While there are many on-court challenges junior stars face as they move to professional ranks, Mitch Creek’s biggest hurdle was a long way from the hardwood.

“I was learning how to pay bills and cook meals for myself seven days a week, and it was like ‘what the hell have I got myself into? Can’t I just play some basketball?’” Creek laughed.

Progress on the iiNet NBL court has been equally tough for the 197cm jumping jack, who entered the competition as one of the best juniors on the planet.

The basketball world first took notice when he claimed MVP at the 2010 Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Germany, amassing 20 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in the Emus’ 68-51 final win against the home nation.

“It was just an amazing feeling to be in a stadium with 3000 supporters going off their heads,” he said. “I’d never seen that before, I’d only ever seen 20 people around a local basketball stadium.”

The Horsham native then performed brilliantly at the 2011 FIBA Under-19 World Championship in Latvia, ranking in the top seven forwards in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals.

“It was good to know I had the talent to roll with best,” he said.

“Sometimes I’d come out on top and sometimes I wouldn’t, but the times you don’t you learn from it and that’s what makes you a better player.”

His numbers were near-identical to athletic Australian superstar Sam Mackinnon at the corresponding tournament in 1995.

The following season Mackinnon was a key player on an NBL championship squad and a member of the Olympic team, whereas Creek finds himself battling in a much deeper Australian talent pool.

Creek isn’t fazed by the extra mountains he has to climb to emulate Mackinnon’s feats and is keen to sound out the 2007 NBL MVP about how to best use his athletic gifts.

“I’ve watched tape of Sammy. I’ve never met him, but I’d love to get his number and give him a call and talk about these things.”

Like Mackinnon, Creek is already excelling defensively, embracing coach Marty Clarke’s challenge to stop some of the league’s best.

Taking on Kevin Lisch, CJ Bruton, Jamar Wilson, Myron Allen and Peter Crawford, the 19-year-old’s colours have rarely been lowered.

“I try to embrace it and think ‘who have I got this week?’”

“Throughout the week you look at their film, look at their trends, their traits, their numbers, and I think ‘I can get this person’.

“It’s great to have the coach’s confidence at such a young age.”

Another coach who has paid attention is Boomers boss Brett Brown, who invited Creek to camp last international season only for injury to intervene.

“Just to have Brett contact me is a privilege in itself and then to be asked to a camp is amazing,” he said.

“I can’t wait for the next one to come around and hopefully I’m playing good enough basketball to get a call up.”

Creek knows a Boomers spot is still a little way off, his next goal is to secure a starting place in the NBL. While this has proved a difficult task to date, the 19-year-old doesn’t regret passing up offers from prestigious US colleges.

“I know I can play with the best at the American level,” he said, an opinion well backed by his efforts against US junior teams.

“It’s just a matter of showing people in Australia what I have at a professional level.”

What Creek and his young Adelaide teammates want to show their long-suffering fans is heart, regardless of their ladder position.

“Nothing’s going to change,” he said. “We are just going to keep working and focusing on this week and play all 2400 seconds.”