ONE OF the biggest surprises of the 2025/26 National Basketball League (NBL) season to date, the SEM Phoenix have emerged as a dark horse for the championship in the coming months following a strong start to the fixture.

The Phoenix were not expected to be among the heavy hitters this season, largely due to the lack of a high-end import, which has been the blueprint for success for champions over recent years. However, South East Melbourne has exceeded all expectations, with Josh King having his team absolutely humming heading into the international break, sitting third on the ladder with a record of nine wins and four losses.

The Phoenix’s roster is built largely on talented local players, headlined by the return of Nathan Sobey, although he was not expected to do too much heavy lifting on the offensive end given he is in the twilight of his career.

However, South East Melbourne found success early in the season with an elite defensive identity, playing extremely tough and showing a relentless nature when locking down the opposition. Other teams were forced to push through the grittiness of the Phoenix’s defensive efforts if they wanted to get a basket, and it has resulted on South East Melbourne holding its opponent to some low scores.

On the offensive end, the team is proving productive as well, averaging the second-most points in the competition at 96.5 per game in a deadly combination on both sides of the ball. South East Melbourne is consistently reaching triple figures on the offensive end, despite not bringing in a big-name import over the off-season.

Instead, it is the team’s veteran guard in Sobey who has led from the front on the scoring front, exceeding expectations at 35 years of age. The Warrnambool native is showing a different side of his game this season, looking much more calm with ball in hand having been let down by erratic decision making in the past. On the season, he is averaging 21 points, 3.2 rebounds, four assists and 1.7 steals on 42.4 per cent shooting from the field, proving the most reliable scoring option for the team.

Also providing some offensive punch has been Owen Foxwell, who has fully cemented himself as a starting point guard at NBL level. He has been consistent in that position for the Phoenix, setting the tempo nicely and fitting the team’s defensive identity. Throughout the fixture, he is posting 10.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 39 per cent from the field.

The Phoenix would like to see some more production from the imports they do have, with former NBA wing Wes Iwundu not showing much desire to be a scoring option. He certainly has the talent to be a 20-point scorer, but has not shown that level of output during his time in the NBL. If he can boost his numbers in the back half of the fixture, it will assist Sobey on the offensive end and give the team an added scoring punch.