Australia's next local Next Star?

Feature image via: Alan Minifie

The Tasmania JackJumpers have expressed interest in 17-year-old Aussie phenom, Roman Siulepa as a potential Next Star.

Roman Siulepa has been making waves in the Australian basketball landscape, and the athletic 17-year-old looks to be catching the eye of some of the NBL's top sides including - reportedly - the Tasmania JackJumpers.

The Sunshine Coast-born forward was recently named MVP in this year's U20 National Championships with averages of 24.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and four assists per game, where only an incredible buzzer-beater from Victoria's Austin Rapp saw Siulepa's Queensland side lose the final.

He's already stepped into open-age basketball with NBL1 North side South West Metro Pirates, where she's re-signed for the 2024 season. 

He played 14 games for the Pirates last season, averaging 8.5 points and 5.8 rebounds for the Finals team. 

Siulepa was spotted at Tasmania's Game 2 Playoff Series win over Perth, with News Corp reporting the side's apparent interest in the rising talent.

He still needs to complete his year 12 studies before taking his first footsteps in the realm of professioanl basketball, but Siulepa says he has not dismissed the opportunity of joining the NBL's Next Star program when he does take that leap.

He would not be the first NBL1 player to make the leap to the Next Stars program. as Alex Toohey and Rocco Zikarsky both played in the NBL1 East during the 2023 season.

“I’m still at school, I’m just having fun, playing basketball, doing my life and just keeping all my options open,” he told News Corp in February.

For the full story head to >> Crosscourt NBL Grand Final special: A look at the big news around the winners and losers ahead of the season decider.