ONE OF Australia’s brightest young basketball prospects made his debut in the NBL1 over the weekend, with talented forward Roman Siulepa playing his first game in the South West Metro Pirates’ 18-point loss to the Logan Thunder.

The Pirates produced a powerful first quarter, jumping out to a double-digit lead thanks to some strong interior scoring. However, they found themselves overpowered by a rampant Logan side in the second half, eventually conceding a 95-77 defeat.

The 16-year-old rising star joined the NBL1 North Men’s competition over the past few months, and was given ample opportunity to display his talents in Round 1. Although his side could not get over the line, with the Thunder delivering a commanding opening round performance, Siulepa delivered plenty of promise.

Logan Thunder (95) def. South West Metro Pirates (77)

Roman Siulepa – 12 points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal

Despite suffering a disappointing loss at the hands of the home team, the Pirates will be encouraged by the showing of Siulepa.

At just 16 years of age, there is no doubt that he is still raw as a prospect. However, the versatile forward looked right at home at NBL1 level, and came off the bench to have quite an impact for South West Metro.

Siulepa checked into the game halfway through the first quarter, making an impact in his first minute of court time. He pulled down a defensive board, and nailed his first field goal attempt with a driving layup.

He continued to have an impact in the first quarter, recording six points in his first five minutes of court time, while also finding his teammates with clever dish-off passes, as Siulepa played a big role in the Pirates’ hot start to the game.

Although his team was surpassed by a superior effort from the opposition, the rising youngster was consistent in his impact across all four quarters. Continuing to attack the paint and use his size, Siulepa fought until the final buzzer, and made the most of his 20 minutes on the court.

He finished the match shooting 5/10 from the field, finding the most success when scoring inside the paint. Although he tried to stretch the floor, the forward missed all four of his attempts from behind the arc.

At six-foot-five, Siulepa offers a nice amount of height, but the transition into the NBL1 against fully developed athlete had skepticism surrounding it. However, he showed no struggles converting his game, and should continue to hone his craft for the Pirates.