The Adelaide 36ers have signed five-star prospect, and projected lottery pick, Trentyn Flowers, the latest addition to the NBL Next Stars program.

The versatile 6’8 point guard joins the Hungry Jack’s NBL after being ranked by ESPN as the 18th best American high school prospect in the recruiting class of 2023 after reclassifying up from the 2024 class.

He is currently slated to be a lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft by several major media outlets, including USA Today and NBAdraft.net. He becomes the eighth NBL Next Star signed for the upcoming season, and the highest rated high school prospect since RJ Hampton.

Flowers had previously opted to play college basketball with the University of Louisville before recently decommitting and choosing the NBL as his best path towards the NBA.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join the NBL and become a 36er,” Flowers said.

“This is going to be an incredible opportunity for me to grow my game, play alongside incredible talent, and learn at a high level.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lets GO! <a href="https://t.co/6FusMcf9EJ">pic.twitter.com/6FusMcf9EJ</a></p>&mdash; Trentyn Flowers (@FlowersTrentyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/FlowersTrentyn/status/1691163649748901888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The talented 18-year-old averaged 17.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block 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 4 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.

“We are thrilled to welcome Trentyn to the Next Stars program and believe he will bring great excitement to the 36ers,” GM of Next Stars Recruitment Liam Santamaria said.

“Possessing great positional size, strength, and explosiveness, Trentyn has the potential to make an immediate impact this season. He is extremely versatile, with an ability to score at every level as well as facilitate for others.

“Under the tutelage of CJ Bruton, we have great confidence that Trentyn will experience tremendous development in Adelaide, as he advances towards the NBA Draft.”

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.

“Trentyn’s signing is another massive coup for the Next Stars program, and we can’t wait to see him on court in Adelaide,” NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger.

“This is the largest contingent of players we have ever had in the Next Stars program in a single season. This further solidifies the respect the NBL has across the globe and highlights its status as a genuine and proven pathway towards the NBA.”

Adelaide coach CJ Bruton said Flowers will be a key asset to his NBL24 roster and has plans for the 2024 NBA Draft prospect to run the show.

“I went to the US for the NBA Summer League to find a point guard and, in partnership with the Next Stars program, we found one in Trentyn Flowers,” Bruton said.

“Trentyn is a young player and an NBA prospect, but for someone who is 6’8, he has great vision and great poise. Unlike most kids his age, Trentyn has the ability to play the game at an elite level and I can see him having a similar impact as Josh Giddey and LaMelo Ball had on the league.”

The Next Stars program has produced five draft picks across the past four years including Ball (pick 3, 2020), Hampton (pick 24, 2020), Giddey (pick 6, 2021), Ousmane Dieng (pick 11, 2022) and Rayan Rupert (pick 43, 2023).

Flowers joins Rocco Zikarsky (Brisbane Bullets), Alex Toohey (Sydney Kings), Bobi Klintman (Cairns Taipans), AJ Johnson (Illawarra Hawks), Ariel Hukporti (Melbourne United), Mantas Rubstavicius (New Zealand Breakers) and Alexandre Sarr (Perth Wildcats) as a Next Star for the 2023-24 NBL season.

Adelaide’s season begins on Friday, September 29, against Brisbane.