Hawk Rampton takes Second NBL Weekly Honour

Wollongong Hawks centre Tony Rampton has been named as the winner of the second National Basketball League (NBL) Philips Player of the Week award for the 2005/06 season.

Rampton led his team to a 99-85 win over the New Zealand Breakers in their home opener on Thursday night, combined with another strong performance in a narrow 85-83 road loss to the Sydney Kings on Saturday evening.

Rampton averaged an impressive 18.0 points and 17.0 rebounds, as well as shooting a sizzling 66 percent from the field for the week.

Wollongong’s big man scored 13 points on six-of-six shooting, as well as posting a game-high 15 rebounds to go along with his two steals and one block in Thursday’s win over the Breakers.

The 213cm centre followed that performance with 23 points and a game-high 19 rebounds along with two assists in the Hawks narrow loss on Saturday evening in a rematch of the 2005 grand finalists.

The Tall Black narrowly edged out Martin Cattalini (Cairns Taipans) for the weekly honours after the Cairns forward’s dominating performance of 38 points, nine rebounds, three assists and one steal in a 105-90 win over the Townsville Crocodiles.

Also unlucky not to take the Philips Championship’s weekly award was Melbourne Tigers import Rashad Tucker, who savaged his former club Perth with a blistering 36-point, eight-rebound and three-assist performance.

Other players in the running for the Philips Player of the Week award for Round 2 included Rampton’s teammates Glen Saville and Cortez Groves, James Harvey (West Sydney), Jermaine Blackburn (West Sydney), Aaron Olsen (New Zealand), Jason Smith (Sydney), Chris Anstey (Melbourne), Shawn Redhage (Perth), Brad Newley (Townsville) and Casey Calvary (Townsville).

For winning the Philips Player of the Week award this round, Rampton will receive a Philips Shoqbox, the new tiny personal sound system designed for people that love to share their music experience with others.