WESTMINSTER, CO: Mid-Season Awards

We are at the midway point of the best season in Westminster Ultimate Hoops history. It's time we look at the best-of-the-best to this point in the season.

MVP – Shondell Lee – Hard Work
This one isn’t rocket science. Shondell is the best player on the best team; a team that hasn’t lost in 2015. He’s averaging 20.8 points per game, five rebounds and just under four assists. These aren’t typical Shondell Lee numbers, but he suffers from the Steph Curry curse; his team is up by such a large margin late in the game, he’s either sitting on the bench or facilitating without taking shots.

Honorable Mention
Beau Barney
Chad Smith
Chris Hayes
Noel Flores
Carlos Matos

Offensive Player of the Year – Jimmy Binnie – IMPACT Basketball
There isn’t much Jimmy Binnie can’t do on the offensive side of the ball. He has “in the gym” range from the perimeter, can post you up using his 6’7” frame, handles the ball like a guard and hits the offensive glass with the best of them. He currently leads the league in scoring at 29 points per game.

Honorable Mention
Tim Cyriacks
Alec McClain
Derek Elliott
Michael Skinner
Gehrick Dickson

Defensive Player of the Year – Tom Pane – Hard Work
Here’s a list of qualities you look for in the defensive player of the year, and whether or not Tom fits that criteria:
Locks down the opposing team’s best player: Check
Grabs rebounds like they’re seven feet tall: Check
Blocks and alters shots: Check
Hustles 100% of the time and wins just about every 50/50 ball: Check
Does the dirty work while getting little recognition: Check
All I know is that I would not want Tom Pane to cover me. If I were to compare his defense to great a NBA player, I would say he reminds me of Scottie Pippen. Regardless of where you are on the court, he’s in your back pocket.

Honorable Mention
Kyle Norman
Jerimiah Ramos
Ruben Rivas
Saul Chavira
Matt Cannizzaro
Beau Barney
Brad Elliott

Newcomer of the Year – Michael Skinner – The Kardashians
Michael is one of the youngest players in Ultimate Hoops Westminster, and not a lot of people knew much about him…until about ten minutes in to his first game when he threw down an alley-oop over a UH veteran (who will remain unnamed.) He leads his team in scoring and is a threat to score from anywhere on the court. He also hit the game-winner for his team in week 4, which you can see right here.

Honorable Mention
Jake Morin
Derek Levy
Grant Pachner
David Wells

Best Team – Hard Work – IMPACT Basketball – The Long Shots
When you have three teams sitting at 4-0, it makes it tough to pick one over the others…so I didn’t. Each of these teams have qualities that could give them this award. Hard Work are the defending champs; IMPACT Basketball has multiple banners hanging in the gym; The Long Shots, up to this point in the season, have the most impressive victory. You can’t go wrong with any of these teams.

The first half of the season has been great, and I expect the second half to be even better. Keep checking in for the best updates around.