Perth Wildcats star guard Bryce Cotton (Palo Verde) has added the Gordon Ellis Medal for Perth Wildcats MVP to his growing list of career achievements. Cotton was revealed as the award’s winner in front of a crowd of over 1,200 at the Perth Wildcats MVP Ball, held at Crown Towers on Saturday night.
The 25-year-old is now an NBL championship-winner (2017), Grand Final MVP (2017), NBL Most Valuable Player (2018) and the Perth Wildcats Most Valuable Player (2018), all in just 46 NBL games.
Cotton left a video message for fans and Wildcats MVP Ball guests:
“I just want to say it’s a great honor to be named MVP alongside all the club’s past legends,” he said. “A special thanks to my teammates and coaching staff of course, I couldn’t have picked a better team to play with. Perth definitely holds a special place in my heart, it’s been an amazing journey as always.”
The sharp-shooting guard scored more points than any other player in the NBL in the regular season, with a total of 544 points. He also sunk a league-high 84 three-pointers at an incredible 44.9 percent despite featuring in the competition’s top-five for three-pointers attempted per game (6.7). In addition to his scoring statistics, Bryce Cotton averaged 3.1 assists per game and 3.2 rebounds (up 0.6 from 2016/17). In the Finals, Bryce Cotton averaged 26.5 points per game and racked up his third 30-plus points Finals game out of a possible seven.
This list will be updated all year in an effort to recognize all former local prep stars who have gone on to achieve either academic and/or athletic awards at the next level. These are not high school awards but collegiate and professional recognitions. NOT CHAMPIONSHIPS. If you are aware of anything I have missed along the way, please let me know.
We recognized 144 athletes in 2017. We are up to 53 for 2018.
Bryce Cotton/Basketball
Palo Verde/Perth Wildcats
All-NBL First Team (2/27)
NBL Most Valuable Player (2/27)
Perth Wildcats MVP (4/7)
Matthew Blandeburgo/Baseball
Ironwood Ridge/Marymount California
Cal Pac Pitcher of the Week (4/2)
Max Christoff/Baseball
Sabino/Presentation
NAIA Baseball National Player of the Week (4/2)
Kayla Green/Softball
Cienega/New Mexico State
WAC Pitcher of the Week (2/12)
WAC Pitcher of the Week (2/19)
WAC Pitcher of the Week (4/2)
Andie Larkins/Softball
Sahuaro/Seattle
WAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year (1/31)
WAC Preseason Team (1/31)
WAC Pitcher of the Week nominee (4/2)
Maria Vanezza-Caldera/Softball
Tucson/Pima
ACCAC Player of the Week (4/2)
Jessica Gradillas/Softball
Nogales/Bryant
Bryant Athletes of the Week (3/27)
Megan Flores/Softball
Salpointe/Pima
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (3/26)
Spencer Packard/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/Western
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (3/13)
Nick Ames/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/UNLV
Mountain West Player of the Week (2/19)
Rebel of the Game (2/18)
Rebel of the Week (2/20)
Rebel of the Game (3/25)
Isaiah Murphy/Basketball
Cienega/Pima
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (2/28)
NJCAA All-Tournament Team (3/25)
Max Smith/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/UNLV
Rebel of the Game (3/23)
Delaney Schnell/Diving
Tucson/Arizona
Pac-12 Diving Freshman/Newcomer of the Year (3/22)
Niki Gonzalez/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Grand Canyon
WAC Player of the Week
Shelby Kennedy/Softball
Cienega/Yale
Ivy League Softball Honor Roll (3/19)
Brian Peabody/Basketball
Sahuaro/Pima College (coach)
HoopDirt.com Coach of the Week (1/7)
NJCAA District I Coach of the Year (3/19)
Brianna Aguilar-Beaucage/Softball
Salpointe/Grand Canyon
WAC Preseason Team (1/31)
WAC Pitcher of the Week (2/26)
WAC Pitcher of the Week (3/12)
Keven Biggs/Basketball
Cienega/Pima
First Team All-ACCAC (2/28)
First Team All-Region I, Division II (2/28)
Region I, Division II Championship MVP (3/9)
Collin Dylla/Track
Ironwood Ridge/Pima
NJCAA Indoor All-American (3/7)
Cameron Crandall/Track & Field
Canyon del Oro/Pima
NJCAA Indoor All-American (3/7)
Anahiramar Lopez/Track & Field
Tucson/Pima
NJCAA Indoor All-American (3/7)
Tavion Ross/Track
Tucson/Central Arizona
NJCAA 2-time Indoor All-American (3/7)
Alexis Cortez/Basketball
Tucson High/Utah Valley
WAC Basketball Player of the Week (1/14)
WAC All-Newcomer Team (3/5)
NaKeva Mack/Basketball
Cienega/Colorado Northwestern
SWAC Honorable Mention (3/1)
Abram Carrasco/Basketball
Cholla/Pima
Second Team All-ACCAC (2/28)
Second Team All-Region I, Division II (2/28)
Christine Ortega/Basketball
Flowing Wells/Pima
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (1/17)
Second Team All-ACCAC (2/28)
First Team All-Region I, Division II (2/28)
Chaz Mack/Basketball
Catalina Foothills/Cochise
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (1/17)
ACCAC D-I Player of the Week (2/28)
Tori Brown/Softball
Cienega/Egis
RMAC Player of the Week (2/27)
Tylor Gil/Softball
Santa Cruz/Phoenix
ACCAC DII Player of the Week (2/26)
Brianna Griffiths/Softball
Tanque Verde/Yavapai
ACCAC DI Player of the Week (2/16)
Austin Nehls/Basketball
Catalina Foothills/Central Connecticut State
CoSIDA NCAA Academic District I First Team (2/22)
Alexa Coons/Softball
Sahuaro/Grand Canyon
WAC Pitcher of the Week nominee (2/12)
Gavin Cohen/Golf
Catalina Foothills/Arizona
UA Student-Athlete of the Month (2/5)
Ivan Estrella/Baseball
Tucson/Texas Rio Grande Valley
Fall Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (1/17)
Perfect Game Preseason All-WAC Team (2/2)
Reece Nilsen/Golf
Catalina Foothills/Rocky Mountain College
Frontier Conference Men’s All-Conference 2nd Team (1/25)
Frontier Conference Freshman of the Year (1/25)
Kiana Verdugo/Track & Field
Sahuarita/Hamlin
MIAC SID Indoor Field Athlete of the Week (1/23)
Brianna Pitre/Basketball
Sabino/ Texas Rio Grande Valley
Fall Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (1/17)
Mari Ruiz/Softball
Cholla/West Texas A&M
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Jaclyn Wittke/Soccer
Sahuaro/Angelo State
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Kaycie Cormier/Cross Country
Douglas/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Melody McLaughlin/Basketball
Mountain View/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Bailey Gin/Volleyball
Tucson/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Clarissa Moreno/Softball
Desert View/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Brooklyn Misenhimer/Softball
Sahuaro/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Mariangela Garcia/Softball
Desert View/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Roberto Cota/Cross Country
Pueblo/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Roberto Contreras/Cross Country
Rio Rico/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
DeAndre Williams/Football
Tucson/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Brandon Vesterdal/Football
Cienega/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Jacob Valdez/Football
Buena/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Michael Lopez/Football
Ironwood Ridge/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Larry Lecount/Football
Cholla/Western New Mexico
Lone Star Conference Commissioner Honor Roll (1/17)
Mikey Silva/Basketball
Sunnyside/Shadow Mountain
SMCC Athlete of the Week (1/14)
Portions from news release.
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Andy Morales was recognized by the AIA as the top high school reporter in 2014 and he was awarded the Ray McNally Award in 2017 and he has been a youth, high school and college coach for over 30 years. His own children have won multiple state high school championships and were named to all-state teams. Competing in hockey, basketball, baseball and track & field in high school, his unique perspective can only be found here and on AZPreps365.com. Andy is the Southern Arizona voting member of the Ed Doherty Award, recognizing the top football player in Arizona, and he was named a Local Hero by the Tucson Weekly for 2016. Contact Andy Morales at AMoralesMyTucson@yahoo.com
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