Next Star set for "almost impossible" challenge

He has pedigree to be one of the best defenders, not only in the NBL, but around the globe. And now NBL Next Dash Daniels is preparing for his biggest challenge to date.

The 17-year-old Melbourne United guard will be tasked with trying to slow down five time MVP Bryce Cotton, who is averaging a career best 30.7 points a game, during Sunday's clash with Adelaide.

“He [Bryce] has been one of the best players in the NBL for the past decade and we know he is very hard to stop,” Daniels told CODE Sports.

“It is almost impossible to stop a guy like him, but it is going to be a good challenge and we will be trying to limit the amount of good shots he gets. It is going to take the whole team to try to slow him down.

“We are going to try our best to stay in front of him, try to force bad shots, try to get the ball out of his hands and try to get stops.”

Slowing down the three-time champion during Sunday's Indigenous Round fixture at John Cain Arena will prove crucial, with Cotton averaging close to one third of the 36ers' points.

Two time NBL MVP Chris Anstey weighed in on the matchup and explained how big this moment could be for the Australian Boomers' career.

"This is probably going to be one of those moments we look back on, when Dash has moved on to bigger and better things, that we can say, this was a moment in time for his career whether he either got taught a lesson by Bryce or we saw the start of what Dyson has been able to do at the NBA level," Anstey said on NBL Now.

"[It is a chance for him to] take his game to the next level. I cannot wait to watch."

Saturday's top of the table clash tips off at 2.30pm, live on ESPN and Channel 10.

Read the full story here >> Teen dynamo Dash Daniels primed for NBL’s toughest challenge — stopping Bryce Cotton