Who are the top first-year players in the League right now?

With a thrilling Trophy campaign coming to an end, we come towards the second part of this British Basketball League Championship campaign. We thought it would be a good time to shift the spotlight to this season’s rookies, 

This season has stood out as one full of raw and promising talent. The ballers that have been brought into the league this season have been outstanding and have lifted the quality of the competition overall. In this article, I want to highlight those who have stood out the most so far this season and those we can’t wait to see push on next season. 

Aaryn Rai

Coming off the back of that Phoenix Trophy win where they went and dominated the London Lions, we have to put Rai’s name on the top of this list. Starting his career at college playing for Dartmouth, and briefly in Canada, he soon jumped over the pond and quickly made a name for himself in the NBL playing for Hemel Storm. The young forward won Player of the Season in his rookie NBL campaign averaging 24.0PPG, 10.8RPG, and 5.5APG, placing second in the league in terms of points scored. There is no wonder then that the Nix were quick to bring him in over the summer. 

This season he has blown away Nix fans and neutrals alike. In the summer he said he was looking forward to contributing to wins and hopefully winning silverware, well, he has made good on that promise and more. He was vital in Cheshire’s unbeaten Trophy run, winning Player of the Game in the semi-final scoring 27 points in that game and scoring 16 in the Final, along with his game-leading rebounds and assist. In the league, he is leading in field goal percentages (57.7%) as well as 2pt percentages (63%), not at all bad for a first season. He is clearly a terrific and raw player, who is one to look out for in seasons to come, and with rumours that he's eligible to play for GB, one to look out for on the international stage too. 

Matt Morgan

From the other side of this year’s Trophy final showdown, Matt Morgan has been taking the league by storm this campaign as the Lions look set to win yet another championship and make decent progress in EuroCup. In a team as stacked as the Lions are this season, it was always going to be difficult to stand out amongst the crowd, especially with the likes of David Nwaba coming over from the NBA to make an instant impact, but Matt Morgan has done just that. The 26-year-old point guard came over to the Lions in the summer after being tipped as one the best players in the French top division, competing with the likes of Wembanyama after a promising start at college basketball. 

It is unsurprising then that Morgan has already become arguably the best offensive player in the league and a vital part of the Lion’s Championship leading team of European hopefuls. His stats speak for themselves; he leads the league in both 3pt percentages (45%) and currently holds second place for 3pt’s made (54) along with his deadly free-throwing ability seeing him make 87.3% of his shots. He has said he models his game off of Steph Curry, well he certainly is succeeding in that, he has made combining finesse and long range shooting look easy. He is a fantastic addition to the league and we look forward to seeing what else he can do. We may have a legend in the making on our hands.

Clifton Moore Jr.

It’s been a mixed season so far for the Gladiators, falling short of retaining their Trophy title, falling to London in the semi-finals, and struggling to mount a convincing challenge for the top spot in the league. Europe for them has been another cause for concern, with the Gladiators dropping out of FIBA Europe Cup. Coach Gareth Murray however has managed to retain a great roster, boosted by the addition of some new players, the one I want to highlight here is Clifton Moore Jr.

Coming in straight from The Providence Friars, Moore not only has made an instant impact on the Gladiators squad, but you have to assume he is one for the future as they continue to push for silverware. The 6’11” forward has been critical to the Gladiator’s defense with 1.5 blocks per game, putting him in third place in the league. His numbers on the other end of the court are looking promising too, he is currently scoring 10.2 points per game and he is doing it in style, his showreel of dunks has captivated the fans so far this season. With only an average of 20 minutes played per game, I hope to see him getting more minutes next season, he could be a vital player to build a team around as the Gladiators push for more silverware. 

Mason Bourcier 

Here is one that will be interesting to look out for. Bourcier was tipped as one of the most exciting Canadian prospects coming out of the country's college basketball scene. Coming to the Giants in the summer as they begin a large-scale rebuild, he’s had some eye-catching, energetic performances in an otherwise struggling Giants squad. Coach Semonian has placed an emphasis on high-energy, attacking basketball which seems to have suited the player.

Bourcier was highly regarded in Canada for his versatility, stemming from his attacking prowess, scoring back-to-back triple doubles last season in the Canadian Elite Basketball League, and his defensive output and work rate that have looked second to none. He does however look raw this season, his numbers aren't all on-par with some other rookies on this list, his past record and current work rate are enough to get him some recognition along with his often energetic performances. I think Bourcier’s explosive pace and work rate will be a crucial piece to this Giants rebuild and Giants fans will be hoping he will make the difference as they push for playoffs…

Laquincy Rideau

Chesire have recruited extraordinarily well this last summer, and it has certainly paid off, with the aforementioned Trophy final win. Key to that final victory was the MVP in that game, Rideau, scoring 25 and putting in 3 assists. 

The Florida native came to Chesire in the summer after impressing for years at the South Florida Bulls along with a couple of stints in Ecuador and Slovenia, winning the league title in the former. ‘Q’ as he is known has erupted onto the British basketball scene and looks determined to leave his mark. The point guard, who is known for his great defensive output, is leading the league in steals by far, averaging an astounding 3.1 per game. But has also been putting in great shifts on the other end of the court, leading the league in assists (7.3 per game) and scoring 23 2 pointers in the Trophy competition this January. He already looks like a special player, if he is able to maintain his recent offensive output he's going to be unbeatable.  

Honorable Mentions

Nick Stampley (Manchester Giants), TJ Atwood (Plymouth City Patriots), Devin Whitfield (Newcastle Eagles). 

Overall, the rookies this season have really added a lot to the league and its respective teams. They are a sign of the BBL’s ever increasing quality. We are seeing that some of the best young talents from Europe and America are increasingly towards the BBl as a league where they can develop their skills and win silverware.