A towering Sunshine Coast teenager is poised to reach great heights in basketball.
Seventeen-year-old Rocco Zikarsky has emerged as one of the country’s brightest young talents in the sport, flourishing through the junior ranks before signing a professional contract with the Brisbane Bullets as part of the National Basketball League’s Next Stars program.
The 221cm (7’3) centre was the star of the show in his first game for the team during a pre-season outing against California Baptist University at UniSC Arena last month, when a crowd of 1600 watched him amass 23 points, eight rebounds and six blocks.
“It was probably one of my favourite games ever,” he told Sunshine Coast News.
“It was pretty awesome to play with everyone there: my family, friends and all the people I’ve had around me growing up.
“It was a pretty big moment for me.”
Zikarsky said he had relished his time at the Bullets so far.
“It’s been great: hard, but an invaluable experience that been really good for me,” he said.
He forewent college and professional options in the United States to sign with the Bullets as part of the Next Stars program, which provides support for young players to play professionally before declaring for the NBA Draft. It’s propelled the likes of Josh Giddey to stardom.
“I picked Brisbane because it’s close to home, (has) coaches that I trust and players that I’ve looked up to for years,” he said.
“I want to take my game to the next level and for me right now that’s (in) the NBL.”
He said he was determined to get valuable game time in his first season in the elite ranks.
“My biggest focus is earning minutes this year,” he said.
“I’m behind (Aron) Baynes and behind Tyrell (Harrison), who have proven themselves at this level, but my focus is working hard and earning time on court.”
He has lofty ambitions though.
“My ultimate goals are to be drafted in the NBA and play for Australia,” he said.
Zikarsky will be eligible for the draft in 2025.
Brisbane Bullets head coach Justin Schueller said, via the Bullets in July, that he was delighted to work with Zikarsky at the club.
“I had the pleasure of coaching Rocco at the (under-17) world championships last year and saw that he was one of the best bigs for his age at that point and now to be his first coach at a pro level is really exciting, individually and for the club,” he said.
Zikarsky was a talented swimmer as a junior.
His father Bjorn was an Olympic swimming medallist and his mother Kylie was a champion Ironwoman.
A former Chancellor State College student, he went to the NBA Global Academy in Canberra and is studying Year 11 by correspondence.
He raised eyebrows while representing Australia at the under-17 world championships as a 15-year-old, starred at multiple national age championships, and impressed with the Centre of Excellence in the NBL1 East league.
The Bullets’ season starts against Adelaide 36ers at Nissan Arena in Brisbane on September 29.
Meanwhile, another young local basketball made an impression in the local A-grade competition recently.
Mason Rimland, 18, shot 18 three-pointers and accumulated 55 points in one game, prompting suggestions he could have broken a record or two.
Basketball Queensland said it could not confirm whether the effort was record-breaking.
“There is no true way to prove whether 18 three-pointers made is a record across local community level competition. Nonetheless, this is certainly an impressive performance and great to highlight young players achieving great things,” a spokesperson said.
