Everyone at the City Of Leeds Basketball programme would like to congratulate the City Of Leeds Basketball Academy on securing promotion to the CBL Tier.
Following victory in a two-leg playoff over the Nottingham Academy Wildcats, the City Of Leeds Basketball Academy have achieved their goal of being promoted to the CBL Tier 2 for next season.
Head Coach Matt Newby was incredibly proud of our achievements over the last month:
"We were explicit in our goals for this season, and thus far we have ticked 3 of the 4 boxes we wanted in the 2023/24 season. I am very proud of our Senior class, who have set new standards this year, in terms of leadership and the boys have put themselves in the very best position to move on to bigger and better things when they leave us at the end of this academic year.
For the likes of Akil Simpson, who joined the club as a 9 year old, it is a fitting ending to his time at the City Of Leeds, and a nice legacy to leave for the underclassmen. Marcello Maffezzoli continues to show his potential and class, with interest both domestically and internationally, we feel he is best-placed to continue to use basketball as a vehicle to give himself some wonderful opportunities. Philo Mensen had his season cut short by injury but was a significant contributor throughout the first two-thirds of the season and we wish him all the best for his future. Sean Engbison is perhaps one of the biggest success stories, engaging in National League & CBL basketball just one year ago, and now becoming one of the best defensive players in the history of the club. Jai'von Hamilton has matured a great deal this season and provided a robust rotational option on the interior, while Wah Ming Pang has shown strong development during his two years in the 6th Form at Allerton High School. It is important to acknowledge the contributions of our Senior class and we wish them all the very best in both their academic and sporting futures."
If you or anyone you know are interested in joining the academy for the 2023/24 season, recruitment is open and you should contact us now on academy@cityofleedsbasketballclub.co.uk