11
Sep
2025-26 Season
Montrezl Harrell rejects favourites tag for 36ers
Montrezl Harrell of the 36ers reacts after being fouled out of the game during the round 20 NBL match between Perth Wildcats and Adelaide 36ers at RAC Arena on February 7, 2025, in Perth. Photo: Paul Kane/Getty Images
Highlights
Montrezl says 36ers aren’t automatic favourites despite Bryce Cotton’s arrival and stacked roster
- Adelaide 36ers centre Ben Griscti has neck fracture after backboard collapse
- Bryce Cotton nears citizenship, eyes Boomers future, 36ers depth, and reveals story behind #11
- He's back: Trez lands after whirlwind off-season
Montrezl Harrell has shrugged off the notion a stacked 36ers are NBL26 championship favourites after an A+ offseason that landed five-time MVP Bryce Cotton.
"You can't really say that before the season starts, you know, we haven't played a single game,” Harrell told the 36ers website.
“We're still meshing together. I'm a realist when it comes to basketball, you can get hot at any time.
“But we built the roster to be able to compete for a championship and (be) in a place to win a championship.
“Just flat out saying that we're going to win one, man, you don't know that. I'm not the type of player to just go out there and just say, ‘oh, we're winning one’.
“There’s 30 plus games and we’ve got to go out and.. (be) all locked in on the right mindset and the right mission, and, locked in to winning one, then we'll win one.
“But I'm not one of the ones, just predetermining things like that.”
Harrell, 31, has had a whirlwind 2025 including a stint in the Chinese Basketball Association, Puerto Rico and the BIG3 since earning All-NBL Second team honours in his first season, averaging 20.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and more than a block a game.
Harrell's 20.5 points per game along with 9.3 rebounds and two assists averages earned him a spot on the All-NBL Second Team in 2024-25 but, in a stark warning to rest of the league, he said there was more to come.
"I did that all off a reconstructed knee," Harrell revealed.
"I've had a full summer to go and rebuild myself and continue to strengthen my knee to continue to get better, in better shape and to be able to get back to where I wanted to.
"I feel like I'm in great shape, it's just more so just like getting my body back acclimated to being on this side of the world, coming from a whole different time zone where, you know, I'm 13 hours from the time zone that I was just staying in.
"It's gonna take a little bit of time to adjust to that, but as far as me as a player, I haven't stopped playing the game of basketball since I left Australia."
Adelaide 36ers (Roster Complete)
Head Coach: Mike Wells
Potential Line-up
- PG: Bryce Cotton (IP) | Isaac White | Keanu Rasmussen | Che Brogan (DP)
- SG: DJ Vasiljevic | Michael Harris
- SF: Flynn Cameron | Matt Kenyon | Deng Manyang (DP)
- PF: Montrezl Harrell (IP) | Zylan Cheatham (IP) | Magok Manyang (DP)
- C: Isaac Humphries | Ben Griscti
IP: Import
DP: Development Player
Incoming Players
- Bryce Cotton (from Perth Wildcats – Import)
- Deng Manyang (Development Player)
- Flynn Cameron (from Melbourne United)
- Isaac White (from Brisbane Bullets)
- Matt Kenyon (from South East Melbourne Phoenix)
- Michael Harris (from Perth Wildcats)
- Zylan Cheatham (from Nagoya Diamond Dolphins – Import)
Departed Players
- Alex Starling
- Jason Cadee (Retired)
- Kendric Davis (to Sydney Kings)
- Lat Mayen (to Perth Wildcats)
- Nick Marshall (to Tasmania JackJumpers)
- Sunday Dech (to Perth Wildcats)
Adelaide's first game is against Brisbane at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on September 28, 2025.
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