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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
Edozie was at his efficient best this weekend, going about his business as he helped Bristol to an 80-72 road win against City of Birmingham Rockets.
The veteran forward knows how to get the job done, and his 18-point, 13-rebound double-double was no surprise for a man who averages 17.7PPG plus a D1M-best 12.4RPG on the season.
Despite knocking down 8/15 (53%) from the field, almost exclusively inside the arc, what jumps out from Edozie's performance is at the other end of the court. Six steals and a block provided multiple defensive stops in the single-digit win, and it all added up to this weekend's standout performance.
Double-header action for Hemel gave Newman the chance to build on his already impressive numbers for the 2024/25 campaign.
He didn't disappoint, powering a pair of wins for the Storm with 20 assists across the two days.
Around his playmaking abilities, which consistently brings out the best from Hemel's talented roster, Newman picks his own spots to shoot at a low-volume, efficient rate.
Fifteen points on 5/7 shooting (71%, including 3/4 3PT) on Saturday was followed up by eight more points Sunday (2/5, 40%), with the former Ipswich guard once again doing his part in coach Clark's rotation.
A full assist ahead of the next closest challenger in D1M, Newman (8.3APG) sits atop the league's leader board for a reason, and he showed exactly why this past weekend.
Connor Nelson – Essex Rebels, wing
In what was an emotional occasion for the Rebels, Nelson put on a show for the Essex faithful to remind the league why he's one of the best around from beyond the arc.
Nelson was on form in the 100-69 victory against Newcastle, and the majority of his 19 points came from 5/9 3PT shooting.
The rest of the Essex roster only hit seven triples combined as the American offered his side a different dynamic in the healthy win.
Six points on two long-range darts plus a pair of steals and an assist all helped pad out the hosts' dominant 31-16 opening quarter, providing the Rebels with a lead they'd hold for almost the entirety of the contest.
Whilst Elijah Maynard is drawing the plaudits for his game-winning three, the work of Lashley underpinned Worthing's 85-84 victory over Newcastle.
Sixteen points were second-highest on the team behind Maynard's 23, and 55% shooting to get them helped the former Solent man's cause for a Team of the Week slot.
Thirteen rebounds were a team-high by some distance as Lashley did all he could to keep his side in the battle on the glass, and playing turnover free basketball across 26:43 of action was huge.
Going a reliable 6/7 from the free throw line was also key in the one-point win, with the Worthing man fouling out late in the ball game as his only blemish on a top afternoon's work.
Reading lost a heartbreaker against Milton Keynes, going down 90-89, but no blame for the outcome can rest with Olarerin after his performance.
His 30 points on 10/13 FGs was highly impressive, but that's perhaps eclipsed by the fact Olarerin went 6/7 from downtown to fuel his big day.
On a day when fellow guards Mitch Clarke (3/12FG, 6pts) and Zain Poorman (1/5FG, 5pts) both struggled to find their scoring touch, Olarerin picked up the slack, and four rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals so nearly contributed to the Rockets picking up the win.
Newcastle's two-loss weekend came at a bad time for the North East club. One of the defeats came against Worthing, a side looking up at the Knights in the quest for survival.
Their victory against London to start the month was a welcome boost for Coach Elderkin's side, but that cushion has been reduced as Worthing and Nottingham now sit just two points back, and with them, one of the potential relegation spots.
Hafeez Abdul remains a match winner for Newcastle, and his 30 points in the Worthing loss shows he can get the job done. Logan Rooney also had a 27-point, 10-rebound double-double in Essex, and Ronald Blain needs little mention at this point of his NBL career.
One area the Knights need to solve is the lack of depth behind their starters. Averaging just 10.8PPG off the bench across their last five games, it's a category that Newcastle have failed to claim in four of those five games.
Their 'big three' may well help Newcastle to more wins in the coming weeks, and lets not forget, the Knights are only two wins off the playoffs, but an injury to their core could be a dagger if they can't find production from elsewhere.
It's been a tough stretch over the last month or so for Derby, but they're back on track after a 82-64 win against Loughborough Riders.
The game contained a remarkable 20-2 final frame where Loughborough missed all 13 of their three point attempts in the fourth quarter, suggesting the outcome could have been different on another day.
That success capped off three straight losses going back to 18 January, with Hemel, Reading and Nottingham all finding a way to best the defending regular season champs.
January addition Kyle Jimenez (12pts, 7reb, 10ast) was the standout man for DTB as he flirted with a triple-double, making up a group of seven players who scored eight points or more.
The shared load was a different approach for a Derby side still missing sizable contributions from Leighton Elliott-Sewell, and his 19.6PPG remains a tough gap to fill as he remains on the side lines. Raheem May-Thompson is also missing time with a wrist injury as a further issue for the Trailblazers.
Newcastle and Bradford join Bristol in Derby's next three opponents, suggesting coach Henderson's side have an opportunity to make a welcome push at the top four over the coming weeks.
John Murdock Jr (NOT) - 22P/5R/10A/27EFF
Matt Ellis (HEM) - 16P/7R/3A/21EFF @ NOT & 25P/10R/2B/25EFF vs LON
Vilmantas Dilys (BRI) - 21P/7R/5A/27EFF
Justin Hedley (LOU) - 30P/5R/5A/31EFF
Hafeez Abdul (NEW) - 30P/5R/2A/20EFF
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Main image credit - Natalie Lau
