One giant leap for Armstrong

HIS profile might not be as high as a couple of his fellow potential 2020 NBA draft classmates, but Terry Armstrong proved he will be just as exciting to watch this NBL season. ason.

One of four talenteded prospects featuring in the competitionpetition through the Next Stars program, am, Armstrong doesn’t haveave the following of expectedd top-10 NBA picks LaMelo Ballall and RJ Hampton.

However if the NBL BL Blitz dunk competition on is anything to go by, he is going to garner plenty of fans for the e league’s newest franchise, South East Melbourne Phoenix.

The 19-year-old shooting guard had the crowd at the DEC on its feet during the dunk contest, where he produced a pair of athletic and electric slams to claim the title from Melbourne United’s American import Shawn Long and Perth’s Nic Pozoglou. .

Armstrong’s first effort saw him hurdle United’s ed’s Tohi Smith-Milner before efore finishing with a windmillmill dunk, before an emphatic 360 on his second gave the judgesges no choice but to crown him champion. on.

“I told my teammatesates I had to go 5-0, this is my fifth dunk contest,” said Armstrong, who is projected as a second-round NBA draft selection next year.

“I have done a couple at high school and another at an All-American game.

“I didn’t think about what dunks I was going to do until I started. The dunks that I did, I have done them before but I don’t really practise them that much, I was just hoping I made them.”

It was nearly a double for the Phoenix, with import John Roberson going down in the final of the three-point shootout to Australian Boomer David Barlow.

United veteran Barlow and Roberson were only separated by a single point in the initial field of six, before the former showed his long-range threat to seal the title.

“I have never done that before to be honest, it makes me kind of nervous, more so than a game, but happy to come away with a win,” he said.