Bryce Cotton's trophy cabinet continues to expand, with the Perth Wildcats superstar once again named the NBL's Most Valuable Player.
The win is the fifth time Cotton has won the Andrew Gaze Trophy for the league's MVP -- he sits only behind the award's namesake, who won seven over the course of his career -- capping off what was a historic scoring season from the guard.
Cotton was the NBL's scoring champion for the eighth time in his career, averaging 28.6 points per game over the 2024-25 regular season, which was highlighted by a 59-point game in December.
Cotton's win is thanks to his counterparts, with head coaches, captains, and a six-person panel of experts casting votes for the MVP award. He received 119 votes, ahead of the 82 votes Adelaide 36ers guard Kendric Davis earned. The South East Melbourne Phoenix's Matt Hurt came in third with 65 votes.
The All-NBL First Team was headlined by that trio, who were joined by Illawarra Hawks duo Trey Kell and Tyler Harvey. It's the only time in NBL history that the league's First Team consisted of no local players; only Americans are featured.
It's Cotton's eighth All-NBL First Team selection, and Harvey's second.
The All-NBL Second Team for the 2024-25 season consists of: Casey Prather, Chris Goulding, Montrezl Harrell, Sam Froling, and Xavier Cooks.
There were multiple awards handed out at Melbourne's Centrepiece of Monday evening that had runaway winners.
Justin Tatum won the league's Coach of the Year award, with the American playing a primary role in leading the Hawks to a top-of-the-ladder finish by the end of the regular season. The Hawks have been the NBL's most consistent team -- leading the league in net rating, with 12.6 -- an offensive powerhouse, and will enter the playoffs as the favourite to win it all. Tatum received 78 votes, followed by 39 votes earned by Phoenix head coach Josh King. Melbourne United's Dean Vickerman's finished in third place with 29 votes.
Another winner that was no surprise was United's Shea Ili walking away with his second straight Damian Martin Trophy for the NBL's Best Defensive Player. Ili was, once again, the head of the snake for a United defence that finished in the top-two, regularly tasked with guarding the opponent's most potent offensive players. The Kiwi guard received an overwhelming share of the vote with 63. He beat out Hawks wing Wani Swaka Lo Buluk (34 votes) and Tasmania JackJumpers big-man Will Magnay (26 votes).
A pair of Sydney Kings walked away from the league's awards night as winners, with Kouat Noi named the NBL's Best Sixth Man, while Alex Toohey won the Next Generation award.
MVP CHANTS ARE RINGING IN THE JUNGLE 🗣️
— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) February 7, 2025
Bryce Cotton has 46 points, including 9 makes from beyond the arc as his 'Cats lead in the fourth!
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Noi averaged 14.8 points per game off the bench for the Kings, consistently providing an offensive spark, where he had career highs in three-point makes (2.3 per game) and three-point percentage (39.2%). Noi led the way with 69 votes, followed by United's Ian Clark (39 votes), and the Hawks' Will Hickey (26 votes).
The 20-year-old Toohey -- part of the NBL's Next Stars program -- won the season's Next Generation award, with his two-way impact for the Kings earning the recognition of his peers. Toohey averaged 10.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game during the regular season, and saw his NBA draft stock rise to the point where he's now widely regarded as a potential first round pick. He received 46 votes, which was slightly ahead of the Wildcats' Ben Henshall (40 votes) and Cairns Taipans' Taran Armstrong (38 votes).
The Most Improved Player award went to Bullets big-man Tyrell Harrison, who emerged as one of the NBL's best big men and a reliable starter for his team. The Kiwi centre averaged 14.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, up from 9.6 points and 6.2 rebounds a game last season. He received 37 votes, which beat out the Phoenix's Owen Foxwell (32 points) and Henshall (30 votes).
Every 2024-25 NBL Award Winner:
Most Valuable Player - Andrew Gaze Trophy
Bryce Cotton (Perth)
Coach of the Year - Lindsay Gaze Trophy
Justin Tatum (Illawarra Hawks)
Most Improved Player
Tyrell Harrison (Brisbane Bullets)
Best Sixth Man
Kouat Noi (Sydney Kings)
Best Defensive Player - Damian Martin Trophy
Shea Ili (Melbourne United)
Next Generation Award
Alex Toohey (Sydney Kings)
All-NBL First Team
Bryce Cotton (Perth Wildcats)
Kendric Davis (Adelaide 36ers)
Matt Hurt (South East Melbourne Phoenix)
Trey Kell III (Illawarra Hawks)
Tyler Harvey (Illawarra Hawks)
All-NBL Second Team
Casey Prather (Brisbane Bullets)
Chris Goulding (Melbourne United)
Montrezl Harrell (Adelaide 36ers)
Sam Froling (Illawarra Hawks)
Xavier Cooks (Sydney Kings)
Executive of the Year
Malcolm Watts (Brisbane Bullets CEO)