Bruton: Flowers has opportunity to thrive in NBL24

Adelaide 36ers head coach CJ Bruton said the addition of NBL Next Star sensation Trentyn Flowers is a real gamechanger heading into the NBL24 season.

Flowers signed a two-year NBL Next Stars contract this week after decommitting from playing college basketball with the University of Louisville and choosing the NBL as his best path towards the NBA.

Bruton said the NBL has been a proven pathway to the NBA over a number of years and Flowers will become the third player to represent the 36ers as a Next Star, following in the footsteps of current Oklahoma City guard Josh Giddey and recent NBA Draftee Mojave King.

“Our league has been great for the Next Stars which have come in and I know this will be no different for Trentyn,” Bruton said.

“With the group of guys we have got already, playing with Mitch McCarron and Jason Cadee, guys that have played point guard for Australia, Trentyn has some great teachers already that will help him and some great guidance and experience around him.”

Flowers said the decision to leave Louisville was one of the toughest he has had to make.

"Louisville was my dream college. But I feel like signing in the NBL gives me the best chance to lock in and develop my game,” Flowers told ESPN.

“I'm going over there to play point guard, to learn how to run a team, and be a player like LaMelo Ball or Josh Giddey. Adelaide is a place for me to lock in and focus on my game.

"Adelaide is fully bought into me being the player and person I am. When things align like that, it's a recipe for success.

“I grew up playing point guard, it's my natural position and something I'm very comfortable with."

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NBL general manager of Next Stars Recruitment Liam Santamaria said under the tutelage of Bruton, Flowers will experience tremendous development as he advances towards the NBA Draft.

“Possessing great positional size, strength, and explosiveness, Trentyn has the potential to make an immediate impact this season,” Santamaria said.

“He is extremely versatile, with an ability to score at every level as well as facilitate for others.”

The 18-year-old averaged 17.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and two assists per game as a junior at Combine Academy, leading his squad to a 37-5 record and the Phenom HoopState Championship title.

He also led Combine Academy as an ESPN top 25 ranked team for 23 weeks straight.

Flowers was also a standout at the 2022 Nike EYBL Peach Jam, amassing 21 points, 10.4 rebounds and four assists per 40 minutes, and recently impressed at the USA basketball U19’s training camp, as-well-as the Jayson Tatum Elite Camp in St Louis, alongside many of America’s top high school and college prospects.

Bruton said he’s excited to see what Flowers can bring at the point guard position after travelling to the NBA Summer League last month to find a floor general.

“We have all the right tools to put around Trentyn, Jason and Mitch’s leadership and the experience of Trey (Kell) and Jamaal (Franklin) coming in, we think we have the roster to make Trentyn flourish and showcase his skills,” Bruton said.

“We want to play at a fast pace and having a big point guard who can get out on the break and make decisions in transition and push the ball and find the right people and have the ability to score the ball himself.”