What the Pittsburgh Panthers are Getting with Top Australian Prospect Roman Siulepa

Roman Siulepa, the 6-foot-5 wrecking ball prospect from Australia, has officially committed to the Pittsburgh Panthers as the next step in his basketball career. Siulepa, while a hot commodity, had a dramatic previous season. With the growth of the Australian NBL's Next Star program, Siulepa was widely expected to spend his pre-draft career on home soil, similar to Josh Giddey, Dash Daniels, and other Australian prospects.

Last summer, Siulepa signed a Next Stars contract with the Tasmania JackJumpers and abruptly terminated it two months later. Siulepa is a multi-sport athlete who was a top prospect for Australia in both rugby and basketball. Siulepa ended his Next Star pursuit to see through the rest of his youth Rugby career, which was important to him. His pivot back to basketball now makes sense. Siulepa was the MVP of the 2024 U20 national championships, where he averaged 24 points, eight rebounds, and four assists per game, even though he was one of the youngest players in the competition.

He also led Australia to a gold medal finish at the 2024 Albert Schweitzer Tournament, and his resume of youth accomplishments and output has led some to claim him as the Aussies' best prospect since Ben Simmons. Now, like Simmons, Siulepa is leaving home to pursue NCAA basketball for his pre-draft seasons.

Siulepa's style of play has drawn comparisons to other notable NBA prospects from the past as well, such as former Duke star Zion Williamson. Siulepa imposes himself on the game in similar ways. At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, he has a physique that has already proven capable of overpowering grown men, let alone other youth and amateur players. He does not shy away from taking over games physically.

He will grab the rebound at one end and rampage all the way down the court, daring anyone to get in his way before he gets to the rim. Usually, they don't. If they do, they regret it, and regardless, he ends up with a dunk, layup, or free throws. Siulepa's decision to go the college route was preferred by many scouts and onlookers. They want to see if his brash style of play can dominate college games, as it has for him elsewhere.

With the expectation he'll have to find more than his physical power, it will be interesting to see where Siulepa's game evolves. He remains a bad free-throw shooter and a barely tolerable three-point shooter. He's not a playmaker, he doesn't have a pull-up or floater, he essentially has his body, which does give him a notable advantage on the court, and he leverages it very well. But playing in the ACC will be a different beast. Pitt finished 8-12 in conference play last season, and they'll want Siulepa to help turn that around. For him to do that, he'll need to add more dimensions to his game.