NBL1 Wrap (April 16, 2024)

Adelaide’s Jason Cadee has returned to the Gold Coast Rollers for the new NBL1 North campaign, and the veteran point guard and former NBL1 North MVP has picked up from where he left off last season with the club, by averaging a triple-double across his side’s first two fixtures for the season.

The Rollers opened their campaign against Cadee’s former Bullets teammate, DJ Mitchell, and the Ipswich Force. Cadee starred with 21 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists in the 20-point victory, while Mitchell led all scorers for the game with 35 points.

Cadee then notched 28 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in a 17-point win over the Brendan Teys and Lamar Patterson-led South West Metro Pirates.

Brisbane’s Tyrell Harrison marked his return to NBL1 action with a split round. The center had previously been playing for NZNBL side Manawatu, and returned to Queensland basketball in a three-point defeat to Northside for Southern Districts.

He had 21 points and four blocks in a defeat for the Spartans, while reported new Cairns signing Jackson Makoi starred for the Wizards with 19 points and eight rebounds.

Harrison then registered 28 points and 10 rebounds in a seven-point win over Sunshine Coast.

Plenty of NBL24 talent was on the floor in Cairns’ win over Darwin, as Kian Dennis, Alex Mudronja and Kody Stattman’s Marlins overcame Makuach Maluach, Kouat Noi and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk’s Darwin Salties.

Stattmann starred for the Marlins in the 13-point win with 33 points and 14 rebounds, while Noi led the way for the Salties with 35 points and eight boards.

Illawarra’s William Hickey continued his dominant form in NBL1 East for Albury-Wodonga, and registered a triple-double in the Bandits’ win over Klairus Amir and the Sutherland Sharks.

Hickey finished the 24-point demolition with 21 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, while Amir had 11 points and a team-high eight boards for the Sharks.

Mason Peatling and his Dandenong Rangers took on a rare triple-header in the weekend’s NBL1 South action.

The Rangers first suffered defeat to an Eltham Wildcats side led by reported South East Melbourne signing Angus Glover’s 26 points. Peatling ended the game with 18 points and seven rebounds.

JackJumpers Development Player Jacob Richards and the Hobart Chargers handed the Rangers their second defeat of the weekend’s action on Saturday night, with Richards adding 15 points and six assists in the win.

Former Adelaide and Cairns guard Tad Dufelmeier then helped Dandenong round out their round with a victory with 29 points and seven assists in a 30-point win over NW Tasmania.

The Melbourne United-laden Sandringham Sabres split their NBL1 South round with a defeat to the Casey Cavaliers and a big win over Kyle Adnam’s Kilsyth Cobras.

United Development Player Tom Koppens starred over the Sabres’ Round 2 fixtures, and averaged 17.5 points and 17 rebounds over the two games.

A matchup between Adelaide pair Jacob Rigoni and Alex Starling headlined the NBL’s contingent in the weekend’s NBL1 Central action, and Rigoni had the last laugh in a nailbiting three-point win for Sturt.

Rigoni continued his fine form for the Sabres with a game-high 36 points, while Starling ended the clash with 30 points and four steals.

36ers legend and NBL24 Phoenix player Daniel Johnson performed strongly in Forestville’s 20-point win over Norwood with 16 points and 15 rebounds.

Sunday Dech and David Okwera continued to team up for the East Perth Eagles in NBL1 West, however they were powerless to stop their side slumping to a one-point defeat against the Perth Redbacks.

Dech finished the game with 26 points, while Okwera had a 13-point, 11 rebound double-double. Former Cairns forward Tevin Jackson top scored for the Redbacks with 24 points.

Kyrin Galloway (Townsville) – 26PTS, 8REB, 1BLK vs Mackay|20PTS, 11REB, 5BLK vs Rockhampton
Jason Cadee (Gold Coast) – 21PTS, 8REB, 10AST vs Ipswich | 28PTS, 12REB, 12AST vs SW Metro
Nick Marshall (Mt Gambier) – 15PTS, 5REB, 4AST vs Frankston | 29PTS, 9REB, 3STL vs Ballarat
Akech Aliir (Mt Gambier) – 16PTS, 10REB, 4STL vs Frankston | 16PTS, 7REB vs Ballarat
Sunday Dech (East Perth) – 26PTS, 6REB, 6AST vs Perth
Jacob Rigoni (Sturt) – 36PTS, 7REB, 3AST vs South Adelaide
Alex Starling (South Adelaide) – 30PTS, 5REB, 4STL vs Sturt

Cover photo: Judd Green

Gabe Hadley (Brisbane) – 24PTS, 4REB, 6AST vs Northside
Sam McDaniel (Brisbane) – 27PTS, 7REB, 7AST vs Northside
Isaac White (Mackay) – 30PTS, 8REB, 8AST vs Townsville
DJ Mitchell (Ipswich) – 35PTS, 4REB, 1BLK vs Gold Coast
Tyrell Harrison (Southern Districts) – 21PTS, 5REBS, 4BLK vs Northside | 28PTS, 10REB, 2AST vs Sunshine Coast
Mitch Norton (Southern Districts) – 12PTS, 7REB, 1 AST vs Northside

Kian Dennis (Cairns) – 14PTs, 2REB, 2STL vs Darwin
Alex Mudronja (Cairns) – 12PTS, 8REB, 5AST vs Darwin
AK Gak (West Adelaide) - 25PTS, 10REB, 4AST vs Mavericks

Todd Blanchfield (Mackay) – 22PTS, 12REB vs Townsville
Harry Morris (Townsville) – 11PTS, 8REB vs Mackay | 24PTS, 10REB, 2AST vs Rockhampton
Wani Swaka Lo Buluk (Darwin) – 9PTS, 6REB vs Cairns
William Hickey (Albury-Wodonga) – 21PTS, 14REB, 11AST vs Sutherland
Mason Peatling (Dandenong) – 18PTS, 7REB, 3BLK vs Eltham | 10PTS, 11REB, 3BLK vs Hobart | 12PTS, 9REB, 1AST vs NW Tasmania
Kyle Adnam (Kilsyth) – 17PTS, 2REB, 2AST vs Keilor | 16PTS, 3AST, 1STL vs Sandringham

Campbell Blogg (Sandringham) – 11PTS, 4REB, 2AST vs Casey | 16PTS, 5REB, 5AST vs Kilsyth
Tanner Krebs (Sandringham) – 22PTS, 5REB, 1AST vs Casey | 14PTS, 10REB, 6AST vs Kilsyth
Tom Koppens (Sandringham) – 14PTS, 18REB, 1STL vs Casey | 21PTS, 16REB, 1AST vs Kilsyth
Shea Ili (Sandringham) – 20PTS, 5REB, 6AST vs Casey | 12PTS, 3REB, 8AST vs Kilsyth
Kyle Bowen (Knox) – 19PTS, 13REB, 5AST vs Ringwood | 10PTS, 7REB, 3AST vs Melbourne

David Okwera (East Perth) – 13PTS, 11REB, 3AST vs Perth
Michael Harris (Warwick) – 21PTS, 6REB, 5AST vs Rockingham

Matt Kenyon (North Gold Coast) – 11PTS, 16REB vs Logan
Kody Stattmann (Cairns) – 33PTS, 14REB, 3STL vs Darwin
Owen Foxwell (Eltham) – 12PTS, 7REB, 2AST vs Dandenong | 18PTS, 4 REB, 11AST vs Nunawading
Austin Rapp (Knox) – 12PTS, 5REB, 3AST vs Ringwood | 2REB, 1AST vs Melbourne
Luke Rosendale (Ballarat) – 22PTS, 5AST, 5STL vs Mt Gambier
Gorjok Gak (Rockingham) – 20PTS, 11REB, 2BLK vs Perry Lakes | 19PTS, 14REB, 1STL vs Warwick

Shaun Bruce (Logan) – 12PTS, 10REB, 12AST vs North Gold Coast
Makuach Maluach (Darwin) – 3PTS, 5REB, 2STL vs Cairns
Kouat Noi (Darwin) – 35PTS, 8REB, 3STL vs Cairns
Klairus Amir (Sutherland) – 11PTS, 8REB, 1AST vs Albury-Wodonga

Jarred Bairstow (Southern Districts) – 18PTS, 6REB, 6BLK vs Northside
Lachlan Barker (Frankston) – 10PTS, 4REB, 1STL vs Diamond Valley | 16PTS, 2REB, 2AST vs Mt Gambier
Jacob Richards (Hobart) – 15PTS, 6REB, 6AST vs Dandenong | 14PTS, 5REB, 5AST vs Waverley