Team-By-Team: Hooyah & Harden Up (Round 17, NBL26)

By Damon Lowery.

Author’s note – “HOOYAH” is the battle cry of the Navy Seals and is given out to celebrate great efforts & achievements.

A “HARDEN UP” is given out when a performance has not been at the expected level.

This is STRICTLY about basketball – it is NEVER personal.

Defeated by South East Melbourne

HOOYAH – Bryce Cotton: You go back to Perth, and not only do you get to meet your favourite player, Allen Iverson and share stories, he gives you a signed jersey, and then you go out and have a 30-point, 6 assist game.

HARDEN UP – Defence: The second place team didn’t have their best player and they score 108 points and blow you out by 19. Hmmm, I now have major concerns about your defence.

Defeated by Cairns and Sydney

HOOYAH – Hunter Maldonado: They say a change is just as good as a holiday. A season-high 31 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, 2 steals, and a block tells me that you’re clearly enjoying your new surroundings. Great to see.

HOOYAH – P.I.P is Points in the Paint: You guys gave up too many of them, allowing the Sydney Kings to score 48 of their 95 points in the paint. Toughen up in there.

Defeated Brisbane, defeated by New Zealand

HOOYAH – Andrew Andrews: You did it again, back-to-back games with 13 assists. Throw in 18 points, and that’s a high-quality double-double that got your team off the bottom of the ladder.

HARDEN UP – Waardenburg's ankle: This is directed at Sam Waardenburg’s ankle. Sam just came back after missing a huge chunk of the season, and he was playing great. Why would you do that to this man? Speedy recovery.

Defeated by Perth

HOOYAH – Todd Blanchfield: With your team in desperate need of a win, you came off the bench and got the scoreboard ticking over. Scoring a team-high 16 points in 26 minutes, unfortunately it wasn’t enough for the W, but impressive nevertheless.

HARDEN UP – Foul discipline: Your foul discipline was undisciplined. You turned HoopsFest into FoulFest. The hackin' started at the beginning of the game and didn’t ease up, and Perth paraded to the foul line an astounding 37 times.

Defeated Tasmania

HOOYAH – Jesse Edwards: The big man from the Netherlands. You were an absolute monster around the basket with 21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals in just 23 minutes of HoopsFest action.

HARDEN UP - Finn Delany: You left me no choice with this one, breaking the golden rule: starters must score. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say you’ve never gone scoreless in an NBL game. Zero points on 0/8 shooting. At least ya’ll got the dub.

Defeated Cairns

DOUBLE HOOYAH ALERT:

HOOYAH – Parker Jackson-Cartwright: You put on another point guard masterclass. 17 points, 10 assists and ZERO turnovers. Just dominant.

HOOYAH – Karim Lopez: With NBA execs scattered all over the joint, you showed them all why they should draft you. A 16-point, 11 -rebound double-double at the age of 18, against fully grown men, is truly special.

HARDEN UP – Three-point defence: Your three-point defence left a whole lot to be desired; we all know that is the modern equaliser. You gave up 16 made triples, might wanna tidy that up for your Play-In push.

Defeated Illawarra

HOOYAH – Ben Henshall: Playing in front of a sold-out home crowd, you reminded everyone about your NBA potential and showcased your all-around game with 15 points, 7 boards, and 7 dimes. My man.

HARDEN UP– Offensive rebounds: You guys had the game under control, but giving up 18 offensive rebounds was a major issue, especially the ones you gave up in the dying minute of the game that gave the Hawks a chance to steal that win.

Defeated Adelaide

DOUBLE HOOYAH ALERT

HOOYAH – Owen Foxwell: The tallest member of the prestigious Lil Big Man’s Society was fantastic. ‘Foxy’, you were a pain in the ass of the 36ers all night on both ends of the floor, notching up your first career double-double with 15 points and 12 dimes, and you threw in 3 steals just for kicks.

HOOYAH – Ian Clark: The man from Memphis, Tennessee, is back. I knew it was only a matter of time before you ‘exploded’. 27 points with 5 made triples. Adding you to the highest-scoring team in the league doesn’t quite seem fair.

HARDEN UP – Pass.

Defeated Brisbane

HOOYAH – Kouat Noi: Is the greatest showman in the league, and it’s not up for debate. With Allen Iverson sitting courtside, Brisbane had no Answer for you (see what I did there?), finishing with an entertaining 24 points and 10 rebounds.

HARDEN UP – Jaylin Galloway: After your career-high game a week ago, things de-escalated at HoopsFest. 1 point (0/4 FG) in 31 minutes. Get your groove back.

Defeated by Melbourne

HOOYAH – Josh Bannan: It’s hard to get a double-double in anything, and you’re making them look easy. I’ve lost count of how many you’ve had this season, and you added another one with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

HOOYAH – David Johnson: It’s nationally recognised that you possess one of the best jump shots in the league. You didn’t use it enough though, you went 1/4 FG for 3 points in 16 minutes. Let it fly, my man.

HOOYAH – Records tumble at HoopsFest: HoopsFest did what HoopsFest does. Fans showed up in force from Perth and well beyond, packing RAC Arena across four massive days and pushing attendance past 35,500. The vibe was elite all week long, the noise was real, and it felt like a genuine celebration of the league. This event keeps getting bigger, better, and louder. Already counting down to next year.

HARDEN UP – More live Overtimes: Recording NBL Overtime live in the Fan Zone was a home run. The crowd, the energy, the Q&A, the chaos – it all worked. Standing on stage in front of that massive screen felt less like a show and more like a moment with the fans. Now the challenge is simple: don’t make it a one-off. The people want more. Let’s turn this into a regular thing and keep finding new ways to bring fans closer to the game.