THERE was plenty of anticipation surrounding the opening round of the National Basketball League (NBL)’s 2023/24 season for many reasons, including the debut of some seriously talented youngsters.

Through the NBL’s Next Stars program, some of the best prospects in the world have joined Australia’s premier basketball competition in a bid to further their chances of selection at the NBA Draft.

Eight Next Stars will be suiting up this season in an exciting development to the league on the global stage. The second round saw some match-winning moments from some of these prospects, as the next generation of elite basketball players continue to settle in to the NBL.

NBL Next Stars

Trentyn Flowers – Adelaide 36ers

Flowers continues to get limited minutes for the 36ers given he is still looking to develop his game at NBL level, but showed much better signs in the second of his two games. Against the Wildcats, he had 0 points on 0/5 shooting in just under six minutes of play, consistently backing his ability to find the bottom of the net in admirable fashion.

However, the NBA draft prospect improved his output in the second game of the weekend, proving a solid contributor against the Kings. Flowers had four points (2/3 FG), three rebounds and one assist in a far more efficient outing. If he can build on this showing, his minutes will likely improve as a result.

Ariel Hukporti – Melbourne United

The big man continues to be a premier paint presence despite being one of the youngest players in the competition. He leads the league in both rebounds (10.3) and blocks (3.0) per game and is seriously boosting his draft stock in the process.

He had his best offensive performance of the season in Melbourne’s loss to the JackJumpers on Sunday afternoon. The big man produced 15 points to be United’s best player overall to go with seven boards and win the battle against Tassie’s bigs.

AJ Johnson – Illawarra Hawks

Johnson got just 16 seconds of action to close out a quarter and did not get the opportunity to strut his stuff, but the court time signals that more minutes are not far away.

Bobi Klintman – Cairns Taipans

The Sweden native was probably the standout Next Star of the weekend with a pair of exciting performances. He has cemented a key role in Cairns’ lineup, with head coach Adam Forde placing plenty of trust in the young gun, and Klintman has repaid the faith, consistently getting better on a weekly basis.

In the win over the Phoenix to open the round, Klintman produced a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds, before backing it up a couple of days later with a whopping 19 points in the victory against Brisbane. If he continues to shine at this level, both the team and Klintman will benefit from his high level of play.

Mantas Rubstavicius – New Zealand Breakers

Was not given any court time by coach Mody Maor in New Zealand’s sole game over the weekend, but will be ready when given the opportunity.

Alexandre Sarr – Perth Wildcats

Sarr’s Round 2 performance will be best remembered by his clutch performance down the stretch, where he drove the Wildcats to victory against the 36ers on Friday night. With the game on the line, the French phenom was the man of the moment and stood up when his side needed it most.

Leading by just one point and in the midst of an offensive drought, Sarr knocked down back to back three pointers, getting Perth out to a match-winning lead in a cool, calm and collected period for the highly touted youngster. Finished the match with 16 points and six rebounds in another solid outing.

Alex Toohey – Sydney Kings

Toohey continues to churn along nicely, producing even more strong numbers over two games for the Kings this weekend. Against the JackJumpers, he excelled in his role as a starter, producing 14 points and nine rebounds on 5/12 shooting, looking extremely comfortable playing big minutes.

A couple of days later, he started once again for Sydney, and although he could manage just five points, played a big role in spacing the floor and getting his teammates open, and will be better for the experience.

Rocco Zikarsky – Brisbane Bullets

Although his court time is still fairly limited, his minutes improved in the second game after the ejection of Aron Baynes. The big man had four points, a rebound and a block in just under seven minutes of play, making his presence known in Brisbane’s tough loss. With the potential suspension of Baynes looming, he should get even more of an opportunity.