YOUNG Illawarra Hawks sharpshooter Lachlan Dent delivered an outstanding offensive performance in his side’s opening round clash over the weekend.

The National Basketball League (NBL) hosts some seriously impressive up and coming local talent, with a few youngsters getting their professional start on Australian shores.

With the 2022/23 season kicking off over the weekend, fans got to catch a glimpse of some of the newest prospects to hit the NBL, with a few youngsters taking impressive strides forward.

There were a number of eye-catching performances, but one stood above the rest in terms of impact and promise. Dent may have played just 15 minutes of action against the Sydney Kings on Saturday night, but his impact exceeded that.

Remarkably, he did not miss a field goal, coming off the bench to hit the scoreboard in a big way. Finishing the match as Illawarra’s top scorer, Dent appears to have earnt himself more opportunities moving forward.

Lachlan Dent vs. Kings – 15 min, 19 points, 7/7 FG, 5/5 3PT

Dent checked into the game with four minutes remaining in the first term, and his side trailing by five points. Unfortunately, it was not an ideal start for the youngster, giving up a shooting foul in his first minute on the court. However, he pulled down a defensive board shortly after, and got going from there.

Dent worked hard off the ball to get free, before stepping behind the three-point line and draining the triple. A couple of plays later, he took advantage of some sloppy defence from Sydney, and fired off another three, which rattled around and rolled in to close out the first term.

The Hawks opted to use their starters in the second term, so Dent did not see the court unfortunately. However, he returned to the court midway through the third term, but made a couple of mistakes again. He gave up another foul before giving up the ball by trying to dish out to a teammate on the perimeter, but much like the first quarter, he only improved as the period went on. Dent went head to head with Derrick Walton Jr., but moved off the import later in the term and set up a three to Trent Croenraad.

After a solid game to this point, the fourth quarter was where Dent truly began to shine. He kicked off the term with a nice dish to Sam Froling, who drained the three. He chimed in for a triple of his own on the next play, showing composure on the fast break to give Illawarra the lead.

Dent used his quick-fire shooting action to nail yet another three a minute later, and it became evident that he was proving to be a problem for Sydney’s chances of success. The defence tried to close him out, but Dent still managed to get free for another three, before using his speed to cut inside for a lay-up just minutes later.

While the Kings overran the Hawks in the end, Dent’s performance was almost match-winning, and the youngster has shown some serious range in his first outing for the season.