Ovie Soko, Drew Lasker and Ant Rowe select their British Basketball League mid-season awards winners

Can you believe we’re already halfway through an epic 2023/24 season in the British Basketball League!?

There have been so many major moments and performances already and we’ve got plenty more to come in the New Year!

To mark the halfway point, we sat down with members of our all-star broadcasting team to get their thoughts on who the standout individuals across the League have been so far, and nominate their (unofficial) mid-season awards winners. Keep reading to discover who Ovie Soko, Drew Lasker and Ant Rowe chose!

Ovie Soko

Player of the Season – Maceo Jack, Cheshire
Phoenix

This is a difficult one, and for me it’s between London’s Matt Morgan, Cheshire’s Aaryn Rai and Maceo Jack. Aaryn just does everything and is a fantastic talent. He’s been in and out of the lineup due to injury, but he’s been playing extremely well when he’s been available.

Matt Morgan has been a bucket all season long, but the dark horse and the one I’m going to go with is Maceo Jack. He has great IQ, is incredibly consistent and works hard on both sides of the floor for his team. He’s dependable, he knows how to score, he’s not missed a game, he’s physical and if he can keep up this level for the rest of the season with Cheshire, then he will be right up there.

Most Improved Player of the Season – Jalon Pipkins, B. Braun Sheffield Sharks

When Jalon came in last year he had an immediate impact, purely because of his athleticism and energy and making great cuts to the basket, but this year he’s shown so much more of his game and we’ve seen layers to it.

He can take control of the game for the Sharks and has shown he has the skills and the confidence to make those big plays when the game is on the line. I’ve been really impressed by him and I feel like he’s leading the discussion for me.

Defensive Player of the Season – Josh Sharma, London Lions

For me there is only one choice here and that is Josh Sharma. It’s almost hard to pick anyone else just because when you have a big man that plays on the defensive side of the ball and affects the game the way Josh does, there’s not another player in the League that does that, nor are there many of them in Europe for that matter.

When you’re planning your offence ahead of a game, you have to take Josh into account because he affects the opposition so much and that is what sets him apart for me.

Coach of the Season – Petar Bozic,
London Lions

I know people will say in responding to this that he has the best roster so his team should be delivering the results that they are, but I’d say because he is deserving of this award exactly because of the roster he has.

Having a roster as talented as this and keeping everybody on the same page and pushing in the right direction is so difficult. It’s one thing to coach a maybe less talented roster that has a clear pecking order than it is to coach a team with five or six legitimate stars who all need to pull in the same direction to be successful and sacrifice for each other.

They’ve dealt with an incredibly difficult schedule very well, they’ve built camaraderie and an identity that is successful for them whoever is on the floor, and they’ve been very impressive all season long.

One to Watch – Teddy Allen, Leicester Riders

It wouldn’t have made a lot of sense but I’m so excited by this guy that I would have nominated him for every category if I could! Everybody in the British Basketball League is talking about Teddy “Buckets” Allen right now, especially after that incredible 32 points on his debut. He’s going to be crucial for the Leicester Riders as they look to climb back up the table this season and compete for silverware.

There are so many honourable mentions in here: Evan Walshe, Aaryn Rai, Ian DuBose, Rickey McGill, Jordan Johnson. Sam Dekker is high on the list as well. He’s the MVP for a reason and now that he’s healthy again we’re going to see just how good he is and how much he can help elevate this London team even further.

I’m so excited for the rest of the season because we have amazing players in this League and a lot of big games to come so we’re set for a fantastic second half of the season.

Ant Rowe

Player of the Season – Matt Morgan,
London Lions

I’m going for the best player on the best team – Matt Morgan. Not only is he the leading scorer on that London Lions roster with a very impressive 20.7 points per game, but also the League’s leading scorer. What impresses me the most is the manner in which he has gone about his business.

He’s had to score the ball in the most high-pressure situations, and I don’t think they get off to a 19-3 start without his late-game heroics. What’s even more impressive is that he’s not a guy that needs to take 20-25 shots and play 40 minutes to score his 20 points per game. He’s been doing it in such an efficient manner in 25 minutes a game, and when you’re on a loaded team like he is, he’s having to pick his moments and make the big plays.

A star among stars, Matt Morgan is on pace to be the next British Basketball League MVP.

Most Improved Player of the Season – Maceo
Jack, Cheshire Phoenix

The Cheshire Phoenix have got off to a hot start this year and boy, they are fun to watch. A big reason for the success of the Phoenix has been the excellent play of their captain, Maceo Jack, who has had an outstanding sophomore season in the British Basketball League.

Last year, Jack averaged 10.5 points per game and was a solid contributor as a mid-season pick-up, but the transformation from him this year has been astronomical, elevating himself to being a superstar of the league. He’s pouring in 18 points per game, hitting an incredible 42% of his three-point attempts, and doesn’t shy away from the big moments when his team needs him.

He’s not the loudest player, but his production speaks volumes.

Defensive Player of the Season – LaQuincy Rideau, Cheshire Phoenix

I said in my pre-season predictions that LaQuincy Rideau would be the Defensive Player of the Year and I haven’t changed my mind, because he has been every bit the defensive menace that he was expected to be. His tenacity on the defensive end is next level, and he’s the type of player that can affect the game in so many other ways than just scoring.

He really flourishes on the defensive end and can turn a game on its head. The opposition are always looking over their shoulder and conscious of him and where he is as he leads the League in steals. He’s been terrorising unsuspecting opponents all season long with great timing and anticipation helping him regain position for the Phoenix in the blink of an eye.

He has been an impressive defensive player for some time, winning similar honours at collegiate level, and he’s continued on the same path in his professional career.

Coach of the Season – Ben Thomas,
Cheshire Phoenix

This is a close one for me, but I’ve been very impressed with Ben Thomas this year and what he’s done with his team. As much as his team’s performances and results have been impressive, what stands out for me is how good a recruiter he is for his team. He has consistently added exciting emerging talent and built superstars in the League, but this year I think he’s gone above and beyond.

Instead of bringing one or two gems, he has brought a 10-man roster together that has huge quality on both ends of the floor and has proven capable of battling with the best of them this year. Their current record (12-7) puts them third in the Championship and they have been in the mix of that top three teams for most of the season, which is a credit to Ben for being able to direct this group of talented individuals and get them playing together.

Their success so far this year has surpassed everyone’s expectations, but they are one of the most entertaining teams to watch this year and playing a brand of basketball associated with a Ben Thomas roster.

Many of you will remember last year, when Ben Thomas and the Phoenix were one shot away from winning the British Basketball League Trophy, losing in pretty difficult circumstances, but the response since then has been remarkable, getting revenge against Caledonia and knocking them out of the Playoffs last year and this year coming back with a vengeance and flying high in the British Basketball League.

One to Watch – Teddy Allen, Leicester
Riders

Now, I understand that we’ve only watched him play one game, but I’m so excited – and I think everyone should be – to watch Teddy “Buckets” Allen play in the British Basketball League.

This is a player renowned through his collegiate and Canadian Elite Basketball League experience for being a ferocious scorer and, although we have an extremely small sample size in the one game he’s played to date, he poured in 32 points on his debut for the Leicester Riders and led them to a big home win against the Caledonia Gladiators.

The volume in which he scored was impressive, but the manner in which he was able to deal with the pressures of not only his debut, but also to shoot his team into a much-needed win was very impressive.

On joining the Riders, they were 7-10 and sat seventh in the Championship, but after just one game of Teddy Buckets you can see the improvement in the team and I’m intrigued to see how much Coach Rob Paternostro maximises his obvious talent and increase the success of his team in the process.

Drew Lasker

Player of the Season – Matt Morgan,
London Lions

I’ve got to go with Matt Morgan for many reasons. With him, it’s not just about the stats. It’s because he’s held the fort while the MVP, Sam Dekker, has been out and given Sam an opportunity to slowly work his way back.

They’ve needed Matt to be a bucket in Sam’s absence and he’s done that consistently from the first game until now. What’s most impressive about him is the way he scores, even more so than the volume. It is very rare to find a guard who can put their head down and drive to the basket for a score but also get buckets from the perimeter at such a high percentage, and that’s what sets him apart as a scorer.

He does the little things as well and he’s been so impressive all season long, so he’s got to be my pick for this award.

Most Improved Player of the Season –
Maceo Jack, Cheshire Phoenix

I know at this moment in time a lot of people are going to make a case for Evan Walshe and I understand that because he’s gone from more of a rotational player for the Riders averaging small numbers to being able to win a game on more than one occasion for the Manchester Giants this year.

For me, Evan has been a bit too inconsistent so far though and that’s why Maceo Jack at the Cheshire Phoenix gets my pick for this. You might look at his scoring numbers from last year and be shocked that he’s jumped from 11 points per game to almost 18 this year, but what’s more impressive is that in every single statistical category he is producing much better numbers and you can’t overlook that.

He also put that team on his back for a month when Aaryn Rai was out and kept that club in the win column, so his development both in production and confidence has been super impressive and that’s why he’s my pick for this award.

Defensive Player of the Season – Devearl
Ramsey, B. Braun Sheffield Sharks

This is one I had to really think about because if you’re going off purely stats then LaQuincy Rideau is the obvious choice. He’s leading the League in steals by a mile, but stats never tell the full story, and in LaQuincy’s case… how is he getting those steals? How does he fit Cheshire’s defensive schemes? Is he gambling for steals or are they from traps or what?

It’d be like giving the award to the player who has the most blocks; I think to choose an award like this you have to dig deeper, and for me, that lands me with Devearl Ramsey at the Sharks. They are one of the top defensive teams this year and Ramsey, when you look at how Coach Lyons sets that team up to play defence, is a big reason behind their success on that end.

He’s a pest, he’s always in the right position, he never backs down when he gets switched – even on to the forward or centres – and at six feet tall he’s an absolute menace. He may have gone unnoticed by a lot of people, but not me, and he’s my pick for this one.

Coach of the Season – Ben Thomas,
Cheshire Phoenix

That’s easy, man – it’s Ben Thomas. No doubt about it. The only person that can come close to Ben is Petar Bozic and I don’t take how difficult a job it is to manage and coach the amount of talent London has for granted, as it is a very difficult job, but Ben takes this one for me.

Whoever they’ve had available, whoever they’ve had to come up against, the Phoenix have battled and competed well with everybody in the League and are massively outperforming what I think everybody outside of Cheshire expected of them. Nobody saw them being in the top two for most of the first half of the season, but they have been!

The way Thomas has that roster clicking as well is special, because outside of Skyler White and LaQuincy Rideau that roster is mostly comprised of players under 25 who are in their first or second years as professionals. The way he’s been able to maximise that group is tremendous, so he’s the easy pick for that one for me.

One to Watch – Sam Dekker, London Lions

I could go many ways with this, but I’m going for Sam Dekker. It’s crazy to say this for the reigning MVP but he’s gone under the radar a little bit whilst he’s recovered from his injury and the likes of Matt Morgan have been tremendous in carrying the team without him.

Coming back from ankle surgery is so difficult but you can see over the last few weeks he’s starting to get his rhythm, sharpness and confidence back and if he can get back to the levels he was at last season, we’re going to see a completely different Sam Dekker this year.

He’s proven already this season that he’s a game-changer, and he’s not 100% yet. He’ll be reminding us all ‘I’m still him, I’m the MVP and the best talent in this League, so don’t forget about me.’

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