BRYCE JOHNSON BLOCK AGAINST PROVIDENCE SERIES
In the Wildcats’ semifinal series against the Cairns Taipans, Cotton (34 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Prather (22 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals) led the way offensively to easily win game one (91-69) in Cairns. The Wildcats’ squeezed into the playoffs behind after winning two must win games to finish. Prather’s efforts didn’t go unnoticed either as he was named in the All-NBL First Team, and finished second in NBL MVP voting (107 votes) behind Jerome Randle (147) of the Adelaide 36ers. With the addition of Cotton, the Wildcats became a completely different team and went on to win eight of their remaining twelve regular-season games, the last two being must win games in order to reach the playoffs in fourth place (15-13).
Martin also returned to form after his injury, and on January 28th, in his 250th NBL game, he scored a season-high 11 points to go with six rebounds, and four assists in a 73–71 win over Melbourne. In early February, Prather scored 29 points in a 101–74 win over the Sydney Kings, and then two days later, he recorded 26 points and a career-high 11 assists in a 96–94 win over United. Throughout the roller-coaster of roster changes, Casey Prather had continued to carry the offensive load for the Wildcats, which included a career-high 39 points in a 92–89 win over Melbourne United on December 9th. It was also around this time also that Perth legend Shawn Redhage announced that the 2016/17 season would be his last in the NBL.
Johnson’s reinstatement was a temporary solution, and he was shown the door again in December with the Wildcats seizing the opportunity to sign former NBA guard Cotton. In a bizarre twist, Ingram left the team and returned to the US after just two games, citing mental issues, and Johnson was then brought back into the squad. Import Jaron Johnson would take the brunt of the Wildcats’ poor start and was replaced with three-point specialist Andre Ingram just three games into the season. The team had slumped to last spot in December with a 7–9 record as the teams injury toll started to bite with long-term injuries to Damian Martin, Jarrod Kenny, and Matthew Knight. Prior to Cotton’s arrival in Perth the Wildcats were in the midst of one of their worst starts in NBL history. His uncle, David Adams, played football at the University of Arizona and had a short stint with the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL.Ĭotton’s wife Rachel, who is from Perth, gave birth to the couple’s first child in 2019.īryce Cotton made his NBL debut with the Perth Wildcats at 24 years of age. One of his brothers died by suicide in 2021. He has one brother, Justin Tarpley, and two half-brothers, Chaz Cotton and Elijah Cotton. He also reportedly tried to obtain a scholarship from Houston Baptist.įAMILY: Cotton is the son of Yvonne and Charles Cotton. He was turned down by Montana State and Northern Arizona, and was later also turned away by Division II school Chico State. He also had perfect grades and a high GPA.Ĭotton was not highly recruited out of high school. He earned First Team All-City and First Team All-State honors in 2010. He also set a school record for the highest triple-double with 37 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists against Rio Rico on December 11, 2009. He averaged 23.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.7 steals per game as a senior, and scored 30 or more points nine times, including a career-high 40 points in an 85–82 win over Buckeye on February 16, 2010. Cotton helped lead Palo Verde to a 24–7 record and a berth in the state 4A semi-finals in the 2009/10 season.
Money was tight and Adams often provided them with financial assistance during tough times.Ĭotton’s grandmother, Mary, helped raise him and his brother Justin while their mother worked in real estate.Īfter spending his junior year in Las Vegas, Cotton completed secondary school at Palo Verde High School in Tucson. Cotton’s parents separated when he was a toddler and his father worked as a police officer on the other side of the country. Focusing on basketball, one of Cotton’s biggest deficiencies was his lack of height. Due to suffering from a rare form of epilepsy, he was advised during fifth grade to no longer play football due to the high risk of head injuries which could lead to seizures. Cotton’s grandmother, Mary, helped raise him and his brother Justin while their mother worked in real estate.Ĭotton loved sports as a child, playing basketball, football and baseball. Money was tight and Adams often provided them with financial assistance during tough times. BIO: Bryce Jiron Cotton was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona (USA).
0 kommentar(er)
