Wisconsin 2026 basketball commit Jackson Ball has signed a professional contract with the Illawarra Hawks in the NBL. The NBL is one of the top international leagues in the world, having produced some top-level NBA talent over the last decade. Players like LaMelo Ball, RJ Hampton, and Josh Giddey have all made that jump.
In fact, the NBL has a program called "Next Stars," which is intentionally designed to help young players develop into NBA players through the NBL, which is essentially the direction that Ball is going with the Hawks, as he has signed as a development player for next season.