It’s been a meteoric rise for the Crazy John’s South Dragons star and new Boomers recruit, who’s still to register his own move up the ranks of Australian ball.

A whirlwind start to the year has already seen Ingles contest the NBL playoffs, take out national Rookie of the Year honours and travel first to China, and now Europe, with the national team.

It’s been a huge year by anyone’s standards and while he can’t quite believe it, Ingles is loving the ride.

“It still hasn’t quite sunk in,” the 19-year-old said.

“Being named in the main Boomers squad just after the NBL season was pretty amazing, just to be selected with the other guys in that squad.

“To make the tour to Europe is a great experience, the 14 guys in the squad are all great guys and good players and it’s exciting just to be a part of it.”

Although he’s a rookie on the national team, Ingles knows that now, more than ever, expectations are high. But he’s not about to let the pressure of the world stage get in his way.

“Obviously I’m still young and coming away with this team, it’s a pretty senior squad with a few guys that have played games for Australia before,” Ingles said.

“People are going to expect more from me now, but I don’t feel any pressure and I don’t think I need to feel any pressure.”

Ingles and the Boomers have enjoyed a stellar start to their European campaign, defeating Austria 93-84 on Monday night before downing Turkey 69-54 in game one of the Diego Gianatti International event in Bormio, Italy.

To have achieved so much at such a young age there seems little left to prove, but for Ingles, this is just the beginning.

“I hope now I can stay in the national squad for years to come and be a player who can help Australia get into the Olympics and win a medal,” he said.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to stick around for a few more years with the Boomers and achieve bigger and better things outside of the Australian squad on a personal level; it’s all up from here, I hope.”

With, of course, an NBL Championship along the way.

Ingles and the Boomers went down to Serbia 71-66 overnight in game two of the Diego Gianatti International event.