A Christmas miracle? Star set for shock early return

He was co-captain in their historic NBL25 championship run, and now big man Sam Froling looms as the Illawarra's potential saviour, with the Hawks sitting at 4-9 after 10 rounds.

After injuring his achilles in last season's Championships Series, Froling was originally slated to be sidelined until the new year. But coach Justin Tatum recently revealed that the Australian Boomer could play as early as late December.

That news is a breathe of fresh air for a team that's struggled to find its groove in NBL26, despite some better recent performances.

Speaking with the Illawarra Mercury, 25-year-old Froling credited the club's strength and conditioning coach, Alex Moore, and physiotherapist, Scott Muttdon, for his speedy recovery.

"Straight after surgery until now, I've seen one of them almost every day," Froling said.

"I've been working out with Alex since then on the rest of my body. Mutts has been really taking care of the injury and the rehab process.

"Together, they've put together some really good programs for me, which have actually helped the rest of my body a whole lot. We're working on getting this leg and Achilles back, but what we've been able to do with the rest of my body throughout this period is going to just help me in my career as well."

Illawarra will resume their Hungry Jack's NBL26 campaign on Thursday, December 4 with a home clash with South East Melbourne from 7.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN.

Read the full story here >> Inside the secret plan for Sam Froling's early Hawks comeback