SYDNEY King Ben Madgen exploded for 22 points against Cairns in his last trip north and hasn't looked back.

The guard is the NBL's leading scorer with more than 18 points a game and took out the October player of the month gong.

Good mate Brad Hill thinks he might just know enough about the league's form man to stop him, though.

The Taipan grew up playing against Madgen and rates him as a mentor of his junior days.

In the off-season they spent time on court together in Adelaide and Hill confesses to playing a lot of one-on-one over the years.

"I reckon I've got him in that," Hill laughed.

He won't rely on mass ejections though Hill hopes he and the rest of the Taipans defence can put the clamps on Madgen, whom they rate as the Kings' offensive cornerstone.

"He's playing with confidence and he's always known how to score points in any system," Hill said. "I'd like to think I know his game though."

Hill has been replaced in the starting five by Aaron Grabau, with Fearne opting for the defensive specialist to "get a balance".

The 26-year-old Hill said it meant he would act as more of a ball carrier.

And he hoped they would turn their uncertain play around tonight.

s"In the past we've ground through a game and made plays down the stretch to win," he said.

"This year we've got the advantage then not known what to do with it. It's frustrating, but you've got to see a positive out of that."

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