NBLxNBL1 NBL23 Finals Preview

The Hungry Jack’s NBL Finals will tip-off on Thursday night with a massive double-header.

The South East Melbourne Phoenix will host the Perth Wildcats in a sudden-death Play-In Qualifier at 6:30pm AEDT, before the Cairns Taipans take on the Tasmania JackJumpers at 8:30pm AEDT in a Seeding Qualifier.

For more information on the NBL23 Finals click here. 

With six teams trying to win it all, let’s check in with what teams have NBL1 stars to help them try and get over the hump and into championship glory. 

Junior Madut 

The Phoenix’s young star Junior Madut is headed to the NBL1 East Norths Bears for the 2023 season. After getting big minutes due to a collection of Pheonix injuries, Madut dropped a career-high 21 points against the Illawarra Hawks and will likely be a breakout star in the 2023 NBL1 season. 

Dane Pineau 

After playing alongside Dejan Vasiljevic with the Diamond Valley Eagles, Pineau will form a superteam with the Sandringham Sabres alongside NBL1 South MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Shea Ili, David Barlow and David Okwera.

Off the bench for the Phoenix, Pineau is averaging two points and 3.3 rebounds playing 10 minutes per game for the Play-In-ready SEM.

Kyle Zunic

After averaging over 17 points last season for the NBL1 West Warwick Senators, Kyle Zunic has moved over to the NBL1 North Northside Wizards for the 2023 season.

Zunic’s Perth Wildcats had a major final game of the season, beating the top-of-the-ladder Sydney Kings to get into the NBL Finals. Zunic joins NBL players Lual Diing and DJ Mitchell for the Wizards this season starting on March 24. 

Oliver Hayes-Brown 

With the Willetton Tigers, Oliver Hayes-Brown was a star averaging 23 points and 15 rebounds. In a limited role for the Wildcats this season, Hayes-Brown has taken the court five times. 

In this coming NBL1 season, he has signed with the NBL1 South Keilor Thunder alongside Melbourne United’s Zac Triplett. 

Isaac White

Making the move from Ipswich to Mackay, Isaac White has a big NBL1 season ahead of him. Averaging close to five points for the JackJumpers in NBL23, White had his season-best against the Phoenix in Round 13 with 18 points and seven rebounds in only 20 minutes.

White recently said that the move to Mackay should help him be even better for the NBL24 season, read more here. 

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Sean MacDonald 

After playing for the NW Tasmania Thunder, Sean MacDonald is making the move to the Darwin Salties for the 2023 NBL1 season. 

MacDonald started NBL23 hot, with five games above double-digits before the start of January. He has levelled out to an average of 6.1 points and two rebounds a game, but still remains one of the JackJumpers' key pieces off the bench. 

Iggy Mitchell

After playing for the NBL1 East Norths Bears, Kings development player Iggy Mitchell decided to return to his junior club, the Sydney Comets for the 2023 NBL1 season.

Mitchell averaged 12 points, eight rebounds and 2.4 assists for the Bears last season and now says the Comets are the perfect place for him. 

“They’re my hometown club and being able to play for coach Lachie Lonergan again as well was a big reason in me deciding to go back to my home,” he told the Sydney Kings. 

Jaylin Galloway 

After dominating the NBL1 North last season with Mackay, Jaylin Galloway is headed to the Ipswich Force alongside brother Kyrin Galloway and Harry Froling for the 2023 NBL1 season. 

Galloway averaged 18.4 points for Mackay and featured highly on the Coles Express NBL1 Top 10 Plays with this massive poster dunk. 

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In what has been a breakout season for Galloway, the NBL22 champion has been an essential piece to the Kings' run to the NBL Finals. Averaging over five points and playing 15 minutes a game, the athletic rotation piece will be featured heavily in Sydney’s attempts to go back-to-back.

Cairns Taipans and New Zealand Breakers have no players who have signed with a 2023 NBL1 team so far.