Neal's double-double lands him Player of the Week award

- January 27, 2026

POSTED BY: Eurobasket News

Erick Neal

Erick Neal

30-year old American point guard Erick Neal (178-PG-1995) had an amazing evening in the last round for Al Ittihad Jeddah and receives a Hoops Agents Player of the Week award for round 16.
He got a double-double of 27 points and 11 assists, while his team beat Al Salam (#5, 8-7) 97-87. Al Ittihad maintains the 4th position in Saudi Arabian league. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Al Ittihad will need more victories to improve their 11-4 record. In the team's last game Neal had a remarkable 57.9% from 2-point range. He turned to be Al Ittihad's top player in his first season with the team. University of Texas at Arlington graduate has very impressive stats this year. Neal is in league's top in points (7th best: 21.0ppg) and averages solid 3.3spg and 58.7% FGP. Worth to mention Neal played also at Eurobasket Summer League, which helped him get the job in pro basketball.

Second best performed player last round was Alex Young (198-F-1989) of Al Salam. He is American forward in his first season at Al Salam. In the last game Young recorded an impressive double-double of 42 points and 12 rebounds. Bad luck as Al Salam lost that game 87-97 to slightly higher-ranked Al Ittihad (#4, 11-4). Al Salam managed to keep the same 5th spot in the standings. His team lost some distance to top teams. But a 8-7 record is not bad and everything may still change. Young is a newcomer at Al Salam and quickly became one of team's most reliable players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 29.8ppg (#1). His other stats are also decent: 7.2rpg and 3.9apg.

Third place about best performers goes to forward Chris Johnson (210-F/C-1985, agency: Elevate Sports Alliance) of Al Nasr Riyadh (#3). Johnson showcased his all-around game by recording 23 points, 15 rebounds (!!!) and 4 assists in the last round. He was a key player of Al Nasr, leading his team to a 100-53 easy win against the lower-ranked Al Khaleej (#9, 2-14). Al Nasr needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 12 victories and 4 lost games. Johnson has a very solid season. In 2 games in Saudi Arabia he scored 22.0ppg.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Lazar Nekic (213-C-1999) of Al Fateh - 18 points, 18 rebounds and 2 assists
5. Mathna Almarwani (186-SG-1992) of Al Ittihad - 29 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists
6. Justin Patton (216-C-1997) of Al Ahli - 20 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists
7. Vante Hendrix (196-G-1998) of Mudhar - 23 points, 15 rebounds and 3 assists
8. Keondre Jackson (203-F) of Al Khewaildia - 22 points and 11 rebounds
9. Ibrahima Sankare (203-F-1996) of Al Khewaildia - 20 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists
10. Mamadou Samb (210-C/F-1989) of Al Fateh - 19 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists

The Player of the week is selected based on efficiency calculation, but also including game result, importance of the game, if played recorded double-double/triple-double, etc.
The efficiency formula is a combination of various formulas used by different basketball organizations/leagues. We got involved many basketball scouts and journalists to assure it's accuracy.
The formula: 1.5*PTS + 3*(REB+AST+ST+BL-TO) - 2*BSAG - 4*PF + 3*PFRV + 4*(2FGPM+3FGPM) + 1.5*FTM - 3*(2FGPA-2FGPM) - 3*(3FGPA-3FGPM) - (FTA-FTM)

The Player of the Week awards are presented by Hoops Agents. Hoops Agents is the most complete website about the agencies and players they represent. With more than twenty years of experience, Hoops Agents is already recognized as the most reliable destination for the players who wish to continue their career in professional basketball and are searching for a reputable and connected representation. Hoops Agents is also most complete source of transactions news.

Tags : ERICK NEAL, AL ITTIHAD JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIAN BASKETBALL, , WEST ASIA SUPER LEAGUE