ROUND 16 of the National Basketball League (NBL)’s 2023/24 season has already delivered some enthralling contests, and that trend is set to continue over the weekend.

The round kicked off on Wednesday night, with the Adelaide 36ers handing the SEM Phoenix a 25-point loss at State Basketball Centre. The 36ers continued their form of knocking off sides above them on the ladder, while the Phoenix resumed their slide down the standings having lost five in a row.

It all continued at WIN Entertainment Centre on Thursday night, with Cairns Taipans forward Lat Mayen knocking down the buzzer-beating triple to sink the Illawarra Hawks by two points in one of the most entertaining games of the season.

The action is set to roll on through the weekend, with six more games slated from Friday night to Sunday afternoon.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will continue its weekly series of highlighting some key players worth keeping an eye on this weekend.

Ariel Hukporti – Melbourne United

The second-year Next Star will be taking the starting role once again, with Jo Lual-Acuil missing his second consecutive week through injury. Last round, Hukporti posted 12 points in the win over the Breakers, and was one of his side’s most prolific scorers, and United will be hoping for a similar output once again.

The ladder-leaders come up against the JackJumpers in the first game on Friday night, and it could prove the perfect opportunity for Hukporti to get back to his early-season form. Over the first block of games for the 2023/24 season, Lual-Acuil missed with a wrist injury, and the team’s young gun was much more productive. Against a Tasmania side that struggles against opposition bigs, Hukporti could go big here.

Sam McDaniel – Brisbane Bullets

With much of the attention focussed on some of his teammates, McDaniel has flown under the radar for the Bullets throughout the season. Moving from the JackJumpers last year, the forward has been chugging along quite nicely, taking on some of the toughest defensive assignments in the NBL. Last week, he kept Milton Doyle quiet for most of the game and has won their battles for the most part since heading north.

On Friday night, Brisbane faces the toughest task in the competition; containing Bryce Cotton. The two sides will clash at RAC Arena in a big match for both sides in terms of the standings. If the Bullets are any chance of upsetting the Wildcats, it starts and ends at keeping Cotton quiet, and the man for the job is likely McDaniel.

Isaac Humphries – Adelaide 36ers

Humphries in some sort of form lately, having recorded 20+ points in three consecutive games and having his way inside the paint. After moving from United last season, Humphries delivered inconsistent form to start his time in South Australia, but has since found his feet and now looks like one of the most dangerous big men in the competition.

Against the Phoenix on Wednesday night, Humphries poured in 25 points and now looks like one of the premier paint scorers in the NBL. Once known largely for his defence, he has added a powerful inside scoring game to his arsenal, and has played a big part in Adelaide’s recent resurgence. He is a big part of the team’s offensive structure, and will be integral in their hopes to defeat the Hawks in Illawarra on Saturday night.