting to the free-throw line. Even with his selfless approach of putting his team above everything else, he is capable of big-time individual production on any given evening.


“I think it's that confidence now that I've played in the league, and you're familiar with teams more now, so you're understanding the systems,” Toohey said. “It's probably been a shift in my mentality. I think last year, I started the season pretty well and then plateaued and slowed down in that aspect. This year, it's been a big focus on the simple day-to-day stuff. 


“Obviously, the games are cool, but that's not gonna be the end-all, be-all. There's six days a week where I'm trying to get better, and hopefully, it's gonna show in the games. If it shows, it's great to get those results, but if it doesn't, you've just got to keep that same mentality of trying to get better.”


Developmentally, Toohey is still far from a finished product. He’s searching for better returns from his jumper, which he insists has been far more consistent this year form-wise.


However, the strides he has made should not be taken lightly. Regarding his shooting ability, he has steadily improved his three-point percentage by seven points (34.5%) and has found himself attacking more aggressively. 


On more than one occasion, we’ve seen a block or contest, a defensive rebound and a dunk on the same possession. 


“Do that every fuckin' time. Every fuckin' time,” Cooks said. “I think he's really sneakily bouncy and sometimes he likes to do those little soft finishes, but when he dunks that ball, I love it. But that just kinda shows his versatility, his ability to get the ball off the rebounds and push it, having guard skills. And the way the game's going these days, it's really positionless. It's one of his biggest strengths.”


“Even today, there's moments where he'll turn to me and I just go and bump by him,” Toohey said in response to Cooks’ plea. “I love that kind of confidence he has in me, I think this year is realizing that in NBL, I'm definitely an above-average athlete, so I can go by guys a little bit easier than last year. I think it can create a lot of advantage for our team if I'm trying to be aggressive. I think that ultimately helps me as well.”


Cooks thinks there’s another tier the second-year forward can get to with his physicality. Pongrass feels he’s been using it to his advantage, particularly as a driver.


“His first step is something he's been using better this year, but I think if you watch him on a fastbreak, his change of speed is quite unique,” Pongrass said. “Something I hadn't really seen last year and that's something he's been showing that he worked on this offseason. 


“His transition from full speed down to like a slow Eurostep and finish through contact at the rim is something I feel like he's utilized really well this year and playing a lot through contact this year. But I do think that's an area that he'll continue to grow and develop.”


Playing off two feet has been a point of emphasis for Toohey this season, adding a mid-post turnaround to his arsenal where he can shoot over the top. He’s had proper balance and can read the game from the middle of the floor in the half-court. 


“A lot of backdowns this year and realizing that if it's a 1-on-1 against a player I feel like if I take it down to the post, that's got typically a height advantage and size advantage down there in most matchups,” Toohey said. “So I think it's just patience from me now and making sure that I'm creating contact to get that separation. 


“I think Luka (Doncic) does a great job of it, being able to just bump players and they take one step wrong and then you've got an open floater or you can turn back to that fade. So I feel like that fadeaway is something I'm definitely working on and gotta stick with that. But also just being able to go and do a simple hook shot over someone smaller than me as well.”


Doncic is one of Toohey’s favorite players to study. Franz Wagner, nonetheless, may be a more logical blueprint for him. He notes that the Orlando Magic’s German star can create off-ball, screen and roll, which mirrors Toohey’s strengths.


“Basically anytime you're a big wing that can shoot, pass and rebound, there's a job for you somewhere,” Toohey said. “I think you'll see it with Giddey and Dyson, we grew up playing positionless basketball. Dyson's setting screens, Giddey will set screens. So I think that kind of quality of being versatile and being able to just play basketball and try to figure things out on the go.”


“He's not someone who is commanding of the ball all the time,” Pongrass added. “He's a really good complementary piece. But when he's the best player on the floor, then he's confident in himself. He'll start games where he takes the first four shots and then gets himself going, get others going. And then, he can sit idle and just defend for a half or a quarter and then he comes out on a scoring burst as well. I think he just does a lot of the intangibles really well.”


The Kings love Toohey’s defense. Hellbent on getting back to their principles from the past, Sydney signed Cooks to put next to him and Jaylen Adams. Rotational combinations and options have been a staple.


“You see a guy that can defend multiple positions,” Pongrass said of Toohey. “He complements Xavier's game really well. He can play the 4, he can play the 3. He can play an undersized or guard 5s. He can switch onto guards. He fit really Coach's defensive mold of the type of player that we wanted.”




Cooks holds Toohey to a higher standard than some of Sydney’s imports. He sees consistency during practices as a “dominant force,” commending him for keeping the Kings on their toes and locked in during the holiday lull. The next step is carrying that over to game settings night to night. They’ve seen him performing well and doing the little things. That’s a rarity for somebody as young as Toohey is.


“In my opinion, a lot of the Next Stars guys are raw but not ready to perform right now whereas Toohey, that's where he excels,” Cooks said. He's so much more developed than a lot of these Next Stars where he's ready to go right now and make a huge impact.”


“Coach spent a lot of time with him in the preseason and he was around a lot, so he got to see how he would fit,” Pongrass added. “It was never really a question of the role he'd play on the squad. It was always gonna be a pretty significant one.”


While it’s no secret that Toohey will be bound for the States in no time, that hasn’t clouded his attitude with the Kings whatsoever. He has gold in his sights.


“Obviously you can have your mindset of I'm just here to get to the NBA the quickest way possible or buy in to what we have here, and I feel like I've definitely bought in to what we've got,” Toohey said. 


“I think along with going to the NBA as a goal, having that goal of trying to win a championship, I think that definitely just gets the most out of me and definitely helps my teammates hold me accountable. No matter what, if I mess up, I'll get substituted. So I think just having that confidence that this is serious and it definitely means more to do this on a good team and a team in a professional league rather than maybe a one-off college team.”


With that said, he feels he’s been one of the more talented players in Australia. Maybe not the best for a while, but with his training, the notes and hours of studying, he kept at it. There were some frustrations when it didn’t come right away. He had to persevere. 


Once it did, everything fell into place. As soon as he got his feet wet in NBL1 a few years ago, Toohey knew he was holding his own against grown men and professional ballplayers. The moment he got over on them, the realization set in. He could play in The Association.


Cooks has been there and done that. In Spring 2023, he signed with the Wizards and suited up for their last 10 games, earning a start in the last NBA game he played in. Asked if Toohey’s up for that challenge, he’s certain.


“Both mentally and physically, actually,” Cooks said. “He's so focused on personal development every single day. He's not satisfied. And on the court, he's ready to play now, especially once he gets over to the NBA and the space is a little more open where he can play off counters. 


“In the NBL, it's a bit tough to play off spin moves 'cause they're always coming back to steal on the back end. He'll be great. I think he's the kinda guy where you're drafting him for instant impact as well.”


Similarly, Pongrass has been in an NBA front office with the Memphis Grizzlies. In five-and-a-half years, he went from being a legal associate to becoming the director of basketball operations. He’s plugged in at all levels. He’s seen players come and go. 


There is no doubt in his mind that Toohey will be the consummate NBA pro. 


“I think his decision to stay another year was smart. I think he will fit a team where he doesn't need to come in and be their best player,” Pongrass said. The way he's been utilized this year with us can replicate how he'd be utilized in an NBA system. If he's playing 20 minutes or 25 minutes or 15 minutes, he'll come in and do the things that they'll need and be a really good complementary to their best player. He'll defend multiple positions. He can make a catch-and-shoot play. He can attack the rim. But he just complements the best player on the floor really well, and that's where I think that hopefully front offices will gravitate to him.


“You know you're getting a solid player that will excel in the league for a long period because he can kinda be applied to each roster that they want to make up every year. He's not a specialist in one specific field. He's not just an elite shooter and nothing else. He's not an elite defender and nothing else. He's got a lot of different parts to his game that can be molded to different roster makeups over there. He'd just be a breath of fresh air for these coaches over there. A worker. He listens to coaches. He's smart. He's got a good basketball IQ.”


Participating at the Nike Hoop Summit two summers ago in Portland at the Moda Center, Toohey was around future NBA talent in an NBA atmosphere. On his team, there was No. 1 overall pick Zaccharrie Risacher and New Orleans Pelicans standout big man Yves Missi. On the other, there were seven current rookies, five of which were first-round picks.


He’d never played on an NBA floor before that. LeBron was watching as Toohey faced off against Bronny James.


An incredible experience that reinforced his faith that he’d someday touch that court again.


“You can't teach height and size,” Toohey said. “I feel like I can basically play every position on a team. I think no matter what team drafts me, I feel like I'm ready to play now. Not starting or whatever, I feel like I'm definitely ready to come into any team, and I feel like every team has a hole that I could fill with that aspect. I feel like my development so far has been so flexible. I feel like I'm so good at so many different areas, but maybe not great at one. 


“Understanding that when guys get to the NBA, if you're not a top-five pick, you're rarely gonna be that 1-A guy on a team. So it's that little stuff, the O-boards and being able to find the right path and that stuff which is really gonna help you stay on the court when you get there. I feel like if a team can harness that one skill of mine and really put some time into it, I feel like the sky's the limit honestly. You look at Franz and look at Luka and Giddey too and I feel like I'm maybe a little bit less athletic than Franz, but I feel like I'm more athletic than those other two and seeing them star in the league is pretty aspiring.


“Wait and see. Show some people up.”


 

Stay ahead of the game! Check out the Babcock Hoops 2025 NBA Draft Big Board to discover the top-ranked prospects and their potential draft positions.



 


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