Eurobasket Daily News Report:

EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 8/19/2008

Copyright � 1997-2008 Eurobasket
WARNING:
Do not copy, redistribute, publish or otherwise exploit information that you download from the site!
Do not encumber, license, modify, publish, sell, transfer or transmit, or in any way exploit, any of the
content of the report, nor will you attempt to do so.
More info:www.eurobasket.com

Men News

*****************************************************

ABA

Last ABA transactions - by Gianni Pascucci
Veteran coach Steve Tucker was confirmed as the Head Coach and General Manager of the new Southeast Texas Mustangs, the ABA franchise originally named Rio Grande Valley Silverados, that announced its move to Beaumont last week. The Washington Raptors team that begins play in December announced the signing of Casey Frandsen (6'3''-G-82, college: Portland) as their second player after Greg Johnson (6'3''-G-76, college: Evergreen St.). Frandsen played for the Raptors during their 2007 IBL season.

*****************************************************

ANGOLA

Petro Atletico de Luanda sign Fred Gentry - by Eurobasket
Petro Atletico de Luanda strengthened their roster with addition of 31-year old American forward Fred Gentry (201-F-77, college: Mc Neese St., agency: Passing Lane). Gentry played most recently at FC Porto Ferpinta (Portugal). Actually his entire professional career is linked to playing in Portuguese-spoken countries. He played also for three seasons (2003-06) for Casino Figueira Ginasio in Portugal. It will be his second stint with team from Luanda as he played there already two years ago, when he lead Petro to Angolan League Championship title as well as Angolan Cup trophy.

*****************************************************

ARAB CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS

Standings

Arab Club Championships Standings

Group E
1. Zain		3-0
2. Sagesse		2-1
3. Al Riyadi		1-2
4. MAS		0-3
Group F
1. Al Kuwait		3-0
2. Orthodox		2-1
3. An Nasr		1-2
4. Al Nasr		0-3

*****************************************************

ARGENTINA

Olympic Games: Another victory for Argentina and another disappointment for Russia - by Eurobasket News
Argentina - Russia 91-79

Argentina registered fourth victory on the Olympic Games in Beijing. Despite everything was already known before this game, Argentineans played as much as they need in order to take it. Defending Olympic champion goes to the quarterfinals as a second ranked team in Group A and it will take on third team from Group B which is Greece. On the other hand, Russians totally disappointed their fans this summer finishing the Olympics already at the Preliminary Stage.

Argentina showed much better performance during the opening ten minutes ending it 27-16. Luis Scola (206-F/C-80) and Andres Nocioni (199-F-79) were the leading players for their team in this period. After two free throws by Luis Scola in 15th minute, Argentina stretched lead to 39-24. Very soon Andrei Kirilenko (205-F-81) and J.R. Holden (185-G-76, college: Bucknell) stepped up for Russia and together with their teammates made 15-2 run for 41-39. However, Argentina quickly answered with mini 4-0 series taking 6-point lead at the half time. Argentineans once again made bigger lead and it was 61-45 at the middle of third quarter but Russia melted it to 72-64 before the last frame. Russians came really close on 73-72, after Andrei Kirilenko's free throws in 33rd minute, but Luis Scola and Emanuel Ginobili (198-G-77, agency: Interperformances) led crucial 12-3 run resolving the question about the winner.

Center Luis Scola was totally unstoppable in this game. He played the entire time pouring in fantastic 37 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. Andres Nocioni also shined for the winning team adding 19 points and 9 rebounds while Emanuel Ginobili stopped on 12 points and 4 assists. Pablo Prigioni (186-G-77) helped Argentina recording double-double, 11 points and 10 assists. Andrei Kirilenko was the best in Russia collecting 23 points and 9 rebounds. J.R. Holden followed him with 19 points and 5 assists.

Argentina - Russia 91-79
(27-16, 18-23, 27-25, 19-15)

Argentina: Luis Scola 37 (8 rebs), Andres Nocioni 19 (9 rebs), Emanuel Ginobili 12 (4 as), Pablo Prigioni 11 (10 as)
Russia: Andrei Kirilenko 23 (9 rebs), J.R. Holden 9 (5 as)

Scola leads Argentina past Russia - by Leonardo Contieri
Luis Scola set an Argentina's olympic record as he score 37 points on 12 for 16 field goal shooting playing all 40 minutes on the victory over Russia 91-79 to close Argentina's schedule in the preliminary round.
Argentina never trailed an enjoyed twice a seixteen point lead, but Russia fought back to close the gap to only one in the fourth quarter. Andres Nocioni was perfect on four attempts behind the arc and Pablo Prigioni finished with 11 points and ten assits. Fabricio Oberto did not play due to a minor injury, as he was preserved for wednesday's querterfinal match against Greece. Andrei Kirilienko scored 23 points and grabbed 9 rebound for Russia.
Argentina: Prigioni 11, Ginobili 12, Nocioni 19, Scola 37, Gonzalez 4, Delfino 3, Porta, Kammerichs, Gutierrez 5, Quinteros. Coach: S. Hernandez
Russian Federation: Holden 19, Kirilenko 23, Savarasenko 6, Keyru 2, Fridzon, Monya 4, Pashutin 1, Samoylenko 2, Morguno2, Mykov 10, Vorontsevich 10. Coach: D. Blatt

*****************************************************

AUSTRALIA

Purdue ends Australian Tour with loss - by Eurobasket News
The competition was what the Boilermakers had wanted for their final test of the 2008 Australian tour, but the result was not as Purdue fell to the Cairns Taipans by the score of 116-110.

Purdue ended the five-game tour with a record of 2-3, 1-3 against teams in the top professional league in Australia - the National Basketball League.

'This was definitely not how we wanted to end this trip,' head coach Matt Painter said. 'While this was a talented opponent, I thought we had the ability to take it to them and win this game. Overall, our effort just wasn't there.'

The Boilermakers were hit hard in the first period, falling behind 32-19 late in the period before closing out the quarter with a seven-point deficit, 33-26. Purdue would continually chip away at the Taipans' lead throughout the game, but every Boiler run was answered by the host and then some.

A 15-0 Cairns run in the opening 3:30 of the fourth quarter put the Boilermakers behind by a game-high 20 points before Robbie Hummel began banging in threes. Hummel scored Purdue's first 11 points in the final quarter, helping the Boilers close to within four points in the final minute. However, a must-foul situation led to the Taipans' ability to hold off Purdue in the closing seconds.
Cairns scored the first bucket of the game and never trailed from that point, seeing the game tied only once at 12-12.

'When you play a professional team, or any team with the experience of the team we played tonight, you have to play within the construct of a team,' Painter said. 'Tonight, we had too many instances of guys trying to do things outside of their abilities. We have to play our game and within our abilities if we are going to win - whether that is against an Australian pro team of a team in the Big Ten.'

E'Twaun Moore led all scorers with 26 points, ending the five-game tour with an average of 27.0 points per contest. JaJuan Johnson added 21 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, giving the sophomore his third double-double of the tour. Hummel was the third Boilermaker to eclipse the 20-point plateau, scoring 20 while adding seven boards, five assists and five steals.

Purdue returns to West Lafayette on Sunday, August 17, following the 10-day trip Down Under. The Boilermakers begin classes on Monday, August 25, and open the 2008-09 season with their first exhibition game on Halloween night. The complete 2008-09 schedule is expected to be released later this week.

Courtesy of www.ncaa.com

*****************************************************

AUSTRIA

A pity loss to the hosts of Division B - by Eurobasket News
Austria U16 won the game over Denmark U16 on Day 3 at the European Championship. Sarajevo saw Austria U16 taking the lead from the first minutes. The dominated the court and easily won the second game in the group. Denmark U16 could close the game at 24:15 in the last period but had to admit the third loss. Saukel paced all the winners with 25 points. Friedrich nailed 19, while Vancura added 15. Haas finished the night with 20 points and 7 rebounds in the losing effort and Nielsen scored 14.
Bosnia and Herzegovina U16 looked tired after the game against Montenegro and was satisfied with only 86:80 win over Austria. Day 4 of the at the European Championship saw the hosts improving to 3-1 record in Group B. Bosnia and Herzegovina U16 grabbed 25:22 in the opening quarter and improved to 42:33 at the halftime. Austria U16 however woke up in the third when they stormed with 30:11 splash. Bosnia and Herzegovina U16 had some time for the rest and then replied with 33:17 in the last to seal the third win. Ivic top-scored for the hosts with 15 points. Vucic posted 12, whilst Micic and Latifagic netted 11 each. Vancura produced 28 points for the guests and Saukel added 20.

Denmark U16-Austria U16 68:92
Denmark U16: Haas 20+7 rebs, Nielsen 14
Austria U16: Saukel 25, Friedrich 19, Vancura 15

Austria U16-Bosnia and Herzegovina U16 80:86
Austria U16: Vancura 28, Saukel 20
Bosnia and Herzegovina U16: Ivic 15, Vucic 12, Micic 11, Latifagic 11

New Insideplayers for Kapfenberg and Wels - by Stefan Heinrich
Kapfenberg signed the 28 year old Center Frank Phifer (206-C-80, college: Washburn) for the 2008/09 season. Phifer played last season for A.D. Torreforta Tarragona in the LEB Bronze and he had 11.9ppg and 7.8rpg in 30 games.

The Bulls finished their roster now with Phfer, but its unknown if Moritz Lanegger will return to the Bulls for the new season. The following players will wear the Bulls jersey in the next season:

Damir Zeleznik, Jeremy Fears, Wayne Arnold, Jesse Seilern, Samuel Knabl, Branimir Josipovic, Romed Vieider, Heinz Kugerl, Seuni N'Diaye, Corey Hallett, Ramiz Suljanovic, Frank Phifer.

Also the WBC Wels finished their roster today with the signing of Andrew Strait (203-F/C-85). The 23 year old rookie out of Montana signed a one year deal. During his 4 season in the Big Sky Conference he was 2 times in the Conference 1st Team (06 & 08) and one time in the 2nd Team (07). During his senior season he averaged 13.3ppg and 6.6rpg.

Wels now has the following players under contract:

Armin Woschank, Thomas Csebits, Ricky Moore, Davor Lamesic, Igor Mamic, Casey Archibald, Patrick Diensthuber, Michael Hauer, Brandon Thomas, Flagan Prince, Tilo Klette, Andrew Strait

*****************************************************

BAHRAIN

International Friendy Tournament - by Walter Neto
A 'SLAM Dunk Showdown' has been added to the programme of the first Bahrain-Philippines Ambassador's Friendship Games, organisers told the GDN yesterday.

Sta Lucia Realty stars Kelly Williams and Nelbert Omolon will take to the hardcourt on both the event's days for the rim-rattling exhibition, which will be held during halftime. The imports of both participating Bahraini clubs will also be invited to join and face off with the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) standouts. 'It is a very exciting addition to the event, as both Sta Lucia players are high-flyers and can be very creative with their dunks,' project coordinator Bobby Calimoso told the GDN. 'Kelly is also the reigning Slam Dunk champion of the PBA, so it should be a lot of fun to watch.' The Games will be taking place this Thursday and Friday at the Umm Al Hassam sports complex. The event is being organised by the Philippine Embassy, and is being held under the patronage of Philippine Ambassador Eduardo Pablo Maglaya.

The Realtors are scheduled to arrive in the kingdom tomorrow afternoon. Meanwhile, the Bahrain Basketball Association (BBA) yesterday sent a letter to event organisers officially informing them that Manama Club has withdrawn from the event and will be replaced by Al Ahli.

Acting BBA president Jassim Al Sindi sent his sincerest apologies to Ambassador Maglaya for the last-minute change. Manama were regretfully forced to pull out due to the unforeseen unavailability of key players because of injury.

The Realtors will still play reigning national champions Muharraq Club on Thursday, followed by their clash with Ahli on Friday. Both games will tip off at 7.30pm. Ahli, the 2006-2007 national champions and one of the kingdom's most storied basketball clubs, gladly stepped forward to replace Manama. They are looking forward to competing against one of the Philippines' top professional teams, and both they and Muharraq will be fielding full-strength squads.
Source: GDN

*****************************************************

BELARUS

Liutych helps Belarus U16 to tie the record at 2-2 - by Eurobasket News
Belarus U16 posted one win and lost once in European Championship Men Division B. The team moved to the middle positions in Group A and now has 2-2 record.
On Day 3 Estonia U16 beat Belarus U16 74:67. Estonia U16 opened the campaign with 26:22 in the opening quarter, but could not hold the lead in the first half. Belarus U16 won the second period 22:15 to stay in front, 51:44. Anyway Estonia U16 was too good in the third period producing 19:5 to seal the second win in the tournament. Suija led the winners with 18 points. Jaan Puidet (185-G-92) collected 14 points and 13 boards, while Laane scored 11. Vitali Liutych (190-G-92) ended up with 25 points and 8 rebounds for Belarus.
Vitali Liutych was unstoppable with 31 points and 12 rebounds for Belarus U16 in Day 4. Slovak Republic U16 struggled hard but did not find an answer for the hot player. Skamarokhau netted 12 and Strukau scored 9 in a 81:61 victory. Luley top-scored for the Slovak team with 17 points and 8 rebounds. Belarus U16 improved to 2-2, while Slovak Republic U16 dropped to 1-3.

Belarus U16-Estonia U16 67:74
Belarus U16: Vitali Liutych 25+8 rebs, Strukau 10
Estonia U16: Suija 18, Jaan Puidet 14+13 rebs, Laane 11

Slovak Republic U16-Belarus U16 61:81
Slovak Republic U16: Luley 17+8 rebs, Sveda 9
Belarus U16: Vitali Liutych 31+12 rebs, Skamarokhau 12, Strukau 9

*****************************************************

BELGIUM

Belgium U16 achieved another two victories - by Eurobasket News
Belgium U16 achieved another two victories in European Championship Men Division B. The team moved to the top positions in Group A and now has 3-1 record.
In August 17th Belgium U16 stun Slovak Republic U16 81:51. It was an easy start for the winners that shocked the opponents with 23:5 in the opening quarter. The game was almost even in the next three quarters, but Belgium U16 remained in front and never looked behind. They finished the game with 19:13 in the last period to seal another win in the group. Amaury Gorgemans (202-C-92) led the winners with 20 points. Daniel Hartshorne (206-C-57, college: Oregon) netted 13, while Goetgeluck posted 11. Luley top-scored with 16 points in defeat and Galata added 9.
Belgium U16 stormed past Luxembourg U16 in Day 4 of the European Championship Men Division B. The team moved to the top with 75:34 dominating the whole game. Luxembourg U16 however could win the second quarter 14:13, but it was nothing in comparison with the others. Loontiens paced all the winners with 12 points. Renier scored 10, whilst Vandenweyer netted 8. Laurent finished the game with 12 points in the losing effort and Melcher produced 8.

Belgium U16- Slovak Republic U16 81:51
Belgium U16: Amaury Gorgemans 20, Daniel Hartshorne 13, Goetgeluck 11
Slovak Republic U16: Luley 16, Galata 9

Luxembourg U16- Belgium U16 34:75
Luxembourg U16: Laurent 12, Melcher 8
Belgium U16: Loontiens 12, Renier 10, Vandenweyer 8

*****************************************************

BOSNIA

Mate Perajica in Zrinjski - by Eurobasket News
Zrinjski Mik Company from Mostar inked another player to its roster for season 08/09. After Josip Sesar (197-G/F-78, agency: Court Side), Mladen Gligora (204-C-82, agency: Court Side) and Ivan Vujicic (193-G-72), Zrinski announced signing of Mate Perajica (203-F/C-81). Perajica is coming from another Bosnian team Grude, where he spent last two seasons. He had pretty good 06/07 season there averaging 17.2 ppg. It won't be Perajica's first time in Zrinjski's jersey. Namely he already was a member of the team from 2004-2006. Those two seasons very successful for him as Zrinjski reached play-off semifinals in Bosnian D1. The team also participated in the semifinals of Bosnian National Cup twice. In the past Perajica was a member of Troglav Livno, Kandit Olimpija Osijek and Zagorje Tehnobeton.

Borac Nektar from Banja Luka faced with a big problem at the beginning of the preparation. USA point guard Rashad West (185-G-84), who joined the team this summer, left it after just couple of days. According to Borac's officials West is a pretty good player which was able to help Borac a lot next season. Unfortunately, they stated the team will have to look for another one. Except of the point guard, Borac will agree terms with big guy on position 5 very soon. However, his name is not announced yet.

Bosnia and Herzegovina U16 hardly grabs the third win - by Eurobasket News
Montenegro U16 wins an overtime thriller over the hosts. Bojan Ratkovic made a lay-up with 13 seconds remaining in overtime as Montenegro edged Bosnia-Herzegovina 90:87 at the U16 European Championship Division B in Sarajevo. It was one of the best games in the tournament so far and both teams can still meet each other in the championship. Montenegro U16 opened the game with 23:22 and had another tough 26:24 in the second. Bosnia and Herzegovina U16 had also difficulties to win the next two periods as they won the third 19:17 and then the fourth 17:16. In overtime only last seconds brought Montenegro U16 a win over the hosts. Mladen Novakovic (-92) led the winners with 25 points and 7 rebounds. Kalic supported him with 17 points and 9 rebounds, whilst Djordan added 16. Ivic top-scored for the hosts with 19 points and Vucic nailed 16.
Bosnia and Herzegovina U16 looked tired after the game against Montenegro and was satisfied with only 86:80 win over Austria. Day 4 of the at the European Championship saw the hosts improving to 3-1 record in Group B.
Bosnia and Herzegovina U16 grabbed 25:22 in the opening quarter and improved to 42:33 at the halftime. Austria U16 however woke up in the third when they stormed with 30:11 splash. Bosnia and Herzegovina U16 had some time for the rest and then replied with 33:17 in the last to seal the third win. Ivic top-scored for the hosts with 15 points. Vucic posted 12, whilst Micic and Latifagic netted 11 each. Vancura produced 28 points for the guests and Ferdinand Saukel (196-F-92) added 20.

Bosnia and Herzegovina U16-Montenegro U16 87:90 OT
Bosnia and Herzegovina U16: Ivic 19, Vucic 16
Montenegro U16: Mladen Novakovic 25+7 rebs, Kalic 17+9 rebs, Djordan 16

Austria U16-Bosnia and Herzegovina U16 80:86
Austria U16: Vancura 28, Ferdinand Saukel 20
Bosnia and Herzegovina U16: Ivic 15, Vucic 12, Micic 11, Latifagic 11

*****************************************************

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

BVI national junior basketball team mines bronze medal in Antigua - by David Edole
In the days of old, the BVI and Antigua basketball teams often competed for championships and bragging rights in several different tournaments throughout the region.

Long past have been the days of the Jr. All Ah We Squad representing the BVI throughout the LIBA tournaments. On Saturday, August 16th a hint of rivalry may have been awakened.

The BVIBF Jr. national team and the Antigua Jr. Bulldogs squared off in the CBC Under-16 tournament on Saturday, a final tune-up for medal games on Sunday with the BVI coming out on top with a 72-64.

The crowd roared for the hometown Bulldogs as the game began, however the BVI showed poise under pressure as they jumped out to an early 14-point lead; however the host team came roaring back riding the emotions of the crowd. BVI attempted to regain command of the game often times leading by 5 or 7 points but every time they made a run the Bulldogs came roaring back.

The game was highly contested as the teams battled back and forth until late in the fourth quarter with the BVI leading by 5, a steal resulted in a Antigua fast break layup and a foul. The shot was missed but Antigua retained possession and subsequently fired a 3-pointer which hit nothing but net.

With the score tied and the crowd fully energized for the home team and a little over 3 minutes left in regulation, Raheem Blyden drove down the left side of the court drawing the defense then found a wide open Kareem Proffit for a clutch 3-pointer which gave the BVI the lead for good.

Saturday's game proved to be the backdrop for a highly anticipated rematch which even though it was a bronze medal game proved to be one of the most exciting for the night.

The bulldogs and the BVI traded baskets for most of the night and it seemed as if neither team would establish a rythym already short staffed by the early departure of 2 players the BVI seemed poised to fall as starting point guard Daryl Alexander fouled out in the third.

The day and the game would go to the unexpected as the fans all expected BVI to crumble with only 7 players and no depth at point guard. Then came Dione Blyden the soft spoken backup who had not played much minutes in the tournament; he stepped up in a gigantic way. He took the offensive load on his back and willed the BVI to victory scoring 7 of his 18 points during a splurt in the 4th quarter where he scored all his teams points either from the line or the field as he single handedly secured the bronze medal for team BVI.

Blyden also contributed 7 rebs and 3 assists, while Norville Carey added 15 pts ,15 rebs, 3 ass, and 2 blks. Shakil Rubaine chipped in 10pts and 4rebs to help the BVI secure the medal.

The team returns to the BVI on Monday 18th August and will be recognized for their efforts on Saturday 23rd August at the Multi - Purpose Sports Complex.

BVI News Online

*****************************************************

BULGARIA

Bulgaria U16 loses the battle for the top - by Eurobasket News
Bulgaria U16 achieved won a game but lost the battle for the top position in the Group C in European Championship Men Division B. The team however remains on second position and now has 3-1 record.
Bulgaria U16 struggled a lot against Switzerland U16 and achieved the win only due to the last period. In the first quarter Switzerland U16 trailed 14:24 however produced 23:10 in the second to have 3 points advantage at the half. Bulgaria U16 recovered with 23:12 in the last to seal the third 67:61 win. Ivanov led the winners with 26 points. Georgi Sirakov (184-G-92, agency: Interperformances) netted 13, while Planimir Dafinov (178-G-92) posted 11. Bozovic collected 16 points and 16 rebounds in defeat and Petkovic scored 12.
Slovenia U16 became the leader of Group C as the team overcame another team from the top Bulgaria U16. Slovenia U16 was too good in the end of the game producing 28:19. It gave them 79:70 as a total and 4-0 record in the group. Brodnik and Besedic led the winners with 14 points each. Luznar followed them with 12 points keeping Slovenia undefeated. Planimir Dafinov top-scored for Bulgaria with 14 points and 7 rebounds, Georgi Sirakov and Ivanov supported him with 13 apiece.

Switzerland U16-Bulgaria U16 61:67
Switzerland U16: Bozovic 16+16 rebs, Petkovic 12
Bulgaria U16: Ivanov, P. 26, Georgi Sirakov 13, Planimir Dafinov 11

Bulgaria U16- Slovenia U16 70:79
Bulgaria U16: Planimir Dafinov 14+7 rebs, Georgi Sirakov 13, Ivanov 13
Slovenia U16: Brodnik 14, Besedic 14, Luznar 12

*****************************************************

CHINA

China to Face Lithuania at 4:45 PM China Time on Wednesday - by Arthur Volbert
China will face Lithuania in its quarterfinal matchup on Wednesday at 4:45 PM China time, 4:45 AM Eastern Time. The other quarterfinal matchups are Spain vs. Croatia, USA vs. Australia and Argentina vs. Greece.

China would face the Spain-Croatia winner in a semi-final matchup should it score an upset and defeat Lithuania. If it loses China exits the tournament as there are no matchups for 5th through 8th placings.

Standings
Group A
Lithuania 4 1
Argentina 4 1
Croatia-- 3 2
Australia 3 2
Russia--- 1 4
Iran----- 0 5

Group B
USA---- 5 0
Spain-- 4 1
Greece- 3 2
China-- 2 3
Germany 1 4
Angola- 0 5

USA 106 Germany 57
http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/BK/C73/BKM400B15.shtml#BKM400B15
Argentina 91 Russia 79
http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/BK/C73/BKM400A15.shtml#BKM400A15

China Loses to Greece as It Prepares for Quarterfinals - by Arthur Volbert
In a meaningless game against Greece China rested, losing to the Greeks 91-77. But China did not rest as much as its quarterfinal opponent, Lithuania, which lost to Australia 106-75.

Lithuania will neverless finish first in group A and meet China, which will finish fourth in Group B. Lithuania is still more beatable than Group A's second-place Argentina which will face Russia later today and finish second win or lose. Argentina lost to Lithuania earlier in the tourney 79-75.

Yao Ming played only 18 minutes today, resting for the quarterfinal round. Zhu Fangyu played 12 minutes. Liu Wei played 8 minutes.

China trailed 27-15 after one quarter and 46-24 at the half. China's defense was as bad against Greece in the first half as it was good against Germany.

But China rallied in the second half, when Greece was resting. It outscored Greece 30-23 in the third quarter and 23-22 in the fourth. Such is the gamesmanship in international tournaments like this one.

Yao Ming led China with 16 points and 5 rebounds. Wang Zhizhi (214-C-79) had 14 points and 8 rebounds in 25 minutes. Wang Shipeng and Yi Jianlian each had 11 points and Sun Yue scored 9.

In what might be a development with implications for the next round, Zhang Qingpeng had 5 points in 18 minutes while Chen Jianghua had no points in 23 seconds. Perhaps this shows that Coach Jonas Kauslauskas has more confidence in Zhang than in Chen.

Ioannis Boursousis and Vasileios Spanoulis each scored 19 points for Greece while Antonios Fotsis scored 17.

China- 15 9 30 23 77
Greece 27 19 23 22 91

Box Score:
http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/BK/C73/BKM400B13.shtml#BKM400B13

Group A
Croatia 91 Iran 57
http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/BK/C73/BKM400A13.shtml#BKM400A13
Australia 106 Lithuania 75
http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/BK/C73/BKM400A14.shtml#BKM400A14

Group B
Spain 98 Angola 50
http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/BK/C73/BKM400B14.shtml#BKM400B14

Standings
Group A
Lithuania 4 1
Argentina 3 1
Croatia-- 3 2
Australia 3 2
Russia--- 1 3
Iran----- 0 5

Group B
USA---- 4 0
Spain-- 4 1
Greece- 3 2
China-- 2 3
Germany 1 3
Angola- 0 5

*****************************************************

CROATIA

Croatia nip Poland for the second spot in Group C - by Eurobasket News
Croatia U16 - Poland U16 63:54

Croatia outscored Poland in the key battle of Group C at the U16 European Championship in Italy. The win allowed Croatia to improve to 2-1 record and occupy the second spot in the pool. The loss buried Polish hopes of progress into the Qualifying round and sent them to relegation games from the fourth place in the group. Filip Najev (200-F-92) scored 16 points and grabbed 7 boards to lead Croatia. Toni Katic (180-G-92) came up with 15 points for the winners. Wojciech Leszczynski (187-G-92) answered with 23 points and 7 rebounds for Poland. Mateusz Dziemba (188-G-92) dropped 11 points in defeat.
Croatia opened the game in a stunning manner scoring 11 first points of the encounter. Najev soon stretched the lead to 15:1 before Poland started coming back to life. They trimmed the deficit to 10 points 13:23 after ten minutes of action. Wojciech Leszczynski scored 5 points in a 7:0 run that pull Poland within 3 points from Croatia early in the second period. The Balkan team kept it cool however and secured a 35:29 advantage at the interval. Poland came as close as one point from their opponents in the third stanza but Croatia used a three-pointer from Roko Rogic (182-G-92) to enter the fourth term up by 11. Toni Katic, Roko Rogic and Boris Barac (202-F-92) kept Poland at bay throughout the fourth quarter and secured a decisive victory for Croatia at the end. Croatia sank 37% from the field and were slightly better on the glass 44:43. Polish team converted 28% of field goals.

Croatia U16: Filip Najev 16, Toni Katic 15, Boris Barac 13
Poland U16: Wojciech Leszczynski 23, Mateusz Dziemba 11

New faces in Cedevita - by Eurobasket News
Croatian A1 team Cedevita inked two new players and extended one for the upcoming season. New players of Cedevita are Ivan Tomeljak (194-G-79) and American Ramel Bradley (188-G-85).

Experienced point guard Ivan Tomeljak is coming from another Croatian team Sibenka Sibenik, where he spent only one season. He had 32 appearances in A1 league adding 7.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg and 3.9 apg for 32 games. Before Sibenka, Tomeljak played one season for Pizza Express Apollon Limassol as well as for Telekom Baskets Bon. With Apollon, Tomeljak reached semifinals of EuroCup Challenge in 2007. Except of these two teams, Tomeljak also has experience from Czech Republic and Belgium as a member of Kunin and Euphony Liege. Actually with Liege he captured the trophy in Belgian Cup and also participated in the play-off final. His ex Croatian teams are Dona Dubrava Zagreb and Split.

Ramel Bradley this year came out from University of Kentucky where he averaged 15.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg and 3.4 apg in 30 games at his senior season. It will be his first European experience ever. Bradley still didn't have any practice with the team but it is expected to happen today.

At the same time the team extended contract with Milan Parezanovic (210-F/C-75), who joined Cedevita for the first time in 2006. He played 19 games for his team in A1 league adding 8.4 ppg and 3.8 rpg. Interesting is that as Tomeljak, Parezanovic also was a member of Sibenka Sibenik in the past. He also used to play for Benston, Oldenburger (Ger), Dona Dubrava, Hermes Analitica Zagreb and Krka Novo Mesto.

*****************************************************

CYPRUS

B.M.C. AEK Larnacas sign Anthony Anderson - by Eurobasket
B.M.C. AEK Larnacas strengthened their roster with addition of 27-year old American guard Anthony Anderson (180-G-81, college: Massachusetts, agency: Passing Lane). Anderson played most recently at Manchester Millrats (ABA) in the U.S. It was his first season in professional basketball. Actually he started it in U.K. playing for London Capitals, but last November he moved back to the States. He tried to make it eevn to NBA this summer attending Indiana Pacers mini camp. But it seems he will establish his professional career overseas.

Kasinopoulos's effort is not enough for Cyprus U16 - by Eurobasket News

Cyprus U16 fell at 0-4 in at the European Championship Division B. England U16 stun Cyprus U16 78:48 on Day 3 of the tournament. The latter remained alive even after the end of the first half. England U16 and Cyprus U16 went to the lockers with only 6 points deficit for the winners. In the second half England U16 pushed the tempo and reached the second win. Hart paced all the winners with 14 points. Blandford posted 11, while Van Oostrum and Geramipoor netted 10 each. Riginos Kasinopoulos (185-G-92) top-scored in the losing effort with 18 points and Vlachos scored 14.
Switzerland U16 overcame Cyprus U16 63:40 in the last game of Day 4 in the group. It was an easy start from the team that opened the game with 24:7 in the opening quarter. Cyprus U16 bounced back with 19:5 to close the game at the half. Switzerland U16 however was stronger in the second half providing 18:10 in the third and 16:4 in the last respectively. Stefan Petkovic (182-G-92) led the winners with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Bozovic supported him with 15 and Savoy posted 8. Riginos Kasinopoulos was again best in defeat nailing 14 points.

Cyprus U16-Switzerland U16 40:63
Cyprus U16: Riginos Kasinopoulos 14, Kantartzis 8
Switzerland U16: Stefan Petkovic,19+15 rebs, Bozovic 15, Savoy 8

England U16-Cyprus U16 78:48
England U16: Hart 14, Blandford 11, Van Oostrum 10, Geramipoor 10+11 rebs
Cyprus U16: Riginos Kasinopoulos 18, Vlachos 14

Market News - by Chris Mammides

Chris Kaskiris (206-C/F-79) agreed financal terms with ENAD, the experienced Cypriot International center will wear ENAD's jersey for the coming year. ENAD is the fifth team in his career after, Enosis Kokkinotrimithias, Keravnos Strovolou, Omonoia Nicosia and Apollon Limassol.
.

The Polish forward Wiaczeslaw Rosnowski (197-G-75, agency: Court Side) is the new player of Pizza Express Primetele Apollon Limassol. In the mean time the Limassol team has fulfilled another three trnasfer as the international Giannis Ioannidis, ex Germasogias player and the Czech Republic players Pavel Englicky (210-F/C-83, agency: PPGroup) and Duza will be wearing the white-blue jersey of Apollonas for the comign seazon while the Limasol team allready set the coaching team which will be Marios Thrasivoulidis and Akis Konstantinou in the two positions of the assisting coaching positions while the Head Coach will be most probably foreigner.

*****************************************************

DENMARK

Denmark U16 tastes the first win in Bosnia - by Eurobasket News

Tonight Denmark U16 tasted the first win in Bosnia. Netherlands U16 and Denmark U16 finished Day 4 of the European Championship in Group B of Division B. The first two quarters the game was even and none of the teams wanted to risk. Denmark U16 however started to play more offensively in the second halkf and won both quarters. They reached the first win in the tournament and got 1-3 record the same as Netherlands U16. Haas led the winners with 21 points and 5 rebounds. Christensen collected 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Fugmann posted 12. Burger finished the night with 20 points in defeat and De Haas added 18.

Before that Austria U16 won the game over Denmark U16 on Day 3 at the European Championship. Sarajevo saw Austria U16 taking the lead from the first minutes. The dominated the court and easily won the second game in the group. Denmark U16 could close the game at 24:15 in the last period but had to admit the third loss. Saukel paced all the winners with 25 points. Friedrich nailed 19, while Vancura added 15. Haas finished the night with 20 points and 7 rebounds in the losing effort and Nielsen scored 14.

Denmark U16-Austria U16 68:92
Denmark U16: Haas 20+7 rebs, Nielsen 14
Austria U16: Saukel 25, Friedrich 19, Vancura 15

Netherlands U16-Denmark U16 67:84
Netherlands U16: Burger 20, De Haas 18
Denmark U16: Haas 21+5 rebs, Christensen 15+10 rebs, Fugmann 12

*****************************************************

EL SALVADOR

National Team falls to Fupade Coast - by Gianni Pascucci
During the last weekend, Team El Salvador felt to Nicaraguan team Fupade Coast-Super Santiago 58-83 in the first of the friendly games scheduled to prepare the upcoming Central America and Caribe Championship in Cancun, Mexico. Carlos Arias (200-F/C-89) and Julio Mancia (202-C-80) scored 16 points each to lead El Salvador, but it wasn' t enough, it seems that the team coached by Vladimir Aguilar has a lot of work to do yet...

*****************************************************

ESTONIA

Estonia U16 tied at 2-2 record in European Championship Men Division B - by Eurobasket News
Estonia U16 tied at 2-2 record in European Championship Men Division B. The team moved to the middle positions in Group A after one loss and another win.
On Day 3 Estonia U16 beat Belarus U16 74:67. Estonia U16 opened the campaign with 26:22 in the opening quarter, but could not hold the lead in the first half. Belarus U16 won the second period 22:15 to stay in front, 51:44. Anyway Estonia U16 was too good in the third period producing 19:5 to seal the second win in the tournament. Suija led the winners with 18 points. Jaan Puidet (185-G-92) collected 14 points and 13 boards, while Laane scored 11. Vitali Liutych (190-G-92) ended up with 25 points and 8 rebounds for Belarus.
On Day 4 Germany U16 beat Estonia U16 in the last game of the group tonight. Another massive 29:9 was too much for the Baltic side. Estonia U16 lost also the second and the third quarters to trail 26 points after 30 minutes of the game. The last quarter however saw 19:12 for Estonia that somehow reduced the gap. Fulle led the winners with 15 points to 4-0 record. Jarelle Reischel (194-F-92) ended up with 10, whilst Monninghoff added 9. Raap posted 12 in defeat and Vaino scored 8.

Belarus U16-Estonia U16 67:74
Belarus U16: Vitali Liutych 25+8 rebs, Strukau 10
Estonia U16: Suija 18, Jaan Puidet 14+13 rebs, Laane 11

Estonia U16-Germany U16 51:72
Estonia U16: Raap 12, Vaino 8
Germany U16: Fulle 15, Jarelle Reischel 10, Monninghoff 9

*****************************************************

EUROBASKET SUMMER LEAGUE

Leonard Houston - The Co-MVP of the ESL Chicago signs in Hungary - by Darryl Reshaw
Leonard Houston (191-G-85, agency: Warren Sports International, college: Drake) (191-G-85, agency: Warren Sports International, college: Drake) (191-G-85, the super athletic combo guard signed with Szolnoki Olajbanyasz of Hungary.
This summer in the ESL Leonard was one of the standout performers of the Chicago and Las Vegas events.
He received several offers and interest from a variety of European teams due to his enormous talent level.
In the Eurobasket Summer League (ESL) in Chicago Leonard Houston was the Co-MVP of the Tourney and his London team won the championship
In the 2007-08 Leonard played for Drake who lost a heartbreaker game in the NCAA Tourney against Western Kentucky.
Drake had an outstanding year and Leonard was featured on ESPN Plays of the Week with a unbelivable dunk against Bultler University.
Leonard Houston is an outstanding prospect and should have a great year in the Hungarian league.

Eurobasket Summer League (ESL) Salt Lake City Announces All Tournament Team - by Darryl Reshaw

The Eurobasket Summer League in Salt Lake City announces the following players to the 2008 All Tournament Team:

The MVP of the ESL in Salt Lake City is Kenny Walker (206-F/C-80, college: Alabama) (206-F/C-80, college: Alabama).
Kenny played extremely well all three games and came up really big in the Championship game vs. Munich with 21pts and 9rbs.
Every time the Sevilla (Delta Jammers Play to Win) needed some scoring during critical parts of the game where their momentum was slipping it was Kenny Walker who got them big buckets.
In the highly competitive game Kenny was un-stoppable around the basket and showed why he has been playing in leagues like Pro A France.

Eurobasket Summer League (ESL) All Tournament Team (Salt Lake City)

Ryan Williams (196-F-83, agency: Tank Sports, college: St.John's): He only played two games but scored 25 and 36 in each contest and was phenomenal and had some show-time dunks. This guy has a NBA body and the crazy athleticism and attacked the basket with an array of moves. If he would have played the final game he definitely would have been MVP and the game would have been a lot easier for the Sevilla team.
He will make a team in Europe looking for a very athletic swing very happy.

Travis Knight (211-F/C-74, college: Connecticut) (211-F/C-74, college: Connecticut): He played extremely well in the ESL in Salt Lake City and was in a lot better shape than in the Las Vegas ESL. Travis was excellent in the pick and pop plays as he shot the jump shot very well.
His rebounding and defensive presence was a big factor in all three games and you could see why he played in the NBA for seven (7) years. He will definitely be a still for a team looking for a power forward in Europe. He is better at the power forward spot playing with another quality center in the middle.

Rick Cardoso (201-F-85, college: Cal.St.-Stanislaus) (201-F-85, college: Cal.St.-Stanislaus): He is a very long and athletic player who is very versatile and has a really nice inside and outside game. He is a great rebounder and blocks a lot of shots coming from the weak or help side.
We like the way he put the ball on the ground and had some very smooth moves and showed his sneaky athleticism with a lot of dunks in the ESL. He also had a good outside jump shot. He was a nice surprise and can play in Europe right away in the entry level markets and be a star. He has the potential to play at a high level in Europe once he gets some experience.

Marcus Watts (201-F, college: Chattanooga) (201-F, college: Chattanooga): This guy was unbelievable and was an offensive force with a variety of slick moves and ball-handling skills combined with a NBA range jump shot. Marcus was in the wrong system in college and is a nice big guard or small forward for a quality European team. Marcus was the leading scorer in the Salt Lake City event and had people jumping out of their seats with his finishing skills with both hands around the basket and nice creative dribbling skills ending with jump shots from all over the court. Marcus is a player who will have a great career in Europe and at the big guard spot should be on a NBA Summer League team in 2009. Against the high quality Sevilla team who had serious pros and played great defense he gave them 24pts in the first half and had Travis Knight saying this kid can really play

Marcus Heard (201-F-84, agency: 540 Sports, college: De Paul) (201-F-84, agency: 540 Sports, college: De Paul): All weekend he showed why he made the CBA All Rookie Team using his athleticism and nice shooting ability and rebounding. Marcus is very talented but will need a good situation in Europe to bring his game to the next level.

Mensah Sadikki Taylor (198-F-80, college: Gardner-Webb): He had a great weekend in Salt Lake City and showcased his all around talented game. He is amazing off the dribble and has a sweet jump shot and at 66 he is extremely quick and can beat anyone off the dribble to the basket. He is very athletic and definitely should play at a higher level than the secondary leagues in Germany where he has been totally dominant.

Melvin Jones (206-F-84, college: St.John's) (206-F-84, college: St.John's): This guy maybe was the most talented all around big man that we saw this summer at all of the ESL events. Melvin is a legit 610 & 260lb athletic big man with amazing footwork and nice moves around the basket. He was very athletic and unleashed some thunderous dunks and block shots during the weekend. Last season he put of some serious numbers in South America but needs to be in Europe due to his upside potential. His 28pts, 20rbs and 7blk performance was amazing in the last day of the ESL. He has the potential to play in leagues like Italy and Spain.

Troy Gwynn (196-G/F-80, college: Evergreen St.): He was one of the most athletic guys in the ESL and probably had over 12 dunks in three games and he really flourished in the transition game. He has a serious pro body and if he develops a consistent jump shot his game will be at the next level. He goes to the basket very well and just out jumps the opposition easily.

Marlo Saunders (196-F-84, agency: IceBasket): This guy is a stud and played with a lot of heart during the weekend in Salt Lake City. Marlo is super athletic and attacks the basket with lots of intensity and is a natural scorer with a decent jump shot. Against Sevilla he was probably the lone bright spot for the Rotterdam team and he took his game to another level compared to his team mates who were overwhelmed. Marlo did a little bit of everything and is a quality prospect for Europe.

Kevin Mitchell (188-G-80, college: UTPA): Kevin played well all weekend despite being on a team that lacked size and talent. He made great decisions as a point guard and shot the jump shot extremely well. He had nice quickness and was a heady player that can run a team. He is a quality point guard that should land in Europe on an entry level team.

Maurice Spillers (199-F-74, college: Utah St.): This guy was like a true warrior playing against boys in the ESL. He is super athletic with a million dollar body and was relentless in attacking the basket. In the championship game his post up game vs. Munich was very intimidating as he bullied the smaller players in the post and got to the free throw line at will. He all around floor game is of the highest quality as he plays excellent defense and gets a lot of steals and rebounds. He is a real professional player and was a big reason Sevilla won the championship.

Nathan Green (203-F-75, college: Idaho St.) (203-F-75, college: Idaho St.) (203-F-75, college: Idaho St.) (203-F-75, college: Idaho St.) (203-F-75, college: Idaho St.): Nate played in the ESL in Las Vegas and made the All Tourney team there and played even better in Salt Lake City. He is a true professional with a great inside outside game and his rebounding game is at the next level. He has the best hands that a lot of coaches at the ESL could not believe. In Salt Lake he shot the outside jump shot extremely well and he post up game is high-quality.
He can play in the big leagues in Europe very easily and showed why he averaged 17ppg and 9rbs in the CBA. He is definitely a six figure player in Europe.

Nick Covington (188-G-85, college: Oklahoma City): He was the best point guard in the ESL in Salt Lake City by a far margin and was one of the best point guards in the ESL events all summer. Nick has a strong body and has great ball-handling skills and a big-time jump shot. He has the potential to be a Euroleague player and play at the highest level in Europe. He was the class of the ESL in Salt Lake City and was a one point loss away from being the MVP. Nobody in the ESL could stop this young man who played in Ireland last season and won a NAIA Championship with Oklahoma City in 2006-07 and was an All American.
This kid can play at a high level in Europe right now and almost had two triple doubles in the ESL. Any guard with his skill level and excellent jump shooting ability should be making six figures in Europe.
He is one of three players who are big time sleepers in the ESL that we saw this summer.

Isaac Spencer (198-F-78, agency: Tank Sports, college: Murray St.): Isaac has pro experience and a nice high quality pro game. He showed his skill level and experience in the ESL and was very impressive scoring, rebounding and passing all weekend.
He is very strong and is a nice athlete who just has a higher level of understanding of the game. Isaac is a pro that will fit the bill of a lot of teams in Europe looking for a quality forward.

Kurtis Rice (200-F-82, agency: Global Sports Plaza, college: Charleston So.): Rice is Nice should be his nick name. Kurtis is a sensational swing player who is very athletic and is all about skills. He can hit the long range jumper, he can score in the mid-range in bunches.
He also can take the ball to the hoop and create off the dribble very well and finish over the rim. He was just simply awesome in the ESL and averaged around 28ppg and 9rbs. I could not keep my eyes off of him during the ESL and I know he will get a job professionally in Europe ASAP. Get the DVDs from the ESL in Salt Lake City if you need a quality swing and watch Kurtis Rice who is very nice.

Gordon Chase (188-F-86, college: Georgetown, KY): Gus is the most unique player in the ESL due to his size, skills and power. Prior to the ESL a lot of people talked about the young man who was the NAIA Player of the Year Runner Up.
He is only 63 and 240lbs but he dominates inside and against real power forwards. He has a throw back game similar Adrain Dantley who knows how to use his very strong body to the maximum.
Gus Chase has NBA Old School moves and a great face up game around the basket with a great mid-range jump shot. He is so strong he just bullies players who are bigger than him around the basket.
He is very deceptive with his ball handling skills and moves to the basket. He is probably a genius when it comes to tricks and moves using his body around the basket like AD.

Emmanuel Little (196-F-85, college: N.Dakota): This guy made the ESL All Tourney team in Chicago and is one serious player and competitor. He is very athletic and is always around the ball and is a fierce defensive player. He plays above the rim and is a classic slasher and runs the lanes like a deer.

Emmanuel has a decent jump shot and should play in Europe and will fill up the stat line quicky as he does everything and has the potential to play at a very high-level.

Kenny Pascley (183-G-85, college: Tiffin): Kenny had amazing quickness and unreal athleticism with a deadly junp shot theat amazed the scouts at the ESL in Salt Lake City all weekend. He was very creative off the driblle and was unstoppable from getting into the paint. He also had a silky smooth mid-range jumper and hit his 3pt shot consistently.

Eurobasket Summer League (ESL) Salt Lake City All Big Man Team:

Lawrence Blackledge (203-F-86, college: Marquette): This guy was super athletic and was the X-Factor in the championship game. He had a super tip dunk that brought the crowd out of their seats.

He is very long and he is a great shot blocker. He will need more experience but could be a serious player in the future.

Marcus Saunders (203-F/C-84, agency: IceBasket, college: Texas-PB): Marcus had a quality ESL tourney in Salt Lake City and was very athletic and had a lot of nice dunks and rebounds. He also displayed a nice shooting touch and showed why he played professionally in Spain last season.

Marcus King-Stockton (206-F-85, college: Colorado): Marcus rebounded very well and had a couple of nice scoring games in the ESL in Salt Lake City. Has the potential to play at a high level in Europe but needs to be more agressive and stronger offensively. He has a nice long and athletic body and blocks shots well.

Nathan Green:

Marcus Heard:

ESL Coach of the Year - 2008 (All Cities included): Glen Hayes

Glen Hayes was the ultimate professional in the ESL this summer and had a positive personality with the ESL staff, players and officials.

He was very entertaining as he coached and often cracked jokes with the referees and opossing players during the game.

He was very well organized and in the Las Vegas event he had the best drill stations according to the players.

Our Las Vegas event had the most competiton and he won the event with a team that lost their enforcer in the middle Glen Elliot due to injury.

His pressure defense tactics, organizational skills and offensive schemes was the reason his team won the ESL event in Las Vegas.

He was constantly up roaming the sidelines encouraging his team with positive feedback and he got the best out of his bench using these tactics.

Glen Hayes is a veteran coach with international experience who deserves a quality coaching job in Europe.

*****************************************************

EUROLEAGUE

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS U16

Division B. Preliminary Round Day4 - by Eurobasket News

GROUP A

Luxembourg U16- Belgium U16 34:75
Luxembourg U16: Laurent 12, Melcher 8
Belgium U16: Loontiens 12, Renier 10, Vandenweyer 8

Belgium U16 stormed past Luxembourg U16 in Day 4 of the European Championship Men Division B. The team moved to the top with 75:34 dominating the whole game. Luxembourg U16 however could win the second quarter 14:13, but it was nothing in comparison with the others. Loontiens paced all the winners with 12 points. Renier scored 10, whilst Vandenweyer netted 8. Laurent finished the game with 12 points in the losing effort and Melcher produced 8.

Slovak Republic U16-Belarus U16 61:81
Slovak Republic U16: Luley 17+8 rebs, Sveda 9
Belarus U16: Vitali Liutych (190-G-92) 31+12 rebs, Skamarokhau 12, Strukau 9

Vitali Liutych was unstoppable with 31 points and 12 rebounds for Belarus U16 in Day 4. Slovak Republic U16 struggled hard but did not find an answer for the hot player. Skamarokhau netted 12 and Strukau scored 9 in a 81:61 victory. Luley top-scored for the Slovak team with 17 points and 8 rebounds. Belarus U16 improved to 2-2, while Slovak Republic U16 dropped to 1-3.

Estonia U16-Germany U16 51:72
Estonia U16: Raap 12, Vaino 8
Germany U16: Fulle 15, Jarelle Reischel (194-F-92) 10, Monninghoff 9

On Day 4 Germany U16 beat Estonia U16 in the last game of the group tonight. Another massive 29:9 was too much for the Baltic side. Estonia U16 lost also the second and the third quarters to trail 26 points after 30 minutes of the game. The last quarter however saw 19:12 for Estonia that somehow reduced the gap. Fulle led the winners with 15 points to 4-0 record. Jarelle Reischel ended up with 10, whilst Monninghoff added 9. Raap posted 12 in defeat and Vaino scored 8.

GROUP B
Montenegro U16- Iceland U16 85:68
Montenegro U16: Nemanja Djurisic (-92) 22, Pajovic 14, Djordan 14
Iceland U16: Palsson 14+9 rebs, Kristjansson 12

Montenegro U16 did not have any difficulties reaching 4-0 record as the team stun Iceland U16 85:68. The only problem was the first half when Iceland was even in front, 41:35. A 34:8 in the third quarter however solved all the problems for the favorite of Group B. Nemanja Djurisic led the winners with 22 points, Pajovic and Djordan followed him with 14 apiece. Palsson top-scored for Iceland U16 with 14 points and 9 rebounds, whilst Kristjansson had 12 points.

Austria U16-Bosnia and Herzegovina U16 80:86
Austria U16: Vancura 28, Saukel 20
Bosnia and Herzegovina U16: Ivic 15, Vucic 12, Micic 11, Latifagic 11

Bosnia and Herzegovina U16 grabbed 25:22 in the opening quarter and improved to 42:33 at the halftime. Austria U16 however woke up in the third when they stormed with 30:11 splash. Bosnia and Herzegovina U16 had some time for the rest and then replied with 33:17 in the last to seal the third win. Ivic top-scored for the hosts with 15 points. Vucic posted 12, whilst Micic and Latifagic netted 11 each. Vancura produced 28 points for the guests and Saukel added 20.

Netherlands U16-Denmark U16 67:84
Netherlands U16: Burger 20, De Haas 18
Denmark U16: Haas 21+5 rebs, Christensen 15+10 rebs, Fugmann 12

Netherlands U16 and Denmark U16 finished Day 4 of the European Championship in Group B of Division B. The first two quarters the game was even and none of the teams wanted to risk. Denmark U16 however started to play more offensively in the second half and won both quarters. They reached the first win in the tournament and got 1-3 record the same as Netherlands U16. Haas led the winners with 21 points and 5 rebounds. Christensen collected 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Fugmann posted 12. Burger finished the night with 20 points in defeat and De Haas added 18.

GROUP C
Bulgaria U16- Slovenia U16 70:79
Bulgaria U16: Planimir Dafinov (178-G-92) 14+7 rebs, Sirakov 13, Ivanov 13
Slovenia U16: Brodnik 14, Besedic 14, Luznar 12

Slovenia U16 became the leader of Group C as the team overcame another team from the top Bulgaria U16. Slovenia U16 was too good in the end of the game producing 28:19. It gave them 79:70 as a total and 4-0 record in the group. Brodnik and Besedic led the winners with 14 points each. Luznar followed them with 12 points keeping Slovenia undefeated. Planimir Dafinov top-scored for Bulgaria with 14 points and 7 rebounds, Sirakov and Ivanov supported him with 13 apiece.

Romania U16-England U16 35:65
Romania U16: Foalea 14, Parlog 7
England U16: Van Nes 12+9 rebs, Loftman 10, Van Oostrum 10

England U16 had another easy win but again struggled in the first half. Romania U16 played tough in the first two quarters trailing only 9 points at the half time. England U16 held them to 19:2 in the third quarter to benefit from the game. Van Nes led the winners with 12 points and 9 rebounds to 65:35 victory. Loftman and Van Oostrum followed him with 10 points as their team improved to 2-2. Foalea top-scored for Romania with 14 points and Parlog had 7.

Cyprus U16-Switzerland U16 40:63
Cyprus U16: Kasinopoulos 14, Kantartzis 8
Switzerland U16: Petkovic, S. 19+15 rebs, Bozovic 15, Savoy 8

Switzerland U16 achieved another win and another loss in European Championship Men Division B. The team stayed at the middle positions in Group C and now has 2-2 record.
Switzerland U16 overcame Cyprus U16 63:40 in the last game of Day 4 in the group. It was an easy start from the team that opened the game with 24:7 in the opening quarter. Cyprus U16 bounced back with 19:5 to close the game at the half. Switzerland U16 however was stronger in the second half providing 18:10 in the third and 16:4 in the last respectively. Petkovic led the winners with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Bozovic supported him with 15 and Savoy posted 8. Kasinopoulos was again best in defeat nailing 14 points.

GROUP D
F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16-Ireland U16 79:58
F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16: Gajdadjiev 27, Markowski 22
Ireland U16: Horner 14, Herron 11

F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16 overcame Ireland U16 79:58. Gajdadjiev top-scored for the winners with 27 points, while Markowski supported him with 22. Horner nailed 14 in defeat and Herron added 11.

Portugal U16-Finland U16 43:69
Portugal U16: Wildner 8, Cunha 7
Finland U16: Villematti Kopio (173-G-92) 25+5 rebs, Heinikoski 10, Dolenc 8

Finland U16 stormed past Portugal U16 on Day 4 of the European Championship. Sarajevo saw a 69:43 victory of the Scandinavian team over the hot country. Finland U16 opened the game with 21:5 and always remained in front. They also won the other quarters to seal the third win in the group. Villematti Kopio paced all the winners with 25 points and 5 rebounds. Heinikoski netted 10, while Dolenc scored 8. Wildner nailed 8 points for Portugal U16 and Cunha had 7.

M-Standings - Group B

Standings Div.B

Group A
1. Germany		4-0
2. Belgium		3-1
3. Belarus		2-2
4. Estonia		2-2
5. Slovakia		1-3
6. Luxembourg.		0-4
Group B
1. Monteneg.		4-0
2. Bosnia		3-1
3. Austria		2-2
4. Denmark		1-3
5. Iceland		1-3
6. Holland		1-3
Group C
1. Slovenia		4-0
2. Bulgaria		3-1
3. Switzerl.		2-2
4. U.Kingdom		2-2
5. Romania		1-3
6. Cyprus		0-4
Group D
1. Sweden		3-0
2. Finland		3-1
3. FYR Macedo.		2-1
4. Portugal		0-3
5. Ireland		0-3

Division A. Preliminary Round Day 3 - by Eurobasket News
Group A
Serbia U16 - Greece U16 77:73
Serbian U16 National Team celebrated their second win at the European Championship in Italy. They defeated Greece and advanced to the qualifying round of the tournament. Greece also booked their spot in the next round despite the loss. They fell to 1-2 record and occupied the third place in preliminary Group A. Greek side jumped to a 10:2 lead early on and maintained it throughout the opening stanza. Djordje Drenovac, Aleksandar Cvetkovic (180-G-93) and Dumic capped the first quarter with 6 straight points and Serbia trailed by just 3 points. The teams kept it close throughout the second stanza and were all tied at 40 at the interval. Giorgos Mavrogiannis (192-F-92) nailed 4 points in a 7:0 rally that put Greece back in charge early in the third frame. The lead changed hands several times before Panagiotis Papoulias sealed the third quarter outcome at 58:57 for Greece. Giorgos Mavrogiannis tipped off the fourth quarter with 8 points in a row and the margin was stretched to 9 points. Serbia refused to fold and used an 11:2 rally midway through the quarter to draw things level at 71. Luka Igrutinovic (194-G-92) and Aleksandar Cvetkovic chipped in 5 straight points for Serbia late in the game and ensured the winning outcome for the Balkan team. Luka Igrutinovic nailed 20 points for Serbia. Strahinja Mladenovic (198-F-92) added 16 points and 7 boards, while Aleksandar Cvetkovic secured 13 points for the winners. Giorgos Mavrogiannis led all scorers with 22 points for Greece. Nikos Terpos (194-G-92) came up with 15 points in defeat.

Serbia U16: Luka Igrutinovic 20, Strahinja Mladenovic 16, Aleksandar Cvetkovic 13
Greece U16: Giorgos Mavrogiannis 22, Nikos Terpos 15

Italy U16 - Czech Republic U16 57:58
Italian U16 National Team was unable to post their first win at the home European Championship. They lost by a virtue of just one point to Group A winners Czech Republic and missed the Qualifying Round. Italy thus suffered their third defeat in a row and remained at the bottom of the ladder. They will fight to avoid relegation in the Classification round. Czech team meanwhile scored their third consecutive victory and entered the next stage of the tournament from the top position in the pool.
David Hrncir (196-F-92) knocked down 11 points to lead balanced Czech offense. Jan Hartman (192-G-92) and Vaclav Honomichl (186-G-92) delivered 8 points apiece for the winners. Gabriele Spizzichini (192-G-92) responded with 10 points for Italy. Giovanni Pini (200-F/C-92) and Bruno Ondo Mengue had 9 points each in defeat. It was a close battle down the stretch with Czech Republic leading by just 3 points at halftime. The visitors stretched the margin to 9 points after three quarters of action. However Italy closed the gap and surged ahead after Gabriele Spizzichini fired from downtown with under 3 minutes left. However Jan Hartman tied the score at 57 and then Milan Ryska converted a freebie to put Czech team up for good. The hosts missed three times in the final minute and Czech Republic snatched a narrow victory. Czech Republic outrebounded their opponents 42:31 and limited Italy to 33% from the field. Czech team managed to overcome 26 turnovers and sank 38% from the field.

Italy U16: Gabriele Spizzichini 10, Giovanni Pini 9, Bruno Ondo Mengue 9
Czech Republic U16: David Hrncir 11, Jan Hartman 8, Vaclav Honomichl 8

Group B
Lithuania U16 - Hungary U16 86:48
Lithuanian U16 National Team held off Hungary in the third round of the European Championship in Italy. The Baltic team improved to 3-0 record and advanced to the Qualifying Round from the top spot in Group B. Vytenis Cizauskas (188-G-92) and Edgaras Ulanovas (196-F-92) nailed 15 points apiece for Lithuania. Deividas Pukis (193-G/F-92) contributed 12 points for the winners. Norbert Timko (205-C/F-92) topscored for Hungary with 9 points. Lithuania had an overwhelming advantage over the flow of the game. They built a 24:13 lead after the starting period and kept piling up the lead in the second frame. The last season bronze medalists established a 41:23 lead at the interval. Deividas Pukis scored 5 points early in the third period and the distance grew to 20 points. Lithuania never looked back further on and secured another impressive win at the end. Redikas finished with 11 points for Lithuania. Adam Varga (190-G-92) and Levente Misek (191-G-93) had 8 points each in a losing case. Lithuania outrebounded their opponents 48:19. The winners sank 55% from the field, while limited Hungary to 38% accuracy. Lithuania will next take on Greece tomorrow. Hungary will oppose Poland in the classification round.

Lithuania U16: Vytenis Cizauskas 15, Edgaras Ulanovas 15, Deividas Pukis 12
Hungary U16: Norbert Timko 9, Adam Varga 8, Levente Misek 8

Spain U16 - Ukraine U16 82:56
Spanish U16 National Team secured their second straight win at the European Championship in Italy. They dismantled Ukraine in the second half of yesterdays clash to improve to 2-1 record in Group B. Ukraine slipped to 1-2 record but still made it to the next round of the competition. Joan Tomas (200-F-92) propelled Spain with 24 points and 10 boards. Olexandr Mishula (185-G-92) answered with 19 points for Ukraine in defeat. The teams exchanged the blows in the first half with neither side having advantage. Olexandr Mishula and Kostyantyn Anikiyenko gave Ukraine a 16:13 lead after the starting period and they maintained it throughout the second frame. Spain trailed by 2 points at halftime 27:29 but quickly recovered after the long break. Joan Tomas nailed 8 points during a 13:0 rally and Spain surged ahead 40:29 early in the third period. Tomas completed his 16-point third-frame tally and Spain cleared off to a 20-point distance. Ukraine were unable to recover and suffered their second loss in a row. Pedro Farina (196-F-92) scored 11 points and pulled down 6 rebounds for the winners. Vyacheslav Bobrov (201-F-92) had 10 points and 13 boards for Ukraine. Ukraine dominated the boards 44:38 and shot 37% from the field. However they committed unforgivable 33 turnovers down the stretch and had to surrender at the end.

Spain U16: Joan Tomas 24+10 boards, Pedro Farina 11, Francisco Blanco (203-C-92) 7, Javier De Pinto (193-F-92) 7
Ukraine U16: Olexandr Mishula 19, Vyacheslav Bobrov 10+13 boards

Group C
Turkey U16 - Latvia U16 74:63
Turkish U16 National Team finished the preliminary round action at the European Championship on top of Group C. Enes Kanter (205-C-92) came up with another sizzling performance and Turkey toppled Latvia for the second win at the tournament. Turkey thus advanced to the Qualifying round as the winners of Pool C. Latvia managed to escape relegation games as they occupied the third spot and also stayed in the title race. Sakim and Safak Edge (185-G-92) teamed up for 7 straight points for Turkey late in the opening frame and Latvia appeared trailing by 8 points at the first intermission. Turkey opened the second quarter with an 8:0 run to stretch the margin to 16 points. However Latvia finished the stanza strongly and cut the distance to 6 points at halftime. Sandis Bets, Andris Misters (192-G-92) and Renars Magone ignited a 13:2 outburst from Latvian team at the beginning of the third quarter as they claimed a 46:41 advantage. Turkey immediately reacted with their own 13:2 rally to regain a 54:48 control over the game before the fourth term. Enes Kanter netted 10 points in the fourth period and Turkey held off Latvia for the second win in Sulmona. Enes Kanter combined for 20 points and 12 boards to pace Turkey. Safak Edge added 12 points, while Burak Yuksel (203-F-92) chipped in 11 for the winners. Edmunds Dukulis (201-F/C-92) notched 17 points and 10 boards for Latvia. Andris Misters secured 12 points in defeat. Turkey outrebounded their opponents 40:35, while both teams committed 18 turnovers. Turkey also sank solid 46% from the field.

Turkey U16: Enes Kanter 20+12 boards, Safak Edge 12, Burak Yuksel 11
Latvia U16: Edmunds Dukulis 17+10 boards, Andris Misters 12

Croatia U16 - Poland U16 63:54
Croatia outscored Poland in the key battle of Group C at the U16 European Championship in Italy. The win allowed Croatia to improve to 2-1 record and occupy the second spot in the pool. The loss buried Polish hopes of progress into the Qualifying round and sent them to relegation games from the fourth place in the group. Filip Najev (200-F-92) scored 16 points and grabbed 7 boards to lead Croatia. Toni Katic (180-G-92) came up with 15 points for the winners. Wojciech Leszczynski (187-G-92) answered with 23 points and 7 rebounds for Poland. Mateusz Dziemba (188-G-92) dropped 11 points in defeat.
Croatia opened the game in a stunning manner scoring 11 first points of the encounter. Najev soon stretched the lead to 15:1 before Poland started coming back to life. They trimmed the deficit to 10 points 13:23 after ten minutes of action. Wojciech Leszczynski scored 5 points in a 7:0 run that pull Poland within 3 points from Croatia early in the second period. The Balkan team kept it cool however and secured a 35:29 advantage at the interval. Poland came as close as one point from their opponents in the third stanza but Croatia used a three-pointer from Roko Rogic to enter the fourth term up by 11. Toni Katic, Roko Rogic and Boris Barac (202-F-92) kept Poland at bay throughout the fourth quarter and secured a decisive victory for Croatia at the end. Croatia sank 37% from the field and were slightly better on the glass 44:43. Polish team converted 28% of field goals.

Croatia U16: Filip Najev 16, Toni Katic 15, Boris Barac 13
Poland U16: Wojciech Leszczynski 23, Mateusz Dziemba 11

Group D
France U16 - Israel U16 67:63
French U16 National team paved their way into the Qualifying round at the European Championship yesterday. Evan Fournier (196-G-92) dropped game-high 22 points for France as they held off Israel in the final game of the preliminary round in Group D. France improved to 2-1 record and secured the second spot, while Israel finished at the third place. France surged ahead right from the start and built a 22:16 advantage at the first intermission. Mahomed Diakite (198-F-92) and Evan Fournier teamed up for 13 points in the second quarter and France established a 40:31 lead at the interval. Israel stayed in the contest as they cut the deficit to 4 points. France however did not allow Israel any closer and entered the fourth period up by 6 points. Israel came as close as 2 points from France with just over a minute left. But Evan Fournier was perfect from the stripe, while Tom Slutsky and Ber Aven missed three-pointers to seal the winning outcome for France.
Mahomed Diakite tallied 10 points and 11 boards for France. Leo Westermann (196-G-92) and Valentin Mauve (193-F-92) had 9 points apiece for the winners. David Levy (198-F-92) answered with 16 points for Israel. Bar Timor (-92) added 12 points in the loss. France had an overwhelming advantage on the boards 45:22 and sank solid 40% from the field. Israel converted 35% of field goals and committed 16 turnovers down the stretch. Israel will face Turkey, while France will play against Croatia tomorrow.

France U16: Evan Fournier 22, Mahomed Diakite 20+11 boards, Leo Westermann 9, Valentin Mauve 9
Israel U16: David Levy 16, Bar Timor 12

Russia U16 - Georgia U16 69:60
Russia grabbed a narrow win against Georgia yesterday to deliver the third consecutive victory at the preliminary action in Group D. Thus Russian team advanced to the Qualifying Round with 2-0 record. Georgia in the meantime failed to succeed and was sent to Classification round to fight for the 13th-16th spots. Dmitry Kulagin (194-G-92) poured in 19 points to lead Russia. Alexander Varnakov (184-G-92) added 15 points and 6 boards, while Viktor Zaryazhko (198-F-92) had 9 points and 13 boards for the winners. Merab Bokolishvili (197-G/F-92) secured 21 points for Georgia. He however failed to deliver a single point in the final quarter.
Russia looked just better in the first period and clinched a 16:13 lead after ten minutes of action. Georgia would not go away in the second frame and using a 12:6 run late in the period they established a 30:26 advantage at halftime. The teams traded baskets in the third stanza with the lead changing hands and the outcome unknown. Nodar Tenieshvili (195-F-92) drained a three-pointer to put Georgia in charge 60:59 with just over 4 minutes left. However Dmitry Kulagin responded with a trey of his own to fuel a 10:0 rally that crowned the game and brought victory to Russia. The winners dominated the boards 47:33 and forced Georgia to 20 turnovers. Russia notched 41% from the field, while limiting their opponents to 35% accuracy.

Russia U16: Dmitry Kulagin 19, Alexander Varnakov 15, Viktor Zaryazhko 9+13 boards
Georgia U16: Merab Bokolishvili 21, Nodar Tenieshvili 9

*****************************************************

FINLAND

Finland U16 jumps on top - by Eurobasket News
Finland U16 won the third game in European Championship Men Division B. The team moved to the top positions in Group D and now has 3-1 record.
Finland U16 beat F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16 86:61 mostly due to the second and the last periods. The winners opened the game trailing 18:19 but then replied with 25:11 in the second. F.Y.R. of Macedonia played another even quarter in the third as they tied it at 19:19 but could do nothing in the last to fall at 12:24. Finland U16 was paced by Markus Molenius (198-F-92) who scored 18 points in the game. Villematti Kopio (173-G-92) posted 15, while Heinonen added 11. Markovski top-scored in the losing effort with 23 points and Gotik had 12.
Finland U16 stormed past Portugal U16 on Day 4 of the European Championship. Sarajevo saw a 69:43 victory of the Scandinavian team over the hot country. Finland U16 opened the game with 21:5 and always remained in front. They also won the other quarters to seal the third win in the group. Villematti Kopio paced all the winners with 25 points and 5 rebounds. Heinikoski netted 10, while Dolenc scored 8. Wildner nailed 8 points for Portugal U16 and Cunha had 7.

Finland U16-F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16 86:61
Finland U16: Markus Molenius 18, Villematti Kopio 15, Heinonen 11
F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16: Markovski 23, Gotik 12

Portugal U16-Finland U16 43:69
Portugal U16: Wildner 8, Cunha 7
Finland U16: Villematti Kopio 25+5 rebs, Heinikoski 10, Dolenc 8

Namika Lahti sign one American guard and testing another American center - by Eurobasket
Namika Lahti agreed terms with American guard Bilal Abdullah (196-G, college: Lafayette) and they are testing another American: Johann Collins (211-C-83, college: Presbyterian). Both of them are represented by agency Passing Lane. Abdullah played most recently at Lafayette College (NCAA) in the U.S., where he averaged 15.0ppg and 5.2rpg. He was also voted to All-Patriot League 2nd Team. It will be his first year in professional basketball. Collins played last season in ABA for Vermont Frost Heaves. But the team had financial problems (like most of ABA teams did last year), so the player had to leave during the season. So practically if he makes it to Finnish League, it will be also his first full season in pro basketball.

*****************************************************

FRANCE

Etendard de Brest sign Cecil Brown - by Eurobasket
Etendard de Brest (ProB) added to their roster 25-year old American guard Cecil Brown (193-G-83, college: UCSB, agency: Passing Lane). Brown played last season at Los Angeles D-Fenders (D-League) in the U.S., where he averaged: 12.4ppg, 2.7rpg, 1.9apg. It was actually his first professional year. And it will be his first time playing overseas.

Standings - ProA

ProA Standings

1. Pau	0-0
2. Cholet	0-0
3. Dijon	0-0
4. ASVEL	0-0
5. Gravelines	0-0
6. Le Mans	0-0
7. Roanne	0-0
8. Nancy	0-0
9. Strasbourg	0-0
10. Hyeres-Toulon	0-0
11. Le Havre	0-0
12. Besancon	0-0
13. Chalon	0-0
14. Vichy	0-0
15. Orleans	0-0
16. Rouen	0-0

Standings - ProB

ProB Standings

1. Limoges	0-0
2. Antibes	0-0
3. Paris-Levall.	0-0
4. Nantes	0-0
5. St.Quentin	0-0
6. Evreux	0-0
7. Brest	0-0
8. Maurienne	0-0
9. Bourg	0-0
10. Saint-Etienne	0-0
11. St.Vallier	0-0
12. Nanterre	0-0
13. Charleville	0-0
14. Quimper	0-0
15. Poitiers	0-0
16. Le Portel	0-0
17. Clermont	0-0
18. Boulazac	0-0

Standings - N1

N1 Standings

1. Chalons	0-0
2. Mulhouse	0-0
3. Reims	0-0
4. Blois	0-0
5. Centre Feder.	0-0
6. Angers	0-0
7. Fos Ouest	0-0
8. Toulouges	0-0
9. Prisse Macon	0-0
10. Get Vosges	0-0
11. Bordeaux	0-0
12. Andrezieux	0-0
13. Feurs	0-0
14. Bayonne	0-0
15. Longwy	0-0
16. Lievin	0-0
17. Boulogne	0-0
18. St Chamond	0-0
19. Challans	0-0
20. Lille	0-0
21. Roche-la-Moliere	0-0
22. Juvisy	0-0

Evan Fournier carries France past Israel - by Eurobasket News
France U16 - Israel U16 67:63

French U16 National team paved their way into the Qualifying round at the European Championship yesterday. Evan Fournier (196-G-92) dropped game-high 22 points for France as they held off Israel in the final game of the preliminary round in Group D. France improved to 2-1 record and secured the second spot, while Israel finished at the third place. France surged ahead right from the start and built a 22:16 advantage at the first intermission. Mahomed Diakite (198-F-92) and Evan Fournier teamed up for 13 points in the second quarter and France established a 40:31 lead at the interval. Israel stayed in the contest as they cut the deficit to 4 points. France however did not allow Israel any closer and entered the fourth period up by 6 points. Israel came as close as 2 points from France with just over a minute left. But Evan Fournier was perfect from the stripe, while Tom Slutsky (-92) and Ber Aven missed three-pointers to seal the winning outcome for France.
Mahomed Diakite tallied 10 points and 11 boards for France. Leo Westermann (196-G-92) and Valentin Mauve (193-F-92) had 9 points apiece for the winners. David Levy (198-F-92) answered with 16 points for Israel. Bar Timor (-92) added 12 points in the loss. France had an overwhelming advantage on the boards 45:22 and sank solid 40% from the field. Israel converted 35% of field goals and committed 16 turnovers down the stretch. Israel will face Turkey, while France will play against Croatia tomorrow.

France U16: Evan Fournier 22, Mahomed Diakite 20+11 boards, Leo Westermann 9, Valentin Mauve 9
Israel U16: David Levy 16, Bar Timor 12

Nikkhah to Cholet? - by Mohammed Malas
Source: Interbasket

Mohammadsamad Nikkhah (200-F/G-83, agency: Agency No 10) signed a contract with Cholet Basket. Irans basketball player told Mehr News Agency, I always want to play in one of the professional leagues in Europe. Cholet Basket is one of the good teams in Europe.

Cholet Basket which stood 6th in the previous round of the French Basketball League will participate in European League.

Adapting to a new situation and with new teammates at this level is very hard but Ill do my best. I know there are lots of good players in Europe, he added.

*****************************************************

FYR MACEDONIA

Macedonia U16 is 2-1 in Bosnia - by Eurobasket News
F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16 started the European Championship Men Division B in Bosnia. After three games played the team has 2-1 record.
Portugal took on Macedonia and were heavily beaten 57:88. Macedonia exploded with a 35:13 run in the first frame and never looked back again. Nikola Gajdadjiev scored 27 points to lead all scorers. Gorjan Markovski nailed 24 points for the winning side. Antonio Santos replied with 15 points for Portugal. Jonah Callenbah added 11 points in defeat.
Finland U16 won the second game in European Championship Men Division B. The team moved to the top positions in Group D and now has 2-1 record.
Finland U16 beat F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16 86:61 mostly due to the second and the last periods. The winners opened the game trailing 18:19 but then replied with 25:11 in the second. F.Y.R. of Macedonia played another even quarter in the third as they tied it at 19:19 but could do nothing in the last to fall at 12:24. Finland U16 was paced by Molenius who scored 18 points in the game. Villematti Kopio (173-G-92) posted 15, while Heinonen added 11. Markovski top-scored in the losing effort with 23 points and Gotik had 12.
In the third game F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16 overcame Ireland U16 79:58. Gajdadjiev top-scored for the winners with 27 points, while Markowski supported him with 22. Horner nailed 14 in defeat and Herron added 11.

Finland U16-F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16 86:61
Finland U16: Molenius 18, Villematti Kopio 15, Heinonen 11
F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16: Markovski 23, Gotik 12

F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16-Ireland U16 79:58
F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16: Gajdadjiev 27, Markowski 22
Ireland U16: Horner 14, Herron 11

Massey and Ilievski better than Turkey on 'Trophy Macedonia' - by Eurobasket News
F.Y.R. of Macedonia advanced to the final of international tournament called 'Trophy Macedonia'. As a reminder Macedonia smashed Romania 100-49 at the opening day.

Turkey had better beginning. After ten minutes it was 20-23 for Hidayet Turkoglu (206-F-79) and his teammates. Macedonians struggled with their stroke in the first half as well as with running the plays, which resulted with 12-16 in the second frame. It means that Turkey had solid 32-39 at the half time. They even touched plus 10 in 13th minute of the game, 20-30. Vlado Ilievski (190-G-80, agency: World Sport Agency) and Jeremiah Massey (202-F-82, college: Kansas St.) woke up after the breather. They led 10-3 run setting the score on 42-44. Hidayet Turkoglu was on fire after that but thanks to Vrbica Stefanov (188-G-73, agency: Interperformances), who made two plus one at the end of third frame, Macedonia remained in the race for the victory, 50-53. Turkey made quick 4-0 at the beginning of last frame making 50-57 but Macedonians didn't give up. Through Jeremiah Massey and Vlado Ilievski they made turn 62-58 with 3:50 remaining. Turkey scored just one point until the end while Macedonia made 5 for the final score 67-59.

Jeremiah Massey led Macedonia to victory adding 25 points and 6 rebounds. Vlado Ilievski was behind him with 17 points, 5 boards and 6 assists. Turkey got the most from Hidayet Turkoglu, who stopped on 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Macedonia will meet Montenegro in the final.

*****************************************************

GEORGIA

Russia earn third straight win in Sulmona - by Eurobasket News
Russia U16 - Georgia U16 69:60

Russia grabbed a narrow win against Georgia yesterday to deliver the third consecutive victory at the preliminary action in Group D. Thus Russian team advanced to the Qualifying Round with 2-0 record. Georgia in the meantime failed to succeed and was sent to Classification round to fight for the 13th-16th spots. Dmitry Kulagin (194-G-92) poured in 19 points to lead Russia. Alexander Varnakov (184-G-92) added 15 points and 6 boards, while Viktor Zaryazhko (198-F-92) had 9 points and 13 boards for the winners. Merab Bokolishvili (197-G/F-92) secured 21 points for Georgia. He however failed to deliver a single point in the final quarter.
Russia looked just better in the first period and clinched a 16:13 lead after ten minutes of action. Georgia would not go away in the second frame and using a 12:6 run late in the period they established a 30:26 advantage at halftime. The teams traded baskets in the third stanza with the lead changing hands and the outcome unknown. Nodar Tenieshvili (195-F-92) drained a three-pointer to put Georgia in charge 60:59 with just over 4 minutes left. However Dmitry Kulagin responded with a trey of his own to fuel a 10:0 rally that crowned the game and brought victory to Russia. The winners dominated the boards 47:33 and forced Georgia to 20 turnovers. Russia notched 41% from the field, while limiting their opponents to 35% accuracy.

Russia U16: Dmitry Kulagin 19, Alexander Varnakov 15, Viktor Zaryazhko 9+13 boards
Georgia U16: Merab Bokolishvili 21, Nodar Tenieshvili 9

*****************************************************

GERMANY

Olympic Games: USA too much for Germany touching 106 - by Eurobasket News
USA - Germany 106-57

What to say for another impressive victory by USA on the Olympic Games in Beijing. This time Dirk Nowitzki (6'11''-F-78) and his teammates were faced with powerful Dream Team, which ended first stage with perfect score 5-0. In the quarterfinals USA will meet fourth ranked team from Group A - Australia. Germany finished the Olympics with score 1-4, what was not enough for the next stage.

After opening five minutes it already was clear that this will be another easy one for USA Dream Team. After Dwight Howard's (6'10''-F-85) basket it was 16-3 for USA. During the following 5 minutes it became even bigger, 31-12. Dirk Nowitzki and Jan-Hendrik Jagla (7'0''-F-81, agency: Priority Sports, college: Penn St.) were the only one which succeeded to compete against strong Americans but of course it was not enough. At the middle of third period USA set the margin on huge 28, what happened after triple by LeBron James (6'8''-F-84). Last ten minutes of the game were just a formality and the only good question was how big difference it will be at the end. USA closed this game making 19-4 run for the final plus 49.

This time it was Dwight Howard who recorded the best digits for Dream Team. He spent 19 minutes on court nailing 22 points and grabbing 10 boards. He had 9 of 10 for FG2 and 4 of 9 from the free throw line. LeBron James was behind him with 18 while Kobe Bryant (6'6''-G-78) scored 13 points. Dwyane Wade (6'4''-G-82, college: Marquette) and Chris Paul (6'0''-G-85, college: Wake Forest) netted 10 points apiece. Germany once again got the most from Dirk Nowitzki, who stopped on 14 points and 8 rebounds. Jan-Hendrik Jagla also was good adding 10 points and 6 boards.

USA - Germany 106-57
(31-12, 22-17, 30-17, 23-11)

USA: Dwight Howard 22 (10 rebs), LeBron James 18, Kobe Bryant 13, Dwyane Wade 10 (4 rebs), Chris Paul 10
Germany: Dirk Nowitzki 14 (8 rebs), Jan-Hendrik Jagla 10 (6 rebs)

Goettingen lands Clif Brown - by Manuel Schust
BG 74 Goettingen signed 24-year old american forward Clif Brown (200-F-84, agency: Court Side, college: Niagara) for the upcoming season.
Brown spent last season in Israel with Hapoel Galil Elyon and averaged 11.1 points and 4.9 rebounds in the israeli league. He also participated in Uleb Cup and produced 14.5 points and 3.7 rebounds in that competition.
Head Coach John Patrick describes him as a very versatile player that can defend different positions. Brown is also known for his fighting spirit and his work ethics.

Skyliners and Daniel Russ part ways - by Manuel Schust
Just weeks before the new season started american Center Daniel Russ (207-C/F-83, agency: Court Side, college: Wittenberg) and Deutsche Bank Skyliners Frankfurt will part ways.
Russ, who had serious problems with his knee and could not compete last season, did not manage to pass the obligatory medical test.
Due to this failure the club decided to cancel his contract and look for a replacement.
So Daniel Russ, who spent his college career at Wittenberg and gained first overseas experience at Woon!Aris Leeuwarden (NED-Eredivisie) is a free agent again.

Germany U16 proves the ambitions - by Eurobasket News
Germany U16 remains undefeated in Division B of at the European Championship. In another two games the favorite of the group proved the ambitions for the top places.
On Day 3 Germany U16 destroyed Luxembourg U16 100:39. A massive 33:13 was a great start for the winners in the game. They moved to the defensive 12:5 in the second to have 27 points deficit at the halftime. The task for the last minutes was to reach 100 and Luxembourg U16 could not stop the favorites. Jarelle Reischel (194-F-92) top-scored for Germany with 18 points and 5 rebounds. Phillip Neumann (206-C-92) collected 16 points and 10 rebounds,while Breunig scored 16 points and made 8 boards.
On Day 4 Germany U16 beat Estonia U16 in the last game of the group tonight. Another massive 29:9 was too much for the Baltic side. Estonia U16 lost also the second and the third quarters to trail 26 points after 30 minutes of the game. The last quarter however saw 19:12 for Estonia that somehow reduced the gap. Fulle led the winners with 15 points to 4-0 record. Jarelle Reischel ended up with 10, whilst Monninghoff added 9. Raap posted 12 in defeat and Vaino scored 8.

Germany U16-Luxembourg U16 100:39
Germany U16: Jarelle Reischel 18+5 rebs, Phillip Neumann 16+10 rebs, Breunig 16+8 rebs
Luxembourg U16: Melcher 12, Schmit 10

Estonia U16-Germany U16 51:72
Estonia U16: Raap 12, Vaino 8
Germany U16: Fulle 15, Jarelle Reischel 10, Monninghoff 9

*****************************************************

GREECE

Latest Market News - by Chris Mammides
Enosi E.K. Kavalas and Panorama GS will be merged after all and will be participating in the A1 league. The new head coach of the team will be Kostas Pilafidis and amogn the first targets of the team will be Yannis Gagaloudis (191-G-78).
AEK Athens and Coach Flevarakis agreed finanancial terms with Periklis Dorkofikis (206-F-80) and Fotis Vasilopoulos (187-G-86), both Hellenes signed an one year contract with the Athenian team.
Miroslav Raicevic

(208-C-81, agency: Interperformances) agreed financial terms with Panionios and Coach Trifunovic.
Olympia Larissas agreed financial terms with Markos Kolokas (203-F-77) and Terrell Castle (182-G-72, college: Nicholls St.) for one year.
Three players for PAOK Thessalonikis, Alexandros Kyritsis (195-G-82), Demetrius Alexander (204-F/C-75, college: Alabama) and Panagiotis Kafkis (195-G-80) are the new additions for the Thessaloniki team. In the mean time. the coaching team of Coach Pedoulakis in PAOK will be Giorgos Vovoros and Nikos Dimitriou.

*****************************************************

HOLLAND

Netherlands U16 wins one and loses another in Bosnia - by Eurobasket News
Netherlands U16 achieved the first win but also lost a game in European Championship Men Division B. The team moved to the bottom positions in Group B and now has 1-3 record. Netherlands U16 beat Iceland U16 in a tough game of Day 3. Iceland U16 won the opening quarter 22:17 and had 1 points deficit at the halftime. Another 12:11 in the third quarter remained them in front, but Netherlands U16 pushed the tempo in the last period. Burger led the winners with 24 points. De Haas collected 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Van Tongeren posted 6 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Kristjansson ended up with 20 points in defeat, whilst Palsson had 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Netherlands U16 and Denmark U16 finished Day 4 of the European Championship in Group B of Division B. The first two quarters the game was even and none of the teams wanted to risk. Denmark U16 however started to play more offensively in the second half and won both quarters. They reached the first win in the tournament and got 1-3 record the same as Netherlands U16. Haas led the winners with 21 points and 5 rebounds. Christensen collected 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Fugmann posted 12. Burger finished the night with 20 points in defeat and De Haas added 18.

Iceland U16-Netherlands U16 58:61
Iceland U16: Kristjansson 20, Palsson 15+11 rebs
Netherlands U16: Burger 24, De Haas 19+12 rebs, Van Tongeren 6+8 rebs

Netherlands U16-Denmark U16 67:84
Netherlands U16: Burger 20, De Haas 18
Denmark U16: Haas 21+5 rebs, Christensen 15+10 rebs, Fugmann 12

Holland wins and lose in Slovakia - by Fred Roggen

The Dutch National team played two games in Slovakia against host Slovakia and Portugal in the first upset to the upcoming Eurobasket 2009 qualifications.

After a debilitating journey of about nine hours, the team of the new coach Gdi Kedar just arrived before the game against Portugal.

Due to a change in the programme, showing the first game was moved to Thursday, the day of arrival of the Dutch squad, which resulted in an unsuccessful 67-51 defeat against Portugal.
Although it was plagued by numerous setbacks that a mentally lesser team would have knocked out, won Holland the second game against Slovakia with 69-80.
Worse of all was that pointguard Sam Jones fell out with a serious hip and kneeinjury, how seriously the coming days will show, but the fact is that the naturalized American not can be missed.
Also Stefan Wessels and Kees Akerboom fell out with an injury
Coach Gadi Kedar however, has already forged a strong collective in a short time. After a 12-19 disadvantage, Holland went ahead at halftime with 45-39 thanks to the benchplayers Harvey van Steijn, Henk Norel and Rogier Jansen.
In the second half the Dutch team extended the lead to 41-52 but the Slovakian switched to a zone-defense and the Dutch team had big problems to made a score, nevertheless knew the increasingly decimated team to face the enemy advance by excellent defending.
Fransisco Elson led the winners with 14 points, Peter van Paassen nailed 12 while Harvey van Steijn added 9 points.

Raoul Heinen to Matrixx Magixx - by Fred Roggen
Raoul Heinen

(196-G-80, agency: Court Side, college: George Mason) play the next season for Matrixx Magixx. The Magixx won the battle of ZZ Leiden who also had a lot of interest for the ex-NT player.
Heinen played last season at Hanzevast Capitals. His average stats for 36 games in the Eredivisie was 9.5ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.0spg,
Heinen played in the past for the Belgian Vevier-Pepinster and the George Mason university, he also played 34 games for the Dutch National team.

*****************************************************

HUNGARY

Debreceni Egyetem re-sign Joe Kennerly - by Eurobasket
Debreceni Egyetem KE confirmed for upcoming season 24-year old American power forward Joe Kennerly (204-C/F-84, college: Cent.Oklahoma). He was the leading scorer fo the team while they were still in B Division and he helped them get the promotion to A Division. He was one of the top players in the league last season, so it is a big question how he will handle A Division level. The club management show a big trust signing him for another year. Kennerly started last season playing for pro teams in Uruguay and Argentina, before he moved to Hungary in January. He played also in Portugal and Jordan. It will be his third year in professional basketball.

*****************************************************

IBL

Explosion secure future with a two year arena deal and three year deal with the IBL - by Eurobasket News
Snohomish County Explosion (finished 14-10) in their second season in Snohomish County playing in the International Basketball League (IBL) and played at the Monroe High School their first year in Monroe.

Monroe Public Schools and the Explosion Basketball Team have reached an agreement for the use of another two years at the district's high school as the organization prepares to move into it own arena. Details of the arrangement have not been disclosed but both groups are excited to continue after a year one success. Tickets for the 2009 season will go on sale Monday October 13th online at www.explosionbasketball.net so get ready for another fun filled Explosion Season.

'We are excited to be hosting the Playoffs for the next three years and happy to have the ability to play in Monroe as we work on the next phase of getting a permanent facility for the team.' said Nathan Mumm founder of Courtyard Media Foundation. 'We have a great staff with our head coach and general manager both returning for year three the outlook is very positive. Working to get a long term deal was important to us, our sponsors and our fans. With what has happened in Seattle with the NBA we wanted to secure long term deals so everyone could enjoy Explosion Basketball without any worries.'

The Snohomish County Explosion just won an award from the IBM as the best game day staff/game day operations-IBL Commissioner Mikal Duilio (stated in July)- 'The Explosion professionalism is what prompted me as Commissioner to contact them about a three year deal in hosting the tournament'.

Courtesy of IBL

*****************************************************

ICELAND

Iceland U16 dropped to 1-3 after two losses - by Eurobasket News
Iceland U16 dropped to 1-3 after two losses in European Championship Men Division B. The team fell at the bottom positions in Group B of the tournament.
Netherlands U16 beat Iceland U16 in a tough game of Day 3. Iceland U16 won the opening quarter 22:17 and had 1 points deficit at the halftime. Another 12:11 in the third quarter remained them in front, but Netherlands U16 pushed the tempo in the last period. Burger led the winners with 24 points. De Haas collected 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Van Tongeren posted 6 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Kristjansson ended up with 20 points in defeat, whilst Palsson had 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Montenegro U16 did not have any difficulties reaching 4-0 record as the team stun Iceland U16 85:68. The only problem was the first half when Iceland was even in front, 41:35. A 34:8 in the third quarter however solved all the problems for the favorite of Group B. Nemanja Djurisic (-92) led the winners with 22 points, Pajovic and Djordan followed him with 14 apiece. Palsson top-scored for Iceland U16 with 14 points and 9 rebounds, whilst Kristjansson had 12 points. The last game of the group Iceland will play tomorrow against Denmark.

Iceland U16-Netherlands U16 58:61
Iceland U16: Kristjansson 20, Palsson 15+11 rebs
Netherlands U16: Burger 24, De Haas 19+12 rebs, Van Tongeren 6+8 rebs

Montenegro U16- Iceland U16 85:68
Montenegro U16: Nemanja Djurisic 22, Pajovic 14, Djordan 14
Iceland U16: Palsson 14+9 rebs, Kristjansson 12

*****************************************************

IRAN

Nikkhah to Cholet? - by Mohammed Malas
Source: Interbasket

Mohammadsamad Nikkhah (200-F/G-83, agency: Agency No 10) signed a contract with Cholet Basket. Irans basketball player told Mehr News Agency, I always want to play in one of the professional leagues in Europe. Cholet Basket is one of the good teams in Europe.

Cholet Basket which stood 6th in the previous round of the French Basketball League will participate in European League.

Adapting to a new situation and with new teammates at this level is very hard but Ill do my best. I know there are lots of good players in Europe, he added.

*****************************************************

IRELAND

Irish boys hope for the only win - by Eurobasket News

Ireland U16 lost three games in European Championship Men Division B. The team moved to the bottom positions in Group D and now has 0-3 record.
In the opener Irish boys lost to Finland U16 56:79. Villematti Kopio (173-G-92) led the winners with 20 points, while Markus Molenuis added 18. Peter Herron top-scored for Ireland with 13 points and Jack Murphy netted 8.

Sweden U16 remains undefeated at the European Championship in Sarajevo. Sweden U16 achieved another victory in Division B and now has 3-0 record. A 20-3 in the third quarter was too much for Ireland U16 that gave up in the game. Sweden U16 won the third game 80:48 and sent Irish squad to 0-2 record. Atli Antonsson top-scored for the winners with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Melinder posted 12, while Reynisson collected 10 points and 10 rebounds. Lucey ended up with 17 points in defeat, Murphy and James added 9 each.
In the third game F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16 overcame Ireland U16 79:58. Gajdadjiev top-scored for the winners with 27 points, while Markowski supported him with 22. Horner nailed 14 in defeat and Herron added 11.

Finland U16 -Ireland U16 79:56
Finland U16: Villematti Kopio 20, Markus Molenuis 18
Ireland U16: Peter Herron 13, Jack Murphy 8

Ireland U16-Sweden U16 48:80
Ireland U16: Lucey 17, Murphy 9, James 9
Sweden U16: Atli Antonsson 19+11 rebs, Melinder 12, Reynisson 10+10 rebs

F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16-Ireland U16 79:58
F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16: Gajdadjiev 27, Markowski 22
Ireland U16: Horner 14, Herron 11

*****************************************************

ISRAEL

Evan Fournier carries France past Israel - by Eurobasket News
France U16 - Israel U16 67:63

French U16 National team paved their way into the Qualifying round at the European Championship yesterday. Evan Fournier (196-G-92) dropped game-high 22 points for France as they held off Israel in the final game of the preliminary round in Group D. France improved to 2-1 record and secured the second spot, while Israel finished at the third place. France surged ahead right from the start and built a 22:16 advantage at the first intermission. Mahomed Diakite (198-F-92) and Evan Fournier teamed up for 13 points in the second quarter and France established a 40:31 lead at the interval. Israel stayed in the contest as they cut the deficit to 4 points. France however did not allow Israel any closer and entered the fourth period up by 6 points. Israel came as close as 2 points from France with just over a minute left. But Evan Fournier was perfect from the stripe, while Tom Slutsky (-92) and Ber Aven missed three-pointers to seal the winning outcome for France.
Mahomed Diakite tallied 10 points and 11 boards for France. Leo Westermann (196-G-92) and Valentin Mauve (193-F-92) had 9 points apiece for the winners. David Levy (198-F-92) answered with 16 points for Israel. Bar Timor (-92) added 12 points in the loss. France had an overwhelming advantage on the boards 45:22 and sank solid 40% from the field. Israel converted 35% of field goals and committed 16 turnovers down the stretch. Israel will face Turkey, while France will play against Croatia tomorrow.

France U16: Evan Fournier 22, Mahomed Diakite 20+11 boards, Leo Westermann 9, Valentin Mauve 9
Israel U16: David Levy 16, Bar Timor 12

Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem sign Adam Haluska - by Netanel Dahan
Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem agreed terms with 25-year old American guard Adam Haluska (196-G-83, college: Iowa, agency: Octagon) to a 1-year contract. Haluska played most recently at Iowa Energy (D-League) in the U.S. where he averaged 18.7 ppg,4.7 rpg,and 2.9 apg. Jerusalem Head Coach Guy Goodes decided to signed Adam after he saw him play on Las Vages Summer league. Hapoel 'Migdal' Jerusalem is also looking for a center and according to Israeli media the management is negotiating with Travis Watson who played at Armani Jeans Milano (Italy).

*****************************************************

ITALY

Last market news - by Gianni Pascucci
Premiata Montegranaro officially announced the signing of Bryce Taylor (196-G-86, agency: Priority Sports). Air Avellino caleld at tryout Slovenian Jan Mocnik (174-G-87). In Lega 2, Carmatic Pistoia agreed to terms with Lithuanian veteran Arnas Kazlauskas (204-C/F-76, agency: Court Side). Fastweb Junior Casale Monferrato inked Jamar Smith (206-F/C-80, college: Maryland), last in Japan. USA-GER Chris Heinrich (208-C-77, college: St.Louis) suffered a fracture at his right foot a,d his new tea, Trenkwalder Reggio Emilia, could need of a replacement soon.

*****************************************************

JAPAN

Niigata Albirex BB sign Calvin Chitwood - by Eurobasket

Niigata Albirex BB (BJ League) signed 22-year old American forward Calvin Chitwood (203-F-86, college: Cal.St. Northridge, agency: Passing Lane). Chitwood played most recently at Cal State - Northridge (NCAA) in the U.S. It will be his first year in professional basketball. His senior year (07-08) of the college was the most successful in his career. His stats were 10.7ppg, 4.7rpg and 1.1bpg and for the second time he was selected to All-Big West Honorable Mention team as his college was Big West Regular Season Runner-Up.

Tucker back in Japan - by Kenny
According to league sources, the Sendai 89ers of the bj-league have acquired 33-year old forward Rashad Tucker (202-F-75, college: S.Illinois). The Southern Illinois product will be returning to Japan after playing in the JBL back in 2001-02 with the Aisin Sea Horses. After not being re-signed by Aisin, Tucker played 1 season in the CBA before starting a 5-year run in Australia's NBL. The super athletic 6-8 Tucker will most likely be one of the top imports in the bj-league as he averaged more than 21 points per game in his stint with Aisin 7 years ago.

*****************************************************

KENYA

Kenya advances to Africa U18 Championship - by Eurobasket News
Kenya advances to Africa U18 Championship for men in Egypt. In the zone 5 qualifiers the team became the best squad to be sent to the championship. Kenya participated with Rwanda, Uganda, Sudan and Burundi to decide the winner. In the decisive game Kenya overcame Rwanda 57:56 to win the qualifier. After the win over Rwanda, Kenya rounded up their unbeaten run with a 58:49 win over Uganda to qualify for the continental showpiece to be staged in Cairo, Egypt from August 16-25, 2008.
The winners took an early lead in the opening quarter and dominated the court. In the second quarter however Ugandans bounced back to a 15:11 margin. It gave the latter 22:20 lead when the teams left the court for the break. Uganda continued to be in front even in the last period and had a 51:42 advantage to the delight of their crowd. Olumasi brought Kenya back at 56:56 and then another points saw them on top of the group. Kenya boys finished their games unbeaten with a resounding 89:55 win over Uganda. Moses Wanjara led the winners with 19 points. Kevin Samora and Anthony Okello netted 14 apiece and Joshua Omondi scored 10. Rwanda finished second with a 58:47 win over Burundi.

*****************************************************

LATVIA

Turkey beat Latvia, clinch top spot in Group C - by Eurobasket News
Turkey U16 - Latvia U16 74:63

Turkish U16 National Team finished the preliminary round action at the European Championship on top of Group C. Enes Kanter (205-C-92) came up with another sizzling performance and Turkey toppled Latvia for the second win at the tournament. Turkey thus advanced to the Qualifying round as the winners of Pool C. Latvia managed to escape relegation games as they occupied the third spot and also stayed in the title race. Sakim and Safak Edge (185-G-92) teamed up for 7 straight points for Turkey late in the opening frame and Latvia appeared trailing by 8 points at the first intermission. Turkey opened the second quarter with an 8:0 run to stretch the margin to 16 points. However Latvia finished the stanza strongly and cut the distance to 6 points at halftime. Sandis Bets (189-G-92), Andris Misters (192-G-92) and Renars Magone (198-F-92) ignited a 13:2 outburst from Latvian team at the beginning of the third quarter as they claimed a 46:41 advantage. Turkey immediately reacted with their own 13:2 rally to regain a 54:48 control over the game before the fourth term. Enes Kanter netted 10 points in the fourth period and Turkey held off Latvia for the second win in Sulmona. Enes Kanter combined for 20 points and 12 boards to pace Turkey. Safak Edge added 12 points, while Burak Yuksel (203-F-92) chipped in 11 for the winners. Edmunds Dukulis (201-F/C-92) notched 17 points and 10 boards for Latvia. Andris Misters secured 12 points in defeat. Turkey outrebounded their opponents 40:35, while both teams committed 18 turnovers. Turkey also sank solid 46% from the field.

Turkey U16: Enes Kanter 20+12 boards, Safak Edge 12, Burak Yuksel 11
Latvia U16: Edmunds Dukulis 17+10 boards, Andris Misters 12

*****************************************************

LUXEMBOURG

Luxembourg U16 falls at 0-4 in Group A - by Eurobasket News
Luxembourg U16 lost another two games in European Championship Men Division B. The team moved to the bottom position in Group A and now has 0-4 record.
Belgium U16 stormed past Luxembourg U16 in Day 4 of the European Championship Men Division B. The team moved to the top with 75:34 dominating the whole game. Luxembourg U16 however could win the second quarter 14:13, but it was nothing in comparison with the others. Loontiens paced all the winners with 12 points. Renier scored 10, whilst Vandenweyer netted 8. Laurent finished the game with 12 points in the losing effort and Melcher produced 8.
Germany U16 remains undefeated in Division B of at the European Championship. In another two games the favorite of the group proved the ambitions for the top places.
On Day 3 Germany U16 destroyed Luxembourg U16 100:39. A massive 33:13 was a great start for the winners in the game. They moved to the defensive 12:5 in the second to have 27 points deficit at the halftime. The task for the last minutes was to reach 100 and Luxembourg U16 could not stop the favorites. Jarelle Reischel (194-F-92) top-scored for Germany with 18 points and 5 rebounds. Phillip Neumann (206-C-92) collected 16 points and 10 rebounds,while Breunig scored 16 points and made 8 boards.

Luxembourg U16- Belgium U16 34:75
Luxembourg U16: Laurent 12, Melcher 8
Belgium U16: Loontiens 12, Renier 10, Vandenweyer 8

Germany U16-Luxembourg U16 100:39
Germany U16: Jarelle Reischel 18+5 rebs, Phillip Neumann 16+10 rebs, Breunig 16+8 rebs
Luxembourg U16: Melcher 12, Schmit 10

*****************************************************

MEXICO

Mexico plays string of exhibition games - by Eurobasket News
Mexican National Team is getting ready for Centrobasket tournament. They play series of friendly encounters back at home. Mexico posted three wins in four games played so far. Mexico opened the series against Angeles and drove to a comfortable 80:55 victory. In two days Mexico opposed Halcones Cordoba and snatched a narrow 84:80 win. Halcones built a 31:20 lead after the starting period but Mexico found the way to deny it. They won three other frames and celebrated a tough win at the end. Ramses Benitez (209-C-79) paced Mexico with 19 points and 9 boards. Anthony Lever-Pedroza (191-G-79, agency: Edge Sports, college: Oregon) and Hector Hernandez (206-F-85, agency: European Basketball Agency) added 14 points each for the winners. Mike Smith responded with 19 points for Halcones Cordoba. Joseph Sanchez had 16 points in defeat.
Next Mexico took on Halcones Rojos and scored the third straight win 74:65. Mexico held a 3-point lead at the interval but managed to spur ahead after the long break. They outscored their opponents 28:17 in the third stanza and never looked back again. Gustavo Ayon (211-F/C-85, college: San Jose St.) led Mexico with 17 points and 11 boards. Arim Abdul Solares (202-F/C-83), Ramses Benitez and Anthony Lever-Pedroza had 13 points each in the win. The Veracruz outfit was paced by 18 points from William McFarlan (201-F-76, college: St.Thomas Aquinas).
In their final battle so far Mexico faced LNBP champions Halcones Xalapa and suffered their first defeat 79:84. Halcones came up strong in the first and fourth terms and ensured the win. Abdul Mills (191-G-79, college: Nebraska-Omaha) led all scorers with 16 points for Halcones. Victor Avila (209-C-77, college: Oklahoma) added 15 points, while LeRoy Hickerson (196-G-82, college: Cumberlands) notched 14 points and 10 boards for the winners. Mexico answered with 15 points from Horacio Llamas (211-C-73, agency: Interperformances). Gustavo Ayon contributed 13 points and 10 boards in the loss.

*****************************************************

MONTENEGRO

Montenegro U16 wins an overtime thriller over the hosts - by Eurobasket News
Montenegro U16 wins an overtime thriller over the hosts. Bojan Ratkovic made a lay-up with 13 seconds remaining in overtime as Montenegro edged Bosnia-Herzegovina 90:87 at the U16 European Championship Division B in Sarajevo. It was one of the best games in the tournament so far and both teams can still meet each other in the championship. Montenegro U16 opened the game with 23:22 and had another tough 26:24 in the second. Bosnia and Herzegovina U16 had also difficulties to win the next two periods as they won the third 19:17 and then the fourth 17:16. In overtime only last seconds brought Montenegro U16 a win over the hosts. Mladen Novakovic (-92) led the winners with 25 points and 7 rebounds. Kalic supported him with 17 points and 9 rebounds, whilst Djordan added 16. Ivic top-scored for the hosts with 19 points and Vucic nailed 16.
Montenegro U16 did not have any difficulties reaching 4-0 record as the team stun Iceland U16 85:68. The only problem was the first half when Iceland was even in front, 41:35. A 34:8 in the third quarter however solved all the problems for the favorite of Group B. Nemanja Djurisic (-92) led the winners with 22 points, Pajovic and Djordan followed him with 14 apiece. Palsson top-scored for Iceland U16 with 14 points and 9 rebounds, whilst Kristjansson had 12 points.

Bosnia and Herzegovina U16-Montenegro U16 87:90 OT
Bosnia and Herzegovina U16: Ivic 19, Vucic 16
Montenegro U16: Mladen Novakovic 25+7 rebs, Kalic 17+9 rebs, Djordan 16

Montenegro U16- Iceland U16 85:68
Montenegro U16: Nemanja Djurisic 22, Pajovic 14, Djordan 14
Iceland U16: Palsson 14+9 rebs, Kristjansson 12

Nebojsa Bogavac leads Montenegro to 2-0 on 'Trophy Macedonia' - by Eurobasket News
Montenegrin senior National Team showed pretty good performance at the beginning of international tournament called 'Trophy Macedonia'. At the first day of it Montenegro was better than Turkey 74-67. Turkey with NBAer Hidayet Turkoglu (206-F-79) was an equal rival to Montenegro just during the first twenty minutes. Openning quarter was totally leveled 22-22 while during the next ten minutes Turkey succeeded to make 16-14. Beginning of third stanza was the crucial period of the game. Thanks to Nikola Pekovic (210-C-86, agency: Beo Basket), Vlado Scepanovic (198-G-75) and Nebojsa Bogavac (199-G-73, agency: Beo Basket), Montenegro created impressive 11-0 run for 41-50. Hidayet Turkoglu make some points for Turkey but Montenegro succeeded to keep plus 10 before the last frame. Nothing has changed until the end as Nikola Pekovic dominated in the paint helping his team to register first victory of 'Trophy Macedonia'. Nikola Pekovic scored 21 while Vlado Scepanovic netted 19 points for the winners. Nebojsa Bogavac and Ivan Koljevic (186-G-84) followed with 9 points each.

At the second day of the tournament Montenegro blasted Romania 99-65 improving to 2-0. Head coach of Team Montenegro Dusko Vujosevic decided to rest Nikola Pekovic and Vlado Scepanovic for the expected final. Hero of the game against Romania was Nebojsa Bogavac, who led his team to 2-0 netting 21 points. Boris Bakic (195-G-86, agency: Beo Basket) had 14 while Vladimir Golubovic (212-C-86) stopped on 11points. The host of the tournament also registered two wins so far so it will meet Montenegro in the final. In the first game Macedonia outplayed Romania while in the next one Jeremiah Massey (202-F-82, college: Kansas St.) and his teammates were better than Turkey 67-59.

*****************************************************

NAIA

Storey headed to Europe - by Brandon Woudstra
Wayland Baptist University's all-time leading rebounder has signed a professional contract to play basketball in Europe. Danny Storey (6'7''-C-84) will leave next week for a team in Alaior, Menorca, a small island off the coast of Spain.

'It has always been my dream to play professionally in Europe' said Storey, the Sooner Athletic Conference's 2008 Co-Defensive Player of the Year and a 2nd team NAIA All-American. 'I guess you could say that this is a dream come true.'

Storey is just the second player in Wayland history to record over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career. The 2003 Canyon High School graduate, who averaged 14.6 points and 10.8 rebounds for the Pioneers during his senior season, ended his four years with 1,426 points and 1,032 rebounds.

*****************************************************

NBA

Andre Iguodala signs six-year contract with 76ers - by Eurobasket News
Philadelphia announced signing of Andre Iguodala (6'6''-G-84, college: Arizona) on a six-year contract worth 80 million dollars. Thus 76ers resolved a big problem with re-signing of restricted free agent, which helped them to reach the play-off for the first time over the past three years. Iguodala played 82 regular season games in 07/08 averaging 19.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 4.8 apg and 2.1 spg. His numbers decreased during the play-off against Detroit. For 6 games he had 13.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 5 apg. It was fourth Iguodala's season in Philadelphia. At the same time it was his best one. In 07/08 he also recorded magnificent digits having 18.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 5.7 apg and 2 spg for 76 games. Iguodala was a small step away from the award at NBA All-Star Game Slam Dunk Contest 2006 when he reached the final. He came from University of Arizona in 2004. At his second season year, which was at the same time his last one at Arizona, Iguodala averaged 12.7 ppg, 8.6 rpg and 5 apg.

Louis Amundson (6'9''-F-82, college: UNLV) is the new player of Phoenix Suns. He spent last season together with Iguodala in 76ers playing only 16 games. He had a way better 06/07 when he played for Utah Jazz. At that time he appeared 25 times in regular season adding 11.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg and 2.5 bpg. In March 2007 he joined 76ers and later extended contract for one more year.

Olympic Games: USA too much for Germany touching 106 - by Eurobasket News
USA - Germany 106-57

What to say for another impressive victory by USA on the Olympic Games in Beijing. This time Dirk Nowitzki (6'11''-F-78) and his teammates were faced with powerful Dream Team, which ended first stage with perfect score 5-0. In the quarterfinals USA will meet fourth ranked team from Group A - Australia. Germany finished the Olympics with score 1-4, what was not enough for the next stage.

After opening five minutes it already was clear that this will be another easy one for USA Dream Team. After Dwight Howard's (6'10''-F-85) basket it was 16-3 for USA. During the following 5 minutes it became even bigger, 31-12. Dirk Nowitzki and Jan-Hendrik Jagla (7'0''-F-81, agency: Priority Sports, college: Penn St.) were the only one which succeeded to compete against strong Americans but of course it was not enough. At the middle of third period USA set the margin on huge 28, what happened after triple by LeBron James (6'8''-F-84). Last ten minutes of the game were just a formality and the only good question was how big difference it will be at the end. USA closed this game making 19-4 run for the final plus 49.

This time it was Dwight Howard who recorded the best digits for Dream Team. He spent 19 minutes on court nailing 22 points and grabbing 10 boards. He had 9 of 10 for FG2 and 4 of 9 from the free throw line. LeBron James was behind him with 18 while Kobe Bryant (6'6''-G-78) scored 13 points. Dwyane Wade (6'4''-G-82, college: Marquette) and Chris Paul (6'0''-G-85, college: Wake Forest) netted 10 points apiece. Germany once again got the most from Dirk Nowitzki, who stopped on 14 points and 8 rebounds. Jan-Hendrik Jagla also was good adding 10 points and 6 boards.

USA - Germany 106-57
(31-12, 22-17, 30-17, 23-11)

USA: Dwight Howard 22 (10 rebs), LeBron James 18, Kobe Bryant 13, Dwyane Wade 10 (4 rebs), Chris Paul 10
Germany: Dirk Nowitzki 14 (8 rebs), Jan-Hendrik Jagla 10 (6 rebs)

*****************************************************

NCAA1

St. Bonaventure - Simmons to miss freshman season - by Eurobasket News
St. Bonaventure head coach Mark Schmidt announced this afternoon that freshman Marquise Simmons will redshirt the 2008-09 season due to a unforeseen family emergency and is expecting to start classes in January.

A native of Washington, D.C., Simmons is one of nine newcomers on this year's team.

'It's unfortunate that Marquise won't be able to play this season,' said Schmidt. 'We fully support his decision to report to school for the second semester and we're looking forward to having him join our basketball family.'

Simmons' range of abilities was on full display during his senior season at Central in which he averaged 20 points and eight boards per game. For his efforts, he was named to the All-County second team and was an honorable mention All-Met choice by the Washington Post. Simmons capped his high school career by playing for the Capital All-Stars squad in the 35th Annual Under Armour Capital Classic.

Courtesy of www.ncaa.com

Kevin Mondro named Loyola assistant coach - by Eurobasket News
Former University of Detroit Mercy coach Kevin Mondro has been named assistant coach at Loyola University Chicago, Ramblers head coach Jim Whitesell announced today. Mondro spent the past 11 years as part of the staff at Detroit, and for part of the 2007-08 season, served as interim head coach.

'Kevin was a big part of Detroit's success over the last decade, helping teams to postseason play four times, and he is very knowledgeable about the Horizon League,' Whitesell said. 'I have always had a tremendous amount of respect for (former Detroit coach) Perry Watson and his program. While being able to help our recruiting efforts in the Midwest, Kevin also understands the value of a Jesuit education and in addition to being well-respected, will be well-liked by our players and fans. Having Kevin as part of our staff is a wonderful addition and we welcome him and his wife, Liza, to the Loyola family.'

At Detroit, Mondro worked primarily with the Titans' perimeter players and his influence helped current Philadelphia 76ers guard Willie Green earn Horizon League Player of the Year accolades in 2003. In addition to his on-the-court coaching, Mondro played an active role in scouting and in scheduling, while also serving as the staff's recruiting coordinator and director of the Perry Watson Basketball Camp.

After beginning his post-playing career as the director of basketball operations at Detroit, Mondro was elevated to assistant coach, before assuming associate head coach duties. Last season, Mondro served as interim head coach for 16 games for the Titans and helped mold guard Jon Goode into a Second Team All-Horizon League performer. During his tenure on the Detroit staff, he helped the Titans to a pair of NCAA Tournament berths (1998 and 1999) and two appearances in the National Invitation Tournament (2001 and 2002).

A walk-on at Detroit, Mondro played for three seasons with the Titans before an injury sidelined him for his senior campaign.

Courtesy of www.ncaa.com

Ed Tyson will not return to UMES next season - by Eurobasket News
University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Head Coach Frankie Allen announced this morning that starting guard Ed Tyson (6'2''-G-86) will not return to the team this upcoming season.

'Tyson has rendered himself academically ineligible and will no longer be part of the men's basketball program,' said Allen.

Tyson, an All-Mid Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Second Team member, averaged a conference best 20.2 points per game while starting in all 32 games for the Hawks last season. He also led the team with 54 steals, 1,176 minutes, 219 field goals and 73 three-pointers.

Tyson entered the school's 1,000 point club on December 22, 2007 against Navy. His 646 total points in 2007-08 rank him second all-time for points in a season behind Ken 'Chick' Simmons who scored 669 in 1978.

The 6-2, 200-pound senior guard will remain in school to concentrate on academics. UMES must now face the challenge of filling the void left by his departure.

'We will assess the situation but I believe we have the nucleus in place with all the young talent we brought in to help this program move forward,' said Allen.

Allen will have no further comments on the issue.

UMES will now start to prepare for the upcoming season which kicks off with Hawk Hysteria on October 17.

Courtesy of www.cstv.com

Purdue ends Australian Tour with loss - by Eurobasket News
The competition was what the Boilermakers had wanted for their final test of the 2008 Australian tour, but the result was not as Purdue fell to the Cairns Taipans by the score of 116-110.

Purdue ended the five-game tour with a record of 2-3, 1-3 against teams in the top professional league in Australia - the National Basketball League.

'This was definitely not how we wanted to end this trip,' head coach Matt Painter said. 'While this was a talented opponent, I thought we had the ability to take it to them and win this game. Overall, our effort just wasn't there.'

The Boilermakers were hit hard in the first period, falling behind 32-19 late in the period before closing out the quarter with a seven-point deficit, 33-26. Purdue would continually chip away at the Taipans' lead throughout the game, but every Boiler run was answered by the host and then some.

A 15-0 Cairns run in the opening 3:30 of the fourth quarter put the Boilermakers behind by a game-high 20 points before Robbie Hummel began banging in threes. Hummel scored Purdue's first 11 points in the final quarter, helping the Boilers close to within four points in the final minute. However, a must-foul situation led to the Taipans' ability to hold off Purdue in the closing seconds.
Cairns scored the first bucket of the game and never trailed from that point, seeing the game tied only once at 12-12.

'When you play a professional team, or any team with the experience of the team we played tonight, you have to play within the construct of a team,' Painter said. 'Tonight, we had too many instances of guys trying to do things outside of their abilities. We have to play our game and within our abilities if we are going to win - whether that is against an Australian pro team of a team in the Big Ten.'

E'Twaun Moore led all scorers with 26 points, ending the five-game tour with an average of 27.0 points per contest. JaJuan Johnson added 21 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, giving the sophomore his third double-double of the tour. Hummel was the third Boilermaker to eclipse the 20-point plateau, scoring 20 while adding seven boards, five assists and five steals.

Purdue returns to West Lafayette on Sunday, August 17, following the 10-day trip Down Under. The Boilermakers begin classes on Monday, August 25, and open the 2008-09 season with their first exhibition game on Halloween night. The complete 2008-09 schedule is expected to be released later this week.

Courtesy of www.ncaa.com

*****************************************************

NCAA2

Kevin Bettencourt named assistant coach at Bentley - by Eurobasket News
Kevin Bettencourt, a 2006 graduate of Bucknell University and a former assistant coach at Salem State, has been named an assistant coach at Bentley, coach Jay Lawson announced.

Bettencourt, who hails from Peabody, joins a program that has enjoyed great success in recent years. The Falcons were 34-1 last year, are 66-2 over the last two seasons (with both losses coming in the Elite Eight) and have won their last 54 straight regular season contests, a Division II national record. Bentley has won an unprecedented four straight Northeast-10 regular season titles, and was ranked number one in Division II in the final 14 polls last winter.

Bettencourt is no stranger to success himself. While at Bucknell, he was the 2003 Patriot League Rookie of the Year and a three-time second-team All-Patriot League selection. He was a two-year team captain and was chosen as the NCAA Chevrolet Player of the Game in NCAA tournament wins over both Kansas in 2005 and Arkansas the following year.

Bettencourt finished his career fourth in Bucknell history in scoring, with 1,577 points, and his 294 career three pointers is not only a Bison record, but the second most in Patriot League annals.

Bettencourt , who has worked Bentley's summer camp annually since 2002, began his coaching career at his alma mater, Peabody High, during the 2006-07 season, serving as an assistant coach. For the last two years, he's also been a teacher at Peabody, where he is the program's all-time leading scorer. Bettencourt moved into college coaching last year, helping Salem State to a 21-7 record and an NCAA tournament berth.

'Kevin is an excellent addition to our program and staff,' said Lawson. 'Though he's new to the coaching profession, his successful basketball background as a player and leader should transfer quickly as he gains experience. He was a very smart and competitive player who already has an excellent vision of the game and now needs to build a similar foundation as a coach. We are very excited about his potential and look forward to assisting him as he makes the move from full-time teacher to full-time coach.'

Bentley opens its season Nov. 7-9 at the Disney Division II Tip-Off Classic.

Courtesy of www.bentley.edu

*****************************************************

NCAA3

Randolph-Macon complete Encestando Una Sonrisa tournament in Chile - by Eurobasket News
Randolph-Macon played four more games on their Chilean tour. This time the college hoopsters took part in the annual Encestando Una Sonrisa tournament with professional teams from Argentina, Brazil and Chile participating. The Yellow Jackets opened the competition against Argentinean Atenas and suffered their first defeat on the tour. Atenas played physical and aggressive basketball and managed to pull out a difficult 74:62 victory. Danny Jones scored 22 points for the Yellow Jackets. Boris Varela (6'7''-F-85) had 7 points and 9 boards in defeat.
Next Randolph-Macon took on ULBRA from Brazil and suffered a heavy beating 71:98. The Brazilian powerhouse dominated the game piling up a 13-point lead after the starting period. The things did not brighten up for the college team in the second period as ULBRA stretched the margin to as many as 21 at the interval. The Yellow Jackets never recovered in the latter stages and suffered their second straight defeat at the competition. Justin Short netted 15 points for Randolph-Macon. Andre Hunter added 11 points, while Boris Varela tallied 10 in defeat.
Finally Randolph-Macon delivered the win on the third day of the competition. They held off Chilean Catolica 72:57 for the initial success at the event. Kevin Voelkel dropped 13 points to pace the college basketballers. Jordan Brown and Danny Jones contributed 10 points each.
However the winning streak was quickly snapped as Randolph-Macon lost to Chile league leaders Concepcion 63:80 in the final round of action. Danny Jones knocked down 19 points but it was not enough to spark the intrigue. Chilean native Boris Varela had 9 points and 5 rebounds in defeat.

*****************************************************

NEW ZEALAND

Sean Marks not re-signed by Phoenix Suns - by Kahn Hart
Sean Marks (208-F-75, college: California) will be looking for a new team for the upcoming season after his former team, the Phoenix Suns decided to sign free agent forward Louis Amundson (205-F-82, college: UNLV) to fill their last remaining roster spot. It is likely Marks will end up signing with another NBA team or a team in Europe, he is a player with experience on winning teams who will be seen as a good locker room influence for any team. Marks has 8 years NBA experience and is only 32 years old which is not too old by basketball standards so he definitely has a few years left in him. In the past Sean Marks has expressed interest in returning to New Zealand to join up with the New Zealand Breakers, while the Breakers currently have a full roster there is a possibility the team may look to approach him next season.

*****************************************************

NICARAGUA

Tigres lead Finals 3-1 - by Gianni Pascucci
After winning Game 3, Tigres de la UdeM defeated 72-69 Tiburones-Bancentro and now need of only another win to become the ACB Champions for the first time in their history. The hero of Game 4 was Martin Amador (193-F-75), who scored 20 points to lead Tigres to the win, well assisted by import Keyshawn Reed (183-G-84), with 17 pts and by Jason Walters (196-G-71, college: Mt.Senario), with 13. The best in Tiburones were Carlos Gonzalez (177-G-80) with 20 and Johnny Lampson (198-F/C-80) with 13. Game 5 will be played tomorrow night.

Fupade Coast wins Premier League and travels to El Salvador - by Gianni Pascucci
Thanks to PinoleroSports.com website, we can say that Fupade Coast-Super Santiago won last week the 'Premier League', organized by the Nicaraguan Basketball Federation (FENIBAL) and immediately traveled to El Salvador to meet the local National Team for some test matches. The first game ended 83-58 for Fupade Coast, with Richard Hawking (183-G-82) topping the scorers at 24 and Alvin Camacho (191-G/F-78) adding 20 at the winning side.

*****************************************************

NIGERIA

Ebun Comets 7 others battle for honours. In First Deepwater Battle for Supremacy - by Olusegun Ikuesan
First Deepwater Discovery Limited a company committed to the upliftment of the game of basketball in Nigeria is set to drag eight top teams in the country to the Sports hall of the University of Lagos in a three-day tournament tagged Battle for Supremacy

According to the tournament head of organizing committee, Adenike Carew the event will have four male and four female teams jostling for the prize money.

The Bounce Naija crooner told our correspondent the First Deepwater Discovery boss, Babatunde Babalola is happy with the response of the eight teams invited for the tournament.

She gave the names of the teams as Ebun Comets and Union Bank basketball clubs of Lagos, Niger Potters of Minna and Kano Pillars for the men and reigning Zenith Bank Women league champion, First Bank basketball club of Lagos, Dolphin also of Lagos, Delta Force of Asana and Sunshine Angels of Akure as teams for the women category.

The former board member of the Lagos State Basketball Association further disclosed that all the teams will be accommodated and receive a handsome package as participation fee.

The three-day tournament is billed to hold between August 28 through 30 at the sports hall of the UNILAG Sports Centre, Akoka, Lagos.Chioma Udeaja (191-F/C-84, agency: Prime Select Sports)

*****************************************************

OLYMPIC GAMES

Standings

Group A
1. Lithuania		4-1
2. Argentina		4-1
3. Australia		3-2
4. Croatia		3-2
5. Russia		1-4
6. Iran		0-5
Group B
1. USA		5-0
2. Spain		4-1
3. Greece		3-2
4. China		2-3
5. Germany		1-4
6. Angola		0-5

*****************************************************

POLAND

PORTUGAL

Finland U16 stormed past Portugal U16 on Day 4 - by Eurobasket News
Finland U16 stormed past Portugal U16 on Day 4 of the European Championship. Sarajevo saw a 69:43 victory of the Scandinavian team over the hot country. Finland U16 opened the game with 21:5 and always remained in front. They also won the other quarters to seal the third win in the group. Villematti Kopio (173-G-92) paced all the winners with 25 points and 5 rebounds. Heinikoski netted 10, while Dolenc scored 8. Wildner nailed 8 points for Portugal U16 and Cunha had 7.

Portugal U16-Finland U16 43:69
Portugal U16: Wildner 8, Cunha 7
Finland U16: Villematti Kopio 25+5 rebs, Heinikoski 10, Dolenc 8

Porto sign foreign player - by Luis Rocha
Kevin Martin a powerfull center is the new signing of Porto to play LPB. The roster is being completed, and now Martin comes to make the diference in the paint for his new team. Things seem about to be nearly done in Porto, and in other clubs for the contrary, things are not at all decided. Porto will surely hire 2 more foreign players, because as usual they will go for the title. Coach Matos will be inside the market and in a few days some news will rise.

*****************************************************

ROMANIA

Romania U16 fell at 1-3 in Group C - by Eurobasket News
Slovenia U16 edged Romania U16 91:64 on Day 3 of at the European Championship in Division B. The team achieved another two victories in European Championship Men Division B. Slovenia U16 moved to the top position in Group C and now has 4-0 record. Romania U16 however was too good in the beginning of the game when they proposed 20:15 after the first period. Slovenia U16 replied with 20:13 in the second and achieved the win mostly due to the second half. Korosec top-scored for the winners with 17 points. Luka Rupnik (180-G-93) netted 14 and Pavlovic added 13. Romanian side was led by Parlog who posted 15 points.
England U16 had another easy win but again struggled in the first half. Romania U16 played tough in the first two quarters trailing only 9 points at the half time. England U16 held them to 19:2 in the third quarter to benefit from the game. Van Nes led the winners with 12 points and 9 rebounds to 65:35 victory. Loftman and Van Oostrum followed him with 10 points as their team improved to 2-2. Foalea top-scored for Romania with 14 points and Parlog had 7.

Slovenia U16-Romania U16 91:64
Slovenia U16: Korosec 17, Luka Rupnik 14, Pavlovic 13
Romania U16: Parlog 15, Mogosanu 12

Romania U16-England U16 35:65
Romania U16: Foalea 14, Parlog 7
England U16: Van Nes 12+9 rebs, Loftman 10, Van Oostrum 10

*****************************************************

RUSSIA

Jannero Pargo officialy joins Dynamo Moscow, UNICS Kazan inks Fedor Likholitov - by Eurobasket News
Dynamo Moscow officially announced signing of Jannero Pargo (187-G-79, agency: Priority Sports, college: Arkansas), who is another NBAer which left USA this summer. Pargo arrives from New Orleans Hornets where he had 8.1 ppg and 2.4 apg in 80 regular season games. Later, in play-off Pargo increased his numbers to 10.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg and 2.3 spg. Except of the Hornets, Pargo was a member of Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakes in the past. Season 06/07 also was a good one for Pargo. He had 82 regular season games adding 9.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg and 2.5 apg. Interesting is that this summer Dynamo already agreed terms with Hollis Price, Arriel McDonald, Sergey Bykov and Travis Hansen.

Big guy Fedor Likholitov (210-C-80, college: Va Commonwealth) is a new player of UNICS Kazan. He played last two years in Triumph Luybersty (first one it was Dynamo Moscow Region) averaging 6.5 ppg and 4 rpg at his last one. Before Triumph, Likholitov spent two seasons in Dynamo Moscow, winning the ULEB Cup in 2006. He didn't have so many chances to play as he added 3.8 ppg and 2.9 rpg for 10 ULEB Cup games. Likholitov also has experience from Greece, where he played another two seasons as a member of Aris Thessaloniki. Those two years were very successful as the team won FIBA Champions Cup as well as Greek National Cup. Likholitov graduated at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2002.

Gordan Giricek arrives to Triumph, Enisey extends four players - by Eurobasket News
After signing of 1+1 deal worth 6 million euros with Serbian center Nenad Krstic (213-C-83), Triumph Lyubertsy grabbed another NBA player. It is Croat Gordan Giricek (197-G-77), who put signature on one-year deal. During this season Giricek will earn 2.5 million euros. Giricek is coming from Phoenix Suns with 5.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg and 1.1 apg for 56 games last season in total. He started it in Utah Jazz but in December he was traded to 76ers for Kyle Korver. Finally in March he joined the Suns. Giricek already has nice experience from Russia. He played for CSKA Moscow on season 01/02 draining 22.9 ppg for 18 Euroleague games. After that season he moved to USA. At the first point he played for Memphis Grizzlies and later for Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz. The best digits in NBA Giricek registered as a player of Orlando Magic. He ended that season having 14.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.5 apg and 1.1 spg for 27 games in Orlando's jersey. His biggest achievement in NBA is the final of Western Conference in 07.

Enisey Krasnoyarsk extended contract with four players: Dmitri Dogadin (200-F-81), Evgeni Kurilov (191-G-76), Sergei Chudinovskih (194-G-81) and Aleksandr Anisimov (185-G-86). As a reminder the team inked Dmitri Nikolaev (200-F-83) at the beginning of August.

Olympic Games: Another victory for Argentina and another disappointment for Russia - by Eurobasket News
Argentina - Russia 91-79

Argentina registered fourth victory on the Olympic Games in Beijing. Despite everything was already known before this game, Argentineans played as much as they need in order to take it. Defending Olympic champion goes to the quarterfinals as a second ranked team in Group A and it will take on third team from Group B which is Greece. On the other hand, Russians totally disappointed their fans this summer finishing the Olympics already at the Preliminary Stage.

Argentina showed much better performance during the opening ten minutes ending it 27-16. Luis Scola (206-F/C-80) and Andres Nocioni (199-F-79) were the leading players for their team in this period. After two free throws by Luis Scola in 15th minute, Argentina stretched lead to 39-24. Very soon Andrei Kirilenko (205-F-81) and J.R. Holden (185-G-76, college: Bucknell) stepped up for Russia and together with their teammates made 15-2 run for 41-39. However, Argentina quickly answered with mini 4-0 series taking 6-point lead at the half time. Argentineans once again made bigger lead and it was 61-45 at the middle of third quarter but Russia melted it to 72-64 before the last frame. Russians came really close on 73-72, after Andrei Kirilenko's free throws in 33rd minute, but Luis Scola and Emanuel Ginobili (198-G-77, agency: Interperformances) led crucial 12-3 run resolving the question about the winner.

Center Luis Scola was totally unstoppable in this game. He played the entire time pouring in fantastic 37 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. Andres Nocioni also shined for the winning team adding 19 points and 9 rebounds while Emanuel Ginobili stopped on 12 points and 4 assists. Pablo Prigioni (186-G-77) helped Argentina recording double-double, 11 points and 10 assists. Andrei Kirilenko was the best in Russia collecting 23 points and 9 rebounds. J.R. Holden followed him with 19 points and 5 assists.

Argentina - Russia 91-79
(27-16, 18-23, 27-25, 19-15)

Argentina: Luis Scola 37 (8 rebs), Andres Nocioni 19 (9 rebs), Emanuel Ginobili 12 (4 as), Pablo Prigioni 11 (10 as)
Russia: Andrei Kirilenko 23 (9 rebs), J.R. Holden 9 (5 as)

Russia earn third straight win in Sulmona - by Eurobasket News
Russia U16 - Georgia U16 69:60

Russia grabbed a narrow win against Georgia yesterday to deliver the third consecutive victory at the preliminary action in Group D. Thus Russian team advanced to the Qualifying Round with 2-0 record. Georgia in the meantime failed to succeed and was sent to Classification round to fight for the 13th-16th spots. Dmitry Kulagin (194-G-92) poured in 19 points to lead Russia. Alexander Varnakov (184-G-92) added 15 points and 6 boards, while Viktor Zaryazhko (198-F-92) had 9 points and 13 boards for the winners. Merab Bokolishvili (197-G/F-92) secured 21 points for Georgia. He however failed to deliver a single point in the final quarter.
Russia looked just better in the first period and clinched a 16:13 lead after ten minutes of action. Georgia would not go away in the second frame and using a 12:6 run late in the period they established a 30:26 advantage at halftime. The teams traded baskets in the third stanza with the lead changing hands and the outcome unknown. Nodar Tenieshvili (195-F-92) drained a three-pointer to put Georgia in charge 60:59 with just over 4 minutes left. However Dmitry Kulagin responded with a trey of his own to fuel a 10:0 rally that crowned the game and brought victory to Russia. The winners dominated the boards 47:33 and forced Georgia to 20 turnovers. Russia notched 41% from the field, while limiting their opponents to 35% accuracy.

Russia U16: Dmitry Kulagin 19, Alexander Varnakov 15, Viktor Zaryazhko 9+13 boards
Georgia U16: Merab Bokolishvili 21, Nodar Tenieshvili 9

*****************************************************

SERBIA

Latest market news - by Dragan Jankovski

After two years Marko Djerasimovic (200-F-84) parted ways with FMP Zeleznik. He joined the team in 2006 from Zdravlje Leskovac as a top scorer of Serbian A1 league. He played 25 games for FMP in Adriatic league adding 5.7 ppg and 1.9 rpg. He also had 14 games in Superleague as well as 7 games in ULEB Cup. His biggest achievement is trophy in Serbian National Cup, which FMP won in 2007. Before FMP and Zdravlje, Djerasimovic played for Zastava Kragujevac, where he grew up as a player.

The most pleasant surprise from the last season Vizura from Belgrade got two acquisitions for the upcoming one. Director of the team Aleksandar Subara announced that the club agreed terms with Stefan Atanackovic (195-G-84) and Milan Vucicevic (206-F/C-85). Atanackovic played last season for Bosnian team Borac Nektar from Banja Luka, which was the finalist of Bosnian National Cup. Before that, he used to play one season in BC Beograd and two years in Sloga Kraljevo. Vucicevic started last season in Greek A2 team Age Halkidas while in January he moved to Budivelnik Kyiv from Ukraine. In the past he played one year in Polish team Unia Tarnow as well as for Serbian teams Ribnica and Masinac Kraljevo.

Crvena Zvezda is without a head coach yet. Bozidar Maljkovic definitely announced that he won't lead Red-and-whites next season. General Manager of the team Milan Opacic announced that Zvezda will have another negotiations with Svetislav Pesic, what would be a reall boom on Zvezda's bench. According to Pesic's interview for Serbian media his arrival to Belgrade is under the big question mark.

'I am glad that people from Crvena Zvezda are interested for my services but I already have some plans for the near future. I respect their wish but...' said Svetislav Pesic.

On the other hand management of Crvena Zvezda still beleive that they will reach an agreement with well respected Serbian coach.

*****************************************************

SLOVAKIA

Slovak Republic U16 drops to 1-3 record in Group A - by Eurobasket News
Slovak Republic U16 lost two games in European Championship Men Division B over the last two days. The team moved to the bottom positions in Group A and now has 1-3 record.
In August 17th Belgium U16 stun Slovak Republic U16 81:51. It was an easy start for the winners that shocked the opponents with 23:5 in the opening quarter. The game was almost even in the next three quarters, but Belgium U16 remained in front and never looked behind. They finished the game with 19:13 in the last period to seal another win in the group. Amaury Gorgemans (202-C-92) led the winners with 20 points. Daniel Hartshorne (206-C-57, college: Oregon) netted 13, while Goetgeluck posted 11. Luley top-scored with 16 points in defeat and Galata added 9.
Vitali Liutych (190-G-92) was unstoppable with 31 points and 12 rebounds for Belarus U16 in Day 4. Slovak Republic U16 struggled hard but did not find an answer for the hot player. Skamarokhau netted 12 and Strukau scored 9 in a 81:61 victory. Luley top-scored for the Slovak team with 17 points and 8 rebounds. Belarus U16 improved to 2-2, while Slovak Republic U16 dropped to 1-3.

Belgium U16- Slovak Republic U16 81:51
Belgium U16: Amaury Gorgemans 20, Daniel Hartshorne 13, Goetgeluck 11
Slovak Republic U16: Luley 16, Galata 9

Slovak Republic U16-Belarus U16 61:81
Slovak Republic U16: Luley 17+8 rebs, Sveda 9
Belarus U16: Vitali Liutych 31+12 rebs, Skamarokhau 12, Strukau 9

*****************************************************

SLOVENIA

Slovenia U16 becomes a leader of Group C - by Eurobasket News
Slovenia U16 edged Romania U16 91:64 on Day 3 of at the European Championship in Division B. The team achieved another two victories in European Championship Men Division B. Slovenia U16 moved to the top position in Group C and now has 4-0 record. Romania U16 however was too good in the beginning of the game when they proposed 20:15 after the first period. Slovenia U16 replied with 20:13 in the second and achieved the win mostly due to the second half. Korosec top-scored for the winners with 17 points. Luka Rupnik (180-G-93) netted 14 and Pavlovic added 13. Romanian side was led by Parlog who posted 15 points.
Slovenia U16 became the leader of Group C as the team overcame another team from the top Bulgaria U16. Slovenia U16 was too good in the end of the game producing 28:19. It gave them 79:70 as a total and 4-0 record in the group. Brodnik and Besedic led the winners with 14 points each. Luznar followed them with 12 points keeping Slovenia undefeated. Planimir Dafinov (178-G-92) top-scored for Bulgaria with 14 points and 7 rebounds, Sirakov and Ivanov supported him with 13 apiece.

Slovenia U16-Romania U16 91:64
Slovenia U16: Korosec 17, Luka Rupnik 14, Pavlovic 13
Romania U16: Parlog 15, Ovidiu Mogosanu (-92) 12

Bulgaria U16- Slovenia U16 70:79
Bulgaria U16: Planimir Dafinov 14+7 rebs, Sirakov 13, Ivanov 13
Slovenia U16: Brodnik 14, Besedic 14, Luznar 12

Provisional rosters - by Zeljko Zule
UNION OLIMPIJA: #6 Vlado Ilievski, #7 Damjan Rudez, #8 Jaka Klobucar, #9 Vladimir Golubovic, #11 Dejan Radojevic, #12 Marko Milic, #13 Jasmin Hukic, #15 Mirza Begic, #16 Mirza Sarajlija, #20 Maurice Bailey, #23 Matic Sirnik, #24 Miha Zupan, #31 Saso Ozbolt. Coach: Aleksandar Dzikic. Assistant: Gasper Potocnik.
HELIOS: Domen Zerak, Vjeko Petrovic, Nick Jacobson, Alwin Snow, Zeljko Zagorac, Miha Zalokar, Jure Mocnik, Sanel Bajramlic, Ziga Zagorc, Matej Krusic, Aleksei Lashkevich, Igor Tratnik. Coach: Rade Mijanovic. Assistants: Rado Trifunovic, Predrag Radovic.
KRKA: Simon Petrov, Smiljan Pavic, Davor Marcelic, Jure Balazic, Marko Rakocevic, Stanko Sebic, Rene Zvan, Bojan Krivec.
ZLATOROG: Nejc Strnad, Ante Masic, Edin Alispahic, Salih Nuhanovic, Luka Dimec, Uros Lucic, Milos Miljkovic, Luka Zitko. Coach: Ales Pipan. Assistant: Sebastjan Krasevec.
GEOPLIN SLOVAN: Andrej Macek, Dejan Grkovic, Milan Klepo, Mitja Nikolic-Smrdelj, Uros Zadnik, Dejan Mlakar, Jan Vesely, Zoran Dragic, Sinisa Bilic, Dejan Cigoja. Coach: Mirsad Alilovic. Assistant: Andrej Zakelj.
LUKA KOPER: Miha Cmer, Grega Nachbar, Emanuel Richter, Miha Markic, Ivan Drzic, Jure Janicijevic, Miha Mofardin, Ivan Simunic, Denis Toroman, Jernej Mihalic, Drazen Bubnic, Ales Kunc. Coach: Ivan Stanisak. Assistant: Kostantin Subotic.
ELEKTRA ESOTECH: Ernest Novak, Nikola Ivanovic, Tadej Horvat, Benjamin Hostnikar, Brane Lekic, Ziga Mravljak, Gregor Bujan, Luka Golez, Denis Cosic. Coach: Bojan Cerar. Assistant: Franci Rupreht.
ALPOS SENTJUR: Armin Avdibegovic, Tadej Ferme, Tadej Jug, Aldin Kadic, Luka Lapornik, Urban Palcnik, Anze Pelc, Robert Ribezl, Asmir Sadibasic, Milan Sebic. Coach: Bostjan Kocar. Assistant: Stane Ozbej.
HOPSI POLZELA: Rajko Rituper, Jernej Kobale, Andrej Podvrsnik, Nejc Vodovnik, Uros Godler, Lovro Hren, Bostjan Stravs, Miha Vasl, Klemen Breze, Daniel Vujasinovic, Klemen Lorbek, Filip Pavlovic, Shawn King. Coach: Bostjan Kuhar.
NOVA GORICA: Marko Marcetic, Dalibor Petrovic, Dejan Cikic, Rok Perko, Habib Ademi. Coach: Dejan Gasparin.

*****************************************************

SOUTH AMERICAN CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS

Standings

8 Standings

1. Boca Jrs		4-1
2. Minas		4-1
3. Penarol		3-2
4. Duros		2-3
5. Universo/BRB		2-3
6. D.San Jose		0-5

*****************************************************

SOUTH KOREA

KBL MVP Reggie Okosa stays at Dongbu Promy - by Eurobasket
KBL Champion Dongbu Promy re-signed for next season 28-year old Nigerian/American power forward Reggie Okosa (206-F/C-80, college: La Salle, agency: Passing Lane). Okosa was voted KBL Player of the Year by Asia-Basket.com. He got also awards of Import Player of the Year and Center of the Year. He averaged 18.4ppg and was second best rebounder in KBL with 12.3 boards per game. Okosa has lots of experience playing pro basketball for 6 years. He played in the leagues in Chile, Argentina, Germany and China, before arriving to Korea.

*****************************************************

SPAIN

DKV Joventut inks Bracey Wright - by Eurobasket News
DKV Joventut announced signing of shooting guard Bracey Wright (191-G-84, college: Indiana) on a one-year contract. Wright arrives from Aris TT Bank, which demonstrated pretty good performance last season reaching TOP 16 for the second time in a row. He appeared 18 times in elite European club competition averaging 14.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg and 1.3 apg. Wright also played 26 games in Greek A1 league adding 13.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg and 1.8 apg. Later, Aris wasn't strong enough to book a spot for Euroleague. The team lost in the play-off quarterfinals 1-2 against Maroussi. Wright possesses NBA experience as he played for Minnesota Timberwolves from 2005-2007. Actually, during this period he was transferred few times to D-league team Florida Flame. At his second year with Timberwolves Wright had 19 NBA regular season games averaging 3.5 ppg and 1.1 rpg. He graduated at Indiana University in 2005.

Former member of Spanish National Team Rodrigo De La Fuente (200-F-76, agency: Interperformances, college: Washington) extended contract with Lottomatica Roma until the end of 09/10 season. He arrived to Roma in January this year from Benetton Treviso. He appeared 10 times in Euroleague recording 5.9 ppg and 3.7 rpg. In 28 Serie A games he had 8.5 ppg and 4.6 rpg. Lottomatica managed to reach the play-off final but Montepaschi stopped it defending the championship title. De la Fuente was a member of Barcelona since 1998 and for the first time he left Spanish powerhouse last year. He won four titles in ACB with Barca as well as Radivoj Korac Cup and Euroleague in 2003. That's not all as De la Fuente also grabbed two Silvers with Spanish National Team on European Championships in 1999 and 2003.

Spain hold off Ukraine, both make it to the Qualifying Round - by Eurobasket News
Spain U16 - Ukraine U16 82:56

Spanish U16 National Team secured their second straight win at the European Championship in Italy. They dismantled Ukraine in the second half of yesterdays clash to improve to 2-1 record in Group B. Ukraine slipped to 1-2 record but still made it to the next round of the competition. Joan Tomas (200-F-92) propelled Spain with 24 points and 10 boards. Olexandr Mishula (185-G-92) answered with 19 points for Ukraine in defeat. The teams exchanged the blows in the first half with neither side having advantage. Olexandr Mishula and Kostyantyn Anikiyenko (214-C-92) gave Ukraine a 16:13 lead after the starting period and they maintained it throughout the second frame. Spain trailed by 2 points at halftime 27:29 but quickly recovered after the long break. Joan Tomas nailed 8 points during a 13:0 rally and Spain surged ahead 40:29 early in the third period. Tomas completed his 16-point third-frame tally and Spain cleared off to a 20-point distance. Ukraine were unable to recover and suffered their second loss in a row. Pedro Farina (196-F-92) scored 11 points and pulled down 6 rebounds for the winners. Vyacheslav Bobrov (201-F-92) had 10 points and 13 boards for Ukraine. Ukraine dominated the boards 44:38 and shot 37% from the field. However they committed unforgivable 33 turnovers down the stretch and had to surrender at the end.

Spain U16: Joan Tomas 24+10 boards, Pedro Farina 11, Francisco Blanco (203-C-92) 7, Javier De Pinto (193-F-92) 7
Ukraine U16: Olexandr Mishula 19, Vyacheslav Bobrov 10+13 boards

*****************************************************

SWEDEN

Sweden U16 remains undefeated - by Eurobasket News
Sweden U16 remains undefeated at the European Championship in Sarajevo. Sweden U16 achieved another victory in Division B and now has 3-0 record. A 20-3 in the third quarter was too much for Ireland U16 that gave up in the game. Sweden U16 won the third game 80:48 and sent Irish squad to 0-2 record. Atli Antonsson top-scored for the winners with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Melinder posted 12, while Reynisson collected 10 points and 10 rebounds. Kevin Lucey (193-F/C) ended up with 17 points in defeat, Murphy and James added 9 each.

Ireland U16-Sweden U16 48:80
Ireland U16: Kevin Lucey 17, Murphy 9, James 9
Sweden U16: Atli Antonsson 19+11 rebs, Melinder 12, Reynisson 10+10 rebs

*****************************************************

TOURNAMENT OF THE AMERICAS

Standings

1. USA		7-0
2. Argentina		6-1
3. Brazil		4-3
4. Canada		3-4
5. P.Rico		3-4
6. Uruguay		2-5
7. Mexico		2-5
8. Venezuela		1-6

*****************************************************

TOURNAMENT OF THE AMERICAS U18

Standings (Men)

Standings

Group A
1. Argentina		3-0
2. Canada		2-1
3. Uruguay		1-2
4. Mexico		0-3
Group B
1. USA		3-0
2. P.Rico		2-1
3. Venezuela		1-2
4. Bahamas		0-3

*****************************************************

TURKEY

Massey and Ilievski better than Turkey on 'Trophy Macedonia' - by Eurobasket News
F.Y.R. of Macedonia advanced to the final of international tournament called 'Trophy Macedonia'. As a reminder Macedonia smashed Romania 100-49 at the opening day.

Turkey had better beginning. After ten minutes it was 20-23 for Hidayet Turkoglu (206-F-79) and his teammates. Macedonians struggled with their stroke in the first half as well as with running the plays, which resulted with 12-16 in the second frame. It means that Turkey had solid 32-39 at the half time. They even touched plus 10 in 13th minute of the game, 20-30. Vlado Ilievski (190-G-80, agency: World Sport Agency) and Jeremiah Massey (202-F-82, college: Kansas St.) woke up after the breather. They led 10-3 run setting the score on 42-44. Hidayet Turkoglu was on fire after that but thanks to Vrbica Stefanov (188-G-73, agency: Interperformances), who made two plus one at the end of third frame, Macedonia remained in the race for the victory, 50-53. Turkey made quick 4-0 at the beginning of last frame making 50-57 but Macedonians didn't give up. Through Jeremiah Massey and Vlado Ilievski they made turn 62-58 with 3:50 remaining. Turkey scored just one point until the end while Macedonia made 5 for the final score 67-59.

Jeremiah Massey led Macedonia to victory adding 25 points and 6 rebounds. Vlado Ilievski was behind him with 17 points, 5 boards and 6 assists. Turkey got the most from Hidayet Turkoglu, who stopped on 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Macedonia will meet Montenegro in the final.

Turkey beat Latvia, clinch top spot in Group C - by Eurobasket News
Turkey U16 - Latvia U16 74:63

Turkish U16 National Team finished the preliminary round action at the European Championship on top of Group C. Enes Kanter (205-C-92) came up with another sizzling performance and Turkey toppled Latvia for the second win at the tournament. Turkey thus advanced to the Qualifying round as the winners of Pool C. Latvia managed to escape relegation games as they occupied the third spot and also stayed in the title race. Sakim and Safak Edge (185-G-92) teamed up for 7 straight points for Turkey late in the opening frame and Latvia appeared trailing by 8 points at the first intermission. Turkey opened the second quarter with an 8:0 run to stretch the margin to 16 points. However Latvia finished the stanza strongly and cut the distance to 6 points at halftime. Sandis Bets (189-G-92), Andris Misters (192-G-92) and Renars Magone (198-F-92) ignited a 13:2 outburst from Latvian team at the beginning of the third quarter as they claimed a 46:41 advantage. Turkey immediately reacted with their own 13:2 rally to regain a 54:48 control over the game before the fourth term. Enes Kanter netted 10 points in the fourth period and Turkey held off Latvia for the second win in Sulmona. Enes Kanter combined for 20 points and 12 boards to pace Turkey. Safak Edge added 12 points, while Burak Yuksel (203-F-92) chipped in 11 for the winners. Edmunds Dukulis (201-F/C-92) notched 17 points and 10 boards for Latvia. Andris Misters secured 12 points in defeat. Turkey outrebounded their opponents 40:35, while both teams committed 18 turnovers. Turkey also sank solid 46% from the field.

Turkey U16: Enes Kanter 20+12 boards, Safak Edge 12, Burak Yuksel 11
Latvia U16: Edmunds Dukulis 17+10 boards, Andris Misters 12

Antalya Buyuksehir Belediye sign Marcus Douthit - by Eurobasket
Antalya Buyuksehir Belediye re-signed 28-year old American power forward Marcus Douthit (211-F/C-80, college: Providence). Douthit played already last season at Turkish team (averaged 13.2ppg, 6.5rpg), where he came from Los Angeles Clippers (NBA), eheer he spent pre-season. He tried very hard to make it to NBA for the last few years, attending verious summer camps. He played already in Europe for Belgian teams Verviers-Pepinster and Spirou Charleroi. He played also in D-League in the States. It will be his fifth season in professional basketball.

*****************************************************

UKRAINE

Spain hold off Ukraine, both make it to the Qualifying Round - by Eurobasket News
Spain U16 - Ukraine U16 82:56

Spanish U16 National Team secured their second straight win at the European Championship in Italy. They dismantled Ukraine in the second half of yesterdays clash to improve to 2-1 record in Group B. Ukraine slipped to 1-2 record but still made it to the next round of the competition. Joan Tomas (200-F-92) propelled Spain with 24 points and 10 boards. Olexandr Mishula (185-G-92) answered with 19 points for Ukraine in defeat. The teams exchanged the blows in the first half with neither side having advantage. Olexandr Mishula and Kostyantyn Anikiyenko (214-C-92) gave Ukraine a 16:13 lead after the starting period and they maintained it throughout the second frame. Spain trailed by 2 points at halftime 27:29 but quickly recovered after the long break. Joan Tomas nailed 8 points during a 13:0 rally and Spain surged ahead 40:29 early in the third period. Tomas completed his 16-point third-frame tally and Spain cleared off to a 20-point distance. Ukraine were unable to recover and suffered their second loss in a row. Pedro Farina (196-F-92) scored 11 points and pulled down 6 rebounds for the winners. Vyacheslav Bobrov (201-F-92) had 10 points and 13 boards for Ukraine. Ukraine dominated the boards 44:38 and shot 37% from the field. However they committed unforgivable 33 turnovers down the stretch and had to surrender at the end.

Spain U16: Joan Tomas 24+10 boards, Pedro Farina 11, Francisco Blanco (203-C-92) 7, Javier De Pinto (193-F-92) 7
Ukraine U16: Olexandr Mishula 19, Vyacheslav Bobrov 10+13 boards

*****************************************************

UNITED KINGDOM

England U16 plays better in the second half - by Eurobasket News
England U16 achieved another two victories in European Championship Men Division B. The team moved to the middle positions in Group C and now has 2-2 record.
England U16 stun Cyprus U16 78:48 on Day 3 of the tournament. The latter remained alive even after the end of the first half. England U16 and Cyprus U16 went to the lockers with only 6 points deficit for the winners. In the second half England U16 pushed the tempo and reached the second win. Hart paced all the winners with 14 points. Blandford posted 11, while Van Oostrum and Adam Geramipoor (204-F-88) netted 10 each. Riginos Kasinopoulos (185-G-92) top-scored in the losing effort with 18 points and Vlachos scored 14.
England U16 had another easy win but again struggled in the first half. Romania U16 played tough in the first two quarters trailing only 9 points at the half time. England U16 held them to 19:2 in the third quarter to benefit from the game. Van Nes led the winners with 12 points and 9 rebounds to 65:35 victory. Loftman and Van Oostrum followed him with 10 points as their team improved to 2-2. Foalea top-scored for Romania with 14 points and Parlog had 7.

England U16-Cyprus U16 78:48
England U16: Hart 14, Blandford 11, Van Oostrum 10, Adam Geramipoor 10+11 rebs
Cyprus U16: Riginos Kasinopoulos 18, Vlachos 14

Romania U16-England U16 35:65
Romania U16: Foalea 14, Parlog 7
England U16: Van Nes 12+9 rebs, Loftman 10, Van Oostrum 10

Petkovic leads Switzerland U16 to 63:40 win - by Eurobasket News
Switzerland U16 achieved another win and another loss in European Championship Men Division B. The team stayed at the middle positions in Group C and now has 2-2 record.
Switzerland U16 overcame Cyprus U16 63:40 in the last game of Day 4 in the group. It was an easy start from the team that opened the game with 24:7 in the opening quarter. Cyprus U16 bounced back with 19:5 to close the game at the half. Switzerland U16 however was stronger in the second half providing 18:10 in the third and 16:4 in the last respectively. Stefan Petkovic (182-G-92) led the winners with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Bozovic supported him with 15 and Savoy posted 8. Riginos Kasinopoulos (185-G-92) was again best in defeat nailing 14 points.
Before that Bulgaria U16 struggled a lot against Switzerland U16 and achieved the win only due to the last period. In the first quarter Switzerland U16 trailed 14:24 however produced 23:10 in the second to have 3 points advantage at the half. Bulgaria U16 recovered with 23:12 in the last to seal the third 67:61 win. Ivanov led the winners with 26 points. Sirakov netted 13, while Dafinov posted 11. Bozovic collected 16 points and 16 rebounds in defeat and Stefan Petkovic scored 12.

Switzerland U16-Bulgaria U16 61:67
Switzerland U16: Bozovic 16+16 rebs, Stefan Petkovic 12
Bulgaria U16: Ivanov, P. 26, Sirakov 13, Dafinov 11

Cyprus U16-Switzerland U16 40:63
Cyprus U16: Riginos Kasinopoulos 14, Kantartzis 8
Switzerland U16: Stefan Petkovic, 19+15 rebs, Bozovic 15, Savoy 8

Worcester Wolves sign two Americans - by Eurobasket
Worcester Wolves added to their roster 26-year old American forward Jamaal Caterina (198-F-82, college: S.Maine) and his 27-years old countryman small forward Tommy Johnson (196-G/F-81, college: Texas Wesleyan). Both of the players are represented by agency Passing Lane. Caterina played most recently at University of New Hampshire (NCAA) in the U.S. He moved there from American University (NCAA). Despite his last college was in Division 3, he averaged very impressive stats: 18.0ppg and 9.4rpg and made it to all-conference team. It will be his first year in professional basketball. Johnson already player in Europe on remote Iceland where he lead last season Keflavik to league title. Johnson is not considered import player as he has also British passport. He was voted last season to Eurobasket.com Icelandic League All-Bosmans Team. Previously he played for two seasons in Belgium for Leuven and Brussels.

*****************************************************

URUGUAY

Standings - LUB

LUB Standings

1. Welcome	0-0
2. Defensor	0-0
3. Hebraica	0-0
4. Cordon	0-0
5. Trouville	0-0
6. Atenas	0-0
7. Olimpia	0-0
8. Un.Atletica	0-0
9. Bigua	0-0
10. Malvin	0-0
11. Bohemios	0-0
12. Tabare	0-0
13. Sayago	0-0
14. Paysandu	0-0

Standings - Metropolitan League

Metropolitan Standings

1. Capurro	20-4
2. Aguada	19-5
3. Verdirrojo	14-10
4. Nacional	13-11
5. Urunday Univ.	12-12
6. Yale	12-12
7. Goes	12-12
8. Olivol Mundial	11-13
9. 25 de Agosto	10-14
10. Larranaga	10-14
11. Larre Borges	9-15
12. Guruyu Waston	9-15
13. Marne	5-19

*****************************************************

Women News

*****************************************************

AUSTRALIA - Women

Australia join China in the semis - by Eurobasket News
Australia - Czech Republic 79:46

Australian National Team had no problems en route to a comfortable win over Czech Republic in todays quarterfinal in Beijing. The Opals pounded their European opponents to set up a mouth-watering clash against hosting China in the semifinal on Thursday. Lauren Jackson (196-F/C-81) paced the Opals with 17 points and 12 boards. Belinda Snell (182-F-81, agency: LBM Management) provided 15 points and 9 rebounds in the win. Ivana Vecerova (194-C-79) and Hana Machova (182-F/G-79) topscored for Czech Republic with just 8 points apiece. Australia had an overwhelming dominance in every facet of the game. They got to a quick start and built a massive 23:10 lead after the starting period. The Aussies kept rolling smoothly and established a 38:17 lead at the interval. However the winning flow of the game was overshadowed by the injury of Penny Taylor (185-F-81). One of the Opals leaders sprained her ankle early in the third period and was helped off court. She did not appear in the game and is now doubtful for the upcoming games. Her injury however did not slow the world champions down as they widened the margin to 34 points before the fourth quarter. Czechs never came back to life and suffered a massive defeat at the end. Rohanee Cox (182-F-80) netted 10 points for the winners. Eva Viteckova (190-F-82) and Marketa Mokrosova (178-F-81) had 6 points each in defeat. Australia outrebounded their opponents 58:37 and forced the European team to 19 turnovers. Czech Republic also converted just 25% from the field.

Australia: Lauren Jackson 17+12 boards, Belinda Snell 15, Rohanee Cox 10
Czech Republic: Ivana Vecerova 8, Hana Machova 8

*****************************************************

BELARUS - Women

China become first semifinalist in Beijing - by Eurobasket News
China - Belarus 77:62

Chinese National Team paved their way into semifinal at the Olympic Games basketball tournament. They defeated Belarus earlier today in the first quarterfinal game of the day. Miao Li Jie (180-G-81) came up with pivotal performance scoring 28 points to pace China past hapless Belarus. China put a great pressure on Belarus from the start and it helped the hosts to establish a 19:13 lead ten minutes into the game. The turnovers plagued Belarusian team as they struggled to find the rhythm. In the meantime Miao Li Jie was superb in offense for China tallying 12 points in the first half and giving China a 38:25 halftime lead. The complexion of the game did not change radically after the long break as China dominated. They stretched the margin to 22 points at one point at the third frame however Belarus found the way to answer. The European side went on an 8:0 run to trim the deficit back to 13 points heading into the fourth stanza. China though did not allow Belarus to improve and kept them at bay throughout the final period. Chen Xiaoli (193-C-82) knocked down 15 points for China. Bian Lan (182-G-86) added 8 points in the win. Tatyana Troina (188-C-81, college: S.Carolina) answered with 15 points for Belarus. Anastasiya Verameyenka (191-F/C-87) and Yelena Leuchanka (196-C-83, college: W.Virginia) had 13 points each and teamed up for 23 rebounds in defeat. Belarus outrebounded their opponents 41:22 but committed woeful 27 turnovers. China converted 48% from the field, while limiting Belarus to 42% accuracy.

China: Miao Li Jie 28, Chen Xiaoli 15, Bian Lan 8
Belarus: Tatyana Troina 15, Anastasiya Verameyenka 13+10 boards, Yelena Leuchanka 13+13 boards

*****************************************************

BOSNIA - Women

U16 EC, division B: Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Estonia for 15th place - by Eurobasket News
U16 Bosnia and Herzegovina - U16 Estonia 58-35

Bosnia and Herzegovina was too strong for Estonia in decisive game for 15th place on U16 European Championship division B in Bulgaria. Estonians ended it on one lower place while only Israel and Luxemburg are below it.

Bosnia grabbed lead from the early beginning keeping it steady until the very end. At the middle of the first frame Bosnia had 6-point lead. Later it was 13-7 but thanks to Rits' jump shot at the buzzer Estonia remained on minus 6 after first ten minutes. Estonians showed some attitude in the next period. After jump shot by Mailis Pokk (185-C-92) in 16th minute they came on 21-19. Bosnia didn't wait to long answering through Miljana Dzombeta with mini 7-4 run for 28-23 at the half time. Estonia somehow stopped after 15-minute break. Mostly owing to Natasa Kajtaz, Bosnia ended third 15-9 and later last frame 15-3. Thus Estonia scored 12 points for 20 minutes which is less than they made just in the second period. Estonia lost this game with big difference but interesting is that it had 55 rebounds matched with 44 by Bosnia.

Natasa Kajtaz was the most important player for Bosnia in this game as she scored 16 points. Miljana Dzombeta followed with 10 points. Mailis Pokk this time had better digits that Annika Koster (185-C-92) in Estonia. She added 13 points and 11 rebounds while Koster stopped on 9 points and 10 boards.

U16 Bosnia and Herzegovina - U16 Estonia 58-35
(13-9 15-14, 15-9, 15-3)

Bosnia: Natasa Kajtaz 16, Miljana Dzombeta 10
Estonia: Mailis Pokk 13 (11 rebs), Annika Koster 9 (10 rebs)

*****************************************************

CHINA - Women

*****************************************************

CZECH REPUBLIC - Women

*****************************************************

ESTONIA - Women

*****************************************************

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS U16 - Women

W-Standings - Div.A

Standings

Group E
1. France		5-0
2. Belgium		3-2
3. Sweden		3-2
4. Turkey		2-2
5. Czech Repu.		1-4
6. Lithuania		0-5
Group F
1. Spain		5-0
2. Italy		4-1
3. Poland		3-2
4. Hungary		2-3
5. Russia		1-4
6. Belarus		0-5
Classification
1. Germany		2-0
2. Serbia		2-0
3. Ukraine		0-2
4. Latvia		0-2

Standings - Div.B - by Eurobasket

Standings Div.B

Group E
1. Greece		3-0
2. Slovenia		2-1
3. Denmark		1-2
4. Bulgaria		0-3
Group F
1. Finland		3-0
2. Romania		2-1
3. Slovakia		1-2
4. Holland		0-3
Group G
1. Portugal		3-0
2. Ireland		2-1
3. U.Kingdom		1-2
4. Switzerl.		0-3
Group H
1. Croatia		3-0
2. Monteneg.		2-1
3. Estonia		1-2
4. Bosnia		0-3
Group I
1. Israel		2-0
2. Luxembourg.		0-2

*****************************************************

FINLAND - Women

EUROBASKET: U20, U18 and U16 final standings - by Rauno Hurmalainen

EUROPEAN Championship, Women, 2008. U20, Division A (Chieti, Italy, July 11.-20.):
1) Russia, 2) France, 3) Serbia, 4) Spain, 5) Ukraine, 6) Latvia, 7) Turkey, 8) Lithuania, 9) Italy, 10) Czech R.,
11) Montenegro, 12) Belarus, 13) Germany, 14) Bulgaria, 15) Belgium, 16) Greece.
Division B (Poznan, Poland, July 11.-20.):
1) Sweden, 2) Poland, 3) Hungary, 4) Slovak R., 5) Romania, 6) Holland, 7) Ireland, 8) Israel, 9) Portugal, 10) England.

EUROPEAN Championship, Women 2008. U18, Division A (Nitra, Slovakia, July 18.-27.):

1) Lithuania, 2) Russia, 3) Czech R., 4) France, 5) Spain, 6) Serbia, 7) Slovak R., 8) Poland, 9) Turkey, 10) Sweden,

11) Ukraine, 12) Bulgaria, 13) Belarus, 14) Italy, 15) Romania, 16) Croatia.

Division B (Skopje, Macedonia, August 6.-15.):

1) Latvia, 2) Belgium, 3) Slovenia, 4) Greece, 5) Estonia, 6) Holland, 7) Hungary, 8) Germany, 9) Bosnia and Herzegovina, 10) Portugal,

11) Ireland, 12) Israel, 13) England, 14) Austria, 15) Luxembourg, 16) Finland, 17) Denmark, 18) F.Y.R. of Macedonia, 19) Scotland,

20) Switzerland.

EUROPEAN Championship, Women 2008. U16, Division A (Katowice, Poland, August 8.-17.):

1) Spain, 2) Italy, 3) France, 4) Sweden, 5) Belgium, 6) Poland, 7) Hungary, 8) Turkey, 9) Russia, 10) Belarus,

11) Czech R., 12) Lithuania, 13) Germany, 14) Serbia, 15) Latvia, 16) Ukraine.

Division B (Pravetz/Botevgrad, Bulgaria, August 8.-17.):

1) Greece, 2) Finland, 3) Romania, 4) Slovenia, 5) Slovak R., 6) Holland, 7) Denmark, 8) Bulgaria, 9) Croatia, 10) Portugal,

11) Ireland, 12) Montenegro, 13) England, 14) Switzerland, 15) Bosnia and Herzegovina, 16) Estonia, 17) Israel, 18) Luxembourg.

*****************************************************

GERMANY - Women

Chemcats introduce three new players - by Cornelius Damm
After losing most of its last season players over the summer ChemCats Chemnitz had to look out for almost a completely new team for the upcoming season. So they picked up Radford graduat Corrie Fertitta (185-F) as their Power Forward/Center. The Baltimore native who will turn 22 years of age in these next days had an immediate impact in college becoming Big South Conference Freshman of the Year in 2005 after leading all freshmen in points and rebounds per game. In all of her four years at Radford she has been among her conference top rebounders averaging 8.1 RPG in 2006 and 8.5 RPG in 2007. Her senior stat line shows 10.5 PPG shooting .412 from the field and .393 from behind the arc adding 7.5 RPG. She led her school to two conference title game appearances in her junior and senior year. Overall Fertitta amassed 1,205 points and 915 rebounds in her four years of eligibility.

Estonian National Team member Heila Rosenfeldt (172-G-83) will make her debut outside of her home country where she played for TLU/Volta Tallinn these past years. She won the Estonian championship in 2006 and finished in 2007 and 2008 as championship runner-up. Past season she averaged 13.2 PPG shooting .540 from the field. She also grabbed 7.8 RPG and dished out 2.5 APG. In September 2006 and September 2007 she competed with the Estonian National Team in the European Championship Division B (Qualifying Round). But in a group with Luxemburg, Great Britain, Portugal and Bosnia Herzegovina the Estonians were only able to win the two games against Luxemburg finishing fourth in their group. Rosenfeldt played 12.4 minutes in average and scored 3.5 PPG and grabbed 2.3 RPG in eight games.

For the 23 year old Croatian Forward Martina Bozikov (188-F-84) Chemnitz will be the first team outside of her home country she will suit up for as well. Before she played for ZKK Studenac Omis in 2007/08 she came from the Croatian champion ZKK Sibenik Jolly JBS youth program where she not only played in the second and first team but also already got some first looks in the Eurocup. Chemnitz describes her as a tall player with a good outside shot.

Yolanda Paige is the new point guard for Wasserburg - by Cornelius Damm
Diana Adela Pop (175-G-71) 1.DBBL best point guard over the last five years led TSV 1880 Wasserburg to five consecutive championships and three cup championships between 2004 and 2008. Now the 37 year old Romanian ended her career to start family life. To replace her Wasserburg now trusts in Yolanda Paige (168-G-83, college: W.Virginia) on the point guard position.
An exceptionally skilled passer Paige finished her college career at W.Virginia seventh in NCAA history with 892 career assists. As a senior the 2005 All-Big East Second Team Selection led the NCAA in assists per game (9.0 APG) and was selected by the Indiana Fever in the second round of the 2005 WNBA draft. Paige played in 13 games as a rookie before being waived. In following summers she tried out for Seattle Storm and Detroit Shock but never made it past preseason. Paige who already got some European looks playing in France in 2005-06 and 2006-07 is now hoping to get back on the stage of professional basketball with the German champion. It will be interesting to see if she is able to step into the big shoes of Diana Pop. Not only was Pop superb on the court she was also the darling of the dedicative Wasserburg fans.

*****************************************************

SENEGAL - Women

Jaaraf will face Saint Louis Basket Club in the Final - by Eurobasket News
Jaaraf will face Saint Louis Basket Club in the Final of 2008 national Championship. Both teams deserved to be two representative in the top series. In the semifinals JAARAF beat DUC 60:32 to advance to the final. It was not however an easy win as in the first leg, DUC beat JAARAF with 16 points difference. Fatou Binetou Thiam top-scored for the winners with 28 points.
Saint Louis Basket Club overcame Jeanne dArc 69:57. In the first game the latter was stronger 52:51.

*****************************************************

SLOVAKIA - Women

Linda Frohlich in Maxima Broker Kosice! - by Michal Maslany

Maxima Broker Kosice signed german national player Linda Frohlich (188-F/C-79, agency: LBM Management, college: UNLV). 29-year old forward played last season in Italy for Taranto, but in summer she decided to leave the club. She will play for slovak champion only first three months of next season, when Kosice want to promote from qualifying round of Euroleague. In past she played four seasons in WNBA and in Europe she played for example for Spartak Moscow region and Fenerhace.

*****************************************************

TOURNAMENT OF THE AMERICAS U18 - Women

Standings (Women)

Standings

1. USA		5-0
2. Canada		4-1
3. Brazil		3-2
4. Argentina		2-3
5. Venezuela		1-4
6. P.Rico		0-5

*****************************************************

WNBA - Women

Dream signs free agent point guard Nikki Teasley - by Eurobasket News
Atlanta Dream announced today the signing of free agent point guard Nikki Teasley (6'0''-G-79, college: N.Carolina) for the remainder of the season. Teasley spent the last two seasons with the Washington Mystics before parting ways with the team in March. She gave birth to her daughter in June and has missed all of the 2008 season to date.

'To have a 6-foot point guard is definitely an advantage,' said Dream Head Coach Marynell Meadors. 'Nikki is a tremendous talent and excels at seeing the floor. She will be a huge plus for us and provides us with size at the point guard position.'

In her six year WNBA career, Teasley is averaging 8.7 points 3.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. She started 33 games for the Mystics last season, averaging 5.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Teasley was originally selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2002 WNBA Draft and spent her first four seasons in the league with the Los Angeles Sparks, where she hit the game winning shot in the 2002 WNBA Championship. Teasley was also named the MVP of the 2003 WNBA All-Star game.

During her collegiate career at the University of North Carolina, Teasley averaged an Atlantic Coast Conference record 5.8 assists per game. She finished her career as the Tar Heels all-time leader in assists (728) and three-pointers (236). She was the first player in conference history to lead the ACC in assists all four years and was only the second player to record 1,500 points and 600 assists in her career.

The Dream tipped off their inaugural season at Philips Arena with back-to-back sellouts on May 23 and May 25, 2008. The team was officially announced as the 14th team in the WNBA on October 17, 2007. The Dream are members of the WNBA's Eastern conference which also includes the Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Detroit Shock, Indiana Fever, New York Liberty and Washington Mystics. For more information and to purchase season tickets, fans can call (404) 604-2626 or visit www.AtlantaDream.net. Fans may obtain single-game tickets by calling (404) 249-6400 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets also will be available for purchase at the Philips Arena box office.

Courtesy of Atlanta Dream

Chicago Sky re-sign Leah Rush - by Eurobasket News
Chicago Sky has re-signed forward Leah Rush (6'1''-F-84, agency: LBM Management, college: Oklahoma) to a seven day free agent contract, Head Coach and General Manager Steven Key announced today. Per team policy, terms of the contract have not been released. The Sky also waived forward, Brooke Queenan.

Rush, a 6'1' forward, was signed by the Sky on July 8 to a seven day free agent contract appearing in two regular season games for the Sky before being waived on July 14. Rush averaged 1.5 points per game playing only 12 combined minutes.

Rush was selected by the Phoenix Mercury in the third round (28th overall) of the 2007 WNBA Draft, and was released during the team's 2007 training camp. During the 2008 training camp Rush played in one pre-season game for the Seattle Storm scoring 2 points and grabbing one rebound against the Sky on April 30 at the UIC Pavilion. A 2007 graduate of Oklahoma University, Rush finished her senior year averaging 9.8 points and 4.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assist per game. She received honorable mention All-Big 12, named to the All-Big 12 Championship team, and the All-Big 12 Tournament team.

Queenan, a 6'2' forward from Boston College was signed by the Sky on April 18. Queenan appeared in eight games for the Sky averaging 0.3 points and 0.2 assists per game. Queenan missed three games due to an inflammatory process in the lower right quadrant of her abdomen.

She was named to the All-ACC Second Team her senior year and led the Eagles with 14.8 points and 8 rebounds per game. She was selected by the Connecticut Sun in the 2006 WNBA Draft, making appearing in four pre-season games. In 2007 Queenan was invited to the Seattle Storm's training camp and was waived on May 1. During the 2007-08 off-season, Queenan played overseas for Team Aris Haroglou in Greece.

The Sky is one of seven independently-owned teams in the WNBA, the world's longest-running women's professional sports league. The Sky celebrated its inaugural season in 2006, and finished a successful sophomore season with a 14-20 record and guard Armintie Price named WNBA Rookie of the Year. The team selected 6'6' LSU star Sylvia Fowles with the number two pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft. For more information or to purchase 2008 season tickets, call 866.SKY.WNBA or visit www.chicagosky.net.

Courtesy of Chicago Sky