WITH THE fourth round of action in the 2024/25 National Basketball League (NBL) season now complete, the next generation of players are truly embedded in their respective teams.

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.

Next Star Watch

Karim Lopez – New Zealand Breakers

Lopez did not suit up for the Breakers this week, as the team had the round off following some NBA preseason games in recent weeks.

Rocco Zikarsky – Brisbane Bullets

Although he has enjoyed a strong campaign to date, Round 4 was not Zikarsky’s finest hour, producing a quiet performance in the win over the Phoenix. The result was strong for the team, but Zikarsky managed just two points and six rebounds, although his presence on the offensive glass was noticeable, with three rebounds coming after a Brisbane miss. Fellow big man Tyrell Harrison was dominant with a huge showing in that contest, which may not bode well for Zikarsky’s hunt for minutes.

Alex Toohey – Sydney Kings

The forward was once again the standout amongst the Next Stars over the weekend, proving a strong contributor for the Kings in their second outing of the weekend. Like his team, Toohey was off his game on Friday night as Sydney fell to Adelaide in a disappointing performance, but the Next Star bounced back against the Taipans on Sunday and helped inspire a much-needed win for the Kings. He posted 15 points, six rebounds and three assists in a standout showing, that demonstrated that Friday’s quiet performance was the exception rather than the rule.

>>ALEX TOOHEY PLAYER FOCUS<<

Malique Lewis – SEM Phoenix

In a massive step in his basketball journey, Lewis was given the start for the first time as a member of the South East Melbourne Phoenix, being rewarded for some solid form of late. He slotted into the starting lineup seamlessly, posting eight points on an accurate 3/5 shooting from the field to go along with four rebounds. If the Phoenix opt to stick with him in the starting lineup, a breakout performance is certainly on the cards for the young forward.

Izan Almansa – Perth Wildcats

The Wildcats had just the one game over the weekend, conjuring an impressive road win over the Taipans on Thursday night. Almansa played a small but crucial role in the result, and was even trusted to close out the game when the match was in the balance late in the fourth quarter. He finished the game with six points and five rebounds from his 14 minutes, and was trusted in some big moments by the Wildcats coaching staff.