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Townsville Crocodiles’ star point guard Corey ‘Homicide’ Williams has been named the winner of the Andrew Gaze Trophy as the National Basketball League’s Most Valuable Player for the 2009/2010 season at the NBL and WNBL Awards Dinner in Melbourne on tonight.

Williams received 92 votes to take the award from Adelaide 36ers forward Adam Ballinger, who polled 80. Melbourne Tigers’ forward Mark Worthington came in third place with 72 votes, followed by Wollongong Hawks’ guard Tywain McKee in fourth place with 70 points. Perth Wildcats forward Shawn Redhage, whose team won the 2010 NBL Championship, was fifth with 69 points.

Williams, who has now been a Croc for three years, averaged 18.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists over his 31 games this season, shooting the ball at 50.6% from the field. For the second year running Williams led the Crocodiles to a Semi Final berth.

Williams becomes only the second Croc to win the award after club legend Robert Rose claimed the honour in 2001.

Voting for the MVP award is conducted following each regular season game by the coaching staffs of each team, with the player amassing the most votes at the end of the season being declared the winner.

The NBL’s MVP award is named after Melbourne Tigers great Andrew Gaze, with the trophy being a specially commissioned sculpture of Gaze in action.