WITH the Big V Men’s competition wrapped for season 2022 and the champions in Wyndham crowned, it is time to take a look back at the year that was.

Wyndham managed to come from second place and upset the ladder leaders to win it all in what was a terrific team performance.

While McKinnon was defeated by Wyndham in three games in the semi-finals, there can be no knocking the campaign of Sharif Black, who was a man on a mission all year.

Doing a bit of everything for McKinnon, Black was dominant from a statistical standpoint and from an impact standpoint too. His work for his side was cruical, week in week out as he looked to push McKinnon as far as he could. Although that journey fell short of the ultimate goal, there is no denying the effort he put in to try and get his team all the way.

After an inspirational campaign in 2022, Black is this season’s Rookie Me Central Most Valuable Player.

Sharif Black in season 2022: 27.41 points, 10.45 rebounds, 4.32 assists

A force all over the court, Black proved to be one of the most difficult matchups in the competition, with his ferocity in the paint almost impossible to defend at times. His work going downhill with ball in hand was excellent, as he went straight at the defence and pushed through the contact, often resulting in either a bucket or a trip to the free throw line.

Black also displayed a smooth action in his jump shot, finding his rhythm quite early in games and never giving the defence any time to breathe. Showcasing an ability to find the bottom of the net from both mid-range and three-point territory made him even more difficult to guard.

Often registering 30 points or more, Black was a leader for McKinnon on the offensive end all year, even through to their semi-final series against the eventual champions.

He kicked off season 2022 with a terrific 29-point outing in the opening round, nailing five of his seven attempts from behind the arc. After a couple of games off, Black returned with a damaging 33-point showing on some remarkably efficient shooting (11/14 FG). These performances set the tone for his season, as he continued to be the focal point of McKinnon’s offence for the entirety of the season.

His dominant campaign culminated in a 40-point performance in game two of the semi-finals, keeping McKinnon’s season alive in heroic fashion.

His work on the boards was also outstanding in 2022, helping his average on the season move up to a double-double. Most of his rebounds came on the defensive end, securing the possession for McKinnon and often taking advantage of some handy boxing out from his teammates.

It was a disappointing finish from a team perspective for McKinnon, but the side would not have got as far as it did without the herculean efforts of Black, who is a deserving winner of our MVP award for the 2022 season.