Experienced Serbian Cedomir Vitkovac (201-F-82, agency: Beo Basket) had an amazing evening in the last round for league's second-best Buducnost and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 1 (Top 16). The 30-year old forward had a double-double of 24 points and twelve rebounds, while his team crushed Triumph (#4, 0-1) with 21-point margin 90-69. Buducnost maintains the 2nd position in Eurocup group I. But it's just the very beginning of the Top 16 and Buducnost won just one (their first) game. It's too early to say anything as the standings can be changed completely after next round. In the team's last game Vitkovac had a remarkable 58.3% from 2-point range. It's his second year at Buducnost and it's hard to imagine this team without him. Vitkovac has impressive league stats. He is in league's top in rebounds (7th best: 7.0rpg) and averages solid 52.3% FGP.
The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 26-year old U.S. Virgin Islands point guard Walter Hodge (183-PG-86) of second-ranked Stelmet ZG. Hodge impressed basketball fans with 27 points and 6 assists. Of course Stelmet ZG cruised to a 76-67 relatively comfortable win over Cajasol (0-1). His team has extremely good start of the Top 16. They won their first game. However the Top 16 is at the beginning, so everything can happen. They still may lose their high position in the standings. Hodge is well-known by Stelmet ZG fans and he already established his position as one of team's most reliable players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 22.7ppg (#1). He also recorded 5.0 assists per game.
The third best performed player last round was Rafael Martinez (191-G-82) of second-ranked Valencia. Martinez scored 27 points. He was a key player of Valencia, leading his team to a 86-82 win against #4 ranked VEF Riga in a game of the week. Valencia has a very good start of the Top 16. But there was just one game played, so it's too early to judge them at this stage. Martinez also has a very good start of the Top 16 with very strong stats. Martinez has a very solid season. In 7 games in Eurocup he scored 14.3ppg. He also has FGP: 76.0% and 3PT: 43.3%.
Other top performing players last week: 4. Aleks Maric (211-C-84) of Lokomotiv - 14 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists 5. Igor Rakocevic (191-G-78) of Crvena Zvezda - 32 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists 6. John Bryant (208-C-87) of Ratiopharm - 20 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists 7. Chuck Eidson (203-F-80) of Unics - 23 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists 8. Andrew Naymick (209-C-85) of CEZ Nymburk - 20 points and 7 rebounds 9. Radoslav Rancik (207-F/C-79) of CEZ Nymburk - 30 points and 7 rebounds 10. Earl Rowland (188-G-83) of VEF Riga - 21 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists
The Player of the week is chosen 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)
Final Four MVP: Richard Hendrix (204-C/F-86) of Lokomotiv Player of the Year: Nick Calathes (198-PG-89) of Lokomotiv Guard of the Year: Nick Calathes (198-PG-89) of Lokomotiv Forward of the Year: Justin Doellman (206-F-85) of Valencia Center of the Year: John Bryant (208-C-87) of Ratiopharm European Player of the Year: Nick Calathes (198-PG-89) of Lokomotiv Import of the Year: John Bryant (208-C-87) of Ratiopharm Coach of the Year: Fotis Katsikaris of Gescrap BB
Behind a strong double-double showing of 12 points and 10 rebounds, courtesy of 6-11 Australian center Aleks Maric, and thanks to a dominate Most Valuable Player performance by interim big man Richard Hendrix, who contributed 14 points and 9 boards, Russian Lokomotiv Kuban secured its first ever Eurocup title with a 75-64 triumph over Spanish Uxue Bilbao [read more]
Behind a strong double-double showing of 12 points and 10 rebounds, courtesy of 6-11 Australian center Aleks Maric, and thanks to a dominate Most Valuable Player performance by interim big man Richard Hendrix, who contributed 14 points and 9 boards, Russian Lokomotiv Kuban secured its first ever Eurocup title with a 75-64 triumph over Spanish Uxue Bilbao.
Both Maric (Panathinaikos) and Hendrix (EA7 Milan), shown the door by their recently respected Euroleague homes, have managed to come alive in Russia, upped their statistics, and resurrect their stardom, en route to returning to Euroleague action next season.
While Maric is locked in with Kuban for the upcoming 2013-14 season, Hendrix, who is on a loan from Milan, will get shipped back to Italy to honor the second year of his deal.
Kuban Coach Evgeny Pashutin utilized his massive inside presence to the maximum. Maric playing the center, and Hendrix at power-forward revealed to be a killer duo combining for 19 boards, five of them offensive, and five assists.
"Our strategy offensively was to go inside to Richard Hendrix and Aleks Maric," a victorious Pashutin said. "They both dominated and we were able to get a lead, go from there and have a good game," the 44-year-old Russian-born coach added.
Awkwardly enough, Israeli power Maccabi Tel Aviv, currently trailing Real Madrid 0-2 in the best-of-five Euroleague quarter-finals series, is getting demolished inside the paint by its Spanish rival.
Seeing that Maccabi sent 7-footer Giorgi Shermadini to Greece on December 2012, and waived high-flying 6-8 power-forward Malcolm Thomas, who is now hooping for the Chicago Bulls, Shawn James' outstanding performances remain no match against Madrid's inside firepower. Dating back to March 2013, Maccabi targeted and engaged in conversations with Maric, who eventually preferred the Russian currency. Upon joining Kuban on January 2013, David Blatt heavily pursued Hendrix, and urged Tel Aviv officials to re-sign the Alabama alumnus. Yet Maccabi executives eventually inked Croatian Euroleague-rook Darko Planinic to a multi-year deal.
Planinic is far from being the coaching staff favorite Hendrix was, or Maric could have been, registering just 3.5 points and 1.5 boards during 6.5 minutes per versus Madrid.
As Madrid outrebounds Tel Aviv 85-44 over the first pair of series contests, Maric, tailing a miserable four points in seven minutes for Panathinaikos under former coach Zeljko Obradovic last season, has jump-started his international career, revisiting his dominance from when playing in Serbia with Partizan Belgrade.
"Our target from the beginning was to win this cup. We are now going to the play in the Euroleague. We conquered our goal of taking Kuban to the next level. It is an amazing feeling," said Maric, completing his Eurocup debut season with double-digit scoring figures of 11 points and 7.3 rebounds nightly.
Hendrix's season upside has also been remarkable. The 264-pounder who took home Israel's Center of the Year honors, discovered unfamiliar territory earlier this season under Sergio Scariolo, barley logging double-digits in minutes, which by default, meant failing to adapt to the Italian system.
In Russia, Hendrix revived his brand, doubled his scoring averages, and tripled his European competition statistics. For Kuban's defensive anchor, winning the Eurocup title was simply the icing on the cake.
Lokomotiv Kuban crowned new champions! - Apr 13, 2013
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Gescrap BB - Lokomotiv 64-75
Lokomotiv Kuban are the new EuroCup champions. They knocked down Bilbao Basket in Charleroi tonight to clinch the trophy. Aleks Maric (211-C-84, college: Nebraska) paced balanced effort from the Russian team finishing with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. The teams went neck and neck throughout the opening quarter. Bilbao Basket eked out a narrow 17:16 lead after the starting quarter. But Lokomotiv took over in the second frame [read more]
Gescrap BB - Lokomotiv 64-75 Lokomotiv Kuban are the new EuroCup champions. They knocked down Bilbao Basket in Charleroi tonight to clinch the trophy. Aleks Maric (211-C-84, college: Nebraska) paced balanced effort from the Russian team finishing with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. The teams went neck and neck throughout the opening quarter. Bilbao Basket eked out a narrow 17:16 lead after the starting quarter. But Lokomotiv took over in the second frame. They used a 15:2 run to secure a 37:28 lead. Kostas Kostas Vasiliadis (200-G/F-84, agency: FCM) stopped the rot with a jumper but Lokomotiv entered the second half up by 8 points 38:30. Derrick Brown (203-F-87, college: Xavier) and Calathes extended the lead to double digits early in the third term. Lokomotiv stayed in front throughout the third term. The Russian team entered the fourth quarter up by 9 points 54:45. Lokomotiv opened the fourth stanza with 11 straight points to shock Bilbao. The Basque team fought desperately till the final seconds and cut the deficit to 7 points but it was as close as they could get. Lokomotiv stayed calm and escaped with a triumphant victory at the end. Richard Hendrix (204-C/F-86, college: Alabama) finished with 14 points and 9 rebounds, while Derrick Brown added 11 points for the winners. Kostas Vasiliadis answered with 11 points for Bilbao Basket. Milovan Rakovic had 11 points in the losing effort.
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