Eurobasket Daily News Report: 5/27/2012 1:04:01 AM

EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 5/27/2012 1:04:01 AM

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Men News

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AUSTRALIA

Standings - SBL

SBL Standings

1. Wanneroo W.		12-2
2. Lakeside L.		12-2
3. Cockburn C.		10-4
4. Perth R.		10-4
5. Mandurah M.		10-4
6. East Perth E.		7-7
7. Perry Lakes H.		7-8
8. Willetton T.		6-8
9. Stirling S.		6-8
10. Goldfield G.		6-8
11. Geraldton B.		5-10
12. Kalamunda E.S.		3-11
13. Rockingham F.		2-12
14. SW Slammers		2-12

Regular Season: Round 11

May. 26: Goldfield G. - Stirling S. 98-96
May. 26: Perry Lakes H. - Willetton T. 95-90
May. 25: Lakeside L. - Wanneroo W. 90-93
May. 26: Geraldton B. - Mandurah M. 81-82
May. 26: SW Slammers - Cockburn C. 74-84
May. 26: Wanneroo W. - Rockingham F. 133-97
May. 25: East Perth E. - Perry Lakes H. 126-87
May. 26: Kalamunda E.S. - Perth R. 103-106

Regular Season: Round 12

Jun. 1: Lakeside L. - East Perth E.
Jun. 1: Mandurah M. - Willetton T.
Jun. 1: Perry Lakes H. - Stirling S.
Jun. 2: Cockburn C. - Goldfield G.
Jun. 2: Willetton T. - Geraldton B.
Jun. 2: Perth R. - SW Slammers
Jun. 2: Rockingham F. - Lakeside L.
Jun. 2: Stirling S. - Kalamunda E.S.
Jun. 3: Wanneroo W. - Geraldton B.
Jun. 3: Kalamunda E.S. - Goldfield G.

SBL: Wrensted hits 100 against Magic - by Eurobasket News

He got his first chance as a Geraldton Buccaneer thanks to a bit of luck, but over the last five years Luke Wrensted (175-PG-92) has earned his place on the Buccs roster.

This weekends clash with Mandurah Magic at Activewest Stadium will be Wrensteds 100th in the blue and gold.

The guard made his debut in 2008 as a 15-year-old against the South West Slammers after Michael Lay left the court through injury.

He has since taken on more responsibility in the team, and was promoted to the starting line-up for the first 10 games this season.

Wrensted said he was honoured to notch up the meaningful milestone, and still has his first SBL appearance embedded in his mind.

I was in Bunbury for State training, and Michael Lay got injured, so coach put me on, and it was in the third quarter of a pretty close game, I was pretty stoked, he said.

Wrensted and the Buccs will face the fi fth-placed Magic (9-4) tomorrow night as they attempt to get their season back on track.

Thomas Remmerswaal and Taylor Mullenax have led the Magics charge up the ladder this year, averaging 24 and 23.7 points a game respectively.

Mullenax led all scorers with 26 points when Mandurah defeated Geraldton 88-81 in week one this season.

The return of centre Ben Pepper (213-C-75) has Wrensted confident the Buccs will give the home crowd something to cheer about tomorrow night.

I think we will go alright because we have Peps (Pepper) back, that is another scoring guy and he can get the rebounds, he said.

Training has been really good this week so I think we will get the win.

It was a close game earlier this year, but we did not have a full team, so I think we will get them this time.

Everyone is still upbeat and confident.

Article by Taylor Courtland (Geraldton Guardian)
Courtesy of: SBL

SBL: Redbacks extinguish Flames - by Eurobasket News

The Perth Redbacks Mens State Basketball League team had a dominant 119 to 93 away-game win over the bottom placed Rockingham Flames.

This win sees the Redbacks men move up one place to third in the 14-team competition with nine wins and four losses.

Perth Wildcatsdevelopment player and Redbacks centre Michael Vigor was the game-high scorer with 28 along with 16 rebounds, four assists and four blocked-shots.

Shooting guard Jarrad Prior was their next highest scorer with 20 off just 10 shots at a field goal percentage of 70 along with three assists.

Small-forward Blake Bender had 16 at 71% and six rebounds, while Joel Wagner (181-G-87) also had 16 at 57% along with six assists.

Rockingham Centre James Booyer (203-F-86, college: IUPUI) was their highest scorer with 21 at 39% along with nine rebounds and guard Beau Samuelson had 20 at 58% along with seven rebounds and five assists.

The Redbacks womens team had a disappointing 51 to 55 loss to the eighth placed Flames.

Power-forward Jessica Jakens was the Redbacks top scorer with 12 at 50% along with eight rebounds.

Shooting guard Kerise Delcoure was their next highest scorer with 10 while centre Marita Payne had eight along with 12 rebounds.

The game-high scorer was Rockinghams centre Emma Cannon (188-F, college: Cent.Florida) with 23 and eight rebounds, while power forward Kaye Tucker had 10 along with 15 rebounds and seven assists.

The loss sees the Redbacks women drop one place to third in the 12-team competition with eight wins and three losses.

This Saturday the Redbacks travel to the Ray Owen Stadium, Lesmurdie in an away-game fixture against the Kalamunda Eastern Suns with the womens game starting at 6PM and the mens game at 8PM.

Article by Perth Redbacks
Courtesy of: SBL

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AZERBAIJAN

Aleksandr Rindin finished the season abroad - by Eurobasket News

Aleksandr Rindin (225-C-85, agency: Interperformances) finished the season abroad as his Universitet-Yugra was second in Russian SuperLeague. The Azerbaijani averaged 5.1 points per game and tasted silver with his team. Ural meanwhile wins Superleague title tonight. The team overcame Universitet-Yugra 55:54 and won the Final series 2-1.
The hosts trailed by 1 point after three quarters before their 17-15 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Ural Ekaterinburg made 20-of-25 free shots (80.0 percent) during the game. Ural Ekaterinburg outrebounded Universitet-Yugra 45-28 including a 17-5 advantage in defensive rebounds. 27 personal fouls committed by Universitet-Yugra helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. It was a good game for Semen Shashkov who saved his team from a defeat with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Dmitri Nikolaev (200-83) contributed with a double-double by scoring 11 points and 14 rebounds for the winners. Linas Lekavicius answered with 11 points and 9 rebounds and forward Denis Hloponin added 10 points in the effort for Universitet-Yugra. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game.
In Game 1 Ural grabbed 74:72 victory but then fell short in Surgut. In Game 2 Univ.Surgut celebrated a 72:65 win to tie the records at 1-1.
Last season Aleksandr Rindin started for PGE Turow Zgorzelec (Poland-PLK), but in Jan.'11 moved to Genc Telekom (Turkey-TB2L) and in 13 games averaged 3.3ppg, 2.5rpg, 1.1bpg.

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BOSNIA

Three Bosnian players win the title in Austria - by Eurobasket News

Ramiz Suljanovic (206-F/C-79), Damir Zeleznik (188-G-80) and Damir Hamidovic (205-C/F-71) won the championship title in Austria with their team Xion Dukes Klosterneuburg. They outplayed Gmunden 67-55 in Game Four winning the Finals with perfect 3-1. Suljanovic helped his team with 11 points and 8 rebounds in this game. Zeleznik had 3 points and 3 assists, while Hamidovic was scoreless for five minutes on the court. The hosts trailed by 1 point after first quarter, but they stormed back to get the 8-point lead at the halftime and increased it for rest of the game. Klosterneuburg was the second ranked team in regular season with 21-9 record. They eliminated Furstenfeld in the Quarterfinals with 3-2. Later, Klosterneuburg edged Kapfenberg in the Semis 3-1. Gmunden was the regular season champion and they had a home court advantage in the Finals, but it didn't help.
Ramiz Suljanovic was a key player of Klosterneuburg this season. He appeared 41 times in the league averaging 16.2 points and 6.5 rebounds. Damir Zeleznik registered 7.8 ppg, 2.7 apg and 2 rpg in 42 games. Veteran Damir Hamidovic collected 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg in 41 games.

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CAPE VERDE

Cape Verdean Fidel Mendonca takes the title with Sport Alges e Dafundo - by Eurobasket News

Cape Verdean Fidel Mendonca (191-F-84) takes the title with Sport Alges e Dafundo in Portugal. This season he averaged 6.8 points per game with his team.
His Alges are Proliga champions. They swept the title series against Fisica. DeSean White came up with 31 points and 16 rebounds in the decisive third game to seal the victory and trophy for Alges.
Having built a comfortable 2-0 lead after two home games Alges eased into the third encounter. The visitors grabbed control early in the game. They unloaded 29 points in the opening frame to build a 14-point lead. Alges boosted the margin in the second quarter. The visitors accumulated a massive 25-point cushion at halftime 50:25. Fisica tried to wake up in the third term. They knocked down 22 points to cut the deficit by two points. But it was far from enough as Alges continued to dominate the game. Fisica cut the distance in the fourth term but never seriously threatened the gap as Alges cruised to the victory. Antonio Pires knocked down 12 points, while Joao Manuel added 20 points for the winners. Carlos Dias answered with 21 points for Fisica. Edson Rosario chipped in 13 points for the hosts.

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CHINA

Standings - NBL

NBL Standings

1. Jiangsu		6-2
2. Changan Group		6-2
3. Guangzhou L.		6-2
4. Guangzhou FM		5-3
5. Hebei		5-3
6. Hong Kong		4-4
7. Sichuan		3-5
8. Heilongjiang		2-6
9. Nanjin Army		2-6
10. Henan Jiyuan		1-7

Regular Season: Round 8

May. 26: Hebei - Changan Group 91-104
May. 26: Guangzhou FM - Heilongjiang 90-80
May. 26: Sichuan - Jiangsu 88-89
May. 26: Hong Kong - Guangzhou L. 77-80
May. 26: Nanjin Army - Henan Jiyuan 101-84

Regular Season: Round 9

May. 29: Jiangsu - Nanjin Army
May. 29: Guangzhou L. - Henan Jiyuan
May. 29: Sichuan - Hebei
May. 29: Hong Kong - Guangzhou FM
May. 29: Heilongjiang - Changan Group

NBL Round 8 of Regular Season - by Eurobasket News

NBL round 8 most important game was a victory of Changan Group over one of their biggest challengers Hebei 104-91 on Saturday night. It was a key game for the top position in the league. The game was mostly controlled by Changan Group. Hebei managed to win third quarter 22-12. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Changan Group dominated down low during the game scoring 60 of its points in the paint compared to Hebei's 40. They shot the lights out from three sinking 12 long-distance shots on high 52.2 percentage. American forward Joseph Taylor (203-85, college: Wyoming) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 33 points (!!!) and 13 rebounds. Forward Jian Sun (190-88) contributed with 20 points for the winners. American forward Bryan Davis (206-86, college: Texas A&M, agency: N.E.T.) replied with 23 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists for Hebei. Hebei's coach Jinlin Zhou rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Changan Group (6-2) have an impressive five-game winning streak. They keep a position of league leader, which they share with Jiangsu and Guangzhou L. Hebei lost third consecutive game. They keep the fourth place with three games lost. They share the position with Guangzhou FM. Changan Group is looking forward to face Heilongjiang (#8) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Hebei will play against Sichuan (#7) and is hoping to prove to their fans that they can break losing series.
First ranked Guangzhou L. (6-2) saved a 3-point victory on the road edging 6th ranked Hong Kong (4-4) 80-77 on Saturday evening. Guest team only slightly avoided a big embarassment. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Hong Kong. Worth to mention a great performance of forward Jing Wang (197-78) who helped to win the game recording 19 points and 8 rebounds and Lei Ji who added 19 points during the contest. American center DeVon Hardin (211-86) responded with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 19 rebounds. Hong Kong's coach DeGui Zhang tested ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Guangzhou L. have a solid three-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 6-2 record, which they share with Changan Group and Jiangsu. Hong Kong at the other side keeps the sixth place with four games lost. Guangzhou L. will play against bottom-ranked Henan Jiyuan (#10) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Hong Kong will play against Guangzhou FM (#4) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
A very close game took place in between Jiangsu and Sichuan. Third ranked Jiangsu (6-2) got a very close victory on the road over 7th ranked Sichuan (3-5). Jiangsu managed to escape with a 1-point win 89-88 on Saturday evening. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Sichuan. The winners were led by Julius Hodge who had that evening a double-double by scoring 26 points, 23 rebounds and 8 assists. Jiangsu's coach ZhiLong Zheng used an eleven-player rotation in such tough game. Even a double-double of 20 points and 17 rebounds by Jarrid Famous did not help to save the game for Sichuan. Jiangsu keeps a position of league leader, which they share with Changan Group and Guangzhou L. Loser Sichuan keeps the seventh place with five games lost. Jiangsu will meet at home Nanjin Army (#9) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Sichuan will play against Hebei and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Bottom-ranked Nanjin Army managed to get a second victory, breaking the three-game losing streak. This time they won against ninth-ranked Henan Jiyuan 101-84. It's especially surprising that the victory came too easily and 17-point difference suggests that Nanjin Army is in a good shape to leave the bottom place. The best player for the winners was ChengLin Fan who scored 30 points. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Nanjin Army (2-6) moved-up to eighth place, which they share with Heilongjiang. Henan Jiyuan lost sixth consecutive game. They dropped to the bottom position with seven games lost. Nanjin Army's next round opponent will be league's leader Jiangsu and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Henan Jiyuan will play against Guangzhou L. (#3).

In the last game of round 8 Heilongjiang was beaten by Guangzhou FM on the road 90-80.
The most impressive performance of 8th round was 51 points (!!!) and 16 rebounds by Kenny Adeleke of Henan Jiyuan.

Hong Kong - Guangzhou L. 77-80

First ranked Guangzhou L. (6-2) saved a 3-point victory on the road edging 6th ranked Hong Kong (4-4) 80-77 on Saturday evening. Guest team only slightly avoided a big embarassment. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Hong Kong. It looked good early as Hong Kong took an 9-point lead at the end of first quarter. But then Guangzhou L. took control winning next two quarters and eventually winning the game that evening by 3 points. Guangzhou L. forced 26 Hong Kong turnovers. Strangely Hong Kong outrebounded Guangzhou L. 52-31 including a 34-18 advantage in defensive rebounds. They brought some defensive toughness making 8 blocks. Hong Kong was plagued by 25 personal fouls down the stretch. Worth to mention a great performance of forward Jing Wang (197-78) who helped to win the game recording 19 points and 8 rebounds and center Lei Ji (203-83) who added 19 points during the contest. American center DeVon Hardin (211-86) responded with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 19 rebounds and guard Zhou Feng (180-81) scored 22 points and 7 rebounds (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line). Hong Kong's coach DeGui Zhang tested ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Guangzhou L. have a solid three-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 6-2 record, which they share with Changan Group and Jiangsu. Hong Kong at the other side keeps the sixth place with four games lost. Guangzhou L. will play against bottom-ranked Henan Jiyuan (#10) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Hong Kong will play against Guangzhou FM (#4) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Guangzhou L.: W.Jing 19+8reb+3ast, J.Lei 19+2reb+1ast, T.Chao 10+5reb+2ast, L.XiangTao 10+2reb+1ast, C.DaWei 9+5reb, N.Hamady 7+6reb+1ast
Hong Kong: F.Zhou 22+7reb+2ast, H.DeVon 20+19reb+1ast, Y.XiaoHang 13+4reb+1ast, L.MingHao 8+8reb+5ast, Z.DongYang 6+1reb+1ast, J.KaiYi 4+5reb

Sichuan - Jiangsu 88-89

A very close game took place in between Jiangsu and Sichuan. Third ranked Jiangsu (6-2) got a very close victory on the road over 7th ranked Sichuan (3-5). Jiangsu managed to escape with a 1-point win 89-88 on Saturday evening. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Sichuan. The guests trailed by 1 point at the halftime before their 17-14 charge in the third quarter, which allowed them to win the game. The winners were led by U.S. Virgin Islands-Antiguan guard Julius Hodge (201-83, college: N.Carolina St.) who had that evening a double-double by scoring 26 points, 23 rebounds and 8 assists and forward Hui Fang (198-82) supported him with 11 points and 9 rebounds. Four Jiangsu players scored in double figures. Jiangsu's coach ZhiLong Zheng used an eleven-player rotation in such tough game. Even a double-double of 20 points and 17 rebounds by American power forward Jarrid Famous (210-88, college: S.Florida) did not help to save the game for Sichuan. Guard YingLiang Wang (183-91) added 17 points for the hosts. Jiangsu keeps a position of league leader, which they share with Changan Group and Guangzhou L. Loser Sichuan keeps the seventh place with five games lost. Jiangsu will meet at home Nanjin Army (#9) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Sichuan will play against Hebei and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Jiangsu: H.Julius 26+23reb+8ast, S.XianLing 13+2reb, F.Xin 11+1reb+5ast, F.Hui 11+9reb+1ast, S.XinLei 8+1ast, Z.HongWei 7+2ast
Sichuan: F.Jarrid 20+17reb+3ast, W.YingLiang 17+3reb+2ast, C.XiaoDong 14+8reb, C.Ma 8+4reb, D.ChengLong 8+1reb+4ast, H.XiaoBin 8+5reb+2ast

Nanjin Army - Henan Jiyuan 101-84

Bottom-ranked Nanjin Army managed to get a second victory, breaking the three-game losing streak. This time they won against ninth-ranked Henan Jiyuan 101-84. It's especially surprising that the victory came too easily and 17-point difference suggests that Nanjin Army is in a good shape to leave the bottom place. The game without a history. Nanjin Army led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Nanjin Army forced 24 Henan Jiyuan turnovers. 28 personal fouls committed by Henan Jiyuan helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was forward ChengLin Fan (202-91) who scored 30 points. Forward Shengyue Sun (198-89) chipped in 22 points and 8 rebounds. Five Nanjin Army players scored in double figures. Nigerian center Kenny Adeleke (205-83, college: Hartford) produced a double-double by scoring 51 points (!!!) and 16 rebounds and swingman Peng Chao (193-92) added 14 points and 8 rebounds respectively for the guests. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Nanjin Army (2-6) moved-up to eighth place, which they share with Heilongjiang. Henan Jiyuan lost sixth consecutive game. They dropped to the bottom position with seven games lost. Nanjin Army's next round opponent will be league's leader Jiangsu and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Henan Jiyuan will play against Guangzhou L. (#3).
Top scorers:
Nanjin Army: F.ChengLin 30+3reb+1ast, S.Shengyue 22+8reb+3ast, Z.CaiBao 13+3reb+2ast, X.Jinlong 11+4reb+1ast, L.Dong 10+6reb+1ast, W.ShouWei 7+6reb+2ast
Henan Jiyuan: A.Kenny 51+16reb, C.Peng 14+8reb+2ast, G.Wei 6+1reb+2ast, L.XiaoHu 4, W.ZhanYu 3+4reb+4ast, L.Chao 3+3reb+2ast

Hebei - Changan Group 91-104

NBL round 8 most important game was a victory of Changan Group over one of their biggest challengers Hebei 104-91 on Saturday night. It was a key game for the top position in the league. The game was mostly controlled by Changan Group. Hebei managed to win third quarter 22-12. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Changan Group dominated down low during the game scoring 60 of its points in the paint compared to Hebei's 40. They shot the lights out from three sinking 12 long-distance shots on high 52.2 percentage. American forward Joseph Taylor (203-85, college: Wyoming) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 33 points (!!!) and 13 rebounds. Forward Jian Sun (190-88) contributed with 20 points for the winners. Four Changan Group players scored in double figures. American forward Bryan Davis (206-86, college: Texas A&M, agency: N.E.T.) replied with 23 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists and guard XinLei Wang (185-89) added 17 points in the effort for Hebei. Hebei's coach Jinlin Zhou rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Changan Group (6-2) have an impressive five-game winning streak. They keep a position of league leader, which they share with Jiangsu and Guangzhou L. Hebei lost third consecutive game. They keep the fourth place with three games lost. They share the position with Guangzhou FM. Changan Group is looking forward to face Heilongjiang (#8) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Hebei will play against Sichuan (#7) and is hoping to prove to their fans that they can break losing series.
Top scorers:
Changan Group: T.Joseph 33+13reb+3ast, S.Jian 20+2reb+2ast, R.XiaTi 13+4reb+3ast, J.JunQi 11+5reb+1ast, Y.BoWen 9+3reb+2ast, G.Yan 7+1reb+2ast
Hebei: D.Bryan 23+9reb+4ast, Y.ZhiTong 18+1reb+1ast, W.XinLei 17+1reb+3ast, W.Tong 8+2reb+3ast, W.Jian 6+1ast, Z.ZhenHu 4+2reb

Guangzhou FM - Heilongjiang 90-80

No shocking result in a game when fifth ranked Guangzhou FM (5-3) beat at home 8th ranked Heilongjiang (2-6) 90-80. Guangzhou FM forced 29 Heilongjiang turnovers and had a 22-9 advantage in offensive rebounds. They brought some defensive toughness making 7 blocks. 24 personal fouls committed by Heilongjiang helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was American forward Walter Sharpe (206-86, college: UAB, agency: Two Points) who had a double-double by scoring 31 points, 18 rebounds and 7 blocks. Forward Peng Yao (205-86) chipped in 18 points and 7 rebounds. American power forward Rashaun Freeman (206-84, college: Massachusetts) produced a double-double by scoring 35 points (!!!) and 17 rebounds and forward Xu Liu (201-85) added 11 points respectively for the guests. Heilongjiang's coach Zhiwei Liu let to play ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Guangzhou FM moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Hebei. Heilongjiang lost third consecutive game. They keep the eighth position with six games lost. Guangzhou FM's next round opponent will be Hong Kong (#6). Heilongjiang will play against the league's second-placed Changan Group.
Top scorers:
Guangzhou FM: S.Walter 31+18reb+1ast, Y.Peng 18+7reb+3ast, Y.KaiFu 16+7reb+3ast, W.SongWei 9+7reb+3ast, L.DaPeng 8+5reb+1ast, Y.Liang 4+4reb+1ast
Heilongjiang: F.Rashaun 35+17reb+2ast, L.Xu 11+4reb+1ast, J.Ming 9+3reb+2ast, L.JinYang 8+4reb+2ast, Y.Gang 7+5reb+1ast, Z.JunXiong 6+2reb+1ast

Adeleke's double-double lands him NBL Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News

28-year old center Kenny Adeleke (205-C-83) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for Henan Jiyuan and receives a Asia-basket.com NBL Player of the Week award for round 8.
He had a double-double of 51 points and 16 rebounds, while his team lost the game against Nanjin Army (#9, 2-6) 84-101. The game rather meaningless between the teams, which do not have any influence on the top of the standings. Henan Jiyuan moved-up to the 10th position in the Chinese NBL. Too late to salvage the team, which is currently ranked at the very bottom. They already lost 7 games and recorded just one victory. Adeleke just recently signed at Henan Jiyuan, being already a very valuable addition to the team. University of Hartford graduate has very impressive stats this year. Adeleke. Adeleke is in league's top in points (2nd best: 35.9ppg) and averages solid 2.9spg and 52.1% FGP.

Second best performed player last round was Rashaun Freeman (206-C/F-84) of Heilongjiang. He is American in his first season at Heilongjiang. In the last game Freeman recorded impressive double-double of 35 points and 17 rebounds. Bad luck as Heilongjiang lost that game 80-90 to the higher-ranked Guangzhou FM (#4, 5-3). Heilongjiang is still second from the bottom in the standings. 6 lost games are too many comparing to just two victories Heilongjiang managed to get this year. Freeman is one of the most experienced players at Heilongjiang and has a reputation of one of team's most reliable players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 40.1ppg (#1). He also registered 17.7 boards per game.

Third place about best performers goes to guard Julius Hodge (201-G-83) of league's leader Jiangsu. Hodge showcased his all-around game by recording 26 points, twenty three rebounds (!!!) and eight assists in the last round. He was a key player of Jiangsu, leading his team to a 89-88 win against the lower-ranked Sichuan (#7, 3-5). Jiangsu confirms their top position in the standings. Their record at this point is 6 victories and 2 lost games. Hodge has a very solid season. In 2 games in China he scored 26.0ppg.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Walter Sharpe (206-F-86) of Guangzhou FM - 31 points and 18 rebounds
5. Joseph Taylor (203-F-85) of Changan Group - 33 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists
6. Bryan Davis (206-F-86) of Hebei - 23 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists
7. Shengyue Sun (198-F-89) of Nanjin Army - 22 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists
8. Jarrid Famous (210-C/F-88) of Sichuan - 20 points, 17 rebounds and 3 assists
9. DeVon Hardin (211-C-86) of Hong Kong - 20 points and 19 rebounds
10. Zhou Feng (180-G-81) of Hong Kong - 22 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists

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

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COLOMBIA

COLOMBIA DEFEATED URUGUAY IN THE SUPER 4 OPENER - by Victor Garcia

Colombia defeated Uruguay in the Super 4 opener in Valencia - Venzuela.
The National team with few practices found one more time in Stalin Ortiz its main weapon, Ortiz finished the game with 16 points and 10 rebound, John Hernandez with his size added 12 pts, Uruguay had in Jason Granger its main player, Granger scored 14 points.

Colombia 66 , Ortiz 16pts + 10 rebs, Hernandez 12 pts.
Uruguay 57., Granger 14 pts.

Colombia will face Venezuela tomorrow, Venezuela also won today defeating Chile

COLOMBIAN FALL AGAINST VENEZUELA IN THE SUPER 4 - by Victor Garcia

Colombia had a very hard night against Venezuela in the second game of the Super 4 played at the forum in Valencia.
The National team face many problems to guard the Venezuelas big men, Marriga and Graterol, and also was limited on their ofensive to the power of Stalin Ortiz who finished the game with 34 pts.
Colombia start the game with: Bacci, Ortiz, Aguirre, Perez and Guevara, Perez added 7 points, Guevara 6 and Bacci 5.
Final result:

Venezuela 80, Marriga 12 pts, Bravo 11 pts, Graterol 10 pts.
Colombia 62, Ortiz 34 pts, Perez 7 pts, Guevara 6 pts, Bacci 5 pts.

Hernan Giraldo the Colombian coach was ejected.

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CROATIA

Stats Leaders - A1

Points Per Game

Ivan MIMICA
  KK Split
  (193-G-80)
  Avg: 18.8

1. Mimica, KK Split	18.8
2. Ceskovic, Kvarner	18.0
3. Ross, Jolly	17.9
4. Markota, KK.	17.6
5. Bilan, Cedevita	16.7
6. Stimac, Svjetlost	16.7
7. Sobin, KK Split	15.3
8. Simovic, Kvarner	15.3
9. Kruslin, Zabok	15.1
10. Vrbanc, Zadar	14.5

Rebounds Per Game

Damir MARKOTA
  KK.
  (210-C/F-85)
  Avg: 7.5

1. Markota, KK.	7.5
2. Ivanov, Zadar	7.5
3. Sobin, KK Split	7.1
4. Stimac, Svjetlost	7.0
5. Cinac, Kvarner 2010	6.8
6. Simovic, Kvarner	6.8
7. Bilan, Cedevita	6.7
8. Suton, Cibona	6.6
9. Peraica, Darda	6.6
10. Zupic, Alkar Sinj	6.4

Assists Per Game

Josip GLAVINIC
  Krizevci
  (192-G-82)
  Avg: 5.1

1. Glavinic, Krizevci	5.1
2. Ross, Jolly	4.4
3. Vujcic, KK Split	4.2
4. Subotic, KK Split	4.2
5. Blajic, Kvarner	4.2
6. Wright, Cibona	3.7
7. Kostomaj, Svjet.	3.7
8. Draper, Cedevita	3.1
9. Tomas, Zabok	3.1
10. Bazdaric, Cedevita	3.1

Steals Per Game

Ronald ROSS
  Jolly
  (188-G-83)
  Avg: 2.9

1. Ross, Jolly	2.9
2. Draper, Cedevita	2.6
3. Wright, Cibona	2.2
4. Bicvic, Darda	1.9
5. Rozic, Cibona	1.9
6. Blajic, Kvarner	1.8
7. Kostomaj, Svjet.	1.7
8. Kruslin, Zabok	1.5
9. Sobin, KK Split	1.5
10. Stimac, Svjetlost	1.5

Blocks Per Game

Filip KRALJEVIC
  Zabok
  (214-F-89)
  Avg: 1.7

1. Kraljevic, Zabok	1.7
2. Sarlija, Borik	1.2
3. Zupic, Alkar Sinj	1.1
4. Bubalo, Zabok	1.1
5. Owens, Cedevita	0.8
6. Buva, Krizevci	0.8
7. Bilan, Cedevita	0.8
8. Vujcic, KK Split	0.8
9. Vukovic, KK Split	0.7
10. Sobin, KK Split	0.7

Jure Lalic ends successful season in Slovenia - by Eurobasket News

Jure Lalic (212-C-86) and his team Krka Novo Mesto managed to win the championship title in Slovenia. They grabbed 55-67 road victory against Union Olimpija on Thursday night closing the Finals with almost perfect 3-1. Jure Lalic helped his team with 11 points and 7 rebounds for 25 minutes on the court. He had valuation 15.
Krka quickly recovered from the home loss in Game One and after that managed to beat its rival three times in a row (twice in Ljubljana). The guests trailed by 1 point after three quarters in Game Four before their 20-7 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Krka dominated on the defensive end, holding Union Olimpija to just 7 points in fourth quarter. They made 19-of-24 free shots (79.2 percent) during the game. 25 personal fouls committed by Union Olimpija helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. Point guard Afik Nissim fired 18 points for the winners. Jure Balazic had 14 points, while international swingman Zoran Dragic chipped in 8 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. American forward Deon Thompson produced 18 points and Montenegrin forward Vladimir Dasic added 13 points and 5 rebounds respectively for lost side.
Krka was the regular season champion with 8-2 record. They eliminated Zlatorog with perfect 2-0 in the Semis. It is important to mention that Union Olimpija won the Slovenian Cup this season.
Jure Lalic joined Krka in December. He appeared 16 times in Slovenian league averaging 8.4 points and 4.4 rebounds. He also added 9.4 ppg and 3.7 rpg for 12 games in Adriatic league. In EuroCup, Lalic registered 7.8ppg and 2 rpg. Jure Lalic started the season with Cibona Zagreb.

Cibona takes 1-0 lead in the Finals - by Eurobasket News

Finals, Game 1: Cibona - Cedevita 84-77 (1-0, best-of-five)

The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning the initial quarter 23-17. But Cedevita won second period 18-16. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Cibona made 29-of-38 free shots (76.3 percent) during the game. 31 personal fouls committed by Cedevita helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. Worth to mention a great performance of the former international guard Davor Kus (191-78, agency: Interperformances) who helped to win the game recording 18 points. Goran Suton (209-85, college: Michigan St.) contributed with 12 points and 5 rebounds for the winners. Four Cibona players scored in double figures. Forward Miro Bilan (213-89) answered with 20 points and 7 rebounds and international point guard Dontaye Draper (180-84, college: Charleston) added 14 points and 5 rebounds in the effort for Cedevita. Both coaches used bench players tonight. Game Two is scheduled for Tuesday, when Cedevita will be the host.
Top scorers:
Cibona: D.Kus 18+2ast, K.El-Amin 14+3reb+1ast, D.Rudez 13+1reb, P.Marcinkovic 12+2reb+1ast, G.Suton 12+5reb+2ast, Z.Wright 6+8reb+5ast
Cedevita: M.Bilan 20+7reb+1ast, D.Draper 14+5reb+3ast, M.Car 12+5ast, H.Owens 8+5reb, I.Opacak 6+2reb, V.Vukusic 6+3reb+4ast

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

CZECH REPUBLIC

Stats Leaders - NBL

Points Per Game

Peter SEDMAK
  USK Praha
  (207-C-85)
  Avg: 19.7

1. Sedmak, USK Praha	19.7
2. Pope, Chomutov	19.6
3. McFadden, Usti n.	18.2
4. Grant, Levice	17.9
5. Lowery, Chomutov	17.6
6. Hruban, USK Praha	16.7
7. Houska, BK Decin	15.0
8. Arnold, BK Pardu.	14.9
9. Smith, BK Prost.	14.9
10. Meno, Svitavy	14.8

Rebounds Per Game

Stanislav VOTROUBEK
  USK P.
  (212-C-81)
  Avg: 8.8

1. Votroubek, USK P.	8.8
2. Pesic, Inter B.	8.6
3. Meno, Svitavy	8.4
4. Gadri-N., BK Prost.	8.0
5. Gottselig, Usti n.	8.0
6. Arnold, BK Pardu.	7.9
7. Naymick, CEZ N.	7.6
8. Modric, Levice	7.2
9. Peterson, BK Prost.	7.0
10. Houska, BK Decin	6.9

Assists Per Game

Emanuel UBILLA
  Inter B.
  (188-G-86)
  Avg: 5.3

1. Ubilla, Inter B.	5.3
2. Deloach, Svitavy	5.1
3. Sotnar, USK Praha	4.7
4. Wright, NH Ostrava	4.6
5. Wright, Chomutov	4.6
6. Vrubl, Plzen	4.4
7. McFadden, Usti n.	4.1
8. Sirina, B&W Opava	4.1
9. Lawrence, CEZ N.	4.1
10. George, Svitavy	3.9

Steals Per Game

Rashaan AMES
  BC Kolin
  (184-PG-78)
  Avg: 2.6

1. Ames, BC Kolin	2.6
2. Ubilla, Inter B.	2.5
3. Wright, Chomutov	2.4
4. McFadden, Usti n.	2.3
5. Wright, NH Ostrava	2.1
6. Klecka, B&W Opava	1.9
7. Lowery, Chomutov	1.9
8. Sirina, B&W Opava	1.8
9. Simmons, CEZ N.	1.7
10. Pumprla, CEZ N.	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Andrew NAYMICK
  CEZ N.
  (211-C-85)
  Avg: 1.7

1. Naymick, CEZ N.	1.7
2. Hughes, NH Ostrava	1.3
3. Miklosik, B&W O.	1.3
4. Gadri-N., BK Prost.	1.2
5. Williams, BK Decin	1.0
6. Reese, Usti n.	0.9
7. Grant, Levice	0.9
8. Arnold, BK Pardu.	0.9
9. Meno, Svitavy	0.8
10. Houska, BK Decin	0.8

CEZ Nymburk earn ninth straight NBL title - by Eurobasket News

Prostejov - CEZ Nymburk 67:84

CEZ Nymburk remained the unprecedented power in the Czech basketball. They swept the title series against Prostejov tonight to celebrate the ninth straight NBL crown. A.J. Abrams (180-G-86, agency: Two Points, college: Texas) scored 14 points to lead Nymburk to the fourth decisive victory in the series.
Prostejov entered the game with little hope after three straight losses. But they fought bravely in the opening quarter trailing by just a single point 19:18 after ten minutes. However Nymburk increased the tempo in the second term leaving the hosts behind. The visitors unloaded 34 points in the period to establish a 53:39 halftime lead. Prostejov did not surrender as they cut the distance by five points in the third term. But Nymburk limited the hosts to 11 points in the fourth stanza and rallied to a comfortable victory at the end. Michael Lenzly (189-G-81, college: Wofford) delivered 12 points, while Michal Kremen (200-G/F-81) and Radek Necas (204-F-80) added 11 points apiece in the win. Pavel Slezak (186-G-84) answered with 15 points for Prostejov. Jaromir Bohacik (197-F/G-92) and Jamar Smith (191-SG-87, agency: KMG Sports Management, college: S.Indiana) netted 10 points each in the loss.

Prostejov: Pavel Slezak 15, Jaromir Bohacik 10, Jamar Smith 10
CEZ Nymburk: A.J. Abrams 14, Michael Lenzly 12, Michal Kremen 11, Radek Necas 11

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

DENMARK

CDL Market news - by Thomas Soltau

On a good note, Horsholm 79ers reporting that tow players will remain with the team for the 2012-2013 season.

Zarko Djuric (198-F-89), a talented and tall guard prospect, and Rasmus Stolbjerg (201-F-95). Both players are young and should prove valuable for the future.

On a bad note, the Svendborg Rabbits are again in an economical crisis and searching for funds to remain in the CDL.

Hopefully the Rabbits will solve the situation, and get back on track.

Eurobasket Denmark wishes everyone a productive summer.

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

EUROLEAGUE

Maccabi TLV and CSKA Battle for Gordon and Jackson. Paul Davis update - by David Pick

After securing the team's 50th national title, David Blatt and Maccabi Tel-Aviv continue to rebuild their squad for the 2012-13 season.

Georgian center Giorgi Shermadini signed and will fill in for Greek Sofoklis Schortsanitis. However, the next scenario acquisition would be crucial for the Israelis. Keith Langford, one of Europe's most talented free agent scorers is yet to announce where he's taking his talents to next season.

That said, Maccabi is pursuing other options as eyes shift to Moscow. Euroleague runner up CSKA has until June 15th to inform American Swingman Jamont Gordon if they're picking up his $1.4m contract. If the Russian indeed resign Gordon, the possibility of Maccabi inking Bilbao's Aaron Jackson will increase.

Eurobasket was informed that Maccabi representatives led by Danny Federman, met with Jackson's agent Happy Walters, during the Euroleague Final Four in Turkey. Despite knowing Jackson has offers that rank in millions, Maccabi agreed to put $700k on the table.

Still, if CSKA decides to release Gordon and sign Jackson, Blatt, who has shown recent interest in Gordon, might decide to track him down. In addition, Maccabi continues to try and ink another big man in hopes of finalizing the team's front court. Eurobasket reveals that Spanish Cajasol's American 6-foot-11 Paul Davis was presented an initial offer by Maccabi, but the player's demands are currently out of the team's budget.

Earlier this year, Davis recorded monstrous games in the Spanish ACB League posting double-doubles of 21 points and 22 rebounds and 19 points and 15 boards.

Also, Maccabi's Shawn James, who last summer signed a two-year guaranteed deal with the team, will complete five years of playing on Israeli soil, thus, potentially finding himself out of the organization due to heavy tax issues. To be determined.

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

FRANCE

Stats Leaders - ProA

Points Per Game

Eric CHATFIELD
  Paris-.
  (191-G-79)
  Avg: 19.6

1. Chatfield, Paris-.	19.6
2. Hughes, Hyeres-T.	17.2
3. Gipson, Pau-Lacq.	17.1
4. Hamilton, Paris-.	17.0
5. Rochestie, Le Mans	16.8
6. Schilb, Chalon	16.8
7. Williams, Paris-.	16.5
8. Causeur, Cholet	16.0
9. Cox, Le Havre	15.8
10. Delaney, Chalon	15.2

Rebounds Per Game

Chinemelu ELONU
  Pau-Lacq.
  (206-F/C-87)
  Avg: 8.3

1. Elonu, Pau-Lacq.	8.3
2. Hamilton, Paris-.	8.2
3. Akingbala, Nancy	7.7
4. Armstrong, AS.	7.2
5. Greer, Strasbourg	7.0
6. Aminu, Chalon	6.9
7. Vebobe, Cholet	6.8
8. Nsonwu-Amadi, Roa.	6.8
9. Labeyrie, Hyeres-T.	6.5
10. Camara, Le Havre	6.4

Assists Per Game

Kareem REID
  Hyeres-Toulon
  (178-PG-75)
  Avg: 7.6

1. Reid, Hyeres-Toulon	7.6
2. Rochestie, Le Mans	6.4
3. Wise, Le Havre	5.6
4. Pellin, Orleans	5.2
5. Linehan, Nancy	5.2
6. Dixon, Dijon	5.1
7. Barrett, Roanne	4.9
8. Schilb, Chalon	4.7
9. Gipson, Pau-Lacq.	4.5
10. Tchicamboud, Cha.	4.5

Steals Per Game

Andrew ALBICY
  Gravelines
  (178-PG-90)
  Avg: 2.4

1. Albicy, Gravelines	2.4
2. Dobbins, Poitiers	2.3
3. Linehan, Nancy	2.1
4. Riley, Nanterre	2.1
5. Wise, Le Havre	2.0
6. Pellin, Orleans	1.9
7. Melody, Dijon	1.7
8. Shuler, Nancy	1.7
9. Greer, Strasbourg	1.6
10. Acker, Le Mans	1.6

Blocks Per Game

Alexis AJINCA
  Strasbourg
  (215-C-88)
  Avg: 2

1. Ajinca, Strasbourg	2.0
2. Falker, Cholet	1.3
3. Gobert, Cholet	1.2
4. Hamilton, Paris-.	1.2
5. Elonu, Pau-Lacq.	1.1
6. Akingbala, Nancy	1.1
7. Akpomedah, Grave.	1.0
8. Issa, Gravelines	1.0
9. Armstrong, AS.	0.9
10. Sy, Orleans	0.8

Stats Leaders - ProB

Points Per Game

Jason SIGGERS
  Rouen
  (189-SG-85)
  Avg: 18.5

1. Siggers, Rouen	18.5
2. Brown, Maurienne	17.2
3. Davis, Le Portel	17.0
4. Wood, Evreux	16.4
5. Paelay, Quimper	15.8
6. McCray, Boulogne	15.7
7. Monroe, Boulazac	15.6
8. Carter, Chalons-.	15.1
9. Prowell, St Vallier	15.1
10. Mels, Chalons-Rei.	15.0

Rebounds Per Game

Christophe MASSIE
  Limoges
  (206-C/F-77)
  Avg: 11.2

1. Massie, Limoges	11.2
2. Wood, Evreux	10.9
3. Rossiter, Denain	9.6
4. Monroe, Boulazac	9.6
5. Osby, Maurienne	9.5
6. Daniels, Chalons-.	8.7
7. Barro, Bourg	8.5
8. Allen, Antibes	8.2
9. Badiane, Nantes	7.9
10. Brown, Maurienne	7.8

Assists Per Game

Ronnie TAYLOR
  Le Portel
  (188-PG-81)
  Avg: 6.6

1. Taylor, Le Portel	6.6
2. Mullins, Chalons-.	5.8
3. Copeland, Bourg	5.3
4. Rowland, Evreux	5.3
5. Darnauzan, Mauri.	5.1
6. Patiejunas, Rouen	4.9
7. Denave, St Vallier	4.8
8. Darrigand, Bordeaux	4.8
9. Poupet, Rouen	4.4
10. Eito, Vichy	4.4

Steals Per Game

Chris MCCRAY
  Boulogne
  (196-G/F-84)
  Avg: 2.6

1. McCray, Boulogne	2.6
2. Charles, Nantes	2.5
3. Mullins, Chalons-.	2.0
4. Paelay, Quimper	1.9
5. Shiloh, St Vallier	1.9
6. Eito, Vichy	1.9
7. Allen, Antibes	1.8
8. Driss, Bordeaux	1.8
9. Rowland, Evreux	1.8
10. Daniels, Chalons-.	1.8

Blocks Per Game

Sherman GAY
  Fos Ouest
  (201-PF-82)
  Avg: 1.8

1. Gay, Fos Ouest	1.8
2. Badiane, Antibes	1.7
3. Jefferson, Vichy	1.6
4. Osby, Maurienne	1.5
5. Massie, Limoges	1.1
6. Ford, Bordeaux	1.0
7. McKenzie, Boulazac	0.9
8. Fields, Nantes	0.9
9. Barrett, St Vallier	0.8
10. Barro, Bourg	0.8

Stats Leaders - N1

Points Per Game

Ville KAUNISTO
  Blois
  (204-F-82)
  Avg: 18.2

1. Kaunisto, Blois	18.2
2. Bigote, Cognac	17.4
3. Petrovic, Orchy	16.5
4. Thomas, Roche	16.1
5. Bluntt, Orchy	16.1
6. Pridotkas, Brest	16.0
7. Herard, Challans	16.0
8. Almanson, Challans	15.9
9. Pearson, Angers B.	15.8
10. Belser, Charlevil.	15.7

Rebounds Per Game

Ville KAUNISTO
  Blois
  (204-F-82)
  Avg: 11.3

1. Kaunisto, Blois	11.3
2. Jaiteh, CFBB	10.2
3. Jackson, Clermont	9.6
4. Caskill, Cognac	9.4
5. Pearson, Angers B.	8.7
6. Aubry, Montbrison	8.2
7. Sanborn, Lievin	8.1
8. Lesieu, St Quentin	7.9
9. Toney, Charleville	7.6
10. Avramovic, Chart.	7.6

Assists Per Game

Johan RATHIEUVILLE
  Brest
  (177-G-85)
  Avg: 6.5

1. Rathieuville, Brest	6.5
2. Tillon, Montbrison	5.3
3. Daube, Le Puy	5.3
4. Godin, Cognac	5.1
5. Calvez, Charleville	5.1
6. Brochard, Blois	4.9
7. Ball, St Quentin	4.5
8. Barbry, Orchy	4.5
9. Cortey, Clermont	4.3
10. Dessart, Lievin	4.1

Steals Per Game

Aurelien TOTO N''KOTE
  Roche
  (194-F-79)
  Avg: 2.2

1. Toto N''Kote, Roche	2.2
2. Calvez, Charleville	2.1
3. Pistre, Charleville	2.0
4. Bichard, St Quentin	1.8
5. Davis, Blois	1.7
6. Daube, Le Puy	1.6
7. Godin, Cognac	1.6
8. Ball, St Quentin	1.6
9. Merie, Chartres	1.6
10. Belser, Charlevil.	1.5

Blocks Per Game

Jacques ALINGUE
  Souffel
  (201-F-88)
  Avg: 1.7

1. Alingue, Souffel	1.7
2. N''Diaye, Souffel	1.7
3. Davis, Blois	1.4
4. Sanborn, Lievin	1.4
5. Diame, Rueil	1.3
6. Caskill, Cognac	1.3
7. Traore, Angers B.	1.2
8. Morin, CFBB	1.1
9. Tornato, Blois	1.0
10. Jaiteh, CFBB	1.0

Jesse Delhomme will stay with Bourg - by Eurobasket News

According to Catch-and-shoot, Jesse Delhomme (191-G-85) will stay with Bourg. Reportedly, the player is expected to sign a 2-year contract extension with the club. Delhomme arrived to Bourg in 2009 from Etoile Charleville-Mezieres. He played 34 games this season in ProB collecting 7.3 ppg, 3.8 apg and 2 apg. Bourg finished as ninth ranked team in the league with 16-18 record. They were very close to reach the Playoffs. Jesse Delhomme had lower digits for the club their first two seasons. As mentioned above, Delhomme played for Charleville from 2007 to 2009. Before that he spent one season with Longwy-Rehon and participated at NM1 All-Star Game. In the past, he was a member of Bordeaux and Chalon.

Roanne wants to return Pape-Philippe Amagou - by Eurobasket News

According to French media, Roanne wants to return its former player Pape-Philippe Amagou (185-G-85, agency: Beo Basket). Reportedly, they already offered him a 3-year deal and now wait for the answer. Amagou currently plays for Nancy. He had 7.8 ppg and 1.3 rpg for 10 Euroleague games this season. In ProA, he averages 11 points, 2.6 assists and 1.9 rebounds. Pape-Philippe Amagou played for Roanne from 2009 to 2011. He had 12.5 ppg, 2.7 apg and 2.3 rpg for them in their last season together (ProA). The player also registered 10.2 ppg, 2.7 apg and 1.2 rpg for 6 EuroCup games. Before Roanne, he was a member of Kavala, Nancy and Le Mans. In 2006 and 2008, Amagou won the ProA title with Le Mans and Nancy, respectively. He played for the Ivory Coast National Team at the 2009 AfroBasket in Libya and 2010 World Championship in Turkey. In 2009, he was named Africabasket.com All-African Championships Best Guard and Ivory Coast won the Silver.

Denain wants to keep Xavier Gaillou - by Eurobasket News

Denain would like to keep Xavier Gaillou (192-G-89) for the next season. The French guard appeared 33 times for the club in ProB this season averaging 7.7 points, 3.7 assists and 1.5 rebounds. Denain finished as No.16 in the league with 11-23 record. Xavier Gaillou arrived to the club last summer from Saint-Etienne. With them the guard was NM1 Playoffs champion. He had 6.3 ppg, 2.8 apg and 2.4 rpg for 33 games in the league. Gaillou played for Saint-Etienne also in 2009/10 season. In the past, he was a member of Le Havre. Xavier Gaillou spent couple of years with Le Havre U21 team. He debuted for the senior squad in 2008.

Chalon and Orleans advance to ProA Semifinals - by Eurobasket News

Paris-Levallois - Orleans 73-79 (0-2, Orleans advanced)
Paris-Levallois was trailing by 3 points at halftime but managed to get 1-point lead after three quarters before a 24-17 charge of Entente Orleans 45, which allowed them to win the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. American guard Cedrick Banks (190-G-81, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: Ill.-Chicago) notched 25 points and 5 rebounds to lead the effort and naturalized Mali forward Amara Sy (202-81) supported him with 14 points. Even 20 points and 5 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field) by American power forward Lamont Hamilton (208-84, college: St.John's) did not help to save the game for Paris-Levallois. His fellow American import guard Eric Chatfield (191-79, college: N.Mexico) added 20 points and 4 assists for the hosts. Paris-Levallois' coach Christophe Denis let to play ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game.
Top scorers:
Paris-Levallois: E.Chatfield 20+1reb+4ast, L.Hamilton 20+5reb+1ast, T.Meacham 11+2reb+2ast, G.Oniangue 8+1reb+2ast, M.Morandais 6+4reb+5ast, J.Williams 5+4reb
Orleans: C.Banks 25+5reb+2ast, A.Sy 14+3reb+2ast, M.Lebrun 11+4reb+1ast, M.N'Doye 9+1reb+1ast, Y.Sangare 7+1reb+5ast, G.Joseph 6+6reb

Cholet - Gravelines 76-65 (1-1, Game 3 - Tuesday)
Cholet outrebounded Gravelines-Dunkerque 41-19 including a 34-14 advantage in defensive rebounds. 25 personal fouls committed by Gravelines-Dunkerque helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. International guard Fabien Causeur (193-87) orchestrated the victory by scoring 21 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line). American guard DeMarcus Nelson (191-85, college: Duke) contributed with 19 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. The former international guard Yannick Bokolo (190-85) replied with 8 points and 5 assists and American guard Juby Johnson (196-81, college: Miami, OH) added 12 points in the effort for Gravelines-Dunkerque. Gravelines-Dunkerque's coach rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help.
Top scorers:
Gravelines: L.Vaty 14+1reb, J.Johnson 12+3reb, J.Reynolds 10+1reb+2ast, C.Akpomedah 9+1reb+1ast, Y.Bokolo 8+3reb+5ast, A.Albicy 6+1reb
Cholet: F.Causeur 21+7reb+5ast, D.Nelson 19+6reb+3ast, P.Christopher 14+4reb+1ast, R.Dozier 8+8reb+2ast, R.Gobert 5+4reb, R.Falker 3+3reb+1ast

Roanne - Chalon 74-85 (0-2, Chalon advanced)
Chorale de Roanne was ahead by 6 points after three quarters before a 25-8 charge of Chalon/Saor, which allowed them to win the game. They also forced 21 Chorale de Roanne turnovers. The best player for the winners was American swingman Blake Schilb (200-83, college: Loyola, IL, agency: Z.A.G. - Law Offices) who scored 27 points and 8 assists. Nigerian power forward Alade Aminu (207-87, college: Georgia Tech) chipped in 15 points and 9 rebounds. American forward Gani Lawal (206-88, college: Georgia Tech) produced 14 points and 8 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) and his fellow American import guard Rashad Wright (189-82, college: Georgia, agency: Pro One Sports) added 13 points respectively for the hosts. Chorale de Roanne's coach gave the chance to play for ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game.
Top scorers:
Roanne: G.Lawal 14+8reb, R.Wright 13+4reb+1ast, P.Braud 12, U.Nsonwu-Amadi 10+4reb+2ast, D.Page 9+3reb+1ast, M.Diabate 8+1reb+4ast
Chalon: B.Schilb 27+3reb+8ast, A.Aminu 15+9reb, M.Delaney 10+4reb+2ast, I.Evtimov 9+6reb+3ast, A.Michel Jean-Baptiste 8+5reb, S.Tchicamboud 7+2ast

Nancy - Le Mans 60-68 (1-1, Game 3 - Tuesday)
The guests were already 14 points ahead after 3 quarters before a 21-15 Sluc Nancy's run in the last quarter cut the lead to 68-60 at the end of the game. They outrebounded Sluc Nancy 43-27 including 16 on the offensive glass. American players dominated the game. Guard Alex Acker (196-83, college: Pepperdine, agency: Two Points) had a double-double by scoring 10 points and 10 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and point guard Taylor Rochestie (185-85, college: Washington St.) chipped in 6 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists during the contest. Guard Jamal Shuler (191-86) responded with 14 points and 4 assists and guard John Linehan (175-78, college: Providence) scored 10 points, 6 assists and 6 steals. Sluc Nancy's coach tested ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game.
Top scorers:
Nancy: J.Shuler 14+4reb+4ast, V.Samnick 10+2reb, J.Linehan 10+3reb+6ast, A.Moerman 9+6reb+1ast, A.Akingbala 6+6reb+1ast, P.Amagou 5+3ast
Le Mans: A.Eito 12+2reb, T.Bryant 11+4reb, A.Acker 10+10reb, C.Kahudi 10+7reb, M.Sommerville 8+6reb+1ast, J.Paulo Batista 8+6reb+5ast

ProB Quarterfinals: All series are tied at 1-1 - by Eurobasket News

Bordeaux - Chalons-Reims 64-87 (1-1)
The guests trailed by 2 points after first quarter, but they stormed back to get the 11-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 87-64. Chalons-Reims looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. Swingman Rodrigue Mels (188-G/F-85, agency: Court Side, college: CS Northridge) (188-85, college: CS Northridge, agency: Court Side) scored 26 points to lead the charge for the winners and American Chris Daniels (200-82, college: Georgia, agency: Limelight Hoops) chipped in 13 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists during the contest. Naturalized Tunisian swingman Sami Driss (194-82) responded with 15 points and American guard O'Darien Bassett (191-86, college: Troy) scored 12 points and 5 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Chalons-Reims: R.Mels 26+3reb+2ast, E.Plateau 15+3reb+3ast, C.Daniels 13+7reb+5ast, N.Carter 13+6reb+1ast, B.Mullins 9+3reb+7ast, K.Corre 6+3reb+1ast
Bordeaux: S.Driss 15+3reb+2ast, O.Bassett 12+5reb+1ast, G.Darrigand 12+2reb+2ast, J.Ford 10+5reb, J.Nzeulie 8+4reb+2ast, B.Elisabeth-Mesnager 5+4reb+2ast

Evreux - Limoges 82-86 OT (1-1)
ALM Evreux was tied after three quarters and then recorded another tie at the end of regular time. They were eventually defeated in overtime 12-16s. ALM Evreux was plagued by 26 personal fouls down the stretch. Naturalized Mali Sambou Traore (199-79) had a double-double by scoring 11 points and 12 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and the former international guard Joseph Gomis (180-78) chipped in 16 points and 4 assists during the contest. Limoges CSP Elite's coach Frederic Sarre used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. American power forward Jeremiah Wood (200-85, agency: Court Side) responded with a double-double by scoring 23 points and 10 rebounds and his fellow American import forward Drake Reed (192-87, college: Austin Peay St.) produced a double-double by scoring 12 points and 11 rebounds. Five Limoges CSP Elite and four ALM Evreux players scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Limoges: J.Gomis 16+3reb+4ast, K.McAlarney 12+3reb+1ast, S.Traore 11+12reb, C.Massie 10+8reb, A.Curti 10+2reb+5ast, J.Mipoka 9+1reb+1ast
Evreux: J.Wood 23+10reb+3ast, S.Ho You Fat 18+4reb+1ast, A.Rowland 17+2reb+4ast, D.Reed 12+11reb+2ast, G.Pons 4, L.Konate 3+2reb

Fos Ouest - Maurienne 72-54 (1-1)
The hosts trailed by 1 point at the halftime before their 41-22 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. Fos Ouest dominated on the defensive end, holding Aix-Maurienne to just 5 points in third quarter. They outrebounded Aix-Maurienne 43-32 including 30 on the defensive glass. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Fos Ouest made 7 blocks. The former international power forward Sacha Giffa (202-77) scored 15 points and 6 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and American Bill Clark (195-88, college: Duquesne) chipped in 8 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists during the contest. American Wilbert Brown (199-84, college: Niagara, agency: Z.A.G. - Law Offices) responded with 18 points and 5 rebounds and his fellow American import Dar Tucker (193-88, college: De Paul) scored 9 points and 7 rebounds. Aix-Maurienne's coach rotated ten players seeing no chance for a win.
Top scorers:
Fos Ouest: S.Giffa 15+6reb+2ast, R.Roby 13+5reb+1ast, M.Dia 12+5reb+3ast, B.Clark 8+9reb+4ast, E.Choquet 7+5reb+4ast, P.Haquet 7+1reb+1ast
Maurienne: W.Brown 18+5reb, D.Tucker 9+7reb, M.Houmounou 8+2reb+3ast, S.Darnauzan 8+2reb+2ast, B.Osby 7+8reb, T.Yvrande 2+2reb+1ast

Boulogne - Boulazac 82-80 (1-1)
The hosts trailed by 13 points after first quarter, but they rallied back and won the game by 2 points. American power forward James Mathis (200-84, college: Niagara, agency: Court Side) had a double-double by scoring 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and the other American import Corey Rouse (204-84, college: E.Carolina, agency: Court Side) chipped in 14 points and 6 rebounds during the contest. Four SO Maritime Boulogne players scored in double figures. American power forward Darryl Monroe (202-86, college: George Mason, agency: Two Points) responded with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 10 rebounds and Mehdi Cheriet (204-87, college: San Diego St.) scored 14 points and 5 rebounds. Boulazac Basket's coach tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help.
Top scorers:
Boulogne: T.Stanley 16+2reb, J.Rousselle 15+1reb+2ast, J.Mathis 15+11reb, C.Rouse 14+6reb, Z.Bah 9+3reb+7ast, F.Raposo Laurencio 6+6reb+3ast
Boulazac: D.Monroe 19+10reb+3ast, M.Cheriet 14+5reb+1ast, T.Dubiez 11+2reb, R.Ayers 9+1reb+3ast, Y.Gaillou 8+4reb+2ast, A.McKenzie 6+1reb

Blois and Charleville to meet in NM1 Final - by Eurobasket News

Final 4, Semifinals: Souffel - Blois 64-77
The game was mostly controlled by Blois. Souffelweyersheim was better in second period 22-14. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The game was decided in the last minutes when Blois won last quarter 20-8. Souffelweyersheim was plagued by 24 personal fouls down the stretch. Finnish forward Ville Kaunisto (204-82) stepped up and scored 23 points and 9 rebounds for the winners and center Jonathan Tornato (210-89) chipped in 14 points. At the losing side naturalized Chadian forward Jacques Alingue (201-88) responded with 12 points and 6 rebounds (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field) and guard Frederic Broliron (193-79) scored 14 points.
Top scorers:
Souffel: F.Broliron 14+1reb+1ast, J.Alingue 12+6reb+2ast, A.N'Diaye 9+5reb, J.Tschamber 8+4ast, S.Kancel 7+3reb+1ast, J.Bach 6+3reb+1ast
Blois: V.Kaunisto 23+9reb+2ast, J.Tornato 14+4reb+2ast, G.Staelens 10+3reb+1ast, T.Sani 9+1ast, D.Davis 8+8reb+3ast, B.Recoura 7+2ast

Final 4, Semifinals: Orchy - Charleville 67-68
The guests trailed by 2 points after three quarters before their 25-22 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Charleville-Mezieres dominated on the defensive end, holding Orchesien BC to just 5 points in second quarter. Charleville-Mezieres forced 19 Orchesien BC turnovers. 27 personal fouls committed by Orchesien BC helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. Worth to mention a great performance of American forward Corey Belser (200-82, college: San Diego) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 18 points and 11 rebounds. American-British power forward Tafari Toney (203-86, agency: JEMsports) contributed with 11 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. Serbian forward Djordje Petrovic (202-84) answered with 15 points and 9 rebounds and American guard Jahsha Bluntt (198-84, college: Delaware St., agency: David Lee services) added 13 points in the effort for Orchesien BC. Four Orchesien BC players scored in double figures. Orchesien BC's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help.
Top scorers:
Orchy: D.Petrovic 15+9reb+1ast, J.Bluntt 13+3reb+2ast, A.Belkessa 12+2reb, O.Gouez 10+4reb, L.Bomayako 9+1reb, E.Barbry 4+9reb+4ast
Charleville: C.Belser 18+11reb, T.Toney 11+7reb+1ast, D.Pistre 10, F.Bourdillon 8+3reb, N.Boundy 8+3reb, N.Racon 7+4reb+1ast

Big Final will be played tomorrow.

Saint Quentin set to acquire Malick Badiane - by Eurobasket News

ProB newly promoted Saint Quentin are buffing up their roster. They are set to sign Malick Badiane (211-F/C-84). The Senegalese centre has a vast ProB and ProA experience. He started the last season with Antibes. The centre notched 11.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Later Malick Badiane moved to Nantes. His stats read 12.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per appearance. Previously the centre had stints in France, D-League, China, Germany, Italy. He has been the member of Senegalese National Team since 2003. Malick Badiane participated at 2011 African Championship. He notched 8.8 points, 11.0 boards and 1.2 blocks per game in Madagascar.

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GERMANY

Kevin Hamilton (BBC Bayreuth) Wurzburg Has To Stick To Their Guns And Continue To Play Their Great Pressure Defense - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

Kevin Hamilton (193-G-84, agency: Limelight Hoops, college: Holy Cross) is a 28 year old 193cm guard from Queens Village, New York that is will play his first season for BBC Bayreuth. He played at Holy Cross from 2002-2006 and played together with ex Skyliner Keith Simmons. In his senior year, he played 31 games averaging 17.6ppg, 6.3rpg, 3.5apg, 3.3spg, FG: 38.1%, 3PT: 33.2%, FT: 77.7%. In his rookie season 2006-2007, he came to Europe and played in Poland for Polpak Swiecie playing 19 games and averaging 13.0ppg, 4.5rpg, 3.8apg, Steals-2 (2.3spg), 2FGP: 44.8%, 3PT: 38.2%, FT: 64.2%. In 2007-2008, he played in France for Besancon Basket Comte Doubs (France-ProB) playing 2 games and averaging 6.0ppg, 2.5rpg, 2.5apg. He also had a short tenure in Mexico with Pioneros de Quintana Roo-Cancun. In 2008-2009, he returned back to Poland to play for SKK Kotwica Kolobrzeg playing 32 games averaging 11.0ppg, 5.1rpg, Assists-1 (6.4apg), Steals-1 (2.8spg), FGP: 43.6%, 3PT: 32.6%, FT: 66.5%. He was not lazy in the last three summers staying in game shape and playing in Puerto Rico playing 90 games. In tue summer of 2009, he played for Indios de Mayaguez playing 35 games and averaging 10.5ppg, 4.7rpg, Assists-3 (6.3apg), Steals-2 (1.7spg), FGP: 45.4%, 3PT: 28.1%, FT: 70.6%. His father was a draft pick of The Boston Celtics in 1980. In 2009-2010, he played his first season in Braunschweig playing 39 games: 10.1ppg, 3.8rpg, Assists-3 (5.4apg), Steals-2 (1.9spg), FGP: 63.7%, 3PT: 33.9%, FT: 77.6%. In 2010-2011 for Braunschweig, he averaged 9,oppg, 4,1rpg and 4,3apg. Last summer, he played in Puerto Rico for Indios de Mayaguez (Puerto Rico-BSN) averaging 10,6ppg, 4,4rpg and 8,0apg. He spoke to Eurobasket before the 2012 Beko BBL semi final playoff games.

You resigned with BBC Bayreuth recently. What was the main reason for returning back to the Frankenland?

I was treated very well this past year and despite my injury the organization stood behind me. I was very grateful for that plus I am looking forward to playing for coach Marco and the fans of the BBC.

Do you believe that BBC Bayreuth can be a playoff team in the future?

I think we can. Coach has a great philosophy and with the right personnel and attitude I think great things can happen in Bayreuth.

You are in Puerto Rico as every summer playing basketball. How is your physical state and how do you feel?

I feel pretty good. There are little aches and pains that come along with getting back into game shape but for the most part I feel good out there.

How much fun is it feeding the ball to ex NBA player Donta Smith?

Donta is a great player and an even better teammate and person. Its been a great experience playing with him.

What would you like to take from Puerto Rico to Bayreuth the most?

The food and the weather.

The most exciting semi final series seems to be Wurzburg-Ulm. Wurzburg comes in with a lot of confidence. What kind of series can we await?

I think it will be a real exiting fast paced series.

What does Wurzburg/Ulm have to do to get to the final and what is your prediction?

Wurzburg has to stick to their guns and continue to play the great pressure defense that has gotten them this far. Ulm has to try to slow the game down and get the ball to the big fella.

Who are the x-factors?

For Ulm I think it is Mason-Griffen and Tolbert, for Wurzburg Little and Bucknor.

What kind of a series can we await with Bamberg-Artland?

I think the Bamburg/Artland winner will eventually be the champion. Its going to be a great series with two really good teams.

Will the Artland Dragons have any more energy for Bamberg after their hard 5 game series against FC Bayern Munich?

I think they will be ready.

Who are the x-factors?

. For Artland its Thomas and Peavy, for Bamburg Tucker and Roberts.

Do The Los Angeles Lakers have any chance being down 0-2 to get past the Thunder?

. Yes, they have Kobe Bryant.

The Miami Heat-Indiana Pacers series is at 1-1. Do the Pacers have any chnace of advancing?

As long as Bosh is out they do.

Derrick Rose is projected to miss 8-12 months. Could this injury change him as a player when he finally returns?

The NBA is really good with medical attention, treatments and stuff like that so I think he should be ok.

Thanks Kev for the chat.

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GUINEA BISSAU

Danilson Vieira celebrated the title with Sport Alges e Dafundo - by Eurobasket News

Danilson Vieira (192-F-85) celebrated the title with Sport Alges e Dafundo in Portugal. This season he averaged 10.6 points per game with his team.
His Alges are Proliga champions. They swept the title series against Fisica. DeSean White came up with 31 points and 16 rebounds in the decisive third game to seal the victory and trophy for Alges.
Having built a comfortable 2-0 lead after two home games Alges eased into the third encounter. The visitors grabbed control early in the game. They unloaded 29 points in the opening frame to build a 14-point lead. Alges boosted the margin in the second quarter. The visitors accumulated a massive 25-point cushion at halftime 50:25. Fisica tried to wake up in the third term. They knocked down 22 points to cut the deficit by two points. But it was far from enough as Alges continued to dominate the game. Fisica cut the distance in the fourth term but never seriously threatened the gap as Alges cruised to the victory. Antonio Pires knocked down 12 points, while Joao Manuel added 20 points for the winners and Danilson Vieira posted 7. Carlos Dias answered with 21 points for Fisica. Edson Rosario chipped in 13 points for the hosts.

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IBL

Standings

IBL Standings

Branding
1. Jersey G-F		4-3
2. Orlando V.		2-7
3. Yamhill H.		0-0
Continental
1. Bellingham S.		7-1
2. Vancouver V.		6-2
3. Olympia R.		2-7
International
1. Edmonton E.		5-3
2. Portland C.		4-4
3. Nippon T.		0-0
Travel Team
1. S. Soldiers		2-5
2. Los Angeles		0-0
3. W.Coast H.		0-0

Regular Season: Round 9

May. 25: Vancouver V. - Portland C. 150-138
May. 25: Bellingham S. - Olympia R. 145-94
May. 25: Edmonton E. - S. Soldiers 142-72
May. 24: Olympia R. - Portland C. 101-136

Regular Season: Round 10

May. 26: Edmonton E. - S. Soldiers
May. 26: Vancouver V. - Nippon T.
May. 28: Bellingham S. - Nippon T.

Slam rout Olympia, 145-94, for seventh straight win - by Eurobasket News

The Bellingham Slam cruised to a 145-94 victory over the visiting Olympia Reign on Friday night at Whatcom Pavilion.

The win was the Slam's seventh in a row and improved their record on the season to a franchise-best 8-1 record. It was also the first time the Slam held an opponent under 100 points in a game this season.

The Slam made quick work of Olympia, jumping out to a 17-6 lead after the first six minutes.

A 19-2 run pushed Bellingham's advantage to 28, at 67-39, with 1:34 left in the second quarter.

The Slam continued their offensive onslaught in the second half, stretching the advantage to 30 halfway through the third quarter and eclipsed the 40-point mark with their first basket of the fourth quarter.

Every Slam player who saw action, save for forward Jeremy Green (6'6''-F, college: St.Martin's) who was limited due to injury, scored in double figures. They were paced by 28 points from guard Paul Hafford (6'4''-G-84, college: Portland St.), while center Blake Poole (6'5''-C-88, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: St.Martin's) finished with 12 points and a season-high 17 rebounds.

The Reign, which shot just 32.5 percent from the field as a team, were led by center Ike Ohanson and Giovonne Woods, who each scored 15 points.

The Slam continue their May homestand with a game on Memorial Day against the Japan Tornadoes, with 5 p.m. tip-off set for Whatcom Pavilion.

Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com

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ISRAEL

ITALY

Stats Leaders - SerieA

Points Per Game

Andre SMITH
  Otto C.
  (203-F-85)
  Avg: 18.4

1. Smith, Otto C.	18.4
2. Coleman, Angelico.	18.2
3. White, Scavolin.	17.3
4. Diener, Banco d.	17.1
5. Hickman, Scavolin.	16.3
6. Green, Sidigas AV	16.1
7. Shakur, Novipiu CM	16.0
8. Pullen, Angelico BI	16.0
9. Dean, Sidigas AV	16.0
10. Tucker, Acea Roma	15.4

Rebounds Per Game

Viktor SANIKIDZE
  CS Bo.
  (203-F-86)
  Avg: 11

1. Sanikidze, CS Bo.	11.0
2. Johnson, Sidigas	10.1
3. Ivanov, Fabi Shoes	8.2
4. Smith, Otto C.	7.7
5. Brunner, Fabi Shoes	7.6
6. Gigli, CS Bologna	7.4
7. Jones, Scavolini PS	7.2
8. Chiotti, Novip.	7.0
9. Easley, Banco d.	6.9
10. Miralles, Angelic.	6.9

Assists Per Game

Marques GREEN
  Sidigas AV
  (167-PG-82)
  Avg: 6.5

1. Green, Sidigas AV	6.5
2. Diener, Banco d.	5.6
3. Collins, Otto Case.	5.2
4. Cook, Armani Mit	5.1
5. Shakur, Novipiu CM	4.3
6. Mekel, Benetton TV	3.7
7. Poeta, CS Bologna	3.6
8. McCalebb, Montepa.	3.4
9. Diener, Banco d.	3.3
10. Stipcevic, Cimber.	3.3

Steals Per Game

Aubrey COLEMAN
  Angelico.
  (193-G-87)
  Avg: 3.3

1. Coleman, Angelico.	3.3
2. Kirksay, Fabi Shoes	2.6
3. Green, Sidigas AV	2.5
4. Hackett, Scavolin.	2.4
5. Perkins, Bennet C.	2.1
6. Hosley, Banco d.	2.1
7. Dean, Sidigas AV	2.0
8. Di Bella, Fabi S.	1.9
9. Pullen, Angelico BI	1.8
10. Johnson, Sidigas	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Jarvis VARNADO
  Acea Roma
  (206-F-88)
  Avg: 1.9

1. Varnado, Acea Roma	1.9
2. Cusin, Scavolini PS	1.3
3. Johnson, Sidigas	1.3
4. Easley, Banco d.	1.2
5. Szewczyk, Umana V.	1.1
6. Shermadini, Bennet	1.0
7. Sanikidze, CS Bo.	0.9
8. Slokar, Acea Roma	0.8
9. Brunner, Bennet C.	0.8
10. Crosariol, Acea R.	0.8

Stats Leaders - Lega2

Points Per Game

Troy BELL
  S.Antimo
  (186-PG-80)
  Avg: 23.2

1. Bell, S.Antimo	23.2
2. Hardy, Giorgio	22.9
3. Marigney, Givova S.	21.5
4. Freeman, MarcoPol.	20.9
5. Voskuil, Morpho B.	18.8
6. Maggioli, Fileni B.	18.5
7. Robinson, Trenkwal.	18.0
8. McConnell, Fileni	17.6
9. Taylor, Trenkwal.	17.1
10. Brooks, Fileni BPA	17.0

Rebounds Per Game

James THOMAS
  Givova S.
  (203-F/C-80)
  Avg: 12

1. Thomas, Givova S.	12.0
2. Anderson, Morpho B.	8.2
3. Jones, Giorgio	8.0
4. Maggioli, Fileni B.	7.7
5. Baldassarre, Bianc.	7.5
6. Borovnjak, Enel B.	7.4
7. Waleskowski, Tezen.	7.4
8. Diliegro, Assi Ost.	7.1
9. Kotti, Aget Imola	6.9
10. Brooks, Fileni BPA	6.9

Assists Per Game

Mike GREEN
  Sigma B.
  (185-PG-85)
  Avg: 4.9

1. Green, Sigma B.	4.9
2. Johnson, Assi O.	4.5
3. Porta, Tezenis	4.4
4. Kelley, Biancobl.	3.5
5. Whiting, Aget Imola	3.4
6. McConnell, Fileni	3.4
7. Renfroe, Enel B.	3.3
8. Marigney, Givova S.	3.3
9. Goldwire, Centra.	3.0
10. Blizzard, Biancob.	3.0

Steals Per Game

Mario WEST
  Tezenis .
  (195-G-84)
  Avg: 3.1

1. West, Tezenis	3.1
2. Thompson, Centra.	2.6
3. Green, Sigma B.	2.5
4. Radulovic, Givova	2.4
5. Baldassarre, Bianc.	2.4
6. Robinson, Trenkwal.	2.4
7. Marigney, Givova S.	2.4
8. Porta, Tezenis	2.3
9. Goldwire, Centra.	2.2
10. Taylor, Trenkwal.	2.1

Blocks Per Game

Riccardo CERVI
  Trenkwalder
  (215-C-91)
  Avg: 2.2

1. Cervi, Trenkwalder	2.2
2. Maggioli, Fileni B.	1.7
3. Radulovic, Givova	0.9
4. Brkic, Prima Veroli	0.8
5. Thomas, Givova S.	0.8
6. Chiacig, Trenkwald.	0.7
7. Galanda, Giorgi.	0.6
8. Zerini, Enel Brind.	0.6
9. Da Ros, Sigma B.	0.6
10. Kotti, Aget Imola	0.6

stats leader

Points Per Game

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

1. Musso, Napoli	19.2
2. Evangelisti, Recan.	16.7
3. Portannese, Torino	16.4
4. Poltroneri, Perugia	16.2
5. Prandin, Casalp.	15.2
6. Rugolo, San Severo	15.1
7. Benevelli, Orlandi.	14.8
8. Tagliabue, Ruvo	14.7
9. Ferrarese, Castell.	14.5
10. Carrizo, Ferentino	14.3

Rebounds Per Game

Emanuele ROSSI
  Chieti
  (208-C-82)
  Avg: 12.8

1. Rossi, Chieti	12.8
2. Iannilli, Napoli	9.7
3. Tagliabue, Ruvo	8.8
4. Borra, Treviglio	8.4
5. Baldi Rossi, Perug.	8.1
6. Benevelli, Orlandi.	8.0
7. Gandini, Trieste	8.0
8. Raminelli, Castell.	7.7
9. Simeoli, Comsum.i.	7.6
10. Tessitori, Comsum.	7.5

Assists Per Game

Bernardo MUSSO
  Napoli
  (192-G-86)
  Avg: 4.3

1. Musso, Napoli	4.3
2. Marino, Treviglio	4.3
3. Bertolazzi, Omegna	4.1
4. Traini, Recanati	3.8
5. Stanic, Fabriano	3.6
6. Circosta, Anagni	3.5
7. Guarino, Ferentino	3.3
8. Santolamazza, Ana.	3.2
9. Vico, Matera	3.2
10. Parente, Torino	2.9

Steals Per Game

Roberto MAGGIO
  Pavia
  (183-G-90)
  Avg: 3

1. Maggio, Pavia	3.0
2. Bertolazzi, Omegna	2.9
3. Guarino, Ferentino	2.9
4. Rossi, Chieti	2.9
5. Iardella, Fabriano	2.9
6. Rivali, Santarcang.	2.8
7. Mei, Comsum.it SI	2.8
8. Musso, Napoli	2.7
9. Maiocco, Pavia	2.7
10. Portannese, Torino	2.7

Blocks Per Game

Andrea CAPITANELLI
  Firenze
  (203-C-86)
  Avg: 2.1

1. Capitanelli, Firen.	2.1
2. Ancellotti, Santar.	1.7
3. Borra, Treviglio	1.5
4. Cazzaniga, Pavia	1.1
5. Candido, San Seve.	1.1
6. Pascolo, Trento	1.0
7. Gandini, Trieste	1.0
8. Raminelli, Castell.	1.0
9. Benevelli, Orlandi.	0.9
10. Tardito, Matera	0.9

Nazionale A Round 3 of Semi-Finals - by Eurobasket News

Ferentino - Trieste 79-76

Ferentino forced 32 Trieste turnovers. 27 personal fouls committed by Trieste helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was guard Francesco Guarino (182-79) who had a double-double by scoring 35 points (!!!) and 10 steals (went 9 for 9 at the free throw line !!!). Naturalized Argentinian swingman Manuel Carrizo (198-80, agency: Players Group) chipped in 9 points and 6 rebounds. Ferentino's coach Franco Gramenzi used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. At the other side the best for losing team was the former international point guard Marco Carra (185-80) who recorded 22 points and 6 rebounds and point guard Michele Ruzzier (181-93) added 15 points respectively.
Top scorers:
Ferentino: F.Guarino 35+3reb+3ast, F.Ihedioha 11+5reb, M.Carrizo 9+6reb+2ast, F.Gagliardo 6, A.Iannuzzi 6+8reb, F.Marcante 5+9reb
Trieste: M.Carra 22+6reb, L.Zaccariello 16+3reb+1ast, M.Ruzzier 15+3reb+3ast, D.Mastrangelo 8+1ast, I.Ferraro 6+7reb+1ast, A.Moruzzi 5+1reb

Chieti - Trento 65-63

Trento was ahead by 8 points after three quarters before a 21-11 charge of Chieti, which allowed them to win the game. It was a good game for the former international center Emanuele Rossi (208-82) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 18 points and 13 rebounds. Naturalized San Marino swingman Andrea Raschi (200-79) contributed with 14 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners. Four Chieti players scored in double figures. The former international forward Walter Santarossa (200-78) answered with 11 points and 8 rebounds and guard Matteo Negri (194-91) added 11 points and 6 rebounds in the effort for Trento.
Top scorers:
Chieti: E.Rossi 18+13reb, S.Rajola 15+6reb+3ast, A.Raschi 14+8reb+5ast, F.Gialloreto 12+5reb+1ast, A.Porfido 3+4reb+1ast, M.Diomede 3+3reb+1ast
Trento: W.Santarossa 11+8reb+2ast, M.Negri 11+6reb, D.Pascolo 8+5reb+2ast, M.Spanghero 7+1reb+1ast, L.Conte 7+4reb+1ast, A.Forray 7+2reb+1ast

Lega2 Round 2 of Semi-Finals - by Eurobasket News

Giorgio Tesi PT - Givova Scafati 69-58

Pistoia defeated Scafati to draw things level in the semifinal series. The hosts trailed by 4 points at the halftime before their 44-29 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. Tuscany Pistoia forced 31 Givova Scafati turnovers. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Tuscany Pistoia made 7 blocks. 24 personal fouls committed by Givova Scafati helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. Americans were the main players on the court. point guard Dwight Hardy (188-87, college: St.John's) scored 25 points and 5 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and forward Bobby Jones (201-84, college: Washington) chipped in 17 points and 13 rebounds during the contest. Guard Paul Marigney (192-82, college: St.Mary's, CA) responded with 21 points and 6 rebounds and power forward James Thomas (203-80, college: Texas) scored 9 points and 7 rebounds.
Top scorers:
Giorgio Tesi PT: D.Hardy 25+5reb+2ast, B.Jones 17+13reb+1ast, G.Galanda 9+5reb, F.Toppo 6+4reb+2ast, L.Saccaggi 5+2reb, J.Tavernari 5+5reb
Givova Scafati: P.Marigney 21+6reb+2ast, J.Thomas 9+7reb, N.Radulovic 8+2reb+2ast, D.Rosignoli 6+2reb, G.Sorrentino 4+2reb, A.Ghiacci 4+4reb+1ast

Enel Brindisi - Sigma Barcel. 90-77

Enel Brindisi took a 2-0 lead against Barcellona. Sigma Barcellona was tied at the half but could not keep up in last two quarters eventually losing the game. Enel Brindisi dominated down low during the game scoring 58 of its points in the paint compared to Sigma Barcellona's 38 and made 23-of-26 charity shots (88.5 percent) during the game. Enel Brindisi forced 23 Sigma Barcellona turnovers and outrebounded them 34-22 including 25 on the defensive glass. Sigma Barcellona was plagued by 25 personal fouls down the stretch. American point guard Jonathan Gibson (182-87, college: N.Mexico St.) notched 24 points and 4 assists (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) to lead the effort and naturalized Albanian swingman Klaudio Ndoja (200-85) supported him with 19 points and 10 rebounds (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line). Even 15 points and 5 rebounds by Lithuanian guard Mindaugas Lukauskis (198-79) did not help to save the game for Sigma Barcellona. Naturalized American swingman Ryan Bucci (192-81, college: C.W. Post) added 15 points for the guests. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Enel Brindisi: J.Gibson 24+2reb+4ast, K.Ndoja 19+10reb, A.Renfroe 16+5reb+1ast, D.Borovnjak 13+8reb+1ast, M.Giuri 7+4reb+1ast, A.Zerini 4+3reb
Sigma Barcel.: M.Lukauskis 15+5reb+1ast, M.Mocavero 15+3reb, R.Bucci 15+2reb+2ast, J.Curry 11+5reb+1ast, M.Da Ros 8+2reb+1ast, M.Green 7+1reb

SerieA Round 5 of Quarter-Finals. Scavolini Pesaro join semifinal stage - by Eurobasket News

Bennet Cantu - Scavolini PS 69-78

Scavolini Pesaro handed the third straight loss to Bennet Cantu and completed the semifinal picture. The guests were tied at the half but managed to speed up in last two quarters eventually winning the game. Scavolini Pesaro outrebounded Bennet Cantu 42-26 including a 29-18 advantage in defensive rebounds. American guard James White (199-84, college: Cincinnati, agency: Court Side) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 21 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners and his fellow American import forward Jumaine Jones (203-79, college: Georgia) chipped in 17 points and 7 rebounds. American forward Maarten Leunen (206-85, college: Oregon) responded with a double-double by scoring 14 points and 11 rebounds and Georgian guard Manuchar Markoishvili (196-86) scored 15 points and 5 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Bennet Cantu: M.Markoishvili 15+5reb, M.Leunen 14+11reb+3ast, N.Mazzarino 11+1reb+1ast, G.Basile 11+1reb+3ast, G.Brunner 8+3reb, D.Perkins 6+3reb+3ast
Scavolini PS: J.White 21+10reb+4ast, J.Jones 17+7reb+1ast, R.Hickman 15+3reb+5ast, T.Lydeka 10+7reb, D.Hackett 8+8reb+3ast, M.Cusin 4+1reb

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IVORY COAST

Roanne wants to return Pape-Philippe Amagou - by Eurobasket News

According to French media, Roanne wants to return its former player Pape-Philippe Amagou (185-G-85, agency: Beo Basket). Reportedly, they already offered him a 3-year deal and now wait for the answer. Amagou currently plays for Nancy. He had 7.8 ppg and 1.3 rpg for 10 Euroleague games this season. In ProA, he averages 11 points, 2.6 assists and 1.9 rebounds. Pape-Philippe Amagou played for Roanne from 2009 to 2011. He had 12.5 ppg, 2.7 apg and 2.3 rpg for them in their last season together (ProA). The player also registered 10.2 ppg, 2.7 apg and 1.2 rpg for 6 EuroCup games. Before Roanne, he was a member of Kavala, Nancy and Le Mans. In 2006 and 2008, Amagou won the ProA title with Le Mans and Nancy, respectively. He played for the Ivory Coast National Team at the 2009 AfroBasket in Libya and 2010 World Championship in Turkey. In 2009, he was named Africabasket.com All-African Championships Best Guard and Ivory Coast won the Silver.

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JAPAN

Osaka Evessa split ways with Ryan Blackwell - by Eurobasket News

Osaka Evessa decided to part ways with head coach Ryan Blackwell . The team has opted not to prolong the deal with the US specialist. Ryan Blackwell stepped on Osaka Evessa bridge back in 2009. He led the team to 67-35 record over two seasons. Ryan Blackwell made it into Final Four in his debut season with Evessa. This season Osaka advanced into Western Conference semifinals. There they lost Kyoto Hannaryz on tiebreaker. Ryan Blackwell s stint with Osaka Evessa was the first coaching job for the specialist. He ended his players career in Japan in 2010. Ryan Blackwell played for Osaka Evessa and Sendai 89ers lately. Earlier he had stints in France, CBA, Portugal and Uruguay.

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LITHUANIA

Lithuanian Linas Lekavicius finished the season in Russia - by Eurobasket News

Lithuanian Linas Lekavicius (186-G-84, college: American) finished the season in Russiaas his Universitet-Yugra was second in Russian SuperLeague. The Azerbaijani averaged 5.1 points per game and tasted silver with his team. Ural meanwhile wins Superleague title tonight. The team overcame Universitet-Yugra 55:54 and won the Final series 2-1.
The hosts trailed by 1 point after three quarters before their 17-15 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Ural Ekaterinburg made 20-of-25 free shots (80.0 percent) during the game. Ural Ekaterinburg outrebounded Universitet-Yugra 45-28 including a 17-5 advantage in defensive rebounds. 27 personal fouls committed by Universitet-Yugra helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. It was a good game for Semen Shashkov who saved his team from a defeat with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Dmitri Nikolaev contributed with a double-double by scoring 11 points and 14 rebounds for the winners. Linas Lekavicius answered with 11 points and 9 rebounds and forward Denis Hloponin added 10 points in the effort for Universitet-Yugra. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game.
In Game 1 Ural grabbed 74:72 victory but then fell short in Surgut. In Game 2 Univ.Surgut celebrated a 72:65 win to tie the records at 1-1.
In 2010-2011 for Universitet-Yugra Surgut (Russia-Superleague) Linas Lekavicius averaged 7.6ppg, 5.1rpg, 4.1apg, 1.5spg, 2FGP: 49.0%, 3PT: 10.0%, FT: 66.7%. This season he improved to 13.8 points per game.

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MALAYSIA

MEXICO

CIBACOPA Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Devon PEARSON
  Los M.
  (198-F-84)
  Avg: 27.4

1. Pearson, Los M.	27.4
2. Reese, Tepic	24.4
3. Scott, Los Mochis	23.7
4. Thomas, Cananea	22.4
5. McCullough, Nogales	22.1
6. Alexander, Cananea	22.1
7. Robinson, Culiacan	21.8
8. Carter, Guasave	20.4
9. Selleaze, Navolato	20.3
10. Wiley, Los Mochis	19.8

Rebounds Per Game

Deangelo RILEY
  Tepic
  (205-C-)
  Avg: 11.2

1. Riley, Tepic	11.2
2. Pearson, Los M.	10.2
3. Alexander, Cananea	10.0
4. Sanders-F., Nogales	8.5
5. Scott, Los Mochis	8.4
6. Selleaze, Navolato	8.4
7. Robinson, Culiacan	7.7
8. Moore, Navolato	7.6
9. Habel, Guaymas	7.5
10. Strobbe, Nogales	7.4

Assists Per Game

William FUNN
  Los Mochis
  (188-G-82)
  Avg: 8.8

1. Funn, Los Mochis	8.8
2. Allen, Guaymas	7.5
3. Taylor, Los Mochis	5.8
4. Monreal, Hermosillo	5.8
5. Nungaray, Guaymas	4.7
6. Harris, Cananea	4.6
7. Riley, Tepic	4.1
8. Pulido, Culiacan	4.0
9. Quintero, Tijuana	3.8
10. Reatiga, Navolato	3.5

Steals Per Game

Brian HAMILTON
  Hermosillo
  (198-F-82)
  Avg: 2.1

1. Hamilton, Hermosil.	2.1
2. Gibson, Navolato	1.6
3. Riley, Tepic	1.5
4. Thomas, Cananea	1.4
5. Carter, Guasave	1.3
6. Buelna, Guasave	1.3
7. Gale, Nogales	1.3
8. Toussaint, Los M.	1.3
9. Reatiga, Navolato	1.2
10. Giron, Guasave	1.2

Blocks Per Game

Deangelo RILEY
  Tepic
  (205-C-)
  Avg: 3.5

1. Riley, Tepic	3.5
2. Habel, Guaymas	1.4
3. Zamora, Culiacan	1.3
4. Wiley, Los Mochis	1.0
5. Young, Tepic	0.9
6. Alexander, Cananea	0.9
7. Davis, Nogales	0.8
8. McCullough, Nogales	0.8
9. Robinson, Culiacan	0.8
10. Scott, Los Mochis	0.8

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NBA

NBA fines heat coach Erik Spoelstra $25000 for comments - by Eurobasket News

The NBA fined Miami coach Erik Spoelstra $25,000 on Friday for 'critical public comments' about officiating in the Eastern Conference series with Indiana.

Spoelstra made the comments before Miami's shootaround Thursday in Indianapolis, hours before the Heat beat the Pacers in Game 6 to win the series. Spoelstra was quoted by several media outlets saying the NBA 'does not have a problem' with Indiana committing hard fouls on Heat stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

Spoelstra told reporters he counted more than 12 instances where Heat players were struck in the face by the Pacers this season.

Miami had two players suspended for Game 6 for flagrant fouls. Indiana's Tyler Hansbrough was not suspended for a flagrant he committed against Wade, opening a cut over the Miami guard's right eye.

Courtesy of www.usatoday.com

Source: Clippers interested in re-signing Young - by Eurobasket News

According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the Clippers are interested in re-signing Nick Young (6'6''-G/F-85, agency: Priority Sports, college: USC) this offseason.

The Clippers acquired Young this past season right before the trade deadline, picking up the 6-foot-6 swingman from Washington for Brian Cook and a future second round pick as part of a three-team trade. In 22 games with the Clippers this regular season, Young averaged 9.7 points.

In the playoffs, Young helped lead the Clippers to a 27-point comeback win over Memphis, scoring nine quick points in the fourth quarter. In 11 postseason games, Young drained over half (17-33) of his three-point shots.

Young, a Los Angeles native who starred at USC, expressed interest in staying with the Clippers, calling the teams success in the playoffs addicting.

Young could either continue to be used as a scorer off the bench with the length and versatility to play small forward or he could slide into the starting lineup as the Clippers shooting guard.

Young is a free agent after making $3.7 million last season. Guards Chauncey Billups and Randy Foye are also free agents this summer.

Courtesy of http://clippers.ocregister.com

Jerry Sloan interviews for Bobcats coaching job with Michael Jordan in Utah - by Eurobasket News

Former Jazz coach Jerry Sloan interviewed in Utah for the Charlotte Bobcats coaching position on Friday, meeting with Michael Jordan and other front office staff members.

Asked what made him want to coach the seven-win Bobcats, Sloan dryly replied: 'Work.'

He went on to say, 'They've got a young team, and it will be interesting to see what happens.'

Sloan said he hadn't been offered the job. 'They might come back, they might not,' he said. 'I can't judge that. We'll just have to wait and see where it goes from there.'

He said the Bobcats didn't say when they would make a decision but 'they want to make a decision when they can, and do all their homework.'

Sloan retired mid-season in 2011 after repeated conflicts with star guard Deron Williams, who was later traded. His name has been tied to with several job openings since then, including recently with Orlando. Speculation is that he would also be a candidate for the Clippers job, should they fire Vinny Del Negro.

Sloan said he hasn't talked to anyone besides the Bobcats, but 'if someone calls and is interested, I'd be willing to do that, but I haven't pursued that.' He said he did not contact anyone regarding the Orlando position and that 'Michael Jordan is the only person I've talked to about a coaching job. Just so everybody understands, I'm not chasing everything that comes up.'

Asked what expectations the management has for the Bobcats, he said, 'They do want to see the team win.'

Courtesy of www.deseretnews.com

Del Negro's fate hanging on June 1 deadline - by Eurobasket News

Vinny Del Negro coaching job taking the Los Angeles Clipppers to the second round of the NBA playoffs hasnt guaranteed him a chance to return next season - at least yet.

Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles.com reports that Del Negros fate with the Clippers wont be known until next week at the earliest.

Citing sources close to the situation, that Del Negros chances for an extension hinge largely with Clippers owner Donald Sterling, which could help the former Spurs player.

The embattled coach has enjoyed a largely positive relationship with Sterling over the past two seasons. Sterling issued a public vote of confidence in Del Negro in March after an ESPN.com report that his job was in jeopardy.

Del Negro led the Clippers on a fast closing charge after that as they won 14 of their final 19 regular-season games and also stunned No. 4 seed Memphis in the first round of the playoffs. In the process, the Clippers won road games in Game 1 and 7.

The article cites two potential candidates if the Clippers should decide to make a move: Oklahoma Citys Scott Brooks and New Orleans Monty Williams.

Del Negro also received a public show of support from All-Star Clippers guard Chris Paul.

It will be interesting to see if that is enough to bring Del Negro back for another season.

But Del Negros public stance is that he isnt worried about the looming negotiations.

Im not gonna get into all my contract stuff. Its a waste of energy and whatever I say, youre not gonna listen anyway, so it doesnt matter, Del Negro told ESPN Los Angeles. Im not worried about it. Ill let that stuff work itself out.

Courtesy of http://blog.mysanantonio.com

Kevin Durant sick of Spurs questions - by Eurobasket News

Kevin Durant (6'9''-G/F-88, college: Texas) was just three minutes into his 10-minute session with reporters Wednesday when he grew a bit testy.

Of the first seven questions lobbed at him, Durant was forced to field five about the San Antonio Spurs.

And he didn't like it. Didn't like it one bit.

Once that fifth question came - a reasonable query about what he anticipates from the Spurs defensively against him - Durant tried to supply an answer but soon found himself swerving off scrpt.

'I'm just going to play my game', Durant started. 'I can't really think about how those guys are going to defend me. Theyre a tough defensive group. But every question is about how the Spurs are going to come and how the Spurs are going to play. But you got to ask me how were going to come at them. Were a tough team as well. We come out and play hard. We have a lot of weapons as well. I know theyre the No. 1 seed, theyre a tough group and they havent lost in a couple of months but I think that we bring another dimension to the table as well. And we can come out and compete.'

Durant has a point.

Most every question players and Thunder coach Scott Brooks faced Wednesday was about how they were going to stop the Spurs. Not once did anyone, including yours truly, inquire about how they Spurs would stop them.

Of course, theres a reason for that. As Durant said, the Spurs are a tough group. Theyre the No. 1 seed and the hottest team in basketball. And they just so happened to trounce the Thunder twice long before they got rolling in the final month of the regular season.

Wednesdays media session was nothing more than a microcosm of the basketball worlds widespread belief in the Spurs. Few will pick the Thunder to win this series. Oklahoma City, to many, just seems to be out-manned.

Still, the Thunders unwavering confidence was on full display Wednesday, with Durants brief retort representing his teams self-belief.

Durant wanted questions about his team, so I asked about his team.

What makes you confident, I asked, against the Spurs? Where do you feel like you have the advantage?

I just think we play hard, Durant said. Were athletic. I didnt say we were going to come out and dominate those guys. But I said that we can compete, of course. We can move the ball. I think cutting down on turnovers has been great for us these last couple of series. Also, just getting out and getting stops and trying to get easy points.

All good answers.

But none are quite good enough to keep the Thunder from walking into the Western Conference Finals on Sunday night in San Antonio as the underdog. Must be a rude awakening for Durant. In the span of three weeks hes seen his team transform from the darlings of the postseason and a heavy favorite in its prior two series to second fiddle. Its as if he senses that few outside of Oklahoma believe the Thunder can win.

Before walking over to local reporters, Durant had just finished a sit-down interview with TNT, which sent bulldog sideline reporter Craig Sager to town as part of its coverage team. No telling what was asked in that closed-door meeting. But theres a good chance Sager stuck a mic on Durant and inquired about everything from the Spurs regular season series win over the Thunder to San Antonios history of excellence.

Maybe thats what the Thunder needs going into this West final: a chip, an edge, a supply of just a little more motivation.

And maybe all of it might stem from mounting skeptics now gushing over the Spurs.

Courtesy of http://blog.newsok.com

Grant Hill has no NBA retirement plans yet - by Eurobasket News

Although he'll turn 40 during next falls training camp, Grant Hill (6'8''-F-72, college: Duke) has zero plans to end his career while on the mend. One of the few Suns who hasnt skipped town this offseason, Hill has been a consistent visitor of the the teams training and weight rooms throughout the week.

'I'm just focusing on being healthy', the veteran small forward said. 'One of the exciting things of being able to spend most of my time here this summer is that I could work with our training staff and get myself right and ready for next season.'

Most of the games that he missed came in late March, when Hill underwent minor right knee surgery to repair a medial meniscus tear. He also had surgery on that same knee last offseason, which hampered him during training camp and the beginning of the season.

Despite the surgery, the former Dukie worked diligently to return to the lineup by the end of the season, as the Suns fought for one of the final playoff positions. However, he never became completely comfortable.

Courtesy of The Phoenix Suns, via www.insidehoops.com

Avery Bradley has surgery - by Eurobasket News

Whatever thin hopes the Celtics had that Avery Bradley (6'2''-G-90, college: Texas) would be able to return this postseason were dashed yesterday when the starting shooting guard underwent surgery on his left shoulder.

Bradley dislocated the shoulder a number of times during the postseason and missed Games 5 and 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers. Celtics coach Doc Rivers announced that Bradley would have season-ending surgery performed by team physician Brian McKeon.

Its disappointing, Rivers said. Obviously when a player goes down thats disappointing and especially on what Avery has given us this year. His growth this year has been terrific. Hes become a very valuable piece to our basketball team. His ability to guard the best guard at 1 or 2 has really taken so much pressure off of (Rajon) Rondo, in particular.

The Celtics perimeter defense was torched by Phillys guards in Game 6 and can expect to face a similar attack in tonights Game 7 at the Garden. Ray Allen, who is hobbled by an ankle injury, has taken Bradleys place in the starting lineup, while Rondo will have to carry more of the load defensively.

Not having him means that Rondo now has to go back to that role and run the team, and thats hard to do, especially against the team were playing who has two guards that attack, Rivers said. So Rondo doesnt have a lot of breaks in this, but thats the way it is. Weve been a team all year that stuff happens, you deal with it and you just move forward. Thats what weve been and thats what were going to have to be (tonight).

It is expected that it will take Bradley most of the offseason to recover, forcing him to miss his third straight summer league. Bradley spent the summer of 2010 rehabilitating an ankle injury after being selected by the Cs with the 19th pick in the draft. There were no summer leagues last year due to the lockout.

Despite the lack of offseason work, Bradley improved remarkably in his second season. After scoring a total of 52 points as a rookie, the 21-year-old averaged 12.3 points in 28 starts this season. He also developed into one of the leagues best on-ball defenders.

No one wants to play against Avery. Our guys dont want to play against him in practice, Rivers said. Hes a pain in the (butt) defensively.

Courtesy of http://bostonherald.com

Knicks give Coach Mike Woodson a multiyear extension - by Eurobasket News

Mike Woodson will return as the New York Knicks' coach after leading them to their first playoff victory in 11 years.

The Knicks removed the interim tag Friday and announced they had given Woodson a multiyear contract extension, rewarding him for a terrific finish to what had been a turbulent season.

Woodson led the Knicks to an 18-6 record after replacing Mike D'Antoni on March 14. The Knicks lost 4-1 to Miami in the first round, snapping an NBA-record, 13-game postseason losing streak by winning Game 4 for their first victory since 2001.

'Mike has the respect of every person in this organization,' general manager Glen Grunwald said in a statement. 'He and his staff led the team in an impressive push into the playoffs over the last 24 games and we believe he is the right man to lead the franchise as we move forward.'

Terms of the deal weren't disclosed.

Courtesy of www.huffingtonpost.com

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

NCAA1

Man pleads guilty in USD hoops betting ring case - by Eurobasket News

A California man has pleaded guilty to federal charges that he was part of a betting ring involving the University of San Diego's basketball team.

Richard Thweni of El Cajon pleaded guilty Thursday in San Diego to conspiracy to commit sports bribery, conduct an illegal gambling business and distribute marijuana. He is among 10 defendants who have been charged with the betting ring.

Prosecutors say Brandon Johnson, a former basketball star at USD, was recruited to throw games as part of the scheme.

U-T San Diego reports Thweni faces up to five years in prison at sentencing in August.

As part of the plea agreement, Thweni admitted to operating a sports book between January 2009 and April 2011, and trying to collect an outstanding gambling debt.

Courtesy of www.cbssports.com

Cody Zeller is getting bigger and better, according to everybody - by Eurobasket News

Dan Dakich is the former Indiana guard turned Indiana assistant turned Indiana (interim) head coach who is now flourishing as a college basketball analyst and talk show host. He also coaches summer basketball. And that's what he was doing a few weeks ago at a tournament in Bloomington when he bumped into Indiana star Cody Zeller (6'11''-F-92) .

'And he looked big,' Dakich told me by phone. 'I mean, big. You know how some guys, when you get around them, they're not as big as you think? And then other guys, you get around them and you're like, 'Oh my god!' I've never done this before -- never asked a kid how tall he is like I'm a fan in an airport. But I was like, 'How tall are you? Have you grown?''

I asked IU coach Tom Crean about Dakich's words Friday morning.

'Cody is bigger,' Crean told me. 'And better.'

That's bad news for the rest of the Big Ten.

Zeller was already positioned to make a run at National Player of the Year honors next season while Indiana shoots for its first Final Four since 2002 and first national championship since 1987. And now he's bigger (according to Dakich and Crean) than the 6-foot-11, 230 pounds he was listed at last season, and better (according to Dakich and Crean) than the 16 points and six rebounds he averaged as a freshman. Crean said Zeller is approaching 7-feet, and that he's added 15 pounds since arriving at IU. So I can't wait to see him next season when he battles Kentucky's Nerlens Noel at Rupp Arena in a non-conference showdown that ...

Oh, wait.

Nevermind.

We won't get to experience that experience because UK's John Calipari discontinued the Wildcats' home-and-home series with Indiana in favor of a non-traditional schedule he promises will create 'experiences,' but the point remains the same. Cody Zeller is now bigger and better than he was the last time you saw him play on television, and he'll likely be even bigger and better than he is now by the next time you see him play on television. Big Ten, beware.

'The improvement is gonna be with the way he shoots the ball because he can really shoot the ball, but he lost some confidence last season,' Dakich said. 'He shot an airball against Butler from the free throw line, and I think he really lost confidence [after that]. He and I talked about it, and he's been working on it. But he can really shoot. Like really, really shoot. And that's what you're gonna see this year -- an improved and more versatile offensive game.'

Courtesy of www.cbssports.com

UConn forward Roscoe Smith transfers to UNLV - by Eurobasket News

The Runnin' Rebels are looking stronger. On Friday, head coach David Rice announced UConn forward Roscoe Smith (6'8''-F-91) has transferred to UNLV.

Smith - a 6'8', 205 pound forward - was a sophomore during the 2011-12 season at UConn. He was a starter on the 2011 National Championship team.

'We are excited to have Roscoe join our program,' Rice said. 'He is a terrific player, a proven winner and has a tremendous work ethic. He is a versatile wing that can play and guard multiple positions.

'Roscoe has had the opportunity the last two seasons to be coached by one of the greatest of all time in Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun. His experience as a starter on a national championship team will be a huge asset to our team.'

Smith appeared in 74 games in two years at Connecticut. As a sophomore he appeared in 33 contests, making 14 starts and averaging 4.4. points and 3.4 rebounds per game in just over 18 minutes played per game.

Smith was ranked as the nation's No. 5 small forward in the class of 2010 by Scout, 34th overall by ESPN, and No. 7 at his position by both ESPN and Rivals.

Courtesy of www.fox5vegas.com

NCAA clears Central Michigan transfer Trey Zeigler to play at Pitt next season - by Eurobasket News

Former Central Michigan guard Trey Zeigler (6'5''-G-91) has been cleared by the NCAA to play at Pitt next season.

The NCAA told the school on Friday it will waive the mandatory one-year sit-out rule for Zeigler, who left Central Michigan last month after his father, Ernie Zeigler, was not retained as coach.

Zeigler will have two years of eligibility remaining. He averaged 16.0 points in 63 games over two seasons at Central Michigan and was named to the All-Mid American Conference third team this spring after averaging 15.6 points and 6.7 rebounds for the Chippewas.

The 6-foot-5 Zeigler gives the Panthers immediate help at shooting guard following the graduation of star Ashton Gibbs.

Coach Jamie Dixon said he was grateful for the NCAAs decision.

Courtesy of www.washingtonpost.com

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NEW ZEALAND

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Josh PACE
  Hub Jets
  (198-G/F-83)
  Avg: 23.1

1. Pace, Hub Jets	23.1
2. Wright, OceanaGo.	22.4
3. Tisby, OceanaGo.	22.0
4. Leasure, Taranaki.	21.3
5. Jones, Nelson G.	20.9
6. Hudson, Taranaki.	20.9
7. Braswell, Southlan.	20.6
8. Abney, Southland	19.6
9. Horvath, Hub Jets	19.5
10. Tait, Auckland P.	19.5

Rebounds Per Game

Nick HORVATH
  Hub Jets
  (208-F/C-81)
  Avg: 15.8

1. Horvath, Hub Jets	15.8
2. Tisby, OceanaGo.	12.1
3. Abney, Southland	10.3
4. Atkinson, Harbo.	10.2
5. Wright, OceanaGo.	9.3
6. Frank, Wellington	8.8
7. Johnson, Bay Hawks	8.3
8. Muhammad, Aucklan.	8.1
9. Harrison, Nelson G.	8.0
10. Pace, Hub Jets	7.3

Assists Per Game

Jason CROWE
  Wellington S.
  (193-G-76)
  Avg: 8.6

1. Crowe, Wellington	8.6
2. Tait, Auckland P.	7.6
3. Braswell, Southlan.	5.1
4. Jones, Nelson G.	5.0
5. Wright, OceanaGo.	4.6
6. Kenny, Bay Hawks	4.4
7. Bailey, Harbour H.	3.9
8. Hudson, Taranaki.	3.8
9. Young, Bay Hawks	3.7
10. Pace, Hub Jets	3.7

Steals Per Game

Kevin BRASWELL
  Southlan.
  (188-G-79)
  Avg: 3

1. Braswell, Southlan.	3.0
2. Crowe, Wellington	2.8
3. Wright, OceanaGo.	2.2
4. Bailey, Harbour H.	2.1
5. Leasure, Taranaki.	2.0
6. Muhammad, Aucklan.	1.7
7. Tait, Auckland P.	1.6
8. Ross, OceanaGold	1.6
9. Dorsey, Auckland P.	1.5
10. Pace, Hub Jets	1.5

Blocks Per Game

Michael HARRISON
  Nelson G.
  (206-F/C-84)
  Avg: 2.1

1. Harrison, Nelson G.	2.1
2. Tisby, OceanaGo.	1.6
3. Trousdell, Wellin.	1.4
4. Atkinson, Harbo.	1.3
5. Wright, OceanaGo.	1.2
6. Scott, Wellington	1.0
7. Abney, Southland	1.0
8. Muhammad, Aucklan.	1.0
9. Prewster, Southlan.	0.7
10. Cartwright, Auckl.	0.6

Wellington Saints and Auckland Pirates set up NBL Final - by Eurobasket News

Wellington Saints will defend their NBL title in the Final against the Auckland Pirates tomorrow.
The Saints overcame the regular season champions Bay Hawks 94:88 in overtime tonight. Jason Crowe (193-G-76, college: CS Northridge) orchestrated the victory scoring 36 points, grabbing 8 rebounds and issuing 6 assists. Bay Hawks seemed to be on the way to success as they piled up a 40:30 halftime advantage. But the Saints managed to erase the deficit in the second half. Jason Crowe put the Saints up by two points 78:76 with 34 seconds left in regulation. But Jarrod Kenny (188-G-85) drained a jumper to force overtime. The Saints opened the extra period with eight points in a row and hung on to win the game. Ernest Scott (201-F-82, agency: VVG Sports, college: Valdosta St.) produced 16 points, while Arthur Trousdell (203-F/C-81, college: Cameron) contrinbuted 10 points in the victory. Jarrod Kenny answered with 20 points for the Bay Hawks. Kareem Johnson (205-C-80, college: Cincinnati) had 17 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.
The Pirates had little problems against Hub Jets 104:88. Alex Pledger accounted for 25 points and 13 rebounds to lead the winners. The teams stayed close throughout the first half. The Pirates built a 48:44 halftime lead. But the Jets ran out of steam in the second part of the encounter. Auckland stepped on the gas scoring 56 points after the big break and sealed a comfortable win at the end. Ismail Muhammad (198-F-83, college: Georgia Tech) had 23 points, while Ronald Dorsey (197-F/G-83, college: McNeese St.) finished with 17 in the victory. Josh Pace (198-G/F-83, college: Syracuse) notched 25 points for the Jets. Chris Hagan (175-G-89, college: Midwestern St.) chipped in 17 points in the losing effort.

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

PHILIPPINES

Standings - PBA Fiesta Conference

PBA Standings

1. Petron Blaze		2-0
2. Rain or Shine		2-0
3. Barako Bull		1-0
4. Ginebra Kings		1-0
5. Air21 Express		1-1
6. Meralco Bolts		1-1
7. Alaska Aces		0-1
8. B-Meg Llam.		0-1
9. Powerade T.		0-2
10. Talk N Text		0-2

Regular Season: Round 4

May. 26: Air21 Express - Talk N Text 97-86
May. 26: Meralco Bolts - Petron Blaze 88-101

Regular Season: Round 5

May. 27: Alaska Aces - Barako Bull
May. 27: B-Meg Llam. - Ginebra Kings

PBA Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Jamelle CORNLEY
  Rain o.
  (196-F-87)
  Avg: 26

1. Cornley, Rain o.	26.0
2. David, Powerade T.	25.5
3. McCants, Powerade.	25.0
4. Lee, Rain or Shine	17.0
5. Chan, Rain or Shine	14.0
6. Al-Hussaini, Power.	10.5
7. Cruz, Rain or Shine	10.0
8. Arana, Rain o.	9.0
9. Belga, Rain or Shi.	8.5
10. Anthony, Powerad.	8.5

Rebounds Per Game

Jondan SALVADOR
  Powerade.
  (192-F-80)
  Avg: 11.5

1. Salvador, Powerade.	11.5
2. Cornley, Rain o.	11.0
3. McCants, Powerade.	8.0
4. Anthony, Powerade.	6.5
5. Adducul, Powerade.	6.0
6. David, Powerade T.	6.0
7. Chan, Rain or Shine	5.0
8. Norwood, Rain o.	5.0
9. Quinahan, Rain o.	5.0
10. Cruz, Rain or Shi.	4.5

Assists Per Game

Gabe NORWOOD
  Rain o.
  (196-G/F-85)
  Avg: 5.5

1. Norwood, Rain o.	5.5
2. David, Powerade T.	4.0
3. Casio, Powerade T.	4.0
4. Lee, Rain or Shine	3.0
5. Cornley, Rain o.	2.5
6. Belga, Rain or Shi.	2.0
7. Salvador, Powerade.	2.0
8. Chan, Rain or Shine	2.0
9. Anthony, Powerade.	2.0
10. McCants, Powerad.	1.5

Steals Per Game

Jeffrei CHAN
  Rain or Shine
  (191-F-83)
  Avg: 1.5

1. Chan, Rain or Shine	1.5
2. McCants, Powerade.	1.5
3. Norwood, Rain o.	1.0
4. Anthony, Powerade.	1.0
5. Arana, Rain o.	1.0
6. David, Powerade T.	1.0
7. Casio, Powerade T.	1.0
8. Cornley, Rain o.	0.5
9. Tang, Rain or Shine	0.5
10. Ibanes, Rain o.	0.5

Blocks Per Game

Rashad MCCANTS
  Powerade.
  (193-G/F-84)
  Avg: 2

1. McCants, Powerade.	2.0
2. Quinahan, Rain o.	1.0
3. Norwood, Rain o.	1.0
4. Belga, Rain or Shi.	0.5
5. Chan, Rain or Shine	0.0
6. Buenafe, Rain o.	0.0
7. Matias, Rain or Sh.	0.0
8. Arana, Rain o.	0.0
9. Lee, Rain or Shine	0.0
10. Anthony, Powerad.	0.0

ASEAN League: Petron Blaze overcome KL Dragons in overtime - by Eurobasket News

Petron Blaze - Westports Dragons 111:104 (OT)

Petron Blaze earned the first win in the semifinal series against Westports KL Dragons. The Philippine powerhouse needed overtime to tame the visitors in the opener. Nick Fazekas (211-F-85, college: Nevada) finished with 32 points and 8 rebounds to lead the winners.
The Malaysian team got to the better start. They unleashed 29 points in the opening quarter to secure a 9-point lead. The Blaze managed to narrow the gap at 6-point mark at halftime 49:55. The Blaze erased the deficit in the third term. The teams were tied at 75 heading into the fourth stanza. Duke Crews (203-F-88, college: Bowie St.) capped regulation with a dunk to send the game into overtime. Chris Banchero (185-G, agency: VVG Sports, college: Seattle Pacific) and Avenido helped the hosts jump to a 5-point lead early in the extra period. The home team hung on to the lead claiming a vital win in the first game. Duke Crews notched 25 points and 11 rebounds, while Chris Banchero added 18 points and 15 assists in the victory. Brian Williams (208-C-87, agency: VVG Sports, college: Tennessee) answered with 32 points, 15 rebounds and 9 assists. Patrick Cabahug (186-G) provided 24 points in defeat.

Petron Blaze: Nick Fazekas 32, Duke Crews 25+11 boards, Chris Banchero 18+15 assists
Westports Dragons: Brian Williams 32+15 boards, Patrick Cabahug 24

Marqus Blakely joins B-Meg Llamados - by Eurobasket Center

B-Meg Llamados signed 23-year old American forward Marqus Blakely (196-F-102kg-89, college: Vermont). In his first game he scored 28 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and 4 assists. Despite his good performance his new team lost to Rain or Shine 94-100. Blakely played most recently at Sioux Falls Skyforce (D-League) in the U.S. While playing 21 games for Sioux Falls S. this season he averaged 16.1ppg, 7.0rpg, 3.3apg, 2.2spg and 2.2bpg. Blakely was selected also to the all-star game. He graduated University of Vermont in 2010 and it will be his second season in pro basketball.

By Eurobasket Data Center

Friday's games review - by Eurobasket Center

Rain or Shine - B-Meg Llam. 100-94 OT
Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao considered their game against B-Meg Friday night a good test and a good exercise. The Elasto Painters blew away an early 16-point lead and needed to overcome a five-point deficit in the last two minutes of regulation play before prevailing in overtime for their second win in a row in the PBA Governors Cup. Before a good Friday crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Jamelle Cornley (196-F-87, college: Penn St.), Beau Belga (198-C-86) and Gabe Norwood made clutch plays in the extension play as they topped the Llamados, 100-94, for the early solo lead in the season-ending tourney. 'We had a big advantage playing them on their first game. They missed some guys and it's really our big chance to win against them,' said Guiao. 'We're trying to learn to win this kind of game. We had a good lead, then they caught up and got ahead. It's a good test playing and beating a champion team in this game,' Guiao added. Norwood pumped in a three-pointer for the go-ahead basket then Belga and Cornely had their own key plays to clinch Rain or Shine's second win following a triumphant debut versus the Alaska Milk Aces Sunday. 'We really prepared hard for this tournament early. We know that the key to contend in this tourney is to win as many as you can,' said Guiao. Ryan Arana was their biggest savior in regulation play with the former La Salle Archer coming through with a decisive five-point binge in the homestretch to send the game into OT. Cornley was a huge presence throughout, delivering 25 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and one steal. 'Jamelle looks a right fit for us. He's a big body in the lane and he can play on both ends. He's not making so many points, just enough not to take away the points from the locals,' said Guiao. 'He gives us a good balance. He understands that that's what we need,' Guiao added. As in their game versus the Aces, the Elasto Painters got past the Llamados with a well-balanced game. Paul Lee, Jervy Cruz, Belga and Norwood also put in double-digit outputs with Jeff Chan, Arana and JR Quinahan adding at least seven points each. The Elasto Painters took command early but the Llamados closed in at the half, 40-42, on a 16-2 closing run. Import Marcus Blakely capped that romp with a buzzer-beating trey off Cornley. Blakely wound up with 28 points, 16 rebounds, five steals, four assists and three blocks against four errors in his first game in the local pro league. (SB) *Courtesy of www.pba.ph

Powerade T. - Barako Bull 101-106
When an exhausted Jamine Peterson (198-F-88, college: Providence) couldn't finish what he started for Barako Bull, veterans Danny Seigle (198-F/G-76, college: Wagner) and Don Allado found the spring in their feet and gamely came to the rescue. Seigle had eight points in the third and Allado all of his nine in the fourth as the Energy turned back the Powerade Tigers, 106-101, Friday night in the PBA Governors Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Peterson lit up the Big Dome in the first half, firing 27 points and hauling down 18 rebounds - numbers that would have sufficed for an import playing 48 minutes. But he was left drained by the single-handed effort, which included four three-point shots, and developed cramps that forced him on the bench for most of the third quarter when the Tigers roared back. Seigle then stepped into the void, holding Powerade at bay before Allado took over in the last 12 minutes, going 3 for 6 from the field after missing all three of his attempts in the first three quarters. 'I think he overexerted himself,' said Barako coach Junel Baculi. 'He wanted to prove something, and I told him not to do it again.' Nonetheless, Baculi liked what he saw. 'He's unpredictable but he's all right,' said Baculi. 'I hope he sustains that game when we face the stronger teams.' Peterson would finish with conference-high figures of 33 points and 22 rebounds, while Seigle added 14 and Sunday Salvacion, playing his first game for the Energy in two conferences because of an injury, had 11, including a three-point shot late in the game that thwarted the Tigers' comeback. Powerade, losing Finalist to Talk N Text in the Philippine Cup, absorbed its second loss, a situation that might prompt head coach Bo Perasol to bring in a replacement for Rashad McCants, who had 23 points, with five triples, and 10 rebounds. Though McCants' numbers were not bad, the big hole left by the departure of Marcio Lassiter for Petron Blaze, might cost him his job. Unless Perasol chooses to stick with him. Gary David led Powerade with 25 points but was 2 of 8 from 3-point range, while Rabeh Al-Hussaini, who was part of the Lassiter trade, added 17. Behind Peterson, Barako shot ahead 27-11 four minutes into the game. But David, who had 10 points, rallied the Tigers to within, 27-26, setting up a nip-and-tuck affair until the closing minutes. *Courtesy of www.pba.ph

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

POLAND

Maciej Lampe's double-double lands him Player of the Week award among Poles playing currently abroad - by Eurobasket Center

We bring you last week's top performances from Poles who are playing abroad and who all have had prior experience of national team duties at youth or senior level.

Maciej Lampe

#1. This week's number one is an international center Maciej Lampe (210-85). He led Caja Laboral to a victory over the closely-ranked Real Madrid (26-8) 81-71 in the Spanish ACB in Thursday night's game. Lampe was MVP of the game. He had a double-double by scoring 21 points and getting 11 rebounds in 32 minutes on the court. It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. Caja Laboral Vitoria (23-11) is placed third in the ACB. Lampe has relatively good stats this year: 12.9ppg, 4.8rpg, 2FGP: 56.3%(85-151), 3FGP: 37.5% and FT: 67.6% in the 17 games he played so far. He has a dual citizenship: Polish and Swedish. Despite Lampe played previously for the Swedish national team, he is currently a member of the Polish senior national team.

Thomas Kelati

#2. Second place goes to an international swingman Thomas Kelati (195-82, agency: Beo Basket, college: Washington St.), who plays in the Russian PBL. Kelati could not help one of league's weakest teams Khimky (15-3) in their last game on Saturday. Despite his good performance Khimky was defeated 90-75 at home by the leading CSKA Moscow. Kelati scored 13 points and added 6 assists. This season Kelati averages: 5.3ppg, 2.1rpg, 1.2apg, 2FGP: 34.1%, 3FGP: 39.3% and FT: 90.9%. He is another player who holds two passports: Eritrean and Polish. Despite Kelati played previously for the Eritrean national team, he is currently a member of the Polish senior national team.

Szymon Szewczyk

#3. The Polish player who performed third best last week abroad was an international center Szymon Szewczyk (209-82). Szewczyk was not able to help Umana Venezia (17-15) in their game against Armani Milano (22-10) in the Italian SerieA. He scored 9 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in 28 minutes. But Umana Venezia was edged 82-80 on their home court in Venezia by the second-ranked Armani Milano. It was Umana Venezia's fourth consecutive loss in a row. Szewczyk is currently fifth on the league's list of best blockers with 1.1bpg. This year his other stats are: 12.0ppg, 5.7rpg, 2FGP: 61.3%(114-186), 3FGP: 39.3% and FT: 78.8% in the 35 games. Despite Szewczyk played previously for the Eritrean national team, he is currently a member of the Polish senior national team.

Michal Ignerski

#4. Forward Michal Ignerski (207-80, agency: Stanley International, college: Mississippi St.) managed to help Lokomotiv Kuban to win against the closely-ranked Triumph Lyubertsy (12-6) 91-79 in the Russian PBL in Saturday night's game. Ignerski scored only 4 points. It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. Lokomotiv Kuban (9-9) is placed fourth in the PBL. Ignerski's overall stats this season are: 6.1ppg and 3.3rpg. He is also Polish national team player.

Vitaliy Kovalenko

#5. International forward Vitaliy Kovalenko (203-84) contributed to a BC Donetsk's victory against the closely-ranked Azovmash (26-13) 84-79 in the Ukrainian Superleague last Thursday. Kovalenko recorded only 2 points in 1 minutes on the court. It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. BC Donetsk (31-8) is placed first in the Superleague. It was his team's 13th consecutive victory in a row. It's Kovalenko's first season with the team. This year his overall stats are: 2.8ppg and 2.0rpg in the 37 games. Kovalenko has both Polish and Ukrainian nationalities. He plays currently for the Polish national team.

Robert Tomaszek

#6. Forward Robert Tomaszek (204-81, agency: Limelight Hoops, college: Texas Tech) was not able to secure a victory for s Oliver Baskets (20-14) in their game against ratiopharm Ulm (27-7) in the German BBL. Tomaszek did not beat the league record on Sunday evening. He recorded only 2 points. s Oliver Baskets was defeated 77-65 on the road by the second-ranked ratiopharm Ulm. Tomaszek's total stats this season are: 3.4ppg and 2.5rpg. He is a former international player as he played for the Polish senior team eight years ago.

Other top Polish players, who play abroad:

David Logan (184-G-82) plays for Panathinaikos in Greek A1
Marcin Gortat (213-C-84) plays for Phoenix Suns in the NBA
Jakub Parzenski (212-F/C-91) plays for CS Bologna in Italian SerieA
Chris Thomas (186-PG-82) plays for Galil Gilboa in Israeli Premier League
Gal Mekel (192-PG-88) plays for Benetton Treviso in Italian SerieA
Bradd Wierzbicki (191-G-85) plays for Jelson Homes DMU Leicester City Riders in British BBL
Sandro Listwon (202-F/C-93) plays for Banca Tercas in Italian SerieA
Jakub Wojciechowski (213-C/F-90) plays for Enel Brindisi in Italian Lega2
Daniel Swindowsky (202-C-72) plays for Phoenix Hagen in German BBL

Notice: The list above includes only some of the Polish playing currently abroad. Go to Polish Abroad Page to see completed list.

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

PORTUGAL

Alges clinch Proliga title - by Eurobasket News

Fisica - Alges 68:81

Alges are Proliga champions. They swept the title series against Fisica. DeSean White (203-F-86, college: Northwood, FL) came up with 31 points and 16 rebounds in the decisive third game to seal the victory and trophy for Alges.
Having built a comfortable 2-0 lead after two home games Alges eased into the third encounter. The visitors grabbed control early in the game. They unloaded 29 points in the opening frame to build a 14-point lead. Alges boosted the margin in the second quarter. The visitors accumulated a massive 25-point cushion at halftime 50:25. Fisica tried to wake up in the third term. They knocked down 22 points to cut the deficit by two points. But it was far from enough as Alges continued to dominate the game. Fisica cut the distance in the fourth term but never seriously threatened the gap as Alges cruised to the victory. Antonio Pires (185-G-86) knocked down 12 points, while Joao Manuel (192-G/F-79) added 20 points for the winners. Carlos Dias (197-F-79) answered with 21 points for Fisica. Edson Rosario chipped in 13 points for the hosts.

Fisica: Carlos Dias 21, Edson Rosario 13
Alges: DeSean White 31+16 boards, Joao Manuel 20, Antonio Pires 12

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

PUERTO RICO

Carlos Arroyo selected the top Puerto Rican playing abroad in last week's games - by Eurobasket Center

We bring you last week's top performances from Puerto Ricans who are playing abroad and who all have had prior experience of national team duties at youth or senior level.

Carlos Arroyo

#1. This week's number one is an experienced international guard Carlos Arroyo (188-79, college: FIU). He was the major contributor in Besiktas' victory against the league leader Galatasaray (25-5) 84-73 in a derby game in the Turkish TBL in Tuesday night's game. Arroyo recorded 23 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists in 36 minutes on the court. It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. Besiktas Milangaz Istanbul (22-8) is placed fourth in the TBL. It was his team's fourth consecutive victory in a row. It's Arroyo's first season with the team. He has relatively good stats this year: 14.4ppg, 2.2rpg, 4.3apg, 2FGP: 37.6%, 3FGP: 43.8% and FT: 84.9% in the 21 games he played so far. Arroyo is currently a member of the Puerto Rican senior national team.

Walter Hodge

#2. Second place goes to an international point guard Walter Hodge (183-86, college: Florida). He led Zastal ZG to a victory over the sixth-ranked PGE Turow (2-8) 74-69 in the Polish PLK last Monday. Hodge was MVP of the game. He recorded 24 points, 3 assists and 3 steals; quite an impressive performance considering it's only Hodge's third season in pro basketball. Zastal Zielona Gora (6-4) is placed third in Group A. Hodge is the league's top scorer and also on the list of best passers (third place). He has individually a very good season with high stats. Hodge averages: 19.3ppg, 2.8rpg, 5.7apg, 1.5spg, 2FGP: 47.2%, 3FGP: 31.5% and FT: 87.5%. He has a dual citizenship: Ivorian and Puerto Rican. Despite Hodge played previously for the Ivorian national team, he is currently a member of the Puerto Rican senior national team.

John Holland

#3. The Puerto Rican player who performed third best last week abroad was an international swingman John Holland (195-88, college: Boston U.), who plays in the French ProA. Holland could not help Chorale de Roanne (16-14) in their last game. Despite his very good performance Chorale de Roanne was crushed 91-70 on the road by the second-ranked Chalon/Saor. Holland was the top scorer with 16 points. He also added 5 rebounds in 24 minutes; not bad, considering it's only Holland's third season in pro basketball. This year Holland has relatively solid stats: 14.4ppg, 4.7rpg, 1.8apg, 1.3spg, 2FGP: 54.3%, 3FGP: 42.6% and FT: 83.9% in the 29 games. He is another player who holds two passports: Puerto Rican and American. Despite Holland played previously for the USA national team, he is currently a member of the Puerto Rican senior national team. Holland used to play for Caciques de Humacao in Puerto Rican league.

Nathan Peavy

#4. Forward Nathan Peavy (203-85, college: Miami, OH), who plays in the German BBL was not able to help Artland Dragons (24-10) in their last game on Tuesday. Despite his good performance Artland Dragons was defeated 81-71 in Bamberg by the leading Brose Baskets. Peavy scored 11 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Peavy has reliable stats this season: 13.7ppg, 6.3rpg and 1.7apg. He has both American and Puerto Rican nationalities. Despite Peavy played previously for the USA national team, he is currently in the Puerto Rican national team roster. Peavy used to play for Vaqueros de Bayamon in Puerto Rican league.

Guillermo Diaz

#5. Former international shooting guard Guillermo Diaz (188-85, college: Miami, FL) contributed to an easy victory against the closely-ranked Olimpi (16-4) crushing them 87-52 in a derby game in the Georgian Superleague last Tuesday. He scored 14 points and added 3 assists in 26 minutes. It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. BC Armia Tbilisi (20-0) is placed first in the Superleague. So far his team won all twenty games in the Finals. Diaz's stats this year are: 12.4ppg, 3.2rpg, 2.6apg and 1.5spg in the 24 games. Despite he played previously for the USA national team, Diaz is currently in the Puerto Rican national team roster.

Rafael Perez

#6. Swingman Rafael Perez (193-82, agency: Paris Global Sports) contributed to Trotamundos' victory against the leader Guaiqueries (5-3) 76-71 in the Venezuelan LPB on Sunday night. He recorded 11 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. It was the game of the round between two top 3 ranked teams in Group A. Trotamundos de Carabobo (4-4) is placed second. Perez's stats this season are: 14.0ppg, 2.5rpg, 1.8apg and 1.7spg. Despite he played previously for the Venezuelan national team, Perez is also a former international player as he played for the Puerto Rican senior team two years ago.

Other top Puerto Rican players, who play abroad:

Alfred Lee (185-G-56) plays for Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA
Renaldo Balkman (201-F-84) plays for New York Knicks in the NBA
Jose Juan Barea (181-PG-84) plays for Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA
TreVon Hughes (183-PG-87) plays for Pieno Zvaigzdes in Lithuanian LKL
Darnell Hinson (186-PG-80) plays for Energa Czarni in Polish PLK
Denis Clemente (185-PG-86) plays for Nitra in Slovakian Extraliga
Angel Caballero (192-G-70) plays for Palencia Baloncesto in Spanish LEB Gold
Emanuel Ubilla (188-G-86) plays for Inter Bratislava in Czech Republic NBL
Angel Garcia (209-C/F-88) plays for CB Granada in Spanish LEB Gold

Notice: The list above includes only some of the Puerto Rican playing currently abroad. Go to Puerto Rican Abroad Page to see completed list.

Indios recover and take 2-1 series lead: - by Luis Modestti

Indios de Mayaguez recovered from a very slow start and dominated Vaqueros de Bayamon 85-66.

Indios now have a 2-1 series lead and the semifinals continue on Monday at Bayamon.

Bayamon started the game with a 12-0 run, and even had a 17-3 lead midway into the first quarter, but Mayaguez kept chipping away to be down at the half 34-32.

In the third quarter Mayaguez scored 32 points against just 12 from Bayamon and never looked back.

Oritseweyinmi Efejuku (196-G-86, college: Providence) had 18 points and Donta Smith (201-G-83, college: SE Illinois JC) 12 for Mayaguez who keep dominating in the second half thanks to their large rotation, intensity and youth.

Bayamon shot 25 times from three point range and their best scorer was center Michael Sweetney (203-F-82, college: Georgetown) who had 12 points.

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ROMANIA

Eurobasket.com All-Romanian League Awards 2011-12 - by Eurobasket

All-Romanian League 1st Team 2012

Krstanovic

Jovanovic

Vlahovic

Martinic

Mitchell

Player of the Year: Zoran Krstanovic (204-C-82) of U.Mobitel.CN
Guard of the Year: Goran Martinic (184-PG-87) of CSM Bucuresti
Forward of the Year: Deven Mitchell (197-F-84) of Gaz Metan
Center of the Year: Zoran Krstanovic (204-C-82) of U.Mobitel.CN
Import Player of the Year: Kyndall Dykes (190-SG-87) of U.Mobitel.CN
Bosman Player of the Year: Zoran Krstanovic (204-C-82) of U.Mobitel.CN
Domestic Player of the Year: Catalin Burlacu (210-C-77) of Ploiesti
Defensive Player of the Year: Kaylone Riley (203-C-88) of CSU Sibiu
Coach of the Year: Vladimir Arnautovic of Ploiesti

1st Team
PG: Zlatko Jovanovic (181-84) of Timisoara
G: Aleksandar Vlahovic (190-90) of Ploiesti
PG: Goran Martinic (184-87) of CSM Bucuresti
F: Deven Mitchell (197-84) of Gaz Metan
C: Zoran Krstanovic (204-82) of U.Mobitel.CN

2nd Team
PG: JuJuan Cooley (175-82) of Targu Mures
SG: Kyndall Dykes (190-87) of U.Mobitel.CN
G: Louis Darby (196-84) of Rovinari
F: Dominique Archie (200-87) of Timisoara
C: Catalin Burlacu (210-77) of Ploiesti

Honorable Mention
Jason Forte (196-F-84) of Targu Mures
Virgil Stanescu (208-C/F-77) of Targu Mures
Bogdan Popescu (200-F-78) of Timisoara
Milos Pesic (205-F-84) of Oradea
Garry Gallimore (192-G-84) of CSM Bucuresti
Darius Hargrove (193-G-82) of Ploiesti
Damien Kinloch (203-F-80) of Pitesti
Jaytonah Wisseh (185-G-88) of CSU Sibiu
Porter Troupe (196-G-83) of Rovinari
Titus Nicoara (203-F-88) of Gaz Metan

All-Domestic Players Team
F: Mihai Silvasan (201-85) of U.Mobitel.CN
F: Titus Nicoara (203-88) of Gaz Metan
F: Bogdan Popescu (200-78) of Timisoara
C/F: Virgil Stanescu (208-77) of Targu Mures
C: Catalin Burlacu (210-77) of Ploiesti

All-Imports Team
PG: JuJuan Cooley (175-82) of Targu Mures
SG: Kyndall Dykes (190-87) of U.Mobitel.CN
G: Louis Darby (196-84) of Rovinari
F: Deven Mitchell (197-84) of Gaz Metan
C: Kaylone Riley (203-88) of CSU Sibiu

All-Bosmans Team
PG: Zlatko Jovanovic (181-84) of Timisoara
G: Aleksandar Vlahovic (190-90) of Ploiesti
PG: Goran Martinic (184-87) of CSM Bucuresti
F/C: Branislav Tomic (205-80) of Craiova
C: Zoran Krstanovic (204-82) of U.Mobitel.CN

All-Defensive Team
Jaytonah Wisseh (185-G-88) of CSU Sibiu
JuJuan Cooley (175-PG-82) of Targu Mures
Kyndall Dykes (190-SG-87) of U.Mobitel.CN
Deven Mitchell (197-F-84) of Gaz Metan
Kaylone Riley (203-C-88) of CSU Sibiu

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RUSSIA

Stats Leaders - Superleague B

Points Per Game

Nikola LEPOJEVIC
  Ural E.
  (199-F-82)
  Avg: 18.6

1. Lepojevic, Ural E.	18.6
2. Gordon, Ural E.	15.6
3. Kuznetsov, Ruskon.	15.0
4. Ageev, Ruskon-M.	14.8
5. Vzdykhalkin, Rjazan	13.9
6. Lekavicius, Univ.S.	13.8
7. Sotnikov, TE.	13.7
8. Pushkin, Sojuz Z.	13.1
9. Kirjanov, TE.	12.4
10. Zibirov, Ataman	12.2

Rebounds Per Game

Dmitriy PONOSOV
  Sojuz Z.
  (220-C-84)
  Avg: 8

1. Ponosov, Sojuz Z.	8.0
2. Ivlev, Rjazan	7.4
3. Zaykin, TE.	7.2
4. Petukhov, Spart.	7.2
5. Nikolaev, Ural E.	6.3
6. Gordon, Ural E.	6.2
7. Semerninov, Ruskon.	6.2
8. Trushkin, Spart.	6.0
9. Kuznetsov, Ruskon.	5.8
10. Goritskov, Sever.	5.6

Assists Per Game

Anton GLAZUNOV
  Ural E.
  (182-G-86)
  Avg: 5.3

1. Glazunov, Ural E.	5.3
2. Lekavicius, Univ.S.	5.0
3. Aleksandrov, Sojuz	4.0
4. Zibirov, Ataman	4.0
5. Mateyunas, Rjazan	3.8
6. Tokarev, TE.	3.8
7. Bartunov, Rjazan	3.5
8. Zelenskiy, Univ.Su.	3.5
9. Slepukha, Sojuz Z.	3.1
10. Vokhmianine, TEMP.	3.1

Steals Per Game

Linas LEKAVICIUS
  Univ.Sur.
  (186-G-84)
  Avg: 2.4

1. Lekavicius, Univ.S.	2.4
2. Zibirov, Ataman	2.1
3. Aleksandrov, Sojuz	1.7
4. Glazunov, Ural E.	1.7
5. Bartunov, Rjazan	1.6
6. Zelenskiy, Univ.Su.	1.5
7. Mateyunas, Rjazan	1.5
8. Semerninov, Ruskon.	1.5
9. Ageev, Ruskon-M.	1.4
10. Vzdykhalkin, Rjaz.	1.3

Blocks Per Game

Dmitriy PONOSOV
  Sojuz Z.
  (220-C-84)
  Avg: 1.6

1. Ponosov, Sojuz Z.	1.6
2. Gresev, Ataman	1.1
3. Rindin, Univ.Surgut	1.0
4. Goritskov, Sever.	0.9
5. Varlamov, Ural E.	0.9
6. Tsvetkov, Severst.	0.9
7. Polyakov, Severstal	0.8
8. Petukhov, Spart.	0.8
9. Trushkin, Spart.	0.7
10. Kuznetsov, Rusko.	0.7

Ural wins Superleague title - by Eurobasket News

Ural Ekaterinb. - Univ.Surgut 55:54

Ural wins Superleague title tonight. The team overcame Universitet-Yugra 55:54 and won the Final series 2-1.
The hosts trailed by 1 point after three quarters before their 17-15 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Ural Ekaterinburg made 20-of-25 free shots during the game. Ural Ekaterinburg outrebounded Universitet-Yugra 45-28 including a 17-5 advantage in defensive rebounds. 27 personal fouls committed by Universitet-Yugra helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. It was a good game for Semen Shashkov (205-F-89) who saved his team from a defeat with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Dmitri Nikolaev (200-F-83) contributed with a double-double by scoring 11 points and 14 rebounds for the winners. Linas Lekavicius (186-G-84, college: American) answered with 11 points and 9 rebounds and forward Denis Hloponin (206-F-81) added 10 points in the effort for Universitet-Yugra. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game.
In Game 1 Ural grabbed 74:72 victory but then fell short in Surgut. In Game 2 Univ.Surgut celebrated a 72:65 win to tie the records at 1-1.

Ural Ekaterinb.: Semen Shashkov 22, Dmitri Nikolaev 11+14rebs, Lorenzo Gordon (201-F-83, agency: Hart Sports Mngm, college: Oklahoma City) 8, Nikola Lepojevic (199-F-82, agency: BeoExcell) 7
Univ.Surgut: Linas Lekavicius 11, Denis Hloponin 10, Vladimir Dyachok (204-F-80) 8, Ilia Aleksandrov (194-G-81) 8

Krasnie Krilya eyes Israeli guard Naimy - by Anton Zirkov

Krasnie Krilya are looking at Israeli point guard - Yuval Naimy (188-PG-85),according to repot in Russia today.
Naimy,who plays for Israeli team - Hapoel Jerusalem and is a part of the Israeli national team.
Its reported that Krasnie Krilya top brass already in talks with Naimy representatives and talks of a two years deal is mooted.
Naimy,has avreged 11.3ppg,1.8rpg and 4apg in 4 games in the Eurocup this season and 11.8ppg,2rpg & 4.1apg in the Israeli league.

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SENEGAL

Boniface Ndong selected the top Senegalese players playing abroad in last week's games - by Eurobasket Center

We bring you last week's top performances from Senegalese players who are playing abroad and who all have had prior experience of national team duties at youth or senior level.

Boniface Ndong

#1. This week's number one is an experienced former international center Boniface Ndong (213-77). He led Regal FC Barcelona to a victory over the eighth-ranked Meridiano Alicante (18-16) crushing them 84-57 in the Spanish ACB in Sunday night's game. Ndong was MVP of the game. He scored 14 points and blocked 2 shots in 27 minutes on the court. Regal FC Barcelona (29-5) is placed first in the ACB. It was his team's tenth consecutive victory in a row. This year Ndong averages: 10.0ppg, 6.3rpg, 1.1bpg, 2FGP: 61.8%(139-225) and FT: 65.6% in the 32 games he played so far. He played for the Senegalese senior national team three years ago.

Maleye N'Doye

#2. Second place goes to an international forward Maleye N'Doye (203-80, college: Furman). N'Doye was the major contributor in a 2-point Entente Orleans 45's victory against the closely-ranked Paris-Levallois (17-13) 70-68 in the French ProA last Tuesday. He recorded 15 points. Entente Orleans 45 (21-9) is placed third in the ProA. It was his team's third consecutive victory in a row. N'Doye's overall stats this season are: 8.9ppg, 2.4rpg, 1.2apg, 2FGP: 57.6%(53-92), 3FGP: 48.1%(50-104) and FT: 82.4%. He is in the roster of the Senegalese senior national team.

Hamady N'Diaye

#3. The Senegalese player who performed third best last week abroad was an international center Hamady N'Diaye (213-87, college: Rutgers). N'Diaye was the main contributor in a Guangzhou Liu Sui Whampoa's victory against the closely-ranked Hebei (5-3) crushing them 103-76 in the Chinese NBL (second division) on Saturday night. He was the best player in that game. N'Diaye had a double-double by scoring 22 points and getting 14 rebounds. He also added 5 assists and 10 blocks in 41 minutes; quite an impressive performance considering it's only N'Diaye's second season in pro basketball. Guangzhou Liu Sui Whampoa (6-2) is placed third in the NBL. It was his team's third consecutive victory in a row. N'Diaye is currently first on the list of best blockers with 6.9bpg. This year his other stats are: 15.5ppg, 13.0rpg, 1.1apg, 2FGP: 70.8%(51-72) and FT: 66.7% in the eight games. N'Diaye is also a member of the Senegalese senior national team.

Jules Aw

#4. Forward Jules Aw (200-86), who plays in the Swiss LNA could not help Geneve Lions (18-6) in their last game on Friday. Despite his good performance Geneve Lions was defeated 92-81 on the road by the leading Lugano Tigers. Aw scored 12 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Aw's overall stats this season are: 10.0ppg, 6.5rpg and 1.2apg. He has a dual citizenship: Senegalese and Swiss. Despite Aw played previously for the Swiss national team, he is currently in the Senegalese national team roster.

Mamadou Dia

#5. Former international power forward Mamadou Dia (202-78) contributed to an easy victory against the closely-ranked Aix-Maurienne (22-12) 72-54 in the French ProB (second division) last Friday. Dia scored 12 points, grabbed 5 boards, handed out 3 passes and blocked 2 shots in 21 minutes. Fos Ouest Provence Basket (22-12) is placed fifth in the ProB. It's Dia's sixth season with the team. This year his overall stats are: 8.4ppg and 3.8rpg in the 36 games. Dia is another player who holds two passports: Senegalese and French. Despite he played previously for the French national team, Dia is currently in the Senegalese national team roster.

Babacar Camara

#6. Center Babacar Camara (211-81, college: CS Fullerton) was not able to help Kyoto Hannaryz (34-18) in their game against Yokohama BC (31-21) in the Japanese BJ League. He recorded 9 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. But the third-placed Kyoto Hannaryz was defeated 75-66 in Yokohama by the second-ranked Yokohama BC in the Western group. They ended the series of three consecutive victories. Camara's total stats this season are: 8.0ppg and 5.1rpg. Despite he played previously for the French national team, Camara is also a former international player as he played for the Senegalese senior team seven years ago.

Ousmane Barro

#7. Former U18 international power forward Ousmane Barro (207-84, college: Marquette) is a teammate of previously mentioned Maleye N'Doye and both played together in the last French ProA game. Barro managed to help Entente Orleans 45 in a 2-point victoryagainst the closely-ranked Paris-Levallois (17-13) 70-68. He recorded only 3 points in 11 minutes. This year Barro's total stats are: 1.5ppg and 3.0rpg in the two games. He used to play for the Senegalese U18 national team ten years ago.

Babacar Toure

#8. Power forward Babacar Toure (205-85) is a teammate of previously mentioned Jules Aw and both played together in the last Swiss LNA game. Toure was not able to secure a victory for Geneve Lions (18-6) in their game against Lugano Tigers (20-4). He scored 6 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Geneve Lions was defeated 92-81 in Lugano by the leading Tigers. Toure is currently third on the list of best rebounders and also on the list of best blockers (first place). He has very reliable stats this season: 10.5ppg, 9.0rpg, 1.3apg, 1.9bpg and 1.3spg. Despite Toure played previously for the French national team, he is currently in the Senegalese national team roster.

#9. International guard Pape Faye (194-87) couldn't help Yokohama BC (31-21) in their game against Hamamatsu Phoenix (37-15) in the Japanese BJ League. Faye recorded 6 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in only 9 minutes. Yokohama BC (#2) lost 78-87 in Mikawa to the leading Hamamatsu Phoenix in the Eastern group. Faye has averaged so far 5.4ppg and 5.1rpg in the 54 games. Despite he played previously for the French national team, Faye is currently in the Senegalese national team roster.

Abdoulaye N'Diaye

   #10. Power forward Abdoulaye N'Diaye (210-84, college: USC) couldn't help Souffelweyersheim (26-8) in their game against Blois (23-11) in the French NM1 (third division). He recorded 9 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. But Souffelweyersheim was defeated 77-64 on the opponent's court by the lower-ranked Blois (#5). N'Diaye belongs to league's best blockers and is ranked #2. He has averaged so far 9.7ppg, 6.6rpg, 1.3apg and 1.7bpg. Despite N'Diaye played previously for the French national team, he is also a former international player as two years ago he still played for the Senegalese senior national team.

   #11. Former international power forward Amadou Gacko (203-81) contributed to a 3-point Orchesien BC's victory against the eighth-ranked Sorgues 82-79 in the French NM1 (third division) last Saturday. Gacko recorded 8 points in 17 minutes. He has averaged so far 5.8ppg and 4.0rpg in the 36 games. Despite Gacko played previously for the French national team, he is currently in the Senegalese national team roster.

   #12. Former international forward Papa Beye (202-90) couldn't help Chalons-Reims in their game against Bordeaux in the French ProB (second division). Beye cannot count Tuesday's game as one of the best ones. He recorded only 2 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. His team was defeated 79-71. Beye has averaged so far 3.1ppg and 2.0rpg. He used to play for the Senegalese national team back in 2010.

   #13. Former international swingman Mouhamadou M'Bodji (193-81) is a teammate of previously mentioned Abdoulaye N'Diaye and both played together in the last French NM1 game. M'Bodji couldn't help Souffelweyersheim in their game against Blois. He cannot count Saturday's game as one of the best ones. M'Bodji recorded only 2 points in 12 minutes. His team lost 64-77. He has averaged so far 4.6ppg, 1.7rpg and 1.8apg in the 26 games. M'Bodji used to play for the Senegalese national team two years ago.

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SERBIA

Lepojevic Nikola brings the trophy from Russia - by Eurobasket News

Nikola Lepojevic (199-F-82, agency: BeoExcell) brings the trophy from Russia as his Ural wins Superleague title tonight. The team overcame Universitet-Yugra 55:54 and won the Final series 2-1.
The hosts trailed by 1 point after three quarters before their 17-15 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Ural Ekaterinburg made 20-of-25 free shots (80.0 percent) during the game. Ural Ekaterinburg outrebounded Universitet-Yugra 45-28 including a 17-5 advantage in defensive rebounds. 27 personal fouls committed by Universitet-Yugra helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. It was a good game for Semen Shashkov who saved his team from a defeat with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Dmitri Nikolaev contributed with a double-double by scoring 11 points and 14 rebounds for the winners. Linas Lekavicius answered with 11 points and 9 rebounds and forward Denis Hloponin added 10 points in the effort for Universitet-Yugra. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game.
In Game 1 Ural grabbed 74:72 victory but then fell short in Surgut. In Game 2 Univ.Surgut celebrated a 72:65 win to tie the records at 1-1.
Nikola Lepojevic averaged 18.6 points per game being the top-scorer of the team.

Uros Lucic wins the title in Slovenia - by Eurobasket News

Serbian big guy Uros Lucic (207-C-83) won the title in Slovenian championship with Krka Novo Mesto. They outplayed Union Olimpija with almost perfect 3-1 in the Finals. In Game Four, which was played on Thursday in Ljubljana, Krka celebrated 55-67 road victory to defend the title. Krka quickly recovered from the home loss in Game One and after that managed to beat its rival three times in a row (twice in Ljubljana).
The guests trailed by 1 point after three quarters before their 20-7 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Krka dominated on the defensive end, holding Union Olimpija to just 7 points in fourth quarter. They made 19-of-24 free shots (79.2 percent) during the game. 25 personal fouls committed by Union Olimpija helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. Point guard Afik Nissim fired 18 points for the winners. Jure Balazic had 14 points, while international swingman Zoran Dragic chipped in 8 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. American forward Deon Thompson produced 18 points and Montenegrin forward Vladimir Dasic added 13 points and 5 rebounds respectively for lost side.
Krka was the regular season champion with 8-2 record. They eliminated Zlatorog with perfect 2-0 in the Semis. It is important to mention that Union Olimpija won the Slovenian Cup this season.
Uros Lucic joined Krka in January. He appeared 16 times in Slovenian league averaging 6.9 points and 4.1 rebounds. The player also added 6.3 ppg and 2.3 rpg for 13 games in Adriatic league. In EuroCup, Lucic registered 6.7 ppg and 3.2 rpg for 6 games. Uros Lucic started the season with Radnicki Kragujevac. He played for Krka also in 2009/10 season.

Low attendance in Superleague - by Ivan Milenkovic

Regular season of Serbian Superleague was disappointing. Bad basketball, poor refereeing and record low attendance highlighted so called Superleague. There will be time to focus on quality of basketball after the end of playoffs and we will analyze attendance only in this article.
56 games have been played in 14 rounds, total number of basketball fans who decided to watch games live was 66 600. It means that average attendance was only 1189! It is record low attendance for Serbian Superleague. It is official number of audience based on data from official website (www.kls.rs), but we have to add that real number is even lower. However, average of 1189 is low enough.
Most people watched game between Partizan and Crvena zvezda Beograd in Round 5 - 5000. Radnicki FMP set negative record - only 200 people watched 3 of their games.
Team who had highest average attendance was Crvena zvezda Beograd - 2243. Only 'red and whites' had average attendance of 1600 people or more. They were followed by Partizan and Radnicki Kragujevac who had practically equal average attendance. Radnicki FMP had by far worst numbers.

Here is list of average attendances of Superleague teams:
Crvena zvezda Beograd Diva 2243 (15 700 in total)
Partizan MTS 1543 (10 800)
Radnicki Kragujevac 1528 (10 700)
Mega Vizura 1257 (8800)
Hemofarm 1114 (7800)
Vojvodina 836 (5850)
BKK Radnicki 700 (4900)
Radnicki FMP 293 (2050)

Nenad Krstic selected the top Serbian playing abroad in last week's games - by Eurobasket Center

We bring you last week's top performances from Serbians who are playing abroad and who all have had prior experience of national team duties at youth or senior level.

Nenad Krstic

#1. This week's number one is an international center Nenad Krstic (213-83). He was the major contributor in a CSKA Moscow's victory against the closely-ranked Khimky (15-3) 90-75 in the Russian PBL in Saturday night's game. Krstic scored 17 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in 27 minutes on the court. It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. CSKA Moscow (17-1) is placed first in the PBL. It was his team's 13th consecutive victory in a row. Krstic has relatively good stats this year: 11.2ppg, 4.2rpg, 2FGP: 58.7%(71-121) and FT: 68.7% in the 17 games he played so far. He is currently a member of the Serbian senior national team.

Milos Teodosic

#2. Second place goes to an international guard Milos Teodosic (195-87) is a teammate of previously mentioned Nenad Krstic and both played together in the last Russian PBL game. Teodosic led CSKA Moscow to an easy victory against the closely-ranked Khimky (15-3) 90-75. He scored 13 points, had 6 rebounds and dished 3 assists. Teodosic is currently third on the list of best passers. This season he averages: 8.6ppg, 2.6rpg, 5.0apg, 2FGP: 47.4%, 3FGP: 38.3% and FT: 90.2%(37-41). Teodosic is in the roster of the Serbian senior national team.

Stefan Markovic

#3. The Serbian player who performed third best last week abroad was an international guard Stefan Markovic (194-88), who plays in the Spanish ACB. He could not help Valencia Basket (20-14) in their last game. Despite Markovic's very good performance Valencia Basket lost in an overtime 82-86 on the road to the lower-ranked (#5) Lagun Aro GBC. He was the top scorer with 17 points. Markovic also added 5 rebounds and dished 4 assists in 32 minutes. It's Markovic's first season with the team. This year his overall stats are: 5.3ppg, 2.8rpg, 3.3apg, 1.2spg, 2FGP: 52.9%, 3FGP: 19.3% and FT: 58.5% in the 31 games. Markovic is also a member of the Serbian senior national team.

Novica Velickovic

#4. Forward Novica Velickovic (205-86) led Real Madrid to a victory over the closely-ranked Caja Laboral (23-11) 73-64 in the Spanish ACB in Saturday night's game. He was MVP of the game. Velickovic scored 16 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. Real Madrid (26-8) is placed second in the ACB. Velickovic's total stats this season are: 6.0ppg and 3.3rpg. He used to play for the Serbian national team back in 2010.

Boris Savovic

#5. Former international forward Boris Savovic (206-87, agency: Beo Basket), who plays in the Turkish TBL was not able to help Galatasaray (25-5) in their last game. Despite Savovic's very good performance the league leader Galatasaray lost 65-74 in a derby game to the lower-ranked (#4) Besiktas. He was the top scorer with 16 points. Savovic also added 7 rebounds in 27 minutes. This year Savovic's total stats are: 6.3ppg and 2.7rpg in the 21 games. He used to play for the Serbian national team two years ago.

Nemanja Bjelica

#6. Power forward Nemanja Bjelica (209-88, agency: Interperformances) faced previously mentioned Novica Velickovic in the Spanish ACB last game. Bjelica, who plays in the Spanish ACB was not able to secure a victory for one of league's weakest teams Caja Laboral (23-11) in their last game on Saturday. Despite his very good performance Caja Laboral was defeated 73-64 in Madrid by the second-ranked Real. Bjelica was the second best scorer with 16 points. He also added 7 rebounds. Bjelica has averaged so far 6.1ppg and 3.8rpg. He is an international player who is currently on the senior Serbian National Team roster.

Ivan Radenovic

#7. Former international forward Ivan Radenovic (208-84, college: Arizona) contributed to a BC Donetsk's victory against the closely-ranked Azovmash (26-13) 84-79 in the Ukrainian Superleague in Thursday night's game. Radenovic recorded 16 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 31 minutes. It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. BC Donetsk (31-8) is placed first in the Superleague. It was his team's 13th consecutive victory in a row. This year Radenovic has relatively solid stats: 12.6ppg, 6.2rpg and 2.3apg in the 45 games. He used to play for the Serbian national team two years ago.

Dusko Savanovic

#8. Power forward Dusko Savanovic (204-83, also represented by Beo Basket) helped Anadolu Efes win their game against the closely-ranked Banvit BK (25-5) 81-75 in the Turkish TBL last Friday. Savanovic scored 15 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (24-6) is placed third in the TBL. Savanovic has reliable stats this season: 11.9ppg, 5.2rpg and 1.2apg. He plays currently for the Serbian national team.

Vule Avdalovic

#9. International point guard Vule Avdalovic (189-81, another player represented by Beo Basket) is a teammate of previously mentioned Ivan Radenovic and both played together in the last Ukrainian Superleague game. Avdalovic helped BC Donetsk win their game against the closely-ranked Azovmash (26-13) 84-79. He recorded 12 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists in 28 minutes. Avdalovic's stats this year are: 11.4ppg, 3.4rpg, 4.2apg and 1.2spg in the 49 games. He is also in the roster of the Serbian national team.

Nikola Dragovic

   #10. Forward Nikola Dragovic (206-87, college: UCLA), who plays in the Russian PBL couldn't help Spartak St.Petersburg (9-9) in their last game on Saturday. Despite Dragovic's good performance Spartak St.Petersburg was defeated 73-62 in Kazan by the lower-ranked Unics (#6). He scored 12 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Dragovic has averaged so far 3.1ppg and 1.5rpg. Despite he played previously for the Montenegrin national team, Dragovic is also university international player who is currently on the Serbian National Team roster.

   #11. Former U20 international guard Aleksandar Vlahovic (190-90) was the main contributor in an overtime Ploiesti's victory against the eighth-ranked Timisoara 80-78 in the Romanian Division A last Thursday. He was the best player in that game. Vlahovic recorded 24 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 45 minutes. Vlahovic averaged so far 13.3ppg, 3.1rpg, 5.2apg and 1.5spg in the 35 games. Despite he played previously for the Montenegrin national team, Vlahovic is currently in the Serbian U20 national team roster.

   #12. Former international power forward Zoran Erceg (210-85) helped Besiktas win their game against the league leader Galatasaray 84-73 in a derby game in the Turkish TBL on Tuesday night. He recorded 12 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. Erceg averaged so far 14.2ppg, 4.5rpg and 1.2apg. Despite he played previously for the Montenegrin national team, Erceg is currently in the Serbian national team roster.

   #13. An experienced former international forward Stevan Nadjfeji (202-79, agency: FCM) helped Panionios win their game against the closely-ranked Kolossos 88-71 in the Greek A1 in Saturday night's game. He was the top player that evening. Nadjfeji scored 15 points and added 4 passes in a mere 18 minutes. Nadjfeji has averaged so far 7.9ppg, 3.0rpg and 1.2apg in the 34 games. Despite he played previously for the Montenegrin national team, Nadjfeji is currently in the Serbian national team roster.

   #14. Former international forward Predrag Suput (200-77, another player represented by Beo Basket) helped Brose Baskets win their game against the closely-ranked Artland Dragons crushing them 103-70 in the German BBL last Saturday. He recorded 11 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks. Suput has averaged so far 8.1ppg, 2.9rpg and 1.8apg. Despite he played previously for the Montenegrin national team, Suput is currently in the Serbian national team roster.

   #15. Former international guard Dusan Djordjevic (195-83, another player represented by Beo Basket) helped Base Oostende win their game against the fifth-ranked Belfius Mons-Hainaut crushing them 92-67 in the Belgian Ethias League on Monday night. He recorded 17 points and had 3 steals (made all of his six free throws) in 32 minutes. Djordjevic is ranked second on the list of the best passers in the league with 3.5apg. This year his other stats are: 9.2ppg, 3.2rpg and 1.1spg in the 31 games. Despite Djordjevic played previously for the Montenegrin national team, he is currently in the Serbian national team roster.

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SLOVENIA

Eurobasket.com All-Slovenian League Awards 2011-12 - by Zeljko Zule

All-Slovenian League 1st Team 2012

Dragic

Nissim

Prepelic

Balazic

Thompson

Player of the Year: Zoran Dragic (196-F/G-89) of Krka
Guard of the Year: Klemen Prepelic (195-G-92) of Helios
Forward of the Year: Zoran Dragic of Krka
Center of the Year: Deon Thompson (203-F-88, college: N.Carolina) (203-F-88) of Union Olimpija
Newcomer of the Year: Miha Lapornik (192-G-93) of Zlatorog
Domestic player of the Year: Zoran Dragic of Krka
Import Player of the Year: Afik Nissim (180-PG-81, agency: Beo Basket) (180-PG-81) of Krka
Defensive Player of the year: Zoran Dragic of Krka
Most Improved Player of the Year: Klemen Prepelic (195-G-92) of Helios
Coach of the Year: Aleksandar Sekulic of Krka

1st Team
PG: Afik Nissim (180-81) of Krka
G: Klemen Prepelic (195-92) of Helios
F/G: Zoran Dragic (196-89) of Krka
F: Jure Balazic (204-80) of Krka
F: Deon Thompson (203-88) of Union Olimpija

2nd Team
PG: Ziga Zagorc (188-84) of Elektra
F: Igor Maric (196-F-85) (196-85) of Sentjur
G: Jaka Blazic (193-90) of Union Olimpija
F: Drazen Bubnic (205-86) of Helios
C: Alen Omic (213-92) of Zlatorog

Honorable Mention
Sasu Salin (190-PG-91) of Union Olimpija
D.J. Gay (183-G-89) of Helios
Vladimir Panic (194-F-82) of Zlatorog
Salih Nuhanovic (209-C-82) of Elektra
Travis Nelson (211-C-87) of Sentjur
Marko Pajic (204-F-92) of Geoplin Slovan
Dejan Hohler (188-G-86) of Polzela

All-Domestic Players Team
PG: Ziga Zagorc (188-84) of Elektra
G: Klemen Prepelic (195-92) of Helios
F/G: Zoran Dragic (196-89) of Krka
F: Jure Balazic (204-80) of Krka
C: Alen Omic (213-92) of Zlatorog

All-Imports Players Team
Afik Nissim of Krka
Igor Maric of Sentjur
Dorde Lelic (197-F-89) of Elektra
Vladimir Dasic (206-F-88, agency: Beo Basket) of Olimpija
Deon Thompson of Olimpija

All-Defensive Team
Ziga Zagorc (188-PG-84) of Elektra
Sasu Salin (190-PG-91) of Union Olimpija
Zoran Dragic of Krka
Jure Balazic (204-F-80) of Krka
Salih Nuhanovic (209-C-82) of Elektra

All-Newcomers Team
Dejan Milasinovic (179-G-89) of Rogaska
Matic Urbas () of Parklji
Miha Lapornik (192-G-93) of Zlatorog
Marko Filipovic (93) of Parklji
Luka Zavrsnik (202-F/C-90) of LTHcast Mercator

Erazem Lorbek selected the top Slovenian playing abroad in last week's games - by Eurobasket Center

Traditionally, every week we bring you a list of the top performances of Slovenians who are currently playing abroad.

Erazem Lorbek

#1. This week's number one is an international power forward Erazem Lorbek (209-84, college: Michigan St.). He led Regal FC Barcelona to a victory over the closely-ranked Valencia Basket (20-14) crushing them 84-57 in the Spanish ACB in Thursday night's game. Lorbek was MVP of the game. He recorded 15 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in 30 minutes on the court. It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. Regal FC Barcelona (29-5) is placed first in the ACB. It was his team's tenth consecutive victory in a row. Lorbek has relatively good stats this year: 11.3ppg, 4.3rpg, 1.8apg, 2FGP: 47.2%, 3FGP: 32.3% and FT: 73.8% in the 36 games he played so far. He is currently a member of the Slovenian senior national team.

Mirza Begic

#2. Second place goes to an international center Mirza Begic (217-85), who plays in the Spanish ACB. Begic could not help Real Madrid (26-8) to beat Caja Laboral (23-11). He recorded 9 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. But Real Madrid was defeated 81-71 at home by the lower-ranked Caja Laboral (#3). Begic belongs to league's best blockers and is ranked #4. This season he averages: 5.7ppg, 4.2rpg, 1.5bpg, 2FGP: 65.0%(89-137) and FT: 60.9%. Begic has a dual citizenship: Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenian. Despite he played previously for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team, Begic is currently a member of the Slovenian senior national team.

Jaka Lakovic

#3. The Slovenian player who performed third best last week abroad was an experienced international guard Jaka Lakovic (186-78). He was not able to help Galatasaray (25-5) in their game against Besiktas (22-8) in the Turkish TBL. Lakovic scored 9 points, made 3 passes and 3 steals in 27 minutes. But the league leader Galatasaray lost 65-74 in a derby game to the lower-ranked (#4) Besiktas. This year Lakovic has relatively solid stats: 10.5ppg, 1.7rpg, 2.9apg, 2FGP: 45.3%, 3FGP: 43.2% and FT: 89.0% in the 35 games. Despite he played previously for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team, Lakovic is currently a member of the Slovenian senior national team.

Dragisa Drobnjak

#4. Forward Dragisa Drobnjak (200-77, agency: Beo Basket) contributed to a Base Oostende's victory against the fifth-ranked Belfius Mons-Hainaut (15-17) 85-78 in the Belgian Ethias League in Wednesday night's game. He scored 8 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and made 2 blocks. Telenet Oostende (23-9) is placed first in the Ethias League. It was his team's fifth consecutive victory in a row. It's Drobnjak's first season with the team. Drobnjak's overall stats this year are: 8.0ppg, 3.5rpg and 1.2apg. Despite he played previously for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team, Drobnjak is currently in the Slovenian national team roster.

Miha Zupan

#5. International power forward Miha Zupan (205-82) was not able to secure a victory for Spartak St.Petersburg (9-9) in their game against Unics Kazan (8-10) in the Russian PBL. He did not have that impressive stats last Saturday. Zupan scored only 2 points in 20 minutes. Spartak St.Petersburg lost 62-73 on the road to the lower-ranked (#6) Unics Kazan. This year Zupan's overall stats are: 6.1ppg and 2.5rpg in the 22 games. He plays currently for the Slovenian national team.

Damir Zeleznik

#6. Guard Damir Zeleznik (188-80) managed to help Xion Dukes Klosterneuburg to win against the leader Gmunden Swans (23-7) 68-56 in the Austrian A Bundesliga on Sunday night. Zeleznik scored 5 points and added 7 assists. It was the game of the round between two top 3 ranked teams in Group A. Xion Dukes Klosterneuburg (21-9) is placed second. It was his team's fourth consecutive victory in a row. Zeleznik's total stats this season are: 7.8ppg, 2.0rpg and 2.7apg. He is an international player who is currently on the senior Slovenian National Team roster.

Marko Milicevic

#7. International forward Marko Milicevic (204-82) helped Perama Ermis win their game against the tenth-ranked Ermis Lagkada (14-16) 81-72 in the Greek A2 (second division) in Saturday night's game. Milicevic scored 12 points, had 6 rebounds and dished 3 assists in 20 minutes. GS Peramatos Ermis (12-18) is placed 14th in the A2. They ended the series of three consecutive loses. The Regular Season already ended. This year Milicevic's total stats are: 9.4ppg and 4.4rpg in the 25 games. Despite he played previously for the Serbian national team, Milicevic is currently in the Slovenian national team roster.

Other top Slovenian players, who play abroad:

Sasha Vujacic (200-G-84) plays for Anadolu Efes in Turkish TBL
Bostjan Nachbar (207-F-80) plays for Unics Kazan in Russian PBL
Emir Preldzic (205-F-87) plays for Fenerbahce Ulker in Turkish TBL
Gasper Vidmar (211-C/F-87) plays for Fenerbahce Ulker in Turkish TBL
Goran Dragic (194-PG-86) plays for Houston Rockets in the NBA
Beno Udrih (194-PG-82) plays for Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA
Vlado Ilievski (189-PG-80) plays for Lokomotiv in Russian PBL
Vladimir Boisa (209-C/F-81) plays for Panionios in Greek A1
Matjaz Smodis (205-F-79) plays for Cedevita in Croatian A1
Hasan Rizvic (212-C-84) plays for Buducnost in Montenegrin 1A

Notice: The list above includes only some of the Slovenian playing currently abroad. Go to Slovenian Abroad Page to see completed list.

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SOUTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

COLOMBIAN FALL AGAINST VENEZUELA IN THE SUPER 4 - by Victor Garcia

Colombia had a very hard night against Venezuela in the second game of the Super 4 played at the forum in Valencia.
The National team face many problems to guard the Venezuelas big men, Marriga and Graterol, and also was limited on their ofensive to the power of Stalin Ortiz who finished the game with 34 pts.
Colombia start the game with: Bacci, Ortiz, Aguirre, Perez and Guevara, Perez added 7 points, Guevara 6 and Bacci 5.
Final result:

Venezuela 80, Marriga 12 pts, Bravo 11 pts, Graterol 10 pts.
Colombia 62, Ortiz 34 pts, Perez 7 pts, Guevara 6 pts, Bacci 5 pts.

Hernan Giraldo the Colombian coach was ejected.

COLOMBIA DEFEATED URUGUAY IN THE SUPER 4 OPENER - by Victor Garcia

Colombia defeated Uruguay in the Super 4 opener in Valencia - Venzuela.
The National team with few practices found one more time in Stalin Ortiz its main weapon, Ortiz finished the game with 16 points and 10 rebounds, John Hernandez and his size added 12 pts, Uruguay had in Jason Granger its main player, Granger scored 14 points.

Colombia 66 , Ortiz 16pts + 10 rebs, Hernandez 12 pts.
Uruguay 57., Granger 14 pts.

Colombia will face Venezuela tomorrow, Venezuela also won today defeating Chile

Venezuela and Colombia win in Day 1 of Super 4 Israel Sarmiento Tournament - by Francisco Vega

Barquisimeto, Venezuela.- Venezuela and Colombia won in Day of the Super 4 Israel Sarmiento Tournament, played at the Forum of Valencia, Venezuela, as preparation for both the South American Championship in Argentina (June 18th-June 22nd) and the FIBA World Olympic Qualy (July 2nd-July 8th), to be played at El Poliedro Arena in Caracas, Venezuela.

Venezuela took down Chile, 75-53, by smashing them early between the second and the third quarter. Even though most of their main players are still absent, the side coached by Brad Greenberg won the first quarter 18-10 and finished the first half ahead, 43-21. The advantage grew to an astonishing 36-point lead (72-36) and then the hosts slowed down a bit, allowing Chile to get back into the game.

'We played a good game defensively for about 30 minutes, which was a very positive thing. Now we have to improve and adjust some things', said Greenberg after the game. 'It was a good game to gain experience and review different aspects of the game in which we have to work on'.

He also expressed that the players 'weren't selfish on court and tried to execute the plays that we've been practicing, there was ball movement and rotation but we have to keep working, because the pressure affects us and we have to be better at that'.

Windi Graterol (203-F/C-86) scored 14 points and grabbed 3 rebounds, Jesus Urbina (201-F-84) added 11 points with 6 rebounds and Michael Flores (192-G-85) also scored 11 with 7 boards. For Chile, coached by Argentinian Guillermo Vecchio , Eduardo Sepulveda (186-G-86) netted 14 points.

Meanwhile, Colombia surprised Uruguay 65-57 with a double double by Stalin Ortiz (190-G-81), with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and 12 more points by John Hernandez (207-C), even though they lack talented players such as Edgar Moreno (190-G-81) or Juan Tello (180-G-89). For Uruguay, Jayson Granger (186-G-89) finished up with 14. Uruguay is dealing with the absences of Esteban Batista (208-F/C-83), Leandro Garcia Morales (186-G-80), Gustavo Barrera (194-G-85), Mauricio Aguiar (197-F-83) and Martin Osimani (194-G-81).

It was Uruguay's first defeat against Colombia after 35 years. Chile and Uruguay will play today at 5.00pm, while Venezuela will host Colombia at 7.30pm.

Nestor Colmenares and Luis Bethelmy could miss playing for Senior NT due to injury - by Francisco Vega

Barquisimeto, Venezuela.- Venezuelan players Nestor Colmenares (203-F-87) and Luis Bethelmy (200-F/C-86), who just finished playing the LPB 2012 season for Cocodrilos de Caracas, could miss the chance to play for Venezuela's Senior NT, as they haven't attended training due to injury and could be sidelined for a while.

Colmenares has a lingering dental issue that dates back to the time where he played for Huracanes de Tampico in Mexico's LNBP. According to the FVB's doctor, Juan Letizia, he might need a surgery that would require him to be sidelined between 60 and 80 days, according to a press note published by Lider en Deportes's basketball writer, Reiner Izturriaga.

Meanwhile, Luis Bethelmy had to undergo an MRI to determine the source of a recurrent pain in his lower back area that got worse during the Semifinals series against Marinos de Anzoategui.

Rafael Perez (193-G/F-82), of Trotamundos de Carabobo, is aching in his right quad, but could play in the last of the 3 games scheduled in the Super 4 Tournament 'Israel Sarmiento' that is being played at the Forum of Valencia.

Other players that aren't taking part in the first of three friendly tournaments are Greivis Vasquez (198-PG-87), who went back to the United States to attend a camp held by the New Orleans Hornets, Gregory Echenique (205-C-90), who has academic duties with Creighton in Nebraska and Anthony Perez (203-F-93), who is in Venezuela but had to concentrate on academic tests that he had to summit through online resources. John Cox (195-G-81) and Michael Carrera (198-F-93) are supposed to report to practice next week.

Also absent are Oscar Torres (195-F/G-76), Jose Vargas (196-G/F-82) and Axiers Sucre (198-F-78) of Marinos de Anzoategui and David Cubillan (183-PG-87) and Hector Romero (202-F/C-80) of Trotamundos de Carabobo, who were not forced to attend the tournament since they're still playing the LPB 2012 Finals. Venezuela's coaching staff, however, called up Dwight Lewis (196-G-87) and Rafael Perez of Trotamundos de Carabobo and Gregory Vargas (182-PG-86) and Miguel Marriaga (208-C-84) of Marinos de Anzoategui, to check them out.

Brad Greenberg , assistant coach of Eric Musselman , is in charge of the team, getting help from Nelson Solorzano , Henry Paruta , Daniel Seoane and Scott Abudato.

The complete list of Venezuela's 29 players called up for the South American Championship in Argentina (June 18th-June 22nd) and the FIBA World Olympic Qualy (July 2nd-July 8th), is as follows:

Greivis Vasquez of the New Orleans Hornets (NBA)
Juan Coronado (198-F-90) of Liberty (NCAA)
Danny Herrera (193-F-92) of Duquesne (NCAA)
Gregory Echenique of Creighton (NCAA)
Heberto Guanipa (205-F-90) of Saint Thomas (NAIA)
Anthony Perez of Ole Mississippi (NCAA)
Michael Carrera of Montrose (High School, USA)
John Cox of Le Havre (France)
Jhornan Zamora (193-G/F-89) of Blancos de Rueda Valladolid (Spain)
Heissler Guillent (186-PG-86, agency: Paris Global Sports) of Guaros de Lara
Francisco Centeno (201-G/F-85) of Gaiteros del Zulia
Jesus Urbina (201-F-84, college: George Mason) of Toros de Aragua
Michael Flores (192-G-85) of Panteras de Miranda
Luis Valera (201-F-88, college: UTPA) of Bucaneros de La Guaira
Jorge Rondon (193-G/F-90) of Bucaneros de La Guaira
Jose Juan Bravo (202-C-86) of Gigantes de Guayana
Jesus Centeno (190-G-85) of Cocodrilos de Caracas
Nestor Colmenares of Cocodrilos de Caracas
Luis Bethelmy of Cocodrilos de Caracas
Windi Graterol (203-F/C-86) of Cocodrilos de Caracas
Hector Romero of Trotamundos de Carabobo
David Cubillan of Trotamundos de Carabobo
Dwight Lewis of Trotamundos de Carabobo
Rafael Perez of Trotamundos de Carabobo
Axiers Sucre of Marinos de Anzoategui
Oscar Torres of Marinos de Anzoategui
Miguel Marriaga of Marinos de Anzoategui
Jose Vargas of Marinos de Anzoategui
Gregory Vargas of Marinos de Anzoategui

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SPAIN

Stats Leaders - ACB

Points Per Game

Andy PANKO
  Lagun A.
  (204-F-77)
  Avg: 18.6

1. Panko, Lagun A.	18.6
2. Doellman, Assignia	16.8
3. Teletovic, Caja L.	16.0
4. Wright, CAI Z.	14.5
5. Penney, Fuenlabra.	14.4
6. Davis, Cajasol	14.1
7. Navarro, FCB Regal	13.3
8. Hettsheimer, CAI Z.	13.3
9. De Colo, Valencia	13.2
10. Caner-Medley, Val.	13.0

Rebounds Per Game

James AUGUSTINE
  UCAM M.
  (208-F-84)
  Avg: 8.3

1. Augustine, UCAM M.	8.3
2. Ivanov, Lucentum	7.9
3. Borchardt, B.de R.	7.7
4. Freeland, Unicaja	7.5
5. Davis, Cajasol	7.3
6. Williams, FIATC J.	7.1
7. Caner-Medley, Vale.	6.8
8. Teletovic, Caja L.	6.6
9. Gabriel, Asefa E.	6.5
10. Hettsheimer, CAI	6.4

Assists Per Game

Javier RODRIGUEZ
  Assignia.
  (189-G-79)
  Avg: 6.5

1. Rodriguez, Assigni.	6.5
2. Salgado, Lagun A.	4.3
3. Llull, Real Madrid	4.0
4. Rodriguez, Bluse.	3.8
5. Granger, Asefa E.	3.8
6. Prigioni, Caja L.	3.7
7. Rodriguez, Real M.	3.7
8. Dumas, B.de R.	3.7
9. Llompart, Lucentum	3.4
10. Uriz, B.de Rueda	3.4

Steals Per Game

Pablo PRIGIONI
  Caja L.
  (191-G-77)
  Avg: 1.8

1. Prigioni, Caja L.	1.8
2. De Colo, Valencia	1.6
3. Doellman, Assignia	1.5
4. Vidal, Lagun A.	1.5
5. Uriz, B.de Rueda V.	1.4
6. Udoka, UCAM M.	1.4
7. Hanga, Assignia M.	1.4
8. Calloway, Cajasol	1.4
9. Eidson, FCB Regal	1.3
10. Williams, FIATC J.	1.3

Blocks Per Game

Stephane LASME
  Blusens M.
  (203-F-82)
  Avg: 1.9

1. Lasme, Blusens M.	1.9
2. Fischer, Gescrap BB	1.9
3. Sene, Fuenlabrada	1.7
4. Begic, Real Madrid	1.5
5. Toure, B.de R.	1.4
6. Ndong, FCB Regal	1.1
7. Barnes, Lucentum	1.0
8. Vazquez, FCB Regal	1.0
9. Augustine, UCAM M.	0.9
10. Asselin, Assignia	0.9

45-year-old Darryl Middleton wants to play more - by Eurobasket News

Darryl Middleton (203-F/C-66, college: Baylor) is not ready to finish his basketball career. The 45-year-old veteran decided to play at least one more season. He spent last six with Girona. In the latest one Middleton averaged 11.5 points and 5.3 rebounds for 33 LEB Gold games, while Girona ended as No.12 with 16-18 record. Middleton's season-high was 21 points. In 2010/11, the veteran got a short term deal with Valencia. He appeared four times with them in ACB. Before Girona, Darryl Middleton played for Dynamo St. Petersburg, Panathinaikos, Juventut Badalona, again Girona, Barcelona, Caja San Fernando Sevilla, Teorematour Arese (Italy) and Cukurova (Turkey). His professional basketball career started in 1988. That year Middleton graduated at Baylor University. Darryl Middleton won 1995 ACB title with Barcelona. After that, he won four titles in Greece and one Euroleague crown with Panathinaikos. They also grabbed four Greek Cup trophies. In 2007, Middleton won the FIBA EuroCup with Akasvayu Girona.

Menorca advances to LEB Gold Playoff Finals - by Eurobasket News

Third games of the LEB Gold Semifinals are completed. Menorca was better than Navarra 65-55 winning the series with perfect 3-0. It means that Menorca advanced to the Finals, where they will fight for the spot in Liga Endesa 2012/13. Menorca now waits for the winner of Caceres - Melilla series. Ceceres celebrated last night at home 85-83 and currently has 2-1 lead. They will meet again on Sunday and Caceres will be the host. It is important to mention that Canarias already won the promotion for Liga Endesa. They were regular season champions with 26-8 record. One more ticket is available and it will belong to the Playoff winner.

Caceres - Melilla 85-83 (2-1)
The hosts trailed by 1 point at the halftime before their 21-14 charge in the third quarter, which allowed them to win the game. It was a good game for power forward Jose Angel Antelo (203-87) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 15 rebounds. point guard Daniel Rodriguez (180-84) contributed with 20 points for the winners. Guard Marcos Suka-Umu (193-85, agency: Interperformances) answered with 17 points and 7 rebounds and Nigerian power forward Chukwudinma Odiakosa (203-85, college: Illinois St., agency: N.E.T.) added 14 points and 8 rebounds in the effort for Melilla Baloncesto. Four Caceres 2016 and five Melilla Baloncesto players scored in double figures. Melilla Baloncesto's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help.
Top scorers:
Caceres: J.Angel Antelo 24+15reb+1ast, D.Rodriguez 20+2ast, F.Sanchez 15+3reb+2ast, C.Cherry 10+4reb+2ast, X.Forcada 9+3reb+6ast, L.Williams 4+5reb+1ast
Melilla: M.Suka-Umu 17+7reb+3ast, J.Salvador Arco 16+2ast, C.Odiakosa 14+8reb, H.Manzano 14+6reb, J.Riera 10+2reb+1ast, K.Wachsmann 5+5reb+1ast

Menorca - Navarra 65-55 (3-0)
The game was mostly controlled by Menorca Basquet. Grupo Iruna Navarra was better in fourth quarter 21-13. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Worth to mention a quality performance of point guard Jorge Jimenez (182-PG-81) (182-81) who helped to win the game recording 6 points and 8 assists. Center Oliver Arteaga (211-83) helped adding 8 points and 9 rebounds. The best for the losing side was guard Mikel Uriz (180-89) with 14 points and 7 rebounds and Czech center Ondrej Starosta (215-79) produced a double-double by scoring 12 points and 10 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players in this game.
Top scorers:
Menorca: R.Bas 12+1ast, D.Navarro 10+4reb+3ast, R.Morentin 9+3reb+1ast, O.Arteaga 8+9reb, J.Jimenez 6+4reb+8ast, C.Bravo 5+3reb
Navarra: M.Uriz 14+7reb+1ast, O.Starosta 12+10reb, J.Garcia 6, K.Langford 6+4reb, I.Narros 6+4reb+1ast, I.Sanz 4

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TRBL

TRBL standings

TRBL Standings

1. PT Players		7-1
2. Cary Invasion		7-2
3. Wilmington SD		6-5
4. Fayetteville C.		5-5
5. Big Texas		2-3
6. Queen City E.		1-3
7. Carolina G.		1-10

Regular Season: Round 13

May. 25: Queen City E. - Wilmington SD 88-85
May. 25: Carolina G. - Fayetteville C. 128-177

Regular Season: Round 15

Jun. 1: Queen City E. - Cary Invasion
Jun. 1: Wilmington SD - PT Players

Fayetteville explodes in record fashion, beats Carolina - by Eurobasket News

Crossover fans were in for two treats on Friday night. First they saw their home team take an early lead over the visiting Carolina Gladiators and never relinquish it. And, they saw the Crossover put up a league-record of 177 points in the process. Crossover points came from everywhere and everyone, including 46 points (also a league record) in the first quarter alone. The home team lead by 29 points at the half, setting up a second half full of acrobatic dunks and even faster-paced play. John Humphreys and Brandon Streeter (6'6''-F-84, college: Mount Olive) each had 37 points for the Crossover. Charles Gamble (6'4''-G/F-87, college: Barton, NC) led the Gladiators with 26 points. The Crossover next host the first-place Cary Invasion on Saturday, May 26th at the J.D. Fuller Center.

Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com

Sea Dawgs come up short in home finale - by Eurobasket News

Poor shooting and a late-game letdown combined to send the Wilmington Sea Dawgs to an 88-85 loss to the Queen City Express Friday night.

'We've had chances all the time to put teams away, but down the stretch we play a little relaxed,' Sea Dawgs forward Damien Brown (6'7''-C/F-87, college: Averett) said. 'And then it gets to us and we end up fighting back and forth in the last seconds.'

The Sea Dawgs (6-5) had reason to relax Friday the Queen City Express showed up with only seven players, and seemed certain to wear down.

But Express guard Kenyatta Reed (5'10''-PG, college: Clinton JC) had plenty of energy left in the final quarter. With the Sea Dawgs nursing a 72-70 lead, Reed hit three straight 3-pointers to put the Express on top.

'It stings, you know that,' Brown said of the loss. 'With a team with just seven like that, coming on the road, that was rough.'

The Sea Dawgs struggled shooting the entire game, shooting just 28 percent from the field for the game.

'A lot of shots weren't dropping in the first half,' Sea Dawgs point guard Zach Herrmann (6'0''-PG-80, college: Augusta St.) said. 'We had good shots, easy shots, and it's not like we missed them big. They were in and out. If we hit half of those we probably win by 15.'

While Friday's final home game loss stings, the Sea Dawgs remain in third place in the Tobacco Road League.

Players said the condensed season in between European and minor league play has allowed a mix of talent, between players like Brown and Shelton Carter who have international experience and Sea Dawg veterans like Herrman, Mike Gibbs and J.J. Cook.

The team chemistry was good enough to allow a late-season addition, former Old Dominion guard Marsharee Neely (6'2''-G-88, college: ODU). Neeley led the Sea Dawgs with 21 points Friday and added 11 rebounds.

'It's worked really well, especially with guys like Shelton and Damien and now Marsharee,' Herrman said. 'They're really good guys, so it'd be really hard not to gel with them.'

Courtesy of www.starnewsonline.com

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TURKEY

Stats Leaders - D1

Points Per Game

Jonathan GIBSON
  Trabzonspor
  (182-PG-87)
  Avg: 19.9

1. Gibson, Trabzonspor	19.9
2. Reynolds, Antalya	18.3
3. Chatman, Karsiyaka	18.3
4. Brown, Trabzonspor	18.1
5. Scales, Mersin	17.4
6. Toolson, Aliaga	17.3
7. Fisher, Antalya	17.2
8. Grundy, Mersin	16.9
9. Sneed, Mersin	16.9
10. Washington, Turk	16.6

Rebounds Per Game

Elton BROWN
  Trabzonspor
  (206-C-83)
  Avg: 12.2

1. Brown, Trabzonspor	12.2
2. Stimac, Olin Edirne	9.9
3. Sanders, Hacett.	8.9
4. Mensah-Bonsu, Bes.	7.9
5. McGhee, Bandirma.	7.8
6. Wesson, Erdemir	7.6
7. Buckman, Tofas	7.6
8. Sonkol, Aliaga	7.3
9. Yucel, Turk T.	7.0
10. Grier, Mersin	6.8

Assists Per Game

Mire CHATMAN
  Karsiyaka
  (187-PG-78)
  Avg: 6.4

1. Chatman, Karsiyaka	6.4
2. Ermis, Banvit BK	5.8
3. Ratkovica, Aliaga	5.3
4. Tunceri, Anadolu	5.2
5. Senturk, Erdemir	4.9
6. Gordon, Galatasaray	4.5
7. Washington, Turk T.	4.4
8. Fisher, Antalya	4.4
9. Reynolds, Antalya	4.4
10. Arroyo, Besiktas	4.3

Steals Per Game

Vincent GRIER
  Mersin
  (195-G/F-83)
  Avg: 2.1

1. Grier, Mersin	2.1
2. Robinson, Trabzons.	2.1
3. Bryan-A., Hacett.	2.0
4. Chatman, Karsiyaka	1.9
5. Grundy, Mersin	1.7
6. Gordon, Galatasaray	1.6
7. Guler, Turk T.	1.4
8. Scales, Mersin	1.4
9. Hawkins, Besiktas	1.3
10. Sneed, Mersin	1.3

Blocks Per Game

Charles DAVIS
  Banvit BK
  (202-F-84)
  Avg: 1.3

1. Davis, Banvit BK	1.3
2. Bryan-A., Hacett.	1.3
3. Robinson, Erdemir	1.1
4. McGhee, Bandirma.	1.0
5. Gist, Fener.Ulker	0.9
6. Bayav, Karsiyaka	0.9
7. Aldemir, Galatasar.	0.9
8. Karaman, Karsiyaka	0.8
9. Turkyilmaz, Banvit	0.8
10. Qvale, Aliaga	0.8

Anadolu Efes eliminates Banvit, joins Besiktas in TBL Finals - by Eurobasket News

TBL Semifinals, Game 5: Banvit BK - Anadolu Efes 72-77 (2-3)

Fifth crucial game of TBL Semifinals between Banvit and Anadolu Efes just ended. Visitors grabbed 72-77 road victory and advanced to the Finals. There, Anadolu Efes will meet Besiktas, who eliminated Galatasaray earlier. It will be another best-of-five series.
Banvit BK was trailing by 3 points at halftime but managed to get 1-point lead after three quarters before a 23-17 charge of Anadolu Efes, which allowed them to win the game. The best player for the winners was international power forward Kerem Gonlum (208-77) who scored 17 points and 9 rebounds. Uruguayan Esteban Batista (208-83, agency: Duran International) chipped in 9 points and 6 rebounds. American point guard Kalin Lucas (185-89, college: Michigan St.) produced 20 points and 5 assists and the former international guard Serkan Erdogan (190-78, agency: 1x1 Sports) added 14 points respectively for the hosts. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game.
Anadolu Efes was No.3 in regular season with 24-6 record. Besiktas was No.4 with 22-8. The defending champion Fenerbahce Ulker and regular season champ Galatasaray are out of the competition. Besiktas eliminated them in the Quarterfinals and Semis. Schedule of TBL Finals is not announced yet.

Banvit BK: K.Lucas 20+5ast, S.Erdogan 14+3reb+3ast, E.Veyseloglu 10+1reb, K.Bajramovic 9+5reb, C.Davis 7+5reb+1ast, C.Hammonds 4+2reb
Anadolu Efes: K.Gonlum 17+9reb, K.Tunceri 11+1reb+2ast, D.Savanovic 10+4reb, E.Batista 9+6reb, O.Lafayette 7+3ast, T.Kinsey 6+5reb+2ast

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UNITED KINGDOM

Michael Lenzly wins the title with Nymburk - by Eurobasket News

Michael Lenzly (189-G-81, college: Wofford) and his CEZ Nymburk remained the unprecedented power in the Czech basketball. They swept the title series against Prostejov tonight to celebrate the ninth straight NBL crown. A.J. Abrams (180-G-86, agency: Two Points, college: Texas) scored 14 points to lead Nymburk to the fourth decisive victory in the series.
Prostejov entered the game with little hope after three straight losses. But they fought bravely in the opening quarter trailing by just a single point 19:18 after ten minutes. However Nymburk increased the tempo in the second term leaving the hosts behind. The visitors unloaded 34 points in the period to establish a 53:39 halftime lead. Prostejov did not surrender as they cut the distance by five points in the third term. But Nymburk limited the hosts to 11 points in the fourth stanza and rallied to a comfortable victory at the end. Michael Lenzly delivered 12 points, while Michal Kremen and Radek Necas added 11 points apiece in the win. Pavel Slezak answered with 15 points for Prostejov. Jaromir Bohacik and Jamar Smith netted 10 points each in the loss.
In 2011-2012 for CEZ Basketball Nymburk (Czech Rep.-NBL) he averaged 7.0ppg, 2.3rpg, 2.0apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 70.0%, 3PT: 11.1%, FT: 80.0% in Euroleague Qualifying Round and in EuroCup had 4.6ppg, 1.9rpg, 1.2apg;. In VTB League his stats read 3.2ppg, 1.9rpg, 1.8apg, while in National League he averaged 7.2 points per game.

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URUGUAY

Standings - Metropolitan League

Metropolitan Standings

1. Cader		2-0
2. Urunday Univ.		2-0
3. Marne		2-1
4. Goes		1-1
5. Atenas		1-1
6. Capitol		1-1
7. Verdirrojo		1-1
8. Yale		1-2
9. Larranaga		0-0
10. Guruyu Waston		0-2
11. Romis N.		0-2

Regular Season: Round 3

May. 25: Yale - Marne 77-89
May. 25: Verdirrojo - Goes 73-84
May. 26: Capitol - Atenas
May. 26: Romis N. - Urunday Univ.
May. 26: Guruyu Waston - Larranaga

Results for the Metro 3rd round - by Hector Lopez

Jimmy Boston (201-F-77, college: N.C.Central) netted 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds leading Goes to beat Verdirrojo 84-73, for the Metro League 3rd round. Also for Goes Matias De de Gouveia (180-PG-88) scored 22 points and Roberto Amaro (197-F-69) added 7 points, all of them during the last quarter. For Verdirrojo Kevin Nelson (192-G-84, college: Park) scored 31 points with 6 rebounds and 5 assists and Nicolas Delgado (198-F/C-87) added 11 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks. The Argentina Lisandro Rasio (197-F/C-90), playing for the first time with Marne scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, while his new team defeated Yale 89-77. Also for Marne Nicolas Catala (195-F-91) added 13 points and 13 rebounds. For Yale Gregg Thondique (201-F-87, college: Virginia Union) scored 15 points with 14 rebounds 3 blocks and 6 assists.

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

VENEZUELA

Venezuela and Colombia win in Day 1 of Super 4 Israel Sarmiento Tournament - by Francisco Vega

Barquisimeto, Venezuela.- Venezuela and Colombia won in Day of the Super 4 Israel Sarmiento Tournament, played at the Forum of Valencia, Venezuela, as preparation for both the South American Championship in Argentina (June 18th-June 22nd) and the FIBA World Olympic Qualy (July 2nd-July 8th), to be played at El Poliedro Arena in Caracas, Venezuela.

Venezuela took down Chile, 75-53, by smashing them early between the second and the third quarter. Even though most of their main players are still absent, the side coached by Brad Greenberg won the first quarter 18-10 and finished the first half ahead, 43-21. The advantage grew to an astonishing 36-point lead (72-36) and then the hosts slowed down a bit, allowing Chile to get back into the game.

'We played a good game defensively for about 30 minutes, which was a very positive thing. Now we have to improve and adjust some things', said Greenberg after the game. 'It was a good game to gain experience and review different aspects of the game in which we have to work on'.

He also expressed that the players 'weren't selfish on court and tried to execute the plays that we've been practicing, there was ball movement and rotation but we have to keep working, because the pressure affects us and we have to be better at that'.

Windi Graterol (203-F/C-86) scored 14 points and grabbed 3 rebounds, Jesus Urbina (201-F-84) added 11 points with 6 rebounds and Michael Flores (192-G-85) also scored 11 with 7 boards. For Chile, coached by Argentinian Guillermo Vecchio , Eduardo Sepulveda (186-G-86) netted 14 points.

Meanwhile, Colombia surprised Uruguay 66-57 with a double double by Stalin Ortiz (190-G-81), with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and 12 more points by John Hernandez (207-C), even though they lack talented players such as Edgar Moreno (190-G-81) or Juan Tello (180-G-89). For Uruguay, Jayson Granger (186-G-89) finished up with 14. Uruguay is dealing with the absences of Esteban Batista (208-F/C-83, agency: Duran International), Leandro Garcia Morales (186-G-80) and Martin Osimani (194-G-81).

Chile and Uruguay will play today at 5.00pm, while Venezuela will host Colombia at 7.30pm.

Nestor Colmenares and Luis Bethelmy could miss playing for Senior NT due to injury - by Francisco Vega

Barquisimeto, Venezuela.- Venezuelan players Nestor Colmenares (203-F-87) and Luis Bethelmy (200-F/C-86), who just finished playing the LPB 2012 season for Cocodrilos de Caracas, could miss the chance to play for Venezuela's Senior NT, as they haven't attended training due to injury and could be sidelined for a while.

Colmenares has a lingering dental issue that dates back to the time where he played for Huracanes de Tampico in Mexico's LNBP. According to the FVB's doctor, Juan Letizia, he might need a surgery that would require him to be sidelined between 60 and 80 days, according to a press note published by Lider en Deportes's basketball writer, Reiner Izturriaga.

Meanwhile, Luis Bethelmy had to undergo an MRI to determine the source of a recurrent pain in his lower back area that got worse during the Semifinals series against Marinos de Anzoategui.

Rafael Perez (193-G/F-82), of Trotamundos de Carabobo, is aching in his right quad, but could play in the last of the 3 games scheduled in the Super 4 Tournament 'Israel Sarmiento' that is being played at the Forum of Valencia.

Other players that aren't taking part in the first of three friendly tournaments are Greivis Vasquez (198-PG-87), who went back to the United States to attend a camp held by the New Orleans Hornets, Gregory Echenique (205-C-90), who has academic duties with Creighton in Nebraska and Anthony Perez (203-F-93), who is in Venezuela but had to concentrate on academic tests that he had to summit through online resources. John Cox (195-G-81) and Michael Carrera (198-F-93) are supposed to report to practice next week.

Also absent are Oscar Torres (195-F/G-76), Jose Vargas (196-G/F-82) and Axiers Sucre (198-F-78) of Marinos de Anzoategui and David Cubillan (183-PG-87) and Hector Romero (202-F/C-80) of Trotamundos de Carabobo, who were not forced to attend the tournament since they're still playing the LPB 2012 Finals. Venezuela's coaching staff, however, called up Dwight Lewis (196-G-87) and Rafael Perez of Trotamundos de Carabobo and Gregory Vargas (182-PG-86) and Miguel Marriaga (208-C-84) of Marinos de Anzoategui, to check them out.

Brad Greenberg , assistant coach of Eric Musselman , is in charge of the team, getting help from Nelson Solorzano , Henry Paruta , Daniel Seoane and Scott Abudato.

The complete list of Venezuela's 29 players called up for the South American Championship in Argentina (June 18th-June 22nd) and the FIBA World Olympic Qualy (July 2nd-July 8th), is as follows:

Greivis Vasquez of the New Orleans Hornets (NBA)
Juan Coronado (198-F-90) of Liberty (NCAA)
Danny Herrera (193-F-92) of Duquesne (NCAA)
Gregory Echenique of Creighton (NCAA)
Heberto Guanipa (205-F-90) of Saint Thomas (NAIA)
Anthony Perez of Ole Mississippi (NCAA)
Michael Carrera of Montrose (High School, USA)
John Cox of Le Havre (France)
Jhornan Zamora (193-G/F-89) of Blancos de Rueda Valladolid (Spain)
Heissler Guillent (186-PG-86, agency: Paris Global Sports) of Guaros de Lara
Francisco Centeno (201-G/F-85) of Gaiteros del Zulia
Jesus Urbina (201-F-84, college: George Mason) of Toros de Aragua
Michael Flores (192-G-85) of Panteras de Miranda
Luis Valera (201-F-88, college: UTPA) of Bucaneros de La Guaira
Jorge Rondon (193-G/F-90) of Bucaneros de La Guaira
Jose Juan Bravo (202-C-86) of Gigantes de Guayana
Jesus Centeno (190-G-85) of Cocodrilos de Caracas
Nestor Colmenares of Cocodrilos de Caracas
Luis Bethelmy of Cocodrilos de Caracas
Windi Graterol (203-F/C-86) of Cocodrilos de Caracas
Hector Romero of Trotamundos de Carabobo
David Cubillan of Trotamundos de Carabobo
Dwight Lewis of Trotamundos de Carabobo
Rafael Perez of Trotamundos de Carabobo
Axiers Sucre of Marinos de Anzoategui
Oscar Torres of Marinos de Anzoategui
Miguel Marriaga of Marinos de Anzoategui
Jose Vargas of Marinos de Anzoategui
Gregory Vargas of Marinos de Anzoategui

LPB 2012 News - Game 2 of Marinos-Trotamundos to be resumed on May 29th - by Francisco Vega

Barquisimeto, Venezuela.- Game 2 of Venezuela's LPB 2012 Finals had to be suspended due to a power failure that left Luis Ramos Arena of Puerto La Cruz with no electricity, in a game in which Trotamundos de Carabobo was ahead against the home team, Marinos de Anzoategui, 94-87, with 15 seconds remaining in the clock during the fourth quarter.

After waiting over 30 minutes for the power to be restablished, the league's main board opted to end the match and order the remaining time to be played next Tuesday, May 29th, prior to Game 3, at the Forum of Valencia, in the beginning of a 3-day stint in that city.

Marinos is up in the series 1-0 but was about to leave their town with a 1-1 that will force them to win at least one of three games in Valencia to force the opposing team to go back to Puerto La Cruz and attempt to earn their ninth title as hosts. Trotamundos is also in pursuit of their ninth national title.

Marinos, coached by Jorge Arrieta, is playing its fourth straight LPB Finals, having played the ones of 2009, 2010 and 2011 against Cocodrilos de Caracas and winning in 2009 and 2011. Trotamundos, handled by Puerto Rican legend Julio Toro , hadn't reached the Finals since 2006, when they defeated Guaros de Lara in six games.

Prior to the interruption in Game 2, Trotamundos's top scorers were Hector Romero (202-F/C-80) and Trey Gilder (206-F-85) with 19 points each, followed by David Cubillan (183-PG-87) with 17 and Rafael Perez (193-G/F-82) with 15. For Marinos, Jose Vargas (196-G/F-82) and Leon Rodgers (199-F-80) scored 17 points each, while Axiers Sucre (198-F-78) had a double double of 15 points and 12 rebounds.

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

Women News

Four nations will meet in Angleur, Belgium next weekend - by Bert Larsimont

The Four Nations' Tournament of Angleur (near Liege) will be held on June 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Four women's basketball national teams will meet at the Salle Omnisports du Bois Saint-Jean in Angleur, Belgium. Germany with Romy Bar (189-F-87) and Anne Breitreiner (183-G/F-84, agency: LBM Management), Great Britain with Julie Page (188-F/C-83, college: E.Washington) and Kimberly Butler (186-F-82, college: Oregon St.), Ukraine with Iryna Tsekova (177-G/F-78, agency: Promotex) and Alina Iagupova (181-G-92, agency: LBM Management) and host team Belgium with Emma Meesseman (192-C-93, agency: LBM Management) and Anke De Mondt (180-F/G-79) will take part in this tournament.
Entrance will be free every day.

Here is the program:

Friday June 1st, 2012:

17:00 Great Britain vs. Germany
20:00 Belgium vs. Ukraine

Saturday June 2nd, 2012:

16:00 Belgium vs. Germany
19:00 Great Britain vs. Ukraine

Sunday June 3rd, 2012:

16:00 Germany vs. Ukraine
19:00 Belgium vs. Great Britain

Address: Salle Omnisports du Bois Saint-Jean, Alle du Bol d'Air, 15 - 4031 Angleur.

An excellent opportunity to see major national teams preparing their 2013 European Championship qualifying campaign.

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

BULGARIA

Italy open Citta di Pomezia tournament with victory - by Eurobasket News

Italy - Bulgaria 62:37

Italy victoriously opened their Citta di Pomezia tournament campaign. They overcame Bulgaria in the opener. Ilaria Zanoni (180-G-86) stepped up with 13 points to lead the effort.
Italy strongly opened the encounter. They held Bulgaria at 5 points in the first frame to build a 9-point lead. The margin grew at 10-point mark at halftime 29:19. Italy continued to dominate in the third quarter. They ensured a 42:23 advantage with one quarter remaining. Italy stayed aggressive in the final stanza and sealed a confident win at the end. Martina Crippa (175-G/F-88) produced 9 points, while Nnena Wabara (183-F-81, agency: Two Points, college: Baylor) added 5 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. Daniela Georgieva (184-G/F-86) answered with 9 points for Bulgaria. Radoslava Bachvarova (183-F-87, agency: LBM Management, college: VCU) produced 7 points in the loss.

Italy: Ilaria Zanoni 13, Martina Crippa 9, Nnena Wabara 5+10 boards
Bulgaria: Daniela Georgieva 9, Radoslava Bachvarova 7

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

GREECE

Greece defeat Netherlands in Pomezia - by Eurobasket News

Greece - Netherlands 48:45

Greece posted the first win at the international Citta di Pomezia tournament in Italy. They shot down Netherlands for 1-0 record. Katerina Sotiriou (187-F-84, agency: FCM) knocked down 12 points to lead the Hellenes.
Greece aggressively opened the game. They built a 29:19 halftime lead. Netherlands recovered in the second half. They straighten their game cutting the deficit to 9 points at the third break. Netherlands got within striking distance late in the encounter but Greece hang on to post victory. Afroditi Kosma (187-F/C-83) provided 10 points for Greece. Peli Papamichail (189-F/C-86, agency: Josep and Nicolas) added 7 points in the victory. Tanya Broering (178-G-84) responded with 13 points for Netherlands. Anouk Biesters (182-G/F-86) had 9 points in the loss.

Greece: Katerina Sotiriou 12, Afroditi Kosma 10, Peli Papamichail 7
Netherlands: Tanya Broering 13, Anouk Biesters 9

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

HOLLAND

ISRAEL

Ramat Hasharon keeps F Alysha Clark - by Eurobasket News

Ramat Hasharon signed a one-year contract extension with Alysha Clark (178-F-87, college: Middle Tenn.St.). It will be their second season together. Clark appeared 19 times for the club averaging 14 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists. She was named Eurobasket.com All-Israeli League 1st Team -12. The American with Israeli passport was also awarded with Eurobasket.com All-Israeli League Domestic Player of the Year -12. Before Ramat Hasharon, Alysha Clark spent one season with Hapoel Rishon Le-Zion. There she had 16.9 ppg and 9.5 rpg for 20 games. It was her first year as a pro. Clark is a product of the Middle Tennessee State University, where she graduated in 2010. She had impressive 28.3 ppg and 11.6 rpg in their last season together. In 2009, Clark was named Sun Belt Player of the Year.

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ITALY

LATVIA

Phoenix Mercury release Zane Teilane-Tamane - by Eurobasket News

Zane Teilane-Tamane (6'7''-C-83, agency: LBM Management, college: W.Illinois) is no longer a member of the Phoenix Mercury. The WNBA team decided to release her and according to reports they have intention to sign Krystal Thomas. Teilane-Tamane arrived to the club recently. She appeared in two games getting 13 minutes in total. Zane Teilane-Tamane spent last season with Fenerbahce. She had 8.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 1.1. bpg in 26 games, while Fener managed to defend the championship title in Turkey. The player also added 10.7 ppg and 6.3 rpg for 18 Euroleague games. Before Fener, she spent one year with MKB Euroleasing Sopron. In the past, Teilane-Tamane also played for USK Praha, Nadezhda Orenburg, Hondarribia Irun, Barcelona and Washington Mystics. She graduated at the Western Illinois University six years ago.

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NCAA1

Lawson brings Tennessee, Connecticut together for Summitt - by Eurobasket News

Connecticut and Tennessee are famous for their rivalry in women's college basketball. But in the pros, old-time rivalries get pushed aside, especially when it comes to a good cause.

Former Lady Vol Kara Lawson (5'8''-PG-81, college: Tennessee) and her WNBA franchise, the Connecticut Sun, have come together to support Pat Summitt .

The Sun guard and former Tennessee All American and the team that's employed her since 2010 will donate $100 to the Pat Summitt Foundation for every three-pointer Lawson hits this season.

Lawson said the donation is a way for her to honor her former coach. She said she'll donate $50 for each made three-point shot and the team will match that donation.

The 59-year-old Summitt announced her retirement as Tennessee head coach in April, eight months after revealing that she had been diagnosed with early onset dementia.

Lawson, in her 10th year as a pro, hit 55 three-pointers last season, and ranks ninth in WNBA history with 433 coming into the 2012 season.

She said she has not talked to the nine other former Lady Vols in the WNBA, but would be happy if her donation inspired others in the league to support Summitt's foundation.

Courtesy of www.usatoday.com

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RUSSIA

UKRAINE

Ukraine hand second straight loss to Russia B - by Eurobasket News

Ukraine - Russia B 60:57

Ukrainian National Team played the second friendly encounter against Russian B National Team in Yuzhny. The hosts proved the strength once again claiming a narrow three-point victory. Alina Iagupova (181-G-92, agency: LBM Management) provided 15 points and 9 rebounds to lead the charge.
The teams traded baskets throughout the opening quarter. The scoreboard read 13:13 after ten minutes. Russia gained initiative in the second frame. The visitors pulled ahead to post a 30:23 halftime lead. The margin grew at 10-point mark after three quarters 43:33. But Ukraine unleashed 27 points in the fourth period denying the deficit and snatching a tough win at the end. Iryna Tsekova (177-G/F-78, agency: Promotex) knocked down 11 points, while Ganna Zarytska (182-F-86, agency: Data Plus Group) added 9 points for Ukraine. Alexandra Tarasova (194-C-91) and Liudmila Sapova (185-F/C-84) answered with 11 points apiece for Russia. Marina Karpunina (178-G-84) finished with 9 points in the loss.

Ukraine: Alina Iagupova 15, Iryna Tsekova 11, Ganna Zarytska 9
Russia B: Alexandra Tarasova 11, Liudmila Sapova 11, Marina Karpunina 9

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WNBA

Becky Hammon to play for Russian women's basketball team in London Olympics - by Eurobasket News

Becky Hammon (168-PG-77, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: Colorado St.) hopes that the Olympics will be a little less stressful for her.

Hammon will once again play for the Russian women's basketball team at the games this summer in London. She created a stir in 2008 when she first played for Russia in the Beijing Olympics. She helped guide that team to a bronze medal.

'It's old news,' Hammon about her decision to play for Russia. 'I played with them in the world championship, European championship, hopefully I'll enjoy it a lot more. By far it was one of the best decisions I ever made and I stand by that, and really look forward to doing it again.'

When Hammon, who was raised in South Dakota and played to Colorado State, initially decided to play for Russia in 2008 it ignited a media firestorm with people questioning her patriotism, including 2008 U.S. Olympic coach Anne Donovan.

Every time Hammon went on the road with the San Antonio Silver Stars she had reporters waiting to talk to her about her decision to play for Russia.

It got to be a bit much.

'I had reporters from all over the world asking me questions,' Hammon said. 'Everywhere I went that's all anyone wanted to talk about. It's nice that this time people seem to be focused on other things. It seems almost every team now has one or two players with foreign passports playing for them. It goes back to the whole 'it's Russia'. If it was a country no one heard of, no one really would have cared. That's the society we live in.'

Now no one seems to notice anymore.

'It's played through once,' Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes said. 'The reality of it is we've been through it one time already and Becky is an example of what I think a lot of teams that the U.S. will face. There are a lot of players in our league that are now on other teams and going to be part of the Olympic experience.'

The 35-year-old point guard plays for a Russian club team during the winter and became a naturalized citizen. Because she hadn't played for the United States in any major FIBA-sanctioned international events, she was allowed to compete for Russia in the Beijing Olympics.

While Hammon is happy that the firestorm seems to have died down this time around, she also is proud that her Russian has improved over the past few years.

'I understand a little bit, it's a lot better than 2008, put it that way,' she said laughing.

While Hammon had to miss a few games for the Silver Stars in the past to train with Russia, she won't join the national team until the WNBA takes its month-long break in the middle of July.

'I won't be missing any Silver Stars games and that's important to me,' Hammon said.

Hammon is excited to once again march in the opening ceremonies and take part in the games.

'It's the Olympics, it should be fun a great time I think. It will be my first time in London for any length of time,' Hammon said. 'I'm looking forward to be in London. Get back together with the girls from the team, hopefully make a great run.'

One player that Hammon won't be playing with this time around is center Maria Stepanova. The 6-foot-8 star, who has played in the last four Olympics, tore her anterior cruciate ligament at the Euroleague final eight in late March.

'She's been the face of the franchise, so that's a tough loss for us,' Hammon said. 'There's some young kids that are very talented post players coming up, too. Someone of her caliber you're going to miss, no way around that. But it's also another opportunity for someone else to step up and prove that they belong at the highest level.'

She hopes that even without Stepanova, the Russians can make another run at a medal. They are in the same pool as Australia and wouldn't have to face the heavily-favored U.S. team until the elimination rounds.

'At the end of the day it's been a really cool journey and unique journey no one has ever done,' she said.

Courtesy of www.startribune.com

Phoenix Mercury release Zane Teilane-Tamane - by Eurobasket News

Zane Teilane-Tamane (6'7''-C-83, agency: LBM Management, college: W.Illinois) is no longer a member of the Phoenix Mercury. The WNBA team decided to release her and according to reports they have intention to sign Krystal Thomas. Teilane-Tamane arrived to the club recently. She appeared in two games getting 13 minutes in total. Zane Teilane-Tamane spent last season with Fenerbahce. She had 8.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 1.1. bpg in 26 games, while Fener managed to defend the championship title in Turkey. The player also added 10.7 ppg and 6.3 rpg for 18 Euroleague games. Before Fener, she spent one year with MKB Euroleasing Sopron. In the past, Teilane-Tamane also played for USK Praha, Nadezhda Orenburg, Hondarribia Irun, Barcelona and Washington Mystics. She graduated at the Western Illinois University six years ago.

Latest games - by Eurobasket News

Chicago S. - Indiana F. 72-83
Tamika Catchings (6'1''-F-79, college: Tennessee) scored 22 points and Katie Douglas (6'1''-G/F-79, college: Purdue) added 21 to lead Indiana past Chicago. Jessica Davenport scored 12 points for the Fever (2-0), who won for the ninth time in the last 10 meetings against the Sky and improved to 20-5 in the all-time series. Sylvia Fowles scored 16 of her 21 points in the second half to lead the Sky (1-1). Epiphanny Prince had 17 points and Shay Murphy added 10. Chicago trailed by just three points early in the fourth quarter before Indiana pulled away. A three-pointer by Catchings extended the Fever's lead to 75-53 with 3:24 to play. *Courtesy of www.usatoday.com

Connecticut S. - S.Antonio SS 83-79
Renee Montgomery (5'7''-PG-86, agency: LBM Management, college: Connecticut) scored 23 points, Tina Charles (6'4''-C-88, agency: LBM Management, college: Connecticut) had 18 points and eight rebounds to become the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 800 career rebounds, and the Connecticut Sun beat the San Antonio Silver Stars 83-79 Friday night. Charles began the day four rebounds short of the milestone and got it with 2:02 remaining in the third quarter. She reached the mark in her 71st career game, besting the previous mark set by Yolanda Griffith, who did it in her 72nd game. Charles also had three blocks to help the Sun open the season with three wins for the second time in franchise history. Danielle Adams scored 21 for the Silver Stars (1-1). Shameka Christon had 14 points and Becky Hammon added 11 points and eight assists. *Courtesy of www.usatoday.com

Atlanta D. - New York L. 100-74
Angel McCoughtry (6'1''-F-86, college: Louisville) scored 23 points, Lindsey Harding (5'8''-G-84, college: Duke) added 19 and Atlanta won its home opener. Cappie Pondexter scored 18 points and Essence Carson had 15 for New York (0-4). The Liberty have opened the season with four losses for the first time since 2006, when they also began 0-4 en route to a franchse-worst 11-23 record. Plenette Pierson's layup pulled New York to 37-29 with 3:29 left in the second quarter. McCoughtry followed with a 19-footer on the ensuing possession, and the Dream (1-1) led by double digits the rest of the way. Liberty coach John Whisenant yelled from the bench in the final seconds of the second quarter to avoid fouling McCoughtry, who drove the lane and dished off to Yelena Leuchanka for a layup and a 48-33 lead. *Courtesy of www.usatoday.com

Minnesota L. - L.Angeles S. 92-84
Seimone Augustus (6'2''-G-84, college: LSU) scored 25 points to rally the Minnesota Lynx from nine points down in the second half in a 92-84 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday night. Rebekkah Brunson (6'3''-F/C-81, agency: LBM Management, college: Georgetown) scored 17 points, Lindsay Whalen (5'8''-PG-82, college: Minnesota) had 14 and Maya Moore (6'0''-F-89, college: Connecticut) added 11 for the defending champion Lynx (3-0). Augustus, who shot 11 for 17 from the field, scored six points in the final 4:17 and Candice Wiggins' tiebreaking 3-pointer with 2:19 remaining put Minnesota ahead for good. The Lynx closed with a 10-2 run after the Kristi Toliver's 3-pointer tied the score at 82-all with 2:47 to go. Toliver and Candace Parker (6'4''-F/C-86, college: Tennessee) scored 23 points each to lead the Sparks (2-1) and rookie Nnemkadi Ogwumike added a season-high 20 points and nine rebounds. Parker's layup with 3.9 seconds to go in the first half gave the Sparks a 47-44 lead at the break. Ogwumike made two free throws in the opening minute of the third quarter and Parker hit a jumper to put Los Angeles up seven. Whalen's layup with 6 1 / 2minutes left in the third capped the Lynx's 8-2 run to pull to 53-52. However, the Sparks scored the next eight points, to stretch their lead to 61-52 with 4:53 to go in the quarter. Minnesota had a 6-0 run, capped by Whalen's jumper with 9:05 remaining in the fourth to tie the score at 70. Neither team led by more than two points until Moore's jumper with 3:15 left put the Lynx ahead 82-79. After winning their first two games by an average of 20 points, the Lynx looked poised for another rout early, scoring the game's first seven points before the Sparks chipped their way back. Parker had eight points in the first quarter as the Sparks tied the score at 17 with 3:40 to go in the period. However, Minnesota closed the quarter on a 13-2 run to take a 30-19 lead. The Lynx were played by turnovers in the first half, committing 13 that led to 11 points for the Sparks. Parker scored 17 points and Tolliver had 14 to help Los Angeles take its three-point lead at the break. Courtesy of www.usatoday.com