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Following the start of the 2021-22 season with a fascinating weekend of BBL Cup action, the first All-Star 5 of the new campaign is led by two great Britons of North West rivals, including the British captain who took the win when they faced off for his BBL debut.
Mike Ochereobia – Cheshire Phoenix
“Big Mike†returned to Cheshire over the summer after a season on the South Coast and ended up with a dominant display in an opening night victory over B. Braun Sheffield Sharks. The 6’8 ″ 32-year-old had his best career performance with a massive 18-point double-double, 9-12 (75%), as well as a career-high 19 rebounds. Phoenix decided the game on the defensive wing with a 22-9 fourth quarter as Ochereobia ripped off three defensive boards and hit one of his three blocks in the final two minutes.
Dan Clark – Giants of Manchester
The British captain and all-time leading scorer made his BBL debut in a North West derby on the road to the Phoenix on Sunday, having spent most of his career in the dreaded Spanish ACB. He had a winning impact as the Giants got off to an ideal start in a tight competition that ended in overtime, as Clark scored six three-pointers, all after the break, en route to a 25-double-double. points and 10 rebounds, also distributing four assists. That included four points in the 8-0 flurry that opened the extra period and settled the game.
Jase Harrison – London Lions
Due to covid protocols, the London Lions had to send their second team to Surrey Scorchers on Friday night and they took a huge, upset victory at the last breath led by a near quadruple-double from Jase Harrison. He had 24 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and seven steals, a large chunk of his goals keeping the Lions close at hand early in the game. He also made some decisive plays after a last-minute timeout, first with a key score, then grabbing a rebound and providing an assist for Bradley Kaboza to put the Lions in the lead.
Marc Loving – Leicester Cavaliers
Leicester’s new US forward put in a very efficient performance as the Riders scored 96 points in the victory over Surrey on Sunday at Morningside Arena. He had five of his six (83%) three-point attempts while leading his team with 21 points, also grabbing eight rebounds and three steals. The runners won the first period 34-24 and have never looked back, as Loving scored 11 points at the start, including a trio from beyond the arc.
Kipper Nichols – Sharks by B. Braun Sheffield
The Sharks rebounded from the opening night loss with a big road win at Glen Luss Glasgow Rocks on Sunday, behind a first BBL double-double from the return of US forward Kipper Nichols. He scored 23 points on 8-12 (66%) shots and grabbed seven of his 10 rebounds off the offensive end of the floor as the Sharks scored 17 crucial second-chance points. With the teams tied at the start of the fourth, Nichols scored the score that put Sheffield in the lead for good as six of their points were scored in the final ten minutes.
Off the bench: Saiquan Jamison (Surrey Scorchers), Jordan Johnson (Glen Luss Glasgow Rocks), Josh Rogers (Bristol Flyers), Bradley Kaboza (London Lions II), Cameron King (Plymouth City Patriots), Raphell Thomas-Edwards (Bristol Flyers) )), Denzel Ubiaro (Plymouth City Patriots).
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