Brisbane Bullets young-gun Adam Gibson has won the 2006 SEABL South Men’s Australian U/21 Youth Player of the Year Award after a stellar season with the Hobart Chargers.

The award recognises improvement and development in players throughout the 2006 regular season. To be eligible to win this award, players must have Australian Basketball Nationality and be under the age of 21 at the conclusion of the ABA season. It is not a requirement to be a first year player.

Gibson playing his third season in the SEABL was a valuable contributor for the Chargers finishing the season averaging 19.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.6 steals. Gibson received Player of the Week recognition for round seven, after bagging 29 points, six rebounds and two assists, helping the Chargers to a successful 1-1 road trip on the mainland.

Gibson, a graduate of the highly successful Australian Institute of Sport basketball program scored 20 plus poitns on seven occasions with his season high of 36 coming against Mt Gambier in round 16. Gibson finished with 31 votes, beating Knox Raiders Sean Carroll to the award by 12 votes.

Patrick Mills of the Australian Institute of Sport has been named the winner of the 2006 SEABL East Men Australian Youth Player of the Year while Jenna O’Hea (Nunawading Spectres) has also been rewarded, earning the Award in her respective conference.

Finishing the season as the Conference third best in assists, averaging 4.37 per game and finishing fourth in the Golden Hands Award, Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder Mills wins the 2006 SEABL East U/21 Australian Youth Player of the Year award. Mills averaged 18.1 points and 3.9 rebounds.

Mills helped the AIS to a 16-10 regular season record, grabbing third position, behind a 12 game winning streak mid way through the year. Mills received a total of 27 votes and is the eighth AIS player to receive this award, behind current Boomers Andrew Bogut and Brad Newley and Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist Jacob Holmes. Mills has had a busy year with a trip to the Nike World Summit in USA, and many camps with the Australian Boomers team.

Mills recorded double digit points in all but two games this season with a season high 25pts, 2rebs, 4ass and 4stls recorded in round 2 versus Kilsyth. Patrick produced a season best eight assists in three games this season.

O’Hea received 41 out of a possible 48, including 12 first place votes from a panel of coaches and captains from all Women Teams and was by far the standout youth player in the League. Jenna is the fifth player from Nunawading Spectres to win the award.