The top 15 players in the CBL 12U division for the 2021-22 season featured some young hoopers who’s names will ring around across the London basketball landscape in years to come. All full of potential and all representing for their teams to the fullest over the course of the season, we celebrate the top 15 by naming them to the CBL ‘All-League’ teams.
The Third Team is made up of a balanced quintet of 2 lively guards, a 3 point shooting wing and 2 physical ‘bigs’ who led their teams to winning seasons.
Calvin Azusano stacked up points in every game he played for his native WF Flames over the course of the season. The dynamic young guard already has a ‘bag’ and got into it frequently enroute to averaging an impressive 20ppg and winning 4 game MVP’s over the course of the season.
Jayden Wong has been developing in the CBL since he began playing 3 years ago and all of the work he’s been putting in for Activities 4U is now starting to pay off. Competitive, resilient and capable of scoring off the dribble or jump shot, Jayden was named game MVP an impressive 3 times over the course of the season and was a major contributor on both ends of the floor for the ever-improving A4U team.
Hayden Orris helped his OWE Zoo Crew to an impressive 85.7% winning clip with a deadly shooting stroke that stretches out to beyond the 3. Dependable, yet understated, Hayden is the type of team mate players like playing with and coaches hope for in building a cohesive, coachable unit. His contributions all season were filled with plays that always seemed to sway the balance in favour our Zoo Crew, who were, without doubt the most impressive group of over-achievers across the 12U division, coming within seconds of repeating as 12U champs, against all odds.
If there were an award across the division for ‘Most Improved’ Zach Miller may well have won it for his remarkable development over the course of the season. OWE were admittedly a depleted squad this season in comparison to the championship year, with the departure of the irreplaceable league MVP Zaire Colbert and the mercurial scoring of Chris Coley (who moved up to 14U), it was Miller’s steady improvement and ability to step up in key moments in all of OWE’s big games that really separated him from his peers. Not afraid to get physical in the paint, as evidenced by his 8 boards per game, the charismatic ‘big’ also displayed a nice shooting stroke out to 3, forcing opposing teams to stretch the floor which in turn opened up the driving lanes for his teammates.
Rounding out the 5, is the biggest ‘5’ in the league. Chiswick Gators big man Gurdiat Bal was a presence teams just could’t find an answer for all season long. 14 point per game along with 9 rebounds and 4 blocks established an anchor in the middle for the Gators that propelled them to a 71% win rate and set the foundation for what evolved into their first every championship season.
Congratulations to all 5 players. Respect well earned.
