Basketball New Zealand

June 16, 2008

For the second time in three years, Youthtown Auckland Stars main man Casey Frank swept the forward awards in the Dominion Finance NBL.

Frank, who joined the Tall Blacks trials camp on Monday after his Stars were eliminated from the NBL Playoffs on Friday night, took out the Outstanding Forward and Outstanding Kiwi Forward categories in the end-of-season awards.

The 30-year-old Long Island-born Kiwi averaged 21.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, while shooting 52.3 percent from the field and 44.4 percent on three-point attempts in 16 games.

In his seventh season with Auckland, Frank was the major threat all season for the Stars, who finished 9-9 and reached the playoffs as the sixth seed.

Frank won the Commissioner’s Cup for Outstanding Forward in 2005 and 2006, adding the Stan Hill Trophy for Outstanding Kiwi Forward in 2006, and is a leading contender for Kiwi MVP, to be named on Wednesday along with the MVP award and All-Star Five.

In the closest of the awards results, Frank edged Century City Wellington Saints American forward Ernest Scott and Cartridge World Otago Nuggets rebound champion Antoine Tisby for the Outstanding Forward, while he was a clear winner for Outstanding Kiwi Forward over Saints’ Nick Horvath and Devon Dynamos Taranaki forward Link Abrams.

Waikato Pistons point guard Jason Crowe collected the Keith Carr Trophy for Outstanding Guard by a wide margin over team-mate Brian Wethers.

Crowe, who also claimed the assists crown, averaged 21.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 8.3 assists in 18 games for the Pistons, who meet the Saints in game one of the 2008 NBL Finals on Tuesday night.

With his Saints going undefeated at home, winning the regular season title and advancing to the NBL Finals, Doug Marty claimed the Coach of the Year accolade.

Marty, the Saints first-year American coach, guided a Wellington team, which had early struggles with rebounding, through multiple roster changes and additions, then had to juggle one of the deepest rosters the NBL has seen.

Recently retired Tall Black Phill Jones claimed Outstanding Kiwi Guard honours for the fifth time in his 14th NBL season, beating out Marley Canterbury Rams point guard Jeremy Kench by a comfortable margin.

Jones averaged 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in helping the CPS Nelson Giants to last week’s semifinals. He also shot 43.1 percent from the floor and 41.6 percent from distance.

It was the 34-year-old shooting guard’s 10th major award, after winning the Outstanding Kiwi Guard award from 1996 to 1998 and 2001, the Outstanding Guard award in 1998 and 2001, and Kiwi MVP in 1996, 1998 and 2001.

For the second straight year, the Stars produced the Rookie of the Year, with point guard Tyrone Davey taking the award 12 months after forward Charlie Piho.

Davey platooned time with import Larry Bratcher in the first half of the season before seeing his minutes decrease as American George Baker replaced Bratcher, but still managed to average 6.2 points per game, while shooting 48.8 percent on field goals and 38.5 percent on three-point attempts in 17 games.

Dominion Finance NBL Awards

Outstanding Guard (Keith Carr Trophy)

Jason Crowe (Waikato Pistons)

Outstanding Forward (Commissioner’s Cup)

Casey Frank (Youthtown Auckland Stars)

Outstanding Kiwi Guard (John Macdonald Trophy)

Phill Jones (CPS Nelson Giants)

Outstanding Kiwi Forward (Stan Hill Trophy)

Casey Frank (Youthtown Auckland Stars)

Rookie of the Year

Tyrone Davey (Youthtown Auckland Stars)

Coach of the Year

Doug Marty (Century City Wellington Saints)

Scoring Champion (Alan Bland Memorial Trophy)

Brian Wethers (Waikato Pistons)

Rebounding Champion (Garry Pettis Memorial Trophy)

Antoine Tisby (Cartridge World Otago Nuggets)

Assist Champion (Dave Taylor Trophy)

Jason Crowe (Waikato Pistons)

Regular Season Champions

Century City Wellington Saints

Best Team Free-Throws (Nial Forsyth Trophy)

Appliance Shed Harbour Heat