THE National Basketball League (NBL) has commenced its third round for the 2023/24 season, and there are plenty of players to keep an eye on in this batch of games.

The round kicked off last night, when the Tasmania JackJumpers produced a significant win over the Illawarra Hawks to remain the form team of the competition.

With the fixture in full swing after two weeks of play, there are big names making an impact at NBL level on a weekly basis. With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be taking a look at three players to monitor in their matches over the next few games.

Alexandre Sarr – Perth Wildcats

Sarr delivered a great pair of big moments to break onto the scene in the NBL last weekend, and looks right at home in Australia’s premier basketball competition. The Next Star stepped up to help the Wildcats to victory in a danger game last Friday night.

With the match on the line and Adelaide holding all of the momentum, Sarr knocked down a three-pointer to build his side’s lead up to four points and give Perth some breathing space. He slammed the door shut with another triple the following possession to finish the match with 16 points, and is now one of John Rillie‘s most productive bench contributors. Coming into Perth’s upcoming games against two powerhouse sides in the competition, Sarr will need to be involved if the team is going to get over the line.

Rocco Zikarsky – Brisbane Bullets

The Bullets have suffered a massive blow as they look to continue their 2-1 start to the season. Following a physical altercation that spilled into the tunnel at halftime, star big man Aron Baynes will miss five games through suspension, leaving quite a large gap (both literally and metaphorically) in the team’s lineup.

Banyes’ absence does open the door for Justin Schueller to give more minutes to rising prospect Zikarsky, who is one of the most high-profile players in the NBL. Standing seven-foot-four at 17 years of age, there is already plenty of hype around the talented youngster, but he is behind Baynes and Tyrell Harrison in the pecking order. However, he should see more court time this weekend.

Mitch Creek – SEM Phoenix

The final player on our list is a familiar name in Australian basketball, and has a massive role to play for his side this weekend. The Phoenix face the JackJumpers, and are staring down the barrel of a 1-4 start to the season, and although they have John Cain Arena on their side, will need to bring their best if they are to down the form team of the competition.

To add insult to injury, in-form forward Tyler Cook will miss the game, as will the player he is replacing, Alan Williams. This is a huge blow to South East Melbourne’s frontcourt stocks and also takes away a significant portion of the team’s scoring power. If the Phoenix are to cause an upset to revive the start of their season, Creek will need to produce a massive performance.