Eurobasket Daily News Report:

EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 2/14/2012

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Men News

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ABA

Kings and Warriors share #1 in ABA Power Rankings - by Gianni Pascucci
For the first time ever, the ABA has two teams tied for the number one position in the ABA Power Rankings. The South Carolina Warriors have joined the Colorado Kings at the top based on two undefeated seasons. 'I know it is unusual to have two number ones,' stated Joe Newman , ABA CEO. 'But both teams have flawless records through the season and it just seemed the right thing to do. It will be interesting to see if both make it through the playoffs to the Final Four, assuming they win the rest of their games and win the early rounds.' The rankings.

1. Colorado Kings and South Carolina Warriors
3. San Diego Sol
4. Chicago Steam
5. Arizona Scorpions
6. Athens Razors
7. Jacksonville Giants
8. San Francisco Rumble
9. Texas FUEL
10. Carolina Cheetahs
11. Richmond Elite
12. Richmond Rockets
13. Bay Area Matrix
14. Little Rock Lightning
15. Lynchburg Legends
16. North Dallas Vandals
17. Los Angeles SLAM
18. Connecticut Topballerz
19. Memphis Bluff City Reign
20. Lima Explosion
21. Conway Cyclones
22. Jersey Express
23. San Diego SURF
24. Northeast Arkansas Swag

'There are four or five teams that could sell move into the Top 24 with a win or two this week,' added Newman, 'and this has definite playoff significance as 32 teams will make the playoffs. Look out for East Bay, Carolina Cougars, Port City Pirates, Fayetteville Flight and Staten Island Vipers among them.'
For more information, visit www.abalive.com

Whirlwinds defeat Impact - by Gianni Pascucci
On saturday, 02/11, the West Texas Whirlwinds prevailed over the Dallas Impact 109-89. Marlo Saunders (6'5''-F-84, college: Texas-PB) is still playing to his all star form with 31 points,12 rebounds. Berry Whitley (5'9''-G-81, college: SUNO) is playing his best basketball to date with his 3rd triple double, with 11 points,12 steals and 11 assists. Teddy Chambers (6'6''-G/F, college: Wayland Baptist) chipped in with 27 points and 8 rebounds while Nedrie Simmons (5'9''-G, college: Texas-PB) had 10 points and 11 assist and Jamal Holden (6'2''-G-84) added 16 points. The Whirlwinds record in teh season is now 9-5 .

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ADRIATIC LEAGUE

Union Olimpija lands Casey Mitchell - by Eurobasket News
Casey Mitchell (193-G-88, college: W.Virginia) is a new member of Union Olimpija. The American guard penned a deal for rest of the season. Mitchell started it with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He appeared 23 times in NBA D-League averaging 19.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists. Casey Mitchell is a rookie, who spent last two years with the West Virginia University. He had 13.6 ppg and 2.8 rpg for his school in 2010/11. It was a big improvement after 3.7 ppg for 35 games a year before. Mitchell participated at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament last year. He shined with 23.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.3 spg and 2 apg for 3 games at this event. Casey Mitchell started his collegiate career with Chipola Junior College and transferred to WVU in 2009.

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ALGERIA

Standings

D1 Standings

1. GS Petroliers		13-1
2. CSMC		12-2
3. Trefle BB Blida		12-3
4. WA Boufarik		11-5
5. CRB Dar El-B.		11-5
6. Skikda		11-5
7. Arreridj		8-8
8. CRB Temouch.		7-10
9. MS Cherchell		6-9
10. NAH Dey		6-9
11. Staoueli		6-10
12. O Batna		5-7
13. USM Blida		5-10
14. Sidi-bel-Abbes		5-10
15. US Setif		4-11
16. Annaba		0-16

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ANGOLA

Basketball Federation Guarantees Training Abroad for National Teams - by Eurobasket News
Luanda The national senior males and females basketball teams will get training programmes outside the country, ahead of their participation in the pre-Olympic tournament and the Olympic Games, which will happen in Venezuela, on 02-08 July, and England, from 27 July to 12 August, respectively.

According to the chairman of the Angolan Football Federation (FAB), Gustavo da Conceio, who spoke to ANGOP on Thursday, the institution is committed to seeing the national teams have good preparations for a dignifying participation in the mentioned international competitions.

The pre-Olympic tournament, which will be disputed by twelve teams, qualifies the top three teams for the Olympic Games

He also informed that the FAB intends to continue working with the same coaches that have been managing the team for sometime now, namely Jaime Covilh and Artur Barros (males), as well as Anbal Moreira and Elisa Pires (females).

The Angolan female handball team has direct access to the London Olympic Games, for winning the African Nations Cup.
Courtesy of: The Angola Press

Under18 Basketball Team Summoned - by Eurobasket News
Luanda The Angolan under18 males basketball team were summoned for their participation in zone 6 tournament between March and April, qualifying for Africa Cup of Nations in 2012.

At least 19 basktball players were summoned, namely Andr Joo, Paka Nkanga, Edivaldo Jos, Joshua Muila, Teotnio D, Yanick Quimuanga, Joaquim Pedro and Joel Francisco (Petro de Luanda), Ivandio Menezes, Mieze Francisco, Jos Kipanda, Joel Domingos, Joel Fernandes, Reginaldo Kanza and Fernando Kambuando (1 de Agosto), Moussa Kaba and Slvio Manuel (ASA), Valter dos Santos (Progresso do Sambizanga) and Ngombo Rogrio (Interclube).

The squad is coached by the Angolan Elvino Dias.

In the previous edition, Angola occupied the seventh position.
Courtesy of: Angola Press

Petro Face Cab Madeira in Compal Cup - by Eurobasket News
Luanda Petro de Luanda's male basketball team, Angola's national champions, will face Portugal's CAB Madeira on February 14, in the first round of the Compal Super Cup.

The game will take place in the Accias Rubras pavilion, in Benguela City.

Petro de Luanda participate in the first edition of the Compal Super Cup, finishing in the third position, but did not qualify for the second one, which took place in Lisbon, Portugal.

Still on February 14, two hours before the mentioned game, FC Porto will face Maxaquene of Mozambique for the same cup's group B.

Check the groups and fixtures below:

Group A

Petro de Luanda (Angola)

Libolo (Angola)

CAB (Portugal)

Group B

FC Porto (Portugal)

Maxaquene (Mozambique)

1 de Agosto (Angola)

14 February

FC Porto - Maxaquene (05.00 pm)

CAB Madeira - Petro Luanda (07.00 pm)

15 February

Petro Luanda - Libolo (05.00 pm)

FC Porto - 1 de Agosto (07.00)

16 de February

Libolo - CAB Madeira (05.00 pm)

Maxaquene - 1 de Agosto (07.00)
Courtesy of: Angola Press

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ARGENTINA

LigaA Round 22 (second stage): Obras is defeated by Atenas - by Eurobasket News
The most important game in the last round took place in Cordoba between second ranked Obras (15-5) and fifth ranked Atenas (13-8) on Sunday night. Obras was crushed by Atenas on the road 95-54. The game without a history. Atenas led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They shot the lights out from three sinking 15 long-distance shots on high 55.6 percentage. The former international swingman Matias Lescano (196-79) scored 16 points (perfect from the field making all six shots) to lead the charge for the winners and American forward Marcus Melvin (203-82, college: N.Carolina St., agency: Strategic Sports) chipped in 16 points and 6 rebounds during the contest. Atenas' coach Nestor Garcia felt very confident that he used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the losing side American power forward Darren Fells (201-86, college: Cal-Irvine) responded with 10 points and 9 rebounds. Atenas maintains fifth position with 13-8 record. Obras lost third consecutive game. They keep the second place with five games lost. Atenas are looking forward to face higher ranked Sionista (#4) in Parana in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Obras will play at home against GECR Indalo in Comodoro R. and is hoping to win this game.
Very important is a road loss of third ranked Sionista (15-7) against eleventh ranked GECR Indalo (10-11) on Sunday night. Visiting Sionista was crushed by GECR Indalo in Comodoro R. 88-65. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Sionista. The former international forward Roberto Gabini (198-75, agency: Interperformances) notched 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field) to lead the effort and Edward Nelson supported him with 12 points (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). Even 16 points and 7 rebounds by American power forward Hakeem Rollins (202-83, college: Washington, agency: Dream Team Management) did not help to save the game for Sionista. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. GECR Indalo have an impressive five-game winning streak. They moved-up to ninth place. Sionista at the other side keeps the third position with seven games lost. They share it with Libertad S.. GECR Indalo will play against league's second-placed Obras in Buenos Aires in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Sionista will play at home against Atenas in Cordoba and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Sixteenth-ranked San Martin Corrientes (5-17) gave a tough game to twelfth ranked Boca Juniors (9-12) in Buenos Aires on Sunday. Boca Juniors managed to secure only one-point victory 70-69. However their fans expected much easier game. Derrick Alston fired 19 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Boca Juniors' coach Oscar Sanchez used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Jack Michael Martinez produced a double-double by scoring 18 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists for lost side. Boca Juniors moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with Wuber-Est.Bahia. San Martin Corrientes lost sixth consecutive game. Newly promoted team stay at the bottom position with 17 games lost. Boca Juniors will meet Quilmes MP (#15) in the next round. San Martin Corrientes will play against La Union in Formosa and hope to secure a win.

There were no shocking results in the other games in round 22: Libertad S. won against Quilmes MP on the opponent's court 73-66. Lanus managed to outperform Quimsa in a home game 71-67. Wuber-Est.Bahia recorded a loss to La Union on the road 88-73. Olimpico LB defeated Club 9 on its own court 88-72.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 30 points and 5 rebounds by Jazwin Cowan of Club 9.

Atenas - Obras 95-54
The most important game in the last round took place in Cordoba between second ranked Obras (15-5) and fifth ranked Atenas (13-8) on Sunday night. Obras was crushed by Atenas on the road 95-54. The game without a history. Atenas led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They shot the lights out from three sinking 15 long-distance shots on high 55.6 percentage. The former international swingman Matias Lescano (196-79) scored 16 points (perfect from the field making all six shots) to lead the charge for the winners and American forward Marcus Melvin (203-82, college: N.Carolina St., agency: Strategic Sports) chipped in 16 points and 6 rebounds during the contest. Atenas' coach Nestor Garcia felt very confident that he used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the losing side American power forward Darren Fells (201-86, college: Cal-Irvine) responded with 10 points and 9 rebounds and the former international guard Julio Mazzaro (190-79) scored 12 points. Atenas maintains fifth position with 13-8 record. Obras lost third consecutive game. They keep the second place with five games lost. Atenas are looking forward to face higher ranked Sionista (#4) in Parana in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Obras will play at home against GECR Indalo in Comodoro R. and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Atenas: M.Melvin 16+6reb, M.Lescano 16+4reb+3ast, J.Manuel Rivero 14+2reb+2ast, R.Humphrey 8+9reb, M.Garcia 8+1reb+1ast, M.Gerlero 8+2reb+4ast
Obras: J.Mazzaro 12+3ast, J.Gutierrez 11+3reb+1ast, D.Fells 10+9reb+1ast, P.Espinoza 6+5reb, T.Field 5+4reb, P.Barral 3+1reb+1ast

Boca Jrs - San Mart.C. 70-69
Sixteenth-ranked San Martin Corrientes (5-17) gave a tough game to twelfth ranked Boca Juniors (9-12) in Buenos Aires on Sunday. Boca Juniors managed to secure only one-point victory 70-69. However their fans expected much easier game. The hosts trailed by 15 points after three quarters before their 27-11 charge, which allowed them to win the game. American power forward Derrick Alston (208-72, college: Duquesne, agency: Priority Sports) fired 19 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Guard Juan Brussino (185-91) chipped in 16 points. Boca Juniors' coach Oscar Sanchez used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Dominican power forward Jack Michael Martinez (203-81, agency: Paris Global Sports) produced a double-double by scoring 18 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists and American forward William McFarlan (201-76, college: St.Thomas Aquinas, agency: Dream Team Management) added 10 points and 8 rebounds respectively for lost side. Boca Juniors moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with Wuber-Est.Bahia. San Martin Corrientes lost sixth consecutive game. Newly promoted team stay at the bottom position with 17 games lost. Boca Juniors will meet Quilmes MP (#15) in the next round. San Martin Corrientes will play against La Union in Formosa and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Boca Jrs: D.Alston 19+6reb, J.Brussino 16+2reb+2ast, W.Graves 12+4reb, M.Stanic 7+4reb+1ast, A.Diez 6+3reb+2ast, L.O'Bannon 5+4reb
San Mart.C.: J.Michael Martinez 18+12reb+4ast, L.Victoriano 10+3reb+3ast, W.McFarlan 10+8reb+1ast, F.Elias Saad 8+1reb+1ast, F.Ramirez 7+3reb+2ast, A.Eslava 6+4reb

Quilmes MP - Libertad S. 66-73
Very expected game in Mar del Plata where 14th ranked Quilmes MP (6-16) was defeated by fourth ranked Libertad Sunchales (15-7) 73-66 on Sunday. The guests trailed by 10 points after first quarter, but they rallied back and won the game by 7 points. American forward Joshua Pittman (197-76, college: NC-Asheville, agency: Dream Team Management) fired 20 points for the winners. The other American import center Robert Battle (204-81, college: Drexel, agency: Dream Team Management) chipped in a double-double by scoring 10 points and 14 rebounds. Naturalized American guard Phillip McHopson (188-87, college: Idaho) produced 16 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists and American-Venezuelan forward Clarence Matthews (201-83, college: Tennessee St.) added 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 blocks respectively for lost side. Four Quilmes MP players scored in double figures. Libertad Sunchales moved-up to third place, which they share with Sionista. Newly promoted Quilmes MP dropped to the fifteenth position with 16 games lost. Libertad Sunchales will meet at home league's leader Penarol in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Quilmes MP will play against Boca Juniors (#12) in Buenos Aires and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Libertad S.: J.Pittman 20+4reb+2ast, J.Johnson 13+5reb, R.Battle 10+14reb+1ast, A.Alloatti 8+4reb, J.Treise 8+5ast, J.Emiliano Fernandez 7+3reb
Quilmes MP: P.McHopson 16+7reb+4ast, N.Ferreyra 14+1reb, C.Matthews 14+5reb, A.Weigand 12+6reb+1ast, L.Truscott 6+12reb+1ast, M.Smith 4+3reb+1ast

Lanus - Quimsa 71-67
Rather predictable result in Buenos Aires where sixth ranked Lanus (13-9) defeated 9th ranked Quimsa (10-12) 71-67 on Sunday. The hosts trailed by 6 points after three quarters before their 24-14 charge, which allowed them to win the game. International guard Nicolas Laprovittola (189-90) fired 13 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners. Panamanian power forward Jamaal Levy (206-83, college: Wake Forest) chipped in 13 points and 6 rebounds. Five Lanus players scored in double figures. Lanus' coach Silvio Jose Santander allowed to play the deep bench players in such tough game. American power forward James Williams (204-79, college: Brown Mackie, agency: Dream Team Management) produced 14 points and 8 rebounds and his fellow American import forward Bernard Robinson (198-81, college: Michigan) added 16 points and 5 rebounds respectively for lost side. Lanus maintains sixth position with 13-9 record. Loser Quimsa dropped to the tenth place with 12 games lost. Lanus will meet at home GECR Indalo (#9) in the next round. Quimsa will play against the league's leader Penarol in Mar del Plata and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Lanus: N.Laprovittola 13+7reb+6ast, J.Levy 13+6reb, F.Giorgi 12+1reb, D.Guaita 12+2reb, M.Byro 11+5reb, A.Boccia 6+4reb+1ast
Quimsa: B.Robinson 16+5reb+1ast, J.Pellot-Rosa 15+4reb+1ast, J.Williams 14+8reb+2ast, N.Aguirre 7+2reb, D.Tintorelli 5, D.Lo Grippo 5+5reb+1ast

La Union - Wuber-Est.Bahia 88-73
Not a big story in a game in Formosa where 10th ranked Wuber-Est.Bahia (9-12) was defeated by seventh ranked La Union (12-10) 88-73 on Sunday. The game was mostly controlled by La Union. Wuber-Est.Bahia managed to win third quarter 17-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. La Union made 21-of-25 free shots (84.0 percent) during the game. The former international forward Gabriel Mikulas (201-80, college: E.Carolina, agency: Interperformances) fired 17 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. Center Ruben Wolkowyski (207-73) chipped in 20 points and 7 rebounds. Guard Lucas Faggiano (188-89, college: LIU Brooklyn) produced 16 points and 4 steals and forward Enzo Ruiz (193-88, agency: Dream Team Management) added 12 points respectively for lost side. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. La Union have an impressive five-game winning streak. They maintain seventh position with 12-10 record. Loser Wuber-Est.Bahia dropped to the eleventh place with 12 games lost. They share the position with Boca Jrs. La Union will meet at home bottom-ranked San Martin Corrientes (#16) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Wuber-Est.Bahia will play against Olimpico de La Banda (#14) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
La Union: R.Wolkowyski 20+7reb+1ast, G.Mikulas 17+9reb+2ast, L.Perez 12+1reb+1ast, A.Marin 11+7reb+5ast, G.Lewis 10+4reb, J.Smith 10+1reb+1ast
Wuber-Est.Bahia: L.Faggiano 16+3reb+2ast, E.Ruiz 12+4reb+1ast, R.Sanchez 11+5reb+1ast, J.Meyinsse 11+4reb+2ast, R.Stanton 10+4reb, F.Aguerre 6+3reb

Olimpico LB - Club 9 88-72
There was a small surprise when fifteenth ranked Olimpico de La Banda (6-15) beat at home 13th ranked Club 9 (7-15) 88-72 on Sunday. The hosts trailed by 4 points after first quarter, but they stormed back to get the 12-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 88-72. Olimpico de La Banda made 16-of-19 free shots (84.2 percent) during the game. Olimpico de La Banda outrebounded Club 9 35-24 including 27 on the defensive glass. Power forward Cristian Amicucci (201-85) fired a double-double by scoring 19 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. American forward John DeGroat (198-85, college: Pittsburgh) chipped in 21 points and 8 rebounds. Four Olimpico de La Banda players scored in double figures. American power forward Jazwin Cowan (205-83, college: Hampton, agency: Dream Team Management) produced 30 points and 5 rebounds (on 11-of-13 shooting from the field) and Panamanian forward Josimar Ayarza (205-87, college: S.Mississippi) added 12 points respectively for lost side. Olimpico de La Banda moved-up to fourteenth place. Club 9 lost third consecutive game. They keep the thirteenth position with 15 games lost. Olimpico de La Banda will meet at home higher ranked Wuber-Est.Bahia (#11) in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Club 9 will play against Regatas Corrientes and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Olimpico LB: J.DeGroat 21+8reb+2ast, C.Amicucci 19+12reb+1ast, F.Malara 12+3reb+3ast, G.Grays 12+3reb+1ast, E.Villares 9+3reb+4ast, J.Machuca 7+3reb+1ast
Club 9: J.Cowan 30+5reb+2ast, J.Ayarza 12+3reb+1ast, D.Gerbaudo 11+1reb+1ast, S.Clancy 8+4reb, G.Luchino 7+3reb+1ast, P.Orlietti 4+4reb

GECR Indalo - Sionista 88-65
Very important is a road loss of third ranked Sionista (15-7) against eleventh ranked GECR Indalo (10-11) on Sunday night. Visiting Sionista was crushed by GECR Indalo in Comodoro R. 88-65. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Sionista. The game was mostly controlled by GECR Indalo. Sionista was better in third quarter 18-15. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. It was a great shooting night for GECR Indalo especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 52.4 percentage. The former international forward Roberto Gabini (198-75, agency: Interperformances) notched 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field) to lead the effort and American forward Edward Nelson (203-82, college: Connecticut, agency: Dream Team Management) supported him with 12 points (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). Even 16 points and 7 rebounds by American power forward Hakeem Rollins (202-83, college: Washington, agency: Dream Team Management) did not help to save the game for Sionista. Forward Alejandro Zilli (200-82) added 11 points for lost side. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. GECR Indalo have an impressive five-game winning streak. They moved-up to ninth place. Sionista at the other side keeps the third position with seven games lost. They share it with Libertad S.. GECR Indalo will play against league's second-placed Obras in Buenos Aires in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Sionista will play at home against Atenas in Cordoba and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
GECR Indalo: R.Gabini 17+5reb+4ast, F.Funes 13+1reb, E.Nelson 12+4reb+1ast, C.McGowan 9+2reb+2ast, F.Mansilla 9+1reb+3ast, S.Scala 9+1reb
Sionista: H.Rollins 16+7reb+1ast, A.Zilli 11+4reb+1ast, J.Villegas 9+2reb, F.Vay 9+3reb, P.Perez 7+4reb, N.Agasse 7+2reb+1ast

Argentinian LigaA round 22 (Second Stage) best performance: Cristian Amicucci - by Eurobasket News
Power forward Cristian Amicucci (201-F/C-85) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for Olimpico LB, receiving a Latinbasket.com Player of the Week award for round 22 (Second Stage).
The 26-year old player had a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds, while his team crushed Club 9 (#13, 7-15) with 16-point margin 88-72. Each game in Second Stage is important. but the teams lost the distance to the top of the standings. Olimpico LB is placed at 14th position in Argentinian LigaA. Too late to salvage the team, which is currently ranked such low. They already lost 15 games and recorded just six victories. It's Amicucci's second year at Olimpico LB and it's hard to imagine this team without him. Cristian Amicucci averages this season 6.5ppg.

The second best player in last round's games was 28-year old American Jazwin Cowan (205-F/C-83, agency: Dream Team Management) of Club 9. Cowan had a very good evening with 30 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Bad luck as Club 9 lost that game 72-88 to slightly lower-ranked Olimpico LB (#14, 6-15). The game was between two teams which are definitely not main contenders for the title. Club 9 keeps 13th position. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 7-15 record. Cowan is a newcomer at Club 9, but is already one of team's top players. Former Hampton University star Cowan is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market.

Third on the list of top players last round was Dominican Rep. forward Jack Michael Martinez (203-F/C-81, agency: Paris Global Sports) of San Mart.C. (#16). Martinez showcased his all-around game by recording 18 points, twelve rebounds (!!!) and four assists in the last round. Despite Martinez's great performance San Mart.C. lost 69-70 to the higher-ranked Boca Jrs (#12, 9-12). But his team cannot count on just a single player as he also needs help of the other teammates. San Mart.C. can only dream about fighting for top spots in the league. They have extremely bad season and 5-17 record places them at the very bottom of the standings. Too bad for Martinez he does not play for a better team. But maybe if he did, his season stats would not be that high. Martinez has individually a great season in Argentina. After only 9 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in assists with 2.0apg (5th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Gabriel Mikulas (201-F-80) of La Union - 17 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists
5. James Williams (204-F/C-79) of Quimsa - 14 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists
6. Ruben Wolkowyski (207-C-73) of La Union - 20 points and 7 rebounds
7. Nicolas Laprovittola (189-G-90) of Lanus - 13 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists
8. Roberto Gabini (198-F-75) of GECR Indalo - 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists
9. Robert Battle (204-C-81) of Libertad S. - 10 points and 14 rebounds
10. Joshua Pittman (197-F-76) of Libertad S. - 20 points, 4 rebounds and 2 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)

Standings - LigaA

LigaA Standings

1. Penarol		16-5
2. Obras		15-5
3. Libertad S.		15-7
4. Sionista		15-7
5. Atenas		13-8
6. Lanus		13-9
7. La Union		12-10
8. Regatas C.		11-11
9. GECR Indalo		10-11
10. Quimsa		10-12
11. Wuber-Est.Bahia		9-12
12. Boca Jrs		9-12
13. Club 9		7-15
14. Olimpico LB		6-15
15. Quilmes MP		6-16
16. San Mart.C.		5-17

Stats Leaders - LigaA

Points Per Game

Juan GUTIERREZ
  Obras
  (205-F/C-83)
  Avg: 17.8

1. Gutierrez, Obras	17.8
2. Villegas, Sionista	17.2
3. Smith, La Union	16.6
4. DeGroat, Olimpico.	16.3
5. OBannon, Boca Jrs	16.1
6. McHopson, Quilm.	15.9
7. Meyinsse, Wuber-.	15.9
8. Pittman, Libertad.	15.8
9. Nelson, GECR I.	15.6
10. Cowan, Club 9	15.5

Rebounds Per Game

Ruben GARCES
  Atenas
  (206-C/F-73)
  Avg: 9.4

1. Garces, Atenas	9.4
2. Sandes, Sionista	9.4
3. Battle, Libertad S.	9.3
4. Gutierrez, Obras	8.9
5. Lloreda, Olimpico.	8.8
6. Truscott, Quilm.	7.8
7. Cowan, Club 9	7.4
8. Williams, Quimsa	7.1
9. DeGroat, Olimpico.	7.0
10. Nelson, GECR I.	6.8

Assists Per Game

Facundo CAMPAZZO
  Penarol
  (180-G-91)
  Avg: 6.7

1. Campazzo, Penarol	6.7
2. Sanchez, Wuber-.	6.0
3. Stanic, Boca Jrs	5.5
4. Cequeira, Sionista	5.3
5. Martinez, Regat.	5.2
6. Sucatzky, Atenas	4.1
7. Victoriano, San M.	3.9
8. Osimani, Obras	3.6
9. Laprovittola, Lanus	3.5
10. Smith, La Union	3.5

Steals Per Game

Facundo CAMPAZZO
  Penarol
  (180-G-91)
  Avg: 2.3

1. Campazzo, Penarol	2.3
2. Lescano, Atenas	2.3
3. Moldu, Olimpico LB	2.1
4. McHopson, Quilm.	1.8
5. Sanchez, Wuber-.	1.6
6. Stanic, Boca Jrs	1.6
7. Ciorciari, GECR I.	1.5
8. Treise, Libertad S.	1.5
9. Funes, GECR I.	1.4
10. Quinteros, Regat.	1.4

Blocks Per Game

Robert BATTLE
  Libertad S.
  (204-C-81)
  Avg: 1.4

1. Battle, Libertad S.	1.4
2. Rollins, Sionista	1.2
3. Gutierrez, Obras	1.2
4. Roe, Regatas C.	1.1
5. Ayarza, Club 9	1.0
6. Meyinsse, Wuber-.	1.0
7. Garces, Atenas	0.9
8. Rollins, San M.	0.9
9. Weigand, Quilm.	0.8
10. Sanchez, Wuber-.	0.8

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

AUSTRALIA

Big V: Warrandyte Youth Men make debut - by Eurobasket News
In just five short years Warrandyte Venom has gone from not being in the Big V to having a full complement of four teams in the competition.

Warrandyte will debut their Youth Men in season 20TWELVE and with Brent Stretch Reid at the helm, the team has an average age of 18 and every player has progressed via the clubs home-grown programs, a selection policy the Venom has in place for both its men and womens youth teams.

Supported by Eastside Mitsubishi, Wilson Security, Impact Sports Promotions and All Over Bins, the 18-player squad is keen to be a competitive presence in SYC2M this season and to build strong foundations for future progression, with an overall view of the youth program being focused on developing players for the senior team.

Its been an amazing ride over the last five years, said club president Richard Cookes, adding The vision back in 2007 was to have four teams in the Big V and it is a credit to the whole club, its members, the players, coaches and sponsors that we have achieved that goal.

I think people were a little surprised back in 2007 that we started with a womens team as most clubs tend to put a mens team on court first, but our strength has always been our girls and womens programs, though in recent years we have seen a dramatic increase on the boys and mens side of the program. The progress made has been fantastic to see.

At a junior level this season we are on target for seven teams at VC level, a club record and one we are all very proud of.

Our junior VJBL program has increased by thirty per cent this year and weve got no doubt that continued growth is in a large part due to our Big V programs growth. The kids see a real pathway to senior basketball at Warrandyte, added Cookes.

Our senior teams are well respected, both senior coaches Arnold Giffening and Justin Nelson are totally dedicated to club and its vision, and youth coaches Nicole Howard and Brent Reid are totally focused on developing our youth players coming through the junior program.

Five years ago nobody in Warrandyte would have imagined wed be where we are today. Its an exciting club to be a part of, the Venom brand continues to grow and we are all looking forward to seeing our young men and women become successful Big V players.

I can remember a lot of our youth men playing back in under 14s and 16s, and now well get along this Sunday and watch them make their debut in a Big V game. Thats what our basketball club is about and I wish all of these young men well in their first Big V season, said Cookes.
Courtesy of: bigv.com.au

Big V: Venom Announce Two More Big Signings For D1M - by Eurobasket News
Warrandyte Venom continues to build ahead of an exciting 2012 season with the clubs Rob Cousens Senior Men announcing the arrival of former Melbourne Tigers guard Gerard Leonard (G) and former Warrnambool championship guard Samuel Burch (193-G, college: Santa Barbara CC).

Both players have been training with new coach Arnold Giffening since late last year and will figure prominently in the Venoms plans this year, and beyond.

Having had an association with Gezza since he was a 17 years old, I can attest to the fact that he is a quality person of the highest standing, both on and off the court, said Giffening.

He has been involved with the junior program at Warrandyte for a while now and is much-loved at the club. He is an out and out dynamic competitor who possesses a wonderfully rounded game. Hes versatile, athletic and will bring an abundance of experience, leadership, definite scoring power, rebounding and strong defense to our group.

Gezza is a delight to coach as well as being a very solid team guy. From the brief of the type of players we required, I know he is made of the right stuff and ticks all the boxes. Gezza is a fantastic addition to our team and our club in more ways than one, and will continue to be so for many years to come, added Giffening.

Former Seahawk Burch, who last year played at Western Port, is another versatile cog in a team that is quickly taking shape as a competitive unit in what promises to be an exciting Division One competition.

Samuel Burch comes to us highly recommended both as a player and person. He is a dynamic combo guard and will provide some great highlights for our fans with his ability to get out and push the tempo and get to the rim, whilst also being deadly on the pull up in transition, said Giffening.

Sammy possesses a strong offensive and defensive skill set and is another guy that is a team first player, which is a priority at the Venom. Sam has a very high basketball IQ and will run the team extremely well in the half court when required. He is a great fit for our team and club. What we have in Sammy is a real talent and a leader on and off the court, he added.

In other club news, senior womens coach Justin Nelson has completed his D1W squad with the recruitment of centre Bec McKay.

McKay, who previously won a championship at Werribee and was more recently at Hawthorn, has fitted in seamlessly with the Venom and Nelson is confident she will return strongly from an injury-interrupted year in 2011.

Bec has been doing the hard yards over the break and is really focused on taking her game to the next level, said Nelson, adding After suffering a finger injury last year I think she flew under the radar a bit, which makes her the type of recruit we love at Warrandyte.

Its the first time since Jo Metcalfe that weve had a centre topping 186-centimetres, so that helps add another dimension to our game plan and Bec is super keen to play that big role for us, added Nelson.

The Gardiner McInnes Senior women have added McKay, Carmen Weaver, Rachael Wansbrough and Lee Wilkins during the off-season.

Both senior venom teams will be in action this Sunday (February 5 from 12.30pm) at Warrandyte Sports Complex against Sherbrooke with all door takings being donated to Josh Allison, a former Suns player who is wheelchair-bound after an accident last year.
Courtesy of: bigv.com.au

Adris Deleon claims Australian NBL weekly honour - by Eurobasket News
Dominican Rep. Adris Deleon (180-G-84) had an amazing evening in the last round for Blaze and that's him to receive a Australiabasket.com Player of the Week award for round 19.
The 27-year old guard had the game-high 29 points adding five rebounds and eight assists for Blaze in his team's victory, helping them to beat Kings (#7, 8-13) 84-72. Blaze is placed at 4th position in Australian NBL. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Blaze will need more victories to improve their 11-8 record. In the team's last game Deleon had a remarkable 75.0% from 2-point range. He turned to be Blaze's top player in his first season with the team. Eastern Washington University graduate has very impressive stats this year. Deleon is in league's top in points (9th best: 15.4ppg).

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 29-year old former international power forward Oscar Forman (205-F/C-82) of Hawks. Forman impressed basketball fans with 29 points and 7 rebounds. Of course he lead Hawks to another comfortable win 80-64 over the higher-ranked Breakers (#1, 15-6) being unquestionably team leader. Hawks' 8th position in the standings has not changed. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 6-14 record. Forman is well-known by Hawks fans and he already established his position as one of team's most reliable players.

The third best performed player last round was American Diamon Simpson (201-F-87) of 36ers (#9). Simpson scored 19 points and grabbed twelve rebounds (!!!). He was a key player of 36ers, leading his team to a 79-74 win against the higher-ranked Crocodiles (#5, 11-9). 36ers can only dream about fighting for top spots in the league. They have extremely bad season and 6-15 record places them at the very bottom of the standings. Too bad for Simpson he does not play for a better team. But maybe if he did, his season stats would not be that high. Simpson has individually a great season in Australia. After 20 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 8.3rpg (4th best). He also has 1.4bpg and FGP: 61.1%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Jerai Grant (203-F/C-89) of Kings - 9 points and 11 rebounds
5. Jamar Wilson (185-PG-84) of Taipans - 24 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists
6. Ian Crosswhite (210-C-82) of Taipans - 8 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists
7. Jacob Holmes (201-F-83) of Crocodiles - 8 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists
8. Anatoly Bose (200-G/F-88) of Kings - 21 points and 4 rebounds
9. Elvin Mims (196-F-79) of Crocodiles - 14 points and 7 rebounds
10. Darren Ng (189-G-83) of 36ers - 19 points and 2 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)

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

AUSTRIA

A Bundesliga: First stage is over - by Eurobasket News
The first stage in A Bundesliga just ended. First six teams advanced to the second stage (Group A), while other five teams will be placed to Group B, where they will fight for the survival. Second stage schedule is not announced yet.

A Bundesliga Standings
1. Klosterneub. 17-3
2. Gmunden 15-5
3. Wels 15-5
4. Kapfenberg 14-6
5. Oberwart 13-7
6. Gussing 10-10
-------------
7. Furstenfeld 7-13
8. UBSC Graz 7-13
9. BC Vienna 7-13
10. Arkadia 4-16
11. St.Polten 1-19

UBSC Graz - Kapfenberg 75-83
Kapfenberg Bulls managed to secure a 8-point victory 83-75. UBSC Graz was tied at the half but could not keep up in last two quarters eventually losing the game. American guard Jeremy Fears (196-85, college: Bradley, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement) scored 22 points and 9 assists to lead the charge for the winners and the former international guard Thomas Schreiner (195-87, agency: Dynamics Global Management) chipped in 17 points and 6 rebounds during the contest. Five Kapfenberg Bulls players scored in double figures. At the losing side American guard Tim Ambrose (183-87, college: Albany, agency: I.D.S. Law) responded with 27 points and 8 rebounds and Croatian power forward Milan Stegnjaic (204-81) scored 9 points and 7 rebounds.
Top scorers:
Kapfenberg: J.Fears 22+2reb+9ast, T.Schreiner 17+6reb+3ast, S.Knabl 14+6reb, D.Nelson 12+6reb+1ast, L.Gordon 10+3reb, D.Mayes 8+1ast
UBSC Graz: T.Ambrose 27+8reb+3ast, A.Lanegger 12+3reb, S.Schaal 9+2reb, M.Stegnjaic 9+7reb+2ast, A.Heuberger 8+1reb+2ast, S.Grum 7+2ast

BC Vienna - Klosterneub. 88-91
The visitors from Klosterneuburg managed to secure only three-point victory 91-88. However their fans expected much easier game. BC Vienna trailed by 12 points after 3 quarters before a 28-19 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 88-91 at the end of the game. Worth to mention a great performance of American swingman Curtis Bobb (198-G/F-78, college: Utah St.) who helped to win the game recording 29 points. The former international guard Christoph Nagler (196-84) contributed with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners. Xion Dukes' coach Werner Sallomon used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Serbian-Bosnian power forward Marko Djurkovic (205-87) replied with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds (made all of his seven free throws) and the former international guard Stjepan Stazic (199-78, agency: World Sport Agency) added 11 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists in the effort for BC Vienna.
Top scorers:
Klosterneub.: C.Bobb 29+1reb+1ast, C.Nagler 20+5reb+5ast, J.Chappell 12+7reb+1ast, R.Suljanovic 12+5reb, M.Lanegger 10+5reb+3ast, C.Greimeister 3
BC Vienna: B.Matthews 23+1reb+3ast, M.Djurkovic 20+10reb+1ast, D.Toroman 14+3reb+1ast, J.Francois 12+6reb+1ast, S.Stazic 11+9reb+8ast, M.Carr 4+4reb+2ast

Gussing - Gmunden 63-79
Gmunden Swans defeated Gussing Knights 79-63 on Saturday. The game was mostly controlled by Gmunden Swans. Gussing Knights managed to win second period 15-14. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. American guard Morris Curry (178-87, college: Providence) notched 23 points to lead the effort and the other American import forward Dan Oppland (203-84, college: Valparaiso, agency: SportsTalent) supported him with 16 points and 5 rebounds. Even 23 points and 7 rebounds (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field) by naturalized Serbian power forward Aleksandar Djuric (210-82) did not help to save the game for Gussing Knights. International forward Sebastian Koch (200-88) added 11 points and 7 rebounds for lost side.
Top scorers:
Gmunden: M.Curry 23+4reb+1ast, D.Oppland 16+5reb, F.Schoeninger 9+1reb+1ast, R.Arnold 9+3reb, M.Mayer 8+7reb, M.Oppland 5+3reb
Gussing: A.Djuric 23+7reb, S.Koch 11+7reb+1ast, E.Kadic 10+6reb, M.Klepeisz 8+2reb+2ast, T.Klepeisz 5+2reb+2ast, M.Jandrasits 5

Furstenfeld - St.Polten 94-84
The hosts trailed by 3 points after three quarters before their 24-11 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Furstenfeld Panthers dominated down low during the game scoring 58 of its points in the paint compared to St.Polten's 22. They outrebounded St.Polten 42-21 including a 13-2 advantage in offensive rebounds. American power forward Gary Ware (205-83, college: Purdue, agency: TSS Management) notched a double-double by scoring 29 points and 12 rebounds (on 12-of-15 shooting from the field) to lead the effort and the other American import forward Jeff Robinson (198-88, college: Seton Hall) supported him with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Even 49 points (!!!) by American swingman Roy Booker (191-84, college: SE Missouri St.) did not help to save the game for St.Polten. The former international forward Martin Speiser (202-83) added 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists for lost side.
Top scorers:
Furstenfeld: G.Ware 29+12reb+1ast, J.Robinson 26+11reb+1ast, A.Shavies 18+9reb+7ast, M.Graf 8+3reb+3ast, L.O'Neal 6+1reb+5ast, K.Payton 5+4reb+3ast
St.Polten: R.Booker 49+4reb+1ast, M.Speiser 15+6reb+4ast, N.Milosevic 6+3reb+7ast, A.Worenz 5+3reb, D.Friedrich 5+1reb+2ast, I.Bakovic 4+3reb

Standings - A Bundesliga

A Bundesliga Standings

1. Klosterneub.		17-3
2. Gmunden		15-5
3. Wels		15-5
4. Kapfenberg		14-6
5. Oberwart		13-7
6. Gussing		10-10
7. Furstenfeld		7-13
8. UBSC Graz		7-13
9. BC Vienna		7-13
10. Arkadia		4-16
11. St.Polten		1-19

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Roy BOOKER
  St.Polten
  (191-G/F-84)
  Avg: 28.8

1. Booker, St.Polten	28.8
2. Stazic, BC Vienna	26.3
3. Wade, Arkadia	24.4
4. Drenovac, Arkadia	21.9
5. Reed, Oberwart	19.9
6. Djuric, Gussing	19.9
7. Shavies, Furstenf.	18.8
8. Rakocevic, BC Vi.	17.6
9. Shaw, Oberwart	17.2
10. Fears, Kapfenberg	17.1

Rebounds Per Game

Zarko RAKOCEVIC
  BC Vi.
  (204-F-84)
  Avg: 13.8

1. Rakocevic, BC Vi.	13.8
2. Werner, Wels	9.5
3. Reed, Oberwart	7.8
4. Oppland, Gmunden	7.6
5. Gordon, Kapfenberg	6.9
6. Skurdauskas, Arkad.	6.9
7. Scott, Gussing	6.8
8. Nelson, Kapfenberg	6.7
9. Moric, UBSC G.	6.7
10. Ware, Furstenfeld	6.6

Assists Per Game

Benedikt DANEK
  Arkadia
  (176-PG-86)
  Avg: 6.3

1. Danek, Arkadia	6.3
2. Fears, Kapfenberg	6.0
3. Schreiner, Kapfe.	5.3
4. Klepeisz, Gussing	5.2
5. Shavies, Furstenf.	4.9
6. Rakocevic, BC Vi.	4.6
7. Stazic, BC Vienna	4.5
8. Milosevic, St.Polt.	4.4
9. Lanegger, Klostern.	4.3
10. Curry, Gmunden	4.2

Steals Per Game

Jeremy FEARS
  Kapfenberg
  (196-G-85)
  Avg: 2.3

1. Fears, Kapfenberg	2.3
2. Pryor, Wels	2.3
3. Shavies, Furstenf.	2.1
4. Schreiner, Kapfe.	2.1
5. Brown, Wels	1.6
6. Jandl, Oberwart	1.5
7. Milosevic, St.Polt.	1.5
8. Wade, Arkadia	1.5
9. Oppland, Gmunden	1.4
10. Arnold, Gmunden	1.4

Blocks Per Game

Zarko RAKOCEVIC
  BC Vi.
  (204-F-84)
  Avg: 3.2

1. Rakocevic, BC Vi.	3.2
2. Scott, Gussing	1.4
3. Ware, Furstenfeld	1.1
4. Koch, Gussing	0.8
5. Kohlmaier, Wels	0.7
6. Francois, BC Vienna	0.6
7. Brown, Wels	0.6
8. Skurdauskas, Arkad.	0.6
9. Shaw, Oberwart	0.6
10. Arnold, Gmunden	0.5

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BAHRAIN

Al-Manama catches up with AlAhli - by Eurobasket News
Al-Manama catches up with AlAhli in the second spot with 11-4 record. Al-Manama beat their opponents 78:64 on February 11th. Trailing 3 points after the first period Manama needed the strong second quarter to win the game. In another games Sitra edged Al-Ittihad 63:57, while Al-Hala overcame Samaheej 83:41.
ALMuharraq meanwhile continues its dominance with 14-0 record on top.

Standings

Premier League Standings

1. Muharraq		14-0
2. Al Manama		11-4
3. Al Ahli		11-4
4. Al Hala		10-5
5. Issa Town		9-6
6. Sitra		8-7
7. Nuwaidrat		7-7
8. Al Ittihad		7-7
9. Bahrain Club		2-13
10. Al Najma		1-14
11. Samaheej		1-14

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

BALTIC LEAGUE

Standings - Men

Baltic League Standings

Elite Division
1. Siauliai			13-2
2. Triumph			11-4
3. Ventspils			11-5
4. Kalev/Cramo			11-7
5. Rudupis			10-5
6. Pieno Zvaigzdes			7-8
7. Juventus			7-10
8. Kedainiai			6-9
9. Tartu Ulikool			6-12
10. Baltai Kaunas			3-12
11. Liepaja			3-14
Challenge Cup
1. Tarvas			8-2
2. Neptunas			6-3
3. Naglis Palangos			6-4
4. Barsy Atyrau			3-5
5. Jelgava			1-7
6. Techasas			8-2
7. Sakalai			8-3
8. Valmiera			8-4
9. TTU/Kalev			3-9
10. Rapla			2-8
11. Turiba			2-8

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

BELGIUM

Ethias League News - by Peter Buyse
Bad news for the Leuven Bears who will have to go without their big guy John Tofi (203-F/C-84, college: UTEP) for quite some time. In last week's cup game at Oostende he suffered a knee injury. Where at first the club thought the injury was not too bad, a scan revealed a tear of the lateral meniscus. The team's medical team deems surgery is needed and John could be out between 8 to 12 weeks. Leuven is looking out for a suitable replacement.

In other news from Leuven, their yourg promising point guard Niels Marnegrave (191-G-87) has signed a new contract for the next 3 years.

Dexia Mons-Hainaut has released it American guard Sean Singletary (183-PG-85, college: Virginia).

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

BELIZE

King James Classic in Belize!!! - by David Magana
The King James Classic Amateur Athletic Union BASKETBALL Tournament will be held in Akron, Ohio the home of LeBron James April 27-29, 2012. This tournament attracts coaches and scouts from all across the United States and is an excellent opportunity for high school students to be recruited by top colleges. Ninety-nine teams participated last year in one of the worlds top AAU tournaments. Twelve young Belizeans and several coaches from all across the country will be given the opportunity to attend this prestigious event. Under the patronage of the Hon John Saldivar, The Ministry of Sports and the Belize Basketball Federation, tryouts are being held countrywide for interested young men who are in high school. Basketball skills along with strong FAMILY support and solid ACADEMIC records are a distinct advantage in the selection process.

The schedule for these tryouts is as follows:

Orange Walk Saturday Feb 11th 11:00 a.m.-1:00 pm and 4:00 p.m. to 6p.m.

Corozal Sunday Feb. 12th 10am-12pm and 3pm-5pm

Belize City (Civic) - Monday Feb. 13th 5pm-7pm and Wednesday Feb. 15th 5pm-7pm

Belmopan (UB) Tuesday Feb. 14th 5pm-7pm and Thursday Feb. 16th 5pm-7pm

Punta Gorda Saturday Feb. 18th 11am-1pm and 4pm-6pm

Dangriga Sunday Feb. 19th 10am-12pm and 3pm-5pm

San Ignacio Monday Feb. 20th 5pm-7pm and Tuesday Feb. 21st 5pm-7pm

San Pedro Wednesday Feb. 22nd 5pm-7pm

A selection from these tryouts will be invited to UB in Belmopan the weekend of February 25th and 26th for final tryouts. Bring your parents and friends to the tryouts and get the opportunity of a lifetime for a college education and a possible future career in top level basketball.

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

BOSNIA

Skenderija2 Hall collapses! - by Chris Mathieu
Skenderija2 Hall collapses! Cadet and Junior team barely escape disaster! Skenderija Hall in Sarajevo is home to KK BOSNA ASA renowned team with a rich history. The snowfall in Bosnia has reached crisis proportions cancelling games and now bringing down stadiums! Skenderija 2 was the practice facility for the cadets and Jr team of KK Bosna ASA and they were using the facility that day only fifteen minutes before the roof came down. Fortunately no one was hurt in the incident. It appears the stadium is near a complete loss and it wont be known what is done with the stadium remains for a while. Fortunately the main Mirza Delibasic stadium was left intact and appears to be available for use still. They cleared the roof today and it appears to be in usable condition. Today part of Grbavica Stadium home of Zeljeznicar Football team collapsed as well. Lets hope the worse is over for sports teams in BiH.

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

BRAZIL

Fred Duarte sign with college basketball in US - by Paulo Freire
Voted the best player in the Olympic development League 2011, the U-21 competition of the NBB, the forward Frederico Brito (197-G/F) without good opportunities in the pro level in Brazil, decided to go play in college basketball in the United States. Fred made with 15 games played for Flamengo on the U-21 NBB and incredible averege of 21.1 points and 13.2 rebounds, which would mean a double-double per game.

For Fred, play in the american basketball will be a huge leap in his career, so the athlete felt better get his attentions to the United States. Fred will play on the Junior College, the NEO, Norhteastern Oklahoma AM, that already has the brazilian Cesar Mapeli (202-F-90), revealed by Pinheiros club.

Frederico Brito got his nick name as Little Varejao because of his wild hair that looks like the NBA player Anderson Varejao (205-C-82)

Lajeado is preparing for Brazil Cup South Region - by Paulo Freire
After back-to-back Gaucho State Champion in 2011, the Univates/FlorestalAlimentos/Bira Lajeado will be back on action in the first half of 2012. The first challenge of the team will be the Brazil Cup South Region, which involved clubs that do not play the NBB. Are confirmed in the competition Campo Mourao, Maringa (from Parana State); Lajeado and Santa Cruz (from Rio Grande do Sul State), Brusque and Blumenau (from Santa Catarina State).

The champion and the runner-up in the South Brazil will qualify to the Super Cup, which involves teams from the whole Brazil. It is already confirmed the
head coach's name, Antonio Krebs, more knowing as Pitu, who coach the team in 2011. They are building their roster and so far is committed to the team the guard Caue Freitas (188-F-88) and big mans Paulao Rossito (201-C-84) and Marcos de Souza (208-C-82).

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

CANADA

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Manny PASQUALE
  Laure.
  (183-G-)
  Avg: 23.4

1. Pasquale, Laure.	23.4
2. King, TRU	23.1
3. Dorsey, Cape Bret.	23.1
4. Barbeau, Western	22.6
5. Fassett, St.Mary''s	22.4
6. Barrett, Saskatch.	21.1
7. Mackinnon, Victoria	19.9
8. Ferguson, Alberta	19.7
9. Kok, TRU	19.3
10. Yu, UBC	19.1

Rebounds Per Game

Lien PHILLIP
  Windsor
  (203-F-89)
  Avg: 11.8

1. Phillip, Windsor	11.8
2. Lieffers, Saskatch.	11.4
3. Burke, UBC	10.8
4. Baker, Alberta	10.5
5. King, TRU	10.1
6. Coward, Lethbridge	9.8
7. Hadzimuratov., Lav.	9.0
8. Lual, UPEI	8.8
9. Desroches, New B.	8.8
10. Buckley, Laurier	8.6

Assists Per Game

Jimmy DORSEY
  Cape Breton
  (188-G-)
  Avg: 8.9

1. Dorsey, Cape Bret.	8.9
2. Barrett, Saskatch.	6.9
3. Collins, Windsor	6.0
4. Allin, Laurier	5.8
5. Cunningham, Winnip.	5.8
6. Bonhomme, Brandon	5.6
7. Smith, TWU	5.6
8. Kanza Mata, Dalho.	5.4
9. Smith, Cape Breton	5.4
10. Kraus, Brock	5.2

Steals Per Game

Evens LAROCHE
  Concordia
  (193-F-)
  Avg: 3.1

1. Laroche, Concordia	3.1
2. Thomas, St.Franc.	3.0
3. Carter, Lakehead	2.8
4. Dorsey, Cape Bret.	2.7
5. Collins, Windsor	2.6
6. Yu, UBC	2.5
7. Oliver, Manitoba	2.5
8. Ogungbemi, Calgary	2.5
9. Baribeau, Laval	2.5
10. Russel, Lakehead	2.4

Blocks Per Game

Drazen GLISIC
  Toronto Univ.
  (198-F-)
  Avg: 1.7

1. Glisic, Toronto Un.	1.7
2. Bains, UBC	1.7
3. Andrews, Bishop''s	1.6
4. Fidler, Calgary	1.5
5. Coward, Lethbridge	1.4
6. Klassen, Acadia	1.3
7. Hadzimuratov., Lav.	1.3
8. Eyitayo, Concordia	1.3
9. Duke, UPEI	1.2
10. Ezenibe, St.Mary''s	1.2

CIS Standings

CIS Standings

Atlantic
1. St.Francis X.		12-4
2. UPEI		12-5
3. Cape Breton		10-6
4. Acadia		9-6
5. St.Mary's		8-9
6. Dalhousie		7-9
7. New Brunsw.		6-11
8. Memorial		1-15
CanWest Pacific Division
1. UBC		13-4
2. Victoria		13-4
3. UFV		13-5
4. TWU		10-8
5. TRU		6-12
6. UBC Okanagan		3-15
CanWest Prairie Division
1. Saskatchewan		15-4
2. Alberta		14-6
3. Lethbridge		11-9
4. Calgary		10-10
5. Manitoba		8-12
6. Brandon		7-13
7. Regina		5-14
8. Winnipeg		4-16
OUA East
1. Carleton		20-0
2. Ottawa		13-7
3. Ryerson		12-8
4. Toronto Univ.		9-11
5. Laurentian		9-11
6. York		3-17
7. Queen's		2-18
8. RMC		0-20
OUA West
1. Lakehead		19-2
2. Laurier		16-4
3. McMaster		15-5
4. Windsor		13-7
5. Brock		9-12
6. Guelph		8-12
7. Western		8-12
8. Waterloo		5-15
Quebec League
1. Concordia		10-2
2. McGill		8-5
3. UQAM		6-7
4. Laval		4-8
5. Bishop's		3-9

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

CHILE

Dimayor: last week results - by Daniel Valencia
Saturday

CD Universidad de Concepcion 86 - Antofagasta Sokol 71
Ucon: Jason Keep 25 pts. Evandro Arteaga 18 pts.
Sok: Rasheem Barrett 24 pts. Damian Staple 18 pts.

Sunday

CD Universidad de Concepcion 93 - Antofagasta Sokol 77
Ucon: Jason Keep 21 pts. Evandro Arteaga 20 pts.
Sok: Rasheem Barrett 22 pts. Damian Staple 20 pts.

Tuesday

Espanol de Talca 78 - CD Liceo Mixto 72
Esp: Francisco Bravo 29 pts. Rome Sanders 18 pts.
Lic: Patricio Briones 20 pts. Anthony Danridge 19 pts.

Wednesday

Union Espanola 106 - Municipal Curacavi 59
Esp: Jeremiah Wilson 21 pts. Lucas Meyer 15 pts.
Cur: Marcos Munoz 25 pts. Claudio Parraguirre 13 pts.

Universidad Catolica 96 - San Luis 64
Uc: Sylvester Spicer 27 pts. John Huggins 20 pts.
San: Jonathan Iribarra 13 pts. Fernando De Oliveira 11 pts.

Espanol de Talca 66 - Liceo Mixto 75
Esp: Bayo Arigbon 20 pts. Francisco Bravo 19 pts.
Lic: Anthony Danridge 30 pts. Howard Wilkerson 15 pts.

Thursday

Union Espanola 106 - Municipal Curacavi 28
Uni: Decorey Young 17 pts. Juan Jose Salazar 17 pts.
Cur: Hector Jara 15 pts. Claudio Parraguirre 4 pts.

Universidad Catolica 98 - San Luis 62
Uc: Sylvester Spicer 24 pts. John Huggins 20 pts.
San: Juan Ignacio Luvizetto 15 pts. Paulao Rossito 12 pts.

Standings - LIBSUR

DIMAYOR Standings

1. U.Concepcion		23-3
2. Liceo Mixto		22-4
3. Dep.Espanol		19-7
4. U.Espanola		15-11
5. Sokol de Antof.		10-16
6. U.Catolica		9-17
7. San Luis		6-20
8. Munic.Curacavi		0-26

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

COLOMBIA

COLOMBIAN FEDERATION RELEASES PARTIAL SCHEDULLE OF COMPETITIONS - by Victor Garcia
The Colombian Basketball Federation released a partial schedulle of activities for the 2012, the only schedulled national tournaments at the day of today are:

National Men's U-20 Championship, Host city: Cartago - Valle, to be in the month of April.

National Women's U-20 Championship, Host city: Bogota DC, to be on the in the month of April.

National Women's U-16 Championship, Hosto city: Duitama - Boyaca, to be in the month of October.

The Federation is still waiting for other cities to ask the hosting of the rest of Championships for the 2012.

COLOMBIAN FEDERATION REACHES AND AGREEMENT WITH MOLTEN - by Victor Garcia
After more than 15 years the Colombian Basketball Federation changes the official competitions ball, the Federation decided to change the large tradition of the Golty balls in the country and reached an agreement with Molten to be the official ball.
Molten is already the official ball of the FIBA competitions , in this way the Federation holds the FIBA regulation for competitions, the upcoming National Championships will see the new ball in the hand of the players

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

CROATIA

Standings - A2 League

A2 Standings

Group Center
1. Dubrava		12-4
2. Sanac Karl.		11-5
3. Gorica		11-5
4. Bosco		10-6
5. Samobor		9-7
6. Kaptol		9-7
7. Mladost Z.		7-8
8. Sus.-Moslavina		7-8
9. Rudes		6-9
10. Zrinjevac		6-9
11. Hermes Anal.		4-12
12. Novska		1-14
Group East
1. Osjecki Sokol		14-1
2. Mladost C.		12-2
3. Vinkovci		11-4
4. Belisce		10-5
5. Zupanja		8-6
6. Virovitica		8-7
7. Vukovar		7-8
8. Meteor D.		6-9
9. Vrijednosnice		4-10
10. Olimp Inspekt		4-11
11. Klasije		3-11
12. Valpovo		1-13
Group North
1. Medjimurje C.		16-0
2. Podravac Virje		11-5
3. Vindija V.		11-5
4. Petar Zrinski		10-6
5. Radnik		9-7
6. Mladost D.		9-7
7. Cakovec		8-6
8. Rudar-Cimper		8-8
9. Ivancica		7-9
10. Bjelovar		3-12
11. Koprivnica		2-14
12. Graficar		0-15
Group South
1. Policnik		10-2
2. Metkovic		9-3
3. Trogir		7-5
4. Kastela		7-5
5. GKK Sibenik		7-5
6. Jazine		6-6
7. Cetina		5-7
8. Omis Galeb		4-8
9. Solin		3-9
10. Vostarnica		2-7
11. DOSK		2-10
12. Drazen Petrovic		0-0
Group West
1. Crikvenica		13-1
2. Kraljevica		12-2
3. Skrljevo		12-3
4. Stoja Pula		9-5
5. Otocac		8-6
6. Pula 1981		7-7
7. Jadran		7-7
8. Rovinj		6-9
9. Kastav		5-10
10. Ghia Staff		4-11
11. Zamet		4-11
12. Fazana		0-15

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

CZECH REPUBLIC

Standings - NBL

NBL Stage Two Standings

A1
1. CEZ Nymburk		26-1
2. BK Prostejov		21-6
3. BK Pardubice		20-7
4. BK Decin		20-7
5. BC Kolin		17-20
6. USK Praha		15-12
A2
1. NH Ostrava		14-14
2. Levice		12-16
3. Chomutov		10-18
4. Svitavy		10-18
5. Inter Bratislava		8-20
6. Usti n/Labem		8-20
7. Plzen		7-21
8. B&W Opava		5-23

Stage Two Standings

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

D-LEAGUE

Standings

D-League Standings

East Conference
1. Iowa E.		19-9
2. Springfield A.		18-13
3. Canton C.		15-16
4. Dakota W.		14-14
5. Erie Bay H.		14-16
6. Maine RC		12-19
7. Ft.Wayne MA		10-21
8. Sioux Falls S.		8-23
West Conference
1. Los Angeles D.		23-10
2. Austin T.		20-9
3. Rio Grande VV		20-13
4. Reno B.		16-15
5. Bakersfield J.		15-14
6. Tulsa 66ers		15-17
7. Texas L.		14-18
8. Idaho S.		11-17

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Blake AHEARN
  Reno B.
  (188-PG-84)
  Avg: 24.4

1. Ahearn, Reno B.	24.4
2. Emmett, Reno B.	23.7
3. Dentmon, Austin T.	22.5
4. Costner, Los A.	21.4
5. Ubiles, Dakota W.	21.0
6. Howard, Ft.Wayne.	20.5
7. Mitchell, Sioux F.	19.6
8. Green, Los A.	19.6
9. Millsap, Los A.	19.5
10. Harris, Canton C.	18.8

Rebounds Per Game

Marcus LEWIS
  Tulsa 66ers
  (203-F/C-86)
  Avg: 13.4

1. Lewis, Tulsa 66ers	13.4
2. Dawson, Austin T.	10.3
3. Andrews, Los A.	8.8
4. Milligan, Canton C.	8.8
5. Williams, Texas L.	8.6
6. Daniels, Erie B.	8.6
7. Criswell-L., Austi.	8.5
8. Dyer, Texas L.	8.4
9. Foote, Springfield	8.3
10. Reid, Tulsa 66ers	8.1

Assists Per Game

Walker RUSSELL
  Ft.Wayne.
  (183-G-82)
  Avg: 9.9

1. Russell, Ft.Wayne.	9.9
2. Wise, Bakersfield	6.3
3. Ewing, Iowa E.	6.2
4. Bozeman, Reno B.	6.2
5. Curry, Springfield	6.0
6. Bailey, Idaho S.	5.9
7. Baker, Dakota W.	5.8
8. Coleman, Sioux F.	5.6
9. Fortson, Los A.	5.5
10. Stinson, Iowa E.	5.5

Steals Per Game

Dominique COLEMAN
  Sioux F.
  (190-G-84)
  Avg: 2.3

1. Coleman, Sioux F.	2.3
2. Fortson, Los A.	2.1
3. Stinson, Iowa E.	2.1
4. Curry, Springfield	2.0
5. Baker, Dakota W.	2.0
6. Russell, Ft.Wayne.	1.9
7. Emmett, Reno B.	1.8
8. Uzoh, Rio Grande	1.8
9. Pruitt, Sioux F.	1.8
10. Saunders, Rio G.	1.8

Blocks Per Game

Will FOSTER
  Idaho S.
  (226-C-88)
  Avg: 2.9

1. Foster, Idaho S.	2.9
2. Whiteside, Reno B.	2.9
3. Williams, Texas L.	2.4
4. Saunders, Rio G.	2.3
5. Daniels, Erie B.	2.1
6. Ojougboh, Tulsa	1.8
7. Dawson, Austin T.	1.7
8. Hill, Maine RC	1.7
9. Gilder, Sioux F.	1.5
10. Dove, Dakota W.	1.5

BayHawks stumble in fourth quarter in loss to Wizards - by Eurobasket News
As cold as it was outside Tullio Arena, the Dakota Wizards torched the Erie BayHawks like Johnny Blaze in their 128-118 win Sunday night inside Tullio.

The Wizards made 13 of their last 14 shots from the field to pull out the come-from-behind win.

'It's embarrassing,' Erie coach Jay Larranaga said. 'I'm embarrassed. I've got to do a better job of preparing them for the level of competitiveness and physicality and toughness that is necessary to win a professional basketball game.'

Shooting a blistering 75 percent from the field in the fourth quarter, Dakota (14-14) made its final 11 shots from the field.

The Wizards ended the game on a 37-21 run after falling behind 96-91 with 9 minutes, 1 second left.

'We showed no resistance,' Larranaga said. 'Didn't defend. Didn't compete. We got down by three points and came to the bench and acted like the game was over.'

In a game in which there were 14 ties and 18 lead changes, Dakota's hot shooting helped them overcome Erie (14-16) getting a combined 56 points from former NBA veterans Michael James (6'1''-G-75, college: Duquesne) and Keith McLeod (6'3''-PG-79, college: Bowling Green).

The two point guards each scored 28 points in defeat.

'We didn't clamp down,' McLeod said.

Small forward Edwin Ubiles (6'6''-G/F-86, college: Siena), a 2012 D-League All-Star selection, had 10 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Dakota comeback.

'They started riding that play and we couldn't score on the other end,' James said.

Sunday's game was originally scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m., but it was postponed because of inclement weather.

The Wizards had played at Iowa Friday night and flew to Detroit Saturday morning. The Wizards said their flight out of Detroit to Erie nearly reached Erie International Airport before having to go back to Detroit because of the weather.

'A lot of guys were asleep and didn't know,' Dakota forward Marcus Dove said. 'I happened to wake up right when the flight attendant starting telling people. I was looking around. We were real low and then the pilot said we were turning around.'

Unable to get another flight out of Detroit Saturday night, Dakota landed in Erie Sunday morning around 11:30.

Sunday's game started at 6 p.m., but the short turnaround didn't seem to bother the Wizards when it mattered.

'For our guys to fight back, I'm so proud of them,' Dakota coach Nate Bjorkgren said

On the other hand, the BayHawks had a day's rest after their 117-110 home win Friday night against the Maine Red Claws, but couldn't stop the Wizards in the fourth.

'They made a run and we just gave it away,' said Erie forward Mychel Thompson (6'7''-F-88, college: Pepperdine), who had 15 points off the bench. 'We didn't close it out like we should have.'

Ubiles gave the BayHawks the most trouble.

In the game's final 2 minutes, Ubiles hit two jumpers and had two assists. He found Maurice Baker for a 3-pointer and hit Tommy Smith for a dunk that gave the Wizards a 124-112 lead with 54.2 seconds left.

'He had a great fourth quarter,' Bjorkgren said. 'He was scoring and he was sharing. He made the right choice about four of five trips in a row.'

The BayHawks also had five of 20 turnovers in the fourth that led to 13 fourth-quarter points for the Wizards.

For the game, Dakota scored 32 points off Erie's 20 turnovers.

'It's hard when you're getting turnovers on one end and they're getting possessions on the other end,' James said.

Courtesy of www.goerie.com

Mad Ants acquire Baudinet - by Eurobasket News
Grim news before the Mad Ants face Springfield in hopes of ending a four game losing streak.

Ramon Harris (6'7''-F-88, college: Kentucky), the 6-foot-7 swingman, was waived because an injured toe. In his place - at least momentarily - is 6-3 guard Thomas Baudinet (6'3''-G-89, agency: FCM, college: St.Anselm), who played his college ball at Saint Anselm. In case you're wondering, that's giving up a guy who played at Kentucky for one who played at Saint Anselm.

The other bad news is that leading scorer Ron Howard (6'5''-G/F-82, college: Valparaiso) will miss tonight's game at the Coliseum. Official reports blame a wrist injury, but it could be the thumb injury that kept him out of the lineup nearly a month.

Springfield enters town on a four-game winning streak.

Courtesy of www.journalgazette.net

Claws can't finish comeback - by Eurobasket News
The Texas Legends knew exactly how to beat the Maine Red Claws on Sunday.

With Maine big man Craig Brackins on the bench because of foul trouble, the Legends pounded the ball into the paint to spark a 19-7 run. Then they held on as the Red Claws' comeback fell short in a 114-107 loss at the Portland Expo.

'It was them turning up the heat on us,' Maine Coach Dave Leitao said of the third-quarter run.

'Every time I looked up the ball was in the paint. What we talked about was on some nights, when we're not having the best game, you've gotta be aggressive and take it into the paint. It opens up options for you.'

Texas (14-18) was able to ride out its lead despite the return of Brackins and a late rally by the Red Claws.

Maine (12-19) trailed by 11 with less than four minutes left and was still down six when point guard Kenny Hayes dropped a pass to Brackins, who was trailing Hayes down the court. Brackins sank a 3-pointer -- he was 4 for 6 from behind the arc -- to cut Texas' lead to 110-107 with 28.2 seconds remaining.

Needing a stop, the Red Claws played for a turnover on the other end, but Hayes was called for a foul. The ensuing foul shots from Drew Neitzel (6'0''-G-85, agency: Priority Sports, college: Michigan St.) gave Texas a 112-107 cushion and essentially ended Maine's comeback bid.

Hayes needed some encouragement from a teammate after committing the foul.

'I looked at the clock and that was just an error on me,' Hayes said. 'I just have to move on from it and try to be a leader.'

Hayes had 17 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds to boost the offense. Morris Almond (6'6''-F/G-85, college: Rice) led the Red Claws in scoring with 26 points.

Former Boston College center Sean Williams (6'10''-F-86, college: Boston Coll.) had 27 points and seven blocked shots for the Legends.

It was Brackins who provided the most important sparks for the Red Claws. With a 76ers logo on the back of his jersey, indicating he's playing with the Red Claws on assignment from the NBA team, the mohawked 6-foot-10 post player had inside and outside impact in his first game in Portland.

Brackins scored 11 points in the first three minutes of the game as his teammates struggled to heat up. But he picked up his third foul with 4:58 remaining in the second quarter, then got his fourth early in the third and had to go to the bench again.

When he came back on the floor in the fourth quarter, he had a measurable impact. He banged down low to hit a short basket, had an emphatic dunk and made a pair of free throws before his late 3-pointer. Not bad for a guy who's still learning the offense in his third game with the team.

'When we get into situations, I just try to adapt because I don't know all of the plays yet,' he said. 'I just try to adapt on the fly.'

Brackens finished with 20 points.

Courtesy of www.pressherald.com

Armor trounce Mad Ants 118-87 - by Eurobasket News
The fast-rising Springfield Armor slammed home another message Sunday night.

Led by Jeff Foote's (7'0''-C-88, college: Cornell) 23 points and 9 rebounds, the Armor won a franchise-record fifth consecutive game, totally ripping apart the Fort Wayne Mad Ants 118-87 in front of a silenced 3,706 at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.

Six Armor players reached double figures for the second consecutive game, including all five starters. It took Foote just 10 minutes to get there. Dennis Horner (6'9''-F-88, agency: Strategic Sports, college: N.Carolina St.) added 17 points and Jameson Curry (6'4''-G-86, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Oklahoma St.) 16, including a game-high four 3-pointers. Point guard Jerry Smith (6'2''-G-87, college: Louisville) had 15 points and a team-high five assists.

Weve just got a bunch of unselfish guys that dont care who scores the ball, said Springfields L.D. Williams (6'4''-G-88, college: Wake Forest), who scored 14 points and had three assists. Unselfish guys who like being around each other and winning.

And its the type of winning Springfield hasnt always seen from the Armor. The streak has boosted the Armor (18-13) into second place in the D-Leagues East Conference, just 2 games behind Iowa. Only the West Conference-leading Los Angeles D-Fenders have a longer active win streak at six.

First-year Armor head coach Bob Mackinnon has seen a camaraderie develop that goes beyond the wins. Optional shooting practices, he said, have drawn perfect attendance. In games, he wants the Armor to have 16 pass or shot deflections per half. Sunday, they totaled an incredible 40, including a pair of blocked shots from both Foote and Curry.

I think theyre seeing that hard work pays off. This is becoming a very tough and resilient team, Mackinnon said.

Sunday, the Armor had to withstand a travel schedule that began at 6 a.m., continued with a flight connection through Dallas and ended with an arrival in Fort Wayne three hours before the game.

No worries. The Armor took the Mad Ants to school in a textbook first half. Springfield made 60 percent of its shots, nearly doubled Fort Wayne in rebounds and outscored the Ants 34-20 in the paint, including 22-8 in the opening quarter. The Armor led by as many as 35 points.

Foote, a 7-foot center from Cornell who began the season in the Portland Trail Blazers NBA camp, was particularly strong for the Armor early on, scoring their first three baskets. The Mad Ants had no answer for his moves, forcing Mad Ants coach Steve Gansey to eventually send in backup center Sean Sonderleiter to muscle him around a bit. In the opening quarter alone, Foote scored on a dunk, a reverse layup and a hook shot.

It was more of my teammates setting me up. I have to give them a lot of credit, Foote said. They did a great job tonight.

I think Jeff is an NBA player, Mackinnon said. Hes a guy who can have a 10- to 12-year playing career in the NBA.

The presence of Foote and Horner (nine rebounds, three assists) caused Fort Wayne defensive problems the entire game. And when the inside was clogged up, Curry, Smith and Preston Knowles combined to hit 10 3-pointers.

We want to establish the inside, Williams said. When were getting in the lane and getting shots in the paint and creating for others, thats when were at our best.

The Armor never trailed and allowed a tie just once, at 2-2.

The Mad Ants (10-21) have lost five straight. Devan Downey, a former star at South Carolina, led Fort Wayne with 20 points and a game-high nine assists.

Courtesy of www.masslive.com

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

EUROBASKET SUMMER LEAGUE

Standings

Eurobasket S.League Standings

Las Vegas
1. Zurich		3-0
2. Lugano		2-1
3. Manchester		2-1
4. Brussels		2-1
5. Geneva		1-2
6. Venice		1-2
7. Dublin		1-2
8. Monaco		0-3
Chicago
1. Paris		3-0
2. Warsaw		2-1
3. Rome		2-1
4. London		2-1
5. Athens		1-2
6. Amsterdam		1-2
7. Madrid		1-2
8. Berlin		0-3
New York
1. Riga		3-0
2. Helsinki		2-1
3. Istanbul		2-1
4. Stockholm		2-1
5. Moscow		1-2
6. Budapest		1-2
7. Kiev		1-2
8. Prague		0-3
Houston
1. Dubai		3-0
2. Mexico City		2-1
3. Rio de Janeiro		2-1
4. Beijing		2-1
5. Tokyo		1-2
6. Taipei		1-2
7. Buenos Aires		1-2
8. Okinawa		0-3

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

EUROCUP

Tapoutos spoke about the recent downfall of Aris - by Uygar Karaca
Christos Tapoutos (208-F-82), experience forward of Aris spoke with the Greek newspaper metrosport about the recent defeats of the team. Mainly, he told that they have to be patient and work more in
order to put things right. However he figures out two important events that may have affected them. The first one is the departure of Dominic James to Partizan and the other one is
the injury of his team mate, Tsaldaris, who is out for at least three weeks. The team could not have a reinforcement and therefore Dan Mavraides and Dimitris Verginis had too much weight
on their shoulders to carry. Aris recently lost 4 matches out of 5 in Greek league and most recently against Ikaros who had the 4th win of the season. At Eurocup, the team is winless
after 4th matchweek of top 16 stage and they need to win against Khimky away in order to keep their dreams of QF playoffs alive.

source: allaboutaris.com.

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

EUROLEAGUE

FINLAND

Perks of the Job - by Josh Wilson
As cliche as it may sound, words could never explain my unwavering appreciation for what basketball has done for me. Whatever effort and devotion I have poured into this sport I have been paid back tenfold. A ball and hoop have molded me into the person I am. My hoops journey has educated me on how to deal with heartbreak and that hard work is the key to success. On this road I have seen unbelievable examples of how not to act as a coach, a leader, a manager or even as a person. These experiences may have been harsh to undergo but it has molded me into a better father, husband, person and player. Basketball has paid for my college education and to top it off I have been allowed in my short life to see the world. What more can I say?

To gain some perspective here is a list of the places I have been thanks to basketball;

States

Washington
Oregon
Idaho
California
Nevada
Montana
Wyoming
Arizona
Colorado
Utah
North Dakota
Kansas
Texas
Missouri
Minnesota
Mississippi
Illinois
Tennessee
Georgia
Florida
New Jersey
New York

Countries

Mexico
Germany
Czech Republic
Hungary
Poland
Austria
Slovakia
Slovenia
Italy
Israel
Finland

I am 24 years old and feel blessed beyond belief to have seen and experience such wonderful places (and not so wonderful). At Northern Arizona I was a history major and minored in anthropology so needless to say I enjoy this aspect of my job. Some of my favorite cities are Prague, Vienna, Ljubljana, Venice, Budapest, Berlin, Jerusalem and my current city of Helsinki. Each has different pace and style but in their own ways are equally impressive. Jerusalem and Venice are absolute must sees for an old world feel. Both cities are locked in time and I hope they stay there.

Here are a few thoughts on traveling. Its interesting to me how much you can tell about the government of a country just from staying a couple days, even more so when you've stayed for a few months. I loved the opportunity to see the well oiled machine of Germany, which I believe is a stellar example to the rest of the world (Finland is right behind). Israel seems stuck in a battle of rising to the highest of world standards but are held back from its obvious history and circumstances of their existence. No matter what you have heard I highly recommend a trip to Israel. Its an eye opening experience in many ways. Where I have been in Italy completely lives up to the hype. I had a calzone the size of a football and went swimming in the Mediterranean. If I had to pick a country to live in besides the USA it would be Germany, Finland or Slovenia. Slovenia thoroughly surprised me. Ljubljana was quaint, beautiful and clean.

Most of all what traveling has done is allowed me to step outside my USA box. You gain a unique perspective on your own life by seeing the lives of others. The people of the world are diverse and equally fascinating. The USA has so many lessons that could learned from Europe and the world. The forefront of these for me is Germanys recycling policies, Finlands education system and the absolute necessity of health care reform. I was surprised the way the rest of the world views Americans. As an expatriate or even an average American you have the absolute responsibility to be an ambassador to our country, behave accordingly. Lastly on this subject please tv-land stop polluting the world with the garbage you allow out into the world. Others form opinions of America off of shows like Laguna Beach, scary thought (sorry for the rant).

I hope everyone out here hooping overseas takes advantage of the opportunities to travel. It is a tremendous perk to the occupation. Those who are thinking about coming over I absolutely recommend for at least a year no matter the contract offer. When will you ever have this chance again? And to all the up and comers take advantage of the opportunities the game brings. I promise if you work hard enough and believe in yourself you will be rewarded, in one way or another. Thank you basketball.

Season update; My team (Torpan Pojat Helsinki) has won 3 games in a row. We acquired a new import Justin Hawkins (201-F-85, college: N.Mexico St.) who had a solid debut with 12 points. In the last two games I had 15 points and 3 assists and 13 points and 3 assists on 10/12 from 2 and 2/7 from 3. Still room for improvement and cant wait to really get things rolling here in Helsinki!

If you want to know more about me you can watch my highlights on YouTube (http://youtu.be/ApGzS3h-csQ) or follow me on twitter @jdubball21. Check back in a few days for next the blog. Josh Wilson (188-PG-87, agency: Hightower Law Firm, college: N.Arizona)

On the road - by Pekka Salminen
Friends, I am on my way to Vaasa to run a little clinic about offensive basketball. Taking this trip by train and it is absolutely a great way to travel: Good seat, internet connection, and time to work. Just finished ToPos next scouting report (opponent Korihait, at their place-tough), went through some statistical analysis about our game (seeing improvement) and now I am doing this, writing the blog (and enjoying it).

These clinics are just great and refreshing for me and definately educational for me also. And a great chance to meet basketball people U do not meet on regular basis.
Lets take the the city I am travelling to, Vaasa. They do not have that strong of a team in Finnish competition system, mens team playing in division 2 (3rd level), but they have basketball tradition there, having produced some good players, best one being Olli Ahvenniemi. Hopefully I can help these nice people with their thing and the local club will produce 1-2 Ahvenniemis in the future.

ToPo then? Well, in my last blog I wrote that our next three games will show us what we are made of...lost all three, so maybe I should have not written anything about those games? We played two horrible games, but in the last one of those three we did really well ( at Joensuu), taking the best team in the league to the wire. Lost that one, but still were happy with our discipline and execution. Took the positive from that loss and won the next three games (LrNMKY, Kouvot and Salo). So right now we are 16-13 and fighting for the homecourt advantage for the playoffs.

There are some new faces in Helsinki wearing ToPo uniform: Josh Wilson has played six games for us and is getting used to the Finnish game and producing. Justin Hawkins joiden the team last Thursday, played on Friday and will be a great help for us in 'the hunt of the Panther ' (AKA championship trophy). Now we are all set and will be ready for a real tough schedule we have ahead of us: Sunday 19.2 at Uusikaupunki, Wednesday 22nd at Kotka, Friday 24th vs Loimaa! After that we will have a break for 11 days (!) before travelling to Tampere. Weird schedule... but cannot do anything about it, has to see the positive: We will have a lot of time to focus on our stuff.

Now need to stop writing, I am almost at Vaasa (west coast of Finland), will take a little Sauna at the hotel and at 5PM will start talking.

Respect the game!

Pekka Salminen

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FRANCE

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

25-year old Tafari Toney (203-C/F-86, agency: JEMsports) put on an amazing game in the last round for league's best team Charleville and receives a Eurobasket.com NM1 Player of the Week award for round 21.
He had a double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds, while his team beat Sorgues (#9, 12-9) 85-76. It allowed Charleville to take over top position in the French NM1. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Charleville has a very solid 16-5 record, but they cannot be too comfortable about keeping top position. Toney turned to be Charleville's top player in his first season with the team. Toney has impressive league stats. He is in league's top in rebounds (9th best: 7.7rpg) and averages solid 55.8% FGP.

Second best performed player last round was Ville Kaunisto (204-F-82) of Blois. He is Finnish forward in his first season at Blois. In the last game Kaunisto recorded impressive 22 points and 9 rebounds. Bad luck as Blois was edged by the lower-ranked Rueil (#14, 9-12) 70-68. Blois managed to keep the same 7th spot in the standings. His team lost some distance to top teams. But 13-8 record is not bad and everything may still change. Kaunisto is a newcomer at Blois and quickly became one of team's most reliable players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 18.0ppg (#1). He also registered 11.9 boards per game.

Third place about best performers goes to forward Brice Vounang (202-F/C-82) of Brest (#11). Vounang scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds. He was a key player of Brest, leading his team to a 93-78 easy win against slightly lower-ranked Angers BC 49 (#13, 9-12). The chances of Brest ranking at the top of the league, however are very questionable as they have already lost 11 games, recording just ten victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Vounang could help Brest to bring them higher in the standings. Vounang has a very solid season. In 16 games in France he scored 10.9ppg. He also has 5.9rpg and FGP: 53.9%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Jahsha Bluntt (198-G-84) of Orchy - 16 points and 8 rebounds
5. Rafael Lopez (204-C-86) of Brest - 12 points and 14 rebounds
6. Lavar Simmons (201-F/C-83) of Roche - 19 points and 6 rebounds
7. Lukasz Biela (200-F-80) of Montbrison - 19 points and 10 rebounds
8. Samir Mekdad (188-G-86) of Sorgues - 17 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists
9. Vaidotas Pridotkas (200-F-84) of Brest - 13 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists
10. Nils Gouacide (208-C-84) of Challans - 16 points and 8 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)

Rodrigue Mels claims French ProB weekly honour (by BasketStore) - by Eurobasket News

Rodrigue Mels (188-G/F-85, agency: Court Side) had an amazing evening in the last round for Chalons-Reims and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com ProB Player of the Week award for round 21.
The 26-year old swingman had the game-high 21 points adding eight rebounds and four assists for Chalons-Reims in his team's victory, helping them to outclass Denain (#14, 8-13) with 32-point margin 106-74. Chalons-Reims maintains the 3rd position in French ProB. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Chalons-Reims will need more victories to improve their 15-6 record. Mels turned to be Chalons-Reims' top player in his first season with the team. Rodrigue Mels averages this season 12.5ppg.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 27-year old Senegalese Ousmane Barro (207-C/F-84) of Bourg. Barro impressed basketball fans with 15 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Of course Bourg cruised to a 99-87 relatively comfortable win over the lower-ranked St Vallier (#10, 10-11). This victory allowed Bourg to move up to 7th position in the standings. His team lost some distance to top teams. But 11-10 record is not bad and everything may still change. Barro is a newcomer at Bourg and it seems he did not have too much trouble to become one of team's leaders. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 16.3ppg (#7). He also registered 8.9 boards per game.

The third best performed player last round was Harry Disy (201-C/F-84) of St Vallier (#10). Disy scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Despite Disy's great performance St Vallier lost 87-99 to the higher-ranked Bourg (#7, 11-10). But his team cannot count on just a single player as he also needs help of the other teammates. The chances of St Vallier ranking at the top of the league, however are very questionable as they have already lost 11 games, recording just ten victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Disy could help St Vallier to bring them higher in the standings. Disy has a very solid season. In 19 games in France he scored 8.7ppg. He also has 6.0rpg and FGP: 51.2%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Fernando Raposo Laurencio (206-C/F-89) of Boulogne - 19 points and 12 rebounds
5. John Ford (207-C/F-78) of Bordeaux - 19 points and 9 rebounds
6. Malick Badiane (211-F/C-84) of Nantes - 20 points and 8 rebounds
7. Bambale Osby (203-C/F-86) of Maurienne - 14 points and 10 rebounds
8. Christophe Massie (206-C/F-77) of Limoges - 12 points, 17 rebounds and 5 assists
9. LaQuan Prowell (203-SF-84) of St Vallier - 21 points and 9 rebounds
10. Chris Davis (195-F/G-80) of Le Portel - 21 points, 7 rebounds and 2 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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GAMBIA

Late Pa Modou Sarr Memorial Tourney to Begin Soon - by Eurobasket News
The 8th edition of the Late Pa Modou Sarr Memorial Basketball Tournament will start soon, reports reaching Observer Sports revealed.It would be recalled that the Late Pa Modou Sarr died on 9th February 2004 in a car accident just after playing a basketball game in Texas in the USA.

Meanwhile, as part of events marking the 8th edition of the memorial tourney, there will be a recitation of the Holy Quran today, Thursday 9 February 2012 at his Family House in Kotu. There will be a Memorial Tournament as usual at the Serrekunda West Basketball Lawn along Kairaba Avenue. It would also be recalled that Wallidan and YMCA Basketball teams were the finalists during the last (7th edition) of the memorial tournament with Wallidan emerging victorious. As usual, interested teams are invited to register and participate in the tournament.

Those who wish to register their teams can contact Andrew Piken Jatta on 3100902.
Courtesy of: The Daily Observer (Banjul)

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GERMANY

Jimmy Mckinney Uses His Mizzou Tiger Claws Tipping The Fraport Skyliners To Victory Over Braunschweig 81-80 - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
Winning against the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig in the last decade has come as easy for the Frankfurt Skyliners as it is for Hollywood actor George Clooney to decline marriage proposals, Blake Griffin dunking over Kendrick Perkins of the Oklahoma Thunder or New England Patriot Tequan Underwood carving the team logo into his head for the Super Bowl as the last time Frankfurt lost to Braunschweig was 71 months ago and 13 wins ago. The last time, Frankfurt had to creep back into their locker room defeated in their own living room, their opponent was called TXU Braunschweig, Phantoms shooting star point guard Dennis Schroeder was nine years old, the German version of American idol was still a few months from going on air, Jan Lipke was on the Braunschweig roster at age 19, Immanuel Mcelroy was playing for the Grand Rapids Hoops and the Boston Red Sox were still living in the curse of the Bambino as Braunschweig won 80-62, 112 months ago. In that win, the point guard was a little known American named Demond Mallet who had 20 points and the Skyliners were led by Andy Kwatkowsky with 16 points. Braunschweig will have to wait another season to get that most desired win as they lost again failing 81-80 in OT losing their second consecutive game in the extra time. It was an ugly win, but a win is a win. The Skyliners have had their number in this series for a while. They came back, but we got the win and can knock on wood for keeping the long winning streak intact, stated Skyliner forward Jacob Burtschi. Before the game, Phantom sport director Oliver Braun was very composed and seemed almost a bit too confident in the chances of his club. A series always has to end sometime. I remember I was playing in Greece the last time they won, stressed Oliver Braun. I dont think much about history and what once was. This was a good win, even though it almost back fired for us, expressed Skyliner captain Marius Nolte.

The Fraport Skyliners entered the Fraport arena riding on a two game losing streak and were looking for their third win in their own stomping ground. The team that had averaged 63 points in the 11 games prior to the last two loses, had given up an average 80 points in the last loss. After three quarters, it looked like they would reach their solid defensive average before their two game losing streak, but gave up 31 points in the fourth quarter and almost lost the game in OT to young germna talent Dennis Schroeder. We lost our composure in the fourth quarter and didnt take good care of the ball. It felt like we wanted to wait until the clock expired. Braunschweig almost taught us a lesson today, warned Jacob Burtschi. The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig already had injury woes the last weeks, but to lose two heart breaking games in OT in Bremerhaven and Frankfurt had their mood turned sour. They played their hearts out, but in the end the only thing that missed was a Schroeder lay up bouncing in for the win. We showed a lot of character tonight. But all in all, we gave up too many turnovers, missed free throws and gave up that offensive rebound at the end. I give a lot of respect to the my players who fought back in the fourth quarter, stressed Phantoms head coach Sebastian Machowski.

Before the jump ball commenced, there were as always some interesting observations to see on the court like the two German youngsters Daniel Theis and Danilo Barthel chatting at center court or Michale Umeh and Jacob Burtschi talking. Me and Jake played in the same conference in college, stressed Michael Umeh. Sky girl made it into the Fraport arena agin supporting Dunking Kong and Dennis Schroeder was playing with a jersey that read Schroede. The Fraport Sklyiners were without Justin Gray and Jermareo Davidson while The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig were without Stephen Dennis and Lamarr Greer who didnt make the trip to Frankfurt. Rich Melzer wasnt 100% and only saw limited duty. When the game did start, 4,950 people were in the arena as Frankfurt fans quickly saw first hand how dangerous new point guard Igor Milosevic could be as he found ex Wake Forest center Kyle Visser for two quick hoops including a beautiful behind the back pass that Larry Bird couldnt have perfected better. Milosevic has played for top Euroleague Teams Rytas Vilnius and Olympiakus Piraus and showed how active he was with the ball. Milosevic likes to pass first, but if he has the option then he will finish himself. He learned his basketball from the Jugoslavan school of basketball, stressed Oliver Braun. Igor isnt 100 integrated into the team yet. But one could see what he can do tonight. As soon as his fitness gets better and knows his teammates more on the court, then he will be a big help for us, stated Sebastian Machowski. The Fraport Skyliners quickly took the lead 5-4 as Jimmy MCkinney hit a jumper and Michael Thompson hit a three pointer. Frankfurt held the lead due in thanks to a strong Tim Ohlbrecht who was coming off a solid performance in Ludwigsburg and scored back to back buckets as Frankfurt led 11-8. Frankfurt was hitting their shots from all over as Thompson, Quantez Robertson and Mckinney connected giving Frankfurt the 18-12 lead. It looked as if Frankfurt might add to the lead, but Braunschweig closed out the first quarter with a 5-0 run as Serb Branko Jorovic hit an open three pointer off great ball movement and then dropped a fade away jumper as the Fraport Skyliners led 18-17. Frankfurt was very aggressive in the first quarter. Tim Ohlbrecht got going and my brother hit some big shots. Frankfurt slacked a bit on defensive at the end, stated Michael Thompson brother Navarro Thompson. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 50% from the field and 40% from outside while the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig were shooting 50% from the field and 20% from outside. Frankfurt had the 7-6 rebound edge and two turnovers while Braunschweig had three turnovers.

In the second quarter, The Fraport Skyliners started off hot going on a 9-0 run to lead 27-17. Jacob Burtschi tested out his 25% three point percentage by nailing a shot from downtown while Ohlbrecht continued to be hot hitting a left handed hook shot and making a dunk as he was fed perfectly from Burtschi. Burtschi was also playing heads up defense drawing two charges resulting in Braunschweig offensive fouls. Mid way through the second quarter, Frankfurt lost a little concentration, but didnt lose ground as the Phantoms couldnt score on offense. After Visser made one free throw, Frankfurt recovered from their lapse on offense as Marius Nolte scored and Jacob Burtschi scored on the fast break as Frankfurt led 32-21. Braunschweig was lacking calmness on offense, but in the stretch run of the second quarter found their rhythm getting back into the game going on a 9-4 run to trail only 36-30. Mcelroy started the run with a big three pointer something he has improved in the last years and Jorovic scored in bunches again hitting a three pointer as Schroeder set him up with a crisp swing out pass and the Serb then hit a fade away shot as Frankfurt led 32-26. Schroeder then showed his first brilliance of the game setting up 221cm big man Nick Schneiders with an ally-op dunk. Mcelroy and Thompson traded buckets at the end as Frankfurt led 38-30 at the break. Frankfurt had good start with Ohlbrecht making his shots. They let them back in the game, but did a great job only having three turnovers, stated Navarro Thomspson. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 45% from the field and 30% from the three point line while the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig were shooting 44% from the field and 30% from the three point line. The rebound duel was dead locked at 15-15, but Braunschweig had eight turnovers while Frankfurt had only three turnovers.

The third quarter was the tale of two runs that brought the New Yorker Phantoms back into the game as quickly as getting them way out of the game again. Braunschweig went on a 10-5 run to cut the Frankfurt lead to only to 41-40. In the Phantoms run, it was Milosevic that scored the first six points getting to the free throw line, showing a nice touch from outside and scoring inside as the total point guard package was evident to see. Umeh hit a runner and Visser made a crashing dunk as he was fed from Jorovic with the extra pass. Frankfurt led only 41-40 and it seemed like the game could turn, but instead of the Phantoms scaring away the Skyliners with their potent basketball, it seemed like they bought entrance to witness a offensive clinic by the Skyliners as they showed just how dangerous a 12th place team can be as they rolled over their opponent on a 20-1 run to lead 61-41 after three quarter. Everything that could go right for the Fraport Skyliners was going right as Braunschweig seemed shy on offense not getting into a flow while Frankfurt stepped up their defense. On offense, the Fraport Skyliners weregetting contribution from many different faces and getting to the free throw line since Braunschweig was over the team foul limit. Ohlbrecht scored inside as did Thompson and Robertson as Frankfurt led 50-41. Gibson also got onto the board scoring inside and getting free throws and German national player Johannes Herber hit a big three pointer. We played unbelievable defense, holding them to one shot or too very bad shots and forced many turnovers, stated Jacob Burtschi. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 47% from the field and 33% from the parking lot while The New Yorker Phantoms were shooting 42% from the field and 27% from the parking lot. Frakfurt had the 25-20 rebound edge and only seven turnovers while Braunschweig had 14 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter, the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig still had some energy and fight in their bodies as they would make a huge come back. They quickly jumped on a 6-0 run as Robert Kulawick who is known for his unorthodox, but quick release hit a three pointer while Visser scored inside. Schroeder penetrated to the hoop, but found the better positioned Visser as the German showed his enormous high basketball IQ for his 18 years of age. Braunschweig kept chipping away at the Frankfurt lead as Visser hit a difficult left handed hook shot and 5 time German title holder Mcelroy scored inside as Braunschweig trailed only 65-52. Frankfurt was getting many unnecessary turnovers and Braunschweig continuing to hit their shots. After another Kulawick three pointer, Frankfurt led only 65-55 as the Phantoms had cruised out on a 14-4 run. Frankfurt them finally got back on the board as German Danilo Barthel hit a reverse lay up and Devin Gibson hit free throws as Frankfurt led 68-55. However Braunschweig still didnt give up going on a 7-0 run to trail only 68-62 as Phantoms captain hit a in your face Three pointer of Ohlbrecht, Milosevic scoring inside and Umeh hitting a jumper. It seemed like Frankfurt wasnt intelligent enough to win as they kept allowing Braunschweig get closer and closer as Mcelroy and Umeh got to the free throw line and Milosevic scored inside again as Frankfurt suddenly only led 69-68. Now it was time for the big moment of Dennis Schroeder. He made a big lay up cutting the Frankfurt lead to 69-68 with a minute to go. Thompson then made a floater as Frankfurt led 71-68. Schroeder then took command of the Phantoms offense scoring in the lane again as Frankfurt led 71-70. Thompson then drew a foul, but made only one of two free throws as Frankfurt led 72-70. Braunschweig then had one last chance as Schroeder scored again inside to tie the game at 72-72. He could of won the game, but missed a free throw. Braunschweig stole the ball and could of won the game, but the shot of Rick Melzer stayed glued between the rim and back board sending the game into overtime. Coach told me to take responsibility. That is something a point guard needs to do. I wasnt afraid, added Dennis Schroeder. We put more pressure on the ball and forced Frankfurt out of their comfort zone. Schroeder made the big plays, stressed Michael Umeh.

In the overtime period, Jimmy McKinney (192-G-83, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Missouri) quickly took responsibility by making his first shot and getting to the free throw line as Frankfurt led 76-73. However, after a brutal OT loss in Bremerhaven last weekend, it seemed like the Phantoms werent going to do the same mistake by letting the opponent decide the game quickly as ex Giessen 46er Umeh hit a clutch three pointer to tie the game at 76-76. Mckinney and Schroeder then traded free throws as the game was dead locked at 78-78. It seemed like there was a love relationship with Schroeder and the basketball as he played like no one was in the arena and made another clutch play scoring around Nolte like abolt of lightening as Braunschweig led 80-79. However one player seemed to be a little more in love with the basketball as Mckinney sealed the win with a huge clutch tip in off the second free throw of Nolte as the Skyliners pulled out the win 81-80. Schroeder had one last try, but didnt get a Phantom bounce on his layup in traffic. Mckinney was his usually slick and suave after the game talking about his winning shot. At first I wasnt going to go up for the rebound, but I sensed that he was relaxed so I got the tip in and am so happy it went in. It is every players dream to be the clutch man in OT. I always want the ball. It either goes in or it doesnt, stated Jimmy McKinney. I have a lot of respect for Jimmy. He had hurt his hand on that missed dunk and sat a lot in the second half. But he had the will to come into the game and help win the game, said Jacob Burtschi. Jimmy is a leader and I told him in OT to be aggressive and he was, commented Marius Nolte. Despite the win by Frankfurt, a new German basketball star was born tonight with Dennis Schroeder who finished with 12 points, three rebounds and three assists in 22 minutes. Schroeder played great. It was unlucky that the last shot didnt go in, but he made great decisions, stressed Sebastain Machsowski.I was really impressed by the composure of the youngster in this setting. He has a great ability getting to the rim. He has a lot of potential to become a big player, warned Jacob Burtschi.

The Fraport Skyliners were led by Michael Thompson with 16 points. Tim Ohlbrecht produced 15 points and 11 rebounds. Jimmy McKinney added 13 points and Devin Gibson chipped in with 11 points. The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig were led by Kyle Visser with 14 points and six rebounds. Igor Milosevic had 13 points. Branko Jorovic and Dennis Schroeder contributed 12 points a piece and Immanuel Mcelroy chipped in with 11 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Sometimes a win comes down to very small things. The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig shot better from the field and from outside while the Fraport Skyliners won the rebound battle 39-36 and both teams had 19 turnovers a piece. However one thing is for sure, Muli Katzurin will his team the fourth quarter again, because this was a game the team should never have let the opponent get back into. We made this game too exciting. We have to close out games better. We played three quarters well, but we will have to analyze the fourth quarter again, warned Marius Nolte. A win like this can be important when the Skyliners face another game where the game is tight. We stayed mentally tough and were able to pull out the win in OT, stressed Jimmy McKinney. For the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig, losing two games in a row in OT is bitter, but they will get out of this rut. We have had bad luck. We have too many up and down phases in games. We are much better than this, warned Igor Milosevic. The Fraport Skyliners get back to work again on February 15th in Bremerhaven.

Mr Downtown Indianapolis Matt Butler Joins EnBW Ludwigsburg - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

EnBW Ludwigsburg have hauled in a big fish for their fight to stay in the Beko BBL with two time NCAA finalist Matt Howard (203-F-89, college: Butler). Howard is a 22 year old 203cm forward from Connersville, Indiana. He is a rookie having spent the first part of the 2011-2012 basketball season with Olympiakos S.F.P. Pireus (Greece-A1). He was a teammate of ex Bamberg American Kyle Hines, but didnt find himself into the rotation playing six games and averaging 4,0ppg and 1,5rpg in 10 minutes per game. His best game in the Greek league was 13 points against Ikaros. The Schwaben team brought him in after the departure of Donatas Zavackas and are happy to have obtained his services. 'He brings a lot of experience for his young age. He was able to get used to the European game with Olympiakos. I am sure that he will help us in the next weeks with his fighting and human qualities', stressed EnBW Ludwigsburg head coach Steven Key.

Howard played at Butler from 2007-2011 playing together with NBA players Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack amassing a total of 1,939 points. In his senior year, he played 35 games: 16.7ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.5apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 48.9%, 3PT: 42.6%, FT: 78.1%. In his years at Butler, he only missed one game an din his senior year started to hit from downtown Indianapolis on a regular basis making 53 shots. He helped Butler win 116 games in 141 games and was always known as a winner. 'I am very hungry to play for Ludwigsburg and give all I got to help the team win as much as possible. I have heard very much good things about the Beko BBL and am happy about the chance to play here', stressed Matt Howard (203-F-89, college: Butler).Awards/Achievements in his basketball career have been All-Horizon League Newcomer of the Year -08, Horizon League All-Newcomer Team -08, All-Horizon League 2nd Team -08, Horizon League All-Tournament Team -08, 10, 11, Horizon League Regular Season Champion -08, 09, 10, Horizon League Tournament Winner -08, 10, 11, ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America 2nd Team (University Division) -09, ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V Team (University Division) -09, NABC Division I All-District 12 First Team -09, All-Horizon League 1st Team -09, 10, 11, Horizon League All-Defensive Team -09, 11, Horizon League Player of the Year -09, Horizon League Tournament Finalist -09, AP NCAA All-America Honorable Mention -09, ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America 1st Team (University Division) -10, Horizon League All-Tournament MVP -10, NABC Division I All-District 12 2nd Team -10, NCAA Finalist -10, Horizon League Regular Season Runner-Up -11, All-Horizon League All-Tournament MVP -11, CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-America Player of the Year -11, CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-America 1st Team -11
and NABC Division I All-District 12 1st Team -11.

Source: EnBW Ludwigsburg

Dennis Schroeder (New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig) My Dream Is To Play In The States Someday - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

Dennis Schroeder (186-G-93) is an 18 year old 186cm guard that plays for the Spot Up Medien Baskets Braunschweig (ProB) and New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig (1.Bundesliga). Last season in the PRO B, he played 24 games: 8.5ppg, 1.7rpg, 2.2apg, FGP-2 (68.7%), 3PT: 25.9%, FT: 80.4%. Last summer, he played at the European Championships U18 in Wroclaw (Poland) -11: 8 games: 13.5ppg, 3.0rpg, Assists-3 (4.9apg), 2.0spg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 26.7%, FT: 63.6%. Eurobasket had a chat with him at the 2012 Beko BBL Allstar game.

This was your first time at the Beko BBL Allstar day. How did you like it?

I really have enjoyed the day a lot and it was a great experience.

You had six points, two rebounds, three assists and three steals in 25 minutes in the NBBL Allstar game. What grade would you give yourself?

I would give myself a German grade of 3.

Which player impressed you the most in the NBBL Allstar game?

There were many players, but Bogdan Radosavljevic from FC Bayern Munich impressed me the most. He is a very good player and if he keeps working hard, I feel that he can reach a lot in his basketball career. I played together with him at the European championships in Poland. I liked playing pick and role with him the way I like to do with my teammate in Braunschweig Daniel Theis.

Where is the journey of Braunschweig going to end in the second half of the season?

We definitely want to reach the playoffs. We want to win more games and have more of a say at the top of the standings.

With Stephen Dennis, you have another young player in front of him even though the difference in age is 6 years. How is it being his teammate and what have you learned from him this season?

Playing against him each day gives me a lot of valuable experience. I feel I have gotten better each day when we play against each other. My defense has gotten better playing with him each day.

What is your strength as a player?

My biggest strength is my drive. I can shoot too, but I still need to work on that phase of my game.

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

I can get loud in the locker room.

What was your childhood like?

I had a normal childhood. My mother is from Gambia and my dad is German.

Who was your NBA idol as a kid?

Chris Paul. He can do it all as a point guard. I think he is the best point guard in the NBA. The best point guard in the BEKO BBL is Heiko Schaffartzik.

How do you handle pressure? Will the expectations rise?

Yes I believe that next season, the expectations will rise. I am working more on my defense this season than on my offense.

How important is Immanuel Mcelroy to the success of the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig?

He is our most important player on the team. He has really helped me and pushed me on defense. I have a very good relationship with him. He has taught me to be more calm on the pick and roll and not be so hectic. I think that I have improved my pick and roll, but it can still get better.

What were the most number of free throws that you have made in a practice?

34.

What was your most crazy shot that you have made in a game?

I made a buzzer beater against Bramfeld and had the and one with 0 seconds remaining winning the game.

Who is the best player that you played against at the European Championships?

Vasilije Micic from Serbia.

You like to play pick and roll with teammate Daniel Theis. What can he reach as a player?

I think that if he keeps working that he could be a starter in the German national team in the future.

What are your dreams?

I want to play in Europe next and then someday in the States.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

His Airness from Michael Jordan. I like watching before games, because it gives me inspiration.

Thanks Dennis for the chat.

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GREECE

Div.B Standing

B Standings

1. Aiolos Trikallon		16-2
2. Filathlitikos		15-3
3. Niki Volou		12-6
4. Irakleio		11-7
5. Agia Paraskevis		10-8
6. Near East		10-8
7. Diagoras		10-8
8. Stratoni		9-9
9. Doukas		9-9
10. Koroivos		9-9
11. Egaleo		8-10
12. MENT		8-10
13. Aias Evosmou		6-12
14. Iraklis		5-13
15. Anagennisi		5-13
16. Halkidona		1-17

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

HOLLAND

On Deck - by Glenn Stokes
Hello world,
Welcome back to my blog..... In my last blog My team was scheduled to play game 5 of the 1st round of the playoffs against Abejas at a neutral site in Aguascalientes. In that decisive game we won a hard fought game and advanced to the next round against the best team in Mexico Rojos de Vera Cruz. We started the best of 7 series on the road because they were the higher seed. The crazy thing about beating Abejas and advancing to the next round was the fact that while Rojos rested for about 12 days or so we had to play that game 5 and get on the bus right after to go to Vera Cruz and not only play the following day but also the next... Meaning we had to play Wednesday, Thursday, Friday then travel all Saturday back home and then play Monday and Tuesday and if necessary Wednesday at home. Long story short, we ended up getting swept by Rojos and our season ended earlier than I had planned for it to end. When your season is over there are one of two things on your mind... Getting home to see your family and/or try to figure out what is next!!!!! For me, it was both.... I wanted to get home to see my little princess but I also wanted to find another job immediately to continue to support her.

Everyone who has gone through a whole season knows how it is after it is over, your body is aching from little injuries you played thru the season with and you really need a little rest before jumping back into the fire... I know I did, because I had a jammed thumb and two jammed fingers that I felt pain just holding the basketball let alone trying to pass, dribble, or shoot...

Last week, I got back into the gym and I am in a great rhythm! My shot feels and looks really GREAT! I have no nagging injuries lingering or hindering me from playing at my best and I have no more signs of my back spazzing up from overcompensated trying to keep pressure off the ankle I broke in the summer! I am a free agent looking for a new team at the moment. I look forward to frying on the court soon!

Thanks for stopping by and again reading my blog. I will keep you guys posted and may see some of you soon.

Follow me on twitter@ gmoneystokes Glenn Stokes (170-G-76, agency: R.H.Consultancy, college: American)

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HUNGARY

Best players of Hungarian A Division round 18 - by Eurobasket News
Serbian Marko Derasimovic (200-F/G-84) had an amazing evening in the last round for Kecskemeti and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 18.
The 27-year old swingman had a double-double of 25 points and ten rebounds, while his team beat Albacomp (#4, 13-4) 80-75. Kecskemeti maintains the 5th position in Hungarian A Division. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Kecskemeti will need more victories to improve their 11-7 record. Derasimovic turned to be Kecskemeti's top player in his first season with the team. Marko Derasimovic averages this season 17.8ppg and 6.2rpg.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 27-year old American guard Lorenzo Williams (191-G-84, agency: Court Side) of Atomeromu. Williams impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 23 points and 11 assists. Of course he lead Atomeromu to another comfortable win outscoring the higher-ranked Kormend (#2, 15-3) 85-64. Atomeromu's 6th position in has not changed. His team lost some distance to top teams. But 11-7 record is not bad and everything may still change. Williams is a newcomer at Atomeromu and it seems he did not have too much trouble to become one of team's leaders.

The third best performed player last round was American Dontay Thomas (186-G-84) of Soproni (#8). Thomas scored 26 points and passed eight assists. He was a key player of Soproni, leading his team to a 85-67 easy win against the lower-ranked Szedeak (#11, 5-13). The chances of Soproni ranking at the top of , however are very questionable as they have already lost 10 games, recording just eight victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Thomas could help Soproni to bring them higher in the standings. Thomas has a great season in Hungary. After 17 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in assists with 4.4apg (8th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Kyle Austin (203-F-88) of Jaszberenyi - 22 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists
5. Rastko Dramicanin (207-C-86) of Jaszberenyi - 18 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists
6. Nikolas Raivio (192-G-86) of Kaposvari - 26 points, 13 rebounds and 2 assists
7. Marton Bader (212-C-80) of Szolnok - 19 points and 10 rebounds
8. Jara Doyne (193-G/F-84) of PVSK Pannon - 25 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists
9. Jibril Hodges (188-G-84) of Jaszberenyi - 22 points, 6 rebounds and 4 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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ICELAND

Standings - Iceland Express League

Express L. Standings

1. Grindavik		15-1
2. Keflavik		11-5
3. KR		10-6
4. Stjarnan		10-6
5. Thor Thorl		10-6
6. Snaefell		9-7
7. Fjolnir		7-9
8. Njardvik		7-9
9. Tindastoll		7-9
10. IR		6-10
11. Haukar		4-12
12. Valur		0-16

Express L. Round 16: Stjarnan is upset by Thor Thorl - by Eurobasket News
The most important game in the last round took place in Stjarnan between third ranked Stjarnan (10-6) and sixth ranked Thor Thorl (10-6) on Sunday night. Stjarnan was defeated by Thor Thorl in a tough game at home 80-88. The guests took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Stjarnan won third quarter 16-14. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Thor Thorl made 23-of-25 free shots (92.0 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Thor Thorl made 7 blocks. 26 personal fouls committed by Stjarnan helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. American forward Junior Hairston (203-84, college: Towson, agency: KMG Sports Management) fired a double-double by scoring 23 points, 16 rebounds and 7 blocks (made all of his seven free throws) for the winners. FYR Macedonian-Australian forward Blagoj Janev (203-84, college: New Hampshire) chipped in 22 points and 9 rebounds. American guard Justin Shouse (180-81, college: Mercyhurst) produced 32 points and 6 assists (made all of his eleven free throws !!!) for lost side. Thor Thorl moved-up to third place, which they share with KR and Stjarnan. Thor Thorl is looking forward to face league's second-placed Keflavik at home in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Stjarnan will play against Snaefell in Stykkisholmur and is hoping to win this game.
An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Keflavik. Third ranked Keflavik faced their biggest opponent KR. Host Keflavik (11-5) defeated guests from Reykjavik (10-6) 95-83. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of KR. It was a key game for the second position in the league. Worth to mention a great performance of American forward Jarryd Cole (200-88, college: Iowa) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 35 points (!!!) and 16 rebounds. Magnus Gunnarsson contributed with 19 points and 7 assists for the winners. American power forward Robert Ferguson (203-85, college: St.Joseph's) replied with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 10 rebounds (on 11-of-14 shooting from the field) for KR. KR's coach Hrafn Kristjansson rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Keflavik moved-up to second place. Defending champion KR dropped to the third position with six games lost. They share it with Stjarnan and Thor Thorl. Keflavik will play against Thor Thorl (#5) in Thorlakshofn in the next round. KR will play at home against Fjolnir in Reykjavik and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Leader Grindavik delivered the fifteenth victory on Monday night. This time they crushed bottom-ranked Valur (0-16) 119-81. Worth to mention a quality performance of J'Nathan Bullock who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 19 points and 10 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field). Grindavik's coach Helgi Jonas Gudfinnsson felt very confident that he used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the losing side Birgir Petursson responded with 16 points and 5 rebounds. Grindavik (15-1) have an impressive eight-game winning streak. They maintain first position. Newly promoted Valur still closes the standings. Grindavik will meet Haukar (#11) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Valur will play against Tindastoll in Sauoarkrokur and hopes to get finally their first victory.
We should mention about the upset which took place in Njardvik, where higher ranked Snaefell (9-7) lost to tenth ranked Njardvik (7-9) in a road game 78-88. It ended at the same time the six-game winning streak of Snaefell. The winners were led by Cameron Echols who had that evening a double-double by scoring 41 points (!!!) and 16 rebounds. Njardvik's coach Einar Johannson allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Njardvik moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Tindastoll and Fjolnir. Snaefell at the other side dropped to the sixth position with seven games lost. Njardvik's next round opponent will be IR (#10) in Reykjavik.
An interesting game took place in Reykjavik, where higher ranked Fjolnir (7-9) lost at home to eleventh ranked Haukar (4-12) 68-79 on Sunday. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Fjolnir. Hayward Fain fired a double-double by scoring 14 points and 13 rebounds for the winners. Haukar's coach used an eleven-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. Haukar maintains eleventh position with 4-12 record. Loser Fjolnir keeps the seventh place with nine games lost. Haukar will face league's leader Grindavik at home in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game.

In the last game of round 16 Tindastoll defeated IR in Sauoarkrokur 96-92.

Stjarnan - Thor Thorl 80-88

The most important game in the last round took place in Stjarnan between third ranked Stjarnan (10-6) and sixth ranked Thor Thorl (10-6) on Sunday night. Stjarnan was defeated by Thor Thorl in a tough game at home 80-88. The guests took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Stjarnan won third quarter 16-14. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Thor Thorl made 23-of-25 free shots (92.0 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Thor Thorl made 7 blocks. 26 personal fouls committed by Stjarnan helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. American forward Junior Hairston (203-84, college: Towson, agency: KMG Sports Management) fired a double-double by scoring 23 points, 16 rebounds and 7 blocks (made all of his seven free throws) for the winners. FYR Macedonian-Australian forward Blagoj Janev (203-84, college: New Hampshire) chipped in 22 points and 9 rebounds. Four Thor Thorl players scored in double figures. American guard Justin Shouse (180-81, college: Mercyhurst) produced 32 points and 6 assists (made all of his eleven free throws !!!) and American-Estonian forward Renato Lindmets (198-84, college: Westfield St.) added 20 points and 9 rebounds respectively for lost side. Thor Thorl moved-up to third place, which they share with KR and Stjarnan. Thor Thorl is looking forward to face league's second-placed Keflavik at home in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Stjarnan will play against Snaefell in Stykkisholmur and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Stjarnan: J.Shouse 32+4reb+6ast, R.Lindmets 20+9reb, K.Cothran 12+6reb, G.Larusson 8+6reb, M.Valdimarsson 4+7reb+5ast, S.Larusson 2+2reb
Thor Thorl: J.Hairston 23+16reb+3ast, B.Janev 22+9reb, D.Govens 20+2reb+7ast, D.Hilmarsson 12+4reb+4ast, G.Jonsson 7+4reb+4ast, B.Ragnarsson 4+1reb+5ast

Njardvik - Snaefell 88-78

We should mention about the upset which took place in Njardvik, where higher ranked Snaefell (9-7) lost to tenth ranked Njardvik (7-9) in a road game 78-88. It ended at the same time the six-game winning streak of Snaefell. The game was mostly controlled by Njardvik. Snaefell was better in third quarter 25-19. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The game was decided in the last minutes when Njardvik won last quarter 23-14. They dominated down low during the game scoring 68 of its points in the paint compared to Snaefell's 42. Njardvik forced 19 Snaefell turnovers. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 28 assists comparing to just 14 passes made by Snaefell's players. The winners were led by American power forward Cameron Echols (203-81, college: Ball St.) who had that evening a double-double by scoring 41 points (!!!) and 16 rebounds and the other American import guard Travis Holmes (193-86, college: VMI, agency: Strategic Sports) supported him with 29 points, 5 assists and 4 steals. Njardvik's coach Einar Johannson allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Even a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds by American forward Quincy Hankins-Cole (203-90) did not help to save the game for Snaefell. Forward Sveinn Davidsson (192-86) added 17 points for lost side. Njardvik moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Tindastoll and Fjolnir. Snaefell at the other side dropped to the sixth position with seven games lost. Njardvik's next round opponent will be IR (#10) in Reykjavik.
Top scorers:
Snaefell: Q.Hankins-Cole 18+13reb+1ast, S.Davidsson 17+4reb+1ast, M.Hall 16+2reb+3ast, P.Sigurgeirsson 9+3reb+5ast, H.Gunnarsson 6+2reb, O.Torfason 5+4reb+3ast
Njardvik: C.Echols 41+16reb+1ast, T.Holmes 29+4reb+5ast, M.Baginski 8+2reb, P.Kristinsson 4+6reb+3ast, H.Einarsson 2+1reb+5ast, R.Oli Alexandersson 2+2reb+6ast

Grindavik - Valur 119-81

Leader Grindavik delivered the fifteenth victory on Monday night. This time they crushed bottom-ranked Valur (0-16) 119-81. The game without a history. Grindavik led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated down low during the game scoring 68 of its points in the paint compared to Valur's 48. They outrebounded Valur 46-29 including a 30-19 advantage in defensive rebounds. Grindavik looked well-organized offensively handing out 38 assists comparing to just 23 passes made by Valur's players. Worth to mention a quality performance of American forward J'Nathan Bullock (196-87, college: Cleveland St., agency: Pro One Sports) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 19 points and 10 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) and the former international center Sigurdur Thorsteinsson (204-88) who added 15 points and 6 rebounds (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field) during the contest. Grindavik's coach Helgi Jonas Gudfinnsson felt very confident that he used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the losing side center Birgir Petursson (205-86) responded with 16 points and 5 rebounds and Benedikt Blondal (-93) scored 14 points and 5 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Grindavik (15-1) have an impressive eight-game winning streak. They maintain first position. Newly promoted Valur still closes the standings. Grindavik will meet Haukar (#11) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Valur will play against Tindastoll in Sauoarkrokur and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Valur: S.Thorvaldsson 19+1reb, B.Petursson 16+5reb+3ast, B.Blondal 14+5reb+2ast, R.Gylfason 13+2reb+3ast, H.Vikingsson 9+6reb+1ast, A.Dungal 8+7reb+2ast
Grindavik: J.Bullock 19+10reb+3ast, P.Axel Vilbergsson 16+3reb+3ast, S.Thorsteinsson 15+6reb+2ast, J.Olafsson 14+2reb+3ast, O.Olafsson 11+4reb+2ast, B.Brynjolfsson 9+4reb+3ast

Keflavik - KR 95-83

An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Keflavik. Third ranked Keflavik faced their biggest opponent KR. Host Keflavik (11-5) defeated guests from Reykjavik (10-6) 95-83. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of KR. It was a key game for the second position in the league. KR was ahead by 6 points at the halftime before a 64-46 second half run of Keflavik. They also forced 21 KR turnovers. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 22 assists. Worth to mention a great performance of American forward Jarryd Cole (200-88, college: Iowa) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 35 points (!!!) and 16 rebounds. The former international guard Magnus Gunnarsson (186-81) contributed with 19 points and 7 assists for the winners. Four Keflavik players scored in double figures. American power forward Robert Ferguson (203-85, college: St.Joseph's) replied with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 10 rebounds (on 11-of-14 shooting from the field) and Serbian forward Dejan Sencanski (198-84, college: Abil.Christian, agency: JEMsports) added 25 points in the effort for KR. KR's coach Hrafn Kristjansson rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Keflavik moved-up to second place. Defending champion KR dropped to the third position with six games lost. They share it with Stjarnan and Thor Thorl. Keflavik will play against Thor Thorl (#5) in Thorlakshofn in the next round. KR will play at home against Fjolnir in Reykjavik and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
KR: D.Sencanski 25+4reb+1ast, R.Ferguson 24+10reb+2ast, J.Brown 10+5reb+6ast, H.Magnusson 6+1reb, F.Magnusson 4+3reb+4ast, S.Ingason 4+7reb+2ast
Keflavik: J.Cole 35+16reb+3ast, M.Gunnarsson 19+3reb+7ast, C.Parker 15+2reb+3ast, K.Douse 12+6reb+2ast, A.Gudbrandsson 7, V.Valsson 5+2reb+5ast

IR - Tindastoll 92-96

Everything could happen in Reykjavik at the game between two tied teams. Both tenth ranked Tindastoll and 9th ranked IR had identical 6-9 record. But IR was not able to use a home court advantage and was defeated by the opponent from Sauoarkrokur 96-92 on Monday night. The guests trailed by 1 point after first quarter, but they rallied back to get the 4-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 96-92. Tindastoll dominated down low during the game scoring 70 of its points in the paint compared to IR's 46. Tindastoll forced 20 IR turnovers. American guard Maurice Miller (187-88, college: Georgia Tech) fired 22 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists for the winners. Slovenian power forward Igor Tratnik (206-89) chipped in a double-double by scoring 17 points and 15 rebounds. Serbian-Canadian forward Nemanja Sovic (198-77, college: Pfeiffer) produced 24 points and 8 rebounds and American guard Robert Jarvis (180-87, college: ORU) added 19 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists respectively for lost side. Five Tindastoll and four IR players scored in double figures. Tindastoll (7-9) moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Njardvik and Fjolnir. IR lost fourth consecutive game. They dropped to the tenth position with ten games lost. Tindastoll will face bottom-ranked Valur (#12) in Reykjavik in the next round where they are favorite. IR will play on the road against Njardvik in Njardvik and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
IR: N.Sovic 24+8reb+3ast, H.Fridriksson 19+5reb+3ast, R.Jarvis 19+6reb+4ast, E.Onundarson 16+5reb+4ast, E.Arnarson 5+2reb+6ast, T.Hauksson 5+3reb
Tindastoll: M.Miller 22+8reb+7ast, C.Allen 18+6reb+1ast, I.Tratnik 17+15reb+3ast, S.Birgisson 11+2reb, H.Viggosson 11+1reb+5ast, T.Johannsson 6+2reb

Fjolnir - Haukar 68-79

An interesting game took place in Reykjavik, where higher ranked Fjolnir (7-9) lost at home to eleventh ranked Haukar (4-12) 68-79 on Sunday. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Fjolnir. The game was mostly controlled by Haukar. Fjolnir was better in third quarter 19-15. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Haukar had a 35-23 advantage in offensive rebounds. American forward Hayward Fain (196, college: St.Augustine, agency: Strategic Sports) fired a double-double by scoring 14 points and 13 rebounds for the winners. Guard Emil Barja (192-91) chipped in 16 points and 4 assists. Five Haukar players scored in double figures. Haukar's coach used an eleven-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. American forward Nathan Walkup (200-88, college: Texas A&M) produced a double-double by scoring 17 points and 15 rebounds and his fellow American import guard Calvin O'Neil (193-85, college: Middle Tenn.St.) added 20 points and 7 rebounds respectively for lost side. Haukar maintains eleventh position with 4-12 record. Loser Fjolnir keeps the seventh place with nine games lost. Haukar will face league's leader Grindavik at home in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game.
Top scorers:
Fjolnir: C.O'Neil 20+7reb+3ast, N.Walkup 17+15reb+2ast, A.Gudmundsson 14+2reb, J.Sverrisson 8+5reb+2ast, D.Gretarsson 6+2reb+3ast, H.Vilhjalmsson 3+1reb+1ast
Haukar: E.Barja 16+4reb+4ast, H.Fain 14+13reb+3ast, O.Sigurdarson 12+5reb, C.Smith 11+10reb+1ast, H.Einarsson 10+7reb, S.Aronsson 5

Stats Leaders (Men)

Points Per Game

Cameron ECHOLS
  Njardvik
  (203-F/C-81)
  Avg: 23.6

1. Echols, Njardvik	23.6
2. Walkup, Fjolnir	23.1
3. Govens, Thor Thorl	23.0
4. Dagostino, Keflavik	22.9
5. Sovic, IR	22.9
6. Shuler, Haukar	22.7
7. Bullock, Grindavik	22.5
8. Johnson, Valur	22.0
9. Jarvis, IR	21.9
10. Hairston, Thor T.	21.7

Rebounds Per Game

Junior HAIRSTON
  Thor T.
  (203-F-84)
  Avg: 15

1. Hairston, Thor T.	15.0
2. Hankins-Cole, Snae.	13.4
3. Echols, Njardvik	11.8
4. Smith, Haukar	11.6
5. Ringgold, Thor Tho.	11.3
6. Walkup, Fjolnir	10.7
7. Tratnik, Valur	10.4
8. Bullock, Grindavik	10.1
9. Shuler, Haukar	10.0
10. Cole, Keflavik	9.9

Assists Per Game

Giordan WATSON
  Grindavik
  (178-G-85)
  Avg: 6.8

1. Watson, Grindavik	6.8
2. Shouse, Stjarnan	6.6
3. Miller, Tindastoll	6.6
4. Hall, Snaefell	5.8
5. Dagostino, Keflavik	4.8
6. Brown, KR	4.7
7. O''Neil, Fjolnir	4.6
8. Haraldsson, Haukar	4.6
9. Steinarsson, Fjoln.	4.4
10. Horton, KR	4.3

Steals Per Game

Travis HOLMES
  Njardvik
  (193-G-86)
  Avg: 3.1

1. Holmes, Njardvik	3.1
2. Hall, Snaefell	2.8
3. Allen, Tindastoll	2.5
4. Shuler, Haukar	2.5
5. Shouse, Stjarnan	2.5
6. Cothran, Stjarnan	2.5
7. Brown, KR	2.3
8. Parker, Keflavik	2.3
9. Miller, Tindastoll	2.2
10. Johnson, Valur	1.9

Blocks Per Game

Junior HAIRSTON
  Thor T.
  (203-F-84)
  Avg: 4.6

1. Hairston, Thor T.	4.6
2. Smith, Haukar	3.3
3. Hugee, Valur	2.3
4. Tratnik, Valur	2.2
5. Ferguson, KR	1.3
6. Hampton, Tindastoll	1.3
7. Lindmets, Stjarnan	1.2
8. Ragnarsson, Fjolnir	1.1
9. Gudbrandsson, Kefl.	1.1
10. Allen, Tindastoll	1.0

Jakob Sigurdarson Athlete of the year - by Siggi Hjorleifsson
Jakob Sigurdarson (192-G-82, college: Birm.Southern) Sundsvall Dragons player and last year Eurobasket.com player of the year, Swedish Champion and MVP of the Play-offs final
was awarded another big honor last week. Was selected as the Athlete of the year in the town of Sundsvall. After a great season with the Dragons that ended with winning the Championship Sigurdarson has kept playing well this season and is second leading scorer in the league with over 20 points a game and looking forward to another fight for the title.
Sigurdarson was also basketball player of the year in Iceland and came third in the Athlete of the year which is the highest for last 30 years basketball player has been in.

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

IRAN

ISRAEL

Maccabi Rishon & Tel-Aviv Advance to Israeli Cup Finals - by David Pick
For the first time in 20 years, Maccabi Rishon Le-Zion returns to the Israeli state-cup finals event and center stage in Israeli hoops after overcoming a tough and aggressive B.C. Habikaa squad 78:71, in Game1 of the Israeli state-cup final four. In Game2, favorites Maccabi Tel-Aviv demolished underdogs Hapoel Holon 91:70, behind exceptional second half performances from Devin Smith and Yogev Ohayon, who toyed with the Holonian defense.

On Thursday's finals, both teams (Rishon & TA) won't only battle for the title, but for the right to call themselves champions until May, when the league's final four takes place.

Maccabi Rishon 78 B.C. Habikaa 71

Led by Americans Adrian Uter, Joe Crawford, Derwin Kitchen and Brandon Bowman, who combined for 65 of Rishon's 78 points, the orange men managed to advance to the finals round despite Frank Robinson's failed efforts of a late Habikaa comeback.

During the second half, after Habikaa's big man Rashaun Freeman fouled out, Rishon seemed to be on route to the next round of the cup games enjoying an 18 point advantage, however, 9 fourth quarter points by Robinson, assisted with in-the-paint efforts from Dion Dowell and a three ball from Israeli PG Ezequiel Skverer, rallied Habikaa back into the encounter, forcing an epic finish. Nonetheless, careless Habikaa turnovers on one end, resulted into a beautiful crossover jump shot from Crawford and a late and-one play by Bowman, sealing the deal and Habikaa's hopes of history.

Uter led the way for Rishon with 19 points and 5 boards. Crawford finished with 17 points, as Bowman added 14 points and 6 rebounds along with Kitchen's 15 points and 9 rebounds effort.

Robinson enjoyed a team high for Habikaa in points and rebounds finishing with 16 and 7, followed by Paul Delaney's 14 and Dion Dowell's 12 points.

Maccabi Tel-Aviv 91 Hapoel Holon 70

Holon spoke all week long about equality and being able to strike Tel-Aviv with a single, elimination round punch. Nevertheless, a slow first half almost had everyone fooled, until the yellow-and-blue beast bulldozed over their opponent.

Ohayon continued his outstanding performances of late, finishing with 9 points and 7 assists, showing Head Coach David Blatt, he's worthy of his trust and the leading PG position. Smith caught fire in the third quarter, burning the net from deep while Lior Eliyahu and Sofoklis Schortsanitis (left the game during the first half with knee aches, but returned in the second) killed in the paint. Keith Langford's isolation plays and David Blu's put back ah la Blake Griffin, contributed as well.

If there's anything good Holon could take from their embarrassing performance, it's the immense talent forward/center Bryant Dunston displayed. Dunston led both teams in scoring and rebounding, finishing with a 21 points, 10 rebounds double-double effort. Ron Lewis added 18 points forcing a game high 17 shots while finishing with low percentages from the field. Moran Roth finished with 16 points and 7 turnovers.

Follow David Pick on Twitter: @IAmDPick

Loto League Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Sylven LANDESBERG
  Maccab.
  (198-F/G-90)
  Avg: 22.1

1. Landesberg, Macca.	22.1
2. Banks, Elitzur	21.8
3. Carter, Bnei H.	20.9
4. Crawford, Maccab.	20.0
5. Lewis, Hapoel Holon	19.4
6. Duncan, Maccabi	18.8
7. Delaney, B.C. H.	18.6
8. Asbury, Elitzur	18.4
9. Dunn, Bnei Hashar.	18.1
10. Bradley, Maccabi	17.4

Rebounds Per Game

Bryant DUNSTON
  Hapoel H.
  (202-F/C-86)
  Avg: 10

1. Dunston, Hapoel H.	10.0
2. Rosefelt, Bnei H.	7.9
3. Williams, Maccabi	7.9
4. Asbury, Elitzur	7.8
5. James, Bnei H.	7.7
6. Dowell, B.C. H.	7.6
7. Duncan, Maccabi	7.6
8. Kitchen, Maccabi	7.6
9. Tyus, Maccabi	7.6
10. Uter, Maccabi	7.5

Assists Per Game

Moran ROTH
  Hapoel Holon
  (183-PG-82)
  Avg: 8.3

1. Roth, Hapoel Holon	8.3
2. Tapiro, Maccabi	7.9
3. Randle, Elitzur	6.6
4. Carter, Bnei H.	6.5
5. Thomas, Galil Gilb.	5.7
6. Jackson, Maccabi	5.0
7. Mitchell, Ironi A.	4.9
8. Ohayon, Maccabi	4.4
9. Delaney, B.C. H.	4.4
10. Lewis, Hapoel Hol.	4.0

Steals Per Game

Danilo PINNOCK
  B.C. H.
  (196-G-83)
  Avg: 2.8

1. Pinnock, B.C. H.	2.8
2. Mitchell, Ironi A.	2.1
3. Limonad, Ironi A.	2.0
4. Robinson, B.C. H.	2.0
5. Ohayon, Maccabi	2.0
6. Kitchen, Maccabi	1.9
7. Ben-Chimol, Maccab.	1.9
8. Delaney, B.C. H.	1.9
9. Williams, Bnei H.	1.8
10. Bowman, Maccabi	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Sean WILLIAMS
  Maccabi .
  (208-F-86)
  Avg: 4.1

1. Williams, Maccabi	4.1
2. Uter, Maccabi	2.1
3. Varnado, Hapoel J.	2.0
4. Dunston, Hapoel H.	2.0
5. James, Maccabi T-A	1.7
6. Hendrix, Maccabi	1.2
7. Randle, Hapoel J-M	1.1
8. Tyus, Maccabi	1.1
9. Powell, Maccabi Ha.	1.1
10. Sullivan, Hapoel	1.0

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

ITALY

stats leader

Points Per Game

Bernardo MUSSO
  Napoli
  (192-G-86)
  Avg: 19.2

1. Musso, Napoli	19.2
2. Evangelisti, Recan.	18.2
3. Mei, Comsum.it SI	15.8
4. Carrizo, Ferentino	15.6
5. Ferrarese, Castell.	15.4
6. Prandin, Casalp.	15.1
7. Portannese, Torino	15.1
8. Benevelli, Orlandi.	14.9
9. Ruggiero, Bari	14.6
10. Vitale, Treviglio	14.5

Rebounds Per Game

Emanuele ROSSI
  Chieti
  (208-C-82)
  Avg: 12.4

1. Rossi, Chieti	12.4
2. Iannilli, Napoli	9.8
3. Borra, Treviglio	8.7
4. Simeoli, Comsum.i.	8.5
5. Benevelli, Orlandi.	8.5
6. Tessitori, Comsum..	8.2
7. Gandini, Trieste	8.1
8. Raminelli, Castell.	7.8
9. Baldi Rossi, Perug.	7.8
10. Ferraro, Trieste	7.6

Assists Per Game

Matteo BERTOLAZZI
  Omegna
  (181-G-79)
  Avg: 4.7

1. Bertolazzi, Omegna	4.7
2. Musso, Napoli	3.9
3. Stanic, Fabriano	3.7
4. Guarino, Ferentino	3.3
5. Vico, Matera	3.2
6. Ferrarese, Castell.	3.1
7. Zanelli, Orlandina	3.0
8. Santolamazza, Ana.	3.0
9. Forray, Trento	2.9
10. Ruggiero, Bari	2.8

Steals Per Game

Alessio IARDELLA
  Fabriano
  (187-F-88)
  Avg: 3.5

1. Iardella, Fabriano	3.5
2. Musso, Napoli	3.0
3. Bertolazzi, Omegna	3.0
4. Portannese, Torino	2.9
5. Malamov, Anagni	2.9
6. Rossi, Chieti	2.8
7. Maggio, Pavia	2.8
8. Stanic, Fabriano	2.8
9. Amici, Firenze	2.8
10. Guarino, Ferentino	2.8

Blocks Per Game

Andrea ANCELLOTTI
  Santar.
  (212-C-88)
  Avg: 1.7

1. Ancellotti, Santar.	1.7
2. Capitanelli, Firen.	1.6
3. Borra, Treviglio	1.5
4. Candido, San Seve.	1.4
5. Tessitori, Comsum..	1.0
6. Cazzaniga, Pavia	1.0
7. Gandini, Trieste	1.0
8. Benevelli, Orlandi.	1.0
9. Raminelli, Castell.	0.9
10. Rossi, Chieti	0.9

Standings - SerieA

SerieA Standings

1. Montepaschi		15-5
2. Armani MI		12-8
3. CS Bologna		12-8
4. Banco di Sard.		12-8
5. Umana Venezia		11-7
6. Scavolini PS		11-7
7. Bennet Cantu		11-8
8. Sidigas AV		11-8
9. Cimberio VA		10-10
10. Otto Caserta		9-10
11. Angelico BI		9-10
12. Acea Roma		9-11
13. Benetton TV		8-11
14. Fabi Shoes		7-12
15. Banca Tercas		6-12
16. Vanoli CR		6-14
17. Novipiu CM		5-15

Standings - B1

Nazionale Standings

Div.North-East
1. Trento		16-7
2. Trieste		16-7
3. Perugia		11-11
4. Comsum.it SI		7-15
5. Firenze		7-16
6. Santarcangelo		6-16
Div.North-West
1. Omegna		21-3
2. Torino		16-8
3. Treviglio		14-9
4. Casalpusterlengo		12-11
5. Pavia		12-12
6. Castelletto		8-15
Div.South-East
1. Chieti		11-10
2. Recanati		11-10
3. Bari		11-11
4. San Severo		8-13
5. Fabriano		7-14
6. Ruvo		3-20
Div.South-West
1. Napoli		19-4
2. Orlandina		14-9
3. Ferentino		13-8
4. Matera		10-11
5. Latina Basket		9-13
6. Anagni		7-14

Stats Leaders - SerieA

Points Per Game

Von WAFER
  Vanoli CR
  (196-G-85)
  Avg: 20.1

1. Wafer, Vanoli CR	20.1
2. Smith, Otto C.	18.2
3. Coleman, Angelico.	18.0
4. Shakur, Novipiu CM	17.6
5. Dean, Sidigas AV	16.9
6. White, Scavolin.	16.4
7. Diawara, Cimberio.	16.4
8. Diener, Banco d.	16.0
9. Andersen, Montepa.	15.8
10. Tucker, Acea Roma	15.7

Rebounds Per Game

Viktor SANIKIDZE
  CS Bo.
  (203-F-86)
  Avg: 10.7

1. Sanikidze, CS Bo.	10.7
2. Johnson, Sidigas	9.2
3. Adrien, Benetton	9.0
4. Brunner, Fabi Shoes	7.6
5. Chiotti, Novip.	7.6
6. Ivanov, Fabi Shoes	7.6
7. Smith, Otto C.	7.5
8. Jones, Scavolini PS	7.2
9. Miralles, Angelico.	6.6
10. Gigli, CS Bologna	6.5

Assists Per Game

Marques GREEN
  Sidigas AV
  (167-PG-82)
  Avg: 6.6

1. Green, Sidigas AV	6.6
2. Collins, Otto Case.	6.2
3. Diener, Banco d.	5.1
4. Cook, Armani MI	5.0
5. Shakur, Novipiu CM	4.1
6. Poeta, CS Bologna	4.1
7. Stipcevic, Cimberi.	3.9
8. McIntyre, CS Bo.	3.9
9. Brown, Banca T.	3.6
10. Pullen, Angelico	3.4

Steals Per Game

Aubrey COLEMAN
  Angelico.
  (193-G-87)
  Avg: 3.2

1. Coleman, Angelico.	3.2
2. Kirksay, Fabi Shoes	2.6
3. Hackett, Scavolin.	2.6
4. Green, Sidigas AV	2.4
5. Hosley, Banco d.	2.3
6. Pullen, Angelico BI	2.1
7. Bowers, Umana V.	1.9
8. Dean, Sidigas AV	1.8
9. Kangur, Cimberio.	1.8
10. Di Bella, Fabi S.	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Tony EASLEY
  Banco d.
  (206-F-87)
  Avg: 1.6

1. Easley, Banco d.	1.6
2. Cusin, Scavolini PS	1.3
3. Szewczyk, Umana V.	1.1
4. Shermadini, Bennet	1.1
5. Slokar, Acea Roma	0.9
6. Green, Banca Terc.	0.8
7. Adrien, Benetton	0.8
8. Hunter, Banco d.	0.8
9. Ress, Montepaschi	0.8
10. Sanikidze, CS Bo.	0.8

Italian Lega2 round 20 best performance: Paul Marigney - by Eurobasket News
American guard Paul Marigney (192-G-82) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for Scafati Basket, receiving a Eurobasket.com Lega2 Player of the Week award for round 20.
The 29-year old player was the main contributor (19 points, four rebounds and six assists) to his team's victory, helping them to crush Morpho Basket (#8, 8-10) with 18-point margin 89-71. Givova Scafati maintains the 4th position in Italian Lega2. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Givova Scafati will need more victories to improve their 12-6 record. Marigney turned to be Givova Scafati's top player in his first season with the team. Former Saint Mary's College of California star has very solid stats this year. Marigney is in league's top in points (2nd best: 22.4ppg), assists (5th best: 3.6apg) and averages impressive 2.6spg and 53.4% FGP.

The second best player in last round's games was 23-year old American Aaron Johnson (172-G-88) of Assi Ostuni. Johnson had a very good evening with 19 points and 9 assists. Of course Assi Ostuni cruised to a 77-68 relatively comfortable win over the lower-ranked Aget Imola (#14, 6-12). The game was between two teams which are definitely not main contenders for the title. Assi Ostuni keeps 10th position. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 8-10 record. Johnson is a newcomer at Assi Ostuni, but is already one of team's top players.

Third on the list of top players last round was American forward Bobby Jones (201-F-84) of league's top team Giorgio Tesi PT. Jones scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds. He was a key player of Giorgio Tesi PT, leading his team to a 64-55 win against the lower-ranked S.Antimo (#15, 5-13). Giorgio Tesi PT confirms their top position in the standings. Their record at this point is 13 victories and 5 lost games. Jones has a very solid season. In 18 games in Italy he scored 12.8ppg. He also has 6.8rpg and FGP: 54.4%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. James Thomas (203-F/C-80) of Givova Scafati - 9 points and 12 rebounds
5. Leemire Goldwire (180-G-85) of Centrale Latte - 27 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists
6. Troy Bell (186-G-80) of S.Antimo - 25 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists
7. Dane Diliegro (205-C-88) of Assi Ostuni - 10 points and 12 rebounds
8. Tre Kelley (182-G-85) of Biancoblu BO - 19 points, 2 rebounds and 9 assists
9. Shawn Huff (198-G/F-84) of MarcoPoloShop - 20 points and 9 rebounds
10. Mareks Jurevicus (198-G/F-85) of Assi Ostuni - 16 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists

The Player of the week is chosen 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)

Hosley's 31-point game gives him Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
27-year old swingman Quinton Hosley (201-F/G-84) put on an amazing game in the last round for Banco di Sard. and receives a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 21.
He had the game-high 31 points adding six rebounds and two assists for Banco di Sard. in his team's victory, helping them to beat Armani MI (12-8) 81-71. The game was between two of the league's top four teams. Banco di Sard. is placed at 4th position in Italian league. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Banco di Sard. will need more victories to improve their 12-8 record. In the team's last game Hosley had a remarkable 60.0% from 2-point range. He turned to be Banco di Sard.'s top player in his first season with the team. Quinton Hosley averages this season 14.5ppg.

Second best performed player last round was Clay Tucker (196-G-80, agency: Pro One Sports) of Lottomatica. He is American guard in his first season at Acea Roma. In the last game Tucker recorded impressive 20 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists. It was enough for Acea Roma to edge the higher-ranked Cimberio VA (#9, 10-10) by 2 points 78-76. The game was between two teams which are definitely not main contenders for the title. But Acea Roma managed to improve slightly their position in standings taking 12th place. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 9-11 record. Tucker is a newcomer at Acea Roma and quickly became one of team's most reliable players.

Third place about best performers goes to guard Andre Collins (183-PG-82) of Pepsi Caserta (#10). Collins scored 23 points and passed seven assists. He was a key player of Otto Caserta, leading his team to a 77-76 win against the lower-ranked Novipiu CM (#17, 5-15). The chances of Otto Caserta ranking at the top of the league, however are very questionable as they have already lost 10 games, recording just nine victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Collins could help Otto Caserta to bring them higher in the standings. Collins has a great season in Italy. After 19 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in assists with 6.2apg (2nd best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Andre Smith (203-F-85) of Otto Caserta - 25 points and 5 rebounds
5. Beye Tabu-Eboma (190-PG-85) of Vanoli CR - 22 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists
6. David Andersen (212-C-80) of Montepaschi - 19 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists
7. Petteri Koponen (194-G-88) of CS Bologna - 17 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists
8. Pietro Aradori (194-SG-88) of Montepaschi - 19 points and 4 rebounds
9. Aubrey Coleman (193-G-87) of Angelico BI - 17 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists
10. Rok Stipcevic (185-PG-86) of Cimberio VA - 18 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists

The Player of the week is chosen 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)

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

JAPAN

White's double-double lands him BJ League Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
27-year old guard Wendell White (198-G-84) put on an amazing game in the last round for Oita H.Devils and receives a Asia-basket.com BJ League Player of the Week award for round 35.
He had a double-double of 22 points and 16 rebounds, while his team crushed Chiba Jets (#7, 12-17) with 24-point margin 104-80. Oita H.Devils maintains the 8th position in Japanese BJ League. Too late to salvage the team, which is currently ranked such low. They already lost 21 games and recorded just nine victories. White turned to be Oita H.Devils' top player in his first season with the team. Wendell White averages this season 18.7ppg and 8.7rpg.

Second best performed player last round was T.J. Cummings (205-F-81). He is American forward in his first season at Oita H.Devils. In the last game Cummings recorded impressive double-double of 31 points and 18 rebounds. Of course together with White he helped Oita H.Devils with another comfortable win outscoring slightly higher-ranked Chiba Jets (#7, 12-17) 104-80. Oita H.Devils' 8th position in the standings has not changed. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 9-21 record. Cummings is a newcomer at Oita H.Devils and quickly became one of team's most reliable players.

Third place about best performers goes to guard Jamel Staten (198-G-83) of Chiba Jets (#7). Staten showcased his all-around game by recording 20 points, thirteen rebounds (!!!) and six assists in the last round. Despite Staten's great performance Chiba Jets lost 80-104 to slightly lower-ranked Oita H.Devils (#8, 9-21). But his team cannot count on just a single player as he also needs help of the other teammates. The chances of Chiba Jets ranking at the top of the league, however are very questionable as they have already lost 17 games, recording just twelve victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Staten could help Chiba Jets to bring them higher in the standings. Staten has a great season in Japan. After 29 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 20.1ppg (5th best) and rebounds with 10.5rpg (4th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Devin Searcy (208-F/C-89) of Toyama Grouses - 18 points and 10 rebounds
5. Justin Burrell (235-F-88) of Yokohama BC - 23 points, 11 rebounds and 2 assists
6. Chris Holm (212-C/F-84) of Niigata Albirex - 14 points and 13 rebounds
7. Antoine Broxsie (209-F-79) of Chiba Jets - 12 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists
8. Michael Bell (206-F-82) of Osaka Evessa - 17 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Daniel Fitzgerald (206-F-84) of Sendai 89ers - 31 points and 10 rebounds
10. Jeff Newton (205-C-81) of Okinawa GK - 10 points, 14 rebounds 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)

BJ League Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Michael PARKER
  Shimane SM
  (202-F-81)
  Avg: 23.6

1. Parker, Shimane SM	23.6
2. Flowers, Saitama	21.3
3. Hargrow, Chiba J.	20.8
4. Palmer, Fukuoka	20.8
5. Staten, Chiba Jets	20.2
6. Humphrey, Saitama	19.5
7. Burrell, Yokohama.	19.5
8. Gardener, Akita NH	19.4
9. Mims, Sendai 89ers	19.3
10. Kennedy, Iwate B.	18.8

Rebounds Per Game

Chris HOLM
  Niigata Albirex
  (212-C/F-84)
  Avg: 14.6

1. Holm, Niigata Albi.	14.6
2. Hamilton, Fukuok.	10.6
3. Newton, Okinawa GK	10.5
4. Staten, Chiba Jets	10.5
5. Rickert, Kyoto H.	10.5
6. Mims, Sendai 89ers	10.4
7. Malloy, Iwate B.	10.3
8. Hughes, Shinshu BW	10.2
9. Allred, Kyoto H.	10.2
10. Roberts, Shins.	10.1

Assists Per Game

Kenny SATTERFIELD
  Saitam.
  (188-PG-81)
  Avg: 6.7

1. Satterfield, Saita.	6.7
2. Shimura, Sendai	5.6
3. Gardener, Akita NH	5.6
4. Yamamoto, Shima.	5.3
5. Dixon, Hamamats.	5.2
6. Takushi, Oita H.	5.0
7. Yamamoto, Iwate B.	4.5
8. Dukes, Sendai 89e.	4.5
9. Namizato, Okina.	4.4
10. Hamilton, Fukuok.	4.2

Steals Per Game

Jamel STATEN
  Chiba Jets
  (198-G-83)
  Avg: 3

1. Staten, Chiba Jets	3.0
2. Palmer, Fukuoka	2.9
3. Parker, Shimane SM	2.6
4. Humphrey, Saitama	2.2
5. Lyons, Miyazaki SS	2.0
6. Golson, Shimane SM	1.9
7. Hamilton, Fukuok.	1.9
8. Dixon, Hamamats.	1.8
9. Saito, Shinshu BW	1.8
10. Joho, Toyama G.	1.8

Blocks Per Game

Jeral DAVIS
  Shimane SM
  (216-C-84)
  Avg: 3.8

1. Davis, Shimane SM	3.8
2. Blackledge, Osaka	3.0
3. Singleton, Sendai	2.6
4. Mims, Sendai 89ers	1.6
5. Dukes, Sendai 89e.	1.5
6. Hughes, Shinshu BW	1.5
7. Moliva, Chiba Jets	1.3
8. Marshall, Osaka E.	1.3
9. Lamizana, Hamamat.	1.3
10. Turner, Toyama G.	1.2

BJ League Round 36: Okinawa GK loses a game and the top position to Hamamatsu Phoenix - by Eurobasket News
There was no lack of excitement in the last round games. The round ended with defeat of the leader and favorites losing the games.

The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of Okinawa GK (25-7) in Mikawa on Sunday night. Visitors were defeated by Hamamatsu Phoenix (20-11) 101-97. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of Okinawa GK. It was a key game for the top position in the league as both teams had the same 19-11 record before this meeting. The hosts were tied at the half but managed to speed up in last two quarters eventually winning the game. Hamamatsu Phoenix made 25-of-33 free shots (75.8 percent) during the game. They also forced 19 Okinawa GK turnovers. Americans were the main players on the court. Worth to mention a great performance of guard Jermaine Dixon (191-87, college: Pittsburgh, agency: VVG Sports) who helped to win the game recording 36 points (!!!) and 5 assists and guard Wayne Arnold (193-84, college: Tennessee St., agency: ACMT) who added 17 points and 5 rebounds during the contest. The best for the losing side was center Jeff Newton (205-81, college: Indiana) with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 13 rebounds. Okinawa GK's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Defending champion maintains first position with 20-11 record which they share with defeated Okinawa GK. Okinawa GK at the other side still keeps top place with seven games lost. Hamamatsu Phoenix are looking forward to face Miyazaki Shining Suns (#7) on the road in the next round where they are favorite. Okinawa GK will play against Yokohama BC (#5) and is hoping to win this game.
Eighth-ranked Shinshu BW (12-20) gave a tough game to second ranked Osaka Evessa (22-8). Osaka Evessa managed to secure only three-point victory 86-83. However their fans expected much easier game. Americans were the main players on the court also this time. The winners were led by forward Lynn Washington (200-78, college: Indiana) who scored that evening 22 points and 8 rebounds and Michael Bell supported him with 17 points and 6 rebounds. Osaka Evessa's coach allowed to play the deep bench players in such tough game. Even 30 points and 4 assists by guard Derek Raivio (190-84, college: Gonzaga, agency: Priority Sports) did not help to save the game for Shinshu BW. Osaka Evessa have a solid four-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 22-8 record having just -1 point less than leader Okinawa GK. Shinshu BW at the other side keeps the eighth place with 20 games lost. Osaka Evessa will play against Saitama Broncos (#9) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Shinshu BW will play against Kyoto Hannar. and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Very important is a home loss of third ranked Kyoto Hannar. (21-9) against fifth ranked Shiga L-Stars (19-13) on Sunday night. Host Kyoto Hannar. was defeated by Shiga L-Stars in Kyoto 80-69. The best player for the winners was Julius Ashby who scored 13 points and 9 rebounds. At the other side the best for losing team was Jermaine Boyette who recorded 18 points. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Shiga L-Stars moved-up to second place, which they share with Akita NH. Loser Kyoto Hannar. keeps the third position with nine games lost. Shiga L-Stars will meet at home Toyama Grouses (#4) in the next round. Kyoto Hannar. will play against Shinshu BW in Nagano and hope to secure a win.
The game between Top Four teams took place in Akita. Second ranked host Akita Happinets (19-13) defeated 4th ranked Sendai 89ers (16-16) 83-72. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Sendai 89ers. It was a good game for Devin Sweetney who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 15 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. Sendai 89ers' coach Robert Pierce tested ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Akita Happinets maintains second position with 19-13 record behind leader Okinawa GK, which they share with Shiga L-Stars. Sendai 89ers at the other side dropped to the sixth place with 16 games lost. Akita Happinets' next round opponent will be Takamatsu FA (#9) on the road and are hoping to win another game.
The game in Oita was also quite interesting. 7th ranked Chiba Jets (12-18) played at the court of eighth ranked Oita Heat Devils (10-21). Oita Heat Devils did not have too big problems and got a relatively easy victory 89-72 on Sunday. Worth to mention a great performance of Wendell White who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 18 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Oita Heat Devils maintains eighth position with 10-21 record. Loser Chiba Jets keep the seventh place with 18 games lost. Oita Heat Devils will face higher ranked Niigata Albirex (#3) on the road in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game.

There were no shocking results in the other games in round 36: Miyazaki SS lost to Saitama Bron. on the opponent's court 73-78. Iwate Big Bulls was outscored by Niigata Albirex in a home game 60-86. Fukuoka Rizing recorded a loss to Toyama Grouses on the road 91-82.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 13 points, 22 rebounds and 4 assists by Chris Holm of Niigata Albirex.

Saitama Bron. - Miyazaki SS 78-73

There was a minor upset when 7th ranked Miyazaki Shining Suns (14-18) were defeated on the road by tenth ranked Saitama Broncos (9-20) 78-73 on Sunday. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Miyazaki Shining Suns won fourth quarter 20-18. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They outrebounded Miyazaki Shining Suns 44-30 including 33 on the defensive glass. The game was dominated by American players. Worth to mention a great performance of forward John Flowers (200-89, college: W.Virginia, agency: KMG Sports Management) who helped to win the game recording 37 points (!!!) and 9 rebounds and forward Jayme Miller (203-85) who added 19 points and 19 rebounds during the contest. The best for the losing side was swingman Dexter Lyons (198-81, college: Cent.Florida, agency: I.D.S. Law) with 13 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists and center Darryl Dora (206-85, college: Texas Tech) scored 14 points and 9 rebounds. Saitama Broncos moved-up to ninth place. Loser Miyazaki Shining Suns keep the seventh position with 18 games lost. Saitama Broncos will face league's second-placed Osaka Evessa at home in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game.
Top scorers:
Saitama Bron.: J.Flowers 37+9reb+1ast, J.Miller 19+19reb+1ast, J.Humphrey 7+2reb, Y.Arai 6+3reb+4ast, J.Porter 4+6reb+3ast, D.Terashita 3+3reb+2ast
Miyazaki SS: D.Dora 14+9reb+1ast, D.Lyons 13+8reb+8ast, L.Witcher 11+2reb+1ast, Y.Tsubasa 9+2ast, T.Shimizu 8+4reb+1ast, O.Mims 8+2reb+2ast

Hamamatsu P. - Okinawa GK 101-97

The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of Okinawa GK (25-7) in Mikawa on Sunday night. Visitors were defeated by Hamamatsu Phoenix (20-11) 101-97. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of Okinawa GK. It was a key game for the top position in the league as both teams had the same 19-11 record before this meeting. The hosts were tied at the half but managed to speed up in last two quarters eventually winning the game. Hamamatsu Phoenix made 25-of-33 free shots (75.8 percent) during the game. They also forced 19 Okinawa GK turnovers. Americans were the main players on the court. Worth to mention a great performance of guard Jermaine Dixon (191-87, college: Pittsburgh, agency: VVG Sports) who helped to win the game recording 36 points (!!!) and 5 assists and guard Wayne Arnold (193-84, college: Tennessee St., agency: ACMT) who added 17 points and 5 rebounds during the contest. The best for the losing side was center Jeff Newton (205-81, college: Indiana) with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 13 rebounds and Anthony McHenry (202-83, college: Georgia Tech) produced a double-double by scoring 13 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists. Four Hamamatsu Phoenix and five Okinawa GK players scored in double figures. Okinawa GK's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Defending champion maintains first position with 20-11 record which they share with defeated Okinawa GK. Okinawa GK at the other side still keeps top place with seven games lost. Hamamatsu Phoenix are looking forward to face Miyazaki Shining Suns (#7) on the road in the next round where they are favorite. Okinawa GK will play against Yokohama BC (#5) and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Hamamatsu P.: J.Dixon 36+2reb+5ast, W.Arnold 17+5reb+3ast, S.Nakanishi 14+3reb+1ast, J.Parmer 14+6reb+2ast, K.Tomori 9, L.Pomare 4+5reb
Okinawa GK: N.Kosuge 22+1reb+1ast, J.Newton 17+13reb+2ast, N.Namizato 17+1reb+9ast, D.Sneed 14+7reb, A.McHenry 13+11reb+4ast, D.Larkai 6+4reb+1ast

Kyoto Hannar. - Shiga L-Stars 69-80

Very important is a home loss of third ranked Kyoto Hannar. (21-9) against fifth ranked Shiga L-Stars (19-13) on Sunday night. Host Kyoto Hannar. was defeated by Shiga L-Stars in Kyoto 80-69. The guests trailed by 2 points after three quarters before their 28-15 charge, which allowed them to win the game. The best player for the winners was Trinidad and Tobago power forward Julius Ashby (205-82, college: Colorado) who scored 13 points and 9 rebounds. Panamanian forward Dionisio Gomez Camargo (203-80, college: Arkansas) chipped in a double-double by scoring 13 points and 11 rebounds. Five Shiga L-Stars players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was American guard Jermaine Boyette (188-78, college: Weber St., agency: SportsTalent) who recorded 18 points and his fellow American import forward Rick Rickert (211-83, college: Minnesota, agency: SportsTalent) added 6 points and 9 rebounds respectively. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Shiga L-Stars moved-up to second place, which they share with Akita NH. Loser Kyoto Hannar. keeps the third position with nine games lost. Shiga L-Stars will meet at home Toyama Grouses (#4) in the next round. Kyoto Hannar. will play against Shinshu BW in Nagano and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Shiga L-Stars: R.Nixon 14+6reb+1ast, D.Gomez Camargo 13+11reb+1ast, J.Ashby 13+9reb+3ast, Y.Okada 13+1reb+4ast, S.Ogawa 11+1reb+5ast, T.Fujiwara 7+3reb+1ast
Kyoto Hannar.: J.Boyette 18+4reb+2ast, Y.Inoue 8, N.Nakamura 8, T.Kawabe 7+1reb+1ast, R.Rickert 6+9reb+2ast, B.Camara 6+7reb

Osaka Evessa - Shinshu BW 86-83

Eighth-ranked Shinshu BW (12-20) gave a tough game to second ranked Osaka Evessa (22-8). Osaka Evessa managed to secure only three-point victory 86-83. However their fans expected much easier game. Osaka Evessa forced 21 Shinshu BW turnovers. Americans were the main players on the court also this time. The winners were led by forward Lynn Washington (200-78, college: Indiana) who scored that evening 22 points and 8 rebounds and forward Michael Bell (206-82, college: Florida Atlantic) supported him with 17 points and 6 rebounds. Osaka Evessa's coach allowed to play the deep bench players in such tough game. Even 30 points and 4 assists by guard Derek Raivio (190-84, college: Gonzaga, agency: Priority Sports) did not help to save the game for Shinshu BW. Power forward Lee Roberts (201-87, college: Findlay, OH) added 15 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Osaka Evessa have a solid four-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 22-8 record having just -1 point less than leader Okinawa GK. Shinshu BW at the other side keeps the eighth place with 20 games lost. Osaka Evessa will play against Saitama Broncos (#9) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Shinshu BW will play against Kyoto Hannar. and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Osaka Evessa: L.Washington 22+8reb+3ast, M.Bell 17+6reb, M.Obuchi 13+2reb+3ast, C.Aoki 11+2reb+2ast, W.Marshall 10+9reb+3ast, B.St.Preux 6+10reb+2ast
Shinshu BW: D.Raivio 30+4reb+4ast, L.Roberts 15+8reb+4ast, T.Saito 11+3reb+3ast, E.Morris 10+6reb+3ast, T.Hughes 8+19reb, S.Yosuke 6+2reb

Oita H.Devils - Chiba Jets 89-72

The game in Oita was also quite interesting. 7th ranked Chiba Jets (12-18) played at the court of eighth ranked Oita Heat Devils (10-21). Oita Heat Devils did not have too big problems and got a relatively easy victory 89-72 on Sunday. The game was mostly controlled by Oita Heat Devils. Chiba Jets was better in fourth quarter 16-15. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Oita Heat Devils looked well-organized offensively handing out 28 assists comparing to just 14 passes made by Chiba Jets' players. Worth to mention a great performance of American guard Wendell White (198-84, college: UNLV) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 18 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists and the other American import forward T.J. Cummings (205-81, college: UCLA) who added 18 points and 13 rebounds during the contest. Five Oita Heat Devils players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was American guard Jamel Staten (198-83, college: Minnesota St.) with a double-double by scoring 23 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals and Cameroonian forward Gaston Moliva (202-85, college: Richmond) scored 9 points and 12 rebounds. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Oita Heat Devils maintains eighth position with 10-21 record. Loser Chiba Jets keep the seventh place with 18 games lost. Oita Heat Devils will face higher ranked Niigata Albirex (#3) on the road in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game.
Top scorers:
Oita H.Devils: T.Cummings 18+13reb+2ast, W.White 18+14reb+4ast, N.Takushi 15+7reb+9ast, T.Finger 14+6reb, M.Lottich 12+5reb+5ast, S.Umemiya 5+2reb+5ast
Chiba Jets: J.Staten 23+11reb+7ast, Shouta 12+3reb, G.Moliva 9+12reb, T.Ishida 9+4reb+2ast, H.Sato 7+2reb+1ast, A.Broxsie 5+5reb+1ast

Iwate Big Bulls - Niigata Albirex 60-86

Rather predictable result when sixth ranked Niigata Albirex (17-15) smashed on the road 9th ranked Iwate Big Bulls (9-23) 86-60 on Sunday. They outrebounded Iwate Big Bulls 51-29 including a 34-22 advantage in defensive rebounds. The game was dominated by American players. Worth to mention a great performance of power forward Chris Holm (212-84, college: Vermont) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 13 points, 22 rebounds and 4 assists and guard Nile Murry (193-83, college: TCU) who added 11 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists during the contest. Five Niigata Albirex players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was forward Thomas Kennedy (201-87, college: Detroit Mercy, agency: Global Sports Plaza) with 14 points and 5 rebounds and power forward LaShawn Malloy (209-84, college: New Orleans, agency: Pro Management Agency) scored 12 points and 8 rebounds. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Niigata Albirex moved-up to third place, which they share with Shimane SM. Loser Iwate Big Bulls dropped to the tenth position with 23 games lost. Niigata Albirex will face Oita Heat Devils (#8) at home in the next round where they are favorite. Iwate Big Bulls will play against Shimane Magic.
Top scorers:
Niigata Albirex: K.Sato 14+1reb+1ast, C.Holm 13+22reb+4ast, E.Maxey 12+7reb+1ast, N.Murry 11+5reb+5ast, D.Gordon 10+3reb+1ast, Y.Ikeda 9+1reb+1ast
Iwate Big Bulls: T.Kennedy 14+5reb+2ast, L.Malloy 12+8reb, J.Boykin 10+5reb, M.Sawaguchi 8+4ast, Y.Yamamoto 5+4reb+3ast, G.Klaiber 4+4reb+1ast

Akita NH - Sendai 89ers 83-72

The game between Top Four teams took place in Akita. Second ranked host Akita Happinets (19-13) defeated 4th ranked Sendai 89ers (16-16) 83-72. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Sendai 89ers. The game was mostly controlled by Akita Happinets. Sendai 89ers was better in second period 27-21. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Akita Happinets players were unselfish on offense dishing 21 assists. It was a good game for American swingman Devin Sweetney (198-87, college: St.Francis, PA) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 15 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. American-Kittitian forward Kyle Swanston (201-86, college: JMU) contributed with 23 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Four Akita Happinets players scored in double figures. American forward Daniel Fitzgerald (206-84, college: Marquette) replied with 28 points and guard Takehiko Shimura (160-83) added 6 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists in the effort for Sendai 89ers. Sendai 89ers' coach Robert Pierce tested ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Akita Happinets maintains second position with 19-13 record behind leader Okinawa GK, which they share with Shiga L-Stars. Sendai 89ers at the other side dropped to the sixth place with 16 games lost. Akita Happinets' next round opponent will be Takamatsu FA (#9) on the road and are hoping to win another game.
Top scorers:
Akita NH: K.Swanston 23+5reb+4ast, Y.Kikuchi 22+2reb+1ast, D.Sweetney 15+11reb+6ast, M.Kearse 12+8reb+3ast, S.Taguchi 6, L.Green 4+4reb+2ast
Sendai 89ers: D.Fitzgerald 28+4reb+2ast, J.Dukes 11+8reb+4ast, K.Takahashi 9+1reb, F.Toncinic 7+9reb+1ast, T.Shimura 6+7reb+10ast, R.Singleton 5+3reb

Toyama Grouses - Fukuoka Rizing 91-82

There was a minor upset when one of their biggest challengers Fukuoka Rizing (20-12) was defeated on the road by sixth ranked Toyama Grouses (16-14) 91-82 on Sunday. The game was dominated by American players. Worth to mention a great performance of swingman Brian Harper (206-85, college: Paine, agency: Pro One Sports) who helped to win the game recording 29 points and 8 rebounds and power forward Devin Searcy (208-89, college: Dayton, agency: Pro One Sports) who added 15 points and 18 rebounds during the contest. Four Toyama Grouses players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was swingman Carlos Dixon (201-81, college: Virginia Tech) with 28 points and power forward Gary Hamilton (208-84, college: Miami, FL) produced a double-double by scoring 14 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Toyama Grouses moved-up to fourth place which they share with defeated Fukuoka Rizing. Loser Fukuoka Rizing keeps the fourth position with 12 games lost. Toyama Grouses will face Shiga L-Stars (#5) on the road in the next round. Fukuoka Rizing will play against Chiba Jets.
Top scorers:
Toyama Grouses: B.Harper 29+8reb+3ast, I.Brown 17+3reb+2ast, M.Joho 15+1reb+2ast, D.Searcy 15+18reb+1ast, K.Takano 6, T.Mito 6+2reb+4ast
Fukuoka Rizing: C.Dixon 28+4reb+3ast, K.Palmer 14+7reb, G.Hamilton 14+11reb+5ast, J.Nakanishi 9+6reb+2ast, J.Dearman 9+5reb, M.Kano 6+1reb+1ast

Japanese BJ League round 36 best performance: Chris Holm - by Eurobasket News
American Chris Holm (212-C/F-84) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for Niigata Albirex, receiving a Asia-basket.com BJ League Player of the Week award for round 36.
The 27-year old player had a double-double of 13 points and 22 rebounds, while his team outclassed Iwate Big Bulls (#10, 9-23) with 26-point margin 86-60. Niigata Albirex is placed at 3rd position in Japanese BJ League. Niigata Albirex 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 17-15 record. It was one of impressive evenings for Holm as usually he does not deliver so high stats. Former University of Vermont star has very solid stats this year. Holm leads league in rebounds with 14.6rpg. Holm

The second best player in last round's games was 27-year old American Gary Hamilton (208-C/F-84) of Fukuoka Rizing. Hamilton had a very good evening with a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds. Bad luck as Fukuoka Rizing lost that game 82-91 to slightly higher-ranked Toyama Grouses (#4, 16-14). It was definitely game of the week between two contenders to the title. Fukuoka Rizing still maintains its place in the top 4 of the standings, even despite this loss. His team's 20-12 record is not bad at all. Hamilton is a newcomer at Fukuoka Rizing, but is already one of team's top players.

Third on the list of top players last round was American forward Jayme Miller (203-F-85) of Saitama Bron. (#9). Miller scored 19 points and grabbed nineteen rebounds (!!!). He was a key player of Saitama Bron., leading his team to a 78-73 win against slightly higher-ranked Miyazaki SS (#7, 14-18). The chances of Saitama Bron. not to end season at such low position in the league, however are less than slim as they have already lost 20 games, recording just nine victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Miller could try to bring Saitama Bron.'s a little bit higher in the standings. Miller has a very solid season. In 13 games in Japan he scored 12.9ppg.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Jamel Staten (198-G-83) of Chiba Jets - 23 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists
5. Devin Sweetney (198-G/F-87) of Akita NH - 15 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists
6. Derek Raivio (190-G-84) of Shinshu BW - 30 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists
7. Jermaine Dixon (191-G-87) of Hamamatsu P. - 36 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists
8. Wendell White (198-G-84) of Oita H.Devils - 18 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists
9. Devin Searcy (208-F/C-89) of Toyama Grouses - 15 points and 18 rebounds
10. John Flowers (200-F-89) of Saitama Bron. - 37 points and 9 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)

Standings - BJ League

BJ Standings

Eastern
1. Hamamatsu P.		20-11
2. Akita NH		19-13
3. Niigata Albirex		17-15
4. Toyama Grouses		16-14
5. Yokohama BC		16-15
6. Sendai 89ers		16-16
7. Chiba Jets		12-18
8. Shinshu BW		12-20
9. Saitama Bron.		9-20
10. Iwate Big Bulls		9-23
Western
1. Okinawa GK		25-7
2. Osaka Evessa		22-8
3. Kyoto Hannar.		21-9
4. Fukuoka Rizing		20-12
5. Shiga L-Stars		19-13
6. Shimane SM		17-15
7. Miyazaki SS		14-18
8. Oita H.Devils		10-21
9. Takamatsu FA		2-28

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JUCO

Ocean County College: 1000 points achieved by JaMario Clayton - by Eurobasket News
Mens' Basketball game played February 9 vs Gloucester was a special night for the Vikings. Our point guard Jamario Clayton scored his 1000 career point as a college athlete, and the team won by a score of 56- 48!

JaMario scored a 3 point shot on his first basket of the home game bringing his point total to 1001!

Ocean County College honored JaMario right after he achieved this milestone.

College President Dr. Jon Larson, Vice President of Student Affairs Don Doran, Athletic Director Ilene Cohen, as well as coaching Staff Taurean Fisher and Jeff Mogila presented JaMario with a special ball recognizing his athletic achievement.

'1000 points is an honor to achieve and we are proud that JaMario has joined the elite group of players who have reached 1000 points.' said Athletic Director, Ilene Cohen.

Courtesy of www.ocean.edu

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KAZAKHSTAN

Standings -D1

D1 Standings

1. BC Astana		16-0
2. Barsy Atyrau		13-5
3. BK Almaty		7-7
4. Tobol		7-9
5. Kaspiy Aktau		5-9
6. BK Atyrau		0-18

BC Astana keep on winning - by Eurobasket News
BC Astana registered two more wins in D1 championship. They defeated BK Atyrau in back-to-back clashes.
BC Astana celebrated a 92:43 win in Game 1. The hosts led from start to finish. Rustam Yargaliev (195-F/G-86) posted 23 points to lead the effort. Pavel Ilin (202-F-92) added 13 points in the victory. Yuriy Korshunov (204-F-86) answered with 19 points and 8 rebounds for BK Atyrau.
The next game was once again a one-way traffic. BC Astana claimed a 112:51 victory at the end. Eric Williams (206-C-84, college: Wake Forest) stepped up with 29 points and 12 rebounds to pace the winners. Dmitriy Klimov (200-F-88) contributed 17 points for BC Astana as they improved at 16-0 record. BK Atyrau responded with 13 points from Yuriy Korshunov.

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KOSOVO

Ahmetbasic wants the finals! - by Dren Shporta
Pejas guard, Mirza Ahmetbasic (193-G-87, agency: World Sport Agency, college: Abil.Christian) hopes to reach the finals of the championship and cup this season. Former Bashkimi player, Ahmetbasic, has been back to Kosovar basketball after two years. In a short interview for Koha Ditore daily he said that reaching the both finals and winning one of them is his objective with Peja this season.

Peja has started well the season but after suspension of Valdet Grapci and the home court they got disoriented and lost some easy games. In the end, they reached the fourth place in the classification table and changed all international players they had. They have also changed coach Bujar Loci with Croatian Ivica Maric.

In winter transfer window they have registered two Americans, Mario Edwards and Dustin Scott from South Carolina Warriors. They have also turned back Mirza Ahmetbasic from BC Vienna. In BKT Superliga clubs can have only two international players per season. Mirza Ahmetbasic has kosovar passport, so he is considered as local player. Peja will visit Sigal Prishtina in the first match of the season. They have lost two, out of two, matches from Sigal Prishtina in the first half of the season.

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KUWAIT

Standings

D1 Standings

1. Al Kuwait		8-3
2. Al Sahel		7-4
3. Kazma		7-4
4. Al Qadsia		7-4
5. Al Jahraa		3-8
6. Al Yarmook		1-10

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LEBANON

Standings - Division A

Div.A Standings

1. Champville		17-0
2. Al Riyadi		16-1
3. Anibal		11-6
4. Sagesse		8-11
5. Byblos		8-11
6. Bejjeh		6-11
7. Moutahed		6-11
8. Hoops		5-13
9. Antranik		2-14

Stats Leaders - Men

Points Per Game

Desmond PENIGAR
  Byblos
  (201-F-81)
  Avg: 28.8

1. Penigar, Byblos	28.8
2. Khatib, Champville	28.4
3. Spencer, Al Riyadi	26.4
4. Ebi, Anibal	25.2
5. Williams, Byblos	24.1
6. Colwell, Antranik	23.9
7. Oguchi, Hoops	23.3
8. Hoskin, Champville	22.3
9. Youngblood, Anibal	22.3
10. Gray, Byblos	21.7

Rebounds Per Game

Harold JAMISON
  Bejjeh
  (204-C-76)
  Avg: 14.8

1. Jamison, Bejjeh	14.8
2. Penigar, Byblos	13.1
3. Dearman, Bejjeh	12.4
4. Thompson, Champvil.	11.9
5. Colwell, Antranik	11.1
6. Crump, Sagesse	10.9
7. Hoskin, Champville	10.8
8. Ismail, Al Riyadi	10.8
9. Leather, Sagesse	10.3
10. Hamdar, Hoops	9.6

Assists Per Game

Corey WILLIAMS
  Byblos
  (191-G-77)
  Avg: 7.1

1. Williams, Byblos	7.1
2. Akl, Anibal	7.1
3. Clemons, Hoops	6.3
4. Ismail, Al Riyadi	6.2
5. Gray, Byblos	6.0
6. Khatib, Champville	5.9
7. Mahmoud, Al Riyadi	5.8
8. Johnson, Moutahed	5.6
9. Young, Antranik	5.4
10. Oguchi, Hoops	4.6

Steals Per Game

Vernon HAMILTON
  Hoops
  (183-G-84)
  Avg: 3.2

1. Hamilton, Hoops	3.2
2. Youngblood, Anibal	3.0
3. Mahmoud, Al Riyadi	2.9
4. Clemons, Hoops	2.8
5. Johnson, Moutahed	2.4
6. Young, Antranik	2.3
7. Heard, Hoops	2.2
8. Spencer, Al Riyadi	2.2
9. Estephane, Champvi.	2.2
10. Ebi, Anibal	2.0

Blocks Per Game

Ndudi EBI
  Anibal
  (206-F-84)
  Avg: 2.6

1. Ebi, Anibal	2.6
2. Colwell, Antranik	2.2
3. Vogel, Al Riyadi	2.0
4. Hamdar, Hoops	1.9
5. Ismail, Al Riyadi	1.8
6. Crump, Sagesse	1.6
7. Thompson, Champvil.	1.5
8. Sabra, Byblos	1.3
9. Bou Abboud, Bejjeh	1.2
10. Fakhreddine, Hoo.	1.2

WABA League: Champville overpower Petrochimi in Iran - by Eurobasket News
Petrochimi - Champville 66:79

Champville made the first step towards WABA League semis. They stunned Petrochimi in Iran tonight to enter the second home game with confidence. Samuel Hoskin (206-F/C-79, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: De Paul) fired 29 points and collected 11 rebounds to lead the charge.
The teams exchanged baskets throughout the opening quarter. Petrochimi and Champville were tied at 18 after ten minutes of action. Champville put their noses in front in the second quarter. The visitors established a 29:24 lead at the interval. The visitors cleared off in the third quarter. The Lebanese powerhouse went on a run that saw them take a 57:39 lead into the final frame. Petrochimi narrowed the deficit but Champville stayed in charge and ran for the win at the end. Fadi Khatib (199-F-79, agency: Pro Management Agency) had 25 points, 11 boards and 6 assists for Champville. Garnett Thompson (207-F/C-80, college: Providence) delivered 19 points and 11 rebounds in the win. Jiri Hubalek (209-C-82, college: Iowa St.) answered with 19 points for Petrochimi. Mohammad Jamshidi (198-F-91) produced 15 points in the loss.

Petrochimi: Jiri Hubalek 19, Mohammad Jamshidi 15
Champville: Samuel Hoskin 29+11 boards, Fadi Khatib 25+11 boards, Garnett Thompson 19+11 boards

Back Like I Never Left - by Chudney Gray
With less than 3 minutes to go in the game, all I remember was driving to the basket for a lay-up. The next thing I know, I was laying on the floor with my eyes closed, clinching my fist and gritting my teeth as extreme pain shot through my entire body. It was an uncomfortable feeling that I've never experienced before.I couldn't pin point what just had happened but I knew it wasnt normal.
As I attacked the basket I stepped on Brandon Crump's foot and my ankle simply buckled. The funny thing is, I've turned my ankle a few times in the past but this time it was different. It just didn't feel right especially after hearing a pop.
As my teammates and paramedics surrounded me, I really didn't know what to say or think. All I could hear was everyone asking me if I was ok. I didnt say a word. Actually I was more concerned with composing myself and making my way off the court to the sideline.
Prior to being moved, I was probably on the floor for about 10 minutes, while everyone watched to see what was going on. After making it to the bench, I received an ovation from all of the fans in attendance. It felt good to hear their concern but I was still in a lot of pain. I quickly changed out of my wet uniform and into my sweats and headed to the hospital for an X-ray on my ankle.
It was like having my career flash before my eyes as I laid on the gurney as the paramedics rolled me into their van.When I arrived at the hospital, I was seen immediately. I was accompanied by the team's trainer, manager and GM. They were extremely supportive, keeping me in good spirit as I awaited the results on my X-ray.
Thank God it wasn't broken. That was my worst fear. Unfortunately enough, I had a pretty severe ankle sprain that required up to 6 weeks of down time. I guess when I heard the news, I was disappointed but at the same time, I was happy that it wasn't worse.
With an ankle the size of a tennis ball, I was officially immobilized. I couldn't do anything. My teammates were great. Helping me with everything from food to loading up my ice bucket.
After the swelling subsided a bit, I decided to head back to the states for rest and rehab. It didn't make sense waiting around in Lebanon, especially not being able to play at all. And plus, home was good for my mental health. I would have went crazy sitting in my room all day.
With a busy approaching schedule, I was able to help Byblos acquire my good friend Corey Williams (191-G-77, college: Alabama St.) until I returned back to the court. He was free for the moment and I knew he would be a perfect fit. I knew that he was more than capable in helping the team win.
With that said, he's played remarkably in my absence and we've been able to maintain our positioning as we head into the final 8. I want to personally thank him as well as my entire team for their continued winning attitude and play.
As I jot these words aboard my flight back to Lebanon, I'm excited to pick up where I left off. I've worked around the clock to return to form. I was able to keep my cardio and upper body fit while I rehabbed my ankle day in and day out. It was hard at times but I'm back and ready to roll.
Thanks for the prayers!!

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

LIBERIA

Basketball Comes Alive At Sport Commission - by Eurobasket News
The Liberia Basketball National league commenced last Saturday (Feb. 4th, 2012) with three matches at the Monrovia Sports Commission on Broad Street, Monrovia.

In the first match, Heats defeated D. Rocka 57- 52 ball deposits to ensure their first win of the season. The second game of the day afforded fans an opportunity to see Harbel Pointers falling to Ducor Magic 64-47points.

Monrovia Sky Force suffered their first lost on Saturday despite netting in 54 points. The Sky boys bowed to Flames 56-54 points, giving Flames their first celebration of the season.

More matches light up the Commission today in Monrovia as Don Bosco Legends face SAC Base in the opening match, while Uhuru Prince takes on FUBA, and Cardinals and SOS Trotters will close the day's attractions.
Courtesy of: The New Dawn (Monrovia)

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

MEXICO

Halcones Rojos jump to 3-1 in LNBP Finals - by Eurobasket News
LNBP Finals, Game 4: Toros - Halcones Rojos 61-68 (1-3)

Halcones Rojos are one step away from the LNBP title. They managed to beat Toros on the road once again and to take 1-3 lead in the series. Halcones Rojos celebrated 61-68 victory last night and they grabbed 65-67 win on Saturday. The Game Five is scheduled for today and Toros will be the hosts once again. Toros were tied after three quarters but could not keep up in the last quarter eventually losing the game. Worth to mention a great performance of Venezuelan power forward Luis Bethelmy (200-86) who helped to win the game recording 11 points and 8 rebounds. Puerto Rican point guard Carlos Rivera (187-83, college: Hofstra, agency: Paris Global Sports) contributed with 12 points and 5 rebounds for the winners. Halcones Rojos' coach Eddie Casiano used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Dominican power forward Elys Manuel Guzman (206-82, college: Bemidji St.) replied with 13 points and 9 rebounds and international point guard Brody Angley (180-86, college: Santa Clara, agency: JEMsports) added 12 points and 5 assists in the effort for Toros. Four Toros players scored in double figures.

Toros: E.Manuel Guzman 13+9reb+2ast, R.Perez 13+4reb+1ast, B.Angley 12+3reb+5ast, R.Rougeau 10+7reb+1ast, L.Ellis Vasquez 9+2reb, I.Ofoegbu 3+5reb
Halcones Rojos: N.Alonzo 13+1reb+2ast, C.Rivera 12+5reb+3ast, L.Bethelmy 11+8reb+1ast, D.Cortes 9+1reb, P.Stoll 6+3reb+4ast, G.Vargas 5+6reb+3ast

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

MOLDOVA

Standings

D1 Standings

1. Donbasket		7-0
2. PGU-SDUSHOR		4-2
3. UASM		4-3
4. Gamma		3-2
5. Fireball		3-3
6. ASEM		3-4
7. Politech		1-6
8. Soroka		1-6

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

NAIA

D2: Hustlin' Owls win top-10 showdown - by Eurobasket News
In a battle of Top-10 teams, and an outright lead in the Cascade Conference standings, No. 2 Oregon Tech left no doubt as the top team in the CCC. The Hustlin' Owls, honoring their three seniors prior to the tip, led by as many as 18 points in the opening half, on the way to a decisive 95-69 victory tonight over No. 8 Northwest (Wash.) at Danny Miles Court.

Oregon Tech moves to 25-3 overall and 14-2 in the CCC standings, while Northwest drops is 24-3 overall and 14-3 in the conference standings.

With one win next weekend, or a Northwest loss versus Evergreen, Oregon Tech will capture a fourth-straight CCC regular season title.

The teams kept it close over the first 10 minutes of play, as the Owls clung to a two point lead, 14-12, midway through the opening period. Jodan Kiely capped an 8-0 Tech run on a layup to give the Owls their first double digit advantage with 8:37 on the clock.

NU answered with a 3-point field goal, but Tech would pull away, eventually taking an 18 point lead on a pair of Bobby Hunter freebies to make it 43-25.

NU would cut the deficit to 12, but with the clock ticking, Kiely found a wide open Kyle Gomez (6'3''-G-89) in the corner for a 3-pointer as the halftime buzzer sounded to send the Owls, with momentum and a 15 point advantage, 47-32, into intermission.

Coming out of the half, Gomez gave the Owls their first 20+ point advantage on a short jumper in the paint, and would eventually move out to a 26 point lead with 8:36 remaining to play.

NU, over the next two minutes, mounted a comeback bid, but could get no closer than 18 with 6:47 to play. Oregon Tech would let it get no closer as the Owls pulled away, eventually winning by a 95-69 final.

Bobby Hunter led the Tech offensive attack with 26 points and added six boards, four assists and three steals. Kyle Gomez finished the night with a 20 point effort, including four rebounds, four assists a block and two steals. Jason Gamblin added 17 points, while Jordan Kiely (6'2''-G) and David Clarke finished with seven points each and combined for nine rebounds and seven assists.

Tyler Mendezona led NU with a team-high 15 points, followed by 10 points each from Ahmaad Cook and Rich Skillman.

Oregon Tech travels to Northwest Christian Friday and Corban Saturday in the final two regular season CCC contests of the year. The Owls will host the quarterfinals of the CCC tournament on Wednesday, February 22nd with an opponent to be determined. All postseason games will tip at 7:00 p.m.

Courtesy of www.naia.org

D1: Bison get revenge on Crimson Storm, 63-58 - by Eurobasket News
Third-ranked Oklahoma Baptist won a defensive prize fight and got a measure of revenge against No. 23 Southern Nazarene, 63-58, Thursday night at the Noble Complex.

SNU handed the Bison its first loss of the season in Bethany in an overtime contest, but OBU answered the bell at home. Neither team shot better than 39 percent.

It was a pretty physical game. It felt like it was a street fight to the very end, said OBU coach Doug Tolin. There were two teams playing very hard. I couldnt be prouder of our guys. We really battled tonight.

SNU took the lead early in the game and had a five-point edge before the Bison went on a 16-4 run for a 20-13 lead with 4:17 left in the first half. OBU lead 26-19 at halftime.

OBU got the lead out to 11 points early in the second half, but SNU whittled away at the lead then used a 9-0 spurt to build a 43-38 lead with 8:23 left in the game. But the Storm missed 3-pointers on their next two trips down the floor while the Bison got two free throws by Marques Anderson and baskets by Heath McKay and Jacobi Isham to take a 44-43 lead with 6:54 to play.

SNU re-took the lead, 48-46, but Emmanuel Wilson (6'3''-G-89) hit a 3-pointer, was fouled, and converted the four-point play to give OBU a 50-48 lead and a big dose of momentum with 5:17 to play.

E-mans 3-pointer was huge and then hitting the free throw got us up two and got us going. Tolin said.

It was OBUs only 3-point basket of the game and it gave the Bison the lead for good. OBU shot 67 percent from the field and 78 percent from the line in the last 5:17 while SNU missed five of its last six shots down the stretch.

Wilson led the Bison with 18 points, while DeAngleo McIntosh had 15 points and 11 rebounds. David Johnson was good for 10 points in the game.

It was a good win, McIntosh said. I had to go after rebounds tonight. We had to keep them off the boards. Theyre a good team and it was a battle. We just got our shots going.

Now 21-3 overall and 14-3 in the SAC, the Bison play a 5 p.m. game Saturday at USAO.

Courtesy of www.news-star.com

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

NBA

Clippers' Chris Paul recruiting JR Smith - by Eurobasket News
On Wednesday, Smith J.R. (6'6''-G-85) will be eligible to sign on with an NBA team once his Chinese team's season ends and the Los Angeles Clippers plan to be right in there with elbows up trying to snag him, a source tells ESPN Los Angeles.

The season-ending injury to Chauncey Billups last week upped an interest in Smith that already existed for the Clips, the source tells the site.

Clippers point guard Chris Paul (6'0''-PG-85, college: Wake Forest) played with Smith for two seasons on the New Orleans Hornets and he's now 'taken a lead role in recruiting Smith,' the source tells the site. The pair also share an agent, Leon Rose, ESPN points out.

The site notes that the New York Knicks 'are the presumed favorite to land Smith because they can offer him both a large role on the team, and their pro-rated $2.5 million mini mid-level exception.' If Smith ends up there, he'd be reuniting with Carmelo Anthony, who he played with while they both were employed by the Denver Nuggets.

Other teams that may be interested in adding Smith include the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat.

Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports

Brandon Bass expected to miss 10-14 days with knee injury - by Eurobasket News
The Celtics' frontcourt continues to experience setbacks. This time, it's Brandon Bass (6'8''-F-85, college: LSU) who will be forced to miss some time for the C's.

The team announced on Sunday that Bass will miss 10-14 days with inflammation in his ailing right knee, which comes on the heels of an injury he originally suffered during the Celtics' Feb. 3 contest against the Knicks.

Bass missed the following game against the Grizzlies, but then played in three straight games before missing Sunday's tilt with the Bulls.

'We knew his knee was bothering him, but then he got the treatment, and he missed that one game,' Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. 'There was nothing said after the Toronto game. Then [team trainer] Eddie [Lacerte] called me this morning and told me he was out, and out for a while. That was a surprise.'

Bass has averaged 11.6 points and 6.1 rebounds in 29 minutes per game in his first season in Boston. The injury is even more of a blow to Boston because of the status of fellow big man Jermaine O'Neal, who missed his second straight game on Sunday because of a shoulder injury. O'Neal is listed as day-to-day.

Chris Wilcox got the start alongside Kevin Garnett on Sunday with both Bass and O'Neal sidelined.

Courtesy of www.nesn.com

Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose will see a back specialist Monday - by Eurobasket News
Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose (6'3''-G-88, college: Memphis) sat out Sunday afternoon's 95-91 loss against the Boston Celtics due to ongoing back spasms. He plans to see a specialist in Chicago to address the problem on Monday.

Rose, who admitted he has been struggling with back issue for several weeks, will seek out additional treatment options when the team returns to Chicago after the game.

'The first time I remember [the back problems] happening were in high school,' Rose said before the game. 'But college I didn't have it. First couple of years [in the NBA] I didn't have it. All of a sudden it just happened now. Hopefully, [Monday] I'll meet with some people and try to figure something out.'

Rose said his back has been bothering him since the start of the Bulls' nine-game road trip, which began Jan. 29 in Miami.

'It was the whole trip,' Rose said. 'I just played through it and the more I played through it, it tended to get worse after every game. At the time I was really worried about it, but [I'm] just trying to stay positive and hopefully I'll be all right.'

Rose said has had a hard time walking without pain for the past few days. He continues to get stim treatment while the organization tries to determine exactly what the issue is.

'You're always concerned,' Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. 'It's something that he's had before. He had it when he was in high school. So we're hopeful that it gets cleared up shortly, but we want to make sure. Backs are tricky, so that's why he's going to see a specialist [Monday].'

The persistent pain is Rose's biggest concern. He was uncertain of when he will return to the court, but he wants to be pain free when he does.

'I got to be able to move,' Rose said. 'Get up without hurting. Be myself. Right when I feel that there's no pain there anymore, I know I'll be ready.'

'It's usually up to me if I want to play. If I feel good the morning I wake up, or after I get done shooting or warming up, I'll be able to play. But if not, I'll definitely let them know and I'll be able to sit down.'

C.J. Watson started in Rose's place.

Rip Hamilton, Chicago's marquee offseason acquisition, also missed Sunday's game. Hamilton is away from the team because of a personal matter, but he would not have played had he traveled to Boston.

Slated as the team's starting shooting guard before the season, Hamilton has missed all but 11 games with injuries. He last played against the Miami Heat on Jan. 29.

'I think he's maybe a week away,' Thibodeau said. 'The big thing with him was, because we had gone down that road where we sat him out, he came back, got hurt again, sat him out, came back, got hurt again. We wanted to make sure this time that he had all the rest to get completely healthy before we bring him back. We don't want to keep going down that road where he plays a few games, then we have to sit him out again. Probably another week or so.'

Thibodeau admitted there was a chance the Bulls might sit Hamilton out until after the All-Star break.

'We're going to see where he is,' Thibodeau said. 'If it makes more sense where if he's completely healthy [and] get a few games in, we'll do that. But if it makes more sense for him to get the extra rest, we'll do that. We want to make sure he's completely healthy.'

Rose's ailing back is the latest in a long line of injuries for the Bulls. In addition to Rose and Hamilton, Taj Gibson, Watson, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng and John Lucas have missed games with varying medical maladies.

Rose, the league's reigning MVP, is averaging 22 points and seven assists per contest.

Courtesy of ESPN

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Kobe BRYANT
  LA Lakers
  (198-G-78)
  Avg: 29.3

1. Bryant, LA Lakers	29.3
2. James, Miami Heat	28.2
3. Durant, Oklah.Ci.	27.0
4. Love, Minnesota T.	25.3
5. Aldridge, Portland.	23.3
6. Westbrook, Oklah..	22.9
7. Ellis, Golde S.	22.5
8. Anthony, New Y.	22.3
9. Wade, Miami Heat	22.2
10. Rose, Chicago B.	22.0

Rebounds Per Game

Dwight HOWARD
  Orlando M.
  (211-C-85)
  Avg: 15.2

1. Howard, Orlando M.	15.2
2. Love, Minnesota T.	13.9
3. Bynum, LA Lakers	12.5
4. Varejao, Clevelan.	11.5
5. Cousins, Sacramen.	11.3
6. Griffin, LA Clipp.	10.8
7. Gasol, LA Lakers	10.5
8. Humphries, New J.	10.4
9. Gortat, Phoenix	10.1
10. Gasol, Memphis G.	10.0

Assists Per Game

Steve NASH
  Phoenix Suns
  (190-PG-74)
  Avg: 10.5

1. Nash, Phoenix Suns	10.5
2. Rondo, Boston C.	9.8
3. Paul, LA Clippers	9.0
4. Rubio, Minnesot.	8.7
5. Calderon, Toron.	8.7
6. Williams, New J.	8.4
7. Rose, Chicago B.	7.8
8. Lowry, Houston R.	7.7
9. Parker, San A.	7.6
10. Wall, Washington	7.4

Steals Per Game

Mike CONLEY
  Memphis G.
  (186-PG-87)
  Avg: 2.5

1. Conley, Memphis G.	2.5
2. Rubio, Minnesot.	2.4
3. Paul, LA Clippers	2.3
4. Shumpert, New Y.	2.1
5. Westbrook, Oklah..	2.1
6. Lowry, Houston R.	2.0
7. Curry, Golde S.	1.9
8. Wade, Miami Heat	1.8
9. Allen, Memphis G.	1.8
10. Iguodala, Philade.	1.8

Blocks Per Game

Serge IBAKA
  Oklah.Ci.
  (208-C/F-89)
  Avg: 2.9

1. Ibaka, Oklah.Ci.	2.9
2. McGee, Washingt.	2.8
3. Jordan, LA Clippers	2.7
4. Gasol, Memphis G.	2.3
5. Howard, Orlando M.	2.1
6. Smith, Atlanta H.	2.1
7. Bynum, LA Lakers	2.1
8. Dalembert, Houst.	2.0
9. Bogut, Milwauke.	2.0
10. Hibbert, Indiana	1.8

Standings

NBA Standings

Eastern Conference
Atlantic Div.
1. Philadelph.76		20-9
2. Boston C.		15-12
3. New York K.		13-15
4. Toronto R.		9-20
5. New Jersey N.		8-21
Central Div.
1. Chicago B.		23-7
2. Indiana P.		17-10
3. Milwaukee B.		12-16
4. Cleveland C.		10-16
5. Detroit P.		8-21
Southeast Div.
1. Miami Heat		22-7
2. Atlanta H.		18-10
3. Orlando M.		18-11
4. Washington W.		6-22
5. Charlotte B.		3-25
Western Conference
Northwest Div.
1. Oklah.City T.		21-6
2. Denver N.		16-12
3. Portland TB		15-13
4. Utah Jazz		14-13
5. Minnesota T.		13-16
Pacific Div.
1. LA Clippers		17-9
2. LA Lakers		16-12
3. Phoenix Suns		12-16
4. Golde State W.		11-14
5. Sacramento K.		10-17
Southwest Div.
1. San Antonio S.		19-9
2. Dallas M.		18-11
3. Houston R.		16-12
4. Memphis G.		14-14
5. N.Orleans H.		5-23

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

NCAA1

NCCU Top Two Seniors Dominique Sutton & Justin Leemow Push for Strong Finish - by Allen Waters

DURHAM There's no telling how many times N.C. Centrals Eagles have run up and down the floor in McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium, and tonights the last time this season theyll squeak their sneakers on the home court during a game.

Itll be emotional, NCCU coach LeVelle Moton said about Senior Night against S.C. State (7 p.m., nccueaglepride.com). The reality sets in. That night is always emotional because its the realization that youll never play another game in this building right here. Hopefully we can use that energy in a positive way and let it inspire us to a victory.

Eagles senior Nick Chasten arrived on campus in the middle of NCCUs transition to Division I basketball.

NCCU was a founding member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in the early 1970s before leaving in 1979 to join the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association when the MEAC moved to Division I.

The MEAC accepted NCCU in the league in September, which made the Eagles eligible to compete for both league and national titles,

The word on the streets was NCCU senior Dominique Sutton was the sort of dude who gave coaches gray hairs, and he was transferring to NCCU from Kansas State, where he was a starter for a team that went to the NCAA Tournament.

I love him, Moton said. Hes one of the easiest kids Ive had to coach in my life. Very unselfish.

He came in and he sacrificed himself, he humbled himself and spent one year at this university and really made everyone better, including myself.

Sutton wants to return to the Big Dance, something that will require NCCU (12-12, 6-5) to string together a bunch of wins to emerge victorious at the end of the MEAC Tournament.

Weve shown weve got that fight in us, but its got to be on a consistent basis and not every two or three games, Sutton said With Leemow and Sutton Both with High major experiance they will need to use they leadership role to guide the young NCCU team to the MEAC.

NCCU senior Justin Leemow entered the season as the starting point guard and as a team captain but had all of that snatched after Durham police in November arrested him on drug charges related to marijuana possession.

Moton kicked Leemow off the team but brought him back in January after his criminal situation was dealt with in court.

Justin is really the heart and soul of our team, Moton said. He was the emotional leader. He had an unfortunate situation that occurred to him and really put a cloud over his head a dark cloud. But hes responded from that.

Moton knew Leemow wouldnt be the same player.

This is not a game where you can take two and a half months off and just pick up where you left off, Moton said.

But Leemows return has been a plus for the Eagles, Moton said.

Leemow said hes looking forward to another potential thriller Saturday against rival N.C. A&T.

And the coach said NCCU senior Tramar Beaman is a sensational kid. Im going to really miss him. Hes probably one of the greatest human beings that Ive been associated with, Moton said. Hes a great team guy, hes not a me guy.

My wish is, hopefully, we can get to the Big Dance, Beaman said. This will be our first time, just to make history.

Its the same wish NCCU senior Tracy ONeal dreams.

Just to go to the Big Dance, you know, bring my fellow teammates, ONeal said.

Tracy ONeal was a kid who is still learning the game,' Moton said. 'He started playing basketball his junior year in high school, I think, so hes only been playing basketball three or four years.'

The coach boasted about his seniors being on track to graduate either in the spring or the summer.

Read more: The Herald-Sun - Eagles ready for emotional Senior Night Justin Leemow (6'1''-G-88) Dominique Sutton (6'5''-F-86)

Justin Leemow (6'1''-G-88)

Oklahoma State run over by No. 7 Kansas, 81-66 - by Eurobasket News
Nothing was going to stop No. 7 Kansas in the first half, not even 5-foot-9 Keiton Page.

The senior guard for Oklahoma State tried setting a screen on Thomas Robinson, the Jayhawks' 6-foot-10, 237-pound forward, who steamrolled right over him.

'That was the game plan going in, for me to set more screens,' Page said. 'He got a hold of me over in front of the Kansas bench. It didn't feel too good.'

That pretty much summed up the first half Saturday, when Page scored 10 of his 19 points. Kansas held a commanding 51-24 lead heading into the locker room, and withstood a big second-half comeback by the Cowboys for an 81-66 win.

'We've been through this before,' said Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford. 'We've been punched in the mouth before. Our guys didn't like the taste of it at halftime.'

The first half was similar to the one Oklahoma State (12-13, 5-7 Big 12) played against Baylor on Jan. 14. The Bears led 46-31 at halftime and went on to win 106-65.

This time, the Cowboys fought to within 12 at one point in the second half.

'Our guys decided to change it a little bit,' Ford said. 'It could have gotten worse, the day they were having. I told our team, Kansas is a Final Four-type team.'

Markel Brown (6'3''-G-92) led Oklahoma State with 21 points.

'They attacked the area and we didn't fight back until the second half,' Brown said. 'We had to turn it around the second half and show we're capable of playing with anybody.'

Jeff Withey (7'0''-C-90) finished with 18 points and a career-best 20 rebounds, while Robinson burnished his player of the year credentials with 24 points and 14 boards for Kansas (20-5, 10-2).

Tyshawn Taylor (6'3''-G-90) added 12 points, Elijah Johnson (6'4''-G) had 11 and Travis Releford (6'5''-G-90) 10.

Kansas spent the afternoon honoring the 1952 national championship team.

The Jayhawks wore throwback uniforms, the cheerleaders were dressed in skirts that touched the floor, and a pregame video montage showed grainy, black-and-white clips of the team that knocked off St. John's in the final for the school's third national title.

Several members of the team were introduced at halftime, including Bill Hougland and Clyde Lovellette, who was the MVP of the Final Four and later became a four-time All-Star in the NBA.

Also on hand were Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who are good friends with Jayhawks football coach Charlie Weis. The three of them, whose ties extend to their days with the New England Patriots, sat together along the baseline.

They had plenty to cheer about in the first half.

The Jayhawks led 16-13 about 8 minutes into the game when they started to ramp things up, turning missed shots and turnovers into easy baskets at the other end. The few times the Cowboys got back on defense, Kansas simply ran its offense to create easy looks at the basket.

The lead eclipsed 20 when Releford scored off a nifty feed from Taylor with 5:17 to play, and Elijah Johnson's 3 and a pair of foul shots by Robinson made it 51-22 late in the half.

Kansas wound up shooting 64.5 percent before the break, outrebounding the Cowboys by a staggering 22-6. The Jayhawks also doled out 13 assists to just three turnovers six of them by Taylor, whose ball-handling and decision-making has improved dramatically this season.

Oklahoma State tried to get back in the game in the second half, clamping down on defense and doing a better job of hanging onto the ball on offense.

Page's 3-pointer with 8:01 left trimmed Kansas' lead to 66-52, and a basket by Le'Bryan Nash a couple minutes later made it 68-56, the smallest gap for the Cowboys since 28-17.

Kansas managed to get things under control in time to wrap up its 10th conference win.

The Jayhawks remained in a tie for the Big 12 lead with fourth-ranked Missouri, which knocked off Baylor earlier in the day, despite the poor second half.

'We played awful,' Kansas coach Bill Self said. 'The first half was about the best that we could play, but we're so immature at this point. We took the second half for granted and played miserably down the stretch.'

Courtesy of www.sfgate.com

No. 24 Louisville 77, West Virginia 74 - by Eurobasket News
Rick Pitino's deep bench is paying off in the rugged Big East. With heralded freshman Wayne Blackshear back in the mix, No. 24 Louisville is riding a six-game winning streak.

Kyle Kuric (6'4''-G/F-89) scored 17 points to lead five Louisville players in double figures and Louisville used a late 9-0 run to rally past slumping West Virginia 77-74 on Saturday.

The Cardinals (20-5, 8-4 Big East) have had five different leading scorers during the winning streak and added depth with Blackshear.

The McDonald's All-American played his first game of the season and finished with 13 points off the bench on 5-of-9 shooting. He suffered a right shoulder injury in October and wore a protective sleeve in the game Saturday, his 20th birthday.

Pitino said he planned all week to play Blackshear, but didn't want West Virginia to know about it.

'Wayne Blackshear came in and gave us a really big lift,' Pitino said. 'He gave us 20 good minutes. The one thing that was evident when Wayne came back was that he really knows how to play the game. His mental capabilities on the floor are terrific.'

Russ Smith (6'0''-G-91) had 16 points off the bench for the Cardinals. Chris Smith (6'2''-G-87) added 13 points and Peyton Siva scored 10.

It was another close battle of Big East rivals whose four previous meetings were decided by a combined nine points.

And it marked the latest meltdown for the Mountaineers (16-10, 6-7), who lost for the fifth time in six games and need a quick turnaround to secure a fifth straight NCAA tournament bid.

'We've just got to keep fighting,' said West Virginia forward Kevin Jones. 'That's all we can do. We can't worry about the last game, win or lose.'

Jones had 22 points and 11 rebounds for his 17th double-double of the season after having a nine-game streak snapped in a home loss to Notre Dame on Wednesday.

Deniz Kilicli (6'9''-F-90) added 17 points and Darryl Bryant (6'2''-G) scored 13 for the Mountaineers.

But Bryant, who had 32 points at Providence last Sunday only to get shut out against Notre Dame on Wednesday, went just 3-of-17 from the floor.

West Virginia led 63-54 after a Kilicli basket with 10:49 left, but he didn't score again and eventually fouled out. Louisville went to a full-court press to force turnovers and seize the momentum.

'I thought our depth helped our pressure,' Pitino said. 'I thought we had fresh bodies. We've played a lot of games where we were the tired team because guys were playing 37-38 minutes. We didn't know if we were going to win, but we felt that we had our legs all the way to the end.'

West Virginia led 71-64 after a Dominique Rutledge basket with 5:52 left before Louisville went on its decisive run, scoring 13 of the game's final 16 points.

Kuric hit a 3-pointer and Russ Smith stole the ensuing inbounds pass and made a layup with 2:21 left to put Louisville ahead 73-71, its first lead since midway through the first half.

Jones, who got pushed in the back by Chris Smith when he scored off a rebound, made the free throw to cut the deficit to 75-74 with 50 seconds left.

But Kuric stole a pass from Gary Browne meant for Jones. He was fouled and made two free throws with 5.5 seconds left for the final margin.

'He read it perfectly,' Pitino said of Kuric's steal. 'We had to have a stop in the game and we got the right stops. We did a lot of really good things tonight because we played like a veteran team. We never lost our poise in some adverse conditions.'

Bryant's 3-point try at the buzzer never hit the net.

The Mountaineers' shot 50 percent from the floor in the first half but faded, scoring just one basket over the final five minutes of the game. West Virginia shot 36 percent (8 of 22) after halftime.

Despite shooting bonus free throws over the final 11 minutes, West Virginia attempted just eight, making four.

'We were 17-for-27 and if we make our free throws and Deniz stays in the game ... that is what I told them,' said West Virginia coach Bob Huggins. 'I am tired of 'ifs' - if we would do this right, if we would do that right.'

Despite being outrebounded 39-32, Louisville held a 17-12 advantage on the boards in the second half.

'We had to make corrections at halftime so that we could compete with them on the boards,' Kuric said.

Courtesy of www.cbssports.com

No. 5 North Carolina beats No. 19 Virginia 70-52 - by Eurobasket News
For Virginia coach Tony Bennett, the message after falling at North Carolina was simple: rebound better.

The fifth-ranked Tar Heels dominated the No. 19 Cavaliers on the boards and got plenty of extra looks in Saturday's 70-52 win. It was a big reason why a Virginia team that hadn't lost a game by more than three points all year ended up with its first lopsided loss.

'For us to have a chance in a game like this, you've got to do a better job on the glass,' Bennett said. 'It was alarming how many second shots they got, or third shots, on a possession. They're a terrific offensive rebounding team, but you can't allow that many opportunities.'

North Carolina finished with a 52-32 rebounding advantage, with Harrison Barnes (6'8''-F-92) grabbing 11 and John Henson getting 10 more. The Tar Heels also grabbed 23 offensive boards and scored 23 second-chance points, their best total in a league game this year.

As a result, North Carolina got 13 more shots than Virginia, which were key in a game in which the Tar Heels shot just 35 percent.

'We just should have kept them off the boards,' senior Mike Scott (6'8''-F-88) said. 'We can't have games like this where we get beat on the boards. They just kept offensive rebounding. It was killing us.'

Tyler Zeller (7'0''-F-90) had 25 points and nine rebounds to lead North Carolina.

Barnes added 14 points for the Tar Heels (21-4, 8-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who regrouped from Wednesday night's stunning loss to rival Duke on a last-second 3-pointer. North Carolina blew the game open with a 22-5 run that started early in the second half, with Zeller scoring seven points during the spurt that pushed the Tar Heels to a 15-point lead with about 6 1/2 minutes left.

The Cavaliers (19-5, 6-4) got no closer than 11 points again, with the Tar Heels avoiding any kind of repeat of blowing a double-digit lead in the final 2 1/2 minutes against the Blue Devils.

Scott scored 18 points to lead the Cavaliers, who shot 36 percent. Jontel Evans (5'10''-PG-90) added 12.

North Carolina needed the win to move past the sting from Wednesday night's loss. It was particularly true for Zeller, who had 23 points and 11 rebounds in that game. But his frustrating final minute included a pair of missed free throws, accidentally tipping a ball into the Duke basket on a rebound attempt and defending the game-winning shot.

The 7-foot senior went 9-for-16 from the field despite facing constant double teams from the Cavaliers.

North Carolina was short-handed for this one with freshman reserve P.J. Hairston out with a sore left foot. Freshman forward James Michael McAdoo (6'9''-F-93) added nine points and seven rebounds off the bench for UNC.

Courtesy of www.huffingtonpost.com

Tennessee upsets short-handed No.8 Florida 75-70 - by Eurobasket News
Trae Golden (6'1''-G-91) scored 17 points, Jeronne Maymon (6'7''-F-91) added 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Tennessee upset No. 8 Florida 75-70 Saturday, ending the Gators' home-winning streak at 19.

Coming off a 20-point loss at top-ranked Kentucky and wearing gray uniforms to commemorate the program's back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007, Florida trailed by double digits early and never mustered anything resembling a comeback.

It didn't help that the Gators played most of the game without their top two reserves, guard Mike Rosario and forward Will Yeguete (6'7''-F-91). Forward Cody Larson (6'9''-F) also was out because of a stomach virus.

Rosario missed the game because of a hip pointer, and Yeguete suffered a head injury early in the first half when he slammed into the padding at the base of the basket. He went to the locker room for stiches and never returned.

The Gators essentially were left with a seven-man rotation that included seldom-used guard Casey Prather.

The result was Florida (19-6, 7-3 Southeastern Conference) lost consecutive games for the first time this season. The Volunteers (13-12, 5-5) swept the series for the first time since 2009.

Bradley Beal and Kenny Boynton led the Gators with 16 points apiece. Boynton had four of the team's 11 3-pointers. Florida leads the nations in 3s, but shot 37.9 percent (11 of 29) from behind the arc.

Erik Murphy (6'10''-F) drained two 3s in the final minute, trimming Tennessee's lead to 71-64 with 18.3 seconds remaining. But the Volunteers closed it out from the free throw line.
Golden hit two foul shots with 17.2 seconds left to push the lead back to nine.

Wes Washburn was called for a technical foul with 11 seconds left, but Boynton missed both free throws. The Gators kept the ball, and Scottie Wilbekin hit a 3 to make it 73-67, but Golden sank two more on the other end to seal the victory.

Skylar McBee (6'3''-G-90) had 13 points for Tennessee, and Jordan McRae added 12 before fouling out in the final minute. Talented freshman Jarnell Stokes played despite a sore right hand and finished with four points. Cameron Tatum spent most of the game on the bench in foul trouble. He didn't take a shot and finished scoreless for the third time in the last five games.

Tennessee used a 15-2 run midway through the first half to take a 24-12 lead. McRae scored seven points in the spurt, most of them off Florida turnovers.

The Gators finished with 15 turnovers, their most since committing the same number in Knoxville last month.

The Volunteers protected the ball a little better.

The biggest difference was Florida's depth. With a short bench, the Gators had few substitutes and no real chance to press and try to force tempo.

Tennessee took advantage, taking the ball right at Patric Young and finishing with 36 points in the paint.

Courtesy of www.miamiherald.com

Stats Leaders - NCAA1

Points Per Game

Darrion PELLUM
  Hampton
  (198-G-87)
  Avg: 17.8

1. Pellum, Hampton	17.8
2. Gallo, Coppin St.	17.0
3. Stevens, Florida	16.9
4. Riley, S.Caroli.	16.6
5. O''Quinn, Norfolk	16.4
6. Tate, Delaware St.	16.4
7. Sutton, N.C.Central	16.0
8. Clement, N.C.Cent.	15.9
9. Willis, N.C.Cent.	15.8
10. McEachin, Norfolk	13.8

Rebounds Per Game

Kyle O''QUINN
  Norfolk .
  (208-F-90)
  Avg: 10.7

1. O''Quinn, Norfolk	10.7
2. Stevens, Florida	9.7
3. Bruce, Hampton	8.4
4. Thompson, Morgan	8.3
5. Louis, Savannah S.	8.2
6. Williams, Coppin S.	8.1
7. Sanders, S.Caroli.	7.5
8. Spencer, Md-E S.	7.5
9. Sutton, N.C.Central	7.4
10. Oliver, Delaware	7.2

Assists Per Game

Jay THREATT
  Delaware.
  (180-G-89)
  Avg: 6.2

1. Threatt, Delaware.	6.2
2. Chapman, N.C.Cent.	5.8
3. Blackmon, Savanna.	5.1
4. Tuitt, Hampton	4.9
5. Toombs, S.Caroli.	4.2
6. Ellis, Coppin St.	3.8
7. Gallo, Coppin St.	3.7
8. Hill, N..	3.5
9. Frazier, Howard	3.5
10. Pitt, Md-E Shore	3.3

Steals Per Game

Jay THREATT
  Delaware.
  (180-G-89)
  Avg: 2.9

1. Threatt, Delaware.	2.9
2. Sutton, N.C.Central	2.2
3. Stevens, Florida	1.8
4. Woods, Md-E Shore	1.8
5. Tuitt, Hampton	1.6
6. Powell, N.Car.	1.6
7. Willis, N.C.Cent.	1.5
8. McEachin, Norfolk	1.5
9. Tolson, Hampton	1.5
10. Jackson, Morgan	1.5

Blocks Per Game

Kendall GRAY
  Delaware St.
  (208-C-92)
  Avg: 3.2

1. Gray, Delaware St.	3.2
2. O''Quinn, Norfolk	2.6
3. Oliver, Delaware S.	2.1
4. Sanders, S.Caroli.	2.0
5. Agbelese, Hampton	2.0
6. Crowder, Florida	1.9
7. Chiles, Morgan St.	1.8
8. Smith, Savannah.	1.7
9. Stevens, Florida	1.6
10. Spencer, Md-E S.	1.4

Top 25 - Men

TOP25 Standings

1. Kentucky		8-0 (22-1)
2. Syracuse		10-1 (22-1)
3. Ohio St.		8-3 (20-4)
4. Missouri		8-2 (21-2)
5. N.Carolina		7-2 (18-2)
6. Baylor		8-3 (21-3)
7. Kansas		9-2 (19-5)
8. Florida		7-2 (19-5)
9. Murray St.		12-1 (24-1)
10. Duke		8-1 (19-2)
11. Michigan St.		8-1 (20-3)
12. Georgetown		7-4 (19-4)
13. San Diego St.		5-2 (19-4)
14. UNLV		6-1 (22-3)
15. Florida St.		7-2 (16-7)
16. St.Mary's, CA		11-1 (22-3)
17. Creighton		11-3 (21-4)
18. Marquette		7-3 (17-5)
19. Virginia		5-3 (17-4)
20. Mississippi St.		6-4 (19-6)
21. Wisconsin		6-4 (17-6)
22. Michigan		6-3 (17-6)
23. Indiana		7-5 (19-5)
24. Louisville		8-3 (19-6)
25. Harvard		4-1 (17-3)

Vincent Council the most underrated Guard in the college basketball - by Allen Waters
The Providence College men's basketball team (13-13, 2-11 BIG EAST) fell to the South Florida Bulls (15-10, 8-4 BIG EAST) by the score of 55-48, on Saturday, February 11, at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. The game marks the second time the two teams have met this season. Last time, the Friars fell to the Bulls 81-78, in Tampa, Fla.

Only one Friar scored in double digits as junior guard Vincent Council (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had 16 points in the game. The Bulls held Providence's second leading scorer, sophomore Bryce Cotton (Tucson, Ariz.), to six points. Overall the Friars shot 30.8 percent from the field, 8.3 percent from behind the arc and 78.9 percent from the free throw line.

For USF, Victor Rudd Jr. led the way with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Jawanza Poland added nine points and Augustus Gilchrist chipped in with eight.

In the second half, with the Bulls holding what would be their largest lead of seven points, 30-23, with 15:46 on the clock, the Friars went on a 10-2 run to gain the lead 33-32. With the game tied at 37 points apiece, South Florida ended the game with an 18-11 run to notch the victory, 55-48.

In the first half, the Friars and Bulls traded baskets until 7:44 on the clock when Providence went on a 7-2 run to gain a five point edge, 19-14. South Florida finished the half with a 10-2 run to lead, 24-21, at halftime.

The game marks the second time this season the Friars have scored less than 50 points. In Providence's loss to Georgetown on December 31, 2011, the Friars were held to 40 points.

The Friars are back in action when they travel to Cincinnati, Ohio to take on the Bearcats on Wednesday, February 15 at 9:00 p.m. The game will air live on ESPNU.

Vincent Council (6'2''-G-90)

No. 12 Georgetown holds off St. John's 71-61 - by Eurobasket News
Georgetown coach John Thompson III doesn't want to hear kudos after a losing a tough game to a top-notch opponent. St. John's assistant coach Mike Dunlap doesn't mind at all.

That's the difference between a nationally ranked team and one that is a nation's-worst 0-10 against the Top 25. The Red Storm stayed close against the 12th-ranked Hoyas on Sunday before falling 71-61.

Dangelo Harrison (6'3''-G) scored 24 points, and Moe Harkless (6'8''-G/F) had 20 for the Red Storm (10-15, 4-9 Big East), who lost their previous two games by a combined 47 points. They are 2-3 with their new 'Fresh Five' starting lineup featuring five freshmen.

'We really took a step forward after reeling off of a couple games,' said Dunlap, who is running the team while head coach Steve Lavin recovers from prostate cancer surgery. 'Our talk to our players was very upbeat.'

Dunlap had his players focusing on Georgetown's Jason Clark (6'2''-G-90) and Hollis Thompson (6'8''-F-91), and the effort was largely successful: Clark was 4 for 13 from the field and Thompson took only six shots.

But freshman Greg Whittington scored a season-high 12 points, and Nate Lubick had an impressive line of seven points, eight rebounds, five assists and a career-high four blocks for the Hoyas (19-5, 9-4), who shot 61 percent in the second half and moved into sole possession of fourth place in the conference.

'What we tried to do is take Clark out of the game, and Thompson,' Dunlap said. 'And we can't take everybody out.'

Clark, Markel Starks (6'2''-G) and Otto Porter all scored 11 points, and Thompson finished with 10 for the Hoyas, who bounced back from an overtime loss at No. 2 Syracuse on Wednesday and didn't want to hear about what a valiant effort it was.

'Coach mentioned to us before the game, talking about how people were still praising us after a loss,' Lubick said. 'That's something that we can't look at. We needed to bounce back fast, and that's how you do well in this league. To come out and grit out a big win was important.'

Georgetown never trailed, but its lead didn't hit 10 points until there were 3 seconds to play.

Every time the Hoyas threatened to pull away, the Red Storm found a way to stay close. A 15-7 lead became 15-14 after two dunks and a 3-pointer, and St. John's cut into a 31-26 halftime deficit by forcing a turnover and turning it into 2-on-1 break capped by an alley-oop pass from Amir Garrett to Harkless.

Enter Whittington, who hit one of the big 3-pointers late in the game to answer St. John's momentum. And Lubick, who blocked Harkless' shot at one end, then set up a three-point play by Clark to give the Hoyas a nine-point lead with 3:14 to play.

Whittington and Lubick combined to go 8 for 11 from the field and were playing so well that Thompson kept both in the game late, when they would usually be on the bench. Lubick's 27 minutes matched the most he's played in a Big East game this season.

'I thought he made the hustle plays,' John Thompson said. 'His effort was very good, and we needed it.'

The Red Storm had consecutive possessions with a chance to tie, but Phil Greene missed a 3-pointer with 8:48 remaining and lost the ball to Clark with 8:14 to go, a turnover that was converted into a falling-down reverse layup by Hollis Thompson to make it 49-44.

'This group doesn't get rattled,' coach Thompson said. 'This was a game I think that a group could easily get rattled because of their defense, because you don't know how you're going to get your shots, and because early on we missed shots.'

Courtesy of www.nbcsports.msnbc.com

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

NCAA2

No.21 Bowie State cruises past Chowan 91-68 - by Eurobasket News
No.21 Bowie State University shot nearly 55% from the field and drained 10 three pointers en route to an easy 91-68 victory over Chowan last Tuesday. The Bulldogs dominated for the majority of the game, going up by 30 on two occasions.

Bowie State (17-4, 9-3 CIAA, 5-1 North) out-rebounded Chowan (7-17, 1-11 CIAA, 1-5 North) 43-30 and scored 16 more points in the paint than did the Hawks. Four players scored in double figures for BSU, led by Jay Gavin (6'2''-G-89) 's 17. Travis Hyman (6'11''-F/C-87) notched a double-double with 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Mark Buright (5'10''-PG) scored a career-high 14 points to lead Chowan. Chris Williams (6'7''-F/C) added 12. Alray Blackmon also notched a career-high with nine points. Quinton McDuffie scored nine and pulled down five rebounds.

Chowan shot just 4-17 (23.5%) from three point territory. Coming into the game, the Hawks were shooting at a 38.2% clip from beyond the arc.

Bowie State did not score until two minutes had elapsed in the game, but it did not take long for them to hit their rhythm. A 16-0 run gave the Bulldogs a 21-4 lead with 12:18 to play in the first half. That lead later expanded to 30-8. Chowan brought it within 20 with under three minutes on the clock, but could not get any closer.

Bowie State opened up its largest lead of the game, 57-27, following three Darren Clark free throws at the 16:33 mark of the second half. A 16-8 Chowan spurt, capped by a Williams dunk, pulled the Hawks back within 22 with 12:18 to play. That would be as close as the Hawks would get for the remainder of the game.

A total of 21 players scored in the game; 12 for Bowie State and nine for Chowan.

Courtesy of www.gocuhawks.com

No. 5 Colorado Mines defeats No. 12 Metro State - by Eurobasket News
No. 5 Colorado Mines hit 3-of-4 free throws in the final 10 seconds to top No. 12 Metro State 72-67 on Monday night at the Auraria Event Center.

The Orediggers (19-2, 15-2 RMAC) were led by Dale Minschwaner (6'6''-C) and Trevor Ritchie (6'4''-G/F), who each scored 13 points.

Freshman Nicholas Kay (6'8''-C-92) scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Roadrunners (18-4, 13-4).

Colorado Mines outrebounded Metro State 37-33, the sixth time the Roadrunners have been outrebounded this season. Metro is 2-4 when it has been outrebounded.

Mines built a six-point lead midway through the first half, but Metro continued to battle, leaving the Orediggers only a one-point advantage at the half.

Demetrius Miller (6'1''-G-91) hit a jumper on the first possession of the second half to put Metro State on top 37-36, but a 10-2 Orediggers run put them back in the lead 55-48 with about 11 minutes remaining.

Metro again battled, going on an 8-0 run and cutting Mines' lead to 63-62 with five minutes to go.

The game remained back-and-forth until Trevor Wages hit two free throws for Mines with a minute left, and the Roadrunners traveled on their ensuing possession as Mines held a 69-65 lead.

Metro's Derrick January (6'6''-F/G) scored off a missed layup by Reggie Evans with 11.8 seconds to go, cutting the deficit back to 69-67.

Brett Green made two free throws with 10 seconds left, and Wages hit one with 2.9 to go to seal the win.

Courtesy of www.denverpost.com

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

NCAA3

No. 16 NYU off to best start in 19 years - by Eurobasket News
Andy Stein (6'8''-C) recorded a double-double to lead No. 16 New York University past SUNY New Paltz 73-61 in the Violets' final non-conference game of the regular season.

Stein scored a team-high 20 points and pulled down a career-best 17 rebounds to lead NYU (18-2) to the victory. With the win, the Violets are 18-2 for the first time since 1992-93.

NYU earned its 18th win of this season by shooting 49 percent (28-57) from the field and turning the ball over just nine times. The Violets also out-rebounded the Hawks (8-13) 40-20 -- their highest rebounding margin of the season -- while pulling down nearly as many offensive boards (14) as New Paltz's entire rebound total.

The Hawks built a 20-19 lead midway through the first half behind Harris Wichard, who scored 14 of those points. But the Violets then went on an 8-0 run to regain control and eventually took a 33-27 lead into the locker room. Stein scored eight of his 10 first-half points in the final nine minutes of the period to help the squad pull ahead.

Two quick threes by New Paltz's Wichard and Matt Devine brought the Hawks to within one just a minute into the second half, but the Violets scored eight of the next 10 points -- a spurt capped by a Max Wein tip-in -- to go up 42-35.

NYU then began to create separation, scoring multiple points in the paint. Wein's layup with 10:30 to play made it 52-40, and the Violets' lead eventually swelled to as high as 21 before New Paltz hit several late threes to trim the final margin. For the game, the Violets outscored the Hawks 38-16 in the paint and owned an 18-2 edge in second-chance points.

Kyle Stockmal (19 points) and Wein (10 points) joined Stein in double figures, with Stockmal adding six assists and Wein grabbing three steals. Carl Yaffe totaled nine points.

Devine led all scorers with 23 points, while Wichard finished with 17 for the Hawks.

Courtesy of www.ncaa.com

No.3 Virginia Wesleyan tripped on the road by Randolph-Macon - by Eurobasket News
Randolph-Macon College's Yellow Jackets withstood a closing 10-0 run by the No. 3 Virginia Wesleyan College Marlins on Wednesday to post a 54-51 Old Dominion Athletic Conference victory in Crenshaw Gymnasium.

The loss evened the regular season series between the teams as VWC posted a 63-60 win over R-MC in November. VWC remains in first place in the ODAC with a 10-2 record, a game in front of R-MC which improves its conference record to 11-3.

Randolph-Macon (18-4) wiped out a 39-36 Virginia Wesleyan lead in the second half with a 16-2 run to move in front 52-41 with 4:15 remaining to be played. Calvin Croskey (6'0''-G-90) (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park) and Jamie Robinson (6'3''-G) (Gainesville, Va./Battlefield) hit timely triples in the run to catapult the Jackets into their largest lead of the game.

But, it was far from over.

Virginia Wesleyan (18-3) came back quickly, following the lead of senior Donald Vaughn (6'5''-F) (Woodbridge, Va./Dumfries Potomac), who scored six consecutive points to key the Marlins' 10-0 run. Scores by Tre' Ford (Falls Church, Va./J.E.B. Stuart) and Chris Teasley (6'3''-G) (Newport News, Va./Menchville) pulled VWC within a 52-51 score with 31 seconds to play.

After R-MC missed a layup attempt, the Marlins grabbed the rebound and had the chance to take the lead. But, a turnover ended the opportunity to take the lead, and possibly the win. Instead, the Marlins were forced to foul to get the ball in the final six seconds and Adam Desgain (Richmond, Va./J.R. Tucker) hit two free throws to provide R-MC with its final margin of victory.

Chris Astorga (6'5''-F) (Suffolk, Va./Virginia Beach Cape Henry Collegiate) and Vaughn scored 14 points each to lead Virginia Wesleyan. Vaughn also led all rebounders with nine.

Ten players scored for R-MC, none in double figures. Lamar Giggetts (Fredericksburg, Va./Courtland) and Andre Simon (Newports News, Va./Menchville) scored eight points each for the Jackets.

Virginia Wesleyan returns to competition on Saturday, Feb. 11, hosting Hampden-Sydney College's Tigers in another ODAC contest. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. at the Jane P. Batten Student Center.

Courtesy of http://vwcathletics.com

College of Staten Island Ranked #1 in NCAA Division III Atlantic Region Rankings - by Joan Manuel Sanchez
The College of Staten Island has had quite the new year. The Dolphins, winners of 12-straight in 2012, received the No. 1 ranking in the NCAA Atlantic Region today, CSI's first top-billing since 1997. Coming off of a 93-81 win on the road against defending CUNYAC-champion Medgar Evers College, the Dolphins are 19-4 overall and 10-0 in CUNYAC play, having locked up the No. 1 seed in the upcoming CUNYAC/Con Edison Men's Basketball Championship later this month.

The rankings are the first to be released this season by the NCAA, which ranks teams in eight regions, and will continue to do so leading to the NCAA Division III National Championship in late-February. CSI's 19-4 record features an 18-2 mark in regional play, their only two losses coming to Lycoming College (90-86 in overtime on opening night) and a 66-58 loss to Alvernia College on December 10.

'We have played very well,' said Head Coach Tony Petosa, whose team has started 10-0 in conference play for the first time in his 22-year coaching career. 'It doesn't mean much, however, unless we finish strong. We've shown a lot of character and have played in a lot of close and physical contests this year that we hope will continue to make us better.'

The Dolphins will conclude the regular season with a pair of contests in Brooklyn, New York in the coming days. Tomorrow's 7:00pm contest against Brooklyn College (16-7, 7-3) pits the conference's top-two teams in the CUNYAC-finale for both teams. On Tuesday, February 14, the Dolphins wrap up at St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn), who took a 103-102 win over the Dolphins a year ago in the regular season finale at the Sports & Recreation Center.

The CUNYAC/Con Edison Championship tournament will begin with quarterfinal play on Saturday, February 18. As a top-four seed in the eight-team tourney, CSI will host their quarterfinal, tentatively scheduled for 12 Noon against either York College or John Jay College. CUNYAC Semifinals and Final play are held at City College of New York on February 21 & 25.

For CSI, it's their first No. 1 regional ranking by the NCAA since the 1996-97 year. The Dolphins were 19-3 at the time, and would go on to finish the season 21-7, falling in the ECAC Metro NY/NJ Championship.

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NIGERIA

Dstv Legue Dunks-Off February 25 - by Eurobasket News
The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has announced that the 2011/2012 Dstv Premier Basketball League will dunk-off February 25 across the country.

According to a statement issued by the federation, the new date of February 25 was arrived at after the Nigeria Basketball ruling body, NBBF took into consideration appeals from the 16 clubs from the Atlantic and Savannah conference of the league.

NBBF president Tijjani Umar said the federation is a proactive one that is prepared to carry every stakeholder along in administration of the game. Officials of the NBBF will on February 16, 2012, hold a stakeholder conference with teams in the Atlantic conference in Lagos while that of the Savannah conference have been scheduled for February 18 in Abuja with the federation first executive meeting for the 2012 holding same day as the Savannah conference stakeholder conference in Abuja.

The 16 clubs that will be campaigning in the league this season include league defending champion, Royal Hoopers of Port Harcourt and seven Lagos-based clubs Union Bank, Dodan Warriors, Comets, Islanders, Police Baton, Chariot and newly promoted Nigeria Customs club in the Atlantic conference.

Leading the challenge in the Savannah conference are the 2010/2011 fourth placed side Kada Stars of Kaduna, three-time champion Kano Pillars and Nigeria Immigration of Kano. Bauchi Nets and Yelwa Hawks of Bauchi, Tapgun Rockets of Jos, Niger Potters of Minna and newly promoted Civil Defence of Abuja.
Courtesy of: Leadership (Abuja)

We Are Optimistic - Basketball Coach - by Eurobasket News
Nigeria national team basketball coach, Sani Ahmed believes Nigeria can scale through and qualify in July's playoffs termed FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament between July 2 and 8 to play in this summer's Olympic Games in London.

Nigeria was recently drawn against hosts Venezuela and Lithuania in a quest to pick an Olympic slot in basketball. D'Tigers as the national basketball team is called missed an automatic chance last year when it came third in the Afrobasket for men in Madagascar.

Although the team won a consolatory gold medal at the All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique, last year, it was not enough to guarantee a place in the world's biggest sports setting-the Olympics. To qualify, Nigeria will have to survive a play offs in July, in Caracas, Venezuela.

But the coach who guided the men's team to the gold medal in Maputo, Sani Ahmed said the crew is optimistic even though it will not be an easy task. 'I saw the draw and groupings. I believe Nigeria has a chance if we plan well.

We have played both the hosts Venezuela and Lithuania at the U-21 level in Argentina before; that was two years ago. So we know some of their players. We know at least six of the Venezuelans that will play against us in the playoffs.'

Ahmed, who also doubles as Kano Pillars basketball coach revealed that the coaching crew has submitted a six week preparation programme to the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) for implementation which he believes will help in the qualification quest. 'We cannot assemble earlier than six weeks before the playoffs because the American NBA season is on.

You know most of our players are from the NBA so it will be difficult to assemble them while the season is on. What we have done is that we have drawn up a six week plan between the end of the season and the playoffs to the NBBF. When this is fully implemented, we hope that it will put us in better stead to qualify.'

Ahmed said friendly tune-up matches are also in the offing against countries like Puerto Rico and an Asian country before the qualifiers.

Nigeria opens her campaign July 2 against Venezuela before engaging Lithuania July 4. Greece will confront Jordan, Russia against Korea while Angola battles FYROM on the opening day as Jordan engages Puerto Rico, Venezuela vs Lithuania, Korea vs Dominican Republic and FYROM vs New Zealand on the 3rd.

The last group matches will have Puerto Rico battle Greece, Lithuania vs Nigeria, Dominican Republic vs Russia and New Zealand vs Angola. The two best placed teams from each group will play the quarter finals while the third placed teams will be eliminated.

The quarter final is slated for July 6 while the 5th will be a rest day. The semi final is slated for the 7th while the final will hold July 8. The playoff winners will qualify for the Olympics.
Courtesy of: Leadership (Abuja)

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NORWAY

BLNO Round 17: Centrum defeats leader Asker Aliens - by Eurobasket News
The fans could enjoy quite many interesting games in the last round. The round ended with defeat of the leader, favorites losing the games and games ending by tiny margin.

The most surprising game was a loss of top-ranked Asker Aliens (14-4) in Oslo on Saturday night. Visitors were defeated by fifth ranked Centrum (10-8) 79-74. It ended at the same time the seven-game winning streak of Asker Aliens. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning the initial quarter 18-13. But Asker Aliens won second period 19-17. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They outrebounded Asker Aliens 47-33 including a 19-7 advantage in offensive rebounds. The former international forward Ronny Karlsen (202-78, college: Independence CC) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 23 points and 12 rebounds. The former international point guard Mustafa Mahnin (182-80) contributed with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. American forward Anthony Lee-Ingram (198, college: Brescia, KY, agency: Warren Sports International) answered with 17 points and 9 rebounds for Asker Aliens. Newly promoted Centrum maintains fifth place with 10-8 record. Defending champion Asker Aliens still keep top position with four games lost. Centrum's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Oslo to the arena Ammerud Bskt.
Important game to mention about took place in Bekkestua. Third ranked Baerum Basket (11-4) saved a 3-point victory at home edging 4th placed Tromso (10-7) 79-76 in the game for the third place. Guard Stian Mjos (182-89) stepped up and scored 34 points (!!!) and 4 assists for the winners and Ryan Ferranti chipped in 21 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks. American guard Gary Wallace (190-88, college: Robert Morris) responded with 19 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Baerum Basket maintains third place with 11-4 record having 3 victories less than leader Asker Aliens. Tromso at the other side keeps the fourth position with seven games lost. Baerum Basket will play against league's second-placed Froya Basket in Laksevag in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Tromso will have a break next round.
Bottom-ranked Langhus IL is still unable to win any game. But it was rather predictable considering how strong their opponent was. This time they lost on the road their 18th consecutive match to second ranked Froya Basket (12-2) 102-54 on Sunday evening. Miilah Kombat nailed 22 points and 7 rebounds for the winning side. Froya Basket's coach Ron Billingslea felt very confident that he used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. David Crouch came up with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 12 rebounds for Langhus IL in the defeat. Froya Basket maintains second place with 12-2 record having six point less than leader Asker Aliens. Newly promoted Langhus IL still closes the standings. Froya Basket will meet league's leader Asker Aliens on the road in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Langhus IL will have a break next round.
Bottom-ranked Langhus IL is still unable to win any game. This time they lost on the road their 18th consecutive match to sixth ranked Gimle BBK (8-9) 88-61. Gimle BBK maintains sixth place with 8-9 record. Newly promoted Langhus IL still closes the standings. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
The game in Oslo supposed to be also quite interesting. Fourth ranked Tromso (10-7) played at the court of 7th ranked Ammerud Bskt (2-15). Tromso smashed Ammerud Bskt 79-44 on Sunday. Gary Wallace orchestrated the victory by scoring 15 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Ammerud Bskt's coach Valur Ingimundarson gave up on the game allowing to play ten players seeing no chance for a win. Tromso maintains fourth place with 10-7 record. Ammerud Bskt lost seventh consecutive game. They keep the seventh position with 15 games lost. Tromso will have a break next round. Ammerud Bskt's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Oslo Centrum.

Centrum - Asker Aliens 79-74

The most surprising game was a loss of top-ranked Asker Aliens (14-4) in Oslo on Saturday night. Visitors were defeated by fifth ranked Centrum (10-8) 79-74. It ended at the same time the seven-game winning streak of Asker Aliens. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning the initial quarter 18-13. But Asker Aliens won second period 19-17. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They outrebounded Asker Aliens 47-33 including a 19-7 advantage in offensive rebounds. The former international forward Ronny Karlsen (202-78, college: Independence CC) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 23 points and 12 rebounds. The former international point guard Mustafa Mahnin (182-80) contributed with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. American forward Anthony Lee-Ingram (198, college: Brescia, KY, agency: Warren Sports International) answered with 17 points and 9 rebounds and the other American import forward Cooper Land (203-88, college: Wright St., agency: Warren Sports International) added 14 points and 10 rebounds in the effort for Asker Aliens. Four Asker Aliens players scored in double figures. Newly promoted Centrum maintains fifth place with 10-8 record. Defending champion Asker Aliens still keep top position with four games lost. Centrum's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Oslo to the arena Ammerud Bskt.
Top scorers:
Asker Aliens: S.Gustavsen 17+3reb+1ast, A.Lee-Ingram 17+9reb+1ast, C.Land 14+10reb+2ast, M.Midtvedt 10+2reb+2ast, E.Stien 8+6reb+4ast, F.Bohn 8+3reb+1ast
Centrum: R.Karlsen 23+12reb, M.Mahnin 17+7reb+4ast, C.Hinsch 14+4reb+1ast, F.Nyborg 9+8reb+2ast, M.Sanders 7+3reb+1ast, B.Aunan 5+3reb+2ast

Froya Basket - Langhus 102-54

Bottom-ranked Langhus IL is still unable to win any game. But it was rather predictable considering how strong their opponent was. This time they lost on the road their 18th consecutive match to second ranked Froya Basket (12-2) 102-54 on Sunday evening. The game without a history. Froya Basket led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated down low during the game scoring 54 of its points in the paint compared to Langhus IL's 28 and made 27-of-35 free shots (77.1 percent) during the game. Froya Basket forced 29 Langhus IL turnovers. The former international forward Miilah Kombat (200-88, college: N.Idaho JC) nailed 22 points and 7 rebounds for the winning side and Latvian guard Edmunds Gabrans (190-79) accounted for 20 points (perfect from the field making all six shots). Four Froya Basket players scored in double figures. Froya Basket's coach Ron Billingslea felt very confident that he used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Guard David Crouch (-86) came up with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 12 rebounds and point guard Kjetil Christensen (180-84) added 10 points respectively for Langhus IL in the defeat. Froya Basket maintains second place with 12-2 record having six point less than leader Asker Aliens. Newly promoted Langhus IL still closes the standings. Froya Basket will meet league's leader Asker Aliens on the road in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Langhus IL will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Langhus: D.Crouch 24+12reb, K.Christensen 10+2reb+1ast, T.Randolph 6+2reb+2ast, A.Kristiansen 5+4reb, J.Stian Olsen 4+3reb, F.Mamen 3+3reb
Froya Basket: M.Kombat 22+7reb+3ast, E.Gabrans 20+1reb+3ast, N.Phillip 14+1ast, A.Ouakkaha 13+8reb+1ast, C.Ndow 11+4reb, R.Krasniqi 5

Ammerud Bskt - Tromso 44-79

The game in Oslo supposed to be also quite interesting. Fourth ranked Tromso (10-7) played at the court of 7th ranked Ammerud Bskt (2-15). Tromso smashed Ammerud Bskt 79-44 on Sunday. The game without a history. Tromso led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated down low during the game scoring 52 of its points in the paint compared to Ammerud Bskt's 22. Tromso forced 23 Ammerud Bskt turnovers and outrebounded them 47-29 including a 18-6 advantage in offensive rebounds. American guard Gary Wallace (190-88, college: Robert Morris) orchestrated the victory by scoring 15 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. The former international forward Vegard Hansen (198-80) contributed with a double-double by scoring 11 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. Swedish forward Elias Westerlund (197-88) answered with 9 points and American forward Rob Knight (195-84) added 9 points and 5 rebounds in the effort for Ammerud Bskt. Ammerud Bskt's coach Valur Ingimundarson gave up on the game allowing to play ten players seeing no chance for a win. Tromso maintains fourth place with 10-7 record. Ammerud Bskt lost seventh consecutive game. They keep the seventh position with 15 games lost. Tromso will have a break next round. Ammerud Bskt's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Oslo Centrum.
Top scorers:
Ammerud Bskt: R.Knight 9+5reb+1ast, E.Westerlund 9+4reb+2ast, O.Melstveit 7+4reb, S.Wroldsen 6+2reb+1ast, Z.Mahojlovic 6+2reb+2ast, T.Mufoncol 4+3reb
Tromso: G.Wallace 15+5reb+4ast, G.Mihaylov 14+5reb+1ast, V.Hansen 11+12reb, B.Byerson 8+9reb+5ast, H.Issalhi 8+7reb+5ast, A.Smalas 8+5reb+1ast

Baerum Basket - Tromso 79-76

Important game to mention about took place in Bekkestua. Third ranked Baerum Basket (11-4) saved a 3-point victory at home edging 4th placed Tromso (10-7) 79-76 in the game for the third place. Tromso was tied at the half but could not keep up in last two quarters eventually losing the game. Baerum Basket forced 20 Tromso turnovers. They brought some defensive toughness making 7 blocks. Tromso was plagued by 25 personal fouls down the stretch. Guard Stian Mjos (182-89) stepped up and scored 34 points (!!!) and 4 assists for the winners and American forward Ryan Ferranti (196, college: Rollins) chipped in 21 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks. American guard Gary Wallace (190-88, college: Robert Morris) responded with 19 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists and the other American import forward Brad Byerson (201-85, college: Virginia Union) scored 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Five Tromso players scored in double figures. Baerum Basket maintains third place with 11-4 record having 3 victories less than leader Asker Aliens. Tromso at the other side keeps the fourth position with seven games lost. Baerum Basket will play against league's second-placed Froya Basket in Laksevag in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Tromso will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Tromso: G.Wallace 19+9reb+5ast, B.Byerson 15+5reb+4ast, H.Issalhi 14+6reb+1ast, M.Sahlertz 11+6reb+3ast, G.Mihaylov 10+1reb+3ast, A.Solem 7+1reb+1ast
Baerum Basket: S.Mjos 34+1reb+4ast, R.Ferranti 21+13reb+1ast, T.Mjos 10+4ast, O.Fritzen 5+4reb, F.Sjostrom 4+3reb+1ast, B.Andreassen 2+5reb

Gimle BBK - Langhus 88-61

Bottom-ranked Langhus IL is still unable to win any game. This time they lost on the road their 18th consecutive match to sixth ranked Gimle BBK (8-9) 88-61. Gimle BBK maintains sixth place with 8-9 record. Newly promoted Langhus IL still closes the standings. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

Standings - BLNO

BLNO Standings

1. Asker Aliens		14-4
2. Froya Basket		12-2
3. Baerum Basket		11-4
4. Tromso		10-7
5. Centrum		10-8
6. Gimle BBK		8-9
7. Ammerud Bskt		2-15
8. Langhus		0-18

BLNO Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Stian MJOS
  Baerum B.
  (182-G-89)
  Avg: 22.9

1. Mjos, Baerum B.	22.9
2. Lee-Ingram, Asker	22.7
3. Land, Asker Aliens	21.1
4. Karlsen, Centrum	20.0
5. Westerlund, Ammeru.	19.4
6. Wallace, Tromso	18.0
7. Kombat, Froya B.	17.5
8. Stien, Gimle BBK	16.4
9. Oatis, Baerum B.	16.1
10. Crouch, Langhus	15.8

Rebounds Per Game

Anthony LEE-INGRAM
  Asker A.
  (198-F-)
  Avg: 12.4

1. Lee-Ingram, Asker	12.4
2. Oatis, Baerum B.	9.5
3. Karlsen, Centrum	8.9
4. Land, Asker Aliens	8.7
5. Byerson, Tromso	8.6
6. Bullock, Froya B.	8.3
7. Ferranti, Baerum B.	7.9
8. Kombat, Froya B.	7.6
9. Wallace, Tromso	7.2
10. Hagen, Ammerud	6.9

Assists Per Game

Stian MJOS
  Baerum B.
  (182-G-89)
  Avg: 5.1

1. Mjos, Baerum B.	5.1
2. Mahnin, Centrum	4.3
3. Issalhi, Tromso	4.1
4. Stien, Asker Aliens	4.1
5. Randolph, Langhus	3.9
6. Gabrans, Froya B.	3.9
7. Byerson, Tromso	3.7
8. Mjos, Baerum B.	3.6
9. Stien, Gimle BBK	3.5
10. Midtvedt, Asker A.	3.5

Steals Per Game

Peter BULLOCK
  Froya B.
  (198-F/C-82)
  Avg: 2.4

1. Bullock, Froya B.	2.4
2. Ferranti, Baerum B.	2.4
3. Mjos, Baerum B.	2.3
4. Silavs, Froya B.	2.1
5. Issalhi, Tromso	2.1
6. Pavlovic, Gimle B.	2.0
7. Crouch, Langhus	1.8
8. Sahlertz, Tromso	1.8
9. Byerson, Tromso	1.7
10. Mjos, Baerum B.	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Donald OATIS
  Baerum B.
  (206-F/C-79)
  Avg: 3.3

1. Oatis, Baerum B.	3.3
2. Sjostrom, Baerum B.	1.2
3. Byerson, Tromso	1.1
4. Nyborg, Centrum	1.0
5. Bryn, Ammerud Bskt	0.8
6. Hagen, Ammerud	0.8
7. Karlsen, Centrum	0.7
8. Lee-Ingram, Asker	0.7
9. Hammer, Gimle BBK	0.6
10. Bullock, Froya B.	0.6

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PALESTINE

Standings - Men

PBBA Standings

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

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PBL

Drive Defeat St. Louis 130-109 to Stay Perfect - by Allen White
Bloomington, IL - The Central Illinois Drive, presented by Sonic, extended their so far perfect record to 9-0 as they defeated the St. Louis Phoenix 130-109. It was the highest point total in a game for the Drive. Rodney Edgerson (6'5''-F, college: Ky Wesleyan) led the Drive with 20 points and Anthony Slack (6'8''-F/C-84, college: Illinois St.) had 17. The Drive shot 60.44% and were 6 for 20 from three point range. Central Illinois made 14 of 21 free throws.

St. Louis set the pace early with a 10-3 run to start the game. The Drive came back to stay with them capitalizing on some breaks and good shot opportunities in order to keep the game close. The Phoenix led 27-23 after the opening quarter and the tone seemed to be set for a back and forth offensive showdown.

The Drive one-upped the St. Louis' early success as they started the 2nd quarter with a 14-2 run to put them on top. Anthony Slack (6'8''-F/C-84, college: Illinois St.) made key plays in the comeback and had 11 points in the half. The Drive really turned the game around with a 40 point half and finished up 63-46.

The 3rd quarter was a little more balanced as the Drive tried to turn their attention to defense. With the big lead they knew that if they played well the rest of the way the game would be theirs. Josh Edmonds (6'5''-G-88, college: Quincy) hit a basket as time expired and Central Illinois ended the 3rd up 90-70.

Central Illinois kept on in the final quarter as the offense continued. Josh Edmonds scored 9 consecutive points going back to the 3rd quarter. He ended up with 13 for the game. The Drive would hold onto the big lead and eventually extend their perfect record.

The Drive are at home Thursday Feb. 16 as they take on the Chicago Muscle. The Drive are 1-0 against Chicago this season. The game is the second meeting of five between the two teams. For more on the Central Illinois Drive, visit www.drivehoops.com and visit the Premier Basketball League at www.thepbl.com . All games can be heard on WJBC Online .

Weekend games - by Eurobasket News

Group Central

Sauk Valley P. - Indiana D. 129-111
The Sauk Valley Predators bounced back from Saturday's 125-118 loss at Indiana to beat the Diesels 129-111 on Sunday at Highland Community College in Freeport. Jeremiah Box scored 31 points, Desmond Holloway (6'3''-G, agency: Court Side, college: Co.Carolina) added 27 points and 10 rebounds, and Herman Favors (5'9''-G-84, college: Georgia St.) had 21 points and 14 assists for the Predators (6-3) in the victory. Carlton Fay (6'8''-F-88, college: S.Illinois) had 18 points and 16 rebounds and Antwon Harris chipped in 16 points and four steals as the Preds led 40-17 after one quarter and never looked back. On Saturday, Favors led the way with 34 points and six assists. The Preds were outscored 35-24 in the fourth quarter. *Courtesy of www.saukvalley.com

Indiana D. - Sauk Valley P. 125-118
The Indiana Diesels capped a fourth quarter rally with solid free throw shooting to claim a 125-118 win over the Sauk Valley Predators Saturday evening in Edinburgh, Indiana. This Premier Basketball League contest was close throughout with eleven ties and eight lead changes. The Predators led 33-32 after the first period thanks to Herman Favors' 13 points. The second quarter also featured hot shooting as the Predators settled for a 68-61 halftime advantage. Following a tie at 90-90 Sauk Valley closed with four points for a 94-90 lead heading into the final period. David Inabnit (6'4''-G/F-84, college: Chicago St.) led the comeback with 19 fourth quarter points. The final period went back and forth with the Diesels' seven point victory their largest margin of the game. Herman Favors led all scorers with 34 points to go along with six assists. Carlton Fay had 18 points and 11 rebounds for Sauk Valley, while Antwon Harris added 18 points and Desmond Holloway 17. The predators shot 51 percent from the field and made 28 out of 33 free throw attempts. The Diesels were led by Inabnit's 30 points, which included 5-11 three point shooting. Keith Radcliff had 29 points, including 14-16 free throws, and six assists. Billy Pettiford turned in a great all-around performance with 27 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. The two teams are set for a return match Sunday at the Predators' home court in Freeport, Illinois. The Diesels next home game will be Sunday, February 19 at Indian Creek at 2:00 pm versus the Chicago Muscle. *Courtesy of http://dieselshoops.com

Cent.Illinois D. - St. Louis P. 130-109
The Central Illinois Drive, presented by Sonic, extended their so far perfect record to 9-0 as they defeated the St. Louis Phoenix 130-109. It was the highest point total in a game for the Drive. Rodney Edgerson (6'5''-F, college: Ky Wesleyan) led the Drive with 20 points and Anthony Slack (6'8''-F/C-84, college: Illinois St.) had 17. The Drive shot 60.44% and were 6 for 20 from three point range. Central Illinois made 14 of 21 free throws. St. Louis set the pace early with a 10-3 run to start the game. The Drive came back to stay with them capitalizing on some breaks and good shot opportunities in order to keep the game close. The Phoenix led 27-23 after the opening quarter and the tone seemed to be set for a back and forth offensive showdown. The Drive one-upped the St. Louis' early success as they started the 2nd quarter with a 14-2 run to put them on top. Anthony Slack made key plays in the comeback and had 11 points in the half. The Drive really turned the game around with a 40 point half and finished up 63-46. The 3rd quarter was a little more balanced as the Drive tried to turn their attention to defense. With the big lead they knew that if they played well the rest of the way the game would be theirs. Josh Edmonds hit a basket as time expired and Central Illinois ended the 3rd up 90-70. Central Illinois kept on in the final quarter as the offense continued. Josh Edmonds scored 9 consecutive points going back to the 3rd quarter. He ended up with 13 for the game. The Drive would hold onto the big lead and eventually extend their perfect record. The Drive are at home Thursday Feb. 16 as they take on the Chicago Muscle. The Drive are 1-0 against Chicago this season. The game is the second meeting of five between the two teams. *Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com

Group Eastern

Rochester R. - Scranton/W-B 110-88
Aaron Williams (6'8''-C/F-83, agency: Dream Team Management, college: W.Chester) scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead a balanced Rochester attack as the RazorSharks won their fifth straight game with a 110-88 victory against the Scranton Wilkes/Barre Steamers in a Premier Basketball League game on Saturday. Tasheed Carr (6'4''-G-85, college: St.Joseph's) added 17 points and Jamaal Davis collected 12 points and 10 rebounds for Rochester (8-1), which improved to 3-0 against second-place Scranton (4-4) this year. The RazorSharks had five players in double figures, and eight players scored at least seven points. Rochester struggled from long range, connecting on 4 of 18 attempts from beyond the arc, but dominated inside, hauling in 69 rebounds and scoring 66 points in the paint. Todd McCoy had 11 points and eight rebounds and Johnny Mayhane scored 13 points off the bench for the RazorSharks. The Steamers struggled offensively, going 13-for-31 from the free-throw line and making 3 of 21 from 3-point range. Steamers guard Lionel Armstead, who scored 31 points as a member of now-defunct Charleston when the Gunners handed Rochester its only loss of the season on Jan. 16, had 14 points. *Courtesy of www.democratandchronicle.com

Lake Michigan - Dayton A.S. 86-96
The Dayton Air Strikers shut down Lake Michigan's run and gun offense, outscoring the Admirals 96-86 at Lake Michigan Catholic, Saturday night. The Admirals were 20 points below their season average and held to 38.3% from the field. Lake Michigan was up early, but the Air Strikers used a 9-2 run at the end of the second quarter to take a 46-40 halftime lead. The quarter saw seven lead changes. Lake Michigan's third quarter jinks appeared to be over when they tied the game at 58 with just under six minutes left. Dayton's William Harris caught fire, scoring 13 of his game high 31 points. An 18-5 Air Striker attack pushed the lead to 15 for the visitors after Admirals' newcomer 6'10' Colby Batiste broke his cheek bone and had to be rushed to the hospital. 'That was the turning point in the game,' quoted Coach Che Eddie. The Admirals fought back to within one, 83-82 before Harris caught on fire again adding 12 more points including six for six at the line to seal the win. Lake Michigan (0-6) was led by Florentino Valencia (6'6''-F-85, agency: Paris Global Sports, college: Toledo) with 25 points. Steve Strong added 14. The Air Strikers (3-4) had three others in double figures, Brandon Hassell (6'10''-F-86, college: Penn St.) with 15, Mark Gomillia with 13, and Brandon Russ with 12. Gomillia remained perfect on the season at the free throw line, now 15for 15. The Admirals next game is Saturday, February 18th against the Rochester RazorSharks at Lake Michigan Catholic. Tip off is at 6:00pm. *Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com

Standings

PBL Standings

Central Division
1. Cent.Illinois D.		9-0
2. Sauk Valley P.		6-3
3. Chicago M.		4-3
4. Indiana D.		2-7
5. St. Louis P.		0-5
Eastern Division
1. Rochester R.		8-1
2. Scranton/W-B		4-4
3. Dayton A.S.		3-4
4. Lake Michigan		0-6

Taverius Wilkins signs with the Sauk Valley Predators - by Eurobasket News
The Sauk Valley Predators announce a new player to their organization, Taverius Wilkins (6'10''-C-87, college: Wilberforce), a center from Wilberforce University in Ohio.

Taverius, otherwise known as T, played at Austin High School in Chicago, IL and led Austin to a 17-14 final record during his senior season. He averaged 10 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks per game. The left handed post player was a two-time all-conference selection for the Tigers and also competed on Austins boys volleyball team.

Taverius has soft hands around the basket and has a very reliable jump shot out to 17 feet. He has a

knack for collecting offensive rebounds as he is always hanging around the basket. Has a quiet

demeanor on the court, but developed a mean-streak to his game. Defensively, he is a shot blocker who

will help the interior game of the Sauk Valley Predators. Most recently Taverius played in the EBA over

in Spain for Club Baloncesto Villamuriel.

We are planning on Taverius size to help us down low offensively and his blocking ability to help us defensively, stated Brad and Leah Grenoble, team owners. We are really looking forward to our two games against the Diesels this weekend.

The Sauk Valley Predators next game is away on Saturday evening vs. the Indiana Diesels. Individual and season tickets can be purchased online at www.saukvalleypredators.com. You can also view the other Predator players and full schedule.

The Predators are part of the Premier Basketball Leagues Central Division along with the following teams; Chicago Muscle, Central Illinois Drive, Indiana Diesels and the St. Louis Phoenix. The PBLs Eastern Division includes the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Steamers, Dayton Air Strikers and the Rochester RazorSharks. For more information please visit www.thePBL.com.

Courtesy of PBL (www.thepbl.com)

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Desmond HOLLOWAY
  Sauk V.
  (190-G-)
  Avg: 27.1

1. Holloway, Sauk V.	27.1
2. Collins, Z*Char.	23.3
3. Simpson, Scranton.	21.5
4. Commons, Scranton.	21.4
5. Valencia, Lake M.	21.3
6. Favors, Sauk V.	21.3
7. Armstead, Z*Char.	20.5
8. Eldridge, Z*NW I.	20.0
9. Goldsberry, Z*Char.	19.8
10. Davis, St. Louis	19.7

Rebounds Per Game

Rob ROBINSON
  Scranton.
  (203-F-87)
  Avg: 12.1

1. Robinson, Scranton.	12.1
2. Pettiford, India.	11.9
3. Hill, Chicago M.	11.1
4. Fay, Sauk Valley P.	10.4
5. Valencia, Lake M.	10.0
6. Davis, Rochester R.	9.0
7. Harris, Sauk V.	9.0
8. Holloway, Sauk V.	8.4
9. Alleyne, Lake M.	7.5
10. Walton, Rocheste.	7.5

Assists Per Game

Vince GOLDSBERRY
  Z*Char.
  (182-PG-89)
  Avg: 10.8

1. Goldsberry, Z*Char.	10.8
2. Favors, Sauk V.	8.6
3. Simpson, Scranton.	7.0
4. Smith, Dayton A.S.	5.3
5. Ruffin, Cent.I.	5.3
6. Crouch, Rocheste.	5.1
7. Snow, Lake M.	4.5
8. Council, Rocheste.	4.4
9. Skinner, Chica.	4.2
10. Polk, St. Louis P.	4.0

Steals Per Game

Tychicus SNOW
  Lake M.
  (170-PG-85)
  Avg: 2

1. Snow, Lake M.	2.0
2. Holloway, Sauk V.	2.0
3. Smith, Dayton A.S.	2.0
4. Radchiff, Z*NW I.	1.7
5. Harris, Sauk V.	1.6
6. Radcliff, Indiana	1.6
7. Blackmore, Lake M.	1.5
8. Robinson, Scranton.	1.5
9. Griffin, Scranton.	1.5
10. Collins, Z*Char.	1.5

Blocks Per Game

Shagari ALLEYNE
  Lake M.
  (221-C-84)
  Avg: 3

1. Alleyne, Lake M.	3.0
2. Slack, Cent.Ill.	2.2
3. Commons, Scranton.	2.0
4. Webster, Rocheste.	1.7
5. Pettiford, India.	1.1
6. Robinson, Scranton.	1.1
7. Robbins, Scranton.	1.0
8. Greene, Cent.I.	1.0
9. Peterson, Cent.I.	0.8
10. Davis, Rochester	0.8

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

PHILIPPINES

PBA Roundup: 2012 Commissioners Cup Opening Weekend - by Enzo Flojo
Some First Impressions:
-Of the imports who debuted over the past weekend, I was most impressed with Ginebra's Alexander Chris (216-C-80, agency: Priority Sports, college: Iowa St.) and Petron's Nick Fazekas (211-F-85, college: Nevada). Alexander seemed a bit more athletic and more of the inside operator while Fazekas showed more versatility. I posit these two guys will butt heads again as both the Kings and the Boosters will probably make the playoffs.
-This early, we can see how Ginebra really benefitted from the big offseason trade a few weeks ago. Kerby Raymundo seemed like a good fit for the Kings, despite his age. JC Intal, meanwhile, appears to need more adjustment time with the Llamados. His 10point production was nice, but playing sparingly in the second half was the most glaring thing from his first game in the B-Meg uniform.
-Adam Parada (213-C-81, college: Cal-Irvine) still looks like an imposing force, but the former Mexican NT mainstay just seems out of shape. The TV commentators mentioned how he hadnt played ball for a few months prior to coming to Manila. I think keeping him is a big risk for the Aces. Hell probably have a couple of good nights, like the one against ROS, but the norm will probably his mediocre play against Barako Bull on opening day.
-I expect a lot from DerMarr Johnson (206-G-80, college: Cincinnati). I remember him teaming up with Kenyon Martin for the Cincinnati Bearcats in the US NCAA, and how they were ranked #1 nationally for some time. He probably doesnt have the same hops he once had, but Im sure an NBA lottery pick can show more than 19 points in a PBA game.
-I think Mac Cardona is just going to kill in this tournament. Having Paul Artadi and Chris Ross run the break and feed him the ball will do wonders for his scoring (as if he needed it). Whether it translates into the Bolts advancing or not is another story altogether.
-Its really quite interesting how ROS remaind to be a severely undersized team. Duke Crews is no way taller than Asi Taulava, or even Don Allado, but he is a bully on the floor. Still, up against the sequoias of the other teams? The Painters will have to wax hot from range to harbor any chances of winning. They did that consistently in the Philippine Cup, but I have a feeling the law of averages will catch up to them soon.

Scores and game recaps from the opening weekend of the 2012 PBA Commissioners Cup:

BARAKO BULL ENERGY over ALASKA ACES, 98-78
Barako import DerMarr Johnson, who was drafted sixth overall in 2000 by the Atlanta Hawks, shot just 1-for-9 from 3-point range and had only 8 rebounds, but the figures hardly mattered as Willie Miller unloaded 25 points and the
Energy zapped the Alaska Aces to open the new conference.

Miller, the two-time MVP, went 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, had 6 rebounds and 2 assists in 28 minutes. Meanwhile, Ronald Tubid played his first game after getting traded by Barangay Ginebra and added 10 points.

The Aces put up forgettable numbers: 1 of 12 from 3-point territory, 31 of 84 from the field, 15 of 22 from the line, and 19 turnovers. They were beaten in the perimeter, 56-17, and gave up 70 points on Barako Bull jump shots, many of them open looks.

BBE 98- Miller 25, Johnson 19, Najorda 10, Tubid 10, Allado 10, Pennisi 9, Salvador 6, Aquino 4, Sorongon 3, Arboleda 2, Gatumbato 0, Lanete 0, andaya 0, Pena 0.
ALA 78- Parada 16, Baguio 13, Baracael 11, Custodio 9, Tenorio 8, Thoss 8, Reyes 5, Salamat 3, Eman 3, Bugia 2, Gelig 0.
QS: 17-16, 39-34, 72-51, 98-78

B-MEG LLAMADOS over MERALCO BOLTS, 96-93
B-Meg import Denzel Bowles turned out to be as good as advertised at least in his first game. The 6-foot-10 European league veteran churned out 27 points and 11 rebounds in a solid PBA debut, leading the Llamados to a win over the Meralco Bolts on opening night.

He obviously got tired playing 36 minutes, but still played tough and helped the Llamados survive versus Jarrid Famous and his Meralco teammates.

James Yap and the other key B-Meg local players provided the needed support as the Llamados got off to a winning start following their sorry fold-up in the Philippine Cup. The Llamados, topping the Philippine Cup eliminations only to be eliminated by the Powerade Tigers in the first stage of the playoffs, had a rollercoaster ride, emerging victorious in regaining control towards the end of the third period. Bowles, Yap and Josh Urbiztondo stood at the forefront of B-Megs bid as they overcame 11-point deficits in the third period and led by as many as 13 in the fourth.

Meralcos Mac Cardona led all scorers with 32 points, while Famous produced 24 points and 15 rebounds. Prior to the game, Famous worked out with the Bolts for just three days, being a mere replacement to the injury-hit Jelani McCoy.

New Meralco acquisition Paul Artadi contributed 13 points, 3 assists and 1 rebound while Chris Ross, coming back from an injury, finally played extended minutes, chipping in 9 rebounds, 7 points and 5 assists.

BML 96 - Bowles 27, Yap J. 18, Urbiztondo 10, Intal 10, Simon 10, De Vance 7, Yap R.7, Pingris 5, Barroca 2, Reavis 0, De Ocampo 0.
MER 93 - Cardona 32, Famous 24, Artadi 13, Ross 7, Borboran 6, Hugnatan 6, Macapagal 3, Espinas 2, Timberlake 0, Taulava 0.
QS: 33-18, 43-46, 73-71, 96-93

ALASKA ACES over RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO-PAINTERS, 109-102
Cyrus Baguio scattered 25 points and import Adam Parada had 24 points to go with 20 rebounds as the Aces hurdled the Rain or Shine Elasto-Painters for an early bounce-back win. Baguio also added 7 assists.

ROSs Duke Crews debuted with a game-high 34 points, and he also added 11 rebounds. The import is a high-flyer, but clearly undersized at just about 6-foot-5 and may not be the kind of reinforcement Rain or Shine wanted. The Bowie State U product scored his first three points off charities before making his first field goal on a short baseline jumper at the 5:02 mark of the opening period. Initially, however, he failed to adjust to the physical plays offered by Sonny Thoss, JR Reyes, Sam Eman and Parada and committed five of his six turnovers in the first half.

Crews did show some flashes of brilliance, helping the E-Painters charge back from as much as a 15-point deficit and tie the game up at 93. They even took the lead at 97-96 after four straight points by Crews.

But LA Tenorio and Baguio would not let the game slip away by hitting the crucial shots down the stretch that propelled Alaska to the win.

Jeffrei Chan had 18 points and Paul Lee 11 for Rain or Shine, which was handled by Caloy Garcia as head coach Yeng Guiao was out of the country.

ALA 109 - Baguio 25, Parada 24, Tenorio 19, Custodio 12, Thoss 8, Salamat 7, Eman 6, Baracael 4, Reyes 4.
ROS 102 - Crews 34, Chan 18, Lee 11, Cruz 8, Arana 8, Norwood 6, Belga 6, Quinahan 4, Buenafe 3, Jaime 2, Ibanes 2, Matias 0.
QS: 28-20, 55-49, 85-74, 109-102

BGY. GINEBRA KINGS over PETRON BLAZE BOOSTERS, 84-82
Jayjay Helterbrand created an incredible winning play in the last 3.9 seconds as Barangay Ginebra squeaked past Petron Blaze to start its campaign in the 2012 PBA Commissioners Cup.

The 2008 MVP awardee eluded defender Alex Cabagnot then scored on a twisting shot off 6-foot-10 Nick Fazekas at the buzzer as the Kings got off to a winning start in the mid-season tourney after a sixth-place finish in the Philippine Cup.

It was an amazing game marked by several amazing plays including the one run by the Boosters to tie the count at 82 with 3.9 ticks left. In their final possession with 20.1 seconds left, the Boosters showed so much patience, working the ball around before eventually finding Fazekas who banged away a game-tying three-pointer. The two teams figured in a fierce battle at the finish after the Boosters gallantly fought back from a 22-point deficit in the first half.

Ginebra import Alexander Chris produced 21 points and 24 rebounds against Fazekas 37 markers and 18 boards in a classic showdown.

A legitimate former NBA player with stints with the Dallas Mavericks and the LA Clippers, Fazekas showed great touch, going 2-of-2 from the three-point area, 11-of-25 from the two-point zone and 9-of-10 from the stripe. Alexander, meanwhile, did what was expected of him.

Mark Caguioa led the Ginebra locals with 17 points that went on top of 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Helterbrand finished with 11 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals while Kerby Raymundo debuted as a Ginebra player with 10 points and 6 rebounds.

Chris Lutz paced the Petron locals with 13 points.

BGK 84 -Alexander 21, Caguioa 17, Helterbrand 11, Raymundo 10, Hatfield 7, W. Wilson 4, Mamaril 4, Labagala 3, Cortez 3, Ababou 2, Canaleta 2.
PBB 82 - Fazekas 37, Lutz 13, Santos 8, Cabagnot 8, Miranda 6, Ildefonso 6, Al-Hussaini 4, Reyes 0, Yeo 0, Tugade 0.
QS: 27-14, 47-34, 64-62, 84-82

Source: Game recaps were compressed and compiled from PBA.ph

Asean Basketball League Roundup: February 11-12, 2012 - by Enzo Flojo
WESTPORTS MALAYSIA DRAGONS over CHANG THAILAND SLAMMERS, 106-72
After a disappointing Week 4, the Dragons bounced back, scoring over 100 points to beat the Slammers. Tiras Wade finished the game in style with a big slam to cap off a 26-point performance. Patrick Cabahug and Guga Batumalai provided the needed lift, too, adding a further 26 and13 points respectively. For the Slammers, their big man DeAndre Thomas finished with 17 points.

The Dragons dominated practically every aspect of the game. They hit 11 threes, 4 from Cabahug, and outrebounded the Slammers 42-24. Malaysian import Brian Williams also had a bad fall early in the game and produced only 10 points. He did, however, grab 15 big boards.

WMD 106- Wade 26, Cabahug 26, Batumalai 13, Ng 13, Williams 10, Chee 7, Pacana 4, Lau 3, Belasco 2, Loh, Kwaan 0, Kuppusamy 0
CTS 72- Thomas 17, Walker 12, Bautista 11, Tolomia 10, Williams 6, Ghogar 4, Pinitpatcharalert 3, Apiromvilaichai 3, Lertmalaiporn 2, Suttisin 0
QS: 21-13, 44-31, 75-53, 106-72

SAN MIGUEL BEERMEN over SAIGON HEAT, 85-62
SMB leaned on a big third quarter performance to edge out the winless Saigon Heart in Vietnam. Dalron Johnson got his third double-double this season with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 steals while dunk machine Doug Thomas ended with a double-double line of 18 points, which included 5 dunks, and 10 rebounds. As for Saigon, Jonathan Jones led the scoring with 26 points while Julius Hodge added 23 points and 13 rebounds.

Jones and Hodge are still carrying the scoring load for Saigon. Pinoy-American Point guard John Smith did not make a big impact today as he only scored 6 points and turned the ball over 7 times. Saigon were able to keep up with the Beermen in the first half, but the Beermen, who were looking for their fourth win this season, stepped it up in the 3rd quarter. Johnson started the quarter by scoring 8 straight points to give the Beermen some more breathing room. SMB had its biggest lead in the game at 83-59 after Johnson hit a follow-up. This is now the Heats 6th straight loss.

The Beermens reserves made a big difference in this game. Leo Avenido scored 16 points while Allan Mangahas added 11. Saigon still needs to get more out of its other players. Apart from Hodge and Jones, the rest of team was able to score only 13 points.

SMB 85- Johnson 24, Thomas 18, Avenido 16, Mangahas 11, Fernandez 7, Fajardo 4, Baguion 2, Rizada 2, Gonzales 1, Basco 0, Dela Pea 0, Cabatu 0
SGH 62- Jones 26, Hodge 23, Smith 6, Trieu 3, Capati 2, Nguyen 1, Javier 1, Doan 0, Ly 0, Pham 0
QS: 18-18, 38-34, 67-49, 85-62

INDONESIA WARRIORS over BANGKOK COBRAS, 73-57
Steve Thomas would not be denied.

The Warriors center was a demon at both ends of the floor, scoring 24 points and collecting 17 rebounds, as the Indonesia Warriors easily took care of business on the road, beating the hometown Bangkok Cobras.

The Warriors also benefitted from the contributions of Jonathan Smith, who had 18 points, and Filipino Allan Salangsang, who finished with 12.

The Bangkok Cobras, meanwhile, could not find their scoring touch, shooting a collective 34%, disappointing their fans at the Chulalongkorn Sporting Centre. They were also outrebounded, 23-32, and had less assists, 7-13. Bangkoks imports, Gentry Lewis and Michael Earl, were ineffective here, combining for just 20 points on 8-of-19 FG shooting.

INW 73- Thomas 24, Smith 18, Salangsan 12, Wuysang 8, Caada 6, Prihantono 3, Gunawan 2, Wibawa 0, Legaspi 0, Ristanto 0
BKC 57- Cruz 14, Lewis 13, Kruatiwa 10, Earl 7, Klahan 5, Apiromvilaichai 2, Chaiwat 2, Limsuwan 2, Kongkum 2, Wanna 0
QS: 21-12, 35-31, 59-41, 73-57

AIRASIA PHILIPPINE PATRIOTS over SINGAPORE SLINGERS, 80-75
This was a clash of the two teams that sat at the top of the table coming into Week 5. For the Patriots, this was also a chance to extend a 3-game winning streak.

With Nakiea Miller hampered by foul trouble, other players stepped up for the Pats. Anthony Johnson topscored with 26 big points, but it was the efforts of the locals that made the biggest difference here.

Al Vergara, Angelus Raymundo, and Aldrech Ramos all played well, scoring 14, 11, and 9 points respectively to help propel the Patriots to the top of the standings.

It was a close game all throughout, with the Slingers relying on their outside shooting (they hit 8 triples as opposed to just 4 for the Pinoys), even as the Patriots played stronger down low, outscoring the Slingers 38-18 in the paint.

Another big factor here were the 24 turnovers committed by Singapore, mostly off the 14 steals by the Patriots.

Louis Graham and Chris Canta led the Slingers losing cause with 19 markers each.

PHP 80- Johnson 26, Vergara 14, Raymundo 11, Miller 10, Ramos 9, Ybaez 4, Rodriguez 3, Larong 3, Wainwright 0, Fernandez 0, Laure 0, Juntilla 0
SGS 75- Graham 19, Canta 19, Wong 14, Little 10, Dulay 9, Khoo 4, Oh 0
QS: 18-11, 31-36, 59-54, 80-75

*Game Recaps compiled and compressed from AseanBasketballLeague.com

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

POLAND

Standings - DBE

PLK Stage Two Standings

Group A
1. Anwil		0-0
2. Energa Czarni		0-0
3. PGE Turow		0-0
4. Trefl Sopot		0-0
5. Zastal ZG		0-0
6. Asseco Prokom		0-0
Group B
1. Slask Wroclaw		14-10
2. Kotwica		12-12
3. AZS Koszalin		10-14
4. Siarka Jezioro		10-14
5. Polpharma		8-16
6. PBG Basket		8-16
7. AZS PW		6-18
8. LKS Lodz		3-21

Stage One Standings

Pacocha number one in Polish 1Liga for round 22 - by Eurobasket News
Guard Lukasz Pacocha (182-G-82) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for AZS Szczecin, receiving a Eurobasket.com 1Liga Player of the Week award for round 22.
The 29-year old player was the main contributor (32 points, three rebounds) to his team's victory, helping them to beat Polonia (#9, 11-10) 89-76. The game rather meaningless between the teams, which do not have any influence on the top of the standings. AZS Szczecin maintains the 11th position in Polish 1Liga. AZS Szczecin 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 9-11 record. In the team's last game Pacocha had a remarkable 75.0% from 2-point range. It's his second year at AZS Szczecin and it's hard to imagine this team without him. Lukasz Pacocha has solid league stats. He is league's best scorer averaging so far 19.3ppg. Pacocha is in league's top in and averages impressive 2.4spg.

The second best player in last round's games was 28-year old Marcin Salamonik (202-F-83) of MOSiR Krosno. Salamonik had a very good evening with 26 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Bad luck as MOSiR Krosno lost that game 69-82 to the higher-ranked P.Cukier SIDEn (#10, 10-10). The game was between two teams which are definitely not main contenders for the title. MOSiR Krosno keeps 14th position. 18 lost games are too many comparing to just three victories MOSiR Krosno managed to get this year. Salamonik is one of the most experienced players at MOSiR Krosno and has a reputation of one of team's most reliable players.

Third on the list of top players last round was another AZS Szczecin's star - swingman Krzysztof Mielczarek (198-G/F-81). Mielczarek scored 14 points and grabbed eighteen rebounds (!!!). He was another key player of AZS Szczecin, helping his team with a 89-76 easy win against slightly higher-ranked Polonia (#9, 11-10). The chances of AZS Szczecin ranking at the top of the league, however are very questionable as they have already lost 11 games, recording just nine victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Mielczarek could help AZS Szczecin to bring them higher in the standings. Mielczarek has a great season in Poland. After 18 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 12.2rpg (#1 in league). He also has 3.1spg, 1.6bpg and FGP: 57.7%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Przemyslaw Lewandowski (204-F/G-78) of P.Cukier SIDEn - 18 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists
5. Radoslaw Basinski (188-PG-78) of SKK Siedlce - 16 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists
6. Tomasz Ochonko (185-PG-86) of Spojnia - 15 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists
7. Francis Jonathan Han (185-G-87) of Sportino - 10 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists
8. Michal Musijowski (180-G-89) of Polonia - 18 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists
9. Mateusz Kostrzewski (201-G/F-89) of Start Gdynia - 18 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Hubert Radke (208-C-80) of Rosa Radom - 16 points and 12 rebounds

The Player of the week is chosen 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)

Kirk Archibeque gets MVP of the Week award for Polish PLK - by Eurobasket News
American Kirk Archibeque (205-C-84, agency: Hart Sports Mngm) had an amazing evening in the last round for Zastal ZG and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 26.
The 27-year old center had a double-double of 21 points and fourteen rebounds, while his team outclassed Kotwica (#7, 12-12) with 30-point margin 85-55. Zastal ZG maintains the 5th position in Polish PLK. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Zastal ZG will need more victories to improve their 15-9 record. It was one of impressive evenings for Archibeque as usually he does not deliver so high stats. Fort Lewis University graduate has very impressive stats this year. Archibeque is in league's top in points (4th best: 9.4ppg), rebounds (3rd best: 7.5rpg) and averages solid 60.5% FGP.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 23-year old American guard J.T. Tiller (191-G-88, agency: Hart Sports Mngm) of Siarka Jezioro. Tiller impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds. Bad luck as Siarka Jezioro lost that game 81-90 to the higher-ranked Trefl Sopot (#1, 19-5). Siarka Jezioro managed to keep the same 9th spot in . His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 10-14 record. Tiller is a newcomer at Siarka Jezioro and it seems he did not have too much trouble to become one of team's leaders.

The third best performed player last round was international guard Mateusz Ponitka (196-G-93) of AZS PW (#12). Ponitka scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Despite Ponitka's great performance AZS PW lost 71-93 to the higher-ranked PGE Turow (#2, 17-7). But his team cannot count on just a single player as he also needs help of the other teammates. AZS PW can only dream about fighting for top spots in Round 21. They have rather bad season and 6-18 record places them close to the bottom of the standings. Too bad for Ponitka he does not play for a better team. But maybe if he did, his season stats would not be that high. Ponitka has a very solid season. In 24 games in Poland he scored 12.5ppg. He also has 4.2rpg and FGP: 58.1%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Lukasz Koszarek (187-G-84) of Trefl Sopot - 23 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists
5. Paul Graham (196-G-85) of Slask Wroclaw - 18 points, 2 rebounds and 6 assists
6. John Allen (194-G/F-82) of Anwil - 28 points and 3 rebounds
7. Rafal Bigus (215-C-76) of AZS Koszalin - 14 points and 11 rebounds
8. Damian Kulig (205-F/C-87) of PBG Basket - 15 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Daniel Kickert (208-C-83) of PGE Turow - 19 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Konrad Wysocki (201-F-82) of PGE Turow - 13 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists

The Player of the week is chosen 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)

Kuczynski number one in Polish 2Liga for round 19 - by Eurobasket News
Forward Lukasz Kuczynski (194-F-85) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for Tur Bielsk Pdl., receiving a Eurobasket.com 2Liga Player of the Week award for round 19.
The 26-year old player had a double-double of 32 points and 17 rebounds, while his team crushed Pulaski Warka (#12, 4-14) with 19-point margin 116-97. Tur Bielsk Pdl. maintains the 4th position in Polish 2Liga. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Tur Bielsk Pdl. will need more victories to improve their 11-6 record. In the team's last game Kuczynski had a remarkable 66.7% from 2-point range. He turned to be Tur Bielsk Pdl.'s top player in his first season with the team. Lukasz Kuczynski has solid league stats. He is in league's top in points (4th best: 20.6ppg) and averages impressive 2.5spg and 60.6% FGP.

The second best player in last round's games was 25-year old Marcin Kowalewski (200-PF-86) of AZS UWM Olsz.. Kowalewski had a very good evening with a double-double of 27 points and 17 rebounds. Of course he lead AZS UWM Olsz. to another comfortable win outscoring the lower-ranked GKK Gorzow (#11, 4-12) 101-78. This victory allowed AZS UWM Olsz. to move up to 6th position in Group A. His team lost some distance to top teams. But 9-8 record is not bad and everything may still change. Kowalewski is well-known at AZS UWM Olsz. and is a proven leader in his second season with the team. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 21.4ppg (#1). He also registered 8.6 boards per game.

Third on the list of top players last round was international forward Piotr Niedzwiedzki (209-F-93) of WKK Obiekty (#5). Niedzwiedzki scored 29 points and grabbed fourteen rebounds (!!!). He was a key player of WKK Obiekty, leading his team to a 86-75 win against the lower-ranked Mickiewicz (#13, 4-15). WKK Obiekty needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams in Group B. Their record at this point is 13 victories and 6 lost games. Niedzwiedzki has a great season in Poland. After 12 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 10.4rpg (4th best). He also has 2.5spg, 1.7bpg and FGP: 64.0%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Krystian Swiech (205-F-80) of MKS Skierniew. - 24 points and 11 rebounds
5. Marcin Stoklosa (188-G-77) of Open Florentyna - 22 points and 12 assists
6. Jakub Dziura (202-F-81) of Staco MNLK - 22 points and 10 rebounds
7. Arkadiusz Zabielski (195-F-84) of Tur Bielsk Pdl. - 22 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists
8. Radoslaw Jarosz (196-F-83) of MKS Skierniew. - 22 points, 5 rebounds and 11 assists
9. Pawel Adamczyk (186-G-84) of Pulaski Warka - 31 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Andrzej Paszkiewicz (180-G-79) of PWiK Piaseczno - 20 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists

The Player of the week is chosen 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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PORTUGAL

Proliga Round 14: Alges defeat Angrabasket in the game between Top 4 teams - by Eurobasket News
An interesting game for Alges (13-1) which played road game in Angra against second-ranked Angrabasket (9-5). First ranked Alges managed to get a 7-point victory 80-73. It ended at the same time the seven-game winning streak of Angrabasket. The guests trailed by 2 points after three quarters before their 24-15 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Alges made 18-of-22 free shots (81.8 percent) during the game. American forward DeSean White (203-86, college: Northwood Fl.) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 16 points, 16 rebounds and 4 assists. Naturalized GNBn forward Danilson Vieira (192-85) contributed with 21 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. American power forward Terrence Mack (198-84, college: Rhode Island) replied with 18 points and 9 rebounds for Angrabasket. Alges have an impressive seven-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 13-1 record. Angrabasket at the other side dropped to the third place with five games lost. Alges are looking forward to face Guifoes (#10) at home in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Angrabasket will play against Oliveirense (#8) in Oliveira and is hoping to prove to their fans that the loss was just an accident.
Important game to mention about took place in Guifoes. Tenth ranked Guifoes (5-9) saved a 1-point victory at home edging 11th ranked Gaeirense (3-11) 62-61 in the fight for the tenth place. Forward Jose Almeida (199-86) had a double-double by scoring 11 points and 15 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and Joao Gaspar chipped in 11 points and 7 rebounds during the contest. Guifoes' coach allowed to play the deep bench players in such tough game. Forward Tomas Emidio (195-85) responded with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Guifoes maintains tenth position with 5-9 record. Gaeirense lost fourth consecutive game. Newly promoted team keeps the eleventh place with 11 games lost. Guifoes will play against league's leader Alges on the road in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Gaeirense will play against the league's second-placed Illiabum (#2) and will have a slim chance for a victory.
The game between seventh ranked Electrico FC (7-7) and 12th ranked Povoa (2-12) in Ponte de Sor on Saturday ended with biggest points difference. Electrico FC beat guests from Povoa 85-69. Electrico FC moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Sangalhos. Povoa lost sixth consecutive game. They stay at the bottom position with 12 games lost. Electrico FC will meet at home higher ranked Galitos-Tley (#5) in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Povoa will play against Sangalhos (#7) and hope to secure a win.

There were no big surprises in other games of round 14: Fisica beat Galitos-Tley on the road 71-65. Maia Basket won against Oliveirense on its own court 78-64. Sangalhos unfortunately lost to Illiabum in Ilhavo 55-63.
The most impressive performance of 14th round was 26 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists by Paulo Diamantino of Maia Basket.

Electrico FC - Povoa 85-69

The game between seventh ranked Electrico FC (7-7) and 12th ranked Povoa (2-12) in Ponte de Sor on Saturday ended with biggest points difference. Electrico FC beat guests from Povoa 85-69. Electrico FC moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Sangalhos. Povoa lost sixth consecutive game. They stay at the bottom position with 12 games lost. Electrico FC will meet at home higher ranked Galitos-Tley (#5) in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Povoa will play against Sangalhos (#7) and hope to secure a win.

Galitos-Tley - Fisica 65-71

We could consider it a predictable result in the game between close teams when fifth ranked Fisica (8-6) beat one of their biggest challengers Galitos-Tley (8-6) in Barreiro 71-65 on Saturday. The guests trailed by 4 points at the halftime before their 22-11 charge in the third quarter, which allowed them to win the game. Strangely Galitos-Tley outrebounded Fisica 42-29 including 29 on the defensive glass. Naturalized Guinea-Bissau forward Josimar Cardoso (201-87) notched a double-double by scoring 14 points and 13 rebounds to lead the effort and Cape Verdean guard Braima Freire (188-82) supported him with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Even a double-double of 11 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists by forward Rui Quintino (196-83) did not help to save the game for Galitos-Tley. Guard Alexandre Coelho (178-90) added 21 points for the hosts. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Fisica moved-up to fourth place, which they share with defeated Galitos-Tley. Galitos-Tley lost third consecutive game. Fisica will meet at home Maia Basket (#9) in the next round where they are favorite. Galitos-Tley will play against Electrico FC (#6) in Ponte de Sor and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Fisica: B.Freire 16+6reb+2ast, J.Cardoso 14+13reb+2ast, R.Rodrigues 11+3reb, C.Dias 10+1reb+2ast, R.Junior 8+2reb+1ast, N.Monteiro 8+1ast
Galitos-Tley: A.Coelho 21+2reb+3ast, N.Denis 13+8reb, J.Ferreira 12+11reb, R.Quintino 11+12reb+7ast, D.Neves 8+6reb+2ast, T.Magalhaes 0+2reb

Maia Basket - Oliveirense 78-64

We cannot really consider it an upset in the game between close teams when 8th ranked Oliveirense (6-8) lost on the road to ninth ranked Maia Basket (6-8) 78-64 on Saturday. The game was mostly controlled by Maia Basket. Oliveirense managed to win fourth quarter 22-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Center Paulo Diamantino (203-85) notched 26 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists to lead the effort and guard Pedro Catarino (184-90) supported him with 13 points and 5 assists. Even a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds by American forward Deantre Jefferson (203-88, college: Chattanooga) did not help to save the game for Oliveirense. Guard Nuno Freitas (180-81) added 12 points for the guests. Oliveirense's coach Joao Costeira rotated eleven players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Maia Basket moved-up to eighth place, which they share with defeated Oliveirense. Maia Basket will meet higher ranked Fisica (#4) in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Oliveirense will play against Angrabasket (#3) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Maia Basket: P.Diamantino 26+6reb+4ast, P.Catarino 13+2reb+5ast, P.Tavares 12+2reb+1ast, A.Kravtsov 8+3reb, J.Oliveira 7+1reb+1ast, J.Diamantino 7+4reb
Oliveirense: D.Jefferson 15+10reb+1ast, N.Freitas 12+1reb+2ast, M.Pinto 12+1reb+2ast, S.Johnson 9+3reb, N.Costa 5+3reb, P.Santos 5+1reb

Angra - Alges 73-80

An interesting game for Alges (13-1) which played road game in Angra against second-ranked Angrabasket (9-5). First ranked Alges managed to get a 7-point victory 80-73. It ended at the same time the seven-game winning streak of Angrabasket. The guests trailed by 2 points after three quarters before their 24-15 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Alges made 18-of-22 free shots (81.8 percent) during the game. American forward DeSean White (203-86, college: Northwood Fl.) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 16 points, 16 rebounds and 4 assists. Naturalized GNBn forward Danilson Vieira (192-85) contributed with 21 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. American power forward Terrence Mack (198-84, college: Rhode Island) replied with 18 points and 9 rebounds and naturalized Angolan guard Joao Pereira (186-83) added 18 points and 9 rebounds in the effort for Angrabasket. Four Angrabasket players scored in double figures. Alges have an impressive seven-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 13-1 record. Angrabasket at the other side dropped to the third place with five games lost. Alges are looking forward to face Guifoes (#10) at home in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Angrabasket will play against Oliveirense (#8) in Oliveira and is hoping to prove to their fans that the loss was just an accident.
Top scorers:
Alges: D.Vieira 21+7reb, D.White 16+16reb+4ast, A.Pires 15+3reb+6ast, J.Manuel 9+2reb, S.Correia 9+4reb, F.Mendonca 4+1reb
Angra: J.Pereira 18+9reb+1ast, T.Mack 18+9reb+2ast, D.Gibson 16+7reb+4ast, F.Gomes 16+6reb+3ast, J.Avila 5+7reb+1ast, M.Cardoso 0

Guifoes - Gaeirense 62-61

Important game to mention about took place in Guifoes. Tenth ranked Guifoes (5-9) saved a 1-point victory at home edging 11th ranked Gaeirense (3-11) 62-61 in the fight for the tenth place. Gaeirense was ahead by 8 points after three quarters before a 21-12 charge of Guifoes, which allowed them to win the game. They outrebounded Gaeirense 40-27 including 16 on the offensive glass. Gaeirense was plagued by 27 personal fouls down the stretch. Forward Jose Almeida (199-86) had a double-double by scoring 11 points and 15 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and Angolan forward Joao Gaspar (196-89) chipped in 11 points and 7 rebounds during the contest. Guifoes' coach allowed to play the deep bench players in such tough game. Forward Tomas Emidio (195-85) responded with 15 points and 7 rebounds and Jorge Ribeiro scored 12 points. Guifoes maintains tenth position with 5-9 record. Gaeirense lost fourth consecutive game. Newly promoted team keeps the eleventh place with 11 games lost. Guifoes will play against league's leader Alges on the road in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Gaeirense will play against the league's second-placed Illiabum (#2) and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Top scorers:
Guifoes: J.Almeida 11+15reb+2ast, J.Gaspar 11+7reb+2ast, O.Conceicao 10+4reb+1ast, P.Silva 9+1reb+1ast, A.Moreira 7+5reb+1ast, D.Correia 7+3reb+1ast
Gaeirense: T.Emidio 15+7reb+1ast, J.Ribeiro 12+2reb+3ast, E.Lucas 10+3reb+3ast, R.Rochete 9+4reb+1ast, F.Canha 6+9reb+2ast, O.Gomes 5+2reb

Illiabum - Sangalhos 63-55

Rather predictable result when third ranked Illiabum (10-4) won against 6th ranked Sangalhos (7-7) in Ilhavo 63-55 on Saturday. Sangalhos trailed by 11 points after 3 quarters before a 17-14 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 55-63 at the end of the game. American center Dain Swetalla (206-86, college: Augustana, IL) notched 13 points and 9 rebounds to lead the effort and forward Joao David (198) supported him with 9 points and 9 rebounds. Even 19 points by swingman Emanuel Silva (188-79) did not help to save the game for Sangalhos. Miguel Carmo added 9 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists for the guests. Illiabum moved-up to second place. Loser Sangalhos keep the sixth position with seven games lost. They share it with Electrico FC. Illiabum will meet Gaeirense (#11) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Sangalhos will play against Povoa (#12) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Illiabum: D.Swetalla 13+9reb+1ast, M.Mota 12+5reb, J.David 9+9reb+3ast, J.Figueiredo 9+3reb+3ast, P.Morgado 8+1reb+1ast, K.Richard 7+6reb+1ast
Sangalhos: E.Silva 19+4reb+1ast, N.Bizarro 12+6reb, M.Carmo 9+9reb+6ast, J.Seabra 8+4reb+6ast, A.Duarte 5, L.Fonte 2+5reb

Almeida's 21 points and 9 rebounds give him Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
22-year old guard Ivan Almeida (198-G-89) put on an amazing game in the last round for Sampaense and receives a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 16.
He had the game-high 21 points adding nine rebounds and two assists for Sampaense in his team's victory, helping them to outclass, the league's bottom-ranked team Ginasio (#12, 0-16) with 36-point margin 90-54. Sampaense maintains the 8th position in Portuguese league. Sampaense 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 7-9 record. Almeida just recently signed at Sampaense, being already a very valuable addition to the team. Ivan Almeida averages this season 11.0ppg.

Second best performed player last round was Durrell Nevels (198-F-86) of Terceira Basket. He is American forward in his second season at Terceira Basket. In the last game Nevels recorded impressive double-double of 23 points and 12 rebounds. Bad luck as Terceira Basket lost that game 67-79 to the higher-ranked Lusitania (#6, 9-7). This loss caused Terceira Basket to drop to 11th position in the standings. 12 lost games are too many comparing to just four victories Terceira Basket managed to get this year. Nevels is well-known at Terceira Basket and he already established his position as one of the team's leaders. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 16.9ppg (#8). He also registered 9.6 boards per game.

Third place about best performers goes to forward Brian Mills (203-F-88, agency: Pro One Sports) of Lusitania (#6). Mills scored 23 points and grabbed twelve rebounds (!!!). He was a key player of Lusitania, leading his team to a 79-67 win against the lower-ranked Terceira Basket (#11, 4-12). Lusitania needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 9 victories and 7 lost games. Mills has a very solid season. In 15 games in Portugal he scored 14.1ppg. He also has 7.1rpg and FGP: 54.7%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Jorge Coelho (200-C-78) of CAB Madeira - 20 points and 11 rebounds
5. Brian Addison (205-F-87) of Sampaense - 23 points and 8 rebounds
6. Joao Santos (205-C-79) of Porto Ferpinta - 24 points and 6 rebounds
7. Joao Gomes (199-F-85) of Benfica - 18 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists
8. Christopher Lee (206-C-84) of Ovarense - 12 points, 11 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Richard Oruche (191-G-87) of Academica - 20 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Anthony Hill (204-F-88) of Barreirense - 21 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists

The Player of the week is chosen 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)

Standings - Proliga

Proliga Standings

1. Alges		13-1
2. Illiabum		10-4
3. Angra		9-5
4. Fisica		8-6
5. Galitos-Tley		8-6
6. Electrico FC		7-7
7. Sangalhos		7-7
8. Oliveirense		6-8
9. Maia Basket		6-8
10. Guifoes		5-9
11. Gaeirense		3-11
12. Povoa		2-12

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PUERTO RICO

San German sign Kevinn Pinkney - by Eurobasket News
San German bolstered their frontcourt. They signed a deal with Kevinn Pinkney (207-F-83, college: Nevada). The forward started the season in Turkey. He played for Aliaga Petkim. Kevinn Pinkney tallied 8.6 points, 4.2 boards, 1.3 steals and 1.2 assists per game in TBL. Last season Kevinn Pinkney started with Union Olimpija. Later the forward moved to Enisey Krasnoyarsk. His stats read 7.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in PBL. Kevinn Pinkney also had stints in Israel, Italy, D-League, NBA, France and Poland. Kevinn Pinkney was named Slovenian League All-Star Game MVP in 2011.

Mayagez signs Donta Smith: - by Luis Modestti
Indios de Mayaguez announced Donta Smith (201-G-83, college: SE Illinois JC) as their second import for the 2012 BSN season.

Smith played last season in Venezuela with Marinos de Anzoategui and just finished playing with Fuerza Regia in Mexico.

This is the second time Smith signs in Puerto Rico. The first time was in 2009 with Gigantes de Carolina and was suspended for one season after testing positive for a banned substance. He only played eight games that season and averaged 11.6 points and 6.8 rebounds.

Mayaguez already announced Venezuelan Luis Bethelmy (200-F/C-86) as their Latin-American import.

Humacao inks Hodge as Latin-American: - by Luis Modestti
Caciques de Humacao signed Julius Hodge (201-G-83, college: N.Carolina St.) as their Latin-American player. With this signing they completed their trio of imports that includes Rashad McCants and Ike Diogu.

Hodge played last year in Belarus and just finished in Vietnam with the Saigon Heat. He has NBA experience with the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks.

The 67 guard/forward has an Antiguan passport and represented them in the 2011 CBC Championship for Men.

He is expected to arrive in Puerto Rico on February 22. The 2012 BSN season starts on March 1.

San German announces center Kevinn Pinkney: - by Marcos Carlo
Atleticos San German signed center Kevinn Pinkney (207-F-83, college: Nevada) from the start of the season. Pinkney replaces Jose Jaime Lloreda who wont be available from the start of the season since he is playing in Argentina.

Pinkney played in Turkey with Aliaga Petkim and has experience in France, Poland, Israel, Italy, Slovenia and the NBA D-League.

San German is waiting if Mike Harris and his team qualify to the playoffs in China. If his team qualifies he wont be in time for the start of the season and could sign another import until Harris arrives.

Atleticos, who lost a warm-up game 88-69 yesterday against Arecibo, has Marlon Garnett as their only import practicing with the team.

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RUSSIA

Rolandas Alijevas leaves Kyiv for Samara - by Eurobasket News
Rolandas Alijevas (192-G-85, agency: Ryzhov Stanislav) is no longer Budivelnyk player. The Lithuanian guard parted ways with the Ukrainian powerhouse. Rolandas Alijevas will continue his career in Krasnye Krilya Samara. The guard joined Budivelnyk at the start of the season. He averaged 9.3 points, 3.3 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game in Superleague. In VTB League Rolandas Alijevas notched 8.5 points, 2.9 assists and 2.6 rebounds per appearance. Last season Alijevas started with Nevezis. Later on the guard moved to Rudupis Prienu. Eurobasket.com named Rolandas Alijevas All-Baltic League Guard of the Year in 2011. He was also trumped All-Lithuanian LKL Guard of the Year.

Krasnye Krylya eye Tariq Kirksay - by Eurobasket News
Krasnye Krylya eye Tariq Kirksay (199-F-79, college: Iona) for the rest of the season. The USA-French is a well-known name in Russia as he played for Unics earlier.
In 2007-2008 he joined Unics Kazan (Russia-A Superleague, starting five) and in ULEB Cup after 15 games averaged 13.8ppg, Reb-2 (9.0rpg), 2.9apg, 2.1spg, FGP: 58.9%, 3PT: 35.9%, FT: 68.4%. In Russian League his stats read 9.6ppg, 6.7rpg, 3.6apg, Steals-1 (2.2spg), 2FGP: 54.2%, 3PT: 49.1%, FT: 61.5%.
In 2008-2009 for Unics Kazan (Russia-A Superleague) in Russian League he showed 7.3ppg, 5.5rpg, 1.7apg, Steals-5 (1.8spg), FGP: 47.0%, 3PT: 31.6%, FT: 56.3%, while in Eurocup he had 12.0ppg, Reb-5 (6.9ppg), 2.7apg, 1.8spg, FGP: 70.5%, 3PT: 37.8%, FT: 59.3%. In 2009-2010 Tariq Kirksay moved to Cajasol Sevilla (Spain-ACB, starting five) and after 35 games showed 7.5ppg, Reb-3 (7.1rpg), 1.9apg, Steals-1 (2.4spg), FGP: 56.5%, 3PT: 29.7%, FT: 50.0%.
In 2010-2011 for Cajasol Sevilla had 7.7ppg, 4.8rpg, 1.9apg, Steals-2 (1.9spg), FGP: 56.6%, 3PT: 30.9%, FT: 57.1% in Spanish League, while in EuroCup averaged 10.3ppg, 5.9rpg,. The season 2011-2012 started for Fabi Shoes Montegranaro (Italy-SerieA, starting five) and had 6.8 points per game.
Last year he made it into Eurobasket.com All-EuroCup 1st Team -11, Eurobasket.com EuroCup All-Europeans Team -11 and became Eurocup Finalist -11.

Karadzic Stevan leaves Enisey - by Eurobasket News
Stevan Karadzic (agency: Alti Sport ) leaves Enisey in the middle of the season. The Serbian Coach will be replaced with Milan Kotarac (agency: Ryzhov Stanislav ).
Stevan Karadzic (agency: Alti Sport ) started as a Head Coach with Crvena Zvezda Beograd early in 2001. In 2008-2009 he appeared for KK Hemofarm Stada Vrsac (A League) and in Mar.'10 hired by Enisey Krasnoyarsk (Russia-A Superleague). After three seasons there he will leave the team.
Milan Kotarac (agency: Ryzhov Stanislav ) worked a s Coach Assistant in 2005-2006 with Lokomotiv Rostov na Donu (Russia-A Superleague)
The season 2006-2007 he spent with Lokomotiv Rostov na Donu (Russia-A Superleague), but also head coach of Lokomotiv-2 Rostov (Russia-Higher League). In Dec.'07 was hired by Unics Kazan (Russia-A Superleague) and in
2008-2009 moved to KK Crvena Zvezda Beograd (A League). The seasons 2009-2011 he spent with Spartak St.Petersburg (Russia-A Superleague)

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RWANDA

Citizen Dreams of Playing in NBA - by Eurobasket News
Gatete Djuma (205-F) may have left for the U.S two years ago but he is now dreaming of playing basketball in the ultimate league-The National Basketball Association (NBA).

The 19-year old who plays for Long Beach State high school in California, has already received reviews from his coach Dan Monson and Basketball columnists.

The center forward is an integral part of his team and has already been nominated for the McDonald's All America teams.

The McDonald's All-American Game refers to each of the all-star basketball games played each year for boys' and girls' high-school basketball graduates.

Consisting of the top American and Canadian players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the conclusion of the high-school basketball season, in an East vs. West format.

As part of the annual event, boys also compete in a slam-dunk contest, a three-point shooting competition, and an overall timed-skills competition. The girls compete in the three-point shooting competition and the overall-skills competition.

The boys' game has been contested annually since 1978, and the girls game has been played each year since it was added in 2002.

Gatete told Desert news, a newspaper in salt lake that 'his ultimate dream is to play in lucrative NBA'.

According to Shema Maboko,a FIBA licensed referee who knows Gatete before he left for the USA, said the 6-10 player always had the indigents for having a successful career in the game.

'He was a very hardworking boy who loved the game with a lot of passion. He is also incredibly tall which will propel him to greater heights,' Maboko said.
Courtesy of: The New Times

Owour Challenges Indomitable Lions - by Eurobasket News
APR coach Cliff Owour has challenged his indomitable lions to go all the way in next month's basketball playoffs.

Owour, who is APR's most successful coach, has not won the national basketball league in the last two seasons and is desperate to end the trophy drought starting with the playoffs which recently received a cash boost of Rwf16m from Imbuto foundation under the theme 'fighting further spread of Malaria'.

'We need to return back to winning ways,' a concerned Owour said.

The playoffs, which serve as a curtain raiser for the league, will be played in Huye, Nyanza and Kigali City.
Courtesy of: The New Times

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SERBIA

Karadzic Stevan leaves Enisey - by Eurobasket News
Stevan Karadzic (agency: Alti Sport ) leaves Enisey in the middle of the season. The Serbian Coach will be replaced with Milan Kotarac (agency: Ryzhov Stanislav ).
Stevan Karadzic (agency: Alti Sport ) started as a Head Coach with Crvena Zvezda Beograd early in 2001. In 2008-2009 he appeared for KK Hemofarm Stada Vrsac (A League) and in Mar.'10 hired by Enisey Krasnoyarsk (Russia-A Superleague). After three seasons there he will leave the team.
Milan Kotarac (agency: Ryzhov Stanislav ) worked a s Coach Assistant in 2005-2006 with Lokomotiv Rostov na Donu (Russia-A Superleague)
The season 2006-2007 he spent with Lokomotiv Rostov na Donu (Russia-A Superleague), but also head coach of Lokomotiv-2 Rostov (Russia-Higher League). In Dec.'07 was hired by Unics Kazan (Russia-A Superleague) and in
2008-2009 moved to KK Crvena Zvezda Beograd (A League). The seasons 2009-2011 he spent with Spartak St.Petersburg (Russia-A Superleague)

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SLOVAKIA

Team Chemistry - by Bobby Davis
The team chemistry on our team is the best that I have witness. I believe that one of the main reasons that we play so well together is because of our team chemistry off the court. We have gel together so well and it started from the first day we met. Everyone was very helpful for one another since day one. We all are similar in certain ways we just come from different places in the world. You would think that we have known each other longer that what we have. We all tell jokes on one another and no one gets offensive and that's the things I like. It is more fun when you can play basketball and build friendships at the same time. Our off the court chemistry is what helps us play well together on the court and it shows when teams play us. If you was to watch our team play you never see just one or two guys taking all the shots. We play as a team and share the ball very well. As a team we work hard to get easy shots for another player. Whether it's setting a good screen or our big men running the floor to get our guards a good shot. Nobody on our team would get jealous if another player score a 20 or 30 point game because we know every game somebody else is going to have a high scoring game. As long we get the win that's the most important thing to our team. There's no jealousy or hate on our team we are all playing for the same reason and that is to win a championship. From the foreigners to the Slovaks on our team we all have our goals set on winning and getting better everyday. Everyone on our team has personal and team goals and we are all working hard to achieve our goals. At the end of the day it's all about our team getting better. We don't focus on what other team's are going through and the changes they make. I am happy to be on this team this year and I believe something special is going to happen for our team and this organization at the end of the season.

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SLOVENIA

Krejic number one in Slovenian D2 for round 18 - by Eurobasket News
Guard Dario Krejic (195-G-78) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for Medvode, receiving a Eurobasket.com D2 Player of the Week award for round 18.
The 33-year old player was the main contributor (28 points, nine rebounds and seven assists) to his team's victory, helping them to beat Branik (#6, 10-7) 84-71. Medvode is placed at 9th position in Slovenian D2. Medvode is rather a weak team placed in lower part in the standings. They need more victories to improve their 5-11 record. In the team's last game Krejic had a remarkable five three-pointers out of 10 attempts. He turned to be Medvode's top player in his first season with the team. Dario Krejic averages this season 13.7ppg.

The second best player in last round's games was young Luka Hren (198-G-90, agency: Kotnik Sports Agency) of Litija. Hren had a very good evening with 28 points and 4 rebounds. Bad luck as Litija lost that game 65-82 to the higher-ranked Grosuplje (#1, 14-3). Litija are still at the very bottom. 14 lost games are too many comparing to just three victories Litija managed to get this year. Hren is well-known at Litija and is a proven leader in his second season with the team.

Third on the list of top players last round was forward Adin Kavgic (193-F/C-87) of Splosna plovba (#4). Kavgic scored 14 points and grabbed twenty two rebounds (!!!). He was a key player of Splosna plovba, leading his team to a 85-78 win against the lower-ranked Radenska (#8, 7-10). Splosna plovba needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 12 victories and 5 lost games. Kavgic has a great season in Slovenia. After 17 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 9.3rpg (#1 in league).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Igor Spesic (204-F/C-83) of Radenska - 29 points and 11 rebounds
5. Dejan Mlakar (192-G-88) of Jance Prit - 25 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists
6. Boris Jersin (183-G-85) of Triglav Strazisce - 19 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists
7. Gasper Ovnik (188-G-82) of Hrastnik - 34 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists
8. Matic Sirnik (200-F-91) of Jance Prit - 15 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Andraz Kavas (200-F-92) of Jance Prit - 18 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Jure Misic (188-G-87) of Grosuplje - 11 points, 7 rebounds and 3 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)

Union Olimpija lands Casey Mitchell - by Eurobasket News
Casey Mitchell (193-G-88, college: W.Virginia) is a new member of Union Olimpija. The American guard penned a deal for rest of the season. Mitchell started it with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He appeared 23 times in NBA D-League averaging 19.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists. Casey Mitchell is a rookie, who spent last two years with the West Virginia University. He had 13.6 ppg and 2.8 rpg for his school in 2010/11. It was a big improvement after 3.7 ppg for 35 games a year before. Mitchell participated at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament last year. He shined with 23.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.3 spg and 2 apg for 3 games at this event. Casey Mitchell started his collegiate career with Chipola Junior College and transferred to WVU in 2009.

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SOUTH KOREA

KBL Round 49 of Regular Season - by Eurobasket News
Eighth-ranked SK Knights (16-30) gave a tough game to third ranked Sonic Boom KT (29-17) in Busan. Sonic Boom KT managed to secure only eight-point victory 79-71. However their fans expected much easier game. Worth to mention a great performance of Sang-Oh Park who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 23 points and 10 rebounds. Sonic Boom KT maintains third place with 29-17 record having ten points less than leader Dongbu Promy. SK Knights at the other side keep the eighth position with 30 games lost. Sonic Boom KT's next round opponent will be again SK Knights (#8) in Seoul which should be theoretically an easy game.
ET Land Elephants (#5) forced the game against KCC Egis (#4) into an overtime, but lost by one point 100-101 on Friday night. DeShawn Sims stepped up with a double-double by scoring 31 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. ET Land Elephants' coach tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. KCC Egis maintains fourth place with 26-21 record. Loser ET Land Elephants keep the fifth position with 23 games lost. KCC Egis will face LG Sakers (#7) in Changwon in the next round. ET Land Elephants will play at home against Mobis Phoebus in Ulsan and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

The most impressive stats of the last round was 21 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks by Rodrique Benson of Dongbu Promy.

KCC Egis - ET Land 101-100 OT

ET Land Elephants (#5) forced the game against KCC Egis (#4) into an overtime, but lost by one point 100-101 on Friday night. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning the initial quarter 24-18. But ET Land Elephants won second period 22-19. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening, at least not yet. The game turned upside-down in the last quarter, where ET Land Elephants used huge pressure winning it 27-21 getting a tie at the end of regular time. They lost eventually overtime period 12-13. KCC Egis made 19-of-24 free shots (79.2 percent) during the game. It was a great shooting night for KCC Egis especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 52.6 percentage. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. American forward DeShawn Sims (203-88, college: Michigan) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 31 points and 10 rebounds for the winners and international center Seung-Jin Ha (221-85) chipped in 15 points and 18 rebounds. At the losing side international forward Tae-Jong Moon (199-75, college: Richmond, agency: Alti Sport) responded with 26 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists (made all of his fifteen free throws !!!) and American forward Herbert Hill (208-84, college: Providence) produced a double-double by scoring 21 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks. Five KCC Egis and four ET Land Elephants players scored in double figures. ET Land Elephants' coach tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. KCC Egis maintains fourth place with 26-21 record. Loser ET Land Elephants keep the fifth position with 23 games lost. KCC Egis will face LG Sakers (#7) in Changwon in the next round. ET Land Elephants will play at home against Mobis Phoebus in Ulsan and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
ET Land: T.Moon 26+7reb+5ast, K.Shin 22+1reb+6ast, H.Hill 21+13reb+1ast, T.Joo 11+3reb+2ast, H.Lee 7+1reb, H.Lee 6+1reb
KCC Egis: D.Sims 31+10reb+2ast, T.Akins 17+4reb+7ast, S.Ha 15+18reb+1ast, T.Kim 13+1reb+1ast, S.Choo 13+2reb+2ast, M.Jeong 8+2reb+3ast

Dongbu Promy - Goyang Orions 64-59

Very expected game in Wonju where 9th ranked Goyang Orions (15-31) were defeated by first ranked Dongbu Promy (39-7) 64-59 on Thursday. However just five-point win is not that big difference and the fans of host team counted on more convincing victory. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning the initial quarter 17-11. But Goyang Orions won second period 17-14. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The game was decided in the last minutes when Dongbu Promy won last quarter 22-19. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Dongbu Promy made 7 blocks. American power forward Rodrique Benson (207-84, college: California) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 21 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks for the winners and swingman Kwang-Jae Lee (188-84) chipped in 21 points. At the losing side American swingman Chris Williams (199-80, college: Virginia) responded with a double-double by scoring 22 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 steals and the other American import forward Jin-Soo Choi (202, college: Maryland) scored 15 points and 6 rebounds. Dongbu Promy have an impressive series of thirteen victories in a row. They maintain first place with 39-7 record. Loser Goyang Orions keep the ninth position with 31 games lost. Dongbu Promy will face bottom-ranked Samsung Thunders (#10) in Seoul in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Goyang Orions will play at home against Mobis Phoebus in Ulsan.
Top scorers:
Daegu Orions: C.Williams 22+15reb+8ast, J.Choi 15+6reb+1ast, D.Kim 12+5reb, H.Cho 4+2reb+2ast, S.Cho 3, D.Sandrin 2+3reb
Dongbu Promy: K.Lee 21+3reb+1ast, R.Benson 21+15reb+3ast, J.Park 7+2reb+6ast, J.Kim 7+12reb+4ast, H.Yoon 5+6reb+2ast, J.Hwang 3

Samsung Th. - Anyang KGC 82-96

Very predictable result in Seoul where second ranked Anyang KGC (32-14) defeated bottom-ranked Samsung Thunders (10-36) 96-82 on Thursday. The game was mostly controlled by Anyang KGC. Samsung Thunders was better in second period 23-20. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Anyang KGC shot 63.5 percent from the field. Anyang KGC outrebounded Samsung Thunders 31-18 including 23 on the defensive glass. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. American center Chris Daniels (211-84) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 10 rebounds (on 11-of-12 shooting from the field) for the winners and international center Sek-Eun Oh (200-87) chipped in 22 points and 6 rebounds. Four Anyang KGC players scored in double figures. At the losing side American power forward Ira Clark (203-75, college: Texas) responded with 36 points (!!!) and 8 rebounds and international power forward Eric Sandrin (206-78, college: Seattle Pacific) scored 12 points. Samsung Thunders' coach let to play ten players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Anyang KGC maintains second place with 32-14 record having seven points less than leader Dongbu Promy. Samsung Thunders lost fifth consecutive game. They stay dead last with 36 lost games. Anyang KGC will face LG Sakers (#7) in Changwon in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Samsung Thunders will play at home against the league's leader Dongbu Promy in Wonju.
Top scorers:
Samsung Th.: I.Clark 36+8reb, E.Sandrin 12+3reb+3ast, W.Lee 8+1reb+4ast, H.Hu 8+2reb+4ast, S.Kim 6+1reb+4ast, S.Yoo 4
Anyang KGC: C.Daniels 22+10reb+1ast, S.Oh 22+6reb+3ast, C.Park 16+2reb+9ast, T.Kim 11+3reb+9ast, H.Yang 9+5reb+1ast, I.Kim 7

Sonic Boom KT - SK Knights 79-71 OT

Eighth-ranked SK Knights (16-30) gave a tough game to third ranked Sonic Boom KT (29-17) in Busan. Sonic Boom KT managed to secure only eight-point victory 79-71. However their fans expected much easier game. SK Knights were ahead by 5 points at the halftime before a 16-10 third quarter run of Sonic Boom KT. They tied the game at the end of regular time. Then they were better in overtime eventually winning that period 13-5. Sonic Boom KT made 18-of-21 charity shots (85.7 percent) during the game, while SK Knights only scored one point from the stripe. Sonic Boom KT brought some defensive toughness making 7 blocks. 26 personal fouls committed by SK Knights helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. Worth to mention a great performance of forward Sang-Oh Park (196-81) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 23 points and 10 rebounds. The former international forward Sung-Min Cho (197-83) contributed with 28 points for the winners. American power forward Amal McCaskill (211-73, college: Marquette) answered with a double-double by scoring 18 points and 22 rebounds and the former international guard Hee-Jung Joo (181-77) added 13 points and 7 rebounds in the effort for SK Knights. Sonic Boom KT maintains third place with 29-17 record having ten points less than leader Dongbu Promy. SK Knights at the other side keep the eighth position with 30 games lost. Sonic Boom KT's next round opponent will be again SK Knights (#8) in Seoul which should be theoretically an easy game.
Top scorers:
SK Knights: A.McCaskill 18+22reb+2ast, H.Kim 15+1reb, H.Joo 13+7reb+2ast, M.Kim 9+4reb+3ast, S.Lee 9+2reb+4ast, K.Hoon Byun 3+2reb+1ast
Sonic Boom KT: S.Cho 28+3reb+2ast, S.Park 23+10reb+2ast, C.Rhodes 12+15reb, K.Young Hwan 8+3reb+2ast, Y.Song 4+3reb+2ast, D.Cho 2+3reb+2ast

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SPAIN

Spanish LEB Silver round 16 best performance: Marko Todorovic - by Eurobasket News
Montenegrin forward Marko Todorovic (203-F-92) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for Prat Juventud, receiving a Eurobasket.com LEB Silver Player of the Week award for round 16.
The 19-year old player had a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds, while his team outclassed Oviedo CB (#10, 5-9) with 48-point margin 101-53. Prat Juventud is placed at 7th position in Spanish LEB Silver. Prat Juventud 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 8-7 record. Todorovic has many years of experience at Prat Juventud, through which he has constantly improved. Marko Todorovic has solid league stats. He is league's best scorer averaging so far 17.7ppg and leads league in rebounds with 9.0rpg. Todorovic is in league's top in and averages impressive 1.8bpg and 59.8% FGP.

The second best player in last round's games was young Adrian Laso (204-F/C-90) of Avila. Laso had a very good evening with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds. Bad luck as Avila lost that game 64-74 to the higher-ranked Barca Regal II (#5, 9-6). This loss caused Avila to drop to 9th position in the standings. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 7-8 record. Laso is a newcomer at Avila, but is already one of team's top players.

Third on the list of top players last round was American swingman Nick Wolf (198-G/F-88, agency: KMG Sports Management) of Las Rozas (#6). Wolf scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds. He was a key player of Las Rozas, leading his team to a 76-57 easy win against slightly lower-ranked Lan Mobel ISB (#8, 7-8). Las Rozas needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 9 victories and 6 lost games. Wolf has a very solid season. In 12 games in Spain he scored 9.8ppg. He also has 4.9rpg and FGP: 63.5%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Kim Adams (203-F/C-82) of Coruna - 7 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists
5. Federico Bavosi (184-PG-81) of Andorra - 20 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists
6. Papa Mbaye (209-C-90) of Barca Regal II - 14 points and 9 rebounds
7. Alberto Ausina (203-C/F-81) of Aurteneche M. - 14 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists
8. Cheick Sekou Conde (203-F-92) of Avila - 16 points and 5 rebounds
9. Sammy Monroe (198-F-85) of Tenerife - 16 points and 6 rebounds
10. Jorge Fernandez (180-PG-89) of Ourense - 13 points, 3 rebounds and 2 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)

Arteaga's double-double lands him LEB Gold Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
28-year old center Oliver Arteaga (211-C-83) put on an amazing game in the last round for Menorca and receives a Eurobasket.com LEB Gold Player of the Week award for round 23.
He had a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds, while his team lost the game against Caceres (#11, 11-12) 72-80. Menorca moved-up to the 3rd position in the Spanish LEB Gold. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Menorca will need to avoid more loses keep or improve their 15-8 record. Arteaga turned to be Menorca's top player in his first season with the team. Oliver Arteaga averages this season 14.1ppg and 6.3rpg.

Second best performed player last round was Carlos Cherry (184-PG-79) of Caceres. He is a guard in his 3rd season at Caceres. In the last game Cherry recorded impressive 26 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Of course Caceres cruised to a 80-72 relatively comfortable win over the higher-ranked Menorca (#3, 15-8). This victory allowed Caceres to move up to 11th position in the standings. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 11-12 record. Cherry is one of the most experienced players at Caceres and has a reputation of one of team's most reliable players.

Third place about best performers goes to Jakim Donaldson (204-C/F-83) of league's leader Tenerife. Donaldson scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds. He was a key player of Canarias, leading his team to a 88-83 win against the lower-ranked Girona (#8, 12-11). Canarias confirms their top position in the standings. Their record at this point is 18 victories and 5 lost games. Donaldson has a great season in Spain. After 23 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 15.9ppg (6th best) and rebounds with 8.5rpg (4th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Ondrej Starosta (215-C-79) of Navarra - 22 points and 8 rebounds
5. Ognen Kuzmin (215-C-90) of Clinicas Rincon - 14 points and 16 rebounds
6. Miguel Montanana (206-F/C-80) of Huesca - 19 points and 5 rebounds
7. Manuel Gomez (203-C-78) of Breogan - 11 points and 13 rebounds
8. Lucas Sikma (203-F-89) of La Palma - 8 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists
9. Ian O'Leary (201-F-86) of Palencia - 12 points and 12 rebounds
10. Jose Antonio Marco (180-PG-89) of Melilla - 10 points, 5 rebounds and 7 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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SWITZERLAND

Standings - LNA

LNA Standings

1. Lugano Tigers		17-1
2. Fribourg		13-5
3. Geneve Lions		13-5
4. Monthey		12-5
5. SAV Vacallo		9-7
6. Starwings		6-12
7. Boncourt		4-13
8. BBC Nyon		2-15
9. SAM Massagno		2-15

Stats Leaders LNA

Points Per Game

Mohammed ABUKAR
  Lugano T.
  (208-F-85)
  Avg: 20.1

1. Abukar, Lugano T.	20.1
2. Burrows, Starwings	18.1
3. Barnette, Geneve	18.1
4. Smith, Monthey	17.9
5. Yates, Fribourg	17.6
6. Calasan, Boncourt	16.9
7. Efevberha, Lugano	16.7
8. Uzas, SAV Vacallo	16.5
9. Jenkins, Starwings	16.3
10. Schneiderman, SAV	16.0

Rebounds Per Game

Babacar TOURE
  Geneve Lions
  (205-F/C-85)
  Avg: 9.8

1. Toure, Geneve Lio.	9.8
2. Johnson, Starwings	9.3
3. Bing, Geneve Lions	8.9
4. Burrows, Starwings	8.6
5. Calasan, Boncourt	8.3
6. Knutson, BBC Nyon	8.2
7. Barnette, Geneve	8.1
8. Allen, Boncourt	7.7
9. Schneiderman, SAV	7.6
10. Esterkamp, Fribo.	7.5

Assists Per Game

Rickey GIBSON
  SAV Vacallo
  (191-G-84)
  Avg: 6.9

1. Gibson, SAV Vacallo	6.9
2. Brown, Lugano T.	6.1
3. Jenkins, Starwings	5.6
4. Petkovic, Starw.	5.3
5. Draughan, Lugano	4.9
6. Thomas, BBC Nyon	4.0
7. Buscaglia, Geneve	3.9
8. Petkovic, Fribourg	3.9
9. Efevberha, Lugano	3.8
10. Boylan, Monthey	3.6

Steals Per Game

Miroslav PETKOVIC
  Starw.
  (183-G-88)
  Avg: 3.2

1. Petkovic, Starw.	3.2
2. Boylan, Monthey	2.9
3. Gugino, SAM M.	2.6
4. Gibson, SAV Vacallo	2.6
5. Efevberha, Lugano	2.4
6. Jenkins, Starwings	2.4
7. Thomas, BBC Nyon	2.3
8. Jones, SAM M.	2.3
9. Smith, Monthey	2.2
10. Louissaint, Month.	2.1

Blocks Per Game

Babacar TOURE
  Geneve Lions
  (205-F/C-85)
  Avg: 2.9

1. Toure, Geneve Lio.	2.9
2. Johnson, Starwings	2.1
3. Knutson, BBC Nyon	1.6
4. Salaam, Monthey	1.4
5. Matter, Starwings	1.3
6. Molteni, SAM M.	1.1
7. Dubas, Monthey	1.1
8. Burrows, Starwings	1.0
9. Bing, Geneve Lions	0.9
10. Barnette, Geneve	0.9

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TAIWAN

Quincy Davis gets MVP of the Week award for Taiwanese SBL - by Eurobasket News
American Quincy Davis (206-F/C-83) had an amazing evening in the last round for league's leader Pure Youth and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 6.
The 28-year old power forward had a double-double of 35 points and twenty three rebounds, while his team crushed Taiwan Mobile (#6, 4-9) with 18-point margin 96-78. It allowed Pure Youth to jump to the first place in the Taiwanese SBL. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Pure Youth has a very solid 10-3 record, but they cannot be too comfortable about keeping top position. Davis turned to be Pure Youth's top player in his first season with the team. Tulane University graduate has very impressive stats this year. Davis is in league's top in points (5th best: 19.3ppg), rebounds (5th best: 12.2rpg) and averages solid 2.8bpg and 62.7% FGP.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 27-year old Trinidad and Tobago power forward Kibwe Trim (208-F/C-84) of Taiwan Beer. Trim impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 29 points and 16 rebounds. Of course Taiwan Beer cruised to a 76-66 relatively comfortable win over slightly higher-ranked Dacin Tigers (#2, 10-3). It was definitely game of the week between two contenders to the title. Taiwan Beer consolidated its place in top 4 of the standings. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 5-7 record. Trim is one of the most experienced players at Taiwan Beer and has a reputation of one of team's most reliable players.

The third best performed player last round was American John Vaudreuil (203-F/C-85, agency: Warren Sports International) of Bank of Taiwan (#7). Vaudreuil scored 12 points and grabbed twenty four rebounds (!!!). He was a key player of Bank of Taiwan, leading his team to a 67-59 win against the higher-ranked Dacin Tigers (#2, 10-3). Bank of Taiwan can only dream about fighting for top spots in the league. They have extremely bad season and 3-10 record places them at the very bottom of the standings. Too bad for Vaudreuil he does not play for a better team. But maybe if he did, his season stats would not be that high. Vaudreuil has individually a great season in Taiwan. After 13 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 11.1rpg (6th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Kevin Johnson (201-F-84) of Yulon Luxgen - 23 points and 16 rebounds
5. Ryan Wright (206-C/F-87) of Taiwan Mobile - 22 points and 17 rebounds
6. Noel Felix (205-C/F-81) of Dacin Tigers - 17 points and 13 rebounds
7. Shih-Yuan Chou (188-G/F-83) of Yulon Luxgen - 23 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists
8. Wen-Cheng Tsai (190-G/F-85) of Pure Youth - 18 points, 11 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Kevin Johnson (201-F-84) of Yulon Luxgen - 15 points and 13 rebounds
10. Ryan Wright (206-C/F-87) of Taiwan Mobile - 16 points and 18 rebounds

The Player of the week is chosen 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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TANZANIA

ABC stretch winning run with Oilers triumph - by Carlos Pereira
Dar es Salaam. ABC stretched their winning run in the RBA League with a deserved 64-53 victory over Oilers on Saturday.
The big match played at the National Indoor Stadium, saw Oilers start brightly, but paid the price for missing a host of scoring chances in the first two quarters. ABC, led by the likes of Juma Kisocky and Filbert Mwaipungu took a 15-10 lead in the first quarter, leaving their dominant rivals frustrated.
Oilers returned to the second quarter stronger, stretching ABC stars to record a deserved 17-10 win.The losers walked off the court for the breather smiling with a 27-23 lead.Sensing the danger of a humbling defeat, ABC heeded pieces of advice from coach Leonard Kwale and dominated the third quarter (20-15).
Shocked by ABCs comeback, Oilers started the fourth quarter pressing forward, but the former were too good to contain them.
The army team won the fourth quarter 19-14 to stake their claim in the title race. Kisocky emerged the best scorer with 18 points followed by Mwaipungu with 15 while Oilers Lusajo Samuel notched 14.
Speaking after the game, a visibly overjoyed Kwale showered praise on his players, but also expressed his respect for Oilers. My players performed well once again against spirited opponents. Oilers have experienced and talented players and are the team to beat in the ongoing league, he said.
Oilers coach Henry Mwinuka conceded the defeat, but pointed out that they deserved to win had it not been for his players to squander chances.
We lost to a better team, but we had our chances which we fluffed. Had my forwards been precise up front, we could have bagged the two points at stake, he said. (By Brown Msyani)

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TURKEY

Hazer Avci gets MVP of the Week award for Turkish TB2L - by Eurobasket News
Hazer Avci (206-F-87, agency: Court Side) had an amazing evening in the last round for Genc Telekom and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com TB2L Player of the Week award for round 24.
The 24-year old forward had a double-double of 30 points and eleven rebounds, while his team beat Gelisim (#15, 9-14) 79-71. Genc Telekom is placed at 3rd position in Turkish TB2L. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Genc Telekom will need more victories to improve their 17-6 record. In the team's last game Avci had a remarkable 70.0% from 2-point range. It was one of impressive evenings for him as usually he does not deliver so high stats. Hazer Avci averages this season 11.4ppg and 6.8rpg.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 24-year old forward Orcun Okkali (201-F-87) of Final Genclik. Okkali impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 24 points and 10 rebounds. Of course he lead Final Genclik to another comfortable win outscoring the lower-ranked Istanbulspor (#19, 6-17) 91-51. Final Genclik's 6th position in the standings has not changed. His team lost some distance to top teams. But 15-8 record is not bad and everything may still change. Okkali is a newcomer at Final Genclik and it seems he did not have too much trouble to become one of team's leaders.

The third best performed player last round was Erdem Turetken (199-F-79, agency: Interperformances) of top-ranked Selcuk Univ.. Turetken scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Despite Turetken's great performance Selcuk Univ. lost 59-67 to the lower-ranked TED Istanbul (#20, 5-18). But his team cannot count on just a single player as he also needs help of the other teammates. The last thing Selcuk Univ. needs is to lose another game like this one. They lose more and more distance to the top teams. Their record is 18 victories and 5 lost games. Turetken has a very solid season. In 23 games in Turkey he scored 14.0ppg. He also has 5.5rpg and FGP: 59.8%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Ersan Ozseven (205-F-83) of TED Istanbul - 18 points and 11 rebounds
5. Erdem Ilter (PG-90) of Final Genclik - 11 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists
6. Recai Ozturk (198-F-82) of Baskent Genclik - 15 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists
7. Tyrone Nelson (206-F-85) of Akhisar Bld - 27 points and 4 rebounds
8. Marko Kolaric (213-F/C-84) of Istanbul B.B. - 12 points and 10 rebounds
9. Goekhan Senol (183-G-84) of Pamukkale - 17 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists
10. Burak Can) of Pertevniyal - 19 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)

TBL Round 18: Ulker suffers road defeat at last-placed Bandirma Kir: 77-71. - by Pervin Elgin
Fenerbahce Ulker suffered a surprising loss in the road game against bottom ranked Bandirma Kir. The newly promoted hosts beat Ulker 77-71 by making 23 of 28 free throws (82.1 percent). Top scorer for Fenerbahce was James Gist with 17 points. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 11, Kaya Peker and Oguz Savas 10.

The first period started with mutual baskets. Neither team succeeded in creating a gap. Fenerbahce took a 6-7 advantage after 4 minutes, but after 11-11 equality Bandirma took over the lead in the final minute, 18-17, and finished the period 20-19 ahead.

In the second period James Gist and Emir Preldzic captured a 0-5 series for Ulker, taking the score to 20-24. Bandirma responded with a three point shot by Fatih Cantitiz's and recaptured the lead after 17 minutes of playing time: 27-26. Fenerbahce answered with three-pointers by Peker and Gist, and entered the last three minutes with a 31-35 lead. After mutual baskets Ulker finished the first half with 39-43 superiority.