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14 November 2025  5 min read

W/EABL Players of the Week (12 Nov 2025)

You can have your say on this week’s selections and give a shout-out to the players you think deserve one on the Academy League channels.

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How it works

Each week, a standout player plus four other worthy selections will be put forward to make the Player and Team Of The Week in both the EABL and WEABL, paying attention to the following criteria:

• Efficiency
• Stats
• Team and opposition strength
• Periods of influence in the game
• Being on a winning team (exceptional performances from players on losing teams will be considered for TOTW)

Players of the Week

Both this week's winners put up 30+ efficiency games and were worthy recipients across a competitive slate of games.

Ethan Round's 35 points couldn't be topped across the EABL on Wednesday, hitting 65% of his shots that included five triples from nine attempts to down Oaklands 96-70.

Seven rebounds and three assists went with 29:41 of turnover free basketball, showing why the Itchen man thoroughly deserved this week's award.

"I'm honoured to receive this award," said Round. "I was very proud of the team's performance and resilience against a tough and gritty side for all 40 minutes, and I'm happy that I was able to contribute to that.

"I hope we can continue this good form throughout the season and into playoffs."

Itchen head coach Matt Guymon added: "I’m so pleased for Ethan to receive this recognition after an exceptional performance. 

"The scoring numbers take the headline, but what was equally impressive was the work he did on the defensive end to help us secure an important road win.

Oaklands Wolves started their WEABL campaign with a win, beating Itchen 75-50, and a big reason why was the standout play of Holly Welch.

A 21-point, 14-rebound double-double came on 66% shooting, and nine of her rebounds were on the offensive glass.

Providing game-highs in both scoring and rebounding, Welch's efficiency was 19 higher than her next closest team-mate on an afternoon when she really did bring her A-game.

"I'm so happy to start the season off so well," said Welch. "I’m proud of the team for our performance and hope to continue it throughout the season."

Oaklands head coach Shanice Beckford-Norton said: “It was a great performance by Holly against Itchen. She is becoming a real leader in the academy group and she demonstrated that in this game.

"She has really kicked on in her second year and is consistently showing her quality across NBL and SLB teams and we anticipate a big WEABL campaign from her as well.”

EABL Team of the Week

Ethan Round - Itchen College (35pts, 7reb, 3ast, 39eff)

Joshua Mendes - Barking Abbey (24pts, 14reb, 6ast, 39eff)

Zavier Gleadell-Smith - Charnwood College Riders (20pts, 10reb, 2ast, 2blk, 32eff)

Daniel Banjoko - CoLA Southwark Pride (18pts, 12reb, 4ast, 2stl, 29eff)

Rohan Hobday - Derby Trailblazers (20pts, 9reb, 6ast, 3stl, 3blk, 32eff)

POTW Round is an automatic choice and the Itchen man headlines a standout cast of high efficiency stars.

Barking's Joshua Mendes can feel unlucky to not claim POTW honours with a stat line that would have been a no-doubter most weeks.

Charnwood's Zavier Gleadell-Smith shot 9/10 in a great performance against SGS, nabbing a double-double in the process, and CoLA's David Banjoko was another shooting the lights out with an 8/10 FG outing and a double-double of his own.

The just leaves Derby's Rohan Hobday to fill the side out, providing a well-rounded two-way performance with high quality shooting (10/13 FG) despite the Trailblazers coming up short in Manchester.

Honourable mentions

Demi Babalola - Manchester Magic (12pts, 19reb, 6ast, 5stl, 2blk, 30eff)
Casey Burr- Derby Trailblazers (28pts, 13reb, 6ast, 3stl, 33eff)
Gavin Mitchell - Oaklands Wolves (27pts, 11reb, 3ast, 3stl, 30eff)

WEABL Team of the Week

Holly Welch - Oaklands Wolves (21pts, 14reb, 2stl, 32eff)

Sharmaine Carabana - The Sheffield College (8pts, 8reb, 7ast, 7stl, 21eff)

Katie Hancock - The Sheffield College (15pts, 7reb, 7stl, 21eff)

Tiarna Chambers-Desmond - Nottingham Academy Wildcats (35pts, 11reb, 6ast, 7stl, 2blk, 54eff)

Adaora Dioramma - City of London Academy - Southwark (18pts, 19reb, 27eff)

Welch is joined by three players from the North and one South Conferences this week.

Nottingham's Tiarna Chambers-Desmond racked a up an unstoppable 35-point, 11 rebound tally in just 25 minutes as BMET City of Birmingham Rockets were blown away.

Sheffield duo Sharmaine Carabana and Katie Hancock both earn spots after helping the South Yorkshire programme to a 77-69 victory against Charnwood, with Carabana flirting with a quadruple-double, and Hancock netting a team-high 15 points.

And CoLA's ever-reliable Adaora Dioramma enjoyed a great afternoon as the WEABL South leaders had no problem seeing off HHS Reading Rockets as she claimed a double-double.

Honourable mentions

Eva-Grace Yebila - City of London Academy - Southwark (11pts, 11reb, 2ast, 4blk, 19eff)
Grace Nzeakor - Charnwood College Riders (16pts, 11reb, 2stl, 19eff)
Darcey Woodman - Oaklands Wolves (11pts, 3reb, 5ast, 13eff)

Main image credit - Toby Gastaldi-Davies/E3 Creative