Beat The Coach: Top Round 8 picks & PLAY NOW

Just as another huge round of close games and big performances wraps up, it’s time to get ready for the next one!

Six more sides will take the court twice this weekend, and there are plenty of players who have made their case for selection, after strong performances in Round 7.

Another excellent showing from Damon Lowery saw him fall to just 1,200 players last weekend. His strong run of form doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon, so it’s crucial once again to find the best mix of players to take Damon down in Round 8 of Beat The Coach, presented by Choice Hotels.

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Premium options:
Bryce Cotton – Adelaide 36ers ($471,800)
Bryce Hamilton – Tasmania JackJumpers ($292,400)
Chris Goulding – Melbourne United ($232,200)
Isaac Humphries – Adelaide 36ers ($318,800)
Javale McGee – Illawarra Hawks ($382,500)
Jesse Edwards – Melbourne United ($274,500)
Josh Bannan – Tasmania JackJumpers ($291,900)
Karim Lopez – New Zealand Breakers ($231,000)
Nathan Sobey – South East Melbourne Phoenix ($358,800)
Owen Foxwell – South East Melbourne Phoenix ($228,300)
Parker Jackson-Cartwright – New Zealand Breakers ($394,800)
Sam Mennenga – New Zealand Breakers ($296,500)
Tyler Harvey – Illawarra Hawks ($330,800)
Tyson Walker – Melbourne United ($295,000)
William Hickey – Illawarra Hawks ($246,600)
Zylan Cheatham – Adelaide 36ers ($288,400)
- Names listed alphabetically

Bryce Cotton is finally back to playing two games this weekend, and with his 45.3 SuperCoach average being the highest in the league, he’s surely set to add another pair of big scores to his tally.

His front court teammates Zylan Cheatham and Isaac Humphries have both been strong as well, with Cheatham being particularly impressive after putting up his two biggest SuperCoach scores of the season for a total of 91 over the last fortnight.

JaVale McGee had a quieter night to start Round 7, but he was solid in the Hawks’ narrow loss to Adelaide with 45 SuperCoach points to bring his weekend total to 71. Will Hickey was also excellent in that contest, with a near triple double and 51 of his 64 SuperCoach points for the weekend. His backcourt partner Tyler Harvey had a lesser weekend by his standards, but he will look to bounce back to those big scores from a couple of weeks ago.

Despite his side suffering their first loss of NBL26, Tyson Walker was still terrific for Melbourne United, starring with 39 SuperCoach points for the evening. Jesse Edwards and Chris Goulding were both slightly off the pace, with the latter only finishing with 13. However, you would expect the side to bounce back for some big scores in a massive round, which includes a Championship Series rematch against Illawarra and a Top 2 Throwdown against the Phoenix.

The New Zealand duo of Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Sam Mennenga have both been terrific in recent weeks, averaging over 30 SuperCoach points each for the season so far. However, it was NBL Next Star Karim Lopez who scored more SuperCoach points than any other Breaker in their last outing with a season high of 39. Expect all three to score well across their two games this weekend.

Nathan Sobey continued his excellent run of form for the Phoenix, finishing with 33 SuperCoach points last week and averaging a flat 35 for the season to date. Owen Foxwell was their strongest performer, finishing with 37 points and averaging 32 over the last three games.

Josh Bannan was strong once again for Tasmania, firming as perhaps their most reliable scorer with a total of 55 points for the weekend. Bryce Hamilton was also seemingly back to his best, dropping two of his three highest SuperCoach scores for the year in Round 7 and finishing the weekend with 80 points in total. At just $292,400, he’s a strong alternative to those higher priced guards if his return to form is permanent.

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Budget-friendly picks:
Carlin Davison – New Zealand Breakers ($159,600)
Finn Delany – Melbourne United ($184,400)
Flynn Cameron – Adelaide 36ers ($173,400)
Majok Deng – Tasmania JackJumpers ($189,000)
Mason Peatling – Illawarra Hawks ($151,200)
Nick Marshall – Tasmania JackJumpers ($163,700)
Rob Baker II – New Zealand Breakers ($191,200)
Tanner Krebs – Melbourne United ($130,000)
Todd Blanchfield – Illawarra Hawks ($129,300)
- Names listed alphabetically

Flynn Cameron has maintained his solid form as a starter for the 36ers, keeping his average at just above 20 SuperCoach points. After finishing with 24 points against Illawarra, he’ll look to carry some momentum into the upcoming double game weekend.

The Illawarra duo of Todd Blanchfield and Mason Peatling were both very impressive across two games last weekend, with 36 and 47 SuperCoach points respectively. Both players finished the round with a strong performance and there’s no reason that shouldn’t continue, despite a tough Championship Series rematch on Wednesday night.

Tanner Krebs and Finn Delany have both maintained their starting roles for Melbourne United and have shown their scoring potential at various stages this season. Neither scored to their fullest potential last time out, but over two games they should be good enough to put up a solid number.

Rob Baker II was outstanding in New Zealand’s last game, finishing with 34 SuperCoach points, his highest total for the season. Carlin Davison also impressed with 23 SuperCoach points, raising his average to 19.5 over the last four games.

Nick Marshall took full advantage of the momentum he carried out of that buzzer beater in Round 6, ending Round 7 with a total of 36 SuperCoach points. Twenty six of those came against Perth on Wednesday, and he could easily replicate that over the next two outings despite Tasmania’s up and down form as a team.

Majok Deng had 31 points for the round and has quietly put together a consistent season with an average of 16.3 SuperCoach points thus far. A solid point of difference to consider.

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Tempting single-game choices:
Casey Prather – Brisbane Bullets ($417,000)
Jack McVeigh – Cairns Taipans ($271,100)
Jo Lual Acuil Jr – Perth Wildcats ($380,600)
Kendric Davis – Sydney Kings ($396,300)
Tyrell Harrison – Brisbane Bullets ($368,100)
- Names listed alphabetically

Casey Prather and Tyrell Harrison have been continually brilliant for the Bullets and could both be considered as single game choices, given both have cracked the 50 point mark in individual games and have proven to have extremely high SuperCoach ceilings.

Jack McVeigh had a terrific return from injury in Round 7, scoring 88 SuperCoach points for the weekend. Forty nine of those points came against Brisbane in his first game back, and coaches shouldn’t be surprised if he backs up his strong form again this weekend against an inconsistent Hawks side.

Wildcats big man Jo Lual Acuil Jr has consistently dominated with an average of 38 SuperCoach points for the season. While he is coming in off the back of his lowest score for the year with just 23 points against South East Melbourne, he should bounce back with another big score this weekend.

Finally, Kendric Davis continued his excellent run once again with 82 points for the weekend in Round 7. With 46 of those points coming from the Kings’ massive win against Melbourne United on Sunday, Davis and his teammates will be eager to keep their form going against the Breakers. There’s every chance he pushes above 50 points in this one.

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