The top 30 NBL1 Central basketballers of 2023 revealed
Local basketball finals are fast-approaching in NBL1 Central season 2023 and we’ve listed the top 30 players of the year so far. See who made the cut from both the mens and women’s leagues.
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The NBL1 Central basketball finals are just around the corner as SA’s major local basketball clubs battle it out for top five spots through the final four rounds of regular season play.
With the 2023 season reaching its pointy end, we’ve picked the top 30 basketballers from the state’s premier mens and women’s competition.
Here they are in alphabetical order.
ADAM DOYLE
(Forestville)
The star veteran guard has been fantastic yet again for Forestville in 2023, acting as the offensive general and coming up with clutch plays regularly.
Doyle has averaged 16 points, six assists and nearly five rebounds a game for his side this season.
AKECH ALIIR
(North Adelaide)
Aliir has become a star big man at North Adelaide, averaging 17 points and 13 rebounds a game.
A force inside, he remains the best rebounder in the competition.
ALEX STARLING
(South Adelaide)
South Adelaide’s star during the club’s championship last season, Starling has again been a major force during the Panthers’ 2023 campaign.
The dominant forward has averaged 22 points and nearly 13 rebounds so far this year.
ALEX WILSON
(Norwood)
Norwood’s versatile superstar has dominated the women’s competition yet again in 2023, doing a bit of everything for the Flames.
One of the best all-round players in local basketball, Wilson has averaged 19 points, 11.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists for Norwood this season.
ANTHONY DRMIC
(West Adelaide)
A star signing for West Adelaide in the pre-season, Adelaide 36ers veteran Drmic has provided a significant boost for the Bearcats.
The experienced wing can score efficiently from anywhere, averaging 23 points a game on 54 per cent shooting to go along with seven rebounds and five assists.
ASHLEIGH SPENCER
(South Adelaide)
A dominant forward for South Adelaide, Spencer has been one of the standouts in the women‘s competition this season.
Spencer has been a versatile player who can do it all, scoring 14.5 points a game as well as grabbing seven rebounds.
BRAD RATHJEN
(FORESTVILLE)
Rathjen has been a valuable pick-up for Forestville, filling an important role as a guard/wing combo who can score and facilitate for his teammates.
Rathjen averages 11 points, six assists and four rebounds this season and has been one of the best perimeter defenders in the competition.
BRANDEN JENKINS
(Central District)
The top scorer in the competition this season, Jenkins has been a force for Central District.
An electric guard who gets to the rim with ease and can also hit from range, he has scored 26 points a game on 48 per cent shooting for the Lions.
BROOKE BASHAM
(North Adelaide)
Basham’s arrival at North Adelaide has ensured the Rockets remained finals contenders in 2023.
A reliable guard who can score in bunches and also hit the glass, Basham averages 24 points, six rebounds and four assists each week.
DANIEL JOHNSON
(South Adelaide)
The long-time Adelaide 36ers star has been arguably the best player in the NBL1 Central mens competition this season, dominating in every area.
Playing as a key big man for the Panthers, Johnson has put up stats of 20 points, six assists and 10 rebounds a game while shooting 50 per cent.
GREG MAYS
(Forestville)
Mays has been one of the driving forces of Forestville’s strong season so far, providing a strong presence inside as a forward and also spreading the offence.
Averaging 17 points a game on 50 per cent shooting, as well as eight rebounds a game, Mays’ ability to impact the game in multiple ways has been on show this year.
JACK HEMPHILL
(Eastern Mavericks)
The gun Mavericks forward has emerged as one of the competition’s best players this year, putting up 22 points and 10 rebounds a game.
Hemphill’s recent performance of 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals against North Adelaide perfectly encapsulated what he has produced for his side this season.
JACOB RIGONI
(Sturt)
Rigoni has continued his dominance in the NBL1 Central competition throughout 2023, performing at his best as a forward for Sturt.
The Sabres gun has averaged 18 points and nine rebounds a game this season.
JANNON OTTO
(Eastern Mavericks)
One of the best performers in the women‘s competition this year, Otto has been a standout forward for the Mavs.
Dominating as a primary scorer and rebounder, she averages 20 points and 10 rebounds a game.
JASMIN FEJO
(West Adelaide)
West Adelaide’s star guard, Fejo has done a bit of everything yet again for the Bearcats in 2023.
A dangerous scorer who can kill teams with her speed and creativity, Fejo has been on a tear as of late, averaging 25 points, six assists and six rebounds in the past month.
JASPER RENTOY
(Eastern Mavericks)
An emerging talent at the guard position for the Mavericks, Rentoy’s ability to score and facilitate consistently has been a major boost for his team.
He averages 14 points and 7.5 assists a game.
JAWAN STEPNEY
(Woodville)
Stepney has backed up his sensational 2022 season with another standout season at Woodville.
The superstar guard import has been a terror for opposition defences, averaging 20 points and five assists a game.
JESS SIMONS
(Forestville)
An emerging young talent for Forestville, Jess Simons’ performance as a guard has been as productive as expected this season.
Through her eight games this year, Simons has averaged 14 points and five rebounds to help her team to finals contention.
JOEL SPEAR
(Sturt)
Spear has been one of Sturt’s top performers this season and the perfect back-court piece for the side with finals approaching.
Averaging 14.6 points, five assists and eight rebounds, Spear provides a scoring punch and also makes a number of hustle plays to keep his side in games.
KOOP MCCALOP
(North Adelaide)
McCalop has been a major key to North Adelaide’s finals contention since arriving from Southern Tigers, the gun forward stuffing the stat sheet each week.
He has averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds a game in 2023.
LACHLAN OLBRICH
(West Adelaide)
One of the fastest emerging talents in SA basketball, 19-year-old Olbrich has been one of the Bearcats’ most productive players in 2023.
The young gun forward averages 20 points and 10 rebounds on 57 per cent shooting, making him one of the most efficient players in the league.
MADISON FREER
(Forestville)
Freer has been Forestville’s most dangerous player in the women‘s competition, controlling games from inside and outside as a forward.
She averages 17 points and eight rebounds a game and has also shown her ability to block multiple shots a game inside the paint.
MALITH MACHAR
(Forestville)
One of the best inside defenders in the competition, Machar has exploded onto the scene for the Eagles this season.
The talented forward can do it all, averaging 17.5 points and eight rebounds a game as well as a block each outing.
MATT LYCETT
(Norwood)
Norwood’s standout mens player in 2023, Lycett has been one of the most efficient guards in NBL1 Central.
Carrying a big load for the Flames, he has put up 16 points, four assists and eight rebounds a game while shooting 49 per cent from the field.
MIKAYLA WILLIAMS
(Sturt)
One of the most skilled centres in the women‘s league, Williams has been a star for Sturt this season.
She has the ability to score efficiently as well as create for teammates and can also defend at a high level, averaging 18 points and 12 rebounds a game.
MITCH MCCARRON
(West Adelaide)
Arriving at West Adelaide alongside Adelaide 36ers teammate Anthony Drmic, McCarron has been nothing short of elite for the Bearcats.
A dominant guard who can take a game over in multiple ways, McCarron has averaged 15 points, seven assists and eight rebounds a game on 56 per cent shooting from the field, helping his side to become championship contenders.
MOLLIE MCKENDRICK
(Southern Tigers)
A dominant forward for a number of years in the NBL1 competition, McKendrick has been back to her bestg for Southern this season.
A lethal scorer at 23 points per game, McKendrick can also facilitate, averaging nearly five assists while also grabbing 11 rebounds.
NICOLE FRANSSON
(Woodville)
The top rebounder in the women’s competition, Fransson has been a huge presence for Woodville inside the key this season.
The standout forward averages 18 points and 13 rebounds a game, while also dishing out multiple assists to teammates each week.
RILEY HARRAP
(North Adelaide)
Harrap has continued to evolve into a star for North Adelaide, providing valuable minutes as a starting guard each game.
The 23-year-old averages 20 points and six rebounds and can score from inside or outside.
SHARNA THOMPSON
(Norwood)
Thompson has been outstanding as a running mate for Alex Wilson at Norwood, scoring in bunches and rebounding well.
A versatile player on the offensive end, Thompson has scored 21 points a game this season.
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