Nigerian-American Ike Okoye (206-F) had a great game in the last round for Tln Kalev and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 9. The -year old forward had a double-double of 22 points and fourteen rebounds, while his team crushed Hito/Johvi (#9, 1-10) with 17-point margin 89-72. Tln Kalev maintains the 8th position in Estonian KML. The season is in a full swing, so it's only a dream for the team to make it into top half of the standings. For contrary they may face relegation if the situation turns from bad to worse. Tln Kalev have already lost 9 games and recorded just three victories. Okoye turned to be Tln Kalev's top player in his first season with the team. Boise State University graduate has very impressive stats this year. Okoye is in league's top in rebounds (2nd best: 10.3rpg) and averages solid 51.9% FGP.
The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 29-year old former international guard Silver Leppik (189-G-83) of league's best team TU/Rock. Leppik impressed basketball fans with 19 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Of course he lead TU/Rock to another comfortable win outscoring the lower-ranked Valga (#6, 5-7) 90-31. Of course TU/Rock still keep the league's top spot. He plays for the best team in the league and TU/Rock managed to win all 11 games keeping perfect record. Leppik is one of the most experienced players at TU/Rock and has a reputation of one of team's most reliable players.
The third best performed player last round was Joonas Jarvelainen (202-F/C-90) of Valga (#6). Jarvelainen scored 19 points and grabbed ten rebounds. Despite Jarvelainen's great performance Valga lost 67-69 to the higher-ranked Tarvas (#2, 11-4). But his team cannot count on just a single player as he also needs help of the other teammates. The chances of Valga ranking at the top of the league, however are very questionable as they have already lost 7 games, recording just five victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Jarvelainen could help Valga to bring them higher in the standings. Jarvelainen has a very solid season. In 11 games in Estonia he scored 9.3ppg.
Other top performing players last week: 4. Edvard Trumm (192-F/C-83) of Hito/Johvi - 17 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists 5. Juris Umbrasko (197-G/F-79) of Tarvas - 20 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists 6. Renato Lindmets (200-F-84) of Tarvas - 16 points and 14 rebounds 7. Janis Vahter (193-F-86) of Tln Kalev - 22 points and 3 rebounds 8. Marc Campbell (180-G-86) of Tln Kalev - 18 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists 9. Brandis Raley-Ross (188-G-87) of Tarvas - 11 points and 9 rebounds 10. Indrek Kajupank (200-F-88) of Rapla - 22 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists
The Player of the week is choosen 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)
BC Kalev/Cramo became the Estonian champion for the third year in a row beating TU/Rock 81:69 and clinching the series 4:0. For the third consecutive year the series ended with a 4:0 sweep. Kalev/Cramo is the first team since 1990 to win three back-to-back championships. Tanel Sokk (182-G-85), who made the most important shot of the series in the last second of Game 2, was voted the MVP of the Finals. He averaged 11 [read more]
BC Kalev/Cramo became the Estonian champion for the third year in a row beating TU/Rock 81:69 and clinching the series 4:0. For the third consecutive year the series ended with a 4:0 sweep. Kalev/Cramo is the first team since 1990 to win three back-to-back championships. Tanel Sokk (182-G-85), who made the most important shot of the series in the last second of Game 2, was voted the MVP of the Finals. He averaged 11.3 pts in finals.
Kalev/Cramo made 77% of the shots in 1st quarter to go ahead 27:16. They won the first half 47:32. TU/Rock outscored the opponents 9:4 in first six minutes of the 3rd quarter to make it minus 10 but with a quarter to play it was 59:44. Brave performance by Rain Veideman kept the hopes of home crowd alive but three-pointers by Keith McLeod and Ty Abbott secured the victory to the guests.
Abbott led the winners in the last game with 16 points. Frank Elegar added 15+12, Armands Skele 13 and Gary Wilkinson 11+6. Veideman had 19 and Justin Ingram 14 points in losing effort.
The Estonian champions are: Tanel Sokk (4th Estonian champ.), Gert Dorbek (4th Estonian champ.), Rait Keerles (6th Estonian champ.), Indrek Kajupank (2nd Est. champ.), Toomas Raadik, Kristo Mangelsoo, Keith McLeod, Armands Skele (3rd Estonian champ., also Polish and Latvian champion), Bamba Fall (2nd Est.champion), Ty Abbott, Frank Elegar and Gary Wilkinson (also 2x Australian champion).
BC Rakvere Tarvas ousted TYCO Rapla 75:57 in the decisive bronze-medal game and finished the season in top three for the second consecutive year. Brandis Raley-Ross (188-G-87, college: S.Carolina) was unstoppable with 26 points and 7 rbs, Reimo Tamm (185-PG-84) added 22 points and Kaido Saks (205-F-86) had his first double-double of the season with 10+10rb. Very experienced (19th season in KML) Andre Parn(202-F-77) was the only one with double numbers on the losing side, scoring 11 points [read more]
BC Rakvere Tarvas ousted TYCO Rapla 75:57 in the decisive bronze-medal game and finished the season in top three for the second consecutive year. Brandis Raley-Ross (188-G-87, college: S.Carolina) was unstoppable with 26 points and 7 rbs, Reimo Tamm (185-PG-84) added 22 points and Kaido Saks (205-F-86) had his first double-double of the season with 10+10rb. Very experienced (19th season in KML) Andre Parn (202-F-77) was the only one with double numbers on the losing side, scoring 11 points. Rapla made only 31% fg and 9/20 FT but they still had their chances with only the last quarter to play. Than, Tarvas outsscored the guests 24:11 and secured the best possible result behind two big teams.
With less than 3 seconds to play, Tanel Sokk(182-G-85) ran from under the basket to the middle court and, despite being guarded by three opposing players, made the game-winning shot, possibly the biggest shot of his career. BC Kalev/Cramo won the 2nd game of the KML finals 72:71 and lead the series against archrival TU/Rock 2:0.
With 2.8 seconds to play, the best player of TU/Rock, today, Rain Veideman (193-G-91) made 1/2 from the free throw line [read more]
With less than 3 seconds to play, Tanel Sokk (182-G-85) ran from under the basket to the middle court and, despite being guarded by three opposing players, made the game-winning shot, possibly the biggest shot of his career. BC Kalev/Cramo won the 2nd game of the KML finals 72:71 and lead the series against archrival TU/Rock 2:0. With 2.8 seconds to play, the best player of TU/Rock, today, Rain Veideman (193-G-91) made 1/2 from the free throw line. He missed first and, somewhat surprisingly made the second shot to make it 69:71. Bamba Fall (217-C-86, college: SMU) gave the ball to Sokk, who bounced the ball three times on the way to a middle line and moments later his whole ran to the court and the crowd went crazy. TU/Rock were incredibly close to the victory and the breaking of Kalev/Cramo's 12-game winning series against them in KML finals. With 8 seconds left, Justin Ingram (188-PG-85, agency: Two Points, college: Toledo) took them ahead 69:70 and the hosts lost the ball after time-out and had to foul.
Sokk made 10 of his 19 points in last five minutes and led his team in scoring. Gary Wilkinson (205-F/C-82, college: Utah St.) added 16 points but his turnover with 8 seconds left could have been costly. Bamba Fall had a double-double with 12+12 rbs and 4 blocks. Armands Skele (192-G-83) had 12+8rbs. Rain Veideman led his team with 21 points but was 1/3 from charity line. Justin Ingram added 17+5rbs+5as and Joosep Toome (208-C-85) 16+14 rbs.
The video of the winning shot, by Delfi TV: http://tv.delfi.ee/video/zFRsQiWM/
The first game of the finals ended 83:69. Kalev/Cramo led for the most of the game by double-digit margin but Rock came within 5 points with less than 5 minutes left to play. But Bamba Fall had the final word - he had 9 points and 3 offensive rbs in last five minutes to take his team to firm victory. Fall had 18+6rb in the game and was fouled 13 times - the all-time record of KML finals. Armands Skele led his team with 19+7. Justin Ingram hadd 26 points in losing effort.
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