NBL CEO David Stevenson believes the potential selection of Alexandre Sarr as the number one pick in the upcoming NBA Draft could help attract more high-level prospects to the Next Stars program.

Sarr is shaping as a near-consensus number on pick in a remarkably open draft pool following a strong season with the Perth Wildcats, and is currently participating at the NBA Draft Combine, alongside AJ Johnson, Trentyn Flowers, Ariel Hukporti and Bobi Klintman.

Strong performances from Johnson and Flowers are seeing them shoot up a number of draft boards, while Klintman is firming as a likely first-round pick alongside Sarr. Hukporti is currently injured but looms as a potential second-round pick.

“Once they leave our shores, every single player or agent who wants to come out or is evaluating the Next Stars just needs to pick up the phone and is two calls away from talking to one of them, so we need to make sure they’re our biggest advocates,” Stevenson told SEN.

“When we’re recruiting for our future crops of Next Stars, they look at this as a great success story. He certainly wasn’t slated as the number one pick when he came to the NBL, but he’s developed over that time – and he deserves that credit – but hopefully the environment has helped him as well.

“It's been an incredible success story. Who would have thought a 7’2” French kid who went to school in the US would have thought the best way for him to get to the NBA would be to play in our league and suit up for the Perth Wildcats, and now he’s looking pretty close to a consensus number one pick.”

NBL fans will have greater opportunity to watch next season’s crop of Next Stars with the league’s new broadcast deal that was announced last week.

Every game will continue to be shown live on ESPN, with the weekend’s flagship game now elevated to 10’s main channel on free to air television, live in HD every round at 2.30pm on Sunday.

Stevenson says while the new deal is the result of years of growth in the competition, he’s backed the NBL to only get bigger.

“It’s a big crescendo moment for us of the build-up over the last ten years, which is the last time we were on that primary channel,” he said.

“What it does is now actually think about how we attract new fans, people who may have heard a bit about the NBL, love basketball or have some kind of interest, and all of a sudden, they can watch that on a primary channel.

“As much as in one way it’s a crescendo, we’re also just getting started because the growth of this league and the potential we have is unlimited.

“When you have 40 sell-outs like we had this year, that broadcast integration and the way people can watch and interact with the game through TV is absolutely vital to that next stage of growth.”