Australia’s Boomers, in somewhat of a rebuilding phase, have looked good for the most part at the world championships in Turkey. Granted, the opening one-point win over Jordan was unimpressive and lucky, but a subsequent loss to powerful Argentina and a 35-point blowout of Germany showed what this group is capable of.

It’s good news for the future of Australian basketball. It’s bad news if you want to keep a close eye on these up-and-coming stars.

Why? Like the Socceroos, the majority will be plying their trade in Europe this season, and you’ll need pay-TV and broadband if you want to follow their progress.

Matt Nielsen has been a Boomers’ stalwart for years, but he hasn’t played in the NBL since 2004. This season, he’ll continue his stellar European career with Olympiacos, the Greek powerhouse. Olympiacos does show up on ESPN and Eurosport, so those with Foxtel may get to see Nielsen in action.

Similarly Aleks Maric, who moves to Panathinaikos after a breakout season at Partizan Belgrade. The 25 year old Maric, who played collegiately at Nebraska, had 23 points and nine rebounds against Jordan, and is part of the next generation of Aussie big men – along with Aron Baynes – who will support Andrew Bogut in the 2012 Olympic campaign.

Former South Dragons star Joe Ingles, who came off the bench for CB Granada in Spain last season, is sure to see more playing time this year. Ingles has looked superb in a starting role in Turkey, scoring 22 against Argentina and 10 against Germany. He’s a far cry from the tentative, skinny kid who loped up and down the court in the NBL, and could be on the verge of fulfilling the potential many have seen in him for years.

Former NBL star Mark Worthington, who captained the Dragons in their title-winning year, spent last season in Germany and is likely to do the same after the worlds. Ex-Melbourne Tiger David Barlow is in Spain, while Brad Newley will play in Lithuania and Steven Markovic in Serbia.

The Boomers’ NBA players will be easier to keep track of, thanks to One HD and of course, ESPN. Bogut will be back with the Milwaukee Bucks, while David Andersen moves from Houston to Toronto, and Patty Mills, the most exciting basketball talent to come out of this country in years, is pushing for a spot on the Portland Trail Blazers roster. If Mills doesn’t make the final cut in Portland, he may be picked up by another NBA team or, like most of the other Boomers, take his talents to Europe.

The bottom line is that only two players on the world championship roster – Adam Gibson and Damian Martin – will be on the court when the NBL tips off in October. That’s not a slight on the domestic competition. Like soccer’s A-League, the NBL will constantly struggle to keep its best players at home.

And speaking of the NBL, the league’s reigning MVP, former Townsville Crocodile Corey “Homicide” Williams, has been named one of the 24 best players to ever play at the famed Rucker Park in New York City.

Williams, who honed his skills outdoors on the NYC blacktop, is on the list with some of the greatest names who ever played the game: Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Nate Archibald and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.