Academy POTW: Round, Powell come out firing in 2024

The first week of Academy action in 2024 didn't disappoint, with some top-tier performances.

There were plenty of stat lines to chose from across nine Academy contests, with five games in the EABL and four more in the WEABL, as teams restarted their schedules after the mid-season break.

Have your say on this week's picks and give a shout-out to the players you think deserve one using the links below.

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How it works 

Player of the Week will be selected by paying attention to the following criteria:

  • Efficiency  
  • Stats  
  • Team and opposition strength  
  • Periods of influence in the game 
  • Being on a winning team (exceptional performances from players on losing teams will be considered)

Other players will also receive a shout out as honourable mentions as well.

WEABL

Given their perfect record of 6-0 in the North conference, it's no coincidence that Charnwood College Riders have had plenty of impressive performances this season.

More than a few have come from recent University of Colorado commit Erin Powell, and this week was no exception.

The Riders' talent was at it once again, doing a bit of everything as Charnwood saw off 79-57 for their sixth win in a row.

Powell led all scorers with an impressive 32 points, adding 10 boards for the double-double along with six assists.

Three blocks and a pair of steals at the defensive end also added up, with the talented wing finishing with an overall efficiency of 37, the highest of the week.

Speaking about the performance, Powell said: "This was a big game for us, as the first one back after Christmas I wanted to help set the tone for the second half of the season.

"Being 6-0 is great and I feel like we are getting better at being a team and celebrating each other every single day, preparing us for our playoff run!"

Charnwood head coach Nick Moodey added: "Erin again put in a phenomenal performance in the win against Manchester and put on a great display of scoring and facilitating for her teammates, she impacted the game on both ends of the floor and it is great to see her go from strength to strength each week.

"It was another great team performance against a well-coached Manchester team and we are starting to really put things together heading towards the playoffs."

Honourable mentions

Valerie Cassidy De Falco (NAW) - 28P/11R/9A/3S/31EFF

Samantha Mullock (NAW) - 12P/21R/3A/5B/27EFF

Alina Riley (NAW) - 23P/8R/4A/2S/21EFF

Caitlin Ryan (OAK) - 14P/10R/6A/2S/3B/29EFF

 

EABL 

There was a South Conference battle between Oaklands and JMA this week that brought out the best in plenty of players, but none more so than Reading guard Isaac Round.

The talented shooter went off in the 80-76 road win, lighting up the scoreboard and filling the stat sheet.

Round nailed six threes on his way to a 35 point outing, the most of any player across the EABL this week, to go with nine boards and nine assists.

Five steals demonstrated Round's value on the defensive end, and he was worth every bit of his 43 efficiency rating.

Speaking about the performance, Round said: "Yesterday’s game was a really hard fought win for us. As a team we remained resilient, and that allowed me to make some big plays down the stretch to help get us over the line.

"Hopefully this can give us momentum for the rest of the season to keep this level of competitiveness."

JMA head coach Samit Nuruzade added: "Isaac had a great game yesterday. His shooting from the three point line was amazing, and when he was guarded closely he managed to get to the free throw line.

"Most importantly for me, he showed very good leadership qualities. At the end of the game, when our team was struggling on offence, he demanded the ball and ran the team.

"I'm happy for him to be recognised as Player of the Week."

Honourable mentions

Daniel Nwauzu (MYE) - 30P/17R/33EFF

Tyrese Lacey (MYE) - 17P/6R/7A/9S/28EFF

Will Taylor (ITC) - 20P/13R/2A/5S/29EFF

Callum Smart (SGS) - 26P/15R/4B/27EFF

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