Off-Season Player Wrap: Phoenix Players through to NBL1 South Preliminary Finals

See below for how our Phoenix-rostered players are faring locally and internationally this past weekend.

Luke Rosendale – Ballarat Miners (NBL1 South)
15PTS, 11REBS, 5ASTS vs Dandenong Rangers

The Miners regained their head coach, Luke Brennan, after his stint at the NBA Summer League with the Utah Jazz, and proved to be the lucky charm for Ballarat as they had a 13-point win over the Rangers.

Rosendale proved pivotal for Ballarat, notching up a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds in the 91-78 victory. The Miners now face Sandringham Sabres in the preliminary final this Saturday in Sandringham.

Luke Rosendale getting HANG TIME 🪁☁️

Watch the NBL1 South Finals Game of the Week Live & Free via Kayo Freebies 📺 pic.twitter.com/gI6AOy0SwX

— NBL1 (@NBL1) July 27, 2024

Owen Foxwell – Eltham Wildcats (NBL1 South)
35PTS, 4REBS, 5ASTS, 1STL vs Mt Gambier Pioneers

A road trip to South Australia proved no issue for the visiting Eltham Wildcats, who took a 91-82 victory over the Pioneers.

Foxwell was dominant once again, scoring a game-high 35 points in the nine-point win, helping the Wildcats advance to the preliminary final this Saturday against Frankston Blues in Frankston.

Angus Glover – Eltham Wildcats (NBL1 South)
22PTS, 8REBS, 2ASTS, 1BLK vs Mt Gambier Pioneers

Alongside Foxwell, Glover proved why they are a deadly front-court duo, recording 22 points and eight rebounds in the nine-point win over Mt Gambier. 

Tom Vodanovich – Auckland Tuatara (NZNBL)
8PTS, 7REBS, 6ASTS vs Franklin Bulls
20PTS, 4REBS, 1AST vs Canterbury Rams

In the semi-final on Wednesday night against the Franklin Bulls, Auckland led the game from the beginning before the Bulls made a comeback. Going into the final quarter, Tuatara was down 52-62. They made a 10-0 run, giving themselves the lead and ultimately winning by three points. The newest Phoenix power forward was dominant with eight points, seven rebounds, and six assists in the win.

Auckland made their third consecutive grand final in New Zealand, meeting the Canterbury Rams on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, the Rams proved too strong, and Auckland went down by 15 points. Despite the loss, Vodanovich was best on his team with 20 points. He will now travel to his new side in Melbourne for pre-season, which commences this week.

Tommy V charges through 😤😤😤#SalsNBL #RatedE @skysportnz pic.twitter.com/lj5vSgdBnZ

— Sal’s NBL (@nznbl) July 28, 2024

Stay tuned via Phoenix socials to keep updated with players' performances during the off-season.

For a list of the latest roster updates, see below.

Under Contract
Ben Ayre 
Luke Fennell (DP)
Owen Foxwell
Angus Glover
Jordan Hunter
Matt Kenyon
Malique Lewis (Next Star)
Luke Rosendale (DP)
Nathan Sobey 
Tom Vodanovich
Derrick Walton Jr (Import)
Joe Wieskamp (Import)

Free Agents
Gary Browne 
Craig Moller 
Abdel Nader 
Anzac Rissetto  

Off-Season Moves
Mitch Creek (Overseas opportunities)
Gorjok Gak (Tasmania JackJumpers)
Austin Rapp (Portland Pilots)
Kody Stattmann (Cairns Taipans)
Reuben Te Rangi (Tasmania JackJumpers)
Rhys Vague (Tokyo United BC)
Alan Williams (Sono Skygunners, Korea)