Hapoel Atsmon Holon’s Joe Ragland is the October MVP

After a record breaking month, Hapoel Atsmon Holon’s point guard Joe Ragland was selected as the MVP of the month of October in the Basketball Champions League. It’s his second such award, after winning the MVP of March earlier this year.

Ragland led Hapoel Atsmon Holon to their first ever 3-0 start to the Basketball Champions League. Holon have been a part of the BCL family for six of the seven seasons, so having a 3-0 start for the first time speaks volumes about the strength of this team.

They defeated Legia Warszawa, Filou Oostende and Galatasaray Nef, continuing with their fine form that saw them reach the Final Four in Bilbao last season. Ragland has been perfect so far, getting 18.7 points, league-leading 10.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Against Filou Oostende, the lefty point guard had 31 points and 13 assists. That was the first time in this competition that a player had 30+ points and 10+ assists in a single game.

“It feels good to have a record that’s never been accomplished, but more important to win a very important game. I did whatever it took for my team to come out victorious,” Ragland told Eurohoops after that game.

It was Joe’s sixth points-assists double-double in his BCL career, trailing only Marcelinho Huertas in that department. That 31-point outburst was his highest scoring game in any European competition, and since the start of the 2021-22 season, he has been handing out 8.1 assists per game in the BCL, the most among all players in that period.

“I feel like I’m capable of scoring and facilitating each and every night. My job as the point guard is to have an understanding of which style is needed in that particular game for my team to be successful. Also even getting off the ball to catch and shoot or attack closeouts. I’ve worked hard to make my game well-rounded to fit in any scheme or situation that’s beneficial for the team,” he told in the aforementioned interview.

Coach Guy Goodes will like that one. Because this Holon squad has Erick Green helping Ragland in the backcourt, creating a devastating backcourt combination ready to deliver knockouts all over the continent.

“We’re the best backcourt in the league, hands down. We’re the best one-two punch and we’re gonna keep showing it every single night. We’re on a mission to keep proving that. Whoever guard us, it’s gonna be a heck of a night for y’all,” Green said after taking the Game of the Week against Galatasaray Nef.

Picking up MVP of October trophy, Ragland now has two of those in his collection. Back in March, he won the MVP trophy by powering Holon through the group of death in the Round of 16, owning a 3-1 record and reaching the Quarter-Finals behind his near double-double of 12 points and 8 rebounds per game.

For those who love trivia – Galatasaray Nef were also on the other side back in March, obviously providing Ragland with the inspiration to go on his award winning performances.

Back in 2016-17, the Basketball Champions League handed out MVP of the Week honors, and Ragland has one of those in his collection, too, with a 16-point, 10-assist double-double for Sidigas Avellino against SIG Strasbourg, in what was only the second week of this competition.

Seven seasons later, the soon-to-be 33-year-old is only getting better.

He will receive his trophy ahead of the next Holon home game in the Israeli Winner League.