Crosscourt: Latest news ahead of round 18 of the 2024-25 NBL season

The NBL’s best big men bash, crash and dominate on the court but, when it comes to the league’s most-coveted award, stunning historic statistics reveal the true extent of the Aussie league’s obsessions with guards. CROSSCOURT

The AFL’s Brownlow Medal is a midfielders’ award; playmakers dominate the Dally M voting in the NRL; and stunning stats reveal the NBL’s Andrew Gaze Most Valuable Player Award is almost exclusively the domain of elite guards.

Perth superstar Bryce Cotton’s insane scoring streak has him on the brink of a remarkable fifth MVP gong. If that happens, of the 49 NBL MVP trophies awarded since 1979, 32 of those will be players who are primarily guards.

This season, floor generals Trey Kell (Illawarra) and Kendric Davis (Adelaide) are the popular picks as the men who have the most chance of pulling off an unlikely shock upset of Cotton.

While Casey Prather has been deployed as a four-man in Brisbane but he’s undersized at 198cm and plays more like a guard with the ball spending plenty of time in his hands.

It’s hard to see anyone catching Bryce Cotton in this year’s NBL MVP race. Picture: Getty Images

Since the 2015-16 NBL season, seven guards have been crowned MVP. One forward in Xavier Cooks in 2022-23 and one centre in Andrew Bogut in 2018-19.

Any big guy chasing the prize is up against history – the legendary Chris Anstey is the only true centre to win the trophy multiple times.

This season, apart from Cooks, 206cm forward-centre Matt Hurt has flown under the radar, quietly dominating as the most consistent big man in the entire league on a South East Melbourne team that has produced one of the NBL’s greatest turnarounds.

Incredibly, Hurt, at 24, is the youngest import in the NBL, but he is putting up numbers akin to a veteran star and deserves to be considered among the league’s very best, teammates say.

Guard Owen Foxwell said while Cotton was an outlier, Hurt’s impact on the Phoenix has been as big as anyone else in the league on their own team.

“What he’s doing on the floor at the moment is pretty remarkable,” Foxwell told Crosscourt.

“Bryce is obviously a little bit of an outlier but you only have to look at Matty’s efficiency and numbers and the group’s performances and he stands out.

“I think Matty likes flying under the radar, he’s just going to get the job done.”

Matt Hurt has been one of the finds of NBL25. Picture: Getty Images

The Minnesota native’s ability to put the ball in the bucket with defenders hanging off him like Christmas decorations is almost as impressive as his unblockable high-release launches from deep.

The former Duke Blue Devil is producing 20.5 points per game (fourth) on nearly 57 per cent shooting from the field, 33 per cent from deep and 77 per cent from the free throw line, to go with 7.3 rebounds (seventh) and 1 block (T-sixth).

Hurt’s 194 field goal makes is easily No.1 in the league – the guards do a ton of their work from the charity stripe.

The MVP discussion is a fun one, not that Hurt takes much notice.

“I don’t really focus on that, I let everyone else try to talk about that,” Hurt told Crosscourt.

“I just come into work every day and enjoy my teammates and go home and relax.

“I care about the locker room and the coaches and trying to make playoffs, trying to win a championship.”

A GUARD’S AWARD

The NBL has had 48 MVP winners since 1979 (joint winners twice)

Primary guards – 31

Primary Forwards – 10

Primary Centres – 7

FROLING COULD TEST OPEN MARKET

Illawarra is in danger of losing young star Sam Froling after sources said the Hawks lowballed the big man.

Days after the club told Crosscourt it was keen to get an extension done with Froling, it can be revealed the Hawks’ first offer is understood to be below market value, with the fringe Boomer now a real chance of becoming a free agent if his expectations aren’t met.

The Townsville-born big man has been brilliant for the table-topping Hawks, averaging 14.8 points on 55 per cent shooting from the field and 7.5 rebounds.

Could Sam Froling’s stay in Illawarra be over at the end of this season? Picture: Getty Images

Froling, who is in his sixth season in Illawarra, loves the club and the players and is keen to extend his stay in Wollongong. But the Hawks have another young big waiting in the wings in 20-year-old NBA hopeful Lachlan Olbrich.

At 24, Froling wants to maximise his earnings while he is still in the prime years of his career with the lucrative Asian market an option he could consider.

Froling is in the last year of a contract understood to be one of the league’s best bargains, given his age, production and the dearth of quality Australian centres in the NBL.

One source told Code Sports he could command a multi-year deal upwards of $350,000 per season if he was to hit the open market.

The Hawks have been contacted for comment.

NOI’S AWARD TO LOSE

Sydney Kings bench weapon Kouat Noi has a firm grip on the NBL’s Sixth Man of the Year award following a sublime breakout season.

Noi’s rise from inconsistent to the Kings’ spark plug has been one of the stories of the season to date.

The proud South Sudanese representative is averaging 14.3 points on 46 per cent shooting from the field.

It feels like the only player who can challenge Noi is Illawarra’s Will Hickey who has been the best bench player on the NBL’s best team.

Kouat Noi has been brilliant coming off the bench for the Sydney Kings in NBL25. Photo: Mark Evans/Getty Images.

Hickey has made a giant leap in NBL25, leaving him to most likely secure the Most Improved Player award.

The gun Illawarra guard is averaging 8.6 points on 52 per cent shooting from the field while adding 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

Hickey’s injection of energy is a major key for the Hawks to go on to win the NBL25 championship.

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR CANDIDATES

Kouat Noi (Sydney Kings)

Will Hickey (Illawarra Hawks)

Ian Clark (Melbourne United)

Originally published as Crosscourt: Latest news ahead of round 18 of the 2024-25 NBL season