I'm not sure where our next version of Mackinnon is coming from. Anatoly Bose who plays for Nicholls State may be an option in a few years...but I'm not sure who else there is on the horizon that can step up and fill his shoes.

We were lucky for a while as we had Vlahov before Mackinnon.

I reckon that the kids that we need, most of them head for AFL instead.

Thats all too true I think LC. It just reinforces how important it is for Mills and Jawai to be successful and for BA to promote that success, because I think the guys we really want are the top Aboriginal/ Islander athletes who are generally snapped up by the AFL or NRL.

I assume Nicholls State is a 2nd div college? If so, this Bose kid is probably a long shot.

I'm guessing he's not a good enough athlete, but what about Alex Loughton in Perth? I haven't seen him play, but he seemed to come into the NBL with big wraps a couple of years ago. I think he has the height, but perhaps he has the same problem as Oscar in that he isn't mobile enough to play SF?

How about Liam Rush - anyone think he has the necessary athleticism/ size?

I agree with promoting our indigenous athletes such as Mills and Jawai. We have some talented athletes and if we can attract them to basketball, even better.

Nicholls State plays Division 1 college ball in the Southland Conference. They have a very good chance of topping the conference this season and Bose will be their focal offensive player.

Bose is a 6'6" small forward/shooting guard who averaged 15ppg, 5.4rpg & 2apg in 31.6 min of action per game. I'm not saying Bose is the person to pin all our hopes on, but he may be an option in a few years time.

Are there any other small forward/power forward prospects in that mould coming out of the AIS?

Thanks LC, sounds more promising than I thought about Bose. Think I'll go find out some more!

He played alongside new Melbourne Tigers recruit Ryan Bathie at Nicholls State last season. Bathie averaged 15.4ppg and 5rpg. Very similar numbers to each other, but Bathie was a senior.

I probably missed his hay days but did Sam had a lot of speed back in his days? since watching him in 2006 I've always thought he's pretty slow.

I hadn't thought of Cody Ellis as I have not really seen anything of him apart from knowing his dad was Mike. From what I recall he is headed to Saint Louis to play Div 1 college ball is he not - under Bogut's old coach Majerus?

Can anyone elaborate any more?

Yep - Sammy was quite the athlete. He had pace and hops and could finish with authority at the rim - but more importantly he could defend and defend both in the post and on the perimeter. His knee injuries have taken all that away from him and as he has gotten older his outside shot has developed nicely.

Thanks Anon for confirming that Ellis is headed to St Louis under Majerus.

Creek is a talent, I agree, but isn't he a guard?

Thanks for the tip on Mitchell Creek anon. Just had a look at his AIS profile, which says he likes to rattle the rim, so he must have some hops!

It also lists him as only a 187cm guard though. At 17, hopefully he will sprout another 10-12 cm and maybe then we're talking!

Just looking through some of the new AIS scholarship holders, John Fenton (also 17) looks like another long-term possibility:

http://linky.com.au/4w3mf

Site lists him at 202cm and describes him as "long and athletic" and "a real asset defensively on the perimeter where his length and reach will cause all sorts of problems for opposition wings".

Need someone who can do this

Booom! Yeah! Nice dunk - what competition was this in?

Fenton sounds like he may have to tools we are looking for. Fingers crossed.

Beantown, it doesn't really matter that he is playing at a div 2 college. Look at Alex Pledger- He played for a Div 2 team and wasn't a standout and IMO he teared up Ogilvy and Baynes. Also, David Barlow and Worthington played at Metro State which is Div 2.
Some Div 2 schools in the U.S are still freakish-good..Im sure alot of them are on par or just below D1 programs obviously the main difference been that they don't get the same crowd attendence and media spotlight.

beantown I believe that was 18 Nationals 2 years ago in Tassie

Thanks for the input guys.

MacDub, I agree that sometimes div 2 guys can prove to be better players in the long run, but the odds favour outstanding players being identified and going to a bigger school, so when we're talking about a guy where theres nothing much to go on, would rather he was Div 1 than Div 2!

Nice to know that Mitch Creek has already sprouted those cms I was after! 195cm (6'5) is enough and perhaps he still has a couple more cms in him.

Mitch Creek is an amazing athlete! at u/16 level (so only 14 yrs old) he was throwing down massive dunks left right and centre!! He can mix it with the bigs and the smalls (perfect for a 3 man) and can beat anyone with his first step and I know he is personally driven to lock down others on defence - check out this vid of him last yr

http://linky.com.au/rzepl

Cool, nice to see Anatoly's on the radar enough to get a guernsey on Draft Net.

Draft Express have Ater Majok pencilled into the 2nd round of their 2011 mock as well.

Sam Daly