26-year old point guard Walter Hodge (183-PG-86) had a very impressive game in the last round for Stelmet ZG and receives a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 5 (Top 16). He had the game-high 31 points adding three rebounds and five assists for Stelmet ZG in his team's victory, helping them to edge out Cajasol (#4, 0-5) 85-81. Stelmet ZG maintains the 3rd position in Eurocup group K. Stelmet ZG is rather a weak team placed in lower part in the standings. But it was their 3rd lost game this season out of 5 games. In the team's last game Hodge had a remarkable 64.3% from 2-point range. It's his second year at Stelmet ZG and it's hard to imagine this team without him. University of Florida graduate has very impressive stats this year. Hodge is league's best scorer averaging so far 20.4ppg. Hodge is in league's top in assists (9th best: 5.2apg) and averages solid 52.2% FGP and 50.0% from behind 3-point line.
Second best performed player last round was Charles Davis (205-C-84) of top-ranked Banvit BK. He is American-Azerbaijani center in his 4th season at Banvit BK. In the last game Davis recorded impressive 24 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists. Of course Banvit BK cruised to a 94-85 relatively comfortable win over Budivelnyk (3-2). It was definitely game of the week between two contenders to the top position in group I. Budivelnyk managed to tie with Banvit BK at the very top position in the standings. His team has currently 3-2 record. Davis is one of the most experienced players at Banvit BK and has a reputation of one of team's most reliable players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 19.5ppg (#3). He also registered 5.4 boards per game.
Third place about best performers goes to guard Mire Chatman (187-PG-78, agency: Higher Vision Sports) of league's second-best Unics. Chatman showcased his all-around game by recording 12 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in the last round. He was a key player of Unics, leading his team to a 64-57 win against #3 ranked Galatasaray. Unics needs these victories very badly if they think about taking over top position in group L. Their record at this point is 3 victories and 2 lost games. Chatman has a very solid season. In 11 games in Eurocup he scored 11.4ppg. He also has 4.5rpg, 4.6apg and 2.1spg.
Other top performing players last week: 4. Justin Doellman (206-F-85) of Valencia - 23 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists 5. Leo Lyons (206-F-87) of Budivelnyk - 20 points and 11 rebounds 6. Earl Rowland (188-G-83) of VEF Riga - 29 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists 7. Aleks Maric (211-C-84) of Lokomotiv - 16 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists 8. Tywain McKee (188-PG-86) of Triumph - 16 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists 9. Igor Rakocevic (191-G-78) of Crvena Zvezda - 24 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists 10. Steven Esterkamp (198-F-81) of Ratiopharm - 20 points, 6 rebounds and 3 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)
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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