Jerome Randle can give Adelaide 36ers its first MVP since Mark Davis in 1987, says Brett Maher

ADELAIDE 36ers’ living legend Brett Maher believes the club’s newest NBL superstar Jerome Randle should become the first Sixer to win the coveted MVP award since Mark Davis in 1987.

Jerome Randle in action. Photo: Tom Huntley.

ADELAIDE 36ers’ living legend Brett Maher believes the club’s newest NBL superstar Jerome Randle should become the first Sixer to win the coveted MVP award since Mark Davis in 1987.

The closest a 36er has come since then was runner-up efforts by Maher and, most recently, Willie Farley in 2005.

Maher on Saturday saw Randle in live action first-hand for the first time this season and was dazzled by the livewire American wizard who had 26 points as the 36ers saw off league=-leader Melbourne 90-81.

That followed a season-high 41-point game from Randle on Wednesday in the 96-89 win over Sydney, both games pulling crowds of just under 7000 to the revamped Titanium Security Arena.

“There’s not heaps of guys you’d pay to go and watch night-in, night-out but Randle is certainly one of them,” Maher said.

“He is exciting.

“He would be an absolute nightmare to stay in front of (as a defender) and you have to respect his outside game.”

A file picture of Maher back in 2005.

Triple-Olympian Maher, who holds 36ers records for games played (526), points (8941), field goals (3140), field goal attempts (7072), made three-pointers (1162), three-point attempts (2835), assists (2267) and steals (703), led the club to three championships, had his singlet number (#5) retired and the main court at TSA named after him.

He is well-qualified to speak about the Sixers’ finest, having watched the club as a boy growing up before becoming its greatest player.

“I never saw Al (Green) play in his early days but saw him in the 1986 (championship) team,” Maher said of the first NBL player to have people queuing for match-night tickets.

“The last guy as entertaining to watch and who involved the crowd a lot was Willie Farley.

“Darnell Mee was great but he went about his business, and KB (Kevin Brooks) was a showman but also was about getting the job done.

“I can’t think of anyone who has excited the fans like Randle.”

Jerome Randle about to nail two points against Melbourne United at home. Photo: Stephen Laffer.

Maher said he believed Randle should be “odds-on” to win the league MVP award and probably only would lose some votes to Daniel Johnson.

“You look at the Hawks and there’s (Kevin) Lisch, (A.J.) Ogilvy and (Kirk) Penney all taking votes off each other.

“I don’t think the games Randle missed at the start of the season should work against him too much.”

Randle only missed three games before he came in for injured import Kenyon McNeaill.

He already is the first 36ers player to lead the league in scoring since the club adopted the name in 1983 — Reg Biddings led the NBL scoring in 1982 when Adelaide debuted as City Eagles — and the 76 per cent at which he scored his 41 points against the Kings is the highest shooting percentage in NBL history for anyone with more than 20 shot attempts.

Originally published as Jerome Randle can give Adelaide 36ers its first MVP since Mark Davis in 1987, says Brett Maher