The National Basketball Performance Centre will play host to this year's showpiece contests, with St Aloysius and MK5D Shenley Brook End competing for the CBL title, Copleston High School and City of London Academy - Southwark battling it out for the WEABL crown, and Charnwood College Riders and City of London Academy - Southwark trying to win it all in the EABL.
Live streams are also available, along with a gallery of photos of this year's finalists in action at the bottom of the page. Live Stats can be viewed by clicking the title of each game.
Tickets to attend the finals are free, but still need to be obtained for capacity reasons. To secure your ticket, please head to the Basketball England shop by clicking here.
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Two conference winners will contest the EABL final as North champs Charnwood College Riders take on South winners City of London Academy – Southwark.
For the Londoners, 2023/24 marks their first trip to the EABL Final, going one step further than their last and only journey to the Final Fours back in 2015/16.
Their 10-2 regular-season record involved a tight race with both defending champs Barking Abbey and The Canterbury Academy, with coach Jay Williams’ side eventually coming through to seal top spot.
That race has led to further post-season wins, with CoLA beating a pair of North Conference foes in #4 seeds The Sheffield College 71-61 then #2 seeds Myerscough College 74-64.
Charnwood, on the other hand, will be looking to win it all for the first time since 2021/22, with the Midlands programme aiming to add another title to their three successes to date.
Like CoLA, the Riders were pushed hard in the regular season by Myerscough before eventually emerging victorious with a 10-2 record.
Charnwood suffered a scare in the opening round of the playoffs, narrowly edging past South #4 seeds JMA Reading Rockets 68-66. Their Final Four contest with holders Barking was more assured though, winning 75-60 to return to Manchester once more.
MVP honours went elsewhere in both Conferences this year, but that doesn’t mean there’s any lack of quality across these two programmes.
Edward Onyia was a very narrow second in the MVP voting behind Myerscough’s Tyrese Lacey and instead settles for a richly-deserved All Conference nod, where he’s joined by teammate Oscar Curran.
Isaac Fiagbe is CoLA’s only selection in the South’s standout five, with first year guard Khyle Capazana earning an All-Second team pick along with U17 Player of the Year recognition.
CoLA head coach Williams is a back-to-back South COTY recipient and clearly has Southwark playing a great style of basketball. His tussle with Charnwood’s Will Maynard is also sure to be one to watch.
Charnwood College Riders head coach Maynard said: “It’s a privilege to be involved in another EABL final. All the players and all the staff have worked extremely hard to get to this point.
“We have to prepare as best as we can leading up to the final. The lads have bought in to everything we have done this year and they will all be up for the occasion.”
Charnwood's Onyia said: “Reaching the EABL Final is a blessing and opportunity for Charnwood to add one more ‘chip to our name.
“I’m proud that we made it this far and that we’ve played so well as a team this season, we will make sure to leave it all out on the court.”
CoLA head coach Williams said: “We are very grateful and very excited to be playing in the EABL Final and we will continue to play our style of basketball with patience and execution.
“We know Charnwood will be a tough opponent with good players and coaching staff so we are hoping it will be a good game for everyone to watch.
“Reaching the EABL Final means so much to every individual associated with the team and it’s definitely a massive milestone for not only our current team but for the legacy of CoLA.”
CoLA’s Khyle Capanzana: “Approaching the EABL Final, we hope to come across a strong and competitive Charnwood team.
“The most that is expected of us is to play hard at a high level as well as to have fun and enjoy the moment.”
Two of the most successful programmes in the women’s game clash in this year’s WEABL Final as Copleston High School go up against City of London Academy – Southwark.
The Suffolk outfit got the better of their rivals in both games during the regular season to finish a perfect 10-0. Their post-season run has been a straightforward one, knocking off a pair of South Conference rivals in the form of JMA Reading Rockets 78-38 then Oaklands Wolves 104-45.
CoLA entered the season looking to extend their lead for the most WEABL titles with four currently to their name, two ahead of the next closest side Barking Abbey.
The Londoners went 7-3 across a solid campaign before cruising through the post-season with an 89-21 W against Nottingham Academy Wildcats and a 64-44 road win against North #1 seeds Charnwood College Riders.
Given their dominance across the regular season, it’s no surprise to see both Copleston and CoLA fill the regular season awards.
Copleston guard Liv Forster is this year’s MVP after contributing 15.0PPG along with 6.1APG, with Forster, Christabel Osarobo and Yazmin Edwards all making the Conference’s All-First team alongside CoLA’s Felicia Jacobs and Glory Kabia.
Violet Stutz and Shay Oyewole (CoLA) and Louisa Gibbins (Copleston) both earned All-Second team nods, with Osarobo (Defensive Player of the Year), Edwards (Most Improved Player) and CoLA’s Adaora Dioramma (U17 Player of the Year) earning further honours.
Nick Drane has collected Coach of the Year recognition for the part he’s played in steering Copleston’s rise, with his opposite number in this year’s final the most decorated man in that category with six awards throughout the WEABL’s history.
Across this match-up there is talent in abundance, both on and off the court. Undoubtedly the top two sides in this year’s competition, both Copleston and CoLA are sure to provide a fitting final chapter to their rivalry in 2023/24.
The two teams know each other incredibly well due to their battles in both the WEABL and the WNBL, playing out a number of memorable contests in recent years, including at Manchester’s National Basketball Performance Centre.
Copleston High School head coach Drane said: “It's great to be competing in the Academy League finals. We know that in order to win this competition, at some stage you have to face CoLA in the playoffs, a programme who have dominated this competition for years.
“Our girls have been fantastic all season and we are looking forward to the challenge.”
Copleston's Edwards said: “It's been a great season, but we've known all along that it was likely to come down to us and CoLA. It's always a great match up, and we are excited for the challenge.”
City of London Academy – Southwark head coach Gibbons: “It's a great honour to make it to another WEABL Final, it's been a rollercoaster ride of a season to try to defend the title.
“We accept the underdog role and we are embracing it, it's nice for the pressure to be elsewhere this year.”
CoLA’s Stutz: “We can't wait to play in the Final. For many of the girls it’s their first time and the senior players on the team want to give it our all to get a title for the entire group.”
MK5D Shenley Brook End will be looking to make it back-to-back CBL titles, with only #1 seeds St Aloysius standing in their way.
The London programme bring the CBL’s only undefeated record to Manchester after going 12-0 in Group C, tacking on a 78-58 win over Xaverian College to open the playoffs and an 89-69 victory over #4 seeds Carmel College to punch their ticket to NBPC.
Shenley Brook End aren’t far behind, going 11-1 this term as Group B winners. They started their playoffs with a closely fought 63-57 victory over New City College Hackney before seeing off Holy Trinity School 76-58.
Given their impressive regular-season records, it’s no surprise that there will be a large collection of talent on display in Manchester.
St Aloysius’ Devontae Da Costa (29.9PPG, 8.8RPG) was picked as Group C’s MVP for the part he played in their perfect record, with William Akuffo doubling up as Coach of the Year.
Da Costa’s teammate Tyreese Poku-Mensah (16.9PPG, 5.6RPG) was also voted into the All-First team as another worthy recipient.
It was a similar story in Group A as Shenley Brook End also cleaned up. The MVP award went to Buai Luak (22.2PPG, 9.3RPG), with William Issekya (21.6PPG, 9.1RPG) earning a spot in the All-First Team for the second year in a row.
Head coach Billy Beddow makes it back-to-back Coach of the Year picks after his side's strong campaign, also aiding in the development of the likes of Gabriel Formeloza (10.1PPG, 2.9APG), who scoops the best U17 Player accolade.
Both teams have also been able to give their players opportunities in other competitions this season, with key members of the St Aloysius roster also making up the Islington Panthers team that won the Sure Shot U18 Men’s National Cup in January.
NBL National Cup and Division Two South winners Milton Keynes Breakers have also given valuable minutes to some of the Shenley Brook End CBL roster, including Luak, who played a part in both competitions.
St Aloysius head coach Akuffo said: “I’m happy and proud of the team to have made it to the CBL finals., the boys have worked really hard. The team respects each other and the game and have learnt that hard work is rewarded.”
St Aloysius’ Da Costa said: “We’re all very grateful for this opportunity. The final is a great place to showcase the talent we all have. This is what the whole team has worked towards all year and there is only one stop left.”
MK5D Shenley Brook End head coach Beddow said: “It's a brilliant feeling to be back here for the second year in a row, it shows the strength of the pathway we've been building over the last three years.
“We knew it was going to be difficult to defend our title this season. We lost a lot of key players and felt there would be a target on our backs. We obviously want to come out as winners but we know it's going to be a tough ask against St Aloysius. They've had a brilliant season in both academy and Jnr. NBL, I think it's going to be a really good, competitive game!”
MK5D Shenley Brook End’s William Issekya said: “It’s an amazing accomplishment to reach the finals for the second year in a row and it’s a testament to the winning culture we have built here at MK.
“But the job’s not done. I have full confidence in my team to make history and leave Manchester as back-to-back champs!”
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