Wiradjuri/Gomeroi man Will Hickey is among the standout nominees at the NBL's Andrew Gaze MVP Awards Night, with the 25-year-old in contention for the Most Improved Player, Best Sixth Man and Fans MVP awards.
Hickey, who plays for the Illawarra Hawks, has had a strong season, earning recognition for his impact off the bench and overall development.
Gunai Kurnai man Uncle Ricky Baldwin, who has mentored Hickey through the Koorie Basketball Academy, expressed his pride in his achievements.
"He is like a son to me, so I want to be there tonight if he wins!" Uncle Ricky said.
"His skill set is rare."
The awards night will honour top performers across multiple categories.
A panel of experts, including Andrew Gaze, Olgun Uluc, Derek Rucker, Michael Cedar, John Casey, and Alice Kunek, selected nominees for the MVP, Next Generation Award, Best Sixth Man, Damian Martin Trophy for Defensive Player of the Year, and Most Improved Player.
Head coaches, team captains, and the panel of experts determine the MVP, while head coaches, an assistant coach, and captains vote on the other major awards, including the Lindsay Gaze Trophy for Coach of the Year and the All-NBL First and Second Teams.
The nominees for the Andrew Gaze Trophy for Most Valuable Player are Bryce Cotton (Perth), Chris Goulding (Melbourne), Casey Prather (Brisbane), Jaylen Adams (Sydney), Kendric Davis (Adelaide), Montrezl Harrell (Adelaide), Matt Hurt (South East Melbourne), Parker Jackson-Cartwright (New Zealand), Sam Froling (Illawarra), Tyler Harvey (Illawarra), Trey Kell III (Illawarra), and Xavier Cooks (Sydney).
For Most Improved Player, Hickey is nominated alongside Ben Henshall (Perth), Kouat Noi (Sydney), Owen Foxwell (South East Melbourne), Sam Waardenburg (Cairns), Taran Armstrong (Cairns), and Tyrell Harrison (Brisbane).
Hickey is also in the running for Best Sixth Man, competing with Cam Oliver (Sydney), Ian Clark (Melbourne), Kouat Noi (Sydney), Marcus Lee (Melbourne), and Owen Foxwell (South East Melbourne).
The Damian Martin Trophy for Defensive Player of the Year nominees include Matthew Dellavedova (Melbourne), Marcus Lee (Melbourne), Mitch Norton (Brisbane), Shea Ili (Melbourne), Will Magnay (Tasmania), Wani Swaka Lo Buluk (Illawarra), and Xavier Cooks (Sydney).
The Next Generation Award nominees are Alex Toohey (Sydney), Ben Henshall (Perth), Izan Almansa (Perth), Karim Lopez (New Zealand), Lachlan Olbrich (Illawarra), Malique Lewis (South East Melbourne), Taran Armstrong (Cairns), and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk (Illawarra).
All head coaches are eligible for the Lindsay Gaze Trophy for Coach of the Year, while all players are in contention for the All-NBL First and Second Teams.
Other awards on the night include Executive of the Year, Referee of the Year, Fans' MVP, Gametime by Kmart Award, and Three Pointer of the Year.
The Andrew Gaze MVP Awards Night will be broadcast live on Kayo and the NBL website from 7:30pm AEDT on Monday.
