Men's basketball team crowned North West League champions 2026
The Manchester College men's basketball team enjoyed a season to remember in 2025/26, winning the North West League after going unbeaten throughout the campaign.
Made up of teams from 11 colleges across the North West of England, the North West League is a highly competitive competition that showcases some of the region's most talented student athletes.
The Manchester College men's basketball team, made up of 12 students studying predominantly Sport courses (with two team members working towards qualifications in Construction and Engineering, and Creative and Digital), rose to the challenge in impressive fashion in 2025/26, winning the North West League title without losing a single game all season. Their success was built on commitment, teamwork and a shared determination to achieve their goals both on and off the court.
Balancing studies, training sessions, fixtures and personal commitments required dedication from every player. Guided by the College's student-first philosophy, the coaches and players worked hard to ensure the students’ studies remained a priority alongside their sporting ambitions.
The group developed a close bond throughout the campaign, with players and coaches alike emphasising the importance of supporting one another and always striving to show up as their best selves. In doing so, the students learned valuable lessons that extend far beyond basketball, including commitment, perseverance and emotional intelligence.
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Leon: "Off of last year we only lost one game, so going into this season and the next having that unbeaten title is just a great thing to go forward with."
Shia: "I think the biggest reason is the ability that we had to question ourselves. That honesty that we have with each other helped us go all the way."
Osas: "The commitment of every single player to give their 100% best."
Luca: "I'm super proud of the team, they've put in so much work, dedication, showing up every day to be the best they can possibly be."
Ambokile: "They’re students first, so that's one of the key things. We can support them with their studies and we just have to monitor that all the way through. But they're so keen to play basketball and be together that it just falls hand in hand."
Luca: "One of the key things that we tried to push here at The Manchester College is the idea of dedication and showing up the best you can, as much as you can. That will help not in just basketball but in employment, academics, professional sports."
Ambokile: "I think the skills that they'll learn from basketball, things like commitment, emotional intelligence, and I think they'll be able to kind of move forward with that. Some of them are going to university, some of them going out into employment, and all those skills are transferable."