Crosscourt: Matt Logue and Michael Randall with all the latest news during the 2024 NBL finals
The calls for Bryce Cotton to be a Boomer keep coming, while NBL legend Andrew Gaze has high praise for a former AFL defender as NBL clubs circle.
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NBL legend Andrew Gaze says former Collingwood AFL intercepting defender Tom Wilson has the tools to be a high-level contributor in the league.
Wilson, a dual-sport prodigy who played in the NBL with the Sydney Kings before turning his attention to footy, has come full circle, joining the Gaze-coached Melbourne Tigers in NBL1 South, after spending a little time practising at South East Melbourne.
Gaze has huge raps on the former Australian representative who made his AFL debut in 2021 and spent five years on the Pies’ list.
“He’s well above our expectations for someone who hasn’t played basketball for five years,” Gaze told Crosscourt.
“I expect him to be in the NBL next season and he has all the tools to be an impact player.”
The 194cm guard has the versatility to play three positions, is a superb athlete and an above-average three-point shooter.
Gaze has been impressed by the 26-year-old’s high basketball IQ and, after five years chiselling his body in an AFL high performance program, Wilson is ready to unleash on the court.
Several NBL clubs have already shown interest in Wilson and a big NBL1 season will have them clamouring ahead of 2024-25.
The Tigers Junior has an impressive basketball CV, having spent time at Basketball Australia’s elite Centre of Excellence (COE), and winning silver at the 2014 U17 World Championships.
In that final, where the Aussies went down to a Team USA squad featuring Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum, Wilson had 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds, alongside Adelaide star Dejan Vasiljevic’s 29 points.
The pedigree is very real.
HOOPS GODFATHER’S GREEN AND GOLD ‘PITY’ FOR COTTON
Australian basketball pioneer Lindsay Gaze says it’s a “pity” Bryce Cotton won’t play for the Boomers over what he calls a “weird bureaucratic intervention” and he’s expecting the Perth Wildcats star to dominate the NBL finals.
Gaze is a big believer in naturalised players donning the green and gold following a rich tradition of iconic Americans like Cal Bruton and Leroy Loggins.
He is disappointed Cotton recently declared he had “no desire” to represent Australia after a frustrating citizenship process that dates back to 2019.
The star guard has been hindered by numerous delays in his efforts to gain Australian citizenship, prompting the American to announce he no longer wanted to play for the Boomers.
Gaze understands Cotton’s decision, but says it’s a shame for Aussie hoops that the NBL’s finest import of the modern era won’t feature in the green and gold at this year’s Paris Olympics.
He says shooting is a quality the Boomers lack – a trait the Wildcats maestro possesses in spades – and believes Brian Goorjian’s men would benefit greatly from his offensive presence in Paris.
“We’ve had success in the past with new Australians making an impact on our national team, it’s a pity that one of the best didn’t get a go,” said Gaze, who represented Australia at three Olympics as a player and four as a coach.
“It’s weird. There seems to be some bureaucratic intervention.”
Australian citizenship bungle aside, Gaze is grateful NBL fans get to see Cotton showcase his skills in the league.
The 31-year-old recently secured his fourth MVP trophy, placing him in second position on the all-time list behind seven-time winner Andrew Gaze, and Gaze senior couldn’t be happier to see Cotton close in on his son’s record.
He urged NBL clubs to broaden their focus to Europe when searching for imports.
“Our league is much stronger for allowing three imports and the fans don’t mind it,” he said.
“I’d like to see a few more Europeans here through some Serbian or Czech players.
“They integrate into our community and they play really well, (which would further) help boost the NBL’s standards.”
Gaze believes the race to this year’s championship is “wide open” and nominated the Wildcats as the biggest threat to title favourites Melbourne United.
He still rates United as the team to beat, but is wary of Cotton’s ability to explode offensively and own the big moments.
“When you have a player like Cotton, and he gets hot, they can influence the result,” the two-time NBL championship-winning coach and three-time coach of the year said.
“If Bryce gets hot, they are very difficult to beat.
“In the second half of the season, United’s margin declined and I thought their form dropped off a bit.
“I don’t think they are as strong a favourite now as they were halfway through the season.
“I think the entire series is still wide open.”
HURLEY CREDITS TATUM FOR HAWKS FLYING
The Illawarra Hawks have achieved one of the greatest in-season turnarounds in NBL history – and it’s thanks to the “confidence” and “strength” of coach Justin Tatum and his willingness to make tough decisions.
That’s the opinion of legendary Hawks coach Adrian Hurley, who has credited the club’s remarkable NBL24 season to the imposing Tatum’s ability to command action from the players.
The father of Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum was elevated to interim coach in November after the club sacked Jacob Jackomas following a 2-7 start to season.
Tatum’s appointment was questioned, given his lack of elite-level coaching experience, but he soon silenced the doubters to help the Hawks win 12 of 19 games and finish the regular season in fourth position.
Illawarra had a slip up on Wednesday, losing the seeding qualifier to Tasmania, but they’ve got a second chance to advance to the final four if they beat the New Zealand Breakers on Monday.
Hurley is confident the Hawks can respond and topple the Breakers, with Tatum’s guidance key.
“I think the Hawks just needed someone like Justin who is strong and confident and the players jelled together,” said Hurley, who coached Illawarra in the NBL’s second season in 1980 and in the state and Australian championships, before that.
“I’m not critical of the previous coach (Jackomas), he did a good job, but things just didn’t click.
“I’d speak to him about how he wanted to get the ball into Sam Froling, but the players wouldn’t pass it in.
“He probably didn’t have that force. I don’t know Tatum personally, but I’m sure if he asked the players to do something, he is a big man and players listen.
“I’m very pleased with what the Hawks have done.
“They’ve been outstanding, which is great to see because we want them to survive.”
Fellow coaching great Lindsay Gaze is also a huge fan of Tatum, declaring he thought the American was unlucky to miss out on the NBL’s coach of the year award — named for Gaze — to United’s Dean Vickerman.
“I thought he (Tatum) deserved the honour,” Gaze said.
“I was pleased for Dean, being a Melbourne Tigers junior, but Justin has done a great job with Illawarra.”
HOW NBA DRAFT COULD SPUR 440CM WEMBY-SARR FRENCH CONNECTION
Brilliant NBL Next Star Alex Sarr would make a king-sized French Connection with rising NBA superstar Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio.
That’s the view of one high-level NBA international recruiter, who says the Spurs, currently projected to secure the third pick in the 2024 draft, should target the Perth Wildcats’ phenom.
It would make for a massive 440cm — 14’5” in the old language — NBA frontline with the 216cm Sarr alongside the freakish 224cm 2023 No. 1 draft pick.
“Not sure he (Sarr) goes No. 1, he’s not there on our draft board, but I think he’ll be top three,” the scout, who cannot be named due to NBA anti-tampering rules, said.
“With San Antonio, they need talent and we obviously know what Wembanyama is capable of. Sarr has shown he has a little uniqueness in his game, too, with his size and athleticism.
“He’s got the makings of a good NBA defender, he can shoot the three, he’s building a skillset you want in a modern NBA big.
“Regardless, when picking that high, you shouldn’t worry about position, and, if Sarr is their top guy at three, you take him.”
Wembanyama’s other-worldly physical attributes have taken the NBA by storm in year one, helping the 20-year-old set rookie statistical records on his way to a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double and a league-leading 3.3 blocks per game.
Wemby is a fan of his compatriot, recently telling ESPN he was “struck” by the 18-year-old’s “crazy” ability.
“I didn’t know him at all. I never heard of him,” Wembanyama said.
“He was just a crazy talent. You could see that he was willing to get better and to win but, at the time, it felt like he didn’t know, really, himself, how to play and how to use his body.
“And now, I mean, he’s just been getting better and better over the years.
“Great talent and he’s had such an unconventional path. He has been all over the world.”
Sarr is averaging 10 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 24 NBL games, helping the Wildcats to second on the ladder and a semi-final date with Tasmania, which tips off on Thursday night.
GLEESON BUCKS NBL CLUB HOPES
Five-time NBL championship-winning coach Trevor Gleeson is thriving in a revamped role under new Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers, with the increasing potential of a new NBA deal set to dampen any hope of an imminent return to the NBL.
Crosscourt can reveal the legendary Perth Wildcats mentor, an early target of Adelaide and then Sydney, before Brian Goorjian emerged as the Kings’ pick, has been given an influential role within the Bucks’ system.
Gleeson, whose NBA future was initially thrown into doubt when Milwaukee sacked Adrian Griffin and replaced him with Rivers, is contracted until the end of the NBA season in June, but is increasingly likely to re-up with the club.
It’s understood Gleeson would only return to Australia on the proviso an NBL club would offer a long-term deal.
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