Melbourne United v Adelaide 36ers: Teen dynamo Dash Daniels primed for NBL’s toughest challenge — stopping Bryce Cotton

On the brink of a record-equalling victory, it doesn’t get much tougher than a visit from Bryce Cotton and the Adelaide 36ers. Here’s how United can do it without its Cotton stopper.

Michael Randall

@MickRandallHS

3 min read

October 25, 2025 - 2:01PM

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Bryce Cotton and the red-hot Adelaide 36ers are all that stands in the way of unbeaten Melbourne United’s quest to equal a franchise record start to an NBL season in the most anticipated game of the NBL26 so far.

And, while 8-0 Melbourne has historically been able to contain the five-time MVP better than any other NBL team in his decade in the league, it will enter Sunday’s blockbuster 1v2 clash without its Cotton stopper in injured reigning back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year Shea Ili.

So, the circumscription of the NBL’s leading scorer at 30.7 points per game will be left to a committee of imports Tyson Walker and Milton Doyle — and a teenage sensation in Dash Daniels.

Dash Daniels has had an impressive start to his professional career. Picture: Getty Images

Daniels, the 17-year-old Next Star who will enter his ninth NBL game yet to taste defeat, has steeled himself for the NBL’s toughest challenge — a date with Cotton is as close as he will get to the daily challenges he’ll have to face, if and when the projected NBA lottery pick is drafted to the big league.

“He’s been one of the best players in the NBL for the past decade and we know he’s very hard to stop,” Daniels told CODE Sports.

“It’s almost impossible to stop a guy like him but it’s going to be a good challenge and we’ll be trying to limit the amount of good shots he gets.

“It’s going to take the whole team to try to slow him down.

“Me, Tys, Milt, everyone’s going to get a piece of him.

“We’re going to try our best to stay in front of him, try to force bad shots, try to get the ball out of his hands and try to get stops.”

Bryce Cotton will land in Melbourne well-rested off a 53-point explosion against Cairns. Picture: Getty Images

Across a 264-game glittering career, Cotton boasts averages of 23.3 points at 42.5 per cent from the field and 37.4 per cent from the three-point line.

But that dips to 21, 39.8 and 32.6 in his 36 meetings with United, chiefly due the harassment of elite Kiwi Ili and a proven defensive game plan predicated on denying the 33-year-old the ball and sending multiple players at him when he does get it.

Ili’s only played three games but United is still comfortably the best defensive team in the NBL. Melbourne is No.1 in defensive rating, restricting opponents to just 104.5 points per 100 possessions — the league average is 110.5, while the Taipans are leaking an NBL worst 120.1. It’s holding teams to just 80.4 points per game and 41.4 per cent from the field — easily tops.

Daniels, fresh off an impressive defensive effort in a 27-point demolition of Cairns on Friday night, said he would pick his injured teammate’s brain in a bid to find any advantage in his duel with Cotton on Sunday.

Chris Goulding and Melbourne United return home in pursuit of franchise history. Picture: Getty Images

Flynn Cameron will face his former club for the first time since his off-season move to Adelaide. Picture: Getty Images

You’d forgive a typical 17-year-old for thinking this pro stuff is easy, given United hasn’t lost an NBL game since he joined the team as a Next Star.

But Daniels is no ordinary teen, having grown up battling and learning from big bro Dyson Daniels — now a $153.5 million NBA Most Improved Player and Boomers Olympian — and dealing with the spotlight and expectation from a very early age.

A win over 5-1 Adelaide would push United to 9-0 and equal the club’s best start to a season, set in 2015-16, but they have to back up from a Friday night game — albeit one where no one played more than 22 minutes — and get Cotton off a 53-point explosion and a week’s rest.

“It’s going to be a big game against Adelaide, they’re a very good team and it’s going to be a collective effort to try to get over the line,” Daniels said.

“That’s all you can ask for, 8-0 right now, and we’re going into every game with the same mentality to try to get as many wins on the board as we can.”