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. Although there were mixed results, there were still plenty of talented prospects getting significant minutes for their respective sides.

NBL Next Stars

Trentyn Flowers – Adelaide 36ers

It was a mixed level of preparation for Flowers entering the season, with the 36ers having abandoned their experiment of playing the youngster at the point guard position, instead returning him to the wings where he had thrived in the past.

During his first two games, Flowers did not put up the biggest numbers by any means, but still showed some promising signs during his limited court time. His movements off the ball particularly impressed, timing his cuts to perfection while also leaving space for his teammates to work with. There is certainly enough encouraging signs moving forward.

Ariel Hukporti – Melbourne United

The second-year big man was one of the standouts of the crop during Round 1, looking right at home as a member of United’s starting lineup. He was always going to have increased opportunity with Jo Lual Acuil missing the start of the fixture, and was terrific in the opening week.

Hukporti pulled down a whopping 24 rebounds over his two games, and was an anchor for Melbourne in the paint. He used his tall frame to protect the paint and set some solid picks for his guards down the other end as well. The big man justified his placing in the starting lineup and likely boosted his draft stock too.

AJ Johnson – Illawarra Hawks

Did not hit the court during Illawarra’s loss to the Kings, but should hopefully see increased opportunity tin the coming weeks.

Bobi Klintman – Cairns Taipans

Despite earning a starting spot in the Blitz thanks to some excellent performances, Klintman was moved back to the bench in his side’s season opener in favour of some experience. However, he still got solid minutes and made sure to make an impact when on the court.

Klintman finished with eight points on 3/7 shooting from the field, doing his best work inside the arc. He also added five rebounds (all on the defensive end) and remained active on the defensive end with a pair of steals. However, he will need to tidy up his care of the ball (four turnovers) and his long-range shooting (1/4), but still showed that he belongs at this level or higher.

Mantas Rubstavicius – New Zealand Breakers

Was absent from New Zealand’s win over the Taipans, but should still be able to make an impact when on the court given his deadly shooting.

Alexandre Sarr – Perth Wildcats

Arguably the most hyped prospect of the entire Next Star class, Sarr was given ample opportunity in his side’s two matches over the round, and certainly did not waste the opportunity with a pair of solid performances.

He kicked things off with nine points in the win over Tasmania, shooting 4/4 from the field and took smart, high-percentage shots that kept his side’s offence rolling. A couple of days later, Sarr was again a solid presence for the Wildcats, contributing 11 points on 5/7 shooting. He was also involved in a scuffle with the Phoenix’s Tyler Cook, who threw down a thunderous slam over the young forward. However, Sarr did not back down, continuing to protect the paint and showing impressive resolve despite the added attention.

Alex Toohey – Sydney Kings

Toohey started for the Kings, and although he was not expected to play a huge role in terms of putting up shots, was still given a big task in helping out some of the team’s key players and stars.

In 22 minutes of play, Toohey registered eight points on 4/10 shooting, and although he could not knock down any of his three-point attempts, his ability to stretch the floor made him a constant threat for Sydney when the defence collapsed on his teammates. He tried hard all match and his workrate ensured his fingerprints were all over the win for the Kings.

Rocco Zikarsky – Brisbane Bullets

The highly touted big man was barely given any court time in Brisbane’s win over the 36ers on Friday night, but was injected into the game in junk time and gave the fans at Nissan Arena a show.

In just 28 seconds of action, Zikarsky had a putback dunk, a pair of rebounds and a massive block after a 36ers player tried to dunk it on the tallest player of the competition. He showed that if given the opportunity, he can be a real factor for Brisbane during the season.