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Japan Forward
3 days ago
- Sport
- Japan Forward
B.League Unveils Best Five Team and Other Awards
Teammates DJ Newbill and Makoto Hiejima of the title-winning Utsunomiya Brex were named to the Best Five Team for the second straight year. chairman Shinji Shimada (left) and Utsunomiya Brex coach Zico Coronel pose with Brex players during the league's annual awards show on May 30, 2025, in Tokyo. Coronel and Kevin Braswell, his predecessor who died in February, share the Head Coach of the Year Award. (©SANKEI) The 2024-25 Award show was held on Friday, honoring players and teams for their achievements during the season. At the annual event in Tokyo, the top accolade went to Utsunomiya Brex veteran guard DJ Newbill, who was named season MVP for the second straight year. The Penn State alum also received the Finals MVP accolade after helping lead the Brex past the Ryukyu Golden Kings in the championship series on Tuesday, May 27. Newbill averaged 21.7 points and 6.0 assists, leading all players in both categories, in the three-game series. During the regular season, he averaged 17.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.1 assists. He was eighth in scoring and second in assists in the 24-team league. Above all, Newbill's confidence, productivity and on-court leadership were instrumental in the Brex's overall success. Utsunomiya had a league-best 48-12 record and Newbill was the team's best player this past season. MVP DJ Newbill receives the MVP award for the second year in a row. (©SANKEI) At the banquet, Newbill paid tribute to his late mentor Kevin Braswell, the team's head coach who passed away on February 24. He thanked Braswell for his positive influence on his career. "I'd like to dedicate the MVP award to him," Braswell told the audience, Sankei Sports reported. "I want give a shout-out to my former coach, Coach KB," Newbill said on the stage. "[And] I think this season he really lit a fire under me and challenged me to take my game to new heights, and even with this season being as difficult as it was, losing him, I think everything that he's taught me from Day 1 and taught us from Day 1 ... our team just kept the determination each and every day in practice and each and every game." MVP DJ Newbill (©SANKEI) Newbill, who turned 33 on May 22, two days before the Finals started, headlines the Best Five Team for the second year in a row. Players are selected for their overall excellence throughout the season. Also named to the Best Five Team was Brex shooting guard Makoto Hiejima, who was selected for the fourth time and for the second straight year. Hiejima averaged 13.2 points and 4.2 assists in 58 games. He was at his best in the fourth quarter in Game 3 of the Finals, when he scored 14 of his 17 points to ignite the Brex comeback. Hiejima was also recognized for being the top 3-point shooter in the He led all players with 44.3% shooting accuracy (133 of 300) from beyond the arc. Brex star Makoto Hiejima (©SANKEI) "I've acquired the ability to finish off shots when the opponent is more cautious," Hiejima said, reflecting on his success as an outside shooter in 2024-25. "I think this award shows my growth." Ryukyu forward Vic Law (16.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists) was named to the Best Five Team for the first time. San-en NeoPhoenix swingman David Nwaba (17.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists) and NeoPhoenix point guard Ryusei Sasaki (who led the in assists with 6.5 per game and scored 11.5 ppg) were also both first-time honorees. Ryukyu's Masahiro Waki ( NeoPhoenix guard Sota Oura, who averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 assists off the bench in 59 games (zero starts) received the Best Sixth Man accolade. Chibs Jets guard/forward Shuta Hara received the Best Defender Award for the second time. He also won it in the 2022-23 campaign. Golden Kings shooting guard Masahiro Waki was chosen as the Rookie of the Year. The Kumamoto native contributed 7.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 60 games (49 starts) for Ryukyu. The 2024-25 champion Utsunomiya Brex attend the awards ceremony. (©SANKEI) Braswell and Brex acting head coach Zico Coronel were named co-winners of the Head Coach of the Year Award. Appropriately, the league recognized the coaching leadership of both men and the challenge that Coronel faced. Hired as Braswell's assistant, the New Zealander stepped in to guide the team after Braswell had a heart attack in January and died a few weeks later. Second Team honors went to guards Yuki Togashi (Chiba Jets) and Seiya Ando (Shimane Susanoo Magic) and frontcourt standouts Ryan Rossiter (Alvark Tokyo), Yante Maten (NeoPhoenix) and Brock Motum (Shiga Lakes). Kashima Antlers forward Leo Ceara scores in the ninth minute against Gamba Osaka on May 31 in Suita, Osaka Prefecture. (KYODO) Entering June, the fifth month of the 2025 season, the Kashima Antlers appear to be well on their way to claiming their ninth league title. There's, of course, a slew of matches still to be played. But the Antlers (13 wins, one draw, five defeats) have excelled since the start of the season in February and sit atop the table with 40 points. Sitting in second and third place, respectively, are Kashiwa Reysol (34 points for 19 matches) and Sanfrecce Hiroshima (32 points for 18 matches). On Wednesday, June 4, Hiroshima will play its 19th game, facing host Avispa Fukuoka, to equal the total to date of Kashima and Kashiwa. The Antlers earned their latest victory ― a 1-0 away decision over Gamba Osaka ― on Saturday, May 31. Brazilian Leo Ceara scored the lone goal in the ninth minute at Panasonic Stadium Suita. It was Kashima's fourth win in four matches, a stretch in which manager Toru Oniki's club allowed zero goals three times and a single tally on two occasions. Oniki acknowledged his team set the tone for the win with its first-half effort. "The players worked hard and the supporters supported us," the veteran manager told reporters after the match. "I think that was the only thing that mattered in the first half." With 29 goals scored and only 15 allowed so far, the Antlers have strong overall productivity on offense and defense. And they look like the clear-cut favorite to win another title. ODDS and EVENS | Season is Providing Compelling Competition Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hits a solo home run in the first inning against the New York Yankees on May 30 at Dodger Stadium. (Jason Parkhurst/IMAGN IMAGES/via REUTERS) The reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees 8-5 on Friday, May 30 at Dodger Stadium. Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani belted a pair of solo home runs for the hosts in the opener of a three-game series. Ohtani homered off Yankees starter Max Fried in the first inning. He added a bases-empty blast off Fried in the sixth. The pride of Iwate Prefecture leads MLB in home runs (22) in the 2025 season. Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto is slated to start the series finale on Sunday. Yamamoto (6-3) is among MLB's ERA leaders (1.97, fifth-lowest average through May 30). Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga plays catch on May 30 in Chicago. (KYODO) In other MLB news, Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga is making progress in his recovery from a left hamstring strain, according to manager Craig Counsell. Imanaga has not pitched in a game since sustaining the injury on May 4. He was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 23. On Wednesday, May 28, Imanaga had an on-field test for his physical recovery. It included fielding practice and running along with a 28-pitch bullpen session, The Associated Press reported. What was Counsell's assessment of Imanaga's workout? "So all in all, a very good workday," Counsell was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. "Kind of repeat that this weekend, assuming everything turns up well tomorrow, and then go from there." For Imanaga, a trip to the Cubs spring training complex in Mesa, Arizona, would be the next step in making preparations for his return to the starting rotation. Highly touted Japanese baseball prospect Rintaro Sasaki played in all 52 of the Stanford University baseball team's games during the 2025 season. The Cardinal (27-25) lost their final game to Virginia Tech in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Championship on May 20. Sasaki finished his freshman season with a .269 batting average with seven homers and 41 RBIs. He also had a team-high 25 walks. Doubles partners Hiroto Shinozuka (left) and Shunsuke Togami react after winning the men's final at the World Table Tennis Championships on May 25 in Lusail, Qatar. (AP/via KYODO) For the first time since 1961, Japan claimed the men's doubles title at the World Table Tennis Championships on Sunday, May 25. Hiroto Shinozuka and Shunsuke Togami teamed up for a 6-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-6, 11-6 victory over Taiwan's Cheng Jui Kao and Yun Ju Lin in Lusail, Qatar. Shinozuka and Togami were the No 2 seeds. Their Taiwanese opponents were seeded sixth. After winning the title, Togami, 23, was euphoric. "I'm so happy," Togami said, according to Kyodo News. "We dropped the first game because of my errors, but a fired-up Hiroto Shinozuka was alongside me." In Beijing, Nobuya Hoshino and Koji Kimura triumphed at the 1961 World Table Tennis Championships. ―Former NPB pitching star Kimiyasu Kudo , who won five Japan Series titles as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks manager (during his tenure from 2015-21), on his baseball aspirations for Indonesia. Kudo, 62, participated in a baseball clinic, featuring junior high and high school students, in Jakarta on May 17, NHK reported. Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
Japan Forward
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
B.League Finals: Utsunomiya Outplays Ryukyu in Game 1
The Brex sank 16 3-pointers in the Finals opener against the Golden Kings. They led by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter at Yokohama Arena. Utsunomiya Brex point guard Atsuya Ogawa shoots a 3-pointer in the first quarter of the Finals Game 1 on May 24 at Yokohama Arena. The Brex defeated the Ryukyu Golden Kings 81-68. (© YOKOHAMA ― One of the maxims of contemporary basketball states that "you live by the 3-pointer and die by the 3-pointer." Although it's not always the primary reason for a win or a loss, the opening match of the Finals showed how impactful the long-range shot can be. The Utsunomiya Brex sank 16 3-pointers (out of 39 attempts), with seven different players knocking down shots from beyond the arc, in an 81-68 win over the Ryukyu Golden Kings on Saturday afternoon, May 24. Reigning league MVP DJ Newbill, a Penn State alum, scored a game-high 25 points, including 4 of 10 on 3s, to spark the Brex. Backup point guard Atsuya Ogawa added 15 points to match his highest-scoring game from the regular season (on March 15 against the Nagasaki Velca), making 3 of 5 3s. Between them, Newbill and Ogawa made more 3-pointers than the Golden Kings. (Teammate Grant Jerrett also knocked down three 3s to account for all of his points in the win.) Utsunomiya, which had a league-best 48-12 record during the regular season, held Ryukyu to 6-for-23 on 3-point attempts. That 30-point advantage on 3s was one of the key factors in the Brex's Game 1 triumph. Head coach Zico Coronel's team also played aggressive defense, and the Golden Kings didn't handle that pressure well at various times during the game. Ryukyu, which made only 12 of 21 foul shots, committed 14 turnovers. The Brex outscored the Golden Kings 15-8 on points from turnovers before an announced crowd of 13,121. Game 2 of the best-of-three series is on Sunday at Yokohama Arena. Tipoff is 1:10 PM. "It is regrettable that we allowed Utsunomiya to make so many 3-point shots," said Golden Kings shooting guard Yoshiyuki Matsuwaki, who had 11 points. "Offensively, we should have been a little more aggressive individually. "This loss was a great experience for us. We will take advantage of this experience tomorrow." Brex guard DJ Newbill shoots a jumper in Game 1. ( The Golden Kings (46-14 in the regular season) trailed 41-35 entering the third quarter and never pulled ahead in the second half. Newbill dominated in the third quarter, scoring 12 of his team's 18 points to ignite the Utsunomiya offense. At the same time, Ryukyu had a woeful performance in the third, missing 11 of 15 shots from the floor. The combination of Newbill's brilliance and the Golden Kings' scoring woes in the 10-minute period factored mightily in the Brex's commanding 59-45 lead heading into the final quarter. With 7:03 remaining, Jerrett sank a 3 to give the Brex their largest lead of the game (70-53). Golden Kings big man Jack Cooley competes against Brex frontcourt standout Grant Jerrett. ( Ryukyu answered with a 10-3 spurt, cutting it to 73-63 on a Jack Cooley layup. Shogo Taira provided the assist at the 2:42 mark. But that was as close as the Golden Kings would get. Veteran guard Yusuke Endo, a member of the Brex's two championship teams (2016-17, 2021-22), flushed a catch-and-shoot 3 from the right baseline to increase the lead to 76-63. The Golden Kings promptly called a timeout with 2 minutes remaining. Utsunomiya maintained a sizable lead and dribbled out the clock on its final possession. Moments later, Newbill, who had a game-high six assists, addressed the crowd. "It was a great win," he said. "We've still got to win again tomorrow. The job's not finished." Noting that it was a collective effort, Newbill commended his teammates for the energy they exerted in slowing down Ryukyu's offense, which averaged 85.5 points per game (No 2 in the in the regular season. "Our defense really helped us out today," Newbill said before thousands of Brex fans applauded in the stands. Teamwork: Utsunomiya's Gavin Edwards (right) helps teammate DJ Newbill get back up after a play. Edwards scored 15 points and had four assists in the win. (BLEAGUE) In addition to Newbill and Ogawa, Gavin Edwards also scored in double figures (15 points) and blocked two shots for Utsunomiya. Longtime teammates Endo and Makoto Hiejima added six and five points, respectively. Hiejima, who averaged 13.2 points in the regular season, scored in single digits for the third straight playoff game. The floor leader, who dished out five assists, said Ogawa's productivity helped secure the win. "Ogawa gives us momentum off the bench and is an indispensable player," Hiejima told a postgame news conference. "I think today's performance was normal for him." Utsunomiya's Makoto Hiejima ( Coronel was pleased with the Brex's effort, saying, "We played hard and we played together." In May 2024, the Golden Kings beat the Hiroshima Dragonflies 74-62 in Game 1 of the Finals, then lost the next two games. Which is why Coronel reminded his players and the assembled crowd in Yokohama that the championship series isn't over yet. "We didn't come here to win one game," Coronel proclaimed, standing on the court shortly after Game 1 ended. The New Zealander added, "We came here to win a series. Half the work is done." Enthusiastic chants of "Zico" from the Brex's rabid supporters followed. Brex coach Zico Coronel (left) speaks after the game on the court. ( Coronel, who began the season as an assistant coach, became acting head coach in January when Kevin Braswell was hospitalized in Tochigi Prefecture after suffering a heart attack. Braswell, 46, died several weeks later after undergoing heart surgery. Led by Coronel, the players are unified in their quest to win the title as a lasting tribute to Braswell. Hiejima reminded reporters about this after the game. "We are fighting with a special feeling, so we hope to win tomorrow and make Kevin and Zico the best head coaches in Japan," Hiejima said. Brex guard Atsuya Ogawa attacks the basket in the series opener. ( In a back-and-forth first quarter, Ryukyu took an 11-6 lead near the midway point on a Cooley putback and free throw. A flurry of 3-pointers followed. On back-to-back possessions, Newbill connected on a pair of 3s to pull the Brex within two. Sandwiched between his opponent's baskets, Golden Kings star Vic Law drained a high-arching 3, with the trajectory of a rainbow. Moments later, Jerrett sank a shot from beyond the arc and teammate Ogawa followed with another 3 to put the Brex in front 18-14 with 3:30 to play in the first half. Ogawa was Utsunomiya's top scorer in the first half (11 points), followed by Newbill with 10. Cooley paced Ryukyu with 14 points and nine rebounds (six offensive boards) before intermission, and Law had an 11-point first half. Later in the game, the 190-cm Ogawa also showcased his dribble-drive moves on aggressive forays to the basket while scoring layups. After finishing the afternoon with a 6-for-10 shooting performance in 19-plus minutes, Ogawa said his mindset paid off in Game 1. "The points were the result of my aggressive play," the 22-year-old Niigata Prefecture native told reporters. Ogawa also commented on his outside shooting and the decision on multiple occasions to attack the basket. "I have been working on my 3-point shooting as it has been an issue for me," Ogawa said. "The team tells me to shoot it when it's open, so I try to shoot it when it's open." He added: "I was able to see my driving lanes, so I am glad I was able to attack them. [And] I will continue to aim for that tomorrow." Vic Law led the Golden Kings with 18 points in Game 1. ( Law averaged 16.0 points in the regular season. In six postseason games, he's increased his scoring average to 21.5, which includes 18 in Game 1 against the Brex. Cooley, who joined the Golden Kings in 2019, is appearing in his fourth consecutive Finals. He had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the perennial title contenders. Alex Kirk and Masahiro Waki contributed seven points apiece. Kirk also had a game-high 12 rebounds. Ryukyu center Alex Kirk was an active presence at both ends of the floor. ( Ryukyu coach Dai Oketani didn't rattle off a slew of statistics while speaking to reporters after the game. Instead, Oketani focused on what he considered a decisive factor in the outcome of the championship series opener. "I feel that Utsunomiya No 7, Atsuya Ogawa, decided the game for us today," Oketani said. "It is difficult to defend all of Utsunomiya's attacks, which are among the best in the league. However, some attacks we wanted to prevent, we were able to correct our defense in the fourth quarter and successfully defended through them, which was a good thing." Looking ahead to Sunday's rematch, Oketani said, "You never know what will happen in a game. We will do our best again tomorrow to maximize our chances of victory." Ryukyu guard Tatsuya Ito runs the offense as Utsunomiya's Atsuya Ogawa defends. ( In the teams' only regular season series, the Brex defeated the Golden Kings 105-86 on January 25 at Okinawa Arena. The next day in a rematch, Ryukyu bounced back with a 97-88 win. Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
