AFTER biding his time off the bench over the first month of the season, National Basketball League (NBL) Next Star Noa Kouakou-Heugue was able to show off his craft as his Perth Wildcats delivered a thumping win over the Cairns Taipans.

Kouakou-Heugue joined the Wildcats over the offseason, following in the footsteps of fellow French NBA Draft prospect Alexandre Sarr, and is renowned for his versatility in the frontcourt and his ability to play a variety of roles based on what lineup is on the floor.

Over the first few weeks, he was not given any minutes with the Wildcats flying on the back of some strong play from some of their more experienced campaigners. However, last night’s contest against the Taipans at Cairns Convention Centre in the Ignite Cup was a chance for the youngster to show his skills, injected early into the game.

The Wildcats were flowing offensively from the first quarter, dropping 30 points in the first 10 minutes to silence the crowd and look much improved on their previous two losses. Another 30 points in the second frame showed that it was no fluke, and the Taipans defence allowed too many good looks for Perth and the visitors ended up having the result sealed by half time and cruising home to a 32-point victory.

Despite not having much playing time in the early stages of the season, Kouakou-Heugue was able to play significant minutes against the Taipans, and showed exactly what he can bring to the court with a rock solid performance in the massive win.

Cairns Taipans (78) def. by Perth Wildcats (110)

Noa Kouakou-Heugue – eight points, four rebounds

In 16 minutes of court time, Kouakou-Heugue was able to show that he is deserving of playing time in the coming months, slotting into the rotation nicely in the absence of the injured Dylan Windler and stepping up to make his mark in the frontcourt.

He was brought into the game midway through the first quarter with star big man Jo Lual-Acuil taken to the bench for a rest after a hot start. The Next Star pulled down a strong defensive board and made his physical presence known in the paint with some strong body work on the Taipans’ big men. Although it was only a two minute stint, his willingness to play whatever role the team needed was a massive positive.

Kouakou-Heugue was again brought back into the match for Lual-Acuil in the second quarter, and showed excellent timing on his leaping with a nice offensive rebound to generate another possession for the Wildcats and keep the visitors in control. He dished the ball to a teammate in Kristian Doolittle who drew contact and generated some points at the free throw line.

The Next Star had a milestone moment when he scored his first points in the NBL, throwing down a strong dunk to nail his maiden basket in an excellent display of his size and athleticism in the paint. It drew a strong reaction from his teammates and gave the youngster some confidence on the eve of half time.

Kouakou-Heugue returned to the court in the third quarter, and built on his strong finish to the first half, particularly on the scoring front. Not afraid to use his body to back down his opponent, the forward nailed a turnaround jumpshot over the opposition and was growing in confidence by the minute on the offensive end.

He attempted a layup in the paint a couple of minutes later, and although he missed, it was his follow up work that impressed the most. Kouakou-Heugue followed up his miss with a well-timed tip-in to show his hustle and workrate despite the missed shot, and even drew contact on the putback, and although he could not convert at the charity stripe, it was still a highlight play.

After a short break to start the fourth quarter, he was brought back into the fold with seven minutes on the clock, and was still looking to find good shots for himself around the basket. A nice hook shot over his shoulder displayed Kouakou-Heugue’s nice touch around the rim, and he was becoming a viable offensive option for the Wildcats in a breakout performance.

The youngster was becoming a problem for the defence, and they were forced to foul him a couple of minutes later as he got himself into scoring position once again, although his free throw troubles continued, showing an area of his game that will need some work in the coming months.

He finished the match with eight points on 4/6 shooting from the field to go with his four boards, and was an astounding plus-22 when on the court. Kouakou-Heugue certainly made his mark in the frontcourt and has undoubtedly earned more playing time in the coming weeks after showing that he belongs on the court.