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We'll pick a Player of the Week and four other selections to round out the 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
In what was arguably the weekend's biggest game, Trent Monkman put it a standout performance.
With Hemel downing MK on their own patch 97-92, Monkman dropped a D1M weekend-high 35 points to ensure his side got over the line.
Shooting 11/15 FGs that included a stunning 8/9 from inside the arc, Monkman added six rebounds and three assists to his points haul for further value. A +/- of +23 in the five-point win also illustrated just how important the Canadian was to his side's fortunes.
Providing 12 of Hemel's 28 fourth quarter points, Monkman made a big impact to get his side back to winning ways as the game got tight in the closing minutes.
In one of the most dominant performances on the glass this season, Derby's Mo Walker pulled down a ridiculous 20 rebounds in his side's 78-59 victory against Newcastle Knights.
That accounts for nearly 35% of his side's total boards, some effort, but Walker also contributed an ultra-efficient shooting performance for his double-double.
17 points came on 7/9 shooting, missing his only dart from beyond the arc plus a single two pointer alongside an otherwise perfect shooting performance.
Two assists were a bonus, as were two blocks and a steal on defence. With fellow forward Rob Marsden nursing an ankle injury, Walker picked up the slack in a big way.
A 78-59 ball game doesn't seem a likely contender to provide a pair of Team of the Week picks, but Jai Pathmarajah matched Mo Walker's output with an equally impressive performance for Derby on Saturday.
32 points were a game-high by some distance, the next higher scorer was Walker on 17, and with just one made triple, Pathmarajah worked almost exclusively inside for his total.
Starting on the Derby bench, the young guard didn't enter play until just over six and a half minutes had passed, with the hosts slipping into an early 21-8 hole.
After that point, Pathmarajah didn't leave the game. His +/- closed at +29, a full 10 points higher than the next closest Trailblazer, and a clear sign that the former South Georgia State College was integral in helping to change the course of the game.
Hemel and MK may have contested the weekend's biggest game, but for pure excitement, Reading's 89-88 W against Loughborough probably just edges it.
12 points, an assist and a steal came inside the first six minutes of the game for Olarerin, providing the Rockets with a rapid 21-10 advantage that would keep the hosts in front until the very final minute of regulation.
That early burst provided a platform for what would eventually be a 29-point afternoon, a team-high total on 61% shooting, as the talented guard continued to keep his side ticking on the score board.
The only mark against his 30 efficiency outing was fouling out late to send the Riders to the free throw line, though even that worked out as it provided a route for captain Lewis Champion to make a three point play that swung the game back in Reading's favour.
D1M's efficiency leader kept himself at the top of the pecking order for another week as Victor Ndoukou produced a typical performance against Reading.
With a 35 efficiency rating in the loss, Ndoukou did plenty right, including keeping the Riders within touching distance of Olerarin and co.
His 33 points were a game-high, nailing six triples as part of his total to go with six rebounds and four assists.
10 of his points came in the fourth quarter, and had his last-second triple found the mark to win it all for Loughborough, this is a performance that would have been talked about for a long time to come.
We're not quite there yet, but a few of the regular season games from the last weekend had a distinct playoff feel.
First place Hemel won't be going on the road in the post-season if they lock up top spot, except for a potential venture to Manchester's NBPC for the Playoff Final, but opponents Milton Keyes are a team they may clash with on route.
Scrapping for a top four spot themselves, the Breakers went toe-to-toe with the leaders and despite coming out second best, showed that they can play at Storm's level.
Likewise, second place Reading hosting fifth place Loughborough in a thriller was another clash fans would be eager to see another instalment of in the playoffs.
No doubt teams are also learning plenty from these late season contests, should the field shake out with a repeat on the cards next month.
Bradford Dragons and Nottingham Hoods both picked up valuable wins this past weekend, but Worthing were left empty handed and propping up the D1M standings as a result.
Nottingham eased past a Daniel Edozie-inspired Bristol Hurricanes 93-81 thanks to John Murdock Jr's 29 points and nine assists, whilst the Dragons went on the road and collected a valuable 92-85 victory against CoB.
Justin Williams followed up last week's Player of the Week nod with 24 points in another strong showing, and both results meant Worthing's 110-78 defeat against Essex was even harder to take.
Bradford and Nottingham lock horns in the Midlands on 15 March, whilst Worthing also host Nottingham on the final weekend of the season. Both contests will be huge, with the likes of Newcastle, London Cavaliers and City of Birmingham looking to keep their distance from that scrap in the coming weeks.
Michael Joiner (LOU) - 25P/4R/28EFF
Kyron Martin (ESS) - 24P/7R/3A/25EFF
Daniel Edozie (BRI) - 27P/19R/3A/34EFF
Sam Newman (HEM) - 13P/6R/10A/3S/26EFF
Jordan Spencer (MK) - 24P/8R/8A/24EFF
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Main image credit - Luke Simcock
