ALTHOUGH it was an almighty team effort that got the Willetton Tigers over the line against the Eastern Suns on ANZAC Day, rising young forward Josh Ibukunoluwa was one of the biggest positives in a huge win in the National Basketball League (NBL)1 West Men’s.
Having competed at U20 level for Western Australia in the past, Ibukunoluwa looks set to take the next step in his basketball journey. At 19 years of age, he has plenty of untapped potential, and looms as a damaging forward in the future.
Ibukunoluwa’s Tigers hit the road to take on the Suns to kick off Round 5 of the 2024 season. It was a competitive first quarter, with proceedings tied at 22 apiece. However, Willetton completely dominated the second and third quarters, outscoring the Suns 56-27 to put the game to bed by the final change, cruising home to a 26-point triumph.
Although he was far from the most experienced player on the court, Ibukunoluwa took home the ANZAC Medal for best-on-court and impressed in a big way.
Eastern Suns (76) def. by Willetton Tigers (102)
Josh Ibukunoluwa – 14 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, one steal, two blocks
It was a breakout performance of sorts for Willetton’s young forward, who posted a double-double off the bench to catch the eye in a big way.
Although it may not seem grand compared to the big individual performances we have seen in the last couple of weeks in the NBL1 around Australia, Ibukunoluwa’s 14 points was an equal team-high figure, showing just how balanced the Tigers were in their big win.
Coming off the bench, he was given 28 minutes of court time given how much he was impressing when on the floor, and Willetton was winning by enough to rest its starters and get some valuable game time into the young forward.
From the field, he shot 6/9, with five of those makes coming from inside the arc, getting good position under the post and finishing at the rim. However, he did showcase his range with one three-pointer on two attempts, putting forward his case as a stretch forward.
Ibukunoluwa also made it a double-double, with 10 rebounds for the game, boxing out the opposition bigs and taking advantage of some poor shooting from the opposition.
The 19-year-old forward showed that he belongs at NBL1 level, and with plenty of improvement ahead, could become one of the best young forwards in the country.
NBL1 Scorching Scorers – May 7
ALL National Basketball League (NBL)1 competitions were firing over the weekend, with some big numbers and entertaining games taking place around Australia. With all five states producing some of the best basketball in years throughout the 2024 season, there was plenty to take in, whether it was overtime encounters, huge individual outings, or dominant team […]
NBL1 West Players of the Week – Round 6
WAY out west, there was still plenty of exciting action taking place in the National Basketball League (NBL)1 West throughout the weekend, and some massive individual performances occurred in that time. Round 6 of the 2024 season took place throughout the course of Friday and Saturday, and there were several contests that were decided in […]
Dopud damaging as Hawks fall to Hornets
THE Illawarra Hawks may not have been able to get the desired result in their clash against the Hills Hornets in their Round 5 clash in the National Basketball League (NBL)1 East Men’s, but Philip Dopud was a shining light. The Hawks have found the going tough throughout the 2024 season, but came up against […]
NBL1 South Players of the Week – Round 5
ANOTHER weekend has passed, and another round of the National Basketball League (NBL)1 South competition has wrapped as well, after another exciting crop of games. Although taking place over the span of a whopping five days, there was no slowing down for Victoria and Tasmania’s premier basketball competition, with some of the biggest names firing […]
Vasiljevic vital in mid-week clash
TYPICALLY in the National Basketball League (NBL)1 South Men’s competition, the action takes place over the weekend. However, a Tuesday night clash between the Waverley Falcons and Dandenong Rangers saw Dejan Vasiljevic produce a match-winning performance. Round 5 of the 2024 season started earlier than usual, with the Falcons and the Rangers locking horns at […]
NBL1 North Players of the Week – Round 3
ALTHOUGH the 2024 season started slightly later than other states, the National Basketball League (NBL)1 North competition is still delivering plenty of entertaining action. Over the weekend, Round 3 took place around Queensland and the Northern Territory, and several matches went down to the wire. There were multiple clashes that were separated by a few […]
NBL1 Central Players of the Week – Round 6
THERE was plenty of action to unpack in Round 6 of the National Basketball League (NBL)1 Central competition last weekend, including some outstanding performances from an individual standpoint. ANZAC Round always brings out special showings from the biggest names, and 2024 was no exception, with several eye-catching statlines across the span of Thursday to Saturday. […]
Ferocious Forster leads Senators past Redbacks
AS the Warwick Senators cruised past the Perth Redbacks in Round 5 of the National Basketball League (NBL)1 West Women’s over the weekend, it was Chloe Forster that was the standout performance of the match. The Senators had started the 2024 season in cracking fashion winning three of their last four, but they did suffer […]
O’Donnell enormous for Centre of Excellence
IN a team that is chock full of young talent, James O’Donnell stood out for the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence (BA CoE) with a huge double-double in the loss to the Central Coast Crusaders on the weekend. In Round 5 of the National Basketball League (NBL)1 East Men’s, the CoE faced off against the […]
