For the first time in two decades the Bendigo Basketball Association has been crowned the best basketball organisation in Victoria. Basketball Victoria announced its 2022 award winners earlier this week and Bendigo's hard work on and off the court was rewarded. It was the first time since Bendigo last won the award in 2003 that a regional association earned the top honour. Only two regional associations have won the award in the past 34 years. After a testing period through the COVID pandemic, the BBA bounced back strongly in 2022. An all-time high of 493 teams competed in the 2022 summer domestic competition - up from 339 teams in 2021. The BBA's development programs also showed significant growth. An extra six sessions were added to the schedule to accommodate the influx of interest. The popular Aussie Hoops program and entry level program Biddy Ball attracted more than 800 athletes. The Bendigo Braves' junior program was highlighted by Country Championship Division One title success by the under-12 girls, under-14 boys and under-16 boys. READ MORE: Braves women chase 10th-straight win in NBL1 The program has gone from strength-to-strength with numbers growing to 28 teams, the highest in the association's history. The Bendigo Braves' senior program on-court performance was strong with both teams making finals. The BBA successfully hosted the 2022 under-16 and under-18 Division One and Two Championships. The Bendigo Junior Classic in January, 2022, hosted 268 teams while battling tight COVID restrictions that impacted staff, volunteers, referees and the participants. The success of 2022 led to a record number of teams (330) in 2023. Referees were a critical focus in 2022 after numbers were exceptionally low coming out of COVID. Through the work of the Bendigo Technical Officials Committee and referee advisor, Daniel Nancarrow, referee numbers grew from 52 to 130 in 2022. Outstanding contributors were recognised, with Daniel Nancarrow awarded the Basketball Victoria Country Referee Educator of year and Tayla Flint appointed to WNBL finals and FIBA matches. Arguably the highlight of 2022 for the BBA was Bendigo Junior Braves product Dyson Daniels being drafted by NBA club New Orleans Pelicans. Daniels performed well in his rookie NBA season and was recently named in the Boomers' training squad for this year's FIBA World Cup. Another former Bendigo Junior Braves representative, Matthew Dellavedova, was also named in the squad. Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: