As we enter the season stretch, the race continues to top our leaderboard and finish with the most BBL Team of the Week appearances.
Kareem Maddox – Newcastle Eagles (Weeks 3, 7, 12, 14, 15, 23)
The Newcastle Eagles forward (pictured) is leading the way as the only player to have found himself in our starting five on six separate occasions, although it has been far from a glittering campaign for the BBL rookie. Since his move from the Dutch League last summer, he has won plenty of individual accolades, including the Molten BBL Player of the Month award twice due to some epic double-double displays. However, those sweet moments have been sullied by Newcastle Eagles falling from grace and following up their clean sweep with the current threat of maybe even finishing this year without any silverware at all. A few more great performances from Maddox will be required if the Eagles want to reach Wembley and at least retain their BBL Play-Off title.
Alex Owumi – Worcester Wolves (Weeks 2, 4, 6, 21, 24)
The Wolves’ small forward has shown his hugely impressive offensive game throughout his first season in British Basketball, with some particularly special shooting performances and especially in the BBL Trophy when he almost single-handedly catapulted his team into the Final with great displays in the quarter-finals and semi-finals. Owumi is one of several players chasing down top spot with five appearances and has helped Wolves post a stunning run during 2013 in the BBL Championship.
Drew Sullivan – Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders (Weeks 7, 16, 21, 22, 26)
It’s tough to continue finding superlatives for the contribution of the British star, who is the driving force behind the Riders’ outstanding season. Sullivan contributes in a number of different areas almost without fail, on every single game night and not only does he produce numbers on the stat-sheet, he also offers some of the best defence, ball denial and intangibles you will find. A great player and representing the British challenge for top spot, he is very much in the reckoning to make it to number one on current form.
Joe Chapman – Newcastle Eagles (Weeks 4, 7, 18, 20, 24)
It could barely have been a more bitter-sweet year for the Eagles’ guard. The upside of five appearances in the BBL Team of the Week have reflected some big performances and indeed he recorded the second best performance valuation in a game, with a monstrous efficiency score of 45. He has really shown his passing ability this term, but injuries, a shooting slump and the Eagles’ poor run of form have all soured matters.
Chavis Holmes – Surrey Heat (Weeks 1, 3, 5, 10, 12)
The Heat guard was the in-form player of the early part of the season when he got his new club off to a flying start and announced his arrival in the BBL in a big way. A clutch player, he made the shots which got Heat rolling, although notably, all of his five appearances came during the first 12 weeks of action. That’s not to say he hasn’t continued as an influential figure in the second half of the season and he is still a difference-maker.
Mike Tuck – One Health Sharks Sheffield (Weeks 5, 11, 22, 23, 26)
There have been few, if any, more consistent players during the last few years in the BBL than Sharks’ irrepressible forward, Mike Tuck. He continues to pose huge problems in the paint for opposing teams and regularly delivers huge double-doubles whether his team is struggling or flying. It’s been an up and down year for Sharks who were horrific in the first few months, but bounced back in glorious fashion with the BBL Trophy and Tuck was a cornerstone of this terrific success.
Gareth Murray – Glasgow Rocks (Weeks 1, 8, 13, 17)
The Scottish forward is one of three players on four appearances and still within touching distance of the top of the chart come the end of the season. Murray is now a veteran player who continues to utilise his size and shooting prowess to give Rocks a nice option either side of the three-point line, as well as helping out on the glass when needed. He arguably remains one of the most underrated players in the BBL.
Chez Marks – Cheshire Phoenix (Weeks 12, 21, 22, 26)
It’s been an eventful six or seven months for the prolific guard who even briefly coached the team during the early part of the season. But, the one thing he has done throughout, is provide the firepower to give his club a chance of making the top eight and grabbing a play-off spot. Regularly one of the weeks’ top scorers in the BBL, Marks knows how to drop points on his opponents and continues to be an ever present danger. He has also brought plenty of veteran know-how for his team.
Michael Ojo – Marjon Plymouth Raiders (Weeks 14, 19, 20, 22)
Always known as a dangerous shooter in previous seasons, sometimes having to come off the bench as an impact player capable of producing instant offence, Ojo has taken his game to new levels this season with a string of magnificent performances. Capitalising on more court-time and responsibility, he has become a senior figure within the Raiders’ team and established himself as one of the star players at the Pavilions and a more prominent figure at league level.
