Collings has been selected as part of the Team Oz team that will tour the USA in July.

While he did not take part in this year’s trials, and was looking at going on the tour next year, the 19-year-old still managed to impress coach Warren Rosen.

Collings, who currently studies at the Australian College of Physical Education in Sydney, is friends with someone who worked with Team Oz last year.

His friend recommended Collings to Rosen and after submitting a 10 minute highlights package to the coach, Austin found himself preparing to head over to the United States.

The team will fly out on July 16 and will play several matches over the two-week tour in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The Team Oz sides will be playing in certified AAU tournaments.

Collings said he expected to be in the division two team, but was still excited about the prospect of playing front of college scouts.

“Ideally if the opportunity arose at a college offer [I’d love that] but if not just the experience. I’ll try and build as a player and a person and go from there,” he said.

“Any exposure is [still] exposure.” The team will go into a training camp on July 8 before the start of the tour.

“Depending what the coach sees, if I do well at the camp I might get moved up [a division].”

Currently playing in Wollongong, Collings said the level of competition down there was good preparation before the tour. “Wollongong’s a lot more intense. You take a lot more away from a Wollongong game. The skill level there is very different.”

Some of the teams he faces have former NBL players, state league players and youth league players.

A versatile player, who said he can play anywhere on the court but centre, Collings is excited about the opportunity to work on his game at another level and see where he can take his game in the future.

“Maybe if I just put in a bit of extra work than everyone else, push a little harder than everyone else, we’ll see how things go.

“It was a big plus for me that someone thought I could fit in [the team] and for the coach to watch the tape and say that was very good, that was a big confidence booster.”

He first become involved in the sport at the age of 11 and has loved it ever since.

“I’m sure I wouldn’t have the love I do for it without the people that bought me into it.”  Current Moss Vale Magic youth league player and good friend of Collings, Zac Ottosson, went on the Team Oz tour in 2017.