BIO: Rocco Zikarsky was born in Sunshine Coast, QLD and began playing basketball as a junior with the Rip City basketball program.

Representing Queensland South at the 2023 U18 National Championships, Zikarsky amassed a impressive 19.8 points, 12.6 rebounds and 4.2 blocks per game. He also played up a age group at the 2023 U20 National Championships, recording 13.7 points, 10 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game as a member of the NBA Global Academy team.

Zikarsky received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 2022. He spent two years year there and played for the program’s state league team (2022, 2023).

FAMILY: His mum Kylie was a champion ironwoman and dad Bjorn who won an Olympic bronze medal for Germany in swimming.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Rocco Zikarsky made his NBL debut with the Brisbane Bullets at 17 years of age. He scored two points in his first game.

Brisbane used its NBL24 reset to bring one of Queensland’s leading junior prospects into the professional game, adding Rocco Zikarsky while Justin Schueller took charge following an 8–20 season and ninth-place finish. Jason Cadee (to Adelaide), Tanner Krebs (to Melbourne), Gorjok Gak and Kody Stattmann (both to South East Melbourne) and Rasmus Bach (retired) exited, while Schueller recruited Isaac White and Sam McDaniel (both via Tasmania), Mitch Norton (via Perth), Josh Bannan (via Montana), Shannon Scott (via Cairns), Chris Smith (via Chiba Jets) and Zikarsky (via the Centre of Excellence).

Zikarsky signed a multi-year deal as the youngest player to enter the NBL Next Stars program, choosing Brisbane over opportunities to play college basketball or join the G League Ignite. Schueller had coached him with Australia at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 World Cup and became his first professional coach.

“I’m really excited to start my professional career and chose to sign with the Bullets because of the coaching and the community. I grew up in the basketball community in South East Queensland, so to me it was a no brainer,” Zikarsky said upon inking a Next Star deal.

“I decided that the Next Stars opportunity was just too good a fit,” the 7-foot-3 Zikarsky told ESPN. “Being able to train daily with my Under-17 Australian national team coaches, alongside one of my idols Aron Baynes, in my hometown, for my home club, in the NBL, with my family close by, is a dream come true.”

rocco zikarsky moves me strongly, gigantic 7'3 aussie dominating with interior scoring, extremely nimble movement for size + handling, passing and high lvm rim protection + pnr coverage

only 17, not eligible for 2024 draft but absolutely a potential top guy in 2025 pic.twitter.com/XjT3KxThBm— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) August 16, 2023

Zikarsky’s NBL debut came at Nissan Arena on September 29, where he entered for the final 28 seconds and finished with 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 block, completing a dunk as Brisbane recovered from Adelaide’s 15–0 start to win 86–71. Sobey (18 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Smith (15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block) led the Bullets, while Humphries (17 points and 7 rebounds) was Adelaide’s best.

Zikarsky (3.2 points across 27 games) appeared exclusively from the bench and averaged seven minutes, making 59.7 per cent of his field-goal attempts and blocking 27 shots. Harrison (9.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks across 27 games) established himself as Brisbane’s starting centre during a breakout season, while Baynes (7.3 points and 4.3 rebounds across 23 games) remained part of the rotation, leaving Zikarsky in a developmental role behind the two established big men.

Zikarsky’s best scoring game came against New Zealand at Nissan Arena on December 27, where he finished with 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 13:15 and joined Bannan in sparking Brisbane back from more than 20 points down to briefly take the lead during the fourth quarter. Sobey (16 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block) and Bannan (14 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 steal) led the Bullets, but Lamb (18 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal) carried the Breakers to an 81–71 win and handed Brisbane its fourth consecutive loss.

A hip injury requiring surgery ended the season of Mitchell (5 points across 15 games), leading Brisbane to sign three-time NBL champion Casey Prather (via Hapoel Eilat) as an import injury replacement in December. Prather (6.7 points across 7 games) returned after spending more than two years away from professional basketball because of knee injuries.

Sobey (20.1 points and 4.4 rebounds across 27 games) led Brisbane in scoring, assists and steals for the second consecutive season and received the Leroy Loggins Trophy as club MVP. Bannan (11.9 points and 7.2 rebounds across 19 games) was named Youth Player of the Year, while Smith (11 points across 27 games), McDaniel (9 points and 4 rebounds across 28 games), Norton (7.1 points across 28 games) and White (7 points across 28 games) provided the other main offensive support. McDaniel received the Defensive Player of the Year award, Norton won the H.A.B.I.T.S Player of the Year award and Smith’s winning three-pointer against Tasmania was voted Members Moment of the Year.

Brisbane’s season ended at Spark Arena on February 16, where Bannan (29 points and 4 rebounds) and Sobey (16 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 block) led the Bullets, while Jackson-Cartwright (27 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) carried New Zealand to a 103–87 win that left Brisbane seventh with a 13–15 record and outside the play-in tournament on percentage as Zikarsky (0 points and 2 blocks) played 3:07 off the bench.

2024/25
After finishing seventh with a 13–15 record and missing the NBL24 play-in tournament on percentage, Brisbane reshaped its roster for Justin Schueller’s second season as head coach. Nathan Sobey (to South East Melbourne), Chris Smith (to Japan), Shannon Scott (to Taiwan), and DJ Mitchell (to Manchester) departed, while Aron Baynes retired. Mitch Norton was elevated to captain as James Batemon III (via Kiryat Ata), Keandre Cook (via Crailsheim), Deng Adel (via Boulazac), Tohi Smith-Milner (via Adelaide), and Jarred Bairstow (via Tasmania) joined the returning group.

Zikarsky entered the second season of the multi-year Next Stars agreement he signed with Brisbane at 16. Representatives from 22 NBA teams travelled to the Gold Coast for the NBL Blitz, with the young centre named among the prospects scouts had come to watch ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft.

Brisbane opened against New Zealand at HoopsFest in Perth on September 21, where Zikarsky (4 points and 3 rebounds) played 6:47 off the bench as the Bullets recovered from a 26-point deficit before falling 91–87. Cook (25 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) and Prather (11 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 steal) led Brisbane’s comeback, while Parker Jackson-Cartwright (20 points, 3 rebounds, 11 assists, and 1 steal) controlled the Breakers’ offence.

Zikarsky (4.6 points and 3.4 rebounds across 18 games) shot 52.4 per cent from the field while averaging 11.8 minutes as Brisbane continued developing him as a rim-running and shot-blocking centre.

Zikarsky’s best game came against Perth at RAC Arena on November 29, where he made his first NBL start and finished with 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks in 34:34. Prather (31 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Cook (12 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals) provided support, but Kristian Doolittle (17 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists) led the Wildcats to a 117–89 victory.

A knee problem interrupted Zikarsky’s campaign, sidelining him for nine of Brisbane’s final 11 games. He made his last appearance against South East Melbourne on January 11 and remained under injury management for the rest of the season.

Prather (21.3 points and 6.3 rebounds across 27 games) finished third in league scoring, received Brisbane’s Leroy Loggins MVP Award, and earned All-NBL Second Team selection. Cook (16.7 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals across 28 games) led the NBL in steals, while Batemon III (15.5 points across 16 games) starred before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury. Harrison (14.3 points and 9.7 rebounds across 20 games) led the league in rebounding and won the NBL Most Improved Player award, while Bannan (13.2 points and 8.6 rebounds across 19 games) received Brisbane’s Youth Player of the Year award.

Zikarsky remained sidelined as Brisbane closed the season against Cairns at the Cairns Convention Centre on February 6. Cook (28 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) and Prather (19 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals) led the Bullets, but Taran Armstrong (28 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and 1 steal) recorded a triple-double as the Taipans won 100–88 and left Brisbane eighth with a 12–17 record.

Rocco Zikarsky played two seasons with the Brisbane Bullets. He averaged 3.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.2 assists in 45 NBL games.