On the Cusp: Three Aussies facing an NBA Draft dilemma
Rocco Zikarsky, Tyrese Proctor and Ben Henshall find themselves on the fringes of NBA draft selection.
The 2025 NBA draft is fast approaching, and ESPN recently published their updated big board rankings, of the top 100 players in this class. This January update featured six Aussies, including two in the top 40 – Alex Toohey of the Sydney Kings (33), and Alex Condon of the Florida Gators (36). Moving further down the rankings, Duke point guard Tyrese Proctor is at number 47, and NBL Next Star Rocco Zikarsky comes in at 49th.
For Proctor and Zikarsky, who find themselves in the back half of the second round, there is a genuine conundrum as to whether one enters the draft, or wait an additional year to try and earn a higher selection. Likewise, Ben Henshall of the Perth Wildcats is ranked 70th and will be facing a similar choice. Lachlan Olbrich also made the list at 87th, but would be an unlikely selection from that position, given that only 60 players are picked each year.
Both arguments have their merits. Andrew Bogut is perhaps the poster boy for Aussies who waited to enter the draft, as the one-time NBA champion used his second year of college basketball to build his draft stock, and ultimately earned a first overall selection in 2005. Furthermore, Johnny Furphy recently entered the draft after just one year of college basketball, and despite being projected as a first rounder, slid to the 35th pick on draft night.
On the other hand, other recent prospects like Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels entered the draft as soon as they were eligible – at age 19 – and both were picked inside the top ten. It’s a tricky decision to make, especially for players who find themselves in the back half of the second round on mock drafts, or just outside it – like Zikarsky, Proctor and Henshall. The risk of entering the draft as a late second rounder and potentially being starved of playing time has to be balanced against the possibility that one’s draft stock may fall in the future.
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