Academy Leagues: CBL Final Fours, EABL, WEABL placement games on offer

The EABL and WEABL may have confirmed their finalists for this year, but there's still action on offer on Wednesday.

In a bid to increase the number of games played by all Elite Academy sides, the teams finishing outside the playoff positions are playing each other in the post-season to create a full 1-12 classification across the EABL and 1-11 in the WEABL.

The semi-finals of the CBL playoffs are also scheduled, with next Wednesday's Academy League finalists being fully confirmed as a result.

We take a look at the action below.

EABL

Myerscough and Barking will go head-to-head next Wednesday for the EABL title, but first there are two games to decided fifth through eighth for 2024/25.

Both beaten Final Fours sides, Charnwood College Riders and City of London Academy - Southwark, were due to lock horns in the Midlands but a forfeit by the visitors puts the Riders into third as CoLA finish fourth.

After a previous round of classification games last Wednesday, Itchen College will take a trip to the North West to face Manchester Magic, with the pair of #3 seeds battling it out for fifth and sixth.

That just leaves JMA Reading Rockets to host Derby Trailblazers in a contest for seventh and eighth.

BMet City of Birmingham Rockets (ninth), SGS College (10th), Copleston High School (11th) and Oaklands Wolves (12th) are already confirmed for the remaining places.

Classification games & live stats

5th-6th - Manchester Magic vs Itchen College

7th-8th - JMA Reading Rockets vs Derby Trailblazers

remaining Playoff Dates

EABL Final - 26/03/2025

Final

Myerscough College vs Barking Abbey

WEABL

With Copleston and Manchester getting ready for the WEABL Final, there's still a pair of classification games to get through whilst we wait.

Last week's beaten duo of City of London Academy - Southwark and Barking Abbey won't face off, with regular-season standing instead putting CoLA into third and Barking into fourth.

There's a North vs South clash for fifth and sixth as Nottingham Academy Wildcats entertain Oaklands Wolves, and Charnwood College Riders and The Sheffield College will renew their Northern rivalry as the pair try to decide seventh and eighth.

Itchen College (ninth), JMA Reading Rockets (10th) and Milton Keynes 5 Dimensions Breakers Academy (11th) are already confirmed.

Classification game & live stats

5th-6th - Nottingham Academy Wildcats vs Oaklands Wolves

7th-8th - Charnwood College Riders vs The Sheffield College

remaining Playoff Dates

WEABL Final - 26/03/2025 

Final

Manchester Mystics vs Copleston High School

CBL

 

Four teams remain in the CBL playoffs, and they're now just one win away from punching their ticket to Manchester's NBPC next Wednesday.

Group B winners New City College are still perfect, tacking last week's win against Dagenham Park onto their 14-0 regular-season record. They'll take on Xaverian College Manchester Giants Academy after the North West programme beat former champs Shenley Brook End School a week ago.

In the other half of the draw, The Sheffield College will continue their quest to reach the Playoff Final as they try to follow up a 10-point win against The Crest Academy with a victory against Northolt High School London United.

Northolt sprung the only upset in the previous round as the #6 seeds beat Group C winners and #3 seeds Holt Trinity School Storm, and serving up another underdog tale is well within the London side's grasp.

Final Fours

New City College (#1) vs Xaverian College Manchester Giants Academy (#4)

The Sheffield College (#2) vs Northolt High School London United (#6)

remaining Playoff Dates

CBL Final - 26/03/2025 

.

Main image credit - Kareem Lee