DANTE Exum has become accustomed to delivering under pressure and dealing with the burden of expectation.

The 18-year-old basketball sensation finishes his Year 12 exams on Friday.

While most students will be left to consider their career plans, Exum's future on the sporting stage appears all-but secured.

The only question remaining for the 198cm former Keilor Thunder junior is whether to let his body develop and enter the US College system or jump straight into the big time in the NBA.

Exum is ranked at No. 3 in the 2014 NBA mock draft, according to American basketball website Draftexpress.

On Thursday night, he received yet another accolade when he was crowned AIS Junior Athlete of the Year at the Australian Sports Commission Awards.

"It was a surprise. Some of the others who were nominated for it were really good candidates. I didn't go there expecting to win, but it was a good surprise to get it," Exum told the Leader.

The son of former NBA and NBL player Cecil, Exum is based at the AIS headquarters in Canberra but returns to his parents' Seabrook home at least once every two months.

Exum, who was invited to an Australian Boomers camp when he was just 15, has produced another eye-catching year.

He spearheaded the Australian Emus' charge to the semi-finals of the FIBA under-19 World Championships in the Czech Republic, where he averaged 18.2 points, 3.8 assists and 1.7 steals during the tournament and earned selection in the All-Star 5 team.

Exum said the fourth-placed finish was a "good result considering we lost a few players".

There was also a stellar display at the Nike Hoops Summit in Portland in the US in April, where he turned heads in the ESPN-televised event.

In August, the prodigy made his senior national debut against New Zealand in the FIBA Oceania Championships, spending six minutes on court in the 76-63 victory, where he was not overwhelmed playing against men.

"You practice for those situations," Exum said.

"Being with some of the older guys and learning how to be a professional basketball player was good.

"I'm just trying to improve my shooting.

"That's one thing from last year to this year that's improved in my game, and I'm going to continue to keep working on that, so hopefully it gets as good as it can be."

For now, Exum's focus is fixed on his schoolwork and the attention is no longer a distraction.

"I've managed to just close it out and kind of buckle down and focus on it," he said.

"I've definitely got used to it (attention).

"At the start it was a bit overwhelming, but now you just kind of get used to it and just go with it."

But he still finds time to keep up with the happenings in the NBA and fixes an eye on big-name Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose.

"It's been one of my dreams for a while. I always look at results and try to put myself in that situation in a way," Exum said.

"I've just liked him (Rose) ever since he came into the league."