Mob's Gage Smith Wins MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in Series 6

Gage Smith did not just win awards. He rewrote the record book.

The Mob captain from Elizabeth, Colo. swept the two most prestigious individual honors in SlamBall Series 6, taking home both Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year as the league announced its return-season award winners. The recognition came on the back of what the league itself called "one of the greatest all-around seasons in SlamBall history," and the numbers make that case without much argument.

Smith led the league in loose ball recoveries per game at 9.8 and finished first in total steals with 28, while ranking second in stops per contest at 9.1. He posted double-digit stops in eight games, led the league in games with double-digit LBRs with another eight, and set single-season highs of 14 stops and 16 LBRs in a game. The 16-LBR mark was tied for the best in the league.

The signature moment came August 5 against the Buzzsaw, when Smith recorded the first triple-double in SlamBall history. The league release put it plainly: Smith regularly filled the stat sheet, but that night he took it to a different level entirely.

The Mob's dominance extended well beyond Smith. The team finished the regular season 16-0 and swept the organizational awards. Coach Brendan Kirsch of Indianapolis earned Coach of the Year honors, and gunner Cam Hollins of Avon, Ind. was named 5th Man of the Year. The only major award that left the Mob went to the Wrath's Ty McGee, the Littleton, Colo. product who earned Offensive Player of the Year.

The rest of the league's statistical picture was also sharp. Cameron Horton led the league with 4.4 assists per game and shot 67.6 percent from the field. KyShawn Jones averaged 19.7 points per game, third in the league, and had three games with 30 or more points. Justin Holmes converted 15 of 16 offensive Face Offs while ranking 10th in scoring at 12.3 points per game. Tyquan Scott averaged 8.3 stops and 8.3 LBRs per game, ranking third and second in those categories respectively.

None of it matched what Smith produced. A 16-0 team with a historic stat line and a first-ever triple-double tells the full story of how thoroughly one player defined a season.