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Big3 2022 Yearly Awards

January 6, 2023
12 Min Read

Reggie Theus

Reggie Theus won coach of the year award. He guided 3 Headed Monsters to a regular season record of 6-2 which put them second in the standings. He set the team up for success and put leading scorer Kevin Murphy in positions to succeed.

Reggie Theus was given a difficult task when he became the coach of the 3 Headed Monsters (3HM) before the 2022 BIG3 season. He had previously coached Bivouac, but he and former 3HM coach Gary Payton switched roles before the season, with Payton taking over as head coach of Bivouac. Despite 3HM being the most consistently successful team in the history of the BIG3, coaching them was not an easy task for Theus.

Theus had to overcome several challenges in order to keep 3HM at the top of the league. One of the main challenges he faced was the news that Reggie Evans would miss the entire 2022 season due to injury. Evans is known for his impressive rebounding skills and his ability to average a double-double every season. In his absence, Theus had to adopt a small-ball style of play and rely on the finesse of players like Quincy Miller and Rashard Lewis to make up for the loss of Evans’ interior presence.

The team also dealt with a number of injuries, including Jonathon Simmons being unable to return after an early season injury and Lewis missing games due to personal reasons. Despite these challenges, Theus was able to get key contributions from players like Sammy Monroe, Jamario Moon, and Mahmoud-Abdul Rauf.

One of Theus’ greatest achievements in 2022 was overseeing the transition of 3HM into Kevin Murphy’s team. Murphy had a strong season in 2021, finishing fourth in the league in scoring and winning the Rookie of the Year award, but he took his game to another level in 2022. He led the league in scoring, came just one point shy of tying the all-time points scored record, and won the 2022 BIG3 MVP award.

Theus showed that he was able to adapt to the challenges of coaching 3HM and effectively utilize his personnel. Theus has experience as a head coach and assistant coach in college, the NBA, and the G-League, and is currently the only person in Division One Basketball serving as both a head coach and athletic director at Bethune-Cookman. While 3HM fell just short of winning their first BIG3 Championship with a 51-49 defeat to Power in the semifinals, they will likely be in contention as long as Theus is leading the team.

Kevin Murphy

Kevin Murphy wins scoring title. He led the league in scoring even with playing only seven regular season games. He averaged 26 points per game for the season.

Murphy hit a league-high five 4-pointers in the 2022 season. He led the league in not only scoring, but 4 pointers made. His ability to stretch the floor made him nearly unguardable this season.

Kevin Murphy also takes home the MVP award after leading 3 Headed Monsters to a 6-2 regular season record. Murphy averaged a league high 26 points per game and led the league in 4 point shooting.

Kevin Murphy was an incredible force on the basketball court this season. He dominated the BIG3 league with his scoring abilities, finishing the season as the league’s leading scorer with 26 points per game. His impressive scoring streak began in the first week of the season, when he put up 28 points against the Ghost Ballers, and he continued to rack up points throughout the season, eventually finishing with a total of 181 points, just one point shy of the single-season record.

Despite his individual success, Murphy’s team, the 3 Headed Monsters, ultimately fell short of winning the BIG3 Championship. However, with Murphy as the newly-crowned MVP, it is likely that the 3 Headed Monsters will be contenders in the league in the future. In addition to his scoring abilities, Murphy was also named the Too Hard To Guard player for the season, demonstrating his skills in all areas of the court.

He is considered a “four-level scorer,” with the ability to score from the paint, midrange, three-point line, and even the rare four-point shot. His impressive scoring abilities and all-around skills make him a formidable opponent and a valuable asset to any team. Overall, Kevin Murphy’s performance this season was truly exceptional, and it will be interesting to see what he can achieve in the future.

Glen Rice Jr.

Glen Rice Jr. takes home rookie of the year for 2022 season. He was the first pick in the 2022 Draft and he did not disappoint. For the season: Rice averaged 17.5 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game, and 3.3 assists per game.

Earl Clark

Earl clark pulled down the most rebounds in the 2022 season. The Defensive Player of the Year not only locked down his opponents, he also led the league in rebounding at an average of 8.6 per game.

This season Earl Clark proved he is one of the best two-way players in the league. He not only led the league in steals, he broke the single season steals record. Clark was also second in the league in blocks.

Nobody had more steals than Earl Clark in the 2022 season which is why he won defensive player of the year. Clark finished the season with 14 steals and he broke the single season record, which was previously held by David Hawkins. As one of the best two-way players in the league, Clark is a major factor in Trilogy making it back to the Championship.

Trilogy’s success in the BIG3 league and their victory in the championship can be attributed to their effective strategy and the versatility of their players. One of these key players is Earl Clark, who played a vital role on both offense and defense.

On offense, Clark was Trilogy’s best outside shooter and also had the ability to create his own shots and play above the rim. On defense, Clark’s speed, size, and shooting ability, as well as his impressive wingspan, allowed him to be a constant disruptive force and a strong on-ball defender.

While Clark was valuable on offense, he shone on the defensive end of the court. At 6’9 with the speed and shooting ability of a wing and a 7’3 wingspan, Clark was a typical hybrid wing. His combination of speed, savvy, and long arms allowed him to be a constant disruptive force on the opposing team’s ball possession. Clark had a league-record 14 steals in the 2022 BIG3 season and 11 blocks, which was second only to Isaiah Austin.

He was not a typical shot-blocker who waited near the rim to send shots into the third row, but rather came at angles that the opposing player did not expect and poked or slapped the ball loose as they thought they were free for a layup.

His versatility enabled Trilogy to switch more plays than they normally would with a traditional center like Amir Johnson. Clark’s defensive skills earned him the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year award, as he was able to anticipate and counter the opposing team’s actions, shutting them down and giving his team the ball. Without Clark’s all-around abilities, Trilogy may not have been able to achieve their three championships.

Clark’s steals were unexpected as an opponent would seek relief from Briscoe or Johnson by moving the ball to a seemingly open teammate, only for one of Clark’s long arms to come out of nowhere to snatch the ball.

Clark was also proficient at on-ball defense, which allowed Trilogy to switch more plays than a FIREBALL3 team using a traditional center like Johnson normally would. This is how Earl Clark won the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year award.

Rather than sitting near the rim and hunting for blocks or hounding players on the perimeter into retreat, he saw what the opposing team was doing, thought of a way to counter it, and struck when they least expected it to shut them down and give his team the ball. It is clear that without Clark’s ability to do everything, especially on the defensive end, Trilogy would not be three-time champions.

Dajuan Summers

Dajuan Summers won 4th man of the year award. He played a key role in the Tri State game plan. Off the bench, Summers averaged 12.25 points per game, which put him at second on the team.

Tri State was a smaller team in the BIG3 league last season and therefore relied on their shooting accuracy, precise cutting, and players who could defend multiple positions to make up for their lack of size. DaJuan Summers, the 2022 Fourth Man of the Year, provided all of these qualities for Tri State.

Standing at 6’8, Summers was able to defend against any offensive player and also proved to be an excellent shooter, making 15 of his 35 field goals from three-point range and shooting 42.9% from outside. In addition to his offensive skills, Summers was a team player, consistently cutting, screening, and working to get himself and his teammates open on the court.

His contributions to Tri State earned him the Fourth Man of the Year award, and he was a valuable asset for Coach Julius Erving to have coming off the bench.

Isaiah Briscoe

Isaiah Briscoe wins fireman of the year for the year for the second consecutive season. With a league-high six wins on Bring the Fire Challenges, Briscoe showed his dominance when it came to one-on-one.

The Bring The Fire rule in FIREBALL3 allows coaches to challenge a shooting foul or a common foul (if their team is in the bonus and the foul would have resulted in a free throw) once per half. When a challenge is issued, the traditional free throws are replaced with a one-on-one challenge between the fouled player and the player who fouled them.

If the offensive player is able to score, their team is awarded the corresponding number of points (two points for a two-point shot, three points for a three-point shot, and four points for a four-point shot). The offensive player is also awarded the points if they are fouled during the Bring the Fire Challenge. If the defensive player is able to prevent the offensive player from scoring, no points are awarded.

The Fireman of the Year award is given annually to the player who scores and defends the most combined baskets in Bring The Fire situations. For the second consecutive year, Trilogy guard Isaiah Briscoe has been named the BIG3’s Fireman of the Year.

Briscoe’s physicality, ball handling skills, and ability to focus under pressure make him a formidable challenge for any defender. His strength, length, and speed also make him a difficult player to score against. Players who draw a foul on Briscoe often have to hope they can make their free throws before the Bring the Fire horn sounds.

Dusan Bulut

Dusan Bulut sropped dimes in the 2022 season which is why he won most assists of the year award. Bulut led the league in 36 assists on his way to breaking the single season assists record.

Isaiah Austin

Isaiah Austin was the ultimate rim protector this season. He led the league with 12 blocks at an average of 2 per game. He controlled the paint better than any other player in the league.

Mike Taylor

Mike Taylor takes the Best Trash Talker award as voted on by his fellow players and coaches. All season long Taylor brought the energy and smack talk leading him to be an All-Star selection.

Ghost Ballers guard Mike Taylor, guard for the Ghost Ballers, was selected as the first G-League player in the NBA Draft, a feat that requires a lot of self-confidence. Taylor is known to encourage his teammates with words of encouragement, but he also has a reputation for trash talking, which earned him the title of Best Trash Talker in the BIG3 for the 2022 season.

Taylor’s trash talking is just an extension of his aggressive style of play. When he’s at his best, he provides constant energy that puts pressure on the opposing team on both ends of the floor with his speed and constant motion. Despite this, he still manages to find the energy to talk trash, which adds even more pressure on the defense.

The Ghost Ballers are a talented team, and if they can maximize that talent and make a strong run in the playoffs, Taylor’s trash talking may reach new heights. Even if they don’t, Taylor will still be a consistently entertaining player in the BIG3, both for his on-court ability and his trash talking skills.

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