It was a stellar weekend for frontcourt players, two of whom posted back-to-back performances that were both good enough to make the starting five.
Chavis Holmes (Surrey Heat)
The most thrilling moment of the weekend came at Surrey Sports Park where new Heat guard Chavis Holmes continued to cement himself as a real favourite with fans by not only posting a terrific performance, but by also making the game-winning shot in the last second. Holmes showed he has the composure to be a real match winner for head coach Creon Raftopoulos, not only in crunch time, but across entire games. Holmes finished with 19 points and continually posed a danger offensively, handing off three assists whilst coming up with four vitals steals at the other end of the court and seven precious rebounds. This is the second appearance of the season in our team for Holmes.
Fabulous Flournoy (Newcastle Eagles)
The player-coach will have been more delighted with the performance of his team in the brilliant success at Glasgow Rocks rather than his own numbers, but nevertheless he takes a deserved place in the BBL Team Of The Week. Showing that intangibles and defence can get you plaudits rather than just scoring, Flournoy showcased his trademark tenacity all over the floor to help dig his team out of a first-half hole against Rocks. This laid the foundation for a compelling second half performance which led to the Eagles streaking away with the win. He may have only scored seven points (albeit very efficiently), but the New Yorker came up with 11 rebounds, five assists and four steals to support the primary contribution of Kareem Maddox.
Colin O’Reilly (UCP Marjon Plymouth Raiders; pictured)
The Irish forward produced the best performance not only of the weekend, but of the entire season with a mind-boggling valuation score of 41 as the Raiders blew out Manchester Giants in fine style. O’Reilly headlined a brilliant and vibrant team performance from the hosts by recording a fantastic all-action line of 28 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals. This was exactly why the Raiders brought him to the Pavilions and on this kind of form, OReilly will have a big say in determining whether Raiders can get the silverware they crave this season.
Tayo Ogedengbe (London Lions)
The London Lions forward posted two scorching performances over the weekend and both were good enough to make the starting five. Ogedengbe was excellent against Surrey Heat as the Lions finally got off the mark to record their first BBL Championship success of the new season. But, even better was to come on the same court just 48 hours later as he propelled his team past Durham Wildcats and into the second round of the BBL Cup. He was the standout player in a tight game with a 26 point haul which included going two of two from long-range whilst also grabbing six rebounds and four steals.
Kareem Maddox (Newcastle Eagles)
The BBL rookie enjoyed a magnificent weekend of action. As with Tayo Ogedengbe, Maddox produced two of the best five performances. He was excellent for the Eagles in their hard fought road victory at Manchester Giants last Friday but even better when he took to the floor against the Rocks. He was engaged in a marvellous frontcourt battle with Rocks Great Britain forward Kieron Achara who was also impressive, but Maddox certainly shaded this wonderful duel with a superb double-double of 29 points and 12 rebounds. Considering he is still finding his feet in the league, these two weekend performances suggested he could potentially be a dominant force for the Eagles across the course of the season and best of all he just loves playing defence which delights Flournoy.
Off The Bench: Sam Cricelli (Surrey Heat), Charles Smith (Newcastle Eagles), David Watts (Manchester Giants), David Aliu (Manchester Giants), Kieron Achara (Glasgow Rocks), Mike Baldarelli (Durham Wildcats)
