By Jarrod Potter
RANGERS rookie Venky Jois was announced the SEABL Men’s Young Player of the Year.
The award is seen as a proving ground for emerging talent, with the likes of Andrew Bogut and Patty Mills winning the award before starting their National Basketball League (NBA) careers.
Jois’ achievement is even more impressive, because anyone under 23 years old is eligible for the award, yet Jois started the season as a 17-year-old.
Jois was the break-out player this season for the Rangers. In 27 matches, he averaged 9.2 points and 5.9 rebounds with 1.5 assists. He had 13 games of 10 points or more, including a double-double against Ballarat.
Jois, in his debut year for the SEABL Dandenong Rangers, was thrilled to win the award – which he didn’t expect.
“I didn’t really expect to win,” Jois said. “It is an under-23 award, so there were a lot of great players from the league who could’ve won, so I’m happy to get it.
“Happy even to get the chance to play.
“If you asked me a year ago, I thought I’d maybe get a minute or two with a minute left when we were up by 20 points, so to get the game time I did and to win the award is very special.”
