EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 3/2/2012

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Men News

*****************************************************
  ABA   


Standings
ABA Standings
Atlantic South
 1. Athens R. 14-2
 2. Jacksonville 10-3
 3. Atlanta E. 4-2
 4. Heartland H. 3-0
 5. Atlanta Aliens 2-1
 6. Georgia G. 1-1
 7. Savannah Storm 0-0
 8. Columbus R. 0-3
 9. E.Point Jaguars 0-8
California NW
 1. Central Valley T. 5-3
 2. Modesto H. 3-2
 3. NorCal B. 1-8
 4. Chico Rage 0-2
California South
 1. Arizona S. 19-3
 2. San Diego Sol 16-2
 3. San Diego S. 8-7
 4. LA Slam 6-11
 5. Riverside R. 1-7
 6. Las Vegas A. 0-2
 7. SoCal Swish 0-4
 8. Shizuoka G. 0-14
Colonial
 1. Richmond E. 10-1
 2. Lynchburg L. 10-6
 3. NoVa Wonders 4-1
 4. Portsmouth C. 2-4
Great Lake
 1. Chicago Steam 10-0
 2. Milwaukee B. 3-0
 3. Chi-Town B. 0-0
 4. Midwest Flames 0-0
 5. Cleveland H. 0-1
 6. Porter County P. 0-3
Mid Atlantic
 1. S.Carol.W. 12-0
 2. Carolina C. 9-5
 3. Carolina Ch. 7-6
 4. East Carolina T. 4-6
 5. Nashville S. 3-0
 6. Tennessee MH 2-10
 7. Fayetteville F. 2-12
 8. Clarksville C. 0-2
 9. Carolina J. 0-7
Mid Central
 1. Lima Explosion 10-5
 2. Detroit Hoops 5-4
 3. Michiana M. 3-4
 4. Greencastle GK 2-0
 5. Indianapolis 2-0
 6. Lansing L. 1-1
 7. Dayton GCHF 0-2
Northeast
 1. Connecticut T. 10-1
 2. Jersey Expr. 5-7
 3. Island Vipers 3-8
 4. New York Ch. 0-1
 5. NYC Thunder 0-3
Northern Division
 1. Oklahoma I. 0-0
Pacific North
 1. Bay Area M. 19-11
 2. S.Francisco R. 17-3
 3. Richmond R. 17-8
 4. E.Bay Pitbulls 9-9
 5. Port City P. 7-9
 6. Sacramento H. 2-14
Pacific Northwest
 1. Seattle M. 6-0
 2. Alaska Q. 4-7
 3. Washington R. 0-1
 4. Calgary C. 0-4
Panhandle
 1. Gulf Coast F. 7-3
 2. Panama City D. 0-3
Rocky Mountain
 1. Colorado K. 22-0
 2. Colorado C. 4-9
 3. Crusaders 2-5
 4. Wyoming R. 0-4
South Central
 1. Bluff City R. 14-4
 2. Little Rock L. 14-6
 3. Conway C. 11-7
 4. N.E. Arkansas 7-9
 5. Missouri R. 3-4
 6. St.Louis P. 1-9
South West
 1. North Dallas 12-1
 2. Texas Fuel 12-2
 3. West Texas W. 5-6
 4. Oklahoma S. 4-7
 5. Houston R.S. 2-0
 6. Dallas Impact 1-6
 7. N.Texas F. 1-7
Touring Team
 1. W.Virginia B. 4-9
 2. Houston X. 1-2
 3. ABA-Canada 0-0
 4. Rocky Mountain S. 0-1
 5. Team Haiti 0-1
 6. Appalachian R. 0-2
 7. Florida M. 0-3
 8. Chicago F. 0-6


*****************************************************
  ADRIATIC LEAGUE   


Stats Leaders

Points Per Game
 David SIMON
  Radnicki K.
  (207-C-82)
  Avg: 20.2
 1. Simon, Radnicki K.20.2 
 2. Scott, Radnicki K.18.1 
 3. Kasun, KK.17.6 
 4. Panic, Zlatorog17.5 
 5. Vucevic, Buducnost16.9 
 6. Simon, KK.16.7 
 7. Pilepic, Siroki W.15.4 
 8. Pavkovic, Radnicki13.9 
 9. Pasalic, Helios13.8 
 10. Gay, Helios13.8 
Rebounds Per Game
 Boris SAVOVIC
  Hemofarm
  (206-F-87)
  Avg: 11.4
 1. Savovic, Hemofarm11.4 
 2. Vucevic, Buducnost9.7 
 3. Macvan, Partizan8.5 
 4. Kasun, KK.8.0 
 5. Simon, Radnicki K.6.9 
 6. Pasalic, Helios6.2 
 7. Pavic, Krka6.1 
 8. Thompson, Union O.5.6 
 9. Scott, Radnicki K.5.6 
 10. Collins, Siroki W.5.6 
Assists Per Game
 Steven MARKOVIC
  Radnicki K.
  (190-G-85)
  Avg: 7.5
 1. Markovic, Radnicki7.5 
 2. Pavkovic, Radnicki6.5 
 3. Vladovic, Siroki W.5.1 
 4. Vujasinovic, Zlato.4.9 
 5. Nissim, Krka4.6 
 6. Mulaomerovic, KK Z.4.5 
 7. Papaloukas, Macca.4.2 
 8. Simon, KK.3.9 
 9. Draper, Cedevita3.6 
 10. Popovic, Crvena Z.3.5 
Steals Per Game
 D.J. GAY
  Helios
  (183-G-89)
  Avg: 2.2
 1. Gay, Helios2.2 
 2. Papaloukas, Macca.1.8 
 3. Simon, KK.1.8 
 4. Markovic, Radnicki1.8 
 5. Dragic, Krka1.7 
 6. Ramljak, Siroki W.1.6 
 7. Dasic, Union Olimp.1.6 
 8. Zubcic, Cibona1.5 
 9. Draper, Cedevita1.5 
 10. Scott, Radnicki K.1.4 
Blocks Per Game
 David SIMON
  Radnicki K.
  (207-C-82)
  Avg: 1.5
 1. Simon, Radnicki K.1.5 
 2. James, Maccabi T-A1.5 
 3. Vucevic, Buducnost1.1 
 4. Rizvic, Buducnost1.0 
 5. Savovic, Hemofarm1.0 
 6. Hendrix, Maccabi1.0 
 7. Ilic, Crvena Zvezda0.9 
 8. Thompson, Union O.0.9 
 9. Scott, Radnicki K.0.8 
 10. Collins, Siroki W.0.8 


*****************************************************
  ARGENTINA   


Standings - LigaA
LigaA Standings
 1. Obras 19-7 
 2. Penarol 18-8 
 3. Libertad S. 17-9 
 4. Lanus 17-9 
 5. Sionista 15-10 
 6. Atenas 15-11 
 7. La Union 14-11 
 8. Quimsa 14-12 
 9. GECR Indalo 13-13 
 10. Regatas C. 13-14 
 11. Wuber-Est.Bahia 11-15 
 12. Olimpico LB 11-16 
 13. Boca Jrs 10-17 
 14. Club 9 8-18 
 15. Quilmes MP 8-19 
 16. San Mart.C. 6-20 


Standings - TNA
TNA Standings
TNA1 North
 1. Estudian.Con. 4-2 
 2. Union Progr. 3-2 
 3. San Isidro 3-2 
 4. Obera TC 3-3 
 5. Alvear 1-5 
TNA1 South
 1. Alianza Viedma 4-3 
 2. Ciclista 4-3 
 3. Argentino 4-3 
 4. Banda Norte 3-4 
 5. Huracan 2-5 
TNA2 North
 1. A.Italiana 4-2 
 2. A.Espanola 3-2 
 3. Union Sunch 3-3 
 4. Tomas Rocam. 2-3 
 5. Atl.Echague 2-4 
TNA2 South
 1. Rosario Cent. 4-1 
 2. Sport Club 3-2 
 3. Bragado 3-3 
 4. San Mart.MJ 2-4 


Stats Leaders - LigaA

Points Per Game
 Joe SMITH
  La Union
  (193-G-77)
  Avg: 17.7
 1. Smith, La Union17.7 
 2. Gutierrez, Obras17.5 
 3. Villegas, Sionista17.4 
 4. DeGroat, Olimpico.16.4 
 5. OBannon, Boca Jrs15.8 
 6. Pittman, Libertad.15.7 
 7. McHopson, Quilm.15.7 
 8. Meyinsse, Wuber-.15.7 
 9. Nelson, GECR I.15.6 
 10. Cowan, Club 915.2 
Rebounds Per Game
 Jack Michael MARTINEZ
  San M.
  (203-F/C-81)
  Avg: 12.9
 1. Martinez, San M.12.9 
 2. Battle, Libertad S.9.9 
 3. Garces, Atenas9.4 
 4. Sandes, Sionista9.4 
 5. Davis, GECR I.9.1 
 6. Lloreda, Olimpico.8.8 
 7. Gutierrez, Obras8.5 
 8. Williams, Quimsa7.4 
 9. Truscott, Quilm.7.3 
 10. DeGroat, Olimpico.7.2 
Assists Per Game
 Facundo CAMPAZZO
  Penarol
  (180-G-91)
  Avg: 6.5
 1. Campazzo, Penarol6.5 
 2. Sanchez, Wuber-.5.9 
 3. Stanic, Boca Jrs5.6 
 4. Cequeira, Sionista5.1 
 5. Martinez, Regat.4.8 
 6. Sucatzky, Atenas3.9 
 7. Victoriano, San M.3.6 
 8. Laprovittola, Lanus3.5 
 9. Osimani, Obras3.5 
 10. Smith, La Union3.4 
Steals Per Game
 Matias LESCANO
  Atenas
  (196-G/F-79)
  Avg: 2.4
 1. Lescano, Atenas2.4 
 2. Campazzo, Penarol2.3 
 3. Moldu, Olimpico LB2.1 
 4. McHopson, Quilm.1.7 
 5. Sanchez, Wuber-.1.6 
 6. Treise, Libertad S.1.5 
 7. Stanic, Boca Jrs1.5 
 8. Beitzel, San M.1.4 
 9. Quinteros, Regat.1.4 
 10. Gerbaudo, Club 91.4 
Blocks Per Game
 Robert BATTLE
  Libertad S.
  (204-C-81)
  Avg: 1.4
 1. Battle, Libertad S.1.4 
 2. Gutierrez, Obras1.2 
 3. Rollins, Sionista1.2 
 4. Roe, Regatas C.1.1 
 5. Humphrey, Atenas1.1 
 6. Matthews, Quilm.1.1 
 7. Meyinsse, Wuber-.1.1 
 8. Ayarza, Club 91.0 
 9. Garces, Atenas0.9 
 10. Rollins, San M.0.9 


*****************************************************
  AUSTRALIA   


SBL: Buccs to trial new game plan - by Eurobasket News
SUN City Plumbing Buccaneers captain Matt Wundenberg is looking forward to seeing the teams new up-tempo game style in action for the first time this weekend.

Wundenberg, who underwent ankle surgery in the offseason, said the SBL Pre-season Blitz tournament starting Saturday at the WA Basketball Centre will be a good way for the Buccs to trial their new game plan.

He said the troublesome ankle, which he injured during last years SBL season, is still not at 100 percent.

The centre said it is healthy enough to play and train on but he only expects to play 15 minutes a game this weekend.

Wundenberg warned the Buccs opponents that they better be prepared for some fast paced basketball.

We will see how the three guards (Michael Lay (175-G-83, college: Concordia, OR), Daniel Thomas and Luke Wrensted (175-PG-92)), myself and Ralphy (Aaron Ralph) work together in the starting line-up, he said.

Pushing the pace will be a feature of our game this year, so this weekend will be a way to practice it.

Buccaneers start the three-day competition tomorrow against the U18s WA Country boys side.

They then play Perry Lakes later in the day before taking to the court against Cockburn Cougars and Goldfields Giants on Sunday.

Wundenberg is hoping the good competition at training will relate into wins this season.

With a good deep team, scrimmages at training have been really competitive, he said.

To watch DT (Thomas) and Michael Lay go at it at training is something to see.

The Buccs regular season campaign tips-off on Saturday, March 17 in Bunbury against the South West Slammers.

They then play the Mandurah Magic the next day to finish the opening weekend.

Wundenberg said the team are confident heading into the season opener.

We all still have the sour taste in our mouths about last year, he said.

We are definitely aiming for the top four but you have to be crazy not to want to win.

Article by Taylor Courtland (Geraldton Guardian)


Gritty Season aka Road to the Playoffs - by Jamar Wilson
We stole a huge game on the road in a 2nd place Perth team last Sunday. Tomorrow we square off against the Gold Coast Blaze. We're both in playoff contention. This game will make the picture more vivid on where we'll sit at the end of the season.
Since the new year we won 7 out of our last 10 games. We also won a number of games on the road in comparison to other teams. Yet everyone still writes us off. I dont understand why, but it is part of the game. We have 3 of our last 4 games at home. We are looking to capitalize while we can, and make the best of it.
Some big basketball to be played this weekend! Sydney gets a free swing at Melbourne. This will be an exciting game. People are curious to know if Melbourne can bounce back from their rough patch or will Sydney, now being coached by the Legend in Shane Heal, will still the show and go on a 2 game winning streak. The top 2 teams Breakers and WIldcats have a big duel tomorrow. If Perth drops another game it gives someone a chance to realistically steal the 2nd spot come playoff time. That can be a blessing.
We've done a lot to put us in the position were in now. We have to make the best of it. Most of our bodies are banged up. Our bodies feel like they been through a mincer numerous times, But we love the game. The toughest people always find a way to prevail. Were playing well collectively trying to capitalize on any chance we get. Still alot of basketball to be played. #CairsTaipans #OrangeArmy
Sit back Grab some popcorn and enjoy the show.
@Jaydubbs5

SBL: Youth policy for Slammers - by Eurobasket News
Nine new faces have been included in the Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers squad ahead of this weekends Pre-Season Blitz, as the club fights to erase the legacy of back-toback wooden spoons.

Coach Greg Worthington has flagged the lightning style pre-season carnival, that will see the Slammers play four games in two days, as an opportunity for the clubs young talent to impress.

Captain Trent Worthington (F-88) and guards Anton Fimmano and Nat van Dijk are the only players from South Wests 2011 roster that will take part this weekend.

New imports Carlos White and Senario Hillman (185-PG-88, college: Alabama) have been included in the squad.

All 14 State Basketball League franchises will join four WA Under 18 State teams at the tournament.

The Slammers begin their campaign on Saturday with games against SBL powerhouses Goldfields Giants and Perry Lakes Hawks.

Theywill clash with the State Country Under 18 team on Sunday morning, before a bout with Stirling Senators that afternoon.

Greg Worthington said the Slammers youth stocks would be given a chance to stake their claim for a regular season berth this weekend.

He highlighted teenage forward Mitch Bradbury, as well as swingman Dylan Ness and Josh Branchi as names to watch.

The Blitz is the first official hit-out for the trio.

Its pretty exciting. Theyre all upand- coming players. Dylan and Mitch have been the two standout juniors in the two practice games weve played, Worthington said.

Im just looking forward to them getting challenged by the Giants and the Hawks the higher competition and see how they do there.

Worthington said his side, that has tasted victory only once in the last two seasons, would be looking for wins to build confidence ahead of the home-and-away season.

Each team will play four games over the course of the weekend.

The format will see each game consist of two 20-minute halves, with the clock only stopping in the last three minutes of each half.

Both teams will only be allowed to call one time-out.

Basketball WA competitions manager Christian Rice said the shortened format, without finals, will allow teams to rotate players more andwas awinner for the Country clubs.

The benefit of this format is that it is a lot quicker and allows teams to play more games, see different teams and the fans also get to watch more games over the course of the weekend in a quick and exciting format, he said.
Slammers men squad: Carlos White, Senario Hillman, Trent Worthington (c), Wade Hitchcock (86), Anton Fimmano, Luke Deighton (92), Dylan Ness, Mitch Bradbury, Tim Collins, Josh Branchi, James Goodlad, Nat van Dijk.
Women: Bianca Donovan, Cara Hargreaves, Zoe Harper, Ellie Deighton, Valerie Ogoke, Taylah Kemp, Beck Preston, Danielle Anaru, Danelle Wallam, Catherine Waycott, Christie Jetta, Christie Larsen, Lisa Cartwright, Rochelle Cloke, Valerie Ogoke.
Courtesy of: au.news.yahoo.com

*****************************************************
  AUSTRIA   


Big Monday! 4 in a row - by Anthony Shavies

We've won our last four games, we're streaking like Will Ferrel in Old School through the quad to the gymnasium. Bring you green hat!
We had a huge game Monday night against Vienna. Last time we played them we embarrassed them by 30 in their gym. This timethe game was on TV (SKY-Austria) and they were looking for revenge. Adding a little spice to that meal, is the fact that they picked up Bryant Matthews (What's good B). The same Bryant Matthews our management released not too long ago. The story lines in this game could go on forever. Obviously both teams had more than enough fuel for the fire. For me individually the motivation was playing against another great player (Stejpan Stazic), and trying to stop him from scoring 50 on us.
We played well defensively as a team against Vienna which led to a very big win for us. We're positioned pretty well now as far as the playoffs are concerned. And we're probably playing our best basketball of the season, although we're missing Max on both ends of the floor.
NBA??? Did anybody else watch the NBA dunk contest and decide you wanted your money back; even though you didn't have to pay to watch it? Maybe they should pay us to watch, because that was terrible! No disrespect to the participants, I appreciate their effort. The set up was poor, all the gimmicks involved were poor. It was just an overall poor job by the NBA. The field for next year's Dunk Contest should be LeBron, DRose, Blake Griffin, Rudy Gay, Igudola, Westbrook, JR Smith and John Wall. Make it happen!
Dear Austrian league how do we go about implementing a skills contest in All-Star day, I'm positive I would win that contest.
My Bears are struggling right now, here's why I'm not worried. Because we have Kyle Weems and Keith Pickens arguably the best offensive (Weems) and defensive (Pickens) players in the league. The Bears are the kind of team that can get real hot, real quick. Let's hope that happens in St. Louis for Arch Madness ('Arch Madness' is the MVC tournament held in downtown St. Louis near the Arch). Good luck fellas!
Quick 'Arch Madness' story, my junior year (2004) we were playing SIU (ranked in top 15 at the time) in the semi-finals. During introductions I remember looking up into stands and seeing nothing but maroon (SIU's team colors are similar to ours). The lights were low, the music was loud and the fans were going nuts! And I just remember being so overwhelmed with excitement and emotion that I cried, it was awesome. One of my favorite memories from 'Arch Madness'
Shout Outs:
S/O to former Bear and MVC media rep Derrick Dockett (@ddocket follow him on twitter) he's done a great job covering Missouri Valley Conference basketball, as well as other MVC athletics this year.
S/O to Lyndall Scranton (@Lscranton on twitter, hit the follow button ) from the Springfield News Leader. Does an amazing job covering the Bears, and was/is always outstanding to work with. It's not easy to follow a team through wins and losses, remain partial and still report honestly letting the readers form their own opinion. But Lyndall makes it look easy.
S/O to my boy Diddy, not puffy. I'm talking about Blake 'B-Diddy' Ahearn (@BlakeAhearn follow his fan page on twitter). He played extremely well in the NBA D-League All-Star game, proud of you brotha!
Joke Time:
A man and his wife began arguing after this simple question and answer
Wife: what's on the TV?
Husband: Dust!
BOOM!

*****************************************************
  BAHRAIN   


Standings
Premier League Standings
 1. Muharraq 17-1 
 2. Al Manama 15-4 
 3. Al Ahli 14-4 
 4. Issa Town 12-7 
 5. Al Hala 11-7 
 6. Sitra 11-8 
 7. Nuwaidrat 8-10 
 8. Al Ittihad 7-10 
 9. Bahrain Club 3-16 
 10. Al Najma 2-16 
 11. Samaheej 1-18 


*****************************************************
  BALTIC LEAGUE   


Standings - Men
Baltic League Standings
Elite Division
 1. Siauliai 15-3 
 2. Triumph 13-4 
 3. Ventspils 11-6 
 4. Rudupis 11-7 
 5. Kalev/Cramo 11-7 
 6. Kedainiai 9-9 
 7. Juventus 8-10 
 8. Pieno Zvaigzdes 7-10 
 9. Tartu Ulikool 6-13 
 10. Baltai Kaunas 4-13 
 11. Liepaja 3-16 
Challenge Cup
 1. Tarvas 10-2 
 2. Naglis Palangos 6-4 
 3. Neptunas 6-4 
 4. Barsy Atyrau 3-7 
 5. Jelgava 1-7 
 6. Lietkabelis 10-2 
 7. Sakalai 9-5 
 8. Valmiera 8-4 
 9. TTU 3-9 
 10. Rapla 2-8 
 11. Turiba 2-8 


Stats Leaders

Points Per Game
 Denzel BOWLES
  Siauliai
  (208-F/C-89)
  Avg: 19.3
 1. Bowles, Siauliai19.3 
 2. Krumins, Jelgava19.1 
 3. Kalve, Valmiera18.0 
 4. Cipruss, Tarvas16.9 
 5. Barinov, Naglis P.16.5 
 6. Pilk, TTU16.4 
 7. Mayo, Liepaja16.2 
 8. Hallik, Tarvas15.5 
 9. Amis, Tartu Ulikool15.5 
 10. Young, Ventspils14.7 
Rebounds Per Game
 David MCCLURE
  Kedainiai
  (200-F-86)
  Avg: 9.7
 1. McClure, Kedainiai9.7 
 2. McClure, Kedainiai9.3 
 3. Cipruss, Tarvas9.1 
 4. Ringmets, Rapla8.6 
 5. Mednis, Turiba8.0 
 6. Johnson, Naglis P.7.8 
 7. Arnold, TTU7.7 
 8. Bowles, Siauliai7.4 
 9. Barinov, Naglis P.7.1 
 10. Galdikas, Neptun.7.1 
Assists Per Game
 Rashaun BROADUS
  Siauliai
  (183-PG-84)
  Avg: 4.9
 1. Broadus, Siauliai4.9 
 2. Kriisa, Tarvas4.6 
 3. Rinkevicius, Nagli.4.6 
 4. Sirsnins, Tarvas4.5 
 5. Ezerskis, Lietkabe.4.3 
 6. Dainys, Neptunas4.3 
 7. Strelnieks, Ventsp.4.3 
 8. Maceina, Juventus4.2 
 9. Benn, Naglis Palan.4.2 
 10. Peciukeviciu., Sa.4.0 
Steals Per Game
 Tywain MCKEE
  Triumph
  (188-PG-86)
  Avg: 2.8
 1. McKee, Triumph2.8 
 2. Sirsnins, Tarvas2.7 
 3. Salenga, Rudupis2.2 
 4. Krumins, Jelgava2.0 
 5. Virsis, Valmiera1.8 
 6. Akenparg, TTU1.8 
 7. Laane, Rapla1.8 
 8. Keedus, TTU1.8 
 9. Matulionis, Lietka.1.7 
 10. Hughes, Pieno Z.1.7 
Blocks Per Game
 Bamba FALL
  Kalev/Cramo
  (216-C-86)
  Avg: 2.7
 1. Fall, Kalev/Cramo2.7 
 2. Rozitis, Valmiera2.1 
 3. Johnson, Naglis P.1.8 
 4. Gumeniuk, Juventus1.6 
 5. Staniulis, Lietkab.1.3 
 6. Amis, Tartu Ulikool1.2 
 7. Morgan, Pieno Z.1.1 
 8. Soloviev, Triumph1.0 
 9. Leiteris, Liepaja1.0 
 10. McClure, Kedainiai0.9 


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


Standings - BIH League
D1 Standings
 1. Igokea 19-1 
 2. Capljina 16-5 
 3. Bosna 15-5 
 4. Varda HE 13-7 
 5. Mladost 12-9 
 6. Leotar 11-9 
 7. Servitium 9-11 
 8. Hercegovac 8-12 
 9. Borac Nektar 7-13 
 10. Zrinjski HT 7-14 
 11. Vogosca 5-15 
 12. Celik 5-15 
 13. Brotnjo 5-16 
Play in international cups:
 1. Siroki WWin - 


*****************************************************
  BRAZIL   


Rio Claro agreed with Broderick Gilchrest and Gazaro - by Paulo Freire
The ACBD Rio Claro basketball team has new announcements to their roster.
The director board of the team agreed with american point guard Broderick Gilchrest (182-G-89) who is fresh out of Idaho St.
The team also agreed with Guilherme Gazaro (192-G-91) who is one of the top proscpects of Limeira team in the last few years.
Both players are already in training camp in ACBD Rio Claro.
The team is getting ready for the Paulista State Championship that will start in March.

*****************************************************
  CANADA   


Stats Leaders

Points Per Game
 Manny PASQUALE
  Laure.
  (183-G-)
  Avg: 24.8
 1. Pasquale, Laure.24.8 
 2. King, TRU23.1 
 3. Barbeau, Western23.0 
 4. Dorsey, Cape Bret.22.8 
 5. Barrett, Saskatch.22.8 
 6. Fassett, St.Mary''s21.3 
 7. Mackinnon, Victoria20.1 
 8. Ferguson, Alberta19.9 
 9. Kok, TRU19.3 
 10. Baker, Alberta19.1 
Rebounds Per Game
 Lien PHILLIP
  Windsor
  (203-F-89)
  Avg: 12.4
 1. Phillip, Windsor12.4 
 2. Lieffers, Saskatch.11.4 
 3. Burke, UBC10.5 
 4. Baker, Alberta10.3 
 5. King, TRU10.1 
 6. Coward, Lethbridge9.7 
 7. Klassen, Acadia9.6 
 8. Lual, UPEI9.0 
 9. Hadzimuratov., Lav.9.0 
 10. Buckley, Laurier8.7 
Assists Per Game
 Jimmy DORSEY
  Cape Breton
  (188-G-)
  Avg: 8.8
 1. Dorsey, Cape Bret.8.8 
 2. Barrett, Saskatch.7.2 
 3. Kanza Mata, Dalho.5.8 
 4. Smith, TWU5.8 
 5. Cunningham, Winnip.5.8 
 6. Collins, Windsor5.7 
 7. Bonhomme, Brandon5.6 
 8. Allin, Laurier5.4 
 9. Kraus, Brock5.4 
 10. Vernon, St.Franc.5.1 
Steals Per Game
 Jimmy DORSEY
  Cape Breton
  (188-G-)
  Avg: 2.8
 1. Dorsey, Cape Bret.2.8 
 2. Carter, Lakehead2.7 
 3. Collins, Windsor2.7 
 4. Thomas, St.Franc.2.6 
 5. Oliver, Manitoba2.5 
 6. Cote-K., UQ.2.5 
 7. Laroche, Concordia2.5 
 8. Ogungbemi, Calgary2.4 
 9. Russel, Lakehead2.4 
 10. Yu, UBC2.3 
Blocks Per Game
 Mike ANDREWS
  Bishop''s
  (208-C-)
  Avg: 1.9
 1. Andrews, Bishop''s1.9 
 2. Fidler, Calgary1.7 
 3. Glisic, Toronto Un.1.7 
 4. Bains, UBC1.5 
 5. Duke, UPEI1.5 
 6. Coward, Lethbridge1.5 
 7. Klassen, Acadia1.4 
 8. Thomas, St.Franc.1.1 
 9. Dewar, Alberta1.1 
 10. Hadzimuratov., La.1.1 


All-Star top 20 announced - by Eurobasket News
The National Basketball League of Canada is pleased to announce the Top 20 players for its inaugural All-Star Weekend, presented by Rogers Communications Inc., taking place March 31-April 1 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Were pleased with the caliber of players who will be bringing their talents to Halifax for this exciting event, said Andre Levingston President & CEO of NBL Canada and the Halifax Rainmen.

Over 213,000 fans votes were cast for the inaugural NBL Canada All-Star top 20. The results were submitted to the seven NBL Canada Head coaches for the final decision.

Top-ranked London has three players on the roster, Gabe Freeman (6'6''-F-85, college: Costa Mesa JC), DeAnthony Bowden (6'1''-G-80, college: Creighton) and Eddie Smith (6'2''-G-83, college: Ill.-Springfield), who has been chosen as a team Captain.

'I think that it is a great accomplishment for DeAnthony, Gabe and Eddie to make the All-Star Team,' said London Lightning head coach Micheal Ray Richardson. 'It just goes to show that if you put in the time and work, good things will happen. I think it's great that Eddie Smith has been named a team captain; he's a guy that's come off the bench and performed at a high level every game this year. It is a great accomplishment.'

Host city Halifax will count on players Taliek Brown, Joey Haywood and Tyrone Levett as ambassadors for the inaugural event. Haywood was also named Captain.

Captains Smith and Haywood will partake in a Fantasy Draft via conference call tomorrow afternoon at 12:00 p.m. AST to choose their teams. Follow their selections live on NBL Canadas Twitter and Facebook. The two coaches who lead their teams to the finals will coach the two All-Star teams.

Saint John and Oshawa tied for the most players with four apiece. Anthony Anderson, Darren Duncan, Kevin Francis and Isaac Kuon from Saint John; and Omari Johnson, Morgan Lewis, Brandon Robinson and Tut Ruach from Oshawa.

Rounding out the All-Star selections are Monctons Trayvon Lathan and Darrell Wonge; Quebecs Ralphy Holmes, Ricky Volcy and Yannick Anzuluni; and Mike Williams from Summerside.

Six of the top 20 players are Canadian. Summersides Chris Cayole was chosen as an All-Star, but due to injury has been replaced by Quebecs Anzuluni.

'This is a great honor for our players to be named to the All-Star,' said Quebec Kebs head coach Rob Spon. 'It's also nice that both of our Canadian players - Ricky Volcy and Yannick Anzuluni - have been named All-Stars. The fans in Halifax will be seeing a great game with the best talent in the league.'

All-Star Weekend will consist of exciting, family-friendly events ranging from an All-Star breakfast and youth basketball clinics to a three-point shoot out, slam-dunk contest, legends game, and of course the All-Star game.

All-Star Weekend tickets are on sale now at Ticket Atlantic locations at the Halifax Metro Centre or Superstore locations. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.ticketatlantic.ca or by calling toll free at 1-877-451-1221.

Floor seating and minor basketball, senior and military discounts are available exclusively through the Halifax Rainmen corporate offices. Contact the Halifax Rainmen at 902-444-7246.

For more information on All-Star Weekend visit nblallstar.ca.


TOP 20 By Team

LONDON LIGHTNING
DeAnthony Bowden
Gabe Freeman
Eddie Smith (captain)

HALIFAX RAINMEN
Taliek Brown
Joey Haywood (CAN) (captain)
Tyrone Levett

MONCTON MIRACLES
Trayvon Lathan
Darrell Wonge

OSHAWA POWER
Omari Johnson
Morgan Lewis
Brandon Robinson
Tut Ruach (CAN)

QUEBEC KEBS
Yannick Anzuluni (CAN)
Ralphy Holmes
Ricky Volcy (CAN)

SAINT JOHN MILL RATS
Anthony Anderson
Darren Duncan
Kevin Francis (CAN)
Isaac Kuon (CAN)

SUMMERSIDE STORM
Mike Williams

Courtesy of NBL Canada



Tristan Thompson - top Canadian player abroad last week - by Eurobasket Center
Traditionally, every week we bring you a list of the top performances of Canadian players who are playing abroad.
Tristan Thompson
Tristan Thompson


   #1. This week''s number one is former international forward Tristan Thompson (203-91, college: Texas). Thompson contributed to a Cleveland Cavaliers'' victory against the Sacramento Kings 93-92 in the NBA last Sunday. He recorded a double-double by scoring 15 points and getting 12 rebounds. Thompson also added 12 rebounds and 3 blocks. ; quite an impressive performance considering it''s only his third season in pro basketball. The Cleveland Cavaliers have a solid 13-20 record this season. This season Thompson averages: 7.3ppg, 6.0rpg, 1.2bpg, 2FGP: 44.3% and FT: 45.6%. He played for the Canadian senior national team three years ago.
Steve Nash
Steve Nash


   #2. Second place goes to former international point guard Steve Nash (190-74, college: Santa Clara). Nash contributed to a Phoenix Suns'' victory against the Washington Wizards 104-88 in the NBA last Monday. He had a double-double by scoring 12 points and making 11 passes. Nash also added 7 rebounds in 28 minutes. The Phoenix Suns have a solid 15-20 record this season. It''s Nash''s eighth year with the team. He has relatively good stats this year: 13.9ppg, 3.0rpg, 11.1apg, 2FGP: 59.1%(139-235), 3FGP: 39.8% and FT: 86.1% in the 32 games he played so far. Nash played for the Canadian national team in 2003.
Garry Gallimore
Garry Gallimore


   #3. The player who performed third best last week was former international guard Garry Gallimore (192-84). He led CSM Bucuresti to a victory over the ninth-ranked Pitesti 84-77 in the Romanian Div.A last Wednesday. Gallimore was MVP of the game. He recorded 29 points (!!!), 7 rebounds and 7 assists. CS Municipal Bucuresti (15-7) is placed fourth in the Div.A. It was CSM Bucuresti''s fourth consecutive victory in a row. It''s Gallimore''s first season with the team. This season Gallimore has very high stats. he averages: 17.4ppg, 4.0rpg, 2.0apg, 1.2spg, 2FGP: 56.3%(98-174), 3FGP: 35.1% and FT: 81.2%. Gallimore has a dual citizenship: Jamaican and Jamaican as he used to play in Canada. He played for the Canadian national team five years ago.
Cory Joseph
Cory Joseph


   #4. Point guard Cory Joseph (190-91, college: Texas), who plays in the NBA could not help the San Antonio Spurs (24-11) to beat the Portland Trail Blazers despite his very good performance on Tuesday. Joseph scored 13 points and added 3 assists in 37 minutes. But the San Antonio Spurs (24-11) were crushed 97-137 on the road by the Portland Trail Blazers. This year Joseph''s overall stats are: 2.0ppg and 1.3apg in the 22 games. He plays currently for the Canadian National Team.
Mike Tuck
Mike Tuck


   #5. Former an international forward Mike Tuck (201-83, college: Loyola, MD) was the major contributor in a Sheffield One Health Sharks'' victory against the seventh-ranked Milton Keynes Lions 110-87 in the British BBL last Friday. Tuck recorded a double-double by scoring 24 points and getting 11 rebounds. Sheffield One Health Sharks (9-9) is placed sixth in the BBL. Tuck is currently third on the league''s list of best rebounders. He has very reliable stats this season: 14.1ppg, 10.6rpg and 1.8apg.
Samuel Dalembert
Samuel Dalembert


   #6. Center Samuel Dalembert (211-81, college: Seton Hall) contributed to a Houston Rockets'' victory against the Memphis Grizzlies 97-93 in the NBA last Monday. Dalembert recorded 9 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 20 minutes. The Houston Rockets have a very solid 21-15 record this season. It was Houston Rockets'' fourth consecutive victory in a row. This year Dalembert''s total stats are: 7.2ppg, 7.4rpg and 1.9bpg in the 36 games. He is a former international player as he played for the Canadian senior team four years ago.
Willie Galick
Willie Galick


   #7. Former an international forward Willie Galick (203-87, college: CS Northridge) was not able to help Pertevniyal (10-16) in their game against Maliye Milli in the Turkish TB2L (second division) despite his very good performance on Wednesday. Galick had a double-double by scoring 22 points and getting 11 rebounds in 35 minutes. ; not bad, considering it''s only his second season in pro basketball. But Pertevniyal Istanbul (#14) was badly defeated 64-81 at home by the much higher-ranked (#5) Maliye Milli. It was Pertevniyal''s third consecutive loss in a row. Galick averaged so far: 8.3ppg and 4.9rpg in the nine games.
Kyle Landry
Kyle Landry


   #8. Power forward Kyle Landry (207-86, college: N.Arizona) contributed to a Triumph Lyubertsy''s victory against the leader Artland Dragons 87-70 in the EuroChallenge last Tuesday. He scored 5 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and dished 3 assists. It was the game of the round between two top 2 ranked teams in group L. Triumph Lyubertsy (3-3) is placed second. It was Triumph Lyubertsy''s third consecutive victory in a row. Landry''s team will play only one more game in the EuroChallenge Top 16. And that game will be critical. This season Landry has relatively solid stats: 11.3ppg and 6.4rpg. He used to play for the Canadian national team back in 2009.
Jevohn Shepherd
Jevohn Shepherd


   #9. International forward Jevohn Shepherd (196-86, college: Michigan) was not able to secure a victory for Leiden (2-4) in their game against Ventspils in the EuroChallenge despite his good performance on Wednesday. Shepherd scored 10 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 29 minutes. But the fourth-placed Zorg and Zekerheid Leiden (2-4) was edged 57-60 on their home court in Leiden by the leading Ventspils in the group I of EuroChallenge. It was Leiden''s third consecutive loss in a row. The Top 16 already ended in the EuroChallenge. : 8.5ppg, 2.7rpg and 1.2apg in the 11 games.
Jacob Doerksen
Jacob Doerksen


   #10. Forward Jacob Doerksen (200-87, agency: Interperformances) contributed to an Hannover Tigers'' victory against the ninth-ranked BSV Wulfen 82-66 in the German ProB (third division) last Saturday. Doerksen scored 16 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. UBC Hannover Tigers (19-5) is placed first in Group North. The Regular Season already ended. Doerksen is currently second on the league''s list of top scorers. This season he has very high stats. Doerksen averages: 22.9ppg, 7.6rpg, 1.2apg and 1.8spg. He is a former international player as three years ago he still played for the Canadian senior national team.
Olumuyiwa Famutimi
Olumuyiwa Famutimi


   #11. Former an international swingman Olumuyiwa Famutimi (198-84, college: Arkansas) contributed to an Optimum TED''s victory against the 15th-ranked Pamukkale 77-67 in the Turkish TB2L (second division) last Wednesday. Famutimi scored 14 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 29 minutes. He has reliable stats this year: 11.6ppg, 6.0rpg, 1.3apg and 1.4spg in the 24 games.
Jermaine Anderson
Jermaine Anderson


   #12. International guard Jermaine Anderson (188-83, college: Fordham) couldn''t help Buducnost (3-3) in their game against Spartak St.Petersburg in the Eurocup. He scored 8 points and added 3 assists. : 9.8ppg, 2.8rpg and 2.8apg.
Tristan Blackwood
Tristan Blackwood


   #13. Former an international guard Tristan Blackwood (183-85) couldn''t help Phoenix Hagen (7-16) in their game against Bayern Muenchen in the German BBL despite his very good performance on Saturday. Blackwood was the second best scorer with 13 points in 29 minutes. : 7.6ppg, 1.6rpg and 2.0apg in the 23 games.
Joel Anthony
Joel Anthony


   #14. International center Joel Anthony (206-82, college: UNLV) contributed to a Miami Heat''s victory against the New York Knicks 102-88 in the NBA last Thursday. He recorded only 0 points, 6 rebounds and 5 blocks. : 3.1ppg, 4.3rpg and 1.3bpg.
Philip Martin
Philip Martin


   #15. Former an international forward Philip Martin (202-80, college: Hawaii) couldn''t help Sigma Barcellona (11-9) in their game against Trenkwalder RE in the Italian Lega2 (second division). Martin scored only 4 points, had 7 rebounds and made 2 blocks. : 7.7ppg, 4.6rpg and 1.4spg.


The list of other players, who all have Canadian passport but never been selected to any of Canadian national teams:

   #1. Matt Bonner (206-F-80, college: Florida) was the major contributor in a San Antonio Spurs'' victory against the Utah Jazz 106-102 in the NBA last Monday. He recorded 20 points in 31 minutes. The San Antonio Spurs have a very solid 24-11 record this season. It''s Bonner''s sixth year with the team. This year Bonner averages: 7.4ppg and 3.1rpg in the 35 games he played so far. He is a naturalized American.

   #2. Corey Muirhead (198-F-83, college: W.Carolina) was not able to help BK Pardubice (1-5) in their game against Baloncesto Fuenlabrada in the EuroChallenge despite his very good performance on Tuesday. Muirhead was the second best scorer with 13 points. He also added 5 rebounds. But the fourth-placed BK JIP Pardubice (1-5) was defeated 70-85 on the road by the leading Baloncesto Fuenlabrada in the group K of EuroChallenge. It was BK Pardubice''s third consecutive loss in a row. The Top 16 already ended in the EuroChallenge. This season Muirhead has relatively solid stats: 13.8ppg, 5.6rpg, 2.1apg and 1.6spg. He has a dual citizenship: Canadian and Jamaican.

   #3. Stuart Turnbull (188-G-84) was the main contributor in an overtime Dragons Rhoendorf''s victory against the closely-ranked Hanau 91-87 in the German ProB (third division) last Saturday. He was the best player in that game. Turnbull scored 21 points, grabbed 6 rebounds and dished 3 assists. Dragons Rhoendorf (13-9) is placed fifth in Group South. The Regular Season already ended. This season Turnbull has very high stats. he averages: 18.0ppg, 5.0rpg, 2.1apg and 2.4spg.

   #4. Ali Kanaan (205-C/F-85, agency: Pro Management Agency, college: Mass.-Lowell) contributed to a Al Riyadi''s victory against the eighth-ranked Hoops Club 90-64 in the Lebanese Div.A last Wednesday. Kanaan recorded 7 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 20 minutes. Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut (17-1) is placed first in the Div.A. It was Al Riyadi''s 12th consecutive victory in a row. The Second Stage already ended. : 5.6ppg, 6.8rpg and 1.4apg in the 17 games. Kanaan is another player who holds two passports: Canadian and Lebanese. He previously played for the Lebanese National Team and is probably not eligible to play for the Canadian team.

   #5. Andrew Wedemire (198-G/F) was not able to secure a victory for Glasgow Rocks (11-9) in their game against Cheshire Jets in the British BBL despite his very good performance on Sunday. Wedemire was the top scorer with 20 points. But Glasgow Rocks (#5) was edged 78-80 at home by the lower-ranked (#8) Cheshire Jets. This season Wedemire has relatively solid stats: 10.5ppg, 5.8rpg and 1.7apg.

   #6. Ali Mahmoud (185-G-83) is a teammate of previously mentioned Ali Kanaan and both played together in the last Lebanese Div.A game. Mahmoud contributed to a Al Riyadi''s victory against the eighth-ranked Hoops Club 90-64. He recorded 9 points and added 6 assists in 23 minutes. Mahmoud is currently fifth on the league''s list of best passers and also on the list of most steals (fourth place). : 8.9ppg, 4.6rpg, 6.1apg and 2.6spg in the 16 games. He has both Canadian and Lebanese nationalities. Mahmoud previously played for the Lebanese National Team.

   #7. Courtney Small (191-G-88) contributed to a Worthing Thunder''s victory against the third-ranked Westminster Warriors 96-85 in the British EBL (second division) last Saturday. Small scored 25 points, grabbed 7 boards, dished 5 assists and stole 3 balls. Small is currently third on the league''s list of most steals. This season he has very high stats. Small averages: 16.1ppg, 4.8rpg, 2.9apg and 2.9spg.

   #8. Jasonn Hannibal (208-C, college: Portland) couldn''t help Polzela (8-9) in their game against Zlatorog in the Slovenian Telemach League despite his good performance on Tuesday. He was the second best scorer with 11 points. Hannibal also added 5 rebounds in 24 minutes. : 7.8ppg and 5.2rpg in the 17 games.

   #9. Sefton Barrett (196-SF-83, agency: Limelight Hoops, college: Cent.Michigan) couldn''t help Saint Vallier (10-13) in their game against Limoges CSP Elite in the French ProB (second division) despite his very good performance on Tuesday. He was the second best scorer with 15 points. Barrett also added 2 shots. His stats this season are: 11.1ppg, 4.3rpg and 1.6apg.

   #10. Stephen Janzen (191-G-82) contributed to an Hannover Tigers'' victory against the ninth-ranked BSV Wulfen 82-66 in the German ProB (third division) last Saturday. Janzen scored 13 points in 25 minutes. His stats this year are: 14.3ppg, 2.8rpg and 1.9apg in the 24 games. Janzen also holds two passports: Canadian and German.

CIS Round 2 of Play-Offs - by Eurobasket News
Canada West
Lethbridge - UFV 68-69

The guests took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Pronghorn won fourth quarter 22-15. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The best player for the winners was guard Samuel Freeman (191) who scored 15 points and 4 assists. Forward Jasper Moedt (203) chipped in 13 points and 5 rebounds. Forward Dominyc Coward (198) produced a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds and center Derek Waldner (201) added 11 points and 10 rebounds respectively for the hosts. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Pronghorn's coach tested ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game.
Top scorers:
UFV: S.Freeman 15+1reb+4ast, J.Moedt 13+5reb, J.Friesen 12+2reb+2ast, M.James 10+7reb, K.Grewal 8+6reb+2ast, J.York 4+4reb+6ast
Lethbridge: D.Coward 20+10reb, M.Duce 15+1reb, D.Waldner 11+10reb+1ast, L.Reiter 10+1reb+2ast, D.Cooper 6+4reb+6ast, D.Martin 3+1ast
gschID: 170017

Calgary - Victoria 88-90

The guests trailed by 5 points at the halftime before their 26-16 charge in the third quarter, which allowed them to win the game. Vikies made 16-of-17 free shots (94.1 percent) during the game. It was a great shooting night for Vikies especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 53.3 percentage. Guard Ryan Mackinnon (193-89) scored 33 points (!!!) and 8 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and Michael Acheampong chipped in 18 points during the contest. Vikies' coach Craig Beaucamp used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Guard Tyler Fidler (206-89) responded with 30 points, 6 rebounds and 5 blocks and guard Jarred Ogungbemi (175-91) scored 21 points and 5 assists. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Victoria: R.Mackinnon 33+8reb+3ast, M.Acheampong 18+3reb+3ast, M.Berg 14+4reb, T.Evans 12+4reb+6ast, P.Anderson 8+2reb, Z.Andrus 3+3reb+5ast
Calgary: T.Fidler 30+6reb+3ast, J.Ogungbemi 21+4reb+5ast, B.Bakovic 14+3reb+4ast, J.Owen-Thomas 11+3reb+2ast, K.Milburn 6+5reb+4ast, A.McGuinness 6
gschID: 170144


UBC - Alberta 68-91

The game was mostly controlled by Golden Bears. Thunderbirds managed to win fourth quarter 21-20. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Golden Bears forced 19 Thunderbirds turnovers. The best player for the winners was international guard Jordan Baker (192-91, college: Utah Valley) who scored 25 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Forward Sahr Saffa (191-90) chipped in 18 points and 5 rebounds. Four Golden Bears players scored in double figures. International point guard Nathan Yu (189-89) produced 23 points and swingman Kamar Burke (196-86) added 9 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists respectively for the hosts. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games.
Top scorers:
Alberta: J.Baker 25+5reb+4ast, D.Ferguson 20+2reb+1ast, S.Saffa 18+5reb+2ast, T.Bergen-Henengouwen 10+5reb+1ast, R.Dewar 7+1reb+4ast, L.Taylor 4+5reb+2ast
UBC: N.Yu 23+1reb+3ast, D.Plumb 11+4reb+2ast, K.Burke 9+7reb+5ast, G.Bath 9+1reb, T.Nixon 7+5reb+1ast, M.Williams 5+1reb
gschID: 170014


TWU - Saskatchewan 97-111

It was a very close game until the last quarter, when Huskies's pressure prevailed and they won that period 25-16 extending their advantage to 14 points. Huskies outrebounded Spartans 40-26 including 18 on the offensive glass. Spartans were plagued by 25 personal fouls down the stretch. The best player for the winners was American point guard Jamelle Barrett (180) who had a double-double by scoring 41 points (!!!), 8 rebounds and 10 assists. International forward Michael Lieffers (203-87) chipped in a double-double by scoring 14 points and 19 rebounds. American point guard Tristan Smith (183-86) produced a double-double by scoring 25 points and 11 assists (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line) and his fellow American import forward Kyle Coston (203-87, college: Portland St.) added 22 points respectively for the hosts. Five Huskies and four Spartans players scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games.
Top scorers:
Saskatchewan: J.Barrett 41+8reb+10ast, M.Forbes 23+6reb+1ast, D.Jones 16+1reb+1ast, M.Lieffers 14+19reb+2ast, P.Lomuro 11+1reb+2ast, B.Baker 4+5reb+2ast
TWU: T.Smith 25+3reb+11ast, C.Westbrook 23+2reb, K.Coston 22+4reb, K.Osborne 10+5reb+1ast, S.Peter 8+5reb, N.Monachini 4+3reb+1ast
gschID: 170015


Calgary - Victoria 61-68

Dinos were trailing by 5 points at halftime but managed to get 4-point lead after three quarters before a 22-11 charge of Vikies, which allowed them to win the game. The best player for the winners was Terrell Evans who scored 21 points and 7 rebounds. Guard Zac Andrus (180) chipped in a double-double by scoring 10 points and 11 rebounds. Vikies' coach Craig Beaucamp allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Naturalized Bosnian forward Boris Bakovic (201-88, agency: Interperformances) produced a double-double by scoring 13 points and 14 rebounds and guard Jarred Ogungbemi (175-91) added 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists respectively for the hosts. Four Dinos players scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Victoria: T.Evans 21+7reb+1ast, Z.Andrus 10+11reb+3ast, R.Mackinnon 9+2reb+4ast, R.Theil 7+1reb, P.Anderson 7+3reb, C.McLaughlin 5+4reb
Calgary: J.Ogungbemi 17+7reb+4ast, T.Fidler 14+5reb, B.Bakovic 13+14reb+2ast, K.Milburn 10+2reb+1ast, A.McGuinness 3, J.Owen-Thomas 2+1reb+3ast
gschID: 170016


OUA quarterfinals
Guelph - Lakehead 70-93

The game was mostly controlled by Thunderwolves. Gryphons was better in second period 24-18. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Thunderwolves dominated down low during the game scoring 54 of its points in the paint compared to Gryphons' 34. Thunderwolves forced 22 Gryphons turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists comparing to just 10 passes made by Gryphons' players. The best player for the winners was American guard Venzal Russel (188-87, college: Vermilion CC) who scored 25 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Ben Johnson (-88) chipped in 19 points. Guard Kareem Malcolm (183) produced 19 points and 6 rebounds and guard Daniel McCarthy (188) added 15 points and 6 rebounds (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) respectively for the hosts. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games.
Top scorers:
Lakehead: V.Russel 25+6reb+4ast, B.Johnson 19+3reb+3ast, R.Thomson 13+5reb+5ast, G.Carter 11+1reb+6ast, A.Johnson 10+9reb, J.Jones 7+7reb+5ast
Guelph: K.Malcolm 19+6reb+2ast, D.McCarthy 15+6reb+2ast, A.Bering 13+10reb, J.Beatty 11+4reb+1ast, M.Clark 6, Z.Angus 3+2reb+2ast
gschID: 170011


Ottawa - Ryerson 71-74

The guests started the game with a very strong first quarter 23-12. But Gee-Gees won second period 21-16. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Rams made 27-of-30 charity shots (90.0 percent) during the game. International point guard Jahmal Jones (183-91) notched 22 points and 8 rebounds to lead the effort and Aaron Best supported him with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Even 16 points and 9 rebounds by forward Gabriel Gonthier-Dubue (196) did not help to save the game for Gee-Gees. Guard Johnny Berhanemeskel (185) added 10 points and 13 rebounds for the hosts. Four Gee-Gees players scored in double figures. Gee-Gees' coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help.
Top scorers:
Ryerson: J.Jones 22+8reb+3ast, A.Best 17+7reb, B.Michaelsen 14+5reb+1ast, O.Adegboruwa 9+2reb+2ast, J.Gauthier 8+4reb, L.Staniscia 4+7reb+2ast
Ottawa: G.Gonthier-Dubue 16+9reb+2ast, M.L'Africain 11+7reb+3ast, C.Anderson 10+1reb, J.Gibson-Bascombe 10+5reb, J.Berhanemeskel 10+13reb, V.Gill 9+3reb+1ast
gschID: 170012


Laurentian - Carleton 66-87

Ravens looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The best player for the winners was international guard Philip Scrubb (194-92) who had a double-double by scoring 23 points and 10 assists. Forward Kevin Churchill (198) chipped in 15 points and 7 rebounds. Four Ravens players scored in double figures. Ravens' coach Dave Smart felt very confident that he used 10 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Guard Manny Pasquale (183) produced 34 points (!!!) (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) and guard Isiah Pasquale (191) added 11 points and 4 assists respectively for the hosts.
Top scorers:
Carleton: P.Scrubb 23+3reb+10ast, T.Scrubb 15+5reb, K.Churchill 15+7reb+3ast, T.Hinz 12+4reb+1ast, C.Hobin 11+4reb, W.Manigat 9+2reb+6ast
Laurentian: M.Pasquale 34+4reb+2ast, I.Pasquale 11+3reb+4ast, M.Hull 7+5reb+3ast, A.Ratte 6+1reb+2ast, N.Yengue 4+7reb+2ast, G.Serresse 4+4reb+1ast
gschID: 170013


Windsor - McMaster 67-77

The best player for the winners was Aaron Redpath who scored 21 points and 5 rebounds. Forward Cam Michaud (198) chipped in 15 points. International forward Lien Phillip (203-89) produced a double-double by scoring 11 points and 19 rebounds and guard Enrico Diloreto (186-90) added 13 points and 5 rebounds respectively for the hosts. Five Lancers players scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
McMaster: A.Redpath 21+5reb+2ast, C.Michaud 15+4reb, J.Rocca 15+1ast, A.Presutti 9+2reb+6ast, T.Black 8+7reb, N.Mccarthy 7+5reb+1ast
Windsor: E.Diloreto 13+5reb+1ast, J.Collins 13+2reb+2ast, R.Osuntola 11+4reb, L.Phillip 11+19reb+1ast, E.Matthews 11+4reb+1ast, J.McQueen 8+2reb+1ast
gschID: 170010


RSEQ
Laval - Concordia 65-66

The guests were ahead by 5 points but lost the second period ending it with a 7-point deficit before their 19-11 run, which allowed them to win the game. Stingers forced 24 Rouge et Or turnovers. Strangely Rouge et Or outrebounded Stingers 54-31 including a 38-23 advantage in defensive rebounds. Forward Evens Laroche (193) saved the victory by scoring 17 points. International point guard Kyle Desmarais (188-87, college: Cent.Conn.St.) contributed with 11 points for the winners. Swingman Etienne Labrecque (196-86, college: Quinnipiac) replied with a double-double by scoring 18 points and 11 rebounds and naturalized Bosnian forward Boris Hadzimuratovic (204-91, college: High School) added 14 points and 14 rebounds in the effort for Rouge et Or. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game.
Top scorers:
Concordia: E.Laroche 17+4reb, J.Blake 11+1ast, K.Desmarais 11+4reb+3ast, D.Krah 7+6reb+3ast, J.Clark 7+3reb+1ast, J.Moussignac 6+2reb+3ast
Laval: E.Labrecque 18+11reb+1ast, B.Hadzimuratovic 14+14reb, T.Dezutter 10+4reb, X.Baribeau 8+7reb+10ast, H.Ryan 8+10reb, R.Mathieu 5+3reb
gschID: 170024


UQAM - McGill 75-72

The hosts trailed by 6 points after three quarters before their 28-19 charge, which allowed them to win the game. The best player for the winners was forward Gregory Saint-Amand (193-88) who had a double-double by scoring 16 points and 10 rebounds. Power forward Vincent Lanctot-Fortier (203) chipped in 17 points and 6 rebounds. Four Citadines players scored in double figures. Citadines' coach Olga Hrycak allowed to play the deep bench players in such tough game. Guard Karim Sy-Morissette (193) produced 20 points and Aleksandar Mitrovic added 14 points and 8 rebounds respectively for the guests.
Top scorers:
UQAM: V.Lanctot-Fortier 17+6reb, G.Saint-Amand 16+10reb+1ast, A.Bernard 14+7reb, R.Kwaku Addai 12+1reb+3ast, P.Tamba 8+3reb, E.Cote-Kougnima 6+7reb
McGill: K.Sy-Morissette 20+4reb+3ast, A.Mitrovic 14+8reb, T.Renaud-Tremblay 11+2reb, T.Riley 6+4reb, N.Langley 5+3reb, V.Dufort 5+2reb+2ast
gschID: 170025




*****************************************************
  CROATIA   


Zadar signs Dewayne Reed and Abdullahi Kuso - by Eurobasket News
Zadar announced signings of Dewayne Reed (185-G-87, college: Auburn) and Abdullahi Kuso (206-F-84, college: Tallahassee CC) for rest of the season.
Point guard Dewayne Reed started the season with Cypriot team ENAD. In 2010/11, he played for Austin Knights in UBA. He had 22 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 6 apg there for 5 games. Reed also appeared once for Ukrainian Azovmash last season. The player graduated at Auburn University in 2010.
Center Abdullahi Kuso arrives to Zadar from the NBL Canada team Halifax Rainmen. He appeared 25 times for them this season averaging 6.5 points and 5.6 rebounds. Kuso spent last season in Japanese BJ league. He also has experience from Korea, Syria and Ukraine. Kuso is a product of Gonzaga University, where he graduated in 2008.

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


To Cyprus Basketball Federation - by Dr. Nasios Orinos
It is with a great regret that we have seen that a few teams have stepped into the playoffs without foreign players.

In a year in which the championship is heavily downgraded due to Achilleas's decision to close the basketball section and Ael's decision to play with Cypriot players someone expected that at least the fans would enjoy good basketball at the playoffs.

However, in the quarter-finals in 2 out of 4 games teams decided to play with the Under 20. Of course we knew about Ael but we did not know that other teams would follow. We need to mention that this is a more general problem since it is not the 1st year that this goes on. Every year, this time a few teams decide to battle without foreign players.

We respect each team's right to do anything it wishes and of course we understand that teams might be facing financial difficulties, but we need to decide whether we need basketball or not.

What does the Cyprus Basketball Federation do? What do teams themselves do?

Isn't time to take measures? Actually, shouldn't we have taken measures about this long time ago? Why don't the Federation issue a rule that forbids teams for playing like this at least at the playoffs? Or why don't we stay with less teams and have 3 rounds of regular season? Or at least why don't we decide to play ONLY with the domestic players? Here is a nice solution that would also help Cypriot players!


Of course the foreign players' skills and effort is respected and i am sure that without them the league will be downgraded a lot. Furthermore, it is completely unprofessional to decide, just before the playoffs, to send the foreigners away and play without them.

But, when are we finally going to decide that we need to SAVE basketball?

I don't know if anyone has noticed but basketball has taken the down-slope and if we don't pay attention and if we don't take immediate measures there won't be any basketball.

In 1989 arenas were packed with many thousand of fans, in 1998 with few thousand of fans, and today with a limited number of fans.

Cyprus Basketball Federation should take this article as a friendly effort from our side to help.


We have been watching, playing and writing about basketball since 1985 and I think this gives us the right to have an opinion.





*****************************************************
  CZECH REPUBLIC   


Astrum Levice Acquire the Services of Adam Waleskowski - by Surujh Roopnarine
February 29th was the last day in the transfer period of the Mattoni NBL, and Astrum Levice scored a major prize in the firm of American-German forward Adam Waleskowski (204-F-82, college: Florida St.). The 6-9 Waleskowski out of Florida State began this season in Cyprus with Pizza Express Apollon, before leaving in December. Waleskowski spent last season in Germany's top-division with BG Goettingen. In 20 BBL contests he averaged 8.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in nearly 15 minutes per contest. Over his seven-year career Waleskowski has played in France, Germany and Cyprus. The player is in Europe, but according to general manager Lubos Pohanka, his immediate arrival to Levice is not yet known.

*****************************************************
  DENMARK   


Ligaen regular season is over, Bears are No.1 - by Eurobasket News
The regular season is over. Bakken Bears are No.1 with impressive 25-2 record. Eight teams advanced to the Playoff Quarterfinals, which start on March 8 (best-of-five).

Ligaen Standings
1. Bakken 25-2
2. Svendborg 23-4
3. Naestved 17-10
4. Horsens IC 12-15
5. SISU 12-15
6. Horsholm 11-16
7. Vaerlose 11-16
8. Aalborg 9-18
---
9. Aabyhoj 8-19
10. Falcon 7-20


Bakken - SISU 82-80 OT
The hosts started the game with a very strong first quarter 23-13. But SISU won second period 18-17. 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 SISU used huge pressure winning it 19-18 getting a tie at the end of regular time. They lost eventually overtime period 10-12. They outrebounded SISU 42-30 including a 28-16 advantage in defensive rebounds. SISU was plagued by 25 personal fouls down the stretch. It was a good game for American guard Joshua Alexander (193-G-87, college: SF Austin) led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 21 points and 12 rebounds. The former international power forward Nicolai Iversen (205-80, college: San Jose City JC) contributed with 14 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. Bakken's coach Philip Dejworek used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Swingman David Harder (196-87) answered with 20 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists and American forward Donald Rutherford (198-87, college: Catawba) added 18 points and 9 rebounds in the effort for SISU. Five Bakken and four SISU players scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Bakken: J.Alexander 21+12reb+1ast, N.Iversen 14+7reb+2ast, M.Dejworek 13+4reb, C.Christoffersen 13+8reb, A.Jakobsen 12+4reb+4ast, H.Falsvig 6+1reb+1ast
SISU: D.Harder 20+7reb+5ast, D.Rutherford 18+9reb+2ast, M.Flowers 16+5reb, M.Dennis 14+2reb+5ast, M.Nielsen 8+7reb+5ast, M.Glahn 2+3ast

gschID: 136219


Aabyhoj - Horsholm 74-88
The game was mostly controlled by Horsholm. Aabyhoj was better in third quarter 25-20. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Aabyhoj to just 6 points in second quarter. Horsholm made 20-of-25 free shots (80.0 percent) during the game. They also forced 25 Aabyhoj turnovers. American players dominated the game. It was a good game for forward Bonell Colas (205-82, college: Florida) who led his team to a victory with 22 points and 5 rebounds (went 8 for 8 at the free throw line). Power forward Joe Benjamin (201-83, college: W.Virginia St.) contributed with 21 points (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field) for the winners. Four Horsholm players scored in double figures. Horsholm's coach Milan Skobalj allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Forward D'Mario Curry (201-85, college: Lincoln Memorial) answered with a double-double by scoring 23 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 steals and forward Demetrius Phillips (207-87, college: Bridgeport) added 24 points and 11 rebounds (on 11-of-13 shooting from the field) in the effort for Aabyhoj.
Top scorers:
Horsholm: B.Colas 22+5reb+1ast, J.Benjamin 21+1reb, P.Hertz 14+3reb, V.Aleksic 10+3reb+3ast, B.Marinkovic 8+1reb, A.Bak 6+1reb+4ast
Aabyhoj: D.Phillips 24+11reb+1ast, D.Curry 23+15reb+6ast, R.Soby Dalboge 14+2reb+2ast, A.Elsner 7+1reb+2ast, J.Wang 4+2ast, O.Sigurdsson 2
gschID: 136220


Horsens IC - Naestved 81-75
Naestved was trailing by 3 points at halftime but managed to get 4-point lead after three quarters before a 23-13 charge of Horsens IC, which allowed them to win the game. American players dominated the game. It was a good game for power forward Mike St.John (203-84, college: La Salle) who led his team to a victory with 20 points and 9 rebounds. Forward Will Harris (198-86, college: Albany) contributed with 24 points for the winners. St.John is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. point guard Corin Henry (180-88, college: Tarleton St.) answered with 22 points and 6 assists (went 8 for 8 at the free throw line) and forward Jordan Glynn (200-89, college: SF Austin, agency: I.D.S. Law) added 17 points and 11 rebounds in the effort for Naestved.
Top scorers:
Horsens IC: W.Harris 24+4reb+3ast, M.St.John 20+9reb+3ast, D.Sattler 12+2reb+7ast, U.Grinbergs 9, H.Schur 8+5reb+3ast, C.Lindberg 4+6reb+2ast
Naestved: C.Henry 22+3reb+6ast, J.Glynn 17+11reb, M.Creppy 16+1reb+2ast, P.Johansen 13+8reb+1ast, M.Hoirup 3+1reb, N.Brasas 2+3reb+1ast
gschID: 136216


Falcon - Vaerlose 92-85
Vaerlose was trailing by 12 points at halftime but managed to get 4-point lead after three quarters before a 18-7 charge of Falcon, which allowed them to win the game. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Vaerlose to just 7 points in fourth quarter. Falcon made 24-of-29 free shots (82.8 percent) during the game. It was a good game for Senegalese power forward Pape Ba (207-80, college: Beth.-Cookman) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 11 rebounds. Mexican Robert Fields contributed with 22 points for the winners. American guard Reginald Delk (193-86, college: Louisville) answered with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists and the other American import power forward Christopher Sprinker (205, college: Cent.Washington) added 23 points and 6 rebounds (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field) in the effort for Vaerlose.
Top scorers:
Falcon: P.Ba 25+11reb+1ast, R.Fields 22+3reb+2ast, J.Rottgardt 20+4reb+1ast, K.Norsgaard 6+2reb+3ast, J.McFarlane 6+5reb+3ast, P.Christiansen 6+1reb
Vaerlose: C.Sprinker 23+6reb+2ast, R.Delk 19+6reb+6ast, M.Rasmussen 11+7reb+3ast, P.Simonsen 9+1ast, P.Moller 6+1reb+3ast, R.Larsen 6+3reb+1ast
gschID: 136217


Aalborg - Svendborg 91-83
There was an upset when second-best Svendborg (23-4) lost on the road to eighth ranked Aalborg (9-18) 91-83 on Thursday. The hosts trailed by 4 points at the halftime before their 46-34 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. Aalborg made 18-of-23 free shots (78.3 percent) during the game. Aalborg outrebounded Svendborg 45-26 including a 19-7 advantage in offensive rebounds. It was a good game for American point guard Ryan White (177-88, college: Texas St.) who led his team to a victory with 35 points (!!!) and 8 assists. His fellow American import forward Tony Bishop (201-89, college: Texas St.) contributed with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 19 rebounds for the winners. Aalborg's coach Mads Olesen allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. The former international guard Adama Darboe (190-86) answered with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 10 assists and American forward Matthew Kingsley (206-86, college: SF Austin) added 20 points and 7 rebounds in the effort for Svendborg.
Top scorers:
Aalborg: R.White 35+4reb+8ast, T.Bishop 25+19reb+3ast, S.Sorensen 7+10reb+1ast, S.Hansen 6+1reb+1ast, M.Christensen 6+1reb, S.Eleraky 4+5reb
Svendborg: M.Kingsley 20+7reb+1ast, A.Darboe 19+4reb+10ast, D.Vinson 19+8reb, M.Plannthin 13+5reb+3ast, C.Magaard 6+2reb, M.Mariegaard 4+2ast
gschID: 136218




Standings - Basketligaen
Ligaen Standings
 1. Bakken 25-2
 2. Svendborg 23-4
 3. Naestved 17-10
 4. Horsens IC 12-15
 5. SISU 12-15
 6. Horsholm 11-16
 7. Vaerlose 11-16
 8. Aalborg 9-18
 9. Aabyhoj 8-19
 10. Falcon 7-20


Stats Leaders - Basketligaen
Points Per Game
 Ryan WHITE
  Aalborg
  (177-PG-88)
  Avg: 26.1
 1. White, Aalborg26.1 
 2. Harris, Horsens IC24.8 
 3. Henry, Naestved21.6 
 4. Rutherford, SISU21.1 
 5. Curry, Aabyhoj20.1 
 6. Bishop, Aalborg19.3 
 7. Alexander, Bakken18.6 
 8. Rasmussen, Vaerl.18.2 
 9. Sprinker, Vaerlose18.1 
 10. Fields, Falcon17.5 
Rebounds Per Game
 Tony BISHOP
  Aalborg
  (201-F-89)
  Avg: 11.6
 1. Bishop, Aalborg11.6 
 2. Curry, Aabyhoj11.1 
 3. Glynn, Naestved10.7 
 4. St.John, Horsens10.0 
 5. Colas, Horsholm8.5 
 6. Osgood-R., Vaerlose8.4 
 7. Phillips, Aabyhoj8.4 
 8. Benjamin, Horsholm8.4 
 9. Rutherford, SISU8.4 
 10. Ba, Falcon8.3 
Assists Per Game
 Reginald DELK
  Vaerlose
  (193-G-86)
  Avg: 5
 1. Delk, Vaerlose5.0 
 2. Henry, Naestved5.0 
 3. Sattler, Horsens IC4.8 
 4. White, Aalborg4.8 
 5. Colman, Svendborg4.6 
 6. McFarlane, Falcon3.7 
 7. Fields, Falcon3.7 
 8. Darboe, Svendborg3.6 
 9. Curry, Aabyhoj3.4 
 10. Nielsen, SISU3.4 
Steals Per Game
 Corin HENRY
  Naestved
  (180-PG-88)
  Avg: 3.9
 1. Henry, Naestved3.9 
 2. Wire, Vaerlose2.9 
 3. White, Aalborg2.9 
 4. Dennis, SISU2.6 
 5. Fields, Falcon2.3 
 6. Bishop, Aalborg2.3 
 7. Sattler, Horsens IC2.1 
 8. Plannthin, Svend.1.9 
 9. Nielsen, SISU1.8 
 10. Alexander, Bakken1.8 
Blocks Per Game
 Jenard HARRISON
  SISU
  (203-F-84)
  Avg: 2.3
 1. Harrison, SISU2.3 
 2. Colas, Horsholm1.8 
 3. Bishop, Aalborg1.7 
 4. Christoffers., Bak.1.7 
 5. Phillips, Aabyhoj1.5 
 6. Curry, Aabyhoj1.5 
 7. Vinson, Svendborg1.3 
 8. Marinkovic, Horsho.1.1 
 9. Sprinker, Vaerlose1.1 
 10. Eleraky, Aalborg1.0 


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


Standings
D-League Standings
East Conference
 1. Springfield A. 21-13 
 2. Iowa E. 21-13 
 3. Dakota W. 19-14 
 4. Canton C. 18-17 
 5. Erie Bay H. 16-17 
 6. Maine RC 13-22 
 7. Ft.Wayne MA 10-26 
 8. Sioux Falls S. 9-26 
West Conference
 1. Los Angeles D. 27-11 
 2. Austin T. 22-13 
 3. Rio Grande VV 21-16 
 4. Bakersfield J. 19-16 
 5. Texas L. 18-18 
 6. Reno B. 17-18 
 7. Tulsa 66ers 16-21 
 8. Idaho S. 15-21 


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. Almond, Maine RC22.1 
 5. Harris, Canton C.21.4 
 6. Ubiles, Dakota W.21.2 
 7. Costner, Los A.20.9 
 8. Howard, Ft.Wayne.20.5 
 9. Mitchell, Sioux F.19.6 
 10. Green, Los A.19.1 
Rebounds Per Game
 Marcus LEWIS
  Tulsa 66ers
  (203-F/C-86)
  Avg: 13
 1. Lewis, Tulsa 66ers13.0 
 2. Dawson, Austin T.10.2 
 3. Milligan, Canton C.9.2 
 4. Criswell-L., Austi.9.0 
 5. Williams, Texas L.8.7 
 6. Foote, Springfield8.5 
 7. Andrews, Los A.8.3 
 8. Moore, Idaho S.8.2 
 9. Horner, Springfi.8.1 
 10. Reid, Tulsa 66ers8.1 
Assists Per Game
 William CONROY
  Rio G.
  (187-G-82)
  Avg: 10.2
 1. Conroy, Rio G.10.2 
 2. Russell, Ft.Wayne.9.9 
 3. Curry, Springfield6.4 
 4. Wise, Bakersfield6.3 
 5. Stinson, Iowa E.6.2 
 6. Baker, Dakota W.6.1 
 7. Fortson, Los A.5.9 
 8. Johnson, Austin T.5.8 
 9. Bailey, Idaho S.5.8 
 10. Coleman, Sioux F.5.3 
Steals Per Game
 Dominique COLEMAN
  Sioux F.
  (190-G-84)
  Avg: 2.3
 1. Coleman, Sioux F.2.3 
 2. Hannah, Dakota W.2.2 
 3. Fortson, Los A.2.1 
 4. Stinson, Iowa E.2.1 
 5. Russell, Ft.Wayne.1.9 
 6. Curry, Springfield1.9 
 7. Millsap, Los A.1.9 
 8. Baker, Dakota W.1.8 
 9. Emmett, Reno B.1.8 
 10. Smith, Springfiel.1.8 
Blocks Per Game
 Will FOSTER
  Idaho S.
  (226-C-88)
  Avg: 2.9
 1. Foster, Idaho S.2.9 
 2. Williams, Texas L.2.7 
 3. Saunders, Rio G.2.4 
 4. Thomas, Los A.2.2 
 5. Daniels, Erie B.2.1 
 6. Ojougboh, Tulsa1.8 
 7. Dawson, Austin T.1.7 
 8. Dove, Dakota W.1.7 
 9. Hill, Maine RC1.7 
 10. Kent, Maine RC1.6 


Lakers recall Devin Ebanks from D-Fenders - by Eurobasket News
The Lakers recalled forward Devin Ebanks (6'9''-F-89, college: W.Virginia) from their Development League affiliate, the D-Fenders, in time for him to appear in Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The recall coincides with the team's announcement that Kobe Bryant was diagnosed with a concussion suffered on a hard foul by Miami guard Dwyane Wade during Sunday's NBA All-Star game. Bryant also suffered a broken nose.

Ebanks averaged 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 32.0 minutes in three games with the D-Fenders, in marked contrast to the minimal role he played with the Lakers this season. After starting in the first four games, Ebanks has averaged just 2.7 points in 12.6 minutes through 12 games.

Under the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement, teams can send a player to the D-League up to three times per season.

Courtesy of www.latimes.com

Timberwolves re-assign Lee to Skyforce - by Eurobasket News
The Sioux Falls Skyforce announced today the assignment of Minnesota Timberwolves rookie guard Malcolm Lee (6'4''-G-90, college: UCLA). This marks his second stint with the Skyforce this season as he was previously assigned from Feb. 6-12. He is expected to be in uniform tomorrow night as the Skyforce hosts the Bakersfield Jam at 7 p.m. CT. The active roster now stands at 10 players.

Lee averaged 9.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists in three games (all starts) during his first stint with the Skyforce. His best outing came on Feb. 7 as he posted 16 points and a team-high six assists against the Dakota Wizards

Lee, who underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee on Dec. 30, was acquired by the Wolves in a draft-day trade after being selected by the Chicago Bulls in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft. He averaged 9.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in three seasons (94 games) at UCLA. The 6-5, 200-pound guard earned both All-Pac-10 First Team and Pac-10 All-Defensive Team honors as a junior last season.

Courtesy of Brett Hansen (via www.keloland.com)

Stampede acquire Willie Jenkins and Brady Jordan, release 3 players - by Eurobasket News
The Idaho Stampede re-acquired Willie Jenkins (6'6''-F-81, college: Tenn Tech) and acquired Jordan Brady (6'6''-F-83), the club announced Wednesday.

Jenkins (b. 12/20/1981) re-joins the Stampede after suffering a jaw injury on Dec. 23 at Reno. Jenkins is averaging 9.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in 11 games (nine starts) with Idaho. After being drafted in the seventh round in the 2010 NBA D-League Draft, Jenkins played all 50 games (14 starts) with the Stampede and averaged 7.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

Jordan Brady (b. 6/21/1983) joins the Stampede after playing two-plus seasons in the D-League, including two seasons with the Utah Flash from 2009-11. This season, Brady played 14 games (five starts) with the Los Angeles D-Fenders and averaged 7.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. In his career, Brady has played in 104 games (14 starts) and averaged 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Before playing in the D-League, Brady played two seasons for Utah Valley University, where he won NCAA Defensive Player of the Year in 2008-09.

Jenkins will suit up in jersey No. 34; Brady will wear jersey No. 24.

In order to make room on the roster, the Stampede waived Devin Green (6'7''-G/F-82, college: Hampton) due to personal reasons, Marcus Banks (6'2''-G-81, college: UNLV) due to injury and Terrico White (6'5''-G-90, college: Mississippi) due to injury.

Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com

Latest games - by Eurobasket News
Dakota W. - Bakersfield J. 116-94
Marcus Dove made 11 of his 14 field goal attempts and all nine of his free throws to finish with 31 points and lead the Dakota Wizards to a 116-94 victory Wednesday over the Bakersfield Jam. Derrick Byars (6'7''-G/F-84, agency: Beo Basket, college: Vanderbilt) led the Jam (18-16) with 20 points and Renaldo Major added 15. Dove, a 6-foot-9 forward out of Oklahoma State, also led the Wizards (19-4) with 11 rebounds. *Courtesy of www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com

Idaho S. - Los Angeles D. 72-94
Chris Davis (6'3''-G-86, college: Southern) scored 15 points and newly-acquired Jordan Brady (6'6''-F-83) added 13, but the Idaho Stampede lost to the Los Angeles D-Fenders 94-72. Idaho (14-21) scored just 13 points in the second quarter and 12 in the third as they trailed by as many as 31. Idaho committed 23 turnovers, which turned into 26 D-Fenders points. The Stampede shot just 37.5 percent on the game, making just 5-of-24 three-pointers (20.8 percent). Willie Jenkins, who was also added just earlier in the day, scored eight points; he was matched by Paul Carter, who added six rebounds, and Mikki Moore, who also totaled nine rebounds and two blocks. Tony Bobbitt had seven points and four steals. Los Angeles (27-10) was led by Elijah Millsap (6'6''-G-87, agency: Interperformances, college: UAB), who had 27 points; Courtney Fortson added 21 points, seven assists, four rebounds and three steals. Orien Greene had 17 points for the D-Fenders, who played with eight players. Idaho plays Los Angeles tomorrow again at 7 p.m. (MST). *Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com

Erie Bay H. - Ft.Wayne MA 99-86
The Mad Ants dropped their 10th game in a row, falling 99-86 to the Erie Bayhawks on Tuesday night. Ron Howard (6'5''-G/F-82, college: Valparaiso) scored 19 points and had 10 rebounds to lead three other Mad Ants (10-26) in double-digit scoring at Tulio Arena in Erie, Pa. Darnell Lazare (6'8''-F-85, agency: Priority Sports, college: LSU) scored 16 points. Ramon Harris and Tory Jackson each had 12. D.J. Kennedy led Erie (16-17) with 28 points, and Kyle Goldcamp added 19 points and 10 rebounds. Courtesy of www.journalgazette.net

Dakota W. - Iowa E. 127-110
The Dakota Wizards havent had this much fun in years -five years, in fact. The Wizards beat the clock three times Tuesday, then beat Eastern Conference leader Iowa when it mattered most, 127-110 at the final horn. In doing so, the Wizards extended their winning streak to five games, their longest streak since 2007. That run ended with the Wizards victory in the D-League championship game. Edwin Ubiles (6'6''-G/F-86, college: Siena) dominated for the Wizards, scoring 41 points and dishing out six assists. Ubiles was 18-for-26 from the field and drained four 3-pointers. My team recognized I was hot and they kept looking for me, Ubiles said. I made some open shots. I tried to make plays down the stretch in the second half. Jeremy Tyler (6'10''-F-91) got his first stint since his assignment from Golden State, scoring 20 points and grabbing nine rebounds. He played hard when he was out there, Ubiles said. We went to him and he made some plays as well. Having him as a presence in the post makes people worry about him. Marcus Dove (6'9''-F-85, college: Oklahoma St.) (6'9''-F-85, college: Oklahoma St.) added 17 points and Stefhon Hannah (6'1''-G-85, college: Missouri) and Mike Anderson 13 each. The Wizards shot 55 percent. Dakota returned last week from a lengthy road trip on fire and not even an eight-day layoff cooled them off en route to their seventh win in eight games. That break came at a perfect time. We bounced around from airport to airport and came home for a quick game, Wizards coach Nate Bjorkgren said. We needed that break. Bjorkgren wasnt concerned with the time off, nor the appearance of a new body in the lineup. These guys are used to players coming and going and when a player is assigned he could be here one game or five games, Bjorkgren said. They know their turn is going to come. Everybody will get their chance. The 20-year-old Tyler came to the Wizards averaging 1.9 points and one rebound in 14 games with the Golden State Warriors. He was the 39th pick of the 2011 NBA draft. Tyler didnt waste any time getting acclimated to his surroundings. The 6-foot-10, 260-pounder scored the Wizards first basket less than one minute into the game and added another two possessions later. Tyler had 13 points and eight rebounds in the first half, helping the Wizards to a 64-54 lead. The teams exchanged baskets through much of the first quarter, which ended with the Wizards holding a 34-27 edge on Andersons steal and pull-up 3-pointer as the clock ran out. The second quarter ended on Ubiles buzzer-beater for his 14th point of the half. He scored eight of the Wizards last 10 points of the second quarter and 11 of their first 13 of the third. Anderson was fouled and made a free throw with one-tenth of a second left to give the Wizards a 93-83 lead heading into the final quarter. After a slightly ragged end to the third quarter that saw Dakota turn the ball over eight times in 13 possessions, they righted the ship and cruised the rest of the way. Ubiles says the suddenly-surging Wizards are just learning to play together at the right time. Things just came together, Ubiles said. Fortunately were rolling right now. Halfway through the season we have a better feel for each other. Moses Ehambe led the Energy with 22 points. Nick Murphy and Curtis Stinson had 19 points apiece, Andrew Drevo added 16, and Ben Strong and Mike Efevberha had 15 apiece. The Wizards play three of their next four games at home, including tonights game against Bakersfield. Courtesy of http://bismarcktribune.com

Thursday's games review (4) - by Eurobasket News
Canton C. - Iowa E. 122-107
A proud Colorado State product, Charge forward Travis Franklin (6'7''-F-88, college: Colorado St.) has thoroughly enjoyed the Rams' recent wins against college basketball heavyweights New Mexico and UNLV. Franklin's chest swelled, much like the Rams' NCAA Tournament resume. 'We should get in,' Franklin said with a big smile, wearing a Colorado State T-shirt. 'I'm going to write (the selection committee) a letter.' After his own performance Thursday night, the 23-year-old rookie must feel like his words carry great weight. Franklin scored a season-high 29 points off the bench to lead six Charge players in double figures in a 122-107 win against the Eastern Conference-leading Iowa Energy at Memorial Civic Center. Franklin, who entered the night averaging 7.1 points, scored 15 second-quarter points as the Charge built a double-figure lead and then held on in the second half. 'They kept coming to me,' Franklin said of his teammates. 'They knew I had a matchup that was easy for me off the dribble. So we kind of exploited that the whole second quarter.' The 6-foot-7 Franklin made 10 of 12 shots from the field and 9 of 10 from the foul line as the Charge improved to 18-17. The Charge committed 10 of their season-high-tying 22 turnovers in the first quarter. Once they stopped that, Iowa had no answer for them offensively. Canton shot a season-best 60.9 percent from the field and made 32 of 39 free throws (82.1 percent). All five Canton starters scored in double figures. Kyle Gibson (6'5''-G-87, college: Louisiana Tech) totaled 20 points and five rebounds, while point guard T.J. Campbell went for 19 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. He made 12 of 13 free throws. Big men Dante Milligan and Frank Hassell combined for 28 points and 17 rebounds as the Charge held a dominating 43-23 advantage on the boards. Antonio Graves scored 15 points in his first start of the season. *Courtesy of www.cantonrep.com

Sioux Falls S. - Bakersfield J. 102-115
The Bakersfield Jam defeated the Sioux Falls Skyforce 115-102 Thursday night at the Sioux Falls Arena. Bakersfield erupted with a 70-point first half and coasted in the second half to their first victory after the All-Star break. Bakersfield (19-16) jumped out of the gates early, beginning the game on a 15-6 run. After a timeout, Sioux Falls (9-26) responded with a 12-6 run to trim the lead to 21-18. Bakersfield led after one quarter 30-27. In the second quarter, Bakersfield continued their hot shooting and outscored Sioux Falls 40-23 to take a 70-50 lead at halftime. Seventy points is the most Sioux Falls has given up in a half this season. Renaldo Major (6'7''-F-82, agency: Edge Sports, college: Fresno St.) was a spark for Bakersfield scoring 9 of his 17 points in the second. In an attempt to climb back in the game, Sioux Falls was able to force 13 turnovers in the third quarter and outscore Bakersfield 30-19. Minnesota Timberwolves assignee Malcolm Lee along with Marqus Blakely fueled the charge, converting easy buckets in transition off steals. Trey Gilder converted a 3-point play at the end of the third to cut the deficit to 89-80 heading into the fourth. However, that was as close as Sioux Falls would get as Bakersfield went on a 10-1 run to begin the fourth quarter and get their sixth win in eight games. Derrick Byars (6'7''-G/F-84, agency: Beo Basket, college: Vanderbilt) had a big game for Bakersfield with 26 points and a season-high 17 rebounds to also go along with four assists. Juan Pattillo came off bench to contribute 23 points and seven rebounds. Blakely had a big game with 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and a season-high seven steals. Gilder posted his third double-double in four contests with team highs in points (25) and rebounds (11). Sioux Falls visits Erie Saturday night at 6 p.m. CT. Bakersfield continues its road trip at Reno on Saturday night at 7 p.m. PT. *Courtesy of www.keoland.com

Texas L. - Austin T. 99-94 OT
The Austin Toros routed the visiting Texas Legends 116-99 Sunday afternoon behind 21 big points from backup point guard Solomon Bozeman (6'1''-G-87, college: UALR) and 20 points and five assists from off-guard Myles McKay (6'4''-G-86, college: WiscKing.-Whitew.). Power forward Anthony Vereen led the Legends with 25 points while small forward Dominique Johnson tallied 23 points and a team-high 13 rebounds in defeat. Behind a Cedar Park Center crowd of 3,197 screaming Toros' fans, Austin used a 62-point first half outburst to lead Texas by 20 at the break. The Toros (6-3) would go on to lead by as much as 23 handing Texas its' eighth loss of the season and pulling them to within just a 1/2 game of the West Conference leading Los Angeles Defenders. Combo-forward Omar Reed put in a solid effort posting 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. He added five rebounds and two steals for the victorious Toros on the night. Legends veteran Head Coach Del Harris was ejected late in the third quarter after receiving his second technical for arguing a perceived bad call. Austin will not suit up again until next Friday December 23rd when they travel to Indiana to face the Fort Wayne Mad Ants from the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 6:30 PM Central Time. *Courtesy of www.examiner.com

Idaho S. - Los Angeles D. 101-93
Mikki Moore (6'11''-C-75, agency: Priority Sports, college: Nebraska) had 20 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks and the Stampede shot 50.6 percent from the floor as they beat the Los Angeles D-Fenders 101-93. David Bailey (5'8''-PG-81, college: Loyola, IL) came through with 14 points and eight assists. Idaho (15-21) shot 64.1 percent from the field in the first half, and their defense held L.A. to just 1-of-7 from behind the three-point line as they led 65-47 at the half. Four players already had hit double-figures by the midway point of the game. The Stampede scored 37 points in the second quarter alone, with Paul Carter making all five of his attempts. The lanky left-hander finished the night with 15 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Seth Tarver had 13 points, eight rebounds and three steals, while subs Tony Bobbitt (14 points, four rebounds, three steals) and Chris Davis (10 points, 4-5 FG) aided in the win. Los Angeles (27-11) was led by Courtney Fortson, who played 47:06 minutes and scored 34 points (12-31 FG). Orien Green added 15 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and four steals. Idaho will play next on Sunday, March 4 at Dakota at 2 p.m. (MST). *Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com

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  ESTONIA   


Cipruss' double-double lands him Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
29-year old center Kaspars Cipruss (210-C-82, agency: Interperformances) put on an amazing game in the last round for Tarvas and receives a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 22.
He had a double-double of 15 points and 16 rebounds, while his team crushed Rapla (#4, 11-10) with 25-point margin 84-59. The game was between two of the league's top four teams. Tarvas maintains the 3rd position in Estonian league. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Tarvas will need more victories to improve their 14-7 record. Cipruss turned to be Tarvas' top player in his first season with the team. Cipruss has impressive league stats. He is in league's top in points (4th best: 17.6ppg) and averages solid 66.5% FGP.

Second best performed player last round was Toomas Raadik (202-C-90) of Parnu. He is a center in his 5th season at Parnu. In the last game Raadik recorded impressive double-double of 24 points and 10 rebounds. Bad luck as Parnu lost that game 70-102 to slightly higher-ranked TTU (#5, 10-10). Parnu managed to keep the same 7th spot in the standings. 18 lost games are too many comparing to just three victories Parnu managed to get this year. Raadik is one of the most experienced players at Parnu and has a reputation of one of team's most reliable players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 19.2ppg (#2). He also registered 7.9 boards per game.

Third place about best performers goes to forward Kiur Akenparg (190-F-88) of TTU/Kalev (#5). Akenparg scored 15 points and passed ten assists (!!!). He was a key player of TTU, leading his team to a 102-70 easy win against slightly lower-ranked Parnu (#7, 3-18). TTU needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 10 victories and 10 lost games. Akenparg has a very solid season. In 20 games in Estonia he scored 13.2ppg.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Reinar Hallik (208-C-84) of Tarvas - 19 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists
5. Kristjan Makke (205-F/C-81) of TTU - 18 points and 6 rebounds
6. Bamba Fall (216-C-86) of Kalev/Cramo - 12 points and 8 rebounds
7. Tanel Sokk (184-G-85) of Kalev/Cramo - 13 points and 8 rebounds
8. Andrew Arnold (208-C-86) of TTU - 18 points and 4 rebounds
9. Reinar Hallik (208-C-84) of Tarvas - 19 points and 7 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)

*****************************************************
  EUROCHALLENGE   


Quarter-Final Round Pairings - by Eurobasket News
Eight teams will battle for the top place in EuroChallenge that will start Quarter-Final Round on March 13th. The eight squads will fight for the semifinal ticket in the best-of-three series.
Fuenlabrada looks comfortable winning Group K in style as they remained undefeated after the trip to Turkey. The Spanish outfit overcame Besiktas Milangaz 78:77 as both teams advanced to the Quarterfinals. The Turkish side finished second with 4-2 record. Leonardo Mainoldi (203-F-85) top-scored for the winners with 17 points and Saul Blanco (195-G/F-85) collected 12 points and 11 boards. Hall produced 11, whilst Sanchez netted 10. Pops Mensah-Bonsu (206-F-83, agency: SportsTalent, college: G.Washington) erupted with 24 points and 10 rebounds in defeat. Hawkins and Zoran Erceg (210-C/F-85) notched 15 apiece, whilst Morrison scored 11. Fuenlabrada will face Triumph Lyubertsy that grabbed the last ticket from Group L thanks to Art.Dragons. The latter sent Karsiyaka packing as they beat them in Germany. The hosts celebrated a 95:88 win to finish with 5-1 record on top and advanced to the Quarterfinals. Art.Dragons meanwhile will take on Besiktas Milangaz.
Szolnoki Olaj edged Telekom Baskets in a thriller as both teams finished EuroChallenge Group J with 3-3 record. The Hungarian team celebrated a 96:94 win due to the last seven points from the free throw line. The Hungarian team will take on BK Ventspils that clinched the Quarterfinal birth as they won the overtime thriller over Roanne Basket. The Latvian team grabbed 94:92 victory for 4-2 record, while the French side fell at 3-3.
The last pairing will be between two French sides, Elan Chalon and Chorale Roanne. Chalon won unpredictable Group J campaign after 64:84 loss in Belgium. The French team as well as three other finished with 3-3 record, but on top. They together with Szolnoki Olaj advanced to the Quarterfinals of the tournament.

BK Ventspils - Szolnoki Olaj
Elan Chalon - Chorale Roanne
Mad-Croc Fuenlabrada-Triumph Lyubertsy
Artland Dragons- Besiktas Milangaz


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Jovo STANOJEVIC
  Karsi.
  (208-C-77)
  Avg: 20.3
 1. Stanojevic, Karsi.20.3 
 2. Copeland, Aalstar20.1 
 3. Chatman, Karsiyaka20.0 
 4. Dykes, U.Mobite.19.0 
 5. Karadeniz, Turk T.18.3 
 6. Stimac, Olin Edirne18.0 
 7. Richardson, Armia17.8 
 8. Clemente, Nitra17.8 
 9. Holland, Roanne17.6 
 10. Trotter, Szolnok16.9 
Rebounds Per Game
 Will THOMAS
  Armia
  (203-PF-86)
  Avg: 11.3
 1. Thomas, Armia11.3 
 2. Mensah-Bonsu, Bes.10.0 
 3. Kjellbom, Armia9.8 
 4. Majok, Nitra9.3 
 5. Elonu, Pau-Lacq.8.6 
 6. Bader, Szolnok8.6 
 7. Arnold, BK Pardu.8.4 
 8. Terry, Khimik8.2 
 9. Stanojevic, Karsi.7.9 
 10. Young, Aalstar7.8 
Assists Per Game
 Jared JORDAN
  Telekom .
  (188-PG-84)
  Avg: 8.8
 1. Jordan, Telekom8.8 
 2. Eldridge, Minsk-20.6.5 
 3. Holston, Art.Drag.6.3 
 4. Moore, Keravnos6.0 
 5. Barrett, Roanne5.8 
 6. Gipson, Pau-Lacq.5.7 
 7. Tchicamboud, Cha.5.5 
 8. Gaines, Armia5.5 
 9. Wright, Olin Edirne5.3 
 10. Williams, Atomero.5.0 
Steals Per Game
 Denis CLEMENTE
  Nitra
  (185-PG-86)
  Avg: 2.8
 1. Clemente, Nitra2.8 
 2. Frazier, Keravnos2.7 
 3. Moore, Keravnos2.6 
 4. Diane, Nitra2.5 
 5. Morris, U.Mobite.2.4 
 6. Greene, Hoverla2.3 
 7. Pandula, BK Prost.2.3 
 8. Hasbrouck, EWE B.2.1 
 9. Wright, Olin Edirne1.8 
 10. Young, Ventspils1.8 
Blocks Per Game
 Joakim KJELLBOM
  Armia
  (213-C/F-79)
  Avg: 2.3
 1. Kjellbom, Armia2.3 
 2. Gaffney, Teleko.2.1 
 3. Mejri, Antwerp1.8 
 4. Sene, Fuenlabrada1.7 
 5. Hardin, Minsk-20061.7 
 6. Elonu, Pau-Lacq.1.6 
 7. Knox, Minsk-20061.5 
 8. Baxter, Enisey1.4 
 9. Pustovyi, Khimik1.4 
 10. Majok, Nitra1.3 


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  EUROCUP   


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Fabien CAUSEUR
  Cholet
  (193-G-87)
  Avg: 21.8
 1. Causeur, Cholet21.8 
 2. Minard, Azovmash16.4 
 3. Curry, BC Donetsk16.2 
 4. Massey, Lokomotiv15.8 
 5. Seibutis, Lietuv.15.1 
 6. Traore, Lokomotiv14.9 
 7. James, Aris14.7 
 8. Draper, Cedevita14.3 
 9. Wood, ALBA14.2 
 10. Nivins, M.Hainaut14.0 
Rebounds Per Game
 Jeremiah MASSEY
  Lokomotiv
  (202-F-82)
  Avg: 8.5
 1. Massey, Lokomotiv8.5 
 2. Adrien, Benetton8.4 
 3. Davidson, Fraport8.2 
 4. Booker, Oostende8.0 
 5. Giddens, PAOK7.8 
 6. Valanciunas, Lietu.7.8 
 7. Traore, Lokomotiv7.1 
 8. Falker, Cholet7.0 
 9. Troutman, B.Mue.6.8 
 10. Rancik, Azovmash6.8 
Assists Per Game
 Yotam HALPERIN
  Spart.
  (196-G-84)
  Avg: 5.4
 1. Halperin, Spart.5.4 
 2. Wood, ALBA5.4 
 3. Planinic, Khimky5.3 
 4. Moore, PGE Turow5.2 
 5. Rice, Lietuvos.4.7 
 6. Ermis, Banvit BK4.5 
 7. Heath, Lukoil A.4.4 
 8. Rochestie, Le Mans4.4 
 9. Lawrence, CEZ N.4.1 
 10. Beverley, Spart.4.1 
Steals Per Game
 Avis WYATT
  Groningen
  (211-F/C-84)
  Avg: 2.5
 1. Wyatt, Groningen2.5 
 2. Taylor, M.Hainaut2.3 
 3. Minard, Azovmash2.3 
 4. Pumprla, CEZ N.2.1 
 5. Draper, Cedevita2.0 
 6. Randle, Hapoel J-M2.0 
 7. Goree, PAOK2.0 
 8. Beverley, Spart.2.0 
 9. Caner-Medley, Vale.1.9 
 10. Massey, Lokomotiv1.9 
Blocks Per Game
 Sam MULDROW
  Aris
  (205-F-88)
  Avg: 2.3
 1. Muldrow, Aris2.3 
 2. Varnado, Hapoel J.2.2 
 3. Wyatt, Groningen2.0 
 4. Kravtsov, BC Do.1.8 
 5. Naymick, CEZ N.1.7 
 6. Valanciunas, Lietu.1.6 
 7. Randle, Hapoel J-M1.5 
 8. Gobert, Cholet1.3 
 9. Armstrong, AS.1.3 
 10. Rizvic, Azovmash1.3 


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  EUROLEAGUE   


Spanish Real Madrid Offer MTA's Richard Hendrix $3 Million - by David Pick
The chase after Maccabi Tel-Aviv's Richard Hendrix continues. Eurobasket reveals that aside from Tel-Aviv, another European powerhouse is definitely in the mix for Maccabi's free agent starter.

Last night, Barcelona played host to Maccabi, in the teams' last game of the Euroleague's Top 16 round. The exciting but meaningless match was broadcasted across the Spanish television network allowing local empire Real Madrid, to get a close look at Hendrix toying with Barcelona's bigs.

Hendrix completed a dream-like first half of 21 points and 6 rebounds, including 7/11 from the field, on route to a double-double of 25 points and 10 boards, showcasing a thrilling repertoire.

According to sources with information of Madrid's intentions and prior to tonight's game against Montepaschi Siena, the Spanish team exercised the option of recruiting Hendrix to next year's roster, offering a guaranteed three-year deal throughout the 2015-2016 season, worth over $1 million every year. Sources close to the player approved the information.

Tel-Aviv, who's currently unable to match such an offer, is trying to clear cap room and is entertaining the thought of opting out of the team's deal with Serbian Forward Milan Macvan, as well as not extending their relationship with Greek big man Sofoklis Schortsanitis, clearing over $2 million in the team's budget.

After Maccabi thought of shopping Hendrix earlier this season, Head Coach David Blatt insisted on keeping the American in Tel-Aviv, sending Macvan to Partizan Belgrade instead.

Hendrix, a 2011-12 Israeli All-Star, is averaging 13 points and 7 rebounds per game in the Israeli Domestic League, 10.2 points and 5.4 boards in the team's Adriatic League and 9.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in the Euroleague.



Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Mirza TELETOVIC
  Caja L.
  (206-F-85)
  Avg: 22
 1. Teletovic, Caja L.22.0 
 2. Spanoulis, Olympia.18.1 
 3. McCalebb, Montepa.17.4 
 4. Domercant, Unics16.3 
 5. Weems, Zalgiris15.5 
 6. Macvan, Partizan15.3 
 7. Krstic, CSKA14.7 
 8. Carroll, Real Madr.14.2 
 9. Lorbek, FCB Regal14.2 
 10. Banic, Gescrap BB14.1 
Rebounds Per Game
 Milan MACVAN
  Partizan
  (206-C-89)
  Avg: 8.2
 1. Macvan, Partizan8.2 
 2. Motiejunas, Asseco7.9 
 3. Kirilenko, CSKA7.0 
 4. Akingbala, Nancy6.9 
 5. Slaughter, Brose B.6.9 
 6. Freeland, Unicaja6.7 
 7. Kasun, KK.6.6 
 8. May, KK.6.4 
 9. Krstic, CSKA6.3 
 10. Reyes, Real Madrid6.3 
Assists Per Game
 Sergio RODRIGUEZ
  Real M.
  (191-G-86)
  Avg: 5.4
 1. Rodriguez, Real M.5.4 
 2. Batum, Nancy5.2 
 3. Teodosic, CSKA4.9 
 4. Diamantidis, Panat.4.9 
 5. Prigioni, Caja L.4.6 
 6. Tunceri, Anadolu4.5 
 7. Blassingame, Assec.4.5 
 8. Huertas, FCB Regal4.3 
 9. Spanoulis, Olympia.4.1 
 10. Farmar, Maccabi4.0 
Steals Per Game
 Pablo PRIGIONI
  Caja L.
  (191-G-77)
  Avg: 2.2
 1. Prigioni, Caja L.2.2 
 2. Sefolosha, Fener.U.2.1 
 3. Linehan, Nancy2.0 
 4. Gordon, Galatasaray1.9 
 5. Slaughter, Brose B.1.8 
 6. Kirilenko, CSKA1.8 
 7. Batum, Nancy1.7 
 8. Kinsey, Anadolu1.6 
 9. McCalebb, Montepa.1.5 
 10. Ilyasova, Anadolu1.5 
Blocks Per Game
 Andrei KIRILENKO
  CSKA
  (205-F-81)
  Avg: 2.3
 1. Kirilenko, CSKA2.3 
 2. Ibaka, Real Madrid2.0 
 3. Begic, Real Madrid1.7 
 4. Ilyasova, Anadolu1.5 
 5. Dorsey, Olympiakos1.5 
 6. Fischer, Gescrap BB1.4 
 7. Hendrix, Maccabi1.3 
 8. Slaughter, Brose B.1.3 
 9. Vazquez, FCB Regal1.3 
 10. Hines, Olympiakos1.1 


Standings
Euroleague Standings
Group E
 1. CSKA 5-1 
 2. Olympiakos 3-3 
 3. Galatasaray 3-3 
 4. Anadolu Efes 1-5 
Group F
 1. Montepaschi 4-2 
 2. Gescrap BB 4-2 
 3. Real Madrid 4-2 
 4. Unicaja 0-6 
Group G
 1. Panathinaikos 4-2 
 2. Unics 3-3 
 3. Armani MI 3-3 
 4. Fener.Ulker 2-4 
Group H
 1. FCB Regal 6-0 
 2. Maccabi T-A 3-3 
 3. Bennet Cantu 3-3 
 4. Zalgiris 0-6 


Wednesday's games review (Groups G and H) - by Eurobasket News
GROUP G

Unics - Panathinaikos 63-68
Panathinaikos celebrated 63-68 victory in Kazan on Wednesday night to win Group G of the Euroleague Top 16. The reigning champion ended with 4-2 record and advanced to Playoffs. Unics also reached the next stage thanks to Fenerbahce Ulker's loss in Milano. Unics ended as No.2 in this pool with 3-3 record. Mike Batiste (203-F-77, college: Arizona St.) stepped up for PAO with 12 points and 5 rebounds. Sarunas Jasikevicius (192-G-76, college: Maryland) had 10 points and 5 assists, while Dimitris Diamantidis (196-G-80) helped with 9 points and 5 assists. In the loosing squad, Henry Domercant (192-G-80, college: E.Illinois) responded with 19 points. Kelly McCarty (201-F-75, agency: Avi Zilberman, college: S.Mississippi) had 11 points and 6 rebs, while Michael Wilkinson (204-F-81, agency: Interperformances, college: Wisconsin) (7 rebs) and Nathan Jawai (208-F/C-86, college: Midland CC) stopped to 10 pts each. PAO had 55-63 lead at the halfway of the last period, but Henry Domercant drained a triple for Unics after that and layup-plus-foul by Greer brought hosts as close as 61-63 with 3 minutes left. Unics committed 2 key turnovers and Greer missed a go-ahead shot from downtown. At the other side, Kaimakoglu made a crucial triple for PAO and Jasikevicius sealed victory from the free throw line. Quarters: 21-22, 17-18, 10-12, 15-16. PAO will meet Maccabi Electra in the Quarterfinals. Unics will play against Regal Barca.

Unics: Henry Domercant 19, Kelly McCarty 11+6 boards, Michael Wilkinson 10+7 boards, Nathan Jawai 10
PAO: Mike Batiste 12+5 boards, Sarunas Jasikevicius 10+5 as, Dimitris Diamantidis 9+5 as


Armani Milano - Fenerbahce Ulker 85-72
Fenerbahce Ulker was not able to win in Milano on Wednesday night. It was a do-or-die game for the Turkish champion, but they didn't make it. Emporio Armani celebrated 85-72 victory in this meeting to end Euroleague Top 16 as No.3 of Group G with 3-3 record. FB Ulker is the last ranked team in this pool with 2-4. Both teams failed to reach the Playoffs. Malik Hairston (198-G-87, college: Oregon) shined for the winners with 27 points. Alessandro Gentile (197-G/F-92) had 12 points and Omar-Sharif Cook (186-PG-82, agency: Beo Basket, college: St.John's) added 10 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds. Ernest Bremer (194-G-80, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: St.Bonaventure) also scored 10 pts for the hosts. In FB Ulker, Emir Preldzic (205-F-87, agency: Beo Basket) had 15 points and 5 assists, and Bojan Bogdanovic (203-G/F-89) netted 14 points. James Gist (205-F-86) (9 rebs) and Roko-Leni Ukic (196-G-84) posted 12 points apiece. Milano had 14-point lead at the beginning of the last period and everything what FB Ulker was able to do after that was minus 7 midway through the quarter. Malik Hairston, Cook and Roca immediately replied and lifted their team to 80-69 lead with less than three minutes remaining and Fener was on the knees. Quarters: 20-21, 26-19, 20-15, 19-17.

Armani Milano: Malik Hairston 27, Alessandro Gentile 12, Omar-Sharif Cook 10+8 as+5 boards, Ernest Bremer 10
Fenerbahce Ulker: Emir Preldzic 15+5 as, Bojan Bogdanovic 14, James Gist 12+9 boards, Roko-Leni Ukic 12


GROUP H

Zalgiris - Bennet Cantu 71-77
Bennet Cantu said goodbye to 2011/12 Euroleague edition with 71-77 victory in Kaunas. The Italian squad finished as third ranked team of Group H with 3-3 record and their 15-point loss in Tel Aviv was crucial. At the other side, Zalgiris finished Euroleague Top 16 winless (0-6). Manuchar Markoishvili (196-G-86) exploded Cantu in this meeting. He drained 32 points and reached valuation 35. Markoishvili made 5 triples and was perfect from the line (9/9). Giorgi Shermadini (216-C-89) had 16 points and 8 rebounds, and Nicolas Mazzarino (181-PG-75, agency: Players Group) netted 9 points. For the hosts, Marko Popovic (185-G-82, agency: Alti Sport, college: S.Idaho JC) collected 15 points and 5 assists. Milovan Rakovic (208-C-85) followed him with 14 points and 7 rebs, while Mantas Kalnietis (196-G-86, agency: Interperformances) stopped to 12 points. The hosts led 62-59 after Marko Popovic free throws midway through the fourth quarter. But Markoishvili knotted the score with a triple and then Giorgi Shermadini scored the games next 5 points as Cantu pulled away to record the victory. Quarters: 23-18, 12-21, 15-11, 21-27. Both teams will focus on domestic championships now.

Zalgiris: Marko Popovic 15+5 as, Milovan Rakovic 14+7 boards, Mantas Kalnietis 12
Bennet Cantu: Manuchar Markoishvili 32, Giorgi Shermadini 16+8 boards, Nicolas Mazzarino 9


FCB Regal - Maccabi T-A 70-67
Regal Barca managed to stay untouchable in Group H. The reigning Spanish champion was better than Maccabi Electra 70-67 on Wednesday night to end Euroleague Top 16 with perfect 6-0 record. Maccabi is the second ranked team in this pool with 3-3 score and both teams advanced to the Quarterfinals. Pete Mickeal (199-F-78, college: Cincinnati) led Barca with 20 points and 7 rebounds. Marcelinho Huertas (191-PG-83, agency: Edge Sports) had 10 and Kosta Perovic (217-C-85) added 9 points, plus 8 rebounds. Visitors got 24 points and 10 boards from Richard Hendrix (203-F/C-86, college: Alabama). Their second scorer was Keith Langford (193-G/F-83, college: Kansas) with 15 points (6 rebs), while Yogev Ohayon (189-G-87) and Guy Pnini (200-F/G-83) had 9 points each. Barca had 64-62 lead with something more than 2 minutes to go, after that Huertas and Hendrix traded triples. Wallace missed from downtown, but he grabbed offensive rebound and drew a foul. Wallace split foul the shots and Ohayon scored in the paint for a 68-67 score with 6.3 left. Maccabi fouled Mickeal, who calmly made free throws. Visitors had a chance to tie the game, but Pnini missed from downtown at the buzzer. Quarters: 19-21, 15-12, 17-11, 19-23. Barcelona will meet Unics in the Quarterfinals. Maccabi will play against the defending champion Panathinaikos.

Barca: Pete Mickeal 20+7 boards, Marcelinho Huertas 10, Kosta Perovic 9+8 boards
Maccabi: Richard Hendrix 24+10 boards, Keith Langford 15+6 boards, Yogev Ohayon 9, Guy Pnini 9



*****************************************************
  EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS   


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Luol DENG
  ENG
  (206-F-85)
  Avg: 24.6
 1. Deng, ENG24.6 
 2. Bargnani, ITA22.8 
 3. Parker, FRA22.1 
 4. McCalebb, MKD21.4 
 5. Gasol, ESP20.1 
 6. Nowitzki, GER19.5 
 7. Navarro, ESP18.7 
 8. Rowland, BUL18.0 
 9. Tomic, CRO16.6 
 10. Eliyahu, ISR16.4 
Rebounds Per Game
 Chris KAMAN
  GER
  (213-C-82)
  Avg: 10
 1. Kaman, GER10.0 
 2. Deng, ENG9.4 
 3. Antic, MKD8.5 
 4. Asik, TUR8.5 
 5. Gasol, ESP8.3 
 6. Noah, FRA8.0 
 7. Sanikidze, GEO8.0 
 8. Dasic, MNT7.6 
 9. Bargnani, ITA7.4 
 10. Gasol, ESP7.3 
Assists Per Game
 Dontaye DRAPER
  USA
  (180-PG-84)
  Avg: 7
 1. Draper, CRO7.0 
 2. Da Silva, POR6.5 
 3. Teodosic, SRB5.7 
 4. Vasiljevic, BIH5.4 
 5. Khryapa, RUS5.1 
 6. Bertt, UKR4.8 
 7. Jasikevicius, LTU4.6 
 8. Koszarek, POL4.4 
 9. Parker, FRA4.4 
 10. Cook, MNT4.2 
Steals Per Game
 Obie TROTTER
  USA
  (186-PG-84)
  Avg: 2.8
 1. Trotter, HUN2.8 
 2. Kirilenko, RUS2.6 
 3. McCalebb, MKD2.1 
 4. Kotti, FIN2.1 
 5. Hanga, HUN2.0 
 6. Kelati, POL2.0 
 7. Batum, FRA2.0 
 8. Andrade, POR1.8 
 9. Stojanovski, MKD1.7 
 10. Dragic, SLO1.6 
Blocks Per Game
 Mirza BEGIC
  BIH
  (217-C-85)
  Avg: 1.9
 1. Begic, SLO1.9 
 2. Kaman, GER1.8 
 3. Gasol, ESP1.7 
 4. Bargnani, ITA1.6 
 5. Kravtsov, UKR1.6 
 6. Mozgov, RUS1.5 
 7. Asik, TUR1.5 
 8. Ibaka, ESP1.2 
 9. Mbenga, BEL1.2 
 10. Koufos, GRE1.1 


*****************************************************
  EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS U18   


Stats Leaders Div. A
Points Per Game
 Martin KRIZ
  (202-F-93)
  Avg: 19
 1. Kriz, CZE19.0 
 2. Larentzakis, GRE18.7 
 3. Gerun, UKR18.2 
 4. Artamonov, UKR17.4 
 5. Rupnik, SLO17.3 
 6. Ponitka, POL15.3 
 7. Della Valle, ITA15.1 
 8. Radosavljevi., GER13.9 
 9. Caven, FIN13.9 
 10. Brzoja, CRO13.7 
Rebounds Per Game
 Martin KRIZ
  (202-F-93)
  Avg: 11.7
 1. Kriz, CZE11.7 
 2. Gerun, UKR11.1 
 3. Diez, ESP10.4 
 4. Jaiteh, FRA9.8 
 5. Gudumak, RUS9.3 
 6. Trushkin, RUS9.0 
 7. Kymantas, LTU7.9 
 8. Kyzlink, CZE7.7 
 9. Ponitka, POL7.6 
 10. Karnowski, POL7.3 
Assists Per Game
 Luka RUPNIK
  (184-PG-93)
  Avg: 5.7
 1. Rupnik, SLO5.7 
 2. Artamonov, UKR5.1 
 3. Schroeder, GER4.9 
 4. Deligeorgis, GRE4.4 
 5. Fernandez, ESP4.4 
 6. Micic, SRB4.3 
 7. Miljenovic, SRB4.0 
 8. Eroglu, TUR3.7 
 9. Reinfelds, LAT3.4 
 10. Imbro, ITA3.4 
Steals Per Game
 Klym ARTAMONOV
  UKR
  (183-PG-93)
  Avg: 3.3
 1. Artamonov, UKR3.3 
 2. Deligeorgis, GRE2.9 
 3. Ramljak, CRO2.4 
 4. Bekteshi, GER2.4 
 5. Caven, FIN2.4 
 6. Paliukenas, LTU2.4 
 7. Brzoja, CRO2.1 
 8. Kriz, CZE2.1 
 9. Micic, SRB2.1 
 10. Kymantas, LTU2.1 
Blocks Per Game
 
  (--)
  Avg: 2.1
 1. Gerun, UKR2.1 
 2. Karnowski, POL1.8 
 3. Gudaitis, LTU1.4 
 4. Tessitori, ITA1.3 
 5. Grazulis, LAT1.3 
 6. Niedzwiedzki, POL1.2 
 7. Redondo, ESP1.1 
 8. Olaizola, ESP1.1 
 9. Kymantas, LTU1.1 
 10. Tekin, TUR1.0 


*****************************************************
  EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS U20   


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Nikola MIROTIC
  MNT
  (207-F/C-91)
  Avg: 27
 1. Mirotic, ESP27.0 
 2. Dubljevic, MNT22.4 
 3. Nedovic, SRB19.6 
 4. Gentile, ITA18.2 
 5. Fournier, FRA16.9 
 6. Omic, SLO16.3 
 7. Katsivelis, GRE15.4 
 8. Muric, SLO15.0 
 9. Aldemir, TUR14.8 
 10. Sastre Morro, ESP14.4 
Rebounds Per Game
 Furkan ALDEMIR
  (207-F-91)
  Avg: 15.9
 1. Aldemir, TUR15.9 
 2. Mirotic, ESP10.0 
 3. Dubljevic, MNT9.7 
 4. Theis, GER8.7 
 5. Todorovic, MNT7.9 
 6. Muric, SLO7.4 
 7. Koksal, TUR7.0 
 8. Czerapowicz, SWE7.0 
 9. Omic, SLO6.9 
 10. Kulvietis, LTU6.8 
Assists Per Game
 Josep FRANCH
  (194-PG-91)
  Avg: 5.1
 1. Franch, ESP5.1 
 2. Lebedintsev, UKR4.9 
 3. Span, SLO4.3 
 4. Redikas, LTU4.0 
 5. Nedovic, SRB3.8 
 6. Dukanovic, MNT3.7 
 7. Peciukeviciu., LTU3.7 
 8. Lypovyy, UKR3.4 
 9. Dambrauskas, LTU3.2 
 10. Koksal, TUR3.2 
Steals Per Game
 Evan FOURNIER
  (199-G/F-92)
  Avg: 1.9
 1. Fournier, FRA1.9 
 2. De Nicolao, ITA1.8 
 3. Person, SWE1.5 
 4. Todorovic, MNT1.4 
 5. Strebkov, RUS1.4 
 6. Nedovic, SRB1.4 
 7. Sandul, UKR1.3 
 8. Ioakeimidis, GRE1.3 
 9. Moraschini, ITA1.3 
 10. Giffey, GER1.3 
Blocks Per Game
 Artem PUSTOVYI
  (216-C-92)
  Avg: 2.4
 1. Pustovyi, UKR2.4 
 2. Meiers, LAT1.9 
 3. Gobert, FRA1.7 
 4. Georgakis, GRE1.7 
 5. Aldemir, TUR1.7 
 6. Polonara, ITA1.6 
 7. Bubalo, CRO1.6 
 8. Chrysikopoul., GRE1.6 
 9. Mirotic, ESP1.4 
 10. Cervi, ITA1.4 


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


Standings - Korisliiga
Korisliiga Standings
 1. Kataja 25-6 
 2. Nilan Bisons 22-8 
 3. Pyrinto 22-10 
 4. Kauhajoki 20-13 
 5. ToPo 18-14 
 6. KTP 14-19 
 7. Salon Vilpas 12-20 
 8. LrNMKY 11-20 
 9. Kouvot 11-20 
 10. Korihait 11-20 
 11. Namika Lahti 8-24 


Stats Leaders - Korisliiga
Points Per Game
 Tim BLUE
  KTP
  (205-F-84)
  Avg: 22.5
 1. Blue, KTP22.5 
 2. Zeno, Nilan Bisons20.7 
 3. Beidler, Kauhajoki19.3 
 4. Holloway, Salon V.19.0 
 5. Newson, Kataja18.9 
 6. Crocker, KTP18.8 
 7. Durham, Salon Vilp.18.7 
 8. Griffin, ToPo18.3 
 9. Tiedeman, LrNM.18.1 
 10. Brooks, Namika L.18.1 
Rebounds Per Game
 John FIELDS
  Salon Vilpas
  (205-F-88)
  Avg: 13.2
 1. Fields, Salon Vilp.13.2 
 2. Durham, Salon Vilp.11.1 
 3. Blue, KTP10.4 
 4. Beidler, Kauhajoki9.7 
 5. Williams, Pyrinto9.1 
 6. Newson, Kataja9.0 
 7. McDade, Nilan B.8.3 
 8. Zeno, Nilan Bisons8.0 
 9. Brown, Kouvot7.9 
 10. Hamm, LrNM.7.7 
Assists Per Game
 Malik MOORE
  Namika L.
  (192-G-77)
  Avg: 4.9
 1. Moore, Namika L.4.9 
 2. Ivey, Nilan Bisons4.9 
 3. Hannah, Kauhajoki4.6 
 4. Virtanen, Kataja4.3 
 5. Williams, Pyrinto4.2 
 6. Haynes, LrNM.4.1 
 7. Sarcevic, KTP4.1 
 8. Walker, Kataja3.7 
 9. Holloway, Salon V.3.4 
 10. Nikkarinen, Kouvot3.2 
Steals Per Game
 Juha STEN
  Kataja
  (191-G-83)
  Avg: 2.5
 1. Sten, Kataja2.5 
 2. Moore, Korihait2.3 
 3. Williams, Pyrinto2.3 
 4. Beidler, Kauhajoki2.2 
 5. Williams, Pyrinto1.8 
 6. Newson, Kataja1.7 
 7. Holloway, Salon V.1.7 
 8. Jordan, Kouvot1.7 
 9. Haynes, LrNM.1.7 
 10. Crocker, KTP1.6 
Blocks Per Game
 John FIELDS
  Salon Vilpas
  (205-F-88)
  Avg: 2.1
 1. Fields, Salon Vilp.2.1 
 2. Beidler, Kauhajoki1.9 
 3. Blue, KTP1.5 
 4. Lehtoranta, Kataja0.9 
 5. Zeno, Nilan Bisons0.9 
 6. Williams, Pyrinto0.8 
 7. Jones, Nilan Bisons0.8 
 8. Hamm, LrNM.0.7 
 9. Price, Kataja0.7 
 10. Bell, KTP0.7 


KORISLIIGA: KTP hit from behind the arc - by Rauno Hurmalainen
Korisliiga, round 33: Only one contest tonight. KTP (Kotka) made 15 treys vs Karhu (Kauhajoki) and won 99-79 (55-31). Quarters: 25-18, 30-13, 26-21, 18-27. Tony Crocker (201-G/F-87, college: Oklahoma) led KTP (14-19) with 24 points. Tim Blue (205-F-84, college: Middle Tenn.St.) added 23 pts and grabbed 10 rbs. Karhu (20-13) got 21 points from American PG Clevin Hannah (180-PG-87, agency: Court Side, college: Wichita St.). He gave also seven assists. Kelly Beidler (199-F-88, agency: R.H.Consultancy, college: Mt.St.Mary's) had a double-double 17pts/15rbs. This contest was # 1800 for KTP on top level in Finland.
KTP - Karhu 99-79 (55-31). (Tony Crocker 24, Tim Blue 23/10, Jeremy Williams 15 - Clevin Hannah 21/7a, Kelly Beidler 17/15, Henri Hirvikoski 15. A: 1066).
In Division 1. YMCA Oulu has let two American players to transfer into other team rosters. C-F Brian Moultrie will play the rest of this season on FoKoPo (Forssa) roster and G Lloyd Phillips has joined Honka, Tapiola roster. FoKoPo and Honka are the favourites to win 1. Division this season.



Korisliiga Round 35: Loimaan Korikonkarit defeats leader Joensuun Kataja - by Eurobasket News
The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of top-ranked Joensuun Kataja (25-6) on the court of third ranked Loimaan Korikonkarit on Thursday night. Visitors were edged by Loimaan Korikonkarit 88-86. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Joensuun Kataja. It may be a crucial game in the contest for the top position in the league. Joensuun Kataja trailed by 11 points after 3 quarters before a 27-18 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 86-88 at the end of the game. American guard Jeb Ivey (190-80, college: Portland St.) orchestrated the victory by scoring 30 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists (on 11-of-13 shooting from the field). His fellow American import guard Martin Zeno (196-85, college: Texas Tech) contributed with 19 points and 13 rebounds for the winners. American swingman Jared Newson (195-84, college: Tenn-Martin, agency: Pro One Sports) answered with 25 points and 9 rebounds for Joensuun Kataja. Loimaan Korikonkarit (22-8) moved-up to second place. Joensuun Kataja at the other side still keeps top position with six games lost. Loimaan Korikonkarit are looking forward to face Tampereen Pyrinto (#3) at home in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Joensuun Kataja will play against Salon Vilpas and is hoping to win this game.
The game in Kotka supposed to be also worth to mention about. 4th placed Kauhajoen Karhu (20-13) played at the court of sixth ranked KTP-Basket (14-19). KTP-Basket did not have too big problems and got a relatively easy victory 99-79. American players dominated the game. It was a great evening for swingman Tony Crocker (201-87, college: Oklahoma) who led his team to a victory scoring 24 points and 9 rebounds. Tim Blue helped adding 23 points and 10 rebounds. KTP-Basket's coach Sami Toiviainen allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Forward Kelly Beidler (199-88, college: Mt.St.Mary's, agency: R.H.Consultancy) responded with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 15 rebounds. KTP-Basket maintains sixth place with 14-19 record. Kauhajoen Karhu at the other side keeps the fourth position with 13 games lost. KTP-Basket will again play against higher ranked Kauhajoen Karhu (#4) in Kauhajoki in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Kauhajoen Karhu will have a break next round.
The game in Helsinki was also quite interesting. Third ranked Loimaan Korikonkarit (22-8) played at the court of 5th ranked Torpan Pojat (18-14). Loimaan Korikonkarit managed to secure a 9-point victory 96-87 on Friday. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of Torpan Pojat. American players dominated also this game. It was an exceptional evening for Jeb Ivey who led the winners and scored 31 points and 5 rebounds. Justin Hawkins came up with 24 points and 7 rebounds for Torpan Pojat in the defeat. Loimaan Korikonkarit moved-up to second place. Loser Torpan Pojat keeps the fifth position with 14 games lost. Loimaan Korikonkarit will meet at home Tampereen Pyrinto (#3) in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Torpan Pojat will have a break next round.
A very interesting game took place in Kauhajoki. It ended with only one-point home defeat of 4th placed Kauhajoen Karhu (20-13) to tenth ranked UU-Korihait (11-20) 80-79 on Saturday evening. It was quite big embarassment for the home team. Americans were the main players on the court. The best player for the winners was Nigel Moore who scored 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. UU-Korihait moved-up to eighth place, which they share with Kouvot and LrNMKY. Kauhajoen Karhu at the other side keeps the fourth position with 13 games lost. UU-Korihait's next round opponent will be bottom-ranked Namika Lahti (#11) at home. Kauhajoen Karhu will play against KTP-Basket (#6) in Kotka and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

In the last two games of round 35 Salon Vilpas smashed Namika Lahti on the road 92-73. Pyrinto won against KTP on its own court 82-71.


Nilan Bisons - Kataja 88-86

The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of top-ranked Joensuun Kataja (25-6) on the court of third ranked Loimaan Korikonkarit on Thursday night. Visitors were edged by Loimaan Korikonkarit 88-86. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Joensuun Kataja. It may be a crucial game in the contest for the top position in the league. Joensuun Kataja trailed by 11 points after 3 quarters before a 27-18 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 86-88 at the end of the game. American guard Jeb Ivey (190-80, college: Portland St.) orchestrated the victory by scoring 30 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists (on 11-of-13 shooting from the field). His fellow American import guard Martin Zeno (196-85, college: Texas Tech) contributed with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 13 rebounds for the winners. American swingman Jared Newson (195-84, college: Tenn-Martin, agency: Pro One Sports) answered with 25 points and 9 rebounds and the former international swingman Samuel Haanpaa (203-86) added 16 points and 7 rebounds in the effort for Joensuun Kataja. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Loimaan Korikonkarit (22-8) moved-up to second place. Joensuun Kataja at the other side still keeps top position with six games lost. Loimaan Korikonkarit are looking forward to face Tampereen Pyrinto (#3) at home in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Joensuun Kataja will play against Salon Vilpas and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Kataja: J.Newson 25+9reb+2ast, A.Kanervo 17+2reb, S.Haanpaa 16+7reb, S.Lehtoranta 13+4reb+2ast, B.Walker 7+3reb+6ast, P.Virtanen 4+4ast
Nilan Bisons: J.Ivey 30+5reb+4ast, M.Zeno 19+13reb+3ast, E.Aaltonen 14+3reb, M.Koivisto 12+2reb+1ast, M.Nuutinen 8+3reb+2ast, V.Makalainen 3+9reb+4ast
gschID: 141799


KTP - Kauhajoki 99-79

The game in Kotka supposed to be also worth to mention about. 4th placed Kauhajoen Karhu (20-13) played at the court of sixth ranked KTP-Basket (14-19). KTP-Basket did not have too big problems and got a relatively easy victory 99-79. The game was mostly controlled by KTP-Basket. Kauhajoen Karhu was better in fourth quarter 27-18. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. American players dominated the game. It was a great evening for swingman Tony Crocker (201-87, college: Oklahoma) who led his team to a victory scoring 24 points and 9 rebounds. Forward Tim Blue (205-84, college: Middle Tenn.St.) helped adding 23 points and 10 rebounds. KTP-Basket's coach Sami Toiviainen allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Forward Kelly Beidler (199-88, college: Mt.St.Mary's, agency: R.H.Consultancy) responded with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 15 rebounds and point guard Clevin Hannah (180-87, college: Wichita St., agency: Court Side) scored 21 points and 7 assists. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. KTP-Basket maintains sixth place with 14-19 record. Kauhajoen Karhu at the other side keeps the fourth position with 13 games lost. KTP-Basket will again play against higher ranked Kauhajoen Karhu (#4) in Kauhajoki in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Kauhajoen Karhu will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Kauhajoki: C.Hannah 21+3reb+7ast, K.Beidler 17+15reb+2ast, H.Hirvikoski 15+6reb+2ast, T.Hendley 12+6reb+1ast, J.Eskola 6+1reb, A.Huuskonen 6+3reb+1ast
KTP: T.Crocker 24+9reb+3ast, T.Blue 23+10reb+2ast, J.Williams 15+9reb+2ast, J.Lehtoranta 12+2reb+1ast, J.Lehtoranta 12+2reb+1ast, J.Matinen 5+6reb+1ast
gschID: 170155


Namika Lahti - Salon Vilpas 73-92

No shocking result in a game when ninth ranked Salon Vilpas (12-20) crushed on the road bottom-ranked Namika Lahti (8-24) 92-73. It looked good early as Namika Lahti took an 1-point lead at the end of first quarter. But then Salon Vilpas had a 22-13 second period charge getting the lead and Namika Lahti was not able to take back game control losing it eventually 73-92. Salon Vilpas made 16-of-20 charity shots (80.0 percent) during the game. Salon Vilpas outrebounded Namika Lahti 33-22 including 24 on the defensive glass. Americans were the main players on the court. The best player for the winners was forward Allen Durham (198-88, college: Grace Bible) who had a double-double by scoring 23 points and 12 rebounds (on 10-of-12 shooting from the field). Guard Emmanuel Holloway (188-86, college: Illinois St.) chipped in 25 points. Durham is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top summer league for players who want to play basketball overseas. Forward Brant Bailey (202-77, college: Wisc.-Stevens Point) produced 24 points and 5 rebounds and guard Malik Moore (192-77, college: Amer.Internat., agency: Prossin Sports Management) added 11 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists respectively for the hosts. Salon Vilpas moved-up to seventh place. Namika Lahti at the other side stay dead last with 24 lost games. Salon Vilpas' next round opponent will be league's leader Joensuun Kataja at home and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Namika Lahti will play against UU-Korihait (#10) in Uusikaupunki and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Namika Lahti: B.Bailey 24+5reb, S.Pekkola 16+2reb, M.Moore 11+5reb+8ast, R.Brooks 7+2reb, R.Suonio 7+4reb+1ast, J.Vanttaja 4+4reb+1ast
Salon Vilpas: E.Holloway 25+3reb+1ast, A.Durham 23+12reb+2ast, R.Ahonen 17+6reb+2ast, J.Fields 8+7reb+1ast, S.Kaaresvirta 8+3reb+1ast, M.Sandberg 6+1reb+2ast
gschID: 141795


Pyrinto - KTP 82-71

Very expected game when 6th ranked KTP-Basket (14-19) lost on the road to second ranked Tampereen Pyrinto (22-10) 82-71. The hosts were ahead by 2 points but lost the second period ending it with a 3-point deficit before their 30-16 run, which allowed them to win the game. Tampereen Pyrinto forced 19 KTP-Basket turnovers. 24 personal fouls committed by KTP-Basket helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was American forward Damon Williams (201-73, college: Colorado St.-Pueblo) who scored 18 points and 9 rebounds. His fellow American import guard Kenneth Lowe (192-80, college: Purdue) chipped in 24 points. American forward Tim Blue (205-84, college: Middle Tenn.St.) produced a double-double by scoring 22 points and 11 rebounds and the former international forward Jukka Matinen (203-78) added 20 points respectively for the guests. Tampereen Pyrinto have an impressive series of nine victories in a row. Despite that victory Tampereen Pyrinto went down to third position due to points difference. KTP-Basket at the other side keeps the sixth place with 19 games lost. Tampereen Pyrinto's next round opponent will be league's second-placed Loimaan Korikonkarit on the road and it will be for sure the game of the week. KTP-Basket will play against Kauhajoen Karhu (#4) in Kauhajoki and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
KTP: T.Blue 22+11reb+2ast, J.Matinen 20+3reb, J.Williams 12+4reb, T.Crocker 9+7reb+4ast, B.Sarcevic 6+5reb+1ast, J.Lehtoranta 2
Pyrinto: K.Lowe 24+2reb, A.Lehto 19+4reb+1ast, D.Williams 18+9reb+2ast, A.Williams 8+3reb+2ast, A.Nikkila 6+10reb+2ast, O.Ahvenniemi 5+7reb+2ast
gschID: 141796


ToPo - Nilan Bisons 87-96

The game in Helsinki was also quite interesting. Third ranked Loimaan Korikonkarit (22-8) played at the court of 5th ranked Torpan Pojat (18-14). Loimaan Korikonkarit managed to secure a 9-point victory 96-87 on Friday. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of Torpan Pojat. Torpan Pojat was trailing by 6 points at halftime but managed to get 1-point lead after three quarters before a 26-16 charge of Loimaan Korikonkarit, which allowed them to win the game. They made 19-of-25 free shots (76.0 percent) during the game. American players dominated also this game. It was an exceptional evening for guard Jeb Ivey (190-80, college: Portland St.) who led the winners and scored 31 points and 5 rebounds. Guard Martin Zeno (196-85, college: Texas Tech) accounted for 22 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists (was perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line !!!) for the winning side. Five Loimaan Korikonkarit players scored in double figures. Forward Justin Hawkins (201-85, college: N.Mexico St.) came up with 24 points and 7 rebounds and point guard Josh Wilson (188-87, college: N.Arizona, agency: Hightower Law Firm) added 18 points respectively for Torpan Pojat in the defeat. Loimaan Korikonkarit moved-up to second place. Loser Torpan Pojat keeps the fifth position with 14 games lost. Loimaan Korikonkarit will meet at home Tampereen Pyrinto (#3) in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Torpan Pojat will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
ToPo: J.Hawkins 24+7reb+1ast, J.Wilson 18+1reb+3ast, C.Griffin 15+3reb+1ast, K.Muurinen 9+8reb+2ast, C.Lindbom 8+5reb, H.Mottola 7+2reb+1ast
Nilan Bisons: J.Ivey 31+5reb+3ast, M.Zeno 22+6reb+5ast, M.Koivisto 15+4reb+1ast, R.McDade 14+11reb+4ast, M.Nuutinen 13+11reb+2ast, V.Makalainen 1+2reb+2ast
gschID: 141797


Kauhajoki - Korihait 79-80

A very interesting game took place in Kauhajoki. It ended with only one-point home defeat of 4th placed Kauhajoen Karhu (20-13) to tenth ranked UU-Korihait (11-20) 80-79 on Saturday evening. It was quite big embarassment for the home team. Kauhajoen Karhu was ahead by 6 points after three quarters before a 23-16 charge of UU-Korihait, which allowed them to win the game. They dominated down low during the game scoring 60 of its points in the paint compared to Kauhajoen Karhu's 36. They outrebounded Kauhajoen Karhu 42-27 including 27 on the defensive glass. Americans were the main players on the court. The best player for the winners was swingman Nigel Moore (195-81, college: Alabama A&M) who scored 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Forward James Reaves (203-82, college: Niagara, agency: TSS Management) chipped in a double-double by scoring 13 points and 12 rebounds. Forward Kelly Beidler (199-88, college: Mt.St.Mary's, agency: R.H.Consultancy) produced a double-double by scoring 23 points and 13 rebounds and point guard Clevin Hannah (180-87, college: Wichita St., agency: Court Side) added 23 points and 4 assists respectively for the hosts. Five UU-Korihait and four Kauhajoen Karhu players scored in double figures. UU-Korihait moved-up to eighth place, which they share with Kouvot and LrNMKY. Kauhajoen Karhu at the other side keeps the fourth position with 13 games lost. UU-Korihait's next round opponent will be bottom-ranked Namika Lahti (#11) at home. Kauhajoen Karhu will play against KTP-Basket (#6) in Kotka and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Kauhajoki: K.Beidler 23+13reb, C.Hannah 23+3reb+4ast, T.Hendley 16+3reb, A.Huuskonen 12+2reb+1ast, H.Hirvikoski 5+3reb+1ast, J.Rekola 0+1reb
Korihait: M.Jalonen 16+2reb+5ast, N.Moore 15+7reb+4ast, P.Heinonen 14+8reb, C.Latimer 13+8reb+1ast, J.Reaves 13+12reb, P.Rainamaa 6+5reb+2ast
gschID: 141798




KORISLIIGA: Buzzer beater Jeb Ivey - by Rauno Hurmalainen
Korisliiga, round 31: A real thriller tonight at Loimaa, where local Bisons beat top team Kataja (Joensuu) after 14 lead changes by two 88-86 (46-41). Quarters: 24-23, 22-18, 24-18, 18-27. The hero of this top contest was American SG Jeb Ivey (190-G-80, college: Portland St.), whose bucket at the buzzer was by the same the winning 2-pointer. Ivey scored game high 30 points (1 - 1/2, 2 - 4/5, 3 - 7/8). Bisons had to play without two big men, as both Ryan McDade (201-F-80, college: N.Arizona) and Clifton Jones (201-F-78, college: Oregon St.) were on injured list. Bisons (22-8) have invited American C-PF Michael Nunnally (203-F-86, college: Pacific) to join team roster, but the newcomer didn't play yet. Kataja (25-6) was led once again by Jared Newson (195-G/F-84, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Tenn-Martin) (25pts/9rbs).
Bisons - Kataja 88-86 (46-41). (Jeb Ivey 30, Martin Zeno 19/13, Eero Aaltonen 14 - Jared Newson 25/9, Antti Kanervo 17, Samuel Haanpaa 16. A: 951).



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


Trevor Huffman extends with Antibes - by Eurobasket News
Trevor Huffman (185-PG-79, agency: Interperformances, college: Kent St.) will stay in Antibes. The guard extended his contract with the team until the end of the season. Trevor Huffman joined Antibes in January. He initially inked a short-term deal. The guard averaged 13.8 points, 4.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game in ProB. Trevor Huffman tipped off the season in Belgium. He played for Belgacom Spirou. His stats read 5.3 points, 1.8 boards and 1.0 assist per appearance. Previously the guard had stints in Belgium, Portugal, CBA, Poland and Germany. Eurobasket.com named Trevor Huffman into All-Portuguese League 2nd Team in 2006. He was also trumped All-Belgian League Guard of the Year in 2007.


*****************************************************
  FYR MACEDONIA   


Superleague Round 6: MZT Skopje beats Fersped-Rabotnicki in a derby game - by Eurobasket News
Superleague is at the halfway of the Second Stage and there are still another 6 rounds left. Coincidentally all hosts won their games.

The most interesting game was a derby match between two local teams from Skopje: MZT Skopje (#1) and Fersped-Rabotnicki (#6). MZT Skopje (18-4) smashed visiting Fersped-Rabotnicki (8-14) by 20 points 78-58. The game without a history. MZT Skopje led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. The best player for the winners was guard Ognen Stojanovski (190-85, agency: Global Sports Plaza) who scored 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. International center Todor Gecevski (209-77, agency: Interperformances) chipped in 19 points (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line). MZT Skopje's coach Aleksandar Todorov used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the other side the best for losing team was Serbian power forward Nemanja Jelesijevic (210-79, agency: World Sport Agency) who recorded 21 points and 6 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field). MZT Skopje maintains first position with 18-4 record, which they share with Feni Indistrija. Fersped-Rabotnicki lost sixth consecutive game. They keep the sixth place with 14 games lost. MZT Skopje's supporters look forward to another derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Skopje to the arena Torus Skopje.
Another interesting game was again a derby between two teams from Skopje: Lirija (#4) and Torus Skopje (#3). Lirija (14-8) won against visiting Torus Skopje (14-8) 91-83. It was a good game for Montenegrin power forward Balsa Radunovic (207-80) who led his team to a victory with 25 points and 9 rebounds. Carlos Morban contributed with 22 points and 6 assists for the winners. The former international guard Dimitar Karadzovski (190-84, agency: Global Sports Plaza) replied with 16 points and 7 rebounds for Torus Skopje. Lirija have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to third place, which they share with defeated Torus Skopje. Lirija will play against Kumanovo 2009 (#5) on the road in the next round. Torus Skopje's supporters look forward to another derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Skopje MZT Skopje.
The game with biggest result difference took place in Kavadarci. Local Feni Indistrija (18-4) outscored 5th ranked Kumanovo 2009 (9-13) 101-67 on Wednesday night. Jarrid Frye scored 16 points (on 8-of-9 shooting from the field) to lead the charge for the winners. The best for the losing side was Dejan Mikic with a double-double by scoring 16 points and 11 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. Defending champion keeps a position of league leader, which they share with MZT Skopje. Kumanovo 2009 at the other side keeps the fifth place with 13 games lost. Feni Indistrija will meet Fersped-Rabotnicki (#6) in the next round where they are favorite. Kumanovo 2009 will play against Lirija in Skopje and it may be a tough game between close rivals.


Feni Indistrija - Kumanovo 101-67
The game with biggest result difference took place in Kavadarci. Local Feni Indistrija (18-4) outscored 5th ranked Kumanovo 2009 (9-13) 101-67 on Wednesday night. The game without a history. Feni Indistrija led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated down low during the game scoring 66 of its points in the paint compared to Kumanovo 2009's 38. Strangely Kumanovo 2009 outrebounded Feni Indistrija 42-28 including a 23-6 advantage in offensive rebounds. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists comparing to just 7 passes made by Kumanovo 2009's players. American swingman Jarrid Frye (194-85, college: Sacred Heart) scored 16 points (on 8-of-9 shooting from the field) to lead the charge for the winners and international swingman Marko Simonovski (194-89, agency: Interperformances) chipped in 13 points during the contest. The best for the losing side was Serbian forward Dejan Mikic (201-86) with a double-double by scoring 16 points and 11 rebounds and Serbian center Uros Lukovic (212-89) produced a double-double by scoring 10 points and 12 rebounds. Five Feni Indistrija and four Kumanovo 2009 players scored in double figures. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Defending champion keeps a position of league leader, which they share with MZT Skopje. Kumanovo 2009 at the other side keeps the fifth place with 13 games lost. Feni Indistrija will meet Fersped-Rabotnicki (#6) in the next round where they are favorite. Kumanovo 2009 will play against Lirija in Skopje and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Feni Indistrija: J.Frye 16+3reb+3ast, K.Nikolovski 14+4reb+1ast, M.Simonovski 13+4reb+2ast, D.Sokolov 12+3reb+1ast, V.Brckov 11+3reb+1ast, D.Knezevic 11+3reb+1ast
Kumanovo: D.Mikic 16+11reb+1ast, A.Kostoski 13+1reb+1ast, D.Matic 10+2reb+1ast, U.Lukovic 10+12reb+1ast, M.Janjusevic 6+3reb+1ast, M.Petrovski 6+2reb
gschID: 168290


MZT Skopje - Rabotnicki 78-58
The most interesting game was a derby match between two local teams from Skopje: MZT Skopje (#1) and Fersped-Rabotnicki (#6). MZT Skopje (18-4) smashed visiting Fersped-Rabotnicki (8-14) by 20 points 78-58. The game without a history. MZT Skopje led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. The best player for the winners was guard Ognen Stojanovski (190-85, agency: Global Sports Plaza) who scored 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. International center Todor Gecevski (209-77, agency: Interperformances) chipped in 19 points (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line). MZT Skopje's coach Aleksandar Todorov used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the other side the best for losing team was Serbian power forward Nemanja Jelesijevic (210-79, agency: World Sport Agency) who recorded 21 points and 6 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field) and Serbian power forward Milos Pavlovic (210-84, agency: BeoExcell) added 10 points and 5 rebounds respectively. MZT Skopje maintains first position with 18-4 record, which they share with Feni Indistrija. Fersped-Rabotnicki lost sixth consecutive game. They keep the sixth place with 14 games lost. MZT Skopje's supporters look forward to another derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Skopje to the arena Torus Skopje.
Top scorers:
MZT Skopje: T.Gecevski 19+1reb+2ast, O.Stojanovski 18+5reb+4ast, G.Cekovski 11+8reb+1ast, T.Grncarov 9+4reb+1ast, N.Dahlman 8+4reb, I.Mijajlovic 7+3reb+5ast
Rabotnicki: N.Jelesijevic 21+6reb+1ast, V.Zujovic 12+3reb+1ast, M.Pavlovic 10+5reb+1ast, J.Petrovski 7+5reb+3ast, E.Bogoev 6+3reb+1ast, U.Vasiljevic 2+3reb+1ast
gschID: 168291


Lirija - Torus Skopje 91-83
Another interesting game was again a derby between two teams from Skopje: Lirija (#4) and Torus Skopje (#3). Lirija (14-8) won against visiting Torus Skopje (14-8) 91-83. The hosts were already 12 points ahead after 3 quarters before a 25-21 Torus Skopje's run in the last quarter cut the lead to 91-83 at the end of the game. Lirija dominated down low during the game scoring 60 of its points in the paint compared to Torus Skopje's 34. It was a good game for Montenegrin power forward Balsa Radunovic (207-80) who led his team to a victory with 25 points and 9 rebounds. Dominican guard Carlos Morban (187-82, college: FIU, agency: Global Sports Plaza) contributed with 22 points and 6 assists for the winners. The former international guard Dimitar Karadzovski (190-84, agency: Global Sports Plaza) replied with 16 points and 7 rebounds and the former international power forward Bojan Trajkovski (206-88, agency: Global Sports Plaza) added 18 points (went 8 for 8 at the free throw line) in the effort for Torus Skopje. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Lirija have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to third place, which they share with defeated Torus Skopje. Lirija will play against Kumanovo 2009 (#5) on the road in the next round. Torus Skopje's supporters look forward to another derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Skopje MZT Skopje.
Top scorers:
Lirija: B.Radunovic 25+9reb+1ast, C.Morban 22+3reb+6ast, D.Tasovski 21+4reb, T.Simic 15+8reb+1ast, V.Filipovic 8+3reb+2ast, I.Sazdov 0
Torus Skopje: B.Trajkovski 18+4reb+2ast, D.Karadzovski 16+7reb+2ast, I.Dimcevski 15+1reb+1ast, K.Bradley 12+2reb+1ast, J.Reynolds 8+4reb+2ast, J.Boswell 7+3reb
gschID: 168292


D1 Standings
Superleague Standings
 1. MZT Skopje 18-4 
 2. Feni Indistrija 18-4 
 3. Lirija 14-8 
 4. Torus Skopje 14-8 
 5. Kumanovo 9-13 
 6. Rabotnicki 8-14 
Play Out
 1. Vardar 4-12 
 2. Kozuv 4-13 
 3. ABA Strumica 2-15 


Stats Leaders - Superleague
Points Per Game
 Nemanja JELESIJEVIC
  Rabot.
  (210-C/F-79)
  Avg: 20.1
 1. Jelesijevic, Rabot.20.1 
 2. Tasovski, Lirija19.5 
 3. Gecevski, MZT S.18.3 
 4. Tasovski, Rabotnic.17.7 
 5. Radulovic, Vardar17.5 
 6. Zivcevic, Lirija17.4 
 7. Jelesijevic, Kuman.17.1 
 8. Karadzovski, Torus16.4 
 9. Radunovic, Lirija16.0 
 10. Filipovic, Lirija15.7 
Rebounds Per Game
 Uros LUKOVIC
  Kumanovo
  (212-C-89)
  Avg: 8.3
 1. Lukovic, Kumanovo8.3 
 2. Mitchell, Lirija8.2 
 3. Dahlman, MZT S.7.8 
 4. Reynolds, Torus S.7.5 
 5. Cekovski, MZT S.7.3 
 6. Gecevski, MZT S.7.2 
 7. Radunovic, Lirija6.9 
 8. Nikolovski, Feni I.6.9 
 9. Trajkovski, Torus6.7 
 10. Jelesijevic, Kuma.6.6 
Assists Per Game
 Carlos MORBAN
  Lirija
  (187-G-82)
  Avg: 4.3
 1. Morban, Lirija4.3 
 2. Petrovski, Rabotni.3.8 
 3. Kostoski, Kumanovo3.6 
 4. Karadzovski, Torus3.5 
 5. Mijajlovic, MZT S.3.3 
 6. Samardziev, Feni I.3.2 
 7. Tasevski, Vardar3.1 
 8. Zivcevic, Lirija3.0 
 9. Tomasevic, Kozuv3.0 
 10. Cekovski, MZT S.2.9 
Steals Per Game
 Jarrid FRYE
  Feni Indistrija
  (194-G/F-85)
  Avg: 2.2
 1. Frye, Feni Indistr.2.2 
 2. Tasovski, Rabotnic.2.0 
 3. Radunovic, Lirija1.9 
 4. Tasovski, Lirija1.5 
 5. Morban, Lirija1.4 
 6. Tasevski, Vardar1.3 
 7. Tomasevic, Kozuv1.2 
 8. Dimcevski, Torus S.1.2 
 9. Filipovic, Lirija1.2 
 10. Stajic, Lirija1.1 
Blocks Per Game
 Uros LUKOVIC
  Kumanovo
  (212-C-89)
  Avg: 1.7
 1. Lukovic, Kumanovo1.7 
 2. Jelesijevic, Kuman.1.4 
 3. Chappell, ABA S.1.2 
 4. Trajkovski, Torus1.1 
 5. Gecevski, MZT S.1.0 
 6. Cole, Rabotnicki0.9 
 7. Jelesijevic, Rabot.0.8 
 8. Simic, Lirija0.8 
 9. Avramovski, Lirija0.8 
 10. Kralevski, Vardar0.8 


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  GERMANY   


Chris Oliver (I Miss Playing In The Beko BBL) - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
Chris Oliver (198-F-85, college: Radford) is a 26 year old 198cm forward that is playing his first season with SIG Strassburg. He is a athletic forward that has great hands, the versatility to play inside and outside, with three-point range on his jump shot, and has tremendous poise and maturity. He played at Radford from 2003-2007 and in his senior year, he played 30 games averaging 18.8ppg, 8.3rpg, 2.1apg, 1.9spg, 1.3bpg, FGP: 48.7%, 3Pts: 25.8%, FT: 74.8%. He came to Germany in 2007-2008 and played for the Kaiserslautern Braves of the PRO A playing 30 games: Score-2 (20.5ppg), Reb-5 (9.0rpg), 1.2apg, 1.3spg, 1.7bpg, FGP: 56%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 79.6%.In 2008-2009 in Goettingen, he averaged 10.6ppg, 5.2rpg, 1.4spg, FGP: 46.4%, 3PT: 37.0%, FT: 75.5% in 34 games. In 2009-2010, he won the Eurochallenge and played ): EuroChallenge: 13 games: 11.5ppg, 5.8rpg, 1.0spg, FGP: 41.7%, 3PT: 37.9%, FT: 77.1%; German League: 35 games: 14.1ppg, 6.3rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 50.9%, 3PT: 27.3%, FT: 80.9%. Last season, he played for The Walter Tigers Tuebingen playing 34 games: 13.5ppg, 6.4rpg, 1.3apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 46.8%, 3PT: 21.9%, FT: 78.9%. He spoke to eurobasket about life in France.

You are playing your first season in France with SIG Strassburg after having played four seasons in Germany. How are you getting used to the French league?

The French league is more athletic and fast paced and have more possessions. It is not as physical. I like the league.

Does the France PRO A suit your game more?

Yes I think it does. All on the floor are more athletic and you see that with the some NBA players and guys from the French national team in the league.

What is your role in the team of SIG Strassburg?

My role has changed since Justin Harper and Lavoy Allen who got drafted by the NBA left the team to join the NBA. Before I played more the two/three position, but now I play more the three position. I have to do more now with scoring, rebounding and defending.

How happy are you with your play so far in the France PRO A?

It has been ok. I am not playing as much minutes as I have been used to in Germany. I still think that I can pick up my game on offense and defense and I have to rebound much more now.

You have the France national coach as coach at SIG Strassburg. What was is the most important thing that you have learned from him?

Coach has helped me on defense especially on down screens. I have played more the two early in the season so he helped me a lot on how to defend guys coming off a screen. He also has helped me a lot on my jump shot.

You played against NBA superstar Tony Parker and Asvell losing 80-74. Parker had 23 points, eight assists and five rebounds. What kind of an experience was that for you?

What more can I say about Tony Parker except that he is a great player. He really can play the game. If you double team him, he still finds the open man and on one on one situations he is hard to defend. He is one of the best players that I have played against.

Did you speak to him before or after the game?

I spoke to him a little after the game. He is very down to earth.

What is a strength in the game of SIG Strassburg?

We play team basketball. Coach doesnt like one on one play. He likes to have the whole team involved always. It has been different to what I have been used to, but its effective. I have had no problem adjusting my game to his style.

How have you experienced the development of 2011 NBA draft picks Justin Harper and Lavoy Allen?


Both guys are very skillful. I think that both could have nice careers in the NBA. Harper can shoot out the lights. He has developed very well becoming more of a physical defender and it has been a big change from the first day. Allen can defend, shoot and is one of the best rebounders that I have ever played against.

Is Kevin Anderson really 1.82cm? How is he different from point guards like Bana Ratkovica and Kyle Bailey?

Anderson is probably 2 inches shorter. He is similar to Bailey in that he is a scoring point guard. Ratkovica was bigger and was more of a passing point guard.

Who is the best opponent that you have played against and the best at your position?

The best player was Tony Parker. At my position the toughest guys I had to play against were John Holland from Roanne and John Cox from Le Havre.

What do you miss from Germany?


I miss playing in the Beko BBL. I miss the people and how easy it was to communicate since most knew English. I also miss the food. Germany really spoiled me.

Strassburg is on the German boarder. You can visit Germany often.

Yes I have been to Germany a few times. I was at the US army base in Heidelberg recently.

Have you been following your ex team Walter Tigers Tuebingen? They are a young team and are slowly finding their rhythm.

I am happy to see that they have picked up their game. I am happy for the team and coach Igor Perovic. I hope that they continue to improve and gain experience.

Your ex team BG Goettingen is struggling. Have you spoken to Kyle Bailey about their misfortune?

I havent had much chance to talk to him. I spoke to Louis Dale before the season started. They are dealing with a lot right now. I wish the organization and coach Michael Meeks the best.

Who wins a one on one, you or Ricardo Greer?

He is a bit shorter than me. We dont really get a chance to play one on one. He is more of a physical banger and I like to go by people. I think we even it out.

Have you spoken to ex teammate Kenny Wiliams?

No I havent talked to him since last summer.

What did you miss the most from the NBA during the lockout?

I just missed watching the games. It always gave me something to do.

What was the last DVD movie that you watched?

The Smurfs and Our idiot brother a comedy. It was pretty good.

Thanks Chris for the chat.




Brad Buckman (Frankfurt Was A Great Experience And The Fans Were Great) - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
Bradley Buckman (203-F-84, college: Texas) is a 28year old 203cm power forward from Austin, Texas playing in Turkey currently for Tofas Bursa. He played at Texas (NCAA) from 2002-2006 with current NBA player TJ Ford and ex NBA player PJ Tucker. In his senior year, he played 33 games: 9.5ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.4apg, 1.7bpg, FGP: 43.7%, 3PT: 30.3%, FT: 76.6%. In 2006, he was drafted by the Albany Patroons (CBA,1rd (9). In 2006-2007, he played for the Austin Toros (D-League): 42 games: 6.6ppg, 4.3rpg, FGP: 38%, 3PT: 27.5%, FT: 71.2%. In 2007-2008, he played for Univ Mobitelco Cluj Napoca (Romania-Div.A, starting five): 5 games: 16.0ppg, 7.4rpg, 1.4apg, Blocks-1 (2.6bpg). In 2008-2009, he played for Keravnos Strovolou (Cyprus-Division A): EuroChallenge: 4 games: 4.8ppg, 3.8rpg; Cypriot League: 9.2ppg, 4.5rpg, left team in Dec.'08, in Jan.'09 moved to Altshuler Saham Galil Gilboa (Israel-Premier League): 16 games: 7.3ppg, 4.6rpg, FGP: 52.5%, 3PT: 31.0%, FT: 51.9%. In 2009-2010, he played for Kepez Bld Antalya (Turkey-TBL, starting five): 25 games: 10.3ppg, 6.0rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 59.8%, 3PT: 34.6%, FT: 68.8%. Last season he played for Deutsche Bank Skyliners Frankfurt German League: 6 games: 8.3ppg, 5.3rpg, FGP: 57.1%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 56.0%; parted ways in Oct.'10, in Jan.'11 moved to Antalya Buyuksehir Belediye (Turkey-TBL): 13 games: 19.6ppg, 9.0rpg, FGP: 56.8%, 3PT: 45.2%, FT: 78.7% Some achievements in his basketball career have been, NCAA Final Four -03, Big 12 Conf. All-Freshman Team -03, Big 12 Regular Season Finalist -03, 04, Big 12 Tournament Finalist -04, 06, NCAA Sweet 16 -04, NABC All-NCAA District 9 2nd Team -05, All-Big 12 2nd Team -05, Big 12 Regular Season Champion -06, All-Big 12 3rd Team -06, NCAA Sweet 8 -06, Eurobasket.com All-Romanian League 2nd Team -08, Romanian League Finalist -08, and Israeli Premier League Semifinals -09. He spoke to eurobasket about basket.


You are playing your third season in Turkey and first for Tofas Bursa. The team is fighting for the playoffs, but has been struggling of late. What has been the main problems for the team?

We had lost four games in a row before the last win against Olin Erdirne. We have had injuries and we brought in a new point guard and we are trying to figure each other out.

What does the team have to do better in order to reach the playoffs?

We have to play together more.

The team brought in Taurean Green recently. How does he make the team better?

He is a great player that can shoot well despite being a pass first guard. He expands the offense and has done a great job so far. I think that he will be a big help.

You are currently leading the team in scoring. Is this a task that you got at the start of the season or something that came during the season?

I was top scorer last season for Antalya averaging 20ppg. I really figured myself out last season and came into this season with that mentality of being able to score with my inside/out game. My coach really has let me play my game and my teammates have been super as well.

You played for Antalya the last two seasons and now your in Bursa. How are the places different?

Antalya was on the beach and the weather was great. The climate is totally different in Bursa. It is more snowy here and a famous mountain. Russians like to come here to ski. I like Bursa and the fans are great.

Could one almost say that Turkey is your second home? Could you play here for many more years?

Who knows. Turkey has been great for me and the people treat very well here. The people are big fans of sport in general and the league has improved each season that I have been here. I will have to see what my best option is this summer.

Tofas Bursa has four Americans, two Croatians and the rest are Turks. Which non American has impressed you the most this season?

Every player has done a great job this season. There seems to always be another guy stepping up in each game. We just have great chemistry. The two Croatians are real nice guys.

The most exciting of the season was the 97-96 win against Efes Pilsen where you played against NBA players Sasha Vujacic and Ersan Illyasova. What memories do you have from that game?

You always get up against atop team. We had been down coming into the game losing some unnecessary games but we came to play. It was a battle form start to end and the fans were so excited at the end.

Did you play more against Estaban Batista or Illyasova?

I played against both on the pick and roll and there was a lot of switching going on.

How tough was it playing against Illyasova? You held your own with 23 points and nine rebounds while he had 19 points and 10 rebounds.

He is very tough, because he is so talented. He plays great inside and out and there is a reason why he is in the NBA. I enjoyed playing against him.

Who was the toughest player that you played against in Turkey this season?

There have been many tough players. Each team has a few tough guys. Vujacic was tough.

What was your fondest memory playing for the Deutsche Bank Skyliners?

Just being able to play for that organization was great. We all got along well. It was a great experience and the fans were great.

How tough was it accepting the decision that the team picked Joe Dabbert over you?

It was tough. I really wanted to stay. I liked my teammates and the coach. I felt like I had a good game to stay, but I have no hard feelings. They had to do what they had to do. In the end all turned out well as I went to Antalya and reached the playoffs as did they.

Who was the toughest opponent that you played against in Germany.

Bamberg. It I cool that my buddy PJ Tucker plays there now.

Did you feel a lot of pressure having to perform for Antalya after coming form Frankfurt last season?

A fire was lit inside me after Frankfurt let me go. When you loose a job, you wonder if you will get another. I went to Antalya thinking it could be my last job. I really wanted to prove myself and it all worked out as I played well and we reached the playoffs.

You played at Texas (NCAA) form 2002-2006 and left before Kevin Durant came. Will he be the bets player on the planet in three years?

He is an amazing player. He is so talented who knows how good he can really get. He will be remembered for ages.

You played together with TJ Ford at Texas. Did you know that he would become such a good NBA player when you played with him in the NCAA?

I knew he would be good. He was the best point guard that I ever played together with. You cant believe how fats he is until you see him. He is smart and can find the open man so well. H eled Texas to the Final 4. He made a world of a difference my first year.

He isnt playing so much with the Spurs, but making 8,5 million a year. Is he worth that?

He is worth every penny. It is rare to find a guy as quick and as smart as him.

What is your fondest memory with ex NBA player PJ Tucker at Texas (NCAA)

We are really good friends. We always hung out together. I still talk to him today. Just the time with him are my fondest memories.

Who are your early 2012 NCAA Final 4 picks?

Duke, Michigan State, Syracuse and I have to go with my school Texas even if I dont know if they will make the tournament.

Have you jumped on the Linsanity train?

It is hard keeping track not being able to see the games, but it is amazing how far he is come after being off the radar for his whole career and then showing the world what he can do. He has given the best example of not giving up and what can happen.

What is your favorite Turkish dish?

It is a special dish in Bursa called Iskender which is beef on bread with yogurt and tomato sauce.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

Star Trek.

Thanks Brad for the chat.

Jason Holmes: "An off day on the defensive end is just unacceptable" - by Moritz Korff
Jason Holmes (191-G-86, college: Le Moyne) is the fifth best scorer in the 2. Bundesliga Pro B (19.8ppg), he ranks 10th in assists per contest (4.8apg) and also averages 6.8 rebounds as well as 1.7 steal a game. To sum up: The 25-year-old Mamaroneck, New York, native is among the most productive players at the guard spot in the Pro B. On Saturday he and his Schwelmer Baskets will take on the BSW Sixers in round one of the Pro B playoffs. Eurobasket.com asked Holmes about the upcoming matchup and his season so far.

The Schwelmer Baskets have been plagued by injuries for most of the campaign. How is the status going into the playoffs?
Jason Holmes: We definitely have dealt with our share of injuries, but it may have been a blessing in disguise. It gave other players opportunities to step up and play in different situations, as well as build their confidence. The past few games everybody has been healthy and we're all playing together more than anytime this season, which couldn't have come at a better time.

What do you know about the BSW Sixers and what does your team have to do to overcome this opponent?
I know that they are a fast, tall and athletic team that plays good aggressive defense. We just have to continue to do what we have down the stretch. Keep playing together, limit our turnovers and play solid team defense.

Last year your team won the regular season in Group North, but fell short in the first round of the playoffs. What has the team learned from that experience?
We learned that offense can only take us but so far when it's playoff time. Outscoring everybody throughout the season kind of hid how weak our defense was last season, because teams were always forced to play catch up. Having a new defensive mindset, I feel like we're more prepared. Everybody understands there are going to be off days on the offensive end of the court, but an off day on the defensive end is just unacceptable.

The Schwelmer Baskets have two dominant scorers in the backcourt in Jason Smith and yourself. How does that work out from your vantage point?
First off I think it helps that we both can either play the 1 or the 2. It gives teams a lot of different looks that they have to prepare for. Not sure if any team has been able to slow both of us down in the same game, so teams have to pick their poison and decide which one of us they want to try to take out. Being unselfish helps a lot! We both are aware of where the other likes the ball and neither of us have a problem taking a bit of a backseat. Playing the same position also means we defend each other just about everyday, push each other to the limit and make the other work on weaknesses. Another thing that is a plus is that I can focus on defending the opposing teams top player for a full game.

How do you feel about your personal performances in this current season so far? Also compared to your first year in Schwelm?
Statistically this season is a little better but I'm not satisfied! I just know for sure it can get even better. Not to say I'm disappointed or anything. I just expect more from myself and the more I can provide, the better our team will perform. Last year was a good year, but I'd have to say this year is better. Reason being we've had to face adversity more and we're more prepared. I've always been a good defender, but this year I've made a much bigger effort to go all out on that end and lead by example for my team.

For the second straight year you are among the most efficient guards of the Pro B. Do you feel that you could make an impact in the Pro A also?
Yes, I feel I can make an impact wherever an opportunity is given. I feel I bring a lot of different things to the game that most guards my size don't. I'm ready for any challenge that awaits.

Modie Johnson: "I think we can make it to the championship" - by Moritz Korff
With more than 809 minutes played this season, Kedrick 'Modie' Johnson (192-F-83, college: Lee) is 'Mr. Indispensable' on the Giants Noerdlingen team. The 28-year-old forward moved from VfL Stade (1. Regionalliga North) to Noerdlingen last summer. He is averaging 16.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per contest this season and recently signed a contract extension with the Giants, which will keep him in Noerdlingen through 2013. The team from the Donau-Ries district finished the regular season in the Pro B South in second place and is going to face the number 7 team from the North, SC Rist Wedel, in the playoffs. Eurobasket.com had the chance for an interview with the Greenwood, Mississippi, native.

Modie, since you played in the Hamburg area at VfL Stade for two years, are you familiar with SC Rist Wedel, the team that Noerdlingen will face in the first round of the playoffs?
Yeah, Im pretty familiar with a couple of the players. But they have lost some also that were a big factor to their team I think.

What's going to be the decisive factor in the series against SC Rist Wedel?
Who wants it the baddest. Who can make plays and help their team to victory. It will be a dog fight on both courts and there will be a winner and loser.

How far can the Giants go in the playoffs?
Honestly, I think we can make it to the championship. Not just saying that because I'm suppose to, but our team works hard and we're hungry for it.

Which team is the favorite to win the Pro B championship?
Of couse, Noerdlingen!

What's the biggest difference in the playoffs compared to the regular season?
I don't think there is much of a difference other than the outcome. You can be crowned regular season champs and you can be crowned ProB champions. There will be the same fight, because nobody wants to lose whether its during the season or in playoffs.

How come that the Giants have been so successful this season, finishing the regular season in second place though being in their first year after moving up?
Hard work! We set goals at the beginning of the season and went toward achieving them and our coach wouldn't accept anything less.

Can you talk about your decision to agree to a contract extension with the Giants recently?
It was an easy decision. The great management, coach, and my teammates were the main reason. Aside from business, they are great people. Also, the fans and the city of Noerdlingen accepted me and what I had to offer to the team.

How did you manage to adapt to the level of competition in the Pro B, after playing at the Regionalliga level for some time?
It wasn't hard at all. Every summer I play with guys from top leagues around Europe like Demond Mallet, Ty Ellis, Jarrett Howell, and Derrick Obasohan, just to name a few. I know if I can compete with those guys, I can compete with the others. Shout out to them!

Do you feel that an undersized player like yourself always has to prove more to people than somebody who is taller?
Of course. I think that's the case in every league. An undersized (especially unknown) player will always get overlooked by players a few inches taller. It's proven that I will do, if not the same, better than most 6'7 forwards. All us undersize players need is a chance to show it.

Stats Leaders - 1.Bundesliga
Points Per Game
 Bobby BROWN
  EWE Baskets
  (188-G-84)
  Avg: 16.9
 1. Brown, EWE Baskets16.9 
 2. Holston, Art.Drag.16.2 
 3. Ensminger, Teleko.15.7 
 4. Wood, ALBA15.6 
 5. Carter, Phoenix15.4 
 6. Swann, Ratiopharm14.8 
 7. Jonusas, Phoenix14.8 
 8. Tucker, Brose B.14.8 
 9. Peavy, Art.Dragons14.7 
 10. Bryant, Ratiopharm14.0 
Rebounds Per Game
 John BRYANT
  Ratiopharm
  (208-C-87)
  Avg: 9.6
 1. Bryant, Ratiopharm9.6 
 2. Chubb, EWE Baskets8.1 
 3. Ensminger, Teleko.7.9 
 4. Leuer, Fraport SKY7.8 
 5. Sykes, Goettingen7.4 
 6. Evans, Goettingen7.4 
 7. Davidson, Fraport7.1 
 8. Homan, B.Muenchen7.0 
 9. Zirbes, TBB Trier6.8 
 10. Watts, Ratiopharm6.6 
Assists Per Game
 Jared JORDAN
  Telekom .
  (188-PG-84)
  Avg: 8.4
 1. Jordan, Telekom8.4 
 2. Holston, Art.Drag.6.2 
 3. Brewer, Bremerha.5.1 
 4. Joyce, TBB Trier5.0 
 5. Wood, ALBA4.9 
 6. Everett, Bremerha.4.7 
 7. Brown, EWE Baskets4.7 
 8. Hamann, B.Muenchen4.5 
 9. Campbell, Walter T.4.3 
 10. Gibson, Bayreuth3.6 
Steals Per Game
 Devin GIBSON
  Fraport SKY
  (182-G-89)
  Avg: 1.8
 1. Gibson, Fraport SKY1.8 
 2. Linhart, TBB Trier1.8 
 3. Holston, Art.Drag.1.5 
 4. Kramer, s.Oliv.1.5 
 5. Dorris, EnBW L.1.4 
 6. Frazier, s.Oliv.1.4 
 7. Redding, Walter T.1.4 
 8. Crowe, Phoenix1.4 
 9. Hasbrouck, EWE B.1.3 
 10. Robertson, Fraport1.3 
Blocks Per Game
 Tony GAFFNEY
  Teleko.
  (204-F-84)
  Avg: 2
 1. Gaffney, Teleko.2.0 
 2. Ibekwe, Bayreuth1.8 
 3. Looby, EnBW L.1.5 
 4. Slaughter, Brose B.1.4 
 5. Davidson, Fraport1.4 
 6. Bryant, Ratiopharm1.3 
 7. King, Art.Dragons1.3 
 8. Pleiss, Brose B.1.2 
 9. Homan, B.Muenchen1.2 
 10. Constantine, Phoe.1.1 


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


Stats Leaders - A1
Points Per Game
 Nestoras KOMMATOS
  Marousi
  (203-F-77)
  Avg: 20.4
 1. Kommatos, Marousi20.4 
 2. Christmas, AGOR19.4 
 3. Charalampidi., KAO.17.4 
 4. Roby, Peristeri GS16.4 
 5. Beck, Ikaros16.0 
 6. Gagaloudis, Marousi15.6 
 7. Tapoutos, Aris15.4 
 8. Dikoudis, PAOK15.4 
 9. Baynes, Ikaros14.6 
 10. James, Aris14.5 
Rebounds Per Game
 Aron BAYNES
  Ikaros
  (208-C-86)
  Avg: 9.1
 1. Baynes, Ikaros9.1 
 2. NaNa, Ilysiakos7.7 
 3. Haritopoulos, Maro.7.6 
 4. Stepheson, Panio.7.4 
 5. Goree, PAOK7.1 
 6. Flowers, KAOD6.7 
 7. Kommatos, Marousi6.6 
 8. Bavcic, KAOD6.2 
 9. Tapoutos, Aris6.0 
 10. O''Bryant, Kavala5.9 
Assists Per Game
 Yannis GAGALOUDIS
  Marousi
  (192-G-78)
  Avg: 6
 1. Gagaloudis, Marousi6.0 
 2. Diamantidis, Panat.4.8 
 3. Charalampidi., KAO.4.7 
 4. Spanoulis, Olympia.4.7 
 5. Xanthopoulos, Pani.4.4 
 6. Wright, AGOR4.2 
 7. James, Aris4.1 
 8. Thompson, Ilysi.4.1 
 9. Tsamis, Kolossos3.4 
 10. Petroulas, Perist.3.2 
Steals Per Game
 Zack WRIGHT
  AGOR
  (188-G-85)
  Avg: 2.5
 1. Wright, AGOR2.5 
 2. James, Aris1.9 
 3. Hatten, Kolossos1.8 
 4. Baxter, Ikaros1.7 
 5. Logan, Panathin.1.6 
 6. Thompson, Ilysi.1.6 
 7. Perperoglou, Panat.1.6 
 8. Calathes, Panathin.1.6 
 9. Christmas, AGOR1.6 
 10. Gagaloudis, Marou.1.5 
Blocks Per Game
 Patrick O''BRYANT
  Kavala
  (213-C-86)
  Avg: 1.5
 1. O''Bryant, Kavala1.5 
 2. Muldrow, Aris1.5 
 3. Flowers, KAOD1.3 
 4. Hines, Olympiakos1.2 
 5. Elegar, Marousi1.1 
 6. Johnson, Ikaros1.0 
 7. Petway, AGOR0.9 
 8. Michel, KAOD0.9 
 9. Stepheson, Panio.0.9 
 10. Edwards, Perister.0.8 


PAO celebrates in Kazan, wins Group G - by Eurobasket News
Unics - Panathinaikos 63-68

Panathinaikos celebrated 63-68 victory in Kazan on Wednesday night to win Group G of the Euroleague Top 16. The reigning champion ended with 4-2 record and advanced to Playoffs. Unics also reached the next stage thanks to Fenerbahce Ulker's loss in Milano. Unics ended as No.2 in this pool with 3-3 record. Mike Batiste (203-F-77, college: Arizona St.) stepped up for PAO with 12 points and 5 rebounds. Sarunas Jasikevicius (192-G-76, college: Maryland) had 10 points and 5 assists, while Dimitris Diamantidis (196-G-80) helped with 9 points and 5 assists. In the loosing squad, Henry Domercant (192-G-80, college: E.Illinois) responded with 19 points. Kelly McCarty (201-F-75, agency: Avi Zilberman, college: S.Mississippi) had 11 points and 6 rebs, while Michael Wilkinson (204-F-81, agency: Interperformances, college: Wisconsin) (7 rebs) and Nathan Jawai (208-F/C-86, college: Midland CC) stopped to 10 pts each. PAO had 55-63 lead at the halfway of the last period, but Henry Domercant drained a triple for Unics after that and layup-plus-foul by Greer brought hosts as close as 61-63 with 3 minutes left. Unics committed 2 key turnovers and Greer missed a go-ahead shot from downtown. At the other side, Kaimakoglu made a crucial triple for PAO and Jasikevicius sealed victory from the free throw line. Quarters: 21-22, 17-18, 10-12, 15-16. PAO will meet Maccabi Electra in the Quarterfinals. Unics will play against Regal Barca.

Unics: Henry Domercant 19, Kelly McCarty 11+6 boards, Michael Wilkinson 10+7 boards, Nathan Jawai 10
PAO: Mike Batiste 12+5 boards, Sarunas Jasikevicius 10+5 as, Dimitris Diamantidis 9+5 as

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


Standings - A Division
A Division Standings
 1. Falco-Szova 18-2 
 2. Szolnok 16-3 
 3. Kormend 16-4 
 4. Albacomp 15-4 
 5. Kecskemeti 13-7 
 6. Atomeromu 13-7 
 7. PVSK Pannon 10-10 
 8. Kaposvari 8-12 
 9. Soproni 8-12 
 10. Marso NYKK 7-13 
 11. Szedeak 5-15 
 12. Jaszberenyi 5-15 
 13. FS Debrecen 4-16 
 14. ZTE KK 1-19 


A Division Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Justin INGRAM
  FS Debre.
  (185-PG-85)
  Avg: 24.1
 1. Ingram, FS Debre.24.1 
 2. Timberlake, Falco-.22.0 
 3. Ciric, PVSK P.21.4 
 4. Austin, Jaszberenyi21.3 
 5. Raivio, Kaposvari21.3 
 6. Ivosev, Szedeak21.1 
 7. Doyne, PVSK P.20.7 
 8. Jones, Jaszberenyi20.2 
 9. Bell, Kormend19.1 
 10. Levy, Szedeak19.0 
Rebounds Per Game
 Jonathan JONES
  Jaszberenyi
  (211-C-79)
  Avg: 12.6
 1. Jones, Jaszberenyi12.6 
 2. Miskovic, Marso N.9.6 
 3. Szabo, FS Debrecen9.5 
 4. Fey, Kaposvari9.1 
 5. Bader, Szolnok9.0 
 6. Townes, Kormend9.0 
 7. Pantelic, Falco-Sz.8.8 
 8. Austin, Jaszberenyi8.7 
 9. Ivosev, Szedeak8.7 
 10. Raivio, Kaposvari8.6 
Assists Per Game
 Laszlo KALMAN
  Falco-Sz.
  (186-G-72)
  Avg: 7.8
 1. Kalman, Falco-Sz.7.8 
 2. Wilson, Kaposvari5.9 
 3. Williams, Atomeromu5.8 
 4. Trotter, Szolnok5.7 
 5. Ingram, FS Debre.5.4 
 6. Simon, Albacomp5.3 
 7. Fekete, Marso N.5.2 
 8. Thomas, Soproni4.4 
 9. Drahos, Szedeak4.2 
 10. Vasojevic, PVSK P.4.0 
Steals Per Game
 Stefan FEKETE
  Marso N.
  (188-G-86)
  Avg: 2.7
 1. Fekete, Marso N.2.7 
 2. Drahos, Szedeak2.6 
 3. Ingram, FS Debre.2.5 
 4. Ivosev, Szedeak2.4 
 5. Raivio, Kaposvari2.4 
 6. Trotter, Szolnok2.3 
 7. Doyne, PVSK P.2.3 
 8. Toth, PVSK P.2.3 
 9. Perine, ZTE K.2.2 
 10. Chism, Albacomp2.1 
Blocks Per Game
 Darian TOWNES
  Kormend
  (208-F/C-84)
  Avg: 2.5
 1. Townes, Kormend2.5 
 2. Pantelic, Falco-Sz.1.8 
 3. Jones, Jaszberenyi1.4 
 4. Keller, Albacomp1.4 
 5. Levy, Szedeak1.1 
 6. Morgen, Atomeromu1.0 
 7. Miskovic, Marso N.1.0 
 8. Cole, Atomeromu1.0 
 9. Chism, Albacomp0.9 
 10. Egemonye, Soproni0.9 


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


Salem Stampede gallop back to IBL with NBA experience - by Kip Leonetti
The Salem Stampede have re-joined the International Basketball League under new ownership and will participate in the 2012 season.

The organization's ownership will be headed by the father-son duo of Price and James Johnson, who own The Hoop, a 51,000-square-foot indoor sports facility in Salem that features six basketball and volleyball courts. The facility hosts a number of leagues, clinics and camps for players of all ages and abilities. The facility's center court, which features seating for over 500 fans, will serve as the teams home floor for the 2012 season. The Hoop is located at 3575 Fairview Industrial Drive in Salem.

Price Johnson has years of experience working with NBA-caliber talent, as he has served as a special assignments coach for the Milwaukee Bucks under George Karl, even writing a book together, 101 Offensive Basketball Drills, which the Stampede will put to good use. Johnson also served in the same role with Nate McMillan and the Portland Trailblazers and has coached many NBA talents from Sam Cassell, Ray Allen to Michael Redd and NBA Champion Jason Terry. For three years he also coached the EA Sports All-Star basketball squad as they toured the country playing exhibitions against collegiate teams.

James Johnson, who is the Director of Operations at The Hoop and will serve as the Stampede's General Manager, played college basketball at Western Carolina University, where he was a teammate of current Houston Rockets guard Kevin Martin.

''We will have a very competitive team in the IBL this season, and frankly I expect us to win it all,'' Price Johnson predicted. ''We have already added Jeremiah Dominguez (5'6''-PG-85) and Phil Nelson (6'8''-F-88) from Portland State to the roster this season and I expect them to be key players for us.''

The Stampede previously participated in the 2006 and 2007 IBL seasons, fielding top-notch teams both years. Notable players on the roster during that time included Keizer, Ore., native Grayson Boucher (5'10''-G-85, college: Chemeketa JC), who is best known as ''The Professor'' from the AND1 Mixtape streetball tour, and Eric Fiegi (6'9''-C-84), a former Corban College standout that led the IBL in scoring in 2006 and went on to play overseas for several seasons in France, Romania and Hungary. In 2007, Salem finished with the IBL's second-best record at 18-4.

In 2011, the Stampede participated as a member of the National Athletic Basketball League, where they posted a 10-5 record, however the league's instability hampered the teams efforts. Initiatives put in place by new IBL Commissioner Sharleen Graf attracted the organization back to the IBL.

''The return of the Salem Stampede to the IBL under the new ownership of two great leaders in the basketball community strengthens our league, adding invaluable experience and community focus. The quality of our teams is vital to ensure we are creating authentic opportunities for our players, coaches and a great fan experience. The Johnsons bring all this and more to the table which will continue the growth, depth and validity of the IBL,'' the IBL Commissioner stated.

The Stampede will open the 2012 season on the road against the Bellingham Slam on April 21. The team will make their home debut at The Hoop in Salem on May 12 against the Portland Chinooks. The teams full 20-game schedule, along with news on player additions and community outreach programs, will be announced shortly.

''We are excited to be partnered with the Salem Family YMCA and the Boys and Girls Club. We will also be hosting a number of clinics at elementary schools around Salem this season,'' commented Johnson when asked about community programs the Stampede will be involved in.

*****************************************************
  ICELAND   


Euro news - by Siggi Hjorleifsson
Latest results from Icelanders in Europe.
Sweden:
Solna Vikings 96 Sundsvall Dragons 98. Logi Gunnarsson 20 pts, 4 rebs and 1 assist for Solna. Jakob Sigurdarson 23 & 3 assist, Hlynur Baeringsson 11 pts & 12 boards for Sundsvall
Solna Vikings 85 Sodertalje 68. Logi Gunnarsson 13, 3 boards & 3 assist.
Jamtland basket 91 EcoOrebro 72. Brynjar Bjornsson 6 and 1 assist for Jamtland
08 Stockholm 71. Boras 91. Helgi Magnusson 14 points, 6 rebounds & 2 assist for 08.
Germany:
MBC 91. Webmoebel 79. Hordur Vilhjalmsson 6 points and 1 assist.
Spain:
CAI Zaragoza 75 Laguna Aro 76. Jon Stefansson (196-G-82) 6 pts, 3 rebs, 3 assist for CAI.

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


Basketball Ireland Weekly Preview - by Patrick Maher
BASKETBALL IRELAND WEEKLY PREVIEW

NEPTUNE SEEK HOME PLAY OFF

The big Cork derby will see UCC Demons hosting Bord Gais Neptune at the Mardyke Arena with Demons having already consolidated the Southern Conference title.

Both teams are involved in double headers, as Neptune will host Moycullen on Saturday with UCC Demons completing their regular season campaign with a home game against UCD Marian on Sunday.

UL Eagles will be hoping to finish their programme on a winning note when they entertain Belfast Star at the UL Arena.

The Dublin derby between DCU Saints and 11890 Killester on Sunday will attract a good attendance to the DCU Sports complex.

No doubt the game of the weekend will see the Mardyke Arena rocking on Friday for the Cork derby between UCC Demons and Bord Gais Neptune.

The big news this week in the Neptune camp was the signing of American Michael Bonaparte who will make his debut in this crucial clash.

Ron Thompson has been carrying a leg injury so we decided that Michael would be a good option for us as his experience in the league will stand to the team, said Neptune coach Mark Scannell.

We are in a funny position because if we lose to Demons and Moycullen UL Eagles could pip us to the runner up spot in the Southern Conference.

The mood in the Demons camp is upbeat particularly after their double wins over Belfast Star last weekend that clinched them the Southern Conference.

'Before last weekend, Neptune were putting up really good numbers and their perimeter game was really good,' said Demons Head Coach Paul Kelleher.

'UCD Marian were very unlucky this past weekend, and regardless of the last result, Owen McNally seems to have settled in quickly with a big game last weekend against UL Eagles.'

UL Eagles will be hoping to win against Belfast Star on Saturday to keep their outside chance alive of clinching the runner up berth in the Southern Conference.

I expect a really tough final regular season game at home on Saturday against Belfast Star, said Eagles Head Coach Mark Keenan. We must finish the regular season on a positive result as we head for the league play-offs. Belfast Star have some great players in their team but have been very unlucky with some close results going against them. We cannot be complacent at all.

The big game in the capital will see a Dublin derby between DCU Saints and 11890 Killester.

Saints have inflicted two wins on Killester this season and coach David Donnelly despite leading his team to the Northern Conference title would like to finish the regular season in style.

We always have good games against Killester and I think this will be a very competitive one as they will not want us to inflict a third consecutive defeat on them, David said.

Basketball Ireland Upcoming Fixtures

Friday March 2nd 2012

Nivea for Mens Superleague
UCC Demons v Bord Gais Neptune, Mardyke Arena, 19:30

Saturday March 3rd 2012
Nivea for Mens Superleague
Bord Gais Neptune v Moycullen, Neptune Stadium, 19:00; UL Eagles v Belfast Star, UL Arena, 19:30

Basketball Ireland Mens Division One
Team Loftus Recycling Ballina v Team Left Bank Kilkenny, Ballina Sports & Leisure Centre, 19:30; Team Meadowlands St.Brendans v Ballon, Mercy Mounthawk, 19:30; Portlaoise v Matt OFlaherty Chemist Titans, St.Marys Sports Hall, 19:30

Sunday March 4th 2012
Nivea for Mens Superleague
UCC Demons v UCD Marian, Mardyke Arena, 15:15; DCU Saints v 11890 Killester, DCU Sports Complex, 15:30

Basketball Ireland Mens Division One
Neptune v Maree, Neptune Stadium, 13:00; Blue Demons v Team Garveys St.Marys, Mardyke Arena, 13:00

Courtesy : Shane Whelan .... www.basketballireland.ie Michael Bonaparte (196-F-82, college: Coll.of the Ozarks)

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


Best players of Israeli National League round 20 - by Eurobasket News
Experienced American Jermaine Hall (196-F-80) had an amazing evening in the last round for league's second-best Macc.B.Yaakov and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com National League Player of the Week award for round 20.
The 31-year old forward had a double-double of 31 points and fourteen rebounds, while his team beat Ironi K-A (#11, 7-13) in overtime 105-99. Macc.B.Yaakov maintains the 2nd position in Israeli National League. They are still close to the very top. Macc.B.Yaakov would have been even better if they kept winning the games like in the last round. They have a solid 16-4 record. It's Hall's second year at Macc.B.Yaakov and it's hard to imagine this team without him. Wagner College graduate has very impressive stats this year. Hall is in league's top in points (2nd best: 24.4ppg) and averages solid 70.2% FGP.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 31-year old American forward Tony Younger (200-F-80, agency: Gross Zeev ISA) of Ironi K-A. Younger impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 33 points and 13 rebounds. Bad luck as Ironi K-A lost that overtime game 99-105 to the higher-ranked Macc.B.Yaakov (#2, 16-4). This loss caused Ironi K-A to drop to 11th position in the standings. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 7-13 record. Younger is a newcomer at Ironi K-A 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 Grady Reynolds (198-F-80, agency: Strategic Sports) of Lev Hasharon (#12). Reynolds scored 21 points and grabbed fourteen rebounds (!!!). Despite Reynolds' great performance Lev Hasharon lost 82-84 to the higher-ranked Elitzur Ramla (#8, 9-11). But his team cannot count on just a single player as he also needs help of the other teammates. The chances of Lev Hasharon not to end season at such low position in the league, however are less than slim as they have already lost 13 games, recording just seven victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Reynolds could try to bring Lev Hasharon's a little bit higher in the standings. Reynolds has a very solid season. In 5 games in Israel he scored 13.2ppg.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Javier Gonzalez (182-PG-89) of Hod Hasharon - 19 points, 5 rebounds and 11 assists
5. Gregg Thondique (201-F-87) of Hapoel Afula - 25 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists
6. Gary Gandel (203-G/F-80) of Hod Hasharon - 24 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists
7. Dori Assaf (178-PG-87) of Ironi Nes-Ziona - 26 points and 8 assists
8. Nate Miller (193-G-87) of Macc.B.Yaakov - 29 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Lenny Daniel (201-F-87) of Ironi K-A - 17 points and 10 rebounds
10. Ryan Bacon (200-F-88) of Elitzur Ramla - 20 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)

Regal Barca advances with perfect record, Maccabi also heads to Euroleague QFinals - by Eurobasket News
FCB Regal - Maccabi T-A 70-67

Regal Barca managed to stay untouchable in Group H. The reigning Spanish champion was better than Maccabi Electra 70-67 on Wednesday night to end Euroleague Top 16 with perfect 6-0 record. Maccabi is the second ranked team in this pool with 3-3 score and both teams advanced to the Quarterfinals. Pete Mickeal (199-F-78, college: Cincinnati) led Barca with 20 points and 7 rebounds. Marcelinho Huertas (191-PG-83, agency: Edge Sports) had 10 and Kosta Perovic (217-C-85) added 9 points, plus 8 rebounds. Visitors got 24 points and 10 boards from Richard Hendrix (203-F/C-86, college: Alabama). Their second scorer was Keith Langford (193-G/F-83, college: Kansas) with 15 points (6 rebs), while Yogev Ohayon (189-G-87) and Guy Pnini (200-F/G-83) had 9 points each. Barca had 64-62 lead with something more than 2 minutes to go, after that Huertas and Hendrix traded triples. Wallace missed from downtown, but he grabbed offensive rebound and drew a foul. Wallace split foul the shots and Ohayon scored in the paint for a 68-67 score with 6.3 left. Maccabi fouled Mickeal, who calmly made free throws. Visitors had a chance to tie the game, but Pnini missed from downtown at the buzzer. Quarters: 19-21, 15-12, 17-11, 19-23. Barcelona will meet Unics in the Quarterfinals. Maccabi will play against the defending champion Panathinaikos.

Barca: Pete Mickeal 20+7 boards, Marcelinho Huertas 10, Kosta Perovic 9+8 boards
Maccabi: Richard Hendrix 24+10 boards, Keith Langford 15+6 boards, Yogev Ohayon 9, Guy Pnini 9

Spanish Real Madrid Offer MTA's Richard Hendrix $3 Million - by David Pick
The chase after Maccabi Tel-Aviv's Richard Hendrix continues. Eurobasket reveals that aside from Tel-Aviv, another European powerhouse is definitely in the mix for Maccabi's free agent starter.

Last night, Barcelona played host to Maccabi, in the teams' last game of the Euroleague's Top 16 round. The exciting but meaningless match was broadcasted across the Spanish television network allowing local empire Real Madrid, to get a close look at Hendrix toying with Barcelona's bigs.

Hendrix completed a dream-like first half of 21 points and 6 rebounds, including 7/11 from the field, on route to a double-double of 25 points and 10 boards, showcasing a thrilling repertoire.

According to sources with information of Madrid's intentions and prior to tonight's game against Montepaschi Siena, the Spanish team exercised the option of recruiting Hendrix to next year's roster, offering a guaranteed three-year deal throughout the 2015-2016 season, worth over $1 million every year. Sources close to the player approved the information.

Tel-Aviv, who's currently unable to match such an offer, is trying to clear cap room and is entertaining the thought of opting out of the team's deal with Serbian Forward Milan Macvan, as well as not extending their relationship with Greek big man Sofoklis Schortsanitis, clearing over $2 million in the team's budget.

After Maccabi thought of shopping Hendrix earlier this season, Head Coach David Blatt insisted on keeping the American in Tel-Aviv, sending Macvan to Partizan Belgrade instead.

Hendrix, a 2011-12 Israeli All-Star, is averaging 13 points and 7 rebounds per game in the Israeli Domestic League, 10.2 points and 5.4 boards in the team's Adriatic League and 9.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in the Euroleague.



Jordan Farmar and Omri Casspi to Meet NT Representative - by David Pick
Israeli basketball league President and Chariman of the Israeli basketball association Avner Kopel, will participate in the local All-Star Game on March 8, and then depart for the United States to meet Israeli sensation Omri Casspi and exercise the possibility of recruiting New Jersey Nets' Jewish point guard Jordan Farmar.

On March 19, Farmar's Nets play host to Casspi's Cleveland Cavaliers, as Kopel will take advantage of meeting with and speaking to both players.

'Kopel is flying to the United States to talk with both Jordan and Omri about the National Team's upcoming summer campaign,' an Israeli NT management source told Eurobaset.

'Kopel will show Casspi the respect he deserves, meet with him, and together they'll discuss Omri's summer plans. At the same time, Kopel will try and convince Farmar to join Israel's NT if not for this summer, then for the following one,' said the source.

'We have an incredible opportunity to recruit one of the best Jewish players out there and I think it will be very smart and it sure makes a lot of sense that Avner is going to meet with Jordan,' added the source.

Farmar took advantage of the recent NBA lockout signing an out deal with powerhouse Maccabi Tel-Aviv. Farmar imminently fell in love with Israel and Maccabi saying 'I might be back one day.'

Maccabi Tel-Aviv's forward David Blu has been staring for Israel's white-and-blue uniform the past two summers, and despite not coming out with it publicly, Blu plans on retiring his national jersey in order to spend time with his family in California.

Other possible NT recruits that are being thought of are Maccabi Haifa's leading scorer Sylven Landesberg and Maccabi Ashdod's Alex Tyus.





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


Markoishvili, Bennet Cantu outplay Zalgiris in Kaunas - by Eurobasket News
Zalgiris - Bennet Cantu 71-77

Bennet Cantu said goodbye to 2011/12 Euroleague edition with 71-77 victory in Kaunas. The Italian squad finished as third ranked team of Group H with 3-3 record and their 15-point loss in Tel Aviv was crucial. At the other side, Zalgiris finished Euroleague Top 16 winless (0-6). Manuchar Markoishvili (196-G-86) exploded Cantu in this meeting. He drained 32 points and reached valuation 35. Markoishvili made 5 triples and was perfect from the line (9/9). Giorgi Shermadini (216-C-89) had 16 points and 8 rebounds, and Nicolas Mazzarino (181-PG-75, agency: Players Group) netted 9 points. For the hosts, Marko Popovic (185-G-82, agency: Alti Sport, college: S.Idaho JC) collected 15 points and 5 assists. Milovan Rakovic (208-C-85) followed him with 14 points and 7 rebs, while Mantas Kalnietis (196-G-86, agency: Interperformances) stopped to 12 points. The hosts led 62-59 after Marko Popovic free throws midway through the fourth quarter. But Markoishvili knotted the score with a triple and then Giorgi Shermadini scored the games next 5 points as Cantu pulled away to record the victory. Quarters: 23-18, 12-21, 15-11, 21-27. Both teams will focus on domestic championships now.

Zalgiris: Marko Popovic 15+5 as, Milovan Rakovic 14+7 boards, Mantas Kalnietis 12
Bennet Cantu: Manuchar Markoishvili 32, Giorgi Shermadini 16+8 boards, Nicolas Mazzarino 9

Legabasket announced the roster of the foreign player selection - by Andrea Centenari
Legabasket announced the final roster for the foreign player selection that will face the Italian National Team in the All Star Game, scheduled for the 11th of March.
The starting lineup was selected by the fans:
- Marques Green (167-PG-82, college: St.Bonaventure) 11425 votes,
- Ricky Hickman (189-PG-85, college: NC-Greensboro) 12901 votes,
- James White (199-G-84, agency: Court Side, college: Cincinnati) 11302 votes,
- Jumaine Jones (203-F-79, college: Georgia) (203-F-79, college: Georgia) 14581 votes,
- Linton Johnson (203-F/C-80, agency: Priority Sports, college: Tulane) 13269,

This team will be coached by Andrea Trinchieri, and will also have, coming out from the bench: Bo McCalebb (183-PG-85, college: New Orleans), Travis Diener (184-PG-82, college: Marquette), Aubrey Coleman (193-G-87, college: Houston), Chris Douglas-Roberts (201-G-87, college: Memphis), Antonis Fotsis (210-F-81), Andre Smith (203-F-85, college: N.Dakota St.) and Giorgi Shermadini (216-C-89).

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


Stats Leaders - SerieA
Points Per Game
 Von WAFER
  Vanoli CR
  (196-G-85)
  Avg: 20.1
 1. Wafer, Vanoli CR20.1 
 2. Smith, Otto C.18.2 
 3. Coleman, Angelico.18.0 
 4. Shakur, Novipiu CM17.7 
 5. White, Scavolin.16.6 
 6. Dean, Sidigas AV16.3 
 7. Diener, Banco d.16.1 
 8. Diawara, Cimberio.15.9 
 9. Andersen, Montepa.15.8 
 10. Tucker, Acea Roma15.6 
Rebounds Per Game
 Viktor SANIKIDZE
  CS Bo.
  (203-F-86)
  Avg: 10.7
 1. Sanikidze, CS Bo.10.7 
 2. Johnson, Sidigas9.3 
 3. Adrien, Benetton9.0 
 4. Brunner, Fabi Shoes7.6 
 5. Chiotti, Novip.7.6 
 6. Ivanov, Fabi Shoes7.6 
 7. Smith, Otto C.7.6 
 8. Jones, Scavolini PS7.1 
 9. Dragicevic, Angeli.6.4 
 10. Gigli, CS Bologna6.4 
Assists Per Game
 Marques GREEN
  Sidigas AV
  (167-PG-82)
  Avg: 6.6
 1. Green, Sidigas AV6.6 
 2. Collins, Otto Case.6.2 
 3. Diener, Banco d.5.2 
 4. Cook, Armani Mit5.1 
 5. Poeta, CS Bologna4.1 
 6. Stipcevic, Cimberi.4.1 
 7. Shakur, Novipiu CM4.0 
 8. McIntyre, CS Bo.3.9 
 9. Tucker, Acea Roma3.3 
 10. Zoroski, Fabi Sho.3.3 
Steals Per Game
 Aubrey COLEMAN
  Angelico.
  (193-G-87)
  Avg: 3.1
 1. Coleman, Angelico.3.1 
 2. Kirksay, Fabi Shoes2.6 
 3. Green, Sidigas AV2.5 
 4. Hackett, Scavolin.2.4 
 5. Hosley, Banco d.2.3 
 6. Pullen, Angelico BI2.0 
 7. Dean, Sidigas AV2.0 
 8. Kangur, Cimberio.1.8 
 9. Bowers, Umana V.1.8 
 10. Collins, Otto Cas.1.8 
Blocks Per Game
 Tony EASLEY
  Banco d.
  (206-F-87)
  Avg: 1.5
 1. Easley, Banco d.1.5 
 2. Cusin, Scavolini PS1.4 
 3. Shermadini, Bennet1.1 
 4. Szewczyk, Umana V.1.0 
 5. Slokar, Acea Roma0.9 
 6. Ress, Montepaschi0.8 
 7. Johnson, Sidigas0.8 
 8. Adrien, Benetton0.8 
 9. Bourousis, Armani0.8 
 10. Crosariol, Acea R.0.8 


Stats Leaders - Lega2
Points Per Game
 Dwight HARDY
  Giorgio .
  (188-PG-87)
  Avg: 22.5
 1. Hardy, Giorgio22.5 
 2. Marigney, Givova S.22.2 
 3. Freeman, MarcoPol.21.5 
 4. McConnell, Fileni19.3 
 5. Taylor, Trenkwal.18.5 
 6. Robinson, Trenkwal.18.2 
 7. Voskuil, Morpho B.18.1 
 8. Whiting, Aget Imola17.9 
 9. Maggioli, Fileni B.17.5 
 10. Rowe, Prima Veroli17.0 
Rebounds Per Game
 James THOMAS
  Givova S.
  (203-F/C-80)
  Avg: 11.2
 1. Thomas, Givova S.11.2 
 2. Easley, MarcoPol.9.4 
 3. Anderson, Morpho B.8.2 
 4. Jones, Giorgio7.8 
 5. Baldassarre, Bianc.7.8 
 6. Diliegro, Assi Ost.7.8 
 7. Borovnjak, Enel B.7.7 
 8. Maggioli, Fileni B.7.3 
 9. Huff, MarcoPol.6.9 
 10. Brooks, Fileni BPA6.8 
Assists Per Game
 Aaron JOHNSON
  Assi O.
  (172-PG-88)
  Avg: 5
 1. Johnson, Assi O.5.0 
 2. Green, Sigma B.4.7 
 3. Porta, Tezenis4.6 
 4. Kelley, Biancobl.3.9 
 5. Marigney, Givova S.3.7 
 6. McConnell, Fileni3.4 
 7. Rowe, Prima Veroli3.3 
 8. Whiting, Aget Imola3.3 
 9. Blizzard, Biancobl.3.2 
 10. Renfroe, Enel B.3.2 
Steals Per Game
 Mario WEST
  Tezenis .
  (195-G-84)
  Avg: 3
 1. West, Tezenis3.0 
 2. Radulovic, Givova2.9 
 3. Rowe, Prima Veroli2.8 
 4. Thompson, Centra.2.7 
 5. Marigney, Givova S.2.5 
 6. Goldwire, Centra.2.4 
 7. Taylor, Trenkwal.2.4 
 8. Robinson, Trenkwal.2.3 
 9. Green, Sigma B.2.3 
 10. McConnell, Fileni2.3 
Blocks Per Game
 Riccardo CERVI
  Trenkwalder
  (215-C-91)
  Avg: 2.1
 1. Cervi, Trenkwalder2.1 
 2. Maggioli, Fileni B.1.5 
 3. Brkic, Prima Veroli0.8 
 4. Radulovic, Givova0.8 
 5. Trapani, MarcoPol.0.8 
 6. Thomas, Givova S.0.8 
 7. Da Ros, Sigma B.0.7 
 8. Edwards, Tezenis0.7 
 9. DiGiuliomari., Tez.0.6 
 10. Martin, Sigma Bar.0.6 


Fenerbahce Ulker fails in crucial game in Milano - by Eurobasket News
Armani Milano - Fenerbahce Ulker 85-72

Fenerbahce Ulker was not able to win in Milano on Wednesday night. It was a do-or-die game for the Turkish champion, but they didn't make it. Emporio Armani celebrated 85-72 victory in this meeting to end Euroleague Top 16 as No.3 of Group G with 3-3 record. FB Ulker is the last ranked team in this pool with 2-4. Both teams failed to reach the Playoffs. Malik Hairston (198-G-87, college: Oregon) shined for the winners with 27 points. Alessandro Gentile (197-G/F-92) had 12 points and Omar-Sharif Cook (186-PG-82, agency: Beo Basket, college: St.John's) added 10 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds. Ernest Bremer (194-G-80, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: St.Bonaventure) also scored 10 pts for the hosts. In FB Ulker, Emir Preldzic (205-F-87, agency: Beo Basket) had 15 points and 5 assists, and Bojan Bogdanovic (203-G/F-89) netted 14 points. James Gist (205-F-86) (9 rebs) and Roko-Leni Ukic (196-G-84) posted 12 points apiece. Milano had 14-point lead at the beginning of the last period and everything what FB Ulker was able to do after that was minus 7 midway through the quarter. Malik Hairston, Cook and Roca immediately replied and lifted their team to 80-69 lead with less than three minutes remaining and Fener was on the knees. Quarters: 20-21, 26-19, 20-15, 19-17.

Armani Milano: Malik Hairston 27, Alessandro Gentile 12, Omar-Sharif Cook 10+8 as+5 boards, Ernest Bremer 10
Fenerbahce Ulker: Emir Preldzic 15+5 as, Bojan Bogdanovic 14, James Gist 12+9 boards, Roko-Leni Ukic 12

*****************************************************
  JAMAICA   


Mattis McHugh is a newcomer at Brujos de Guayama - by Eurobasket Center
Brujos de Guayama added to their roster 28-year old Jamaican-Jamaican forward Mattis McHugh (198-F-84, college: S.Florida). In In his first game he didn''t score any points. McHugh played most recently at Abejas de Guanajuato (Mexico). A very spectacular season in his career as he was voted to Latinbasket.com All-Mexican LNBP Honorable Mention. McHugh is a very experienced player. He played also pro basketball in Argentina, France, Holland and Mexico. McHugh graduated University of South Florida in 2007 and it will be his fifth season in pro basketball.

By Eurobasket Data Center

*****************************************************
  JAPAN   


Staten's double-double lands him BJ League Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
28-year old guard Jamel Staten (198-G-83) put on an amazing game in the last round for Chiba Jets and receives a Asia-basket.com BJ League Player of the Week award for round 40.
He had a double-double of 32 points and 14 rebounds, while his team edged out Shiga L-Stars (#5, 21-15) 101-100. Chiba Jets is placed at 7th position in Japanese BJ League. Chiba Jets is rather a weak team placed in lower part in the standings. They need more victories to improve their 13-21 record. In the team's last game Staten had a remarkable 58.3% from 2-point range and got four three-pointers out of 6 attempts. He turned to be Chiba Jets' top player in his first season with the team. Minnesota State University Mankato graduate has very impressive stats this year. Staten is in league's top in points (2nd best: 20.7ppg), rebounds (3rd best: 10.6rpg) and averages solid 2.9spg.

Second best performed player last round was T.J. Cummings (205-F-81) of Oita H.Devils. He is American forward in his first season at Oita H.Devils. In the last game Cummings recorded impressive double-double of 27 points and 14 rebounds. Of course Oita H.Devils cruised to a 80-73 relatively comfortable win over slightly higher-ranked Shimane SM (#6, 20-16). 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 12-23 record. Cummings is a newcomer at Oita H.Devils and quickly became one of team's most reliable players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 19.7ppg (#6). He also registered 10.1 boards per game.

Third place about best performers goes to forward Ray Nixon (203-F-84) of Shiga L-Stars (#5). Nixon got into 30-points club by scoring exactly 30 points in the last round. He went also for eleven rebounds . Despite Nixon's great performance Shiga L-Stars lost 100-101 to slightly lower-ranked Chiba Jets (#7, 13-21). But his team cannot count on just a single shooter as he also needs help of the other teammates. The last thing Shiga L-Stars needs is to lose another game like this one. They lose more and more distance to the top teams. Their record is 21 victories and 15 lost games. Nixon has a very solid season. In 36 games in Japan he scored 16.4ppg. He also has 7.4rpg, FGP: 54.7% and 3PT: 40.2%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Nile Murry (193-G-83) of Niigata Albirex - 27 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists
5. Justin Burrell (235-F-88) of Yokohama BC - 17 points and 18 rebounds
6. Rashaad Singleton (213-C-87) of Sendai 89ers - 21 points and 11 rebounds
7. Nyika Williams (203-C-87) of Takamatsu FA - 19 points, 18 rebounds and 3 assists
8. Dionisio Gomez Camargo (203-F-80) of Shiga L-Stars - 19 points and 12 rebounds
9. Larry Turner (210-F/C-82) of Toyama Grouses - 14 points, 16 rebounds and 3 assists
10. Maurice Hargrow (193-G-83) of Chiba Jets - 36 points, 7 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)

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


Trepca demolished Kolegji Univers - by Dren Shporta
He did it again. Drilon Hajrizi (208-C) is on his best form this season. Trepca captain has scored 31 points, again over 30, to show everyone that he will do everything for the championship. He was surely assisted from great Jaleel Nelson and high Bosnian, Emir Zimic for the final result of 111:56.

Nelson added 24 points, while Zimic scored 16 to give the scoring space for Valdrin Haxhiu and youngster Arian Tahiri. Haxhiu scored 13, while Arian Tahiri added 18 points for Trepcas 8th victory with more than 100 points scored in the season.

College boys of Dritero Sefaja couldnt do more. They saw on the beginning that Trepca is getting better and better every moment. Dritero Sefaja gave the chance to all his players during the game, while Hekuran Binxhia and Ngadhnjim Dragusha were the only ones who scored double ciphered points, 12 and 10 respectively.

Trepca now has 15 victories out of 16 matches and will play against Kosova in coming weekend , while college boys will have to try hard to surprise Bashkimi in their next match.


Bashkimi hopes for victory against motivated Peja - by Dren Shporta
Orange boys from Prizren, Bashkimi, are looking to register first victory in the second half of the season. They play against Peja tonight on their Sezair Surroi court. With good introduction of Charles Bronson (206-C-83, agency: Prossin Sports Management, college: Pikeville) and Rolando Little in the game against Trepca, which they lost, boys under the commands of Naser Oskacek have a chance to defeat Peja.

On the other side, Ivica Marics boys are very motivated for this game. After defeating reigning champions, Sigal Prishtina as visitors, they want to do the same to Bashkimi. With Mirza Ahmetbasic in great form and good game of Mario Edwards and Dustin Scott, yellows are hoping to reach Bashkimi on the classification.

Bashkimi and Peja have one win registered against each other in the winter part of the season. Bashkimi could be unfavorized for this game because should play the game without spectators. The Sezair Surroi court is punished and the game will be played without spectators. The fans have made interruptions in the game against Sigal Prishtina, in December, with fire-works. For this reason, FBK has punished the oranges to play in empty court. The match will start tonight at 19:00 and will be transmitted from the national television.


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


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Courtney SIMS
  VEF Riga
  (211-C-83)
  Avg: 24.1
 1. Sims, VEF Riga24.1 
 2. Kalve, Valmiera18.8 
 3. Peiners, LU18.8 
 4. Lucas, Valmiera17.3 
 5. Mayo, Liepaja16.9 
 6. Krumins, Jelgava16.9 
 7. Ozols, Jurmala16.3 
 8. Young, Ventspils15.6 
 9. Mediss, Turiba15.5 
 10. Kravcenko, Liepaja14.2 
Rebounds Per Game
 Ervins JONATS
  Jurmala
  (199-F-91)
  Avg: 9.8
 1. Jonats, Jurmala9.8 
 2. Berzins, VEF Riga9.0 
 3. Willard, Ventspils8.6 
 4. Dargais, LU8.3 
 5. Rozitis, Valmiera8.1 
 6. Sims, VEF Riga8.0 
 7. Mednis, Turiba7.4 
 8. Kalve, Valmiera6.3 
 9. Andriukaitis, Liep.6.3 
 10. Nelson, Jelgava6.2 
Assists Per Game
 Josh MAYO
  Liepaja
  (182-G-87)
  Avg: 5.3
 1. Mayo, Liepaja5.3 
 2. Lucas, Valmiera4.6 
 3. Lejasmeiers, Vents.3.9 
 4. Kravcenko, Liepaja3.7 
 5. Coders, Jurmala3.6 
 6. Millage, VEF Riga3.3 
 7. Krumins, Jelgava3.2 
 8. Gray, Ventspils3.1 
 9. Valters, VEF Riga2.9 
 10. Young, Ventspils2.8 
Steals Per Game
 Curtis MILLAGE
  VEF Riga
  (185-G-81)
  Avg: 2.9
 1. Millage, VEF Riga2.9 
 2. Peiners, LU1.9 
 3. Kanbergs, Jelgava1.9 
 4. Young, Ventspils1.8 
 5. Osins, LU1.8 
 6. Gray, Ventspils1.7 
 7. Piternieks, Turiba1.7 
 8. Mayo, Liepaja1.6 
 9. Kosuskins, Jurmala1.5 
 10. Cain, VEF Riga1.5 
Blocks Per Game
 Jekabs ROZITIS
  Valmiera
  (206-F/C-86)
  Avg: 1.6
 1. Rozitis, Valmiera1.6 
 2. Berzins, VEF Riga1.1 
 3. Cain, VEF Riga1.0 
 4. Ozols, Jurmala1.0 
 5. Jonats, Jurmala0.8 
 6. Plivda, LU0.7 
 7. Willard, Ventspils0.6 
 8. Sims, VEF Riga0.6 
 9. Kavaliauskas, VEF0.6 
 10. Rubenis, LU0.6 


Standings - LBAL
LBL2 Standings
 1. BK VEF 21-2 
 2. Barons kvartals 21-2 
 3. Liepaja-2 21-3 
 4. Saldus 18-4 
 5. VEF Kadeti 14-8 
 6. RSU 13-10 
 7. BS Riga 12-10 
 8. VA 11-13 
 9. DSN 10-13 
 10. Ogres 8-16 
 11. Jelgava/LLU 8-16 
 12. Cesis 8-16 
 13. Livani 7-17 
 14. Valmiera BSS 6-17 
 15. Gulbene 6-19 
 16. Ridzene 3-21 


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


Stats Leaders - LKL
Points Per Game
 Vaidas CEPUKAITIS
  Lietkabe.
  (207-C-89)
  Avg: 16.2
 1. Cepukaitis, Lietka.16.2 
 2. Valanciunas, Lietu.16.0 
 3. Butkevicius, Rudup.15.5 
 4. Urbonas, Juventus15.3 
 5. Mazeika, Neptunas14.9 
 6. Benn, Naglis Palan.14.5 
 7. Vasylius, Siauliai14.4 
 8. Hughes, Pieno Z.14.3 
 9. Johnson, Naglis P.13.4 
 10. Milaknis, Rudupis13.4 
Rebounds Per Game
 Dane JOHNSON
  Naglis P.
  (208-C-86)
  Avg: 10.5
 1. Johnson, Naglis P.10.5 
 2. Butkevicius, Rudup.7.9 
 3. McClure, Kedainiai7.6 
 4. Valanciunas, Lietu.7.6 
 5. Benn, Naglis Palan.7.5 
 6. Petrukonis, Juven.7.4 
 7. Bowles, Siauliai6.4 
 8. Mikalauskas, Neptu.6.4 
 9. Cepukaitis, Lietka.6.3 
 10. Adomaitis, Kedain.6.3 
Assists Per Game
 Mantas KALNIETIS
  Zalgiris
  (196-G-86)
  Avg: 5.3
 1. Kalnietis, Zalgiris5.3 
 2. Peciukeviciu., Sak.5.2 
 3. Rice, Lietuvos.5.1 
 4. Dainys, Neptunas4.9 
 5. Broadus, Siauliai4.6 
 6. Ezerskis, Lietkabe.4.0 
 7. Maceina, Juventus3.6 
 8. Samenas, Sakalai3.5 
 9. Kadziulis, Rudupis3.5 
 10. Salenga, Rudupis3.4 
Steals Per Game
 TreVon HUGHES
  Pieno Z.
  (183-PG-87)
  Avg: 2.3
 1. Hughes, Pieno Z.2.3 
 2. Salenga, Zalgiris2.0 
 3. Broadus, Siauliai1.9 
 4. Benn, Naglis Palan.1.7 
 5. Seibutis, Lietuv.1.6 
 6. Ginevicius, Kedain.1.6 
 7. Long, Siauliai1.6 
 8. Kelys, Pieno Z.1.5 
 9. Weems, Zalgiris1.5 
 10. Collins, Zalgiris1.5 
Blocks Per Game
 Jonas VALANCIUNAS
  Lietuv.
  (210-C-92)
  Avg: 2
 1. Valanciunas, Lietu.2.0 
 2. Johnson, Naglis P.1.8 
 3. Petrukonis, Juven.1.4 
 4. Kairys, Pieno Z.1.1 
 5. Staniulis, Lietkab.1.1 
 6. Morgan, Pieno Z.1.1 
 7. Samardziski, Lietu.1.0 
 8. McClure, Kedainiai0.9 
 9. Zelionis, Rudupis0.9 
 10. Matulionis, Lietk.0.8 


Stats Leaders - NKL
Points Per Game
 Sarunas VINGELIS
  LKKA-.
  (192-G-89)
  Avg: 21.6
 1. Vingelis, LKKA-.21.6 
 2. Uzkuraitis, Delika.19.5 
 3. Birgelis, Matinga-.18.3 
 4. Rakauskas, Radvili.18.3 
 5. Jucikas, AB.17.8 
 6. Varnelis, S.Marc.17.8 
 7. Maneikis, Meresta17.5 
 8. Gudaitis, Gargzdai17.0 
 9. Brown, Mazeikiai16.9 
 10. Sragauskis, LKKA-.16.5 
Rebounds Per Game
 Arturas GUDAITIS
  Gargzdai
  (208-C-93)
  Avg: 10.8
 1. Gudaitis, Gargzdai10.8 
 2. Ambrulaitis, Ezeru.8.9 
 3. Mineikis, Radvilis.8.2 
 4. Urbonas, LK.8.1 
 5. Kalvelis, Matinga-.7.5 
 6. Jucikas, AB.7.4 
 7. Linkevicius, Triob.7.3 
 8. Pikalavicius, Deli.7.3 
 9. Ramanauskas, Radvi.7.3 
 10. Kazakauskas, Naf.7.2 
Assists Per Game
 Matas SAPIEGA
  LK.
  (179-PG-90)
  Avg: 8.6
 1. Sapiega, LK.8.6 
 2. Kurauskas, AB.5.4 
 3. Razutis, Silute5.0 
 4. Semaska, Perla.4.9 
 5. Malasauskas, LKKA.4.6 
 6. Vileita, Perla.4.5 
 7. Birgelis, Matinga-.4.3 
 8. Kuklierius, Mating.4.3 
 9. Varanauskas, Stat.4.3 
 10. Vasiliauskas, Tri.4.3 
Steals Per Game
 Ignas RAZUTIS
  Silute
  (185-G-87)
  Avg: 2.8
 1. Razutis, Silute2.8 
 2. Vileita, Perla.2.5 
 3. Brown, Mazeikiai2.3 
 4. Slivka, Meresta2.2 
 5. Jogela, Zalgir.2.1 
 6. Uzkuraitis, Delika.2.0 
 7. Vasiliauskas, Trio.1.9 
 8. Paliukenas, S.Marc.1.9 
 9. Semaska, Perla.1.8 
 10. Birgelis, Matinga.1.8 
Blocks Per Game
 Tomas URBONAS
  LK.
  (218-C-92)
  Avg: 2.8
 1. Urbonas, LK.2.8 
 2. Mockevicius, S.Mar.1.8 
 3. Gudaitis, Gargzdai1.7 
 4. Kaubrys, Silute1.3 
 5. Jucikas, AB.1.1 
 6. Krestinin, S.Marc.1.1 
 7. Ramanauskas, Sil.1.0 
 8. Vaitiekunas, Triob.1.0 
 9. Kymantas, Zalgir.1.0 
 10. Griskenas, Meresta0.9 


Markoishvili, Bennet Cantu outplay Zalgiris in Kaunas - by Eurobasket News
Zalgiris - Bennet Cantu 71-77

Bennet Cantu said goodbye to 2011/12 Euroleague edition with 71-77 victory in Kaunas. The Italian squad finished as third ranked team of Group H with 3-3 record and their 15-point loss in Tel Aviv was crucial. At the other side, Zalgiris finished Euroleague Top 16 winless (0-6). Manuchar Markoishvili (196-G-86) exploded Cantu in this meeting. He drained 32 points and reached valuation 35. Markoishvili made 5 triples and was perfect from the line (9/9). Giorgi Shermadini (216-C-89) had 16 points and 8 rebounds, and Nicolas Mazzarino (181-PG-75, agency: Players Group) netted 9 points. For the hosts, Marko Popovic (185-G-82, agency: Alti Sport, college: S.Idaho JC) collected 15 points and 5 assists. Milovan Rakovic (208-C-85) followed him with 14 points and 7 rebs, while Mantas Kalnietis (196-G-86, agency: Interperformances) stopped to 12 points. The hosts led 62-59 after Marko Popovic free throws midway through the fourth quarter. But Markoishvili knotted the score with a triple and then Giorgi Shermadini scored the games next 5 points as Cantu pulled away to record the victory. Quarters: 23-18, 12-21, 15-11, 21-27. Both teams will focus on domestic championships now.

Zalgiris: Marko Popovic 15+5 as, Milovan Rakovic 14+7 boards, Mantas Kalnietis 12
Bennet Cantu: Manuchar Markoishvili 32, Giorgi Shermadini 16+8 boards, Nicolas Mazzarino 9

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


Standings - 1A
1A Standings
 1. Mornar Bar 15-1 
 2. Lovcen 11-5 
 3. Teodo Tivat 10-6 
 4. Sutjeska 10-6 
 5. Mogren 8-8 
 6. Ulcinj 7-7 
 7. KK Podgorica 7-9 
 8. Jedinstvo 4-11 
 9. Danilovgrad 3-12 
 10. ABS Primorje 3-13 
Play in international cups:
 1. Buducnost - 


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Nemanja VRANJES
  Sutjeska
  (188-G-88)
  Avg: 27.4
 1. Vranjes, Sutjeska27.4 
 2. Mugosa, KK Podgo.21.1 
 3. Vucurovic, Mogren19.3 
 4. Radulovic, Teodo T.19.2 
 5. Lekovic, Jedinstvo17.8 
 6. Lopicic, Lovcen17.3 
 7. Petkovic, Danilovg.17.2 
 8. Nicaj, KK Podgorica16.0 
 9. Bulatovic, ABS P.16.0 
 10. Ljujic, Jedinstvo15.8 
Rebounds Per Game
 Ljeko NICAJ
  KK Podgorica
  (210-C-87)
  Avg: 8.3
 1. Nicaj, KK Podgorica8.3 
 2. Lopicic, Lovcen8.0 
 3. Popovic, Sutjeska7.1 
 4. Pejovic, Sutjeska6.7 
 5. Vranjes, Sutjeska6.6 
 6. Radulovic, Teodo T.6.4 
 7. Mugosa, KK Podgo.6.3 
 8. Petkovic, Danilovg.6.2 
 9. Zejak, Lovcen6.1 
 10. Djurkovic, Ulcinj6.1 
Assists Per Game
 Nemanja VRANJES
  Sutjeska
  (188-G-88)
  Avg: 3.7
 1. Vranjes, Sutjeska3.7 
 2. Scott, Mornar Bar3.7 
 3. Bogojevic, KK Podg.3.5 
 4. Bulatovic, ABS P.3.0 
 5. Jelenic, Mornar B.3.0 
 6. Tepavcevic, Ulcinj2.7 
 7. Mijovic, Teodo Tiv.2.7 
 8. Mugosa, KK Podgo.2.5 
 9. Seferovic, Mogren2.4 
 10. Ratkovic, Danilov.2.3 
Steals Per Game
 Akeem SCOTT
  Mornar Bar
  (186-PG-83)
  Avg: 2.7
 1. Scott, Mornar Bar2.7 
 2. Bulatovic, ABS P.2.6 
 3. Vranjes, Sutjeska2.3 
 4. Miljic, Jedinstvo1.7 
 5. Jovovic, Danilovgr.1.7 
 6. Jelenic, Mornar B.1.6 
 7. Mijovic, Teodo Tiv.1.6 
 8. Pavlicevic, Lovcen1.5 
 9. Vucurovic, Mogren1.5 
 10. Ivanovic, Mornar1.4 
Blocks Per Game
 Ljeko NICAJ
  KK Podgorica
  (210-C-87)
  Avg: 2.4
 1. Nicaj, KK Podgorica2.4 
 2. Radulovic, Teodo T.1.2 
 3. Vujosevic, Mornar1.1 
 4. Djurkovic, Ulcinj1.0 
 5. Cebalovic, Danilov.0.9 
 6. Pavic, Mornar Bar0.9 
 7. Jocovic, Sutjeska0.8 
 8. Marojevic, Ulcinj0.8 
 9. Pejovic, Sutjeska0.7 
 10. Milosev, Sutjeska0.7 


Marko Mugosa's triple-double lands him Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
Forward Marko Mugosa (197-F-93) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for KK Podgorica, receiving a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 16.
The 18-year old player recorded a triple-double of 25 points addeding also 13 rebounds and 10 assists, while his team beat Jedinstvo (#8, 4-10) 88-79. KK Podgorica maintains the 7th position in Montenegrin 1A. KK Podgorica 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 7-8 record. Mugosa turned to be KK Podgorica's top player in his first season with the team. Marko Mugosa has solid league stats. He is in league's top in points (2nd best: 21.1ppg), rebounds (7th best: 6.3rpg) and assists (8th best: 2.5apg).

The second best player in last round's games was another KK Podgorica's star - 24-year old Albanian Ljeko Nicaj (210-C-87). Nicaj had a very good evening with a double-double of 17 points and 17 rebounds. Of course KK Podgorica cruised to a 88-79 relatively comfortable win over slightly lower-ranked Jedinstvo (#8, 4-10). KK Podgorica's 7th position in the standings has not changed. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 7-8 record. Nicaj is a newcomer at KK Podgorica, but is already one of team's top players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 16.0ppg (#8). He also registered 8.3 boards per game.

Third on the list of top players last round was guard Nemanja Vranjes (188-G-88) of Sutjeska (#4). Vranjes got into 30-points club by scoring 36 points in the last round. Despite Vranjes' great performance Sutjeska lost 67-83 to #3 ranked Teodo Tivat. But his team cannot count on just a single shooter as he also needs help of the other teammates especially in such crucial game. The last thing Sutjeska needs is to lose another game like this one. They lose more and more distance to the top teams. Their record is 10 victories and 6 lost games. Vranjes has a great season in Montenegro. After only 7 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 27.4ppg (best scorer), rebounds with 6.6rpg (5th best) and assists with 3.7apg (best passer). He also has 2.3spg and FGP: 59.7%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Vukota Pavic (203-C-93) of Mornar Bar - 12 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists
5. Aleksandar Bogojevic (189-G-86) of KK Podgorica - 21 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists
6. Milos Djurisic (194-G-88) of Ulcinj - 11 points and 12 rebounds
7. Filip Barovic (208-F/C-90) of Mornar Bar - 17 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists
8. Bogdan Cebalovic (202-F-92) of Danilovgrad - 6 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Radoje Vujosevic (209-C-89) of Mornar Bar - 13 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists
10. Aleksandar Radulovic (207-C-84) of Teodo Tivat - 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)

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  NBA   


Nowitzki leaves Mavs game with tight lower back - by Eurobasket News
Dirk Nowitzki (7'0''-F-78) has left the Dallas Mavericks' game against Memphis with lower back tightness. His return was questionable.

Nowitzki appeared slow throughout the first quarter Wednesday night, laboring down the floor and not playing defense effectively. He came back in for a short time in the opening minutes of the second period, but left after scoring only one point and missing his lone shot from the field.

The star forward is the Mavericks' leading scorer at 19.7 points per game.

Courtesy of www.chron.com

Wednesday's games review (12): Masked Kobe leads Lakers' blowout of Timberwolves - by Eurobasket News
San Antonio S. - Chicago B. 89-96
Derrick Rose (6'3''-G-88, college: Memphis) scored 29 points and the Chicago Bulls stayed on a roll by cooling off the streaking San Antonio Spurs 96-89 Wednesday night. Rose shook off a scary-looking collision with Tony Parker early that kept the reigning MVP on the floor clutching his right knee for several minutes. But he never left the game and the Bulls became just the second team to win in San Antonio this season. Gary Neal led the Spurs with 21 points. San Antonio floundered late and had its homecoming spoiled after going 8-1 during the winningest nine-game road trip in NBA history. Joakim Noah added 10 points and 13 rebounds for Chicago. The Bulls have won 11 of 13 and nudged a half-game past Miami for first place in the Eastern Conference. Tim Duncan had 18 points and 10 rebounds. He brought the Spurs back from an 11-point deficit in the third quarter after starting out rusty following the longest midseason break of his career. The 35-year-old wasn't at All-Star weekend for the first time but relished the rest in the compressed, lockout-shortened schedule. Duncan scored 12 in the third while Parker - who was an All-Star- struggled to keep pace with Rose. Parker finished with 11 points on 5-of-16 shooting, had nine assists and stumbled through his lowest-scoring game in a month. In fact, Parker's most memorable play may have been the one that nearly appeared to take out Rose. The point guards banged knees late in the first quarter in a collision that left Parker standing but Rose writhing on his back. Bulls trainers rushed to his side and kneeled over him for several minutes before Rose finally stood up and walked to the bench. He spent the ensuing timeout pacing the sideline, shaking out his knee, then immediately proved he was OK by darting toward the basket and finishing a tough layup on the very next possession. After scoring 32 points and sinking a crucial jumper with 19.4 seconds left to beat lowly New Orleans on Tuesday night, Rose delivered late again. He scored 13 in the second half and hit a 9-foot bank shot with 1:46 left that put Chicago up 87-82. Duncan quickly answered, but on the next possession Rose all but finished off the Spurs. This time it was a tough 18-footer over Duncan's outstretched hand that put the Bulls up 89-84, and Luol Deng's 3-pointer with 39.6 seconds left stretched the lead to six and sealed a winning start to Chicago's three-game road swing. San Antonio has been practically invincible at home. But the Spurs, now 13-2 at the AT&T Center, aren't going anywhere soon: They'll play their next six at home as amends for spending the last month on their most successful Rodeo Road Trip ever. Danny Green added 11 points for the Spurs. C.J. Watson scored 12 off the bench for Chicago, and Deng finished with 10. Richard Hamilton started again for the Bulls after returning from a monthlong absence Tuesday against the Hornets. Hamilton has been bothered by a sore thigh and played just 15 minutes, scoring two points on 1-of-8 shooting. *Courtesy of www.ktvn.com

LA Lakers - Minnesota T. 104-85
Kobe Bryant (6'6''-G-78) could be excused for harboring a little grudge after Dwyane Wade broke his nose and gave him a concussion with a hard foul in the All-Star game, of all places. Instead, Bryant professes nothing but love his fellow U.S. Olympian, even when the injuries required him to wear a sweaty protective mask in his first game back. And if Bryant had any hidden frustration about the whole situation, he probably took it out on the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bryant had 31 points, seven rebounds and eight assists while playing in that uncomfortable mask, and Los Angeles returned from the All-Star break with its 17th consecutive win over the Timberwolves, 104-85 on Wednesday night. Bryant didn't miss a game after Wade fouled him awkwardly from behind, giving Kobe the first concussion of his athletic career. After getting late clearance from his neurologist, the NBA's leading scorer slipped on a Richard Hamilton-style mask that quickly turned into 'a sauna on my face,' but didn't slow him at all. 'It happens,' Bryant said. 'You just have to deal with it and try to heal up as quickly as you possibly can, and get back on the court.' Although Wade and his Miami Heat visit Staples Center this weekend, Bryant is more interested in Friday's visit from the Sacramento Kings. He'll keep wearing the mask until his nose is less tender - but anybody expecting payback for Wade on Sunday is foolish, he insists. 'It was very simple: He didn't mean to do it,' Bryant said. 'He's not that kind of person. ... He's a nicer guy than I am, to be honest with you. He's just not the type of person who would do something like that (on purpose).' Bryant has played through countless nagging injuries in the last few years as the prep-to-pro star hits his mid-30s. After all, he has been playing with a torn ligament in his right wrist since the season began. The foul left Bryant with headaches, nausea and neck pain on his way out of Orlando. 'A lot of pressure,' Bryant said. 'It just feels like constant throbbing at the base of my head and neck.' He made significant progress in the previous 24 hours and passed every test for concussion problems from his neurologist, Dr. Vern Williams, who declared him symptom-free before the game. 'I understand the severity of the situation,' Bryant said. 'You have to go through those steps. It's part of the job. ... It's definitely different. In that sense, you're pretty helpless. You just have to be patient and hope for the best.' Bryant hit his first two jumpers in the opening minutes and finished the first quarter with 10 points. He also received several brief massages on the bench from the Lakers' physical therapist, both before and after scoring 12 points in the third quarter while Los Angeles pulled away. He even made 9 of 10 free throws with the mask. Lakers coach Mike Brown felt confident enough in Bryant's health to put him back in the game with the Lakers' other four starters in the closing minutes when Minnesota chiseled the lead below 20 points. 'Kobe is a special human being,' Brown said. 'I don't have answers for him. I don't know what he's made of. He's just different. His body reacts different.' Pau Gasol scored 15 points and Andrew Bynum had 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers, who improved to 15-1 at home since losing their Christmas opener. Michael Beasley and Martell Webster scored 14 points apiece as the Timberwolves played the middle game of a back-to-back-to-back set without Kevin Love, who sat out with an apparent case of the flu. 'From the start, they played harder than us,' Beasley said. 'They wanted it more than we did. They were playing physical from the beginning. It got us out of our game, and we couldn't fight back.' Minnesota couldn't duplicate its stellar shooting in an impressive win over the Clippers one night earlier, going 5 for 20 in the decisive third quarter of the Wolves' second loss in their last seven games. Rookie forward Derrick Williams, from nearby La Mirada, Calif., had 10 points while taking Love's starting spot for Minnesota, which finishes its three-night odyssey on Thursday in Phoenix. Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman said he decided to rest Love in hopes he'll be ready to play in the third game of the set. Los Angeles led by 15 in the first quarter, but Minnesota got back within 50-44 at halftime. The Lakers gradually took control while outscoring the Wolves 33-15 in the third quarter, led by Bryant's scoring and Gasol's 10 points after a quiet first half. *Courtesy of www.ktvn.com

New York K. - Cleveland C. 120-103
Jeremy Lin (6'3''-PG-88, college: Harvard) had 19 points and 13 assists, Carmelo Anthony scored 22 and the New York Knicks turned around the game with their reserves to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-103 on Wednesday night. Steve Novak had 17 points off the bench as the Knicks turned a 17-point deficit into an easy win, outscoring the Cavs 71-42 in the second half. They capped a 10-5 month, their first 10-win February since going 10-3 in 1996-97. The Knicks didn't lead until Novak made consecutive 3-pointers to put them up 75-74 with 2:52 left in the third quarter, then dominated the fourth quarter to send the Cavs to their third straight loss. Antawn Jamison had 23 points and 10 rebounds for Cleveland. *Courtesy of www.deseretnews.com

Boston C. - Milwaukee B. 102-96
There remain lapses and lackadaisical stretches to eliminate if the Celtics are to become true competitors in the Eastern Conference. They looked unstoppable at times last night against the Milwaukee Bucks, then found themselves looking to survive. What should have been an easy victory was the latest example of why the Celtics are maddeningly inconsistent. Rajon Rondo (6'1''-PG-86, college: Kentucky) had 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists for his 16th career triple-double in a 102-96 win at TD Garden as the Celtics got back to .500 (17-17). The Celtics led, 98-83, with 2:56 left before the Bucks rolled off 13 consecutive points. Kevin Garnett clinched the result by sinking four free throws, completing another stellar effort with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Chris Wilcox added 7 points and 13 rebounds. Against a team missing three key players - Andrew Bogut, Stephen Jackson, and Luc Mbah a Moute - the Celtics were expected to coast, and they did until the frantic final two minutes. 'You've got to be consistent and carry it through,'' said coach Doc Rivers. 'Hell, I'm worried now we have a day off. We may forget. '[The final two minutes are] something I'll look at on film and it will ruin my day because the day was going very well. A couple of bad turnovers.'' Rondo's floor generalship sparked a 25-6 run as the Bucks were held to 13 third-quarter points. Rondo scored just 2 points in the second half, but added nine assists and eight rebounds for his third triple-double of the season. He attempted 11 shots in the first half, after which the Celtics trailed by 4 (54-50). He took two in the second half and Boston outscored Milwaukee by 10. 'I was just trying to focus defensively tonight, honestly, and let the offense come to me,'' Rondo said. 'I didn't want to force anything. But I got pretty much all easy layups. The guys set some great picks for me, and it led to that.'' Garnett is averaging 22 points and 10.3 rebounds in three games since returning from a two-game absence to attend to a family matter. He again played with high energy, possibly ignited by a second-quarter dust-up with Bucks forward Larry Sanders, who made contact with Garnett as he attempted to respond to trash talk as a timeout was called. Officials immediately stepped in and both players were called for technicals, but it definitely inspired Garnett. 'I don't need much motivation man,'' he said. 'Sometimes you need a little swift kick. I thought that little tech shook up the dog house, gave me a little energy. I'm just trying to give my team an edge. Going through some personal problems, but I'm good, I'm back.'' The Bucks led, 58-52, with 9:31 left in the third quarter, before the Celtics clamped down defensively and began hitting midrange jumpers, especially Garnett and Brandon Bass, who combined for 13 points in a 25-6 run for a 77-64 lead. The surge was stunning considering the Celtics were lethargic for the first two quarters. They had been ragged and a step slow, allowing the Bucks to crash the offensive boards and take open midrange jumpers. The biggest beneficiary was Drew Gooden, who played for Rivers in Orlando. Gooden finished with 23 points, 16 in the first half. Ersan Ilyasova, who had been averaging 14.8 points and 11 rebounds in February, finished with 25 and 10. But they were the only Bucks to establish offensive rhythm. Milwaukee shot just 34 percent in the second half, and other than Gooden and Ilyasova, the Bucks were 8 for 33 for 20 points after the break. Milwaukee led, 54-45, in the waning seconds of the first half before Rondo scored on a layup and Keyon Dooling drained a 3-pointer off a steal, giving the Celtics much-needed momentum heading into the half. It sparked a surge to begin the third quarter, and the Celtics would lead for the final 18 minutes. 'I'm glad we're back to .500,'' Rivers said. 'We've won the first two after the break and both games were grind games. Our guys are buying into that. They are starting to understand this is a grind second half. We didn't play well in the first half. We stuck in it and stayed in it and that's what we have to do.'' *Courtesy of www.bostonglobe.com

Memphis G. - Dallas M. 96-85
Marc Gasol (7'0''-C-85, agency: Interperformances) had 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Mike Conley added 20 points and 10 assists as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Dallas Mavericks 96-85 on Wednesday night. Rudy Gay added 18 points for Memphis, despite hitting just eight of his 19 shots. Dante Cunningham was 5 of 6 from the field and scored 10 points. Jason Terry led the Mavericks with 18 points, while Rodrigue Beaubois scored 16. Brendan Haywood had 10 points for Dallas, which lost its third straight. The Mavericks played most of the game without leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki, who scored only one point before leaving early in the second quarter with lower back tightness. He did not return. Memphis led by as many as 15 in the second half and maintained a nine- to 11-point lead most of the way down the stretch. Beaubois gave the Mavericks good minutes off the bench in the first half scoring 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field. He was part of the Mavericks hitting 13 of their 20 shots in the second quarter, taking a 49-47 lead into halftime. Memphis built the lead to as many as 10 early in the second period, but Dallas outscored the Grizzlies 32-22 in the quarter. Both teams shot well in the half, Dallas connecting on 54 percent of its shots, the Grizzlies hitting at a 50 percent clip. But the Mavericks were hampered by 10 turnovers. Gasol led Memphis with 12 points in the half. The Mavericks extended the lead with four points from Haywood to open the second half, but Conley sparked Memphis to retake the lead. The Grizzlies relied on their defense to compose an 18-2 run in the period. That wasn't enough to hold Dallas completely at bay, however, as the Mavericks picked their way back. Still, Memphis led 74-67 entering the final quarter. Memphis opened the fourth with four straight baskets, including a pair by Gasol, to reach its biggest lead at 82-67. *Courtesy of www.boston.com

Denver N. - Portland TB 104-95
Ty Lawson (5'11''-PG-87, college: N.Carolina) had 18 points and nine assists in his return to the lineup, Kenneth Faried scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and the Denver Nuggets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 104-95 on Wednesday night. Timofey Mozgov had 14 points and nine rebounds and Al Harrington came off the bench to score 13 points and add nine rebounds for the Nuggets, who ended a two-game skid. Jamal Crawford had 21 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Trail Blazers. The Nuggets beat the Trail Blazers for the 16th time in the last 17 games in Denver. The Trail Blazers' only win in that span came on Dec. 16, 2007. Lawson missed the last two games with a sprained left ankle and quickly made an impact. He scored 11 points in the second half, including a key 3-pointer late to hold off a surge by Portland. The Nuggets led by 19 in the third quarter before the Blazers got within nine on Crawford's 3-pointer with 3:45 left in the period. Denver settled down to lead by 14 heading into the fourth. The Blazers trailed by double digits for most of the game, but cut it to six three times in the final 7:20. Wesley Matthew's hit a 3-pointer from the corner to trim Denver's lead to 91-85, the closest the Blazers had been since early in the second quarter. The teams traded baskets before Lawson's 3-pointer with 4:09 left made it 101-91. Portland trailed by five early in the second when Denver went on a 13-2 run to take a 44-28 lead midway through the period. Crawford got hot and scored 13 points over the next 3:33 to help the Blazers cut the deficit to 53-45 late in the second. Denver closed the half strong, scoring the last nine points to take a 17-point lead into intermission. The Nuggets never trailed in extending the Blazers' losing streak to seven games in Denver. Faried set the tone early, scoring the first four points and hustling for loose balls and rebounds. Four of his first five rebounds were on offense and his steal and windmill dunk gave Denver the lead for good just 1:17 into the game. *Courtesy of www.foxnews.com

Utah Jazz - Houston R. 104-83
Utah Jazz point guard Devin Harris (6'3''-PG-83, college: Wisconsin) was feeling sick to his stomach and couldn't finish Wednesday night's game. By then, the damage had already been done, as Harris pushed the tempo and helped turn an eight-point deficit into a 104-83 blowout victory over the Houston Rockets. 'It was all Devin,' Jazz center Al Jefferson of Harris, who finished with 19 points before leaving late in the third quarter. 'He attacked. He was a one-man factory tonight. We got behind him. He set the tone, especially after that first quarter.' The Jazz initially looked like a team that had dropped four straight, turning the ball over 10 times in the first quarter and falling behind 26-18. The Rockets still led 36-28 after a 3-pointer by Goran Dragic with 7:31 left in the second before the Jazz closed on a 21-8 run, including eight straight points by Harris. 'That's the Devin I used to love and hate because he used to do that to us,' Jefferson said of Harris' days in Dallas. 'He did it the last couple of games, really stepped it up and attacked the basket. That's going to really get us going.' C.J. Miles provided the rest of the offensive punch, scoring a season-high 27 points off the bench on 10-of-16 shooting, including three 3-pointers. He started the comeback with nine points in the second quarter, including six straight and nine of 13 in a 4-minute stretch as Utah pulled to 36-35. 'Miles went off on us and we had no answers for that tonight,' Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. Utah also stepped it up defensively to halt a four-game losing streak and the Rockets' four-game winning streak. Utah's losing streak started in Houston 11 days earlier with a 101-85 loss thanks to several 3-pointers by the Rockets -- 10 in all and seven by point guard Kyle Lowry. This time, the Rockets started 0 of 4 from beyond the arc and finished 6 of 23. And Lowry, who scored 32 points in the first meeting, was held to 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting. Shooting guard Kevin Martin fared even worse, going 2 of 10 and finishing with just six points -- about 12 below his season average. Luis Scola led Houston with 18 points. Jefferson gave Josh Howard plenty of credit on defending Martin. 'He had a hand in his face every time he shot the ball,' Jefferson said. After the ugly first quarter, Utah won just about every statistical category. The Jazz held a 58-32 advantage on points in the paint, 50-34 edge in rebounds, 30-22 edge on fast-break points, and 14-8 edge on second-chance points. 'They pushed us on transition ... and we just didn't get back and play with the defensive intensity that we needed,' Lowry said. 'I think we definitely felt like we got outworked tonight. Those guys played with the intensity and tenacity that a desperate team, [one on] a four-game losing streak, [that] wanted to get a win.' The Jazz won despite playing without injured starters Paul Millsap and Raja Bell. Millsap missed his first game this season because of a bruised heel while Bell sat out his fourth straight with a strained adductor. Jefferson added 14 points and 10 rebounds for Utah, and Howard, starting again with Bell out, finished with 14 points. Gordon Hayward had 10 as five Jazz players scored in double figures. 'It's a great win for us,' Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. 'We talked at the beginning of the year about not having losing streaks of three games or more. This is the first one this year for us. We don't want any more of those.' As the rout was on Wednesday, the second half turned into the Jeremy Evans show. Evans was honored before the game as the first Jazz player to win the NBA's Slam Dunk contest. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert declared Feb. 29, leap day in a leap year, as Jeremy Evans Day. Evans didn't disappoint the crowd, which saw him throw down a pair of dunks, block three shots and hand out two assists. 'To get the award was amazing, then to come back [home] with a win after All-Star break fun,' Evans said. It didn't bother him that fans can only celebrate his special day every four years. 'I'll take every four years, every five if I have to,' he said. 'It's exciting.' The win was a needed boost for the Jazz, who started the season 10-5, but lost 11 of 14 in February entering Wednesday night's game. Despite the win, it doesn't get any easier as LeBron James and the Miami Heat come to town Friday night followed by a road game at Dallas. 'It's big,' Howard said of Friday's game against the Heat. 'The atmosphere is going to be crazy because of the guy coming in with that team, but we have to approach it like any other game and try to learn.' *Courtesy of www.cbssports.com

Philadelph.76 - Oklah.City T. 88-92
On a night when Kevin Durant (6'9''-G/F-88, college: Texas) and Russell Westbrook were missing more shots than usual, the All-Star duo did the little things to win. Durant scored eight of his 23 points down the stretch and Westbrook had 22 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 92-88 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. James Harden added 16 points as the NBA-leading Thunder overcame a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter and won their sixth straight game. Durant and Westbrook combined to shoot just 36.8 percent (14 of 38), but Durant made a clutch steal late and Westbrook had seven offensive rebounds, including a key one in the final seconds. 'That kid is an amazing athlete,' Thunder coach Scott Brooks said of Westbrook. 'He's dynamic and that last rebound was huge. That's our guy. He's so good, you kind of get used to him making plays like that.' Andre Iguodala and Jrue Holiday each had 18 points for the Atlantic Division-leading 76ers, who beat Detroit on Tuesday night to snap a five-game losing streak. Coming off his MVP performance in the All-Star game, Durant had a tough time duplicating that 36-point effort in the West's win over the East on Sunday. The two-time scoring champion shot 7 of 18 but delivered at the end. 'That's the type of game we needed,' Durant said. 'We missed a lot of easy shots, but we came out with a win.' Sixers coach Doug Collins was back on the bench after watching the fourth quarter of the 97-68 win at Detroit from the locker room because he was dizzy. Collins said he felt great and that the dizziness was caused by dehydration. For a while, it seemed the Sixers were going to give Collins another reason to feel better. Following a timeout by the Thunder, Iguodala's steal led to a jumper by Holiday that put Philadelphia up 84-77 with 5:31 remaining. But the Sixers missed their next 10 shots and Oklahoma City took advantage. Durant hit a jumper and 3-pointer. His free throw with 3:20 left tied it at 85. Serge Ibaka put the Thunder up 87-85 on a pair of free throws with 1:53 remaining. A free throw by Kendrick Perkins made it 88-85. After Lou Williams missed a 3-pointer, Perkins missed two free throws with 20.4 seconds to go. But Durant's steal at the other end and a free throw put the Thunder up 89-85. Iguodala hit a 3-pointer with 4.9 seconds to go to get Philadelphia within one. But Durant made a free throw and then Westbrook made two to seal it after getting a rebound off Durant's miss. The Thunder won the battle on the boards, outrebounding the Sixers 56-39. They also had a significant edge at the foul line, going 26 of 34 while Philadelphia was just 10 of 12. 'We're not a team that gets to the foul line,' Collins said. 'We got beat by 16 points at the foul line. We're still going to keep driving in there.' The Thunder were the West's No. 4 playoff seed last season when they fell two wins short of reaching the NBA finals. They're aiming to win a championship this season and are ahead of the pack in a tough conference. Tough defense helped Oklahoma City pull this one out, and that's the team's mentality the rest of the way. 'Our mindset to win this game was to make stops on the defensive end,' Harden said. 'We have to have a defensive mentality.' Despite losing six of seven, the upstart Sixers are still the front-runners in their division. The Sixers used a 10-0 run to take their biggest lead, 63-55, in the third quarter. Jodie Meeks followed a thunderous slam by Iguodala with a fast-break layup to cap the run. Daequan Cook ended it with a 3-pointer and the Thunder cut the deficit to 67-63 after three quarters. Durant and Philadelphia's Evan Turner drew technicals and had to be separated after a mini-scuffle in the final minute of the first half. Durant heard loud boos when he got the ball on the next possession, but he silenced the crowd with a 3-pointer that gave the Thunder a 53-48 lead going into halftime. 'We defend. That's one thing we are consistent with. We just have to keep doing it,' Brooks said. 'But they defend, too. That's why this is such a great win. Because that team over there is one of the best defensive teams in the league.' *Courtesy of www.timesunion.com

Detroit P. - Charlotte B. 109-94
Rodney Stuckey (6'5''-PG-86, college: E.Washington) scored 29 points and Greg Monroe added 19 points and a career-high 20 rebounds and the Detroit Pistons routed the Charlotte Bobcats 109-94 Wednesday. Brandon Knight scored 20 points and Tayshaun Prince added 14 points and 10 rebounds for Detroit, which bounced back from Tuesday's 29-point home loss to Philadelphia. Corey Maggette had 17 points for Charlotte, which has lost 19 of 20 and is 4-29 on the season. Bismack Biyombo got off to a quick start, winning the opening tip, hitting the game's first shot and blocking Detroit's first attempt. Biyombo strained his left shoulder later in the first quarter and did not return. His absence let the Pistons dominate the paint in the rest of the first half. The Pistons had more offensive rebounds (10) than Charlotte had defensive rebounds (nine), and held an 18-3 edge on second-chance points. That helped Detroit build a 58-43 lead at halftime, with Stuckey and Knight combining for 29 points. Monroe finished the first half with nine points and 11 rebounds, and picked up his 19th double-double in the first minute of the third quarter. The Pistons led 83-69 at the end of the third, and while the Bobcats got as close as 12 in the fourth, they never seriously threatened Detroit's lead. *Courtesy of www.miamiherald.com

N.Orleans H. - Toronto R. 84-95
Linas Kleiza (6'8''-F-85, college: Missouri) and DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points apiece and the Toronto Raptors rallied to beat the New Orleans Hornets 95-84 on Wednesday night. The Raptors, who trailed 69-62 after tying a season low for points in a quarter with 11 in the third, broke loose for 33 in the fourth -- matching a season best for any quarter. They hit their first eight shots and took control by scoring 22 points in the first 4:22. Kleiza tied a career high with five 3-pointers off the bench, including three in the fourth. Leandro Barbosa, another reserve, added 15 points. Marco Belinelli had 20 points for the Hornets, who missed 13 consecutive shots in the fourth quarter and lost for the 16th straight time after trailing at the half. Chris Kaman added 17 points and 10 rebounds. The game turned quickly at the start of the fourth after Toronto missed 17 of 21 shots in the third, getting outscored 23-11. DeRozan scored on a floater, Kleiza drilled a 3-pointer and Barbosa converted a transition layup to tie the score right away, prompting a New Orleans timeout with 10:43 left. The Raptors did not cool down. Kleiza hit another 3 on their next possession for a 72-71 lead. Jerryd Bayless responded to a 3 by Belinelli with a 3 the next time down the court. After Belinelli sank another 3, Barbosa hit a mid-range shot, Bayless made two free throws and Barbosa made a 3 from the corner to give Toronto an 82-77 lead with 7:38 left. Kleiza finished off the Hornets with his fifth 3-pointer, a 25-footer, to put Toronto ahead 89-81with 3:25 left. The final margin was Toronto's largest lead of the night. The Hornets turned a 51-46 halftime deficit into a 69-62 lead by limiting the Raptors to one basket in the last 7 minutes of the third quarter. New Orleans went ahead for the first time since the first quarter, 60-58, on Trevor Ariza's layup. The Hornets extended the advantage to seven when reserve Solomon Jones scored back-to-back baskets in the final minute, getting the ball to fall in after rolling around the rim both times. Toronto went more than 4 minutes at the start without making a shot, getting its only two baskets on putbacks while falling behind 12-4. The Raptors heated up quickly, though, finishing the first quarter 12 of 19 (63.2 percent) from the field. Jose Calderon sank all four of his shots, including a pair of 3s to give Toronto a 29-25 lead by the end of the quarter. New Orleans point guard Jarrett Jack, coming off the bench for the sixth consecutive game after missing seven in a row with sore knees, struggled for almost all of the first half. He hit the backboard on the fly with a 3-point attempt and shot an airball from 17 feet that Kaman grabbed for a layup. Jack scored his only baskets of the half on back-to-back layups in the last 10.5 seconds and finished 3 of 12 from the field. *Courtesy of www.boston.com

Washington W. - Orlando M. 95-102
Ryan Anderson (6'10''-F-88, college: California) had 23 points and 15 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic pulled away late in the fourth quarter Wednesday night and returned from the All-Star break with a 102-95 win over the lineup-shuffling Washington Wizards. Anderson scored 11 in the fourth quarter and led seven players in double figures for the Magic, who have won 11 of 15 and bounced back from a five-point loss to Atlanta that prompted a quick players-only meeting before the break. Even so, the Magic blew a 17-point first-quarter lead against the lowly Wizards, committed 18 turnovers and survived an off-night from Dwight Howard, who was 4 for 9 from the field and 6 for 11 from the free-throw line, yet still finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Orlando made up for Howard's struggles by going to the long ball, making 15 of 36 3-point attempts. The score was tied at 83 after Washington's Maurice Evans made a 3-pointer with 6:57 to play, but Jameer Nelson made a 3 to give Orlando the lead again. Then Jason Richardson made a steal to set up another 3-pointer, this time from Anderson, to put the Magic up by six. John Wall had 33 points to the lead the Wizards, who lost their sixth straight despite rallying from a large deficit for the second straight night. They were down 22 at Milwaukee on Tuesday and lost by one. Wizards coach Randy Wittman stuck with the lineup that helped spur that comeback, starting Jordan Crawford and Kevin Seraphin in place of JaVale McGee and Nick Young. It was Seraphin's first start of the season and second of his career, and it reinforced Wittman's message that he was no longer going to accept youth as a reason for undisciplined play. Seraphin did a solid job guarding Howard, but it was Wall and Crawford who got the Wizards back in the game. Crawford had 14 points and four assists in the third quarter as Washington built a five-point lead, but an 11-0 run with 3-pointers from J.J. Redick, Anderson and Chris Duhon put the Magic back in front. But Wall soon scored 10 straight Wizards points, then had the assist on Evans' 3-pointer that tied the game. The Magic kept taking 3s, however, and made enough to pull out the win. *Courtesy of www.ktvn.com

Atlanta H. - Golde State W. 82-85
Dominic McGuire (6'9''-F/G-85, college: Fresno St.) scored no points in only his second start of the season. He drew plenty of praise, though, for his defense and rebounding as a surprise fill-in for Stephen Curry. McGuire, a forward making a start in the backcourt, had 15 rebounds and led Golden State's defensive efforts against Joe Johnson as the Warriors answered a late comeback by Atlanta to beat the Hawks 85-82 on Wednesday night. 'Just incredible,' Warriors coach Mark Jackson said of McGuire. 'He embodies everything we've preached about since Day 1, and I thought the important thing is to make a statement and to start the guy that has done everything we've asked him to do.' David Lee scored 22 points, including the go-ahead basket with 30 seconds remaining. The Warriors took the lead early in the second period and protected the lead until Zaza Pachulia scored on a follow-up shot after a miss by Teague with 52 seconds remaining for a 78-78 tie. Lee drove past Pachulia to score with 30 seconds remaining to give the lead back to Golden State. Monta Ellis had 24 points and eight assists, while Lee had 12 rebounds for a double-double. McGuire, a fifth-year player from Fresno State, held Johnson to 18 points on 6-of-17 shooting. Curry missed all but the final three seconds of the game due to a strained tendon in his right foot. Jackson said he knew after Wednesday night's loss at Indiana he was going to move Ellis from shooting guard to point guard against Atlanta. He said he was 'tossing and turning' as he tried to pick a new starter at shooting guard. The surprise choice was the 6-foot-9 McGuire. 'I knew exactly what I was going to get from him: Great defense, goes after every rebound, even down the stretch,' Jackson said. McGuire called his assignment on Johnson 'nothing special.' 'The same thing I do every game: I just get down and play defense,' McGuire said. 'If I'm out there long enough, I'm going to get rebounds, that's guaranteed.' The Hawks were held to a season-low 33.7 percent shooting as they missed 61 of their 92 shots from the field -- many from long range. Hawks coach Larry Drew issued a familiar criticism of his players' shot selection. 'We settled tonight, particularly the first half,' Drew said. 'I thought we settled for way too many jump shots. We've got to be smarter and understand the flow of the game. It's one thing if you're making shots, but if you're not making shots from the perimeter you can't just settle for jump shots.' The Hawks also were hurt by poor shooting on free throws, making only 16 of 26 attempts. The Warriors made 16 of 17 free throws. Josh Smith, who had 14 points and 10 rebounds, made only five of 20 shots from the field and four of eight free throws. He made only two of 11 shots in the final period. 'I thought we missed a lot of point-black shots with nobody around,' Johnson said. 'I'm sure we'll bounce back and have to get the next one, but it was definitely a tough loss for us.' Pachulia had 13 points and 16 rebounds for Atlanta, Jeff Teague had 15 points. Marvin Williams, who had 11 points and 12 rebounds, was a third Atlanta starter with a double-double. Johnson returned after missing two games and the All-Star game with tendinitis in his left knee. He wore wraps on each knee and said his left knee was 'a little stiff' at times. Johnson appeared to lack explosion when he missed a layup in the first half after managing only a tentative jump toward the rim. 'I wouldn't say I was 100 percent, but I was decent,' Johnson said. Johnson sank a jumper on the first possession, but it was his only basket of the half. He missed his last seven shots of the half but regained his form as he delivered Atlanta's first three baskets, including a 3-pointer, in the second half. The Hawks set a season low by making only 32.6 percent of their shots from the field in the first half. The Warriors led 48-38 at halftime and 64-61 after three periods. *Courtesy of www.cbssports.com



Stein: Suns want to re-sign Steve Nash instead of trading him - by Eurobasket News
Marc Stein's report that Robert Sarver doesnt want to trade Suns star Steve Nash (6'3''-PG-74, college: Santa Clara) but instead hopes to re-sign him for at least two more seasons is not exactly breaking news.

After all, management has repeated that Nash can stay as long as he wants every time this topic gets brought up (which happens quite often) and Nash has always insisted he will not demand a trade every time hes asked (a lot as well).

Yet its noteworthy nonetheless two weeks before a trade deadline in which it would make sense for the Suns to at least consider shopping Nash with the playoffs likely a long shot.

Stein lays out the current Nash scenario facing the Suns:

Sarver, though, is apparently determined to try to convince Nash to retire in the desert. The thinking there, sources say, is that the Suns believe theyd have a better core going forward with a re-upped Nash, center Marcin Gortat, cap space and a top pick in the well-regarded 2012 draft than with the sort of assets they could bring back now in a deadline deal for a 38-year-old point guard who, even as he continues to play at an All-Star level, is just a few months away from free agency.

The risk there, of course, is that keeping Nash beyond the trade deadline exposes the Suns to the same risks Orlando faces if it hangs onto Howard, creating the very real possibility that Nash could leave Phoenix without compensation. In that scenario, though, its believed that Sarver would prefer to announce to the world afterward that the Suns tried everything they could to keep Nash but ultimately couldnt stop him from signing elsewhere and then start to try to rebuild with the resultant cap space as opposed to settling for a so-so trade in the next two weeks.

This also jibes with the Suns stated desire to avoid a long rebuilding project due to how long it takes most teams to return to contention after they decide to blow things up and start from square one, unless they luck into a franchise star.

As dreary as things seem today, adding a top-10 pick in a loaded draft and a decent free agent to this Nash-Gortat-Dudley-Morris-Frye core sounds like a playoff team, assuming Nash continues at this level. In any case, Nash is likely the best free agent who would be amenable to signing in Phoenix.

On the flip side, not trading Nash would open the Suns up to a scenario through which they could lose a pair of cornerstone players for nothing within a two-year stretch (although Amare isnt exactly playing like a franchise cornerstone these days). At that point the Suns roster would lack both impact talent (aside from Gortat) and quality players on rookie contracts (save for Morris), and theyd be starting from scratch without whatever piece could be acquired for Nash as well as the resultant improvement in this years lottery pick.

Furthermore, Stein heard a few voices cautioning that the Suns are listening to Nash pitches more than theyre letting on but he added that the overwhelming majority of insiders surveyed on the topic dont expect Two Time to need a new zip code anytime soon.
Stein cited the RealGM.com report that Orlando would like to acquire Nash to pair with Howard, but after playing around with the trade machine I cant think of any combination that would make that much sense being that their only decent asset, Ryan Anderson, is set to become a restricted free agent and youd likely have to take on Jameer Nelsons $8.6 mil player option for next season. Sure, Nash would fit perfectly in Orlando with Howard and their shooters, but they already traded away their best asset to make a Nash trade (Gortat) last winter.

Thats why if there is any movement on the Nash front I expect it to come from the other team Stein reports interest from.

Portland, says one source close to the situation, has been interested in Nash for a while.

The Blazers are the one team that I think could have the motive and assets to make a play for Nash, assuming the Suns ever change their stance of course.

Their offer would begin with Ray Felton, who would represent a $7.56 million expiring contract. He would hold down the fort at point guard for the rest of the season and be given a tryout of sorts considering his success in this system in New York.

If the Blazers were to add pending restricted free agent Nicolas Batum to the package then it would become something to seriously consider, although Chris Broussard called the Frenchman virtually untouchable. Portland could also build an offer around Wesley Matthews and dangle Nolan Smith and/or picks to entice Phoenix.

Because of Feltons contract, the Blazers have the ability to fashion a deal that gives Phoenix quality youth without adding future salary commitments, which should be the goal of any Nash trade. Portland began the night in eighth but sits just 2 1/2 games out of first. The Blazers have been after Nash for years and could feel hes the missing piece for a long playoff run.

My contention all along has been that the Suns need to explore their options, see if any trade could substantially improve their future and at that point have a conversation with Nash to see if such a move would be in both their best interests.

As we are seeing with the Colts and Peyton Manning, its not easy saying goodbye to a legend and its understandable for the Suns to think they could compete with Nash back, a top-10 pick and a legit free agent. Although the specifics are different, if there ends up being a divorce between the Suns and Nash I could see it playing out similarly to the Manning fiasco in that neither side wants to be held responsible for breaking up what was such a successful partnership.

But if the Suns get their wish, according to Steins sources, thats a conversation they will never need to have being that Phoenixs long-term plans still include Nash.

Courtesy of http://valleyofthesuns.com

Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Kobe BRYANT
  LA Lakers
  (198-G-78)
  Avg: 28.5
 1. Bryant, LA Lakers28.5 
 2. Durant, Oklah.Ci.28.0 
 3. James, Miami Heat27.7 
 4. Love, Minnesota T.24.5 
 5. Westbrook, Oklah..23.6 
 6. Wade, Miami Heat22.8 
 7. Rose, Chicago B.22.4 
 8. Ellis, Golde S.22.2 
 9. Aldridge, Portland.22.1 
 10. Williams, New J.21.9 
Rebounds Per Game
 Dwight HOWARD
  Orlando M.
  (211-C-85)
  Avg: 15
 1. Howard, Orlando M.15.0 
 2. Love, Minnesota T.13.7 
 3. Bynum, LA Lakers12.8 
 4. Cousins, Sacramen.11.5 
 5. Varejao, Clevelan.11.5 
 6. Griffin, LA Clipp.11.2 
 7. Humphries, New J.10.7 
 8. Gasol, LA Lakers10.5 
 9. Gortat, Phoenix10.3 
 10. Monroe, Detroit P.10.1 
Assists Per Game
 Steve NASH
  Phoenix Suns
  (190-PG-74)
  Avg: 11.1
 1. Nash, Phoenix Suns11.1 
 2. Rondo, Boston C.9.6 
 3. Calderon, Toron.8.8 
 4. Paul, LA Clippers8.5 
 5. Williams, New J.8.3 
 6. Rubio, Minnesot.8.2 
 7. Parker, San A.8.1 
 8. Wall, Washington W.7.7 
 9. Rose, Chicago B.7.6 
 10. Lowry, Houston R.7.5 
Steals Per Game
 Mike CONLEY
  Memphis G.
  (186-PG-87)
  Avg: 2.6
 1. Conley, Memphis G.2.6 
 2. Rubio, Minnesot.2.3 
 3. Paul, LA Clippers2.3 
 4. Shumpert, New Y.2.0 
 5. Iguodala, Philadel.2.0 
 6. James, Miami Heat1.9 
 7. Lowry, Houston R.1.9 
 8. Allen, Memphis G.1.9 
 9. Westbrook, Oklah..1.8 
 10. Curry, Golde S.1.8 
Blocks Per Game
 Serge IBAKA
  Oklah.Ci.
  (208-C/F-89)
  Avg: 3.1
 1. Ibaka, Oklah.Ci.3.1 
 2. Jordan, LA Clippers2.6 
 3. McGee, Washingt.2.6 
 4. Howard, Orlando M.2.2 
 5. Gasol, Memphis G.2.2 
 6. Smith, Atlanta H.2.1 
 7. Bynum, LA Lakers2.1 
 8. Bogut, Milwauke.2.0 
 9. Dalembert, Houst.1.9 
 10. Hibbert, Indiana1.8 


Standings
NBA Standings
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Div.
 1. Philadelph.76 21-15 
 2. New York K. 18-18 
 3. Boston C. 17-17 
 4. Toronto R. 11-24 
 5. New Jersey N. 11-25 
Central Div.
 1. Chicago B. 29-8 
 2. Indiana P. 22-12 
 3. Milwaukee B. 14-21 
 4. Cleveland C. 13-20 
 5. Detroit P. 12-25 
Southeast Div.
 1. Miami Heat 28-7 
 2. Orlando M. 23-14 
 3. Atlanta H. 20-15 
 4. Washington W. 7-28 
 5. Charlotte B. 4-29 
Western Conference
Northwest Div.
 1. Oklah.City T. 29-7 
 2. Denver N. 19-17 
 3. Portland TB 18-18 
 4. Minnesota T. 18-19 
 5. Utah Jazz 16-18 
Pacific Div.
 1. LA Clippers 21-12 
 2. LA Lakers 21-14 
 3. Phoenix Suns 15-20 
 4. Golde State W. 14-18 
 5. Sacramento K. 12-23 
Southwest Div.
 1. San Antonio S. 24-11 
 2. Dallas M. 21-15 
 3. Houston R. 21-15 
 4. Memphis G. 20-15 
 5. N.Orleans H. 8-27 


Thursday's games (4): James scores 38 in 107-93 Heat win over Blazers - by Eurobasket News
Phoenix Suns - Minnesota T. 104-95
Grant Hill (6'8''-F-72, college: Duke) scored 15 of his season-high 20 points in the second half and the Phoenix Suns pulled away to beat the weary Minnesota Timberwolves 104-95 on Thursday night. Six players reached double figures for the Suns in their first game since the All-Star break. Steve Nash (6'3''-PG-74, college: Santa Clara) had 13 points and matched his season high with 17 assists. Marcin Gortat scored 17 for Phoenix in its ninth straight victory over the Timberwolves. Kevin Love, who sat out the Timberwolves' 104-85 loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Wednesday night because of flulike symptoms, scored 23 on 8-of-25 shooting. Luke Ridnour scored 15 for the Timberwolves, who were playing for the third time in as many nights. Minnesota was without Jose Barea, who strained his right calf against the Lakers. All five starters reached double figures for the Timberwolves, who shot 50 percent (21 of 42) in the first half but 29 percent (13 of 44) in the second. Love was 3 of 13 in the second half, 1 of 6 in the fourth quarter. Minnesota made 1 of 13 3-pointers. The Suns shot 53 percent. The 39-year-old Hill, the league's second-oldest player by one day behind Kurt Thomas, made four of five shots in a 10-point third quarter to lead the Suns' comeback. Shannon Brown scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half for Phoenix. Channing Frye added 14 points and Jared Dudley 12. The Timberwolves took the lead late in the first half and stayed ahead until a 13-2 run by the Suns late in the third quarter. Love's 3-pointer, the first by either team and the only one of the game for the Timberwolves, put Minnesota ahead 70-64 with 5:06 to play in the quarter. Frye's 3 ignited the 13-3 Suns' surge. Nikola Pekovic's rebound basket made it 72-67, then Phoenix scored the next 10. Gortat blocked Derrick Williams' shot, and Brown's emphatic breakaway dunk put the Suns ahead for good 73-72 with 2:02 left in the third. Dudley's 16-footer and a layup by Markieff Morris gave Phoenix a 77-72 lead before a pair of free throws by Ridnour made 77-74 entering the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves cut the lead to two twice, the last time at 81-79 when Williams made one of two free throws with 9:01 to play. The Suns followed with a 9-0 run. Hill's three-point play on a layup after a Minnesota turnover gave Phoenix a 90-79 lead with 6:31 left. Ricky Rubio's two free throws made it 93-87 with 3:48 to go. But Nash made a 3-pointer, then Gortat's layup put the Suns ahead 98-87 with 2:56 to go and the Timberwolves never got closer than seven again. With Love on the bench, Minnesota broke a 31-31 tie with a 13-3 run to go up 44-34 on two free throws by Pekovic with 3:44 left in the first half. The Suns cut that lead in half to trail 51-46 at the break. *Courtesy of www.newsobserver.com

Sacramento K. - LA Clippers 100-108
Chris Paul (6'0''-PG-85, college: Wake Forest) had 22 points and nine assists, Blake Griffin (6'10''-F-89, college: Oklahoma) added 14 points and nine rebounds and the Los Angeles Clippers cruised past the Sacramento Kings 108-100 on Thursday night. Mo Williams made all four of his 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to finish with 18 points, helping the Clippers build a 19-point lead and begin a stretch of four games in five nights with a victory. Los Angeles plays at Phoenix on Friday night. DeMarcus Cousins had 23 points and 10 rebounds and Tyreke Evans scored 18 points for the Kings, who had won two straight. Sacramento still had some good news Thursday: The city and team announced a financing plan for a new $391 million arena that would keep the franchise in California's capital for at least another 30 years. Sacramento's other rebuilding project remains a work in progress. Griffin had two dunks - including a soaring, uncontested tomahawk slam that had the home fans buzzing - and Paul taunted the Kings bench after a pull-up jumper as the Clippers scored 11 straight points to go ahead 83-72 late in the third quarter. The offense steamrolled Sacramento the rest of the way. Williams made four 3-pointers to open the fourth quarter, Los Angeles built a 19-point lead and never looked back. Two teams that love to play aggressive clashed often. Griffin had a trio of dunks in the first half to lift Los Angeles to a 10-point lead behind the team's usual high-flying theatrics. After the Clippers started to pull away, the muscling and tussling under the rim escalated. As players headed to opposite benches during a timeout, Clippers big man Reggie Evans walked by Francisco Garcia with an elbow near the Sacramento forward's head. Garcia slapped his hand toward Evans' head and Los Angeles' Kenyon Martin joined in the scrum, getting whistled for a technical foul. If only for a moment, the emotions fueled Sacramento's surge. Rookie Jimmer Fredette made back-to-back 3-pointers - the second coming well behind the line with Paul pressuring - to give the Kings a 52-44 lead in the second quarter, bringing fans roaring to their feet, including co-owner Gavin Maloof leaping off the ground from his courtside seat next to his brother, Joe. Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, who has led the charge for a new arena, also applauded from about 10 seats over. The two sides are nearing the final step in an arena deal that seemed improbable a year ago. Sacramento and the Kings released the $391 million financing plan earlier Thursday night. The City Council will vote on the project Tuesday night. *Courtesy of www.miamiherald.com

Portland TB - Miami Heat 93-107
LeBron James (6'8''-F-84) had 38 points and 11 rebounds and the Miami Heat resumed their season with a 107-93 rout of the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night, extending their winning streak to nine games. Dwyane Wade (6'4''-G-82, college: Marquette) added 33 points and 10 assists for the Heat, who at 28-7 are off to their best 35-game start in franchise history. Miami was playing in its first game since the All-Star break. The Heat hadn't played since a 102-88 victory at home over the New York Knicks last Thursday. The Heat were without All-Star Chris Bosh because of a death in his family. He is also expected to miss Friday night's game at Utah, but it is not yet known whether he will play Sunday when Miami visits the Los Angeles Lakers. LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points for the Blazers, who were coming off a 104-95 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night. Portland (18-18) has lost eight of its last 12 games. It was Miami's fifth straight road win. Before the game, the Blazers activated center Joel Przybilla, who was signed by the team earlier this week. Przybilla, who spent more than six seasons in Portland before he was traded to Charlotte last season, has not played since last March. An 11-year NBA veteran, the 7-foot-1 center finished with four points, six rebounds and two blocked shots in 19 minutes. A fan favorite, he was treated to a standing ovation by the Rose Garden crowd. The Blazers jumped out to an early 14-6 lead, but the Heat came back to tie it on Wade's lob pass to James for the dunk. James and Wade combined for all of Miami's points to that point. The Heat extended the lead to 30-21 on Mario Chalmers' jumper. They kept the Blazers at bay the rest of the half, going up 45-34 on Udonis Haslem's 15-foot jumper before taking a 60-42 lead into the break. James and Wade accounted for 41 of the team's points. The Heat led by as many as 25 points in the third quarter. James' fast-break dunk put the Miami ahead 77-55. James went to the bench in the fourth quarter with the Heat still holding a sizable lead. But the Blazers chipped away a bit, coming to within 91-78 on Wesley Matthews' reverse layup. James' break was brief and the Blazers got as close as 95-85 on Nicolas Batum's 3-pointer with 4:35 left. James answered on the other end with a 3-pointer of his own. James has scored 30 or more points in 15 games this season. Wade has scored at least 20 points in 10 straight games. Last season, James scored 44 points against the Blazers, a record-high for an opponent at the Rose Garden, in a 107-100 overtime victory for the Heat. The road team has won the last five games in the series. *Courtesy of www.cbsnews.com

Orlando M. - Oklah.City T. 102-105
Kevin Durant (6'9''-G/F-88, college: Texas) scored 38 points, including 18 in the fourth quarter, and Russell Westbrook (6'3''-PG-88, college: UCLA) added 29 points and 10 rebounds as the Oklahoma City Thunder erased a 14-point deficit to hold on to beat the Orlando Magic 105-102 on Thursday night. The Magic had a chance to tie it in the final seconds, but Jason Richardson's long 3-pointer bounced off the backboard at the buzzer. The Thunder's win was their seventh straight, matching a streak from earlier in the season. Dwight Howard scored 33 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead all five Magic starters in double figures, but they struggled to shoot from the field down the stretch. The Magic dropped to 0-2 against the Thunder this season, following their season-opening loss at Oklahoma City on Christmas night. *Courtesy of www.desertnews.com



Lakers recall Devin Ebanks from D-Fenders - by Eurobasket News
The Lakers recalled forward Devin Ebanks (6'9''-F-89, college: W.Virginia) from their Development League affiliate, the D-Fenders, in time for him to appear in Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The recall coincides with the team's announcement that Kobe Bryant was diagnosed with a concussion suffered on a hard foul by Miami guard Dwyane Wade during Sunday's NBA All-Star game. Bryant also suffered a broken nose.

Ebanks averaged 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 32.0 minutes in three games with the D-Fenders, in marked contrast to the minimal role he played with the Lakers this season. After starting in the first four games, Ebanks has averaged just 2.7 points in 12.6 minutes through 12 games.

Under the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement, teams can send a player to the D-League up to three times per season.

Courtesy of www.latimes.com

Jordan Farmar and Omri Casspi to Meet NT Representative - by David Pick
Israeli basketball league President and Chariman of the Israeli basketball association Avner Kopel, will participate in the local All-Star Game on March 8, and then depart for the United States to meet Israeli sensation Omri Casspi and exercise the possibility of recruiting New Jersey Nets' Jewish point guard Jordan Farmar.

On March 19, Farmar's Nets play host to Casspi's Cleveland Cavaliers, as Kopel will take advantage of meeting with and speaking to both players.

'Kopel is flying to the United States to talk with both Jordan and Omri about the National Team's upcoming summer campaign,' an Israeli NT management source told Eurobaset.

'Kopel will show Casspi the respect he deserves, meet with him, and together they'll discuss Omri's summer plans. At the same time, Kopel will try and convince Farmar to join Israel's NT if not for this summer, then for the following one,' said the source.

'We have an incredible opportunity to recruit one of the best Jewish players out there and I think it will be very smart and it sure makes a lot of sense that Avner is going to meet with Jordan,' added the source.

Farmar took advantage of the recent NBA lockout signing an out deal with powerhouse Maccabi Tel-Aviv. Farmar imminently fell in love with Israel and Maccabi saying 'I might be back one day.'

Maccabi Tel-Aviv's forward David Blu has been staring for Israel's white-and-blue uniform the past two summers, and despite not coming out with it publicly, Blu plans on retiring his national jersey in order to spend time with his family in California.

Other possible NT recruits that are being thought of are Maccabi Haifa's leading scorer Sylven Landesberg and Maccabi Ashdod's Alex Tyus.





Sources: Boston Celtics aggressively trying to trade guard Rajon Rondo - by Eurobasket News
The Boston Celtics are aggressively trying to trade Rajon Rondo (6'1''-PG-86, college: Kentucky), their fourth-leading scorer and one of the NBA's best point guards, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard.

The Celtics find Rondo's personality to be too high-maintenance and his clashes with coach Doc Rivers remain an off-court distraction, sources told Broussard, and the front office is now actively pitching him to other teams. With the Celtics realizing they are no longer title contenders, they don't believe his point guard prowess is worth the headaches Rondo brings, sources say. And they do not want to build around him.

In December, the Celtics had discussions with Golden State about a Stephen Curry-for-Rondo deal, and one source says it was Golden State that decided against pulling the trigger. But Curry's recent ankle injuries, which have caused him several problems in his short career, have given the Celtics pause.

The potential trade is still being discussed by Boston's braintrust, but they aren't sure they want to go forward with it. It also isn't clear whether the Warriors would be willing to do it. Other players would have to be thrown in to make it work financially.

Danny Ainge acknowledged earlier this season that Rondo's name came up in trade talks when the Celtics tried to acquire Chris Paul from the Hornets, but he said he wasn't shopping Rondo per se and that his name came up only because Ainge was trying to add a player of Paul's caliber.

'I was not trying to trade Rajon Rondo,' Ainge told Boston sports radio WEEI in January. 'There's a big difference between trying to acquire a player and trying to trade a player.'

If the Celtics are now actively shopping Rondo, it would seem to be a change of course.

Rondo, 26, was suspended for two games earlier in February for throwing a ball at an official and striking him in the chest during a loss in Detroit. He played in only 22 games during the first half of the season because of both the suspension and a sprained right wrist injury.

Rondo had his third triple-double of the season (15 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) in the Celtics' 102-96 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, one night after he was held scoreless (with 11 assists) in a win at Cleveland.

Rondo is averaging a career-high 14.1 points per game to go along with 9.6 assists and 1.6 steals.

Courtesy of ESPN

Raptors listening to offers instead of aggressively pursuing trade deals - by Eurobasket News
Teams have been testing their long distance plans with calls to the ACC, but Toronto doesnt seem eager to bite on a multitude of offers for Calderon and Leandrinho Barbosa (6'3''-PG-82).

Moving Calderon doesnt make much sense at this point - he has had a fine season and is the only man on the roster capable of being a starting point guard in the NBA. He will be even more valuable in the summer with only a year left on his contract should the team acquire other options by then. Or he could stay put with a bevy of talented young potentially restricted free agent point guards hitting the market in the summer of 2013.

Raptors president/general manager Bryan Colangelo has said in the past that he is interested in extended Barbosa, who will be unrestricted this season.

Colangelo drafted Barbosa while running the Phoenix Suns.

For his part, Barbosa said he pays trade rumours no mind and would be quite happy to stay put.

I love my teammates, I love the way we work together. If it happens, its part of the business, theres nothing I can do about it, Barbosa told the Sun.

I like Toronto, I like the organization, dont have a problem with anybody. We are young, but we are learning. The team has grown a lot, especially with Dwane Casey coming to the team, hes really helping us.

If Barbosa, who recently changed agents, leaves Toronto though, sources say it could be in an extend-and-trade scenario where he would not just be a brief rental player in a new city.

Whatever the situation, it appears Toronto is listening to offers instead of aggressively pursuing deals Meanwhile, Sheridanhoops.com reports that former Raptor Sonny Weems (6'6''-G/F-86, college: Arkansas) likely wont be coming back to the NBA this year. Though his Zalgaris Kaunas team is out of Euroleague, his coach told the site: I do believe Sonny will remain through the rest of the season.

Courtesy of www.torontosun.com

Jazz open to trading Devin Harris - by Eurobasket News
Point guard Devin Harris (6'3''-PG-83, college: Wisconsin) has appeared in 49 games for the Utah Jazz since being traded there from the New Jersey Nets at the deadline last year as part of the Deron Williams deal.

The Jazz have already seen enough of Harris. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the team is 'open to moving' the 29-year-old Harris and reserve small forward C.J. Miles 'could be made available in the right situation.'

No deal is imminent, the paper notes, and 'Utah also doesn't feel pressure to move starting big men Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap to make room for young power forward Derrick Favors and center Enes Kanter in the near future.'

Harris, an All-Star back in 2009, is averaging 9.3 points, 4.6 assists and 1.3 rebounds per game for the 15-18 Jazz, who are only 2.5 games out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Courtesy of http://sports.yahoo.com

Rumors: Magic discuss Monta Ellis trade with Warriors, according to report - by Eurobasket News
The Orlando Magic and Golden State Warriors are engaged in 'ongoing' trade talks to bring shooting guard Monta Ellis (6'4''-G-85) to Orlando, reports Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM. The rumored deal, which is not 'imminent,' would team Ellis with Dwight Howard, says Rudolph.

Ellis, 26, is averaging 22.2 points, 5.7 assists, and 1.4 steals for Golden State during the 2011/12 season, shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 30.3 percent on three-pointers. His ability to create his own shot and command defensive attention on the perimeter would certainly add spark to an Orlando offense which has stagnated for much of the season. He would also give the Magic a definitive go-to scorer in late-game, isolation situations.

Bill Ingram of HOOPSWORLD reported prior to the start of the season that Howard named Ellis as a player he'd like management to target via trade. Howard can leave the Magic via free agency in the summer and has requested a trade to either the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, or New Jersey Nets.

Orlando Pinstriped Post analyzed Ellis' game in July, when another rumor linked the Magic to the high-scoring guard.

Courtesy of www.orlandopinstripedpost.com

Timberwolves re-assign Lee to Skyforce - by Eurobasket News
The Sioux Falls Skyforce announced today the assignment of Minnesota Timberwolves rookie guard Malcolm Lee (6'4''-G-90, college: UCLA). This marks his second stint with the Skyforce this season as he was previously assigned from Feb. 6-12. He is expected to be in uniform tomorrow night as the Skyforce hosts the Bakersfield Jam at 7 p.m. CT. The active roster now stands at 10 players.

Lee averaged 9.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists in three games (all starts) during his first stint with the Skyforce. His best outing came on Feb. 7 as he posted 16 points and a team-high six assists against the Dakota Wizards

Lee, who underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee on Dec. 30, was acquired by the Wolves in a draft-day trade after being selected by the Chicago Bulls in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft. He averaged 9.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in three seasons (94 games) at UCLA. The 6-5, 200-pound guard earned both All-Pac-10 First Team and Pac-10 All-Defensive Team honors as a junior last season.

Courtesy of Brett Hansen (via www.keloland.com)

Broussard: Lakers turned down Michael Beasley offer - by Eurobasket News
ESPN.com's Chris Broussard has the report:

The Minnesota Timberwolves offered to trade Michael Beasley (6'10''-F-89, college: Kansas St.) to the Los Angeles Lakers for a first-round draft pick, but the Lakers turned them down, according to a league source.

While Beasley, a talented and athletic small forward, would fill one of the Lakers greatest needs, the Lakers rejected the offer because they do not want to add to their luxury tax bill, according to the source.

Broussard goes on to explain that Lakers owner Jerry Buss is no longer willing to simply spend money and have to take the resulting luxury-tax hit, which was the primary motivation behind the Lakers giving away Lamar Odom for the Mavericks trade exception when Odom asked to be traded before this off-season. The Lakers may also be saving that trade exception for a possible Bynum-for-Howard swap, although its looking increasingly unlikely that Howard will be moved before this years deadline.

Offensively, Beasley would certainly be an upgrade over Metta World Peace, who has looked completely washed-up this season and currently has an abysmal PER of 7.07. Beasley is a talented scorer who would help the Lakers stretch the floor Beasley is currently shooting 46% from beyond the arc, and the Lakers are currently 29th in 3-point accuracy.

However, the former #2 pick does still have some glaring holes in his game, which would explain the Lakers reluctance to trade for him. Beasley has been shooting the ball well from deep, but his overall FG% is just 44%, and hes struggled at the line while turning the ball over nearly twice as often as he makes an assist. The former Kansas States stars defense has also been a major issue throughout his career, which would make him a bad fit for Mike Browns defense-first coaching mentality.

Beasley is certainly talented - he showed that with an incredible scoring performance against the Clippers last night but it looks like he has too many bad habits on the court and too much baggage off of it to make him a desirable target for the Lakers right now. Well see if anything comes of this rumor, but I would be surprised if Beasley wears a Laker jersey this season.

Courtesy of http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com

*****************************************************
  NBLCANADA   


All-Star top 20 announced - by Eurobasket News
The National Basketball League of Canada is pleased to announce the Top 20 players for its inaugural All-Star Weekend, presented by Rogers Communications Inc., taking place March 31-April 1 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Were pleased with the caliber of players who will be bringing their talents to Halifax for this exciting event, said Andre Levingston President & CEO of NBL Canada and the Halifax Rainmen.

Over 213,000 fans votes were cast for the inaugural NBL Canada All-Star top 20. The results were submitted to the seven NBL Canada Head coaches for the final decision.

Top-ranked London has three players on the roster, Gabe Freeman (6'6''-F-85, college: Costa Mesa JC), DeAnthony Bowden (6'1''-G-80, college: Creighton) and Eddie Smith (6'2''-G-83, college: Ill.-Springfield), who has been chosen as a team Captain.

'I think that it is a great accomplishment for DeAnthony, Gabe and Eddie to make the All-Star Team,' said London Lightning head coach Micheal Ray Richardson. 'It just goes to show that if you put in the time and work, good things will happen. I think it's great that Eddie Smith has been named a team captain; he's a guy that's come off the bench and performed at a high level every game this year. It is a great accomplishment.'

Host city Halifax will count on players Taliek Brown, Joey Haywood and Tyrone Levett as ambassadors for the inaugural event. Haywood was also named Captain.

Captains Smith and Haywood will partake in a Fantasy Draft via conference call tomorrow afternoon at 12:00 p.m. AST to choose their teams. Follow their selections live on NBL Canadas Twitter and Facebook. The two coaches who lead their teams to the finals will coach the two All-Star teams.

Saint John and Oshawa tied for the most players with four apiece. Anthony Anderson, Darren Duncan, Kevin Francis and Isaac Kuon from Saint John; and Omari Johnson, Morgan Lewis, Brandon Robinson and Tut Ruach from Oshawa.

Rounding out the All-Star selections are Monctons Trayvon Lathan and Darrell Wonge; Quebecs Ralphy Holmes, Ricky Volcy and Yannick Anzuluni; and Mike Williams from Summerside.

Six of the top 20 players are Canadian. Summersides Chris Cayole was chosen as an All-Star, but due to injury has been replaced by Quebecs Anzuluni.

'This is a great honor for our players to be named to the All-Star,' said Quebec Kebs head coach Rob Spon. 'It's also nice that both of our Canadian players - Ricky Volcy and Yannick Anzuluni - have been named All-Stars. The fans in Halifax will be seeing a great game with the best talent in the league.'

All-Star Weekend will consist of exciting, family-friendly events ranging from an All-Star breakfast and youth basketball clinics to a three-point shoot out, slam-dunk contest, legends game, and of course the All-Star game.

All-Star Weekend tickets are on sale now at Ticket Atlantic locations at the Halifax Metro Centre or Superstore locations. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.ticketatlantic.ca or by calling toll free at 1-877-451-1221.

Floor seating and minor basketball, senior and military discounts are available exclusively through the Halifax Rainmen corporate offices. Contact the Halifax Rainmen at 902-444-7246.

For more information on All-Star Weekend visit nblallstar.ca.


TOP 20 By Team

LONDON LIGHTNING
DeAnthony Bowden
Gabe Freeman
Eddie Smith (captain)

HALIFAX RAINMEN
Taliek Brown
Joey Haywood (CAN) (captain)
Tyrone Levett

MONCTON MIRACLES
Trayvon Lathan
Darrell Wonge

OSHAWA POWER
Omari Johnson
Morgan Lewis
Brandon Robinson
Tut Ruach (CAN)

QUEBEC KEBS
Yannick Anzuluni (CAN)
Ralphy Holmes
Ricky Volcy (CAN)

SAINT JOHN MILL RATS
Anthony Anderson
Darren Duncan
Kevin Francis (CAN)
Isaac Kuon (CAN)

SUMMERSIDE STORM
Mike Williams

Courtesy of NBL Canada



*****************************************************
  NCAA1   


Stats Leaders - NCAA1
Points Per Game
 Quincy ROBERTS
  Gramblin.
  (195-G-)
  Avg: 22.3
 1. Roberts, Gramblin.22.3 
 2. Townsend, Ark.-P.16.5 
 3. Bush, Jackson St.15.5 
 4. Howard, Jackson14.8 
 5. Cantey, Alabama13.8 
 6. Joyner, Miss.Val.13.7 
 7. Washington, Alaba.13.6 
 8. Crosby, Miss.Val.13.1 
 9. Beltran, Southern13.1 
 10. Strong, Texas S.12.6 
Rebounds Per Game
 Quinton DOGGETT
  Southern
  (203-F-)
  Avg: 7.7
 1. Doggett, Southern7.7 
 2. Crosby, Miss.Val.7.6 
 3. Tabb, Alabama A&M7.4 
 4. Roberson, Gramblin.7.0 
 5. Cox, Miss.Val.6.6 
 6. Montgomery, Prair.6.5 
 7. Anderson, Ark.-P.6.4 
 8. White, Alabama St.6.1 
 9. Sturdivant, Texas5.8 
 10. Broughton, Ark.-P.5.8 
Assists Per Game
 Kevin BURWELL
  Miss.V.
  (177-G-)
  Avg: 4.8
 1. Burwell, Miss.V.4.8 
 2. Grace, Southern4.3 
 3. Middlebrooks, Alab.4.2 
 4. Crutcher, Alabama3.7 
 5. Townsend, Ark.-P.3.0 
 6. Wright, Prair.2.6 
 7. Joyner, Miss.Val.2.6 
 8. Jackson, Ark.-P.2.6 
 9. Williams, Jackson2.5 
 10. Lewis, Jackson S.2.2 
Steals Per Game
 Savalace TOWNSEND
  Ark.-P.
  (190-G-)
  Avg: 2.3
 1. Townsend, Ark.-P.2.3 
 2. Bush, Jackson St.1.8 
 3. Grace, Southern1.8 
 4. Washington, Alaba.1.5 
 5. Williams, Jackson1.5 
 6. Crosby, Miss.Val.1.5 
 7. McDonald, Alcorn S.1.4 
 8. Cantey, Alabama1.4 
 9. White, Alabama St.1.4 
 10. Lewis, Jackson S.1.4 
Blocks Per Game
 Peter ROBERSON
  Gramblin.
  (213-C-)
  Avg: 2.6
 1. Roberson, Gramblin.2.6 
 2. Tabb, Alabama A&M1.9 
 3. Doggett, Southern1.9 
 4. Anderson, Ark.-P.1.5 
 5. Sturdivant, Texas1.4 
 6. Starks, Alcorn St.1.1 
 7. Montgomery, Prair.0.9 
 8. Crosby, Miss.Val.0.8 
 9. Chapman, Prair.0.8 
 10. Hunter, Alabama0.8 


Top 25 - Men
BWC Standings
 1. Long Beach St. 15-0 (21-7) 
 2. CS Fullerton 11-4 (20-8) 
 3. UCSB 11-4 (17-9) 
 4. Cal Poly - SLO 7-8 (16-14) 
 5. Pacific 6-8 (11-15) 
 6. Cal-Irvine 6-9 (12-18) 
 7. Cal-Riverside 6-9 (12-16) 
 8. CS Northridge 3-13 (6-21) 
 9. Cal-Davis 2-12 (4-23) 


No. 10 Ohio State beats Northwestern 75-73 - by Eurobasket News
Jared Sullinger (6'9''-F-92) knew the pass was coming to him. And why not after he had powered and muscled his way through Northwestern defenders all game?

Teammate Aaron Craft (6'2''-G-91) delivered the ball right where Sullinger wanted it. He turned and banked in the game-winner with 3.1 seconds left Wednesday night as No. 10 Ohio State recovered after squandering a 13-point lead to beat Northwestern 75-73.

'Craft threw a perfect pass to me and led me right to the angle of the backboard. He let me turn over my left shoulder and finish with my right hook. The bread and butter,' said Sullinger, who had 22 points and 18 rebounds.

'Craft told me he was going to throw it to me. No ifs, ands or buts about it, he said. He threw it to me and I made the shot.'

Northwestern's Alex Marcotullio (6'3''-G-91) tied the game on a 3-pointer with 7.7 seconds to go as the Wildcats went on a late 8-0 run.

But after a timeout, Craft did as promised and got the ball to Sullinger.

'It was just get the ball to Jared and let him make a play. That's how we drew it up and I'm glad we were able to execute,' Craft said.

After Sullinger's basket, Northwestern's John Shurna (6'9''-F-90) came down court and threw up a long desperation shot that hit the rim at the buzzer.

'Disappointment. Kind of a tough way to go out,' said Shurna, the leading scorer in Northwestern history who finished with 22 points in his regular-season home finale at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Shurna's shot that could have won the game looked on target but as Northwestern has found out most of this season in its quest for a first-ever NCAA tournament bid, close isn't good enough.

'Thought it had a chance,' Shurna said. 'Put it up there and hope for the best. ... That's all you can do.'

Ohio State (24-6, 12-5), which had lost three of five, still has a chance to tie for the Big Ten title if it can win at No. 5 Michigan State in Sunday's regular season finale. The Spartans already have at least a share of the championship, despite losing to Indiana on Tuesday night.

'It's pretty cool,' Sullinger said.

Deshaun Thomas (6'7''-F-91) added 19 points and 10 rebounds and Craft scored 14 points with four 3-pointers for the Buckeyes, who outrebounded Northwestern 44-18, including 20-6 on the offensive boards.

'They killed us on the second shot,' Northwestern coach Bill Carmody said.

'My games flows with it. I haven't been rebounding as well as I did last year,' Sullinger said, somewhat amazed at the discrepancy on the boards.

'We kind of played off the mismatches. Never been a part of something like that,' he added. 'We were determined.'

Drew Crawford scored 23 points for the Wildcats (17-12, 7-10), who have one regular-season game left, at Iowa.

'It's very tough. Every close loss is tough,' Crawford said. 'We're a resilient bunch We'll be ready to go Saturday.'

Ohio State had beaten the Wildcats 87-54 in the league opener in late December, but this one was certainly more competitive -- just not on the boards.

The Buckeyes led 73-65 with about 3 minutes left before Northwestern rallied as Dave Sobolweski hit a 3-pointer and Reggie Cobb made two free throws. Cobb later came up with a steal and called a timeout, setting up Marcotullio's game-tying 3-pointer.

The Buckeyes hit their first six field goal attempts and dominated the rebounding 22-5 in the first half with Sullinger and Thomas controlling the inside.

Sullinger had 13 points and eight rebounds and Thomas had 12 points and five rebounds as Ohio State shot 59 percent from the field. The Wildcats, who play three guards and two forwards, had no one to match up with the Buckeyes' inside duo.

Ohio State led 39-29 at halftime.

Courtesy of www.newsday.com

Colorado State beats No. 17 UNLV 66-59 - by Eurobasket News
Anthony Marshall (6'3''-G-91) took a seat on the courtside media table and dejectedly soaked in the scene as the Moby Arena crowd stormed the court.

He watched for several minutes as fans celebrated Colorado State's 66-59 victory over 17th-ranked UNLV on Wednesday night.

The Runnin' Rebels blew a 16-point second-half lead and fell out of a first-place tie in the Mountain West Conference with New Mexico and San Diego State.

The Rebels (24-7, 8-5) have watched fans storm the court in each of their last four road games.

'Embarrassed, angry, disappointed,' said Marshall, who didn't dart to the locker room like many of his teammates so he could take in the scene around him.

'That's something I'll use as motivation and try not to let it happen again,' he said. 'When you've got a big target on your back like we do, it happens. They played great the second half.'

Not so the Rebels, who were outscored 35-12 after Oscar Bellfield's fifth 3-pointer put them ahead 47-31.

All seven of the Rebels' losses have come on the road, where they are 2-5 in league play.

'I really don't know what's going on,' Anthony said. 'We've just got to keep battling. We've still got a lot to play for.'

Indeed, the Rebels return home to face Wyoming on Saturday, then host the Mountain West tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center, where they haven't lost yet.

After that, though, they'll hit the road again for the NCAA tournament.

The Rebels figured their road woes were behind them when they jumped out to a 41-26 halftime lead in Fort Collins, then stretched that lead to 16 in the opening minutes of the second half before the Rams stormed back to win for the 13th straight time at Moby.

'We've just got to get the same swagger we're playing with at home,' Marshall said. 'In the first half we played like that. In the second half, we didn't.'

Therefore, Marshall won't argue that the Rebels' mental toughness following consecutive road losses at Wyoming, TCU, New Mexico and Colorado State deserves to be questioned.

'Definitely. We haven't showcased that,' he said.

The Rams, on the other hand, burnished their NCAA credentials with their third straight home win over a ranked team.

Dorian Green (6'2''-G-91) scored 14 of his 16 points after halftime and Pierce Hornung's five offensive rebounds and energy in the second half secured the Rams' first unbeaten home conference record in more than 50 years.

The Rams outscored the Rebels 40-18 in the second half.

'The second half was a complete 180 for us,' Green said.

The last time the Rams (18-10, 7-6) went unbeaten at home in league play was the 1960-61 season in the old Mountain States Conference.

'We've certainly had some difficult losses this year and this is absolutely right at the top,' Runnin' Rebels coach David Rice said. 'I was so proud of the way we came out against a very good Colorado State team and had our way in the first half, and then in the second half we ran out of gas.'

The Rebels got 17 points from Bellfield, but he had just one basket in the second half, a 3-pointer that put UNLV ahead 47-31.

From that point, the Rams outscored the Rebels 35-12, thanks largely to Green slicing through the lane for buckets at the rim and the play of Hornung on the offensive glass. He pulled down five offensive boards in the second half and had two big stick-back baskets in the closing minutes to keep the Rebels at bay.

'I give Colorado State a ton of credit for how good they've been at home and their perseverance in this game,' Rice said.

The Rebels' leading scorers, Mike Moser (6'8''-F-90) and Chace Stanback (6'8''-G/F-89), who average a combined 28 points, managed just half that with Moser scoring five points, nine below his average, and Stanback getting nine.

As they talked about at halftime, the Rams attacked the basket and secured the ball in the second half, chipping away until Green's three-point play with 7 minutes left put them ahead for the first time, 53-52.

The Rebels, who had won 16 of their previous 18 meetings with Colorado State, regained the lead at 54-53 on Moser's two free throws, but Green replied with a baseline jumper to put the Rams back on top for good.

'Give Colorado State credit. It's a lot harder to run when you're taking the ball out of bounds,' Rice said. 'They shot 48 percent in the second half.'

And UNLV shot just 27 percent after halftime.

'That's not a good equation for winning a game on the road,' Rice said.

Courtesy of www.chron.com

Iowa State loses 78-72 to No. 7 Missouri - by Eurobasket News
Iowa State entered Wednesday night's game against No. 7 Missouri on a three-game winning streak, propelled by 3-point shooting and Royce White (6'8''-F-91) on the inside.

Throughout the first half and much of the second against Missouri, the Cyclones looked like they could make it four in a row and sneak into a tie for second place in the Big 12 with one game remaining.

But White scored the last of his 20 points with 12 minutes remaining, and Iowa State (21-9, 11-6) fell 78-72 to the Tigers after only making four of its final 15 shots from the field.

Cyclones coach Fred Hoiberg thought his team played more aggressively in the first half but lost its rhythm once the Tigers put bigger defenders on White, who had nine assists.

'There's some things we could have done better,' White said. 'Personally, I turned the ball over way too much. I just have to be strong and realize that we're not going to get as many calls on the road. We did the best we could and we look forward to seeing them again.'

Missouri seemed to be caught up in the emotions of senior night, its porous defense allowing a flurry of 3-pointers by Iowa State that had the Tigers trailing for most of the game.

But when Missouri's Steve Moore dived to corral a rebound midway through the second half, it provided a spark the Tigers would capitalize on en route to a 78-72 victory that clinched the No. 2 seed in next week's Big 12 tournament.

Moore's pass found Michael Dixon (6'1''-G-90) who then made a half-court pass to Kim English for an easy layup with 12:12 remaining that gave Missouri a 53-52 lead, its first since 8:50 left in the first half.

'I don't know if we were winning the effort game, and that play right there was a sign of us getting back to who we are,' Missouri coach Frank Haith said. 'And that was a hell of a play.'

'You just want to get a little window where you can get a little cushion,' English said.

Dixon scored 21 points to lead five Missouri players in double figures.

Dixon's driving layup with 3:36 left gave Missouri (26-4, 13-4) a 66-64 lead it wouldn't relinquish. Marcus Denmon followed with a 3-pointer and Phil Pressey had a steal and layup with 1:23 remaining to cap a 7-0 run for the Tigers.

It was Missouri's 13th Big 12 win, the most in school history as it prepares to leave for the Southeastern Conference next season. Finishing in second place would be the Tigers' best regular-season performance since coach Norm Stewart's final season, 1998-99.

But Haith won't allow his team to look past the next game, insisting on maintaining the same 'process' that's produced consistent success this season, his first at Missouri. But the team clearly looked relived after the game, with many seniors grabbing the stadium's microphone to thank their families while English and Denmon walked into the postgame news conference with blow-up cutouts of their heads.

Missouri entered the game on its first two-game losing streak of the season, including an emotional 87-86 overtime loss at No. 3 Kansas on Saturday.

'We want to give these guys a win every time we step out on the floor,' Dixon said, 'not just on senior night.'

English quickly added that Dixon and Pressey are the only non-seniors playing this season for Missouri.

Scott Christopherson (6'3''-G-89) scored eight points in the final minute, including a 3-pointer with 25.5 seconds remaining to close the deficit to 76-72. Dixon added two free throws with 15 seconds left.

Iowa State continued its hot shooting from behind the arc, draining 12 3-pointers after entering the game leading the Big 12 by averaging 8.9 per game. The Cyclones hit six in the first half and led 40-36 at halftime after trailing 7-0 to start the game.

After Missouri's early lead, Bubu Palo's layup with 8:50 remaining in the first half gave the Cyclones a 22-21 lead they kept until Dixon made a half-court pass to Kim English for an easy layup with 12:12 left in the game.

Christopherson had 15 points for the Cyclones, who lost for the ninth consecutive time to Missouri. The team shot only 39 percent from the field, but kept pace with the Tigers by taking 15 more shots from the field.

Iowa State held a 39-28 advantage on the boards, its seventh consecutive game outrebounding an opponent. The Cyclones committed 15 turnovers, which Missouri converted into 16 points.

'You've got to give those guys credit for making us turn the ball over like that,' Christopherson said. 'But, at the same time, we had some self-inflicted ones. And those are the ones that you just can't afford to have against a team that's that good.'

Ricardo Ratliffe (6'8''-F-89) added 16 points for Missouri and Pressey had four assists, giving him 183 for the season and breaking the tie with Anthony Peeler for most in a season for Missouri.

The Tigers honored their eight-man senior class before the game, complete with fireworks that caused a delay early in the first half when residue needed to be mopped off the court. The class has won 103 games, most of any in school history.

'It's the end of a chapter,' Haith said. 'These guys have had some special moments over four years and I'm just proud that I've been able to come along for the ride this last year.'

Courtesy of www.boston.com

Cincinnati hands 72-61 loss to No. 8 Marquette - by Eurobasket News
In the closing minutes of a lopsided win, Cincinnati's fans started chanting: 'Overrated!' From start to finish, No. 8 Marquette looked like anything but a Top 10 team.

JaQuon Parker (6'3''-G-90) scored a career-high 28 points in a take-it-to-the-hoop attack on Wednesday night, leading Cincinnati to a 72-61 victory that left the Golden Eagles a bit stunned.

No one had done this to them all season.

Marquette (24-6, 13-4 Big East) usually pushes the pace and gets a lot of points in transition. This time, the Golden Eagles were the ones doing the chasing. The Bearcats (21-9, 11-6) scored 19 points off fast breaks, repeatedly pushing the pass after a rebound or steal.

'That was the most points we've given up in transition over the last four years,' coach Buzz Williams said. 'I thought they were superb in transition.'

The Golden Eagles did very little right.

Marquette had won five straight, including a 95-78 drubbing of the Bearcats in Milwaukee on Feb. 11. The Bearcats were staggered by that one, by far their most lopsided loss of the season.

The rematch was a total reversal.

Cincinnati repeatedly drove through Marquette's defense for layups, with Parker leading the way. Dion Dixon (6'3''-G-89) added 21 points for the Bearcats. Cincinnati's front line dominated with nine blocks, including seven by Justin Jackson.

With Marquette clamping down on Cincinnati's 3-point shooters, the Bearcats' guards found plenty of room to drive to the basket.

'They denied the (outside), so it would be just me and my man,' said Parker, who scored the most points by a Cincinnati player this season. 'That was the game plan. It was going to be one-on-one the whole time, so we were just going to take it to the basket.'

Darius Johnson-Odom (6'2''-G-89) scored 18 points, and Jae Crowder (6'6''-F-90) added 17 points and 12 rebounds for Marquette, which never got the lead under double digits in the second half. The Golden Eagles forced only seven turnovers.

'We never got started on offense or defense,' Crowder said. 'It was tough to get into a rhythm. For a long time, we couldn't get any defensive stops.'

Or hold onto the ball, either. The Golden Eagles tied their season high with 17 turnovers.

'We were not very aggressive on either side of the court,' Johnson-Odom said.

It was an important win for the Bearcats, who have won six of their last eight, including home victories over then-No. 17 Louisville and Marquette (24-6, 13-4). This one was among their best of the season, a solid showing from start to finish.

'You couldn't have asked for more,' senior power forward Yancy Gates (6'9''-F-89) said. 'We all played great. Everyone did what they had to do to get a win.'

Cincinnati improved to 5-3 against ranked teams this season. It was Cincinnati's most lopsided win over a top 10 opponent since it beat No. 4 Louisville 101-80 on Feb. 22, 2003.

Marquette sat three starters, including Johnson-Odom, for the first half of a 61-60 win at West Virginia, punishment for violating unspecified team rules. All were back against Cincinnati.

The Bearcats honored seniors Dixon and Gates before the final home game. Gates set a tone early, getting five rebounds before picking up his second foul on a charge at the 16:16 mark.

Even without Gates, Cincinnati dominated the boards it had a 10-3 advantage early while pulling out to a 19-11 lead. Dixon had a pull-up jumper, a layup and a finger-roll basket during a 10-0 run.

Marquette made its first three shots all from behind the arc but missed nine of its next 10, including two air balls. Cincinnati blocked seven shots in the first half, six by Jackson.

Parker took advantage of Marquette's perimeter defense, driving past step-slow defenders for layups as Cincinnati pulled away in the closing minutes of the first half. His 3 from the left corner with 1 second left pushed the lead to 42-26 and left Parker with 16 points.

The offensive surge was notable. The Bearcats were coming off their worst scoring game of the season, a 46-45 loss at South Florida on Sunday.

During its winning streak, Marquette routinely pulled itself out of deep first-half deficits. The Golden Eagles never made a run after halftime, with Parker and the Bearcats refusing to let up.

Parker had a fast-break layup and 3-pointer that pushed the lead to 52-33 in the opening minutes of the second half. Marquette went to half-court pressure to try to force turnovers, but never rattled the Bearcats.

Courtesy of www.foxnews.com

No. 6 North Carolina too strong for Maryland 88-64 - by Eurobasket News
Maryland's Terrell Stoglin (6'1''-PG-91) kept finding himself forced into tough outside shots or trying to finish over North Carolina's tall front line.

The Atlantic Coast Conference's leading scorer struggled from the field and finished with 16 points in the 88-64 loss to the sixth-ranked Tar Heels on Wednesday night.

Stoglin, who came in averaging 21 points, went 4 for 18 from the field. He hit all six of his free throws and two 3-pointers, but often ended up trying to find space against 6-foot-7 defender Reggie Bullock.

A Maryland official declined to make Stoglin available for comment after the game.

'They were showing hard on Terrell, definitely denying him the ball,' said teammate James Padgett, who had 13 points and 13 rebounds. 'It was pretty tough for him to get the ball, and they were doubling our screens. He scored at times, but they made it difficult for him.'

Stoglin scored 20 points in the first meeting with UNC. But the 6-1 sophomore shot 12 for 39 overall (31 percent) and was 3 for 17 from 3-point range (18 percent) in the two games against the Tar Heels.

For North Carolina, Tyler Zeller (7'0''-F-90) had 30 points in his final home game.

John Henson (6'11''-F-90) added 19 points for the Tar Heels (26-4, 13-2), who led all game to set up a matchup with No. 4 Duke this weekend to determine the league's regular-season championship.

Zeller went just 5 for 12 from the field, but finished with his best scoring performance in an ACC game thanks to the number of times he went to the free throw line. Zeller made 20 of 23 attempts, breaking Tyler Hansbrough's Smith Center record for made free throws in a game and finishing one shy of matching the program's and ACC's all-time mark.

In addition, Kendall Marshall (6'3''-PG-91) added eight assists to set UNC's season record.

Nick Faust (6'6''-G-93) had 17 points to lead the Terrapins (16-13, 6-9), who shot just 37 percent and got no closer than six points early in the second half.

North Carolina led by 13 points in the first half and by 11 at halftime before blowing the game open with a 16-0 run over the final 12 minutes.

Bullock added 12 points for the Tar Heels, while Harrison Barnes finished with 10 on 3-for-8 shooting.

With the win, the Tar Heels can finally turn their attention to Saturday night's game at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium.

North Carolina has won six straight games since the Blue Devils snapped the Tar Heels' school-record 31-game home winning streak on Feb. 8. That game that ended with freshman Austin Rivers burying a 3-pointer at the buzzer, capping Duke's comeback from 10 down in the final 2 minutes.

The teams entered the week tied atop the league standings. The Blue Devils won at Wake Forest on Tuesday night to take care of their part, then the Tar Heels did the same 24 hours later.

Coach Roy Williams maintained the program's long-running 'Senior Night' tradition by starting senior reserves Justin Watts, David Dupont, Stewart Cooper and Patrick Crouch alongside Zeller.

Zeller, a 7-foot senior, scored North Carolina's first two baskets before starting his gamelong parade to the free throw line. He finished two points shy of matching his career-high and left the game to a standing ovation with 6:39 left, greeting Williams with a handshake and a hug at the sideline.

Marshall passed Ed Cota with his 285th assist this season when he found Barnes for a jumper in the lane with 17:59 to play.

The Tar Heels led 53-42 when Maryland coach Mark Turgeon was whistled for a technical foul with 11:44 left. Zeller started the 16-0 with fittingly a free throw, while Bullock knocked down a 3-pointer and a transition layup during the run. By the time Zeller hit two more free throws at the 7:37 mark, UNC's lead had ballooned to 69-42.

The Tar Heels had a different look for this game with Nike 'platinum' line uniforms. The uniforms, worn by seven men's teams across the country this season, are made of recycled material and are gray with Carolina blue trim.

Courtesy of www.foxnews.com

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  NEW ZEALAND   


New Zealand NBL 2012 Opening Night - by Hugh McAuliffe
The Otago Nuggets have secured a rare road win, opening the National Basketball League season with a 107-91 win over the Harbour Heat on Auckland's North Shore.

In his New Zealand league debut, import forward Akeem Wright (200-F/G-84, college: Kansas St.), blew up for 40 points as the visitors made a run in the second quarter at the North Shore Events Centre to take a 53-36 lead at the half.

The young Heat team never recovered, as the Nuggets imports would combine for 60 points, with forward Antoine Tisby (205-F-83, college: S.Carolina) with 20 points. Former Junior Tall Black Riki Buckrell (192-G-90) provided the back-up with 15 points.

Otago will be pleased to open the season with a win, in particular without their key signings Leon Henry and BJ Anthony, who will join the team in April when they finish their commitments with the Australian NBL-leading NZ Breakers.

Naturalised New Zealander Kevin Smith (196-F-79, college: Lee) was the top scorer for the Heat with 26, while their imports, Justin Bailey (188-G-77, college: Hartford) and Zack Atkinson (206-F/C-86, college: Cal-Irvine), were held to a combined 22 points.

The Nuggets cross the harbour to face the Auckland Pirates in the second leg of their Supercity double-header on Friday night, while the