The British Basketball league today announced its Team of the Year. The starting five chosen doesn’t come as much of a surprise.
Ezekiel Trey Moore (Newcastle Eagles)
Moore continues to show that he is one of the best players in the BBL with some outstanding performances for the Eagles. An injury in March saw him miss the final seven regular season and all of the play-offs, but during most of the campaign he was in scintillating form. His 22.7 points per game saw him finish with the second highest average in the BBL, but he certainly couldn’t be accused of being selfish as he dished out a league-high 6.2 assists per game. He added 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game as narrowly missed out on adding a second BBL MVP award having previously taken the accolade in 2005.
Jeremy Bell (Cheshire Jets)
Bell couldn’t have asked for much more from his debut BBL season. The 6’1″ point guard joined the north west club in the summer, and made an immediate impact as he finished top scorers in BBL Championship games with an average of 23 points per game. He also dished out 3.7 assists per game as well as 2.03 steals for the Jets as they finished fourth in the BBL Championship and also reached the semi-finals of both the BBL Cup and play-offs. Bell played in all 33 BBL Championship games for the Jets, averaging just over 38 minutes per game – a league-high – and scored a point every 100 seconds for his side and those numbers persuaded the BBL coaches to vote for him as league MVP as he became the fifth Jets’ player to take the award in 12 years.
Charles Smith (Newcastle Eagles)
Now a true veteran of the BBL, Eagles’ forward Smith continues to be a dominant player for the north east club. Now in his ninth season with Newcastle, Smith finished second in total points scored and third in average points per game in the BBL, averaging 21.3ppg. His accuracy from outside the three-point arc was a key factor in his selection, as he drained 40 percent of his shots and he also pulled down 5.6 rebounds per game. The 35-year-old was one of only four Eagles to play in all 33 BBL Championship games, and he added 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
Quemont Greer (Cheshire Jets)
The second member of the Cheshire Jets to be picked for the BBL Team of the year, Greer has also had a great first season in British basketball. Greer finished eighth in the scoring charts, averaging 19.9 points per game and was also a dominant presence on the boards as he pulled down 8.3 rebounds per game to also finish eighth in that category. The 30-year-old De Paul graduate also came up with 1.5 steals and dished out 2.1 assists as Jets challenged at the top of the table.
Andrew Sullivan (Mersey Tigers)
Great Britain captain Andrew Sullivan continued to be one of the stand-out performers in the BBL last season, and added a place in the all-BBL team to his selections for the Defensive Team and British Team. During what has sometimes been a turbulent year for Mersey Tigers, Sullivan has led his team superbly at both ends of the floor with impressive numbers in just about every category showcasing his all-round influence and skill-set. He was a strong contender for BBL MVP and will look to add a third winners’ medal to his collection for this season on Saturday before again linking up with GB for EuroBasket.
