The Knox Raiders dug deep to produce a huge second half fightback inspired by young big men Austin Rapp (206-F-2005), Kyle Bowen (203-F-2000, college: SMC) and Anzac Rissetto (208-F/C-2001, college: Charlotte) to overrun the Mackay Meteors 87-84 to win back-to-back NBL1 National Championships. Knox arrived on the Sunshine Coast a month after their season ended in the NBL1 South in an elimination final loss to the Dandenong Rangers, but motivated to defend the national title they won in Perth last year. Mackay had booked their spot on the Sunshine Coast with a dominant NBL1 North season to secure that championship two weeks ago. Then even without NBL stars Isaac White and Todd Blanchfield, they won into the championship game on Sunday with wins over the Mandurah Magic and Forestville Eagles. Knox won through with wins against the Maitland Mustangs and Eltham Wildcats, but it was Mackay who produced a standout first half to lead by as much as 12 points on the back of 74 per cent shooting with a focus of going inside. However, Knox wore them down and eventually with captain KJ Feagin (185-PG-1997, college: SDSU) delivering once more, and the big man trio of Kyle Bowen, Austin Rapp and Anzac Rissetto coming up huge, they overpowered Mackay and then held on in a thrilling finish to become back-to-back champions. Knox went from being down seven midway through the third quarter to leading by 12 with three minutes to go, and then just held out Mackay at the death with Bowen named MVP. The Melbourne United forward produced 24 points, 15 rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocks. Fellow young big man Austin Rapp continued his superb form with 16 points and 12 rebounds while Anzac Rissetto then provided quite the second half cameo. After just seven points in 17 minutes in the first two games, he fought through a back injury for 10 points and five rebounds in 20:35. Malith Machar (198-F-1999, college: Midland CC) also had 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks for Knox, and Brody Nunn (185-G-2002, college: Seattle) seven points, nine assists, four boards and two steals. Mackay went ever so close to a first National Championship with Emmett Naar (185-G-1994, college: SMC) having another dazzling triple-double made up of 21 points, 18 assists and 10 rebounds. Aiden Krause (193-G-2000, college: UC Irvine) had 19 points and eight rebounds, Amarco Doyle 14 points, five boards and three steals, and Jerron Jamerson 10 points, two steals and two blocked shots. Luca Yates (208-C/F-2004, college: Barry) also flew in for the championship game after playing with the Illawarra Hawks against the Shanghai Sharks the night before, and had 11 points, 10 boards and two blocks in over 38 minutes. Mackay came into the championship decider with momentum and with the addition of Luca Yates, and they did start well to be up 5-2 early before three balls to Austin Rapp and Malith Machar gave Knox the lead. It was only brief with Mackay taking charge the rest of the first quarter starting with a couple of inside buckets to Aiden Krause. Kye Medhurst then hit the Meteors' lone three-pointer of the first half and they finished the period with a 16-5 run to be on top 25-15 heading into quarter-time. Even with Kyle Bowen, Rapp (two) and KJ Feagin hitting three-pointers early in the second period for Knox, Mackay was dominating on the inside up the other end and with Emmett Naar running the show and Krause a powerful force, they maintained the 49-42 half-time edge. The Meteors took just two threes the entire first half and focused on the inside and shot 74 per cent from the field as a result with Naar having 15 points and eight assists, and Krause 13 points and five rebounds at the break. Knox was shooting at just 34 per cent but Bowen and Rapp had combined for 28 points and 12 rebounds to keep their team within striking distance. Bowen and Malith Machar then combined to give the Raiders the first five points of the second half but Jerron Jamerson and Yates answered back with the next five for Mackay. Triples from Feagin and Brody Nunn did keep Knox in touch, though, and Mackay were only clinging to the 64-62 advantage by three quarter-time. Knox had picked up the momentum and when Feagin hit a triple early in the fourth stanza the defending champions had a first lead since briefly hitting the front during the first quarter. Anzac Rissetto had a purple patch with an individual 7-0 run with strong inside finishes to push the Raiders out to a six-point lead. Another 7-0 run that included a triple to Feagin saw Knox up to a 12-point lead and they did appear to have one hand on the trophy, but nobody told Mackay that. The Meteors one more big run starting with a triple to Amarco Doyle, just their third of the contest. Jamerson and Doyle then helped them to score nine straight points to turn that 11-point deficit into just a two-point one. Rapp answered with a tough finish at the rim for Knox, then he made a free-throw too but Mackay still didn’t give in. Krause scored going to the hoop, and the Meteors forced a turnover but Krause just ran out of time to get off the attempted game tying shot. Knox held strong and become the first team in the NBL1 National Finals to win back-to-back championships.
Courtesy of: nbl1.com.au

Player of the Year: Nick Marshall (196-F/G-1999) of Mt.Gambier
Grand Final MVP: Angus Glover (192-G-1998) of Eltham W.
Youth Player of the Year: Austin Rapp (206-F-2005) of Knox R.
Defensive Player of the Year: Demarcus Gatlin (193-G-1992) of Geelong U.
Coach of the Year: Richard Hill of Mt.Gambier

Nick Marshall (196-F/G-1999), swingman from the Mount Gambier Pioneers, picked up the Player of the Year at the NBL One South. He graduated from the Clarke three years ago. Marshall was also voted to the First Team. He was the Player of the Week honoree in the league. Marshall averaged over 23 points and 8 rebounds per game in the league. He has totalled 15 games of 20 or more points on the year and recorded 30 or more points in 5 games. Marshall registered double-doubles in 7 games during the event. His 35 points against the Keilor Thunder were the most he scored in the 2024 season.
Akech Aliir (204-F-2000), 23-year old forward from the Mount Gambier Pioneers, was selected to the First Team of NBL One South. He had over 18 points and 10 rebounds per game that season in the league. Aliir has totalled 8 games of 20 or more points on the year and recorded 30 or more points in 4 games. He logged double-doubles in 9 games at the event. Aliir's 35 points against Melbourne Tigers were the most he scored in the 2024 season. He was named the Australian WARATAH D1 Group A Regular Season Champion in 2019, and became the NBL1 Regular Season Champion in 2022.
Tanner Krebs (198-G-1996), 28-year old guard from the Sandringham Sabres, was chosen to the First Team at the NBL One South. He is the Saint Mary's College of California alumni from 2020. Krebs registered almost 21 points and over 9 rebounds per game over the season in the league. He has totalled 13 games of 20 or more points on the year and notched 30 or more points in 3 games. Krebs recorded double-doubles in 7 games at the event. His 33 points against Geelong United were the most he scored in the 2024 season. Among many awards he was selected to the Australiabasket All-Australian NBL1 First Team back in 2021.
Tyler Rudolph (6'6''-PF-1996), 28-year old American power forward from the Ballarat Miners, was named to the First Team of NBL One South. He is ex Minot State from 2018. Rudolph's best performance made his team reach the final but they were defeated by Eltham Wildcats 70 to 79. He averaged over 21 points and 8 rebounds per game in the league. Rudolph has totalled 12 games of 20 or more points on the year and registered 30 or more points in 7 games. He had double-doubles in 7 games at the event. Rudolph's 37 points against the Sandringham Sabres were the most he scored in the 2024 season. Among many awards he was selected to the Australiabasket All-Australian NBL1 First Team in 2023.
Daniel Trist (206-F-1992), 32-year old forward from the Frankston Blues, earned a spot in the First Team at the NBL One South. He is alumni of the Lafayette from 2015. Trist recorded almost 19 points and 12 rebounds per game that season in the league. He has totalled 12 games of 20 or more points and logged double-doubles in 14 games on the year. Trist's 29 points against the NW Tasmania were the most he scored in the 2024 season. Among many awards he was selected to the Australiabasket All-Australian NBL1 Player of the Year in 2023. He was also selected to the Australiabasket All-Australian NBL1 First Team in 2023.

First Team
Akech Aliir (204-F-2000) of Mt.Gambier
Nick Marshall (196-F/G-1999) of Mt.Gambier
Tanner Krebs (198-G-1996) of Sandringham S.
Tyler Rudolph (198-PF-1996) of Ballarat M.
Daniel Trist (206-F-1992) of Frankston B.

Grand Final MVP: Will Cranston-Lown (185-G/F-2000) of Maitland M.
Player of the Year: Will Cranston-Lown (185-G/F-2000) of Maitland M.
Youth Player of the Year: Kye Savage (186-G-2005) of BA CoE
Defensive Player of the Year: William Hickey (194-G-1999) of Albury W.B.
Coach of the Year: Tim Hills of Corban

The standout swingman Will Cranston-Lown (185-G/F-2000) earned the Grand Final MVP of the championship-winning Maitland Mustangs. He graduated from the Regis two years ago. Cranston-Lown received multiple other awards, picked up the Player of the Year and earned a spot in the First Team. With Cranston-Lown's excellent performance, the Maitland Mustangs achieved the best record of the season in the league, finishing with an impressive 17 to 3 in the regular season. His excellent performance assisted his team in beating Canberra Basketball 86 to 67 in the final. Cranston-Lown averaged over 21 points and 6 assists per game in the league. He has totalled 16 games of 20 or more points on the year and recorded 30 or more points in 3 games. His 33 points against the Knox Raiders were the most he scored in the 2024 season.
William Hickey (194-G-1999), 25-year old guard from the Albury Wodonga Bandits, was named the Defensive Player of the Year at the NBL One East. He was also voted to the First Team. Hickey was the Player of the Week honoree twice during the 24 campaign. He had over 22 points and 10 rebounds per game that season in the league. Hickey has totalled 13 games of 20 or more points on the year and recorded 30 or more points in 4 games. He logged double-doubles in 14 games at the event. Hickey's 36 points against the HKBA Spiders were the most he scored in the 2024 season.
Alex Higgins-Titsha (197-SF-2000), 24-year old Australian small forward from the Inner West Bulls, was selected to the First Team of NBL One East. He registered almost 20 points and 9 rebounds per game over the season in the league. Higgins-Titsha has totalled 11 games of 20 or more points and notched double-doubles in 9 games on the year. His 32 points against the Illawarra Hawks 2nd team were the most he scored in the 2024 season. Among many awards Higgins-Titsha's team was the regular season runner-up in the Australian NBL1 in 2023. He was also selected as the Australiabasket All-Australian NBL1 Defensive Player of the Year in 2023.
Glenn Morison (208-C-1999), 24-year old center from the Canberra Basketball, was chosen to the First Team at the NBL One East. He is a St. Edward's University alumni from 2021. With Morison's excellent performance, the Canberra Basketball achieved the best record of the season in the league, finishing with an impressive 18 to 2 in the regular season. Morison's best performance made his team reach the final but they lost against Maitland Mustangs 67 to 86. He averaged over 18 points and 10 rebounds per game in the league. Morison has totalled 11 games of 20 or more points on the year and recorded 30 or more points in 2 games. Morison's 32 points against Sutherland Sharks were the most he scored in the 2024 season. Among many awards he was selected to the Australiabasket All-Australian NBL1 First Team between 2022 and 2023.
William Mayfield (F-2000), 24-year old forward from the Canberra Basketball, was named to the First Team of NBL One East. He Mayfield's best performance made his team reach the final but they lost against Maitland Mustangs 67 to 86. Mayfield had over 17 points and 7 rebounds per game that season in the league. He has totalled 9 games of 20 or more points and recorded double-doubles in 6 games on the year. Mayfield's 26 points against the Hills Hornets were the most he scored in the 2024 season. Among many awards he was selected to the Australiabasket All-Australian NBL1 First Team in 2022.

First Team
Alex Higgins-Titsha (197-SF-2000) of Inner WB
Glenn Morison (208-C-1999) of Canberra B.
William Mayfield (F-2000) of Canberra B.
Will Cranston-Lown (185-G/F-2000) of Maitland M.
William Hickey (194-G-1999) of Albury W.B.

Grand Final MVP: Joel Murray (183-PG-1999) of Mandurah M.
Player of the Year: Joel Murray (183-PG-1999) of Mandurah M.
Youth Player of the Year: Roosevelt Williams (190-G-2002) of Willetton T.
Defensive Player of the Year: Michael Durr (213-C-1998) of Mandurah M.
Coach of the Year: Dayle Joseph of Geraldton B.

The standout American point guard Joel Murray (6'0''-PG-1999) was honored as the Grand Final MVP of the championship-winning Mandurah Magic. He graduated from the LBSU last year. Murray received multiple other awards, earned the Player of the Year and was voted to the First Team. His excellent performance assisted his team in beating Willetton Tigers 91 to 89 in the final. Murray averaged over 7 assists per game in the league. He was the Player of the Week honoree four times during the 24 campaign. Murray led the NBL1 in points per game with 34. He has totalled 24 games of 20 or more points on the year and recorded 30 or more points in 16 games. His 52 points against the Lakeside Lightning were the most he scored in the 2024 season. Just on the list of the top 10 best scorers we have 8 out of 10 players, who had college careers.
Gorjok Gak (211-C-1996), center from the Rockingham Flames, was selected to the First Team at the NBL One West. He is the California Baptist alumni from 2021. Gak had over 20 points and 11 rebounds per game that season in the league. He has totalled 12 games of 20 or more points and recorded double-doubles in 14 games on the year. Gak's 31 points against Mandurah Magic were the most he scored in the 2024 season. Among many awards he won the Czech Republic League championship title in 2022. He was also selected as the Australiabasket All-Australian NBL1 Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 as well as the First Team in 2023. He was also selected to the WAC All-Defensive Team as well as the All-District 6 Second Team back in 2021.
Michael Harris (193-G-1999), 24-year old guard from the Warwick Senators, was chosen to the First Team of NBL One West. He showcased his talent by ranking fourth in points per game with an average of 27. Harris also logged almost 7 rebounds per game over the season in the league. He has totalled 18 games of 20 or more points on the year and registered 30 or more points in 8 games. His 42 points against the East Perth Eagles were the most he scored in the 2024 season. As evident, the league is predominantly led by former college players, with 8 out of the 10 scorers having graduated from US schools. Among many awards Harris' team was the regular season runner-up in the New Zealand NBL in 2023. He was selected to the Australiabasket All-Australian NBL1 First Team back in 2021. Harris was also selected to the Australiabasket All-New Zealand NBL Second Team in 2023.
C.J. Turnage (6'7''-F/G-1995), 29-year old American swingman from the Joondalup City Wanneroo Wolves, was named to the First Team at the NBL One West. He is ex SVSU from 2017. Turnage averaged over 22 points and 7 rebounds per game in the league. He has totalled 13 games of 20 or more points on the year and recorded 30 or more points in 4 games. His 38 points against the Perth Redbacks were the most he scored in the 2024 season. Among many awards he was selected to the Australiabasket All-Australian Premier League Player of the Year as well as the All-Australian Premier League Import Player of the Year back in 2019. He was selected to the Australiabasket All-Australian Premier First Team between 2018 and 2019.
De'Sean Parsons (6'7''-F-1995), 29-year old American forward from the Goldfields Giants, earned a spot in the First Team of NBL One West. He is alumni of the Portland State from 2017. Parsons had almost 25 points and over 10 rebounds per game that season in the league. He has totalled 20 games of 20 or more points on the year and recorded 30 or more points in 5 games. His 41 points against the BB Cougars were the most he scored in the 2024 season. Among many awards Parsons' team was the regular season runner-up in the Finnish 1st Division A in 2020. He was also selected as the Eurobasket All-Slovakian League Player of the Year as well as the All-Slovakian League Import Player of the Year back in 2021. Parsons was selected as the Eurobasket All-Israeli National League Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.

First Team
Joel Murray (183-PG-1999) of Mandurah M.
Gorjok Gak (211-C-1996) of Rockingham F.
Michael Harris (193-G-1999) of Warwick S.
C.J. Turnage (201-F/G-1995) of Joondalup W.
De'Sean Parsons (201-F-1995) of Goldfields G.

Grand Final MVP: Greg Mays (203-F-1993) of Forestville E.
Player of the Year: Alexander Starling (198-F-1989) of S.Adelaide P.
Youth Player of the Year: Akoldah Gak (208-F-2002) of W.Adelaide B.
Defensive Player of the Year: Alexander Starling (198-F-1989) of S.Adelaide P.
Coach of the Year: Paul Rigoni of Sturt S.

First Team
Jordan Forbes (193-G-1998) of Sturt S.
Branden Jenkins (196-G/F-1994) of C.District L.
Jacob Rigoni (198-F-1998) of Sturt S.
Alexander Starling (198-F-1989) of S.Adelaide P.
Greg Mays (203-F-1993) of Forestville E.