ALTHOUGH it was a reasonably quiet weekend on the production front from the National Basketball League (NBL) Next Stars in Round 2, there were still some positive signs from the next generation of superstars.

With just five Next Stars suiting up for the 2024/25 season, there will be plenty of attention on each and every player within the program over the coming months, and how they perform on a weekly basis.

Despite not all players being draft eligible this year, all five participants will be looking to use every match to boost their output and continue their quest to make the NBA.

Rookie Me Central will be posting weekly updates on how all five Next Stars perform week in week out, and how their performances are affecting their draft stock.

NBL Next Stars

Karim Lopez – New Zealand Breakers

It was another quiet weekend for Lopez on the production, but again he showed glimpses of the skillset he possesses, and if he can put it all together for a breakout performance, it will catch the attention of scouts around the world, although he does have more time in hand as he is not draft eligible until next year. He did chime in for three points (1/2 FG), three rebounds, two steals and an athletic block during his 10 minutes of court time, and the blueprint for his game is certainly there, he just needs more opportunity to prove it.

Rocco Zikarsky – Brisbane Bullets

The Bullets are yet to win again and much of the conversation is surrounding whether the team is playing Zikarsky the right way. The big man had plenty of minutes in the preseason, but his court time has dropped down since the home and away fixture kicked off. He had just 11 minutes of court time in the loss to the Hawks, but still looks a serious weapon whenever he is on the court. Zikarsky posted 10 points on 3/5 shooting from the field, and looked a threat throughout his entire 11 minutes of action, the Bullets just need to take full advantage of his services.

Alex Toohey – Sydney Kings

Once again, Toohey was the standout amongst the Next Stars in the second week of action, and is putting together a strong campaign with the Kings. Although he was quiet in the win over the Wildcats with just four points, he bounced back in strong fashion against the Hawks and kept Sydney in the match. He scored seven of the team’s 15 points in the first quarter, and finished the match with 16 along with six rebounds and four assists in another balanced showing from one of Australia’s premier prospects.

>> ALEX TOOHEY PLAYER FOCUS <<

Malique Lewis – SEM Phoenix

It was a mixed bag for Lewis across the Phoenix’s two games, but overall he looked a solid contributor for South East Melbourne, despite the team accruing two losses. Lewis went scoreless in the loss to United in the Throwdown, with three rebounds and one assist his only stats for the evening. However, he lifted on Sunday to deliver a solid performance against the Breakers. In 13 minutes of action, he made three shots on five attempts to finish with seven points along with three rebounds and show more confidence in his scoring ability. If he can continue to pull the trigger with ball in hand, he should only impress further.

Izan Almansa – Perth Wildcats

The Wildcats got the job done against the Kings in a thriller, but it was far from Almansa’s best night. He could not register a score in his 13 minutes of court time, and looked out of place at times on the offensive end. However, he still rotated well defensively to affect some shot attempts, and will only get better for the experience.