The Wildcats are alone in top spot on the NBL ladder with a 7-1 record, showcasing their enviable depth against the Hawks in the absence of Boomers Damian Martin and Angus Brandt and American guard Terrico White.

Cats skipper Martin (calf injury) is expected to return in the next week or two, White (hamstring) could miss a month, while Brandt (ankle) has a projected three-to-six-week recovery period.

Even Gleeson was surprised with his team's effort to beat the Hawks after a narrow home win over Brisbane on Friday.

"It was a gutsy win, and if you'd told me when Angus went down that we'd win both games this weekend, I would've thought that was very optimistic," Gleeson said.

"It's a newer group and those kinds of wins, the double overtime win against Melbourne, we're starting to believe in ourselves and the guys on the bench are really stepping up.

"The character of the guys ... the chemistry is great within the group, they're playing for each other and trusting each other, and we've got some hard workers."

Gleeson said the Wildcats recruited carefully in the off-season.

"We've been big on getting the right guys and we didn't do that last year, because in a pressure situation it comes out and that's what happened to us last year," he said.

"We're very mindful first and foremost of going with the chemistry guy rather than the rock star."

Reigning NBL MVP Bryce Cotton backed up his match-winning performance against Brisbane with another superb display against Illawarra.

"Bryce is a special kind of player," Gleeson said.

"He can get his own shot whenever he wants but he's so unselfish and plays within the structure.

"He can catch and shoot and also go off the dribble, which is rare for an import in our league because they're normally playing in the NBA. His mindset is first-class."

Australian Associated Press