Top 10 Australians to watch in NCAA men's basketball

• There are more than 70 Australians playing in NCAAM Division 1
• Junior guard Tyrese Proctor is a standout at Duke University
• The American collegiate system is cultivating the next generation of Australian stars

Australia is pumping out more professional basketball prospects than ever before, but only a portion are under our noses to observe here in the NBL.

A world away in the realm of American collegiate sports, the next wave of NBL and NBA talent is emerging, including several upcoming draft prospects.

Here are some of the standouts this season.

1. Tyrese Proctor

It’s hard to stand out at the NBA factory known as the Duke Blue Devils, but the benefit of playing on the biggest team in the nation is that it’s easy to audition for your role at the next level.

Tyrese Proctor’s raw numbers have only improved marginally at-a-glance, but this junior year, the guard has settled into a highly effective role. Shooting a personal high 41.2% from three, Proctor has adapted further off the ball as a complement to future NBA star Cooper Flagg, and in turn, demonstrated his ability to play as a secondary ball handler and shooter, whilst defending down the other end, at the games highest level.

2. Alex Condon

As a late blooming big who decided to pursue a college career not long after establishing himself as a prospect in Australia, local fans may not have caught much of Alex Condon’s capabilities thus far, but with ESPN’s Jonathan Givony promoting his potential as a first-round pick this coming draft, it won’t take long for fans to get up to speed.

At 6’11, Condon’s frontcourt play has been pivotal to Florida’s exceptional 17-2 start to the season. With a background in both water polo and AFL, Condon brings a relentless motor on the glass and possesses the mobility to switch out and guard smaller players and protect the rim with equal competency. It will take time for Condon to refine his offensive skills, but he’s already without significant weakness on that end of the floor and has a natural feel passing the rock.

Condon’s agent has maintained a switch to AFL is on the cards if the NBA doesn’t eventuate, but the way things are tracking, basketball fans needn’t get too concerned.

3. Oscar Cluff

In the era of transfers, we’re seeing many players test themselves at higher levels, but Cluff moved for a greater role, and he’s been rewarded with a massive jump in role and production.

After completing two years at Junior College with Cochise CC, Cluff made a monumental jump to Washington State, where he demonstrated his ability to impact games as an interior presence in the Pac-12.

However, this season’s move to South Dakota State has truly put Cluff on the map, as the 6’11 centre has taken centre stage at the heart of the Jackrabbits offence. Averaging 17.4 points per game, Cluff is one of the top scoring big men in the country, making the most of his ample post touches as both as scorer and facilitator, whilst sporting the second highest rebound average within all of college basketball (11.9).

4. Reyne Smith

Quite simply, Reyne Smith is not just Australia’s best up and coming shooter, but he’s one of the best shooters in college right now, hands down.

Handling a move up to ACC at Louisville with ease thanks to the trust of head coach Pat Kelsey, Smith has been letting it fly from behind the arc with zero conscience all season, and finds himself leading the entirety of college basketball in three point makes with 3.9 a game, at an astounding clip of 40.8%.

Smith may not physically look the part of an NBA player, but with such an elite skill-set, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the sharpshooter get some interest from a team once his college career comes to an end. Be it in the States or back home in the NBL, Smith has a long career ahead of him as a shooting specialist.

5. Anthony Dell’Orso

Another off-season transfer mover, Anthony Dell’Orso, has settled in comfortably to his role at powerhouse Arizona Wildcats in the Big 12.

An often overlooked junior from Victoria, Dell’Orso quickly made his name at Campbell University, where he dominated games on both ends of the court for the Fighting Camels as their leading scorer and rebounder from the wing.

Now part of a much stronger rotation, Dell’Orso has settled in as a top five scorer for the Wildcats, and adapted from an on-ball creator to complementary offensive talent to great effect. Dell'Orso’s three point attempt rate has almost doubled while at Arizona as he spends more time off-ball behind the line, and has been able to display his true efficiency as a shooter playing off the ball, knocking down 45.3% of his attempts.

A malleable offensive threat, Dell’Orso has now demonstrated his ability to play off other talent, as well as expand into a three level scorer and playmaker when called upon.

6. Elias Cato

For the last four seasons, Elias Cato has quietly been plugging away in the A-Sun conference, garnering a bigger role year to year. Now as a senior, Cato’s numbers are too hard to ignore, and the 6’9 forward is finally ready to receive his flowers.

Physically, Cato looks like a four man, given his size and dimensions, but what stands out is his skill-set, which more closely resembles that of a wing. Smooth with the ball and athletic above the rim in space, Cato can be a matchup nightmare, capable of living on a diet of off-the-dribble jumpers and closeout attacks.

There’s been a big drop-off in Cato’s three point percentage this season from his junior year, going from 41.8% to 27.6% since upping his offensive workload, so there are some questions about just how effective he is from behind the line, but considering his responsibility to create and take tough shots off the move, this may not be an accurate representation of his true shooting capabilities.

He’s not the athlete, facilitator or defender that Sam Waardenburg is, but as a versatile shooter, rim finisher and closeout attacker, the Central Arkansas senior definitely elicits some shades of the Cairns big man with his play.

7. Mawot Mag

Having lost himself in an impossibly deep rotation at BYU this season, stats don’t showcase Mawot Mag this season, but the defensive specialist is slowly building momentum with the Cougars.

Coming off the bench this season, Mag’s role is simple - defend one through four, and bring bundles of energy. Put simply, Mag is an NBA level defender; strong enough to guard bigger forwards, mobile enough to put the clamps on guards, and with the energy to give all of them hell. With a more concise role, Mag’s playing with more aggression than ever, and playing the passing lanes to turn defence into offence.

He’s a limited offensive player for a wing, capable of knocking down the odd open three and finding opportunistic transition and cutting opportunities with his energy, but he’s not someone you give the ball to go get a bucket.

We haven’t seen many players like him in the NBL, but think of something resembling Craig Sword this season for the Jackies.

8. Stephen Olowoniyi

Melbourne-born big man Stephen Olowoniyi had a quiet freshman year at Virginia Military Institute last season, but since making the move to Southern Indiana, the high-flyer has been catching attention with his breakout sophomore campaign.

At 6’8, Olowoniyi may appear undersized for a five, but with long arms and exceptional athleticism, the Nigerian-Australian commandeers the paint. Capable of highlight-reel dunks at the rim, Olowoniyi runs the floor with purpose and plays with an exceptional motor. The icing on the cake is that the big man is extremely mobile, making him a versatile defensive tool that proves impactful switching out on the perimeter as well as defending in the paint.

9. Austin Rapp

Only last year was Austin Rapp Victoria Metro’s Hero at the Under 20 National Championships, and he’s already a key piece to the Portland Pilots season as a freshman.

Rapp has proven to be a fantastic fit in coach Shantay Legans’ offence, with the big man making his mark felt primarily behind the arc. Beyond his natural shooting prowess, Rapp’s feel for the game is reflected in his 2.4 assists per game as a facilitator.

Stretch bigs at 6’10 are a hot commodity, and Rapp is already as polished as it comes in that regard. It will be exciting to see what heights Rapp can continue to take his college career over the next few years.

10. Harry Wessels

After getting the call up for the Emerging Boomers squad last year, we’ve been waiting for Wessels to truly break out at the college level, but the big man’s role remains modest for the Gaels. That said, the pivot remains an important piece for Saint Mary’s and has been providing impactful minutes for the prestigious Australian pipeline.

At 7’1 and a strong frame, Wessels is a physical force, an unstoppable load with the ball in the paint, only benefited by his soft touch as a finisher, also reflected in his 81.8% free throw conversion rate - a rare quality for a big of his size. Down the other end, Wessels sports a block percentage of 7.4, making opposition players allergic to finishing at the rim, and his rebounding is equally prolific.

He’s still working to keep the fouls down and take care of the ball, but Wessels has some special qualities and flashes brilliance more than occasionally.

About the Author

Michael Houben is an Australian basketball writer and scout based in Melbourne, Victoria. As well as covering the game as a journalist, Michael supports US colleges to identify and recruit Australian talent as the owner of Airtime Scouting, and supports grassroots athletes through Airtime Basketball.