Horsham Hornets leading point-scorer Tim Pickert, left, Most Valuable Player Darcy Tucker, runner-up Mark Doward and most improved Keegan Mason at the Horsham Country Basketball League awards night on Friday. Picture: JORDAN McARDLE
Teenage sensation Darcy Tucker was crowned Horsham Hornets Country Basketball League Most Valuable Player for 2012-13 on Friday night at Horsham RSL.
Tucker, who was playing in his first full season of CBL, won the award over Mark Dorward.
Another rising star of the basketball court, Keegan Mason, was named Most Improved.
Coach Damien Kilpatrick labelled Tucker and Mason as the two success stories of the Hornets' CBL campaign.
"It is a developing program and this year we've developed Darcy and Keegan," he said.
"You can't develop six kids at once and bring them all on and give them all court time it won't work.
"Darcy and Keegan are both now starting-five players and have really developed their games this season.
"Keegan went from someone who trained with us and was going to fill in for a couple of games, to an integral member of our squad."
Captain Tim Pickert won the Highest Point-Scorer award, despite only playing 11 matches.
Pickert racked up 238 points for the season at an average of 22 to narrowly edge out Tucker, 236 points, and Dorward, 223.
All three players featured in the top-five point-scorers in the league.
It was an impressive season for the Hornets, who made it through to the semi-finals before losing to Corio Bay.
Kilpatrick said with another successful CBL season under their belt in 2013-14, there was no reason why the Hornets could not get a Big V team back on the court.
"I think we're certainly going in the right direction to getting the Big V back," he said.