Mennenga eyes another giant leap

Sam Mennenga has never been afraid to set lofty goals and, so far, he’s delivered every time.

Last year, he vowed to become one of the League’s best big men. He responded by winning the Next Generation Award as the NBL’s top emerging player.

Mennenga lifted his scoring from 11.9 to 17.7 points per game, while making significant strides across every key statistical category.

He set the goal. He backed it up.

So, who’s going to dare to say his next target is out of reach?

“I think you want to be a champion ... if you can be a champion, you can be an MVP,” he said in an expansive chat with NBL Media’s Pete Hooley.

“I think if anyone has a problem with that, they’re mad, because you’re shooting for the stars.  

“Why not aim for the highest honours and try and get there and earn more respect? And it’s about me right now. It’s about being the best version of myself. And I think the best version of me is the MVP.”

Mennenga’s willingness to set such a bold target speaks to his confidence and ambition. Surrounded by stars Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Dejan Vasiljevic, and guided by world-class coach Gordon Herbert, he has every opportunity to take another significant leap with the Breakers.

“The versatility is what’s going to allow me to be successful,” he said.

“I really want to work on just making sure that three-ball is tight, it’s clean. Shoot it at a high percentage, at a high rate. Make sure you make your free throws.

“If I can clean those two areas up, I think my game is coming a long way. And I think my ability to get downhill, my ability to get on the rim, my versatility is what’s going to allow myself to take another step forward.”

Mennenga sat down with Pete Hooley for a special edition of Film Session, breaking down some of his best plays from the Hungry Jack’s NBL26 Season and offering a fascinating insight into his game.

Watch the full video below.