Perth Wildcat Ben Henshall thinks he'll be the NBA's next Aussie, with the young star calling his shot ahead of the upcoming draft.
With the NBL playoffs just weeks away, the 20-year-old believes he is one of the top options for teams in 2025, due to his combination of physical and mental tools.
While draft experts aren't as sold on the Australian guard, Henshall is confident that he has what it takes to carve out a career in the world's top basketball league.
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Ben Henshall calls NBA shot ahead of NBL playoffs
There's no league on earth that is harder to make than the NBA, but Australian Ben Henshall is confident he is not just good enough to be drafted, but is one of the top 14 players available.
Speaking to 10 News, Henshall said that he is prepared to make the leap stateside, and is more than confident that teams should consider him in the lottery range.
"Oh yeah, definitely ready," Henshall said.
"I think I'm a lottery player, I think I'm better than a lot of guys that are in this draft.
"I'm playing in a professional team against guys who have been in the NBA."
Not only against, but with, as Henshalls list of current and former teammates includes names like 2024 second-overall pick and current Washington Wizard Alex Sarr, as well as former NBA player and five-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton.
"I'd say having a guy like [Bryce Cotton] has been huge for me, especially in my position," he said.
"He's been to the NBA, is best player in the NBL, and is a great guy who wants the best for me.
"We've had multiple chats about how he sees his mentality in me where like, I want to score the ball.
"I can score in a lot of different ways, but I feel like I can get a lot of people involved, and I think my IQ coming off of [on-ball screens], making those pocket passes, skipping the ball, I think that goes unnoticed."
Henshall is a key part of Perth's current playoff run, and was nominated for both Most Improved Player and the Next Generation Award for the 2024/25 NBL season.
But if he wants to become a lottery pick in the association, he has a lot of work to do fairly quickly - ESPN recently ranked him at 70 in their top 100 prospect list, while The Athletic have him being taken in the early 50s in their mock draft, similar to Sports Illustrated.
Ben Henshall 2024/25 NBL stats
- 9.8 points per game
- 3.2 rebounds per game
- 2.7 assists per game
- 1 steal per game
- 0.3 blocks per game
- 42%FG
- 36.3%3PT
- 84.9%FT