Rebound's Chris Hughes, the All-Star organiser, content producer, YouTube host and producer, commentator and social media observer, will be back during the post-season but before then he was still able to watch Derby claim the D1M title alongside six other compelling contests this past weekend.
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Chris will pick a Player of the Week and four other selections to round out his Team of the Week, paying attention to the following criteria:
Other players will also receive a shout out as honourable mentions at the bottom of the piece.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sam Masten led his team to the regular season title, adding to their earlier KitKing Trophy success as a great one-two for the season so far.
The floor general had plenty of time on the ball and was also a trusted focal point for shot-making in both games this weekend. The trust afforded to him paid off with a pair of solid stat lines and two wins from two.
A standout period of play for the American came during the third quarter of Saturday's win over Birmingham.
Masten dished four assists whilst giving away just a single turnover to keep the Derby offense ticking whilst Birmingham were fighting back. The visitors put together an 11-0 scoring run in between Masten’s passing masterclass, but his production helped the hosts stay ahead.
Greg Skoric put on a shooting clinic in the long road trip dub at Worthing to cement Nottingham's spot in the playoffs.
Skoric started off strong and eight points in the first quarter put the Hoods on the right path as they raced to a seven point lead at the mid-point of the first quarter, staying ahead practically from tip to buzzer.
It was a lights out shooting performance (12/15FG, 80%) in the dominant win that gave the visitors some much-needed momentum heading into post-season.
In a sub 25-minute cameo from the bench, Loughborough's Seth Wylie played a major role in ensuring his side would close the season in fifth spot. Nailing 7/12 from beyond the arc, it was a high-quality effort from the Riders' man
Wylie’s triples came at pivotal moments, particularly back-to-back shots that put the Riders onto a momentum-winning 10-2 run at the start of the second.
The former Oakland’s star was at it again in the third with consecutive triples to double a six point lead and in the final frame, Wylie contributed a further nine points in a 17-6 run that got the hosts over the line.
Derby secured their first D1M regular season title since 2009/10 with a double-win weekend 🏆
— NBL (@NBLengland) April 8, 2024
🗞 https://t.co/5XmgiUlh1i pic.twitter.com/RvghZafRlb
Johde Campbell did a bit of everything to ensure he was on the winning side this weekend, leading the Hoods in rebounding, assists and steals to showcase his all-round talent.
Campbell shone in the opening quarter, directly contributing to 11 of Nottingham's 27 first-quarter points whilst committing to the defensive end with vital boards.
That early push laid the foundations for what would be a solid road win, with Campbell more than playing his part in the success.
Orlan Jackman hadn’t read the Derby script and made life tough for the newly-crowned champs on Saturday as they went searching for a first regular season title since Head Coach Matt Smith was still on the Trailblazers' playing roster.
OJ balled out as the Commonwealth Gold medalist posted a monstrous 31 point, 14 rebound double-double that kept the visitors in the game.
In the third quarter, with the contest swinging away from his side, Jackman contributed 11 points to a 14-2 scoring run that almost put Derby on the ropes.
Whilst Jackman was on the losing side this weekend, his performance against D1M's new top dogs earns him a spot in my Team of the Week.
Into the D1 playoffs we go 👊
— NBL (@NBLengland) April 8, 2024
For not the first time this season, Essex showcased their strength as a team with the minutes well spread across a nine-man rotation in their win over Newcastle.
On the bench, Ben Winter impressed in a two-way, nine point, four steal performance, whilst Kyron Martin showcased his shooting and smooth release with an efficient outing from beyond the arc (3/6 3PT).
Although results elsewhere would go against the Rebels in their quest for top spot, the #2 seeds will still roll into the playoffs with plenty of momentum on their side.
CJ Hayden (LOU) - 8P/10R/15EFF
Matthew Disu (HEM) - 26P/10R/5A/2STL/35EFF
Mitch Clarke (REA) - 15PTS/4REB/3AST/2STL/21EFF
Malcolm Smith (DTB) - 19P/7R/2A/18EFF vs CoB & 15P/5R/2S/15EFF vs BRA
Hafeez Abdul (WOR) - 24P/9R/2S/21EFF vs NOT & 28P/4R/2A/4S/25EFF @LOU
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