Wednesday sees us announce award winners for NBL Division Two as we continue our 2018/19 NBL awards. After counting up the votes cast by the other teams in the division, we have the names of this year's Wilson Player of the Year, Wilson Coach of the Year and Team of the Year winners! We also have a list of other awards including Best Commentator, Best Game Day Experience, Best Team Secretary and Best Social Media!
division two men
Wilson Player of the Year: David Ulph (Liverpool)
Liverpool's David Ulph receives the Wilson Player of the Year award for the 2018/19 Season after a terrific year. The 6'7 British forward received the majority of votes from teams across the league after averaging an impressive double-double of 18.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, whilst shooting 56% from the field. The star big man earned multiple NBL Player of the Week and Player of the Month nods throughout the season whilst also bagging the award for D2's most efficient player throughout the regular season with a rating of 23.6 per game. His consistent high-level play helped Liverpool to a historic season this year as they dominated Division 2 with a 20-0 record.
Wilson Coach of the Year: Delme Herriman (Liverpool)
Given their unbeaten record in D2, Liverpool's Coach Delme Herriman unsurprisingly receives this season's Wilson Coach of Year Award. The multiple NBL Division 2 Coach of the Month winner and former professional player is no doubt proud of his Liverpool side, as they dismantled their competition to go undefeated and be crowned league champions. The award is coach Herriman's second consecutive Coach of the Year award after leading his side to third in the standings a year ago. Herriman is also the Director of Archbishop Beck Sports College Basketball Academy in the ABL which he coached to an undefeated season this year to win their respective Conference title before falling out of the playoffs in the Elite 8.
David Ulph
The Wilson Player of the Year and multiple NBL award winner can add one more accolade to his 2018/19 season after making the Team of the Year. Ulph dominated NBL Division 2 averaging a double-double of 18.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per game with an average efficiency of 23.6 (highest in NBL Division 2).
Jack Hudson
Much like his teammate, Liverpool's other star Jack Hudson makes the Team of the Year for NBL Division 2 after an outstanding season. The 6'1 guard averaged 15.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and dished an impressive 6.6 assists per game whilst shooting 40% from beyond the arc. Hudson also won the NBL Player of the Week award twice throughout the course of the regular season.
Cordaris Townes
6'7 American forward Cordaris Townes makes the Team of the Year from Sussex Bears after a truly special season. The talented Townes made his presence known as he led the league in scoring with a huge 25.5 per game, whilst grabbing 8.6 boards and blocking 2 shots. This season was the first in the NBL for Townes who joined the Bears out of NAIA school, Bluefield College in the U.S.
Justin Hitchman
Westminster Warriors' Justin Hitchman gets the nod for D2 Team of Year and is another worthy selection. The 6'4 British wing averaged a huge 21.7 points for the London side whilst shooting 56% from the field. Hitchman received a wealth of awards this season, as he won the 2019 Patrons Cup with the Warriors for the second consecutive year, as well as winning the NBL Player of the Week award in December.
Juan Manning
Westminster Warriors guard Juan Manning completes this season's line up, joining fellow Warrior Hitchman on the NBL Divison 2 Team of the Year. The 6'2 guard dropped 14.9 points per game and snatched 4.9 rebounds to go along with 2.1 steals, helping his side to a second place league finish with a 14-5 record. Manning received MVP honours for his efforts in the 2019 Patrons Cup Final as he dropped 20pts and dished out 6 assists, showcasing his clear ability. The British guard was also awarded the NBL Player of the Month award for January.
Team of the Year selections were made using statistics from the 2018/19 season, selecting the top two guards and top two forwards, plus one other, based on adjusted efficiency (efficiency and team win percentage) and a number of other statistical factors.
Best Commentator: Liverpool
Best Game Day Experience: Liverpool
Best Team Secretary: Ipswich
Best Social Media: Ipswich
Congratulations to all the 2018/19 award winners from NBL Division Two! We will be bringing you all the award winners from across the NBL this week, continuing with NBL Division One Women tomorrow.
