Taipans pair Defensive and Improved NBL Awards

Mee named Best Defensive Player of the Year, Boodnikoff Most Improved

Cairns Taipans stars Gary Boodnikoff and Darnell Mee have been named the Most Improved Player and the Best Defensive Player respectively for the 2005/06 Philips Championship National Basketball League (NBL) season.

Mee becomes the only player in NBL history to ever win five Best Defensive Player awards, having previously captured the honour in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2005.

The 198cm guard was a clear winner of the award, polling 53 votes to clinch the honour ahead of Brisbane’s Sam Mackinnon on 46. Melbourne’s Dave Thomas polled third on 36 votes.

Mee helped the Taipans advance to the Semi Finals for the only time in club history in his first season with the team. He was also once again ranked in the top ten in the league in steals, averaging 1.7 per game over the course of the season.

Mee’s teammate Gary Boodnikoff took out the Most Improved honours after establishing himself as one of the premier sharpshooters in the league in his fourth campaign.

Boodnikoff’s regular season scoring average rose from 9.8 points per game to 16.1 in his second season with the Taipans. He also improved his scoring accuracy from the field from 42% to 52% and from the three-point line from 35% to 49%.

‘Boody’ streeted the field for the award, polling 64 votes to finish well ahead of Sydney’s David Barlow (38) in second place. Melbourne’s Daryl Corletto finished third with 19 votes.

Both awards are determined by a vote of all league head coaches and captains and one assistant coach per club, with voters excluded from voting for members of their own team.

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