Eurobasket Daily News Report:

EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 4/21/2011

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Men News

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ADRIATIC LEAGUE

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Michael LEE
  Radnicki
  (207-F-86)
  Avg: 19.6

1. Lee, Radnicki	19.6
2. Zoric, KK.	19.4
3. Macvan, Hemofarm	19.2
4. Marsh, Crvena Z.	19.2
5. Bogdanovic, Cibona	18.9
6. Edwards, Cedevita	17.5
7. Draper, Cedevita	16.9
8. Car, Zadar	16.3
9. Chase, Igokea	16.2
10. Dragicevic, Buduc.	16.1

Rebounds Per Game

Luka ZORIC
  KK Zagreb CO
  (211-C/F-84)
  Avg: 8.2

1. Zoric, KK.	8.2
2. Harvey, Igokea	7.1
3. Dragicevic, Buduc.	7.0
4. Macvan, Hemofarm	6.8
5. Kasun, KK.	6.4
6. Necas, CEZ Nymburk	6.4
7. Gist, Partizan	6.2
8. Lee, Radnicki	5.9
9. Nikolic, Crvena Z.	5.8
10. Savovic, Hemofarm	5.8

Assists Per Game

Miljan PAVKOVIC
  Hemofarm
  (178-G-81)
  Avg: 5.2

1. Pavkovic, Hemofarm	5.2
2. Draper, Cedevita	5.1
3. Markovic, Radnicki	4.9
4. Morovic, Siroki TT	4.3
5. Chase, Igokea	4.0
6. Ilievski, Union O.	3.9
7. Renfroe, KK.	3.8
8. Car, Zadar	3.6
9. Bazdaric, Cedevita	3.5
10. Nissim, CEZ N.	3.4

Steals Per Game

Dontaye DRAPER
  Cedevita
  (180-G-84)
  Avg: 2.2

1. Draper, Cedevita	2.2
2. Stemberger, Siroki T.	2.1
3. Lee, Radnicki	2.0
4. Car, Zadar	2.0
5. Pumprla, CEZ N.	1.9
6. Cakarevic, Radnicki	1.8
7. Renfroe, KK.	1.8
8. Simonovic, Buduc.	1.6
9. Dragic, Krka	1.6
10. Chase, Igokea	1.5

Blocks Per Game

Luka ZORIC
  KK Zagreb CO
  (211-C/F-84)
  Avg: 1.3

1. Zoric, KK.	1.3
2. Nikolic, Crvena Z.	1.0
3. Shermadini, Union O.	1.0
4. Kasun, KK.	0.9
5. Dragicevic, Buduc.	0.9
6. Radosevic, Cibona	0.9
7. Macvan, Hemofarm	0.7
8. Edwards, Cedevita	0.7
9. Vesely, Partizan	0.7
10. Gist, Partizan	0.7

Partizan and Union Olimpija to meet in the Finals - by Eurobasket News
Partizan and Union Olimpija will fight for the Adriatic league title tomorrow. Partizan grabbed 62-58 victory against Buducnost to reach the Finals. The Serbian powerhouse will have a chance to defend the trophy, which they were winning for the last four years. Union Olimpija did it last time in 2002 and it was their only title in Adriatic league. It was also the first season of the regional championship. Union Olimpija eliminated Krka last night 67-57. The Final game will start at 20:45h.

Partizan - Buducnost 62-58
The hosts were ahead by 1 point but lost the second period ending it with a 8-point deficit before their 25-13 run, which allowed them to win the game. Partizan dominated down low during the game scoring 40 of its points in the paint compared to Buducnost's 20. Buducnost was plagued by 30 personal fouls down the stretch. Worth to mention a great performance of American forward James Gist (203-86) who helped to win the game recording 12 points and 6 rebounds. His fellow American import guard Curtis Jerrells (185-87, college: Baylor) contributed with 13 points for the winners. Five Partizan players scored in double figures. Serbian forward Marko Simonovic (202-86, agency: Beo Basket) answered with 14 points and 8 rebounds and Montenegrin power forward Vladimir Dragicevic (206-86) added 11 points and 7 rebounds in the effort for Buducnost. Buducnost's coach Dejan Radonjic tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help.
Top scorers:
Partizan: C.Jerrells 13+4reb+1ast, R.Katic 13+4reb, J.Gist 12+6reb+2ast, D.Milosavljevic 11+4reb+1ast, J.Vesely 10+5reb, N.Jawai 3+5reb+1ast
Buducnost: M.Simonovic 14+8reb, V.Dragicevic 11+7reb, B.Dubljevic 8+1reb, N.Otasevic 7+5reb, G.Kadziulis 5+3ast, M.Scekic 4+1reb+1ast

Union Olimpija - Krka 67-57
The game was mostly controlled by Union Olimpija. Krka managed to win second period 17-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They made 17-of-20 free shots (85.0 percent) during the game. Guard Saso Ozbolt (188-81, agency: World Sport Agency) fired 19 points for the winners. Forward Goran Jagodnik (203-74, agency: Beo Basket) chipped in a double-double by scoring 11 points and 10 rebounds. Union Olimpija's coach Jurij Zdovc used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Guard Zoran Dragic (196-89) produced 13 points and power forward Smiljan Pavic (210-80) added 10 points and 5 rebounds respectively for lost side.
Top scorers:
Union Olimpija: S.Ozbolt 19+2reb+2ast, G.Jagodnik 11+10reb, K.Gregory 11+3reb, V.Ilievski 8+1reb+4ast, D.Markota 8+2reb+1ast, G.Shermadini 5+4reb
Krka: Z.Dragic 13+4reb+2ast, S.Pavic 10+5reb+1ast, D.Djordjevic 8+2reb+2ast, E.Muric 6+3reb+2ast, C.Booker 6+4reb+2ast, D.Drobnjak 5+4reb

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ARGENTINA

Rockets Luis Scola undergoes minor knee surgery - by Eurobasket News
Houston Rockets forward Luis Scola (6'9''-F/C-80) has had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and is expected to recover in time for training camp.

The 6-foot-9 Scola was Houstons leading rebounder at 8.2 per game and second-leading scorer at 18.3 points per game this past season. The Rockets finished 43-39 and missed the playoffs.

Scola had surgery Friday. The team did not set a timetable for his return to basketball activities, but said Scola should be available for the start of training camp.

Scola developed knee soreness in March and sat out eight games.

Courtesy of www.bostonherald.com

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AUSTRALIA

Stats Leaders - NBL

Points Per Game

Kirk PENNEY
  Breakers
  (196-G-80)
  Avg: 20.7

1. Penney, Breakers	20.7
2. Ervin, Hawks	20.1
3. Redhage, Wildcats	18.0
4. Khazzouh, Sydney K.	17.4
5. Williams, Tigers	17.3
6. Clark, Blaze	17.1
7. Worthington, Blaze	16.8
8. Wilkinson, Breakers	16.1
9. Ballinger, 36ers	15.3
10. Harvey, Blaze	14.8

Rebounds Per Game

Julian KHAZZOUH
  Sydney K.
  (211-C-86)
  Avg: 10

1. Khazzouh, Sydney K.	10.0
2. Davidson, Hawks	8.0
3. Vukona, Breakers	7.4
4. Nevill, Tigers	7.4
5. Worthington, Blaze	7.0
6. Williams, Tigers	6.8
7. Clark, Blaze	6.8
8. Holmes, 36ers	6.8
9. Crosswhite, Taipa.	6.8
10. Schenscher, Croco.	6.8

Assists Per Game

Corey WILLIAMS
  Tigers
  (191-G-77)
  Avg: 6.1

1. Williams, Tigers	6.1
2. Gibson, Blaze	5.5
3. Ervin, Hawks	4.5
4. Shannon, 36ers	4.4
5. Braswell, Breakers	4.3
6. Saville, Hawks	4.1
7. Carter, 36ers	4.0
8. Ubaka, Taipans	3.9
9. Blalock, Crocodiles	3.5
10. Martin, Wildcats	3.2

Steals Per Game

Damian MARTIN
  Wildcats
  (188-G-84)
  Avg: 2.4

1. Martin, Wildcats	2.4
2. Crawford, Croco.	1.5
3. Saville, Hawks	1.4
4. Dorsey, Taipans	1.4
5. Shannon, 36ers	1.4
6. Carter, 36ers	1.4
7. Williams, Tigers	1.3
8. Braswell, Breakers	1.3
9. Ellis, Crocodiles	1.3
10. Tovey, Wildcats	1.3

Blocks Per Game

Adam BALLINGER
  36ers
  (205-F-79)
  Avg: 1.9

1. Ballinger, 36ers	1.9
2. Khazzouh, Sydney K.	1.8
3. Clark, Blaze	1.2
4. Nevill, Tigers	1.1
5. Worthington, Blaze	1.1
6. Schenscher, Croco.	1.1
7. Crosswhite, Taipa.	1.0
8. Gilder, Sydney K.	0.9
9. Sanders, Sydney K.	0.9
10. Tovey, Wildcats	0.8

Grand Final: Breakers blitz Taipans in Game One - by Eurobasket News
Breakers - Taipans 85-67 (1-0)
The New Zealand Breakers put aside their Game-One yips to take the early advantage in their iiNet NBL Championship final series against the Cairns Taipans, prevailing 85-67 at the North Shore Events Centre on Wednesday. After dominating the regular season, the table-topping Breakers had fallen on their faces in the opening encounter of the semifinals against Perth, but resolved that would not happen again with the title on the line, They proved as good as their word, grabbing control of the contest with 17 unanswered points in the first half to continue their season-long dominance of the Snakes. New Zealand's advantage grew as big as 31 points in the third quarter, but they were forced the whether a determined comeback that brought their guests back to within 17 down the stretch. Breakers shooter Kirk Penney (196-G-80, college: Wisconsin) ran hot in the second half to led all scorers with 25 points, while Ian Crosswhite (212-C-82, college: Oregon) was the best of the Taipans with 15. The Taipans will host Game Two in Cairns on Sunday, with a third game set down for Auckland next Friday if needed. *Courtesy of NBL (www.nbl.com.au)

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BALKAN LEAGUE

Eurobasket.com All-Balkan League Awards 2010-11 - by Greg

All-Balkan League 1st Team 2010-2011

Sokolov

Frye

Lilov

Sakic

Mladenovic

Player of the Year: Darko Sokolov (190-G-86) of Feni Indistrija FYR Macedonia

Guard of the Year: Darko Sokolov (190-G-86) of Feni Indistrija FYR Macedonia

Forward of the Year: Zeljko Sakic (203-F-88) of Siroki TT Bosnia

Center of the Year: Aleksandar Mladenovic (207-F/C-84) of Mures Romania

Defensive Player of the Year: Aleksandar Mladenovic (207-F/C-84) of Mures Romania

European Player of the Year: Darko Sokolov (190-G-86) of Feni Indistrija FYR Macedonia

Import Player of the Year: Aaron Harper (199-G/F-81) of Levski Bulgaria

Coach of the Year: Emil Rajkovic of Feni Indistrija FYR Macedonia

1st Team
G: Darko Sokolov (190-86) of Feni Indistrija FYR Macedonia

G: Jarrid Frye (194-85) of Feni Indistrija FYR Macedonia

F/G: Ivan Lilov (196-88) of Rilski Sportist Bulgaria

F: Zeljko Sakic (203-88) of Siroki TT Bosnia

F/C: Aleksandar Mladenovic (207-84) of Mures Romania

2nd Team
G: Lazar Simonovic (185-82) of Borac Nektar Bosnia

G: JuJuan Cooley (175-82) of Mures Romania

G/F: Aaron Harper (199-81) of Levski Bulgaria

F: Jason Forte (196-84) of Mures Romania

C: Donald Cole (204-81) of Levski Bulgaria

Honorable Mention
Slobodan Dundjerski (190-G-88) of Beograd Serbia

Ivan Jelenic (190-G-85) of Mornar Bar Montenegro

Vladimir Mijovic (207-F-84) of Rilski Sportist Bulgaria

Dragan Mitrovic (200-F-85) of Beograd Serbia

Georgi Davidov (205-F/C-76) of Balkan Bulgaria

Srdan Helbich (205-F/C-76) of Svjetlost Croatia

Nemanja Radovic (205-F/C-91) of Mornar Bar Montenegro

Slobodan Mihajloski (202-F/C-82) of Feni Indistrija FYR Macedonia

Aleksandar Radulovic (209-C-84) of Ulcijn Montenegro

All-Europeans Team
G: Darko Sokolov (190-86) of Feni Indistrija FYR Macedonia

G: Lazar Simonovic (185-82) of Borac Nektar Bosnia

F/G: Ivan Lilov (196-88) of Rilski Sportist Bulgaria

F: Zeljko Sakic (203-88) of Siroki TT Bosnia

F/C: Aleksandar Mladenovic (207-84) of Mures Romania

All-Imports Team
G: Jarrid Frye (194-85) of Feni Indistrija FYR Macedonia

G: JuJuan Cooley (175-82) of Mures Romania

G/F: Aaron Harper (199-81) of Levski Bulgaria

F: Jason Forte (196-84) of Mures Romania

C: Donald Cole (204-81) of Levski Bulgaria

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BELGIUM

Standings - Division I

D1 Standings

1. Charleroi		22-4
2. Aalstar		18-9
3. M.Hainaut		17-9
4. Oostende		16-11
5. Antwerp		14-12
6. Verviers-Pep.		9-17
7. Liege		9-18
8. Leuven		9-18
9. Gent		5-21

Stats Leaders - Division I

Points Per Game

Stefon JACKSON
  Verviers-Pep.
  (196-G-85)
  Avg: 16.8

1. Jackson, Verviers.	16.8
2. Mallet, Charleroi	16.1
3. Lojeski, Oostende	15.9
4. Black, Antwerp	15.6
5. Copeland, Aalstar	15.1
6. Freeman, Verviers.	15.1
7. Hilliard, Aalstar	15.1
8. Taylor, M.Hainaut	15.1
9. Waters, Verviers.	15.0
10. Miller, Leuven	14.9

Rebounds Per Game

Christopher YOUNG
  Aalstar
  (206-F/C-79)
  Avg: 8

1. Young, Aalstar	8.0
2. Randle, Gent	7.8
3. Freeman, Verviers.	7.7
4. Hilliard, Aalstar	7.5
5. Stipanovic, Liege	7.3
6. Brown, Antwerp	6.9
7. Tofi, Leuven	6.5
8. Jackson, Verviers.	6.3
9. Dagunduro, Leuven	6.1
10. Copeland, Aalstar	6.0

Assists Per Game

Darrel MITCHELL
  Oostende
  (180-G-84)
  Avg: 4.2

1. Mitchell, Oostende	4.2
2. Dagunduro, Leuven	3.6
3. Hatten, M.Hainaut	3.6
4. Waters, Verviers.	3.3
5. Moors, Antwerp	3.0
6. Black, Antwerp	2.9
7. Bosco, Gent	2.8
8. Mallet, Charleroi	2.7
9. Miller, Leuven	2.6
10. Burrell, Aalstar	2.6

Steals Per Game

Michael JENKINS
  Liege
  (191-G-86)
  Avg: 2.8

1. Jenkins, Liege	2.8
2. Hatten, M.Hainaut	2.4
3. Mallet, Charleroi	2.3
4. Wilson, Antwerp	2.2
5. Dagunduro, Leuven	2.1
6. Taylor, M.Hainaut	1.9
7. Mitchell, Oostende	1.8
8. Lojeski, Oostende	1.6
9. McCauley, M.Hai.	1.6
10. Hamilton, Charleroi	1.5

Blocks Per Game

Andre RIDDICK
  Charleroi
  (205-C-73)
  Avg: 1.6

1. Riddick, Charleroi	1.6
2. Mejri, Antwerp	1.5
3. Johnson, Aalstar	1.1
4. Young, Aalstar	0.9
5. Randle, Gent	0.8
6. Tofi, Leuven	0.6
7. Wilson, Antwerp	0.5
8. Pelle, Oostende	0.5
9. Freeman, Verviers.	0.5
10. Stipanovic, Liege	0.5

Charleroi and Aalstar News - by Peter Buyse
Spirou Charleroi has reached an agreement with American guard Kyle Weaver (198-G-86, college: Washington St.) to replace the injured Chris Hill.
Weaver was drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2nd round of the 2008 NBA draft. He never played any official games for the Bobcats but did play 56 games for the OKC Thunder during the 08-09 season where he averaged 5.3 ppg and 2.3 rpg. Started the 2009-2010 season with the Thunder again but got injured and missed several months before heading to the D-League where he played for the Tulsa 66ers. In 8 games there he averaged 17.9 ppg and 7.0 apg.
The 2010-2011 season saw him play for 3 teams, the Iowa Energy (21g 16.6ppg), Austin Toros (9g 13.2ppg) and the NBA's Utah Jazz where he played 5 games and averaged 5.6 pts in 13.4 mpg. His best game with Utah was an 19 pt game vs Sacramento.
While in college at Washington State he earned all Pac 10 honors in both his jr and sr years.
Played for Team USA during the Pan Am games in 2007.

Generali Okapi Aalstar has resigned their topscorer Christopher Copeland (203-F-84, college: Colorado) for 2 seasons.
They are still negotiating with Anthony Hilliard.
There is no official word on the rumoured arrival of Stefon Jackson.

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BOSNIA

Standings - BIH League

D1 Standings

League 6
1. Igokea		5-1
2. Siroki TT		5-1
3. Mladost		3-3
4. Borac Nektar		3-4
5. Capljina		1-4
6. Bosna		1-5
Places 7-15
1. Zrinjski HT		15-9
2. Sloboda Dita		14-10
3. Hercegovac		13-11
4. SL IAT Leotar		12-12
5. Celik		10-14
6. Varda HE		9-15
7. Brotnjo		7-17
8. Kakanj		7-17
9. Slavija		2-22

Stats Leaders - D1

Points Per Game

Boris LALOVIC
  APOEL
  (206-C-81)
  Avg: 19.9

1. Lalovic, Hercegovac	19.9
2. Rahimic, Bosna	17.6
3. Albijanic, Sloboda .	17.4
4. Opacak, Celik	17.0
5. Opacak, Celik	17.0
6. Kahrimanovic, Kak.	16.9
7. Sakic, Zrinjski HT	16.7
8. Kahrimanovic, Zrinjs.	16.6
9. Gajovic, Hercegovac	16.3
10. Stanic, Slavija	16.2

Rebounds Per Game

Andrija PEJOVIC
  Jedinstvo
  (205-C-83)
  Avg: 8

1. Pejovic, Hercegovac	8.0
2. Sakic, Zrinjski HT	7.6
3. Kuzmic, Celik	7.3
4. Kuzmic, Celik	7.3
5. Hajric, Zrinjski HT	7.2
6. Jagodic Kuri., Borac N.	7.1
7. Markovic, Varda HE	6.4
8. Albijanic, Sloboda .	6.4
9. Vukovic, Slavija	6.2
10. Lalovic, Hercegovac	6.2

Assists Per Game

Vladimir RADOVANOVIC
  Radnik B.
  (194-G-81)
  Avg: 6.1

1. Radovanovic, Herce.	6.1
2. Lalic, Hercegovac	6.0
3. Pasalic, Bosna	4.9
4. Jovanovic, Borac N.	4.4
5. Boljkovac, Slavija	3.6
6. Zdravkovic, Capljina	3.5
7. Markovic, Varda HE	3.5
8. Stanic, Slavija	3.4
9. Jovanovic, SL IAT L.	3.3
10. Kastratovic, Slobod.	3.2

Steals Per Game

Srdjan STANIC
  Slavija
  (186-G-84)
  Avg: 3.5

1. Stanic, Slavija	3.5
2. Lalic, Hercegovac	2.8
3. Radovanovic, Herce.	2.4
4. Gajovic, Hercegovac	2.3
5. Savovic, Slavija	2.1
6. Vranjes, Borac N.	2.0
7. Bijelica, Capljina	1.8
8. Komatina, Mladost	1.7
9. Lalovic, Hercegovac	1.7
10. Zdravkovic, Capljina	1.4

Blocks Per Game

Ognjen KUZMIC
  Celik
  (215-C-90)
  Avg: 1.8

1. Kuzmic, Celik	1.8
2. Kuzmic, Celik	1.8
3. Zimic, Bosna	1.6
4. Brkic, Capljina	0.8
5. Jocovic, Borac N.	0.8
6. Pejovic, Hercegovac	0.7
7. Albijanic, Sloboda .	0.7
8. Pelkic, SL IAT L.	0.7
9. Durasovic, SL IAT L.	0.7
10. Vukovic, Slavija	0.6

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BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

Ocean Conversion Sponsors Speed Zone Basketball Team - by David Edole
Ocean Conversion (BVI) Ltd., the leading producers of potable water in the Territory are once again lending their support to the BVI Basketball League Competition by sponsoring the uniforms of the 'Speed Zone' basketball team, one of the many participating teams this year.

Mr. Glenn Harrigan, President of Ocean Conversion, presented Mr. Dwayne Rubaine, coach of 'Speed Zone' with a cheque for the amount of $600 this week. Mr. Harrigan congratulated the team and wished them well in the upcoming competition. He explained that Ocean Conversion has consistently sponsored and assisted youth in the community, encouraging them to participate and excel in education and sports.

'We would like to ensure that our youth are supported in their efforts to develop their talents. Basketball is a great way to pass time but more importantly it is a means with which they can learn about the importance of teamwork and working with others towards a common goal. Sports such as these develop self-confidence and self-esteem as well as improving problem-solving skills and we as a company are committed to assisting in whichever can' he said.

The Basketball League Competition is scheduled to begin on May 14, 2011 at the Multipurpose Sports Complex and promises to be an exciting one.

Mr. Rubaine said he was very grateful to Ocean Conversion for their support over the years. He explained that he was coaching both the senior and the junior division players this year and was looking forward to the competition in May.

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BULGARIA

Naydenov shining in Egypt - by Valentin Anguelov
Bulgarian international Simeon Naydenov (201-F/G-81, college: Louisville) was in the middle of success for his new team in recent matches in championship of Egypt. After winning the Cup of the country week ago, Naydenov played three perfect games in the league. Despite the first match was a loss to Gezira by the score 72-82 Naydenov scored 15 points, 5 rebounds and had 3 assists.

Then Al Ahly managed to cope with the champions from last season 74-71 with Al Ittihad and the Bulgarian was the best in the match with 23 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. The third meeting from the championship Al Ahly won against Gasco 87-76 and again Naydenov was great with his 20 points in 20 minutes on the court.

Naydenov started the year in Chernomorets Bourgas in Bulgarian league and was one of their main weapons during the first half of the season. However he left the club after receiving offer from Egypt side Al Ahly team that he is playing for at the moment. Currently in the standings Al Ahly is in second place behind leaders Al Ittihad.

Levski Sofia and Jason Crowe part ways - by Eurobasket News
According to the reports from Bulgarian media, Levski Sofia has decided to part ways with one of its American players. Reportedly, point guard Jason Crowe (193-G-76, college: Cal.St. Northridge) has been allowed to look for new team by BC Levski Sofia. This was decided after the meeting of the club management with the Levski Head Coach. Although reasons for this decision were not disclosed, Bulgarian media states that several issues were the factor. It remains to be seen what the next move is for both the player and the club. Levski is currently in 2nd place in Bulgarian NBL with 19 wins and 6 losses.
Jason Crowe played collegiate basketball as member of California State Northridge. He signed his professional contract in 2001 when he agreed with Ukrainian outfit BC Kiev. So far in his career, Crowe has played for the likes of Klima-Vill Kaposvar, MOL Szolnoki Olajbanyasz, Petrochimi Imam Harbour, Waikato Pistons and Dnipro Dnepropetrovsk among others. He has won National Title in New Zealand in 2008 as member of Waikato Pistons. At the start of this season he signed with Levski Sofia.

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CANADA

Maritime teams quit pro basketball league - by Eurobasket News
Two Maritime teams have withdrawn from the Premier Basketball League, saying they are disgusted with officiating and a lack of fairness. The Saint John Mill Rats and the Halifax Rainmen both made the announcement Monday night.

In a news release posted on the Halifax Rainmen's website, president and CEO Andre Levingston said the decision is effective immediately.

'After watching the final playoff series and analyzing the statistics...I am appalled by the officiating that took place during the playoffs, and am ashamed of the PBLs operations this season.

'I want nothing but the best for our city, our fans, our sponsors, and our players, and I can say with confidence that the best is no longer found in the PBL.

Levingston said his decision to withdraw from the league was made when the Rochester RazorSharks won the championship Monday night, beating the Lawton Fort-Sill Cavalry 87-84.

He will not recognize the RazorSharks as this season's champions, according to the release.

'The Rochester RazorSharks are owned by Dr. Severko Hrywnak, who is also the owner of the PBL,' said Levingston.

Exploring other options
Despite a banner year for the Saint John Mill Rats, team president and CEO Ian McCarthy is also quitting the league.

'There's been a lot of controversy regarding the officiating and the assignment of home referees if you will, for the Rochester franchise, which also happens to own the league,' said McCarthy. 'The manner in which the playoffs were handled was unconscionable and we want no part of it.'

McCarthy said the Mill Rats, Halifax Rainmen and Quebec Kebs are all looking at their options and considering starting a new league, which could open the door for a team in Moncton as well. Other options include joining the International Basketball League, or the National Basketball Association Development League, he added.

Rainmen's Levingston is adamant there will be professional basketball in Halifax next season.

'We are very optimistic and excited about the options we are currently weighing, he said. 'Our organization will always remain committed to providing Halifax with the most professional sporting and entertainment experience minor league basketball has to offer.'

Courtesy of www.cbc.ca

Canadas Joel Anthony adds sizzle to Heat - by Eurobasket News
On a night when the Miamis Big Three shined as the Heat crushed the Philadelphia 76ers 94-73, it was one of the teams lesser lights that earned the playoff plaudits in Mondays Game Two of the Eastern Conference first round.

Burly center Joel Anthony's (206-C-82, college: UNLV) name doesnt feature on the back of many jerseys at the American Airlines Arena but when he stepped up to take a free throw, fans clad in LeBron James and Dwyane Wade shirts began chanting MVP, MVP!

It was no suggestion the Canadian should be considered for the leagues top individual award, but rather a message that all the quality and excitement brought by James, Wade and Chris Bosh would count for much less without the hard-working physical commitment brought by the 28-year-old.

Joel? He was simply outstanding, said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, the first of many to praise his impressive defensive display and work-rate.

We have always valued Joel Anthony more than a lot of other teams would I think. He is arguably the hardest worker weve ever had in this organization. His success on the court is a direct residual of what he puts in, the sweat that he puts in.

He put in a lot, erasing a lot of mistakes and stepping up to the challenge one-on-one.

Anthony is in his fourth season in Miami and his first three went by largely unnoticed.

It was only the deal he was awarded in the last off-season -- $18-million over five seasons -- that brought scrutiny.

Spending plenty of minutes on court with the Heats much-hyped trio, Anthony initially felt a little uncomfortable in such company.

However, he has become at home in his role as destroyer-in-chief, particularly in the past six weeks as the Heat finished the regular season strongly to secure the second seed.

With Joel, its about confidence, said James.

Maybe in the course of the year he lacked a bit of that confidence in himself and his ability -- but hes grown, hes done a great job with his role.

He is a real presence at the rim that we need, he makes people change their shot and I can hear them saying, wheres he coming from? Hes athletic and he is determined.

Andrea Iguodala of the 76ers, who shot just 34.2 percent from the field, had no doubt that Anthony had a big part to play in an outstanding Miami defense.

You have to give a lot of credit to Joel Anthony -- he gives a lot to that team that doesnt always show up on the stat sheet -- he cleans it up, he said.

Anthonys four points and six rebounds would hardly grab attention but he spent more than 26 minutes on the court blocking routes, closing down opponents and tidying things up.

Team mate Bosh enjoyed the chant from the crowd and said it could only help the man from Montreal.

Its funny but its good for his confidence, he said.

We know hes not going to get the MVP, Im not going to get the MVP, but its the fans showing their support and he deserves that.

Courtesy of www.theglobeandmail.com

Canadians Star in all 3 jordan Brand Classic Games - by John Gary
courtesy basketball.ca A record number of Canadians participated in the 10th annual Jordan Brand Classic. Myck Kabango,Kyle Wiltzer,Khem Birch,Kevin Thomas and Andrew Wiggins all represented Canada with pride. The day started with Wiggins starring in the international game,scoring 21pts and grabbing 10 rebounds helping his white team to a 70-63 win over the Black squad. The Cadet National team member continues too make a name for himself on the international stage by having another incredible performance. He matched up well against the highly touted Slovenian forward Mario Hezonja holding him to 6-19 shooting.

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

CHINA

Stats Leaders - CBA

Points Per Game

Charles GAINES
  Qingdao DS
  (201-F-81)
  Avg: 33.7

1. Gaines, Qingdao DS	33.7
2. Douby, Xinjiang	32.1
3. Morris, Beijing	29.9
4. Williams, Zhejiang C.	29.7
5. Akognon, DongGuan	29.2
6. Emmett, Fujian	28.0
7. Rodgers, Shanxi Zh.	27.4
8. Pickett, Jilin	27.1
9. Hamilton, TianJ.	26.8
10. Marbury, Foshan	25.2

Rebounds Per Game

Dwayne JONES
  Fujian
  (211-C-83)
  Avg: 15.8

1. Jones, Fujian	15.8
2. Harris, Shanghai	14.7
3. Benson, TianJin R.	14.6
4. Ramos, Zhejiang.	13.9
5. Gaines, Qingdao DS	13.5
6. Watkins, Jilin	13.3
7. Oyedeji, Foshan	13.2
8. Morris, Beijing	12.1
9. Moiso, Jiangsu	11.6
10. Abbaas, Beijing	11.5

Assists Per Game

Osama DAGHLAS
  Shanxi Zh.
  (199-G-79)
  Avg: 9.1

1. Daghlas, Shanxi Zh.	9.1
2. Marbury, Foshan	5.7
3. Lu, Fujian	5.6
4. Williams, Zhejiang C.	5.4
5. LiuWei, Shanghai	5.3
6. Hu, Jiangsu	5.3
7. Vroman, DongGuan	4.9
8. Allen, Shandong	4.9
9. Hamilton, TianJ.	4.9
10. Brown, Qingdao DS	4.8

Steals Per Game

XueFeng HU
  Jiangsu
  (185-G-80)
  Avg: 4.1

1. Hu, Jiangsu	4.1
2. Hamilton, TianJ.	3.8
3. Douby, Xinjiang	3.6
4. Hudson, Guandong	3.0
5. Vroman, DongGuan	2.8
6. Gaines, Qingdao DS	2.5
7. Williams, Zhejiang C.	2.4
8. Zhong, Jilin	2.3
9. Pickett, Jilin	2.3
10. Emmett, Fujian	2.3

Blocks Per Game

Herve LAMIZANA
  Mayaguez
  (207-F/C-81)
  Avg: 3.6

1. Lamizana, TianJ.	3.6
2. Watkins, Jilin	1.9
3. Zhang, Shanghai	1.8
4. Boone, Zhejiang C.	1.8
5. Moiso, Jiangsu	1.8
6. Jones, Fujian	1.6
7. Vroman, DongGuan	1.6
8. Morris, Beijing	1.6
9. Benson, TianJin R.	1.5
10. Haislip, Guandong	1.5

Xinjiang Crushes Guangdong to Take 2-1 Lead in CBA Finals - by Arthur Volbert
Xinjiang returned to its winning ways, defeating Guangdong 118-85 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven CBA finals.

Douby Quincy (191-G-84, college: Rutgers) again led the way with 28 points and 7 steals. He hit 13 of 15 free throws. James Singleton had 20 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Mengke Bateer had 16 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Xu Guozhong had 13 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Xirelijiang had 11 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Zhang Qingpeng scored 11.

Guangdong seemed to give up in the second half, when it was outscored 57-36. Guangdong hit only 8 of 32 three-pointers, compared to 11 of 24 for Xinjiang. Guangdong hit 22 of 37 two-point shots compared to 30 of 47 for Xinjiang. Xinjiang hit 25 of 29 free throws compared to 17 of 26 for Guangdong. Great shooting by Xinjiang provided its large margin of victory. Guangdong outrebounded Xinjiang 35-30 and had 22 turnovers to 18 for Xinjiang, so that was not the difference.

Marcus Haislip scored 19 points for Guangdong, hitting all 7 of his shots. But the 208 cm Haislip only grabbed 1 rebound. Wang Shipeng had 17 points, but hit only 2 of 7 three-pointers. Lester Hudson had 16 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists but hit only 2 of 11 three-pointers and had 6 turnovers. 212 cm Su Wei filled his role well with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Zhu Fangyu had 10 points and 5 rebounds but hit only 2 of 7 three-pointers.

Aside from Su Wei, Guangdong's young players performed miserably. Zhou Peng scored 2 points and fouled out in 13 minutes. Chen Jianghua was scoreless in 18 minutes with 2 rebounds and 1 assists and has scored only 3 points all tournament. Dong Hanlin was scoreless in 6 minutes. All three of these players among 37 players nominated to participate in practice for the 2011 national team but have not shown in this series that they in any way merited this honor.

The next two games of the series will be played in Guangdong with the final two, if necessary to be played at Xinjiang.

CBA Round 3 of Finals - by Eurobasket News
Xinjiang - Guandong 118-85

The game without a history. Xinjiang Flying Tige led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They made 25-of-29 free shots (86.2 percent) during the game. Xinjiang Flying Tige forced 21 Guandong Tigers turnovers. 27 personal fouls committed by Guandong Tigers helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. It was a good game for American forward James Singleton (203-81, college: Murray St.) who led his team to a victory with 20 points and 8 rebounds. His fellow American import guard Quincy Douby (191-84, college: Rutgers) contributed with 28 points and 7 steals for the winners. American guard Lester Hudson (191-84, college: Tennessee-Martin) answered with 16 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists and added 14 points and 13 rebounds in the effort for Guandong Tigers. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games.
Top scorers:
Xinjiang: D.Quincy 28+2ast, S.James 20+8reb+3ast, M.Bateer 16+3reb+3ast, X.GuoChong 13+3reb+3ast, Z.QingPeng 11, C.Tal 11+7reb+5ast
Guandong: H.Marcus 19+1reb, W.ShiPeng 17, H.Lester 16+6reb+5ast, S.Wei 14+13reb, Z.FangYu 10+5reb, D.Feng 5+2reb+1ast

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

CROATIA

Stats Leaders - A1

Points Per Game

Hrvoje PULJKO
  Kvarner 2010
  (193-G-83)
  Avg: 23

1. Puljko, Kvarner .	23.0
2. Zitko, Trogir	19.3
3. Krapic, Zabok	17.6
4. Saric, Dubrava	17.5
5. Petkovic, Svjetlost	17.2
6. Mimica, KK Split	16.8
7. Krolo, Darda	16.7
8. Ridl, Darda	15.4
9. Bakovic, Darda	15.4
10. Skific, Borik	15.2

Rebounds Per Game

Ante KRAPIC
  Cibona
  (202-F-85)
  Avg: 9.4

1. Krapic, Zabok	9.4
2. Saric, Dubrava	9.4
3. Krolo, Darda	9.2
4. Sobin, KK Split	7.8
5. Radic, Alkar Sinj	7.3
6. Ridl, Darda	6.8
7. Grgurevic, KK Split	6.6
8. Zupic, Alkar Sinj	5.8
9. Ruzic, Borik	5.7
10. Vukicevic, Svjetlost	5.6

Assists Per Game

Milan KARAKAS
  Trogir
  (190-G-80)
  Avg: 6.8

1. Karakas, Trogir	6.8
2. Petkovic, Svjetlost	5.4
3. Blajic, Trogir	4.3
4. Blajic, Alkar Sinj	4.0
5. Tomeljak, Zabok	3.9
6. Jugo, Kvarner 2010	3.8
7. Delas, Alkar Sinj	3.5
8. Saric, Dubrava	3.2
9. Peric, Dubrovnik	3.1
10. Ridl, Darda	3.1

Steals Per Game

Dario SARIC
  KK Zagreb CO
  (205-F/C-94)
  Avg: 2.1

1. Saric, Dubrava	2.1
2. Anzulovic, Alkar Sinj	2.0
3. Tomeljak, Zabok	1.8
4. Bicvic, Darda	1.8
5. Karakas, Trogir	1.8
6. Blajic, Trogir	1.8
7. Petani, Borik	1.8
8. Swift, Darda	1.8
9. Skific, Borik	1.6
10. Maric, Svjetlost	1.6

Blocks Per Game

Filip KRALJEVIC
  Zabok
  (214-F-89)
  Avg: 1.4

1. Kraljevic, Zabok	1.4
2. Vitali, Trogir	1.3
3. Saric, Dubrava	1.1
4. Vladovic, Trogir	1.0
5. Sobin, KK Split	1.0
6. Krolo, Darda	1.0
7. Ridl, Darda	0.9
8. Vukicevic, Svjetlost	0.9
9. Sarlija, Borik	0.8
10. Radic, Alkar Sinj	0.7

A1 Standings

A1 Standings

Group A
1. Cedevita		5-1
2. KK Zagreb CO		5-1
3. Zadar		5-3
4. Cibona		3-3
5. KK Split		3-4
6. Borik		3-4
7. Alkar Sinj		2-5
8. Zabok		0-5
Group B
1. Kvarner 2010		4-2
2. Darda		3-2
3. Dubrava		3-2
4. Svjetlost		3-3
5. Trogir		3-3
6. Dubrovnik		1-5

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

CYPRUS

The unofficial triple crown of Intercollege Etha Engomis & a small historical background - by Chris Mammides
The season 2010-2011 will remain to all the people of Engomis, deeply in their minds and their souls. Engomi which is one of the smallest municipalities of Nicosia with a bit less than 15.000 citizens has a long history in the basketball as its among the first clubs to develop basketball in the island. The team was found in 1943 but the basketball as a sport for ETHA, officially begun at the season 1979-1980 in the second division. Since then, the team of Etha Engomis participated only in one Cup final, three years ago when the almighty AEL won the cup title then. The other two success stories and titles for ETHA took place 27 years ago the U21 champion which was the very first in teh history of the basketball club and the second title during the season 2007-2008 the champion of the U16.

Now and today all these poor results has changed totally, as in less than three months the team of Etha Engomis won all the trophies in both the men and young men divisions.

First Title
They all began in January of 2011, when the U21 team of Etha Engomis under the head coach Yiannos Aristotelous won 66-38 Omonoia Nicosia and officially won the championship of the U21 league. The specific team (main body) won the title of U16 three years ago. It is worth mentioned that the Engomis young talents won the championship with a record of 15-1; they only loose one game against last seasons champions, team of Pizza Express Apollon Limassol, in Limassol.

Second Title
Then, the titles for the Cinderella of the Cyprus Basketball continues with the Cyprus Cup, the final against AEL Limassol (only the second participation in a Cups final) was a monologue for the Engomis team as it was much stronger and much better in all the edges over an experienced (but full of problems) team of AEL, the final 79-52 gives the total picture for Tonys Konstantinides team with a leading figure the Captain King (Anthony King (206-F/C-85, agency: Interperformances, college: Miami, FL)) with his 14 points and 12 rebounds in the final gave the signal for the next target.

Third and sweetest Title
The regular season was over and for a second consecutive year, Etha managed to finished in the fourth position (last season came third). Among the very important elements of this position were the results against the traditional powers of the Cyprus Basketball, and the amazing results of the second round of the regular season. A victory in Limassol over the strong team of Pizza Express Apollon (80-86), a win over Achilleas in Kaimakli (60-76), a great road win at Melford Arena over AEL Limassol (84-97), and a minimum loss over Keravnos Strovolou in Strovolos (60-59).

Etha' s performance in most of the games was firm and with great team work from all its players, and with seven players being steady and each one with specific role in every game and a solid 70 points production per game (without all the hidden extras from the rest of the team) as follows: King 14.25ppg, 10rpg, Johnson 13.73ppg, 4.1rpg, Tutt 9.7ppg, 2.7rpg, 2.62apg, Redding 9.5ppg, 4.3rpg, 2apg, Dabkus 8.4ppg, 3.5rpg, Cup 7.9ppg, 3rpg, 1apg and Anastasiadis 5.7ppg, 2rpg. Etha showed its teeth from the regular season or to be more precise from last season as Coach Tonis Konstantinides begun his trip to the championship last season when his team ended in the third spot and lost 3-1 by the champion team of APOEL mainly due to lack of expertise and not anything else, so this year by keeping his two main key elements (King and Tutt) and by adding experience (Anastasiadis, Johnson) and talent (Dabkus and Redding) Coach T. was able to build up a very good and solid team.

The first round for Etha was not difficult as the dismantling team of Achilleas Kaimakli (most of the key players of the team were gone/transfered) was not the most difficult opponent for Coach T's team and face no real problems, so with a 2-0 in a best of three series, Etha sweeps the first opponent and is doing the first step to the triumph the second step (semi-finals) which was the most crucial one as it was with a home disadvantage, Coach T. succeeded the road win over APOEL in the first match on the 20th of March, 2011 with 74-76 and with the Trio Americano (King, Tutt and Redding) being the leading figures open the way to the finals as the second game played on the 23rd of March in Tassos Papadopoulos, home court of Etha Engomis was a monologue for the home team with another Trio (Tutt, Cup and Redding) being the key elements of the victory 87-75 of their rivals. The third game in APOELs home court never ended and the game won on papers for Etha to sweep another game to the finals. The finals was the most difficult case for Coach T. as AEL succeeded already many road wins over Pizza Express Apollon and Keravnos Strovolou and with the addition of Milosevic, the team of Coaches Spyrou and Kounounis was the toughest opponents.

The home court element though was the most crucial one for the two teams as they simply kept their home courts untouched and the series went to the fifth and final game where Etha won its very first title.

The MVP of the Engomis team (and of the league in total) is no other than its captain Anthony King, the American power forward in his second year in the Cyprus league is proving not only his talent and athletic attitude but his professionalism too, a pure diamond for the Cyprus Basketball. From a closed distance his other half Ken Tutt (185-G-84, college: ORU), also a very good athlete and a true professional. Last but not least, the Cypriot factor of the team, Giorgos Anastasiadis (194-G/F-77) (a full story for the specific player will follow in the next couple of days) the man who has the Midas touch as whatever he touches becomes gold, the player who won titles with all the teams played basketball and the player with the most icons and winning spirit than any other player, he was the man of the match in the last and final game in Tassos Papadopoulos and the man that actually push his team in the crucial first game against APOEL with his three 3pointers. This trio was the most important for Coach Ts team and the successful season with the double, which ended only last night!

<<>><<>>

Eurobasket.com All-Cyprus League Awards 2010-11 - by Eurobasket

All-Cyprus 1st Team 2010-11

King

Ewing

Jones

Hanavan

Wyatt

Player of the Year: Anthony King (206-F/C-85) of Etha
Guard of the Year: Brandon Ewing (187-G-86) of AEL
Forward of the Year: Ian Hanavan (202-F-80) of APOEL
Center of the Year: Anthony King (206-F/C-85) of Etha
Newcomer of the Year: Riginos Kasinopoulos (188-G-92) of Etha
Most Improved Player of the Year: Christopher Razis (193-F-89) of ENAD
Bosman Player of the Year: Ian Hanavan (202-F-80) of APOEL
Import Player of the Year: Anthony King (206-F/C-85) of Etha
Domestic Player of the Year: Giorgos Anastasiadis (194-G/F-77) of Etha
Defensive Player of the Year: Kevin Tiggs (196-G/F-84) of APOEL
Coach of the Year: Antonis Constantinides of Etha

1st Team
G: Brandon Ewing (187-86) of AEL
G/F: Joel Jones (196-81) of Apollon
F: Ian Hanavan (202-80) of APOEL
F/C: Avis Wyatt (211-84) of AEL
F/C: Anthony King (206-85) of Etha

2nd Team
G: Jeremiah Davis (183-81) of APOEL
G: Dejan Delic (199-83) of AEL
F: Zvonko Buljan (206-87) of APOEL
F: Valdas Dabkus (204-84) of Etha
F/C: Terence Dials (206-83) of Apollon

Honorable Mention
Dejan Dunovic (193-G-82) of Omonia
Milutin Aleksic (203-F-82) of AEK
Bruce Price (191-G-83 of ENAD

Corry Carr (192-G-75) of Apollon
Georgios Diamantopoulos (195-F-80) of Achilleas
Vonteego Cummings (192-G-76) of Keravnos
Reggie Redding (196-G-88) of Etha
Jordan Collins (208-F-82) of AEK
Kevin Johnson (201-F-84) of Keravnos
Filip Vukosavljevic (206-C-83) of AEK
Slavko Stefanovic (206-C-81) of Keravnos

All-Domestic Players Team
F/G: Michalis Kounounis (194-81) of AEL
G/F: Nikos Papadopoulos (197-81) of AEK
G/F: Giorgos Anastasiadis (194-77) of Etha
F: Alexandros Liatsos (200-80) of AEL
C: JoJo Garcia (206-75) of Keravnos

All-Imports Team
G: Jeremiah Davis (183-81) of APOEL
G: Arthur Lee (185-77) of APOEL
G/F: Joel Jones (196-81) of Apollon
F/C: Avis Wyatt (211-84) of AEL
F/C: Anthony King (206-85) of Etha

All-Bosmans Team
G: Thomas Massamba (185-85) of Etha
F: Ian Hanavan (202-80) of APOEL
F: Zvonko Buljan (206-87) of APOEL
F: Valdas Dabkus (204-84) of Etha
F/C: Lewis Sims (203-73) of Apollon

All-Defensive Team
Jeremiah Davis (183-G-81) of APOEL
Michalis Kounounis (194-F/G-81) of AEL
Kevin Tiggs (196-G/F-84) of APOEL
Balsa Radunovic (206-F-80) of ENAD
Anthony King (206-F/C-85) of Etha

All-Newcomers Team
Giorgos Stylianou (198-F/C-94) of AEL
Riginos Kasinopoulos (188-G-92) of Etha
Fedros Charalambous (198-F-92) of AEK
Nicolas Constantinou (185-G/F-91) of Etha

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

D-LEAGUE

Iowa Energy: Team eyes record crowd at for NBA D-League Finals - by Eurobasket News
The Iowa Energy are seeking their first NBA Development League championship, but they also have their eye on another milestone - a record crowd when Game 2 of the Finals is played at Wells Fargo Arena.

One day after eliminating the Tulsa 66ers before an enthusiastic crowd of 7,122 in Des Moines, the team announced the schedule for the championship series at a lighthearted Tuesday news conference. It will begin Sunday at either Rio Grande Valley or Reno (the Vipers have a 1-0 lead in that semifinal with Game2 tonight in Reno).

Iowa will host Game 2 at 7 p.m. April 27 and will be giving away white T-shirts to all fans to create a whiteout effect.

Were going to get the chance to maybe see Wells Fargo full next week. I really believe it could happen, Energy coach Nick Nurse said.

The record for attendance at an Energy game is 8,842 for the teams debut on Nov.26, 2007.

Game 3, if necessary, would be at 7 p.m. April 29 in Des Moines.

Energy principal owner Jerry Crawford said the team will likely offer $1beer next week, as it did Monday. And point guard Curtis Stinson (6'2''-G-83, college: Iowa St.) praised the impact the fans have had this season.

Its our time in Des Moines; I think this is the year we could bring a championship here, he said.

Im looking forward to the fans Wednesday, a whiteout, just like an NBA atmosphere. ... Its like an adrenaline rush, it gets you motivated, it gets the guys going. One dunk and it could just turn the momentum for the whole game.

Crawford jokingly asked Stinson: If 15,000 fans show up for Game 2, will he sign 15,000 autographs?

'I'll stay there all night', Stinson promised.

Courtesy of www.desmoinesregister.com

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Trey JOHNSON
  LA Lakers
  (196-G-84)
  Avg: 25.7

1. Johnson, Bakersfi.	25.7
2. Johnson, Erie B.	22.6
3. Jeffers, Iowa E.	21.1
4. Sims, Maine RC	20.3
5. Alexander, Texas L.	20.2
6. Stinson, Iowa E.	20.1
7. McNeal, Rio Grande	19.8
8. Dentmon, Texas L.	18.7
9. Goods, Dakota W.	18.2
10. Russell, Ft.Wayne.	17.7

Rebounds Per Game

Jeff ADRIEN
  Golde State W.
  (201-F-86)
  Avg: 12.2

1. Adrien, Rio Grande	12.2
2. Ewing, Sioux F.	10.6
3. Davidson, Idaho S.	10.1
4. Williams, Texas L.	9.6
5. Sims, Iowa E.	9.6
6. Phillips, Ft.Wayne.	9.3
7. Johnson, Dakota W.	9.2
8. Jeffers, Iowa E.	9.1
9. Alexander, Texas L.	8.9
10. Aldrich, Tulsa 66ers	8.9

Assists Per Game

Curtis STINSON
  Iowa E.
  (187-G-83)
  Avg: 9.7

1. Stinson, Iowa E.	9.7
2. Miles, Reno Bighorns	8.7
3. Daniels, Texas L.	8.5
4. Russell, Ft.Wayne.	7.9
5. Jackson, Idaho S.	7.5
6. Crittenton, Dakota W.	6.9
7. Jackson, Erie B.	6.6
8. Johnson, Austin T.	6.0
9. Ahearn, Erie Bay H.	5.9
10. Reynolds, Spring.	5.9

Steals Per Game

Javaris CRITTENTON
  Dakota W.
  (196-G-87)
  Avg: 2.5

1. Crittenton, Dakota W.	2.5
2. Miles, Reno Bighorns	2.5
3. Dowdell, Tulsa 66ers	2.5
4. Jackson, Idaho S.	2.1
5. Lin, Reno Bighorns	2.1
6. Lofton, Iowa E.	2.1
7. Greene, Utah F.	2.0
8. Lafayette, Ft.Wayne.	2.0
9. Shakur, Rio Grande	1.9
10. Kramer, Ft.Wayne.	1.9

Blocks Per Game

Sean WILLIAMS
  Texas L.
  (208-F-86)
  Avg: 2.9

1. Williams, Texas L.	2.9
2. Johnson, Dakota W.	2.8
3. Aldrich, Tulsa 66ers	2.7
4. Gaffney, Utah F.	2.3
5. Naymick, Bakersfi.	2.2
6. Whiteside, Reno B.	2.2
7. Goodridge, Maine R.	2.1
8. Gladness, Dakota W.	2.0
9. Fall, Maine RC	1.9
10. Sykes, Sioux F.	1.8

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

ESTONIA

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Andrais THORNTON
  Penafiel
  (203-C-85)
  Avg: 18.7

1. Thornton, Voru KK	18.7
2. Saage, Rakvere	18.1
3. Erm, Rapla	17.9
4. Vaikulis, Rakvere	16.7
5. Raap, Parnu	16.6
6. Brown, Va.	16.3
7. Raadik, Parnu	16.2
8. Osby, TT.	15.8
9. Arnold, TT.	15.7
10. Hall, Rakvere	15.6

Rebounds Per Game

Andrais THORNTON
  Penafiel
  (203-C-85)
  Avg: 12.2

1. Thornton, Voru KK	12.2
2. Brown, Va.	11.1
3. Arnold, TT.	11.0
4. Osby, TT.	9.7
5. Ringmets, Rapla	9.6
6. Kuuba, Voru KK	8.9
7. Eziukwu, TU/Rock	8.3
8. Pokla, Rakvere	7.4
9. Dunigan, Kalev/Cr.	7.3
10. Raadik, Parnu	6.7

Assists Per Game

Valmo KRIISA
  TTU/Kalev
  (190-G-74)
  Avg: 3.9

1. Kriisa, TT.	3.9
2. Sokk, Kalev/Cramo	3.4
3. Vaikulis, Rakvere	3.3
4. Sokk, TU/Rock	3.3
5. Tsintsadze, TU/Rock	3.0
6. Tamm, Kalev/Cramo	2.8
7. Pokla, Rakvere	2.7
8. Winston, Va.	2.6
9. Laane, Rapla	2.6
10. Oja, Va.	2.5

Steals Per Game

Rait-Riivo LAANE
  Rapla
  (180-G-93)
  Avg: 2.5

1. Laane, Rapla	2.5
2. Saage, Rakvere	2.2
3. Skele, Kalev/Cramo	2.2
4. Raap, Parnu	2.2
5. Leppik, TU/Rock	2.1
6. Karner, Parnu	2.1
7. Dorbek, Rakvere	1.9
8. Tsintsadze, TU/Rock	1.8
9. Doronin, TU/Rock	1.8
10. Oja, Va.	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Callistus EZIUKWU
  TU/Rock
  (208-F/C-85)
  Avg: 1.8

1. Eziukwu, TU/Rock	1.8
2. Osby, TT.	1.3
3. Dunigan, Kalev/Cr.	1.2
4. Raadik, Parnu	1.2
5. Toome, Kalev/Cramo	0.9
6. Arnold, TT.	0.9
7. Saarmets, TTU/K.	0.7
8. Raadik, TU/Rock	0.7
9. Ringmets, Rapla	0.7
10. Brown, Va.	0.7

EMKL Round 1 of Semi-Finals.. Kalev/Cramo and TU/Rock take victories - by Eurobasket News
Kalev/Cramo - Rakvere 86-72

Kalev/Cramo took the lead against Rakvere. The regular season winners dominated from the opening minutes and recorded a well-deserved win at the end. The hosts trailed by 2 points after first quarter, but they stormed back to get the 11-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 86-72. Kalev/Cramo outrebounded BC Rakvere 44-32 including 17 on the offensive glass. International swingman Gregor Arbet (194-F/G-83) stepped up and scored 21 points and 6 rebounds for the winners and international forward Joosep Toome (202-85) chipped in 14 points and 8 rebounds. Four Kalev/Cramo players scored in double figures. At the losing side American guard Matthew Hall (191-86, college: Stonehill) responded with 19 points and the other American import swingman Brett McGee (198-84, college: Mt.Mercy) scored 12 points. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games.
Top scorers:
Kalev/Cramo: G.Arbet 21+6reb+1ast, J.Toome 14+8reb, A.Skele 13+3reb+1ast, T.Sokk 12+2reb+2ast, G.Dorbek 10+6reb+1ast, M.Dunigan 9+9reb
Rakvere: M.Hall 19+4reb+3ast, B.McGee 12+4reb+3ast, J.Vahter 10+5reb, R.Vaikulis 9+2reb+2ast, I.Timermanis 6+7reb, V.Viljar 6+4reb

TU/Rock - TTU/Kalev 76-67

TU/Rock held off pesky TTU/Kalev in the opener. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning the initial quarter 23-16. But TTU/Kalev won second period 19-16. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The game was decided in the last minutes when TU/Rock won last quarter 23-15. They made 17-of-22 charity shots (77.3 percent) during the game. They also forced 20 TTU/Kalev turnovers. Georgian guard Georgi Tsintsadze (192-86) nailed 16 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals for the winning side and American power forward Callistus Eziukwu (208-85, college: Grand Valley St.) accounted for 16 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks. American-DR Congolese forward Bambale Osby (203-86, college: Maryland) came up with a double-double by scoring 23 points and 14 rebounds and Canadian guard Casey Archibald (195-84, agency: R.H.Consultancy) added 12 points respectively for TTU/Kalev in the defeat. TTU/Kalev's coach Ullar Kerde rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help.
Top scorers:
TU/Rock: G.Tsintsadze 16+9reb+4ast, C.Eziukwu 16+7reb+1ast, V.Allingu 14+5reb+1ast, M.Doronin 8+8reb+2ast, T.Eichfuss 7+3reb+2ast, S.Sokk 6+2reb+4ast
TTU/Kalev: B.Osby 23+14reb, C.Archibald 12+2reb+3ast, I.Pilk 11+5reb+1ast, V.Kriisa 8+1reb+5ast, A.Parn 4+6reb, M.Kaja 4+2reb

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

EUROLEAGUE

Euroleague: Best Defender trophy goes to......... - by Chris Mammides
Dimitris Diamantidis (196-G-80) wins sixth Best Defender Trophy! The last seven seasons, the 3D player of Panathinaikos Athens wins it for sixth time. Panathinaikos Athens point guard Dimitris Diamantidis once again owns the Best Defender Trophy after dominating a vote by Euroleague head coaches. What's more, since he was a rookie that first year, Diamantidis has been voted the best defender for all except one year that he has played in the Euroleague. The only time he did not receive the trophy was last season, when he finished third in the voting.

This season, Diamantidis was the overwhelming top choice of Euroleague head coaches, who gave him more than double the votes of any other player. Although Diamantidis ranked 10th in the competition with 1.6 steals per game and was second among all guards with 3.8 rebounds, but he was top ranked in the assists, his impact is much greater than numbers. On-the-ball pressure, 3D has a unique ability to guard multiple positions (actualy all the positions!) and the leadership of his team's entire defense all make Diamantidis a constant concern for opposing teams. Using his long arms, quickness and great basketball IQ, Diamantidis has not only mastered the art of defense, but has become expert at turning defensive stops into easy transition points. For all those reasons, Euroleague head coaches have not only awarded Diamantidis the Best Defender Trophy again this year, but having done so repeatedly, have assured his status as one of the greatest defensive players in Euroleague history.

Last but not least, this season 3D is showing another aspect of his wonderfull repertoir in Basketball, his scoring abilities, as he is now alone in the specific position (Jasikevicius and Spanoulis left from Panathinaikos Athens) Diamantidis is scoring on their behalf too, so this season 3D took the team in his arms and is directing it in a possible repeat of a three crown as untill this very moment, Panathinaikos Athens is among the few teams at this stage that still has on an 'open space' the three targets.

Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy: Igor Rakocevic, Efes Pilsen - by Eurobasket News
The first Turkish Airlines Euroleague post-season award, the Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy, given annually to the Euroleague player with the most points averaged over a minimum number of games, has been won by Igor Rakocevic (191-G-78) of Efes Pilsen. Rakocevic, a former world champion, becomes the first player to win the Ford Trophy three times; in fact, no one else has done so more than once since the award debuted in 2005. Rakocevic was the Ford Trophy winner also in 2007 and 2009. This season, Rakocevic earned what is the Euroleague's only post-season award based solely on statistics thanks to his scoring average of 17.21 points over a total of 14 games. He scored in double digits in 13 of his 14 Euroleague games this season and went beyond the 20-point mark five times. Rakocevic was very effective from beyond the new, longer three-point line, hitting 43.5% of his shots there. No player had a higher percentage while attempting as many three-pointers, 62, as Rakocevic. At the end of the season, Rakocevic ranked second in scoring average this century among players with 100 or more Euroleague games. What's more, his career rate of .56 points per minute ranks eighth all-time and first for players with more than 100 Euroleague games since 2000. He is currently the seventh top scorer in competition history with 2,149 total points.

Rakocevic opened the regular season with a 23-point effort against Union Olimpija and went on to score 20 and 17 points in consecutive home wins against Power Electronics Valencia and Armani Jeans Milano, respectively. Rakocevic kept filling baskets all around the continent, but especially at Sinan Erdem Arena, the new home court of Efes this season. He had 21 points against CSKA and added 18 against Panathinaikos to help Efes record two quality home wins. Rakocevic was the fourth-best scorer at the end of the regular season with 15.8 points per game. Once in the Top 16, Rakocevic had 23 points as Efes downed Partizan mt:s in Belgrade and added a season-high 24 points against Montepaschi in Siena. He was the second-best scorer in the Top 16, with 19.8 points on average, trailing only Juan Carlos Navarro of Regal FC Barcelona.

By the time he and Efes were eliminated, Rakocevic had made 48 of 102 two-point shots, 27 of 62 three-pointers and 64 of 73 free throws to total 241 points in 14 games. Mirza Teletovic of Caja Laboral was second in the top scoring race with 14.2 points on average, Navarro third (14.07 ppg.), Kenny Gregory of Union Olimpija fourth (14 ppg.) and Joel Freeland of Unicaja fifth (13.87 ppg.). On other Euroleague career records list, Rakocevic moved into 8th place this season with 223 three-pointers made and is fourth in free throws made (513) since the competition started in 2000.

Rakocevic joins Linas Kleiza of Olympiacos (2010), Marc Salyers of Chorale Roanne (2008), Drew Nicholas of Benetton Treviso (2006)and the trophy's first winner, Charles Smith of Scavolini Pesaro (2005), to become the fifth player to win the award in seven years. Alphonso Ford died of leukemia in September 2004 after a career in which he was the competition's top scorer twice, in 2000-01 and 2001-02, both seasons with Olympiacos. He subsequently led Montepaschi Siena in scoring as it reached the 2003 Final Four in its debut Euroleague season. The Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy is the first in a series of Euroleague end-of-season honors. Other to be announced shortly include: the Euroleague Best Defender Trophy, the Euroleague Rising Star Trophy for players under 22 on July 1, 2010, and the All-Euroleague first and second team nominees. The All-Euroleague teams and the Sportingbet MVP for 2010-11 will be revealed at the EFES Pilsener Euroleague Awards Ceremony on May 7 during the Final Four in Barcelona. The Aleksander Gomelskiy Coach of the Year Trophy and the Euroleague Club Executive of the Year are post-season awards.

His third Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy is yet another highlight in Rakocevic's outstanding career. Rakocevich has always been an all-around shooter with unlimited range and superb one-on-one skills since his early days at Crvena Zvezda, with whom he won the Yugoslav League title in 1998. Rakocevic moved to Buducnost in 2001, averaging 14 points in his first Euroleague season while adding domestic league and cup titles. Rakocevic also filled the baskets with his national team, winning consecutive gold medals with Yugoslavia at EuroBasket 2001 and the 2002 FIBA World Championships. After a brief stop in the NBA with Minnesota, Rakocevic returned to Europe with Crvena Zvezda. There, he became the 2003-04 Adriatic League's top scorer (23.2 ppg.) and winner of the Serbia and Montenegro Cup in epic fashion, as Crvena Zvezda survived several overtimes. Rakocevic moved to Pamesa Valencia and became the Spanish League second top scorer (21 ppg.) while also leading the team to the ULEB Cup semifinals. He joined Real Madrid in summer 2005, for one season, and played three seasons with Tau Ceramica - now Caja Laboral - before joining Efes Pilsen. Not only did he win the Ford Trophy twice with Tau, but they also lifted a Spanish League trophy, a Spanish King's Cup and three Spanish Supercup titles together, and reached Euroleague Final Fours in 2007 and 2008. Rakocevic was named to the All-Euroleague Second Team in 2006-07. Rakocevic bounced back from what, for him, was an underwhelming 2009-10 scoring season, with just 10 points per game for Efes, to re-establish himself as one of the game's pre-eminent scorers. Rakocevic will receive the Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy at the EFES Pilsener Euroleague Awards Ceremony on May 7.

Courtesy of Euroleague

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

FRANCE

Cortey's double-double lands him NM1 Player of the Week award (by BasketStore) - by Eurobasket News

30-year old guard Julien Cortey (175-G-80) put on an amazing game in the last round for Le Puy and receives a Eurobasket.com NM1 Player of the Week award for round 31.
He got a double-double of 20 points and 12 assists, while his team edged out Souffel (#12, 13-17) 88-84. Le Puy is placed at 8th position in French NM1. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Le Puy will need more victories to improve their 16-13 record. In the team's last game Cortey had a remarkable three three-pointers out of 6 attempts. He has many years of experience at Le Puy, through which he has constantly improved. Cortey has impressive league stats. He is league's best passer with 7.2apg. Cortey is in league's top in and averages solid 61.3% FGP.

Second best performed player last round was Juwann James (198-F-87) of Vendee Challans Basket. He is American forward in his first season at Challans. In the last game James recorded impressive 22 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists. Of course he lead Challans to another comfortable win 85-70 over slightly higher-ranked Blois (#9, 16-14) being unquestionably team leader. The game was between two teams which are definitely not main contenders for the title. Challans keeps 10th position. His team lost some distance to top teams. But 15-14 record is not bad and everything may still change. James is a newcomer at Challans and quickly became one of team's most reliable players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 17.2ppg (#4). He also registered 5.5 boards per game.

Third place about best performers goes to forward Julien Lesieu (199-F-83) of St Quentin (#7). Lesieu scored 20 points and grabbed ten rebounds. He was a key player of St Quentin, leading his team to a 82-63 easy win against the lower-ranked Get Vosges (#16, 9-21). St Quentin needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 17 victories and 13 lost games. Lesieu has a great season in France. After 27 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 16.0ppg (8th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Keonta Howell (193-G-85) of St Quentin - 22 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists
5. Larry Blair (183-G-84) of Denek - 31 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists
6. Djordje Petrovic (202-F-84) of St Etienne - 20 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists
7. David Cilly (196-G/F-81) of Orchy - 12 points and 17 rebounds
8. Romain Dardaine (200-F-88) of Bordeaux - 16 points and 11 rebounds
9. John Ford (207-C-78) of Bordeaux - 14 points, 14 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Wayne Morris (198-F-77) of Roche - 20 points and 11 rebounds

The Player of the week is choosen based on efficiency calculation, but also including game result, importance of the game, if played recorded double-double/triple-double, etc.
The efficiency formula is a combination of various formulas used by different basketball organizations/leagues. We got involved many basketball scouts and journalists to assure it's accuracy.
The formula: 1.5*PTS + 3*(REB+AST+ST+BL-TO) - 2*BSAG - 4*PF + 3*PFRV + 4*(2FGPM+3FGPM) + 1.5*FTM - 3*(2FGPA-2FGPM) - 3*(3FGPA-3FGPM) - (FTA-FTM)

Ali Traore wins 'Player of the Week' in Italy - by Eurobasket News
French National Team member Ali Traore (207-C-85, agency: Beo Basket, college: S.Idaho JC) had an amazing evening in the last round for Lottomatica Virtus Roma and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Italian SerieA Player of the Week award for round 26.
The 25-year old center had a double-double of 30 points and twelve rebounds, while his team was edged out by Dinamo Sassari (12-14) 86-85. Lottomatica maintains the 8th position in Italian SerieA with 14-12 record. It was one of impressive evenings for Traore as usually he does not deliver so high stats. He averages this season 9.8ppg.
Ali Traore joined Lottomatica last summer from ASVEL. He was the MVP of French ProA last season. For 30 games in the league Traore averaged 15.6 points and 5 rebounds. Before ASVEL (2008-2010), Traore was a member of STB Le Havre, Roanne and Quimper UJAP. He started with ASVEL as a teenager and left them for the first time in 2004.
Ali Traore is active member of the French National Team. Last summer in Turkey he had 5.3 ppg and 1.5 rpg for 6 games.

Dijon bring in Zach Moss - by Eurobasket News
Dijon recruited Zach Moss (201-F-81, college: Mountain St.). The team signed a deal meant till the end of the season. Zach Moss is expected to replace injured Elson Mendy (200-F-85). The 29-year-old forward started the season in Entente Orleans 45. He tallied 4.0 points and 3.0 boards per game in EuroCup. In ProA his stats read 8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds per appearance. In February Zach Moss moved to Spain. He joined Mellila Baloncesto in Spanish LEB Gold. The forward posted 8.0 points and 3.9 rebounds in Spain. Zach Moss played for Vichy in 2006/10 seasons. He also had stints with Antibes, Maccabi Givat Shmuel in Israel and Chalons-en-Champagne Basket Pro.

Stats Leaders - N1

Points Per Game

Larry BLAIR
  Denek
  (183-G-84)
  Avg: 23.5

1. Blair, Denek	23.5
2. Kennedy, Orchy	18.4
3. Pridotkas, Brest	17.9
4. Petrovic, St Et.	17.2
5. James, Challans	17.2
6. Ford, Bordeaux	17.0
7. Blot, Blois	16.3
8. Lesieu, St Quentin	16.0
9. Disy, Roche	15.8
10. Howell, St Quentin	15.5

Rebounds Per Game

Lavar SIMMONS
  St Etienne
  (201-F/C-83)
  Avg: 8.8

1. Simmons, St Et.	8.8
2. Pasut, Sorgues	8.5
3. Grimm, Blois	8.3
4. Balocka, Lievin	8.3
5. Cilly, Orchy	8.3
6. Hoard, Lievin	7.9
7. Lopez, Brest	7.9
8. Cabarkapa, Le Puy	7.7
9. Ford, Bordeaux	7.7
10. Alingue, Souffel	7.6

Assists Per Game

Julien CORTEY
  Le Puy
  (175-G-80)
  Avg: 7.2

1. Cortey, Le Puy	7.2
2. Brochard, Blois	6.7
3. Ramphort, Angers B.	4.8
4. Barbry, Orchy	4.7
5. Sauret, Denain	4.1
6. Rambur, St Quentin	4.1
7. Darrigand, Bordeaux	4.0
8. Driss, Bordeaux	3.8
9. Thomas, St Etienne	3.5
10. Tillon, St Chamond	3.5

Steals Per Game

Larry BLAIR
  Denek
  (183-G-84)
  Avg: 2.7

1. Blair, Denek	2.7
2. Pistre, Le Puy	2.2
3. Neri, Roche	2.0
4. Sauret, Denain	2.0
5. El Amrani, St Et.	2.0
6. Blot, Blois	1.9
7. Ipouck, Le Puy	1.8
8. James, Challans	1.8
9. Roberts, Brest	1.7
10. Schmieder, Challans	1.6

Blocks Per Game

Jean-Stephane RINNA
  St Chamond
  (205-F-83)
  Avg: 1.8

1. Rinna, St Chamond	1.8
2. Traore, Angers B.	1.7
3. Alingue, Souffel	1.5
4. Ford, Bordeaux	1.5
5. Lalugba, Denain	1.2
6. Pasut, Sorgues	1.2
7. Ipouck, Le Puy	1.1
8. Kolb, Blois	1.1
9. Kennedy, Orchy	1.1
10. Pourchot, CFBB	0.9

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

GERMANY

Eurobasket.com All-Regionalliga West Awards 2010-2011 - by Moritz Korff

Troutman

Smith

Franklin

Cayole

Baumann

Player of the Year: Robert Franklin (195-F-81, college: N.Mexico Highlands) - Recklinghausen
Domestic Player of the Year: Tim Schoenborn (191-G-90) - Dortmund
Defensive Player of the Year: T.J. Smith (188-G, college: Ky Wesleyan) - Muenster
Most Improved Player of the Year: Fabian Bleck (196-F-93) - Iserlohn
Newcomer of the Year: Lennard Joerdell (203-C/F-91) - Grevenbroich
Coach of the Year: Meik Bassen - Sechtem

First Team
Ryan Troutman (188-G-87, college: Tusculum) - Sechtem
T.J. Smith (188-G) - Muenster
Robert Franklin (195-F-81) - Recklinghausen
Chris Cayole (201-F-85, college: St.Michael's) - Bochum
Adam Baumann (203-C/F-81, college: Youngstown St.) - Hagen

Second Team
Terry Bryant (186-G-85, college: SE Louisiana) - Dorsten
Cham Korbi (188-G-83) - Recklinghausen
Nick Freer (198-G/F-85, college: Grand Valley St.) - Salzkotten
Trevor Wittwer (195-F-85, agency: Gamble Sports Management, college: Gustavus Adolphus) - Werne
Marko Samanovic (206-C-85) - Werne

Honorable Mention
Chase Adams (178-G-88, college: Pittsburgh) - Dortmund
Patrick Carney (185-G, college: Chapman) - Velbert
Marcus Ligons (201-F-84, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement) - Dorsten
Tim Schoenborn (191-G-90) - Dortmund
Phillip Sellers (196-F-78, college: St.Rose, NY) - Sechtem
Goetz Twiehoff (196-F-85) - Grevenbroich

Domestic Players Team
Matthias Finke (183-G-87) - Salzkotten
Philip Guenther (178-G-85) - Schalke
Tim Schoenborn (191-G-90) - Dortmund
Felix Wenningkamp (196-F-88) - Salzkotten
Goetz Twiehoff (196-F-85) - Grevenbroich

The votes have been made by coaches and team officials of the RLW teams plus one vote made by Eurobasket.com

Chris Oliver (Walter Tigers Tuebingen) Everyone See Me As A scorer and Rebounder, But No One Pays Attention To My One On One Defense. - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
Chris Oliver (198-F-85, college: Radford) is a 25 year old 198cm forward that is playing his first season with the The Walter Tigers Tuebingen. He is a athletic forward that has great hands, the versatility to play inside and outside, with three-point range on his jump shot, and has tremendous poise and maturity. He played at Radford from 2003-2007 and in his senior year, he played 30 games averaging 18.8ppg, 8.3rpg, 2.1apg, 1.9spg, 1.3bpg, FGP: 48.7%, 3Pts: 25.8%, FT: 74.8%. He came to Germany in 2007-2008 and played for the Kaiserslautern Braves of the PRO A playing 30 games: Score-2 (20.5ppg), Reb-5 (9.0rpg), 1.2apg, 1.3spg, 1.7bpg, FGP: 56%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 79.6%.In 2008-2009 in Goettingen, he averaged 10.6ppg, 5.2rpg, 1.4spg, FGP: 46.4%, 3PT: 37.0%, FT: 75.5% in 34 games. Last season, he won the Eurochallenge and played ): EuroChallenge: 13 games: 11.5ppg, 5.8rpg, 1.0spg, FGP: 41.7%, 3PT: 37.9%, FT: 77.1%; German League: 35 games: 14.1ppg, 6.3rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 50.9%, 3PT: 27.3%, FT: 80.9%. Chris spoke to eurobasket recently about the 2010-2011 beko BBL season.

Where would you stack your teammate Dane Watts in the BEKO BBL top power forward players?

I would place Dane near the top. He is a very versatile player that can score inside off the block and has a great jumper and great off the pick and pop. he is hard to defend.

What is your overall impression of BBC Bayreuth forward Ekene Ibekwe? Why is it so hard to score against him?

He is very very athletic. He is a great shot blocker and just a great defender for a four man.

During the Allstar break you were in Miami, Florida. How did you spend your time?

I had a great time went home and visited my dad. my girl also came down. I got some much needed rest that week.

What was your nicest experience in Miami that week?

On my last day, we went to dinner, then went to the Hard Rock cafe casino and then to a club. The whole trip was a lot of fun.

Did you see any Miami Heat games?

The Heat had two games at home, but I didnt go to any.

Who was the most improved Walter Tiger player in the first half of the season?

Kenny Wiliams was. He didnt play so much at the start, but recently he has caught wind and is playing very well hedging screens, running the floor well, finishing well at the basket and defending well.

What is your role exactly with Tuebingen and is it different to BG Goettingen?

I think my role is pretty similar to Goettingen in that both teams allow me to play my game. The biggest difference are the systems. In Goettingen it was more an up tempo style where there was more motion that fits my game. In Tuebingen one person has the ball and the play goes with one player and the system is a bit more stagnant, but both systems are good. Both teams look a lot for me to things on offense and defense.

What is a strength in your game that doesnt always get noticed right away?

I think that my defense is underrated. Everyone see me as a scorer and rebounder, but no one pays attention to my one on one defense.

This is your first season in Tuebingen. How do you like and how different is it to Goettingen?

In Goettingen all the players lived in the same apartment complex and all we had to do was cross the street and we would be in the city. In Tuebingen I live a bit farther away from the city as all the players live spread out. I like Tuebingen. It is small and a university town.

What do you miss the most from BG Goettingen?

I miss the style of play the most and how they played on offense and defense.

Your friend Whit Holcomb-Faye is playing well in Wels, Austria and is a top the assist leaders. Could he become a BEKO BBL starter in the future?

I think that Whit can be a starter. He just needs to find a team that will give him a chance. He has always been a scorer and top assist man where ever he has played and he has always played for successful teams.

In what other country besides Germany would you like to play in?

France, Spain or Italy.

Who was the best player that you ever played against in the NCAA that is in the NBA now?

In high school I played against Chris Paul and Luol Deng and at Radford I played against Ronnie Brewer of the Chicago Bulls.

Who was Dennis the worm Rodman more important to the Pistons or Bulls?

I think that he was important to both, but probably more important to the Bulls, because Rodman was another tough player that they got that helped rebounding. He was not as much of an offensive player as he was a defensive player. He was important for the Bulls winning titles.

Why was Jerry Slaon and the Utah Jazz unable to win a NBA title in 23 years?

Jerry Sloan had great teams and players, but often they had to play against the greatest player Michael Jordan and the Bulls. It was tough going against the Bulls in the 90s.

What were the most free throws that you made in a row?

45-50.

What was your most crazy shot?

I have made many winning shots, but last season I made a buzzer beater against Tuebingen which was my first time making a shot as the shot clock expired.

What are your hobbies?

Chilling, watching movies and playing x box.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

Four colored Girls with Tyler Perry.

Thanks Chris for the chat.

Kevin Hamilton (New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig) It Is Not Easy To Beat Any Team 3 Times In A Row In This League - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
Kevin Hamilton (193-G-84, agency: Limelight Hoops, college: Holy Cross) is a 26 year old 193cm guard from Queens Village, New York. This season, he is playing for The New York Phantoms Braunschweig. He played at Holy Cross from 2002-2006 and played together with ex Skyliner Keith Simmons. In his senior year, he played 31 games averaging 17.6ppg, 6.3rpg, 3.5apg, 3.3spg, FG: 38.1%, 3PT: 33.2%, FT: 77.7%. In his rookie season 2006-2007, he came to Europe and played in Poland for Polpak Swiecie playing 19 games and averaging 13.0ppg, 4.5rpg, 3.8apg, Steals-2 (2.3spg), 2FGP: 44.8%, 3PT: 38.2%, FT: 64.2%. In 2007-2008, he played in France for Besancon Basket Comte Doubs (France-ProB) playing 2 games and averaging 6.0ppg, 2.5rpg, 2.5apg. He also had a short tenure in Mexico with Pioneros de Quintana Roo-Cancun. In 2008-2009, he returned back to Poland to play for SKK Kotwica Kolobrzeg playing 32 games averaging 11.0ppg, 5.1rpg, Assists-1 (6.4apg), Steals-1 (2.8spg), FGP: 43.6%, 3PT: 32.6%, FT: 66.5%. He was not lazy in the last three summers staying in game shape and playing in Puerto Rico playing 90 games. In tue summer of 2009, he played for Indios de Mayaguez playing 35 games and averaging 10.5ppg, 4.7rpg, Assists-3 (6.3apg), Steals-2 (1.7spg), FGP: 45.4%, 3PT: 28.1%, FT: 70.6%. His father was a draft pick of The Boston Celtics in 1980. Last season, he played his first season in Braunschweig playing 39 games: 10.1ppg, 3.8rpg, Assists-3 (5.4apg), Steals-2 (1.9spg), FGP: 63.7%, 3PT: 33.9%, FT: 77.6%. He spoke to eurobasket before the game against The Telekom baskets Bonn April 23rd.

This weekend will be avery exciting time for German basketball fans as teams are fighting for the last playoff places and 3 teams battling to stay in the beko BBL. How have you been observing all of this despite being qualifyed for the playoffs?

I am not sure what the scenarios are exactly but I am aware that this is a big weeked for a lot of teams. It is a big weekend for us as well because we want to finish in a good position and have some momentum going into the playoffs.

How important is this game against The Telekom Baskets Bonn? With a loss Braunschweig could move more down and risk getting a more difficult team like perhaps Frankfurt?

I think all teams in the playoffs are difficult teams to play. It is not easy to beat any team 3 times in a row in this league. That being said you want to finish in as high a place as possible for home court advantage reasons and for standings, so it is an important game for us.

What is your memory of the post 2011 New Year game 75-73 win against Bonn?

I remember it being a real tough game and us being able to pull away in the final minutes.

Folarin Campbell left recently. How much does this hurt the team?

It hurts them a lot. He was a real good player for them.

You are one of the top defenders in the beko BBL. Where would you rate Nic Wise in terms of difficulty in defending him?

He is a tough player to defend. He is quick, uses the pick and roll very well and has a good mid-range game. It is going to be a challenge.

Jason Williams retired from the NBA. What will you always remember from his game?

The tattoos and his ball-handling.

How important was Williams for the 2006 Miami Heat NBA championship?

He was a good contributor.

The Miami Heat have a 2-0 series lead against the 76ers. Is this series as good as closed?

Yup.

How do you see the Atlanta Hawks-Orlando Magic series? Is an upset possible here?

I think Orlando will pull the series out.

Thanks Kev for the chat.

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

GREECE

HOLLAND

Team-by-Team Outlook Dutch Basketball League Playoffs - by Greg
The playoffs in the Dutch Basketball League begins this upcoming weekend, here is a capsule of each of the teams, based on final rankings of the regular season:

Zorg and Zekerheid Leiden
Record: 30-6
Head coach: Toon Van Helfteren (agency: R.H.Consultancy )
Key players: Seamus Boxley (201-F-82), Monta McGhee (198-F-79), Ross Bekkering (203-F-85), Thomas Jackson (175-G-80), Arvin Slagter (190-G-85)

Strengths:
ZZ Leiden has a strong inside-outside game, excellent interior passing and wing players who can fill it up outside as well as getting to the rim, making it easier for the inside players to get to the offensive glass. Jackson is an underrated point guard who sets the tone for this team. Boxley and Bekkering are the two most athletic inside tandem in the Dutch competition as well as being fundamentally sound and sacrificing self and team. Monta McGhee is a streaky shooter whose veteran skills and enthusiasm, intensity and fire rubs off on the other players. The Dutch core group of Slagter, Worthy de Jong, and Terry Sas add quality minutes on both ends of the floor. ZZ Leiden also rebounds the ball well, 2nd only to Gas Terra Flames, and shot a decent 70.8% from the free throw line. Defensively this team rotates well and is a solid fundamentaaly sound team.

Coach van Helfteren
Weaknesses:
ZZ Leiden needs more consistent strong play from center Jesse Smith, who has underachieved in his first season in Leiden. Smith has been plagued this season by foul trouble and inconsistent play. ZZ Leiden will need him to play more consistent and be a defensive presence in the paint. Otherwise this puts more pressure on Bekkering and Boxley to carry the inside load. ZZ Leiden also must take care of the basketball better.

Outlook:
ZZ Leiden have gained momentum once again and have to be labelled as the favorite to dethrone Gas Terra Flames. The players have bought into the philosophy of van Helfteren and has paid dividends. The team didnt miss a beat when losing Boxley to injury in the midway point of the season, the players remain unfazed. They had a season-best 12 game winning streak during the period and closed off the regular season with 8 straight wins to overtake the psychological egde from Gas Terra Flames. Coach van Helfteren has what it takes from this squad to capture his 1st Dutch championship.

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

HUNGARY

A Division Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Jara DOYNE
  Falco-Szova
  (193-G/F-84)
  Avg: 22.3

1. Doyne, Falco-Szova	22.3
2. El-Amin, PVSK P.	22.0
3. Bell, Kormend	21.7
4. Marshall, Marso-Va.	20.8
5. Townes, Soproni	19.5
6. Wilson, Kaposvari	19.4
7. Rubin, Szedeak	19.3
8. Mekongo, FS Debre.	19.3
9. Cunningham, Kapos.	19.2
10. Sales, Atomeromu	18.2

Rebounds Per Game

Darian TOWNES
  Soproni
  (208-F/C-84)
  Avg: 11.2

1. Townes, Soproni	11.2
2. Sales, Atomeromu	10.6
3. Jones, Albacomp	9.2
4. Werner, Kaposvari	9.1
5. Cunningham, Kapos.	8.9
6. Bader, Szolnok	8.6
7. Egemonye, PVSK P.	8.5
8. Szabo, Soproni	8.3
9. Mekongo, FS Debre.	8.2
10. Gosa, Falco-Szova	8.1

Assists Per Game

Lorenzo WILLIAMS
  Khimik
  (191-G-84)
  Avg: 7.3

1. Williams, ZTE K.	7.3
2. Savic, Marso-Vagep	6.5
3. Trotter, Szolnok	6.3
4. Simon, Albacomp	6.1
5. Kelley, Soproni	6.1
6. Kalman, Falco-Sz.	6.0
7. Rodgers, Salgotar.	5.8
8. Moore, Kormend	5.4
9. Glavinic, PVSK P.	5.1
10. Wittmann, Kecsk.	4.6

Steals Per Game

Brane SAVIC
  Marso-Vagep
  (181-G-79)
  Avg: 3.5

1. Savic, Marso-Vagep	3.5
2. Hanga, Albacomp	2.9
3. Marshall, Marso-Va.	2.9
4. Czigler, Marso-Va.	2.7
5. Trotter, Szolnok	2.6
6. Werner, Kaposvari	2.6
7. Williams, ZTE K.	2.5
8. Rodgers, Salgotar.	2.4
9. Clark, Szolnok	2.3
10. Singletary, FS Debre.	2.3

Blocks Per Game

Ivory CLARK
  Szolnok
  (198-F-85)
  Avg: 2.2

1. Clark, Szolnok	2.2
2. Townes, Soproni	1.9
3. Czigler, Marso-Va.	1.3
4. McKenzie, Szedeak	1.3
5. Egemonye, PVSK P.	1.1
6. Aliakseyeu, Falco-Sz.	0.9
7. Langford, FS Debre.	0.8
8. Keller, Albacomp	0.8
9. Morgen, Atomeromu	0.7
10. Bader, Szolnok	0.7

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

IBL

IBL's Lake County All Stars announce first 7 players - by Trask Frost
IBL Media April 20th 2011: the Lake County All Stars will play another branding season (partial season- the games count as official games within the IBL season) with the team's first game at the 1-0 Gary Splash tomorrow night; head coach Ken Hasty announces his first 7 players:

Anthony Spencer- a 6'5' Guard- Johnson County CC
Brandon Morris- a 6'1' Guard- University of Green Bay
Brian Colbert- a 6'3' Guard- Cameron
Craig Cunningham- a 6'7'- Forward- University of Parkside
Darren Evans- a 6'6'- Forward-Indiana St
Keenan Browder- a 6'5'Guard- Eastern New Mexico
Keith Archie- a 6'9' Center- Western Illinois
Tim Baines- a 6'7'Forward-Parkside

www.IBLhoopsonline.com

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

ICELAND

Stats Leaders (Men)

Points Per Game

Marcus WALKER
  KR
  (186-G-86)
  Avg: 25.7

1. Walker, KR	25.7
2. Sanders, Keflavik	22.6
3. Inge, Haukar	21.8
4. Biedler, IR	21.7
5. Bartolotta, IR	21.6
6. Dabney, Hamar	21.1
7. Sovic, IR	21.0
8. Robinson, Haukar	21.0
9. Smith, Njardvik	20.9
10. Fain, Tindastoll	20.0

Rebounds Per Game

Gerald ROBINSON
  Haukar
  (204-F-84)
  Avg: 13.7

1. Robinson, Haukar	13.7
2. Biedler, IR	12.4
3. Ermolinskij, KR	11.6
4. Pettinella, Grindavik	11.3
5. Fain, Tindastoll	10.1
6. Stywall, Fjolnir	9.8
7. Amoroso, Snaefell	9.6
8. Jonsson, Snaefell	9.0
9. Nathanaelsso., Ham.	8.3
10. Smith, Njardvik	8.1

Assists Per Game

Aegir STEINARSSON
  Fjolnir
  (182-G-91)
  Avg: 8.7

1. Steinarsson, Fjolnir	8.7
2. Ermolinskij, KR	7.9
3. Vilhjalmsson, Kefla.	7.3
4. Burton, Snaefell	6.5
5. Shouse, Stjarnan	6.2
6. Haraldsson, Haukar	5.6
7. Arnarson, Hamar	5.3
8. Schoen, KFI	5.2
9. Inge, Haukar	5.2
10. Cunningham, Tinda.	4.9

Steals Per Game

Semaj INGE
  Haukar
  (193-G-87)
  Avg: 3.2

1. Inge, Haukar	3.2
2. Schoen, KFI	3.0
3. Dabney, Hamar	2.9
4. Fain, Tindastoll	2.9
5. Kitanovic, Tindastoll	2.5
6. Biedler, IR	2.5
7. Vilhjalmsson, Kefla.	2.5
8. Steinarsson, Fjolnir	2.3
9. Ermolinskij, KR	2.3
10. Walker, KR	2.3

Blocks Per Game

Christopher SMITH
  Svit
  (198-F-82)
  Avg: 3.2

1. Smith, Njardvik	3.2
2. Nathanaelsso., Ham.	2.5
3. Biedler, IR	2.0
4. Fain, Tindastoll	1.6
5. Savarsson, Grind.	1.4
6. Magnusson, KR	1.4
7. Inge, Haukar	1.4
8. Thorsteinsso., Kefla.	1.4
9. Pettinella, Grindavik	1.3
10. Lindmets, Stjarnan	1.2

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

IRAN

Derrick Tarver back in Iran - by Mohammad Amin Maghsoodlou
American scoring machine Derrick Tarver (192-G-80, college: Akron) signed with B.A. Shiraz. He is in Shiraz now and ready to play tomorrow against Zob Ahan. Derrick is big time player in region, He averaged a remarkable 32.2 ppg last season in Iran with Shahrdari Gorgan . He debut the season with Al Riyadi Beirut on December averaged 15.5 points in 20 minutes then moved to Al Jahraa Kuwait D1 averaging 25 points/3 assists/5 rebounds in 26 Minutes.
B.A needs to win against Zob Ahan to reach play-offs . In lose situation , they should try in Play-outs against Saman Bank.

Awards/Achievements:
All-MAC 2nd Team -03, 04
All-CJCAA Final Tournament Team -02
Swedish Basketligan All-Star Game -06
Swedish Basketligan Regular Season Runner-Up -06
Swedish Basketligan Finalist -06
Eurobasket.com All-Swedish Basketligan Player of the Year -06
Eurobasket.com All-Swedish Basketligan Guard of the Year -06
Eurobasket.com All-Swedish Basketligan Import Player of the Year -06
Eurobasket.com All-Swedish Basketligan 1st Team -06
Eurobasket.com Swedish Basketligan All-Imports Team -06
Asia-Basket.com All-Lebanese League 1st Team -08
Asia-Basket.com Lebanese League All-Imports Team -08
Lebanese League Semifinals -08

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

ITALY

Bargnani's future murky in Toronto - by Eurobasket News
Raptors president/general manager Bryan Colangelo said a lot at Monday's season-wrapping media conference but one of the biggest takeaways was this: The Andrea Bargnani (209-F/C-85) experiment is either coming to an end or will be drastically altered.

With Bargnani's future in Toronto rather murky, Colangelo admitted the obvious. 'Miscast' as a centre, Bargnani was not thriving or lifting the team from that spot.

'We need a bigger, better post presence,' Colangelo said, noting that seven-footers who excel on the boards and defensively are keys to success.

'Defending the rim is one of the main weaknesses we have, we need to get a guy who rebounds the ball.'

Colangelo said nobody on the roster is 'untradeable' and did not discount the possibility he would move the top selection of the 2006 draft, but said either way, a centre must be added.

'The biggest need is we have not paired a legit five (centre) next to Andrea Bargnani. He's our five because we don't have anybody else to play that position at his size.'

Continued Colangelo: 'I don't know if he'll ever become a better defensive player than he is. But can he be a better rebounder? Absolutely. That's a mindset, that's a desire thing. He knows he can do better, but doesn't focus on it.

'Whether Andrea is here or not, we need a guy who can do those things.'

Colangelo noted the team has the cap flexibility that many teams lack heading into a new collective labour landscape and will be in position to spend to sign one of the many free agent centres on the market.

'There are a number of free agent bigs both restricted and unrestricted that we'll have to consider, that fit the bill,' he said.

'I had that guy last year in a deal that fell through. Look what Tyson Chandler has done to Dallas' defence.'

Coincidentally, Chandler finished third in defensive player of the year voting on Monday.

Chandler, of course, was not acquired in the off-season along with Boris Diaw for Jose Calderon and Reggie Evans, only because Charlotte owner Michael Jordan nixed the done deal.

Colangelo said that incident, along with an avalanche of injuries led to a change in direction and a year of rebuilding.

'We had thoughts of being a competitive team. That was derailed. At some point you conclude it's best to go in a different direction,' he said.

'We embarked upon a plan in late November, developing our youth, acquiring additional assets, preserving cap flexibility.'

Colangelo did a solid job of that, adding Jerryd Bayless and James Johnson to the mix, while head coach Jay Triano helped develop youngsters like DeMar DeRozan, Ed Davis and Amir Johnson.

The team is certainly in a lot better spot than it was a year ago when Chris Bosh bailed and Hedo Turkoglu was still on the books and Colangelo is right in claiming that both DeRozan and Davis would go a lot higher than 9th and 13th if the 2010 and 2011 drafts were redone today.

Colangelo knows that this draft (the Raptors will pick somewhere between one and five depending what happens at the May 17th lottery) will bring another strong asset but also realizes Toronto's awful three-point shooting must be addressed, as well as the centre issue.

The veteran GM certainly won't give away Bargnani.

'The enigma of all enigmas is Andrea ... he's proven to be a legitimate 20-point scorer and I think he has more where that comes from and has another level to reach,' Colangelo said.

'Clearly he has not done the things that we would all like to see and that's get better at rebounding the ball and defending the rim. He's far from a perfect player but he's a valuable asset for this organization nonetheless ... a considerable asset for this organization despite what many think otherwise.'

Colangelo did well in both selling Bargnani while not ignoring his obvious failings.

Now he must either find another big man who will help Bargnani fulfill his potential or, more helpfully, send him to a team that can better utilize what he does provide and can more easily deal with what he doesn't.

Courtesy of www.torontosun.com

Standings - SerieA

SerieA Standings

1. Montepaschi		23-2
2. Bennet Cantu		20-6
3. Armani MI		18-8
4. Benetton TV		13-12
5. Air AV		13-13
6. Cimberio VA		13-13
7. CS Bologna		13-13
8. Lottomatica		12-14
9. Pepsi Caserta		12-14
10. Dinamo Sassari		12-14
11. Scavolini PS		12-14
12. Vanoli CR		11-15
13. Fabi Shoes		10-16
14. Angelico BI		9-17
15. Banca Tercas		8-18
16. Enel Brindisi		8-18

Stats Leaders - SerieA

Points Per Game

James WHITE
  Dinamo Sassari
  (198-G-84)
  Avg: 20.3

1. White, Dinamo Sassari	20.3
2. Thomas, Air AV	18.0
3. Roberson, Enel B.	16.1
4. Ford, Fabi Shoes	16.1
5. Zoroski, Banca T.	16.0
6. Dean, Air AV	15.7
7. Goss, Cimberio VA	15.0
8. Hunter, Dinamo S.	14.8
9. Troutman, Air AV	14.6
10. Milic, Vanoli CR	14.6

Rebounds Per Game

Sharrod FORD
  Fabi Shoes
  (206-F/C-82)
  Avg: 10.3

1. Ford, Fabi Shoes	10.3
2. Jones, Pepsi C.	8.5
3. Davis, Banca Tercas	8.4
4. Troutman, Air AV	8.3
5. Homan, CS Bologna	8.3
6. Ivanov, Fabi Shoes	8.0
7. Lang, Enel Brindisi	7.7
8. Hunter, Dinamo S.	7.7
9. Suton, Angelico BI	7.4
10. Toure, Enel Brindisi	7.1

Assists Per Game

Marques GREEN
  Air AV
  (170-G-82)
  Avg: 6.8

1. Green, Air AV	6.8
2. Diener, Dinamo S.	4.9
3. Sosa, Angelico BI	4.5
4. Rowland, Vanoli CR	3.9
5. Goss, Cimberio VA	3.8
6. Stipcevic, Cimberio.	3.8
7. Collins, Scavolin.	3.8
8. Green, Bennet Cantu	3.7
9. Zoroski, Banca T.	3.6
10. Markovic, Benetton.	3.5

Steals Per Game

Earl ROWLAND
  Vanoli CR
  (188-G-83)
  Avg: 3.1

1. Rowland, Vanoli CR	3.1
2. Troutman, Air AV	2.7
3. Thomas, Air AV	2.7
4. Stonerook, Montepas.	2.6
5. Green, Air AV	2.6
6. White, Dinamo Sassari	2.5
7. Dedovic, Lottomat.	2.5
8. Goss, Cimberio VA	2.5
9. Ortner, Bennet C.	2.5
10. Dasic, Lottomatica	2.5

Blocks Per Game

Sharrod FORD
  Fabi Shoes
  (206-F/C-82)
  Avg: 2.1

1. Ford, Fabi Shoes	2.1
2. Crosariol, Lottomat.	1.3
3. Toure, Enel Brindisi	1.2
4. Hunter, Dinamo S.	1.2
5. Polonara, Banca T.	1.0
6. Szewczyk, Air AV	1.0
7. Cusin, Scavolini PS	1.0
8. Lang, Enel Brindisi	1.0
9. Drozdov, Vanoli CR	1.0
10. Homan, CS Bologna	0.8

Angelico Biella add Laurence Ekperigin - by Eurobasket News
Angelico Biella decided to bolster their frontcourt. The team has agreed on terms of contract with Ekperigin Laurence (201-F, college: Le Moyne). The 22-year-old forward spends his first pro season. He started it in South Korea. The rookie averaged 14.3 points, 7.9 boards and 1.3 blocks per game for Mobis Phoebus in KBL. Ekperigin Laurence graduated from Le Moyne in 2010. The forward tallied 21.6 points, 12.1 boards, 2.6 blocks and 1.5 assists per game for the Dolphins in his senior season. Ekperigin Laurence was named into Daktronics Division II All-America 1st Team in 2010. The forward also participated in the KBL All-Star Game this season. The contract with Biella is meant till the end of the season.

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

JAPAN

Japan national hoop squad beefs up competition before important qualification tournaments - by Eurobasket News
The Japan Basketball Association and men's national team head coach Tom Wiseman have selected a bigger group of players to spark more intense competition inside, while having them peak at the right time. Wiseman announced the 42 players on the provisional national team early last week and divided them into three groups for the first time. Group One (17 players) is the so-called 'A-team,' featuring signature names such as Yuta Tabuse (173-G-80, college: BYU-Hawaii), Takehiko Orimo (190-G-70), Takumi Ishizaki (188-G-84) and twin brothers Joji Takeuchi (206-C-85, agency: N.E.T.) and Kosuke Takeuchi (205-C/F-85). The second group (14) consists of A-team-caliber players and the JBA wants to have them earn experience in national team jerseys. The majority of the third group players (11) are either from colleges or even high schools. Wiseman explained that by using having that many players, it can give rest time for everybody, especially the veterans.
'In the program we have, we're actually excited about all three groups,' Wiseman said. 'We're excited about the prospects that we have, the young kids. 'We're excited about the players we have in Group Two. We'll push them to compete for spots (on the final 12-man roster for the Asian Championships). And we are happy in the Group One we have, their commitment from what we consider to be the main players, the best players in Japan.' The biggest tasks of this year for Wisman's squad lie in two Asian tournaments, which lead to next year's London Summer Olympics. Japan will compete in the East Asian Championship (June 10-15 in Nanjing, China) to earn a berth in the Asian Championship (Sept. 15-25 in Wuhan, China). Top three finishers (except for host China) in the six-nation East Asia Championship earn spots in the Asian Championship. The winning team in the Asian Championship grabs a berth in the 2012 London Olympics and second- and third-finishers advance to the world final Olympic qualifier next year. Japan's men's team has not made it to an Olympics since the 1976 Montreal Games. Team Japan will also play some exhibitions during the course of training, along with some other international tournaments.
Tabuse, a former Phoenix Suns guard, said that it is more significant for the players to have a stronger will to make the Olympics. 'As much as we have to improve our techniques,' said Tabuse, who plays for the Link Tochigi Brex of the JBL, 'we have to have responsibility with the Japanese flag behind our back.' Tabuse, a 30-year-old point guard, added that as one of the experienced veterans he intends to take the leaderships to guide the team in the right direction. 'As a playmaker, I understand what type of basketball coach wants us to play,' he said. 'So I want to convey that to the team as much as I can.' Wisman said that he is happy how the A-team players committed themselves to the grave task. 'I think, this year being the qualifying year (for the London Olympics), we received strong commitment from all of our best players,' he said. 'They want to be part of the program. They want to earn spots and represent Japan.'
Former UCLA standout Charles O'Bannon (198-F-75, college: UCLA),, a Toshiba Brave Thunders player, is likely to be added to the team once he gets Japanese citizenship he's currently waiting for. Japan saw dark time in the last several years as it finished eighth and 10th, respectively, in the last two Asian Championship tourneys in 2007 and 2009. But it took a positive step forward last year, advancing to the semifinals in the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, in December. 'Coach told us, 'I want you guys to be Olympians when your careers are over,' ' Tabuse said. 'We want to live up to the expectation.'
Courtesy of: japantimes.co.jp

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

JORDAN

Premier League Round 13: Derby game ends with Al Riyadi Amman's defeat of Al Wehdat - by Eurobasket News
The most exciting game was a derby match between two local teams from Amman: Al Riyadi Amman (#2) and Al Wehdat (#5). Al Riyadi Amman (10-2) crushed visiting Al Wehdat (6-7) by 49 points 98-49. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Al Wehdat. Al Riyadi Amman have an impressive series of five victories in a row. They maintain second place with 10-2 record having four points less than leader ASU. Al Wehdat at the other side keeps the fifth position with seven games lost. Al Riyadi Amman will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Al Wehdat will play against Al Jalil (#8) and is hoping to prove to their supporters that the loss was just an accident.
Another exciting game was again a derby between two teams from Amman: ASU (#1) and Orthodox (#3). ASU (13-0) won against visiting Orthodox (9-4) 82-73. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Orthodox. The victory was the thirteenth consecutive win for ASU. They maintain first place with 13-0 record. Orthodox at the other side keeps the third position with four games lost. ASU will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Orthodox will play against Kofer Yoba and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Bottom-ranked Al Jalil is still unable to win any game. This time they lost on the road their 13th consecutive match to seventh ranked College SC (2-12) 67-55 on Thursday evening. College SC maintains seventh place with 2-12 record. Al Jalil lost their thirteenth game in a row. They still closes the standings with 13 games lost. College SC's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in to the arena .

In the last game of round 13 Kofer Yoba was smashed by Arena on the road 75-50.

Arena - Kofer Yoba 75-50

No shocking result in a game when fourth ranked Arena (8-5) crushed at home 6th ranked Kofer Yoba (4-9) 75-50 on Thursday. Arena maintains fourth place with 8-5 record. Loser Kofer Yoba keeps the sixth position with nine games lost. Arena's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in to the arena .

Al Riyadi Am. - Al Wehdat 98-49

The most exciting game was a derby match between two local teams from Amman: Al Riyadi Amman (#2) and Al Wehdat (#5). Al Riyadi Amman (10-2) crushed visiting Al Wehdat (6-7) by 49 points 98-49. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Al Wehdat. Al Riyadi Amman have an impressive series of five victories in a row. They maintain second place with 10-2 record having four points less than leader ASU. Al Wehdat at the other side keeps the fifth position with seven games lost. Al Riyadi Amman will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Al Wehdat will play against Al Jalil (#8) and is hoping to prove to their supporters that the loss was just an accident.

ASU - Orthodox 82-73

Another exciting game was again a derby between two teams from Amman: ASU (#1) and Orthodox (#3). ASU (13-0) won against visiting Orthodox (9-4) 82-73. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Orthodox. The victory was the thirteenth consecutive win for ASU. They maintain first place with 13-0 record. Orthodox at the other side keeps the third position with four games lost. ASU will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Orthodox will play against Kofer Yoba and hopes to get back on the winning track.

College SC - Al Jalil 67-55

Bottom-ranked Al Jalil is still unable to win any game. This time they lost on the road their 13th consecutive match to seventh ranked College SC (2-12) 67-55 on Thursday evening. College SC maintains seventh place with 2-12 record. Al Jalil lost their thirteenth game in a row. They still closes the standings with 13 games lost. College SC's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in to the arena .

Standings - Premier League

Premier League Standings

1. ASU		13-0
2. Al Riyadi Am.		10-2
3. Orthodox		10-4
4. Arena		8-5
5. Al Wehdat		7-7
6. Kofer Yoba		4-10
7. College SC		2-12
8. Al Jalil		0-14

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LEBANON

Champville too much for Mouttahed in game 1... - by Rabih Khoury
Champville broke all the expectations yesterday night when they beated Mouttahed easily in game 1: 90-65. Champville with their 2 new foreigners Lee Benson (208-F/C-73, agency: Paris Global Sports, college: Brown Mackie) and Tyrone Anderson (193-G-84, college: Concord), who played their first game with their new team, managed to have the win at home. Benson had a huge performance dominating Micah Brand (210-C-80, college: Massachusetts) on both end of the courts, while Anderson was very close to a triple double while playing only for 27 minutes.Lebanon Nt's Captain Fadi Khatib (199-F-79) put an extraordinary show prooving again that he is one of the best player in Asia... From Mouttahed side, Austin Jhonson was fighting alone in the team, while he got some help from Bassel Bawji (204-F-89, college: Tulsa). On the other hand, all Mouttahed Lebanese sqyad in addition to Micah Brand, were out of the game's tempo.
Below the detailed stats of the game. Game 2 is on saturday!!

Champville 90-65 Mouttahed
Q1: 28-16, Q2: 41-26, Q3: 64-47, Q4: 90-65
Champville:
- Fadi Khatib 31Pts, 2Rbs, 4Ass (14/21 FG + 3/5 3's + 0/2 FT) (Added 4 TO + 2 Blocks) in 34 min
-Tyrone Anderson 20Pts, 9Rbs, 7Ass (8/10 FG + 0/1 3's + 4/5 FT) (Added 3 Steals + 3 TO & 1 Block) in 27 min
-Lee Benson 14Pts, 23Rbs, 2Ass (5/8 FG + 4/6 FT) (Added 3 TO + 1 Steal & 5 Blocks) in 34 min
-Yehya Sabra 10Pts, 4Rbs, 1Ass (5/5 FG) (Added 2 Steals + 2 TO) in 34 min
-Carl Sarkis 5Pts, 1Rbs (1/5 FG + 1/5 3's + 2/3 FT) (Added 3 TO) in 24 min
-Mazen Mneimneh 4Pts, 1Rbs (2/6 FG + 0/2 3's) (Added 1 TO) in 19 min
-Hassan Dandache 2Pts, 1Rbs, 1Ass (1/1 FG) in 8 min
-Patrick Bou Abboud 2Pts, 1Rbs (1/2 FG + 0/1 3's) in 5 min
-Nadim Hawi 2Pts, 2Rbs (1/3 FG) (Added 1 TO) in 5 min

Mouttahed:
-Austin Johnson (191-G-87, college: Oklahoma) 20Pts, 3Rbs, 5Ass (6/19 FG + 2/9 3's + 6/7 FT) (Added 1 Steal + 1 TO) in 37 min
-Bassel Bawji 15Pts, 5Rbs (6/15 FG + 3/3 FT) in 26 min
-Micah Brand 7Pts, 6Rbs (3/12 FG + 1/4 3's) (Added 1 TO) in 34 min
-Mohamad Akkari 6Pts, 1Rbs (2/4 FG + 2/4 3's) in 13 min
-Ahmad Kheir 5Pts, 1Ass (2/3 FG + 1/2 3's) in 5 min
-Elie Restom 4Pts, 2Rbs, 2Ass (2/6 FG + 0/2 3's) (Added 2 Steals + 3 TO) in 22 min
-Mohamad Fahes 4Pts, 5Rbs (2/8 FG + 0/3 3's) (Added 2 Steals + 3 TO) in 22 min
-Omar Ayoubi 4Pts (2/3 FG + 0/1 3's) (Added 1 TO) in 5 min

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LITHUANIA

Stats Leaders - LKL

Points Per Game

Vilmantas DILYS
  Perlas
  (208-F-87)
  Avg: 16.4

1. Dilys, Naglis-Adakris	16.4
2. Dimsa, Nevezis	16.0
3. Kieza, Juventus	16.0
4. Dilys, Perlas	15.5
5. Vasylius, Neptunas	15.1
6. Alijevas, Nevezis	14.9
7. Sirvydis, Sakalai	14.0
8. Juskevicius, Rudupis	13.9
9. Ruikis, Neptunas	13.7
10. Vasiliauskas, Aiscai K.	13.6

Rebounds Per Game

Aurimas KIEZA
  Juventus
  (202-F-82)
  Avg: 10.4

1. Kieza, Juventus	10.4
2. Janisius, Alytus A.	9.9
3. Sarakauskas, Siauliai	9.4
4. Valanciunas, Lietuv.	8.0
5. Klimavicius, Zalgiris	7.2
6. Dimsa, Nevezis	7.1
7. Dilys, Perlas	6.6
8. Vasylius, Neptunas	6.5
9. Jankunas, Zalgiris	6.5
10. Adomavicius, Alytus A.	6.5

Assists Per Game

Rolandas ALIJEVAS
  Rudupis
  (192-G-85)
  Avg: 5.9

1. Alijevas, Nevezis	5.9
2. Broadus, Siauliai	5.1
3. Rinkevicius, Techasas	5.0
4. Juskevicius, Rudupis	4.6
5. El-Amin, Lietuvos.	4.4
6. Viskontas, Perlas	4.4
7. Janavicius, Siauliai	4.2
8. Lowe, Naglis-Adakris	4.1
9. Collins, Zalgiris	4.0
10. Vasiliauskas, Aiscai K.	3.8

Steals Per Game

Valdas VASYLIUS
  Neptunas
  (203-F-83)
  Avg: 2.1

1. Vasylius, Neptunas	2.1
2. Leonavicius, Techa.	2.1
3. Juskevicius, Rudupis	2.0
4. Lowe, Naglis-Adakris	1.9
5. Rinkevicius, Techasas	1.9
6. Valukonis, Techasas	1.7
7. Razutis, Naglis-A.	1.7
8. Alijevas, Nevezis	1.7
9. Jasikevicius, Aiscai K.	1.6
10. Sinica, Rudupis	1.5

Blocks Per Game

Deng GAI
  Naglis-Adakris
  (206-F-82)
  Avg: 2.9

1. Gai, Naglis-Adakris	2.9
2. Begic, Zalgiris	2.4
3. Valanciunas, Lietuv.	2.0
4. Silinskis, Techasas	1.6
5. Cresnar, Nevezis	1.5
6. Volkus, Techasas	1.1
7. Klimavicius, Zalgiris	0.9
8. Zelionis, Rudupis	0.8
9. Jankauskas, Rudupis	0.8
10. Cepukaitis, Juven.	0.8

Aurimas Kieza earns Lithuanian league 2010/11 season MVP honours - by Eurobasket
Aurimas Kieza (202-F-82, agency: Players Group, college: Hofstra) this week was named the Lithuanian league's 2010/11 Most Valuable Player. Statistically, Kieza dominated the Lithuanian League, leading in scoring, rebounding and overall efficiency over 17 of the league's 24 weeks. He ended up ranking first in league in overall efficiency ranking (22.0), third in points per game (with 15.7), first in rebounding (with 10.5) and fourth in fouls drawn (with 4.3 per game) adding also 2.6 assists per game. Kieza led his Juventus-LKSK Utenos to fifth place in the Lithuanian League's regular season and to BBL Challenge Cup title. 'This is my first MVP award and so it's very special for me. I would like to thank my coach and teammates, for their trust and belief in me', he said.

by Players Group

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LUXEMBOURG

Billy Arre re-signs with BBC Nitia for one more year - by Daniel Poerschke
The former Lock Haven University guard/forward Billy Arre (196-F-86, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: Lock Haven) re-signed with BBC Nitia Bettembourg for the upcoming 2011/12 season.
Arre will play his third year in Luxemburg now, after managing to bring back Black Star Mersch to Luxemburg's top league in his first season in 2010, he also led BBC Nitia back to the DBBL this year.
The sharpshooting guard/forward was very impressive this past season leading the whole N2 league in scoring. He was clearly the best import player in the second league. Arre averaged over 30ppg and collected over 10rpg. His season high was 57 points in one match.

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MEXICO

Standings - CIBACOPA

CIBACOPA Standings

1. Cananea		19-4
2. Hermosillo		18-5
3. Culiacan		14-9
4. Guasave		13-10
5. Nogales		12-11
6. Guaymas		11-12
7. Mexicali		11-12
8. Tijuana		10-13
9. Tepic		4-19
10. Los Mochis		3-20

CIBACOPA Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Davin WHITE
  Cananea
  (186-G-81)
  Avg: 28.6

1. White, Cananea	28.6
2. Gale, Mexicali	28.1
3. Sowell, Culiacan	27.3
4. Brown, Tepic	25.4
5. Tate, Tijuana	24.3
6. Sims, Los Mochis	24.3
7. White, Los Mochis	23.9
8. Barrett, Guasave	23.3
9. Thomas, Cananea	23.1
10. Gabbidon, Tijuana	23.0

Rebounds Per Game

Ryan MOSS
  Nogales
  (200-F/C-74)
  Avg: 10.2

1. Moss, Nogales	10.2
2. Angounou, Guasave	9.5
3. Broxsie, Nogales	9.3
4. Brown, Tepic	9.1
5. Avila, Culiacan	8.8
6. Malloy, Los Mochis	8.7
7. Shipley, Tijuana	8.6
8. Tate, Tijuana	8.3
9. Rougeau, Culiacan	7.7
10. Gabbidon, Tijuana	7.3

Assists Per Game

William FUNN
  Guasave
  (188-G-82)
  Avg: 7.7

1. Funn, Guasave	7.7
2. Watson, Tijuana	6.1
3. White, Los Mochis	5.8
4. Thomas, Hermosillo	4.9
5. Marentes, Guaymas	4.5
6. Nungaray, Guaymas	4.5
7. White, Cananea	4.3
8. Meza, Culiacan	4.3
9. Monreal, Hermosillo	4.2
10. Ford, Tepic	4.1

Steals Per Game

Davin WHITE
  Cananea
  (186-G-81)
  Avg: 2.1

1. White, Cananea	2.1
2. Thomas, Cananea	2.1
3. Brown, Nogales	1.8
4. Matthews, Nogales	1.7
5. Rougeau, Culiacan	1.7
6. Funn, Guasave	1.7
7. White, Los Mochis	1.6
8. Gale, Mexicali	1.5
9. Sowell, Culiacan	1.4
10. Webb, Culiacan	1.3

Blocks Per Game

Kevin SOWELL
  Culiacan
  (190-G-81)
  Avg: 3.2

1. Sowell, Culiacan	3.2
2. Thomas, Hermosillo	2.8
3. Webb, Culiacan	2.6
4. Habel, Guaymas	2.4
5. Gale, Mexicali	2.4
6. Tate, Tijuana	2.3
7. Matthews, Nogales	2.2
8. Shipley, Tijuana	2.2
9. Brown, Tepic	2.2
10. Brown, Nogales	2.2

CIBACOPA Round 23: Rayos de Hermosillo loses #1 position - by Eurobasket News
Coincidentally all hosts won their games.

Round 23 in CIBACOPA means a new league leader. The biggest surprise took place in Cananea where host Mineros de Cananea (19-4) beat league's leader Rayos de Hermosillo (18-5) 87-77 on Tuesday evening. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Rayos de Hermosillo. It was a key game for the top position in the league. The hosts trailed by 5 points at the halftime before their 47-32 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. The game was dominated by American players. The best player for the winners was guard Davin White (186-G-81, college: Cal.St. Northridge) who scored 29 points, 8 assists and 6 steals. Forward Derek Thomas (193-84, college: Appalachian St.) chipped in 22 points and 4 assists. Center Marquise Gray (206-86, college: Michigan St.) produced 20 points and 5 rebounds (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field) for the guests. Mineros de Cananea have a solid series of three victories in a row. They keep a position of league leader. Rayos de Hermosillo at the other side dropped to the second place with five games lost. They were replaced at the leadership position by Cananea. Rayos de Hermosillo will have a break next week, which should allow them to rest and make it back to the top of the standings. Mineros de Cananea will try to continue on its current victory against second ranked Rayos de Hermosillo at home.
The game in Mexicali was also worth to mention about. 5th ranked Fuerza Guinda Nogales (12-11) played at the court of sixth ranked Bomberos de Mexicali (11-12). Bomberos de Mexicali managed to secure a 5-point victory 88-83. American forward James Penny (198-76, college: TCU) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 26 points and 12 rebounds. Michael Gale contributed with 26 points and 5 assists for the winners. Bomberos de Mexicali's coach Luis Nicoletti allowed to play the deep bench players in such tough game. Guard Brandon Heredia (180-85, college: Lon Morris JC) answered with 23 points and 4 assists for Fuerza Guinda Nogales. Bomberos de Mexicali maintains sixth place with 11-12 record, which they share with Guaymas. Fuerza Guinda Nogales at the other side keep the fifth position with 11 games lost. Bomberos de Mexicali will again play against higher ranked Fuerza Guinda Nogales (#5) at home in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Fuerza Guinda Nogales will have a break next round.
The game with biggest result difference took place in Culiacan. Local Caballeros de Culiacan (14-9) outscored 10th ranked Pioneros Los Mochis (3-20) 112-79 on Tuesday night. Worth to mention a quality performance of Rene Rougeau who helped to win the game recording 18 points and 9 rebounds (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line). Caballeros de Culiacan's coach Jonathan Meza felt very confident that he used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Detrick White responded with 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks. Caballeros de Culiacan have an impressive series of five victories in a row. Defending champion maintains third place with 14-9 record having five points less than leader Cananea. Pioneros Los Mochis lost eighth consecutive game. They stay dead last with 20 lost games. Caballeros de Culiacan will again meet at home bottom-ranked Pioneros Los Mochis (#10) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Pioneros Los Mochis will have a break next round.

In the last two games of round 23 Tepic were crushed by Guasave in a road game 105-80. Guaymas beat Tijuana at home 91-81.
The best stats of 23th round was 40 points (!!!) and 8 rebounds by Jerome Habel of Guaymas.

Culiacan - Los Mochis 112-79

The game with biggest result difference took place in Culiacan. Local Caballeros de Culiacan (14-9) outscored 10th ranked Pioneros Los Mochis (3-20) 112-79 on Tuesday night. The game was mostly controlled by Caballeros de Culiacan. Pioneros Los Mochis managed to win fourth quarter 17-14. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Caballeros de Culiacan shot 63.5 percent from the field and made 24-of-30 free shots (80.0 percent) during the game. Caballeros de Culiacan had a 38-19 advantage in offensive rebounds. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Caballeros de Culiacan made 19 blocks. Worth to mention a quality performance of American guard Rene Rougeau (198-86, college: UNLV) who helped to win the game recording 18 points and 9 rebounds (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line). Naturalized American guard Franco Harris (183-83, college: Boise St.) helped adding 16 points and 6 assists. Five Caballeros de Culiacan players scored in double figures. Caballeros de Culiacan's coach Jonathan Meza felt very confident that he used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American guard Detrick White (184-76, college: Mississippi St.) responded with 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks and the former international swingman Erick Hare (196-79, college: Albertson) scored 17 points and 8 rebounds. Caballeros de Culiacan have an impressive series of five victories in a row. Defending champion maintains third place with 14-9 record having five points less than leader Cananea. Pioneros Los Mochis lost eighth consecutive game. They stay dead last with 20 lost games. Caballeros de Culiacan will again meet at home bottom-ranked Pioneros Los Mochis (#10) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Pioneros Los Mochis will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Culiacan: M.Moore 18+4reb+1ast, R.Rougeau 18+9reb+3ast, F.Harris 16+3reb+6ast, F.Verdugo 13+5reb+3ast, Q.Gonzalez 12+3reb, V.Avila 12+5reb
Los Mochis: C.M. Toussaint 17+6reb+1ast, E.Hare 17+8reb, D.White 17+5reb+4ast, L.Malloy 9+5reb, A.Araujo 8+4reb, J.Estrada 6+4reb

Guasave - Tepic 105-80

There was no surprise when 9th ranked Coras de Tepic (4-19) was crushed on the road by fourth ranked Frayles de Guasave (13-10) 105-80 on Tuesday. The game without a history. Frayles de Guasave led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 28 assists. The game was also dominated by American players. It was a great evening for guard Rasheem Barrett (196-87, college: Auburn, agency: SportsList Inc.) who led his team to a victory scoring 31 points and 4 assists. Guard William Funn (188-82, college: Portland St.) helped adding 19 points, 8 rebounds and 11 assists. Funn is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. Coach Marcelo Elusich's team controlled all game and the coach could let to play all 12 players and allowed the starting five to rest. Forward Ira Brown (193-82, college: Gonzaga, agency: Dream Team Management) responded with 27 points and 5 rebounds and swingman Cleotis Brown (198-77, college: Illinois, agency: Dream Team Management) scored 11 points and 6 assists. Five Frayles de Guasave and four Coras de Tepic players scored in double figures. Frayles de Guasave maintains fourth place with 13-10 record. Coras de Tepic lost their third game in a row. They keep the ninth position with 19 games lost. Frayles de Guasave will again meet at home Coras de Tepic (#9) in the next round which should be theoretically another easy game. Coras de Tepic will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Guasave: R.Barrett 31+4reb+4ast, W.Funn 19+8reb+11ast, J.Acosta 18+3ast, M.Strobbe 17+14reb+2ast, A.Izaguirre 14+4reb+5ast, L.Reinhold 4+1ast
Tepic: I.Brown 27+5reb+3ast, J.Pablo Bravo 16+2reb+1ast, J.Parker 14+3reb+2ast, C.Brown 11+3reb+6ast, J.Everardo 4+6reb+3ast, H.Ibanez 3+2reb+3ast

Guaymas - Tijuana 91-81

Everything could happen at the game between two tied teams. Both seventh ranked Ostioneros de Guaymas and 8th ranked Tijuana Zonkeys had identical 10-12 record. This time Ostioneros de Guaymas used a home court advantage and defeated the opponent from Tijuana 91-81 on Tuesday night. The hosts trailed by 9 points after first quarter, but they rallied back and won the game by 10 points. Ostioneros de Guaymas dominated down low during the game scoring 70 of its points in the paint compared to Tijuana Zonkeys' 50. Ostioneros de Guaymas looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Ostioneros de Guaymas made 13 blocks. It was a great evening for American forward Jerome Habel (208-85, college: San Diego St.) who led his team to a victory scoring 40 points (!!!) and 8 rebounds. Guard Hector Nungaray (178-78) helped adding 10 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Ostioneros de Guaymas' coach Eduardo Opezzo used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. Canadian guard Jermaine Watson (193-81, college: Boston Coll., agency: KMG Sports Management) responded with 19 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists and American power forward Cyrus Tate (203-85, college: Iowa, agency: Edge Sports) scored 25 points and 7 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. The victory was the third consecutive win for Ostioneros de Guaymas. They moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Mexicali. Tijuana Zonkeys lost their third game in a row. They keep the eighth position with 13 games lost. Ostioneros de Guaymas will again meet at home Tijuana Zonkeys (#8) in the next round. Tijuana Zonkeys will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Guaymas: J.Habel 40+8reb+3ast, F.Benitez 12+3reb, H.Nungaray 10+6reb+7ast, R.Navarro 10+6reb+7ast, C.Winter 8+4reb+2ast, R.Benitez 4+3reb+1ast
Tijuana: C.Tate 25+7reb+2ast, J.Watson 19+9reb+7ast, T.Gabbidon 16+7reb+1ast, L.Ramirez 15+5reb+3ast, L.Rodriguez Sainz 4+1reb, K.Rodriguez 2+2reb+2ast

Mexicali - Nogales 88-83

The game in Mexicali was also worth to mention about. 5th ranked Fuerza Guinda Nogales (12-11) played at the court of sixth ranked Bomberos de Mexicali (11-12). Bomberos de Mexicali managed to secure a 5-point victory 88-83. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning the initial quarter 25-19. But Fuerza Guinda Nogales won second period 22-18. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Bomberos de Mexicali brought some defensive toughness making 12 blocks. American forward James Penny (198-76, college: TCU) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 26 points and 12 rebounds. His fellow American import guard Michael Gale (193-82, college: Centenary) contributed with 26 points and 5 assists for the winners. Bomberos de Mexicali's coach Luis Nicoletti allowed to play the deep bench players in such tough game. Guard Brandon Heredia (180-85, college: Lon Morris JC) answered with 23 points and 4 assists and Bahamas power forward Ryan Moss (200-74, college: UALR) added 16 points and 9 rebounds in the effort for Fuerza Guinda Nogales. Four Bomberos de Mexicali and five Fuerza Guinda Nogales players scored in double figures. Bomberos de Mexicali maintains sixth place with 11-12 record, which they share with Guaymas. Fuerza Guinda Nogales at the other side keep the fifth position with 11 games lost. Bomberos de Mexicali will again play against higher ranked Fuerza Guinda Nogales (#5) at home in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Fuerza Guinda Nogales will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Mexicali: J.Penny 26+12reb+2ast, M.Gale 26+1reb+5ast, R.Lopez 12+7reb+3ast, H.Carrillo 12+1reb+2ast, E.Medina 4+4reb+2ast, A.Vazquez 4+3reb+2ast
Nogales: B.Heredia 23+4reb+4ast, J.Walker 18+4reb+1ast, R.Moss 16+9reb+1ast, D.Brown 15+6reb, N.Brown 11+2reb+3ast, V.Rojo 0

Cananea - Hermosillo 87-77

Round 23 in CIBACOPA means a new league leader. The biggest surprise took place in Cananea where host Mineros de Cananea (19-4) beat league's leader Rayos de Hermosillo (18-5) 87-77 on Tuesday evening. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Rayos de Hermosillo. It was a key game for the top position in the league. The hosts trailed by 5 points at the halftime before their 47-32 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. The game was dominated by American players. The best player for the winners was guard Davin White (186-81, college: Cal.St. Northridge) who scored 29 points, 8 assists and 6 steals. Forward Derek Thomas (193-84, college: Appalachian St.) chipped in 22 points and 4 assists. Center Marquise Gray (206-86, college: Michigan St.) produced 20 points and 5 rebounds (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field) and forward Terrence Thomas (198-80, college: Baylor) added 16 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists respectively for the guests. Five Rayos de Hermosillo players scored in double figures. Mineros de Cananea have a solid series of three victories in a row. They keep a position of league leader. Rayos de Hermosillo at the other side dropped to the second place with five games lost. They were replaced at the leadership position by Cananea. Rayos de Hermosillo will have a break next week, which should allow them to rest and make it back to the top of the standings. Mineros de Cananea will try to continue on its current victory against second ranked Rayos de Hermosillo at home.
Top scorers:
Cananea: D.White 29+1reb+8ast, D.Thomas 22+2reb+4ast, B.Brown 19+7reb+1ast, A.Aguirre 9+4reb+2ast, D.Onofre 4+3reb, J.Casillas 2+2reb+2ast
Hermosillo: M.Gray 20+5reb+1ast, T.Thomas 16+6reb+4ast, J.Abu-Shamala 15+2reb, J.Lopez 11+4reb+1ast, J.Manuel Esteva 10+6reb+2ast, R.Rivera 4+1reb+2ast

Best players of Mexican CIBACOPA round 23 - by Eurobasket News
American Jerome Habel (208-F-85) had an amazing evening in the last round for Guaymas and that's him to receive a Latinbasket.com Player of the Week award for round 23.
The 25-year old forward had the game-high 40 points adding eight rebounds and three assists for Guaymas in his team's victory, helping them to beat Tijuana (#8, 10-13) 91-81. Guaymas is placed at 6th position in Mexican CIBACOPA. Guaymas is a typical solid league team placed somewhere in the middle or a little bit lower in the standings. They need more victories to improve their 11-12 record. Habel just recently signed at Guaymas, being already a very valuable addition to the team. Jerome Habel averages this season 20.7ppg and 7.0rpg.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 28-year old American guard William Funn (188-G-82) of Guasave. Funn impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 19 points and 11 assists. Of course he lead Guasave to another comfortable win outscoring the lower-ranked Tepic (#9, 4-19) 105-80. Guasave's 4th position in the standings has not changed. His team's 13-10 record is not bad at all. Funn is one of the most experienced players at Guasave and has a reputation of one of team's most reliable players. Portland State University alumni Funn played also at Eurobasket Summer League, which is considered top summer league for players who want to play basketball overseas.

The third best performed player last round was another Guasave's star - American Rasheem Barrett (196-G-87, agency: SportsList Inc.). Barrett got into 30-points club by scoring 31 points in the last round. He went also for four assists. He was another key player of Guasave, helping his team with a 105-80 easy win against the lower-ranked Tepic (#9, 4-19). Guasave needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 13 victories and 10 lost games. Barrett has a great season in Mexico. After 23 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 23.3ppg (8th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. James Penny (198-F-76) of Mexicali - 26 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists
5. Davin White (186-G-81) of Cananea - 29 points and 8 assists
6. Ira Brown (193-F-82) of Tepic - 27 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists
7. Rene Rougeau (198-G-86) of Culiacan - 18 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists
8. Michael Strobbe (201-F-85) of Guasave - 17 points, 14 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Brandon Heredia (180-G-85) of Nogales - 23 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists
10. Michael Gale (193-G-82) of Mexicali - 26 points and 5 assists

The Player of the week is choosen based on efficiency calculation, but also including game result, importance of the game, if played recorded double-double/triple-double, etc.
The efficiency formula is a combination of various formulas used by different basketball organizations/leagues. We got involved many basketball scouts and journalists to assure it's accuracy.
The formula: 1.5*PTS + 3*(REB+AST+ST+BL-TO) - 2*BSAG - 4*PF + 3*PFRV + 4*(2FGPM+3FGPM) + 1.5*FTM - 3*(2FGPA-2FGPM) - 3*(3FGPA-3FGPM) - (FTA-FTM)

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MOROCCO

D1 Round 18: RCA Casabl. defeats leader ASS Sale - by Eurobasket News
The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of top-ranked ASS Sale (16-2) in Casablanca on Saturday night. Visitors were edged by fourth ranked RCA Casabl. (11-7) 53-50. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of ASS Sale. RCA Casabl. moved-up to third place, which they share with CRA Hoceima. ASS Sale at the other side still keeps top position with two games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Important game to mention about took place in Rabat. Sixth ranked FUS Rabat (9-9) saved a 3-point victory at home edging 7th ranked PCS Plazza C. (8-10) 65-62 in the game for the sixth place. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of PCS Plazza C.. FUS Rabat maintains sixth position with 9-9 record. PCS Plazza C. at the other side keeps the seventh place with ten games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
The game between 10th ranked ASE Essaou. (1-17) and third ranked CRA Hoceima (11-7) in Essaouira on Saturday ended with biggest points difference. Guests from Al Hoceima outscored ASE Essaou. 87-52. CRA Hoceima maintains third position with 11-7 record having five points less than leader ASS Sale, which they share with RCA Casabl. ASE Essaou. lost eleventh consecutive game. They stay dead last with 17 lost games. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

WAC Casabl. destroyed MAF Fez on its own court 84-61.

RSB Berkane - IRT Tanger 20-0

RCA Casabl. - ASS Sale 53-50

The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of top-ranked ASS Sale (16-2) in Casablanca on Saturday night. Visitors were edged by fourth ranked RCA Casabl. (11-7) 53-50. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of ASS Sale. RCA Casabl. moved-up to third place, which they share with CRA Hoceima. ASS Sale at the other side still keeps top position with two games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

WAC Casabl. - MAF Fez 84-61

Very expected game when 8th ranked MAF Fez (7-11) was smashed by second ranked WAC Casabl. (12-6) in Casablanca 84-61 on Saturday. WAC Casabl. maintains second position with 12-6 record having four points less than leader ASS Sale. Loser MAF Fez keeps the eighth place with 11 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

ASE Essaou. - CRA Hoceima 52-87

The game between 10th ranked ASE Essaou. (1-17) and third ranked CRA Hoceima (11-7) in Essaouira on Saturday ended with biggest points difference. Guests from Al Hoceima outscored ASE Essaou. 87-52. CRA Hoceima maintains third position with 11-7 record having five points less than leader ASS Sale, which they share with RCA Casabl. ASE Essaou. lost eleventh consecutive game. They stay dead last with 17 lost games. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

FUS Rabat - PCS Plazza C. 65-62

Important game to mention about took place in Rabat. Sixth ranked FUS Rabat (9-9) saved a 3-point victory at home edging 7th ranked PCS Plazza C. (8-10) 65-62 in the game for the sixth place. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of PCS Plazza C.. FUS Rabat maintains sixth position with 9-9 record. PCS Plazza C. at the other side keeps the seventh place with ten games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

Standings - Men

D1 Standings

1. ASS Sale		16-2
2. WAC Casabl.		12-6
3. CRA Hoceima		11-7
4. RCA Casabl.		11-7
5. RSB Berkane		10-8
6. FUS Rabat		9-9
7. PCS Plazza C.		8-10
8. MAF Fez		7-11
9. IRT Tanger		5-13
10. ASE Essaou.		1-17

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NBA

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Kevin DURANT
  Oklah.City T.
  (206-G/F-88)
  Avg: 27.9

1. Durant, Oklah.Ci.	27.9
2. James, Miami Heat	26.7
3. Bryant, LA Lakers	25.4
4. Wade, Miami Heat	25.3
5. Rose, Chicago B.	25.3
6. Anthony, Denver N.	25.2
7. Stoudemire, New Y.	25.0
8. Ellis, Golde S.	24.1
9. Martin, Houston R.	23.5
10. Howard, Orlando M.	23.3

Rebounds Per Game

Kevin LOVE
  Minnesota T.
  (208-C-88)
  Avg: 15.2

1. Love, Minnesota T.	15.2
2. Howard, Orlando M.	14.2
3. Randolph, Memph.	12.2
4. Griffin, LA Clipp.	12.1
5. Bogut, Milwauke.	11.1
6. Humphries, New J.	10.4
7. Noah, Chicago B.	10.4
8. Camby, Portland TB	10.3
9. Gasol, LA Lakers	10.1
10. Lee, Golde S.	9.8

Assists Per Game

Steve NASH
  Phoenix Suns
  (190-G-74)
  Avg: 11.4

1. Nash, Phoenix Suns	11.4
2. Rondo, Boston C.	11.1
3. Paul, N.Orleans H.	9.8
4. Williams, Utah Jazz	9.7
5. Felton, New Y.	9.0
6. Calderon, Toron.	8.9
7. Wall, Washington W.	8.3
8. Westbrook, Oklah..	8.2
9. Kidd, Dallas M.	8.1
10. Rose, Chicago B.	7.7

Steals Per Game

Chris PAUL
  N.Orleans H.
  (183-G-85)
  Avg: 2.4

1. Paul, N.Orleans H.	2.4
2. Rondo, Boston C.	2.1
3. Ellis, Golde S.	2.1
4. Westbrook, Oklah..	1.9
5. Felton, New Y.	1.8
6. Wall, Washington W.	1.8
7. Allen, Memphis G.	1.8
8. Conley, Memphis G.	1.8
9. Gay, Memphis G.	1.7
10. Kidd, Dallas M.	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Andrew BOGUT
  Milwaukee B.
  (212-F/C-84)
  Avg: 2.6

1. Bogut, Milwauke.	2.6
2. Ibaka, Oklah.Ci.	2.4
3. Howard, Orlando M.	2.4
4. McGee, Washingt.	2.4
5. Bynum, LA Lakers	2.0
6. Milicic, Minnesota T.	2.0
7. Stoudemire, New Y.	1.9
8. Duncan, San A.	1.9
9. Jefferson, Utah J.	1.9
10. Okafor, N.Orlean.	1.8

Game Two: Magic 88, Hawks 82 - by Eurobasket News
Following Orlando's humbling Game 1 loss to Atlanta, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said that if his team cut down its turnovers and played better defense, he felt like everything would be fine in Game 2.

His team only fulfilled half of that equation Tuesday night, but it was still enough to earn a victory.

Dwight Howard (6'10''-C/F-85) had 33 points and 19 rebounds, Jameer Nelson added 13 points and eight rebounds to help the Magic hold off the Hawks 88-82.

The Magic evened the best-of-seven series, with Game 3 Friday night in Atlanta.

Orlando used a 10-1 run to close the third quarter to take an 11-point lead into the fourth and fought off a late Atlanta charge down the stretch. The Magic struggled from the field shooting just 34 percent and had 16 turnovers. But they defended well.

After allowing the Hawks to become the first opponent in 16 straight playoff games to score 100 points against it in Game 1, Orlando's defense tightened around Atlanta's shooters in Game 2. The Hawks shot 39 percent.

''It's not anything I did - our guys did it,'' Van Gundy said when asked about the adjustments he made after Game 1. ''You gotta get out and take the challenge. ... Every game sort of takes on a life of its own and you just gotta do whatever it takes to get the win on that night.''

The Magic overcame a 10-point first-half deficit en route to the win. It was Orlando's largest comeback victory in the postseason since May 2009, when it overcame a 16-point deficit to beat Cleveland.

Jamal Crawford (6'5''-G-80, college: Michigan) led Atlanta with 25 points and Josh Smith (6'9''-F-85) added 17, but they missed 15 shots between them and expended a lot more energy to get off attempts.

The Magic led 65-54 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Joe Johnson (6'8''-F-81, college: Arkansas) 's basket cut the lead to 78-72, and he got another following an Orlando turnover to trim it to four points with 2:43 to play.

A steal by the Hawks ended with a dunk by Al Horford to pull Atlanta within a basket. But Hedo Turkoglu got a friendly roll on a layup to push it back to four and Jason Richardson drilled 3-pointer that made it 83-76 with 1:08 remaining.

Crawford dropped in a layup that made it 84-80, but Orlando was able to hit enough free throws the rest of the way to secure the victory.

Howard played all 48 minutes in Game 2 and took 19 free throws. He played 45 minutes in Game 1.

''It's tough,'' he said. ''But you can't think about that while you're on the court. You can't think about any pains. You just have to fight through it. ... As much as I get hit and beat on during the game, I just think about what we're trying to accomplish.''

Atlanta had 15 turnovers Tuesday, as Howard floated as a 1-man zone in the paint. It seemed to disrupt the Hawks' offensive flow and helped Howard's teammates close out on Atlanta's jump shooters.

''That's what great defensive players do,'' Horford said. ''They get out there and it seems like they are everywhere. He does a good job of that.''

Orlando led 48-42 at halftime. The Hawks led by as many as 10 in the second quarter, 32-22, before a 12-2 run by the Magic tied it at 34-all. Howard had 10 points during the spurt, which included the Magic doing their best job of the series converting defensive stops into quick offense.

Atlanta, which shot 55 percent in the first half of Game 1, saw the figure drop to 38 percent in the opening quarters on Tuesday.

The Magic also shot 38 percent, but converted 16 of 19 free throw attempts. The Hawks had only five trips to the line in the first half and were dominated in the paint, 28-14.

Horford picked up two quick fouls in the game's first 2 minutes and spent the rest of the half on the bench.

The Magic exploited his absence initially, taking the ball to the rim for a 10-6 lead. The Hawks closed the first quarter with a 16-6 run, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Crawford.

Orlando feels like it has great momentum heading into Game 3.

''Atlanta's a team that if things aren't really going their way, they're going to struggle a little bit,'' said Ryan Anderson, who led the Magic's reserves with eight points. ''We're different in a sense where if we're down we kind of know how to fight our way back into it.''

NOTES: Van Gundy said one of the biggest reasons Howard's big performances don't always garner national buzz could be the lack of an anticipated matchup. ''There's no matchup for him that creates the excitement,'' Van Gundy said. ''If you got back to when the centers were king, you have Chamberlain-Russell and people say 'Wow, that's a matchup you look forward to.' Now people look forward to Chris Paul against Derrick Rose. ... People have played good games against Dwight, but still, where's the anticipated matchup?'' ... Howard's 20-point second quarter tied the playoff franchise record for points in a quarter that Nelson set in Game 1. ... Hawks reserve F/C Hilton Armstrong was activated for Game 2 after being inactive in Game 1. C Etan Thomas took his place on inactive list.

Courtesy of www.comcast.net

NBA relocation 'team' of 2 not dampening Kings fans' spirits - by Eurobasket News
The NBA relocation committee will be coming to Sacramento on Thursday and Friday to decide whether or not the relocation process can move forward.

However, FOX40 has learned that only committee chairman Clay Bennett and NBA attorney Harvey Benjamin will be coming to Sacramento, not the entire committee. Still thats not dampening efforts to keep the Kings.

On Saturday Mayor Kevin Johnson was optimistic after returning from a two-day meeting with the NBA Board of Governors in New York. If we build a good case then there might be a chance to keep the Kings here, he said.

Part of that case includes the Mayors announcement the city has gotten $7 million in pledges from investors, the possibility of constructing a new arena is moving forward, and working with different organizations like the Sacramento Metro Chamber and the Here We Build campaign.

Despite the effort it may not be enough for Bennett who, some say, is the man responsible for taking the Supersonics from Seattle and making them the Oklahoma Thunder. Aaron Levine, Sports Director of KCPQ in Seattle said putting Clay Bennett in charge of the relocation committee for the Kings is a slap in the face for Sacramento. Someone joked in the Seattle Times thats like putting Barry Bonds in charge of a committee preventing performance enhancing drugs, he said.

Levine thinks history will repeat itself. Problem is if weve learned anything when it comes to relocation NBA commissioner David Stern is loyal to money and current owners, he said.

While it seems like a lost cause Levine did offer some advice to fans, Keep fighting, keep pushing, and keep being vocal about keeping the Kings in town.

Which is what Johnson and the rest of Kings supporters plan to do. Theres still life. Theres still time on the clock, said Johnson.

After making the trip to Sacramento, the Relocation Committee will make a recommendation to the NBA Board of Governors about whether or not move forward with relocating. If that goes through, the Maloofs can formally file for relocation, and then it will be left up to a vote of NBA team owners for the team to stay or go.

Courtesy of www.fox40.com

Pacers lose Collison to ankle injury - by Eurobasket News
Young Indiana Pacers point guard Darren Collison (6'0''-G-87, college: UCLA) averaged 13.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists throughout the season, but the team lost his services Monday night when he inadvertently stepped on a cameraman's foot with less than three minutes left in the first half and hurt his ankle.

'He lay on the ground momentarily, slapping the ground in frustration before going straight to the locker room,' the Indianapolis Star reports. 'He tried to warm up at halftime by jogging, but he couldn't continue.'

The team, now down two games to none to the Chicago Bulls, is listing him as day-to-day. A.J. Price and T.J. Ford took over at point guard.

Collison has till Thursday's Game 3 to rehab his ankle.

Courtesy of Yahoo

Lamar Odom wins 2010-11 Sixth Man of Year award - by Eurobasket News
Lamar Odom (6'10''-F-79, college: Rhode Island) of the Los Angeles Lakers is the recipient of the 2010-11 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, the NBA announced Tuesday. The honor, voted on by a panel of 120 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada, is the first for Odom as well as the first for a Lakers player since the awards inception prior to the 1982-83 season.

Odom, a two-time NBA Champion and member of the gold medal winning 2010 USA Basketball Mens World Championship team, appeared in all 82 games for the Lakers this season, averaging 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 32.2 minutes. Ranked 15th among league leaders in rebounds and 11th (.530) in field goal percentage, Odom recorded 28 double-doubles on the season while scoring 20-plus points 14 times. Earlier this season, he became the 23rd player in NBA history to reach 12,000 career points, 7,000 career rebounds and 3,000 career assists as well as the 9th fastest ever to do so in terms of games (821).

Lamar could realistically start for any team in this league but his team-first attitude has allowed us to utilize him in a sixth man role, said Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak. He could have won this award in any of the last several seasons and Im happy that his unselfishness and talent have finally been recognized.

Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry finished second in the voting. Philadelphia 76ers forward Thaddeus Young was third, Boston Celtics forward Glen Davis was fourth, and Atlanta Hawks guard Jamal Crawford finished fifth.

Courtesy of www.insidehoops.com

Rockets GM Daryl Morey: More change needed - by Eurobasket News
Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey and Rick Adelman talked for hours, sharing their ideas for how to mold the team into a championship contender.

They just couldn't find enough common ground.

The Rockets announced Monday that Adelman would not be retained after going 193-135 in four seasons. His contract expires on June 30.

'Coach Adelman did as good, if not the best job anyone could've done with this roster,' Morey said. 'It's not about, did he do a good job, or was our roster perfect? I feel like we need change, and we need to continue to change until we get to where we want to be.'

Adelman, 64, guided Houston to its lone playoff series victory since 1997 and moved into eighth on the NBA's all-time list for regular season coaching wins (945) at the end of the season.

Adelman said Tuesday that he was uneasy with the direction that Morey and owner Leslie Alexander wanted to go from here, with more roster changes coming.

'We had conversations that we talked about the framework of what they wanted and could I be comfortable in that framework?' Adelman said. 'We talked through that. A lot of it was fine. Some of it, I thought, was unnecessary and was going to be difficult. There was opportunity there, but it didn't mesh. It didn't mesh.'

Neither Morey nor Adelman would elaborate on specifics of their meetings or any philosophical differences.

'He and I talked a lot, and we agreed to keep those conversations to ourselves,' Morey said. 'I have a lot of admiration for him. We feel like we need change. Our goal is to be a championship-caliber team. We feel like we can grow into that, with some of the players on the roster.

'But we feel like we're not there right now, and that requires change. The differences in terms of the mutual fit, revolve around that.'

Houston went 43-39 this season, missing the playoffs for the second straight year. The Rockets played virtually all of the past two seasons without All-Stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, who were plagued by injuries.

Adelman defended the job that his staff did, especially in developing one of the league's youngest rosters. The Rockets were one of the league's highest-scoring teams, averaging 105.9 points per game.

'I said that right along that I have one of the best staffs in the league,' Adelman said. 'So I don't understand the emphasis on change, or whatever they wanted to do, when we brought young guys around. We were successful with pretty good guys, some stars, and pretty successful with these other guys.'

Morey said on Tuesday Adelman assistants Elston Turner and Jack Sikma would be considered for the vacancy, and Adelman has already lobbied for them.

But on Tuesday night, the Houston Chronicle reported that Turner withdrew his name from consideration for the job.

'Elston is taking himself out of the running as a candidate for the Houston Rockets' head coaching position for reasons we choose not to explain,' Turner's agent, Warren LeGarie, told the Chronicle. 'If circumstances should change in the future, we would have to look at this situation again.'

The Rockets are seeking their third coach since Rudy Tomjanovich stepped down in 2003 because of health reasons. Jeff Van Gundy went 182-146 from 2003-07 and led Houston to three playoff appearances.

Morey would not say whether he's leaning toward another experienced hand, or opting this time for a younger, up-and-coming assistant. He set no timeline for finding Adelman's successor, and said the looming NBA labor dispute would not alter Houston's hiring process.

'The only league environment that's affecting our choice of a coach is all options for who we might want to consider are unavailable for the interview right now,' Morey said, 'because some of those options would be in the playoffs.'

Adelman plans to move back to Portland, Ore., and start preparing for two family weddings this summer. He said he would listen to any offer that comes his way.

'When you leave a place, you kind of wonder, 'Well, will I ever have another opportunity?' ' he said. 'I've had that happen a couple of times, where I've had opportunities and if I was interested, I probably could get it again. But I'm just going to wait and see what happens.'

Adelman led Portland to two NBA finals in the early 1990s, and was fired after the 1993-94 season. He had two losing seasons in Golden State, before building Sacramento into a Western Conference power in the early 2000s. His contract was not renewed by the Kings after they went 44-38 in 2005-06.

He's leaving Houston with a positive feeling, mostly because he developed such close ties to his players. All of them advocated Adelman's return in their exit meetings with team management, and Adelman said the relationships he built with them makes him want to coach again.

'When you have the receptiveness that we had from these players, in the way they played together, even in the last part of the season, that's what's fun about coaching,' he said. 'I know what we're doing is good, and I know that it's successful and I enjoyed the experience.'

Courtesy of ESPN

Game Two: Stojakovic, Kidd lead Mavs past Blazers 101-89 - by Eurobasket News
The Portland Trail Blazers must feel like they are in an NBA time warp. First they got beaten by Jason Kidd (6'4''-G-73, college: California), now Kidd and Predrag Stojakovic (6'10''-F-77).

Even the Dallas Mavericks are feeling the retro mood. Theyre up 2-0 in a playoff series for the first time since 2006.

Stojakovic tied his career playoff best with five 3-pointers and had 21 points, and Kidd continued his surprising scoring surge with 18 points, powering the Mavericks to a 101-89 victory on Tuesday night in Game 2 of their first-round series.

Dirk Nowitzki (6'11''-F-78) led Dallas with 33 points, but was practically a complementary player. He was at his best after the 30-something, former All-Stars built the lead, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter including the teams final 11 to help the Mavericks keep the Trail Blazers from ever making a serious push. He scored 18 in the fourth quarter of Game 1.

'We're never sure which two or three guys were going to get hot, but we need contributions from a lot of different guys to be successful and thats what we got tonight', Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said.

Portland had a lot of things go right, from LaMarcus Aldridge (6'11''-C-85, college: Texas) scoring 24 to Gerald Wallace and Wesley Matthews (6'5''-G-86, college: Marquette) regaining their scoring touch after struggling in the opener. But the Trail Blazers got only 11 points from their bench, none in the second half. And while they were limiting Nowitzki to 5 of 15 shooting through three quarters, former All-Stars Kidd and Stojakovic were lighting them up.

The third-seeded Mavs can snicker about doing something the higher-seeded Spurs and Lakers couldnt: win the first two games on their home court. Now the Western Conferences best road team this season will head to Portland for Game 3 on Thursday night, and Game 4 on Saturday.

Weve been doing that second-scorer-by committee (all season), Nowitzki said. Our bigs did a good job of battling Aldridge all game, and weve got to do more of the same on Thursday.

Dallas fans know not to start thinking sweep just yet. They made that mistake midway through the 06 NBA finals, only to see their team lose that series in six games. Nowitzki warned this series is far from over, which could also be a nod to Portland having won both matchups on its home court this season.

I think well go home and have our crowd behind us, Aldridge said. Hopefully that will bring us more energy and well play better.

Before this game, Portland coach Nate McMillan said, Weve got to be the aggressors, and his team was in the first half, trailing for a mere 36 seconds. But their lead at the break was only 52-50, and the second half proved to be a completely different story.

Kidd hit a go-ahead 3-pointer on Dallas first possession and the Mavs wouldnt trail again. Kidd followed with a jumper just inside the arc, a layup and a bank shot nine straight points that were part of an 18-5 spurt since the final minute of the first half.

He had his confidence and he was looking for (his shot), McMillan said.

Dallas did little wrong the rest of the way. The Mavs held Aldridge to eight points in the second half and spread around their scoring. They also protected the ball, going without a turnover the final 28:42. They tied a franchise playoff-best with just six turnovers.

Portland went from scoring 28 points in the second quarter to scoring 37 in the second half. Fourth quarters have especially been a problem for the Trail Blazers.

Every time we had a chance, wed turn the ball over or make a big mistake and they ended up closing out the game, Aldridge said.

Dallas signed Stojakovic in January after he was waived by Toronto. Hed hardly played because of injuries, but the Mavericks envisioned him as another scorer coming off the bench in the playoffs. It took all of two games for that gamble to pay off.

He scored 10 points in the first half, most during a flurry that kept things close in the second quarter. After Nowitzki missed three straight open jumpers in the third quarter, Stojakovic came in and still had his touch. He hit two 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter that brought the crowd to their feet.

I was able to make a couple of shots and that gave me confidence, Stojakovic said. With Dirk, J-Kidd and (Jason Terry) on the floor, they draw so much attention that we can move the ball around and get good opportunities.

Kidd scored 24 points in the opener, hitting six 3-pointers. McMillan wanted his team to wear down the 38-year-old point guard, covering him more tightly on the perimeter and even making it tough for him to bring the ball up the court, but it didnt work. He made 3 of 6 behind the arc this game.

Wallace and Andre Miller each scored 18 points for Portland. Matthews added 13. But Nicolas Batums 10 points and a free throw by Rudy Fernandez were all the points by reserves. Brandon Roy played 8 minutes and missed the only shot he took. The five backups who got into the game were a combined 4 for 11.

Officiating was all the buzz pregame, from McMillan seeking more calls to justify his $35,000 fine for critical comments he made after Game 1, to Dallas discovering its playoff nemesis Dan Crawford was working the game. The Mavs had lost 17 of the last 18 times hed worked one of its playoff games. It turned out not to matter too much, not with the way the old-timers were scoring.

NOTES: This was the seventh time Stojakovic has made five 3s in a playoff game, the first since 2008. ... Dallas is now 3-18 in playoff games called by Crawford. ... Portland fell to 2-15 in its last 17 road playoff games. ... The Blazers have lost consecutive games for the first time since March 11-12.

Courtesy of www.chron.com

Bargnani's future murky in Toronto - by Eurobasket News
Raptors president/general manager Bryan Colangelo said a lot at Monday's season-wrapping media conference but one of the biggest takeaways was this: The Andrea Bargnani (209-F/C-85) experiment is either coming to an end or will be drastically altered.

With Bargnani's future in Toronto rather murky, Colangelo admitted the obvious. 'Miscast' as a centre, Bargnani was not thriving or lifting the team from that spot.

'We need a bigger, better post presence,' Colangelo said, noting that seven-footers who excel on the boards and defensively are keys to success.

'Defending the rim is one of the main weaknesses we have, we need to get a guy who rebounds the ball.'

Colangelo said nobody on the roster is 'untradeable' and did not discount the possibility he would move the top selection of the 2006 draft, but said either way, a centre must be added.

'The biggest need is we have not paired a legit five (centre) next to Andrea Bargnani. He's our five because we don't have anybody else to play that position at his size.'

Continued Colangelo: 'I don't know if he'll ever become a better defensive player than he is. But can he be a better rebounder? Absolutely. That's a mindset, that's a desire thing. He knows he can do better, but doesn't focus on it.

'Whether Andrea is here or not, we need a guy who can do those things.'

Colangelo noted the team has the cap flexibility that many teams lack heading into a new collective labour landscape and will be in position to spend to sign one of the many free agent centres on the market.

'There are a number of free agent bigs both restricted and unrestricted that we'll have to consider, that fit the bill,' he said.

'I had that guy last year in a deal that fell through. Look what Tyson Chandler has done to Dallas' defence.'

Coincidentally, Chandler finished third in defensive player of the year voting on Monday.

Chandler, of course, was not acquired in the off-season along with Boris Diaw for Jose Calderon and Reggie Evans, only because Charlotte owner Michael Jordan nixed the done deal.

Colangelo said that incident, along with an avalanche of injuries led to a change in direction and a year of rebuilding.

'We had thoughts of being a competitive team. That was derailed. At some point you conclude it's best to go in a different direction,' he said.

'We embarked upon a plan in late November, developing our youth, acquiring additional assets, preserving cap flexibility.'

Colangelo did a solid job of that, adding Jerryd Bayless and James Johnson to the mix, while head coach Jay Triano helped develop youngsters like DeMar DeRozan, Ed Davis and Amir Johnson.

The team is certainly in a lot better spot than it was a year ago when Chris Bosh bailed and Hedo Turkoglu was still on the books and Colangelo is right in claiming that both DeRozan and Davis would go a lot higher than 9th and 13th if the 2010 and 2011 drafts were redone today.

Colangelo knows that this draft (the Raptors will pick somewhere between one and five depending what happens at the May 17th lottery) will bring another strong asset but also realizes Toronto's awful three-point shooting must be addressed, as well as the centre issue.

The veteran GM certainly won't give away Bargnani.

'The enigma of all enigmas is Andrea ... he's proven to be a legitimate 20-point scorer and I think he has more where that comes from and has another level to reach,' Colangelo said.

'Clearly he has not done the things that we would all like to see and that's get better at rebounding the ball and defending the rim. He's far from a perfect player but he's a valuable asset for this organization nonetheless ... a considerable asset for this organization despite what many think otherwise.'

Colangelo did well in both selling Bargnani while not ignoring his obvious failings.

Now he must either find another big man who will help Bargnani fulfill his potential or, more helpfully, send him to a team that can better utilize what he does provide and can more easily deal with what he doesn't.

Courtesy of www.torontosun.com

Rockets Luis Scola undergoes minor knee surgery - by Eurobasket News
Houston Rockets forward Luis Scola (6'9''-F/C-80) has had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and is expected to recover in time for training camp.

The 6-foot-9 Scola was Houstons leading rebounder at 8.2 per game and second-leading scorer at 18.3 points per game this past season. The Rockets finished 43-39 and missed the playoffs.

Scola had surgery Friday. The team did not set a timetable for his return to basketball activities, but said Scola should be available for the start of training camp.

Scola developed knee soreness in March and sat out eight games.

Courtesy of www.bostonherald.com

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NCAA1

Kentucky G Doron Lamb returning to school - by Eurobasket News
Kentucky freshman Doron Lamb (6'4''-G) is not 'one-and-done.'

The 6-foot-4 guard announced Tuesday he will return for his sophomore season. Lamb averaged 12.3 points and shot 48 percent from 3-point range for the Wildcats while helping them to their first Final Four appearance in 13 years. He scored a then-school freshman record 32 points in a victory over Winthrop in December, a mark later broken by teammate Terrence Jones.

Lamb said the tough loss to Connecticut in the national semifinals and the addition of another top recruiting class next fall are the main reasons he decided to not enter the NBA draft.

'Losing the last game against UConn was tough and I don't want to end my college career with that feeling,' Lamb said. 'With the guys we have coming in next year, I know we have the talent to make another run at a national title. I want to help bring a national championship back to the Big Blue Nation because I know they've been waiting too long.'

Kentucky coach John Calipari said Lamb would benefit from another year in school.

'A lot of players have opted to return to school which made it a tougher decision for him,' Calipari said. 'Not only does he gain another year of maturity and school work, but he now has the chance to put in the extra work to elevate his game. I'm excited to have him back.'

It's still unclear whether Jones, freshman guard Brandon Knight and junior swingman DeAndre Liggins will return next fall. Underclassmen have until April 24 to enter their names in the draft.

Last year four freshmen: John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton all went to the NBA after just one year at Kentucky.

Courtesy of www.wcpo.com

Purdue hires Butler assistant coach Shrewsberry - by Eurobasket News
Purdue coach Matt Painter has hired Micah Shrewsberry to be his new assistant.

Shrewsberry joins the Boilermakers after spending four seasons on Butler's staff.

Shrewsberry started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Indianapolis in 1999, then coached at Wabash, DePauw and Marshall before taking over as head coach at Indiana-South Bend.

In 2007, he became Butler's director of basketball of operations. The next season, he was promoted to assistant coach and was part of the staff that led Butler to back-to-back national championship games.

Butler coach Brad Stevens has been lobbying for his assistants to get bigger opportunities.

Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Knight apologizes for statement toward Kentucky - by Eurobasket News
Bob Knight has apologized to Kentucky and coach John Calipari after claiming that several of the Wildcats' players did not attend spring semester classes last year.

The Hall of Fame coach and college basketball analyst for ESPN blasted Calipari's habit of recruiting players who spend just a year on campus before bolting for the NBA during a speaking engagement in Indiana last weekend.

Knight said in a brief statement released by ESPN on Tuesday: 'My overall point is that 'one-and-dones' are not healthy for college basketball. I should not have made it personal to Kentucky and its players and I apologize.'

The Wildcats went 35-3 during the 2009-10 season, after which freshmen John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton left school for the NBA.

Courtesy of http://abcnews.go.com

Northwestern's John Shurna declares for NBA draft - by Eurobasket News
John Shurna (6'8''-F-90) spent a week in the summer of 2010 playing with the NBA's best as part of USA Basketball's Select Team.

In 2011, the junior forward from Glen Ellyn, Ill., is trying to see whether it's his time to join them on a more permanent basis.

Shurna declared early for the NBA draft Tuesday morning, signaling that he might forego his senior year of eligibility. However, he declined to hire an agent, which means he has until May 8 to withdraw his name and return to Northwestern.

Shurna declined to comment to The Daily, but coach Bill Carmody said in a press release he backed Shurna's decision.

'This is an exciting opportunity for John, and I fully support his decision,' Carmody said. 'It's a chance for him to pursue his dream and we look forward to helping him gather information throughout the process.'

The Cats would have a hard time replacing Shurna, who has led the team in scoring two straight seasons, averaging 16.6 points per game and 4.9 rebounds last season.

The announcement comes as somewhat of a surprise: Although Shurna has been NU's best player, he isn't a lock to make it on basketball's biggest stage.

'It's tough to tell what type of prospect he is,' said Jonathan Givony, director of scouting for Draftexpress.com. 'He would be someone that we would look at as a specialist prospect. On certain teams he could probably sit, other teams he wouldn't.'

Givony speculates that Shurna is using the opportunity to test the waters and receive feedback on what aspects of his game need improvement. Underclassmen must declare for the draft to participate in workouts with NBA teams, where they can hear how coaches feel about their games. Shurna has nothing to lose by seeing whether NBA teams are interested, Givony said.

'Guys who haven't tested say, What the hell, why not throw my name in, get some thoughts on my draft stock, what do teams like, what don't they like.'' Givony said. 'That's why kids like Shurna have been looking at that.'

With the prospect of an NBA lockout looming, many top prospects such as North Carolina's Harrison Barnes, Baylor's Perry Jones III, and Ohio State's Jared Sullinger decided to return for another year in college, leaving the draft relatively weak and opening up spots late in the order for players like Shurna.

However, there's disagreement about how much of a chance Shurna has at the next level. Draftexpress.com has Shurna ranked 26th of all players in the 2011 class, which would put him as a borderline second-round selection in the 60-pick draft. However, ESPN's Chad Ford has him ranked 127th in the same class.

The disagreement comes after a difficult-to-interpret junior season for Shurna. Although he dominated early, averaging 23.3 points per game over NU's first 10 contests, an ankle injury in NU's 92-61 win over Mount St. Mary's and a concussion in an 81-70 loss to Minnesota seemed to affect his offensive ability, leading to less-than-stellar performances in Big Ten play.

' (It's) just such a huge fluctuation,' Givony said. 'There's so many variables involved.That's why he's getting feedback from NBA teams to give him guidance and direction.'

Even before the injuries, Shurna was a borderline prospect. His 43 percent 3-point field-goal percentage certainly allows Shurna the possibility of being a 3-point specialist for an NBA team, but Givony cited questions about his defense. At 6-foot-8, Shurna frequently played the power forward spot for the Cats, but he would be undersized against NBA power forwards. On the other hand, if he played small forward, he'd be slower than many of the players he would be matched up against.

If Shurna makes it, he will be the first NBA player to be drafted from NU since Evan Eschmeyer's selection in the second round of the 1999 NBA Draft.

Courtesy of www.dailynorthwestern.com

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

NCAA2

NEW ZEALAND

Standings Men

NBL Standings

1. Bay Hawks		2-0
2. Southland S.		1-0
3. Wellington S.		1-0
4. Manawatu J.		1-1
5. Waikato P.		1-1
6. Auckland P.		1-1
7. Nelson G.		0-1
8. Taranaki MA		0-1
9. OceanaGold N.		0-2

Jermaine Green released by Nelson Giants - by Eurobasket News
Nelson Giants have already started making changes on the roster. After just one NBL game the team decided to part ways with Jermaine Green (203-F-80, college: N.Texas). No reason was disclosed for the decision. The 30-year-old forward signed with the team in the pre-season. He tallied 17 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists for the Giants in their opening loss to Waikato. Last season Jermaine Green played in Japan. He averaged 7.9 points, 5.7 boards and 1.2 assists per game for Hamamatsu Phoenix in BJ-League.
Nelson Giants have already begun looking for the replacement. Head coach Chris Tupu has already ruled out Michael Harrison because of the injury the player suffered last week. Nelson will face Waikato once again in their next NBL game on April 27.

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PALESTINE

Standings - Men

PBBA Standings

1. Ibdaa D.		9-0
2. De La Salle		8-0
3. Berzeit Club		5-2
4. Bethlehem		5-3
5. Sarriyet		5-4
6. Al Ahli		4-3
7. Beit Sahour		4-4
8. Hiteen		3-4
9. Orthodox R.		3-5
10. Ebal		2-5
11. Qalandia		2-6
12. Al Fara		0-7
13. Islami		0-7

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PANAMA

Calidonia Aguilas wins Apertura title - by Eurobasket News
Calidonia Aguilas is the winner of Apertura trophy 2011. They blasted Rio Abajo in the Finals 101-75 to win the title. Nicanor Alvarez (192-G/F-91) was a key player for the winners with 31 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Rolando Maxwell secured a great help adding 23 pts. In the loosing squad, Enrique jr Grenald (G-91) delivered 26 pts. Except of the second quarter, all other periods belonged to Calidonia (17-27, 27-23, 17-27, 14-24). Calidonia advanced to Playoffs as No.3 in regular season with 3-2 record. They eliminated Chepo in the Semis and it was a heartbreaking thriller 70-68.
In the battle for third place Chepo was too strong for Oeste 77-49. Oeste was the regular season champion with almost perfect 4-1, but at the end finished as No.4.

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PBL

Saint John Mill Rats disassociate from PBL - by Eurobasket News
The Saint John Mill Rats have decided it is in their best interest to disassociate themselves from the 'Premier' Basketball League (PBL) after three seasons, effective immediately.

'The manner in which the playoffs were handled was unconscionable and we want no part of it,' stated Mill Rats President and General Manager Ian McCarthy. 'We do not recognize the Rochester RazorSharks as champions, nor do any of the other teams in the PBL I am sure.'

'We are more excited than ever about the future prospects for professional basketball in the City of Saint John next season,' stated Mill Rats President and General Manager Ian McCarthy . 'We will be working hard in the coming days and weeks to decide our best options.'

Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Quinnel BROWN
  Quebec K.
  (198-G/F-83)
  Avg: 20.5

1. Brown, Quebec K.	20.5
2. Jones, Kentucky S.	19.6
3. Anderson, Saint J.	19.1
4. Egerson, Saint J.	18.9
5. Dollard, Halifax R.	17.9
6. Parran, Quebec K.	17.8
7. Perry, Dayton A.	15.1
8. Smith, Lawton F.	15.0
9. Mercer, Halifax R.	14.5
10. Crouch, Rocheste.	14.5

Rebounds Per Game

Eric CROOKSHANK
  Halifax R.
  (201-F-80)
  Avg: 10.8

1. Crookshank, Halif.	10.8
2. Williams, Rocheste.	8.9
3. Freeman, Lawton F.	8.8
4. Sowell, Dayton A.	8.3
5. Jones, Kentucky S.	8.2
6. Mims, Lawton Ft.SC	8.2
7. Dollard, Halifax R.	8.1
8. Walton, Rocheste.	7.7
9. Brown, Quebec K.	7.7
10. DeMasi, Saint J.	7.6

Assists Per Game

Royce PARRAN
  Quebec K.
  (175-G-85)
  Avg: 7.5

1. Parran, Quebec K.	7.5
2. Brown, Halifax R.	6.2
3. Rice, Saint J.	6.2
4. Anderson, Saint J.	4.7
5. Bowden, Lawton F.	4.1
6. Taylor, Dayton A.	3.7
7. Acker, Quebec K.	3.7
8. Crouch, Rocheste.	3.7
9. Lathan, Halifax R.	3.5
10. Egerson, Saint J.	3.4

Steals Per Game

Royce PARRAN
  Quebec K.
  (175-G-85)
  Avg: 2.7

1. Parran, Quebec K.	2.7
2. Mims, Lawton Ft.SC	1.9
3. Brown, Quebec K.	1.9
4. Anderson, Saint J.	1.7
5. Taylor, Dayton A.	1.6
6. Rice, Saint J.	1.6
7. Lathan, Halifax R.	1.6
8. Bowden, Lawton F.	1.4
9. Council, Rocheste.	1.4
10. Brown, Halifax R.	1.3

Blocks Per Game

Jared CARTER
  Rochester R.
  (216-C-87)
  Avg: 1.7

1. Carter, Rocheste.	1.7
2. Mims, Lawton Ft.SC	1.4
3. Pierre, Quebec K.	1.2
4. Ocitti, Saint J.	1.1
5. Crookshank, Halif.	1.1
6. Turner, Lawton F.	0.8
7. Harris, Kentucky S.	0.8
8. DeMasi, Saint J.	0.8
9. Daniels, Lawton F.	0.8
10. Brown, Halifax R.	0.7

Quebec Kebs Leave The Pbl - by Allen White
Quebec City, Canada - April 20th 2011 - The Quebec Kebs announced today their decision to leave the Premier Basketball League (PBL) after 3 years of association. The decision was taken during a Board meeting of the Quebec Professional Basketball Club when all the teams, except the RazorSharks of Rochester, announced their departure in support to the protest against referee irregularities during the playoffs.

Taken into consideration that the Quebec Kebs were eliminated during the semifinals against the RazorSharks of Rochester succeed by a record of penalties given by the referees who were from the same region as their opponents. The controversial choice of referees was taken by the administrators PBL whose CEO is also the owner of the Rochester team.

'Given the obvious lack of ethics and integrity of the league in playoffs, we have no choice but to leave the league. This inconceivable situation could have possibly cost us a participation in the finals or maybe even the Championship, 'commented Kebs President, Mr. Conrad Bernier. The Quebec Kebs had an outstanding season in 2011 with 14 victories and 6 defeats, who was by far their best season ever. The Kebs would like to underline that even though the current situation, the PBL offered an excellent quality of players, coaches, and entertainment to all amateur basketball fans. The KEBS are confident of finding an alternative to PBL in the coming weeks, as they want to continue their mission in developing the sport in Quebec. 'We are sorry of our departure from the PBL, but we are working very hard to explore the best opportunities available to maintain a high level of professional basketball in the Quebec City region' commented Vincent Bernier, Vice-President of the Quebec Kebs. Please note that the league did not responded to the protest request on the irregularities highlighted by the Kebs. The Cavalry of Lawton-Fort Sill has also suffered the same fate as the Kebs given the same conditions of arbitration

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

PHILIPPINES

Ginebra poised to sweep Nationals - by Eurobasket News
Having pushed the tough Smart Gilas team on the brink, Barangay Ginebra aches to get the job done the soonest possible.

The Kings are wary the Nationals are too dangerous to stay alive.

With a crack at a three-game sweep, the Kings go for it Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum, hoping to finish off the Nationals in their side of the 2011 PBA Commissioners Cup best-of-five semifinals.

'No change in our game plan. The idea is to stop them the best way we can', said Ginebra coach Joseph Uichico.

'It's always a grind when youre up against this team. You have to give up so many things just to have a chance to beat them', Uichico added.

Ginebra import Nate Brumfield himself is not yet thinking about anything else.

Anything is still possible. Anything can happen. We have to come out and be ready for another battle, said Brumfield.

The Nationals, hurting and all, are definitely not giving up.

Our performance in the first two games of the semis was way below the level of our showing earlier. Weve made adjustments which we hope will work, said Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman.

A good development for Smart Gilas is Mark Barroca and Marcius Lassiter having been cleared to play despite their injuries.

Smart Gilas, a young, tall team which had looked unbeatable early on in the tourney, is suddenly in a bind having been upset by Ginebra in the first two games of the series.

The Nationals need to beat the Kings three in a row to stay in the running for the championship.

Brumfield poured in 45 points in a relentless display of awesome power as the Kings topped the Nationals, 110-103, Friday.

Two days earlier, Brumfield and Mark Caguioa combined for big numbers, leading the Kings to a 97-96 decision.

The Kings have obviously found a way to stop Marcus Douthit while the Nationals couldnt solve

Courtesy of www.pba.ph

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POLAND

PLK Round 4 of Semi-Finals. Turow level series versus Trefl Sopot - by Eurobasket News
Energa Czarni - Asseco Prokom 78-87

Asseco Prokom celebrated the second straight road win over Energa Czarni and have one more step to make to reach the PLK Finals. The guests were already 15 points ahead after 3 quarters before a 19-13 Energa Czarni's run in the last quarter cut the lead to 87-78 at the end of the game. Asseco Prokom made 23-of-29 charity shots (79.3 percent) during the game. Energa Czarni was plagued by 28 personal fouls down the stretch. The winners were led by American guard Daniel Ewing (191-83, college: Duke, agency: Alti Sport) who scored that evening 17 points and 5 rebounds and the former international forward Robert Witka (205-81) supported him with 16 points and 7 rebounds. Five Asseco Prokom players scored in double figures. Asseco Prokom's coach Tomas Pacesas allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Even 19 points and 9 assists by American guard Jerel Blassingame (177-81, college: UNLV) did not help to save the game for Energa Czarni. The former international forward Zbigniew Bialek (203-82, agency: Limelight Hoops) added 9 points and 9 rebounds for lost side.
Top scorers:
Energa Czarni: J.Blassingame 19+4reb+9ast, E.Jazvin 12+2reb, M.Cesnauskis 11+3reb+3ast, Z.Bialek 9+9reb+1ast, P.Leonczyk 9+6reb, W.Szawarski 9
Asseco Prokom: D.Ewing 17+5reb+3ast, R.Witka 16+7reb+1ast, F.Videnov 14+1reb+1ast, K.Szubarga 10+4reb+5ast, R.Burrell 10+6reb, T.Adams 7+2reb

Trefl Sopot - PGE Turow 82-91

PGE Turow leveled their series versus Trefl Sopot. Turow snatched a tough road win in Game 4. The guests started the game with a very strong first quarter 25-14. But Trefl Sopot won third quarter 19-16. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. PGE Turow made 27-of-34 free shots (79.4 percent) during the game. 29 personal fouls committed by Trefl Sopot helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. Worth to mention a great performance of American guard Torey Thomas (180-85, college: Holy Cross, agency: Interperformances) who helped to win the game recording 22 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals and naturalized German forward Konrad Wysocki (201-82, college: Princeton, agency: Pro One Sports) who added 19 points and 10 rebounds (made all of his eight free throws) during the contest. At the losing side international forward Adam Waczynski (199-89, agency: Limelight Hoops) responded with 17 points and 6 assists and the former international forward Filip Dylewicz (202-80, agency: Beo Basket) scored 17 points and 5 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Trefl Sopot: A.Waczynski 17+3reb+6ast, F.Dylewicz 17+5reb, G.Gustas 14+1reb+1ast, L.Kinnard 10+1reb+1ast, D.Ceranic 8+10reb+2ast, P.Kikowski 8+2reb
PGE Turow: T.Thomas 22+6reb+4ast, K.Wysocki 19+10reb, M.Brkic 15+6reb, D.Kickert 11+1reb+1ast, D.Jackson 10+3reb+3ast, B.Bochno 9+3reb+2ast

DBE Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Ted SCOTT
  SKK Kotwica
  (188-G-85)
  Avg: 25.4

1. Scott, SKK Kotwica	25.4
2. Hodge, Zastal	17.0
3. Frazier, AZS K.	16.7
4. Reynolds, AZS K.	16.5
5. Hinson, Polonia Azbud	16.3
6. Reese, AZS Koszalin	16.0
7. Dylewicz, Trefl Sopot	14.8
8. Bennerman, Energa C.	14.5
9. NaNa, Polonia Azbud	14.4
10. Goffney, Siarka	14.1

Rebounds Per Game

Darrell HARRIS
  SKK Kotwica
  (208-C-84)
  Avg: 11.4

1. Harris, SKK K.	11.4
2. Truscott, Siarka	9.9
3. Burgess, Zastal	9.4
4. NaNa, Polonia Azbud	8.3
5. Easley, Polonia Azbud	7.0
6. Wysocki, PGE Turow	6.8
7. Ceranic, Trefl S.	6.7
8. Miller, Anwil	6.6
9. Dylewicz, Trefl Sopot	6.4
10. Reynolds, AZS K.	6.4

Assists Per Game

Igor MILICIC
  AZS Koszalin
  (194-G-76)
  Avg: 6.6

1. Milicic, AZS K.	6.6
2. Blassingame, Energa C.	6.3
3. Thomas, PGE Turow	5.6
4. Hodge, Zastal	5.1
5. Skibniewski, Polph.	4.8
6. Szubarga, Asseco P.	4.1
7. Hawkins, PBG B.	4.0
8. Vaughn, Polpharma	3.5
9. Nowakowski, Poloni.	3.0
10. Thompson, Anwil	3.0

Steals Per Game

Darnell HINSON
  Isabela
  (186-G-80)
  Avg: 2.7

1. Hinson, Polonia Azbud	2.7
2. Blassingame, Energa C.	2.7
3. Hodge, Zastal	2.5
4. Pringle, Siarka	2.4
5. Skibniewski, Polph.	2.4
6. Milicic, AZS K.	2.3
7. Szubarga, Asseco P.	2.2
8. Hawkins, PBG B.	2.1
9. Thomas, PGE Turow	2.1
10. Reese, AZS Koszalin	2.0

Blocks Per Game

Darrell HARRIS
  SKK Kotwica
  (208-C-84)
  Avg: 2

1. Harris, SKK K.	2.0
2. Lapeta, Asseco P.	1.4
3. Reynolds, AZS K.	1.4
4. Hicks, Anwil	1.3
5. Burgess, Zastal	1.3
6. Easley, Polonia Azbud	1.3
7. Davis, Energa C.	1.0
8. Kesicki, Zastal	0.8
9. Mirkovic, Polpharma	0.8
10. Miller, Anwil	0.8

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

PORTUGAL

Proliga - Playoff preview - by Luis Filipe Cristovao
Its time to Proliga playoffs! A league with a lot of balanced teams, who will fight equal to equal to get the most desired prize: promotion to LPB and the title. Porbasket previews what will happen in the four meetings.

Barcelos Hotel Terco (1st) vs Electrico FC (8th)

Barcelos Hotel Terco was one of the favorites since the seasons begun and proved it during all the games in the regular season. They have a only-Portuguese-roster but with lots of experienced players like Pedro Silva (15.6 ppg, 13.2 rpg) one of the better ranked players in the league-, Nuno Pedroso (16.8 ppg, 7.1rpg) and Carlos Fechas (11.7ppg, 6.7apg). They will face Electrico FC, who made a quiet season, finishing in 8th place. Their game is rooted in Jorge Afonso (12.5 ppg), an experienced small forward with a good outside shooting. The team lacks a real rebounder and will have trouble facing the physical game Barcelos will impose.

Galitos FC (2nd) vs CD Povoa/MonteAdriano (7th)

The Barreiro team is a clear favorite to win this match, even if we can expect everything from a team like CD Povoa/MonteAdriano. In the Galitos FC side we have experienced players like Rui Quintino (8.9 ppg, 7.3rpg), a good scorer like Malcolm Thomas (17.8 ppg) and a newcomer center in Marcus Sikes. But we all expecting something from Antonio Pires (15.1 ppg, 5.1 apg). Pires is one of the most exciting point guards in the league. The other one? Yes, the other one plays in CD Povoa/MonteAdriano. Nuno Oliveira (16.5 ppg, 4.5 apg) is the great prospect in Proliga. A Steve Nash kind of player, with a harsh temper. When he is in a positive day, CD Povoa/MonteAdriano can become a very dangerous team, also with the help of Anthony Oha (16.4 ppg, 11.3 rpg) and Rui Coelho (11.8 ppg, 3.1 spg). In Galitos FC favor, they sure want to get a place in LPB this season.

Angra Basket (3rd) vs Terceira Basket (6th)

The Azorean rivalry takes place in the Playoffs first round, when some of us would expect it to see it happen later. Angra and Terceira both made an investment to be on the top of the league, but a bad season start of Terceira send them low in the standings. Angra Basket has a solid gamed based in three experienced players like Terrence Mack (17.5 ppg, 11.7 rpg), Kevin Jolley (14 ppg, 4 apg) and Joao Pereira (14.1 ppg). Terceira depends a lot on Nate Bowies fantasy (25.6 ppg, 5.3 apg), but with Durrell Nevels (16.1 ppg, 12.9 rpg) they got a real rebounder who helped them reach seven straight wins (including all the four top teams). So, Terceira is a real contender in this playoff.

Fisica Desportiva de Torres Vedras (4th) vs Cv.Alianca Sangalhos (5th)

This match is expected to be a good fight, with two teams who were trying to end up higher in the standings. Both teams have strong limitations, but Fisica Desportiva de Torres Vedras has much more experience and usually finds some extra-motivation in the decisive moments. So, although they havent shown a good concentration in the regular season end, losing a real chance to finish in second place, theyll be a hard contender to beat in playoffs. Jason Underwood (12.9 ppg, 8.1 rpg) has shown a better condition in the last games and is expected to give more points and rebounds to the team. Miguel Salvador (10.9 ppg, 3 apg) is also showing up in the point guard position, as Carlos Dias (11.8 ppg, 5.5rpg) is getting more and more confidence in the outside shooting. As for Cv.Alianca Sangalhos, their real problem is the lack of a big man inside. They try to cover it with a very organized game, with a good blocking and shoot selection. Nuno Bizarro (12 ppg) and Emanuel Silva (12.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg) are the men to defend, as theyre their better scorers. In the end, if Fisica Desportiva de Torres Vedras stays focused, theyll have it.

Source: http://porbasket.blogspot.com/2011/04/proliga-playoff-preview.html

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PUERTO RICO

Quebradillas Pirates land DeShawn Sims - by Eurobasket News
DeShawn Sims (203-F-88, college: Michigan) is a new player of Quebradillas Pirates. The American forward signed a deal for rest of the season. Sims started this season with the Greek team PAOK Thessaloniki, but he moved to NBA D-League in November. Sims signed a deal with the Maine Red Claws averaging 20.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 48 games.
DeShawn Sims is a product of Michigan University, where he graduated last year. For 32 games as a senior Sims registered 16.8 ppg and 7.6 rpg. As a junior he had 15.4 ppg and 6.8 boards per game.
DeShawn Sims already made his debut in BSN scoring 10 points against Santruce. Quebradillas won that game 93-90 and now has 7-1 record in the league. They are alone at the top of the standings.

Arecibo Capitanes bring in Ismael Caro - by Eurobasket News
Arecibo Capitanes signed a deal with Ismael Caro (182-G-82, agency: Paris Global Sports, college: New Haven) for rest of the season. The player already made his debut with Arecibo scoring 5 points. They celebrated 77-59 win against Humacao.
Ismael Caro most recently played for Humacao and it was during the 2009 season. He appeared 13 times for the club averaging 12.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists. Caro started that season with Guaynabo registering 8.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg and 4.3 apg for 8 games. Before that, he split one year between Guayama and Atleticos San German. He also has experience from Mayaguez and Cariduros de Fajardo. Ismael Caro played in ABA league on season 2007/08 as a member of Manchester Millrats. However, they parted ways in January of 2008 and Caro later joined Guayama. With Cariduros de Fajardo, Caro was the BSN regular season champion in 2007 and they reached Playoff Semifinals later.

Standings - BSN

BSN Standings

1. Quebradillas		7-1
2. Bayamon		5-2
3. Guaynabo		5-3
4. Coamo		5-3
5. Arecibo		4-4
6. Humacao		3-5
7. Mayaguez		3-5
8. San German		3-5
9. Isabela		2-5
10. Santurce		2-6

Stats Leaders - BSN

Points Per Game

Johwen VILLEGAS
  Coamo
  (193-G-85)
  Avg: 23.3

1. Villegas, Coamo	23.3
2. Vassallo, Guaynabo	23.0
3. Dalmau, Bayamon	21.0
4. Ramos, Quebradillas	21.0
5. Brown, Quebradillas	20.1
6. Romero, Mayaguez	19.3
7. Clinch, Isabela	18.6
8. Shannon, Bayamon	16.6
9. Sweetney, Santurce	16.1
10. Freije, Coamo	15.9

Rebounds Per Game

Shavlik RANDOLPH
  Isabela
  (208-F-83)
  Avg: 12.9

1. Randolph, Isabela	12.9
2. Narvaez, Coamo	12.8
3. Ramos, Quebradillas	12.0
4. Pruitt, Guaynabo	12.0
5. Lloreda, San G.	11.1
6. Shannon, Bayamon	10.4
7. Harris, San German	9.5
8. Romero, Mayaguez	9.4
9. Ofoegbu, Humacao	8.2
10. Vassallo, Guaynabo	8.1

Assists Per Game

Christian DALMAU
  Bayamon
  (194-G-77)
  Avg: 6.1

1. Dalmau, Bayamon	6.1
2. Clinch, Isabela	5.7
3. Guzman, Guaynabo	5.3
4. Brown, Quebradillas	5.1
5. Cruz, Arecibo	4.8
6. Copeland, San G.	4.6
7. Rivera, Mayaguez	4.3
8. Pagan, Santurce	4.3
9. Vega, Coamo	4.1
10. Hodge, Santurce	4.0

Steals Per Game

Carlos RODRIGUEZ
  Guaynabo
  (183-F-83)
  Avg: 3

1. Rodriguez, Guaynabo	3.0
2. Harris, San German	2.5
3. Santiago, Santurce	2.3
4. Benison, Santurce	2.0
5. Clinch, Isabela	1.9
6. Chaney, Santurce	1.8
7. Dalmau, Bayamon	1.7
8. Pinnock, Arecibo	1.6
9. Cruz, Arecibo	1.5
10. Carmona, Mayaguez	1.5

Blocks Per Game

Herve LAMIZANA
  Mayaguez
  (207-F/C-81)
  Avg: 2.7

1. Lamizana, Mayaguez	2.7
2. Romero, Mayaguez	2.4
3. Penn, Humacao	2.4
4. Santiago, Arecibo	2.1
5. Traylor, Bayamon	2.0
6. Freije, Coamo	1.5
7. Shannon, Bayamon	1.3
8. Sanchez, Santurce	1.3
9. Aubry, Arecibo	1.3
10. Rice, San German	1.2

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RUSSIA

Standings - Superleague B

Superleague Standings

1. Univ.Surgut		31-9
2. Spartak-Primorie		28-10
3. Saransk		28-10
4. Severstal		25-13
5. Ural Ekaterinb.		24-11
6. Revda		18-18
7. Metallurg-Univ.		16-22
8. Rjazan		12-24
9. Lokomotiv		8-27
10. Irkutsk		8-30
11. Zaretchny		7-31

Superleague Round 42: Metallurg-University defeats Severstal in the closest game of the week - by Eurobasket News
There are only two more rounds left in the Regular Season in Superlaegue.

The most exciting game of round 42 in the Superlaegue took place in Cherepovec. This derby game ended with only two-point home defeat of 4th ranked Severstal (25-13) to seventh ranked Metallurg-University (16-22) 82-80 on Wednesday evening. The guests took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Severstal won fourth quarter 17-14. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Metallurg-University maintains seventh position with 16-22 record. Severstal at the other side keeps the fourth place with 13 games lost. Metallurg-University are looking forward to face higher ranked TEMP-SUMZ Revda (#6) on the road in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Severstal will play against Ural Ekaterinburg and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Important game to mention about took place in Revda. Sixth ranked TEMP-SUMZ Revda (18-18) saved a 2-point victory at home edging 5th ranked Ural Ekaterinburg (24-11) 79-77 on Wednesday evening. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of Ural Ekaterinburg. TEMP-SUMZ Revda maintains sixth position with 18-18 record. Ural Ekaterinburg at the other side keeps the fifth place with 11 games lost. TEMP-SUMZ Revda will play against Metallurg-University (#7) in Magnitogorsk in the next round. Ural Ekaterinburg will play on the road against Severstal in Cherepovec and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
The game between Top Four teams took place in Vladivostok. Third ranked host Spartak-Primorie (28-10) defeated second-best Ruskon-Mordovia (28-10) 91-84. Spartak-Primorie moved-up to second place, which they share with Saransk. Spartak-Primorie will meet at home bottom-ranked Sojuz Zaretchny (#11) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Ruskon-Mordovia will play against Irkut Irkutsk (#10) and hope to secure a win.
Superlaegue top team - Universitet-Yugra (31-9) had no problems winning another game on Wednesday. This time they crushed eighth ranked Rjazan (12-24) in Surgut 81-53. Universitet-Yugra have a solid three-game winning streak. Newly promoted Universitet-Yugra maintains first position with 31-9 record. Rjazan lost eighth consecutive game. They keep the eighth place with 24 games lost. Universitet-Yugra will have a break next round. Rjazan will play on the road against Lokomotiv (#9) in Novosybirsk and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

Univ.Surgut - Rjazan 81-53

Superlaegue top team - Universitet-Yugra (31-9) had no problems winning another game on Wednesday. This time they crushed eighth ranked Rjazan (12-24) in Surgut 81-53. The hosts trailed by 4 points after first quarter, but they stormed back to get the 1-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 81-53. Universitet-Yugra have a solid three-game winning streak. Newly promoted Universitet-Yugra maintains first position with 31-9 record. Rjazan lost eighth consecutive game. They keep the eighth place with 24 games lost. Universitet-Yugra will have a break next round. Rjazan will play on the road against Lokomotiv (#9) in Novosybirsk and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

Spartak-Primorie - Saransk 91-84

The game between Top Four teams took place in Vladivostok. Third ranked host Spartak-Primorie (28-10) defeated second-best Ruskon-Mordovia (28-10) 91-84. The hosts were tied at the half but managed to speed up in last two quarters eventually winning the game. Spartak-Primorie moved-up to second place, which they share with Saransk. Spartak-Primorie will meet at home bottom-ranked Sojuz Zaretchny (#11) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Ruskon-Mordovia will play against Irkut Irkutsk (#10) and hope to secure a win.

Irkutsk - Zaretchny 0-20

Revda - Ural Ekaterinb. 79-77

Important game to mention about took place in Revda. Sixth ranked TEMP-SUMZ Revda (18-18) saved a 2-point victory at home edging 5th ranked Ural Ekaterinburg (24-11) 79-77 on Wednesday evening. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of Ural Ekaterinburg. TEMP-SUMZ Revda maintains sixth position with 18-18 record. Ural Ekaterinburg at the other side keeps the fifth place with 11 games lost. TEMP-SUMZ Revda will play against Metallurg-University (#7) in Magnitogorsk in the next round. Ural Ekaterinburg will play on the road against Severstal in Cherepovec and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

Severstal - Metallurg-Univ. 80-82

The most exciting game of round 42 in the Superlaegue took place in Cherepovec. This derby game ended with only two-point home defeat of 4th ranked Severstal (25-13) to seventh ranked Metallurg-University (16-22) 82-80 on Wednesday evening. The guests took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Severstal won fourth quarter 17-14. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Metallurg-University maintains seventh position with 16-22 record. Severstal at the other side keeps the fourth place with 13 games lost. Metallurg-University are looking forward to face higher ranked TEMP-SUMZ Revda (#6) on the road in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Severstal will play against Ural Ekaterinburg and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

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

SAUDI ARABIA

D1 Standings

D1 Standings

1. Al Ittihad		18-1
2. Al Ansar		17-4
3. Al Hilal		16-4
4. Al Fateh		16-5
5. Ohud		11-7
6. Al Nahda		8-10
7. Al Wahda		8-11
8. Al Ahli		8-11
9. Al Jubail		4-14
10. Al Safwa		4-16
11. Al Shrooq		2-16
12. Al Maseerah		2-17

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

SERBIA

Dusan Ivkovic to stay with Serbian National Team - by Eurobasket News
It seems that Dusan Ivkovic (agency: Beo Basket ) will continue his work with the Serbian National Team. According to the local media, Serbian Basketball Federation announced that Ivkovic will stay with the team. Ivkovic recently decided to step down on his position, but it seems that the situation completely changed. Dusan Ivkovic was leading the Team Serbia in Turkey last summer when they reached the World Championship Semifinals. At the 2009 EuroBasket in Poland, Serbia won the Silver.

Hemofarm STADA is hosting F8 tournament of Rosa Junior League of Serbia - by Nenad Ilijev
Rosa Junior League of Serbia is closing down at the end of this month. Leader of regular season Hemofarm STADA will organize Final Eight in Vrsac from April 28th - 30th. Quarterfinal pairs are FMP Zeleznik - Crvena Zvezda, Mega Vizura - Radnicki KG 06, Novi Sad - Mladost, Hemofarm STADA - Partizan m:ts. Rosa Junior League was very even this season but Hemofarm STADA and FMP Zeleznik will be light favourites for winning the title. Host team Hemofarm STADA was brilliantly coached by former NT member Zarko Vucurovic who lost only one game in 22 rounds played with his team. Talented juniors Nemanja Dangubic (196-G-93) and Nemanja Krstic (198-F-93) signed 4-year long professional contracts with senior team last week. Hemofarm STADA management expressed its satisfaction with junior team progress this year and they are seriously consider other juniors to follow this way and sign pro contracts. This generation gave five Serbian NT members in U-17 category. Next one who will turn pro will be young Luka Mitrovic (204-F-93), one of the most valuable players this season.
We should mention and give credits to Dangubic and Krstic previous teams that had a lot influence in their development. Nemanja Dangubic came to Vrsac last summer from minor basketball club Kris Kros Pancevo while Nemanja Krstic came from Knjazevac two years ago.
FMP Zeleznik will meet Crvena Zvezda which will be some kind of replay game of qualifications for Euroleague Junior tournament earlier this season. FMP Zeleznik is trying to maintain reputation as one of the best youth basketball programs worldwide. Teams in U14 (head coach Milovan Bulatovic) and U16 (head coach Milan Mandaric) categories already celebrated national champion titles while another award came from USA. Promising talent Dusan Ristic (204-F-95) was announced as MVP of Jordan Brand Classic making 22 points and 12 rebounds in game between International players and US Team. He is already considered by many NBA scouts that attended the game.
Crvena Zvezda already made its goal reaching F8 tournament but head coach Dragan Vascanin stressed that players and staff are full of motives in upcoming game. Radnicki KG 06, Partizan m:ts, Novi Sad and Mega Vizura will be looking for their chance in quarterfinals and surely they will no surrender without fighting!

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SLOVAKIA

Stats Leaders - D1

Points Per Game

Adam MCCOY
  Vahostav-Zilina
  (193-G-86)
  Avg: 26.6

1. McCoy, Svit	26.6
2. Fears, Prievidza	23.3
3. Burrows, Komarno	21.7
4. Carter, Vahostav.	20.7
5. Sapp, Pezinok	20.2
6. Delic, Handlova	20.2
7. Tomek, Nitra	19.4
8. Jackson, Komarno	19.2
9. Lukjanec, Pezinok	17.6
10. Cosic, Svit	17.5

Rebounds Per Game

Branislav TOMEK
  Nitra
  (205-C-83)
  Avg: 12.4

1. Tomek, Nitra	12.4
2. Jackson, Komarno	11.2
3. Delic, Handlova	9.3
4. Szalay, Prievidza	8.8
5. Johnson, Nova Ves	8.3
6. Micuda, Pezinok	8.2
7. Johnson, Komarno	7.9
8. Carter, Vahostav.	7.9
9. Henderson, Levice	7.8
10. Burrows, Komarno	7.6

Assists Per Game

Ronald MOORE
  Nitra
  (183-G-88)
  Avg: 6.9

1. Moore, Nitra	6.9
2. Jones, Komarno	6.4
3. Jefferson, Nova Ves	6.0
4. Fears, Prievidza	5.6
5. Cosic, Svit	5.2
6. English, Levice	5.2
7. Sapp, Pezinok	4.4
8. Milosevic, Pezinok	4.1
9. Kostomaj, Levice	4.0
10. Gavlak, Handlova	3.9

Steals Per Game

Jeremy FEARS
  Kapfenberg
  (196-G-85)
  Avg: 3.1

1. Fears, Prievidza	3.1
2. English, Levice	2.5
3. Carter, Vahostav.	2.5
4. Moore, Nitra	2.3
5. Jefferson, Nova Ves	2.2
6. Nuber, Handlova	2.1
7. Sapp, Pezinok	2.0
8. Jones, Komarno	2.0
9. Zavodny, Vahost.	1.8
10. Zilik, Inter B.	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Esian HENDERSON
  Levice
  (203-F-86)
  Avg: 2

1. Henderson, Levice	2.0
2. Micuda, Pezinok	1.9
3. Szalay, Prievidza	1.9
4. Jackson, Komarno	1.4
5. Batka, Nova Ves	1.2
6. Mroz, Nova Ves	1.1
7. Carter, Vahostav.	1.0
8. Votroubek, Nitra	0.9
9. Burrows, Komarno	0.9
10. Tomek, Nitra	0.8

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

SLOVENIA

Jaka Lakovic suffers right thigh injury - by Eurobasket News
Bad news for Regal Barca. Veteran point guard Jaka Lakovic (186-G-78) suffered right thigh injury and he will be forced to miss at least two weeks. He will for sure miss the upcoming three games in ACB (DKV Joventut, Lagun Aro and Meridiano Alicante). Lakovic, the captain of Slovenian National Team, appeared 30 times in ACB this season averaging 5.7 points and 1.3 assists. Barca is currently No.1 with 24-6 record. In Euroleague, Lakovic added 6.4 ppg and 1.9 apg for 19 games. His Barca was knocked out by Panathinaikos in the Quarterfinals (1-3).
Jaka Lakovic is active member of the Slovenian National Team. Last summer in Turkey he had 11.9 ppg and 2.3 apg for 8 games. He will play for his country at the EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania.

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

SOUTH KOREA

Promy beat KCC in game 3, Two key Egis injured - by Kevin Campigotto
Wonju Dongbu Promy responded to game 2s blowout loss with a defensive clinic that shut down Jeonju KCC Egis' offense in a 62-54 victory in game 3 of the KBL finals. Promy leader Kim Joo-Sung (205-F/C-79) had 20 points and 5 rebounds while Chris Daniels (211-C-84) was the only Egis in double figures with 18 and 7 rebounds. Daniels was in foul trouble for much of the game and picked up his fourth foul with under 5 seconds to play when he swung at Promy guard.

Along with falling behind 2-1 in the series the big story that emerged from Wednesdays game might be the injuries to KCC starting guard Chon Tae-Poong (180-G-80) and forward Kang Eun-Sik (200-F-82). Chon injured his ankle in the second quarter and though he came back to play a few minutes in the third quarter he was hobbling as he ran and was quickly pulled. Kang suffered what appeared to be a left knee or leg injury and had to be taken off the court in a stretcher. Losing either of these two players would be a big loss for KCC as Chon is a dynamic scorer able to take any opposing guard off the dribble and create open looks for his teammates while Kang was used as a defender against Promy standout Kim Joo-Sung.

Wonju found some success in posting up forward Yoon Ho-Young (198-F-84) forcing the Egis to double-team him in the post. Yoon finished with 16 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists. Benson Rod (208-F/C-84, college: California) found himself in foul trouble all game because of soft fouls called while defending Ha Seung-Jin (222-C-85) but still managed 14 points and 8 rebounds relying on his Tim Duncan-esque elbow bank shot.

Game 4 is set for Friday at an early start time of 5:45. The series then moves to neutral ground with games 5, 6 and 7 to be played in Seoul.

GAME NOTES

Wonju Dongbu

Kim Joo-Sung 20 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists

Yoon Ho-Young 16 points, 9 rebounds

Rod Benson 14 points, 8 rebounds

Jeonju KCC
Daniels Chris 18 points, 7 rebounds

Ha Seung-Jin 8 points 6 rebounds

Eric Dawson (208-F-84, college: Midwestern St.) 6 points 6 rebounds

KBL Round 3 of Finals - by Eurobasket News
Dongbu Promy - KCC Egis 62-54

The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But KCC Egis won third quarter 19-14. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. It was a great evening for the former international power forward Joo-Sung Kim (205-79) who led his team to a victory scoring 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Forward Ho-Young Yoon (198-84) helped adding 16 points and 9 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field). The best for the losing side was American center Chris Daniels (211-84) with 18 points and 7 rebounds and international center Seung-Jin Ha (222-85) scored 8 points and 6 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games.
Top scorers:
Dongbu Promy: J.Kim 20+5reb+4ast, H.Yoon 16+9reb+3ast, R.Benson 14+8reb, J.Park 8+5reb+4ast, V.Thomas 2+1ast, J.Hwang 2+1reb+3ast
KCC Egis: C.Daniels 18+7reb, S.Ha 8+6reb, E.Dawson 6+6reb+2ast, B.Kang 5+2reb+3ast, B.Yoo 4, T.Chon 4+1ast

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

SPAIN

Rolands Freimanis joins Lagun Aro - by Eurobasket News
Lagun Aro have decided to strengthen their frontcourt. They signed a deal with talented Rolands Freimanis (207-C/F-88, agency: Players Group). The contract is meant till the end of the season. The 22-year-old Latvian centre started the season in Huesca in LEB Gold. He tallied 9.8 points and 4.4 boards per game for Huesca. Last season Rolands Freimanis played for Qalat Caja Sol Sevilla in LEB Silver. His stats read 14.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per appearance. The centre was named Eurobasket.com LEB Silver Bosman Player of the Year in 2010. Rolands Freimanis played for Latvian National Team at the 2011 EuroBasket Qualification games. The centre notched 5.6 points and 3.0 boards per game.

Jaka Lakovic suffers right thigh injury - by Eurobasket News
Bad news for Regal Barca. Veteran point guard Jaka Lakovic (186-G-78) suffered right thigh injury and he will be forced to miss at least two weeks. He will for sure miss the upcoming three games in ACB (DKV Joventut, Lagun Aro and Meridiano Alicante). Lakovic, the captain of Slovenian National Team, appeared 30 times in ACB this season averaging 5.7 points and 1.3 assists. Barca is currently No.1 with 24-6 record. In Euroleague, Lakovic added 6.4 ppg and 1.9 apg for 19 games. His Barca was knocked out by Panathinaikos in the Quarterfinals (1-3).
Jaka Lakovic is active member of the Slovenian National Team. Last summer in Turkey he had 11.9 ppg and 2.3 apg for 8 games. He will play for his country at the EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania.

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

SYRIA

Standings - D1

D1 Standings

1. Jalaa		20-0
2. Jeish		17-4
3. Kasyoun		15-5
4. Wathba		15-6
5. Karameh		13-8
6. Wehda		10-11
7. Ittihad		10-11
8. Hurriya		7-14
9. Talee'a		6-15
10. Yarmouk		6-15
11. Meharda		3-18
12. Nawaeer		3-18

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TAIWAN

Asia-basket.com All-Taiwanese SBL Awards 2010-11 - by Greg

All-Taiwanese SBL 1st Team 2010-2011

Jones

Yang

Hawkins

Jennings

Player of the Year: Jones Emmanuel (200-F-85) of Taiwan Beer
Guard of the Year: Yang Ching-Min (188-G/F-84) of Taiwan Beer
Forward of the Year: Jones Emmanuel (200-F-85) of Taiwan Beer
Center of the Year: Jennings Rashad (203-F/C-84) of Pure Youth
Import Player of the Year: Jones Emmanuel (200-F-85) of Taiwan Beer
Domestic Player of the Year: Tien Lei (203-F-83) of Dacin Tigers
Defensive Player of the Year: Jennings Rashad (203-F/C-84) of Pure Youth
Coach of the Year: Yan Chia-Hua of Taiwan Beer

1st Team
G: Su Yi-Chieh (182-87) of Taiwan Mobile
G/F: Yang Ching-Min (188-84) of Taiwan Beer
G/F: Hawkins Shawn (198-82) of KKL
F: Jones Emmanuel (200-85) of Taiwan Beer
F/C: Jennings Rashad (203-84) of Pure Youth

2nd Team
G: Chang Chih-Feng (183-81) of Dacin Tigers
G: Chen Shih-Nian (181-84) of Taiwan Beer
F: Tien Lei (203-83) of Dacin Tigers
F: Foyle Alexus (198-78) of Dacin Tigers
F: Dailey Jermaine (203-86) of Yulon Luxgen

Honorable Mention
Chen Chih-Chung (185-G-77) of Yulon Luxgen
Wu Yung-Jen (177-G-82) of Taiwan Mobile
Dove Marcus (206-F-85) of Taiwan Mobile
Lu Cheng-Ju (194-F-86) of Yulon Luxgen
Chen Shun-Hsiang (190-F-85) of Bank of Taiwan
Chen Ching-Hwan (190-F-86) of KKL
Chien Chia-Hong (197-F-87) of Pure Youth
Mao Chia En (196-F/G-82) of Pure Youth
Vaudreuil John (203-F/C-85) of Bank of Taiwan
Wu Tai-Hao (203-C-85) of Taiwan Beer

All-Domestic Players Team
G: Su Yi-Chieh (182-87) of Taiwan Mobile
G: Chang Chih-Feng (183-81) of Dacin Tigers
G/F: Yang Ching-Min (188-84) of Taiwan Beer
F: Tien Lei (203-83) of Dacin Tigers
C: Wu Tai-Hao (203-85) of Taiwan Beer

All-Imports Team
G/F: Hawkins Shawn (198-82) of KKL
F: Dove Marcus (206-85) of Taiwan Mobile
F: Jones Emmanuel (200-85) of Taiwan Beer
F/C: Jennings Rashad (203-84) of Pure Youth
F: Dailey Jermaine (203-86) of Yulon Luxgen

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TUNISIA

The shadow of SN and ESS... - by Sergei Krasavtsev
Exceptions to this round, SN and ESS will follow the evolution of other opponents. This will be a first: ESS and SN will not playl, and leaving others to express themselves and defend their luck.
Free from the 2nd round, the two leaders of play-off after only one round, the SN and the ESS will have to let slip away the ESR, EZS, JSK and CA to try their luck. As a result, we expect a change in the ranking, with clubs who will try to join the ESS and the SN. Ezzahra, for example, knows that a victory against JSK allow them to move to 1st place in the company of the ESS. Faced with JSK beaten during the first round and hungry for redemption, the team at Riyadh Ben Abdallah will put everything in balance to get the victory. This will be the same reasoning ESRadès against CA. The Radésiens Amor Abada do not intend to lose points from the beginning. They are 4 games in all and for all in this play-off, no question of dropping points. Play spoilsport is the objective of Rades, the CA, and EZS JSK, while going as far as possible cut. There will be no ESS and SN tonight, maybe the opportunity to cut with routine victories of this duo.

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TURKEY

Standings - TBL

TBL Standings

1. Fener.Ulker		24-3
2. Galatasaray		21-6
3. Efes Pilsen		19-7
4. Banvit		19-7
5. Besiktas		18-9
6. Karsiyaka		17-9
7. Olin Edirne		16-10
8. Antalya		13-13
9. Turk Telekom		10-16
10. Tofas		10-17
11. Trabzonspor		9-17
12. Erdemir		9-17
13. Mersin		8-18
14. Aliaga		7-19
15. Bornova		7-19
16. Oyak Renault		3-23

Standings - TB2L

TB2L Top4 Standings

1. Genc Banvit		0-0
2. Hacettepe Univ.		0-0
3. Kepez Bld		0-0
4. Selcuk Univ.		0-0

Stage One Standings

Stats Leaders - D1

Points Per Game

Ali KARADENIZ
  Trabzonspor
  (203-F-80)
  Avg: 22.8

1. Karadeniz, Trabzons.	22.8
2. Henderson, Antalya	21.9
3. Kambala, Aliaga	21.0
4. Smith, Karsiyaka	19.6
5. Seibutis, Olin Edirne	18.5
6. Gibson, Oyak R.	18.1
7. Randle, Aliaga	17.5
8. Scales, Mersin	17.2
9. Barbour, Erdemir	16.7
10. Christopher, Antal.	16.4

Rebounds Per Game

Nedim YUCEL
  Mersin
  (203-F-79)
  Avg: 10.9

1. Yucel, Mersin	10.9
2. Thomas, Erdemir	10.5
3. Samardjiski, Olin E.	9.5
4. Buckman, Antalya	9.3
5. Wesson, Turk T.	9.3
6. Mays, Oyak Renault	9.1
7. Ffriend, Bornova	8.4
8. Hall, Erdemir	8.3
9. Aldemir, Karsiyaka	8.3
10. Smith, Karsiyaka	8.2

Assists Per Game

William CONROY
  Oyak Renault
  (187-G-82)
  Avg: 6

1. Conroy, Oyak R.	6.0
2. Ermis, Banvit	5.9
3. Holston, Karsiyaka	5.7
4. Chatman, Besiktas	5.4
5. Henderson, Antalya	5.4
6. Rasic, Trabzonspor	5.3
7. Rowe, Tofas	4.5
8. Acik, Galatasaray	4.5
9. Seibutis, Olin Edirne	4.2
10. Randle, Turk T.	4.1

Steals Per Game

Aubrey COLEMAN
  Austin T.
  (193-G-87)
  Avg: 3.1

1. Coleman, Aliaga	3.1
2. Holston, Karsiyaka	2.3
3. Mays, Oyak Renault	2.2
4. Waller, Oyak Renault	2.1
5. Grier, Mersin	2.1
6. Gibson, Oyak R.	2.0
7. Prince, Antalya	1.9
8. Chatman, Besiktas	1.8
9. Grundy, Mersin	1.7
10. Rowe, Tofas	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Predrag SAMARDJISKI
  Olin Edirne
  (214-C-86)
  Avg: 1.7

1. Samardjiski, Olin E.	1.7
2. Stiemsma, Turk T.	1.7
3. Francis, Bornova	1.3
4. Johnson, Erdemir	1.3
5. Simpsons, Turk T.	1.1
6. Aldemir, Karsiyaka	1.0
7. Ogilvy, Besiktas	1.0
8. Davis, Banvit	0.9
9. Ruzic, Tofas	0.9
10. Mays, Oyak Renault	0.9

Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy: Igor Rakocevic, Efes Pilsen - by Eurobasket News
The first Turkish Airlines Euroleague post-season award, the Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy, given annually to the Euroleague player with the most points averaged over a minimum number of games, has been won by Igor Rakocevic (191-G-78) of Efes Pilsen. Rakocevic, a former world champion, becomes the first player to win the Ford Trophy three times; in fact, no one else has done so more than once since the award debuted in 2005. Rakocevic was the Ford Trophy winner also in 2007 and 2009. This season, Rakocevic earned what is the Euroleague's only post-season award based solely on statistics thanks to his scoring average of 17.21 points over a total of 14 games. He scored in double digits in 13 of his 14 Euroleague games this season and went beyond the 20-point mark five times. Rakocevic was very effective from beyond the new, longer three-point line, hitting 43.5% of his shots there. No player had a higher percentage while attempting as many three-pointers, 62, as Rakocevic. At the end of the season, Rakocevic ranked second in scoring average this century among players with 100 or more Euroleague games. What's more, his career rate of .56 points per minute ranks eighth all-time and first for players with more than 100 Euroleague games since 2000. He is currently the seventh top scorer in competition history with 2,149 total points.

Rakocevic opened the regular season with a 23-point effort against Union Olimpija and went on to score 20 and 17 points in consecutive home wins against Power Electronics Valencia and Armani Jeans Milano, respectively. Rakocevic kept filling baskets all around the continent, but especially at Sinan Erdem Arena, the new home court of Efes this season. He had 21 points against CSKA and added 18 against Panathinaikos to help Efes record two quality home wins. Rakocevic was the fourth-best scorer at the end of the regular season with 15.8 points per game. Once in the Top 16, Rakocevic had 23 points as Efes downed Partizan mt:s in Belgrade and added a season-high 24 points against Montepaschi in Siena. He was the second-best scorer in the Top 16, with 19.8 points on average, trailing only Juan Carlos Navarro of Regal FC Barcelona.

By the time he and Efes were eliminated, Rakocevic had made 48 of 102 two-point shots, 27 of 62 three-pointers and 64 of 73 free throws to total 241 points in 14 games. Mirza Teletovic of Caja Laboral was second in the top scoring race with 14.2 points on average, Navarro third (14.07 ppg.), Kenny Gregory of Union Olimpija fourth (14 ppg.) and Joel Freeland of Unicaja fifth (13.87 ppg.). On other Euroleague career records list, Rakocevic moved into 8th place this season with 223 three-pointers made and is fourth in free throws made (513) since the competition started in 2000.

Rakocevic joins Linas Kleiza of Olympiacos (2010), Marc Salyers of Chorale Roanne (2008), Drew Nicholas of Benetton Treviso (2006)and the trophy's first winner, Charles Smith of Scavolini Pesaro (2005), to become the fifth player to win the award in seven years. Alphonso Ford died of leukemia in September 2004 after a career in which he was the competition's top scorer twice, in 2000-01 and 2001-02, both seasons with Olympiacos. He subsequently led Montepaschi Siena in scoring as it reached the 2003 Final Four in its debut Euroleague season. The Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy is the first in a series of Euroleague end-of-season honors. Other to be announced shortly include: the Euroleague Best Defender Trophy, the Euroleague Rising Star Trophy for players under 22 on July 1, 2010, and the All-Euroleague first and second team nominees. The All-Euroleague teams and the Sportingbet MVP for 2010-11 will be revealed at the EFES Pilsener Euroleague Awards Ceremony on May 7 during the Final Four in Barcelona. The Aleksander Gomelskiy Coach of the Year Trophy and the Euroleague Club Executive of the Year are post-season awards.

His third Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy is yet another highlight in Rakocevic's outstanding career. Rakocevich has always been an all-around shooter with unlimited range and superb one-on-one skills since his early days at Crvena Zvezda, with whom he won the Yugoslav League title in 1998. Rakocevic moved to Buducnost in 2001, averaging 14 points in his first Euroleague season while adding domestic league and cup titles. Rakocevic also filled the baskets with his national team, winning consecutive gold medals with Yugoslavia at EuroBasket 2001 and the 2002 FIBA World Championships. After a brief stop in the NBA with Minnesota, Rakocevic returned to Europe with Crvena Zvezda. There, he became the 2003-04 Adriatic League's top scorer (23.2 ppg.) and winner of the Serbia and Montenegro Cup in epic fashion, as Crvena Zvezda survived several overtimes. Rakocevic moved to Pamesa Valencia and became the Spanish League second top scorer (21 ppg.) while also leading the team to the ULEB Cup semifinals. He joined Real Madrid in summer 2005, for one season, and played three seasons with Tau Ceramica - now Caja Laboral - before joining Efes Pilsen. Not only did he win the Ford Trophy twice with Tau, but they also lifted a Spanish League trophy, a Spanish King's Cup and three Spanish Supercup titles together, and reached Euroleague Final Fours in 2007 and 2008. Rakocevic was named to the All-Euroleague Second Team in 2006-07. Rakocevic bounced back from what, for him, was an underwhelming 2009-10 scoring season, with just 10 points per game for Efes, to re-establish himself as one of the game's pre-eminent scorers. Rakocevic will receive the Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy at the EFES Pilsener Euroleague Awards Ceremony on May 7.

Courtesy of Euroleague

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UBA

Davis Becoming UBA Sleeper - by Travis McAvene

Ephrem Davis, a 6'9 power forward from Robert Morris University-Springfield is still unknown throughout all of the US Minor Leagues. Ephrem is a great shot blocker who runs the floor with a purpose, said Travis McAvene. He is a very appealing player because he can play the small forward and power forward positions.

This past season, Davis was a standout for the Columbus Crush averaging 13.0ppg and 9.5rpg. In late December, Davis signed a contract with the world famous Washington Generals. In 2009 and 2010, Davis was named to the USCAA Division I All-American team at Robert Morris. During this time, Davis averaged 15.7ppg, 10.6rpg, 4.6bpg, and had 17 double doubles. Recently Davis was named to the 2011 UBA All-Star Team.

Ephrem is just beginning to scratch the surface as a player, said Coach Scott Eades (Head Men's Basketball Coach, Robert Morris University-Springfield). I feel like Ephrem can be a quality overseas player because of his athletic ability and willingness to work hard.

My experience in minor league basketball has been an adventure that I know will pay off in the near future, said Ephrem Davis. My goal now is to continue to grow and get better on the basketball court.
Ephrem Davis (6'9''-F-86)

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

URUGUAY

Larranaga is the Metro leader with 4-0 - by Hector Lopez
Larranaga won its forth game in a row to lead the Metro League after beating Urundya Universitario 85-71. Jimmy Boston (201-F-77, college: N.C.Central) scored 21 points with 11 rebounds and 3 blocks for the winner, while Steven Toyloy (203-C-87, college: Cincinnati) netted 21 with 21 rebounds and 5 blocks, for Urunday, hich is now 3-1. In a game without import players, Goes defeated Verdirrojo 77-67. For Goes Federico Haller (198-F-88) scored 19 points and and grabbed 11 rebouns with 3 blocks, Johnny Rodriguez (197-F-83) and Gonzalo Caneiro (181-G-71) added 13. For Verdirrojo Emiliano Baston scored 17 points with 7 rebounds.

Standings - Metropolitan League

Metropolitan Standings

1. Larranaga		4-0
2. Nacional		3-0
3. Goes		3-1
4. Urunday Univ.		3-1
5. Tabare		2-1
6. Atenas		1-2
7. Yale		1-2
8. 25 de Agosto		0-3
9. Capitol		0-3
10. Verdirrojo		0-4

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

VENEZUELA

Standings - LPB

LPB Standings

1. Cocodrilos		20-5
2. Marinos		20-6
3. Trotamundos		17-8
4. Guaiqueries		13-11
5. Bucaneros		12-13
6. Gigantes		12-15
7. Toros		11-16
8. Panteras		11-16
9. Guaros		9-18
10. Gaiteros		4-21

LPB Round 32: #1 Cocodrilos are defeated by Bucaneros - by Eurobasket News
The most surprising game was a loss of top-ranked Cocodrilos (20-5) in Caracas on Tuesday night. Hosts were defeated by sixth ranked Bucaneros (12-13) 104-92. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Cocodrilos. Bucaneros have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to fifth place. Cocodrilos at the other side still keep top position with five games lost. Bucaneros will have a break tomorrow, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Cocodrilos will play again on the road against Bucaneros in La Guaira and are hoping to win this game.
Important game to mention about took place in Maracay. Eighth ranked Panteras (11-16) saved a 3-point victory on the road edging 7th ranked Toros (11-16) 80-77 in the game for the seventh place. Panteras moved-up to seventh place, which they share with defeated Toros. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Third ranked Trotamundos (17-8) crushed at home 5th ranked Gigantes (12-15) by 24 points 86-62, which is the biggest margin this round on Tuesday night. Trotamundos maintains third position with 17-8 record having just three points less than leader Cocodrilos. Loser Gigantes dropped to the sixth place with 15 games lost. Trotamundos will again meet at home Gigantes (#6) in the next round. Gigantes will have a break.

In the last two games of round 32 Guaros lost to Guaiqueries on the opponent's court 68-83. Bottom-ranked Gaiteros unfortunately lost to Marinos in a home game 61-79.

Guaiqueries - Guaros 83-68

Very expected game in Porlamar where 9th ranked Guaros (9-18) were defeated by fourth ranked Guaiqueries (13-11) 83-68 on Tuesday. Guaiqueries maintains fourth position with 13-11 record. Guaros lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the ninth place with 18 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

Cocodrilos - Bucaneros 92-104

The most surprising game was a loss of top-ranked Cocodrilos (20-5) in Caracas on Tuesday night. Hosts were defeated by sixth ranked Bucaneros (12-13) 104-92. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Cocodrilos. Bucaneros have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to fifth place. Cocodrilos at the other side still keep top position with five games lost. Bucaneros will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Cocodrilos will play again on the road against Bucaneros in La Guaira and are hoping to win this game.

Gaiteros - Marinos 61-79

Very predictable result in Maracaibo where second ranked Marinos (20-6) defeated bottom-ranked Gaiteros (4-21) 79-61 on Tuesday. Marinos have an impressive six-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 20-6 record having just -1 point less than leader Cocodrilos. Gaiteros lost fifth consecutive game. They stay dead last with 21 lost games. Marinos will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Gaiteros will play again against the league's second-placed Marinos (#2) in Puerto La Cruz and hope to secure a win.

Toros - Panteras 77-80

Important game to mention about took place in Maracay. Eighth ranked Panteras (11-16) saved a 3-point victory on the road edging 7th ranked Toros (11-16) 80-77 in the game for the seventh place. Panteras moved-up to seventh place, which they share with defeated Toros. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

Trotamundos - Gigantes 86-62

Third ranked Trotamundos (17-8) crushed at home 5th ranked Gigantes (12-15) by 24 points 86-62, which is the biggest margin this round on Tuesday night. Trotamundos maintains third position with 17-8 record having just three points less than leader Cocodrilos. Loser Gigantes dropped to the sixth place with 15 games lost. Trotamundos will again meet at home Gigantes (#6) in the next round. Gigantes will have a break next round.

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

WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES

2011 Tournament Draw Results - by Eurobasket News
2011 World University Games Draw results have become known. The event is scheduled to take place in Shenzhen, China from August 12 through August 25. Twenty-four teams will participate at the mens basketball tournament. They have been divided into four groups with six teams in each. The teams will play in a single round robin system. The top two teams in each group will proceed to play for 1-8 place. The 3rd and 4th teams in each group will qualify to play for 9-16 place. Finally the teams that will occupy 5th and 6th place in each group will play for 17th-24th place.

Here are the draw results:
Group A: China, UAE, Germany, Romania, Brazil and Czech Republic
Group B: Serbia, Turkey, Canada, Hong Kong, South Africa, Australia
Group C: Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Japan, Philippines, New Zealand
Group D: USA, Israel, Finland, South Korea, Hungary and Mexico.

Serbia will enter the competition as the defending champions. They triumphed in Belgrade in 2009. Serbia prevailed against Russia in the championship game two years ago.

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

Women News

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

CANADA - Women

Newfoundland's Hannah Jardine invited to National Assessment Camp - by Eurobasket News
Hannah Jardine of St. Johns has been invited to attend the National Ladies Cadette Camp April 22-24 in Toronto.

Jardine is a member of the O'Donel High School team and competed with the Midget Provincial Program this past summer. Her high school team recently won the 4As and she was named tournament MVP.

Jardine attended the same camp last year as an underage athlete, but was sidelined due to an injury and was unable to compete in the final days of the tryout. She has worked extremely hard this past year to get herself into top physical form to ensure this does not happen again. If selected she will attend the FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico, June 13-18.

Jardine also represented Newfoundland at the 2010 15U National Championship last summer at Toronto's Humber College. She was a standout at the tournament, leading Newfoundland in points and rebounds, earning her a spot on the All-Tournament second team.

'The NLBA is very excited to have a representative invited to the national camp and we will support Hannah financially as she attends this camp and follows her dream of playing with the National Program,' said NLBA president Bas Kavanagh.

Courtesy of www.basketaball.ca

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DENMARK - Women

Eurobasket.com All-Danish League Awards 2010-11 - by Greg

All-Danish 1st Team 2010-2011

Aitch

Lund

Furgeson

Holmes

Beckley

Player of the Year: Lauren Aitch (185-C-87) of SISU
Guard of the Year: Charmaine Furgeson (176-G-86) of Horsens
Forward of the Year: Shay Holmes (185-F) of Aabyhoj
Center of the Year: Lauren Aitch (185-C-87) of SISU
Import Player of the Year: Lauren Aitch (185-C-87) of SISU
Domestic Player of the Year: Kiki Lund (178-G-83) of SISU
Defensive Player of the Year: Jessica Fuller (193-C-87) of Falcon
Coach of the Year: Hrannar Holm of SISU

1st Team
G: Kiki Lund (178-83) of SISU
G: Charmaine Furgeson (176-86) of Horsens
F: Shay Holmes (185) of Aabyhoj
F/C: Lauren Beckley (181) of Lemvig
C: Lauren Aitch (185-87) of SISU

2nd Team
G: Therese Deemand (176-83) of Horsholm
G: Elisabeth Hansen (175-93) of Falcon
G/F: Catharina Jensen (184-89) of Amager
F/C: Emilie Hesseldal (185-90) of Aabyhoj
C: Jessica Fuller (193-87) of Falcon

Honorable Mention
Camilla Blands (180-G-85) of SISU
Ida Krogh (181-G/F-91) of Aabyhoj
Morgan Robertson (183-F-88) of Horsholm
Anna Nedovic (193-F-83) of Amager
Laurie Girdwood (193-F-86) of Vaerlose
Kristine Dalgaard (188-F/C-79) of SISU
Rebecca Kielpinski (188-C) of Lemvig
Sussie Kruuse (192-C-83) of Amager
Jessica Smith (191-C-86) of Horsens

All-Domestic Players Team
G: Kiki Lund (178-83) of SISU
G: Therese Deemand (176-83) of Horsholm
G: Elisabeth Hansen (175-93) of Falcon
G/F: Catharina Jensen (184-89) of Amager
F/C: Emilie Hesseldal (185-90) of Aabyhoj

All-Imports Team
G: Charmaine Furgeson (176-86) of Horsens
F: Shay Holmes (185) of Aabyhoj
F/C: Lauren Beckley (181) of Lemvig
C: Lauren Aitch (185-87) of SISU
C: Jessica Fuller (193-87) of Falcon

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HOLLAND - Women

ProBuild Lions start building team for next season - by Eurobasket News
ProBuild Lions are working to build the team for the next season. Head coach Laki Lakner announced the names of the players that would be on the roster in 2011/12 season. These are Belinda Bos (181-G/F-84), Romy Stijsiger (187-C-92), Marie Hoogstraten (179-F-88), Nadine Boesaart (185-C-81), Molly McDowell (178-G-81, college: S.Illinois), Danielle de Vreede (185-F/C-89), Ilana Vergunst (169-G/F-87), Dewi Keppy (184-F-91) and Karen Heinen (186-F-84). The Lions have already parted ways with five players. Kati Harty (167-PG-87, agency: LBM Management, college: Wisc.-Green Bay), Maaike van de Bovenkamp (177-F-85), Jinga Gosschalk, Eline Vink (170-G-90) and Marloes Soffner (176-F-90) have left ProBuild Lions. The Lions have already agreed on terms of contract with Demelza Ten Caat (177-G-90). New additions to the roster will be announced soon.
ProBuild Lions finished the 2010/11 regular season undefeated with eighteen victories in as many games. But the Eredivisie playoffs turned a big time disappointment for the team. They were swept by Binnenland in the semifinal series.

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

INDIA - Women

Interview with Geethu, regarding her WNBA try outs - by M. Rajalingam
She is excited about her being selected for the WNBA tryouts for three WNBA teams, which she will be attending from this month. I was able to get few minutes to chat with Geethu and here is the interview I had with her.

How does it feel on being selected for the WNBA try outs?
I am really excited. I never imagined that it will happen so soon. I was often contacting Troy, inquiring about the selection happenings.

What are the teams you will be attending the try outs for?
I will be attending the try outs for three WNBA teams and they are Chicago Sky, Los Angeles Sparks and San Antonio Silver Stars.

Which team was the first team to invite you for the try out?
I received my first invitation for the WNBA try out from Los Angeles Sparks.

Which team will you prefer to play for?
Right now, I am just focusing on better performance in the try outs. It's just the WNBA, I want to play in.

Who are the people behind this successful process?
I would say, its Troy Justice, Jayasankar Menon, Hindustan University and the BFI.

When are the try outs going to happen?
The dates for the try outs are: 27 & 28th April for Chicago Sky, 30th April & 1st May for Los Angeles Sparks and 3rd & 4th May for San Antonio Silver Stars.

Being invited for the try outs, have you got any further plans regarding your career?
I am planning to take one step at a time, and I am more focusing on the trials now.

All the very best Geethu for your WNBA try outs. .

Geethu got felicitated today at Hindustan University - by M. Rajalingam
Geethu Anna Jose, the first Indian women to attend the WNBA tryouts in USA this month was felicitated at the Hindustan University. Mr.Ashok Verghese, Director, Hindustan Group of Institutions, Mr.Justice Troy, Director, NBA-India Operations, Mr.Jayasankar Menon, Sports Advisor, Hindustan University, Ms.Geethu Anna Jose and Mr.Abraham Verghese, Sports Advisor, Hindustan University were present at the function.

Mr.Ashok Verghese inaugurated the function and he praised Geethu for her performance and wished her luck for her WNBA tryouts. He also thanked and praised Troy Justice for helping Geethu to get invited for the tryouts.

Troy Justice was next invited to speak on the occasion. When asked to give some tips to star hoopster, he said, 'Be who you are. Enjoy the process of your journey.' He went on and added 'Basketball is a game filled with fun and entertainment, so enjoy playing the game'.

Jayasankar Menon, the former Asian basketball star, congratulated Geethu on her achievement. He praised Geethu and called her the heroine of the moment. He also thanked Troy justice for coming all the way to Chennai for the felicitation of Geethu.

During the end of the function, Mr.Ashok Verghese presented the cheque for Rs.One Lakh and fifty thousand to Geethu.

Felicitation functions at Hindustan University for GEETHU ANNA JOSE - the WNBA prospect - by M. Rajalingam
The Hindustan Group is sponsoring the Inda's WNBA prospect Geethu Anna Jose for her trip to U.S and is organizing a felicitaion function today, April 20th 2011 at Hindustan University Campus, Kelambakkam, Raji Gandhi Salai, Chennai - 603103 at 4.00 P.M.

Ms. Geethu Anna Jose, the Indian Basktball team captain, who secured top scorer award at the Chennai ABC Championship will be leaving for the U.S. on Saturday to attend tryouts for the WNBA. Geethu has been invited to tryouts with the Chicago Sky, Los Angeles Sparks and San Antonio Silver Stars.

Mr. Troy Justice, Director, NBA - India Operations will be the special guest for the function. The NBA is going to launch their activity in Chennai by August.

Geethu and Troy will be doing practice at the Basketball court immediately after the honoring function at the University Basketball court.

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ITALY - Women

Stats Leaders - Women

Points Per Game

Nicole ANTIBE
  Basket Parma
  (187-C/F-74)
  Avg: 15

1. Antibe, Basket P.	15.0
2. Hicks, Comense	15.0
3. Moises Pinto, Fae.	13.8
4. Pascalau, Priolo	13.7
5. Dixon, Pozzuoli	13.6
6. Mazzante, Pozzuoli	13.5
7. Cirov, Priolo	13.4
8. Ervin, Faenza	13.2
9. Macchi, Familia Schio	13.0
10. Willis, Lucca	12.9

Rebounds Per Game

Lauren ERVIN
  Faenza
  (191-F-85)
  Avg: 10.8

1. Ervin, Faenza	10.8
2. Gidden, Vomero NA	10.1
3. Ujhelyi, Bracco G.	9.8
4. Willis, Lucca	9.2
5. Walker, Pozzuoli	8.9
6. McCarville, Famili.	8.4
7. Robert, Umbertide	8.0
8. Stansbury, Umber.	8.0
9. Antibe, Basket P.	7.9
10. Ohlde, Umana Reyer	7.3

Assists Per Game

Adriana MOISES PINTO
  Faenza
  (169-G-78)
  Avg: 4.1

1. Moises Pinto, Fae.	4.1
2. Andrade, Lucca	3.2
3. Cohen, Familia Schio	3.0
4. Sottana, Umana R.	2.8
5. Wambe, Taranto	2.7
6. Zara, Umbertide	2.6
7. Haynie, Bracco Geas	2.4
8. Soli, Lucca	2.4
9. Dixon, Pozzuoli	2.3
10. Mahoney, Taranto	2.3

Steals Per Game

Adriana MOISES PINTO
  Faenza
  (169-G-78)
  Avg: 4.5

1. Moises Pinto, Fae.	4.5
2. Ohlde, Umana Reyer	4.2
3. Kostaki, Umana R.	3.9
4. Eric, Priolo	3.8
5. Sottana, Umana R.	3.7
6. Andrade, Lucca	3.6
7. Willis, Lucca	3.6
8. Ballardini, Umbertide	3.5
9. Antibe, Basket P.	3.5
10. Gidden, Vomero NA	3.4

Blocks Per Game

Olena ZHERZHERUNOVA
  Szeged
  (191-F-78)
  Avg: 0.9

1. Zherzherunov., Fae.	0.9
2. Ujhelyi, Bracco G.	0.9
3. Godin, Taranto	0.8
4. Sowinski, Comense	0.7
5. Antibe, Basket P.	0.7
6. McCarville, Famili.	0.7
7. Ogorodnikova, Umana R.	0.6
8. Stansbury, Umber.	0.5
9. Ohlde, Umana Reyer	0.5
10. Aziz, Basket Parma	0.5

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LITHUANIA - Women

Stats Leaders - LMKL

Points Per Game

Santa OKOCKYTE
  LKKA-Aistes
  (176-G-92)
  Avg: 19.1

1. Okockyte, LK.	19.1
2. Baliutaviciu., Ruta S.	16.9
3. Kinkeviciene, Laisve	16.9
4. Milieskiene, Lemmin.	14.8
5. Bimbaite, VICI K.	14.4
6. Briedyte, Utena	14.1
7. Solopova, VICI K.	13.9
8. Aglinskaite, MRU	13.8
9. Aglinskaite, Laisve	13.7
10. Budryte, Laisve	12.8

Rebounds Per Game

Sandra BALIUTAVICIUTE
  Laisve
  (182-F-81)
  Avg: 10.9

1. Baliutaviciu., Ruta S.	10.9
2. Palaimaite, Utena	9.6
3. Grigalauskyt., Lemmin.	9.2
4. Balciunaite, LKKA-.	8.9
5. Aleksaite, MRU	8.8
6. Galdikaite, MRU	8.6
7. Budryte, Laisve	8.2
8. Taraseviciut., Laisve	8.2
9. Margeviciute, Lemmin.	7.2
10. Kirstukaite, Utena	7.1

Assists Per Game

Milda SAULIUTE
  VICI Kaunas
  (175-G-81)
  Avg: 5.5

1. Sauliute, VICI K.	5.5
2. Kinkeviciene, Laisve	5.5
3. Zygelyte, Lemminka.	4.4
4. Bimbaite, VICI K.	3.9
5. Daujadiene, Utena	3.9
6. Pilypaitis, VICI K.	3.6
7. Solopova, VICI K.	3.5
8. Okockyte, LK.	3.5
9. Valentiene, VICI K.	3.1
10. Ziegyte, Utena	2.8

Steals Per Game

Kornelija BALCIUNAITE
  LKKA-Aistes
  (176-F-81)
  Avg: 3.3

1. Balciunaite, LKKA-.	3.3
2. Kinkeviciene, Laisve	3.3
3. Bimbaite, VICI K.	3.0
4. Solopova, VICI K.	2.7
5. Milieskiene, Lemmin.	2.6
6. Sauliute, VICI K.	2.4
7. Briedyte, Ruta S.	2.3
8. Daujadiene, Utena	2.1
9. Baliutaviciu., Ruta S.	2.1
10. Okockyte, LK.	2.0

Blocks Per Game

Kristina ALMINAITE
  VICI Kaunas
  (204-C-90)
  Avg: 1.7

1. Alminaite, VICI K.	1.7
2. Paugaite, VICI K.	1.3
3. Aleksaite, MRU	1.3
4. Palaimaite, Utena	1.3
5. Juceviciute, Utena	1.2
6. Kirstukaite, Utena	1.2
7. Margeviciute, Lemmin.	1.0
8. Budryte, Laisve	0.9
9. Baliutaviciu., Ruta S.	0.8
10. Kvederaviciu., Laisve	0.8

LMKL Round 1 of Finals. VICI Kaunas topple Lemminkainen - by Eurobasket News

FINAL

VICI Kaunas - Lemminkainen 97-69

VICI Kaunas grabbed the lead in the Final with a comfortable home win over Lemminkainen. The game was mostly controlled by VICI Kaunas. Lemminkainen managed to win second period 23-19. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. VICI Kaunas dominated down low during the game scoring 68 of its points in the paint compared to Lemminkainen's 40. VICI Kaunas forced 21 Lemminkainen turnovers. Worth to mention a great performance of international center Giedre Paugaite (192-90) who helped to win the game recording 21 points and 6 rebounds. The former international guard Ausra Bimbaite (179-82) contributed with 20 points and 5 rebounds for the winners. Four VICI Kaunas players scored in double figures. VICI Kaunas' coach Mantas Sernius felt very confident using 10 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Forward Monika Grigalauskyte (187-92) answered with 26 points and 8 rebounds (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field) and guard Inesa Visgaudaite (171-91) added 11 points in the effort for Lemminkainen.
Top scorers:
VICI Kaunas: G.Paugaite 21+6reb+3ast, A.Bimbaite 20+5reb+2ast, A.Kemezys 12+3reb+1ast, C.Pilypaitis 11+6reb+1ast, M.Solopova 10+3reb+1ast, V.Kuktiene 8+6reb+1ast
Lemminkainen: M.Grigalauskyte 26+8reb, G.Gutkauskaite 12+2ast, I.Visgaudaite 11+3reb+2ast, R.Milieskiene 7+6reb+3ast, E.Zygelyte 7+6reb+3ast, I.Raugaite 6+5reb+1ast

3-4 place

LKKA-Aistes - Utena 71-57

LKKA-Aistes overcame Utena in the first game of Bronze medals series. The game without a history. LKKA-Aistes led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. LKKA-Aistes outrebounded Utena 41-30 including 29 on the defensive glass. Worth to mention a great performance of forward Kornelija Balciunaite (176-81) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 18 points and 12 rebounds. Guard Santa Okockyte (176-92) contributed with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals for the winners. Guard Asta Daujadiene (176-73) answered with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists and forward Vilma Tamuleviciute (182-76) added 17 points in the effort for Utena.
Top scorers:
LKKA-Aistes: S.Okockyte 21+6reb+5ast, K.Balciunaite 18+12reb+2ast, L.Svaryte 9+7reb, K.Druskyte 8+5reb+3ast, D.Saurazaite 6+2reb, J.Marmiene 4+4reb+2ast
Utena: V.Tamuleviciute 17+1reb, A.Daujadiene 14+5reb+4ast, E.Briedyte 11+3reb+1ast, D.Zintikaite 6+1reb+2ast, E.Juceviciute 3+3reb, A.Ziegyte 2+3reb

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

NCAA1 - Women

Tim La Kose takes charge at San Jose State - by George Fragkos
Tim La Kose , a major college head coach with more than 300 wins, is the new San Jose St. women's basketball head coach. Tom Bowen, the university's director of athletics, made the announcement.

La Kose and San Jose St. agreed to a five-year contract.

He comes to the Spartans after coaching the last 10 seasons at Cal State Bakersfield. His teams won 20 or more games in a season seven times, competed in six NCAA Division II Championship tournaments and two NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Invitationals (WBI).

In his 18 seasons coaching women's basketball, he has a 347-152 win-loss record.

His first head coaching position was at California Lutheran University. In eight seasons (1994-2001), Cal Lutheran posted a 136-67 win-loss record, won five conference championships and participated in five NCAA Division Championship tournaments (four Division III and one Division II).

La Kose is a 1991 Cal State Northridge graduate. He replaces Pam DeCosta who compiled a 13-116 win-loss record in four seasons at San Jose St..

San Jose St. will introduce La Kose at an 11:00 a.m. news conference tomorrow, April 20.

Courtesy: WAC

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

SLOVENIA - Women

Kranjska Gora finish regular season perfect - by Zeljko Zule
Kranjska Gora completed the Slovenian League regular season with a perfect record 30-0 after beating Celje 65-58 in the last game.
Kranjska Gora-Celje 65-58: After trailing 37-40 in the third period, Kranjska Gora went on a 13-2 run to take a lead 50-42 and never looked back from there. Teja Oblak (172-G-90) finished with 23 points and 8 assists, Natasa Radulovic scored 14 points, Eva Komplet contributed 11 points and 8 rebounds, Tina Trebec added 11 points and Tina Osterman grabbed 11 rebounds. Celje played without illness Ana Turcinovic and was outrebounded 17-38. Nika Baric was the lone scorer in double digits with 21 points.
Triglav-Jezica 63-54: Triglav never trailed, racing to a 6-0 lead in the opening 3 minutes and a 14-2 cushion after five minutes. Ziva Zdolsek scored 14 points, Katja Spacapan added 11 and Ursa Zibret grabbed 11 rebounds. Jezicas lone scorer in double figures was Nina Gabrovsek with 23 points.
Ilirija-AJM Maribor 55-73: Maribor trailed for only one possession, 6-7. Kristina Baltic posted 22 points, Katarina Ilijev netter 16 points including four 3-pointers and Katja Skerget and Maja Drozg both scored 13 points. Ilirija was led by Polona Zalar and her 18 points and Sandra Bajrektarevic added 10 points.

Stats Leaders - Women

Points Per Game

Teja OBLAK
  Hit K.Gora
  (172-G-90)
  Avg: 21

1. Oblak, Hit K.Gora	21.0
2. Kure, AJM Maribor	19.2
3. Mikic, Grosuplje	18.9
4. Turcinovic, Merkur C.	17.8
5. Komplet, Hit K.	16.6
6. Baric, Merkur C.	16.2
7. Dover, AJM Maribor	15.2
8. Trebec, Hit K.Gora	14.8
9. Gabrovsek, Odeja K.	14.4
10. Baltic, AJM M.	14.3

Rebounds Per Game

Ajda GABROVSEK
  Odeja KED
  (188-C-84)
  Avg: 13.9

1. Gabrovsek, Odeja K.	13.9
2. Turcinovic, Merkur C.	12.7
3. Skof, Ilrija	8.7
4. Baltic, AJM M.	8.5
5. Ljubenovic, Triglav	7.9
6. Macura, Jezica	7.7
7. Zdolsek, Triglav	7.2
8. Klancnik, GVT K.	7.1
9. Furman, AJM M.	7.0
10. Vene, Ilrija	7.0

Assists Per Game

Nika BARIC
  Merkur Celje
  (169-G-92)
  Avg: 5.2

1. Baric, Merkur C.	5.2
2. Oblak, Hit K.Gora	4.7
3. Panic, Hit K.Gora	4.3
4. Jurse, Kozmetik.	3.7
5. Kolman, Grosuplje	3.5
6. Radulovic, Hit K.	3.0
7. Baltic, AJM M.	2.8
8. Zdolsek, Triglav	2.8
9. Dover, AJM Maribor	2.6
10. Duric, Triglav	2.5

Steals Per Game

Klavdija OBLAK
  Odeja KED
  (170-G-88)
  Avg: 3.5

1. Oblak, Odeja KED	3.5
2. Drozg, AJM Maribor	3.0
3. Oblak, Hit K.Gora	2.9
4. Gabrovsek, Jezica	2.6
5. Zupancic, Grosuplje	2.5
6. Klancnik, GVT K.	2.4
7. Zalar, Ilrija	2.4
8. Abramovic, Merkur C.	2.4
9. Turcinovic, Merkur C.	2.3
10. Dover, AJM Maribor	2.3

Blocks Per Game

Ajda GABROVSEK
  Odeja KED
  (188-C-84)
  Avg: 1.3

1. Gabrovsek, Odeja K.	1.3
2. Pavli, Jezica	0.8
3. Srot, GVT Konjice	0.7
4. Trebec, Hit K.Gora	0.6
5. Klancnik, GVT K.	0.5
6. Furman, AJM M.	0.5
7. Zdovc, GVT Konjice	0.5
8. Drozg, AJM Maribor	0.5
9. Gjerkes, Grosuplje	0.5
10. Verbole, Triglav	0.4

Celje signs multi-year contracts with Gabrovsek and Macura - by Zeljko Zule
Celje inked promising teenage Nina Gabrovsek (168-G-94) and Ziva Macura (184-F-95) to a multi-year contracts extension through the 2014-15 season. Both are a highly regarded players from Jezica and the Slovenian junior national team.
Macura averaged 12.8, 7.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 26 Slovenian League games this season and led Jezica in scoring and rebounding. Gabrovsek averaged 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.6 steals and team high 2.3 assists in 27 games.

Standings - Women

SKL Standings

Places 1-6
1. Hit K.Gora		30-0
2. Merkur Celje		25-5
3. AJM Maribor		21-9
4. Ilrija		17-13
5. Triglav		15-15
6. Jezica		9-21
Places 7-13
1. GVT Konjice		5-0
2. Odeja KED		3-0
3. Rasica		3-1
4. Grosuplje		2-1
5. Kozmetika Afr.		1-4
6. Pivka		1-4
7. Domzale		0-5

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

SPAIN - Women

LFB2 Standings - by Eurobasket News

LF2 Standings

Group A
1. Cajarural		22-4
2. ADBA		20-6
3. Burgos		20-6
4. Bembibre		20-6
5. Aguere		19-7
6. Ferrol		16-10
7. Ensino		15-11
8. Pio XII		12-14
9. Cod.Carmelitas		10-16
10. Arxil Pontev.		8-18
11. Aros Leon		7-19
12. Caceres		7-19
13. Ourense P.		5-21
14. Valladolid		1-25
Group B
1. Pais Vasco		22-4
2. Real Canoe		20-6
3. Cajacanarias		16-10
4. Estudiantes		16-10
5. Eivissa		15-11
6. Casablanca		15-11
7. Conquero		15-11
8. Alcobendas		14-12
9. CBF Sarria		14-12
10. Irlandesas		12-14
11. Mataro		8-18
12. Orion-GDKO		8-18
13. Segle XXI		7-19
14. Guadalajara		0-26

LF2 Round 26: Regular season is over - by Eurobasket News
The Regular Season in LF2 ended last weekend.

LF2 Standings

Group A
1. Cajarural 22-4
2. ADBA 20-6
3. Burgos 20-6
4. Bembibre 20-6
5. Aguere 19-7
6. Ferrol 16-10
7. Ensino 15-11
8. Pio XII 12-14
9. Cod.Carmelitas 10-16
10. Arxil Pontev. 8-18
11. Aros Leon 7-19
12. Caceres 7-19
13. Ourense P. 5-21
14. Valladolid 1-25

Group B
1. Pais Vasco 22-4
2. Real Canoe 20-6
3. Cajacanarias 16-10
4. Estudiantes 16-10
5. Eivissa 15-11
6. Casablanca 15-11
7. Conquero 15-11
8. Alcobendas 14-12
9. CBF Sarria 14-12
10. Irlandesas 12-14
11. Mataro 8-18
12. Orion-GDKO 8-18
13. Segle XXI 7-19
14. Guadalajara 0-26

Quarterfinals (Game One - April 28)

Group A
Real Canoe - Cajacanarias
Cajarural - Bembibre

Group B
Burgos - ADBA
Estudiantes - Pais Vasco

Group A

Valladolid - Caceres 41-55

There was no surprise when 14th ranked Universidad de Valladolid (1-25) was defeated at home by twelfth ranked Femenino Caceres (7-19) 55-41 on Saturday. Femenino Caceres moved-up to eleventh place in Group A, which they share with Aros Leon. Universidad de Valladolid lost sixth consecutive game. Newly promoted team keeps the fourteenth position with 25 games lost.

ADBA - Ourense P. 86-68

No shocking result in a game in Aviles where second ranked ADBA (20-6) defeated 13th ranked Pabellon Ourense (5-21) 86-68 on Saturday. The game without a history. ADBA led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. ADBA have an impressive five-game winning streak. They maintain second position in Group A with 20-6 record having just two points less than leader Cajarural, which they share with Bembibre and Burgos. Loser Pabellon Ourense keeps the thirteenth place with 21 games lost.

Burgos - Ferrol 84-61

Rather expected game when 6th ranked Universitario de Ferrol (16-10) was rolled over on the road by third ranked Arranz-Jopisa Burgos (20-6) 84-61 on Saturday. Arranz-Jopisa Burgos have an impressive 12-game winning streak. They moved-up to second place in Group A, which they share with ADBA and Bembibre. Loser Universitario de Ferrol keeps the sixth position with ten games lost.

Ensino - Cod.Carmelitas 57-53

Rather predictable result in Lugo where seventh ranked Maquinaria Ensino (15-11) beat 9th ranked Codigalco Carmelitas (10-16) 57-53 on Saturday. Maquinaria Ensino maintains seventh position in Group A with 15-11 record. Loser Codigalco Carmelitas keeps the ninth place with 16 games lost.

Arxil Pontev. - Aguere 59-61

Not a big story in a game when 10th ranked Arxil Pontevedra (8-18) was edged at home by fifth ranked Aguere (19-7) 61-59 on Saturday. Arxil Pontevedra trailed by 12 points after 3 quarters before a 24-14 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 59-61 at the end of the game. Aguere dominated on the defensive end, holding Arxil Pontevedra to just 6 points in third quarter. Aguere have a solid three-game winning streak. They maintain fifth position in Group A with 19-7 record. Arxil Pontevedra lost seventh consecutive game. They keep the tenth place with 18 games lost.

Pio XII - Bembibre 43-69

The game in Santiago de Com. supposed to be also quite interesting. Fourth ranked Socinsa Bembibre (20-6) played at the court of 8th ranked Pio XII (12-14). Socinsa Bembibre smashed Pio XII 69-43 on Saturday. The game was mostly controlled by Socinsa Bembibre. Pio XII was better in third quarter 20-17. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Pio XII to just 5 points in fourth quarter. Socinsa Bembibre moved-up to second place in Group A, which they share with ADBA and Burgos. Pio XII lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the eighth position with 14 games lost.

Cajarural - Aros Leon 83-54

Leader Cajarural delivered the twentieth second victory. This time they crushed 11th ranked Aros Leon (7-19) 83-54 in Zamora. The game without a history. Cajarural led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Cajarural (22-4) have an impressive five-game winning streak. They maintain first position in Group A. Aros Leon at the other side keeps the eleventh place with 19 games lost. They share the position with Caceres.

Group B

Estudiantes - Orion-GDKO 77-51

Everything went according to plan in Madrid where fourth ranked ASEFA Estudiantes (16-10) outleveled 12th ranked Orion-GDKO (8-18) 77-51 on Saturday. The game was mostly controlled by ASEFA Estudiantes. Orion-GDKO was better in fourth quarter 18-14. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Orion-GDKO to just 5 points in second quarter. ASEFA Estudiantes moved-up to third place in Group B, which they share with Cajacanarias. Orion-GDKO lost fourth consecutive game. They dropped to the eleventh position with 18 games lost.

Cajacanarias - Mataro 51-45

There was no surprise in Santa Cruz de T. where 11th ranked Platges de Mataro (8-18) was defeated by third ranked Cajacanarias (16-10) 51-45 on Saturday. However just six-point win is not that big difference and the fans of host team counted on more convincing victory. The hosts were tied at the half but managed to speed up in last two quarters eventually winning the game. Cajacanarias dominated on the defensive end, holding Platges de Mataro to just 3 points in first quarter. Cajacanarias maintains third position in Group B with 16-10 record having six points less than leader Cajarural, which they share with Estudiantes. Platges de Mataro lost third consecutive game. They keep the eleventh place with 18 games lost.

Real Canoe - Pais Vasco 39-74

An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Madrid. First ranked Pais Vasco faced second-ranked Real Canoe. Guests from San Sebastian (22-4) smashed host Real Canoe (20-6) 74-39. The game without a history. Pais Vasco led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Real Canoe to just 5 points in first quarter. Pais Vasco have a solid three-game winning streak. They maintain first position in Group B with 22-4 record. Real Canoe at the other side keeps the second place with six games lost.

Guadalajara - Conquero 58-86

Bottom-ranked Alvargomez Guadalajara (0-26) tried to put together a comeback for its first victory of the season, but they fell short in the 86-58 loss to seventh ranked Conquero (15-11) in Guadalajara on Saturday evening. The game without a history. Conquero led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Conquero have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to fifth place in Group B, which they share with Casablanca and Eivissa. Loser Alvargomez Guadalajara still closes the standings with 26 games lost.

CBF Sarria - Eivissa 61-50

There was a surprise result in Madrid where ninth ranked CBF Sarria (14-12) defeated higher ranked Space Tanit Eivissa (15-11) 61-50 on Saturday. CBF Sarria moved-up to eighth place in Group B, which they share with Alcobendas. Loser Space Tanit Eivissa keeps the fifth position with 11 games lost.

Casablanca - Segle XXI 72-66 OT

Thirteenth-ranked Segle XXI (7-19) made lots of trouble for sixth ranked Casablanca (15-11) in Zaragoza. Casablanca managed to secure only six-point victory 72-66. However their fans expected much easier game. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Segle XXI. It looked good early as Segle XXI took an 5-point lead at the end of first quarter. But then Casablanca had a 16-5 second period charge getting the lead. Then Segle XXI managed to tie the game at the end of regular time, but lost overtime period 8-14. Casablanca dominated on the defensive end, holding Segle XXI to just 5 points in second quarter. Casablanca have a solid four-game winning streak. They moved-up to fifth place in Group B, which they share with Eivissa and Conquero. Segle XXI at the other side keeps the thirteenth position with 19 games lost.

Irlandesas - Alcobendas 48-63

Rather expected game in Leioa where 10th ranked Irlandesas (12-14) was defeated by eighth ranked Fundal Alcobendas (14-12) 63-48 on Saturday. The game was mostly controlled by Fundal Alcobendas. Irlandesas was better in second period 18-15. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Irlandesas to just 6 points in third quarter. Fundal Alcobendas maintains eighth position in Group B with 14-12 record, which they share with CBF Sarria. Loser Irlandesas keeps the tenth place with 14 games lost.

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

SWITZERLAND - Women

LNA Round 2 of Finals. Helios earn first win - by Eurobasket News
Helios - Fribourg 90-72

It is all square in the LNA Finals. Helios celebrated a comfortable home win in Game 2 to level the series against Fribourg. The game without a history. Helios led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They made 22-of-26 free shots (84.6 percent) during the game. Helios outrebounded Fribourg 31-16. 25 personal fouls committed by Fribourg helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. Venezuelan guard Maria Villarroel (174-78, college: Oklahoma, agency: LBM Management) orchestrated the victory by scoring 29 points and 8 rebounds. Mali power forward Djenebou Sissoko (190-82, college: Union (TN)) contributed with a double-double by scoring 26 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. American center Celeste Trahan (184-85, college: Elizabeth City, agency: LBM Management) replied with 25 points and 9 rebounds and her fellow American import forward Angelina Williams (183-83, college: Illinois) added 21 points and 5 rebounds in the effort for Fribourg.
Top scorers:
Helios: M.Villarroel 29+8reb+2ast, D.Sissoko 26+12reb, J.Michaux 15+5reb+1ast, C.Turin 9+2reb+2ast, S.Kershaw 9+3reb+4ast, F.Cochand 1+1ast
Fribourg: C.Trahan 25+9reb, A.Williams 21+5reb+1ast, L.Thalmann 9+1reb+1ast, L.Mazzocchi 6, M.Milenkovic 5, B.Muller 4+1reb+1ast

LNSA Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Mariesa GREENE
  Pully
  (183-F-)
  Avg: 30.2

1. Greene, Pully	30.2
2. Trahan, Fribourg	26.7
3. Villarroel, Helios	25.9
4. Edwards, Riva B.	25.5
5. Diouf, Pully	25.2
6. Bowman, Riva B.	25.1
7. Sissoko, Helios	23.9
8. Williams, Fribourg	20.7
9. Yanni, Basel	19.6
10. Klimowicz, Nyon	19.2

Rebounds Per Game

Mariesa GREENE
  Pully
  (183-F-)
  Avg: 16.2

1. Greene, Pully	16.2
2. Trahan, Fribourg	14.6
3. Sissoko, Helios	12.5
4. Wilkins, Riva Basket	12.2
5. Hamlin, Highflyers	11.3
6. Klimowicz, Nyon	11.0
7. Bowman, Riva B.	10.6
8. Edwards, Riva B.	10.2
9. Griffith, Highflyers	9.6
10. Skouby, Basel	9.3

Assists Per Game

Diodio DIOUF
  Pully
  (170-G-84)
  Avg: 6

1. Diouf, Pully	6.0
2. Williams, Fribourg	4.5
3. Villarroel, Helios	4.5
4. Dorestand, Highf.	4.2
5. Yanni, Basel	3.8
6. Heckendorn, Basel	3.5
7. Greene, Pully	3.3
8. Gur, Nyon	3.0
9. Annibale, Riva Basket	2.7
10. Sakica, Highflyers	2.7

Steals Per Game

Diodio DIOUF
  Pully
  (170-G-84)
  Avg: 4.3

1. Diouf, Pully	4.3
2. Villarroel, Helios	4.2
3. Greene, Pully	4.2
4. Williams, Fribourg	4.1
5. Gur, Nyon	4.0
6. Sissoko, Helios	3.6
7. Edwards, Riva B.	3.3
8. Klimowicz, Nyon	3.2
9. Trahan, Fribourg	3.2
10. Dorestand, Highf.	3.1

Blocks Per Game

Hillary KLIMOWICZ
  Nyon
  (191-F/C-87)
  Avg: 4.7

1. Klimowicz, Nyon	4.7
2. Williams, Fribourg	2.8
3. Bowman, Riva B.	1.7
4. Edwards, Riva B.	1.5
5. Skouby, Basel	1.4
6. Greene, Pully	1.3
7. Trahan, Fribourg	1.2
8. Favre, Nyon	1.1
9. Hamlin, Highflyers	1.1
10. Yanni, Basel	1.0

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

UNITED KINGDOM - Women

Dwyer win Division One scoring title - by Eurobasket News
Barking Abbey Leopards' Niamh Dwyer (176-G-82, college: Monmouth) is the respective Division One Women's scoring champion for the 2010/11 season.

Irish national Niamh Dwyer followed in the footsteps of last season's Leopards guard (Natalie Stafford) as a scoring machine. Like the men, the Division One Women's scoring title race was neck and neck with Dwyer squeaking past Sheffield Hatters power forward Stephanie Gandy. Dwyer's 22.67 point per game average was a shade better than playoff final MVP Gandy's 22.11. She also finished fourth in Division 1 in assists per game (4.00) and shot 36% from behind the arc.

One of the most impressive EBL stat lines came in the Men's second division this season, with the return of Ralph Bucci to the English leagues. The American guard was a major factor in Tees Valley Mohawks' turn-around in 2010/11 as he featured in the top five in all major stats categories.

He won the scoring and rebounding titles, averaging 32.69 points and 13.19 boards per game as well as only being beaten by Medway's Steve Vear in the last weeks of the season as Division Two's top playmaker. Vear had 10 assists in Medway Park's playoff win against Westminster and 29 assists combined in Medway's three playoff games to put him at 6.93 assists per game to Bucci's 6.19.

Bucci not only led the league in scoring, he did so with incredible efficiency. From two-point range he fired in 62% of his shots and from outside the arc, he averaged 45%. He was also an 80% free throw shooter.

The final individual statistical breakdowns for the senior EBL can be found here.

Note - Statistics are compiled based on those we receive from teams (as per EBL regulations) throughout the season. In the 2011-12 season, it will be mandatory for all Division One (Men and Women) and Division Two Men's teams to feature live stats at their home games.
Courtesy of: http://www.englandbasketball.co.uk

Coach Jennings content with season - by Eurobasket News
By Dave Ryan

UWIC Archers coach Damien Jennings refused to let Sunday's playoff final defeat spoil what he considers to be a good season for the Welsh club.

'I am really proud of my guys and the Archers programme,' he said. 'The final may not have been our finest performance, but I think given the way we were playing 8 weeks ago I am very pleased to have gotten past a very powerful team such as Nottingham in the semi and to win the series against them to finish second in the league, and to ultimately just reach that final!' he said.

'Having been the only team to have beaten Sheffield this season is also a feat that shouldn't be understated. Sheffield this year were formidable and it is testament to the club's operation as to how they manage to maintain their core group of players and bring quality American imports to their programme year after year - they continue to be the team to beat.

'I would like to think we made the final chapter to the season that bit more interesting and I think this year has simply been the most competitive it has ever been. As clubs in the EBL we should care about the quality of the league and its internal competition - our product is only as good as the league, so we must look beyond our individual patch, support England Basketball and make this league as attractive to quality players from outside the UK and genuinely offer an alternative to UK-based players who may wish to stay and not go to the USA.'

Damien Jennings was also impressed with the quality of the men's Final Four at the Amaechi Centre: 'For what it's worth I thought the men's semi final and final were amazing adverts for the how the game is evolving and it is clear that good coaching is making better players and better programmes.

'The women's league has taken one step closer to the men's example this season, but we have a long way to go to raise the level of the game. I am excited about the summer with Team GB a year out from the Olympics - I have no doubt both the men, women and Under 20 programmes will inspire even more young people to take up the sport and push coaches and programmes to be better.'
Courtesy of: http://www.englandbasketball.co.uk