# 2017 MSBL season

The 2017 MSBL season was the 29th season of the Men's State Basketball League (SBL). The regular season began on Friday 17 March, with round 1 seeing a 2016 grand final rematch between the Cockburn Cougars and Joondalup Wolves. The 2017 MSBL All-Star Game was played on 5 June at Bendat Basketball Centre – the home of basketball in Western Australia. The regular season ended on Saturday 29 July. The finals began on Saturday 5 August and ended on Saturday 2 September, when the Perth Redbacks defeated the Wolves in the MSBL Grand Final.

## Regular season

The regular season began on Friday 17 March and ended on Saturday 29 July after 20 rounds of competition. In an exciting move by the SBL, all games over the Easter Weekend were played on a blockbuster Thursday night with six venues all hosting games before the league took a break for the Easter long weekend. Anzac Round took place again in round 6 of the competition with the Kalamunda Eastern Suns and Willetton Tigers continuing their Anzac Day game tradition while being joined this year by the Cockburn Cougars hosting the Rockingham Flames on the Tuesday afternoon. There was also Women's Round in round 9, Rivalry Round in round 12, and Heritage Round in round 16.

### Standings

| Pos |
| Pos | Team | W | L |
| 1 | Willetton Tigers | 20 | 6 |
| 2 | Joondalup Wolves | 20 | 6 |
| 3 | Geraldton Buccaneers | 19 | 7 |
| 4 | Perth Redbacks | 16 | 10 |
| 5 | South West Slammers | 15 | 11 |
| 6 | Stirling Senators | 15 | 11 |
| 7 | Cockburn Cougars | 15 | 11 |
| 8 | Perry Lakes Hawks | 12 | 14 |
| 9 | Lakeside Lightning | 12 | 14 |
| 10 | Rockingham Flames | 11 | 15 |
| 11 | East Perth Eagles | 8 | 18 |
| 12 | Goldfields Giants | 8 | 18 |
| 13 | Kalamunda Eastern Suns | 7 | 19 |
| 14 | Mandurah Magic | 4 | 22 |

## Finals

The finals began on Saturday 5 August and ended on Saturday 2 September with the MSBL Grand Final.

### Bracket

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Grand final | Grand final | Grand final | Grand final |
| 1 | Willetton Tigers | 80 | 85 | 90 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Perry Lakes Hawks | 90 | 84 | 87 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Perry Lakes Hawks | 90 | 84 | 87 | 1 | Willetton Tigers | 81 | 92 | X | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Perth Redbacks | 85 | 101 | X | | | | |
| 4 | Perth Redbacks | 94 | 107 | 87 | 4 | Perth Redbacks | 85 | 101 | X | | | | |
| 5 | South West Slammers | 97 | 99 | 81 | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | South West Slammers | 97 | 99 | 81 | | | | | | Perth Redbacks | 103 | X | X |
| | | | | | | | | | | Joondalup Wolves | 70 | X | X |
| 2 | Joondalup Wolves | 90 | 90 | 86 | | | | | | | | | | Joondalup Wolves | 70 | X | X |
| 7 | Cockburn Cougars | 83 | 120 | 65 | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Cockburn Cougars | 83 | 120 | 65 | 2 | Joondalup Wolves | 77 | 87 | 93 | | | | |
| | | | | | 3 | Geraldton Buccaneers | 84 | 84 | 81 | | | | |
| 3 | Geraldton Buccaneers | 89 | 80 | 84 | 3 | Geraldton Buccaneers | 84 | 84 | 81 | | | | |
| 6 | Stirling Senators | 80 | 93 | 82 | | | | | | | | | |

## All-Star Game

The 2017 MSBL All-Star Game took place at Bendat Basketball Centre on Monday 5 June, with all proceeds going to Lifeline WA for suicide prevention.

### Rosters

North All-Stars :
| Pos | Player | Team |
| Starters |||
| F | Maurice Barrow | Geraldton Buccaneers |
| G | Courtney Belger | Kalamunda Eastern Suns |
| C | Kevin Davis | East Perth Eagles |
| F | Shawn Redhage | Perth Redbacks |
| G | Benjamin Smith | Perth Redbacks |
| Reserves |||
| F | Cody Ellis | Stirling Senators |
| G | Jackson Hussey | Geraldton Buccaneers |
| F | Ben Purser | Perry Lakes Hawks |
| C | Rhys Vague | Stirling Senators |
| G | Drew Williamson | East Perth Eagles |
| Head coach: Nik Lackovic (Perth Redbacks) |||
South All-Stars :
| Pos | Player | Team |
| Starters |||
| G | Kyle Armour | Willetton Tigers |
| F | Jalen Billups | Cockburn Cougars |
| G/F | Julius Bowie | Willetton Tigers |
| F | Jacob Holmen | Goldfields Giants |
| G | Tre Nichols | South West Slammers |
| Reserves |||
| F | Gavin Field | Cockburn Cougars |
| F | JB Pillard | Goldfields Giants |
| G | Damien Scott | Willetton Tigers |
| F | Ray Turner | Willetton Tigers |
| F | Brian Voelkel | South West Slammers |
| Head coach: Stephen Black (Willetton Tigers) |||

### Game data

* Highlights
* 5 June 2017 2:00 pm
* Box Score Report Report
North 126, South 129 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–27, 27–38, 29–33, 26–22, Overtime: 16–19 |||
| Pts: Smith (26) Rebs: Redhage (11) Asts: Ellis (8) | Pts: Turner (39) Rebs: Turner (10) Asts: Voelkel (9) |
* Bendat Basketball Centre, Floreat MVP: Ray Turner

## Awards
### Player of the Week

| Round | Player | Team |
| 1 | Dwayne Benjamin | Geraldton Buccaneers |
| 2 | Jalen Billups | Cockburn Cougars |
| 3 | Jacob Holmen | Goldfields Giants |
| 4 | Kevin Davis | East Perth Eagles |
| 5 | Jalen Billups | Cockburn Cougars |
| 6 | Jackson Hussey | Geraldton Buccaneers |
| 7 | Shawn Redhage | Perth Redbacks |
| 8 | Ray Turner | Willetton Tigers |
| 9 | Dwayne Benjamin | Geraldton Buccaneers |
| 10 | Ray Turner | Willetton Tigers |
| 11 | Jalen Billups | Cockburn Cougars |
| 12 | Matthew Adekponya | Perry Lakes Hawks |
| 13 | Brian Voelkel | South West Slammers |
| 14 | Jalen Billups | Cockburn Cougars |
| 15 | Dwayne Benjamin | Geraldton Buccaneers |
| 16 | Dwayne Benjamin | Geraldton Buccaneers |
| 17 | Taylor Mullenax | Mandurah Magic |
| 18 | James Padgett | Lakeside Lightning |
| 19 | Brian Voelkel | South West Slammers |
| 20 | Shawn Redhage | Perth Redbacks |

### Statistics leaders

| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
| Points per game | Shawn Redhage | Perth Redbacks | 27.53 |
| Rebounds per game | Brian Voelkel | South West Slammers | 16.13 |
| Assists per game | Brian Voelkel | South West Slammers | 8.65 |
| Steals per game | Rob Brandenberg | Kalamunda Eastern Suns | 2.73 |
| Blocks per game | Donovon Jack | Rockingham Flames | 2.00 |
| Field goal percentage | Mathew Wundenberg | Geraldton Buccaneers | 65.22% |
| 3-pt field goal percentage | Lochlan Cummings | Cockburn Cougars | 44.36% |
| Free throw percentage | Shawn Redhage | Perth Redbacks | 87.14% |

### Regular season

* Most Valuable Player: Jacob Holmen (Goldfields Giants)
* Coach of the Year: Charles Nix (South West Slammers)
* Most Improved Player: Corey Shervill (Lakeside Lightning)
* All-Star Five:
** PG: Tre Nichols (South West Slammers)
** SG: Dwayne Benjamin (Geraldton Buccaneers)
** SF: Brian Voelkel (South West Slammers)
** PF: Shawn Redhage (Perth Redbacks)
** C: Ray Turner (Willetton Tigers)
* All-Defensive Five:
** PG: Kyle Armour (Willetton Tigers)
** SG: Courtney Belger (Kalamunda Eastern Suns)
** SF: Maurice Barrow (Geraldton Buccaneers)
** PF: Ben Purser (Perry Lakes Hawks)
** C: Kevin Davis (Joondalup Wolves)

### Finals

* Grand Final MVP: Lee Roberts (Perth Redbacks)