They are the form team of the new calendar year and most definitely turning the screw in their pursuit to successfully defend their BBL Championship title. With this in mind, maybe it’s not too surprising the red-hot form of Newcastle Eagles means their players dominate the BBL line-up this week as the Tyneside team grab three spots in the fabulous five.
Trey Moore (Newcastle Eagles)
Moore still leads all other players as he makes his seventh appearance of the season and that 1 in 2.6 ratio remains the standard to beat. Not for the first time in recent weeks, the playmaker underlined his enormous influence by falling not too far short of a triple double to further explain why the Eagles fans still refer to him in their chants courtside as ‘Treymendous’. He led the Eagles to a crucial away success at Prestige Homes MK Lions with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists in a typically all-action display!
Daniel Gilbert (Worcester Wolves)
While it’s been an up and down season for Wolves, Gilbert has remained as consistent as anybody and the guard makes our starting five for successive weeks after a super effort against Guildford Heat. In fact, it was the best performance of the week bar none as he claimed a valuation score of 30 having really lit it up from outside with six triples in a 34 point haul while also adding 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals to his total.
Joe Chapman (Newcastle Eagles)
Shooting ace Chapman returns for a fifth time this season as he tries to keep pace and catch up with his backcourt partner Moore. He was pivotal in the second win of the weekend for the Eagles at Worthing Thunder when the guard recorded 27 points and as with the Eagles team in general of late, stepped it up defensively too with 4 steals. It is an ominous sign for everyone in the title race since the form of Chapman during the post-Christmas period last season was arguably one of the key drivers in his his team finishing top of the podium.
Andrew Sullivan (Mersey Tigers)
It’s not been the best of times for Tigers recently and having endured a miserable time at the BBL Cup Final followed by a loss at home against Cheshire Jets, things were potentially heading even further downhill for the BBL Championship leaders. Tigers allowed their 17 point half time lead to evaporate during the second derby game of last weekend against Jets. However just when his team needed him, Sullivan stopped the rot and led by example with some big shots from the perimeter proving decisive and one of the most abiding memories of a classy performance. He was 5 of 7 from downtown and like Joe Chapman, produced four steals to ensure he also makes our line-up for a fifth time.
Kadiri Richard (Newcastle Eagles).
It’ been a fantastic week or two for Kadiri Richard. The high flying dunker had endured a slow start to his career on Tyneside but has exploded since the festive period after being handed more minutes and responsibility. His run of form has coincided with the Eagles strengthening their bid to defend their BBL Championship crown while he was also named Dunk Champion at the BBL Cup Final. Richard then returned to former club Worthing Thunder last weekend and claimed a double-double of 12 points and 14 rebounds while also blocking 2 shots and grabbing 3 steals. All of which helped him get a first appearance in our BBL Team Of The Week for 2010-11!
BBL Team Of The Week
Trey Moore (Newcastle Eagles)
Daniel Gilbert (Worcester Wolves)
Joe Chapman (Newcastle Eagles)
Andrew Sullivan (Mersey Tigers)
Kadiri Richard (Newcastle Eagles).
Off The Bench
Jeremy Bell (Cheshire Jets), Joseph Harris (Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders), Shawn Myers (Prestige Homes MK Lions), Colin O’Reilly (Cheshire Jets), Anthony Rowe (UCP Marjon Plymouth Raiders), Justin Dobbins (Worcester Wolves)
