Basketball New Zealand

Breakers Kirk Penney and CJ Bruton earned All-NBL First Team selection on Wednesday (Photosport)

NZ Breakers guards Kirk Penney and CJ Bruton have been named in the Australian National Basketball League‘s All-Star Five.

Despite the team being eliminated in the ANBL semifinals, the star Breakers pair joined Melbourne Tigers Chris Anstey and Ebi Ere, and Mark Worthington of the champion South Dragons, in the five named on Wednesday.

The All-Stars were selected on votes from head coaches, assistant coaches and a player from each team, taking into account regular season performance.

Penney, who last week became the first New Zealander to be named the league’s Most Valuable Player, registered the highest number of votes with 81, followed by Anstey with 73 and Bruton with 71.

It was the second straight year Penney was named to the All-ANBL First Team, while it was the second for Bruton, who last earned first-team honours in 2006. He was a third-team selection in 2007 and second-teamer in 2008.

The 2008-09 season also marked the first time two Breakers gained First Team nods. Carlos Powell was the first Breaker to make the All-Star Five in 2007.

Meanwhile, Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis finished third in the league’s coach of the year voting, with South Dragons mentor Brian Goorjian winning the award for the sixth time.

Lemanis tallied 42 points, while Goorjian winning the Lindsay Gaze Trophy with 59 votes and Townsville Crocodiles coach Trevor Gleeson ending with 49.

Breakers impact man Dillon Boucher was also unlucky to be shaded in a close vote for the league’s best defensive player.

Adam Gibson of the South Dragons finished with 35 votes to take the award narrowly ahead of Boucher on 31. Last year’s winner, Anstey, finished third with 27.

All-NBL First Team

Kirk Penney (NZ Breakers)
Chris Anstey (Melbourne)
CJ Bruton (NZ Breakers)
Ebi Ere (Melbourne)
Mark Worthington (South)

All-NBL Second Team

Corey Williams (Townsville)
Luke Schenscher (Adelaide)
Adam Ballinger (Adelaide)
Shawn Redhage (Perth)
Glen Saville (Wollongong)

All-NBL Third Team

Matthew Knight (Sydney)
James Harvey (Gold Coast)
David Barlow (Melbourne)
Joe Ingles (South)
Adam Gibson (South)

Others to receive votes:
Darnell Hinson (Perth), Phill Jones (NZ Breakers), Kavossy Franklin (Wollongong), Alex Loughton (Perth), Luke Whitehead (Gold Coast), Tony Ronaldson (NZ Breakers), Rosell Ellis (Townsville), Oscar Forman (NZ Breakers), Martin Cattalini (Cairns), Rick Rickert (NZ Breakers), Jason Smith (Sydney), Dusty Rychart (Wollongong), Matthew Burston (South), John Rillie (Townsville), Dave Thomas (Melbourne), Brett Maher (Adelaide), Tremmell Darden (South), Nathan Crosswell (Melbourne), Ian Crosswhite (Cairns), Peter Crawford (Perth), Darnell Mee (Cairns), Julius Hodge (Adelaide), Julian Khazzouh (Sydney), Isiah Victor (Perth), Shane Heal (Gold Coast), and Cameron Tragardh (Wollongong)