COMING off a strong finish to the 2025/26 National Basketball League (NBL) season, New Zealand Breakers big man Sam Mennenga has taken out the competition’s Next Generation Award as the most exciting young player in the league.

In a pool of the talented youngsters, Mennenga was awarded the premier performer for the past season, having closed out the fixture in emphatic fashion with the Breakers. Cementing his place as one of the most impactful frontcourt players in the competition, the 24-year-old had showed glimpses of his talents in the past, but put it all together for a damaging season with New Zealand.

Although he missed a significant chunk of time with a wrist injury in the second half of the season – which was a massive blow to his team’s chances of making finals – Mennenga was still able to become one of the most forceful big man in the NBL, using his impressive frame to his advantage in the low block.

The New Zealand native was brought back from that injury in the final two games of the Breakers’ campaign, and showed no signs of rust in his return, dropping a career-high 32 points against the Cairns Taipans on Thursday night, before showing out in the Ignite Cup final win over the Adelaide 36ers with 21 points to cap off the campaign.

He ended the year with numbers of 17.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while shooting 53 per cent from the field, showing that his future is bright and even drawing praise from JaVale McGee, who stated Mennenga is worthy of an NBA spot.

SEM Phoenix import John Brown III took home the coveted Damian Martin Trophy for the NBL’s Best Defensive Player following an excellent debut season on Australian shores. The central figure in South East Melbourne’s relentless defence, he set the tone from the moment he joined the team and has been a crucial figure in getting the Phoenix to the postseason.

An energetic and restrictive marker, Brown III has hounded and hassled opponents whenever he was on the court, often taking the best offensive player from the other team and making life as hard as possible. His performances were often built around effort, and that would sometimes translate to the offensive end, pulling down boards and generating second-chance scoring opportunities.

He led the league in steals along with Casey Prather at two per game, while also hustling on the boards for 6.2 rebounds per outing along with his 10.9 points in a strong campaign that is set to follow on into the postseason, given the Phoenix finished in third spot.

He was not the only Phoenix player to bring home an award last night, with teammate Angus Glover taking out the Sixth Man of the Year award, having established himself as the premier bench player of the NBL. In his second season with South East Melbourne, Glover took his game to the next level and provided a valuable spark off the pine.

His improvement was highlighted by a career-best performance back in October, where he was electric with his scoring and showed that he can be a dominant offensive player when his shots are falling. Glover posted 26 points in the big win over the Illawarra Hawks late last year, cashing in from deep to show himself as one of the best three-point shooters in the NBL.

On the season, Glover averaged 10.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, while shooting 43 per cent from the field and knocking down 2.2 three-pointers a game. The guard will continue to be a valuable weapon for South East Melbourne throughout the postseason as the team chases its first-ever NBL championship.

Among a strong field, Adelaide 36ers talent Flynn Cameron was named the Most Improved Player of the competition, having taken the next step in his development throughout the 2025/26 season. He became a reliable piece for the Sixers and cemented his place in the starting lineup next to some of the biggest names in the NBL.

A wing who can score the ball across all three levels as well as hold his own defensively, Cameron has been a valuable player for a contending side, and is now confident enough in his own game to knock down big shots, as well as recording a career-high 25 points in a strong win over a quality opponent in the Sydney Kings.

Throughout the 2025/26 season, he averaged 12.1 points per game – which was up from 5.3 the season prior – to go with 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game on 45 per cent shooting, with all of his output up on his previous campaign.

Full NBL Awards Results

Andrew Gaze Trophy for Most Valuable Player

Bryce Cotton (Adelaide 36ers) – 96 votes
Kendric Davis (Sydney Kings) – 94 votes
Kristian Doolittle (Perth Wildcats) and Nathan Sobey (South East Melbourne Phoenix) – 59 votes

Lindsay Gaze Trophy for Coach of the Year

Brian Goorjian (Sydney Kings) – 56 votes
Josh King (South East Melbourne Phoenix) – 48 votes
Mike Wells (Adelaide 36ers), John Rillie (Perth Wildcats) and Scott Roth (Tasmania JackJumpers) – 23 votes

Most Improved Player presented by AAMI

Flynn Cameron (Adelaide 36ers) – 51 votes
Makuach Maluach (Sydney Kings)  – 39 votes
Sam Mennenga (New Zealand Breakers)  – 35 votes

Best Sixth Man

Angus Glover (South East Melbourne Phoenix) – 64 votes
Kouat Noi (Sydney Kings)  – 44 votes
Majok Deng (Tasmania JackJumpers)  33 votes

Damian Martin Trophy for the Best Defensive Player

John Brown III (South East Melbourne Phoenix) – 75 votes
Will Magnay (Tasmania JackJumpers)  – 27 votes
Kristian Doolittle (Perth Wildcats) – 24 votes

Step One Next Generation Award

Sam Mennenga (New Zealand Breakers) – 65 votes
Karim Lopez (New Zealand Breakers)  – 43 votes
Owen Foxwell (South East Melbourne Phoenix) – 38 votes

All-NBL First Team

Bryce Cotton (Adelaide 36ers) – 54 votes
Kendric Davis (Sydney Kings)  – 52 votes
Nathan Sobey (South East Melbourne Phoenix)  – 52 votes
Kristian Doolittle (Perth Wildcats) – 51 votes
John Brown III (South East Melbourne Phoenix) – 36 votes

All-NBL Second Team

Jack McVeigh (Cairns Taipans)  – 31 votes
Parker Jackson-Cartwright (New Zealand Breakers)  – 30 votes
Xavier Cooks (Sydney Kings)  – 30 votes
Bryce Hamilton (Tasmania JackJumpers) – 28 votes
Zylan Cheatham (Adelaide 36ers)  – 23 votes