1. Division: Lapua changing the Head Coach - Jan 5, 2009 (by Rauno Hurmalainen)
1. Division (the second highest level) Xmas break will be over coming Sunday. There are 10 rounds left out of the regular season. Karhu (Kauhajoki) with
9-1 record is rolling back to the Top League (Korisliiga). There is no doubt of it. Newcomer JKS (7-3) will play rest of the season with young Finnish roster. Only
Vilpas (Salo) will have a slight chance to disturb Kauhajoki dreams. [read more]
1. Division (the second highest level) Xmas break will be over coming Sunday. There are 10 rounds left out of the regular season. Karhu (Kauhajoki) with 9-1 record is rolling back to the Top League (Korisliiga). There is no doubt of it. Newcomer JKS (7-3) will play rest of the season with young Finnish roster. Only Vilpas (Salo) will have a slight chance to disturb Kauhajoki dreams. Vilpas (7-3) got back their own youngster Roope Ahonen (186-G-90) from Helsinki (ToPo) for the rest of the season and team's three American players continue. Korikobrat (Lapua) has recently changed the Head Coach. Team management wanted to wake the team up and Jussi Immonen had to step aside. Replacement comes from Espoo. Serbian Nenad Stefanovic , 36, will be Lapua's new Head Coach. Lapua's record is only 4-6 right now though, so Stefanovic will have a tough task to raise Korikobrat among the three best in division 1. Serbian Marko Piplovic (207-F-76, agency: Interperformances) played three games in December on Lapua's roster averaging 16,0 ppg - 11,7 rpg and will help also in the future.
KORISLIIGA: Larry Blair The Player of December - Jan 5, 2009 (by Rauno Hurmalainen)
American PG Larry Blair (183-G-84, college: Liberty) has been named The Player of December. Kataja (Joensuu) played five regular season games in December and won four of them. Team's key player was Larry Blair, who averaged 20,2 ppg, gave 5,0 apg and had 3,4 spg. Blair was shooting 2-pointers 66,7% (30/45) and hitting 3-pointers 40,9% (9/22). [read more]
American PG Larry Blair (183-G-84, college: Liberty) has been named The Player of December. Kataja (Joensuu) played five regular season games in December and won four of them. Team's key player was Larry Blair, who averaged 20,2 ppg, gave 5,0 apg and had 3,4 spg. Blair was shooting 2-pointers 66,7% (30/45) and hitting 3-pointers 40,9% (9/22). Top League Players of The Month before Blair have been C-F Jeremiah Wood (200-F-85, agency: Court Side) (Kataja) in October and F Damon Williams (199-F-73, college: Colorado St.-Pueblo) (KTP) in November.
