Eurobasket Daily News Report:

EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 1/11/2008

Copyright © 1997-2007 Eurobasket
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 report, nor will you attempt to do so.
More info:www.eurobasket.com

Men News

*****************************************************
ABA

Frost Heaves Handle Rainmen in Halifax -by Surujh Roopnarine
The defending ABA Champion Vermont Frost Heaves improved to 16-3 on the season as they defeated the host Halifax Rainmen 103-89 last night at the Metro Centre.
Utilizing a 25-7 run the start the second half, Vermont broke open the close contest and then held on for the victory. Halifax drops to 7-10 o the season, but will have a chance at redemption as they host Vermont again tonight in the back-to-back affair.
Dokun Akingbade (6'9''-F-84, college: George Washington) was the high man for Vermont with 21 points and 13 rebounds while Canadian National Team member Jermaine Anderson (6'2''-G-83, college: Fordham) tallied 24 points for the Rainmen.
FROST HEAVES: Dokun Akingbade (21p+13rb), Antonio Burks (13p), Erik Nelson (12p+7rb), B.J. Robertson (12p)
RAINMEN: Jermaine Anderson (24p), Lantrice Green (16p+5rb), Eric Crookshank (6p+14rb), Brian Silverhorn (10p)

Beijing Holds Undermanned Millrats at Bay -by Jay
January 8, 2007 Singapore: The Beijing Aoshen Olympians held the undermanned Manchester Millrats at Bay and won 109-99 at the Toa Payoh Sports Complex.

Travel woes out of LAX left the Millrats with only six players including one still nursing an ankle sprain (Souleymane Wane). Missing were ABA All Star Rob Sanders and fourth leading scorer John Huggins, not to mention Rashid Al-Kaleem, Chris Burns, and 6'11 Ife Anosike.

'Super-guards' Ismael Caro and Anthony Anderson as the Beijing Coach Paul Coughter called them following the match, scored two thirds of the Millrats points in both games on a variety of ways. By Tuesday's game the Singaporean crowd was cheering almost exclusively for the underdog Millrats, as Caro and Anderson provided amazing play after amazing play.

But down the stretch, the Olympians depth and rebounding proved too much, and they pulled away on back to back three pointers by Jamel Staten and LA Lakers draft pick Sun Yue (18 points).

'I couldnt be more proud of the team. Despite the nightmarish travel debacle, fatigue, and injury issues, they played their hearts out with passion and never complained,' stated Millrats Principal Owner Jason Briggs.

Caro and Anderson led Manchester with 30 and 26 respectively. PJ Young added 18 points and 11 rebounds. Jamel Staten led Beijing with 37 points.

Manchester is currently on the way back to New Hampshire to regroup, and get ready to travel into hostile territory in Burlington, Vermont on Saturday, and then Quebec on Sunday. They face the defending ABA Champs on Saturday January 12th at 4:05 pm, in Burlington

Then on Sunday the 13th, Manchester goes north again to play the Quebec Kebs, whom they have yet to defeat this season, for a 3:00 pm game.

Courtesy of manchestermillrats.com

*****************************************************
ADRIATIC LEAGUE

Market news -by Dragan Jankovski
Hemofarm STADA parted ways with Trey Johnson (196-G, college: Jackson St.), who joined the team in November. USA guard expected to be a big reinforcement for Hemofarm but unfortunately management of the club was not satisfied with his performance.

Despite it was published that Taliek Brown (186-G-82, agency: Octagon, college: Connecticut) is the new player of Siroki Prima Pivo, he signed the contract with BC Feni Indurstija from FYROM and he will join his new team today.

*****************************************************
ARGENTINA

Penarol wins again -by Gianni Pascucci

Penarol Mar del Plata took advantage of playing on its home court to defeat Libertad Sunchales 69-64 in Day 2 of of Liga de las Americas 'Group D'. The win probably secured the classification to the second leg of the competition.

Led by Roman Gonzalez (206-C-78, agency: HM Sports Agency) (206-C-78, agency: HM Sports Agency), Penarol started well, ending ahead the 1st Qtr ahead 21-18. They continuted on at this pace, leading the score at the halftime 39-28. Led by Sebastian Ginobili (190-G-72, agency: Interperformances) and Robert Battle (200-C-81, college: Drexel), Libertad tried to come back during the 3rd quarter (52-43 for Penarol at the end), but it wasn' t enough, and the home team took the win. Quincy Wadley (193-G-78, agency: CAA Sports, college: Temple) topped all the scorers at 22 pts for Penarol, folowed by Roman Gonzalez with 18 and Jason Osborne (204-F-74, agency: Court Side, college: Louisville) with 12. Ginobili and Battle scored 16 points each for Libertad.

Penarol ends undefeated -by Gianni Pascucci
Penarol Mar del Plata ended undefeated the 'Group D' after the large win, 84-67 over Universo/BRB Brasilia in Day 3 of Liga de las Americas in Mar del Plata. With 23 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assit, Quincy Wadley (193-G-78, agency: CAA Sports, college: Temple) was the best performer of the game, and Roman Gonzalez (206-C-78, agency: HM Sports Agency) added 22 pts and 5 rebs. Maurice Spillers (199-F-74, college: Utah St.) led the Brazilian team with 22 points in losing effort. Thanks to this result, the two Argentinean teams, Penarol and Libertad, advance both to the quarterfinals, where they will meet Defensor Sporting (URU) and Minas Tenis (BRA), respectively.

*****************************************************
BELGIUM

Div 1 Recap Rd 15 -by Peter Buyse

Important road win for Oostende in Charleroi gives them sole possession of 1st place in the Ethias league.
Up until halftime things did not look good for Oostende who were trailing by 12 after 20 minutes.
Slowly but surely they got closer and closer to the home team and were only behind by 3 at the start of the 4th quarter.

Oostende got the better of Charleroi in the final quarter 19-25 to get away with an important road win over one of their main rivals.

The 2 last place teams Gent and Leuven were blown out by their opponents.

Gent had already lost the game in the first quarter when Mons took a 10-27 lead. Mons extended its lead in each quarter for the 61-92 win.

Leuven stayed even with Liege till half-time (38-39) but a disastrous 3rd quarter where Liege outscored the home team 10-21 was the end of the road for Leuven.

Close game in Antwerp where the visitors needed an overtime period to get the win. The scores in each of the 4 quarters was never more than a 2 pt difference leading to an overtime periond where Bree outscored the Antwerp Giants 3-7 to take the road win.

The Verviers vs Aalst game was close all along and not decided till the final quarter when the home team outscored Aalst 18-13 for the 88-82 win.

MVP of round 15 was Oostende's Jerry Green (191-G-80, college: Cal-Irvine) who scored 21 pts, grabbed 6 rebs, handed out 5 assists and had 3 steals. He made 4 for 5 from the field and was perfect from the line with 12 out of 12 Ft's.

*****************************************************
BELIZE

U-26 program commencing next week! -by David Magana
The Belize Basketball Association has announced an Official Training Program commencing next weekend which will include 100 college eligible players from all over Belize including the UB & SJC Tertiary level teams. On the 25th January, the tournament will start featuring the best of the cream in basktball of the country of Belize. This tournament will be an U-21 and the program will be run by the Belize Basketball Association. So basketball fans will have a taste of good quality basktball at this level. Everyone is invited to come out for the inaguration at the Belize Civic Center in Belize City.

*****************************************************
BRAZIL

Universo eliminates Liceo Mixto -by Gianni Pascucci
Brazilian team Universo/BRB defeated Liceo Mixto 86-78 in the first game of the Day 2 of of Liga de las Americas 'Group D' competition, keeping alive the hopes to advance to quarterfinals. Arthur Belchior Silva (198-G-82) was the man of the game in Universo, scoring 30 points, Luis Fernando Souza added 17 points and Andre 'Ratto Fonseca (181-G-69) 16 at the winning side. Percy Werth (185-G-78) and Patricio Briones (213-C-72, college: Dade CC) outstood at the Chilean side, scoring 14 points each. In tonight game vs. Penarol, Universo will point all its 'fiches' to reach the qualification. Instead, Liceo Mixto is yet out from the race.

*****************************************************
CAMEROON

NCAA News.. -by Yann Tientcheu
The past seven days have been marked by excitement and eye-gazing performances from some of our countrymen showcasing
their talents in the highest collegiate level of the basketball world.
Parfait Bitee (188-G-85) who is currently 14 and 2 with the Rhode Island University Rams ponctuated the Jan. 9th evening with his 15 pts, 5 Asts and 1blk in
a game lost by RIU to the University of Dayton carried by a well oiled machine of player such as Roberts Brian, Johnson Marcus and the sensational
freshman Chris Wright. The Cameroonian National Team point Guard is sending a strong and resounding message to the doubters, and is setting a solid
foundation for the upcoming International competition to be held in July under the auspices of the Pre-Olympic advancement Tournament.
Erick Nsangou (183-G-87) prowesses on Jan. 9th cannot be ignored and a failure to do so would be a total disrespect to the young Cameroonian Point Gurad
who helped his team, Florida International University, subdue Troy University by scoring 17 pts and grabbing 4 rbds off the bench. The Cameroonian point Guard
originally from Yaounde, finished the game with an outstanding 8 out of 9 from the floor leading FIU to a 74-49 win.
Akini Akini (6-10, 231 Forward) also lifted up the Cameroonian colors during the past 7days through his game high performance of 23 pts and 9 rbds to the benefit of Florida A&M opposed
to the Royals of Warner Southern University on Jan 5th. The Final score of the game was 75-62 FLorida A&M.
Two of our countrymen, Gaston Moliva (201-F-85) (University of Richmond) and Yves Mekongo Mballa (6-7, Firward), were confronted on Jan. 9th in an overtime conference game
finally acquired by Richmond University thnaks to a final fastbreak dunk of our own Gaston Moliva . The 6-8 forward of Richmond University finished the game 8pts,
5 rbds and 3 blks solidly opposing the 11pts 6rbds and 1 blk of his National comrade Yves mekongo Mballa. The Final score was 75-74 Richmond University in triple overtime.

Lazare Adingono at the helm of emerging force, Cameroon - PART I -by Olusegun Ikuesan
Cameroon were one of the surprise packages at the FIBA Africa Championship last year, reaching the title game before falling to Angola.

They served notice that Africa has a powerhouse in the making, and Coach Lazare Adingono has been charged with the responsibility of making sure this national team reaches its full potential.

Adingono, who is an assistant coach at Canisius in Buffalo, New York, spoke to Julio Chitunda on behalf of FIBA.

Here is Part I of Chitunda's story on the emerging force in international basketball, Cameroon.

If confidence were something you could put your hands on, or see with your own eyes, then confidence would come in the shape of Cameroon head coach Lazare Adingono.

That's right.

Everything about Adingono exudes confidence after the stunning performance of his national team last year at the FIBA Africa Championship, where Cameroon announced their arrival on the world stage with a terrific run to the final.

They were ultimately beaten for the first time in the tournament by juggernauts Angola.

The performance was good enough to earn them a place in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, though, an event that will be staged in Athens in July.

The draw for that tournament comes at the end of January, and rest assured, no team will be taking Cameroon lightly if they come up against them.

'One thing for sure is that every time we take the floor we will compete, expecting to win,' Adingono said to FIBA.com.

Only three spots are up for grabs in the men's tournament at the Olympics and there are 12 teams vying for those places.

In addition to Cameroon, you will find Brazil, Cape Verde, Canada, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Korea, Lebanon, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and Slovenia all contesting for those places.

Cameroon's team is young and talented, and their players are currently in the United States playing college basketball or in Europe.

Most of the attention is on the young guns honing their skills in the US.

Youth, in fact, applies to all aspects of this national team.

Adingono is only 29-year-old, and he, too, is in America. He is assistant coach at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York.

'I honestly think our future performances at the next Pre-Olympic Games will greatly depend on how much and where we prepare for that special upcoming event,' Adingono said.

Could this really be the emerging force in African basketball? If you consider who is in this team, it's tempting to say yes.

There is talent in abundance, youth and now international experience.

Adingono said: 'I believe that, in addition to Angola, which has proven that they can compete with the very best in the world, the African continent is right at the forefront and will be ready to compete on a consistent basis worldwide,' he said.

And the preparation will be key.

'I am hopeful that we will have a (good) preparation leading to the next qualifying tournament,' he stressed again.

'We, as a nation, will welcome any sponsors that would like to endorse us for that particular event.

'Working in collaboration with the [Cameroon] Basketball Federation and Ministry of Sports, we are looking to put a plan in place.

'I am confident that all the people that support basketball in Cameroon and worldwide will help us every step of the way and provide the finances necessary to prepare and compete on an even playing field.'

Adingono is confident, yet he is also very humble.

His national team players, he believes, are getting first-class instruction in the game in America.

'I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the coaches that are doing everything possible to get these young men to be the best that they can be,' he said.

'I think the NCAA is the best thing that we have going in developing our young talent to give us a realistic chance to compete and expect to win in such grand stage.'

And who are some of these talented players?

The best known lives in Los Angeles, and plays at the same university - UCLA - that gave the basketball world Lew Alcindor, the man who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and shone for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers.

Cameroon's star at UCLA is forward Mbah A Moute.

'Mbah A Moute is very talented young man and will play a huge role in leading a young group of people to many future competitions starting with the Pre-Olympics next summer in Greece,' Adingono said.

FIBA

*****************************************************
CHINA

Xinjiang Excluded, CBA Playoff Schedule Set -by Arthur Volbert
Xinjiang has been excluded from the CBA playoffs because of its use of Song Cun, who was not eligible to be counted as a native player because he is not a Chinese citizen. He played 18 games for Xinjiang this season.

Song Cun, whose Chinese name is Guan Xiu Chiang, allegedly forged passports to play with Xinjiang this season and also with Yunnan in 2004. He has reportedly been banned from the CBA for life.

Xinjiang has been replaced by ninth-place Zhejiang Guangsha. The matchups are Guangdong-Zhejiang Guangsha and Dongguan-Shandong with the winners to meet in one semi-final. The other bracket is Bayi-Liaoning and Jiangsu-Fujian.

First Round Playoff Schedule

2008-01-16 19:30 Bayi at Liaoning
2008-01-16 19:30 Guangsha at Guangdong
2008-01-16 19:30 Dongguan at Shandong
2008-01-16 19:30 Fujian at Jiangsu

2008-01-18 19:30 Liaoning at Bayi
2008-01-18 19:30 Guangdong at Guangsha
2008-01-18 19:30 Shandong at Dongguan
2008-01-18 19:30 Jiangsu at Fujian

2008-01-20 19:30 Liaoning at Bayi
2008-01-20 19:30 Guangdong at Guangsha
2008-01-20 19:30 Shandong at Dongguan
2008-01-20 19:30 Jiangsu at Fujian

2008-01-22 19:30 Bayi at Liaoning
2008-01-22 19:30 Guangsha at Guangdong
2008-01-22 19:30 Dongguan at Shandong
2008-01-22 19:30 Fujian at Jiangsu

2008-01-23 19:30 Bayi at Liaoning
2008-01-23 19:30 Guangsha at Guangdong
2008-01-23 19:30 Dongguan at Shandong
2008-01-23 19:30 Fujian at Jiangsu

*****************************************************
CROATIA

Market news! -by Dani Erceg
Nikola Gaurina (198-G-83) left Dubrovnik and signed for Alkar Sinj.

Ivan Duvancic (188-G-83) left Osijek 2006 and signed for Crikvenica.

Ivan Siriscevic (198-G/F-87), Ante Vranjes (204-F/C-75) and Pero Prce (204-F-83) signed for Dubrovnik.

Antonio Bilic (190-G-86) signed for Borik Puntamika.

Young players in Croatia. Part 2: Dubrava and Cedevita! -by Dani Erceg
-DUBRAVA

Karlo Vragovic (191-G-89)
Stats: 6.6ppg, 1.7rpg, 1.1apg

Has solid physicall attributes and can play in high tempo all 40 minutes. Is good defender and solid outside shooter. He is not pure PG and his development should go in way that he becomes tough defender who will spend time on PG and SG positions.

Zeljko Sakic (203-F-88)
Stats: 7.1ppg, 4.8rpg

Solid inside played who plays with passion. Is a little undersized but likes tough basketball. Has solid strenght but not so quick and athletic.

-CEDEVITA

Franko Filipovic (206-F-87)
Stats: 8.3ppg, 4.1rpg, 1.2apg

He is strong, mobile and has no fear. Has good potential to develop in very powerful PF. Runs the floor well and is athletic with good lateral speed and good rebounder. Also has solid outside shot.

*****************************************************
CYPRUS

Raca in Olympiada Patron -by Chris Mammides
After Iraklis, The Serbian Cypriot Head Coach will have his second taste of the Greek A1 as he was assigned another difficult mission, AEP Olimpias Patron (probably the weakest team in the A1) will be his next destination. The experience coach wants to delete his bad experience in Thesaloniki, with Iraklis. Dragan Raca 's new assistant coach in the PAtras team will be the ex head Coach of Paghiakos (Women's league, A1) Marios Despotakis, In the mean time there are some major problems with the American guard Dewayne Jefferson (191-G-79, college: Miss.Valley St.), the Ameircan player seems to agree terms with the Turkish Durusafaka without even fulfilling his contract with the Patras team.

*****************************************************
CZECH REP.

Akasvayu Girona sign Maurice Whitfield -by Eurobasket
Akasvayu Girona added to their roster 35-year old American guard Maurice Whitfield (186-G-73, college: Norfolk St., agency: Edge Sports). Whitfield played most recently at AEP Olimpias Patron (Greece). Whitfield has also Czech Rep. nationality and played for their national team for last three years. He also played pro basketball in Dominican Rep., Bolivia, Croatia, Hungary, Czech Rep. and in the States.

*****************************************************
D-LEAGUE

Last Night in the D-League -by Surujh Roopnarine
Sioux Falls Skyforce (88) at Dakota Wizards (99)
SKYFORCE: Kasib Powell (6'7''-F-81, college: Texas Tech) (20p+7rb), Elton Nesbitt (17p), Jason Klotz (13p+7rb), Jahsha Bluntt (11p)
WIZARDS: Maurice Baker (6'1''-G-79, college: Oklahoma St.) (27p+11rb+7as), Dontell Jefferson (18p+11rb+7as), Carlos Powell (17p), Kevin Lyde (10p+17rb)

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (86) at Utah Flash (102)
VIPERS: Trent Strickland (6'5''-G-84, college: Wake Forest) (21p+8rb), Craig Winder (20p), Quin Humphrey (15p+8rb), Quannas White (7p+7rb+5as)
FLASH: Brian Jackson (6'9''-F-80, college: Oregon St.) (19p+7rb), Michael Cuffee (16p), Kevin Kruger (11p+8as), Kyrylo Fesenko (6p+11rb)

Tulsa 66ers (125) at Bakersfield Jam (115)
66ERS: Mike Hall (6'8''-F-84, college: George Washington) (30p+8rb), Nick Fazekas (25p+5rb), Adam Harrington (15p), Ramon Sessions (14p+6rb+9as+6to)
JAM: Andre Barrett (5'9''-G-82, college: Seton Hall) (31p+14as), Scooter McFadgon (24p), James Peters (22p+5rb), Anthony Wilkins (16p)

Josh McRoberts Assigned to Idaho Stampede -by Surujh Roopnarine
Rookie forward Josh McRoberts (6'10''-F-87, college: Duke) has been assigned by the Portland Trail Blazers to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Idaho Stampede.
McRoberts, a two year standout at Duke University, was a second round selection (#37) by Portland in the 2007 NBA Draft. McRoberts has appeared in three games for Portland this season averaging 1.3 points in 2.3 minutes. At Duke, McRoberts was a reluctant star, often times deferring to teammates when he should have been the one carrying the load, but still was very impressive with his guard-like skill set. Josh posted career averages of 10.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 69 games (63 as a starter) for the Blue Devils.

Veteran players return to D-League teams after NBA stints
Billy Thomas (6'5''-G-75, college: Kansas) has been re-acquired by the Colorado 14ers. Thomas is coming off of a 10-day contract with the New Jersey Nets.
The Austin Toros have reacquired DeMarr Johnson (6'9''-G-80, college: Cincinnati) and Keith Langford (6'4''-G/F-83, college: Kansas) from the San Antonio Spurs. They waived Kevin Pittsnoggle and Kenton Paulino due to injury.

*****************************************************
EURO CUP

Qualifying Round. Third games for all the teams -by Eurobasket News

The Qualifying Round of EuroCup tournament welcomed all the teams in Europe who are still participating in it. It was opened by the win of Estonian Tartu Rock 102:94 at Lappeenranta in Finland. In another game of Group A CSK-VVS Samara improved to 2-1 in after an overtime thriller against PAOK in Greece and won 65:73. Yaniv Green (206-F-80, agency: Arik Krayn Services) led the winners with 25 points and 14 rebounds. Alex Scales supported him with 24 points to be the second top-scorer for the guests.

Group B saw Banvit extended their desperate start of the qualifying round of FIBA EuroCup in Group B. After two opening losses Banvit needed to shake things up and an opportune moment appeared in the third round as they faced winless Cherkassy in Balikesir. But the curtain finally dropped for the Turkish team as they suffered their third straight defeat in the tournament and remained at the bottom of the ladder.

Banvit got to a slightly better start to the game and were up by 2 points ten minutes into the game 26:24. But Cherkassy bounced back in the second stanza as Martynas Andriukaitis (204-F-81) and Andrei Lebedev (189-G-79) adjusted shooting to fuel a fierce comeback effort for the visitors. Banvit struggled to maintain their opponents defensively and the margin grew to 11 points after three quarters of action. However Nigerian centre Kenny Adeleke (205-C-83, college: Hartford) was virtually unstoppable for Banvit and carried Banvit to a miraculous recovery in the fourth term. But it still was not enough for an overall win. Cherkassy withstood the challenge and sealed the positive outcome at the end.

Andrei Lebedev led Cherkassy with 24 points. Martynas Andriukaitis tallied 23 points and 12 boards, while Edwards provided 15 points for the winners. Kenny Adeleke led all scorers with 28 points and 15 rebounds. Inanc Koc had 14 points for Banvit as they fell to 0-3 record. Cherkassy shot an outstanding 56% from beyond the arc and outrebounded the hosts 32:30.

Banvit will next face Dexia Mons-Hainaut in Belgium. Cherkassy will play against Ural Great away from home on January 15.

Ural Great narrowly defeated Belgian Mons Hainaut to foster their perfect record in Group B of EuroCup. Both teams entered the game undefeated and looked to extend their streaks. Ural Great used home court advantage and the support of 4500 spectators to claim a hard victory at crunch time and improved to 3-0 record.

Ben Ebong got things going in this one for Mons Hainaut. Mike Lenzly sank a three-pointer shortly after as the visitors acquired a 7:2 lead just over a minute into the game. The Belgian team led throughout the rest of the first quarter and finished it with a 19:16 advantage. Consecutive baskets from Travis Conlan, Sullivan and Roger Huggins allowed Mons Hainaut to enjoy a 25:19 lead with 7 minutes remaining in the first half. But Vanja Plisnic (207-F/C-80, agency: Beo Basket) and Ivan Koljevic drained 5 consecutive points for Ural Great to cut it to 26:27 midway through the frame. Nate Reinking banked 4 points for the visitors, while Aleksei Zozulin (199-G/F-83) capped the half with a long jumper to sent teams into the dressing room at 29:31 for Mons Hainaut.

The second half started with a bunch of free throws from both teams before Vanja Plisnic nailed a trey to lift the hosts in front 37:36. Aleksei Zozulin later added another triple to extend the margin to 42:38 late in the third stanza but Jim Potter immediately answered with big three-pointer to narrow the gap. Nate Reinking and Jim Potter began the final term with back-to-back three pointers to regain the lead for Mons Hainaut. Their effort was well-matched by two long bombs from Aleksei Zozulin and Vanja Plisnic. Surovtsev deepened the cushion to 6 points with another trey but Mike Lenzly and Jim Cantamessa kept the visitors close. Ben Ebong soon nailed two free throws to secure a 56:55 lead for Mons Hainaut with 4 minutes left in regulation. Nate Reinking dropped a jumper, while Vanja Plisnic knocked down a shot from beyond the arc as the teams were all square at 58 with just over a minute left. Ralph Biggs got fouled and sank both free throws to give Ural Great a 60:58 advantage late in the game. Mons Hainaut had 46 seconds to save the game but Nate Reinking first committed a turnover and later Mike Lenzly missed a potential winner with 3 seconds on the clock to seal the positive outcome for Ural Great.

Aleksei Zozulin and Vanja Plisnic provided 13 points a piece to lead Ural Great. Andrew Wisniewski contributed 11 points and 5 assists for the winners. Nate Reinking and Roger Huggins had 11 points apiece in a losing effort. Ural Great will next host Cherkassy, while Mons Hainaut will take on Banvit at home.

Spartak St Petersburg had a road win over Olympia 58:63 in Greece. Rafael Araujo top-scored with 18 points to lead the Russian squad. The man of the game made some consecutive jump shots and Milovan Rakovic added a jumper to cap the 8-0 run and put the Russian team in front at 53:52 in the fourth quarter. That was a result of the first win in Group C for Spartak that is 1-2 now. Olympia are still in good shape with two wins and now one defeat.

KK Zagreb won over Proteas EKA AEL 82:77. Ante Tomic (217-C-87) had 14 points and 12 rebounds for Zagreb, while Milutin Aleksic had 10 assists to go with his 12 points and five boards for Proteas.

In Group D Lokomotiv Rostov reached the first victory as well beating Ukrainian Khimik. Russian team upset Knimik for the first time in the Group having 76:65 victory. Khimik still top the group at 2-1 though. Szymon Szewczyk (209-C-82) paced the winners with 27 points and 8 rebounds. Kresimir Loncar followed him with 13 points to Lokomotiv's victory. Three players scored 14 points in the Ukrainian resistance.

Barons overcame Cholet Basket at home to occupy the top spot in Group D of EuroCup Qualifying round. Barons now share the top spot with Ukrainian side Khimik at a 2-1 record. In a close start to the game Barons used accurate jumpers from Giedrius Gustas (190-G-80, agency: Interperformances) and Dainius Adomaitis to take a 16:7 lead late in the first frame. Nando De Colo answered with a triple for French team and Claude Marquis completed a three-point play to trail by a single point 15:16.

Nando De Colo and Claude Marquis continued to pile up points for Cholet in the second quarter as they kept it close early on. However Demetrius Alexander and Giedrius Gustas hit from downtown to ignite an 8:2 run for the hosts as they cleared off to a 7-point distance. Tony Dobbins and Steed Tchicamboud nailed a bunch of free throws to cap the second term trailing by 4. The teams exchanged the blows in the third frame but Barons had the last word as Dainius Adomaitis and Armands Skele made it 50:41 heading into the final period. Giedrius Gustas connected from afar, while Demetrius Alexander contributed a jump shot to maintain the distance at the start of the final stanza. Barons widened the margin midway through the frame as Demetrius Alexander nailed 4 straight points for a 64:50 advantage. Cholet never recovered at the late stages and suffered the second defeat in the tournament.

Giedrius Gustas topscored with 21 points for Barons. Demetrius Alexander had 20 points, while Armands Skele posted 15 points in a winning effort. Nando De Colo tallied 21 points for the visitors. Claude Marquis secured 17 points and 12 boards in a loss. Cholet dominated the paint outrebounding the hosts 37:26. Barons at the same time sank solid 50% from the field and 86% from free throw line. The home team also forced Cholet to 20 turnovers.

Barons climb on top in Group D of EuroCup -by Eurobasket News
Barons - Cholet Basket 76:66

Barons overcame Cholet Basket at home to occupy the top spot in Group D of EuroCup Qualifying round. Barons now share the top spot with Ukrainian side Khimik at 2-1 record. In a close start to the game Barons used accurate jumpers from Giedrius Gustas (190-G-80, agency: Interperformances) and Dainius Adomaitis (202-F-74) to take a 16:7 lead late in the first frame. Nando De Colo (195-G-87) answered with a triple for French team and Claude Marquis (201-F/C-80, agency: Octagon) completed a three-point play to trail by a single point 15:16. Nando De Colo and Claude Marquis continued to pile up points for Cholet in the second quarter as they kept it close early on. However Demetrius Alexander (204-F/C-75, agency: CAA Sports, college: Alabama) and Giedrius Gustas hit from downtown to ignite an 8:2 run for the hosts as they cleared off to a 7-point distance. Tony Dobbins (195-G-81, college: Richmond) and Steed Tchicamboud (193-G-81) nailed a bunch of free throws to cap the second term trailing by 4. The teams exchanged the blows in the third frame but Barons had the last word as Dainius Adomaitis and Armands Skele (192-G-83) made it 50:41 heading into the final period. Giedrius Gustas connected from afar, while Demetrius Alexander contributed a jump shot to maintain the distance at the start of the final stanza. Barons widened the margin midway through the frame as Demetrius Alexander nailed 4 straight points for a 64:50 advantage. Cholet never recovered at the late stages and suffered the second defeat in the tournament.
Giedrius Gustas topscored with 21 points for Barons. Demetrius Alexander had 20 points, while Armands Skele posted 15 points in a winning effort. Nando De Colo tallied 21 points for the visitors. Claude Marquis secured 17 points and 12 boards in a loss. Cholet dominated the paint outrebounding the hosts 37:26. Barons at the same time sank solid 50% from the field and 86% from free throw line. The home team also forced Cholet to 20 turnovers.
Barons will next host Lokomotiv Rostov on January 15.

Barons: Giedrius Gustas 21, Demetrius Alexander 20, Armands Skele 15
Cholet: Nando De Colo 21, Claude Marquis 17+12 boards

Ural Great completes Russian winning blast in Europe -by Eurobasket News
Ural Great - Mons Hainaut 60:58

Russian teams were unstoppable during the midweek in Europe with Ural Great completing the picture. Perm team narrowly defeated Belgian Mons Hainaut to foster their perfect record in Group B of EuroCup. Both teams entered the game undefeated and looked forward to extend the streak. Ural Great used home court advantage and support of 4500 spectators to claim a hard victory at crunch time and improved to 3-0 record. Ben Ebong (202-F/C-76, college: Davidson) get thins going in this one for Mons Hainaut. Mike Lenzly (189-G-81, college: Wofford) sank a three-pointer shortly after as the visitors acquired a 7:2 lead with just over a minute into the game. Belgian team led throughout the rest of the first quarter and finished it with a 19:16 advantage. Straight baskets from Travis Conlan (194-G-75, college: Michigan), Sullivan and Roger Huggins (200-F-67, college: Hawaii-Pacific) allowed Mons Hainaut to enjoy a 25:19 lead with 7 minutes remaining in the first half. But Vanja Plisnic (207-F/C-80, agency: Beo Basket) and Ivan Koljevic (186-G-84) drained 5 consecutive points for Ural Great to cut it to 26:27 midway through the frame. Nate Reinking (183-G-73, college: Kent St.) banked 4 points for the visitors, while Aleksei Zozulin (199-G/F-83) capped the half with a long jumper to sent teams into the dressing room at 29:31 for Mons Hainaut.
The second half started with a bunch of free throws from both teams before Vanja Plisnic nailed a trey to lift the hosts in front 37:36. Aleksei Zozulin later added another triple to extend the margin to 42:38 late in the third stanza but Jim Potter (203-F-73, college: Idaho St.) immediately answered with big three-pointer to narrow the gap. Nate Reinking and Jim Potter began the final term with back-to-back trebles to regain the lead for Mons Hainaut. Their effort was well-matched by two long bombs from Aleksei Zozulin and Vanja Plisnic. Surovtsev deepened the cushion to 6 points with another trey but Mike Lenzly and Jim Cantamessa (202-F-78, college: Siena) kept the visitors close. Ben Ebong soon nailed two free throws to secure a 56:55 lead for Mons Hainaut with 4 minutes left in regulation. Nate Reinking dropped a jumper, while Vanja Plisnic knocked down a shot from beyond the arc as the teams were all square at 58 with just over a minute left. Ralph Biggs (199-F-76, agency: Court Side, college: Towson) got fouled and sank both free throws to give Ural Great a 60:58 advantage late in the game. Mons Hainaut had 46 seconds to save the game but Nate Reinking first committed a turnover and later Mike Lenzly missed a potential winner with 3 seconds on the clock to seal the positive outcome for Ural Great.
Aleksei Zozulin and Vanja Plisnic provided 13 points apiece to lead Ural Great. Andrew Wisniewski (191-G-81, college: Centenary) contributed 11 points and 5 assists for the winners. Nate Reinking and Roger Huggins had 11 points apiece in a losing effort. Ural Great will next host Cherkassy, while Mons Hainaut will take on Banvit at home.

Ural Great: Aleksei Zozulin 13, Vanja Plisnic 13, Andrew Wisniewski 11
Mons Hainaut: Nate Reinking 11, Roger Huggins 11

*****************************************************
EUROLEAGUE

Fenerbahce pounds Roanne at home -by Eurobasket News
Fenerbahce - Roanne 81:68

Turkish Fenerbahce made another confident step towards the next round of the Euroleague competition as they overcame struggling Roanne at Abdi Ipekci Sports Hall. They now improved to 6-5 record and hold a tight grip of the 4th spot in Group C. Chorale Roanne suffered their 8th defeat in the season but still foster a chance to make it through. The hosts did not wait for too long before bringing down their offensive avalanche on the visitors. Fenerbahce quickly built a 14:2 lead to set the tone. Will Solomon (187-G-78, college: Clemson) connected from afar and Vidmar came up with another jumper to extend the margin to 24:8. Roanne finally recovered their breath and started to look for some answers. French team ignited a 5:0 rally to cut the gap but Mirsad Turkcan (206-F-76) quickly reacted with an impressive dunk to make it 28:13 after 10 minutes. Roanne had a momentum early in the second stanza as Brion Rush (186-G-84, college: Grambling St.) drained a three-pointer and Ron Hale (203-F-77, college: Florida St.) converted a layup. Marc Salyers (205-F-79, college: Samford) and Brion Rush were accurate from the field as the visitors saw the gap narrowed to just 8 points. However Fenerbahce addressed the ball to Damir Kaan as he knocked down back-to-back trebles to restore a safe distance. Marc Salyers completed his 18-point performance for the first half with two more points to finalize a 36:44 distance at halftime.
Laurent Cazalon (195-G-79) hit a jump shot early in the third frame to give the visitors hope. However the home team quickly denied with 5 unanswered points to keep it cool. Barak later nailed consecutive three-pointers to ice the French players and Fenerbahce entered the fourth period with an 11-point cushion. The game was not over yet as Roanne revived in the fourth term. Ron Hale and Brion Rush were once again big at the start of the final quarter and the gap was cut to just two points midway through it. But Will Solomon responded with 7 straight points for the hosts as they ran away for good.
Will Solomon finished with 19 points to lead the action for Fenerbahce. James White (198-G-84, college: Cincinnati) contributed 12 points, while Omer Onan (194-G-78, agency: Interperformances) had 11 points for the winners. Marc Salyers delivered game-high 20 points for Roanne. Brion Rush added 12 points in a losing effort. Roanne will next travel to Greece to take on Panathinaikos. Fenerbahce will play against Bamberg in Germany in Round 12.

Fenerbahce: Will Solomon 19, James White 12, Omer Onan 11
Roanne: Marc Salyers 20, Brion Rush 12

Correction: Pekovic is not close to Panathianikos -by Chris Mammides
A major correction to put things in order. The Serbian super center, Nikola Pekovic (210-C-86) is not very close to the Eurochampions as was posted in an earlier story. The talented Serb, will be drafted in the USA, as the majority of scouts are stating that he has a position among the top five in the NBA draft of 2008. The player is claiming that he does prefer to continue his career in Europe, but.... a place in the top 5 of the World's best league??? Who could be negative to such an offer?? Pekovic's agent only had a coffee with Obradovic at the end of 2007 and all the media immediately thought that Pekovic was moving close to Panathinaikos due to the very good relations that Panathinaikos has with the agency (Spanoulis is one of the players that the Serb agent has under a contract). Never the less, we still have a whole season and there are many remaining chapters in the basketball series called Nikola Pekovic!!

*****************************************************
GERMANY

Q&A with Jordan Foebel -by Moritz Korff
All in all six Canadians are playing for teams of the 2. Bundesliga at the moment. However, only one of them represents the Maple Leaf in the Pro B. 24-year-old Jordan Foebel (208-C-83, college: York University) from Ancaster, Ontario made the Starting Five in all but one game for USC Freiburg in this current season. Pulling down 7.7 boards per contest Foebel is 12th in Rebounds per game in the entire league, one of the best shot blockers of the Pro B (1.7bpg) and even second best in Field Goal Percentage (70.5%). Plus, the Canadian Postman, who also holds a British passport which makes him a Bosman-player, has produced four Double-Doubles so far in 2007-2008 and is on top of the USC Freiburg Efficiency Rating. Please read what he has to say about his first year in Germany and life in sunny Freiburg.

Do you think USC Freiburg has the chance to finish this season first or second in the league to move up to the 2. Bundesliga Pro A? And which are the other teams to watch?

I think we have a very good shot at finishing in the top two spots in our league. We are currently tied for second in the league so if we keep playing at the level we were at before the Christmas break then I think we will be alright. It is a very tough league, we are currently in a three way tie with Essen and Crailsheim with Kirchheim in first and Munchen in third so there are four teams right there that should be fighting until the end. However there are also a lot of teams only two or three games behind so it will be hard to say who to keep an eye on because any team could get hot and make a push

Now that the first half of this season is over: How do you feel about your and your teams' performances so far?

After half a season of play I feel that our team is playing well but still improving. I think we are a very talented and deep team which has already helped us and probably will continue to. At the beginning of the season our goal was to finish first or second so right now we are still on track to achieve that so I think we are playing well. We are also still trying to get used to playing with eachother, there are a lot of new players on the team and as a result we have to build a chemestry which we have done well up until this point and as that chemistry continues to grow I believe we will be more successful. Personally, I feel I have improved over the season as well. I started off very slowly but as I became acustomed to the type of game and adjusted myself to it I became more comfortable which allowed me to play better. However, there are still parts of my game that need work so there is still room to grow.

Which parts of the game need to be improved during the second half?

For the second half of the season we could probably work to improve our defense. We have gotten a lot better over the course of the season but we still periods where we breakdown or forget the game plan. If we could fix that aspect we would in good shape. Also, we need to work to start games stronger. It sometimes takes us a few minutes to get going and if we started the game strong I think we would benefit from it.

Please name three aspects why you are enjoying to be a member of the USC Freiburg organization.

1) Great teammates - All the guys on the team get along and that has made the transition much easier. Everyone looks out for eachother and helps eachother out when they need it so they make it a good atmosphere to be in.
2)The city itself has also made the time here enjoyable. It is a very old city with lots of history so there is lots here to experience. It is also a university city which means there are a lot of students around my age so it is young and exciting at the same time.
3)The opportunity USC Freiburg has given me has also made this experience worth it. They brought me here to play basketball, which is great, but as a result I have gotten to see parts of the world I may not have otherwise seen and experience things I could not back in Canada.

Many basketball-fans in Germany are following the action in the NCAA, but hardly anybody takes notice of Canadian college-basketball. How good are the teams of the CIS compared to the college-divisions in the USA?

I think people would be surprised by the quality of basketball played at the university level in Canada. It not on the same level as the NCAA simply because there are not the same resources available to draw big time players. However, that said, Canadian schools are still very competitive. In recent years there have been growing numbers of preseason games between NCAA teams and Canadian teams, and if you look at the outcomes, the Canadian schools are winning a fair number of those games. Earlier this year my old school, York University, beat Morehead State so we are not that far behind. Overall I would say that good Canadian teams would be able to hold their own in the NCAA, maybe not against teams like North Carolina or Duke, but we could hold our own, I'm sure of that.

Coming out of high school, did you also receive offers from colleges in the USA? And if yes, why did you choose to stay in Canada?

Coming out of high school there was some interest from colleges in the USA, but never anything huge so I felt it would be better for me to stay in Canada. I have heard stories of Canadians going to schools in the USA and sitting on the bench for most of their time there, or finally coming back to Canada, and I didn't want that, I wanted to play and felt that was more likely in Canada. Also education was important, and in Canada there is more emphasis on school then sports so that was another advantage to staying in Canada. I also like being close to home so my family can come watch when they want, and that was only possible in Canada, so I decided to stay. I still ended up playing professional basketball, which was always a dream, so it looks like I made the right decision for me.

Wolfenbuettel signed DeMario Grier -by Moritz Korff
As the agency Scorers 1st Sportmanagement announced today DeMario Grier (183-G, college: Pfeiffer) has inked a contract for the remainder of the season with the Wolfenbuettel Dukes (2. Bundesliga Pro B). He is the brother of Rico Grier (185-G-82, college: Pfeiffer), who suited up for Grevenbroich and Duesseldorf in the past.
The new Duke attended NCAA2-school Pfeiffer University. During the 2006-2007 campaign, his senior season, Grier played 28 games for the Falcons and averaged 24.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.8 steals per contest. The addition of Grier could mean hard times (or the exit) for one of their current import players - probably Playmaker David Knowles (183-G-84, college: Pomona-Pitzer). However, there has not been given any official statement by the Dukes-officials yet.

Masnic no longer Headcoach in Bielefeld -by Moritz Korff
TSVE Bielefeld parted with Headcoach Ilias Masnic. The Dolphins are currently 12th in the 2. Bundesliga Pro B and won only four out of 15 games this season. A successor for the Bosnian has already been found. Chris Huelsewede will stand at the helm from January 23 on. In the next two games Matthias Schoepfer, Coach of Bielefeld's Women-Team, will get this job done, because Huelsewede is not available yet. 42-year-old Huelsewede coached the team already from 1995 to 1999 and during the 2002-2003 campaign.

Grevenbroich added Chris Wooldridge -by Moritz Korff
Chris Wooldridge (198-F, college: Catawba) has joined the Elephants Grevenbroich (Regionalliga West) and will stay for four weeks for the time being. The 23-year-old Forward is a college-mate of Elephants' Guard Brian Graves (188-G, college: Catawba) and also graduated from Catawba College (NCAA2) in 2007. Wooldridge had 31 appearances for the Indians in 2006-2007, averaging 15.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals per contest.

*****************************************************
GREECE

Raca in Olympiada Patron -by Chris Mammides
After Iraklis, The Serbian Cypriot Head Coach will have his second taste of the Greek A1 as he was assigned another difficult mission, AEP Olimpias Patron (probably the weakest team in the A1) will be his next destination. The experience coach wants to delete his bad experience in Thesaloniki, with Iraklis. Dragan Raca 's new assistant coach in the PAtras team will be the ex head Coach of Paghiakos (Women's league, A1) Marios Despotakis, In the mean time there are some major problems with the American guard Dewayne Jefferson (191-G-79, college: Miss.Valley St.), the Ameircan player seems to agree terms with the Turkish Durusafaka without even fulfilling his contract with the Patras team.

Correction: Pekovic is not close to Panathianikos -by Chris Mammides
A major correction to put things in order. The Serbian super center, Nikola Pekovic (210-C-86) is not very close to the Eurochampions as was posted in an earlier story. The talented Serb, will be drafted in the USA, as the majority of scouts are stating that he has a position among the top five in the NBA draft of 2008. The player is claiming that he does prefer to continue his career in Europe, but.... a place in the top 5 of the World's best league??? Who could be negative to such an offer?? Pekovic's agent only had a coffee with Obradovic at the end of 2007 and all the media immediately thought that Pekovic was moving close to Panathinaikos due to the very good relations that Panathinaikos has with the agency (Spanoulis is one of the players that the Serb agent has under a contract). Never the less, we still have a whole season and there are many remaining chapters in the basketball series called Nikola Pekovic!!

*****************************************************
HOLLAND

Magixx 's Dirk Schouten stops with basketball -by Fred Roggen
Acording to the online basketballmagazine 'Powerforward.nl' has Matrixx Magixx pointguard Dirk Schouten

(183-G-89), one of Holland most talented youth players, decided to stop with basketball by direct and has chosen for his study.

Magixx-coach Michael Schuurs has not been enthusiastically concerning the decision of Dirk Schouten. I think, if you are 18-years young , you can very well combine topbasketball and study.

*****************************************************
HUNGARY

American player in the 2nd league -by Tamas Deri
Joe Kennerly (204-C/F-84, college: Cent.Oklahoma) just arrived in Hungary and signed a contract with one month tryout with the team of DEKE from Debrecen. American power forward played after his college carreer already in Lebanon, Portugal, Jordan and this season in Argentina. If his letter of clearence will arrive, Kennerly will play his first game with his new team this saturday.

*****************************************************
ICELAND

KR lost at home -by Siggi Hjorleifsson
KR lost to Grindavik at home 76-87. KR did not have a good game tonight. Not rebounding well, not shooting well. Grindavik with better shooting % in all areas. Grindavik playing better defense over all. KR 3-2 zone late in the game did not work. J J Sola played for KR again. Not in his best form yet. Good win for Grindavik.
Top scorers. Avi Fogel 20. Joshua Helm 19 J J Sola 12 for KR. Jonathan Griffin (191-G-83, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Mo.-St.Louis) 27. Adame Darboe 22. Pall Axel Vilbergsson 19. Igor Beljanski 12 for Grindavik.

Stjarnan vs. Fjolnir -by Siggi Hjorleifsson
Stjarnan finally won game again when they beat Fjolnir tonight 95-79. Fjolnir have not won a game for long time now.Jovan Zradvevski played his first game after he moved from KR to Stjarnan.
Leading scorers for Stjarnan. Dimitar Karadzovski (189-G-84) 29 + 10 rebs + 10 assist. Triple double from the Macedonian. Calvin Roland 19 + 14 rebs. Kjartan Kjartansson 13. For Fjolnir. Karlton Mims 24 Kristinn Jonasson 21. Anthony Drejaj 16

Hamar vs Skallagrimur. -by Siggi Hjorleifsson
Skallagrimur still wins even they have to play without two of their starters Axel Karason & Milojica Zekovic.Both with broken bones in their foot. Tonight they beat Hamara away 80-84.
Leading scorers for Hamar. Nicholas King (201-F/G-82, agency: Strategic Sports, college: St.Augustine) 24. Roni Leimu 17. For Skallagrim. Petur Sigurdson 24. Darrell Flake 22 + 15 rebs. Hafthor Gunnarsson 14

Njardvik scores 139 points. -by Siggi Hjorleifsson
Njardvik beat Thor 1390. Looks like there was not any defense played. Njardvik started strong 24-4 in beginning and scored 41 points in first Q. Brenton Birmingham (195-G-73, college: Manhattan) had 21 in first Q. 75-42 at halftime.
Leading scorers for Njardvik. Brenton Birmingham 33. Damon Bailey 29. Hordur Axel Vilhjalmsson 26. 7/10 in three pts. Johann Olafsson 14.
For Thor Cedric Isom (188-G-84, agency: IceBasket, college: E.Texas Baptist) 33. Odinn Asgeirsson 13. Luka Marolt & Jon Kristjansson 12 each.

*****************************************************
IRAN

Bidding process for the 2014 FIBA World Championship opened -by Mahin Gorgy

from fiba official web site:
GENEVA (2014 FIBA World Championship) - Following the decision taken by its last Central Board meeting, held on 8th and 9th December 2007 in Chicago (USA), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) is happy to announce that the bidding process for the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Men has started today, 10th January 2008.

A considerable number of affiliated National Federations from all five Zones have already expressed their initial interest in bidding for the organization of FIBA's premier championship in 2014.

All National Federations interested in hosting the FIBA 2014 World Championship are required to comply with the following schedule:

Letters of Interest must reach FIBA by 30th April 2008.

All National Federations having correctly submitted their Letter of Interest will be invited to participate in a two-day Workshop, to be held on 26th and 27th June 2008 in Geneva, Switzerland. At the Workshop, the National Federations will be guided through all the steps of the bidding process and through all details necessary to guarantee a successful organization of the FIBA 2014 World Championship.

After having carefully studied the 'FIBA World Championship for Men 2014 Bid and Event Manual' and after having participated in the Workshop, those National Federations having decided to continue with their respective bidding processes will be invited to hand over their candidature files in person, in Geneva, on 5th December 2008 (date to be confirmed), during an official presentation ceremony in presence of the FIBA Central Board.

Between December 2008 and March 2009 the FIBA Evaluation Commission shall examine all presented and duly confirmed bids and shall present a complete report, after conducting visits to all bidding National Federations, to the FIBA Central Board.

The complete bidding process will end in April 2009, when the FIBA Central Board decides the host of the 2014 World Championship for Men.

*****************************************************
JORDAN

New Dates for Arab Club Championships -by Fadi Sabbah
Jordan Basketball federation hosted officials from the Arab Basketball Federation and decided on new dates for the Men and Women Championships. The Arab Federation delegation insisted on separating the two tournaments. The Arab club Championship for Men will take place in Amman from 23 April - 5 May 2008, while the Arab Club Championship for Women will be held in Amman from 7 - 18 June. Zain and Orthodox Clubs will represent Jordan in the Men's Championship, while Orthodox and Riyadi Clubs will play in the Women Championship.

*****************************************************
KOREA

KT&G WIN OVER LG SAKERS AT HOME -by Rick Ross
It was the student Coach Yoo Do Hoon leading his team KT&G to victory against his former teacher and head Coach Shin Sun Woo of LG Sakers Club by a score of
94-84. KT&G is the 2nd ranked team in the KBL with a record of 21-11 as they continue to stay on the Charts in Contention for the 2008 KBL Crown. Both imports for KT&G, T.J Cummings & Chandler Marquin (202-F-82, college: San Jose St.), played well (check here as their scores and stats become available http://www.kbl.or.kr/).
LG Sakers Blankson Odartey (201-F/G-82, agency: Naiditch Entertainment, college: UNLV) was the high scorer in defeat with 28 pts 12 rebs.The LG Sakers landed in 5th position going into the 4th Rounds as Dongbu Promy lead the way.

원주동부 24 8

안양KT&G 21 11

전주KCC 19 12

서울삼성 18 13

창원LG 18 14

서울SK 16 15

인천전자랜드 15 16

부산KTF 13 18

울산모비스 9 23

대구오리온스 4 27

*****************************************************
KOSOVO

Referee's and Monitor's Clinic -by Edona Shabani
Referee's Commission of BFK will organize a clinic for monitors and referees on January 12, 2008. This clinic will take place on Physical Culture Faculty in Prishtina on 10:00.

To discourse in this clinic will be the international referees from Bosnia and Herzegovina Ademir Zvrapovic (Fiba Referee)

CLINIC'S AGENDA

Schedule - Morning
10:00 - 11:00. Contact situations during the game
11:00 - 12:00 Analyzing arbitration situations in the last European Championship in Spain - with DVD
12:00 - 13:00 Brake

Afternoon
13:00 - 14:00 Techniques and Mechanics of 3 referees
14:00 - 15:00 Techniques and Mechanics of 3 referees - DVD

Coaches Commission prefers to all of coaches to participate in this clinic, because it is of a great importance for coach- referee cooperation.

Source: www.basketbolli.com

Pioneer's Festival on Sunday -by Edona Shabani
Pioneers Festival, in which will participate 3 participants of each Basketball Club or Basketball School who compete in Pioneer's League 'Stobi Fips' will take place on January 13, 2008 in Vushtrri.

Gathering of all candidates propose by their coaches will be at the Center for Public Safety, Education and Development( ex- KPA School) in Vushtrri on 9:30.

FESTIVALS AGENDA
9,30 -Gathering of participants in CPSED
10,00- Exercise

Groups I and II in the physical culture hall in CPSED

Groups III and IV in Sports Hall in Vushtrri
12,00 -13,00 Lunch
13,00-17,00 Four matches in Sports Hall In Vushtrri
17:00

All pioneer's must bring with all the necessary fitment( kit, shorts and sports shoes

source: www.basketbolli.com

To the members of the Professional Council -by Edona Shabani
Invitation to participate In the meeting of Professional Council of Basketball Federation Of Kosova, which will take place on Monday, January 14, 2008 starting on 13:00 in BFK office.

For this meeting is proposed this:

A G E N D A

1Ideas for the working plan on 2008.
2.Preparing for the meeting' strategic development of basketball 2008-2012'
3 Discussion on Regulation on National Team of Kosova.
4. Information on Pioneer's Festival
5.Different topics

Your Presence obligatory

President of Professional Council of BFK
Jeton Nixha

Source: www.basketbolli.com

*****************************************************
LATVIA

Barons climb on top in Group D of EuroCup -by Eurobasket News
Barons - Cholet Basket 76:66

Barons overcame Cholet Basket at home to occupy the top spot in Group D of EuroCup Qualifying round. Barons now share the top spot with Ukrainian side Khimik at 2-1 record. In a close start to the game Barons used accurate jumpers from Giedrius Gustas (190-G-80, agency: Interperformances) and Dainius Adomaitis (202-F-74) to take a 16:7 lead late in the first frame. Nando De Colo (195-G-87) answered with a triple for French team and Claude Marquis (201-F/C-80, agency: Octagon) completed a three-point play to trail by a single point 15:16. Nando De Colo and Claude Marquis continued to pile up points for Cholet in the second quarter as they kept it close early on. However Demetrius Alexander (204-F/C-75, agency: CAA Sports, college: Alabama) and Giedrius Gustas hit from downtown to ignite an 8:2 run for the hosts as they cleared off to a 7-point distance. Tony Dobbins (195-G-81, college: Richmond) and Steed Tchicamboud (193-G-81) nailed a bunch of free throws to cap the second term trailing by 4. The teams exchanged the blows in the third frame but Barons had the last word as Dainius Adomaitis and Armands Skele (192-G-83) made it 50:41 heading into the final period. Giedrius Gustas connected from afar, while Demetrius Alexander contributed a jump shot to maintain the distance at the start of the final stanza. Barons widened the margin midway through the frame as Demetrius Alexander nailed 4 straight points for a 64:50 advantage. Cholet never recovered at the late stages and suffered the second defeat in the tournament.
Giedrius Gustas topscored with 21 points for Barons. Demetrius Alexander had 20 points, while Armands Skele posted 15 points in a winning effort. Nando De Colo tallied 21 points for the visitors. Claude Marquis secured 17 points and 12 boards in a loss. Cholet dominated the paint outrebounding the hosts 37:26. Barons at the same time sank solid 50% from the field and 86% from free throw line. The home team also forced Cholet to 20 turnovers.
Barons will next host Lokomotiv Rostov on January 15.

Barons: Giedrius Gustas 21, Demetrius Alexander 20, Armands Skele 15
Cholet: Nando De Colo 21, Claude Marquis 17+12 boards

*****************************************************
LIGA AMERICAS

Penarol wins again -by Gianni Pascucci

Universo eliminates Liceo Mixto -by Gianni Pascucci
Brazilian team Universo/BRB defeated Liceo Mixto 86-78 in the first game of the Day 2 of of Liga de las Americas 'Group D' competition, keeping alive the hopes to advance to quarterfinals. Arthur Belchior Silva (198-G-82) was the man of the game in Universo, scoring 30 points, Luis Fernando Souza added 17 points and Andre 'Ratto Fonseca (181-G-69) 16 at the winning side. Percy Werth (185-G-78) and Patricio Briones (213-C-72, college: Dade CC) outstood at the Chilean side, scoring 14 points each. In tonight game vs. Penarol, Universo will point all its 'fiches' to reach the qualification. Instead, Liceo Mixto is yet out from the race.

Penarol ends undefeated -by Gianni Pascucci
Penarol Mar del Plata ended undefeated the 'Group D' after the large win, 84-67 over Universo/BRB Brasilia in Day 3 of Liga de las Americas in Mar del Plata. With 23 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assit, Quincy Wadley (193-G-78, agency: CAA Sports, college: Temple) was the best performer of the game, and Roman Gonzalez (206-C-78, agency: HM Sports Agency) added 22 pts and 5 rebs. Maurice Spillers (199-F-74, college: Utah St.) led the Brazilian team with 22 points in losing effort. Thanks to this result, the two Argentinean teams, Penarol and Libertad, advance both to the quarterfinals, where they will meet Defensor Sporting (URU) and Minas Tenis (BRA), respectively.

Libertad advances to quarterfinals -by Gianni Pascucci
Libertad Sunchales defeated 88-70 Liceo Mixto in Day 3 of Liga de las Americas 'Group D', securing the classification to the second leg of the competition. Another time more, Robert Battle (200-C-81, college: Drexel) outstood on the court, scoring 22 pts and grabbing 5 rebs. Pablo Moldu (191-G-78) added 15 pts and Sebastian Ginobili (190-G-72, agency: Interperformances) 12, while Kei Madison (206-F/G-79, agency: Duran International, college: Okaloosa-Walton CC) with 17 pts was the best at the Chilean side

Quarterfinals schedule released -by Gianni Pascucci
Just after the end of the 'Group D', the 'FIBA Americas' released the official schedule of the Liga de las Americas quarterfinals. The first series will start on Monday, January 14, when the two Mexican teams will meet in Xalapa. All the other series will play the ir first game in the next week. All the series are best of three games, and game 2 and 3 will be played in the home court of the best ranked team, all the games will be telecasted in Spanish by 'FOX Sports' channel, the full schedule is as follows:
1st QUARTERFINAL
Jaunay, 14 : Halcones Xalapa vs. Soles Mexicali 19.00 hora local (23.00 Buenos Aires)
January 21 : Soles Mexicali vs. Halcones Xalapa 20.00 hora local (02.00 Buenos Aires)
if necessary *January 22 : Soles Mexicali vs. Halcones Xalapa 19.00 hora local (01.00 Buenos Aires)
2nd QUARTERFINAL:
January 15 : Libertad vs. Minas Tenis Clube 19.00 local (19.00 Buenos Aires)
January 25 : Minas Tenis Clube vs. Libertad 19.00 hora local (19.00 Buenos Aires)
if necessary *January 26 : Minas Tenis Clube vs. Libertad 18.00 hora local (18.00 Buenos Aires)
3rd QUARTERFINAL:
January 16 : Cangrejeros vs. Miami Tropics 19.00 hora local (21.00 Buenos Aires)
January 24 : Miami Tropics vs. Cangrejeros 18.00 hora local (21.00 Buenos Aires)
if necessary *January 25 : Miami Tropics vs. Cangrejeros 18.15 hora local (21.15 Buenos Aires)
4th QUARTERFINAL
January 17 : Defensor Sporting vs. Penarol 21.00 local (21.00 Buenos Aires)
January 22 : Penarol vs. Defensor Sporting 19.00 hora local (19.00 Buenos Aires)
if necessary *January 23 : Penarol vs. Defensor Sporting 19.00 hora local (19.00 Buenos Aires)
The four teams winners will advance to the Liga de las Americas Final Four, scheduled for February 8 and 9, 2008.

*****************************************************
LITHUANIA

Trailing 10 points, Rytas survived in Greece -by Eurobasket News
Aris TT Bank-Lietuvos Rytas 69:72 (15-12, 21-20, 15-17, 18-23)

Lietuvos Rytas improved to 9-2 in Group B and became the first team to reach such a record in the group. A 7-point advantage in the second half lifted Lithuanian titan on top. Kenan Bajramovic (206-F-81, agency: Beo Basket) led the winners with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Hollis Price (186-G-79, college: Oklahoma) netted 14, while Chuck Eidson (202-F-80, college: S.Carolina) scored 10. Jeremiah Massey (202-F-82, college: Kansas St.) ended up with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Aris dropped to 6-5, but keeps all its chances to advance to the Top 16.

Aris TT Bank and Lietuvos Rytas started the game looking quite nervous. Terry triple put the home team ahead at the end of the quarter at 15:12. Aris fixed the final outcome of the time at 36:32.
In the beginning of the third quarter the hosts opened an 8-point run capped by Bracey Wright (191-G-84, college: Indiana) and Dimitris Tsaldaris. Aris managed to push for the first time to the double digits with 64:54 but then it was Lithuanian time. Kenan Bajramovic drilled triple in transition to balance the score at 69:68. Chuck Eidson sent the live ball away from the basket in the last second as Rytas celebrated the 9th victory. Unicaja might tie Lietuvos if they win the thriller in Israel tonight.

Aris TT Bank: Jeremiah Massey 19+7 rebs, Bracey Wright 14
Lietuvos Rytas: Kenan Bajramovic 18+8 rebs, Hollis Price 14, Chuck Eidson 10

Siauliai stumbles against KK Bosna -by Eurobasket News

KK Bosna - Siauliai 88:77

Siauliai lost a key matchup against Bosna on the road, which can prove costly for Lithuanian team as they strive for the ULEB Cup elimination round berth. Both teams are now knotted at 3-5 record in the 4th spot in Group A. Their chances of making it to the next round now depend on a possible best-fourth record.

KK Bosna opened this must-win encounter better as they scored the first 5 points of the game. Dzenan Rahimic (205-C/F-74) and Edin Bavcic (210-F/C-84, agency: Beo Basket) connected from beyond the arc to enlarge the gap to 13:5. However Siauliai reacted with a 9:0 rally to make it all square at 19 after 10 minutes of action.

Bosna engineered a 10:0 run midway through the second quarter to grab a lead but Siauliai stayed in the contest. Jose Olivero (188-G-85, college: Lehigh) and Donatas Zavackas (203-F-80, college: Pittsburgh) stepped on the gas for Lithuanian team as they cut the gap to 2 points at halftime 38:40. Edin Bavcic continued to pour in from downtown and soon the hosts acquired a 58:47 advantage. Siauliai trailed by 6 points heading into the fourth stanza.

Muhamed Pasalic (192-G-87) and Suad Sehovic (198-G-87) drained triples to pump it up for the home team early in the final period. Antonio Grant (196-F-77, college: S.Carolina) and Gediminas Maceina (188-G-84) nailed a couple of jumpers to regain a glimmer of hope. But Edin Bavcic nailed a triple late in regulation to seal the win for KK Bosna as they cherish hopeful views on the next round.

Dzenan Rahimic led KK Bosna with 16 points and 5 boards. Edin Bavcic scored 14 points, while Bryan Bailey (185-G-80, college: Bucknell) and Lance Williams (206-C-80, college: De Paul) provided 13 points a piece for the winners. Antonio Grant answered with 20 points for Siauliai. Donatas Zavackas produced 19 points and had 12 boards in the loss. Siauliai committed 18 turnovers and sank just 58% from free throw line. Siauliai will visit England to take on the Guildford Heat next week. KK Bosna will be tested by Joventut in Spain.

KK Bosna: Dzenan Rahimic 16, Edin Bavcic 14, Bryan Bailey 13, Lance Williams 13
Siauliai: Antonio Grant 20, Donatas Zavackas 19+12 boards

*****************************************************
MEXICO

Leche Rio Breogan Lugo sign Tiras Wade -by Eurobasket
Leche Rio Breogan Lugo (LEB Gold) strengthened their roster with addition of 27-year old American forward Tiras Wade (200-F-81, agency: Edge Sports, college: Louisiana-Lafayette). Wade played most recently at Pioneros de Quintana Roo-Cancun (Mexico).

*****************************************************
NAIA

New Rankings Released by the NAIA -by Brandon Woudstra
With a perfect 14-0 record, Mountain St. University (W.V.) remains No. 1 in the third regular season National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Men's Basketball Division I Top 25 Coaches' Poll, announced today (Jan. 9). The Cougars have been No. 1 in three of the four polls this season. MSU leads the country in scoring offense averaging over 105 points per contest - the Cougars have hit the 100-point mark in nine of their first 14 games.

Georgetown (Ky.) and Concordia (Calif.) stay at No. 2 and 3, respectively. LSU-Shreveport notched two of the first-place votes as the Pilots hold a perfect 13-0 record. The Pilots have already earned two victories over NCAA Division I opponents, in addition to a Division I exhibition win. Most recently, the Pilots took down Northwestern State (La.) back on Dec. 8.

Lee (Tenn.) moved up to No. 5 thanks in large part to a 77-75 win over NCAA Division I member East Carolina back on Dec. 29.

Southern Nazarene (Okla.) made perhaps the biggest leap all the way up to No. 13. Last Saturday, SNU picked up a 74-69 road win at then-No. 13 Oklahoma City. Two teams, No. 24 Montana State-Northern and No. 25 Jarvis Christian (Texas) both are in the poll for first time in 2007-08.

www.naia.org

For the fourth time in as many polls this season, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) sits on top of the third regular-season National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Men's Basketball Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll, announced today (Jan. 9). Just one of two teams to hold an undefeated record, the Pioneers earned 15 of the 17 first-place votes and a total of 448 points. Close behind is No. 2 Morningside (Iowa) with a 16-0 record and two of the first-place votes.

No. 3 Eastern Oregon popped up three spots as the Mountaineer's own a seven-game winning streak. No. 4 Walsh (Ohio) and No. 5 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) each slipped down one spot from the last poll.

No. 11 Bethel (Ind.) made perhaps one of the biggest jumps. The Pilots, who rank third in the NAIA in field goal percentage (52.5%), recently defeated then-No. 12 Huntington (Ind.) 74-67. BC is nearing 1,000 wins in program history with a 993-571 mark (as of Jan. 7).

Three teams visit the Top 25 since being held out last time: No. 19 Grace (Ind.), No. 22 Taylor (Ind.) and No. 24 Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.). This is the second time for Grace (No. 13 - preseason) and Dakota Wesleyan (No. 23 - Dec. 5) in the polls this season. Taylor is in its inaugural 2007-08 poll.

www.naia.org

*****************************************************
NIGERIA