Home / Uncategorized / ABL 2021/22 Conference champions and play-off bracket confirmed

ABL 2021/22 Conference champions and play-off bracket confirmed

The road to the 2021/22 ABL Play-off Finals in Manchester steps up a gear from this point.

Sixteen academy teams – the top two sides from each of the six conferences, plus the four best third-placed teams – will battle it out to progress to the Elite Eights, the Final Fours then, ultimately, Finals day at the National Basketball Performance Centre on 30 March.  

Due to the COVID pandemic, there was no ABL season in 2020/21 and the previous post-season was cut short before the 2019/20 play-off final, leaving Haringey Sixth Form College and New City College to be crowned as the league’s most recent co-champions. 

Both of those teams are in the mix again and, like Dagenham, enter the play-off with 100% regular-season records. 

The 2021/22 Conference champions are: Haringey Sixth Form College (London Central Conference, 14-0 record), Dagenham Park (Eastern, 14-0), New City College (South East, 14-0), Northolt High School (Western, 15-1), HTS Storm Basketball Academy (Southern, 15-1), Aston Manor Academy (Northern, 16-2). 

Second-place teams are: Bracknell and Wokingham College (15-1), St Charles Sixth Form College (14-2), Riverside Sixth Form (12-2), Mayfield School (11-3), Carmel College (14-4), COHENEL (10-4). 

The four best third-place teams are: Sigma 6 (11-3), Stoke-on-Trent College (14-4), Crest Academy 12-4, Queens School 10-4. 

Elite Eights:

First-round fixtures (9 March): Haringey Sixth Form College vs Queens School; Dagenham Park vs Crest Academy; New City College vs Stoke-on-Trent College; Northolt High School vs Sigma 6; HTS Storm Basketball Academy vs COHENEL; Aston Manor Academy vs Carmel College; Bracknel and Wokingham College vs Mayfield School; St Charles Sixth Form College vs Riverside Sixth Form. 

Elite Eights: 16 March

Finals Fours: 23 March

Final, NBPC, Manchester: 30 March

How the bracket works 

The top two teams from each of the six conferences progress, plus the four best third-place teams. All teams will be seeded as follows: 

Seedings 1-6 (six conference winners) 
Seedings 7-12 (six conference runners up) 
Seedings 13-16 (four best third place teams) 

The following criteria is used to seed teams within each group: 

  • Highest percentage of wins, (then if needed) 
  • Highest points difference per game, (then if needed) 
  • Total points scored