Our line up this week includes a debutante, a Great Britain star and the BBL Trophy MVP.
Ant Downing (Surrey United)
No stranger to the BBL Team of the Week when flying high at his former club Leicester Riders, the playmaker makes his first appearance of the current campaign wearing a Surrey vest. He crashes into our line-up having posted the best performance valuation of the entire weekend, to carry United to a precious win against fellow Play Off contenders Manchester Giants. He delivered a brilliant all-action and double-double line of 31 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals in the win.
Mike Cook (Sheffield Sharks)
Just a fortnight after making his season debut in our fabulous starting five, Cook is back for a second time after producing the goods for Sheffield in their win against Surrey as they bid to nail down a coveted Play Off spot. Cook fired a clinical 21 points against United, but also showed that despite being a guard, he is adept at crashing the glass after corralling an eye-catching ten rebounds to complete a double-double. He also contributed four assists and three steals to show he could be a big factor in the post-season.
Charles Smith (Esh Group Eagles Newcastle)
In one of the best quality games that the BBL has ever seen and certainly one of the best ever Finals, Smith was the hero for the BBL Trophy winners as he delivered down the stretch in a big way for the Eagles. Despite playing with a fractured hand and getting off to a slow start, the veteran forward came up trumps during crunch time to just squeeze out the Riders and take the MVP accolade. He finished with 18 points after lighting it up from distance with five of six from three-point range. But, it was also his defence which stood out as he added seven boards, three steals and two blocks.
Kieron Achara (Glasgow Rocks)
As the dust settled on the BBL Trophy Final, the local favourite stepped out at the Emirates Arena and put in a towering performance to ensure Glasgow Rocks continued their good recent form with a hard fought win against Leeds Force. Achara provided the class and genuine quality in a rugged match-up after the Great Britain center dominated en-route to securing a double-double. He finished with a powerful 20 points and 14 rebounds, but it was his sensational seven blocked shots which stood out most.
Kramer Knutson (Surrey United)
Regularly featuring on our bench throughout the 2014-15 campaign and one of the most consistent performers in the league, the center grabs a deserved starting place after a standout effort for Surrey against Manchester. While his team-mate Ant Downing was taking care of business in the backcourt, Knutson stepped up to the plate in the paint with a massive double-double. He harvested 18 points and 16 rebounds to help sink the Giants and also came up with a fantastic five blocked shots.
Off the bench – Drew Sullivan (London Lions), Darius Defoe (Esh Group Eagles Newcastle), Demond Watt (Cheshire Phoneix), John Barber (Sheffield Sharks), Lovell Cook (London Lions), Jamell Anderson (Leicester Riders), Scott Martin (Esh Group Eagles Newcastle). |