All Aussie Super Senior 5...

Next stop NBL...!

Having reviewed the Aussie senior class it's time to turn our attention to the super seniors or 5 year seniors. Due to Covid NCAA athletes were awarded an extra year of eligibility. Not being an expert in NCAA eligibility rules, I am not certain if the 4th year seniors will have the ability to play another year, or if they are also in their final year in college. My understanding is the following list of nine athletes will all be ending their college basketball careers this season.. and for the most part, this is such a strong group of players, that I'd be surprised to not see many, if not all of them, on NBL rosters.

First stop, is Elijah Pepper from UC Davis. Elijah has burst onto the Aussie basketball raider this year, with analysts now understanding that he is eligible to play as a local. Elijah was born in Shepparton, Australia during his fathers professional basketball days, but was raised in Washington. Pepper is averaging a massive 21.1 points per game with 4.8 rebounds 2.1 assists and 1.9 steals. A score first SG, Elijah is the all-time scoring leader at UC Davis. This season, his high score is 32 against Long Beach State. He is shooting 38% from three and 90% from the free-throw line. At 6–4 Pepper has good size and versatility, which should translate well to the NBL if he decides to take advantage of his Australian eligibility and play.

Next up is 6-6 guard Tyler Robertson from Victoria. Tyler is having another strong season leading Portland with 16.1 points per game 4 rebounds 3.5 assists and .9 steals per game. Tyler is another big point guard coming out of college, with a good passing game, ability to crash the boards and get to the bucket. His high score for the season is 34 points against Santa Clara and he had a 10 assist game versus Lewis and Clark. Tyler's assists are down slightly this season because of his need to score for the Pilots. A 35% 3pt shooter and 83% free throw shooter, he is going to be a high priority and solid back up PG option for a lot of NBL teams.

Sean Bairstow transferred over to VCU in the Atlantic 10 this season from Utah State. The 6–8 forward has dealt with some injuries and has only played 11 games this season. He is averaging a solid 10.5 points 5 rebounds 4.4 assists and 0.3 steals per game. Sean does a little bit of everything, and at his height, is a threat on both ends of the floor. His athleticism is also impressive and he has thrown down some incredible dunks. Highlights this year include a 22 point game versus Gardner Webb and a 12 assist outing at LaSalle. Sean is going to provide outside shooting, elite vision and passing, strong rebounding and athletic defence to whoever is lucky to land his signature..

Crowd favorite Keli Leaupepe, the 6-6 forward from LMU is currently dealing with a foot injury that has him out 4 to 6 weeks. Through 21 games this season he's averaging 9.9 points 5.2 rebounds 1.2 assists and .6 steals Per game. Keli appears to be an undersized 4 who can shoot but his strength and the size of his frame lets him play much taller than he is. Season highlights include 20 points versus Portland, and 12 rebounds against Jackson State. One thing's for sure, Kelli is guaranteed to be a crowd favorite at which ever NBL team he lands at. His mullet alone will sell tickets and his style of play will keep the fans coming back.

Perhaps the most NBL ready of all college athletes is Alex Ducas from Saint Mary's. It's believed that a number of teams tried to secure his signature at the end end of last season before the W.A. product made the decision for one last run at an NCAA Championship. Ducas has played all 5 seasons of his career at Saint Mary's, a feat not matched by many. The 6–7 wing is averaging 9.2 points 5.2 rebounds 1.9 assists and 0.8 steals per game on a Gales team that is leading the West Coast Conference and appears destined for a tournament spot. Ducas put up 23 against Davidson and grabbed 12 rebounds against Kent State. Alex is Known for his three-point shooting where he has shot 41% on 58 makes this year. But he's also an extremely effective defender with a lot of highlight reel blocks to his name. He's another athletic wing who can play both ends of the floor and has good size to excel at the next level. The question is, will a team ram be able to woo him away from Perth, as Melbourne did with his running mate Kyle Bowen last year.

Rounding out this class is a group of athletes who all have the ability to play pro at the NBL level . Riley Abercrombie, the 6–9 forward from Northern Colorado is having a strong year averaging 7.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Another stretch wing shooting option that has great size and athleticism.

Kuany Kuany is a 6–9 power Forward from VCU playing alongside Bairstow, and transferredl in from Cal. He's averaging 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.

Akol Mawein is another 6–9 forward playing for Coach David Patrick's Sacramento State. Mawein is averaging 5.1 points 3.3 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per game. Although his numbers are down slightly this season, he's a super athletic and hard-working forward that will add depth to a lot of front lines.

Playing for South Alabama another 6–9 forward, Marshall Kearing is another big athlete with a lot of upside. From Pinjara in W.A., Marshall is averaging 3.2 points 2.3 rebounds 0.6 steals and 0.6 blocks per game for the Jaguars this season..

Given these student athletes are in their fifth year of college basketball, they are understandably more mature than some of the younger players . Having half a decade of experience at the college basketball level makes all these athletes ready to step in and contribute at the pro level. They are all big and athletic, and have shown the ability to score and defend so it's going to be very interesting to see where their signatures land. There's a chance others leave college to join the NBL this year, but at a minimum I think these 9 names will be in the conversations with NBL teams who are looking to set the best roster possible this off season.