AFTER AN enthralling count that went down to the final round of play, Perth Wildcats young gun Luke Travers has claimed the inaugural Rookie Me Central Rookie of the Year Award for his outstanding campaign.

In a tight race against fellow rising star Sam Froling, Travers emerged four votes clear on 22 for the season in a 3,2,1 voting system revealed on the Got Next Podcast each week.

A consistent performer over the span of the year, Travers was constantly putting in tremendous outings over the fixture. It was a fantastic year of growth from a prospect with some ridiculous potential.

On the season, he averaged 9.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, three assists, a steal and 0.7 blocks per game, lifting in every single one of those categories. He began to involve himself in the Wildcats offence in a much more consistent fashion, pairing well with the likes of Bryce Cotton, Brady Manek and TaShawn Thomas.

The hybrid guard/forward was taking on different roles throughout the season, rotating from the starting lineup to the bench to do what was required of the team as the coaching staff experimented with lineups. When John Rillie began to see more potential in the team’s best youngster, he was a more consistent presence as a starter.

One of the areas of improvement for Travers heading into the season was his shooting from range, and the 21-year-old showed excellent growth as the season progressed. Rillie has credited Wildcats assistant Mike Kelly for this improvement.

The Wildcats struggled at the start of the season and had fluctuating form over the fixture, but Travers remained a consistently solid presence. He gradually increased his output as the season went on, and it culminated in a big showing to close out the season and seal the award.

Against the Kings, he delivered a vital 22 points to go with 10 rebounds and six assists in a must-win match. That was as complete a performance as Travers has put together in the NBL, and looked a genuinely dangerous option with a terrific all-around performance.

Froling was a deserving silver medalist, finishing on 18 votes for the season despite not polling a vote in the first five episodes. He has come into his own and despite being thrust into a leadership role for the Hawks, has been posting extremely impressive numbers. He is certainly one of the brightest prospects in the NBL given his strong start in the system.