American G Giordan Watson (178-G-85, college: Cent.Michigan) will leave Iceland and move to Finland during his professional career. After winning the Championship in Iceland (Grindavik) Watson has signed with Karhu (Kauhajoki) for coming 2012-13 season. Watson averaged last season 16,3 ppg, 4,4 rpg, 7,2 apg and 1,8 spg in 31 contests. Watson has played earlier two seasons also in Germany. Finnish G Aleksi Koskinen (183-G-92) is leaving YMCA Lappeenranta and joining FoKoPo (Forssa) roster. FoKoPo has then seven contracts with Finnish players. Team new Head Coach is Miikka Sopanen .
Petteri Koponen selected the top Finn playing abroad in last week's games - May 22, 2013
POSTED BY:
EUROBASKET CENTER
follow us on
We bring you last week's top performances from Finns who are playing abroad and who all have had prior experience of national team duties at youth or senior level. This week's number one is an international point guard Petteri Koponen (194-88). Heto an easy victory against the fourth-ranked VEF Riga in the VTB United League in Friday night's game.
[read more]
We bring you last week's top performances from Finns who are playing abroad and who all have had prior experience of national team duties at youth or senior level.
#1. This week's number one is an international point guard Petteri Koponen (194-88, currently plays in VTB United League). He led his Russian team Khimky to an easy victory against the fourth-ranked VEF Riga (11-7) crushing them 104-82 in the VTB United League in Friday night's game.
Koponen scored 12 points, made 4 passes and 3 steals in 25 minutes on the court.
BC Khimky Moscow Region (14-4) is placed first in group A.
It was his team's fourth consecutive victory in a row.
It's Koponen's first season with the team.
This year he averages: 8.3ppg, 1.9rpg, 2.2apg, 2FGP: 57.1%(28-49), 3FGP: 55.8%(29-52) and FT: 93.8%(15-16) in the 19 games he played so far.
Koponen is currently a member of the Finnish senior national team.
#2. Second place goes to an international guard Sasu Salin (192-91, currently plays in Slovenia), who plays in the Slovenian Telemach League. He could not help Un.Olimpija (7-3) in their last game on Monday. Despite Salin's good performance the second-placed Un.Olimpija was defeated 71-61 on the road by the leading Krka in the Places 1-6 group.
He was the second best scorer with 14 points. Salin also added 4 rebounds.
Salin's overall stats this season are: 7.5ppg, 2.9rpg, 1.1spg, 2FGP: 45.5%, 3FGP: 41.0%.
He is in the roster of the Finnish senior national team.
#3. The Finnish player who performed third best last week abroad was an international center Gerald Lee (208-87, college: ODU, currently plays in Montenegro). Lee was the major contributor in Buducnost's victory against the second-ranked Sutjeska (6-4) 77-62 in the Montenegrin 1A on Tuesday night.
He scored 13 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in a mere 16 minutes.
It was the game of the round between two top 3 ranked teams in group S-League. KK Buducnost Voli Podgorica (7-1) is placed first.
It was his team's sixth consecutive victory in a row.
Lee has relatively good stats this year: 11.1ppg, 4.0rpg, 2FGP: 76.9%(70-91) and FT: 58.7% in the 15 games.
He is a naturalized American.
Lee is also a member of the Finnish senior national team. Strangely he has never played in Finland.
#4. An experienced point guard Teemu Rannikko (189-80, currently plays in Slovenia) is a teammate of previously mentioned Sasu Salin. But that was another game of his team in Slovenian Telemach League which we would like to mention.
Rannikko was not able to help Un.Olimpija (7-3) in their game against Krka (9-1).
He scored 7 points.
Un.Olimpija (#2) was edged 79-77 at home by the leading Krka in the Places 1-6 group.
Rannikko's overall stats this season are: 6.3ppg and 2.0apg.
He is also Finnish national team player.
#5. Former U16 international power forward Emir Sulejmanovic (204-95, currently plays in Slovenia) is a teammate of previously mentioned Sasu Salin and both played together in the last Slovenian Telemach League game.
Sulejmanovic was not able to secure a victory for Un.Olimpija (7-3) in their game against Krka (9-1). He did not have that impressive stats last Monday.
Sulejmanovic recorded only 2 points in 7 minutes on the court.
Un.Olimpija (#2) lost 61-71 in Novo Mesto to the leading Krka in the Places 1-6 group.
This year Sulejmanovic's overall stats are: 2.2ppg and 2.2rpg in the 11 games.
He has a dual citizenship: Bosnia and Herzegovina and Finnish.
Sulejmanovic used to play for the Finnish U16 national team
two years ago.
It's again the transfer time. Teams are needing certain kind of players and some players are changing the scenery. American-Finnish Clifton Jones (201-F-78, college: Oregon St.) will stay in Lappeenranta however. Jones will start his second season on YMCA Lappeenranta roster and his 14th season in Finland. Jones came to Finland in the year 2000 and started his career here on Kataja (Joensuu) roster. Last season Jones averaged 5,9 ppg - 6,1 rpg in 32 contests and 27:09 mpg [read more]
It's again the transfer time. Teams are needing certain kind of players and some players are changing the scenery. American-Finnish Clifton Jones (201-F-78, college: Oregon St.) will stay in Lappeenranta however. Jones will start his second season on YMCA Lappeenranta roster and his 14th season in Finland. Jones came to Finland in the year 2000 and started his career here on Kataja (Joensuu) roster. Last season Jones averaged 5,9 ppg - 6,1 rpg in 32 contests and 27:09 mpg. YMCA LPR has signed a 1+1 year contract also with F Atte Perttu (202-C-90), who averaged 2,8 ppg - 1,6 rpg on Kouvot (Kouvola) roster in 34 games and 13:06 mpg. UU-Korihait (Uusikaupunki) will loose two players. F Petri Heinonen (207-PF-88) will return back "home" to Tampere after spending 1,5 seasons in Espoo (Honka) and 4,5 season in Uusikaupunki (Korihait). Passed season Heinonen averaged 9,9 ppg (1 - 38,9%, 2 - 58,8%, 3 - 36,4%) - 7,0 rpg in eight games and 25:52 mpg. G Villematti Kopio (182-PG-92) will return back to Espoo (Honka) after one season on Korihait roster. Kopio averaged 9,5 ppg (1 - 62,2%, 2 - 38,1%, 3 - 31,0%) - 2,0 rpg - 2,2 apg in 44 games and 28:33 mpg.
Kataja: took 2nd place (3-3) in Group B of the Regular Season, took 2nd
place (3-3) in Group I of the Top16, lost to Gravelines (FRA) 0-2 in the
Quarterfinals !!!
Pyrinto: took 4th (last) place (2-4) in Group C of the Regular Season
Copyright (c) 1998-2013 Eurobasket Inc. Disclaimer
WARNING:
Do not copy, redistribute, publish or otherwise exploit information that you download from the site !
Do not encumber, license, modify, publish, sell, transfer or transmit, or in any way exploit, any of the
content of the site, nor will you attempt to do so.
