Is the MVP race over?

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Perth Wildcats superstar Bryce Cotton is set for another award winning season, according to Derek Rucker.

Perth Wildcats superstar Bryce Cotton will need to make more room in his MVP trophy case, with 1990 NBL MVP Derek Rucker declaring the MVP race is over, with Cotton as the clear winner in his eyes.

“Bryce Cotton is the best player in the competition. He’s performing like the best player in the NBL,” Rucker said on the latest episode of Moments That Mattered.

Cotton had 31 points on Sunday in the Wildcats’ 108-102 win in New Zealand. He leads the league in points, whilst also holding the crown for most minutes played this season.

“Bryce is a master of the moment, he understands when to take advantage, he’s got the talent that no one else in the league has,” Rucker said.

“He wills his teammates to victories."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bryce Cotton opens up about his mindset, believing in himself from a young age, what his motivation is, the NBL GOAT conversation and a whole lot more ??<br><br>Watch the full Under the Surface episode → <a href="https://t.co/tCntKNrvda">https://t.co/tCntKNrvda</a> <a href="https://t.co/b6GbRqYUL8">pic.twitter.com/b6GbRqYUL8</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1744146026326564956?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

An unexpected slow start to the season saw Cotton average just 15.2 points per game at 32 per cent shooting over the first five rounds, but he has turned it around in a big way.

Doing what MVP’s do best, the 31-year-old is now exciting the Wildcats’ faithful and has amassed 30.4 points per game in his last five outings.

Sitting second on the ladder, the Wildcats have won four of their last five, and seem poised to make a run at an 11th championship.

“One of the key tenants of Perth Wildcats basketball, is being able to win games on the road in tough circumstances. They’ve done it for the better part of three decades…and now you see them doing it again, that’s championship material,” Rucker said.

The Wildcats next play the South East Melbourne Phoenix on Saturday at 8:00pm AEDT. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN via Kayo.