BASKETBALLER Nikolas Iliadis feels like he’s following in some very familiar footsteps as his star continues to rise in the sport.
Having just returned from last month’s Basketball Australia National Championships, 15-year-old Nikolas is well on his way to emulating the success of older brother Trian, who is forging a college basketball career in the US.
Nikolas, who lives in Gwelup, was an integral part of WA’s seventh-place finish at the tournament, leading the team in scoring and assists in an impressive individual display.
He said he was pleased with his effort in the Tasmanian tournament, which brought together the sport’s best young athletes from around the country.
“It was great to be out there – my brother did it a few years ago, and to get the call-up myself was terrific,” he said.
“Just playing against the best guys in Australia was really cool, and hopefully I can keep achieving at that level.”
The 185cm guard, who attends Trinity College in East Perth, has had the benefit of playing under some of the State’s best coaches, including former Perth Wildcats skipper Mike Ellis. He has already been called up to train with the Australian under-17 squad, despite being a year younger than most of the other players.
But much of his development has come by learning from his 19-year-old brother, who represents Old Diminion University in the US – something Nikolas would like to emulate in the near future.
“The first goal would be to represent Australia, but then to go to college and follow in my brother’s footsteps would be amazing,” he said.
Nikolas said Trian’s influence had been invaluable on his own career.