NBL EXPERIENCE

Michael Harris made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 20 years of age. He scored one point in his first NBL game.

After Perth missed the playoffs for the first time in 35 years, head coach Scott Morrison stepped down after just one season, citing family reasons for his departure. The Wildcats then appointed former Townsville Crocodiles star John Rillie as their new head coach on a three-year deal.

The Wildcats retained most of their core roster, with only Kevin White (to Illawarra) and Matt Hodgson (to Taiwan) departing. They re-signed key players Bryce Cotton (three-year deal), Todd Blanchfield (three-year deal), and Jesse Wagstaff (one-year deal), while elevating backup guard Kyle Zunic from development player to a full roster spot. They also added Corey Webster as a free agent, a player they had initially signed back in 2017 before he left prior to the season. Import players TaShawn Thomas (France) and Brady Manek (North Carolina) were brought in to bolster the squad’s scoring options.

Michael Harris was signed as a development player, with coach John Rillie praising his scoring potential. “The exciting thing about Michael is his shot-making ability, he has range to 25 feet, and has had a great NBL1 season with Mount Gambier,” said Rillie.

Perth started the season strong, winning their first three games and sitting atop the NBL ladder. However, a five-game losing streak followed, dropping them to seventh place, where they remained for much of the season.

Harris’ best performance of the season came during a win against the Cairns Taipans, which extended the Wildcats’ longest winning streak to four games. Perth’s defense played a key role, forcing Cairns into 10 turnovers and building a 15-point halftime lead. TaShawn Thomas had a dominant outing with 22 points, 12 rebounds (7 offensive), and 6 assists, while holding Cairns’ MVP candidate Keanu Pinder to just 4 points in the first half. Bryce Cotton (24 points) and Cairns’ DJ Hogg (24 points) were the top scorers, but it was Harris who contributed a career-high 17 points in Perth’s 105-83 victory.

With six games left in the regular season, Perth added Tai Webster to the roster, reuniting him with his brother Corey after Webster was released from his team in Turkey. To make room for Webster, Corey Shervill was released from the Wildcats’ roster.

The Wildcats’ final stretch of games saw mixed results, including a tough loss to Tasmania (102–94) and a critical defeat to the Cairns Taipans (84-71). Perth’s season came down to a must-win game against the league-leading Sydney Kings, where they pulled off a stunning upset (96-84), securing sixth place on the ladder with a 15-13 record and earning a spot in the NBL’s inaugural play-in tournament.

Perth advanced past South East Melbourne Phoenix but fell short against the Cairns Taipans, missing out on the semifinals for the second consecutive year. Harris saw limited opportunities, appearing in 17 games and averaging 3.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.5 assists. Despite his limited playing time, Harris was named the Perth Wildcats’ Most Improved Player at the team’s MVP Awards.

PERTH WILDCATS
2023/24
Michael Harris signed a two-year deal before the 2023/24 season, earning praise from Wildcats head coach John Rillie.

“Michael did a great job last season of making the most of his opportunities,” Rillie said.

“His self-belief, work ethic and shot-making ability will allow him to evolve in the NBL. He will find ways to generate easy baskets, whether in transition or slashing to the rim in the half court, and teams have to respect his three-point shooting.”

Following their absence from the 2023 NBL playoffs, Perth retooled their roster, losing NBA prospect Luke Travers (to Melbourne) and signing highly coveted free agent Keanu Pinder (via Cairns) and promising rookie Ben Henshall.

Henshall’s arrival coincided with the Wildcats’ decision to buy out Todd Blanchfield (to Illawarra) and Mitchell Norton (to Brisbane), enabling Perth to inject younger talent into the squad after missing the playoffs for two straight seasons. 18-year-old French phenom Alexandre Sarr joined via the Next Star Program, while import players Jordan Usher and Kristian Doolittle, along with Perth junior David Okwera (via Melbourne), completed the roster.

Perth’s season opener saw a victory against Tasmania, with Usher (35 points) delivering the most points ever in a Wildcats debut at RAC Arena.

However, the revamped squad struggled afterward, losing five of their next six games, including a critical loss to Brisbane that triggered calls from fans and media for a coaching change.

Three-time league MVP Bryce Cotton’s slow start was a contributing factor. With the offense focused on Tai and Corey Webster, Cotton was often relegated to the corners, leading to his wife publicly calling for change, an event that made national headlines.

Following the loss to Brisbane, Pinder (13.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.7 steals) publicly vowed that the Wildcats would win their next five games, and his prediction proved correct as Perth began to turn their season around.

After a rough first seven games, Cotton (22.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.5 steals) rediscovered his form, scoring 29 points in a dominant win over Adelaide on November 4. He later dropped a season-high 41 points against Sydney on December 1, and across an eight-game stretch from December 15 to January 21, Cotton averaged 30.4 points, making him a frontrunner in the MVP conversation.

Perth’s success also stemmed from strategic adjustments by Rillie, who moved Usher (12.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists) into a sixth-man role and inserted Hyrum Harris (5.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists) into the starting lineup. Harris brought much-needed competitiveness and defensive intensity, diving for loose balls and snatching offensive rebounds.

Cotton claimed his fourth MVP award as Perth finished second on the ladder (17-11). However, their playoff run was cut short by a semifinal series loss to eventual champions Tasmania.

Harris wrapped up the season averaging 2.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.4 assists, playing in 26 games.

Michael Harris currently plays for the Perth Wildcats and has played 63 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 2.6 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.4 assists since entering the league in 2019.

CURRENT CONTRACT:

Perth Wildcats – 2 Year Deal (2023-25)

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Dan Boyce (829 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.