Wells: Top of the table clash a test against the best

Adelaide 36ers Head Coach Mike Wells says his side is relishing the opportunity to cross the border at the weekend for a top of the table clash with Melbourne United.

United remains the only unbeaten side in the Hungry Jack’s NBL competition after seven games, though will fit in a trip to Cairns to face the Taipans on Friday night before Sunday’s match-up against the Sixers.

Speaking before the side travelled to Melbourne, Wells was full of praise for what United Coach Dean Vickerman and his group had done this season and for a long time prior.

“Melbourne United's been the standard. (They’ve got a) long history of being a very good club,” Wells said.

“I mean, they're just good every year, good coaching, good players. They win a lot of games.

“They do a great job recruiting players, they’ve got a great system. Dean does an outstanding job.

“They're organised, they're detailed, and they're disciplined.

“For us in our journey, game seven, it's a really good opportunity for us to go down there and play against a really good team and see where we're at.”

The Sixers have a dismal record at John Cain Arena with just three wins from 21 visits.

Wells said history would play little to no role in Sunday’s game.

“I think honestly for our group, which is such a new group now, that I think we can sort of throw the past history out to a degree, and we're trying to just look forward and control this group,” he explained.

“I know it's been rough. I think there's been some reasons, and one of those reasons is (Melbourne United) have been really good. There've been really, really been talented for a long time, so, you know, I hope that we can be in that discussion where we are, you know, winning games or winning road games and changing how things have looked from the past.”

Wells’ outfit might not get a much better opportunity to do that given United will be playing less than 48 hours after the game in Cairns.

But Wells wasn’t sure if it gave his side any advantage.

“I have no idea to be honest with you,” he said. “We just focus on our group, our practice routine, us trying to do us.

“I don't know what gives somebody (an edge).

“You know, you could also say they played, and they have a better game rhythm so who knows.

“It's about us controlling what we can control on Sunday.”

United will be looking to control star guard Bryce Cotton, fresh off a record-breaking 53-point performance against the Taipans last week.

Yet despite his heroics, Cotton remains humble and team-focussed.

“It's part of who he is as a person and why he's been great,” Wells said of his key recruit.

“He's got a great disposition. He's very aware of who he is and how he operates in this league, and yet his main goal is always to win.

“I don't think he's talked about MVPs and scoring titles, or any of those individual things.

“He wants to be defined by winning, and so the rest of us are beneficiaries of that.

“He's a unique, unique talent, and he's a really, really good human being, and he wants his team to win.”

The Sixers take on Melbourne United from 2:00pm ACDT / 2:30pm AEDT on Sunday with coverage live on ESPN and Ten.