York College basketball team crowned champions after winning 13 out of 14 games

The class of 2025/26 won 13 of their 14 league games and, during a stellar season, also reached the last 16 of the National AoC Championships for a second successive season before being knocked out by Loughborough College.

Their success represents a remarkable achievement for the team that, in four years, has grown from a squad of just seven to a roster of 16 players who train up to three games a week and play fixtures every Wednesday afternoon as part of College’s Basketball Development Centre.

The players participate in analysis sessions and team exercises, too, alongside their studies on Campus under the watchful eye of coach Tyler Paton-Pottage – a former York College student and basketball player himself who also coaches at York Eagles and was named Basketball England’s Player Development Coach of the Year for Yorkshire last month.

As part of our partnership with the National Basketball League club, four players in the talented team – captain Lukai Ostrowski, Travis Greening, Emilis Vaiciulis and Eddy Wragg – also helped the Eagles’ Under-18 side win the North Conference 1 title, earning them promotion to the top-tier Northern Premier.

The Eagles are also launching an Under-23 team that will compete in the National League’s Division Three North next season, offering a pathway into senior basketball for current and future students who impress during their time with our Development Centre.

On the team’s success, Coach Tyler said: “I’m very proud. It’s been two years in the making, because we only lost one second-year player last year.

“There’s been a lot of hard work and we have added more depth with our first-year students. Last year, we came second and missed out on the title by one win but, this year, we’ve practiced harder, upped the levels and it’s been a really good season.

“Our standards have been high and never dropped. The one game we lost was only by five points and that was mainly because the other team were on fire that day.”

Winning the league title means the team will now play a better standard of basketball in 2026/27 and Tyler hopes that will appeal to high-calibre players from further afield, as they decide on their post-16 education options and destination this summer.

Half of this season’s team will be leaving Campus and need replacing, with Tyler adding: “I hope promotion means that players from all around the region and places like Leeds and Hull will be attracted to look at York College as a destination not only to study, but to combine that with basketball. With the York Eagles link, there are definitely opportunities for College players to grow through the sport and development is at the heart of what we are trying to do.”

The Development Centre also have aspirations to join the Colleges Basketball League in the future, which would represent another step up in standard.

Tyler also highlighted the social benefits of joining the Basketball Development Centre for students new to Campus.

“We are a very close-knit group and are always talking and meeting,” he explained. “They players have also become close friends, which has been very nice to see.”

That camaraderie is something captain Lukai, who averaged a highly impressive 30 points, six steals and nine rebounds per game during the 2025/26 campaign, believes was a key factor in the side’s success.

He said: “We had high expectations going into the season, especially after we came second last year. We really wanted it and, as a team, we work closely together.

“Even outside of basketball and College, we all meet up and are friends, so we want to see each other succeed. Tyler helps us uphold that and we treat each other as a family.

“Coming into College, there were a few of my friends here from my old school, but there’s so many new people you meet and being part of a team really helped me settle down and make new friends.

“It made that process easier and I am really close to a lot of them, which is all down to basketball. I was considering sixth forms after I finished my GCSEs, but chose York College because of the basketball team here.”

Sociology, English Language and Business A Level student Lukai added that Coach Tyler has been the biggest driver in making sure he fulfils his basketball potential and aspires to reach the top levels of the game after leaving College.

“Because I play for York Eagles as well, Tyler has been coaching me since I started playing when I was 15 and he has developed me so much as a player.” Lukai declared. “I owe everything I’m achieving in basketball to him and I’ll still play at men’s level after leaving College and keep it going.

“I love basketball. It’s my passion and I want to go as far as I can in the game. The dream is to get into the top leagues.”

To demonstrate the team’s high standards, the champions pushed an older and more experienced York College All-Star Alumnus side all the way in a recent narrow 78-72 loss during which Lukai was nursing an injury.

After that match, the team’s end-of-year award presentations were made with Lukai named Most Valuable Player, Jenson Edgar Most Improved Player, Charlie Wright Defensive Player of the Year and Brandon Garforth Coaches’ Player of the Year.

Commenting on the quartet’s achievements, Tyler added: “Lukai set the tone from day one in pre-season, as he demanded that his team-mates kept their standard of play high, knowing that a title challenge was on the cards. He led his team to key wins, breaking the College record for most points scored by an individual in a game with 53 points against John Leggott, but also led the team in points, steals and assists this season. He was a very unanimous vote for MVP.

“Jenson is a senior for our team and, going into his third year at the college and on the basketball programme, was his opportunity to make it into the starting five, which he took and locked in. His points almost tripled from the previous season, as he become a threat in transition, but also a key player who shot the ball well from the three-point line.

“Charlie has been the focal point in terms of our defensive presence this season and more so in the campaign’s latter stages when we missed a few of our other big players and he had to become more versatile as our main rebounder, which he did very well.

“Brandon has only missed one practice all year, and set the intensity in training all year round. He has massively improved in terms of his ability, becoming our second-top scorer, but also a reliable source for rebounds and steals. He is one of our strongest defenders too and has had a fantastic season.”

Anybody interested in joining our Basketball Development Centre for the next academic year, starting in September, should email tpaton-pottage@yorkcollege.ac.uk or shorsfield@yorkcollege.ac.uk

For more information on all our Sport Development Centres, please click here

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