USA U18 - Bahamas U18 115:51
United States Junior National Team earned their second win in a row in Formosa.
The success meant United States team advanced to the semifinal stage at the FIBA
Americas U18 Championship and thus qualified for the U19 World Championship in
New Zealand in 2009. Bahamas in the meantime suffered their second straight loss
at the tournament. The USA dominated the game from the tip off. They outgunned
their opponents 29:5 in the first period and were well in control of the
situation throughout the rest of the contest. They held Bahamas team to 6 points
in the second stanza and built a 59:11 lead at halftime. Bahamas finally came
back to life in the second half and notched 40 points but it was still not
enough to outscore the North Americans. The USA secured a thumping victory and
remained on top of Group B.
Travis Wear (6'9''-F-90) tallied 15 points and 4 boards for the USA.
Mason
Plumlee (6'11''-F-90) had 14 points and 14 boards, while
JaMychal Green (6'9''-F/C-90) added 13 points and 8 caroms for the winners.
Donathen Moss (6'7''-C-90) answered with 10 points for Bahamas.
Olen
Smith (-90) posted 9 points in a losing case. The USA team outrebounded
their opponents 58:28 and forced those to 29 turnovers. United States will face
Puerto Rico tonight. Bahamas and Venezuela will fight for the initial win at the
tournament.
USA U18:
Travis Wear 15,
Mason
Plumlee 14+14 boards,
JaMychal Green 13
Bahamas U18:
Donathen Moss 10,
Olen
Smith 9
*****************************************************
Benacek leaves Borac Nektar, Bavcic on Vegas Summer
League - by Eurobasket News
Predrag
Benacek, who spent last season as a Director of Bosnian D1 team Borac
Nektar, stepped down on his position. Benacek decided to return in Czech
Republic due to personal reasons. He stated for Bosnian media that he had a nice
time with Borac and there wasn't any misunderstanding between him and any of
club's officials. Before Borac, Benacek spent two seasons as a head coach of
Cypriot team Pizza Express Apollon from Limassol. He also was a head coach of
Cypriot National Team in 2007. From 1994 to 2005 Benacek used to work in Czech
Republic. He started as a coach in youth selections of Sparta Prague while at
his last two years he was as a head coach of BK Prostejov.
In the meantime
Edin
Bavcic (210-F/C-84, agency:
Beo
Basket) participates at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. In his third
game with 76ers he scored 4 points shooting 2 of 2 from the field. He also added
3 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 turnover for 11 minutes. His team improved to score
2-1 while their next rival will be Washington Wizards.
Suad
Sehovic (198-G-87) of Bosna ASA BHT got an invitation from
Dusko
Vujosevic to join Montenegrin National Team. Thus Sehovic and 24 more
players will prepare together for the European Championship division B. Sehovic
already has experience from Montenegrin U20 National Team as he participated
last summer on U20 European Championship in Poland winning the gold medal.
Sehovic spent last 4 seasons with Bosna ASA BHT.
*****************************************************
Cameroon gives Puerto Rico all it could handle but
loses 81-72 - by Cyril Empig
For the second game in a row, the Cameroon Indomitable Lions exceeded all
expectations and gave a highly-touted Puerto Rico team all it could handle.
Cameroon showed their mettle by playing hard-nose ball. While Puerto Rico had
double-digit leads throughout the game, Cameroon kept storming back. Cameroon
cut the lead down to 6 points, 65-59, following a three-pointer from 6-2, pg
Parfait Bitee, with less than seven minutes left in the game. Minutes later,
Harding Nana, 6-8, f, took the ball hard to the rack for a deuce, making the
score 65-61. After the team traded baskets, Nana made a jump shot to keep
Cameroon close, 70-67 with 1:40 remaining in the game. However, in the end,
Puerto Rico had too much offense for Cameroon to overcome. Puerto Rico held on
to win in a hard-fought battle, 81-72, to advance to the quarter-finals of the
tournament.
Nana had another monster outing for Cameroon, tallying a total of 22 points.
Bitee had an exceptional game as well; scoring 17 points (four 3-pointers), 2
assists and 2 steals. 6-8 pf Brice Vounang had a solid game as well, scoring 10
pts. Finally, 6-11, c Ruben Boumtje Boumtje was Lord of the Boards, with 8
rebounds, a follow-up to his 10 rebound total in the previous game against
Croatia.
6-11 c Ricardo Sanchez (17 pts) and NBA 6-2 pg Carlos Arroyo (16 pts) led a
balanced Puerto Rico attack that saw five of its players scoring in double
digits for the game.
With this second loss, Cameroon bows out of the tournament in Athens. But the
team should be extremely proud of what they have accomplished. Cameroon should
be proud of what these fine men had done for their country. Putting this in
proper perspective, what the Indomitable Lions had done in Athens, burdened by
inferior all-around support from home, is truly awe-inspiring. And despite all
these difficulties, they played both Croatia and Puerto Rico tough. A lot of
credit goes to these men, for the sacrifices they made this week. A lot of
credit also goes to their great leader, Coach Lazare Adingono, who also had to
work hard under extreme levels of stress, being able to keep the team motivated
and driven in the middle of such crisis.
Congratulations to the Cameroon Indomitable Lions: Alfred Aboya, Christian
Bayang, Parfait Bitee, Patrick Bouli, Ruben Boumtje Boumtje, Joachim Ekanga
Ehawa, Jean Pierre Ellong Ebongue, Cyrille Makanda, Harding Nana, Franck Ndongo,
Brice Vounang, Alexis Wangmene, and Coach Lazare Adingono.
Hopefully, this inspirational effort would encourage the country to support
the game of basketball back home. Without a doubt, Cameroon has the skilled
players. It would be truly great when the time comes when the National
Basketball Teams have the full support of the Cameroon Government, allowing
these fine men and women to compete at the highest level without any stress,
apart from stress on the court.
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute hard at work - by
Cyril Empig
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is working this summer. He is in Las Vegas, Nevada,
USA , taking part in the NBA Summer League. The Milwaukee Bucks signed Luc to a
multi-year contract and quickly put him to work along with other Buck players
and Buck hopefuls.
In his first NBA game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Luc was in the Bucks
starting five at the one forward position. The 6-8, 230 lb UCLA alum started out
cold. He would struggle offensively throughout the game, not scoring until the
third quarter. He made less than 30% of his shot attempts to finish with 4
points, scoring on a layup and a dunk. But Luc contributed positively to the
Buck efforts by manning the boards, finishing the game with a total of 7
rebounds. Unfortunately, the Bucks lost this one, 88-79.
On his second game against the Detroit Pistons, Luc was again in the starting
lineup. Again, he had another tough outing offensively; he did not score until
3:34 of the third quarter. Luc finished with 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and
a steal. Shooting wise, it was another tough-going for Luc as he made only
2-out-of 10 shot attempts for an abysmal 20% field goal percentage. The Bucks
eventually won the game 73-59. Another African player on the Bucks roster is
Nigerian Olumide Oyeji (6-10 pf/c), who had a solid game coming off the bench,
scoring 10 points along with 8 rebounds for the game.
So far, Luc is averaging 5.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1 steal and 0.5
blocks in two games. Along with the rebounds, another impressive stat for Luc is
his free-throw shooting. He is making 75% of his free throw attempts. He would
need to improve on his anemic 24% shooting, however, going forward. To do that,
he either needs to improve his shooting or his shot selection. No reason he
cannot work on both.
Next up for Luc and the Bucks are the Denver Nuggets on July 17. The Nuggets are
undefeated in summer league play.
Continued good luck to Luc!
Pic of Luc in his work clothes courtesy of
http://www.nba.com/bucks/
Luc Mbah a Moute (200-G/F-88, college:
UCLA)
*****************************************************
Canada stays in the race, sends Korea packing
- by Eurobasket News
Canada - South Korea 79:77
Canadian National Team crafted a spectacular comeback effort just hour ago to
stay alive in the race for the Olympic birth. South Korea put up a fierce fight
against Canada and put them on brink of losing it all. The teams entered the
game having lost their first games and must win to remain in the contention.
Korea jumped to an early 7:2 lead but Canada stayed alert and surged ahead after
Carl
English (192-G-81, college:
Hawaii)
and
Rowan Barrett (197-G/F-72, college:
St.John's)
nailed back-to-back treys.
Kim
Joo-Sung (205-C-79) scored 4 points and
Jeon
Jung-Gyu (188-G-83) added two freebies to tie the scoreline at 20 at the end
of the first period. However the Korean team went on a 12:2 run at the start of
the second frame to grab a comfortable lead.
Jeon
Jung-Gyu and Joo-sung Kim capped the second frame with 10 straight points
and Korea held to a 49:33 advantage at halftime.
Jung
Young-Sam (188-G/F-84) stretched the gap to 18 points early in the third
quarter. But Canada refused to surrender. Joel Anthony and
Rowan
Barrett ignited a comeback effort that resulted in Korea leading by just 5
points at the end of the stanza.
Rowan
Barrett and
Jermaine Anderson (185-G-83) hit back-to-back trebles to put Canada in
charge 78:77 with 34 seconds left. Joo-sung Kim missed a jumper and
Jermaine Anderson sealed the winning outcome from charity stripe.
Rowan
Barrett led the winners with 22 points.
Jermaine Anderson had 17 points, while
Carl
English added 12 for Canada.
Jeon
Jung-Gyu answered with 19 points for South Korea.
Jung
Young-Sam had 13 points in defeat. Canada will now face either Croatia or
Puerto Rico in the quarterfinal.
Canada:
Rowan
Barrett 22,
Jermaine Anderson 17,
Carl
English 12
South Korea:
Jeon
Jung-Gyu 19,
Jung
Young-Sam 13
Canada U18 qualifies for the U19 World Championship
- by Eurobasket News
Canada U18 - Uruguay U18
76:56
Canadian Junior National Team remained perfect at the U18 FIBA Americas
Championship in Formosa. They defeated Uruguay on the second day of the
tournament and automatically ensured their U19 World Championship birth next
year. Uruguay got to a better start to the game as they led 20:16 after ten
minutes of action. But Canada had their secret weapon.
Robert Gagliardi (185-G-90) nailed 11 points in a row for Canada in the
second quarter, while defense worked hard and Canadian team gradually took over.
They limited Uruguayan team to only 8 points in the period and established a
41:28 advantage at halftime. Canada kept on running well and piled up a 20-point
cushion in the third frame. Uruguay never recovered suffering their second loss
at the start of the event. Canada and Argentina share the top spot in Group A
and would play for the top seed today.
Robert Gagliardi finished with game-high 33 points for Canada.
Mangisto Arop (197-G-90) delivered 14 points and 12 boards, while
Marc
Trasolini (206-F-90) added 8 points and 7 caroms for the winners.
Mathias Calfani (199-C-92) replied with 14 points for Uruguay.
Nicolas Catala (196-F-91) had 12 points in a losing effort. Canada held an
advantage under the rims 45:33 in rebounds and limited their opponents to only
29% accuracy from the field. Uruguay will face Mexico tonight.
Canada U18:
Robert Gagliardi 33,
Mangisto Arop 14+12 boards,
Marc
Trasolini 8
Uruguay U18:
Mathias Calfani 14,
Nicolas Catala 12
*****************************************************
Dimayor 08/09: Foreigners forthe upcoming season
- by Daniel Valencia
Dimayor 08/09 will
start this weekend with the first phase of the tournament. For this season the
teams are allowed to sign three foreign players. These are the roster moves for
the upcoming season.
Liceo Mixto
The champion of the 07/08 edition signed the american small forward
Brandon Mason (194-G/F-81, college:
N.Mexico St.),
that played the past season with Atenas de Cordoba in Argentina. They will play
the regular season of Dimayor with only two foreigners.
Universidad Catolica
Miguel Ureta's team signed the dominican forward
Juan Pablo Montas (198-F-85) and the american center
Jeff Fahnbulleh (201-C). They also will play with only two foreigners.
CD Puente Alto
The new head coach, the argentinian
Marcos Beltramella signed for the upcoming season the americans
John Davis (201-F-84, agency:
AMI,
college:
Tarleton St.),
Theo Little (208-C-84, college:
Arkansas
St.) and
Dexter Gray (201-F-85, agency:
AMI,
college:
St.John's). They are all young players with not much experience playing
abroad.
Deportivo Espanol de Talca
For the upcoming season Espanol signed the national forward Jose Madrid (from
Boston College) and the americans
Marques Hayden (201-F-83, agency:
Tank
Sports, college:
Kansas St.)
(he played the past season with Espanol),
Robbie Banks (210-F/C-78, college:
Cal.St.-San
Bernar.) and
Daniel McFaul (198-F).
CD Universidad de Concepcion
Last years' runner up signed a contract with the argentinian
Jorge
Luis Alvarez as their head coach for the 08709 season. Alvarez was the
assistant coach for Narvarte but he is going to participate with the argentinian
team in the olimpics and then will coach in Uruguay. With this, the first roster
decision for Alvarez was the signing of the american players. Concepcion signed
Jefferson Agba (210-F/C-80, college:
Embry
Riddle) (who played with Puente Alto last year) and
Nakiea Miller (204-C-79, agency:
HM
Sports Agency, college:
Iona).
Deportivo Valdivia
Mario Spada choose two americans with experience in our country. The first was
Tony
Bishop (201-F-73, college:
S.Alabama)
(champion with Valdivia in the 01 season) and
Bobby Madison (198-F-82, agency:
Duran
International, college:
W.Michigan)
(with expererience in Castro and Ancud). For the third spot they signed
Mike Lytle (201-G-83, college:
Bryan).
The american played a few friendly games and the head coach decided to replace
him because he wasn't what the team was looking for. In replace they signed
Deshawn Danzey (198-F) as their third import player.
Provincial Osorno
After a dissapointing 07/08 season Provincial Osorno is looking to enter the
playoffs once again. For this they signed the guard
Ronald Cruces (177-G-87) along with the americans
Walt Waters (211-C-84, agency:
Tank
Sports, college:
Macomb CC)
for help in the paint zone and the guard
DaJuan Gouard (189-G-83, agency:
Promotex, college:
Loyola, IL).
The head coach, the argentinian Gustavo Noria, told the media that during the
season they will decided if they need a third import player.
Universidad de Los lagos
For their first season in Dimayor the team from Puerto Montt signed the american
coach Carlton Johnson. With players like Leonel Mendez and Johnny Gomez as their
national leaders they decided to signed three foreigners. The names are
Tim
Jennings (191-G-83, agency:
EM-PA,
college:
Gardner-Webb),
Donald Gray (200-F-84, college:
N.Mexico
Highlands) and
Dean Browne (206-C-80, college:
Nevada).
Deportes Ancud
Ancud signed three brazilians as their import players. The names are
Leonardo Alves,
Eduardo Baeta (195-G/F-84) and
Marcos Hubner (204-F/C-82, college:
Abil.Christian).
Deportes Castro
For the upcoming Dimayor season, Deportes Castro signed the shooting guard
Jose Luis Campos (189-G-80) as the key national player. They also signed
three foreigners. The first was
Duane John (198-F-81, agency:
Chris
Pearson SM, college:
Oklahoma
City), who played with Castro last season. The other two names are
Roy
Morris (188-G, college:
San Diego)
and
Jackson Marlow (214-C-81, college:
Fresno St.).
*****************************************************
Croatia wins Group D of the Olympic Qualifying
Tournament - by Eurobasket News
Puerto Rico -Croatia 81:95
Croatian National team won Group D of FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for
Men. Today European team overcame Puerto Rico 95:81. Trailing 14:26 after the
opening quarter Croatia bounced back and finished with 2-0 record.
Davor Kus (190-G-78) and
Marko
Tomas (200-G-85) led the winners with 15 points apiece.
Roko-Leni Ukic 
(195-G-84),
Nikola Prkacin (208-C-75) and
Marko Banic (204-F-84) all netted 12 points in a win.
Larry
Ayuso (190-G-77, agency:
Edge
Sports, college:
USC)
top-scored for the Latino Americans with 22 points.
Carlos Arroyo (188-G-79, agency:
Interperformances, college:
Florida
Intern.) had a good game with 20 points and
Peter John Ramos (222-C-85) posted 10. Croatia will face Canada in a
quarter-final on Friday, while Puerto Rico must take on Slovenia.
Puerto Rico had a good start and desired to be first in the group. They started
offensively and mounted in 14-2 run in the opening tip.
Larry
Ayuso three-ball extended the advantage to 26:9. Croatia woke up immediately
and could reduce to 26:14 entering the second quarter. The second quarter saw
Europeans taking the full advantage of the court. Croatia produced 29:14 to take
the lead in the game. They went to the changing rooms in front at 43:40.
In the third quarter Croatia also played better and started to increase the
lead.
Davor Kus drilled a jumper to start a 14-2 run that Marko
Marko Banic capped with two free throws to make it 61:48. In the last period
the deficit was more than 10 points all the time and Croatia led the game to the
winning end.
Puerto Rico:Larry
Ayuso 22,
Carlos Arroyo 20,
Peter John Ramos 10
Croatia:Davor
Kus 15,
Marko
Tomas 15,
Roko-Leni Ukic
12,
Nikola Prkacin 12,
Marko Banic 12
Damir Markota undergoes knee surgery - by
Eurobasket News
Bad news came from Athens where
Croatian senior National Team participates on the FIBA Olympic Qualifying
Tournament.
Damir Markota (209-C/F-85) got injured at the opening day of the competiton.
Actually he suffered an injury during the first quarter of the game against
Cameroon when he jumped to get a rebound. He immediately left the court after
what he was sidelined for the rest of the game. National Team doctors announced
that Markota suffered knee injury (meniscus) and he will have to undergo surgery
as soon as possible. Surgery is already scheduled for today after what Markota
will have to take a rest for at least one month. If Croatia succeeds to qualify
for the Olympics his participation will be under the big question mark.
U18 Croatia returns from Spain - by
Eurobasket News
Croatian U18 National Team returned
from Spain where they participated on international tournament which was a part
of preparation for the European Championship in Greece. Croatia is placed in the
Preliminary Group D on U18 European Championship where they will take on Turkey,
Latvia and Bulgaria. The opening day of the competition is July 25th.
Croatians showed decent performance in the first game on tournament in Spain.
They outplayed France 80-69 mostly owing to 14 points and 8 rebounds by
Tomislav Zubcic (210-C/F-90).
Toni Prostran (190-G-91) followed him adding 16 points and 5 rebounds while
Sven Smajlagic (190-G-90) had 14 points and 5 rebounds.
Mario Delas (210-C-90) also shined against France grabbing 12 rebounds.
At the second day of the tournament the hosts Spain celebrated against Croatia
86-75. It was a crucial win for Spanish on their way to finish the tournament on
top.
Sven Smajlagic was the best Croatian player in this game adding 25 points
and 7 rebounds.
Toni Prostran registered 17 points and 4 rebounds while
Mario Delas once again was the top rebounder of the team grabbing 10 boards.
In day number three Croatia smashed Germany 73-48. This time it was
Mario Delas who was the key player of the game. Delas was unstoppable for
the Germans collecting 19 points and 9 rebounds.
Sven Smajlagic also had 19 points but with 8 rebounds. The best player from
the first game against France,
Tomislav Zubcic, scored 17 points and made 7 rebounds this time.
*****************************************************
Ex-Rainmen Jermaine Anderson Helps Propel Canada Over
Korea into Olympic Qualifying Quarterfinals - by
Surujh Roopnarine
Jermaine Anderson's (6'2''-G-83, college:
Fordham)
key three-point shot with 34 seconds left helped propel Canada to a wild and
improbable 79-77 come-from-behind victory over Korea at the 2008 FIBA Olympic
Qualifying Tournament in Athens. This knock-out game in the preliminary round
was almost a nightmare for Canada, who played with just 11 men after releasing
NBA center Samuel Dalembert (undisclosed reasons) after their loss to Slovenia
on Monday. Canada trailed by 18 points early in the second half and were still
down by 10 with less than two minutes remaining but ended up winning 79-77.
After Anderson split a pair of free throws for a 79-77 advantage, Korea had 11
seconds remaining to tie or take the lead. Oh Sekeun drove into the lane and put
the ball up but missed as time expired. Anderson finished with 17 points and
five rebounds on 7-10 shooting from the field in 32 minutes.
A member of the 2007-08 Halifax Rainmen who recently joined the Premier
Basketball League (PBL), the ex-Fordham star appeared in 20 games (16 starts)
averaging 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and a team high 6.6 assists in just less
than 30 minutes per contest.
Canada will now face Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals, after they defeated
Croatia 95-81 to claim the top spot in Group D.
Three former D-Leaguers also played key roles in Canadas shocking victory over
Korea as
Carl
English (6'4''-G-81, college:
Hawaii)
(12 points),
Joel
Anthony (6'9''-C-82, college:
UNLV) (7
points + 6 rebounds) and
Olu
Famutimi (6'6''-G-84, agency:
CGL
Sports, college:
Arkansas)
(7 points) each played 20 minutes. English was a All D-League Honorable
Selection in 2005 with the Florida Flame after averaging over 14 points per
game, while Famutimi had two productive seasons for the Arkansas RimRockers
(2005-2007) averaging 9.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in 92 games. Anthony, the
least experienced of the trio, but arguably one of the most valuable Canadians
with the departure of Dalembert, spent three games with the Iowa Energy during
his rookie campaign last season with the Miami HEAT.
*****************************************************
Eurobasket Summer League (Las Vegas) All Tournament
Team & Awards - by Darryl Reshaw
The Eurobasket Summer League (Las
Vegas) announces the following names on the All Tournament Team.
Co-MVP
Derrick Stevens (180-G-80, college:
Colorado St.):
He had an outstanding tournament controlling the tempo of the games, making
great decisions, scoring, utilizing his amazing quickness and using his strength
and athleticism to finish baskets in the paint among the big guys. Derrick can
play at the highest level in Europe now.
Co-MVP
Pele
Paelay (193-G-84, agency:
Chris
Pearson SM, college:
Co.Carolina):
Pele showed why he averaged 16ppg in the CBA this year and was Big South Player
of the year a couple of seasons ago in Las Vegas. Pele simply showcased his
athletic ability with a lot of dunks, great scoring, shooting touch, great
creativity and ball handling skills in the three days. He is an amazing player
who is ready for top level European action now.
Unfortunately for the rest of the teams in the Las Vegas event both of these
guys played on the same team and won the ESL event in Las Vegas.
First Team ALL ESL Las Vegas:
Bennet Davis (206-F-84, agency:
KMG
Sports Management, college:
Northeastern): Bennet who played in Israel in 2007-08 in the top league was
so smooth throughout the week and showed nice athleticism. His midrange and
turnaround jump shot was really sweet. He also took the ball to the basket well
and showed why he should be playing in the top leagues in Europe.
Aristide Sawadogo (213-C-81, agency: college:
Clayton St.):
The seven foot center made his presence felt over the three day period
defensively blocking a lot of shots and altering others making players have to
think twice before entering the paint. Aristide rebounded and outlet passes were
great all tournament. His 12 foot bank shot worked well but will need to improve
his post up game for the next level. Has the potential defensively to play in
the NBA.
Tim
Morris (193-G-84, college:
Washington)
(193-G-84, college:
Washington):
The 2007-08 University of Washington player look like a high-level big guard
that can play at the highest level in Europe over the three day event. Tim has a
great jump shot and created off of the dribble very well. He has a pro body and
can play both guard positions, rebounds and passes the ball very well. He is an
outstanding prospect for the pro game.
Leonard Houston (191-G-85, college:
Drake):
The Co-MVP from the ESL Chicago continued to impress scouts in Las Vegas with
his scoring, athleticism and ultra smooth jump shot. He is an excellent combo
guard that impressed some of the big name teams in attendance. He will need more
experience but will play at the highest level in Europe real soon.
Kyle
Lamonte (191-G-84, agency:
Beggs and
Lane, college:
William
Carey): The other Co-MVP from the ESL in Chicago came to the Las Vegas event
and performed extremely well against bigger and better competition. Kyle has
great ball handling ability and can get to the paint against anyone, he scores
extremely well and he is a big time athlete who will play in a major European
league soon.
Nathan Green (203-F-75, college:
Idaho St.):
This season veteran who average big numbers in the CBA looked extremely well
over the three day period at the ESL in Las Vegas. Nate can score and create his
own shot anywhere from 15 feet to the post. He is a great rebounder who knows
the game well and has the best set of hands we have seen in a long time. His 17
point and 17 rebound game performance in the last game showed why he is a great
prospect for top European teams.
Bennett Davison (203-F-75, agency:
Megasport,
college:
Arizona): This former Euroleague player who played in Greece last season
played extremely well and illustrated to the young guys why he has had a great
career in Europe. He made great decisions, scored and rebounded well. He was in
excellent shape and ran the floor well in the three day period. Bennett is still
a high-level player in Europe and looked the part at the ESL in Las Vegas.
J.J.
Tauai (190-G-85, college:
Bradley):
This former Bradley University standout looked awesome in the ESL in Las Vegas
as he shot the ball extremely well but impressed us with his passing ability and
rebounding from the big guard position. J.J. is a sleeper for European teams
looking for that 6'5' big guard or swing player who can flat out play.
Derrick Franklin (208-C-81, agency:
KMG
Sports Management, college:
Columbus
St.): Derrick at 6'10' was the most athletic player in the ESL (Las Vegas).
Some of his rebounds and dunks were definitely of NBA caliber. At his size he
shot the 3pt ball extremely well and his showed great ball handling skills. One
scout from Italy said he was the best prospect at the ESL in Las Vegas. Last
year he won a championship in Saudi Arabia and was the best player in the
country but is a far better European league prospect.
Josh Stanhiser: This former volleyball player was a late entry to the ESL who
was introduce to us by the great Spencer Haywood. Josh at 6'11' runs the floor
like a deer and is a great rebounder and shot blocker. He would be a still for a
team in Europe looking for an athletic big man who has tremendous upside
potential once he improves his offensive game to the next level.
Coach of the ESL in Las Vegas:
Glen
Hayes
Glen showcased quality drills all week at his stations and his offensive schemes
were quality and professional.
He motivated his players extremely very well and had a great substitution system
during the ESL.
As a result his team won the championship while playing the pressure defense
that Glen enforced.
ESL Las Vegas All Big Man Team:
Aristide Sawadogo (7'1' & 265lbs)
Josh Stanhiser (6'11' & 230lbs)
Derrick Franklin (6'10' & 225lbs)
Nathan Green (6'8' & 250lbs)
Glenn Elliott (206-C-83, college:
Florida A&M)
Glen was a beast all week using his strong low post game and nice jump hook to
dominate guys. Some of his blocks were outstanding on the first couple of day
before he got injured. He looks like he can play at a high level in Europe
making six figures.
Travis Knight (211-F/C-74, college:
Connecticut):
(7'0' & 250lbs) This former NBA player looked good in the drills and hit some
nice perimeter shots in the first game including some nice rebounding and block
shot plays. Did not play the last game due to minor issues.
Chad
Bell (213-C-82, college:
Nevada):
(7'1' & 265lbs) Chad had a quality first game and was a major presence in the
middle all three days. He has a NBA body and a nice touch. Needs some experience
in Europe but has tremendous upside potential to play at a high-level in Europe.
Statistics from the ESL Day 3 are below:
ESL Las Vegas Championship Game (Monaco 97, Brussels 75)
Monaco: 97
Glenn Elliottt: DNP (Injured)
Lance Ortiz: 9pts;
William Maupins: 8pts; 5rbs; 6ast
Mario Brown: 13pts; 6rbs
Tyler Franklin: 8pts; 3rbs; 4ast
Jeffrey Mayi: 9pts;
Larry Morinia: 2pts; 2ast
Pele
Paelay: 21pts; 7rbs; 5ast
Derrick Stevens: 19pts; 5rbs; 10ast
Josh Stanhiser: 8pts; 10rbs; 2blk
Brussels: 75
Bennet Davis: 15pts; 3rbs; 2ast; 2blk
Aristide Sawadogo: 9pts; 9rbs; 4ast; 4blk
DShon Cannon: 2pts; 3rbs; 5ast
Whit Holcomb-Faye: 7pts; 3ast
Reggie Huffman: 6pts; 5rbs; 5blk
Tim
Morris: 16pts; 4rbs; 4ast
Temi Soyebo: 5pts; 2rbs; 4ast
Dan Fitzgerald: 11pts; 3rbs
Phillip Scott: 1pts; 2rbs; 2ast
Joseph Powell: 3pts; 4rbs; 2ast
ESL Las Vegas 3rd Place Game: (Venice 91, Geneva 74)
Venice: 91
Travis Knight: DNP
Zack Alvidrez 3pts; 4rbs
Nathan Green: 17pts; 17rbs; 5ast
Ryan Read: 11pts; 3rbs; 1ast
Jermaine Dailey: 10pts; 11rbs; 2ast
Leonard Houston: 18pts; 6rbs; 4ast; 1blk
Kyle
Lamonte: 18pts; 5rbs; 10ast
Alex Davenport: 10pts; 2rbs; 1ast; 1blk
L.Patterson: 4pts; 2rbs
Geneva: 74
Dedrick Bates: 10pts;1rbs;1ast
Tremaine Dalton: 11pts; 1rbs; 5ast
Bennett Davison: 12pts; 5rbs; 5ast
Derrick Franklin: 6pts; 8rbs; 2ast; 4blk
Chris Brooks: 9pts; 2rbs; 3ast
Joseph Frazier: 11pts; 1rbs; 2ast
JJ.J.
Tauai: 14pts; 10rbs; 5ast; 1blk
Chad
Bell: 1pts; 5rbs; 4ast
*****************************************************
Fenerbahce Ulker inks Marques Green and Devin Smith
- by Eurobasket News
Turkish champion Fenerbahce Ulker
announced signing of
Marques Green (170-G-82, college:
St.Bonaventure) and
Devin Smith (196-G/F-81, college:
Virginia).
Both players arrive from Air Avelino and both of them signed 2-years contract
with their new team.
Marques Green had 40 appearances for Avelino in Serie A finishing it as a
second assistant with 6.7 apg. At the end of regular season he also was the
third 'stealer' of the competition having 3.6 spg. Beside this he averaged 13.3
ppg and 3.8 rpg grabbing 'Guard of the year' and 'Import player of the year'
awards. He already has experience from Turkey as he played for Casa TED
Kolejliler Ankara two years ago. After 31 games in Turkish D1 he was a fifth
leading scorer with 17.1 ppg as well as a top assistant and a 'stealer'. In May
last year Green agreed terms with Nancy just for the play-of games after what he
landed to Air Avelino. In the past he already spent one year in Nancy as well as
one season in Roanne. Green graduated at St. Bonaventure in 2003.
Devin Smith also had wonderful last season with Avelino averaging 18.7 ppg,
5.3 rpg, 1.7 apg and 2.2 spg for 39 games in Serie A. He is also awarded with
getting his name to 'All-Italian Serie A 1st Team'. Before Avelino, Smith spent
two seasons in Spanish Bruesa, one in LEB gold and the other one in ACB. He was
third scorer in LEB gold with 15.8 ppg at this first season while his team
captured the title and promotion to ACB. He graduated at Virginia University
adding 16.5 ppg and 6.1 rpg at his senior year.
DKV Joventut lands Pops Mensah-Bonsu - by
Eurobasket News
As Eurobasket already wrote about
the possibility that
Pops
Mensah-Bonsu (206-F-83, agency:
SportsTalent, college:
George
Washington) will join DKV Joventut it became officially announced by the
club yesterday. Mensah-Bonsu put signature on a one year deal with the team. He
played previous season in Benetton Treviso where he had 11 appearances in ULEB
Cup finishing the competition as a fourth rebounder with 8.4 rpg. At the same
time he registered 10 ppg and 1.0 spg. Mensah-Bonsu played 31 games in Italian
Serie A where his average stats was 9.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.3 spg and 1.1 bpg. He
already has some experience in ACB as he spent really short period in CB Granada
joining them in May this year. After he graduated on George Washington in 2006,
Mensah-Bonsu agreed term with NBA team Dallas Mavericks. He played only 12 games
in regular season having 2.4 ppg and 1.8 rpg. Almost half of it he spent with
NBDL team Fort Worth Flyers. Actually the Mavericks called him back to the
roster couple times during the year. I his senior season at George Washington
Mensah-Bonsu averaged 12.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 1.7 bpg.
In the meantime
James Singleton (203-F-81, college:
Murray St.),
who played last season for Tau Ceramica, signed contract with the Mavericks.
Singleton grabbed the championship title with Tau outplaying Barcelona 3-0 in
the play-off final while his team also became a winner of Spanish Supercup at
the beginning of 07/08. The best stats last season Singleton registered in the
play-off of when he for 8 games averaged 6 ppg and 5.3 rpg. He had a bit lower
digits in ACB regular season as well as in Euroleague. It won't be Singleton's
first appearance in NBA as he already played for Los Angeles Clippers a season
before Tau.
*****************************************************
INTERNATIONAL: Raptors hired Gordon Herbert
- by Rauno Hurmalainen
The Toronto Raptors have hired
Gordon
Herbert (CAN-FIN) as an assistant coach/player development. Herbert, a
former Canadian NT player,
has extensive coaching experience in Europe. Herbert started coaching in Finland
(1994) after his career as a player (1982-1994). Then followed Austria
(Wurzburg),
Germany (Frankfurt), France (Paris Racing, Pau-Orthez), Georgia (NT) and Greece
(Aris Thessaloniki).
*****************************************************
Taal turns pro - by
Rolando Delabarrera
According to our own Eurobasket
website, Njagu Taal has turned pro and attended the Courtside Agencies' pro camp
in Frankfurt, Germany. This is a positive step for Gambian Basketball since
Courtside is an established agency and will put him in situations that will
foster his talent. He is of course also under representation with Courtside. I
am glad that somebody reads my posts on the Gambia page from time to time.
Njogu Taal (201-F, agency:
Court Side)
*****************************************************
Nikagbatse joins SSCBasket Napoli - by
Moritz Korff
Misan Nikagbatse
(193-G-82), a former member of the German National Team, heads back to Italy, a
country that he knows pretty well from previous stints in the Serie A.
Nikagbatse made an agreement with SSCBasket Napoli for the upcoming season. The
26-year-old Berlin native averaged 8.7 points, 2.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds in
15 Bundesliga-appearances for the Koeln 99ers in this past season. Nikagbatse
played for the Italian clubs Premiata Montegranaro and Snaidero Udine earlier in
his career.
Olympic Qualifying Tournament: Germany stays perfect
with win over New Zealand - by
Moritz Korff
The German National Team continued its run towards Beijing and earned the
second win in the second game at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Athens,
Greece. The Germans held off New Zealand 89:71 and advance to the Quarterfinals
as the number one-team of Group B.
After overcoming some early nerves, Germany pulled away in the second quarter
and limited the 'Tall Blacks' offense to seven points, while netting 24 on the
other end to make it a 47:33 game at half. New Zealand reduced the gap after the
break, but the Germans finally brought about a decision at the beginning of the
closing ten minutes, when they went on a 9:0 spurt.
Dirk
Nowitzki (211-F-78) led all scores with 35 points, hitting 14 out of 22 from
the field and 3 out of 6 from beyond the arc.
Chris Kaman (213-C-82, college:
Cent.Michigan) tallied 20 points (8/12 FG),
Pascal Roller (180-G-76) added 10 points.
Kirk
Penney (194-G-80, college:
Wisconsin)
produced 29 points (5 treys) in the loss,
Pero
Cameron (199-F-74, agency:
Duran
International) had 14 points.
The German team will return to action on Friday (18:30 CET) and take on Greece
or Brasil in the Quarterfinal.
Boxscore:
click
Post-game interviews on the official website of the Olympic Qualifying
Tournament:
Steffen Hamann and Konrad Wysocki:
click
Coach Dirk Bauermann and Ingo Weiss (President of the German Basketball
Federation):
click
Paderborn Baskets land Minnesota Post Player
- by Moritz Korff
The Digibu Baskets Paderborn (1.
Bundesliga) added some size to their 2008-09 roster.
Spencer Tollackson (206-C-85, agency:
Warren
Sports International) will join the team of Coach
Douglas
Spradley , as announced today. Tollackson, a graduate of the University of
Minnesota (NCAA1), averaged 9.3 points, 3.7 boards and dished out 1.2 assists
through 33 matches for the Golden Gophers in 2007-08. In June the native of
Chaska, Minnesota worked out with the Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves.
*****************************************************
Facts and Figures from the 2008 Olympic Qualifing
Tournament in Athens - by
George Manousidis
Memories: Lebanon is the team that
Dimitris Diamantidis (196-G-80) faced in his breakout year with the Mens
National Team. The 28-year old guard competed with the National Team for the
very first time on September 5, 2001
in the context of the Tunis Mediterranean Games (Greece Lebanon 101 56) and
scored 6 points.
The one-hundred+ club: During the Supercup Tournament, which
was held in Bamberg and in the National Teams game against Puerto Rico,
Dimitris Diamantidis celebrated 100 participations wearing the national
teams uniform, while in the game against Croatia (during the Acropolis
Tournament) he marked his 101st. From the Greek Mens National Team current
players
Theodoros Papaloukas (200-G-77, agency:
Interperformances) (with 120) and
Antonis Fotsis (210-F-81) (with 103) are also part of the 100+
participations club, while
Kostas Tsartsaris (210-F-79) (with 98) is only two away from becoming a
member as well.
Euroleague: Twenty-nine players who competed in the 2007-2008
Euroleague competitions will be vying in the tournament. Greece has the lead in
the list of representatives (with 10 players), followed by Croatia (7),
Slovenia (4), Brazil (3), Germany (3), and Puerto Rico (2).
ΝΒΑ: Eight representatives of NBA teams will be there in the
roll-call of the tournament, the name most heavily weighing on the list of NBA
stars being that of Dallas Mavericks German native
Dirk
Nowitzki (211-F-78).
Germany, Canada, Slovenia and Puerto Rico number two representatives each.
Dallas and Toronto have two players each in the Tournament, while Miami,
Philadelphia, Orlando and Clippers just one apiece.
A peculiar case: Slovenian native Uro Slokar is the only player
to have competed on both sides of the
Atlantic last year. He began the season as a Raptors player, but not having been
given time in the games he chose to finish his career with Dynamo Moscow Region
(Russia).
Exact opposites: All Lebanese players compete with teams from
their homeland, whereas none of the
Cape Verde players compete in theirs.
Inactive: Korean Seung Jin Ha and Cape Verdes Tony Barros and
Fidel Mendonca do not currently belong to a club.
Fifth division player: Cape Verde player Antonio Monteiro competes with the
French CS Мeaux, a 5th
division club. (!)
The lions share: Six of the Lebanon Mens National Team players
last year competed for the Al Riyadi club of Beirut.
Draft: The player ranking highest in the NBA drafts is Chris Kaman of Germany :
in 2003 he was drafted at number 6 by the L.A. Clippers, where he still plays to
this day.
Father - Son: In Canada, Leo Rautins has been sitting on the
Senior Mens National Team bench since 2004 and the players on his roster include
his son Andy, age 22, whos a Syracuse University graduate and is making his
debut with the national team.
Change of nationality: Chris Kaman has become a German national
thanks to his grandparents and acquired the right to participate in the German
national team. Nick Horvath was a US citizen till last year; however his
marriage to a New Zealand native at the beginning of 2008 earned him the right
to appear with the Tall Blacks.
Diversity: Cape Verde counts with eight players not having been
born in the country, while Lebanon has players originating from five different
countries (Lebanon, the USA, United Emirates, Kuwait and Canada).
ACB at No 1: Spain may very well not be partaking in the
Tournament; nevertheless ACB is the league in which most of the Tournament
players compete in (17).
Youngster: Born on January 11, 1978
Lazare
Adingono (Cameroon) is the youngest amongst the 12 teams coaches.
Around the block and back: Right at the other end of the
spectrum lies Brazils coach, the Spanish native Jos Manuel Moncho Monsalve, who
was born on New Years Day in 1945.
Tower power: Measuring 2.22meters in height, Koreas Ha
Seung-Jin ranks first amongst the tall guys, followed by Peter John Ramos of
Puerto Rico who stands 2.20 meters tall.
In small packages: The shortest players in the Tournament are
Pascal Roller (Germany), Kim Taesul (Korea), and Corey Webster (New Zealand)
with a mere 1.80 m.
Wise old man: Canadian Rowan Barrett, who played for Daphni
(2001-02), is the oldest of the bunch having been born on November 24, 1972.
Teenager: Born on March 1, 1989, Cameroon native Alexis
Wangmene is the youngest player in the Tournament.
Happy birthday: During the Tournament, there will be birthday
candles blown by Brazils Murilo Becker da Rosa (14/07), Puerto Ricos Joel Jones
Camacho (17/07) and Cape Verdes Antonio Monteiro (19/07).
Teams statistics: With 39-15 wins against the remaining eleven
teams participating in the Tournament,
Brazil has the best track record. It has never known defeat from Korea (6-0) or
Lebanon (1-0) and is running a 13-1 streak against Canada that last beat Brazil
in the 1936 Olympic Basketball Tournament (with a score of 24-17). Korea has the
worst track record with 17 %, that is to say just 4 victories in 23 games,
followed by New Zealand with 1-4 victories (20%). Greece has never been beaten
by Canada (2-0),
Korea (3-0), and Lebanon (1-0)....
From the official web site of
HEBA
PAOK: Is Drossos the new Owner? - by
George Manousidis
PAOK from the last game in 2007-8 seasons has no owner, no management, no
coach and no team. Mr. Dimitris Drossos visited yesterday Thessaloniki and he
had a meeting with Mr. Galatsopoulos (ex president) and fans, in PAOK Sports
Arena. Rumors from PAOK family mention that: In 7-10 days the legal departments
of the two companies have all the papers ready for share transfer and Mr.
Drossos would be the new owner of PAOK.
'It is
difficult to believe that we will develop negative things' he pointed
characteristics to the representatives of the press in the PAOK Sports Arena.
The big question is:
Where is going to be PAOK, If the lawyers of the two sides dont agree for the
transaction?
*****************************************************
Sat-Cybertech: New Champions at Liga Metro
- by Victor Padilla
In what was one of the most
exciting games of the year, Sat-Cybertech triumphed over Leones de Marte in Game
2 of the Finals of Torneo de Apertura, with a final score of 111 to 110 (in
overtime), and concluded its participation undefeated in the first 2008
tournament organized by Liga Metropolitana. The top scorers for the winners were
Oscar Salguero (37 pts),
Enrique Samayoa (24 pts) and
Ricardo Amaya (16 pts). But it was in the hands of
Pablo Cano (11 pts) that the winning streak and final blow came over the
former champs, as in the finals seconds of the game this young player signed two
consecutive 3-pointers that erased the advantage that Leones de Marte had
produced in overtime with the intent of taking the Finals to a decisive Game 3
on Thursday. A full recap of the game serves justice to both teams: When the
game started, Sat-Cybertech comfortably showed a strong play both at the boards
and at their outside shooting, and Leones de Marte seemed to have yielded to
their rivals' motions when the score showed at half-time a 15 points lead that
favoured Sat-Cybertech. HOWEVER, a 33-16 come back from Leones de Marte in the
3rd Quarter demonstrated the validity of the old advice that wisely says:
'Never underestimate the heart of the champion'. In that manner, when the
4th Quarter started, the game came back to a practical tie, as the spectacular
play of
Walter Morales and
Luis del Cid, who scored 30 and 26 points each at the losing side, seemed to
have given Leones de Marte enough momentum to steal Game 2. But,
Oscar Salguero, with only 4.39 seconds to end regulation, nailed a
traditional 3-point play for Sat-Cybertech, and gave the now champions the
chance to go into overtime, and win there their well-deserved, hard-worked
championship. So, fans and media from Guatemala now have a new Champion team,
Sat-Cybertech, and proclaim: 'The King is dead. Long live the King'.
*****************************************************
NBA: Iran National Team Schedule in Utah -
by Houman Bagheri
NEW YORK, July 15, 2008 - The Basketball Federation of I.R. Iran and its FIBA
Asia Champion mens national basketball team have been invited by the NBA, to
compete against NBA teams and the NBA Development League Ambassadors over the
next six days in Utah. As part of its trip, the Iranian national team will
participate in the Rocky Mountain Revue presented by StoresOnline, the Utah
Jazz-hosted summer league.
The Iranian national team will play four games during its stay in Utah as
part of its preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games, which will be played in
Beijing, China. In addition to games and scrimmages, the team will also observe
NBA team practices and engage NBA and D-League players and coaches in basketball
dialogue. The team will also have the opportunity to visit American cultural
sites.
In an increasingly turbulent world, it is rewarding to bring people together to
celebrate teamwork, discipline and respectful competition on the court, said NBA
Commissioner David Stern. In this spirit, the NBA embraces the opportunity to
welcome the Basketball Federation of Iran and the Iranian Olympic team in a
demonstration of how something as simple as a game of basketball can promote
understanding.
The Iranians will play two exhibition games against the NBA D-League Ambassadors
at The Factory, the practice facility of the NBA D-Leagues Utah Flash. The first
game vs. the Ambassadors is Thursday, July 17 at 5 p.m. MT, while the second
matchup between the two teams is Sunday, July 20 at 5 p.m. MT. The NBA D-League
Ambassadors roster consists of 10 players who competed in the D-League this past
season. The Ambassadors are coached by Tulsa 66ers coach Joey Meyer, the leagues
all-time leader in wins.
The Iranian national team will also play two games in the Rocky Mountain Revue
presented by StoresOnline against NBA summer league teams. On Saturday, July 19,
the Iranians face the Dallas Mavericks at 2:15 p.m. MT at the Lifetime
Activities Center on the campus of Salt Lake Community College. The Iranians
conclude their trip to Salt Lake City on Monday, July 21 when they play the Utah
Jazz at 7 p.m. MT at the Lifetime Activities Center.
IRAN NATIONAL TEAM SCHEDULE
(All Times Local to Salt Lake City)
Thu., July 17 vs. NBA D-League Ambassadors, 5 p.m. (Utah Flash The Factory
Facility)
Sat., July 19 vs. Dallas, 2:15 p.m. (Lifetime Activities Center, Salt Lake
Community College)
Sun., July 20 vs. NBA D-League Ambassadors, 5 p.m. (Utah Flash The Factory
Facility)
Mon., July 21 vs. Utah, 7 p.m. (Lifetimes Activities Center, Salt Lake Community
College)
Iran basketball team invited to train in Utah
- by Houman Bagheri
NEW YORK (AP) - Iran's national
basketball team has been invited by the NBA to train in Utah and play against
NBA and NBADL teams in preparation for the Beijing Olympics.
Iran will take part in the Rocky Mountain Revue, the Utah Jazz-hosted summer
league and will play four games. The team will also observe NBA team practices
and talk to players and coaches about basketball.
'In an increasingly turbulent world, it is rewarding to bring people together to
celebrate teamwork, discipline and respectful competition on the court,' NBA
commissioner David Stern said in a statement. 'The NBA embraces the opportunity
to welcome the Basketball Federation of Iran and the Iranian Olympic team in a
demonstration of how something as simple as a game of basketball can promote
understanding.'
Iran will play two games against the NBA D-League Ambassadors, a team consisting
of 10 players who competed in the developmental league last season, on July 17
and July 20 at The Factory - the Utah Flash's practice facility. Iran will also
face a Dallas Mavericks team on July 19 and a Utah Jazz squad on July 21, with
both games at Salt Lake Community College.
*****************************************************
Market News - by
Or Berger
Chris Watson (200-F-75) signed with
Hapoel Holon
to two years contract.
Chris Watson an American-Israeli player declined a better offer from Hapoel
Migdal Jerusalem.
Moshe Mizrahi (202-F-80,) who played in Paris Levallois is negotiating with
Maccabi
Haifa
Maccabi
Haifa is negotiating with
Gur
Porat (197-G-79) who played the last year in Gilboa\Afula.
Maccabi
Haifa also wants to re-sign Oru Kukia.
Elizur Kiryat Ata is finally the last team in 'Ligat Haal', the first division
in Israeli basketball, the team has the minimum Budget in the Israeli Division 1
League-1M dollar.
Tal
Burstein (198-G-80), the guard of
Maccabi
Electra Tel-Aviv, will not start the trainings with the national team,
because a surgery.
Shmulick Brener is in the way to Elizur Ashqelon.
Guy Pnini signed with Maccabi Electra Tel-Aviv for 3 years.
D'or
Fischer
(211-C-81, college:
W.Virginia)
will sign in
Maccabi Electra Tel-Aviv after a season in Bree from Belgue where he
averaged
14.4ppg, Reb-1(10.8rpg), 1.8apg, 1.2spg, Blocks-1(2.8bpg), 2FGP: 57.0%, FT:
79.0%
Jones joins Ramat Gan Tamir moves to Ashkelon
- by tamar goldman
The Puerto Rican/American SF/SG
Joel
Jones (196-G/F-81, agency:
Paris
Global Sports, college:
Sacramento
St.) signed with Ironi Ramat Gan. This is the first time the 27 years old
guard plays in Europe, but he has lots of experience after playing I n China,
Puerto Rico, USA (D League and NCAA). Jones spent the last two seasons in Puerto
Rico (Leones de Ponce) and in the Puerto Rico National Team.
Elitzur Ashkelon inked the Israeli Center
Amit
Tamir (208-C-79, agency:
Arik Krayn
Services, college:
California)
that left Hapoel Holon after wining the championship with the Club Last Year.
Tamir grew up in Hapoel Jerusalem and after three years in the club moved to
California where he played for the local university for three years. Since
graduation Tamir started every season abroad (Greece, Belgium, Ukraine) but
returned in the middle of the season to Israel. This is the first time since the
summer of 2004 that Tamir starts the season in Israel
*****************************************************
Lega 2 last transactions - by
Gianni Pascucci
Montepaschi Siena agreed to loan
promising inside player
Giacomo Eliantonio (205-C-88) to Legea Scafati Basket. Edimes Pavia inked
Andrea Cinciarini
(191-G-86), but could move soon from Pavia to Novara. Andrea Costa Imola
confirmed the sponsorization agreement with Aget company and should announce
soon the signing of
Federico Pugi (206-F-85). Aurora Fileni Jesi signed import player
Ruben Boykin (201-F-85, college:
N.Arizona).
Reyer Umana Venezia and
Manuel Carrizo (198-G/F-80, agency:
Players
Group) agreed to extend their pact for another season.
Serie A market news - by
Gianni Pascucci
Basket Napoli announced that
Misan Nikagbatse
(193-G-82)
inked a one year contract with the team. Olimpia Armani Jeans Milano officially
announced a two year agreement with
Yohann Sangare (193-G-83, agency:
Priority Sports). The new main sponsor of JuveCaserta will be Eldo company,
and the new name of the team will be Eldo Caserta. Air Avellino is
expected to announce soon the signing of
Daniele Cinciarini (194-G-83, agency:
Interperformances).
*****************************************************
Hail Mary shot keeps Knights unbeaten streak intact
- by Leonard Whyte
Urban Knights dodged a
major bullet last night when a last second hail Mary heave from Andy
Smith swished through the net to preserve their unbeaten streak, as
Knights rallied to defeat Runnin Rebels 72-69 in a Kentucky Fried
Chicken (KFC) National Basketball League (NBL) encounter. The defending
champions have now joined Port Royal Bulls at the top of the standing
with an 8-0 record. Down 36-29 at halftime, Knights tried to catch up in the
third, but only managed to cut the advantage down to three (51-48) at the end.
Knights rallied the troops, however, in the fourth but Rebels would not
surrender their advantage. With the score tied 69-69, and just 1.8 seconds on
the clock, Smith launched the miracle shot to avert what looked like certain
overtime. Javon Bailey led Knights with 18 points while Smith
added 15. Paron Brown led Rebels with 16 points and Omari Green
added 11 points.
Standings
NBL Standings
 |
|
|
*****************************************************
Argentinean U18 Team marches past Mexico -
by Eurobasket News
Argentina U18 - Mexico U18
108:69
Argentinean Junior National Team earned their second consecutive victory at the
FIBA Americas championship. Argentina is hosting the event and is widely taken
as one of the main favorites for the title. They achieved their first goal
yesterday as the win meant they had qualified for U19 World Championship to be
held in New Zealand in 2009. The hosts also booked their spot in the semis
leaving Mexican counterparts without the playoffs. Mexico tried to stay in the
contest in the opening frame and trailed by just a single point 24:25. But
Argentinean youngsters soon showed who wear the breeches.
Matias Nocedal (192-G-90, agency:
Interperformances) orchestrated well-balanced Argentinean offense and the
home team went on a 32:13 rally in the second frame to build a 20-point cushion
at halftime. Mexico failed to recover in the third stanza as Argentina dropped
25 points limiting their opponents to just 9. The outcome was pretty much
decided on and the teams cruised to the end.
Matias Nocedal topscored with 20 points for Argentina.
Luciano Gonzalez (196-F-90) had 16 points, while
Andres Landoni (206-C/F-90) tallied 13 points and 9 rebounds in a win.
Juan Favela (183-G-91) answered with 16 points for Mexico. Jorge Cassilas
notched 11 points in a losing case. Argentina outrebounded their opponents 54:23
and held them to 39% accuracy. Argentina in the meantime converted 53% of field
goals. Argentina will face Canada in the final game of the elimination round
today. Mexico takes on Uruguay.
Argentina U18:
Matias Nocedal 20,
Luciano Gonzalez 16,
Andres Landoni 13
Mexico U18:
Juan Favela 16, Jorge Cassilas 11
*****************************************************
New head coach at Dillard University - by
Eurobasket News
After a record-breaking season with
the Moss Point Tigers, head coach
Dale
Brown is leaving the program to fulfill his dream of becoming a college head
coach at Dillard University.
'Coaching college basketball has always been a dream of mine,' Brown said. 'I
had it (leaving Moss Point) in my mind at the end of last year.'
Brown will begin work next week at the private liberal arts university in New
Orleans.
The former Pascagoula High basketball player and graduate returned to the Gulf
Coast to coach the 2007-2008 season at Moss Point. The team ended its season at
32-6 after losing in the 4A state semifinals to Picayune. The Tigers broke the
school record of 27 wins in a season by five.
'It was probably the best season in Moss Point High School history,' Brown said.
'Moss Point has been excellent, and they have given me the opportunity to be
around family, friends and to bring scholarships to local kids.'
As a player, Brown received a scholarship to the University of Kentucky. He
played there from 1991-93, but did not receive his degree before leaving. Brown
returned to school at age 32 because former coaches and colleagues were offering
him opportunities to coach that he could not take without a degree, he said.
'I didn't value my education in college. I had to learn the hard way,' Brown
said.
In 1994 Brown signed a one-year contract with the Sacramento Kings of the NBA,
but left the team after his mother died in a car accident the same day.
Brown walked out of the Kings' training camp to be with his family. He went on
to play in France and Greece.
One of Brown's goals at Moss Point was to obtain scholarships for local
students, and four of the seven seniors from last year's team have received
scholarships. Two of those seniors, Travis Jackson and Avry Ingram, will receive
scholarships to attend Dillard and play under Brown.
'I know how hard it was to get a scholarship out of that area,' Brown said. 'I
got on my guys every day to keep them on the right track.'
Travis Jackson, a 6-foot-7 power forward, planned to attend Arkansas State next
year, but has decided to follow Brown because of his coaching style.
'I learned a lot from Coach Brown. He taught me a lot about the game of
basketball, other than just putting the ball in the hoop,' Jackson said. 'I
wouldn't want to play with any other coach. I'm glad to get more experience with
him, and I'm going to make Moss Point proud.'
Avry Ingram, who played both shooting guard and point guard in his senior year,
will receive a partial scholarship from Dillard. Ingram said he will play
whatever position Brown assigns him.
'I feel more comfortable playing for him. I know his strategy,' Ingram said.
'I'm going to have to work as hard as the other players on the team, and show
him that I want my spot on the team.'
Courtesy of www.gulflive.com
*****************************************************
Signing and injury news - by
Bruno Baltazar
Cleveland Cavaliers guard
Daniel Gibson (6'3''-G-86, college:
Texas) (6'3''-G-86, college:
Texas) has signed a multi-year contract
. Per team and league policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
In the past season Gibson averaged career highs of 10.4 points
on .432 shooting, 2.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 58 games played (26 starts).
He ranked fifth in the NBA in three-point percentage (.440). During the 2008
All-Star Weekend, the 22-year old guard was named MVP of the T-Mobile Rookie
Challenge after scoring 33 points on a game-record 11 three-pointers and
finished second in the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout.
It was clear at the end of the season that the Cavs would need to resign him due
the fact they have 1 of their weakest points at the guard spot,Eric Snow is old
and did not got many minuts of use ,so seems clear next season Gibson will get
more minuts.
In another news,LA Lakers forward
Luke Walton (6'8''-F-80, college:
Arizona) will have bone spurs removed from his ankle this
Friday ,he averaged 7.2 points and 3.9 rebounds last season off the
bench and in 21 playoff games, Walton averaged just six points and 2.6 rebounds
in limited action, averaging just 16.8 minutes in 21 games.He will have the same
type of surgery Ray Allen had early in 2007 .
The Indiana Pacers signed 2 players, guard
Brandon Rush (6'6''-G-85, agency:
Priority
Sports, college:
Kansas)
and center
Roy
Hibbert (7'2''-C-86, college:
Georgetown)
on Tuesday.
Hibbert was drafted 17th overall in June out of Georgetown by the Raptors,
and came to the Pacers in the trade that sent Jermaine O'Neal to Toronto. Rush,
a guard from Kansas, was picked 13th by Portland and then deal to the Pacers for
Jerryd Bayless.
Rush averaged 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game for national champion
Jayhawks last season, and will join his brother, Kareem, on the Pacers roster.
The 7-foot-2 Hibbert averaged 13.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game for the
Hoyas.
Latest signings - by Eurobasket News
After just one year at Texas A&M,
DeAndre Jordan (7'0''-C-88) signed contract with Los Angeles Clippers. The
team grabbed him in the second round of the previous NBA draft. Jordan played 35
games for Texas A&M as a freshman averaging 7.9 ppg, 6 rpg and 1.3 bpg. He was
named to be in 'Big 12 All-Freshman Team -08'. Previous summer Jordan was a
member of USA National Team which participated at the World Championship in
Belgrade winning the silver medal. They lost in the final game against the host
Serbia U19.
Another reinforcement for the Clippers is
Mike
Taylor (6'2''-G-86, college:
Iowa St.),
who arrives from NBDL team Idaho Stampede. He played 31 games for the team
adding 14.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.3 apg and 1.3 spg. Idaho Stampede waived him in
December 2007. Taylor had couple of work-outs this summer after what Trail
Blazers picked him in the second round. Later Portland traded rights on him to
the Clippers.
L.A. Clippers also acquired NBA veteran
Marcus
Camby (6'11''-F/C-74, college:
Massachusetts) from Denver. The Nuggets will have the option to exchange
second round picks with the Clippers in 2010. Camby played 79 games for the
Nuggets in regular season finishing it as a second rebounder greabbing 13.1 rpg.
At the same time has also was the leading blocker of the league with 3.6 bpg.
Before almost 6 years with the Niggets, Camby used to play for New York Knicks
and Toronto Raptors. Los Angeles Clippers will be his fourth team in so far
13-year long NBA career .
Golden State Warriors announced signing of
Anthony Randolph (6'11''-F-89), their 14th pick from the last NBA draft. As
DeAndre Jordan, Randolph also got an NBA contract after just one year at
LSU. He had 31 appearances for his school averaging 15.6 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.2 apg,
1.1 spg and 2.3 bpg.
Marco Belinelli leads Golden State in Summer League
- by Eurobasket News
Marco
Belinelli (6'5''-G-86) had yet another night to remember as he erupted for
30 points to propel the Golden State Warriors past the Charlotte Bobcats 99:93.
C.J.
Watson (6'2''-G-84, college:
Tennessee)
delivered 23 points for the Warriors in the win.
D.J.
Augustin (5'11''-G-87) paced the Bobcats with 30 points. The Warriors
capitalized on 10 turnovers from Charlotte in the opening stanza to earn a 28:17
lead. Golden State stayed in front and enjoyed a 51:44 advantage at halftime.
D.J.
Augustin scored 12 points in the fourth period to revive the intrigue but
the Warriors still survived. Belinelli added 9 points to his tally and led
Golden State to the win. Brandan Wright and DeMarcus Nelson came up with 11
points apiece for the winners. Kyle Hines knocked down 14 points in defeat.
Jason
Thompson (6'11''-F-86, agency:
CAA Sports,
college:
Rider) converted a three-point play late in overtime to carry the Sacramento
Kings past the Portland Trail Blazers 75:74.
Jerryd Bayless (6'3''-G-88, college:
Arizona)
nailed a jumper at the of regulation and the teams were forced to play overtime.
There
Jason Thompson took over bringing the Kings a narrow win. Thompson finished
with 17 points off the bench.
Quincy
Douby (6'3''-G-84, college:
Rutgers)
nailed 24 points to lead Sacramento.
Jerryd Bayless led all scorers with 26 points for the Trail Blazers.
Petteri Koponen (6'4''-G-88) dropped 18 points in a loss.
The Philadelphia 76ers overcame a 10-point first period deficit to topple the LA
Lakers yesterday.
Jason
Smith (7'0''-F-86, college:
Colorado St.),
Marreese Speights (6'10''-F/C-87) and
Thaddeus Young (6'8''-F-88, college:
Georgia Tech)
each scored 16 points and the 76ers celebrated an 81:73 victory at the end.
Coby
Karl (6'4''-G-83, college:
Boise St.)
answered with 18 points for the Lakers.
*****************************************************
United States celebrate second win at the FIBA
Americas U18 Championship - by Eurobasket News
USA U18 - Bahamas U18
115:51
United States Junior National Team earned their second win in a row in Formosa.
The success meant United States team advanced to the semifinal stage at the FIBA
Americas U18 Championship and thus qualified for the U19 World Championship in
New Zealand in 2009. Bahamas in the meantime suffered their second straight loss
at the tournament. The USA dominated the game from the tip off. They outgunned
their opponents 29:5 in the first period and were well in control of the
situation throughout the rest of the contest. They held Bahamas team to 6 points
in the second stanza and built a 59:11 lead at halftime. Bahamas finally came
back to life in the second half and notched 40 points but it was still not
enough to outscore the North Americans. The USA secured a thumping victory and
remained on top of Group B.
Travis Wear (6'9''-F-90) tallied 15 points and 4 boards for the USA.
Mason
Plumlee (6'11''-F-90) had 14 points and 14 boards, while
JaMychal Green (6'9''-F/C-90) added 13 points and 8 caroms for the winners.
Donathen Moss (6'7''-C-90) answered with 10 points for Bahamas.
Olen
Smith (-90) posted 9 points in a losing case. The USA team outrebounded
their opponents 58:28 and forced those to 29 turnovers. United States will face
Puerto Rico tonight. Bahamas and Venezuela will fight for the initial win at the
tournament.
USA U18:
Travis Wear 15,
Mason
Plumlee 14+14 boards,
JaMychal Green 13
Bahamas U18:
Donathen Moss 10,
Olen
Smith 9
Andrew Moore returns to EMU basketball program
- by Eurobasket News
Andrew Moore, the
director of basketball operations at Eastern Michigan University
from 2000-02, is returning to the EMU men's basketball program as a full-time
assistant coach, EMU head mens basketball coach Charles E. Ramsey has
announced. He replaces Dave Donnelly who left to become the head mens basketball
coach at Weatherford College in Weatherford, Texas.
The 38-year-old Moore spent the 2007-08 season as a mens assistant basketball
coach at Bowling Green State University and the previous five years as an
assistant mens basketball coach at the University of Michigan. While with the
Wolverines, he spent four years as an assistant coach and one season as the
Director of Basketball Operations.
During his tenure in Ann Arbor, Michigan posted three 20-win seasons and had an
overall record of 98-65 in the five seasons. The Wolverines won the postseason
NIT title in 2004 and advanced to that tournaments championship game in 06.
Before making the short move to Ann Arbor, Moore spent two years as the director
of basketball operations at EMU. His resume also includes four years at
California University of Pennsylvania (1996-2000). After serving as an assistant
coach for his first three years, he was promoted to assistant head coach for the
1999-2000 season.
Moore began his coaching career at Mt. Vernon High School, where he was an
assistant coach for the varsity boys team (1992-94). He then moved on to Kenyon
(Ohio) College, where he served as an assistant mens basketball coach and head
mens golf coach (1994-96).
Moore is a 1992 graduate of Muskingum College, where he was named first-team
All-American and Ohio Athletic Conference Player of the Year as a senior in
1991-92. He was a three-time All-OAC selection and finished his career as the
schools all-time scoring leader. Moore was inducted into Muskingums Athletic
Hall of Fame in 1999.
Moore and his wife, Stephanie, reside in Ypsilanti.
THE ANDY MOORE FILE
Name: Andrew Moore
Born: Born Feb. 19, 1970 in London, Ohio
High School: Mt. Vernon H.S. - Graduated in 1988
College: Muskingum College -
Graduated in 1992 with a bachelors degree in Speech and Communications
Married: Wife: Stephanie (Bromhead)
Coaching Experience
Year School/Business Position
2007-08 Bowling Green State University Mens basketball-Assistant mens basketball
coach
2002-07 University of Michigan Mens basketball staff
2002-03 Mens basketball-Director of basketball operations
2003-07 Mens basketball-Assistant mens basketball coach
2000-02 Eastern Michigan University Mens basketball-Director of basketball
operations
1999-00 California University of Pennsylvania Mens basketball-Associate head
coach
1996-99 California University of Pennsylvania Mens basketball-Assistant head
coach
1994-96 Kenyon College Mens basketball assistant coach; Mens golf head coach
1992-94 Mt. Vernon (Ohio) High School Boys varsity basketball assistant coach
Courtesy of www.emueagles.com
*****************************************************
Penney tries hard, Nowitzki tries better -
by Eurobasket News
Germany -New Zealand 89:71
The New Zealand National Team lost the second game of the group to Germany but
will continue to struggle for three spots for the Beijing Games. Germany reached
the second win in the second game at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in
Athens, Greece. The Germans held off New Zealand 89:71 and advance to the
Quarterfinals as the number one-team of Group B.
Dirk Nowitzki (211-F-78) was unstoppable with 35 points and 7 rebounds.
Chris Kaman (213-C-82, college:
Cent.Michigan) supported him with 20 points, while
Pascal Roller (180-G-76) added 10.
Kirk Penney (194-G-80, college:
Wisconsin)
tried hard for the team from Oceania nailing 29 points and
Pero Cameron (199-F-74, agency:
Duran
International) scored 14. The German team will return to action on Friday
and take on Greece or Brazil in the Quarterfinal. New Zealand will now have to
take on the winners of Group A in the quarter-finals and that means a likely
quarter-final showdown against tournament hosts Greece, who were hosting Brazil
in Wednesday's last game.
New Zealand gave as good as they got for 15 minutes with five of eight shooting
from three-point range in the first quarter allowing them to take a 26:23 lead.
They were never able to put any distance between themselves and the Germans,
though, and the momentum started to swing midway through the second quarter when
the score was knotted at 30:30.After overcoming some early nerves, Germany
pulled away in the second quarter and limited the 'Tall Blacks' offense to seven
points, while netting 24 on the other end to make it a 47:33 game at half. New
Zealand reduced the gap after the break, but the Germans finally brought about a
decision at the beginning of the closing ten minutes, when they went on a 9:0
spurt. Germany won the battle but both teams remain alive in the Olympic
Qualifying Tournament in Athens.
Germany:Dirk
Nowitzki 35+7 rebs,
Chris Kaman 20,
Pascal Roller 10
New Zealand:
Kirk Penney 29,
Pero Cameron 14
Alex Pledger of New Zealand NT transfers -
by Kahn Hart
New Zealand Tall Blacks player
Alex Pledger (216-C-87) has transferred from NCAA division 1 team
UMKC to
NCAA division 2 team
Belm.Abbey
where he will be eligible to play the upcoming season.
Alex Pledger is currently in Athens with the Tall Blacks trying to help them
qualify for the Beijing Olympics, Pledger played well for
UMKC when
he was given playing time but suffered from injuries last season and was only
able to participate in one game. It is hoped he will earn enough playing time to
be able to live up to his tremendous potential.
Belm.Abbey
is located in North Carolina, USA and are coached by
Stephen Miss .
*****************************************************
Liga Premier updatings - by
Gianni Pascucci
In last regular season game, Fupade
Coast defeated 89-76 American College Eagles with
Troy Watson (197-F/C-82) leading the way at 33 points and
Jose Perez (180-G-80) adding 19, while
Julio Gonzalez (-F) scored 22 pts for the Eagles. Some days after, started
the playoffs, and American College prevailed over Jaguares UAM 94-76 with
Servio Abea (191-F-78) and
Carlos Rocha (-G/F) being the main performers, at 21 and 15 points,
respectively. In the other semifinal, Fupade Coast is leading 2-1 over Caimanes
de Santa Teresa
*****************************************************
BLNO - summer gossip - by
Kaare Vangen
Ulriken Eagles:
Nima Taheri is ready for his sixth club. He started his career in Kristiansand
Pirates, moved to Brums Verk and then to Bergen where he has played for Frya
Ambassadors, Hop, Gimle and from this fall, Ulriken Eagles. Eagles will get a
point guard with a lot of experience. Taheri is expected to be backup for Audun
Eskeland who still not is fit for fight after he broke his ankle in December
2007.
David Hammer has also signed (another) season for Eagles. Nicholas Berge will
come from Loddefjord to Eagles. The Eagles roster look like this at the moment:
Audun Eskeland, Camilo Tellez, Leo Storm Omre, Nicholas Berge, Peter Bullock,
Nima Taheri, Arne Danielsen, Marco Elsafadi, David Hammer, Ali Ouakkaha, Gunnar
Voigt Nesb, Stephan Torsvik and Zdravko Brkic. Eagles look for one more import
player and another Norwegian.
Morten Wede will be new assistant coach for Eagles. He is the son of the first
chairman of the club, Gunnar Wede.
Fjellhamar Stallions:
Willy Sharma, Jan Terje Normann, Vegard Ludvigsen, Ahti Muhu, Marcin Jacubowski,
Stephen Sliwinski and Adrian Rey will be back from last seasons roster.
Alexandar Paunovic is close to signing a new contract.
New players are Stian Klokkersen, Jinsen He, Andreas Strm and Runar Olson. Xavi
Mestdag, a Belgian guard who has played in the EBA-league in Spain is also
signed.
Stallions expect to have a complete roster sometime in July.
Gimle:
Lose Nima Taheri to Ulriken Eagles and get Willie Dunn from Kristiansand
Pirates.
Troms Storm:
Ronald Timus will leave 3B/Brums Verk and play for Troms next season. He was the
leading scorer for 3B and will now be the American part of Troms together with a
point guard. Anthony Williams and Mike Campbell is reported NOT to play for
Storm next season. Galin Mihaylov and Dag Christensen have also signed for
another season. Kelvin Woods will be new manager for basketball operations.
Pirates signed coach? - by
Kaare Vangen
Local rumours says that
Kristiansand Pirates have signed Goran Tomic as their new head coach. Pirates
have got a license to play in Div 1 after pulling out of BLNO in April. Tomic
played his first basketball in Bosnia. He has been coaching local teams in the
Kristiansand area for many years. He is also the father of Toni Tomic who has a
BLNO career in Kristiansand Pirates, Asker Aliens and Harstad Vikings.
*****************************************************
Croatia wins Group D of the Olympic Qualifying
Tournament - by Eurobasket News
Puerto Rico -Croatia 81:95
Croatian National team won Group D of FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for
Men. Today European team overcame Puerto Rico 95:81. Trailing 14:26 after the
opening quarter Croatia bounced back and finished with 2-0 record.
Davor Kus (190-G-78) and
Marko
Tomas (200-G-85) led the winners with 15 points apiece.
Roko-Leni Ukic
(195-G-84),
Nikola Prkacin (208-C-75) and
Marko Banic (204-F-84) all netted 12 points in a win.
Larry
Ayuso (190-G-77, agency:
Edge
Sports, college:
USC)
top-scored for the Latino Americans with 22 points.
Carlos Arroyo (188-G-79, agency:
Interperformances, college:
Florida
Intern.) had a good game with 20 points and
Peter John Ramos (222-C-85) posted 10. Croatia will face Canada in a
quarter-final on Friday, while Puerto Rico must take on Slovenia.
Puerto Rico had a good start and desired to be first in the group. They started
offensively and mounted in 14-2 run in the opening tip.
Larry
Ayuso three-ball extended the advantage to 26:9. Croatia woke up immediately
and could reduce to 26:14 entering the second quarter. The second quarter saw
Europeans taking the full advantage of the court. Croatia produced 29:14 to take
the lead in the game. They went to the changing rooms in front at 43:40.
In the third quarter Croatia also played better and started to increase the
lead.
Davor Kus drilled a jumper to start a 14-2 run that Marko
Marko Banic capped with two free throws to make it 61:48. In the last period
the deficit was more than 10 points all the time and Croatia led the game to the
winning end.
Puerto Rico:Larry
Ayuso 22,
Carlos Arroyo 20,
Peter John Ramos 10
Croatia:Davor
Kus 15,
Marko
Tomas 15,
Roko-Leni Ukic
12,
Nikola Prkacin 12,
Marko Banic 12
*****************************************************
Important night for Ginebra and Magnoila -
by Eurobasket News
When they march onto the court of
the Ynares Center Wednesday night, the Barangay Ginebra Kings
and the Magnolia Beverage Masters know exactly what they have
to do.
Three very important letters W I N are foremost on the minds of these teams
coaching staffs.
The Kings and the Beverage Masters know fully well that if they accomplish their
goal they would be rewarded with a place in semifinals of the 2008 Smart PBA
Fiesta Conference.
That certainly sounds great for the two teams who have not gone into the Final
Four for quite some time.
Ginebra survived a belated rally by Sta. Lucia for a 92-90 decision and Magnolia
dominated Coca-Cola, 108-96, in the opener of their quarterfinal pairings on
Sunday to move within a win of advancing to the Final Four.
Moments after their conquest of the Realtors, the reigning Philippine Cup
champions, Ginebra coach Jong Uichico declared they are going for the kill,
although he was frank enough to admit that carrying the plan won't be easy.
Their hunger though should be a great motivation for the Kings who have not been
in the Final Four of the Fiesta Conference since the 2005-06 edition. Testament
to it was their seven-game winning streak dating back to the eliminations.
Uichico said he is counting on his entire bench to get the job done.
'Everybody must step up offensively and defensively. We have to match their
(Realtors) energy and intensity if we intend to get this series over with as
soon as possible,' said Uichico.
Nobody can blame Uichico if he sounds pressured going into their scheduled 4:50
p.m. showdown.
The Realtors, after all, are no pushovers. They have shown they could be
dangerous when their backs are against the wall. They underscored their
resiliency in the wild card phase as they eliminated defending champion Alaska
and pre-season favorite Talk N Text in the knockout round.
In this most crucial moment, Uichico is counting on Mark Caguioa for another
explosive performance. The Ginebra hotshot scattered 30 points last Sunday.
Magnolia coach Siot Tanquingcen is also anticipating a tough challenge against
the Coca-Cola in their 7:20 p.m. date.
The Beverage Masters completely dominated the Tigers in the opener but the
Magnolia coach expects Coca-Cola mentor Binky Favis would make the necessary
adjustments.
'In a short series like this, it's always good to win the first game. But
definitely it doesn't mean anything,' Tanquingcen said.
Of course the Tigers can bounce back and maybe turn things round. But that will
require a great deal of effort from big man Jason Dixon. But the bad news is
that Dixon, who carried the Tigers on his broad shoulders in the eliminations,
has been struggling the past few games.
Last Sunday he managed just six points on 3-of-8 shooting and cornered just
seven boards. Things just got worse because Coke's new import Brandon Dean could
do no better than eight points.
Unless Dixon rediscovers his deadly form and Dean submits respectable numbers in
Game 2, chances of the Tigers forcing a sudden death playoff is unlikely.
The quarterfinals is a best-of-three series. The winner of the Ginebra-Sta.
Lucia matchup will advance to a best-of-seven duel against Red Bull while the
survivor of the other series between Magnolia and Coca-Cola will tangle with
eliminations topnotcher Air21. (DBC)
Courtesy of www.pba.ph
*****************************************************
Anwil almost completed its roster - by
Michal Falkowski
Anwil Wloclawek is
only one step to finish its roster for the upcoming season. Today, the official
website of Anwil announced the signing of
Marko Brkic (206-F-82, agency:
Beo
Basket) from Polpak Swiecie. Brkic is Serbian who typically is positioned as
power forward, however he mainly prefers shooting behind the 6,25 m line. Last
time he was a member of Polpak and helped team in beating Anwil in the
quaterfinal of play-off phase. Last season he performed in 41 games and in 27
mpg. he was scoring 10,2 ppg. and grabbing 5,2 rpg. Before Swiecie, he had
played, say, in Hemofarm, OKK Beograd and Igokea Aleksandrovac.
Morevoer, Anwil Wloclawek is negotiating with
Ian
Boylan (198-G/F-83, agency:
Passing Lane, college:
Cal.St.
Northridge) from Allianz Swans Gmuden, Austrian team. He plays as small
forward and in the last season he was averaging 15,2 ppg., 5.2 rpg. and 3.6 apg.
He also made his debut in ULEB Cup. American player will be the last
strenghtening, if he signs a deal.
*****************************************************
Nuno Sousa goes to Coimbra - by
Luis Rocha
Academica sign
Nuno
Sousa (186-G-84), a good point guard who plays last season in Liga UZO for
Ginsio. This signing its the club response to the departure of
Alexandre Gama (184-G-76), and now with the former signing of
Diogo Simoes (178-G-80), Acadmica gets a very good tandem of point guards.
Nuno is trying hard to establish himself as a top point guard in Portugal, but
so far he didnt make it. Now another season and another club can be the exact
turning point on his career. Also in Coimbra he can continue his studies, he
follows a major in engineering.
Eki signs with Benfica - by
Luis Rocha
The rumour as come true,
Ekjersey Viana (203-F/C-77) sign with Benfica to play there next season. Eki
was champion of Proliga this season playing for fisica and is good performances
were able to provid him a better contract with one of the bigger clubs in
Portugal. He can play 3, 4 or 5, hes tremendously quick for his height and that
versatility make him very hard to be guarded. Benfica is near to complete its
roster, untill now
Miguel Barroca (182-G-84), Eki and
Sergio Ramos (200-F-76) are the only signings, it is talked, that next the
team will go for 3 foreign players.
*****************************************************
Puerto Rico wins first game at Pre Olympic Tournament
- by Luis Ramirez
Team Puerto Rico had a good first
quarter 22-7 to take a comfortable lead on their way to a 81-72 win over
Cameroon. In this first quarter Puerto Rico had
Ricky Sanchez (212-C-87) with a hot hand and combined with Carlos Arroyo who
scored 3 three pointer on a 10-0 run. In the 2nd quarter
Ricky Sanchez continued his hot hand and Puerto Rico finished the 1st half
with a commanding 46-29 lead over Cameroon. In the 2nd half Cameroon would not
give up and they had a 10-0 run of their own to cut the lead to 58-47. In the
4th quarter Cameroon made another effort to reduce the margin and with 6:11 left
in the game they managed to cut the lead to just 4 points 65-61. Puerto Rico
regrouped and with Larry Ayuso scoring a 3 pointer gave Puerto Rico some
breathing room and finally sealing the game with 2 free throws. For Puerto Rico,
Ricky Sanchez scored 17 points followed by Carlos Arroyo with 16 points. For
Cameroon, Harding Nana scored 22 points followed Parfait Bitee with 17 points.
Puerto Rico holds off Venezuela at the FIBA Americas
U18 Championship - by Eurobasket News
Puerto Rico U18 - Venezuela
U18 94:76
Puerto Rican U18 National Team achieved the main task at the FIBA Americas
Championship. They posted their second straight win and booked the U19 World
Championship ticket. Puerto Rico also qualified for the semifinals in Formosa,
Argentina. They needed to overcome a slow start against Venezuelan team to
deliver a winning result at the end. Venezuela relied on a sizzling performance
from
Gregory Echenique (208-C-90) in the first half to maintain the lead. They
piled up a 25:18 advantage after the first quarter. Puerto Rico struck back in
the second frame and Jesus Rivera put them in charge 34:32 midway through the
frame. But Venezuela persisted and Echenique allowed them to enjoy a 44:42
advantage at the interval. The lead changed hands for numerous times throughout
the third stanza before
Miguel Bocachica (196-F-90) drew things level at 64 at the end of the third
frame. Puerto Rico opened the final period on an 8:0 run and never surrendered
the lead. Six Puerto Rican players scored in double figures.
Steven Miro (188-G-91) led the team with 19 points and 7 rebounds.
Miguel Bocachica added 14 points, while
Isaac Sosa (188-G-90) and Raymond Cintryn delivered 13 points apiece for the
winners.
Gregory Echenique led all scorers with 25 points and 15 rebounds for
Venezuela.
Miguel Rivas (182-G-90) secured 14 points in defeat. Puerto Rico will clash
with the USA for the top spot in preliminary Group B today. Venezuela will play
against Bahamas.
Puerto Rico U18:
Steven Miro 19,
Miguel Bocachica 14,
Isaac Sosa 13, Raymond Cintryn 13
Venezuela U18:
Gregory Echenique 25+15 boards,
Miguel Rivas 14
*****************************************************
Kokoskov will be head coach of Phoenix Suns during
the summer league - by
Zoran Popovic
Serbian coach
Igor
Kokoskov will lead
Phoenix Suns
as a head coach during the summer league in Las Vegas. 'I am very flattered with
fact that my new club and organization give me a chance to run our young team
during the summer league. Our tendency is to expend number of young players in
rotation with our experienced players, including NBA legends Shaquil ONeal,
Grant Hill and Steve Nash' said
Igor
Kokoskov .
At the end of June
Igor
Kokoskov moved from
Detroit
Pistons to
Phoenix Suns,
where he will be assistant coach of Terry Porter.
Dejan Borovnjak leaves Partizan Igokea, news from
Crvena Zvezda - by Dragan
Jankovski
Hot summer for Serbian champion
Partizan Igokea continues. After leaving of Pekovic, Kecman and Palacio and
three singings during the last seven days, another player decided to leave the
club.
Dejan Borovnjak (208-F-86) agreed to terminate the contract with Partizan in
order to find a team where he will get a more chance to play. Borovnjak grew up
in black-and-white team first as a cadet, later junior and finally as member of
senior team. Since 2004 he has played for seniors while at the same time he was
helping Partizan II, which competed in Serbian B league. During these four years
Partizan grabbed four championship titles in Serbia as well as one National Cup.
The team also was a champion of Adriatic league twice. Borovnjak registered the
best digits last season in Adriatic league averaging 4.2 ppg and 2.9 rpg for 28
games. In Serbian Superleague he had 3.8 ppg and 3.3 rpg in 14 games while in
Euroleague he didn't have a lot of chance to play. Borovnjak was a member of
Serbian University Team which won silver medal on World University Games in
Bangkok last summer.
In interview for Serbian media Borovnjak thanked to all people in the club
because they gave him a chance to grow up as a player. At the same time he
stated that he is young and the playing minutes are the most important thing for
him at this moment. It is not known yet where Borovnjak will continue his
career.
Crvena Zvezda still didn't find a head coach for the next
season. Its first option
Mihailo Uvalin already agreed terms with A1 team Mega Basket from Belgrade.
The club is very interested in well respected head coach
Bozidar
Maljkovic but during the next couple of days it will be known are they able
to meet all Maljkovic's expectations. Of course there are two big problems for
Zvezda at the moment. First is Maljkovic's salary and the second one is a budget
which will allow them to sign new players.
*****************************************************
Alpos Sentjur adds two Bosnians, Zagorac moves to
Gandia, Markovic joins Kolin - by
Zeljko Zule
Alpos Sentjur inked
Armin Avdibegovic (189-G-84) ex Celik Zenica and his teammate
Asmir Sadibasic (204-F/C-82) for one season with an option to extend the
contracts for another one year.
Avdibasic averaged 28,5 minutes, 12,2 points and 1,5 assists in 21 games of B&H
League and Sadibasic averaged 29,5 minutes, 11,4 points, 5,5 rebounds amd 0,4
blocks in 22 games of B&H League.
Spanish team Gandia (LEB ORO) inked
Saso
Zagorac (206-F/C-84, agency:
World Sport
Agency) ex Melilla for the upcoming season.
Marko Markovic (197-G/F-85, agency:
World Sport
Agency) has left Rudar (B1) to join Czech team Kolin.
*****************************************************
The Ashraf Lodewyk Memorial Tournament 2008
- by Tshepo Ditshego
Ashraf Lodewyk was a charismatic
and talented former Wits University shooting guard who passed away in a car
accident outside Cape Town 5 years ago. Before he passed Ashraf Lodewyk was
loved and known by all in the South African basketball community before he
passed on so early in his life along with his girlfriend. Every year in honour
of his memory Wits University hosts this prestigious basketball tournament at
Hall 29. This year the tournament started on Friday the 11th of July until
Sunday the 13th of July. The tournament was not as well publicized as previous
years and because of that not many teams entered. There was only a no-show of
spectators throughout.
This year defending champions Wits Alumni, Egoli Magic, Momentum, Wits Rebels,
Wits University and Scorpions entered the Mens tournament whilst Wits
University, Raptors and Scorpions all competed for a title in the womens
competition. Absent from the tourney were teams like UJ, Pretoria University,
Pretoria Heat and Vaal who would have added much needed flavor and depth in the
quality of ball at the A Lodewyk Memorial.
Although Wits Alumni were the defending champs, Egoli Magic was the favorite
heading into the Mens tournament. They had beat Wits Alumni twice before, once
in the first half of the LOP league and once at the Slam da Trash festival where
they won R5000 in the process. So Wits Alumni had a point to prove and were
looking to get revenge while Egoli wanted to prove that the previous victories
were no fluke. They even recruited Neo Mothiba who normally plays for Pretoria
Heat.
Egoli Magic cruised to the semi-finals in their group after blowing out Wits
University by 45 Friday and beating down the Scorpions by 63 on Saturday. Wits
Alumni had a tough opener against Wits Rebels who they beat by 5 points in a
close game on Friday. They had an easier day in the office on Saturday after
cruising past Momentum by 21 points and booking their place in the semis.
In the Womens tourney the Scorpions beat Wits by 6 points on Saturday but went
on to lose to the Raptors by 8 later on that day. Wits recovered by beating the
Raptors by 9 points and booking a place in the final against the Raptors on
Sunday.
In the Semis Wits Alumni Crib-walked all over Wits University in an easy 37
point victory while Egoli dominated Wits Rebels in a 34 point victory. Wits
Alumni and Egoli Magic started their game at 2pm on Sunday afternoon after the
early morning semi. Wits Alumni got to the venue 10 minutes before tip-off and
didnt really get a chance to warm up properly. But when the game started you
couldnt really tell as Alumni got out to an early lead. The game was close until
the end of the second quarter when Egoli Magic took the lead and never looked
back. Egoli killed Alumni off drives from Joseph Mazibuko, Sifiso Ngcobo and by
hitting all of their open jumpers. The easily shot over 60% from the field.
Alumni on the other hand were not making theirs and also werent aggressive
enough on offense. The Alumni D gave Egoli a lot of open looks and points in the
paint. The highlight of the game was the defensive collapse which led to Lesego
Molebatsi of the Magic getting an open look on the wing, passing up an open shot
and deciding to take it strong to the hole where Joe Loo stood trying to take a
charge. Lesego used the opportunity to dunk on Joe Loo who is usually the one
who dunks on people. Talk about exclamation mark. Alumni just couldnt get back
into it after that and went on to lose the game by 16 points. Alumni seems to be
a lot weaker and less disciplined and this is why they have never been able to
beat Egoli this year. Mboshe Ronunu of Alumni proved this when he earned a
technical foul after complaining about a foul call.
After the final most of the players from Wits went to Ashrafs moms house in
Maraisburg to have dinner with the Lodewyk family.
Hopefully next year the tournament will be bigger and better. Personally Im
looking forward to that cooking again and hopefully winning the tournament for
my dear friend Ashie who would have been a Wits Alumni player if he was still
alive.
*****************************************************
Canada stays in the race, sends Korea packing
- by Eurobasket News
Canada - South Korea 79:77
Canadian National Team crafted a spectacular comeback effort just hour ago to
stay alive in the race for the Olympic birth. South Korea put up a fierce fight
against Canada and put them on brink of losing it all. The teams entered the
game having lost their first games and must win to remain in the contention.
Korea jumped to an early 7:2 lead but Canada stayed alert and surged ahead after
Carl
English (192-G-81, college:
Hawaii)
and
Rowan Barrett (197-G/F-72, college:
St.John's)
nailed back-to-back treys.
Kim
Joo-Sung (205-C-79) scored 4 points and
Jeon
Jung-Gyu (188-G-83) added two freebies to tie the scoreline at 20 at the end
of the first period. However the Korean team went on a 12:2 run at the start of
the second frame to grab a comfortable lead.
Jeon
Jung-Gyu and Joo-sung Kim capped the second frame with 10 straight points
and Korea held to a 49:33 advantage at halftime.
Jung
Young-Sam (188-G/F-84) stretched the gap to 18 points early in the third
quarter. But Canada refused to surrender. Joel Anthony and
Rowan
Barrett ignited a comeback effort that resulted in Korea leading by just 5
points at the end of the stanza.
Rowan
Barrett and
Jermaine Anderson (185-G-83) hit back-to-back trebles to put Canada in
charge 78:77 with 34 seconds left. Joo-sung Kim missed a jumper and
Jermaine Anderson sealed the winning outcome from charity stripe.
Rowan
Barrett led the winners with 22 points.
Jermaine Anderson had 17 points, while
Carl
English added 12 for Canada.
Jeon
Jung-Gyu answered with 19 points for South Korea.
Jung
Young-Sam had 13 points in defeat. Canada will now face either Croatia or
Puerto Rico in the quarterfinal.
Canada:
Rowan
Barrett 22,
Jermaine Anderson 17,
Carl
English 12
South Korea:
Jeon
Jung-Gyu 19,
Jung
Young-Sam 13
*****************************************************
DKV Joventut lands Pops Mensah-Bonsu - by
Eurobasket News
As Eurobasket already wrote about
the possibility that
Pops
Mensah-Bonsu (206-F-83, agency:
SportsTalent, college:
George
Washington) will join DKV Joventut it became officially announced by the
club yesterday. Mensah-Bonsu put signature on a one year deal with the team. He
played previous season in Benetton Treviso where he had 11 appearances in ULEB
Cup finishing the competition as a fourth rebounder with 8.4 rpg. At the same
time he registered 10 ppg and 1.0 spg. Mensah-Bonsu played 31 games in Italian
Serie A where his average stats was 9.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.3 spg and 1.1 bpg. He
already has some experience in ACB as he spent really short period in CB Granada
joining them in May this year. After he graduated on George Washington in 2006,
Mensah-Bonsu agreed term with NBA team Dallas Mavericks. He played only 12 games
in regular season having 2.4 ppg and 1.8 rpg. Almost half of it he spent with
NBDL team Fort Worth Flyers. Actually the Mavericks called him back to the
roster couple times during the year. I his senior season at George Washington
Mensah-Bonsu averaged 12.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 1.7 bpg.
In the meantime
James Singleton (203-F-81, college:
Murray St.),
who played last season for Tau Ceramica, signed contract with the Mavericks.
Singleton grabbed the championship title with Tau outplaying Barcelona 3-0 in
the play-off final while his team also became a winner of Spanish Supercup at
the beginning of 07/08. The best stats last season Singleton registered in the
play-off of when he for 8 games averaged 6 ppg and 5.3 rpg. He had a bit lower
digits in ACB regular season as well as in Euroleague. It won't be Singleton's
first appearance in NBA as he already played for Los Angeles Clippers a season
before Tau.
*****************************************************
Day 6: Korea, Taiwan both lost five straight
- by Chris Wang
First off, sorry for the delay. I
fell asleep last night in the middle of this story. And I have been busy these
two days so I didn't record any game nor make screen captures. Nevertheless,
please feel free to download the game stats with the link on the right.
After six days, AIA became the first team earning a semifinal place while
Australia U-19 NT, Qatar and Jordan had a three-way tie at 4-2. They will clinch
the remaining three semi seeds if theres no upset on Day 7.
Kazakhstan got a much-needed win from the host Taiwan NT and is now 3-3, tied
with Egypt. A loss on Wednesday means no semifinal for both teams. They will put
up a fight.
Taiwan NT and Korea University Select Team both dropped fifth straight and are
out of the semifinals.
AIA 93-76 Egypt (47-30)
AIA clinched a semifinal berth with a 93-76 win over Egypt. The Egyptians were
no match against the U.S. team, which made 15 three-pointers in the game,
including seven in the first half. Egypt fell to 3-3.
AIA: D. Brugamin 23p, B. Woodside 22p+6a, W. Smith 14p+6rb, M. Kitts 10p
EGY: M. Khorshed 12p, T. Mostafa 10p
Australia 75-54 Qatar (33-25)
The kids from Australia pulled off another upset and boosted its record to a
very comfortable 4-2. The game actually was close before the final period, when
the Australians made five threes en route to a 30-13 quarter theta made the
score out of reach.
AUS: R. Broekhoff 14p, B. Motum 11p, C. Ellis 10p
QAT: S.A. Ali 18p+8rb, D. Mousa 14p, B.A. Mohammed 11p
Jordan 79-76 Korea (36-56)
Trailing by 20 at the half, Jordan showed everyone why it won the Jones Cup last
year. Jordan had a 17-0 run in the third quarter and Islam Abaas had five points
in the last two minutes as Jordan, which trailed by as many as 22 points, pulled
off an improbable comeback win.
Korea, one of the most inconsistent teams in the tournament, let another one get
away after squandering a 13-point halftime lead against Egypt on Day 3. After a
56-point first half, Koreans scored only seven points in the final quarter.
JOR: J.A. Shmala 22p, Z. Alkhas 15p+10rb, I. Abaas 10p+8rb, W. Al-Sous 11p+10a
KOR: Heo Il-young 25p, Byun Hyun-soo 19p+6a, Choi Yun-ho 12p, Kim Kang-sun 9p+7a
Kazakhstan 84-69 Taiwan (38-29)
Kazakhstan opened the game with a 12-4 run and never trailed. Taiwan once again
experienced a scoring drought in the second quarter, going scoreless in four
minutes, and trailed by as many as 24 points.
KAZ: R. Yargaliyev 23p+6rb, A. Ponomarev 15p+18rb, Y. Issakov 15p+10rb, S.
Fadeikin 14p+9rb
TW: Yang Chin-min 17p, Lee Hsueh-lin 15p
Standings
1. Athletes in Action 5-1
2. Qatar NT 4-2
2. Jordan NT 4-2
2. Australia U-19 4-2
5. Egypt NT 3-3
5. Kazakhstan NT 3-3
7. Taiwan NT 1-5
8. Korea Univ. Selects 0-6
*****************************************************
| TOURNAMENT OF THE AMERICAS U18 |
FIBA Americas U18 Championship. Day 2 - by
Eurobasket News
USA U18 - Bahamas U18
115:51
United States Junior National Team earned their second win in a row in Formosa.
The success meant United States team advanced to the semifinal stage at the FIBA
Americas U18 Championship and thus qualified for the U19 World Championship in
New Zealand in 2009. Bahamas in the meantime suffered their second straight loss
at the tournament. The USA dominated the game from the tip off. They outgunned
their opponents 29:5 in the first period and were well in control of the
situation throughout the rest of the contest. They held Bahamas team to 6 points
in the second stanza and built a 59:11 lead at halftime. Bahamas finally came
back to life in the second half and notched 40 points but it was still not
enough to outscore the North Americans. The USA secured a thumping victory and
remained on top of Group B.
Travis Wear (206-F-90) tallied 15 points and 4 boards for the USA.
Mason Plumlee (210-F-90) had 14 points and 14 boards, while
JaMychal Green (205-F/C-90) added 13 points and 8 caroms for the winners.
Donathen Moss (201-C-90) answered with 10 points for Bahamas.
Olen Smith (-90) posted 9 points in a losing case. The USA team outrebounded
their opponents 58:28 and forced those to 29 turnovers. United States will face
Puerto Rico tonight. Bahamas and Venezuela will fight for the initial win at the
tournament.
USA U18:
Travis Wear 15,
Mason Plumlee 14+14 boards,
JaMychal Green 13
Bahamas U18:
Donathen Moss 10,
Olen Smith 9
Canada U18 - Uruguay U18 76:56
Canadian Junior National Team remained perfect at the U18 FIBA Americas
Championship in Formosa. They defeated Uruguay on the second day of the
tournament and automatically ensured their U19 World Championship birth next
year. Uruguay got to a better start to the game as they led 20:16 after ten
minutes of action. But Canada had their secret weapon.
Robert Gagliardi (185-G-90) nailed 11 points in a row for Canada in the
second quarter, while defense worked hard and Canadian team gradually took over.
They limited Uruguayan team to only 8 points in the period and established a
41:28 advantage at halftime. Canada kept on running well and piled up a 20-point
cushion in the third frame. Uruguay never recovered suffering their second loss
at the start of the event. Canada and Argentina share the top spot in Group A
and would play for the top seed today.
Robert Gagliardi finished with game-high 33 points for Canada.
Mangisto Arop (197-G-90) delivered 14 points and 12 boards, while
Marc Trasolini (206-F-90) added 8 points and 7 caroms for the winners.
Mathias Calfani (199-C-92) replied with 14 points for Uruguay.
Nicolas Catala (196-F-91) had 12 points in a losing effort. Canada held an
advantage under the rims 45:33 in rebounds and limited their opponents to only
29% accuracy from the field. Uruguay will face Mexico tonight.
Canada U18:
Robert Gagliardi 33,
Mangisto Arop 14+12 boards,
Marc Trasolini 8
Uruguay U18:
Mathias Calfani 14,
Nicolas Catala 12
Puerto Rico U18 - Venezuela U18 94:76
Puerto Rican U18 National Team achieved the main task at the FIBA
Americas Championship. They posted their second straight win and booked the U19
World Championship ticket. Puerto Rico also qualified for the semifinals in
Formosa, Argentina. They needed to overcome a slow start against Venezuelan team
to deliver a winning result at the end. Venezuela relied on a sizzling
performance from
Gregory Echenique (208-C-90) in the first half to maintain the lead. They
piled up a 25:18 advantage after the first quarter. Puerto Rico struck back in
the second frame and Jesus Rivera put them in charge 34:32 midway through the
frame. But Venezuela persisted and Echenique allowed them to enjoy a 44:42
advantage at the interval. The lead changed hands for numerous times throughout
the third stanza before
Miguel Bocachica (196-F-90) drew things level at 64 at the end of the third
frame. Puerto Rico opened the final period on an 8:0 run and never surrendered
the lead. Six Puerto Rican players scored in double figures.
Steven Miro (188-G-91) led the team with 19 points and 7 rebounds.
Miguel Bocachica added 14 points, while
Isaac Sosa (188-G-90) and
Raymond Cintron (186-G-90) delivered 13 points apiece for the winners.
Gregory Echenique led all scorers with 25 points and 15 rebounds for
Venezuela.
Miguel Rivas (182-G-90) secured 14 points in defeat. Puerto Rico will clash
with the USA for the top spot in preliminary Group B today. Venezuela will play
against Bahamas.
Puerto Rico U18:
Steven Miro 19,
Miguel Bocachica 14,
Isaac Sosa 13,
Raymond Cintron 13
Venezuela U18:
Gregory Echenique 25+15 boards,
Miguel Rivas 14
Argentina U18 - Mexico U18 108:69
Argentinean Junior National Team earned their second consecutive victory at the
FIBA Americas championship. Argentina is hosting the event and is widely taken
as one of the main favorites for the title. They achieved their first goal
yesterday as the win meant they had qualified for U19 World Championship to be
held in New Zealand in 2009. The hosts also booked their spot in the semis
leaving Mexican counterparts without the playoffs. Mexico tried to stay in the
contest in the opening frame and trailed by just a single point 24:25. But
Argentinean youngsters soon showed who wear the breeches.
Matias Nocedal (192-G-90, agency:
Interperformances) orchestrated well-balanced Argentinean offense and the
home team went on a 32:13 rally in the second frame to build a 20-point cushion
at halftime. Mexico failed to recover in the third stanza as Argentina dropped
25 points limiting their opponents to just 9. The outcome was pretty much
decided on and the teams cruised to the end.
Matias Nocedal topscored with 20 points for Argentina.
Luciano Gonzalez (196-F-90) had 16 points, while
Andres Landoni (206-C/F-90) tallied 13 points and 9 rebounds in a win.
Juan Favela (183-G-91) answered with 16 points for Mexico. Jorge Cassilas
notched 11 points in a losing case. Argentina outrebounded their opponents 54:23
and held them to 39% accuracy. Argentina in the meantime converted 53% of field
goals. Argentina will face Canada in the final game of the elimination round
today. Mexico takes on Uruguay.
Argentina U18:
Matias Nocedal 20,
Luciano Gonzalez 16,
Andres Landoni 13
Mexico U18:
Juan Favela 16, Jorge Cassilas 11
*****************************************************
Fenerbahce Ulker inks Marques Green and Devin Smith
- by Eurobasket News
Turkish champion Fenerbahce Ulker
announced signing of
Marques Green (170-G-82, college:
St.Bonaventure) and
Devin Smith (196-G/F-81, college:
Virginia).
Both players arrive from Air Avelino and both of them signed 2-years contract
with their new team.
Marques Green had 40 appearances for Avelino in Serie A finishing it as a
second assistant with 6.7 apg. At the end of regular season he also was the
third 'stealer' of the competition having 3.6 spg. Beside this he averaged 13.3
ppg and 3.8 rpg grabbing 'Guard of the year' and 'Import player of the year'
awards. He already has experience from Turkey as he played for Casa TED
Kolejliler Ankara two years ago. After 31 games in Turkish D1 he was a fifth
leading scorer with 17.1 ppg as well as a top assistant and a 'stealer'. In May
last year Green agreed terms with Nancy just for the play-of games after what he
landed to Air Avelino. In the past he already spent one year in Nancy as well as
one season in Roanne. Green graduated at St. Bonaventure in 2003.
Devin Smith also had wonderful last season with Avelino averaging 18.7 ppg,
5.3 rpg, 1.7 apg and 2.2 spg for 39 games in Serie A. He is also awarded with
getting his name to 'All-Italian Serie A 1st Team'. Before Avelino, Smith spent
two seasons in Spanish Bruesa, one in LEB gold and the other one in ACB. He was
third scorer in LEB gold with 15.8 ppg at this first season while his team
captured the title and promotion to ACB. He graduated at Virginia University
adding 16.5 ppg and 6.1 rpg at his senior year.
*****************************************************
Defend Ours, AGSUF wins Zero Tolerance hoops titles
- by David Edole
ST. THOMAS - Defend Ours defeated
the Blazers, 47-45, in double overtime in the 13-15 division, while Ain't Gonna
See Us Fall topped the Brothers, 53-50, in the 16-18 division, as both teams
swept their division championships on Monday night at the CAHS gym in the
HP&R/Zero Tolerance Summer Basketball League.
Deshawn Holliday's 18 points and Shanel Caines' 14 points led Defend Ours, while
Sekayi Petersen's 15 points and Roland Murrell's 11 led the Blazers. Defend Ours
won Game 1 on Saturday, 43-36.
Alson Creque led AGSUF with 14 points, followed by Jelani Walters with 10.
Curtio Fredericks and Charles Pemberton led the Brothers with 11 points each.
AGSUF took Game 1 on Saturday, 60-51.
Game 3 of the 9-12 division championship series between the Brothers and Come 2
Defend is tonight at 5:30 p.m. at the BCB gym
Interneighborhood basketball tournament
ST. CROIX - Caribbean Education Initiative, in conjunction with SunStroke
Promotions, will host the CEI Interneighborhood Basketball Tournament beginning
on July 24. The tournament is open to children ages 13-15 and will be played in
various housing communities.
There will be a mandatory meeting for all coaches at Central High's Ronald
Charles Gymnasium on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., and the deadline for rosters will be
on Friday. All persons interested in entering a team can e-mail their rosters
to: visunlover@live.com or call Tamarah at 332-6280.
Hoyas Outlast Lakers 76-75 in CBA Barn Burner
- by David Edole
July 15, 2008 -- The
defending-champion Hoyas are showing everyone in the Choices Basketball
Association League that they are not ready to go gentle into that good night, as
they took down yet another hot upstart team Monday night -- the previously
undefeated Lakers -- 76-75 at the Central High School Gym.
This game was arguably the most exciting of the season, with fans for both teams
screaming their approval. The teams exchanged leads some six times in the last
two minutes. In the end, though, it would be a defensive breakdown by the Lakers
that cost them the game. Twice they took the lead in the waning minutes only to
see the Hoyas retake the lead on breakaway layups. The final breakaway layup by
the Hoyas' Eddie 'Hot Sauce' Castillo, after the Lakers had taken the lead with
16 seconds, proved to be the dagger.
The teams played an evenly matched first half, with the Lakers enjoying a
two-point lead at the break, 37-35. The big story for the Lakers -- along with
good team defense -- was 'Sugar' Shane Hodge, who started the game on fire with
10 first-quarter points and six in the second period for a total of 16
first-half points.
The defending champs opened the second half on a 13-8 run to take their first
lead of the game at 48-45. They would maintain control of the game mostly
because of the excellent play of one of their star players, Karl John. He
exploded for 11 third-quarter points to help propel his squad to the lead. After
a three-pointer by Castillo, the Hoyas would enjoy their biggest lead, eight
points, at 55-47. They ended the third quarter with a seven-point lead at 56-49.
Robert Duck got hot for the Lakers in the fourth quarter, and he and Hodge
poured in eight points apiece to bring the Lakers right back into the game. The
Lakers had appeared to catch a huge break at the 5:30 mark when John was ejected
for aggressively arguing a call by one of the referees. They trailed at the time
by six at 67-61.
Consecutive baskets by Hodge and Rondel Harris brought the Lakers to within two
at 67-65 with 3:27 left in the game. After an exchange of baskets, Duck tied the
game at 69 on a put-back dunk. Three straight points by the Hoyas gave them the
lead again at 72-69. Hodge then scored to make the score 72-71. A turnover and a
foul put the Lakers' Jerome Nathaniel at the foul line to shoot two free throws.
He made both shots to give his team the lead at 73-72, to the delight of his
team's loudly cheering fans.
However, the Lakers did not get back on defense after the made basket, and
Castillo was down on the other end collecting a long pass from Hendricks for an
easy layup, giving the Hoyas the lead with 35 seconds left. Hodge would then
swoop to the basket on the Lakers' next possession to give the lead back to his
team at 75-74. But again the Lakers failed to get back on defense, and with 13
seconds left in the game Castillo was on the other end of another long Hoyas
pass for an easy layup -- the game clincher this time.
With John out of the game, the Hoyas had to turn to their other star players,
Castillo and Darnell Hendricks, to provide the offense down the stretch, and
they did not disappoint. Hendricks hit six of six clutch free throws down the
stretch, and Castillo scored the last two baskets for the Hoyas on breakaway
layups to help put away the Lakers.
The Hoyas had three players netting 20 points in the game in the persons of
Castillo, Hendricks, and John. John also had four blocks and four steals on the
night. For the Lakers, 'Sugar' Shane poured in a game-high 29 points and hauled
down eight boards, while Duck netted 17 points with 14 rebounds and five
assists.
*****************************************************
Facts and Figures from the 2008 Olympic Qualifing
Tournament in Athens - by
George Manousidis
Memories: Lebanon is the team that
Dimitris Diamantidis (196-G-80) faced in his breakout year with the Mens
National Team. The 28-year old guard competed with the National Team for the
very first time on September 5, 2001
in the context of the Tunis Mediterranean Games (Greece Lebanon 101 56) and
scored 6 points.
The one-hundred+ club: During the Supercup Tournament, which
was held in Bamberg and in the National Teams game against Puerto Rico,
Dimitris Diamantidis celebrated 100 participations wearing the national
teams uniform, while in the game against Croatia (during the Acropolis
Tournament) he marked his 101st. From the Greek Mens National Team current
players
Theodoros Papaloukas (200-G-77, agency:
Interperformances) (with 120) and
Antonis Fotsis (210-F-81) (with 103) are also part of the 100+
participations club, while
Kostas Tsartsaris (210-F-79) (with 98) is only two away from becoming a
member as well.
Euroleague: Twenty-nine players who competed in the 2007-2008
Euroleague competitions will be vying in the tournament. Greece has the lead in
the list of representatives (with 10 players), followed by Croatia (7),
Slovenia (4), Brazil (3), Germany (3), and Puerto Rico (2).
ΝΒΑ: Eight representatives of NBA teams will be there in the
roll-call of the tournament, the name most heavily weighing on the list of NBA
stars being that of Dallas Mavericks German native
Dirk
Nowitzki (211-F-78).
Germany, Canada, Slovenia and Puerto Rico number two representatives each.
Dallas and Toronto have two players each in the Tournament, while Miami,
Philadelphia, Orlando and Clippers just one apiece.
A peculiar case: Slovenian native Uro Slokar is the only player
to have competed on both sides of the
Atlantic last year. He began the season as a Raptors player, but not having been
given time in the games he chose to finish his career with Dynamo Moscow Region
(Russia).
Exact opposites: All Lebanese players compete with teams from
their homeland, whereas none of the
Cape Verde players compete in theirs.
Inactive: Korean Seung Jin Ha and Cape Verdes Tony Barros and
Fidel Mendonca do not currently belong to a club.
Fifth division player: Cape Verde player Antonio Monteiro competes with the
French CS Мeaux, a 5th
division club. (!)
The lions share: Six of the Lebanon Mens National Team players
last year competed for the Al Riyadi club of Beirut.
Draft: The player ranking highest in the NBA drafts is Chris Kaman of Germany :
in 2003 he was drafted at number 6 by the L.A. Clippers, where he still plays to
this day.
Father - Son: In Canada, Leo Rautins has been sitting on the
Senior Mens National Team bench since 2004 and the players on his roster include
his son Andy, age 22, whos a Syracuse University graduate and is making his
debut with the national team.
Change of nationality: Chris Kaman has become a German national
thanks to his grandparents and acquired the right to participate in the German
national team. Nick Horvath was a US citizen till last year; however his
marriage to a New Zealand native at the beginning of 2008 earned him the right
to appear with the Tall Blacks.
Diversity: Cape Verde counts with eight players not having been
born in the country, while Lebanon has players originating from five different
countries (Lebanon, the USA, United Emirates, Kuwait and Canada).
ACB at No 1: Spain may very well not be partaking in the
Tournament; nevertheless ACB is the league in which most of the Tournament
players compete in (17).
Youngster: Born on January 11, 1978
Lazare
Adingono (Cameroon) is the youngest amongst the 12 teams coaches.
Around the block and back: Right at the other end of the
spectrum lies Brazils coach, the Spanish native Jos Manuel Moncho Monsalve, who
was born on New Years Day in 1945.
Tower power: Measuring 2.22meters in height, Koreas Ha
Seung-Jin ranks first amongst the tall guys, followed by Peter John Ramos of
Puerto Rico who stands 2.20 meters tall.
In small packages: The shortest players in the Tournament are
Pascal Roller (Germany), Kim Taesul (Korea), and Corey Webster (New Zealand)
with a mere 1.80 m.
Wise old man: Canadian Rowan Barrett, who played for Daphni
(2001-02), is the oldest of the bunch having been born on November 24, 1972.
Teenager: Born on March 1, 1989, Cameroon native Alexis
Wangmene is the youngest player in the Tournament.
Happy birthday: During the Tournament, there will be birthday
candles blown by Brazils Murilo Becker da Rosa (14/07), Puerto Ricos Joel Jones
Camacho (17/07) and Cape Verdes Antonio Monteiro (19/07).
Teams statistics: With 39-15 wins against the remaining eleven
teams participating in the Tournament,
Brazil has the best track record. It has never known defeat from Korea (6-0) or
Lebanon (1-0) and is running a 13-1 streak against Canada that last beat Brazil
in the 1936 Olympic Basketball Tournament (with a score of 24-17). Korea has the
worst track record with 17 %, that is to say just 4 victories in 23 games,
followed by New Zealand with 1-4 victories (20%). Greece has never been beaten
by Canada (2-0),
Korea (3-0), and Lebanon (1-0)....
From the official web site of
HEBA
*****************************************************
Canada U18 qualifies for the U19 World Championship
- by Eurobasket News
Canada U18 - Uruguay U18
76:56
Canadian Junior National Team remained perfect at the U18 FIBA Americas
Championship in Formosa. They defeated Uruguay on the second day of the
tournament and automatically ensured their U19 World Championship birth next
year. Uruguay got to a better start to the game as they led 20:16 after ten
minutes of action. But Canada had their secret weapon.
Robert Gagliardi (185-G-90) nailed 11 points in a row for Canada in the
second quarter, while defense worked hard and Canadian team gradually took over.
They limited Uruguayan team to only 8 points in the period and established a
41:28 advantage at halftime. Canada kept on running well and piled up a 20-point
cushion in the third frame. Uruguay never recovered suffering their second loss
at the start of the event. Canada and Argentina share the top spot in Group A
and would play for the top seed today.
Robert Gagliardi finished with game-high 33 points for Canada.
Mangisto Arop (197-G-90) delivered 14 points and 12 boards, while
Marc
Trasolini (206-F-90) added 8 points and 7 caroms for the winners.
Mathias Calfani (199-C-92) replied with 14 points for Uruguay.
Nicolas Catala (196-F-91) had 12 points in a losing effort. Canada held an
advantage under the rims 45:33 in rebounds and limited their opponents to only
29% accuracy from the field. Uruguay will face Mexico tonight.
Canada U18:
Robert Gagliardi 33,
Mangisto Arop 14+12 boards,
Marc
Trasolini 8
Uruguay U18:
Mathias Calfani 14,
Nicolas Catala 12
Capurro will play the Uruguayan League 2009
- by Hector Lopez
Matias Lado (174-G-85) netted a two points shot with six seconds left giving
Capurro the Metropolitan Championship with a win over Aguada 64-63, in the last
game of the regular season. Capurro will play the Uruguayan League 2009. The
teams placed from the 2nd place to the 5th. will play for the second spot fot
the LUB. Aguada will play against the winner of three teams tied Yale, Goes and
Urunday Universitario), while Verdirrojo and Nacional will play the other best
of three semifinal serie. Marne already lost their position in the Metro League
and will play for the Third Division. Larre Borges and Waston will play an extra
game and the loser will also go to Third Divisin.
The results ann import playters figures were as follows:
Capurro 64 -
Brian Craig (206-C-79, college:
Miles)
10 points and 6 rebounds
Aguada 63 -
Wendell Gibson (201-F/C-83, college:
Hofstra)
19 points and 11 rebounds
- - -
Nacional 80 -
Marcelo Correa (208-C-77, college:
San Diego
St.) 10 points and 10 rebounds
Goes 78 -
Howard Wilkerson (198-F-84, agency:
Chris
Pearson SM, college:
Wofford)
26 and 12 rebounds
- - -
25 de Agosto 92
Larre Borges 85 -
'Pop' Thornton (201-F-74, college:
W.Kentucky)
29 points and 6 rebounds
- - -
Yale 79 -
Tarrie Monroe (202-F-77, agency:
R.H.Consultancy, college:
Lewis)
17 and 24 rebounds
Marne 78
- - -
Waston 85
Larranaga 83
- - -
Urunday 78
Verdirrojo 70 - Cam-Ron Clay 20 points 11 rebounds
Standings - Metropolitan League
Metropolitan Standings
 |
|
|
*****************************************************
Puerto Rico holds off Venezuela at the FIBA Americas
U18 Championship - by Eurobasket News
Puerto Rico U18 - Venezuela
U18 94:76
Puerto Rican U18 National Team achieved the main task at the FIBA Americas
Championship. They posted their second straight win and booked the U19 World
Championship ticket. Puerto Rico also qualified for the semifinals in Formosa,
Argentina. They needed to overcome a slow start against Venezuelan team to
deliver a winning result at the end. Venezuela relied on a sizzling performance
from
Gregory Echenique (208-C-90) in the first half to maintain the lead. They
piled up a 25:18 advantage after the first quarter. Puerto Rico struck back in
the second frame and Jesus Rivera put them in charge 34:32 midway through the
frame. But Venezuela persisted and Echenique allowed them to enjoy a 44:42
advantage at the interval. The lead changed hands for numerous times throughout
the third stanza before
Miguel Bocachica (196-F-90) drew things level at 64 at the end of the third
frame. Puerto Rico opened the final period on an 8:0 run and never surrendered
the lead. Six Puerto Rican players scored in double figures.
Steven Miro (188-G-91) led the team with 19 points and 7 rebounds.
Miguel Bocachica added 14 points, while
Isaac Sosa (188-G-90) and Raymond Cintryn delivered 13 points apiece for the
winners.
Gregory Echenique led all scorers with 25 points and 15 rebounds for
Venezuela.
Miguel Rivas (182-G-90) secured 14 points in defeat. Puerto Rico will clash
with the USA for the top spot in preliminary Group B today. Venezuela will play
against Bahamas.
Puerto Rico U18:
Steven Miro 19,
Miguel Bocachica 14,
Isaac Sosa 13, Raymond Cintryn 13
Venezuela U18:
Gregory Echenique 25+15 boards,
Miguel Rivas 14
LPB 2008 Quarter Finals - Gameday 3: Marinos, Gatos
and Guaiqueries wake up - by
Francisco Vega
Barquisimeto, Venezuela.- Marinos de Anzoategui, Gatos de
Monagas and Guaiqueries de Margarita got closer in their quest for a spot in the
next round, as they won their first match in the LPB 2008 Quarter Finals to be
2-1 down now.
SERIES A
MARINOS DE ANZOATEGUI 115 - TROTAMUNDOS DE CARABOBO 65
'Luis Ramos' Gymnasium - Puerto La Cruz, Anzoategui
(Trotamundos leads 2-1)
Quarter by quarter
MAR: 29-28-31-27= 115
TRO: 14-17-22-12= 65
Scorers
MAR:
Cordell Henry (178-G-80) 19 points,
Axiers Sucre (198-F-78) 19 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists,
Oscar Torres (195-F/G-76) 18 points,
Curtis Withers (203-F-84) 16 points and 9 rebounds,
Rafael Guevara (194-F-79) 16 points,
Jason Edwin (196-G/F-81) 15 points,
Jhon Romero (199-F-85) 4 points,
Gregory Vargas (182-G-86) 3 points,
Elvis Montero (193-G-78) 3 points,
Kervin Bracho (204-F/C-78) 2 points
TRO:
Will Caudle (206-C-82) 13 points,
Jose Vargas (196-G/F-82) 10 points,
Joe
Shipp (197-F-81) 10 points,
Facundo Sucatzky (176-G-72) 8 points,
Tomas Aguilera (198-F-77) 7 points,
Yorvis Umbria (203-F-85) 6 points,
Pedro Brito (202-F/C-82) 6 points,
Alejandro Barrios (205-F-79) 4 points,
Leonardo Cappare (186-G-80) 1 point
SERIES B
GATOS DE MONAGAS 99 - COCODRILOS DE CARACAS 97 (2 ET)
'Gilberto Roque Morales' Gymnasium - Maturin, Monagas
(Cocodrilos leads 2-1)
Quarter by quarter
GAT: 15-15-9-32-11-17= 99
COC: 19-16-15-21-11-15= 97
LPB Quarter Finals - Gameday 2: Trotamundos,
Cocodrilos and Gaiteros 2-0 ahead - by
Francisco Vega
Barquisimeto, Venezuela.- Trotamundos de Carabobo,
Cocodrilos de Caracas and Gaiteros del Zulia took a 2-0 lead in their respective
LPB 2008 Quarter Finals series A, B, and C, as they made themselves respected at
home against Marinos de Anzoategui, Gatos de Monagas and the current champions
Guaiqueries de Margarita.
SERIES A
TROTAMUNDOS DE CARABOBO 94 - MARINOS DE ANZOATEGUI 89
Forum of Valencia - Valencia, Carabobo
(Trotamundos leads 2-0)
Quarter by quarter
TRO: 26-22-26-20= 94
MAR: 25-20-20-24= 89
Scorers
TRO:
Tomas Aguilera (198-F-77) 20 points and 18 rebounds,
Jose Vargas (196-G/F-82) 20 points,
Pedro Brito (202-F/C-82) 20 points,
J.R. Wallace (183-G-81) 17 points,
Alejandro Barrios (205-F-79) 7 points,
Joe
Shipp (197-F-81) 4 points,
Leonardo Cappare (186-G-80) 3 points,
Facundo Sucatzky (176-G-72) 3 points
MAR:
Curtis Withers (203-F-84) 25 points and 10 rebounds,
Rafael Guevara (194-F-79) 23 points,
Cordell Henry (178-G-80) 20 points,
Axiers Sucre (198-F-78) 14 points and 7 rebounds,
Gregory Vargas (182-G-86) 7 points
SERIES B
COCODRILOS DE CARACAS 85 - GATOS DE MONAGAS 75
Naciones Unidas Park - Caracas, D.C.
(Cocodrilos leads 2-0)
Quarter by quarter
COC: 24-20-21-20= 85
GAT: 21-23-14-17= 75
Scorers
COC:
Jack Michael Martinez (203-F/C-81) 18 points and 16 rebounds,
Luis Bethelmy (200-C-86) 17 points,
Kevin Freeman (201-F-78) 13 points,
Jesus Centeno (190-G-85) 11 points,
Edgar Moreno (191-G-81) 7 points,
Henry Paez (184-G-70) 7 points,
Victor David Diaz (195-F-68) 6 points,
Juan Herrera (197-F-81) 5 points,
Kevin Palacios (203-F/C-84) 1 point
GAT:
Manuel Guzman (203-F-82) 19 points,
Francisco Sanabria (190-G-77) 11 points,
Amber Marin (208-C-81) 9 points,
Ernesto Mijares (190-G-76) 9 points,
Ronnie Fields (193-G-77) 7 points,
Ruben Pachano (185-G-76) 7 points,
Roque Osorio (206-C-76) 7 points,
Kenya Capers (194-F-73) 4 points,
Edgar Arteaga (198-F-76) 2 points
SERIES C
GAITEROS DEL ZULIA 93 - GUAIQUERIES DE MARGARITA 84
Belisario Aponte Gymnasium - Maracaibo, Zulia
(Gaiteros leads 2-0)
Quarter by quarter
GAI: NA-NA-NA-NA= 96
GUAI: NA-NA-NA-NA= 79
Scorers
GAI:
Ruben Nembhard (191-G-72) 27 points,
Felipe Lopez (197-G/F-74) 20 points
GUAI:
Marcus Fleming (204-F-78) 28 points
*****************************************************
Women News
*****************************************************
Albania U16 smashes Gibraltar U16 in Monaco
- by Eurobasket News
Albania U16 - Gibraltar U16
86:38
Albania U16 smashed Gibraltar U16 at the European Championship in Division C. It
was a slow start from both teams but Albania jumped on top, 12:10. Later on they
controlled the game increasing the lead from quarter to quarter. The last period
saw Albanian team too good for the opponent as they had 35:4 in it. Dashja led
the winners with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Lalaj ended up with 11, while Metani
had 9. Currie top-scored with 15 points in defeat and Reyes had 14.
Albania U16:Dashja 20+15 rebs, Lalaj 11, Metani 9
Gibraltar U16: Currie 15, Reyes 14
*****************************************************
Russia U20 the first to book their spot in the
semifinals - by Eurobasket News
Russia U20-Belarus U20
90:50
Russia U20 became the first team to book their spot in the semifinals of the U20
European Championship for Women. The team had another massive win over the
opponent, that time Belarus 90:50. The win in all quarters lifted them to 4-0
record and remain undefeated in the tournament.
Yulia Lukina (185-F-88) paced all the winners with 16 points and 9 rebounds.
Olga
Zhuzhgova (203-C-88) and
Natalia Vieru (198-C-89) followed her with 12 points apiece.
Natallia Kozun (189-F-88) top-scored in the losing effort with 13 points and
Tatsiana Sinkevich (168-G-88) netted 12.
Romanova opened the game for the winners making the first jump shot in the
opening quarter. Belarus replied every time the Russian scored and after 4
minutes in the court took even 10:9 lead. That was however the only lead for
Belarus in the game. Alexander Kovalev's side opened a five-point gap in leading
19:16 after the first period. Russia mounted in 16-3 surge to pull ahead 35:21.
Natalia Vieru closed the first half at 43:23 for the favorites.
In the third quarter Belarus played more offensively and could score 21 points,
which was more than in the second and the last together. Russia did not mind and
suggested their 67:44 after three periods.The end of the game did not bring lots
of interest, but brought success for the Russian squad that advanced to the
semis of the tournament. Keyru set up the final, 90:50 score.
Russia U20:Yulia
Lukina 16+9 rebs,
Olga
Zhuzhgova 12,
Natalia Vieru 12
Belarus U20:Natallia
Kozun 13,
Tatsiana Sinkevich 12
*****************************************************
New signings in Lukoil Neftochimik - by
Eurobasket News
Bulgarian runner-up Lukoil
Neftochimik announced signing of
Dionne Brown (188-F/C-82, college:
Baylor)
on a one year contract. Brown already played for Lukoil two seasons ago when she
was named to be the 'Player of the Year' by eurobasket.com. For 29 games in
Bulgarian top division she averaged 21.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg and 1.6 spg. She finished
the competition as a fourth scorer as well as a fifth rebounder. Lukoil
Neftochimik was the regular season champion in Bulgaria reaching the play-off
final. At the same time the team reached final in Bulgarian National Cup. In the
past Brown spent half of the season in Turkish team Migros.
At the same time Lukoil Neftochimik inked
Rachel Wojdowski (179-G/F-82, agency:
LBM
Management, college:
New York U.)
for the upcoming season. Wojwoski is a guard who can be used on position 3 as
well. She spent previous two seasons in German runner-up TV 1872 Saarlouis.
Wojdowski had 18 appearances in DBBL averaging 12.8 ppg and 4.4 rpg. For the
first time she joined Saarlouis during the summer 2006 but she played first half
on the previous season in Luxembourgian team Musel Pikes. She appeared in
Musel's jersey only in EuroCup where she played 6 games having 13.7 ppg, 7.5
rpg, 2.2 apg and 1.3 spg. Her last team Saarlouis grabbed the trophy in German
National Cup this year.
Rachel Wojdowski signed contract with 10-day try-out option with Lukoil. She
supooses to arrive in Burgas on September the first.
Before these two players, Lukoil Neftochinik already agreed terms with
Elena Yolovska (183-F-74) and
Silvia Peeva (171-G-79).
*****************************************************
Trinidad and Tobago National Team 2008 -
by Eurobasket
