This weekend just gone saw the culmination of the National Schools season with the Final Fours of the U14, U15, U16 and U19 age groups taking place. The wekend saw 32 teams playing over two days and four courts, with eight winning schools being the end result.

National Schools Final Fours Final Standings

U19 Mens National Schools Final Standings

1st Hackney Community College
2nd Birmingham Metropolitan College
3rd Canterbury High School
4th Burleigh College

U16 Boys National Schools Final Standings

1st Shenley Brook End School
2nd Reddish Vale Tech College
3rd Barking Abbey
4th Northampton School For Boys

U15 Boys National Schools Final Standings

1st St Aloysius College
2nd The Lancaster School
3rd Aylesbury Grammar
4th Helsby High School

U14 Boys National Schools Final Standings

1st Barking Abbey
2nd Northampton School For Boys
3rd Helsby High School
4th Canterbury High School

U19 Girls National Schools Final Standings

1st Barking Abbey
2nd Ellesmere Port Catholic High School
3rd Totton College
4th Burleigh College

U16 Girls National Schools Final Standings

1st Barking Abbey
2nd Northampton School For Girls
3rd Princess Risborough School
4th Chetwynde

U15 Girls National Schools Final Standings

1st Greig City Academy
2nd Priestnall School
3rd Great Baddow High School
4th Bradon Forest School

U14 Girls National Schools Final Standings

1st Greig City Academy
2nd Priestnall School
3rd Aylesbury High School
4th The Brunt’s School

National Schools Final Four Results

I was gonna type up all the results but figured it would be a lot easier to just link to it, so check out England Basketball’s writeup for full results.

Random Thoughts

• Must be said I couldn’t make the Saturday, so these are just from what I saw/heard on Sunday.
• Highlight of the weekend (the Sunday anyway): Disraeli Lufedeju throwing one down on the break over Burleigh College’s big man.
• U16s MVP Jordan Spencer (Shenley Brook End School) dropped 49 points and 10 assists in  the final, he had 30 point (8 threes) in the first half! Gutted I wasn’t there filming.
• The Birmingham Met-Burleigh College semi final was marred by a fight in the last minute of the game with both teams having a number of players leaving the bench. It surprised me that only one guy from Birmingham Met was suspended for the final (as far as I was aware) and two from Burleigh for their 3rd place playoff (one of which was only trying to break up the fight). There was talk from spectators of both teams being disqualified and the first semi final being the final. Would be interested to hear other peoples thoughts on what the disciplinary procedure should have been.
• I know my random thoughts are fast becoming  a place to bash the referees, but once again at a major tournament, the refereeing was flat out awful. Something needs to be done about the standard of refs in this country.
• All non-final games were 7 minute quarters (!?). I assume this was to fit all the games in over two days, but it seems like poor planning on the part of EB.
• The Barking Abbey U19 girls were so dominant it was a joke. In the final they switched it to a running clock to save the embaressement (BA still won by 60).
• U15 Boys final was tightest game of the weekend with Benjamin Nkossi (who was the deserved MVP) coming up clutch with a free throw to win the game with 7 seconds remaining.
• Birmingham Met (U19 boys) have been pumping some serious iron. The whole team is jacked up.
• Overall disappointed with the standard, I was expecting it to be a lot higher.
• Seven of the eight title winners were London schools. London, in my opinion, still has the highest standard of basketball in the country.
• There is a lot of talk over on Whatsbev about the format of this competition needing restructuring for next year after a number of the top teams were knocked out in the earlier stages because they were placed in the same groups/zones as each other. In the U19’s for example, HCCA vs Greig City Academy took place the week before in the Elite 8 stages, and was what many were calling the ‘real’ final. There is no doubt in my mind that had GCA been there this weekend they would have easily beaten every team there bar HCCA.
• Respective MVPS; U14 Boys Dwayne Orija (Barking Abbey, U15 Boys Benjamin Nkossi (St Aloysius), U16 Boys Jordan Spencer (Shenley), U19 Boys Jerelle Okoro (HCCA), U14 Girls Jay Ann-Harriot (GCA), U15 Girls Leah McDerment (Priestnall), U16 Girls Chantelle Charles (Barking Abbey), U19 Girls Ella Clark (Barking Abbey).
• Two of the above MVPs (Jordan Spencer and Jay-Ann Harriot) were also MVPs of their National League finals the weekend before. Two championships and two MVPS for both of them, big week! Leah McDerment was the only player from a losing team to be named MVP, the first time I have ever seen England Basketball do that..
• I have scoresheets coming through from England Basketball this week hopefully, after which I will put up stats.

What do you think?

What did you think of the weekend and the results? As expected or were there some surprises? What should have been done about the fight between Burleigh and Birmingham Met? Do you think the competition needs restructing for next year so that all the best teams end up at the Final Fours? Drop a comment below and let me know!