EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 1/17/2008

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

*****************************************************
ANGOLA

Angolan Joaquim big man on campus -by Kristian Santiago
When Vander Joaquim was growing up in Angola, his parents realized their son's basketball ability could be his ticket to a college education in the U.S.

Considering he's only 17, stands 6-8 and already has played for the Angolan national team, Joaquim certainly has the athletic makeup.

In his first semester at Christian High in El Cajon, Angola's Vander Joaquim, a 6-8 junior, has made an immediate impact on the 10-5 Patriots.
The first step to gaining a college scholarship would be graduation from an American high school, but putting the plan into motion was a challenge for Joaquim's parents.

Living in Luanda, the capital of Angola on the west coast of Africa, Paulo is a shipmaker while Alda makes floral arrangements. Their son spoke no English, only his native Portuguese, and none of his three older brothers was taller than 6 feet. The family wasn't exactly known as a hotbed for basketball talent.

'Mostly my parents wanted a better lifestyle for me in the U.S.A.,' Joaquim, now a junior at Christian High, said through an interpreter.

The family's plan began to pay dividends during one of Joaquim's tours with the Angolan national team.

'We mostly played all over the African continent,' Joaquim said. 'But one time we went to Brazil for an international tournament. I have family in Brazil. My uncle, who lives in Rio de Janeiro and played college basketball at Wayland Baptist University (Plainview, Texas), watched me play. He told me he would help me get to the U.S.A.

'We looked on the Internet for schools that offered English as a second language.'

Among those schools was Christian, where Joaquim was granted enrollment over the summer.

'One day I received a call from Vander,' said Patriots basketball coach Kelvin Starr. 'I feel lucky that he picked us.'

Small wonder, considering Joaquim's size and athletic versatility make him a prize addition to the Patriots' roster.

Christian High is part of Shadow Mountain Church in El Cajon, which is sponsoring Joaquim's stay in this country. Shadow Mountain arranged for Joaquim to live with church member Rubens Ferreira, who speaks Portuguese. Not only does Ferreira - a paving contractor - act as Joaquim's interpreter, he is also his mentor.

'Boy, can that kid eat,' Ferreira said. 'He eats six sandwiches every morning. His favorite meal is steak.'

According to Starr, Joaquim is immersed in his studies.

'This semester Joaquim is enrolled in two English classes, a math class, a computer class, a Bible study class, an ensemble class and a most valuable tutorial (one-on-one with emphasis on English) class,' the coach said.

The academic load is not what Joaquim expected.

'Trying to learn English has my head swimming,' Joaquim said. 'But I know I need it, that I need to catch up.'

Joaquim said he devotes 10 hours per day to academics.
'The level of education is higher, more excellent here,' Joaquim said. 'But I have to say that how long I have to study here is something I really don't like. I know that I must do it if I want to go on and play college basketball.'

Joaquim has made an immediate impact on the court, averaging 23.7 points (shooting 57 percent from the field) and 17.9 rebounds for the 10-5 Patriots. Despite his comfort zone of playing outside the paint, Joaquim has shown his versatility by blocking 33 shots.
'He has incredible touch around the basket,' said Christian assistant coach Tobin Wilkins. 'He's good with both his right and left hand. He's got stuff you can't teach.'

Starr agrees.

'Obviously he is an impact player for us,' said Starr. 'Right now it's understanding the game and what we're trying to do. I think at the next level he'll be a No. 3 (small forward). But for us he needs to play a little bit more inside because we need to fine-tune our offense.'

Patriots point guard Daniel Hazlett, a three-year starter, welcomes the big man in the post.
'Just having him on the court creates a lot of open shots for the rest of us,' Hazlett said.

Adjusting from international competition to the American game has taxed Joaquim as much as anything he's faced in the classroom.
'As rugged as he was when he joined us, the refs tacked him with a foul almost every time he made a move,' Starr said. 'Some of the officials out there still pick on him because he's tall.'

Joaquim said the game in Angola was more of a challenge.
'I played against players more knowledgeable and older than I, like 21 and 22,' he said. 'It's more physical over there. Even though there were less fouls, I felt more comfortable. And I was guarding people my own height, which I rarely do over here.'

Joaquim said he's made lots of friends in East County but still occasionally feels homesick. Ferreira said Joaquim communicates with his parents about twice a week.

'It's mostly by e-mail,' Joaquim said. 'But sometimes the people at the high school arrange for me to talk by telephone. I like that.'
All is not perfect for Joaquim.
Asked if he has a girlfriend, Joaquim replied, 'No, man, I don't speak English.'

by FIBA.com

*****************************************************
BELARUS

East defeats West in All Star Game 105:104 -by Eurobasket News
A fabulous show and an amazing end of the game saw Belarus spectators in All Star Game recently. Heorhi Kandrusevich (197-F-78, agency: Promotex) made 2 free throws with 1 second remaining and brought the win for his East team, 105:104 over West. He finished the game with 19 points for the winners. Heorhi Kandrusevich was named the MVP of the game and deserved that award truthfully.

West however started with 30:26 win in the opening quarter. The team looked better in the third as well, but it happened only after 14:25 in the second. Pavel Gabrusevich (194-G-82) scored 23 points for West being the top-scorer of the game. Koule ended up with 20, while Efremov scored 19. Shustov supported the MVP player with 19 points for East.

Meanwhile Uladzimir Veremeyenka (208-F-84) was busy with another Uleb game for Russian Khimky. He nailed 3 points for Khimky in Group D of Uleb Cup that thumped Anwil Wloclawek 90:63 at home to remain on top in Group D. Anwil got to a better start as Dunn and Gerrod Henderson combined for 10 points to give the visitors a 10:2 lead. Daniel Ewing replied with consecutive points for Khimky to cut the deficit but Polish team secured a 26:22 advantage after the first frame. Zeljko Zagorac extended the gap to 6 points but from the moment the hosts took over. Daniel Ewing scored 4 points in a row to tie the teams at 32. Nikita Shabalkin and Kelly McCarty drained 8 points and Khimky took a 42:33 lead. Khimky held a 42:36 halftime advantage and it just grew bigger after the intermission. Maciej Lampe hit from outside, while Kelly McCarty dropped another 7 points to open up a 52:39 gap. Anwil never recovered after the blow and had to surrender for their 6th loss at the tournament. Daniel Ewing led all scorers with 18 points. Kelly McCarty added 17 points and 10 boards for the winners. Gerrod Henderson and Zeljko Zagorac teamed up for 12 points apiece to pace Anwil.

West-East 104:105 (30:26, 14:25, 30:23, 30:31)
West: Pavel Gabrusevich (23), Osipovich (6), Efremov (19), Mostov (8), Koule (20); Mishukov (11), Д.Sviridov (10), Didik (5), Sapegin (2), Shtereb (0).
East : Poderachev (3), Ristich (9), Heorhi Kandrusevich (19), Sharko (13), Oleg Eremenko (200-F-86) (14); Shustov (19), Gubko (12), Bibik (11), Yakovitskiy (3), Dyadikin (2).

*****************************************************
BOSNIA

Joventut too strong for KK Bosna -by Eurobasket News
Joventut - KK Bosna 83:66

KK Bosna were unable to beat the odds and edge Joventut in Spain. The loss means Bosnian team will now have to overcome ALBA Berlin at home next week and hope for Siauliai's loss to Joventut to advance to the next round of ULEB Cup. Joventut meanwhile are knotted at 8-1 record with Turk Telekom atop Group A and have strong chances of finishing the regular season on top. KK Bosna started the game responsibly and tried to keep it safe in defense. Quemont Greer (201-F/G-81, college: De Paul) hit a jumper late in the low-scoring first frame to secure a 15:10 lead for the visitors. It all worked even better for KK Bosna as Quemont Greer added a pair of baskets early in the second quarter and lifted the visiting side to a 24:12 advantage. Joventut used a timeout to shift to full court pressure and it clicked for them straight away. The hosts fueled a 13:1 rally to grab a 29:27 lead. Demond Mallet (186-G-78, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: Mc Neese St.) later sealed the first half outcome with at 31:29 for Joventut. The teams continue to trade baskets throughout the third frame with KK Bosna keeping it at a striking distance. Joventut enjoyed a 62:54 cushion after three quarters and Rudy Fernandez (197-G-85) notched a triple to extend to 68:56 two minutes into the final period. KK Bosna simply did not find the right answers late in the game and would have to forget this one before the decisive last round encounter.
Rudy Fernandez was the only player to score in double figures for Joventut as he finished with game-high 22 points. Lubos Barton (200-F/G-80, college: Valparaiso), Eduardo Hernandez-Sonseca (212-C-83) and Lonny Baxter (203-C-79, agency: Priority Sports, college: Maryland) delivered 9 points apiece for the winners. Dzenan Rahimic (205-C/F-74) scored 15 points for KK Bosna. Lance Williams (206-C-80, college: De Paul) knocked down 13 points in a loss. KK Bosna lost the battle under the rims 27:33 and could not fight Joventut's 52% accuracy from the field.

Joventut: Rudy Fernandez 22, Eduardo Hernandez-Sonseca 9+7 boards
KK Bosna: Dzenan Rahimic 15, Lance Williams 13

*****************************************************
BULGARIA

Lukoil in Top 32 of ULEB Cup -by Vladi Lazarova
A week before the end of the regular season of ULEB Cup Lukoil Akademik already qualify for next round of the tournament. Bulgarian champions lost their away game in Kyiv 84:85, but no matter of the result in the last match against French Pau-Orthez next Tuesday in Sofia, they will remain at 3rd position in Group H. It's a pity, because 'The Students' missed a great chance to climb at 2nd place after losing at home from Italian Benetton Treviso and yesterday in Ukraine. So, now in Akademik will shiver till 28th of January when they will hear the name of their elimination opponent at the draw meeting in Barcelona.
For 5 consecutive participations in ULEB Cup Lukoil is reaching the 2nd stage for 4th time. The team failed to do it only last season when head coach of 'The Students' was Macedonian Marin Dokuzovski. In 2004 Akademik left the tournament after 1/8 final battle with Lithuanian Lietuvos Ritas. The coach of the squad then was Serbian Slobodan Nikolic. In 2005 and 2006 with Konstantin Papazov Bulgarians couldn't make it to the final round twice: the first time stopped them Belgian Charleroi, the second time the black cat on the road for 'The Students' was Red Star Belgrade.

Lukoil extends O'Bannon -by Vladi Lazarova

Lukoil Akademik will keep their last foreign addition Larry O'Bannon (191-F-83, college: Louisville) at least till the rest of the season in Bulgarian league. The club decided to use 24-years old American forward not only in ULEB Cup, but in domestic championship and in the tournament for the National Cup. O'Bannon already signed his new contract, because the last one was just till 22nd of January - the day, when Lukoil will play the last game in Group H of ULEB Cup, with French Pau-Orthez at home in 'Universiada' arena. Larry will take the place of his cousin Donta Smith in the roster for Bulgarian league.




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

Liaoning, Jiangsu, Dongguan, Guangdong Win Opening Games -by Arthur Volbert
Liaoning, Jiangsu, Dongguan and Guangdong won their opening games in the first round of the CBA playoffs.

Liaoning edged Bayi 80-79 in the first game of their first-round playoff series. Liu Xiangtao (202-F/C-80) led Liaoning with 27 points while Jamal Sampson had 18 points and 17 rebounds. Olumide Oyedeji of Beijing was added to the team and had 9 points and 12 rebounds. Imports are allowed to play a total of 60 minutes in the playoffs, just as in the regular season. In many past seasons imports were limited to 48 minutes in the playoffs.

Bayi, which does not use imports, was paced by Wang Zhizhi who had 27 points and 11 rebounds. Li Nan added 18 points.

Bayi was outrebounded by Liaoning 49-39 as Liaoning's imports grabbed 29 of those rebounds. Rebounding is something CBA players must work at. Of course, China's two best rebounders are in the NBA. Li Xiaoxu, class of 1990, grabbed 8 rebounds for Liaoning, and rebounding is indeed improving among junior Chinese players.

Liaoning hit 26 of 69 shots while Bayi made 33 of 79 shots. Liaoning made 15 turnovers to 8 for Bayi.

Jon Smith (203-F-82, college: Bowie St.), a new import who was once a CBA all-star, scored 20 points, hitting all nine of his shots, and led Jiangsu to a 110-88 destruction of Fujian. Jiangsu outrebounded Fujian 47-30, including 9 by Smith, 10 by Tang Zhengdong and 9 by Yi Li. Tang added 18 points and Hu Xuefeng scored 19.

DaJuan Tate, an import who starred for Jilin in the regular season, led Fujian with 20 points. Gong Songlin scored 15 and Liu Yudong had 14.

Dongguan defeated Shandong in overtime 122-115. Mike Harris had 24 points for Dongguan, Zhang Kai and Qiu Biao each scored 23, and Anthony Myles scored 20. Harris grabbed 10 rebounds and Zhang had 9.

Mack Tuck led Shandong with 27 points. Wang Gang added 22. Herve Lamizana scored 20 points but fouled out in 30 minutes. Sun Jie only scored 4 points on 2 of 13 shooting.

Cao Zhenhua (205-C-85), who excelled in the CBA all-star game, had 16 points and 13 rebounds and is a player to watch next year though, listed as born in 1985, he is not eligble for the NBA draft. However, coming out of the university system, he may actually have been born in 1985.

Guangdong outscored Zhejiang Guangsha 38-13 in the first quarter and never looked back as it blew out Guangsha 118-103. The score was 95-66 after three quarters before Guangsha rallied in garbage time.

Zhu Fangyu led Guangdong with 25 points. Chen Jianghua played played 32 minutes and had 17 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. But the game was a blowout so let's see how Chen does in closer contests before we assess his current talent level.

Rodney White led Guangsha with 39 points and 11 rebounds but could not prevent the Guangdong blowout. Zhang Nan added 26 points but Yu Junkai only had 3 points on 1 of 7 shooting.


Liaoning 14 25 23 18 80
Bayi---- 20 26 18 15 79

Liaoning 80 1-0
Bian Qiang 10p+4r+2a, Liu Xiangtao 27p+3r+2s, Yang Ming 9p+4r+3a+2s, Li Xiaoxu 5p+8r+4bl, Olumide Oyedeji 9p+12r+3a, Jamal Sampson 18p+17r+4a+1s+1bl
Bayi 79 0-1
Li Nan 18p+5r+2a+2s, Mo Ke 8p+4r+2a+2s+1bl, Wang Zhongguang 13p+6r+4a, Wang Zhizhi 26p+11r+1a+3s+2bl, Wang Lei 10p+8r+1a+3s,


Jiangsu 28 27 33 22 110
Fujian- 14 31 21 22 88

Jiangsu 110
Tang Zhengdong 18p+10r+6s+1bl, Hu Xuefeng 19p+5r+5a+4s+5to, Yi Li 12p+9r+4a+3s+1bl, Meng Da 10p+3r+4a+1s, Ryan Forehan-Kelly 10p+2r+2a+2s, Yang Li 5p+3r+1a+2s, John Smith 20p(9/9)+9r+1a+1bl, Han Shuo 12p+3r+4a+2to
Fujian 88
Gong Songlin 15p+1a+2s, Lu Xiaoming 6p+1r+0a+6s+6to, Liu Yudong 14p+3r+1a, Jameel Watkins 8p+8r+2a+3s, Yang Chao 10p+4r+1a+2s, DaJuan Tate 20p+4r+1a+1s, Sun Tiannong 7p+2r+1s


Shandong 19 35 26 24 11 115
Dongguan 24 29 25 26 18 122

Dongguan 122 OT
Zhang Kai 23p+9r+2a+5s, Yu Ning 8p+1r, Wang Jing 11p+2a+3s, #10 6p+3r+1a, Mike Harris 24p+10r+3a+3s+2bl, #23 6p+2r+2a+1s, Qiu Biao 23p+4r+2a, Anthony Myles 20p+6r+2a+1s+1bl
Shandong 115
Wang Gang 22p+2r+2a+2s+1to, Sun Jie 4p(2/13)+4r+3a, Hou Bing 17p+10r+2a, Herve Lamizana 30min+20p+7r+2a+3s+1bl+6fl, Mack Tuck 27p+5r+6a+5s, Cao Zhenhua 16p+13r+1a+2bl, Guo Lei 5p+2r+1a


Guangdong 38 32 25 23 118
Guangsha- 13 27 26 37 103

Guangdong 118
Chen Jianghua 32min+17p+8r+5a+4s+3to, Zhu Fangyu 25p+4r+1a+1s, Wang Shipeng 17p+2a+1s, Liu Xiaoyu 11min+6p+2r+1a, Zhou Peng 16p+1r+2a+1s+1bl, Jason Dixon 15p+16r+1a+1s+2bl, Ji Le 5p+6r+1a, Du Feng 6p+2r+3a+2s, Lamond Murray 8p+8r+1a+3s+2bl
Guangsha 103
Garnett Thompson 12p+4r+3s, Yu Junkai 3p(1-7)+1r+1s, Yao Peng 12p+4r+1a+2s, Zhang Nan 26p+6r+3a+1s+5to, Ying Kui 6p+5r+2s, Rodney White 39p+11r+2a+4s+1bl+7to

CBA PLAYOFFS KICK OFF!!! -by Ogoh Odaudu

Its a big night for 8 teams in the CBA as the playoffs kick off with games in four venues.Defending champions,Bayi are away in Liaoning for their first game against the Panpan Tigers.The Tigers lost both regular season games to Bayi and are hoping to end that streak tonight.To that end,they beefed up their squad by bringing in Import,Olumide Oyedeji whose team,the Beijing Ducks did not make it to the playoffs.The other pairings are Guangsha who square up against last season finalists,Guangdong while Anthony Myles and his DongGuan team face Herve Lamizana and the Shangdong Lions.The final fixture is between Fujian and Jiangsu.

All the series are a best of five games.This is wishing all the teams luck as they begin the quest for glory.



LIAONING GO ONE UP ON BAYI!!!! -by Ogoh Odaudu

Liaoning Tigers defeated Bayi Rockets in the first game of their best of five series played tonight in Liaoning.Bayi started on a fast note Winning the first 2 quarters 20-14 and 26-25 which brought halftime scores to 46-39 in their favour.Liaoning came out smoking after the locker room pep talk and picked the 3rd and 4th quarters 23-18 and 18-15 to bring fulltime scores to 80-79 in Liaonings favour.Bayi were up by 2pts with 0.3 seconds to go when Liu Xiangtao (202-F/C-80) hit a buzzer beating 3 pointer to win the game for Liaoning.He ended up with27pts.Sampson Jamal (211-F/C-83, agency: Octagon, college: California) added 18pts and 17rebs while Oyedeji Olumide (208-C/F-81) Scored 9pts and grabbed 12 boards for his new team.For Bayi,Wang Zhizhi led scoring with 26pts and 11rebs while Li Nan (198-F-76) added 18pts and had 5rebs.

Liaoning travel to Bayi for the next two games.



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

AEL bruises Olympia in Limassol -by Eurobasket News
AEL - Olympia 91:71

AEL claimed their second win in FIBA EuroCup tournament. Yesterday they routed Greek Olympia at home court and improved to 2-2 record in Group C. They now share the second spot together with Olympia just one win shy of the Group leaders KK Zagreb. AEL declared their ambitions early in the game as they opened it on a 6:0 run. Duane Woodward (191-G-76, college: Boston Coll.) soon added straight 3 points for the hosts to extend the lead to 7 points. However Georgios Tsiaras (207-C/F-82) scored 9 points in a row to trim the deficit 2 points late in the quarter. He later added another 5 points to complete his 14-point first period tally to drag Olympia within one point from the home side. But Duane Woodward sealed the frame with a long jumper to fix the scoreline at 27:23. The teams slowed down a bit in the second quarter as defense prevailed. A 6:0 run midway through the term opened up a 41:32 lead for the hosts. Duane Woodward registered another 4 consecutive points late in the first half to make it 45:36 for AEL at the break. The things dimmed for the visitors midway through the third stanza as Karim Souchu (198-F-79, college: Furman) and Palasas drilled trebles to enlarge the gap to 14 points. Aleksic and Konstantinos Perentos (198-F-83) then added pain to Olympia as they saw the margin reach an 18-point mark. Marios Batis (188-G-80) and Stephen Arigbabu (205-C-72, agency: Court Side) cut the deficit back to 9 points but it was as close as Olympia could clutch at. AEL stepped on the gas at the late stages and pulled away a vital victory. Duane Woodward topscored with 26 points for the hosts. Karim Souchu contributed 20 points, while Milutin Aleksic (202-F-82) sank 17 points in a win. Georgios Tsiaras knocked down 17 points for Olympia. Marios Batis produced 12 points and 7 boards in a losing clause.

AEL: Duane Woodward 26, Karim Souchu 20, Milutin Aleksic 17
Olympia: Georgios Tsiaras 17, Marios Batis 12

AEL agreed terms with another French player -by Chris Mammides

AEL's third French palyer is now a fact. The Algerian/French guard Ali Bouziane (192-G-77) replaced yesterday the injured Swidish/Congolese guard Olivier Ilunga (185-G-84). The French guard is counting 11 seazons int he French league with best one being the seazon 2001-2002 when he was scoring 10.2 points per game with the jersey of Gravelines where he spent most of his career.

Pizza Express Primetel Apollon agreed terms with the American Head Coach Joe Whelton

New arrivals from B.M.C AEK Larnacas who agreed terms with Chris Dunn (191-G-83, college: W.Virginia St.)



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

Nymburk could not book ULEB Cup Elimination stage ticket in Round 9 -by Eurobasket News
Oostende - Nymburk 83:81

Nymburk was close to making it through to the next round of ULEB Cup yesterday but fell just two points shy of a road victory over Oostende. The main newsmaker of the last week in the European basketball Oostende proved strength in the crunch time against Czech team and improved to 4-4 record with two more games yet to play including a replay of their clash against Upim. Nymburk fell to 5-4 record and occupies the 3rd spot at the moment. They need to win against Dynamo Moscow at home court next Tuesday to advance to the elimination round of the Cup.
Oostende led 16:14 after the opening frame before Chuck Davis (202-F-84, college: Alabama) and Jerry Green (191-G-80, college: Cal-Irvine) scored 6 straight points for Belgian side to extend the margin up to 8 points. Radoslav Rancik (207-F/C-78, college: St.Cloud St.) hit a treble for Nymburk but it was well-matched by straight treys from Titus Ivory (193-G-79, college: Penn St.) and Chris Chris McCray (195-G-84, college: Maryland) for a 29:17 cushion. However Nymburk finished the half productively as Arthur Lee (185-G-77, agency: Avi Zilberman, college: Stanford) and Radoslav Rancik trimmed the difference to a single point 41:42 at halftime. Nymburk relied mainly on Radoslav Rancik who was remarkable in the third period. He provided a spark for the visitors and Nymburk grabbed a 57:50 lead heading into the fourth stanza. Chris McCray, Jerry Green and Brunner all scored for the hosts early in the final period and the accent shifted as Oostende claimed a 72:66 lead. The teams traded baskets for some time late in regulation before Greg Brunner (201-F-83, college: Iowa) and Jerry Green came up for the home team with back-to-back triples to ensure the winning outcome for Telindus. Nymburk will decide on their fate in the final round.
Greg Brunner topscored with 20 points for Oostende. Jerry Green dropped 15 points, while Titus Ivory had 11 points and 6 assists in a win. Radoslav Rancik knocked down 27 points and banked 7 steals for Nymburk. Monty Mack (191-G-77, agency: Interperformances, college: Massachusetts) finished with 16 points in defeat. Nymburk was completely outmuscled under the rims as they collected just 19 boards. Both teams shot solid figures. Oostende converted 58% from the field, while Nymburk registered 47% accuracy.

Oostende: Greg Brunner 20, Jerry Green 15, Titus Ivory 11
Nymburk: Radoslav Rancik 27, Monty Mack 16

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

Day 2 of D-League Showcase -by Surujh Roopnarine
Ft. Wayne Mad Ants (97) at Los Angeles D-Fenders (110)
MAD ANTS: Corey Minnifield (6'8''-F-81,college: Loyola (LA)) (18p+7rb), Walker Russell (17p+10AS), Sammy Mejia (17p+8rb+5to), Rodderick Wilmont (14p)
D-FENDERS: Devin Green (6'7''-G-82, college: Hampton) (24p+10rb+8as), Stephane Lasme (20p+6rb), Sean Banks (16p+7rb+6as), Jelani McCoy (15p+6rb+5as)

Albuquerque Thunderbirds (81) at Colorado 14ers (98)
T-BIRDS: Alando Tucker (6'6''-F-84, college: Wisconsin) (26p+8rb), Josh Gross (12p), Darvin Ham (11p+5rb), Daniel Horton (11p)
14ERS: Kaniel Dickens (6'8''-F-78, college: Idaho) (25p), Elton Brown (19p+18rb), Brian Greene (14p+5rb), Billy Thomas (12p+7rb+5as)

Anaheim Arsenal (76) at Bakersfield Jam (98)
ARSENAL: Steven Smith (6'8''-F-83, college: La Salle) (18p+7rb), Kedrick Brown (13p+11rb), Ivan Johnson (12p+5rb), Marcus Campbell (10p+9rb)
JAM: James Peters (6'8''-F-81, college: UNLV) (20p), Andre Barrett (18p+6rb+7as), Michael Cuffee (12p+13rb), Scooter McFadgon (14p+5as)

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (89) at Idaho Stampede (93)
VIPERS: Shannon Brown (6'3''-G-85, college: Michigan St.) (26p+7rb), Jesse Smith (14p+11rb), Trent Strickland (17p+8rb), Craig Winder (13p)
STAMPEDE: Lance Allred (6'11''-C-81, college: Weber St.) (24p+12rb), Randy Livingston (20p+11as+6to), Mouhamed Sene (14p+8rb), Josh McRoberts (0p+12rb+5as+5to)

*****************************************************
DOMINICAN REP.

Players abroad -by Eurobasket News
Jose Olivero (188-G-85, college: Lehigh) and his Lithuanian Siauliai recharged their hopes to advance to the next round of ULEB Cup with a win over Guildford away from home. They improved to 4-5 record in the ladder and share the third spot with ALBA and KK Bosna. The outcome will be decided in the final round, when Siauliai hosts Joventut. The Heat meanwhile lost their 9th straight game and remained at the bottom of the table in Group A. The game got to an even start with both teams trading the baskets. Daniel Gilbert scored 5 straight points for the Heat late in the first frame to give them a 20:14 lead. The hosts capitalized on the momentum and extended the gap to 10 points at the end of the quarter 25:15. Marius Prekevicius stepped up for the challenge igniting a 9:0 run for the visitors to retain the touch. Tony Dorsey however capped the first half with a three-pointer to secure a 36:33 advantage for the Heat at the interval. Marius Prekevicius continued to pump it up for Siauliai after the break and soon he ensured the Lithuanian team surged ahead 47:50. Siauliai entered the fourth period with a 60:54 cushion and completed the task in the fourth. The visitors scored 11 unanswered points early in the final stanza to run away for good. Donatas Zavackas led the winners with 20 points. Marius Prekevicius had 16 points, while Mantas Ruikis added 15 points for Siauliai. Daniel Gilbert led all scorers with 23 points. Elmer J. Harrison dropped 19 points for the Heat in a loss. Siauliai outrebounded the hosts 41:24 and shot solid 54% from the field. Guildford will take on Turk Telekom in the final round. Jose Olivero scored 3 points for the winners.
In the previous game Siauliai lost a key matchup against Bosna on the road. Bosna engineered a 10:0 run midway through the second quarter to grab a lead but Siauliai stayed in the contest. Jose Olivero and Donatas Zavackas 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 and Suad Sehovic drained triples to pump it up for the home team early in the final period. Antonio Grant and Gediminas Maceina 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 and Lance Williams 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. Jose Olivero finished the game with 5 points that time.
Francisco Garcia (201-F-81, agency: Octagon, college: Louisville) shone with 22 points for Sacramento Kings in NBA. His team had a fabulous win over Dallas 122:120.

*****************************************************
EGYPT

No surprises in the sixth round of the Egyptian league -by Kirolos Beshay
In the sixth round of the Egyptian league, all the big teams overcame their opponents starting with Itthad of Alexandria the leader of the Egyptian league who won over Damanhour 84/46 in an easy game for Itthad, while its neighbor's smouha and sporting found a great difficulty beating their opponents Geish and Gasco 72/67, 88/81 respectively. In Cairo, the three big teams didn't find and difficulty facing their opponents. Ahly keep their winning streak by winning their fifth match over Sharqia 72/60, Ahly has a game postponed from the fifth round with Geish. Also Gezira had a big win over Shams 83/60. While Zamalek beat shourta 55/47 in the lowest scoring match since the beginning of the season. By these results Alexandria teams keep leading the league thanks to their junior teams.
The standings of the Egyptian league connected with the juniors U-18:
1- Itthad 54 p.
2- Sporting 53 p.
3- Smouha 50 p.
4- Ahly 48 p.
5- Gezira 44 p.
6- Zamalek 41 p.
7- Geish 41 p.
8- Shams 39 p.
9- Sharqia 38 p.
10- Gasco 34 p.
11- Damanhour 30 p.
12- Shorta 29 p.

*****************************************************
ERITREA

Kelati Thomas settled down in Poland -by Eurobasket News
Thomas Kelati (195-G/F-82, college: Washington St.) and his Turow extended their impressive winning run across ULEB Cup regular season. They clinched the 8th win at the tournament beating Uniks Kazan 73:68 at home. The win also ensured the top spot finish for Turow in Group I. Uniks were slightly better at the start as they drove to a 16:15 lead after the opening stanza. The game stayed close in the second frame. The visitors organized a 6:0 run late in the second half to surge ahead 37:32. Sergei Chikalkin and Dusko Savanovic later deepened the damage 52:45. Robert Witka capped the third frame with a jumper for Turow to trail by 5 points heading into the fourth period. David Logan and Robert Witka connected from afar to set the hosts rolling in the fourth stanza. But it was Dusko Savanovic who buried 7 points and Tusek who added 2 more for Uniks to regain the lead at 66:65. It was not the end though as Thomas Kelati (195-G/F-82, college: Washington St.) masterminded a 5:0 run for Turow to claim the lead for good. Marko Scekic ended the game with 16 points for Turow. David Logan contributed 14 points for the winners. Sergei Chikalkin, Dusko Savanovic and Darjus Lavrinovic secured 13 points apiece in a loss. Turow will now head to Jerusalem to take on Hapoel in the last round.

In the previous round Polish Turow secured their elimination round birth as they came out victorious of Round 8. Turow grabbed a difficult victory over Strasbourg 64:61 in France to climb to 7-1 record in Group I. ULEB Cup debutants struggled throughout three quarters and entered the fourth period trailing by 8 points. However Iwo Kitzinger knocked down a triple to start a comeback effort from Turow. Thomas Kelati and David Logan connected from downtown to cut the deficit to just 2 points with two minutes of playing time. Turow's defense proved thick in the last minutes as they kept Strasbourg scoreless, while Thomas Kelati nailed a treble to seal the victory for Turow. Thomas Kelati topscored with 22 points for Polish side. David Logan contributed 13 points, while Andres Rodriguez produced 8 points, 6 boards, 6 assists and 3 steals for the winners. Afik Nissim paced the hosts with 13 points.

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

AEL bruises Olympia in Limassol -by Eurobasket News
AEL - Olympia 91:71

AEL claimed their second win in FIBA EuroCup tournament. Yesterday they routed Greek Olympia at home court and improved to 2-2 record in Group C. They now share the second spot together with Olympia just one win shy of the Group leaders KK Zagreb. AEL declared their ambitions early in the game as they opened it on a 6:0 run. Duane Woodward (191-G-76, college: Boston Coll.) soon added straight 3 points for the hosts to extend the lead to 7 points. However Georgios Tsiaras (207-C/F-82) scored 9 points in a row to trim the deficit 2 points late in the quarter. He later added another 5 points to complete his 14-point first period tally to drag Olympia within one point from the home side. But Duane Woodward sealed the frame with a long jumper to fix the scoreline at 27:23. The teams slowed down a bit in the second quarter as defense prevailed. A 6:0 run midway through the term opened up a 41:32 lead for the hosts. Duane Woodward registered another 4 consecutive points late in the first half to make it 45:36 for AEL at the break. The things dimmed for the visitors midway through the third stanza as Karim Souchu (198-F-79, college: Furman) and Palasas drilled trebles to enlarge the gap to 14 points. Aleksic and Konstantinos Perentos (198-F-83) then added pain to Olympia as they saw the margin reach an 18-point mark. Marios Batis (188-G-80) and Stephen Arigbabu (205-C-72, agency: Court Side) cut the deficit back to 9 points but it was as close as Olympia could clutch at. AEL stepped on the gas at the late stages and pulled away a vital victory. Duane Woodward topscored with 26 points for the hosts. Karim Souchu contributed 20 points, while Milutin Aleksic (202-F-82) sank 17 points in a win. Georgios Tsiaras knocked down 17 points for Olympia. Marios Batis produced 12 points and 7 boards in a losing clause.

AEL: Duane Woodward 26, Karim Souchu 20, Milutin Aleksic 17
Olympia: Georgios Tsiaras 17, Marios Batis 12

Marque Perry wins it for Samara -by Eurobasket News
Lappeenranta - Samara 76-78

Samara went 3-1 in FIBA EuroCup Qualifying round Group A after a hard 78:76 road victory over Lappeenranta. They secured the second spot in the group and made a huge step towards the next round of competition. Finnish team meanwhile slipped to 1-3 record and has not right for a mistake in the remaining games. The teams traded baskets early in the game before consecutive triples from Pasi Riihela (199-F-75) and Ivan Harris (201-F-84, college: Ohio St.) gave the hosts a 17:10 lead. Adrian Henning (203-F-82, college: Austin Peay St.) scored 4 straight points for Lappeenranta as they extended the gap to 21:12 late in the first frame. Samara however started the second term with an 8:0 rally to surge ahead. The teams battled for every inch of the initiative and were tied at 38 at halftime. Marque Perry (186-G-81, agency: Naiditch Entertainment, college: St.Louis), Alex Scales (192-G-78, college: Oregon) and Yaniv Green (206-F-80, agency: Arik Krayn Services) all scored at the start of the third stanza and Samara grabbed a 48:43 advantage. However Lappeenranta refused to give up and ignited a 13:2 run to cap the third quarter leading 60:59. It all went down to the final seconds of the game as Marque Perry's three-pointer gave Samara a 72:68 cushion with 3 minutes left in regulation. Adrian Henning dropped 4 consecutive points for the hosts to square it all up, while Petri Virtanen (183-G-80)'s layup lifted Lappeenranta up by 2. Sergei Demeshkin (200-F-76) buried a trey in cold blood as Samara entered the final minute of the contest up by a single point 75:74. Yaniv Green added a free throw for 76:74 with 42 seconds remaining. But Adrian Henning stepped up for the home team once again to tie things up at 76 with 26 seconds on the clock. It was enough for Marque Perry to convert a decisive jumper and sealed the win for Samara. Reinar Hallik (208-C-84) tried to force overtime but his attempt went off mark.
Yaniv Green led Samara with 20 points and 8 boards. Evgeni Voronov (192-G-86) provided 14 points and 9 boards, while Alex Scales secured 13 points, 7 boards and 4 assists for the winners. Adrian Henning accounted for game-high 25 points for Lappeenranta. Petri Virtanen dropped 12 points in a loss. Samara will host TU/Rock on January 22 and a win ensures the next round birth for Russian team.

Lappeenranta: Adrian Henning 25, Petri Virtanen 12
Samara: Yaniv Green 20, Evgeni Voronov 14+9 boards, Alex Scales 13

*****************************************************
FINLAND

EUROCUP: TEAM LPR - SAMARA 76-78 -by Rauno Hurmalainen

EuroCup, Qualification Round, Group A: Team Lappeenranta (Finland) - CSK-VVS Samara (Russia) 76-78 (38-38). Quarters: 21-14, 17-24, 22-21, 16-19.
Very interesting game, where the lead was changing a few times. Team Lappeenranta had a nine-point-lead during the first quarter, Samara's
largest lead was 10 points during the third quarter (47-57). And what happened then? Home Team scored 13 pts in a row vs Samara's two
pts and LPR was ahead by one (60-59), when the third quarter ended. The last quarter was exciting. Home Team's best player Adrian Henning (203-F-82, college: Austin Peay St.) dunked and tied 76-76, when 25 seconds was remaining. Samara's American PG Marque Perry (186-G-81, agency: Naiditch Entertainment, college: St.Louis) took a shot pretty early, but his two-pointer was good (76-78). Anyway Team Lappeenranta had still nine seconds time to tie or even win the game, but Reinar Hallik's (208-C-84) two-pointer hit only the rim and Samara had won by two. Samara's big star (36 pts in Samara vs Team Lappeenranta) Alex Scales (192-G-78, college: Oregon) was a disappointment. Just one point during the first half and 13 pts in the game. Pasi Riihela (199-F-75) stopped Scales almost totally and Samara played sometimes even better Scales on the bench. Samara played much under the board and made 60,9% out of the two-pointers. Visitors took only nine shots beyond the arc and made three of them. Yaniv Green (206-F-80, agency: Arik Krayn Services) led Samara with 20 pts. Evgeni Voronov (192-G-86) added 14 pts and grabbed Team high nine rbs. Team Lappeenranta's Adrian Henning is probably playing his best season ever? Tonight game high 25 pts, blocks, dunks. Henning is helping his Team a lot. NT Player Petri Virtanen (183-G-80) got early in foul trouble. That was hurting home team much. Pasi Riihela had a great night, but was fouled

out during the game also this time. Aki Ulander (208-C-81) had almost a double-double (9/11). Home Team's FT% 58,8% is not good enough. Three-pointers

were again Team's trademark. 30 shots from behind the bonus line and 10 made (33,3%). Rbs: 30-39.

When Tartu Rock (Estonia) defeated about the same time PAOK BC Thessaloniki (Greece) 90-80, that means Tartu Rock is still undefeated with

4-0 record. Samara's record is 3-1, Team Lappeenranta is 1-3 and PAOK BC (0-4) will probably stay without victories. Anyway, Tartu Rock and Samara have already made EuroCup Top-8 even there are still two rounds left. Next games on Jan 22: PAOK BC - Team Lappeenranta, CSK-VVS Samara - Tartu Rock.

Team Lappeenranta - CSK-VVS Samara 76-78 (38-38) (Adrian Henning 25/3, Petri Virtanen 12/2, Pasi Riihela 11/3, Aki Ulander 9/11 - Yaniv Green 20/8, Evgeni Voronov 14/9, Alex Scales 13, Andrei Truskin 11/6, Marque Perry 9/5a).

Tartu Rock - PAOK BC Thessaloniki 90-80 (56-33) (George Tsintsadze 21/6a, Janar Talts 18/9, Brian Cusworth 16/6, Gert Kullamae 16 - Ibo Kutluay 22, Edmund Saunders 18/5, Jason Rowe 11).



KORISLIIGA: YMCA Lahti testing Dominique Coleman -by Rauno Hurmalainen
YMCA Lahti is testing American SG Dominique Coleman (190-G-84, college: Colorado). Coleman will play his first game on Team's roster this Friday (Jan 18), when YMCA Lahti has a home game vs Team Componenta (Karkkila). Tarmo (Porvoo) will play with new American G the same night vs Kouvot (Kouvola). Tony Bennett (185-G-84, college: Bradley) has arrived back to Finland. Bennett played 13 games on Ura-Basket (Kaarina) roster (I-div.) before Christmas break averaging 37,2 ppg.

KORISLIIGA: Kouvot won in Karkkila -by Rauno Hurmalainen

Korisliiga, Round 25: Only one game tonight. Team Componenta (Karkkila) lost fifth time in a row as Kouvot (Kouvola) visited Karkkila and won 77-93.
Three-pointers caused a lot to this kind of result. TC hit only once (1/10 = 10,0%), but Kouvot nine times (9/21) from behind the arc. Nick Wallery (201-F-81, agency: Profibasketball.de, college: Albany St.) (29) and Chris Hester (192-G-79, college: E.Washington) (23) led TC, Corey Smith (196-G/F, agency: Warren Sports, college: Vanderbilt) (29) and Peter Cipriano (206-F-83, college: Southern) (21/11) Kouvot in pts.

Team Componenta - Kouvot 77-93 (32-51) (Nick Wallery 29/9, Chris Hester 23 - Corey Smith 29, Peter Cipriano 21/11).



*****************************************************
FRANCE

ProA : Anthony Roberson in Paris -by Aurelien Hipp
*Paris has signed a new US PG, named Anthony Roberson (186-G-83, college: Florida). The young player, former Joakim Noah's teammate at Florida, is Paris' new choice after Jeff Horner, Branko Milisavljevic and Jason Straight..Roberson,played 2 months in Israel the season but is known for having played 36 games in the NBA from 2005 to 2007. GM Antoine Rigaudeau hopes 'he has found an impact player'. He is rumored to have excellent scoring abitilites but needs to improve his passing game.

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

Top Scorers in the Second Division. -by Chris Mammides

After the end of the 14th week in the most thrilling league of the Second division if the last decade, the top scorers are the following:

Dimitris Prokos (192-G-74) of Aigio 293 points
Panagiotis Nanis (195-F/G-80) of Olympiakos Volou 256 points (in 13 games)
Nick Psileas (200-F-80) of Lavrio 247 points
Panagiotis Tsolis (194-F-81) of Olympiakos Volou 237 points (in 13 games)

Giorgos Tirlas (198-F-80) of Aigio 236 points
Konstantinos Pehlivanis (192-G-79) of Ikaroi Serron 225 points
Sotiris Katoufas (206-F-79) of Ikaros Kallitheas 211 points
Nicos Papakonstantinou (182-G-84) (182-G-84) of Ermis Lagkada 210 points

Tassos Baggi (187-G-75) of Goumenissa 206 points
Michalis Tanakidis (190-G-81) of Makedonikos 199 points
Giorgos Filiousis (198-G-77) of KAOD 194 points
Kostas Dinas (189-G/F-80) of Komotini 194 points
Tasos Dimitriadis (201-C-82) of Ermis Lagkada 191 points

Dimitris Karatzios (202-F-78) of Doukas 171 points
Mihalis Ifantis (204-F-72) of Alimos 157 points

Nikos Michalos (192-G-77) of Near East 146 points

Nikos Moisiadis (180-G-80) of Anagennisi Floga 145 points

Dionysios Giannakopoulos (195-G/F-82) of Lavrio 144 points

Theologos Vlavianos (196-G-86) of Milonas 143 points






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

ULEB Cup Action: Both Eiffel Towers and Hanzevast Capitals Win -by Sanders Jackson


Tuesday night in ULEB Cup action for Eiffel Towers and Hanzevast Capitals, with both teams playing for pride for the rest of their ULEB Cup season, and already eliminated from advancing to the next round, both made good by winning with good margins, Hanzevast over Hemofarm Vrsac, and Eiffel convincingly over SIG Basketball Strasbourg.


In the Martiniplaza in Group C play, Hanzevast seized control of the game tempo in the 3rd quarter and kept it going, shooting 63.9% FG in the process, winning by the score of 94-85. Alton Mason (185-G-77, agency: Court Side, college: Arizona St.) led five Hanzevast players in double figures with 19 pts. Hanzevast are now 2-7.


In the Maaspoort in Group I, Eiffel seized the game tempo from the start (48-33 halftime), including forcing a SIG 3rd quarter meltdown (holding them to only 5 total points), winning convincingly 83-60. Kees Akerboom (199-F-83, agency: Court Side) led five Eiffel players in double figures with 18 pts. Eiffel also shot 12 of 24 from the three-point line. Eiffel are now 3-6 in Group I.



PromotieDivisie Scores Week 13,14: MSV running the show, Akrides second! -by Terry Cooper
PromotieDivisie basketball got back in full schedule as week 14 provided close ending for some teams. BV Rooi started the new year off with a 73-66 win over Punch While EBBC2 edged Leiden2 at home 69-66. VBC Akrides moved up to second place as they won convincinly 80-61 while Landstede2 broke their 3 game losing streak winning over MyGuide2 76-70. Initial High Five got a much needed win on the road over the Orca's 83-76 while De Groene Uilen defeated the Pigoens 80-77. MSV remains undefeated in the league winning last week over Leiden2 75-57 and in a 20-0 win over Emmen Eagles which did not show up for the competition. Emmen a once potiental team to possibly move up to the EreDivisie next season, seem to have flopped over the season with the problems of players and personell. We hope that they will get things together and finish out the competition strong.

Week 13 Scores:

MSV - Leiden2 75-57



Week 14 Scores:

Punch - BV Rooi 66-73
EBBC2 - Leiden2 69-66
VBC Akrides - Cangeroes 81-60
Orca's - Initial High Five 73-86
MSV - Emmen Eagles 20 - 0
MyGuide2 - Landstede2 70-76
De Groene Uilen - Pigeons 80-77

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

NYKK: 5th place in the CEBL -by Tamas Deri
MARSO-VAGEP NYÍREGYHAZI KK - AC LB 04 SPISSKA NOVA VES (slovakian) 82-72
(29-26, 19-16, 21-18, 13-12)
Nyiregyhaza, Att.: 1.000, Referees: Foldhazi, Hegedűs, Győrffy
NYÍREGYHAZA: Branko Savic (181-G-79) 19/9, Siska 9/6, Mouton 9, Sitku 9/3, Srdjan Helbich (205-F/C-76) 17, Tibor Krasznai (183-G-82, agency: Laszlo Vinko Services) 6, Nagy K., Zoltan Trepak (210-C-77, agency: Laszlo Vinko Services) 11, Farkas A. 2, Bus M., Toth D., Coach: Deri Csaba
SPISSKA NOVA VES: Demecko 5, HOVANAK 13/3, Ridzon 12/3, Pesta 8, OPATOVSKY 13, MADAJ 14/6, Baldovsky 2, Bucak 1, Becarik 4/3, Dzubak, Coach: Krunoslav Krajnovic

Kormend: Ed McCants on try-out -by Tamas Deri
American combo guard should arrive tomorrow to Hungary and be on a 10-days tryout with Polaroid-Lami-Ved Kormend. He had a great NCAA carreer, averaged 17.6 points per game in his senior season 2004-05, when he lead his team into the Sweet 16 of NCAA tournament!
Ed McCants (193-G-82, college: Wisc.-Milwaukee) has already european experience, he played last season in Bulgaria and spent the last weeks in Italy with the first division team of Scafati Basket.

Wednesday's games -by Tamas Deri

PVSK-EXPO CENTER PECS - UNIVER KSE 91-82

(30-20, 21-28, 26-16, 14-18)

PVSK: Krisztian Wittmann (184-G-85, agency: FCM) 24/9, Williams 15, Dragan Aleksic (196-G-70, agency: Beo Basket) 17/9, Gergely Hosszu (190-G-86, agency: Laszlo Vinko Services) 8, Lapov 9/3, Gergely Hosszu 11/9, Grebenar 7, Denes, Coach: Stojan Ivkovic

UNIVER: Sigurdarson 2, Larry Blair (183-G-84, college: Liberty) 23/6, Horvath 8, Jefferson Antonio (207-F/C-83) 22/12, Fiegi 7, Szabo 14/6, Toth, Vida, Halmai, Csabay 6/6, Coach: Zsoldos Andras



KAPOSVARI KK - SOPRONI SORDOGOK 82-69

(34-21, 12-15, 8-20, 28-13)

KKK: Vojvoda 10/6, Ferenc Csirke (183-G-76, agency: Laszlo Vinko Services) 17/9, Edwards 12, Roland Hendlein (201-F-86, agency: Laszlo Vinko Services) 24/12, Orosz 10, Kiss 7/6, Tomosvary, Szoke 2, Coach: Horvath Imre

SOPRON: Bradley 15/3, Lakatos 4, Jeff Viggiano (198-F-84, college: Massachusetts) 19/6, Lesko 14, Frana 5, Pojbics 4, Vesztergom 4, Boldizsar, Coach: Meszlenyi Robert



Kenneth Henderson is back -by Tamas Deri
The management of POLAROID-LAMI-VED KORMEND is doing everything to get the team into the playoffs. Some hours ago, they just informed us about coming of american guard Ed McCants and a couple of minutes ago gave us the new transfer information. American forward, Kenneth Henderson (201-F-82, college: Texas Arlington) is on the plane flying from Houston, Texas to Vienna, Austria and will practice tomorrow with his new team. Henderson played in Hungary for Albacomp this season and averaged 13.6 points in 12 games.

*****************************************************
IBL

Larry Babcock returns to IBL as Co-Director of Officiating -by Trask Frost
The IBL has announced that Larry Babcock has returned to the league as Director of Officiating of the IBL's East Division and as one of the four members of the IBL Officials Advisory Board. Larry took year a year off in 2007 but is returning to the IBL with a renewed commitment to excellence. Larry sees the IBL referee program as a development program for the NBA with standards to be equal to that of the NBA. Larry attended an NBDL camp this summer in which 11 IBL referees were present.

IBL Commissioner Mikal Duilio—'Larry brings a sense of team among referees, and is dedicated to promoting quality across the board.'

The three other members of the Officials Advisory Board are Vernon Onick, Jackie Sanders and Josh Rombach. Onick is the IBL's Director of Officiating in the West Division, and a fourth-year official in the IBL. Sanders is also a fourth-year official in the league, while Rombach is returning for his third campaign.

'This board is great for the league,' said Duilio. 'It is a group committed to excellence and NBA standards for officiating and professionalism.'

IBL working with publisher of 'The Seniors Report' -by Trask Frost
Portland, OR—The International Basketball League has teamed up with Dave Schmidt, the publisher of The Seniors Report, in the interest of improving communication with college coaches and athletes. Schmidt has created a database for the league to facilitate this communication.

IBL Commissioner Mikal Duilio—'There are a lot of misconceptions about American minor league basketball, and professional basketball overseas. Often players think there is more to something than there is, often players do not know the path to take to continue playing. Working with Dave will enable us to start a healthy communication with college programs and graduating seniors across the country.'

Reminder: IBL hosting two exposure camps in March -by Trask Frost
The International Basketball League has scheduled two separate exposure camps for players interested in earning a roster spot on an IBL team for the 2008 season. The first camp will take place on Friday, March 14, and Sunday, March 16 at the Genesis Center in Gary, Indiana. The second camp will be held at Woodburn High School, just south of Portland, Oregon on Saturday, March 22, and Sunday, March 23.

Each camp offers several guarantees for players who attend:
• Attendees will play in actual pre-season IBL games
• At least 8 IBL teams will be in attendance
• At least 5 agents will be in attendance

Additionally, each player will be given a thorough evaluation. Camp Directors and coaches will give each player feedback on whether that player's skills are sufficient to play in the American minor leagues, and/or whether that player can expect to earn a contract overseas.

Following the 2007 season, the IBL had over 100 players earn contracts with overseas teams. The IBL expects this number to grow to at least 125 players following the 2008 season.

2008 IBL Exposure Camp Information:

Camp 1
March 14 and 16
Genesis Center (1 Genesis Center Plaza, Gary, IN)
Camp begins at 9:30am on both dates

Camp 2
March 22 and 23
Woodburn High School (1785 N. Front Street, Woodburn, OR)
Camp begins at 9:30am on both dates.

The cost for each camp is $250. To learn more or register, contact Terrance Dickens at (503) 805-3311, or visit the ‘Tryouts' section of the IBL website at www.iblhoopsonline.com.

*****************************************************
IRELAND

Burke is victorious with Khimky -by Eurobasket News
Pat Burke (208-C-73, college: Auburn) nailed 4 points and made 4 rebounds for Khimky in Group D of Uleb Cup that thumped Anwil Wloclawek 90:63 at home to remain on top in Group D. Anwil got to a better start as Dunn and Gerrod Henderson combined for 10 points to give the visitors a 10:2 lead. Daniel Ewing replied with consecutive points for Khimky to cut the deficit but Polish team secured a 26:22 advantage after the first frame. Zeljko Zagorac extended the gap to 6 points but from the moment the hosts took over. Daniel Ewing scored 4 points in a row to tie the teams at 32. Nikita Shabalkin and Kelly McCarty drained 8 points and Khimky took a 42:33 lead. Khimky held a 42:36 halftime advantage and it just grew bigger after the intermission. Maciej Lampe hit from outside, while Kelly McCarty dropped another 7 points to open up a 52:39 gap. Anwil never recovered after the blow and had to surrender for their 6th loss at the tournament. Daniel Ewing led all scorers with 18 points. Kelly McCarty added 17 points and 10 boards for the winners. Gerrod Henderson and Zeljko Zagorac teamed up for 12 points apiece to pace Anwil. Pat Burke made 1/1 field goal, was perfect from the free thrwo line (2/2) and only missed one three pointer. His team will face Pamesa Valencia to set up a showdown next week in Spain to decide first place in Group D.

*****************************************************
ISRAEL

Ashkelon lands Chris Massie -by Yarone Arbel
Ironi Ashkelon landed Chris Massie till the reminder of the season. Massie exceled in LEB and LEGA2 in the past two seasons and this season he started in Gran Canarias of the ACB. Ashkelon will be his first stop in Israel.

*****************************************************
ITALY

New coach in Novara -by Gianni Pascucci
Lega 2 team Ignis Novara announced yesterday the hiring of Marcello Perazzetti as it new Head Coach till the end of the current season. Perazzetti replaces Marco Morganti , who served as interim coach till the last weekend. Morganti, who is from Novara, will stay in the team as one of the club officials.

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

Fey to Zain !! -by Mohammed Malas
Zain Basketball Team management have finally signed with a 3rd import, The player is Michael Fey (213-F/C-83, college: UCLA) who had just finished from playing in China with Beijeng Ducks from around three weeks.

Fey was one of the final cuts from the 2006 NBA Los Angelos Lakers roster, He was a Key member of 2005 - 2006 UCLA squad that went to the NCAA Championship Game, Fey averaged nearly a remarkable point per minute played during the 2006-2007 season for the chinese CBA's DongGuan New Century team, He played only in China after his graduation from UCLA.

The americna center will be a big add for the team who will meet Al Jalaa Aleppo on Friday in the 1st game in Dubai International Tournament (18-26 Jan) within Group B, He will arrive directly to Dubai tomorrow to join the team.

Lawson rejects Wihdat's offer, Jovanovic to replace -by Mohammed Malas
Al Wihdat basketball team management finally found the center they need by signning with the serbian player Dorde Jovanovic (209-C-80), The american player Jason Lawson refused the offer which the management offered to him before few days.

Jovanovic played before with Al Wihdat in season 2004-2005, He also played in Slovenia, Romania and Poland.

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

LG Sakers Host ET BlackSlam With Win -by Rick Ross

On a Day in the KBL that saw 2 games in the 4th Round with Samsung Thunders Vs KTF
And LG Sakers Hosting ET BlackSlam Both Thunders & Sakers came away with a Win.
Samsung defeated KTF 88-84 In a hard fought Battle to the end, as LG Sakers battled ET
BlackSlam to the wire winning 86-82. Both Blankson Odartey (201-F/G-82, agency:

Naiditch Entertainment, college: UNLV) and Warner Calvin (201-F/C-80, college: Jacksonville) Notched
25 pts respectfully as did Shannon Terrence (203-F-79, agency: Naiditch Entertainment,

college: Elgin CC) netting 25 plus double digit Rebs.
ET BlackSlam Claims the 7th spot with a record of 17-17, LG Sakers Claim the 5th Position
With a record of 19-15. Samsung Moves into the 3rd position with a record of 20-14 tied
With KCC 20-14.

Dongbu Promy is still the top contenders in 1st place at 26-8 followed by KT&G number 2
At 21-12. Next Up SK Knights Vs KT&G

In Other News Coach Ross Rick would like to thank all of the wonderful Followers and
Fans of Eurobasket for the emails and Fan mail concerning my health and wishing the best
For the season. In response to all of you Thank You Sincerely and God Bless........!



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

For basketball coaches of cadet players -by Edona Shabani
Professional Council of BFK asks from the coaches who work with cadets in basketball clubs or basketball schools to propose 4 players for the National Team in Cadet's Category, the players proposed must be born on 1991 and 1992. Together with their names the coaches should provide the information on their birth year, height, the club or the school the player plays for, and the position they play( this information should be written in the card of the potential cadet player)

The deadline for submitting this information is January 18, 2008( Friday), because BFK will be organizing an activity where potential cadet players will be chosen for NT. This activity will take place on Sunday January 20, 2006 in Theranda.

You can send the information in this e-mail address:

albert@basketbolli.com
Professional Collaborator of BFK

Source: www.basketbolli.com


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

Unlucky Tuesday for Latvia in ULEB Cup -by Eurobasket News
Both Latvian representatives in ULEB Cup suffered close road defeats yesterday. Ventspils lost to Elan Chalon in overtime, while ASK Riga fell just short of victory against Pau in France. Both ASK Riga and Ventspils look forward to the final round of action to make their through to the next stage of the tournament.
Ventspils lost to Elan Chalon in France and slipped to 5-4 record in Group B. They are now tied with two other teams at the second spot and need to win against FMP on January 22 to advance to the next round of action. Ventspils got to a better start of the game as Jimmy Baxter (198-G-80, college: S.Florida) paced the visitors. They held an 18:10 lead after 10 minutes but Elan Chalon clawed their way back into contest in the second quarter. A couple of long jumpers from Xavier Corosine (186-G-85) trimmed the gap to 35:36 at halftime. Ventspils remained ahead in the third stanza as they enjoyed a 57:53 advantage 30 minutes into the encounter. Latvian side were up by 3 points late in regulation but Rowan Barrett (197-G/F-72, college: St.John's) drained back-to-back triples to put Elan Chalon in command 78:74 with under a minute left. Ventspils did not say die and Justin Love sent game into overtime. Martins Skirmants (205-C-77, agency: Interperformances) lifted the visitors in front early in the extra period but Guice and Rowan Barrett proved the difference at the end. Rowan Barrett scored 21 points, while John Ford (207-C/F-78, college: Colorado St.) contributed 20 points for Elan Chalon. Jimmy Baxter answered with 27 points for Ventspils. Uvis Helmanis (204-F-72, agency: Stanley International) dropped 12 points in a loss.
Meanwhile ASK Riga remained only with a thin chance of qualifying to the next stage of the competition after they were sourly beaten by Pau in France. Pau grabbed just their 2nd win in the season but it was enough to virtually leave ASK Riga aside ULEB Cup Qualifying round. ASK Riga now must win against Benetton at home and hope for BC Kiev's victory over the Artland Dragons to mule over the chances to become one of the best fourth-ranked teams. Pau led 37:26 at halftime but ASK Riga stroke back after the break. Dairis Bertans (192-G/F-89) and Raitis Grafs (210-C-81, agency: Interperformances, college: Valparaiso) accumulated an 8:0 run to tie the game at 45. Pau retained a slim 51:50 lead into the fourth period and maintained it throughout the fourth stanza. The hosts were up by 2 points and Curtis Millage (185-G-81, college: Arizona St.) had a chance to save it for ASK Riga but his trey missed the target sealing the win for the French side. Maximiliano Stanic (178-G-78, agency: Players Group) topscored for Pau with 15 points and 7 assists. A.J. Bramlett (208-C-77, college: Arizona) provided game-high 19 points and 14 boards for ASK Riga. Dwayne Broyles (196-F/G-82, college: JMU) added 19 points in a loss.

*****************************************************
LEBANON

Riyadi takes a lot of heat from Antranik but manages to win (77-64) -by Wael Yaman
Antranik turned the heat high up under Riyadi's seat, in the game that was held in Centre Demerjian, but failed to maintain the pressure in the last 5 minutes of the game, to lose to the Champions of Lebanon by 13 pts (77-64). Riyadi, who for the first time introduced Tony Bland as their second import player this season, found itself facing a fierce competition from their opponents, and to their surprise, Antranik ended the first quarter in the lead by one point 21-20.

The pressure was not any better in the second quarter for Riyadi players who were able to turn the numbers around and only advance by 3 points at half time (40-37). The third quarter reached the peak of excitement when none of the teams was able to take control over the third quarter, and both team players equally scored 14 pts. The fourth quarter however, was the turning point for the Yellows, and thanks for the extra efforts put forth by Mazen Mneimneh (who has been shining with his team this season), Riyadi was able to increase its lead to 13 pts and close the game (77-64).

Best player from Riyadi was Ismail Ahmad with 21 pts, 16 rebs, 4 asts, and 3 steals, while Mazen Mneimneh added 18 pts to his team. Joe Vogel scored a double double again with 14 pts, 11 rebs, 2 steals. Riyadi's new import player Tony Bland participated for 31 minutes in the game and had an okay performance with 13 pts, 10 rebs. From Antranik's side, Brown (18 pts, 10 rebs) and Maloy (17 pts, 11 rebs) were the leaders of their team in scoring.

By Mohamad Yatim

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

Cangrejeros defeat Tropics in Game 1 -by Gianni Pascucci
Cangrejeros de Santurce started with the right foot the Liga de las Americas quarterfinals, defeating the Miami Tropics 102-94 in their home court. The man of the game was Ricardo Dalmau (188-G-77), who led Cangrejeros with 29 pts (6/6 in 3pointers !), 3 rebs and 1 assits. Orlando 'Guayacan' Santiago (186-G-75, college: Dowling) added 16 pts and 5 assists and massive center Robert Traylor (204-F/C-77, college: Michigan) added 14 points, 10 rebs and 7 blocked shots (!) at the winning side. After a balced first half (ended 43-43), the PuertoRican team won the third quarter 28-19 and managed to keep the lead till the end. With 16 points each, Sylbrin Robinson (201-F-80, college: Northeastern) and Terence Shellman (201-F-78) were the best in the Tropics, and Jermaine Watson (193-G-81, college: Boston Coll.) added 15 points in losing effort. To sum up, Santurce played a good game and is 1-0 in the series, but Miami has now two consecutive games at home to overturn the situation..

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

Siauliai brings key win from England -by Eurobasket News
Guildford Heat - Siauliai 76:86

Lithuanian Siauliai recharged their hopes to advance to the next round of ULEB Cup with a win over Guildford away from home. They improved to 4-5 record in the ladder and share the third spot with ALBA and KK Bosna. The outcome will be decided in the final round, when Siauliai hosts Joventut. The Heat meanwhile lost their 9th straight game and remained at the bottom of the table in Group A. The game got to an even start with both teams trading the baskets. Daniel Gilbert (197-G-83, college: Buffalo) scored 5 straight points for the Heat late in the first frame to give them a 20:14 lead. The hosts capitalized on the momentum and extended the gap to 10 points at the end of the quarter 25:15. Marius Prekevicius (196-F-84, agency: Interperformances, college: S.Florida) stepped up for the challenge igniting a 9:0 run for the visitors to retain the touch. Tony Dorsey (200-F-70, college: N.Alabama) however capped the first half with a three-pointer to secure a 36:33 advantage for the Heat at the interval. Marius Prekevicius continued to pump it up for Siauliai after the break and soon he ensured the Lithuanian team surged ahead 47:50. Siauliai entered the fourth period with a 60:54 cushion and completed the task in the fourth. The visitors scored 11 unanswered points early in the final stanza to run away for good. Donatas Zavackas (203-F-80, college: Pittsburgh) led the winners with 20 points. Marius Prekevicius had 16 points, while Mantas Ruikis (198-G/F-85) added 15 points for Siauliai. Daniel Gilbert led all scorers with 23 points. Elmer J. Harrison (186-G-76, college: Connecticut) dropped 19 points for the Heat in a loss. Siauliai outrebounded the hosts 41:24 and shot solid 54% from the field. Guildford will take on Turk Telekom in the final round.

Guildford: Daniel Gilbert 23, Elmer J. Harrison 19
Siauliai: Donatas Zavackas 20, Marius Prekevicius 16, Mantas Ruikis 15

*****************************************************
MONTENEGRO

Buducnost narrowly loses in Israel -by Eurobasket News
Galil Elyon - Buducnost 82:81

Galil Elyon got a surprising close victory over visiting Buducnost to claim just their second win in the initial ULEB Cup appearance for Israli team. Buducnost travelled South having already booked their elimination round ticket but needed a win to stay close to the first place. However Galil Elyon entertained the local crowd with some thrilling basketball that ended successfully for the hosts. The home team scored 4 unanswered points to open the action but Buducnost quickly responded with an 11:3 run to pick up an 11:7 lead. But the home team used a bunch of accurate shots from Doron Sheffer (196-G-72, agency: Arik Krayn Services, college: Connecticut) to record a 27:22 lead after 10 minutes. It was soon denied by the visitors as Ivan Maras (206-C-86, agency: Octagon) and Nikola Otasevic (184-G-82) drained three-pointers to make it all square at 31. Galil Elyon stepped on the gas late in the second stanza and sealed a 44:40 advantage at the interval. Buducnost responded with a 6:1 run early in the third period and retained the lead once again. From now on the game turned into a real teeter-totter kind of contest with the lead changing hands for numerous times. Buducnost led by 2 points on a jumper from Ivan Maras with under a minute to go. But Yogev Ohayon (189-G-87) nailed a free throw, while Jai Lewis (201-F-83, college: George Mason) pulled down a massive offensive board on his second miss to sink both his attempts from the line and made it 80:79 for the hosts. Nemanja Gordic (195-G-88) got fouled upon and was deadly from the charity stripe to return the lead to Montenegrin team. Buduncost opted for sending Yogen Ohayon to the line again with the time expiring. This time he was accurate in both attempts sealing the win for the hosts.
Aaron Nixon (188-G-83, college: Long Beach St.) led Galil Elyon with 19 points. Clif Brown (200-F-84, agency: Court Side, college: Niagara) added 17 points and Gil Mossinson poured in 16 in a winning case. Nemanja Gordic paced the visitors with game-high 20 points. Vladimir Dasic (208-F-88) provided 16 points in a losing effort. Galil Elyon will wrap up their campaign against Fribourg away from home. Buducnost takes on Gmunden at home next week.

Galil Elyon: Aaron Nixon 19, Clif Brown 17, Gil Mossinson 16
Buducnost: Nemanja Gordic 20, Vladimir Dasic 16

*****************************************************
NCAA

North Carolina Vs Georgia Tech -by Darryl Reshaw
On a freezing raining night in Atlanta the real die hard basketball fans attended Alexander Memorial Coliseum to see number 1 ranked North Carolina take on Georgia Tech.
The game was exciting as it went down to the final possession with Georgia Tech in position to upset the undefeated Tar Heels.

However Zach Peacock (6'8''-F-87) could not knock down the final shot and North Carolina escaped with a 83-82 victory in Atlanta.

Tyler Hansbrough (6'9''-F-85) dominated around the basket all night and benefited from the charity stripe where he scored 13 of his game high 27 points.

North Carolina opened the game with a 13-9 edge off of a few early turnovers and a couple of three point plays by Tyler Hansbrough.

Both teams executed their offenses well early in the first and Georgia Tech got hot from the 3pt to take a 23-21 lead with 12:23 left in the half.

The game became a back and forth battle with North Carolina executing their offense precisely to take a 37-33 lead with 6:52 left in the first half.

Georgia Tech fought back from an eight point defecit with the outstanding play of the unhearalded point guard Maurice Miller.

However North Carolina held a 48-46 lead at halftime.


The second half started with Georgia Tech grabbing the momentum and opening a 63-58 lead with enthusiastic play Anthony Morrow and company.

The game featured many momentum swings and with 7:57 left Georgia Tech held a 74-72 margin.
Wayne Ellington (6'4''-G-87) hit a couple jumpers to give the Tar Heels a 78-76 edge with 5:17 left in the game.

In the final minutes North Carolina made crucial free throws while Georgia Tech failed to get to the line or make big shots as North Carolina was finally tested in the ACC with an 83-83 win.

*****************************************************
PARAGUAY

FPC will play in National League -by Gianni Pascucci
Felix Perez Cardozo Asuncion confirmed during the past weekend its participacion to the upcoming 2008 Paraguayan National League. The only team yet without a confirmation is the reigning champion America de Pilar. Two clubs, Colonias Unidas and Universidad Autonoma de Asuncion are ready to replace it in case of withdraw

*****************************************************
PBL

"Growing pains" in PBL too.... -by Gianni Pascucci
A well informed source told to Usbasket.com that the PBL is on the way to lose its first team. This first victim should be the the Jacksonville Jam, a team reoported in a so bad financial straits that the PBL could decide to not support it anymore. The rumor tells that Jacksonville had joined the PBL because they did not have enough money to start ABA season and the PBL, with a later start, would give the team ownership a better chance to gather money. But now, coaches and players went to pick up their paychecks and learned that there was no money. It seems they have been informed that the PBL is in the works to take over the team, trying to finish season with all the eight teams that started it. We are not able to say if the league will keep the same roster in Jacksonville or not...

*****************************************************
POLAND

Dawid Witos moving to Zastal Wiecko from Polpharma -by Wojciech Strzebinczyk
Polish top guard Dawid Witos (190-G-83, agency: Promotex) who was starter in Polpharma Starogard Gdanski just left the team and signed contract with Zastal Wiecko Zielona Gora. Witos averaged this season in DBE after 12 games: 10.7ppg, 2.3rpg, 1.2apg, 1.3spg, (3PT: 40.9%) and he was best polish player in Starogard! He received a lot of proposals from few DBE teams but just immediately signed with Zastal where he played 3-4 years ago. Zastal have now 18-0 result in 1liga!

Charles Bennett out of Atlas Ostrow Wlkp. -by Wojciech Strzebinczyk
American forward/center Charles Bennett (206-C-77, agency: Hart Sports Mngm, college: Midwestern St.) was just relased from Atlas Stal Ostrow. Bennett played in DBE 12 games with averages 4.5ppg and 2.6spg!

Kotwica Kolobrzeg lose and tied friendly in Germany -by Wojciech Strzebinczyk
During the league games break Kotwica Kolobrzeg went to Germany played in 2 friendly games against 1Bundesliga teams. In first game they lost with Phantoms Braunschweig 93:99 and in other game tied with Gottingen 81:81.

Turow wins, Slask and Anwil lose in Round 9 of ULEB Cup -by Eurobasket News
Turow extended their impressive winning run across ULEB Cup regular season. They clinched the 8th win at the tournament beating Uniks Kazan 73:68 at home. The win also ensured the top spot finish for Turow in Group I. Uniks were slightly better at the start as they drove to a 16:15 lead after the opening stanza. The game stayed close in the second frame. The visitors organized a 6:0 run late in the second half to surge ahead 37:32. Sergei Chikalkin (196-G-75) and Dusko Savanovic (204-F/C-83, agency: Beo Basket) later deepened the damage 52:45. Robert Witka (205-F-81) capped the third frame with a jumper for Turow to trail by 5 points heading into the fourth period. David Logan (184-G-82, college: Indianapolis) and