#1. This week's number one is an international point guard Petteri Koponen (194-88, currently plays in VTB United League), who plays in Russia. He could not help Khimky (7-3) in their last game. Despite Koponen's good performance the fourth-placed Khimky lost 77-92 on the road to the lower-ranked (#5) BC Astana in the group A of VTB United League.
He recorded 11 points in 26 minutes on the court.
It's Koponen's first season with the team.
This year Koponen averages: 6.1ppg, 1.5rpg, 2.0apg, 2FGP: 45.5%, 3FGP: 44.4% in the eight games he played so far.
He is currently a member of the Finnish senior national team.
#2. Second place goes to an experienced international point guard Teemu Rannikko (189-80, currently plays in Adriatic League), who plays in Slovenia. Rannikko was not able to help Un.Olimpija (8-8) in their last game on Saturday. Despite his good performance Un.Olimpija was defeated 70-56 at home by the second-ranked Zvezda.
Rannikko was the second best scorer with 12 points.
Rannikko is currently seventh on the league's list of best passers.
His overall stats this season are: 6.7ppg, 1.1rpg, 3.1apg, 1.1spg, 2FGP: 69.2%, 3FGP: 34.1% and FT: 88.1%.
Rannikko is in the roster of the Finnish senior national team.
#3. The Finnish player who performed third best last week abroad was an international guard Sasu Salin (192-91, currently plays in Adriatic League) is a teammate of previously mentioned Teemu Rannikko and both played together in the last Adriatic League game.
Salin. He was not able to secure a victory for Un.Olimpija (8-8) in their game against Zvezda (11-5).
Salin recorded 9 points in 25 minutes.
But Un.Olimpija lost 56-70 on their home court in Ljubljana to the second-ranked Zvezda.
Salin belongs to league's most steals and is ranked #2 with 1.9spg.
This year his other stats are: 7.7ppg, 3.1rpg, 2FGP: 46.9%, 3FGP: 35.3% and FT: 72.2% in the 15 games.
Salin is also a member of the Finnish senior national team.
#4. Guard Roope Ahonen (186-90, agency: FCM, currently plays in Sweden) led Solna Vikings to a victory over the closely-ranked LF Basket (8-12) 84-75 in the Swedish Basketligan in Tuesday night's game.
He was MVP of the game. Ahonen scored 25 points and added 5 assists (went 9 for 9 at the free throw line !!!).
Solna Vikings (13-8) is placed fifth in the Basketligan.
Ahonen has relatively good stats this season: 11.6ppg, 1.9rpg and 3.9apg.
He is also Finnish national team player.
#5. International center Gerald Lee (208-87, college: ODU, currently plays in Adriatic League) was the major contributor in Buducnost's victory against the closely-ranked MZT Skopje (9-7) 76-69 in the Adriatic League last Saturday.
Lee recorded 13 points in 21 minutes.
KK Buducnost Voli Podgorica (9-7) is placed fourth in the Adriatic League.
This year Lee has relatively solid stats: 12.4ppg and 4.1rpg in the 16 games.
He is a naturalized American.
Lee plays currently for the Finnish national team.
Strangely he has never played in Finland.
#6. Power forward Tuukka Kotti (205-81, college: Providence, currently plays in Italy) couldn't help Vanoli Cremona (4-10) in their game against Trenkwalder RE (7-7) in the Italian SerieA.
Kotti scored only 4 points and grabbed 5 rebounds.
Vanoli Cremona was badly defeated 87-71 in Reggio Emilia by the higher-ranked Trenkwalder RE (#8).
Kotti's overall stats this season are: 5.9ppg and 6.2rpg.
He is an international player who is currently on the senior Finnish National Team roster.
#7. U20 international forward Alex Murphy (203-93, currently plays college basketball in the States) managed to help Duke University in a victory against the Wake Forest University (0-1) 80-62 in the NCAA in Saturday night's game.
Murphy scored only 4 points in 8 minutes on the court.
The Duke University has 2-0 conference record this season.
This year Murphy's overall stats are: 5.9ppg and 6.2rpg in the 12 games.
He is a naturalized American.
Murphy is also Finnish U20 national team player.
Apparently he has never played in Finland.
#8. Power forward Joonas Caven (211-93, currently plays in Spain) contributed to a 3-point Prat Juventud's victory against the eighth-ranked Palma (4-7) 77-74 in the Spanish LEB Silver (third division) last Friday.
Caven scored 7 points.
CB Prat Juventud (7-4) is placed third in the LEB Silver.
It was his team's sixth consecutive victory in a row.
Caven's total stats this season are: 6.7ppg and 2.7rpg.
He plays currently for the Finnish U20 national team.
#9. Former University international forward Lauri Toivonen (201-91, currently studies in the States) contributed to UTPA's victory against the Houston Baptist University (0-1) 70-60 in the NCAA on Tuesday night.
Toivonen scored 5 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in 21 minutes.
The University of Texas-Pan American has 1-0 conference record this season.
This year Toivonen's total stats are: 6.7ppg and 2.7rpg in the 10 games.
He used to play for the Finnish university national team
two years ago.
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.
