Cotton joins Wildcats greats with sixth Gordon Ellis Medal

The red-hot favourite to join legends Ricky Grace and Shawn Redhage in the elusive six-time MVP winners club, Cotton was the runaway victor in the count at Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre’s Bellevue Ballroom on Saturday night.

Cotton finished on 324 votes, polling in 25 of the 27 games he played in including the maximum 18 votes 11 times.

Big-name recruit Keanu Pinder finished runner-up on 169 votes, with Kristian Doolittle (119), Tai Webster (95) and Jordan Usher (94) rounding out the top-five.

Following every game, the four Wildcats coaches, one Wildcats great and one basketball journalist each vote on who they deem the most valuable players of that game.

A 3-2-1 voting system is used, with the best player allocated three votes.

It capped off a massive week for the 31-year-old, which included a fourth Andrew Gaze Trophy, Fans’ MVP and All-NBL First Team selection at the NBL MVP Awards in Melbourne on Monday.

Cotton also won the Eric Watterson Medal for Player’ Player, as voted by the playing group.

New Zealander Hyrum Harris won Most Improved Player as recognition for his brilliant first year as a Wildcat.

Harris forced his way into the Wildcats’ starting five after the first seven games of the season and had an immediate impact.

Import Kristian Doolittle was awarded the Andrew Vlahov Medal for Best Defensive Player after getting snubbed in the League’s Defensive Player of the Year nominations.

The rebounding machine has been huge in his debut season in the NBL, averaging 6.8 rebounds, 8.5 points and 2.3 assists per game including four double-doubles.

The second crop of Wildcats Hall of Fame members were also inducted with championship-winning coach Adrian Hurley OAM, former owner Kerry Stokes AC and long-time game-night producer Raquel Muir recognised for their services to the club.

Wildcats MVP Ball – award winners

Gordon Ellis Medal MVP: Bryce Cotton

Eric Watterson Medal for Players’ Player: Bryce Cotton

Andrew Vlahov Medal for Best Defensive Player: Kristian Doolittle

Most Improved: Hyrum Harris

Coaches’ Award: Kyle Zunic

Hall of Fame inductees: Kerry Stokes AC, Adrian Hurley OAM, Raquel Muir

Gordon Ellis Medal top-five vote-getters

Bryce Cotton (324 votes)

Keanu Pinder (169)

Kristian Doolittle (119)

Tai Webster (95)

Jordan Usher (94)