The Molten BBL Player and Coach of the Month Awards for March go to Jason Johnson (Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders, pictured) and Fabulous Flournoy (Newcastle Eagles) respectively. Johnson, who signed for the Riders in his first season as a professional, has averaged 21.5 points per game and ranks top of the performance ratings across the league in the six games the Riders played in March, of which they won five, and Johnson played an average of 30.4 minutes.
Riders boss, Rob Paternostro, said the following on the former South Carolina State star: 'Jason has been fantastic this month. He has rebounded very well on both ends of the floor, and what sets him apart from the rest is his efficiency on the offensive end.' He added: 'He is a very efficient scorer and has played a big part in us having a very successful month. I think he has a lot of potential, and it has been great to watch his game progress as season goes on. I expect him to continue to get better in the future.'
New York-born Flournoy, takes the award for the second consecutive month, having led the Eagles to six straight wins in the month of March, and an incredible seventeen consecutive victories, stretching back to Friday 22nd January. Flournoy said: ' This award is primarily dedicated to the players and coaching staff that I have on board, and in the last couple of weeks, they have been working extremely hard, concentrating on final run of the season and gearing up to preparing for the Play-offs.'
He added: 'We are in a vice grip in the sense that we are playing all the top teams in the league apart from Sheffield in closing the season out. This is a big motivator for us in making sure we do the job in the league, not just the Play-offs The team is extremely focussed on maintaining the league as well as trying to win the post season, and we have had some unbelievable performances from a number of players. I am just hoping that that can continue this and reap the rewards!'
Source: www.bbl.org.uk
