Liam Badkin
Lebanon launches in second half to take down NZ
NIGHT ONE of the FIBA Men’s Asian Qualifiers saw Lebanon storm home in the final two quarters in its match against New Zealand in Beirut early on Friday morning. The first batch of matches kicked off in the early hours of November 11, and it looked extremely likely that the Tall Blacks were going to […]
Kayla proves a Thorn(ton) in Boomers’ side
THE WNBL’s biggest rivalry resumed hostilities on Wednesday night, with the Kayla Thornton-led Southside Flyers downing the Melbourne Boomers 67-57 for their second win of the 2022/23 season. Thornton was terrific, producing a double-double and was the best player on a winning side. She overcame some inaccuracy to produce tough buckets inside the paint and […]
PODCAST | Got Next Episode 5
After a week-long hiatus, the Got Next Podcast is back to unpack another week of Australian basketball. Not only did the NBL provide plenty more entertainment, but the WNBL returned as well, so there was plenty for Host Michael Alvaro and Analyst Liam Badkin to touch on, as things start to roll into the most […]
NBL Import Watch – Round 6
THE NATIONAL Basketball League (NBL) is home to a number of talents both domestic and international, with players from all over the world heading down under to play in one of the strongest competitions in the world. Each year, NBL teams are allowed three imports on their roster as they look to help nurture some […]
Borlase bursts out of the gates with dominant debut
ONE of the biggest positives in an exciting opening round of the WNBL for season 2022/23 was the debut of 18-year-old Isobel Borlase for the Adelaide Lightning. While her side fell by eight points to the Flyers in their opening clash, largely due to some blistering three-point shooting from Southside, Borlase was a standout in […]
Okwera owns opportunity as a starter
WITH Melbourne United in the midst of a big man shortage, youngster David Okwera has been taking his chances for increased minutes and rewarded the team with a strong performance on the weekend. When United took down the Phoenix with an emphatic 110-85 win, Okwera was one of the team’s better performers. After Ariel Hukporti […]
WNBL Player Stats – Round 1: Townsville starts with a bang
THE Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) has returned for another season, with the competition set for its closest season ever. With a strong mix of local talent and imports, there are a lot of individuals to keep an eye on over the course of the season, as the league continues to grow in quality and […]
Griffin goes large in opening win
THE Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) season kicked off on the weekend, with the nation’s finest female basketballers back in action, and some big individual performances came out of Round 1. One of the most eye-catching showings came from Bendigo Spirit star Kelsey Griffin, who produced a massive double-double in her side’s thumping win over […]
Classic Goulding gears United to win
IT may have been a grind in the first half, but Melbourne United managed to produce a strong win over the SEM Phoenix at John Cain Arena on Sunday afternoon, largely thanks to a vintage Chris Goulding performance. It was a high-scoring first half, with 60 combined points in the opening quarter proving to be […]
NBL Matchup to Watch – Bryce Cotton vs. Craig Randall II
THE SIXTH round of the 2022/23 NBL season is underway, with some big matchups on the cards over the course of the weekend. While there are many clashes to watch from a team perspective, there is arguably an individual matchup that is set to be the most entertaining part of the round. Two of the […]
NBL Ones to Watch – Round 6
THE National Basketball League (NBL) boasts some of the world’s premier talents, with a number of players catching the eye on a weekly basis. Each round holds unique and engaging storylines, not only from a team perspective, but an individual one too. In this new series, Rookie Me Central will highlight a few players to […]
Sotto shines in limited minutes
DESPITE the Adelaide 36ers suffering a brutal loss at the hands of the New Zealand Breakers in Round 5 of the National Basketball League (NBL), there was still one shining light in the form of young gun Kai Sotto’s performance. A big man with enormous potential and a massive following from his home country of […]