In depth with South East Melbourne Phoenix’s trio of new imports Alan Williams, Trey Kell and Gary Browne Jr
One brings the noise. One, the style. And one the charm. All three are serious ballers and, together, they plan to turn the Heartland into title town. Here’s what makes them tick.
Conversations in his native Spanish with fellow arrival Alan Williams have helped Puerto Rican national team captain Gary Browne quickly find a little slice of home in his new South East Melbourne digs.
Williams — ironically born in Phoenix — grew up in a circle of Hispanic friends. Arizona shares a border with Mexico and he and his brother learned to speak fluent Spanish during their formative years.
It helped “when we wanted to talk behind our parents’ back” but has also given the boisterous big man a special way to welcome new teammates of Spanish-speaking backgrounds.
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“Obviously he speaks it a lot better than I do, but that Puerto Rican dialect of Spanish is so smooth,” Williams, 29, says of floor general ‘GB’.
Browne says it’s the first time he’s ever landed on a team with someone who speaks his first language.
“They stuck me on a treadmill in Turkey. One place they put me on a bike. Technically, this is definitely the most involved.â€
— Herald Sun Sport (@heraldsunsport) September 7, 2022
An inside look at how @SEMelbPhoenix maximise their athletes as @Gbrowne14 undergoes his medical exam: https://t.co/rB7Lb8qQ33@MickRandallHSpic.twitter.com/G3NlkcBfe3
“His Spanish is legit, I give him a 10 out of 10,” Browne says.
“Even in the Puerto Rican national team we have guys who don’t speak Spanish.”
The trio jetted into Melbourne only last week, but they’ve already established Browne sets the standard in the fashion stakes, Williams is the vocal foodie and Kell, born George Earl Kell III, is the quiet achiever with boyish good looks and a Cheshire Cat smile that lights up his face.
GB SETTING THE STANDARD
Browne rolled into the Phoenix gym dressed head-to-toe in black, glimmering ice in his ear and on his wrist, with a Nike bucket hat that the two boys loved and a mask that wouldn’t have looked out of place on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ arch-nemesis The Shredder.
“GB came in and he was fresh as hell, had the black all the way down with the watch on and the bucket hat,” Williams laughs.
“The bucket hat — CRAZY,” Kell adds.
“He’s got the diamonds in his ear right now, we were so casual,” Williams said.
“He’s setting the standard, by far, we got to come with it.”
Kell: “He came prepared.”
Browne sits there laughing, with his head in his hands.
“This is going to be all year around? Aight, bet,” Browne says of the boys’ gentle ribbing.
Kell, 26, rocked a Phoenix Suns logo on his sweater and it immediately caught the eye of Williams, who spent three years with the NBA team.
“I saw it this morning and I was like, ‘Oh, snap, that’s love right there’,” Williams says.
Kell admits it’s not quite serendipity, even with Williams’ link and his new team sharing the Phoenix nickname.
“That wasn’t the plan, but even when I’m not thinking, I’m thinking, so it happened unintentionally but that’s just intelligence working,” Kell says.
“So I’ll take that as thinking ahead.”
BIG SAUCE’S BIG VOICE
The first thing you notice about Williams in the gym is that he’s got a booming voice and he’s not afraid to use it.
It’s not planned and not fake — he loves the game and this is part of his persona. It’s his tribute to the sport and his teammates.
From the first bounce and bucket, he’s the most encouraging player on the court, even in his first session with his new club.
“That’s me always, I’m very loud, I always have been my whole life,” he said.
“I find a lot of joy in playing basketball and I think that me being vocal is that representation of that.
“A lot of times at practice it can be a drag and that one person or two people who can come in there and try to raise that level and the energy can help guys get through it.
“Just to try to get through the tough part of practice ... keep guys engaged and make some fun out of it.”
He looms as a massive boost to a Phoenix side that lacked voice at times — last season’s import guard Xavier Munford would sometimes go through an entire pre-game shoot around without saying a word to any teammate and Chinese centre Zhou Qi was a much-loved, if quiet, presence.
Kell says Williams’ outgoing nature will mesh well with his more understated approach and Browne’s no-fuss example.
“I can tell his personality, he’s definitely the loud speaker of the team but it works out because I’m more ... just talk to you quietly in the team huddle kind of thing, so you’ve got to have those opposites to make it work,” Kell said.
ALL ABOUT BALANCE
The buzzer goes off during our catch up inside the Phoenix’s State Basketball Centre training base.
It interrupts Kell, mid-sentence, providing an opportunity for laughs — It’s light-hearted and there’s plenty of levity between the trio.
But the well-spoken San Diego native quickly gets serious when the topic shifts to why the three men have converged on Melbourne.
“We all want the same goal, talking to them, we are all just trying to win,” Kell said.
“There’s no one out here trying to worry about themselves or make sure they look good, we’re all on the same page.
“We’re trying to bring a championship here and just do whatever it takes to get that done.”
Williams loves the Phoenix’s ‘hard work’ mentality: “we all fit into that mould and we can definitely help with that.”
Point guard Browne’s arrival is more than two years in the making, with Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell enamoured with the way he runs a team.
“I spoke with coach the last two years, he and I have a good relationship,” the 29-year-old, born Gary Browne Ramirez, said.
“We talk about basketball, we talk about our families.
“Things worked out the way they got to work out. It was for me to be (here) this year.
“I’m excited to work with coach and with the guys.”
A PARMA AND A POT
Williams and partner Cassidy Kitterman were straight off the plane and straight to popular Collins St Japanese restaurant Yakimono.
“We’re foodies, my girlfriend and I, so we’re trying to hit all the good spots in the city,” he said.
“The vibe at Yakimono was crazy, the food was great, I was dead asleep but it was a good experience.”
He’s already booked up the road at Society, too. He’s yet to realise he could spend the whole season on Collins St and still not visit every restaurant..
“I’m here for all suggestions, so any Phoenix fans out there who want to throw a couple of restaurants my way, please do,” he said.
“It doesn’t even have to be expensive.”
I suggest a good countery at the pub. A parma and a pot is more my wheelhouse.
He’s perplexed.
“A what and a what?” he asks.
“Ok, a par-maaa and a pot — I’ll have to find this out.”
Find it out, he will, in what looms as a fun season in The Heartland.
SEM’s emphatic answer to new import’s big question
—Michael Randall
New South East Melbourne import Alan Williams had plenty of questions for Phoenix boss Tommy Greer when he touched down in Australia Thursday.
But it was one particular inquiry that excited coach Simon Mitchell most.
Former Phoenix Sun Williams and fellow new imports Trey Kell and Gary Browne Jr, on Friday, got a first look at their new home and met their new teammates.
Mitchell told his group of a phone call he received from Greer earlier this week.
“I get a phone call from an excited CEO and he’s like, ‘they’re awesome guys, I love them, they’re going to be fantastic’,” Mitchell said.
He then directs his attention to the 203cm Williams and prompts “what was the one thing you asked about this team and what they’ve been doing in pre-season?”
Williams replies immediately: “Are they working?”
The 29-year-old, in his first practice, quickly found out hard work is this club’s mantra.
They roar it in unison as they split into their training groups and it’s a mantra the majority of those who live in the Phoenix’s Heartland adopt every day.
Williams says it’s a match, because he, Kell and Browne Jr embody that ethos, too.
“It wasn’t a question of working that I didn’t believe you were working but it’s the identity and the culture,” Williams tells the group.
“I feel like the guys we have brought in to be with you guys, we all have that identity, we all have a lot to prove, with chips on our shoulders, a lot like this team.
“Hard work embodies the identity of this region of basketball and it can make this area proud and make each other proud.”
It’s a new start for the trio, Williams is already the loudest on the floor, Kell is the quieter assassin and Browne had only just landed in Melbourne and went straight to the State Basketball Centre for testing.
It took four planes and 35 hours from Puerto Rico for Browne to Melbourne — that’s hard work, but he had a place to be and he says it’s winning time.
They’re preparing for a trip to Tasmania for a pair of pre-season games against the JackJumpers and Mitchell is adamant each player is razor focused on what they want to get out of the five-day trip.
“It’s been a while since I played, getting up and down, getting a feel, getting in better game shape,” Kell says when Mitchell’s attention shifts to him.
“For us, as a group, building an identity, offensively and defensively, what we’re trying to get out of each possession.
“Offensively, I can already tell we’re trying to get up and down and defensively it’s about us dictating the offence.”
The Phoenix had their army of volunteers in to watch training — it’s a particularly frosty morning and it’s so cold inside the gym that Kell keeps his tracksuit on for the whole session — and they are rewarded with access to the players afterwards, Ryan Broekhoff making a point of spending time with them.
Williams had Mitchell dancing down the sideline when he laid a heavy screen on captain Kyle Adnam, then rolled down the lane, finishing with a silky floater.
New signing Grant Anticevich was brought in as a player who would take some time to develop but, watching him in training, it’s clear to see his size, shooting and rebounding ability will help him carve out a role in Mitchell’s rotation. When he gets his feet set from deep, he’s money.
Raw Kiwi development player Anzac Rissetto, at 21, is a lump of a man, who isn’t quite NBL ready, but has all the tools to be a contributor one day. Aside from Williams, he is one of the loudest players on the practice court.
The training players won’t travel to Tasmania, but Mitchell urges them to use the time effectively.
“Get shots up — don’t be sitting at home and saying ‘ah well, I’ll put the feet up’, you guys still play Game Boys and PlayStations, right?” the group’s in stitches – he’s been saving that one.
Broekhoff said he is fully recovered from the shoulder injury that cut his NBL22 season short, while Mitch Creek is in a moon boot as he recovers from an ankle injury. The Phoenix are optimistic he will play in round one, but say they will take no risks with the star forward.
Rising Aussie set to soar with Phoenix
—Michael Randall
The chance to pick the brain of former NBA and Boomers’ sharpshooter Ryan Broekhoff was a decisive factor in South East Melbourne’s newest addition joining the Phoenix.
Hot on the heels of the unveiling of former NBA big man Alan Williams, Sydney-born forward Grant Anticevich has signed on for NBL23.
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With the pandemic wreaking havoc on basketball all over the world, the 24-year-old extended his college career at the University of California, Berkeley, into a fifth year, using the NCAA’s Covid-19 waiver.
The versatile 206cm swingman comes to the Phoenix as a rebounding machine who can stretch the floor with his shooting, putting together a season averaging 9.7 points and 6.8 rebounds — good enough for seventh in the dynamic Pac-12 division — with the Golden Bears.
“I am really excited to get down there (to Melbourne) … there is so many high level players, like Ryan Broekhoff is a great shooter, I think that is someone I can learn a lot from,” Anticevich, who is spending time in Sydney with family, but is expected to arrive later this week, said.
“Surrounded by incredible players and coaches, (I’m) really looking forward to the opportunity to pick their brains and get experience and grow and improve as much as I can as a player.
“(I’m) excited to have the opportunity to play with such a good ball club.
“Obviously, there is a Melbourne and Sydney rivalry, but I’m really excited to be … closer to the family and playing in my home country.”
Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell expects Anticevich to thrive in the NBL.
“He is an exciting young Australian forward who has had a very good career in the storied Pac12,” Mitchell said.
“I think his skill sets may be better suited to the pro game, with a more wide-open floor.
“His catch-and-shoot, pick-and-pop game should flourish in the NBL.
“The opportunity for young Australian talents like Grant and Junior Madut to learn under guys like (Mitch) Creek and Broekhoff is a great opportunity for them and great for our squad.”
Psychology major Anticevich said he played “every sport under the sun” before being encouraged to pursue hoops by his parents.
“I played cricket, AFL, rugby, tennis, soccer, you name it, I gave everything a crack,” he said.
“As soon as I started playing (basketball), I just kind of fell in love with it to.
“My parents are both kind of tall and they wanted to put me in a team sport, so they figured I had a chance of being tall, so they put me in basketball.”
‘War is never the answer’: New Phoenix import’s wild journey
—Michael Randall
From Phoenix to the Phoenix, South East Melbourne has signed its centre for NBL23.
Former NBA big man Alan Williams, who was born and bred in the Valley of the Sun, will wear the laser green of the NBL’s Phoenix after inking a one-year deal in the Heartland, replacing departing Chinese tower Zhou Qi.
A much-loved figure at the Suns, the 203cm, 120kg double-double machine is a wide load who, at his best, owns the paint.
He looms as a massive piece in South East Melbourne’s revamped roster, completing a starting five of import guards Gary Browne and Trey Kell, with former Boomers and NBA men Mitch Creek and Ryan Broekhoff.
Time to get the hell out of Dodge
Williams has a unique perspective on the conflict in the Ukraine.
He was playing for Lokomotiv Kuban in the VTB United League when Russian forces invaded their neighbour.
It was an uncertain time, his team was suspended from EuroCup competition and he decided it was time to head home to Phoenix.
“It all happened pretty fast, it was a stall in play and all of a sudden the invasion took place and then it was just week-by-week — it got more and more difficult to be out there as a foreigner,” he said.
“Credit cards stopped working, service was shoddy on the cell phone. I didn’t feel unsafe in the city that I was in but, at the same time, when the country that you’re playing in is involved in a conflict like that, you never know what’s going to happen.
“Rather than wait around and figure that out, I chose to exit the situation and get to a place where I felt comfortable back home.”
Honored to testify this morning in front of the US Senate Judiciary Committee in D.C. on the impact of gun violence on our youth. Proud to represent @PhoenixPolice and @MajorCityChiefpic.twitter.com/9fw9z7HmFr
— Chief Jeri Williams, Phoenix Police (@PhxPDChief) June 15, 2022
The son of two pillars of his community — dad Cody is a judge and mum Jeri is the chief of police back home — Williams had a strong upbringing and says “war is never the answer”.
“I don’t believe that war is something that should be happening in 2022,” he said.
“It affects way too many people around the world, (it would be better) if we could just make sure that there was a way to handle all situations diplomatically, instead of going to war.
The NBA and living in the moment
The 29-year-old won’t call it a redemption tour, but ill-timed injuries are part of Williams’ story.
He refuses to be defined by them, even if surgeries cruelled a promising young NBA career as a homegrown hero at the Suns. On the cusp, in 2017, of his first chance at an expanded NBA role, Williams landed on a teammate’s foot and tore his meniscus, sidelining him for six months. Fully recovered, but without an NBA deal, he became one of the best big men in Europe, but a ruptured patella in 2020 hampered his time in Russia.
Everything comes full circle, word to the man above me ðŸ™ðŸ¾
— BigSauce (@alantwilliams) August 3, 2022
He refuses to blame the injuries for the lost NBA chance and says he has lived and breathed the gym since March, insisting it’s the fittest he’s been in years.
“I am where I am because that’s where I’m supposed to be,” he said.
“I know that sounds kind of cliche but at the end of the day that’s how I look at it.
“I still get to play the game of basketball that I love and to be able to do it down in Australia is really exciting to me.”
Williams knows there has been a procession of hoopers who have used the NBL as a stepping stone to — and back to — the NBA.
But that’s not on his mind.
“My past is tough with the injuries and I can’t tell the future, so I really enjoy the process of getting to that next space and that means living in the moment and cherishing it while you get it,” he said.
“Whatever takes place after this season, based on my performance, based on the team’s performance, will take place, but to think about that and worry about that, I wouldn’t be able to give my best effort to the club that I’m a part of.
“I obviously have aspirations to be the best basketball player in the world but, right now, I’m locked in on this season with South East Melbourne.
“So I’m excited for the opportunity to get to show I’m 1: all the way healthy and 2: can help the club try to go out and win a championship.”
Creeky and the fans
Williams, in 2018-19 split time between the Brooklyn Nets and their G League affiliate Long Island.
He’s excited to be reunited with former teammate Mitch Creek at the Phoenix.
“Having a chance to play with Mitch Creek in Long Island was special,” he said.
“I had a couple of conversations once the interest started rising on both sides, he was really adamant about getting me out here and join the team and gave me all the positives the city of Melbourne brings as well as the great things this team is trying to do.”
Williams put up gaudy numbers in the G League, averaging over 20 points and 13 boards in his season with Creek, and brings a passing element out of the post.
He’s eager to meet the Firepit faithful.
“They’re going to get everything I have, I can’t wait to be able to go out there in front of these passionate fans that I know South East Melbourne has,” he said.
“They’re going to get everything — you’re going to get a lot of rebounds, you’re going to get physicality, you’re going to get toughness, you’re going to get leadership, you’re going to get access to me, the opportunity to meet me and hang out.
“Anywhere I go, I try to be involved with the community, so as soon as I get down I plan on trying to do that.”
Who is ‘Big Sauce’?
Behind Williams in his zoom call is a huge portrait of a sauce bottle with his nickname ‘Big Sauce’ on it.
He wishes he had a more engrossing story to tell about how he got his nickname, but basically it came from his brother, an artist, who drew a caricature of him and his friends on a road trip and called his ‘Big Sauce’.
“Sauce comes from swag or style and I put it on my Twitter one day and just ran with it — it’s stuck with me ever since and I’ve got the artwork to match,” he said.
He’s headed down under with his partner of three years Cassidy Kitterman and is looking forward to checking out all Australia has to offer.
“My girlfriend and I probably went on three or four different trips this summer, just going out and travelling on the road and enjoying life,” he said.
“I am good energy, a lot of fun, I like to enjoy life, I like to cook, I like to eat. Whether it be movie watching, hiking, or going out on a boat I’m up for all of it.”
Life after hoops
Don’t be surprised if you see Williams pop up on some NBL broadcasts — and he’s set to be a media darling.
The guy oozes charisma and has a goal of moving into broadcasting, once his career is done on the court.
“I’d love to get a chance to get in front of the camera and talk about the game of basketball in Australia,” he said.
“I feel like I’m pretty articulate in the way I can communicate my feelings and what I see in that kind of sense so it just lines up as the perfect segue after I’m done playing.
“If there’s an opportunity to get out there and broadcast or get in front of the camera with a microphone and talk about basketball, I’m all in.
“I need to get my Australian rules football rule book out so I can start talking about that too,” he laughed.
COMINGS AND GOINGS: SEM’S ROSTER AS IT STANDS
Returning: Kyle Adnam, Ryan Broekhoff, Mitch Creek, Dane Pineau, Reuben Te Rangi
New: Junior Madut, Gary Browne (import), Owen Foxwell (development player, 1-year deal), Trey Kell (import), Alan Williams (import), Grant Anticevich (development player, 1-year deal)
Free agents: Lachlan Barker, Tristan Forsyth, Koen Sapwell, Tohi Smith-Milner
Departures: Adam Gibson, Cam Gliddon, Izayah Le’afa, Xavier Munford, Brandon Ashley, Zhou Qi
Best passer in the NBA: Creek’s call after Giddey battles
—Michael Randall
Boom Aussie teenager Josh Giddey is already arguably the best passer in the NBA and on a trajectory to be an All Star.
That’s the belief of South East Melbourne Phoenix star Mitch Creek after he spent time going head-to-head with the 19-year-old Oklahoma City phenom in California.
Creek, Giddey, New Orleans Pelicans lottery pick Dyson Daniels and former Illawarra Hawks import Xavier Rathan-Mayes worked out under the tutelage of master skills coach Jordan Lawley.
Creek says the detail Giddey puts into his game, coupled with his thirst to learn and willingness to work hard are keys for a player who already possesses boundless talent and a unique frame and physical qualities at his position.
“It was a lot of fun getting into it with Josh, we played a lot of one-on-one stuff, a lot of scenarios, shooting, it was good to go against him,” Creek said.
“He’s got such a bright future ahead. He’s a 6’8”-6’9” point guard who can pass probably better than anyone in the league, with both hands in every scenario. He can get on the rim, defend, is long, is strong, has all the tools.
“He’s just such a smart guy. He works really hard, he wants to work on his weaknesses right now and he wants to help himself become a better player and that’s why he’s going to be successful.
“I think one day we’ll see him get to a point where he’ll be an All Star.”
Giddey’s jump shot has improved markedly on his time in the NBL, but is still a small chink in the armour that Creek says has been a focus for Irvine-based Lawley, who is one of the most coveted skills coaches in the US.
“There’s not many guys who want to go in and say ‘I shoot a pretty decent clip and I did OK last year, but I’m not happy with OK, I want to go in and work and get better’,” Creek said.
“JLaw’s helping him with every single shot, every single rep and just making him better.”
Creek knows a thing or two about figuring out how to put the ball in the bucket from deep, once candidly admitting he was a “horrific” shooter who now knocks them down at a high clip.
The 30-year-old revealed he’d struggled through debilitating plantar fasciitis last season and spent two months rehabbing before jetting off to play in Puerto Rico.
“I had small tears, it was into my heel, I couldn’t walk in the mornings, I couldn’t get up and go to the toilet in the middle of the night without having to take my time and walk on the side of my foot because it was so bad,” Creek said.
“I had really good help from Tony Massarotti and the team at The Foot Lab in Ringwood and that was probably a saving grace because without them I wouldn’t have been able to play. I owe him everything.”
Creek will play in the $1 million TBT competition with the Floyd Mayweather-backed The Money Team, alongside former Phoenix teammate Xavier Munford, ex-Perth Wildcats import Terrico White and NBA-experience Jimmer Fredette, Trevor Booker and Jeremy Evans, before returning to Melbourne for pre-season.
He’s excited to take the Phoenix back to their spiritual home after the club, on Friday, announced three games at the State Basketball Centre in Wantirna South.
They’ll host Brisbane on January 16, Perth on January 22 and Cairns on January 25 in front of fans in the Heartland for the first time since February 11 last year.
“That’s going to be awesome, every time you play there, it’s sold out,” Creek said.
“Being in the south east it’s the best place to play for us — I’d love to play all our games there, that’s home for us.”
He’ll have a couple of talented new teammates in import guards Gary Browne and Trey Kell.
“I’ve seen Gary play in Puerto Rico and for the national team and he’s a great point guard, really great guy, really hard worker, plays his arse off defensively,” Creek said.
“Then we’ve got a shooter there who maybe not as many people have heard of him, but from what I’ve heard and the questions I’ve asked from some pretty significant people in basketball around the world is he’s an absolute terror, can shoot the ball, can get on the rim and score at a high level and is going to be an absolute problem in the NBL.
“I’m excited to get to work with those guys and hopefully do something special this year.”
Creek still doesn’t know what best bud Zhou Qi, who was in Melbourne recently with the Chinese national team for FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, is planning next season, but hopes he’s in Phoenix colours in NBL23.
“Zhou and I still talk, we stay in touch, we text, we call here and there, we send stupid memes to each other,” he said.
“I’d like to see him back at Phoenix but I support whatever he does.”
Does new import make Phoenix back-court NBL’s toughest?
South East Melbourne boss Tommy Greer believes the Phoenix will have one of the toughest back-courts in the NBL with the signing of Syrian international Trey Kell.
The American-born shooting guard put his scribble on a one-year deal to join Puerto Rican point man Gary Browne in what the Phoenix hope will be a key ingredient in a title-winning recipe.
San Diego State product Kell heard good things about the organisation from friend and fellow Spartans alum Yanni Wetzell, a former member of the Phoenix.
“I believe I can bring to the team a well-rounded player that can do a bit of everything, a high IQ and that can impact winning in many ways,” he said.
“I really enjoyed the conversation I had with the staff and was excited to be part of their vision.”
The 26-year-old, birth name George Earl, is a US college alum of San Diego State and has grafted an impressive CV all over the world, including in Bosnia, Canada, Hong Kong, Poland and Italy.
It is with Italian clubs Varese and Milano he caught the eye of Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell.
“Love the two-way ability of Trey, we were blown away with the defensive tenacity he displayed in the EuroLeague,” Mitchell said.
“He can shoot the ball, work out of the pick and roll, is explosive at the rim, passes well and makes great decisions.
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Trey Kell with the POSTER!#7DAYSMagicMomentpic.twitter.com/aTBOffEeqR
— Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) January 21, 2022
“On the defensive side, he will be thrown the tough assignments.
“I love his intensity, his length and agility and am pleased he will be joining Phoenix for NBL23.”
Kell said he’d never been to Australia but was excited to get a taste of life Down Under and test himself in the NBL.
“Being from San Diego, people tell me they are similar, and if that’s the case, I will be excited to experience it myself,” he said.
“I’ve also heard nothing but great things about the league from players I know that have played there.
“I am very excited to experience it for myself because I truly haven’t heard one negative about it.”
GAME 7 WINNER💪💯
— NBLCLive (@NblcLive) May 6, 2019
An injured Trey Kell digs deep and hits the CLUTCH shot with 23 sec left to give the MAGIC a GAME 7 WIN and trip to the @NBLCanada Championship Finals ðŸ€ðŸ‡¨ðŸ‡¦ðŸ†#RaiseTheBar@trey_kell@TheMonctonMagicpic.twitter.com/Syuc8tf8Q8
Greer believes the diverse combination of Kell, Browne, captain Kyle Adnam and new addition Junior Madut will fortify his side.
“We are really excited to have a player of Trey’s quality joining the roster,” Greer said.
“Alongside Gary Browne and our local Australian talent, we believe they will be one of the toughest back courts in the league.”
Trey Kell (@trey_kell) put up 33 points (6/7 2FG, 3/6 3FG, 12/14 FT), 6 rebounds and 3 assists yesterday for Ostrow to win the series against Legia and advance to the Polish finals!
— Matthias Schmidt (@Dantinho31) April 18, 2021
Super versatile 👀 pic.twitter.com/7LVhBjElu0
Teen gun knocks back US college for rising Phoenix
Young gun Owen Foxwell had planned to test his abilities on the US college stage.
But a taste of NBL action last season with South East Melbourne was enough to convince him the Aussie league was where his future lay.
Foxwell, 19, has signed a development player deal with the Phoenix for NBL23, after he was called on to play in a number of games last season.
“I had a few offers from colleges, but no offers that fit perfectly for me,” the Bulleen boy said.
“When it came down to college over the NBL, the NBL was the best choice for me, and I am excited to be coming back again.
“The game time I received (last season) impacted my decision, but I also enjoyed the environment that the Phoenix provided.
“The confidence (coach) Simon (Mitchell), the club, and the rest of the staff have in me was also great.
“Those factors made me love my year, and I was keen to come back.”
Mitchell said the plucky 187cm point guard had “fully met and superseded all of our expectations”.
“It’s always great to see a local kid step up to the challenge of professional sport, and I feel these are the first steps in a long and successful career for Owen,” Mitchell said.
One year on, Phoenix get their floor general
The chase for imports can be a frustrating waiting game for NBL teams.
But not in the case of South East Melbourne and its new point guard Gary Browne.
The floor general who, last year, caught the eye of coach Simon Mitchell while leading the Puerto Rican national team, has inked a one-season deal with the Phoenix.
The former West Virginia captain was at the top of Phoenix’s list and projects as a set-up man who excels at getting his own shot in pressure situations — something they desperately lacked last season.
“I’m going to bring leadership to the team,” Browne said.
“I know what I can do individually but I also know what I can do collectively, where I can help my team to be better.
“My whole thing is to make the guys better. I don’t worry about myself as much as I worry how good they are doing.
“It’s a team sport, It’s not about if one guy plays well every night, it’s about everyone playing together so we can win games, go to the playoffs and make it through to the finals.”
Browne has had pro stops in Puerto Rico, Israel, Italy and Turkey and owns a piece of his country’s basketball history — his 2019 three against Tunisia in the dying moments put Puerto Rico through to the second round of the FIBA World Cup.
Puerto Rico again wins in dramatic fashion at #FIBAWC.
— Bryan Fonseca 🇵🇷 (@BryanFonsecaNY) September 4, 2019
David Huertas and Gary Browne RamÃrez hit late threes to advance PR into round 2 after outlasting Tunisia this morning.
(📹: FIBA / ESPN +)#PuertoRicoGotGame 🇵🇷🀠pic.twitter.com/Dc7ExLNQrV
Mitchell said the pair, last year, “hit it off” in a video call and it was an easy decision to ink the 185cm guard when he became available.
“We talked for an hour and we barely spoke basketball, we immediately fell into a groove,” Mitchell said.
“He already had a contract on the table in Turkey, so the timing just didn’t add up.
“I kept an eye on him during the year and thoroughly loved what he was doing.”
Browne isn’t a billboard name — yet — but Mitchell says Phoenix fans will be pleasantly surprised at abilities he calls “world class”.
“He just runs a team the right way on every possession, both sides of the ball. It’s a rare skill,” Mitchell said.
“It used to be what everybody looked for, now they look for wingspan and athletic ability.
“This guy is a throwback to when point guards ran your team.”
The 29-year-old has never been to Australia but said he already felt a familiarity with Mitchell and the Phoenix.
“Me and coach spoke about our family and about his kids and we had a great conversation,” Browne said.
“I think it goes a little bit further than basketball, I think we got to know each other in a short amount of time.
“In some way, we have been able to connect, have great chats and they show me how great it is to be part of the franchise and how great the guys are on the team.”
Mitchell said he’d love to lock away Chinese centre Zhou Qi to return for NBL23, but there are reportedly moves in the Chinese league to defuse the issues that led to a dispute with his team Xinjiang that could throw a spanner in the works.
Qi’s decision to skip the 2021-22 Chinese Basketball Association season opened the door for the Phoenix to swoop.
‘Full circle moment’ as Phoenix sign college whiz kid
A training stint during South East Melbourne’s inaugural NBL season has provided young Aussie Junior Madut with a “full circle moment”.
Sudan-born Madut, an athletic two-way guard-forward with deep shooting range out of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, has inked a two-year contract with the Phoenix.
Madut, in 2019, was part of South East Melbourne’s talent-recognition program, training and interacting with the senior team, before jetting off to Honolulu to play with the Rainbow Warriors.
Coach Simon Mitchell kept a close eye on the Blacktown, Sydney-raised Madut, who felt a return to the club was destiny after his previous experience.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Madut, who averaged 10.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in college, said.
“I’ve been talking to Simon, talking to a lot of the guys throughout the couple of years I have been at Hawaii.
“We’ve always had that relationship and it’s (South East Melbourne) always a place that I’d seen myself coming to.
“I definitely got into the culture, it’s a good group of guys. It was always fun being around them
“It’s exciting coming back.”
Kind of an amazing transition play? Noel Coleman with a sweet dribble move and Junior Madut lobs home a reverse dunk. pic.twitter.com/uJYGLoRmkV
— Will Smith (@ddiop) November 15, 2021
Madut, who counted Sydney Kings guard Biwali Bayles as a teammate in Hawaii, is currently training in Chicago but will arrive for pre-season. He will have a close friend in Melbourne embarking on his own professional sporting journey — college teammate Mate Colina was, last year, drafted by AFL club Richmond.
Mitchell said he was eager to bring the 25-year-old in as a full-fledged pro.
“Junior is someone very familiar with the Phoenix team,” Mitchell said.
“He brings great intensity and athleticism to our back-court on both sides of the ball.
“A tough defender with great lateral speed and is really competitive, always wanting the toughest match-ups.
“Junior can score from the perimeter, get on the rim and is great at getting out on the break where he can finish above the rim or create for others.
“He is a kid with great potential to be a long term pro.”
At the buzzer! Junior Madut nails a 3 to cut the Riverside lead to one— 30-31 at the half!#HawaiiMBBpic.twitter.com/3ZBFnumGsj
— Hawaii Sports Fans (@HIsportsfans) March 11, 2022
🔨 ON HIS HEAD! Don’t jump with Junior Madut.
— South Sudan Basketball (@SSBFed) August 31, 2021
6.18 left in 2Q | 🇸🇸 27 🇰🇪 17#AfroBasket2021pic.twitter.com/8wGxwPQbNz
Junior Madut
Age: 25
Born: Juba, South Sudan
Raised: Blacktown, Sydney
Height: 198cm
Weight: 79kg
College: University of Hawaii at Manoa
Awarded Rainbow Warriors Ah Chew Goo Most Inspirational Award last season.
Averaged 10.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2 assists per game in 2021-22
Represented South Sudan at 2021 FIBA Afrobasket
‘Nix give Kiwi way out
Dynamic South East Melbourne defender Izayah Le’Afa has been granted a release from the final year of his contract at the Phoenix.
The 25-year-old Kiwi guard has spent the past two seasons at the Phoenix, the first as a development player, before, last season, winning a full roster spot and a two-year deal.
He averaged 9 points, 2 assists and 1 steal in NBL22 and has signed with New Zealand on a two-year deal.
The Breakers have been targeting New Zealand-born players under new coach Mody Maor, with King Tom Vodanovich, Tom Abercrombie, Rob Loe, Sam Timmins and Dan Fotu locked in to NBL23.
The Kiwis have also secured sharpshooter Cam Gliddon from the Phoenix on a two-year deal.
‘Glizzo’ is one of the NBL’s nice guys, having spent the past two seasons at the Phoenix, following stints in Cairns, then Brisbane, winning a Commonwealth Games gold medal with the Boomers along the way.
The deadeye marksman’s NBL22 campaign was cruelled by injury, Covid and illness.
Creek, Mitchell recommit to Phoenix
One of the NBL’s biggest free agents is off the market after Mitch Creek made good on his commitment to South East Melbourne — and his coach will be back, too.
Creek, 30, has been locked away on a three-year deal, while Simon Mitchell has been handed an extra 12 months by the Phoenix, coach and player signing on together in a show of solidarity they hope will be the genesis of an NBL title run.
Mitchell, last year, guided the Phoenix to the precipice of the NBL grand final but endured questions about his future after his team missed this year’s top four, despite an 11-5 start.
“I made it clear if I was going to be playing in the NBL it wouldn’t be anywhere else as long as we could find a mutual respect between myself and the club and they have always done that from day one,” Creek said.
“Once I heard Simon was committing, I was jumping back on board straight away.
“I know who he is, so I support him and stand by him and his ability to coach and make us a championship team.
“There’s a lot of people who were really hard on him. I’ve been in that situation as well and, understandably, I put a lot of support and a lot of trust in him.”
Mitchell said he was aware of the noise about his future after the Phoenix could not maintain their early season dominance and lost all but four of their last 11 games, following leader Ryan Broekhoff’s shoulder injury.
“We’ve had a bad season, so there will always be a little bit of ‘need a new coach’,” Mitchell said.
“We’re (he and the club) comfortable with a one-year deal. It’s more like an extension at the end of the season.
“I think the way that they’re looking at it is ‘OK, we think you’ll do well, we think you’re going to be a good team next season, let’s do the one and we can re-up at the end of it’.
“I want to make sure this club’s in the best position to win. If I feel like I’m not the man for the job, then I want to be able to walk away without a conscience.
“Losing Rowdy was certainly an eye-opener for us and it will be my job to make sure we’re not as reliant on him moving forward. I’m excited to bring back the core of this group and mount another challenge.”
Phoenix boss Tommy Greer was naturally pleased to ink both coach and player.
“Simon is one of the hardest working coaches in the NBL, his peers respect him, and the players love playing for him,” Greer said.
“As a club, we believe continuity is important, and Simon is the right man to lead the team into NBL23.
“Mitch had his best year yet on the court and was again in the MVP conversation for much of the season.
“In addition to that, he continued to connect with our fans off-court and remains a favourite player among the Heartland faithful.”
There is a synergy in personality between Creek and Mitchell. But the coach believes it is their differences that have brought them together.
Talk to Mitchell and he feels like there is unfinished business after the disastrous finish to last season. Creek doesn’t agree.
“There’s a lot of chemistry there for sure,” Mitchell said
“Off the court we get along and we’ve got a good basketball relationship on the court.
“We do have the ability to challenge each other and that’s good, that’s healthy, and I think it’s a good match.”
Creek has made an effort to put the basketball away since the end of the season, instead hopping states to catch up with family in Brisbane, friends in Adelaide, some promotional work in Sydney — and some track time at Eastern Creek.
“I’ve literally done one shooting session at (former Adelaide 36ers coach) Joey Wright’s place that he’s got in Adelaide for about 45 minutes and that was it,” he said.
“Preparation starts now and taking time off is a key to having a great season. You need to refresh your mind and your body.”
Horsham-born Creek averaged 20.46 points and 5.75 rebounds for the Phoenix last season, was named in the All-NBL Second Team and won the club’s MVP award. His contract contains an NBA out clause.
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