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EABL 2017-18 Individual Award Winners Revealed

The EABL is pleased to reveal the individual award winners of the 2017-18 regular season, which were voted on by team coaches from each conference.

It is Canterbury High School’s Jonathan Brown who takes home Player of the Year honours in the East Conference after a breakout season for the Kent-based side. Brown averaged 17.1 points (10th in the league), 6.2 rebounds, 4.5apg (third), and 1.3 steals whilst helping Canterbury to the number 2 seed in the East Conference with a 9-4 record.

“It’s a great honour to be given this award,” Brown commented. “It’s been an outstanding season for Canterbury and myself. I want to thank all the coaches for believing me and helping me get to where I am now I also want to thank all my team mates for a great season.

“It just shows that if you buy into hard work, you can achieve anything. The set up at Canterbury is one that challenged me to get out of my comfort zone everyday by challenging me constantly and in turn helped me to improve over the years I’ve been here.”

Canterbury High School Head Coach Jesse Sazant added:

“I couldn’t be happier for JB in being recognised as the Player of the Year. He is unrecognisable to the player that started with us a 18 months ago. His drive and hard work has allowed him to develop rapidly as a player.”

In the West, Charnwood College’s Sesan Russell receives Player of the Year, having led the league in steals with an impressive 4.8 per game, to go with 17.9 points (seventh), 7 rebounds and 5.3 assists (second) as Charnwood finished with the second seed in the conference, having gone 9-2.

“I am honoured to receive this award,” Russell said. “I’d like to give thanks to everyone involved in our success this year in all competitions. That includes players, coaches, and Charnwood College.”

Charnwood Head Coach Will Maynard added:

“Sesan is a very talented young player and can influence games in a variety of ways. He has had a great year in the EABL and has led the team on numerous occasions. All the hours Sesan puts in working on his craft has definitely paid off, and it replicates to in game performance.

“I’m proud of Sesan for this accolade, he’s a very special player with some amazing attributes on his game. If he keeps on putting in the work on and off the court, he’s a player that can go very far!”

It was a double for Canterbury High School, as Jesse Sazant picked up Coach of the Year honours in the East. Canterbury finished with their best ever placing in the league, taking the number two seed, whilst being amongst the team leaders in a number of different statistical categories, including leading the competition in two point field goal percentage and true shooting percentage allowed.

“I am very humbled and proud to receive this award for our programme,” Sazant said.

“Thank you to our players, who allow us to push them and who have worked so hard to achieve our success this season. Finally, this award is really a credit to the fantastic staff I am lucky enough to work with every day. They go above and beyond on a daily basis, doing everything they can to support our players development, led by Adam Davies as Associate Head Coach.”

In the West, Myerscough College’s Neal Hopkins wins yet another Coach of the Year award; making it the third time he has picked up conference honours (2014, 2015) for his work with the Myerscough programme. Myerscough picked up the number 1 seed in the West, finishing as the league leaders in offensive rating, points per game, points against per game, three-point field goal percentage, free throw percentage, true shooting percentage, assists per game, and assist to turnover ratio.

“It is always an honour to be recognised by your fellow coaches, who’d I’d like to thank for their nominations,” Hopkins said. “I am extremely fortunate to have great staff behind me and players who have made this season an absolute pleasure, and one I will certainly remember.”

Barking Abbey’s Ade Adebayo is the East Conference Defensive Player of the Year, having spearheaded his side’s defence to the number 1 seed in the East, averaging 2.3 steals per outing, whilst finishing sixth in the league in blocked shots per game, despite being a guard. Additionally, he averaged 13.3 points,3.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

“I’m really grateful for this award, I’m someone that takes pride in my defence and feed off getting defensive stops to fuel my offence,” Adebayo said.

SGS College’s AJ Edu took home West Conference Defensive Player of the Year after a dominant season that saw him finish as the league’s efficiency, rebounding and blocked shots leader, averaging 18.6 points, 14.7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.7 blocks per game.

“It is an honour to receive the EABL West Conference Defensive Player of the Year award,” Edu said.

“Defence is an aspect of my game that I have worked hard to improve and I’m glad that the work is paying off. Huge shout out to my coach and teammates as well, I wouldn’t have this award if it wasn’t for them.”

2017-18 EABL Award Winners

East Conference

Player of the Year: Jonathan Brown (Canterbury High School)
Coach of the Year: Jesse Sazant (Canterbury High School)
Defensive Player of the Year: Ade Adebayo (Barking Abbey)

West Conference

Player of the Year: Sesan Russell (Charnwood College)
Coach of the Year: Neal Hopkins (Myerscough College)
Defensive Player of the Year: AJ Edu (SGS College)

You can find the All-Conference teams here.

Please note: All awards were based on regular season only.

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