Bryce Cotton wins third NBL MVP

Perth Wildcats guard Bryce Cotton has been named the NBL’s Most Valuable Player for 2021.

Cotton becomes the first Wildcat to win the award three times, after taking home the honour in 2018, as well as last season.

He’s the first back-to-back NBL MVP winner since Andrew Gaze – who the award is named after - since 1998.

He joins Gaze and Leroy Loggins as the only three-time winners, putting him firmly in the conversation as one of the greatest players in NBL history.

In 2021, Bryce Cotton took his game to another level yet again.

He averaged a career-high 23.5 points per game, an improvement of 0.6 points per game on his 2020 MVP season, to be named NBL Scoring Champion.

His assist numbers dramatically jumped from 4.0 to 5.7 per game, good enough for third in the NBL.

Defensively, he was an active threat, averaging 1.5 per game to be fourth in the League in that category,

Most importantly, Cotton led the Wildcats to second position on the NBL standings, putting them in a position to challenge for another title.

The 28-year-old was also voted Fan’s MVP and named to the All-NBL First Team for the fourth consecutive season.

Joining him in the All-NBL First Team is Wildcats teammate John Mooney, who in his rookie professional season averaged 17.2 points and 11.6 points per game.

Another major gong went to five-time Perth Wildcats championship-winning coach, Trevor Gleeson, who was named NBL Coach of the Year.

Incredibly, it’s Gleeson’s first time receiving the honour since at the helm of the Wildcats, despite his success.

He finished ahead of the Hawks Brian Goorjian and Melbourne’s Dean Vickerman.

Gleeson was previously named NBL Coach of the Year in 2011 while head coach of the Townsville Crocodiles.

Congratulations Bryce Cotton, Trevor Gleeson and John Mooney!

Andrew Gaze Trophy – Most Valuable Player

Bryce Cotton

Lindsay Gaze Trophy - Coach of the Year

Trevor Gleeson

All-NBL First Team

John Mooney (Inside) 

Jock Landale (Inside) 

Bryce Cotton (Outside) 

Nathan Sobey (Outside)

Tyler Harvey (Outside) 

All-NBL Second Team

Mitch Creek (Inside) 

Finn Delany (Inside) 

Chris Goulding (Outside) 

Casper Ware (Outside) 

Mitch McCarron (Outside)

Rookie of the Year

Josh Giddey (Adelaide)

Best Sixth Man

Jo Lual-Acuil (Melbourne)

Most Improved Player

Sam Froling (Illawarra)

Damian Martin Trophy for the Best Defensive Player

Justin Simon (Illawarra)

Fans MVP 

Bryce Cotton (Perth)