20 February 2026
Former Caralee Community School student Luke Paul has made Australian basketball history, becoming the youngest player to sign with the National Basketball League’s (NBL) Next Stars program.
Luke shined during his time at Caralee Community School.
At just 16 years, 10 months and 29 days old, Luke secured a multi-year contract through the elite development pathway, which is designed to prepare emerging talent for professional careers, including in the NBA.
Some former notable graduates of the NBL’s Next Stars program include LeMelo Ball (from the Illawarra Hawks to the Charlotte Hornets), Josh Giddey (Adelaide 36ers to Chicago Bulls), Alex Sarr (Perth Wildcats to Washington Wizards) and Ousmane Dieng (New Zealand Breakers to Oklahoma City Thunder).
Luke, a 198cm point guard, has already built an impressive basketball resumé, including standout performances in the NBL1 West, with the Willetton Tigers, the Perth Wildcats Academy and at the 2025 FIBA Under-16 Asia Cup, where he helped Australia claim a gold medal.
He was also crowned MVP of that FIBA tournament and earned All-Star Five honours.
Following his time at Caralee Community School, Luke continued his education at Willetton Senior High School, where he was part of the school’s Specialist Basketball Program. The program supported Luke to balance his academic studies with high-performance training as he continued to progress through elite development pathways.
As he prepares for an upcoming move to the Australian Institute of Sport’s Centre of Excellence, Luke reflected on the support he received during his time at Caralee, including from student support officer Samuel Atkins.
“Sam was more than just a sport teacher to me; he was a teacher I could talk to if I had problems or just needed to have a chat to someone,” Luke said.
Luke says he "wouldn't know what he would have done" without student support officer Samuel Atkins.
“He opened my creativity and helped me grow as a leader and an even better person at Caralee.”
Speaking about Luke’s sporting success, Samuel said he felt like “a proud dad” seeing how well he is doing.
Caralee Deputy Principal, Janine Wain, said Luke’s achievement reflected not only sporting excellence, but the importance of balancing education with elite ambition.
“Luke was one of those students who stood out not just because of his sporting talent, but because of his work ethic,” she said.
“He always gave 100 per cent in everything he did.
“When our students see someone who once sat in the same classrooms, had the same teachers, played on the same oval and wore the same uniform go on to achieve amazing things, it shows them that anything is possible and that big dreams can start right here at Caralee.”
Paul will join an illustrious list of former WA public education students who have pursued a career in the NBL and beyond, including:
- Ben Henshall (Willetton Senior High School, Perth Wildcats)
- Daniel Grida (Atwell Primary School, Illawarra Hawks)
- Duop Reath (Girrawheen Senior High School, Illawarra Hawks)
- Luke Travers (Willetton Senior High School, Melbourne United)
- Sunday Dech (Churchlands Senior High School, Perth Wildcats)