Category: NBL1

A league if their own - MVPs, DPOYs, COTYs and several other awards will be hotly contested this Sunday

3-Minute Read

MVP

The Most Valuable Player Awards for the League are determined by a system in which each team’s head coach allocates votes after each minor game of the season. After the completion of the minor rounds a list of the top 15 vote recipients is compiled, based on this voting system and sent to each team’s head coach who then allocates 3-2-1 votes to players for this award from that list.

Based on this here is the list of my candidates MVP for Womens and Mens

Womens

Previous winner – Sam Simons (Forestville Eagles)

Maddy Freer

According to our vote predictions for the Halls Medal, Freer is likely to receive at least double the number of votes of any of her team-mates – that means from a coach’s perspective she would’ve received plenty of triple voters. Maybe Rachel Hines might take a few off her but Freer has been one of the league’s outstanding players in 2023 and most improved.

Holly Forbes

Had an exceptional season for the Panthers and given they made the finals is a big reason they’ve gotten there. Ash Spencer looms as someone that might take votes off her, but she’s got a clear run at it and looks the goods to potentially take the award across the league.  

Mikayla Williams

For a team that’s been pretty even it wouldn’t surprise you if Williams went the double this season. Highly rated and regarded by opposition she’s likely be in the top 15 vote recipients and as stated in the Halls preview – likely to have been seen as a match winner at different times in the season.

Mens

Previous Winner – Jeremy Smith (South Adelaide Panthers)

Jawan Stepney

Likely in the top 15, won games of his own back and respected by his opposition – Jawan like Freer in the women’s has a clear run at it.

Branden Jenkins

Jenkins took it another level this season and night in night out was the Lions best player through the season. He’ll be very much in the talked about players of the season around this award with not a huge amount of competition taking away from him.  

Jack Hemphill

Was best on at least eight times our experts reckoned for the Eastern Mavericks in their best season since 2018 majority of games in the 2023 season. Always amongst the numbers he’s been one of the best import recruits of the season for a team that’s been more than competitive through the season.

Best Defensive Player of 2023

Best Defensive Player Award (Womens)

Previous Winner – Jasmine Simmons (West Adelaide Bearcats)

• Tayla Brazel – #1 in steals with 3.5 steals, locked down on the oppositions best guard
• Brittany Hernandez – 1.2 blocks per game, part of the #2 team in the competition for points not conceded
• Sophie Kerridge – #2 in steals with 3.4, locked down on some quality guards.

Best Defensive Player Award (Mens)

Previous Winner – Alex Starling (South Adelaide Panthers)

• Jordan Forbes – The #1 man in the #1 defensive team of the season, averaging 1.8 steals per game matching up on the oppositions best guard all season.
• Mitch McCarron – The Bearcats are top because of their main man, #2 in steals with 3.7 and #5 with 6.3 assists and averaged one block per game.
• Alex Starling – Block parties and dominated rebounding at the defensive end of the floor he’s every chance to go back-to-back.

Youth Womens and Mens Medals

The Merv Harris (women) and Frank Angove (men) medals are presented to the NBL1 Central player aged Under 23 years on December 31 of the year in which the competition is played, who polls the highest number of votes towards the Halls or Woollacott medal.

Merv Harris (U23 Womens) Medal

Previous winner – Sam Simons (Forestville Eagles)

• Tayla Brazel – Will poll plenty right up to her departure for the U19 Womens World Cup
• Maddy Freer – Likely top five finish with votes
• Olivia Bradley – Huge stretch from Round 10 onwards

Frank Angove (U23 Mens) Medal

Previous winner – Lachlan Olbrich (Southern Tigers)

• Lachlan Olbrich – Every chance to go back-to-back he’s by far the best of the young crop again – could he pull the elusive triple with the Woollacott, the Frank Angove and All-Star five – the last I think to do so was Jacob Holmes for Eastern Mavericks back in the early 2000s.
• Lloyd McVeigh – Had some big game performances but consistency across the full season may be lacking.
• Keanu Rasmussen – The Adelaide 36ers new DP has had a solid season and may be closer to Olbrich’s vote getting than you think.  

Coach of the Year

The “Coach of the Year” is awarded based on 3-2-1 votes by fellow coaches at the end of the minor rounds.

Womens (Previous Winner: Tim Shortt (Sturt Sabres)

• Matthew Clarke – Had to do some of the Tiger’s season once again without a full team and steered them to second on the ladder after just missing in 2022 – consistent and a previous winner in 2021.
• Tim Shortt – 18-0 with an unbeaten regular season team showed his wares once again and a warm favourite to go back-to-back for the first time since Kay Flynn for the Eagles in 2000 and 2001.
• Will Smith – Flames were languishing in eighth position mid-season and after a raft of turnover with the playing personnel has found a way to unite the group together and shot them up to third place across the second half of the season.   
• Vikki Kelson – Hear me out – The Mavs women finished ninth last season with three wins but had a much more experienced list, Kelson’s Mavs had an average age of 19 years of age and they won more games plus compared to 2022 they conceded 81.5 points per game compared to 84 points per game. They were in contests thanks to her structures and development getting the most of a list on paper many nights have had finishing lower with less wins. Worth consideration having won it in 2015 with the Panthers…  

Mens (Previous Winner: Scott Whitmore (Woodville Warriors)

• Andy Simons – Had a much more talented team last season but not as balanced as the one this season, it certainly hasn’t been gifted to him and after some consistency keeping the Eagles at the top the time has come for him to be recognised with this award you feel.
• Dean Nyberg – When your team finishes top of the ladder you always are in the running, you never know how much had been spent on the roster but after Olbrich came in he got the rotations and the balance of the lineup succinct and efficient – and he hasn’t won one yet.
• Paul Rigoni – Continues to defy many and holds the keys to the number one defensive team in the league – a worthy winner that could back up his 2021 accolade and his fourth of his career (2016, 2017 and 2021)
• Daniel Wray – His rookie coaching season has been a success and is worth mentioning – he’s guided the Mavericks to their best season since 2018 and made them a competitive outfit night in night out – worth acknowledging.

Phillip Yuill Medal

The “Referee of the Year” is awarded based on 3-2-1 votes by coaches at the end of the minor rounds.

• Women – Danika Shepherd, Emma Caeran, Andrew Just
• Men – Hugh Starkey, Bailey Dyer, Maddi Shaw  

All Star Five

• Women – (2022: Fejo, Basham, Wilson, S Simons, M Williams)
  o Alex Wilson
  o Brooke Basham
  o Maddy Freer
  o Mollie McKendrick
  o Mikayla Williams
• Men – (2022: Doyle, Smith, Humphries, Purchase and Olbrich)
  o Jordan Forbes
  o Branden Jenkins
  o Jawan Stepney
  o Anthony Drmic
  o Lachlan Olbrich

We are back to doing recaps for the NBL, Catch all the NBL1 Central action this weekend on the NBL1 website, app and game of the week in First Round of the finals between the Forestville Eagles Men and the Sturt Sabres Men on Kayo and Kayo Freebies this weekend.

NBL1 – Australia’s League

Please continue to support SA basketball news and features content being written as well as national/international with the Pick and Roll – with our influx of work we are making content all free to read but need constant contributions to make this happen. $5 a month is all we are asking – If not keen to subscribe then please message to receive direct debit details how you can keep these quality features being produced

Who's the man of this league? - It could be Drmic, Stepney, Forbes, Jenkins, Olbrich, Mays or a dark horse - the race for the mens is too tight to call...

3-Minute Read

A huge thankyou to our experts, the commentators of the NBL1 Central that cast their own 3-2-1 each match of the season to help with the predictions below for the award…

Previous Decade Winners

2013       Daniel Johnson (West Adelaide)

2014       Alex Starling (Woodville)

2015       Matthew Lycett (Norwood)

2016      Nelson Kirksey  (Woodville)

2017       Eian Davis (South Adelaide)

2018       Alexander Starling (North Adelaide)

2019       CJ Turnage (Southern Tigers)

2021       CJ Turnage (Norwood Flames)

2022       Jeremy Smith (South Adelaide)

Did you know???

In the Mens the club the most Woollacott medals have been won by Sturt who were also United Church prior to 1972 with 12, West Adelaide and Norwood with 11. Out of the 10 current clubs, everyone has posted a winner with Steve Brekke the least recent club player to win it for Central District Lions way back in 1984. The biggest multiple winner of the Woollacott is “Chairman of the Boards” himself Mark Davis who has won it five times between 1986 and 1992 including a tie with former 36ers teammate Mike McKay in 1987. There have also been 14 back-to-back winners of the award with the most recent CJ Turnage in 2019 and 2021 and the first Don Collins for West Torrens in 1951.

The Favourites

Anthony Drmic (West Adelaide Bearcats)

Drmic whose last appearance in the league was with the Southern Tigers in 2019 was cruelled with injury but in 2023 having played a majority of the season he’s a front runner in the award. Drmic played 15 games this season and our experts expect he’ll poll very strongly in at least twelve of those games. The obvious part of this count is that he’s got a few teammates that can pinch votes off him – but was one of the few to have standout stat lines on many of those nights.   

Jawan Stepney (Woodville Warriors)

There’s always a favourite that may have not too many votes taken off him plus won a few games off his own back – that’s Jawan Stepney in 2023. The fact the Warriors have made the finals too suggests they’ve won enough games where he was clearly the best on court those evenings. I expect he’ll poll in twelve games as well as Drmic.  

Jordan Forbes (Sturt Sabres)

Probably the import recruit of the season in the men’s and what a subtle quietly executed contract it was from the Sturt Sabres. Forbes is in the numbers literally every game nearly averaging a triple double most nights. As a result, that gives him around anywhere between ten to twelve games where he may have polled votes.

The Smokeys

Lachlan Olbrich (West Adelaide Bearcats)

The late start did not slow this man down who is a previous vote getter having been selected for all-star five and winner of last year’s Frank Angove medal. He’s likely to steal votes off his teammates in Drmic and Mitch McCarron producing from Round 4 at least thirteen games where he had large numbers across all areas – it could come down to the final game against the Tigers to see where the UC Riverside product finishes.

Greg Mays (Forestville Eagles)

Another year and another Greg Mays smokey prediction but that’s how highly underrated the Eagles power forward/centre is. He has history with votes having we think polled many over his career but this year particularly he’s been a big part of the Eagles being right up the top of the table. Difference this year is I think he’s polled in close to ten games at least including a couple of big votes in losses for the Eagles. As is normally the case the likes of Adam Doyle, Brad Rathjen, Malith Machar and Jake Rios may grab a few off him as well.   

Durrell McDonald (North Adelaide Rockets)

When the Rockets started to get going it was through “Nugget” and he no doubt started to catch the eye of the officials. McDonald had a huge second half of the season stats wise and in the Rockets performances was 17.3 points, 6.6 assists and 5.3 rebounds. He’s likely to poll in seven of the back nine games and come home with a flurry.

Keep An Eye on

Branden Jenkins (Central Districts Lions)

Games won by Centrals is the big factor here, but Jenkins will still poll very strongly having always stayed amongst the best players nightly. Twelve games look at the likely votes coming his way – the knock those losses and whether he still got enough recognition with plenty of two votes coming his way in lost causes.  

Alex Starling (South Adelaide Panthers)

Historically polls well being a two-time Woollacott Medal winner – the fairytale of him winning three would be a headline. He’s got some competition from Daniel Johnson who also could produce a story of his own winning it ten years later after his one with West Adelaide in 2013. Starling played 15 games this year and bar one or two games probably polled votes in everyone.  

Trey “Walter” McBride (Norwood Flames)

Late arrival but certainly not on the vote train with McBride likely to come home strong like his Flames did in 2023. All his votes come second half of the season, but he was likely to have polled in eight of the nine games

The Winner is… Jawan Stepney

Team has made the finals and will poll a consistent three votes in their wins – always catches the eye of the officials and no one is stealing votes off him you’d think…

We are back to doing recaps for the NBL, Catch all the NBL1 Central action this weekend on the NBL1 website, app and game of the week in First Round of the finals between the Forestville Eagles Men and the Sturt Sabres Men on Kayo and Kayo Freebies this weekend.

NBL1 – Australia’s League

Please continue to support SA basketball news and features content being written as well as national/international with the Pick and Roll – with our influx of work we are making content all free to read but need constant contributions to make this happen. $5 a month is all we are asking – If not keen to subscribe then please message to receive direct debit details how you can keep these quality features being produced

BMW going back-to-back? - Mikayla Williams is a favourite to go back-to-back in the Halls Medal on Sunday with the likely competition coming from Brooke Basham, Maddy Freer, Ally Wilson and Nicole Fransson

3-Minute Read

A huge thankyou to our experts, the commentators of the NBL1 Central that cast their own 3-2-1 each match of the season to help with the predictions below for the award…

Previous Decade Winners

2013       Jess Foley (Norwood Flames)

2014       Amy Lewis (Norwood Flames)

2015       Callan Taylor (Woodville Warriors)

2016       Olivia “Levicki” Thompson (Forestville)

2017       Alex Wilson (Eastern Mavericks)

2018       Chelsea Brook (Sturt Sabres)

2019      Carmen Tyson-Thomas (Eastern Mavericks)        

2021      Teige Morrell (Southern Tigers)

2022     Mikayla Williams (Sturt Sabres)

Did you know???

In the Womens the club who has won the most Halls medals is North Adelaide with 10 followed by South Adelaide with 9 and West Adelaide with 8. Out of the 10 current clubs, everyone has posted a winner with Sam Woosnam the least recent club player to win it for West Adelaide way back in 2006. The biggest multiple winner of the Halls is Vicki Kelson who has won it four times in 2000, 2001 and 2005 including a three-way tie in 1999 with Narelle Lindsay and Kristen Veal. We could also have our first back-to-back Halls medallist if Mikayla Williams can take it out – she would be the first since Deanna Smith for the South Adelaide Panthers in 2003 and 2004.      

The Favourites

Brooke Basham

It’s been nearly 29 years since North Adelaide Women’s last Halls Medallist in Jo Hill (1994) – but newly re-signed Adelaide Lightning shooting guard Brooke Basham is right up there in the count this year. In 2022 with the Norwood Flames the experts think she polled in about thirteen of the games – this year it’s about the same but how many threes she gets where teammate Lauren Mansfield played is the big factor on whether she comes up just short or takes the award in a tight count.

Mikayla Williams

The reigning Halls Medallist has every chance to go back-to-back and with a team winning all 18 games of the season – she rarely had an off-night. Our experts have her polling in all but three games for the season (one she missed while resting for the double header) and an extremely high chance of the three. It’s estimated she’ll pick up six to eight three voters, but you never know with the depth of the Sabres side – Tayla Brazel looks the likely challenger for three votes on an even night’s performance for the Sabres.   

Maddy Freer

Freer has raced into Halls calculations after we think polling around six votes in 2022 – Sam Simons last year’s MVP and Isobel Borlase missing majority of the season has meant Freer has been front and centre of every Eagles win and competitive loss for the season. I expect she’ll poll in ten games at least and maybe a few more as a surprise.   

The Smokeys

Mollie McKendrick

As always with Mollie it’s dependent on whether she can poll in the majority of games she plays. This season she played 15 compared to 17 last season but we expect she will poll strongly in at least ten games and be right up there as a smokey.

Ally Wilson

Australian duties are the only thing that might prevent Wilson from taking out the Halls after another outstanding season. The all-star five selection last year will be right up there again and even in some losses will poll strongly. Our experts anticipate she’ll poll in at least nine or more games across the backend of the season.

Morgan Yaeger

Another one who started the season late with injury but no doubt will get some three voters across the second half of the season. It was around Round 7 when she heated up and likely reeled off votes in her next twelve of thirteen games from there on in.

Keep An Eye on

Holly Forbes

Has been super solid the full season and likely to be the leading poller for the Panthers. She was close to observational best on court in at least five games and possibly picked up votes in losses as well – watch her numbers very closely…

Nicole Fransson

Was very much in the officials’ eye majority of the Warriors games throughout the season including in the rebound counts. Lack of wins might be the downside but even in some losses she may have picked up handy votes to keep her right in the top vote getters.

Sophie Kerridge

You never know who might emerge as a vote getter from a previous season and for the Flames to get where they did there was an engine that got motoring at both ends of the floor – Kerridge is one of those players who had a season that may be recognised in the voting. How many times she picks up three versus two or one will depend on how they look at her teammates’ impact on games but she’s definitely one not to sleep on.

The Winner is… Mikayla Williams

I’m thinking given she’ll poll in 15 games – she’ll be plus 30 and very hard to catch as a clear standout this season.

We are back to doing recaps for the NBL, Catch all the NBL1 Central action this weekend on the NBL1 website, app and game of the week in First Round of the finals between the Forestville Eagles Men and the Sturt Sabres Men on Kayo and Kayo Freebies this weekend.

NBL1 – Australia’s League

Please continue to support SA basketball news and features content being written as well as national/international with the Pick and Roll – with our influx of work we are making content all free to read but need constant contributions to make this happen. $5 a month is all we are asking – If not keen to subscribe then please message to receive direct debit details how you can keep these quality features being produced