Eurobasket Daily News Report: 5/29/2012 1:04:01 AM

EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 5/29/2012 1:04:01 AM

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Men News

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ARGENTINA

Emanuel Ginobili selected the top Argentinian playing abroad in last week's games - by Eurobasket Center

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

Emanuel Ginobili

#1. This week's number one is an experienced international guard Emanuel Ginobili (198-77, agency: Interperformances). He led San Antonio Spurs to a 3-point victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder (47-19) 101-98 in the NBA in Sunday night's game. Ginobili was MVP of the game. He recorded 26 points (!!!), 5 rebounds and 3 assists in 34 minutes on the court. The San Antonio Spurs have a very solid 50-16 record this season. It was his team's tenth consecutive victory in a row. It's Ginobili's tenth year with the team. Ginobili has individually a very good season with high stats. He averages: 12.9ppg, 3.4rpg, 4.4apg, 2FGP: 58.7%(125-213), 3FGP: 39.8% and FT: 85.7% in the 43 games he played so far. Ginobili has a dual citizenship: Argentinian and Italian. Despite he played previously for the Italian national team, Ginobili is currently a member of the Argentinian senior national team.

Pablo Prigioni

#2. Second place goes to an international guard Pablo Prigioni (191-77). He was the major contributor in an overtime Caja Laboral's victory against the closely-ranked Gescrap BB (19-15) 90-88 in the Spanish ACB last Sunday. Prigioni scored 13 points, grabbed 6 rebounds and dished 6 assists. Caja Laboral Vitoria (23-11) is placed third in the ACB. It's Prigioni's first season with the team. Prigioni is ranked seventh on the list of the best passers in the league and also on the list of most steals (first place). His overall stats this season are: 6.6ppg, 3.4rpg, 3.7apg, 1.8spg, 2FGP: 58.9%(43-73), 3FGP: 27.1% and FT: 83.5%. Prigioni is another player who holds two passports: Italian and Argentinian. Despite he played previously for the Italian national team, Prigioni is currently a member of the Argentinian senior national team.

Andres Nocioni

#3. The Argentinian player who performed third best last week abroad was an international forward Andres Nocioni (199-79) is a teammate of previously mentioned Pablo Prigioni and both played together in the last Spanish ACB game. Nocioni contributed to an overtime Caja Laboral's victory against the closely-ranked Gescrap BB (19-15) 90-88. He scored 8 points in 16 minutes. This year Nocioni's overall stats are: 9.7ppg, 3.5rpg, 2FGP: 49.1% and FT: 81.8% in the 11 games. Similarly like Prigioni and Ginobili above he has both Italian and Argentinian nationalities. Despite Nocioni played previously for the Italian national team, he is currently a member of the Argentinian senior national team.

Hernan Jasen

#4. Guard Hernan Jasen (199-78), who plays in the Spanish ACB could not help Cajasol (18-16) to beat Real Madrid (26-8). Jasen scored 5 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Cajasol was crushed 82-55 at home by the second-ranked Real Madrid. It was Cajasol's third consecutive loss in a row. Jasen's total stats this season are: 5.9ppg, 3.5rpg and 1.1spg. Similarly like three previous players above, he also holds two passports: Italian and Argentinian. Jasen is also Argentinian national team player.

Manuel Carrizo

#5. International swingman Manuel Carrizo (198-80, agency: Players Group) led Ferentino to a victory over the leader Trieste (24-10) 81-75 in the Italian Nazionale A (third division) last Friday. He was the best player in that game. Carrizo recorded 17 points and grabbed 6 rebounds (made all of his six free throws) in 33 minutes. It was the game of the round between two top 3 ranked teams in Division South-West. FMC Ferentino (21-13) is placed second in South-West Division. Carrizo has relatively good stats this year: 14.3ppg, 4.2rpg, 1.7apg and 1.4spg in the 36 games. He holds both Argentinian and Italian passports. Despite Carrizo played previously for the Italian national team, he is currently in the Argentinian national team roster.

Andres Forray

#6. Point guard Andres Forray (187-86) contributed to Trento's victory against the third-ranked Chieti (21-5) 67-63 in the Italian Nazionale A (third division) on Sunday night. Forray recorded 13 points and had 3 steals. It was the game of the round between two top 3 ranked teams in Division North-East. Bitumcalor Trento (23-11) is placed second in North-East Division. It was his team's third consecutive victory in a row. This season Forray has relatively solid stats: 10.5ppg, 4.3rpg, 2.6apg and 2.3spg. Despite he played previously for the Italian national team, Forray is also an international player who is currently on the senior Argentinian National Team roster.

Marcos Casini

#7. International point guard Marcos Casini (188-80) contributed to a 1-point Givova Scafati's victory against the closely-ranked Tuscany Pistoia (18-10) 85-84 in the Italian Lega2 (second division) in Thursday night's game. He recorded 11 points in 21 minutes. It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. Givova Scafati Basket (17-11) is placed fourth in the Lega2. This year Casini's total stats are: 8.3ppg, 2.5rpg, 1.4apg and 1.2spg in the 34 games. Despite he played previously for the Italian national team, Casini is currently in the Argentinian national team roster.

Other top Argentinian players, who play abroad:

Ariel Filloy (190-PG-87) plays for Armani Milano in Italian SerieA
Juan Fernandez (193-G-90) plays for Armani Milano in Italian SerieA
Nicolas Gianella (186-G-78) plays for Bennet Cantu in Italian SerieA
Luis Scola (206-F/C-80) plays for Houston Rockets in the NBA
Carlos Delfino (198-G-82) plays for Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA
Leonardo Mainoldi (203-F-85) plays for Baloncesto Fuenlabrada in Spanish ACB
Guillermo Kammerichs (203-F/C-80) plays for Flamengo in Brazilian NBB
Juan Pablo Figueroa (184-PG-86) plays for Pinheiros/Sky in Brazilian NBB
Federico Van Lacke (191-G-80) plays for FIATC Joventut in Spanish ACB
Javier Bulfoni (192-G-76) plays for Blusens Monbus in Spanish ACB
Juan Ignacio Jasen (196-F-85) plays for UCAM Murcia in Spanish ACB

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

Lanus keep Nicolas Laprovittola - by Eurobasket News

Lanus kept Nicolas Laprovittola (188-PG-90) for another season. Despite many offers the guard decided to stay in Buenos Aires for one more season. Last season Nicolas Laprovittola tallied 10.2 points, 3.8 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game in LigaA. He debuted for Argentinean National Team in 2011. Nicolas Paprovittola participated at Panamerican Games in Guadalajara. The guard notched 4.5 points, 3.0 assists, 1.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game in Mexico. Previously the guard used to play for U16, U18 and U19 National Teams.

Quimsa tab Ramzee Stanton and Joe Smith - by Eurobasket News

Quimsa secured the services of two import players for the next season. They are Ramzee Stanton (197-F-80, agency: Dream Team Management, college: W.Chester) and Joe Smith (193-G-77, agency: Priority Sports, college: Al.-Huntsville).
Ramzee Stanton started the last season with Regatas Corrientes. The forward tallied 8.3 points, 3.4 boards per game in LigaA. Later Ramzee Stanton moved to Estudiantes Bahia. His stats read 9.1 points, 4.6 boards and 1.0 assist per game.
Joe Smith played for La Union Formosa. He notched 15.3 points, 2.8 assists, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game in Liga Americas. In LigaA the guard posted 17.3 points, 3.3 assists and 1.9 rebounds per appearance. Latinbasket.com named Joe Smith into All-Liga Americas 2nd Team.

David Jackson returns to Penarol - by Facundo Iatzky

Penarol announced that has agreed terms with David Jackson (196-G-82, college: Penn St.) for the rest of finals serie. David will replace Kyle Lamonte who suffered an injury in the fourth game of the serie and will not be able to play for the rest of the season. David is coming this monday to Buenos AIres and will play the fifth game against Obras, and the sixth and seventh in case they are neccesary. David just ended to play in Flamengo of Brazil, and he has played in Penarol before, where he was selected in the best five of the season.

Manu Ginobili scores 23 fourth-quarter points to lead Spurs to Game 1 win over Thunder - by Eurobasket News

Gregg Popovich wanted some 'nasty.' The San Antonio Spurs obliged, and they've now tied NBA history.

Not to mention left the Oklahoma City Thunder agonizing about what could have been.

Emanuel Ginobili (198-G-77, agency: Interperformances) scored a playoff-high 26 points and the Spurs won their 19th in a row to tie the NBA record for longest winning streak kept alive in the playoffs, beating the Thunder 101-98 in the Western Conference finals opener on Sunday night.

Obeying orders snarled by their coach in a fourth-quarter timeout to play 'nasty,' the Spurs erased a nine-point deficit that stunned the Thunder, who had looked on their way to finally kicking the perception that they're the underdog.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 27 points. Russell Westbrook had 17.

'I talked to them about they've got to get a little bit uglier, get a little more nasty, play with more fiber and take it to these guys,' Popovich said. 'Meaning you have to drive it, you have to shoot it.'

And when they started doing just that, the Thunder couldn't keep up.

The 2001 Lakers are the only other team to carry a winning streak this long in the playoffs - and they did so on their way to a championship.

Game 2 is Tuesday night.

The Spurs matched the fourth-longest streak in NBA history, and with one more will become just the fourth team to surpass 20.

Tim Duncan had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Tony Parker shook off a dismal start to finish with 18 points. But it was Ginobili who steered the Spurs to strike first in a highly anticipated matchup of the West's top two teams for practically the entire regular season.

'They got us on our heels. We were not aggressive,' Ginobili said. 'And in the second half, we did have it.'

On the other end, Oklahoma City's own Big Three struggled to find its shot early before awakening in the second half. Yet Westbrook still finished just 6 of 15 and took a nasty, face-first spill late in the fourth that had the entire Thunder bench crossing the court to check on their All-Star point guard underneath the opposite basket.

Westbrook appeared to favor his left leg when he got up, but he never left the game.

It was a tantalizingly close near-upset for the young Thunder, who were ousted in the Western Conference finals a year ago and were in position for home-court advantage throughout the playoffs until being overtaken by the Spurs in the final month of the season.

But it was a fittingly close opener for two franchises with so many similarities.

That includes Thunder general manager Sam Presti - the architect of the Thunder's rapid turnaround from a 23-win season to consecutive Western Conference finals in just four years - getting his big break in the NBA as intern in San Antonio.

And the Thunder didn't even need their own Big Three to keep things close.

Durant, Westbrook and Harden at one point through the second quarter were 5 of 21 - a typically ominous stat line for a trio that had been responsible for nearly 70 percent of Oklahoma City's points through the playoffs so far. But for all the talk about San Antonio's superior bench, it was the Thunder's reserves who picked up the slack.

None more so than Derek Fisher, whose famous game-winner for the Lakers on this same court in the 2004 playoffs has made '0.4 seconds' a phrase that needs no further explanation to the Spurs. Eight years later, and the oldest player in this series at 37, Fisher already met his playoff average at halftime and finished with 13 points.

Gary Neal added 12 points and was the only other Spurs player in double figures.

Harden lost in the first round of his matchup with Ginobili, who's also a lefty and a former Sixth Man of the Year winner. Harden finished with 19 points on 7-of-17 shooting but started by missing nine of his first dozen shots.

Tipping off another conference finals couldn't happen soon enough for Oklahoma City. With nothing to do but prepare for the Spurs all week - and be asked about the Spurs - the Thunder grew weary of questions about being perceived underdogs. About not having the same championship pedigree. About how they'll possibly stop a team rolling through one of the 10 longest winning streaks in NBA history.

So repetitive were the questions that Durant, visibly annoyed, suggested earlier this week that someone instead ask how the Thunder are going 'to come at' the Spurs. That didn't stop Oklahoma City from facing more of the same at shootaround Sunday morning, when Thunder coach Scott Brooks tried quashing again the idea his team was somehow intimidated.

'They're not going to be in awe. They're going to have respect for them,' Brooks said. 'We know we can beat them.'

They left still having to prove it.

Courtesy of www.nydailynews.com

Andres Nocioni doubtful for Game 3 against Real Madrid - by Eurobasket News

Andres Nocioni (199-F-79) was not able to help his teammates in Game Two against Real Madrid and he is doubtful for Game Three as well. The experienced forward injured femoral biceps of his left leg. Noconi spent just three minutes on the court in Game One, which belonged to Caja Laboral 71-81. Andres Nocioni joined the club at the end of March. He appeared 11 times in Liga Endesa averaging 9.7 points and 3.5 rebounds. Nocioni started the season with Penarol Mar del Plata. There he had 16.5 ppg and 11 rpg for two games in Argentinean LigaA. After the NBA lockout, Nocioni returned to Philadelphia 76ers, where he registered 1.7 ppg and 1.3 rpg. Last season with the 76ers Nocioni averaged 6.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 54 games. Before Philadelphia, he played for the Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls. Andres Nocioni was a member of Tau Ceramica (now Caja Laboral) from 1999 to 2004.

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AUSTRALIA

Standings - ABA

ABA Standings

Big V
1. Eltham W.		8-3
2. Ringwood H.		8-3
3. Waverley F.		7-4
4. Hume City		7-4
5. Corio Bay		6-5
6. Diamond V.E.		6-5
7. Bulleen B.		3-8
8. Sherbrooke S.		3-9
9. Melbourne		2-9
Central ABL
1. W.Adelaide B.		6-2
2. Sturt S.		6-2
3. N.Adelaide R.		5-2
4. Woodville W.		5-2
5. Forestville E.		5-3
6. S.Adelaide P.		4-4
7. Norwood F.		4-4
8. C.District L.		2-6
9. South.Tigers		2-6
10. Eastern M.		0-8
QBL
1. Townsville H.		4-0
2. Northside W.		3-0
3. Rockhampton		3-0
4. Ipswich F.		2-1
5. Mackay M.		2-1
6. SW Metro P.		2-1
7. Gladstone P.		2-2
8. Gold Coast R.		1-1
9. Bundaberg B.		1-2
10. Brisbane C.		1-3
11. Cairns M.		0-3
12. Maroochydore		0-3
13. Toowoomba		0-4
SEABL-East
1. Dandenong		11-3
2. Geelong S.		11-3
3. Sandringham S.		10-5
4. Bendigo B.		9-4
5. Frankston B.		8-5
6. Brisbane S.		5-6
7. Canberra G.		1-13
SEABL-South
1. Knox R.		8-6
2. Albury W.B.		7-5
3. Nunawading S.		7-6
4. Kilsyth C.		6-8
5. Ballarat M.		5-7
6. Hobart C.		5-8
7. NW Tasmania		4-9
8. Mt Gambier		3-12
WARATAH
1. Newcastle H.		8-1
2. Norths Bears		8-2
3. Maitland M.		6-3
4. Sydney C.		6-4
5. Cent.Coast C.		6-6
6. Manly Warr.		5-5
7. Hills H.		5-5
8. Illawarra H.		4-7
9. Bankstown B.		3-6
10. Colonial Hotel		3-7
11. Parramatta W.		3-7
12. Sutherland S.		3-7

Regular Season: Round 10

BIG V

May. 26: Ringwood H. - Waverley F. 99-70
May. 26: Corio Bay - Sherbrooke S. 97-71
May. 26: Diamond V.E. - Eltham W. 90-98
May. 26: Melbourne - Hume City 71-61
May. 27: Bulleen B. - Melbourne 69-62

Central ABL

May. 26: Sturt S. - S.Adelaide P. 96-76
May. 26: N.Adelaide R. - C.District L. 82-75
May. 26: South.Tigers - Forestville E. 73-103
May. 26: Eastern M. - Woodville W. 72-83
May. 26: Norwood F. - W.Adelaide B. 63-67

QBL

May. 26: Brisbane C. - SW Metro P. 94-105
May. 26: Gladstone P. - Bundaberg B. 89-78
May. 27: Ipswich F. - Townsville H. 76-80
May. 26: Mackay M. - Rockhampton 65-71
May. 26: Toowoomba - Townsville H. 60-72
May. 26: Maroochydore - Northside W. 59-75

SEABL

May. 26: Ballarat M. - Mt Gambier 97-78
May. 27: Dandenong - Mt Gambier 93-84
May. 26: Nunawading S. - Dandenong 82-98
May. 26: Knox R. - Bendigo B. 79-97
May. 27: Sandringham S. - Ballarat M. 79-58
May. 27: Bendigo B. - Kilsyth C. 78-62
May. 26: Kilsyth C. - Albury W.B. 75-81
May. 26: Canberra G. - Geelong S. 63-89
May. 26: Brisbane S. - Frankston B. 58-70
May. 26: NW Tasmania - Hobart C. 102-88

WARATAH

May. 26: Norths Bears - Colonial Hotel 92-71
May. 27: Colonial Hotel - Cent.Coast C. 88-96
May. 26: Parramatta W. - Maitland M. 73-71
May. 26: Sutherland S. - Sydney C. 61-77
May. 26: Illawarra H. - Cent.Coast C. 53-78
May. 26: Bankstown B. - Manly Warr. 48-76

Regular Season: Round 11

BIG V

Jun. 2: Sherbrooke S. - Diamond V.E.
Jun. 2: Hume City - Ringwood H.
Jun. 2: Eltham W. - Waverley F.
Jun. 2: Bulleen B. - Corio Bay
Jun. 3: Melbourne - Corio Bay

Central ABL

Jun. 2: S.Adelaide P. - N.Adelaide R.
Jun. 2: W.Adelaide B. - Eastern M.
Jun. 2: Woodville W. - Sturt S.
Jun. 2: C.District L. - South.Tigers
Jun. 2: Forestville E. - Norwood F.

QBL

Jun. 1: Townsville H. - Bundaberg B.
Jun. 2: Ipswich F. - Brisbane C.
Jun. 2: SW Metro P. - Northside W.
Jun. 2: Toowoomba - Maroochydore
Jun. 2: Cairns M. - Bundaberg B.
Jun. 2: Rockhampton - Gladstone P.
Jun. 3: Gold Coast R. - Ipswich F.
Jun. 8: Brisbane C. - Northside W.
Jun. 9: Cairns M. - Townsville H.
Jun. 9: Maroochydore - Bundaberg B.
Jun. 9: Mackay M. - Ipswich F.
Jun. 10: SW Metro P. - Bundaberg B.
Jun. 10: Gold Coast R. - Toowoomba

SEABL

Jun. 1: Hobart C. - Canberra G.
Jun. 1: Bendigo B. - Geelong S.
Jun. 1: Mt Gambier - Brisbane S.
Jun. 2: Frankston B. - Dandenong
Jun. 2: Sandringham S. - Nunawading S.
Jun. 2: NW Tasmania - Canberra G.
Jun. 2: Ballarat M. - Kilsyth C.
Jun. 2: Albury W.B. - Bendigo B.
Jun. 2: Knox R. - Brisbane S.
Jun. 3: Kilsyth C. - Dandenong
Jun. 3: Nunawading S. - Brisbane S.
Jun. 8: Hobart C. - Ballarat M.
Jun. 9: Brisbane S. - Geelong S.
Jun. 9: NW Tasmania - Ballarat M.
Jun. 9: Albury W.B. - Sandringham S.

WARATAH

Jun. 2: Maitland M. - Hills H.
Jun. 2: Sutherland S. - Norths Bears
Jun. 2: Toowoomba - Parramatta W.
Jun. 2: Illawarra H. - Colonial Hotel
Jun. 2: Cent.Coast C. - Bankstown B.
Jun. 2: Newcastle H. - Manly Warr.
Jun. 3: Maitland M. - Sutherland S.

David Andersen selected the top Australian playing abroad in last week's games - by Eurobasket Center

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

David Andersen

#1. This week's number one is former international center David Andersen (212-80). He led Montepaschi Siena to a victory over the eighth-ranked Cimberio Varese (17-15) 91-75 in the Italian SerieA in Wednesday night's game. Andersen was MVP of the game. He recorded 19 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 21 minutes on the court. Montepaschi Siena (24-8) is placed first in the SerieA. It's Andersen's first season with the team. Andersen has relatively good stats this year: 14.6ppg, 5.3rpg, 1.3apg, 2FGP: 53.0%, 3FGP: 42.0% and FT: 86.2% in the 33 games he played so far. He played for the Australian senior national team two years ago.

Brad Newley

#2. Second place goes to an international forward Brad Newley (201-85, agency: Beo Basket). Newley was the main contributor in a Valencia Basket's victory against the closely-ranked Lagun Aro GBC (19-15) 75-67 in the Spanish ACB last Tuesday. He was the best player in that game. Newley scored 17 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Valencia Basket (20-14) is placed fourth in the ACB. This season Newley averages: 6.7ppg, 2.5rpg, 2FGP: 56.5%(48-85), 3FGP: 38.7% and FT: 51.7%. He is in the roster of the Australian senior national team.

Andrew James Ogilvy

#3. The Australian player who performed third best last week abroad was an international center Andrew James Ogilvy (211-88, college: Vanderbilt) is a teammate of previously mentioned Brad Newley. But that was another game of his team in Spanish ACB which we would like to mention. Ogilvy contributed to a Valencia Basket's victory against the league leader Regal FC Barcelona (29-5) 81-76. He scored 13 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in a mere 15 minutes. It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. Valencia Basket (20-14) is placed fourth in the ACB. This year Ogilvy's overall stats are: 5.0ppg, 2.3rpg, 2FGP: 63.0%(51-81) and FT: 70.4% in the 24 games. He has a dual citizenship: Australian and Irish. Despite Ogilvy played previously for the Irish national team, he is currently a member of the Australian senior national team.

Joe Ingles

#4. Swingman Joe Ingles (203-87, agency: Priority Sports) helped Regal FC Barcelona win their game against the closely-ranked Valencia Basket (20-14) crushing them 84-57 in the Spanish ACB in Thursday night's game. Ingles recorded 9 points. 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. Ingles' total stats this season are: 5.6ppg, 1.5rpg and 1.7apg. Despite he played previously for the Irish national team, Ingles is currently in the Australian national team roster.

Aleks Maric

#5. International center Aleks Maric (211-84, college: Nebraska), who plays in the Greek A1 could not help one of league's weakest teams Panathinaikos (22-2) to beat Olympiacos (23-1). He did not have that impressive stats last Sunday. Maric scored only 3 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 9 minutes on the court. Panathinaikos lost 72-84 in a derby game to the leading Olympiacos. This year Maric's total stats are: 6.4ppg and 4.0rpg in the 29 games. He plays currently for the Australian national team.

Daniel Kickert

#6. Center Daniel Kickert (208-83, college: St.Mary's, CA) was the major contributor in a PGE Turow's victory against the third-ranked Zastal ZG (6-4) crushing them 95-69 in the Polish PLK on Thursday night. Kickert scored 12 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. PGE Turow Zgorzelec (2-8) is placed sixth in Group A. This season Kickert has relatively solid stats: 14.8ppg and 4.3rpg. Despite he played previously for the Dutch national team, Kickert is also an international player who is currently on the senior Australian National Team roster.

Steven Markovic

#7. Former international guard Steven Markovic (190-85) was not able to help Radnicki Kragujevac (10-4) in their game against Zvezda (9-5) in the Serbian A League. He scored 7 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and dished 3 assists in 20 minutes. The second-placed Radnicki Kragujevac lost 75-87 on the road to the lower-ranked (#3) Zvezda in the SuperLiga group. Markovic's team will play only one more game in the Second Stage. And that game will be critical. Markovic is currently sixth on the list of best passers with 4.5apg. He also averaged so far 7.0ppg and 2.0rpg in the 15 games. Despite Markovic played previously for the Serbian national team, he is currently in the Australian national team roster.

Zane Meehl

#8. Point guard Zane Meehl (191-86, college: Mid-Continent), who plays in the New Zealand NBL was not able to secure a victory for one of league's weakest teams Hub Jets (10-6) in their last game on Saturday. Despite Meehl's very good performance Hub Jets were badly defeated 104-88 in Auckland by the second-ranked Pirates. He recorded 15 points. Meehl has averaged so far 9.1ppg, 2.8rpg and 2.0apg. Despite he played previously for the New Zealand university national team, Meehl is currently in the Australian national team roster.

Miles Pearce

#9. An experienced former international center Miles Pearce (205-78) is a teammate of previously mentioned Zane Meehl and both played together in the last New Zealand NBL game. Pearce couldn't help one of league's weakest teams one of league's weakest teams Hub Jets (10-6) in their game against Auckland Pirates (13-3). He cannot count Saturday's game as one of the best ones. Pearce recorded only 2 points in 6 minutes on the court. Hub Jets were badly defeated 104-88 in Auckland by the second-ranked Pirates. Pearce has averaged so far 1.4ppg and 1.8rpg in the 17 games. He used to play for the Australian national team five years ago.

Zeke Meehl

#10. Guard Zeke Meehl (183-88) is a teammate of previously mentioned Zane Meehl. However that was another game of his team in New Zealand NBL which brought him to that list. Meehl couldn't help Hub Jets (10-6) in their game against Bay Hawks (13-3). He cannot count Sunday's game as one of the best ones. Meehl scored only 2 points. Hub Jets were defeated 80-71 at home by the leading Bay Hawks. This season Meehl averages just 3.7ppg. He is a former international player as nine years ago he still played for the Australian senior national team.

QBL Weekend Wrap-Up: Round 3 - by Eurobasket News

Toowoomba Mountaineers 63 def. by Townsville Flames 91 - USQ, Clive Berghofer Recreation Centre
Toowoomba held a short lead during the first quarter, before the Flames took hold of the match and managed to hold a 20-plus point lead from the end of the third quarter. Kisha Lee again top-scored for Toowoomba with 21 points, while Lisa Braunberger put up 17 points, with a number of the Flames also shooting double-figures.
Toowoomba Mountaineers 60 def. by Townsville Heat 72 - USQ, Clive Berghofer Recreation Centre
The Heat and the Mountaineers were fairly evenly-matched throughout the first half, with Townsville going into the halftime break with a one-point lead. The Heat left nothing to chance in the last two quarters with help from high-scorers Todd Blanchfield (200-F-91) and Cedar, the northerners gradually built a lead and kept Toowoomba at bay to take the win.

Mackay Meteorettes 61 def. by Rockhampton Cyclones 74 - Candle Stick Park
Rockhampton pulled out a fairly comfortable win over the home side, and led the entire match, despite strong performances from Mackays Jillian Haughton (179-G-92) with 19 points. Nicole Romeo and Chandrea Jones shone for the Cyclones, with 23 and 17 points respectively, to deny the Meteorettes a win at home for the first time this season.
Mackay Meteors 65 def. by Rockhampton Rockets 71 - Candle Stick Park
Much was hanging on this match, as the Championship-replay, but this time the tables were turned, with the Rockets managing to withstand a powerful Meteors outfit during a close match. Rockhampton managed to keep sharp-shooter Michael Cedar quiet on points compared to his previous performances, while the Rockets shared their points around with Williamson, Reed, Nasalo and Philp all hitting double figures, to hand the Meteors their first loss at home in 19 games.

Gladstone Port City Power 105 def. Bundaberg Bears 88 - Kev Broome Stadium
History repeated itself during this grand final rematch, with the Power proving too strong for the visitors, despite a concerted effort from the Bears. Yvonne Turner was against the top scorer for Bundy with 28 points, backed up by Maenpaa and Honnery, but their efforts werent enough to stop the Power. Gladstones core group of Hurst, Bibby, Neves and Haynes again pulled out all the stops to ensure the win, all scoring into the twenties.
Gladstone Port City Power 89 def. Bundaberg Bulls 78 - Kev Broome Stadium
Kevin Gaines was the star performer for the Power in their win over the Bulls, shooting at 83.3%, pulling 15 rebounds and contributing eight assists with just 29 minutes on the court. Willie Shackleford was just as impressive, despite the Bulls defeat, putting up 34points and a massive 21rebounds. Gladstone maintain a lead throughout the second half, and despite a late comeback from Bundy in the last minutes of the game, managed to hold off the Bulls to secure the win at home.

Maroochydore Clippers 57 def. by Northside Wizards 73 - Maroochydore Basketball Stadium
The Wizards took early control of the match, holding the lead for the rest of the match from just three minutes in. Taylor Lilley (168-G-88, agency: LBM Management, college: Oregon) was instrumental for Northside with 29 points at 63% in the field and 45% at the perimeter, along with six rebounds and four steals. Gabby Walk top-scored for the Clippers with 15 points.
Maroochydore Clippers 59 def. by Northside Wizards 75 - Maroochydore Basketball Stadium
The Clippers had the lead for much of the game, with Mitchell and McGlynn helping to push the score up. But Northside managed to get a hold of the lead just before three-quarter time, with Carter and ONeill helping to build the buffer that allowed the Wizards to secure the victory, Carter putting up a game-high 34 points.

Brisbane Capitals 73 def. South West Metro Pirates 49 - NAB Stadium
Brisbane got off to an early lead and by halftime were 30 points in front of the Pirates. They maintained their form throughout the remainder to eventually take the 24-point win. Helen Naylor was the Capitals top scorer with 25 points, while Maddy Willey put up 16 points.
Brisbane Capitals 94 def. by South West Metro Pirates 105 - NAB Stadium
It was a different story in the mens match, with Brisbane going into the first break with the lead, before the Pirates took over halfway through the second quarter. By three-quarter time South West had a 16 point lead and maintained the stronghold over the Capitals for the rest of the match, imports Barnes and Lippman putting up 24 and 20 points respectively, while while McCarron shot 25 for the home side.

Ipswich Force 78 def. Townsville Flames 71 - Cotton On Foundation Stadium
The Force were able to capitalise on a number of turnovers and errors from the Flames, to secure the match at home. Langford, Taylor and Payne contributed the bulk of the points for Ipswich, while Braunberger shot 19 points for Townsville. Ipswich Force 76 def. by Townsville Heat 80 - Cotton On Foundation Stadium
In what turned out to be a thriller of a finish, the Force held the upper hand throughout the match with solid performances from Fereti and Manson, and managed to keep a decent buffer between themselves and the Heat. With less than four minutes to go and 12 points ahead, Ipswich looked as though they had the game wrapped up. Suddenly, Townsville went into overdrive and with a stunning performance from Todd Blanchfield who scored 11 points in the last two minutes, the Heat pulled out 16 unanswered points to snatch the win from the Forces grasp, 80 to 76.
Courtesy of: qbl.basketball.net.au

QBL Player of the Week: Round 3 - by Eurobasket News

Todd Blanchfield (200-F-91) s exceptional contribution to Townsvilles come-from-behind win against Ipswich this week has earned him the Player of the Week award in the mens competition. With his team down by 12 points with three minutes to go, Blanchfield put up 11 of the Heats 16 unanswered points to take the match 80 to 76 in Ipswich on Sunday afternoon. Blanchfield drew three fouls in that time, his 100 percent success rate at the free-throw line helping get the Heat over the line. Blanchfield finished the match with 29 points and 14 rebounds during his 35 minutes of court-time. His performance is more notable given the Heat were coming off the back of a double-header round, with a victory over the Toowoomba Mountaineers the previous night. Blanchfield again top-scored for the match, contributing 19 points and 12 rebounds in the 72 to 60 point win.
The 20 year old signed with the Heat in 2011 following three seasons in the QBL with the Mackay Meteors, where he averaged 18.6 points per game in 2010. The forward was snapped up by the Townsville Crocodiles in the NBL in 2010 and extended his contract this year for another three seasons. Blanchfields average points per game in the NBL improved this season to 7.2 points per game, up on his 2011 average of 2.6. A former AIS Scholarship holder, he has also played for the Australian U19 Squad and Australian Schoolboys team, as well as the Under 16 and Under 18 Queensland North teams. Blanchfield was also named in the QBL All-League team in 2011.
Other first rate performances around the League in Round 3 came from; Kevin Gaines (14pts @ 83.3%, 15rbs, 8assts and 3stls) who made the most of his 29 minutes on the court coming close to a triple-double in Gladstones win over Bundaberg, Willie Shackleford (34pts @ 66.7%, 21rbs, 2blks, 2assts and 2stls) who was incredibly strong in Bundys loss to Gladstone, Zac Carter (199-F/G-89) who found form with his 3pt shooting (34pts with 9 from 13 3ptrs at 69.25%) for Northside in their win over Maroochydore, Kenneth Barnes (24pts at 69.2%) for South West who stood tall in their win over Brisbane, Travis Reed (14pts, 10rbs) and Brad Williamson (18pts, 10rbs) who both netted double-doubles for Rocky in the Grand Final replay and Mitch McCarron (190-PG-92) (25pts, 14rbs, 3assts, 1blk, 1stl) and Joel Ryman (30pts, 2assts, 1stl) who put in solid performances in Brisbanes loss to South West.
Courtesy of: qbl.basketball.net.au

Kirk Penney yearns to be a Breaker again - by Eurobasket News

Kiwi basketball superstar Kirk Penney (196-G-80, agency: Duran International, college: Wisconsin) says he'd love to play again for the New Zealand Breakers though any return to the club he guided to their first Australian NBL title is likely to be at least a year away.

Penney, who revealed last week that he was pulling out of the Tall Blacks shot at the London Olympics in July, is back home for a short holiday.

In an exclusive interview he spoke about how proud he was of the Breakers' latest triumph, how agonising the decision had been to withdraw from the Olympic qualifying tournament in Caracas, and also the yearning he still has to return and play for his hometown club.

'I would love to play for the Breakers again one day,' said Penney, who has just finished a season with Baloncesto Fuenlabrada in Spain's highly regarded ACB league. He averaged 14.4 points a game for the Madrid club, fifth best in the competition.

'It's a very special team,' he said of the Breakers. 'The fans understand it now, the players for a few years we've realised what's going on behind the scenes, what's being created. It's a very unique situation. I'm very proud to have played for them and I follow the Breakers as if I still play for them.'

Penney said he watched the deciding game of this year's epic grand final series against the Perth Wildcats in Madrid, and felt deep satisfaction that the club had continued dominating the league in his absence.

'I was so thrilled. It was hard to watch, Perth were really, really tough and, man, anything could have happened in that third game. To see them pull it out just says so much for the coaching staff and for the players.

'A big part of it is the culture in the team. When you leave you recognise it even more. It's just this awesome culture the players want to be part of, the players wives want to be part of, and the fans want to get behind. It's very, very special, and regardless of what players come and go, if you keep that culture and personality of the club, it's going to breed success.

'And, yes, you do miss it when you're not part of it any more.'

Penney felt the Breakers were in a great position for a title threepeat, regardless of whether they're able to bring back their outstanding import duo of Cedric Jackson and Gary Wilkinson.

'If you keep that culture, that humble approach and values, man, in life it breeds success. I'm sure they'll do a good job with personnel, they always seem to bring in good guys who are also very good basketball players.'

Ad Feedback The North Shore native also noted the sellouts at Vector that made the Breakers the hottest ticket in town. 'That's what my dream was when I was playing there, for them to enjoy that and experience it. Playing at Vector and having SkyCity as sponsor seems to have given it a real professional brand.'

Penney said it had been an agonising decision to pull out of the Tall Blacks' upcoming campaign that will culminate in the Olympic qualifying tournament in Venezuela (July 2-8), but after twice tearing his calf muscle in Spain he felt he had to prioritise his recovery.

'It's very important I'm right for next season. I'm a free agent and you just want everything to be in the right place before you go into your next contract.'

He is upbeat about New Zealand's prospects of earning a spot in London. 'The timing of it's really weird, in the very middle of everyone's off-season. I'm thinking no-one's going to be in great form and if we can find a good rhythm leading in, you just never know.'

The 31-year-old has no idea where he will play next year but is confident it will be somewhere in Europe. Wife Audra played professional volleyball in Madrid and wherever he ends up, the plan is for them both to secure teams.

He confirmed the NBA was 'off the radar' and a return to Spain was preferred. 'It's out of my control now. I've done my work and you just watch and wait.'

Courtesy of www.stuff.co.nz

NBL plans for Blaze inclusion - by Eurobasket News

The National Basketball League is planning around the Gold Coast Blaze participating in the 2012/13 iiNet NBL Championship season and will accordingly release a nine-team schedule in the next few days, Basketball Australia (BA) has announced.

The Blaze recently placed themselves into voluntary administration but following extensive consultation with the clubs appointed Administrator, Roland Robson from Aggs Robson, BA Interim Chief Executive Officer Scott Derwin says the NBL has instructed its clubs to plan around the Blaze playing next season.

Whilst the Administrator still has a lot of work ahead of him, he has given us the confidence to plan around including the Gold Coast Blaze in the competition next season, said Derwin. Although we cant be 100% certain of their participation just yet, we must allow our other eight clubs to move forward with their planning and membership sales. As a result, we will be revealing the 2012/13 iiNet NBL Championship schedule with nine participating teams, including the Blaze, in the next few days.

Clearly the club has a huge task ahead of it in order to prepare themselves in time for the season tip-off on Friday 5 October, and it will be vital for the Gold Coast community to rally behind the Blaze.

The Gold Coast market place is obviously exceedingly tough currently for professional sporting clubs, and all codes have felt the pinch. Nonetheless we believe that the Gold Coast area deserves to be represented in Australias national basketball competition and we will be working closely with the Administrator and the club to help them put in place plans to ensure their long-term viability.

Courtesy of NBL Australia

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AUSTRIA

CAMP LOTTO AND NEWS - by Aaron Mitchell

AM CAMPERS LOTTO TIME!!! FOR THIS YEAR WE HAVE A SPECIAL OFFER FOR THE FIRST 25 REGISTRATED CAMPERS. ALL OF THE FIRST 25 CAMPERS WILL BE PUT INTO THE LOTTA DRAWING ON THE OPENING DAY!! THE WINNER OF THE LOTTA DRAWING WILL RECIEVE A FREE AM CAMP REGISTRATION FOR 2013! ONCE AGAIN THE WINNER WILL HAVE A FREE CAMP NEXT SEASON. SO CAMPERS REGISTRATE SOON AND REMEMBER 'IF YOU WANT TO BE A CHAMP COME TO THE AM BASKETBALL CAMP'!! Also to the Klosterneuburg Dukes congradulations on your winning of the Austrian Championship. Another successful story was the success of Coach Roaul Korner of Den Bosh in Holland on their run to a championship. The NBA has reach the semi finals and promismes to be exciting . I think it will come down to execution and will to win. So until next time take care. COACH A

Korner wins Dutch Basketball Championship - Weissenboeck reaches BBL Finals - by Stefan Prager

Yesterday was a very successfull day for Austrian coaches abroad. Raoul Korner won the Dutch championship with his team Eiffel Towers Den Bosch. The Eiffel Towers beat the reigning champs ZZ Leiden on the road with 65:61 and decided the best- of- seven final series with 4 wins to 1. Korner managed to win the chip in just his second year in the Netherlands. It was his second national title after winnnig the Austrian championship with WBC Wels in 2009. Korner and the Eiffel Towers will compete in the Euroleague qualification round.

Meanwhile another Austrian coaching export made some headlines the same day. Stefan Weissenboeck , assistant coach for the Brose Baskets Bamberg, reached the BBL finals for the second consecutive season. Bamberg managed to sweep the Artland Dragons (where with Martin Schiller another Austrian is working as an assistant) out of the playoffs and will face ratiopharm Ulm in the upcomig finals.

Sharaud Curry wins ABL MVP trophy - Individual Awards Austria 2011/2012 - by Stefan Prager

After the season ending fourth game of the ABL Finals which brought a new champion with the Klosterneuburg Dukes the ABL presented the Austrian Individual Awards 2012.

Morris Curry (178-G-87, college: Providence) of the Gmunden Swans won the MVP trophy. He finished in front of Ramiz Suljanovic (206-F/C-79) (Klosterneuburg Dukes), Dan Oppland (203-F-84, agency: SportsTalent, college: Valparaiso) (Gmunden Swans), Jeremy Fears (196-G-85, college: Bradley) (Kapfenberg Bulls) and Aleksandar Djuric (Guesiing Knights). Curry started in all of the 41 games of the Swans and averaged 18.0 ppg and 5.0 apg while shooting 43.3& from the field.

Meanwhile his coach Matthias Fischer earned his secong Coach of the Year trophy after winning the award in 2010 for the first time. Werner Sallomon , coach of the Klosterneuburg Dukes, finished second. Robert Langer (Guessing Knights), Ante Perica (Kapfenberg Bulls) and Pete Miller (WBC Wels) followed on the respective spots. Fischer won the Austrian Supercup as well as the Cup in 2011/2012.

The Most Valuable Austrian Player (MVAP) as well as the Finals MVP trophy went to Christoph Nagler (196-G-84) of the Klosterneuburg Dukes. Concerning the MVAP Nagler finished in front of Davor Lamesic (203-F-83, agency: Interperformances) (WBC Wels), Aleksandar Djuric (Guessing Knights), Matthias Mayer (204-C/F-81) (Gmunden Swans) and the ABL Season topscorer Stjepan Stazic (199-G-78, agency: World Sport Agency) of BC Vienna.

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BAHRAIN

Muharraq claim basketball Cup - by Yousef Ahmed

MUHARRAQ last night claimed Zain Bahrain Basketball Cup for the fifth time with a resounding 80-65 win over holders Manama. In the deciding Game Three of the final playoff, held at Zain Basketball Arena in Um Al Hassan, Muharraq played one of their best matches and capped the 2011/12 season in style. American professional Chester Giles (211-F/C-85, college: Oregon St.) was again the main contributor to Muharraq's victory, top scoring with 20 points besides making several defensive rebounds which proved vital. Muharraq controlled most of the proceedings in a thrilling encounter, which was witnessed by a full-house supporting both clubs. The victory can also be credited to Muharraq's rising players Kadhim Majid and Mohammed Aziz, who came off the bench to score crucial points especially in the third and penultimate quarter.

Muharraq squad, managed by American tactician Charlie Parker, also comprised some of Bahrain's best local players like veteran Ahmed Malalla, Mohammed Abdulmajeed, Bader Abdulla, Ahmed Al Durazi and Ali Abbas.

On the other hand, it was probably the worst game for Manama this season, as they watched their bid to win the competition for a record 15 times go up in smoke. Darius Rice (208-F-82, college: Miami, FL) of the US was Manama's top scorer with 24 points, which was also the highest in the game.

But Manama, under their Argentinean coach Ricardo Daniel, were unable to match the composure and power of their opponents who put the scores beyond reach early in the fourth quarter.

Others spearheading Manama yesterday were Ahmed Aziz, Isa Ebrahim, Jassim Mohammed, Hassan Naorooz, Mohammed Al Durazi and skipper Mahmood Ghuloom.
Ahmed Al Mutawa (199-F/C-81, college: Broward CC) was the only other player besides Darius to show up for Manama the entire game, defensively and Offensively with 16 points 11 rebounds and 5 steals.

Honoured

Bahrain Basketball Association president and Parliament Member Adel Al Assomi honoured the finalists after the final at a prize-distribution ceremony which was also attended by senior basketball officials and representatives of both clubs.

Last night's finale got underway in an exciting fashion, with Manama scoring four consecutive points through Al Mutawa and Rice, before promising basketball star Al Durazi opened the scoring for Muharraq with a two-pointer. After going ahead 10-9 in the sixth minute with Al Durazi's three-pointer, it was Muharraq all the way as the team in red jerseys completed the 10-minute first quarter ahead at 14-11. The second quarter was the most interesting as Muharraq coach Parkrer was forced to pull out Giles after he committed his third foul. However, Muharraq put on a spirited show later on, extending their lead to 35-30, thanks to Majed who fired 13 points after coming onto the court.

Manama were hoping to bounce back in the third quarter, but Muharraq maintained momentum and stretched their lead to 19 points.There was no stopping Muharraq, who continued to dominate in the fourth and final quarter, putting up a solid defence and scoring from all over the court much to the joy of their fans. President of the Bahrain Equestrian and Horse Racing Federation and deputy chairman of the Bahrain Olympic Committee Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa led top officials in congratulating Muharraq on winning the title.

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BELGIUM

Stats Leaders - Division I

Points Per Game

Christopher COPELAND
  Aalstar
  (203-F-84)
  Avg: 21.8

1. Copeland, Aalstar	21.8
2. Bostic, Liege	16.7
3. Mallet, Spirou	15.1
4. Lojeski, Oostende	14.8
5. Haynes, Gent	14.1
6. Taylor, M.Hainaut	13.9
7. Black, Antwerp	13.7
8. Love, Verviers-Pep.	13.3
9. Jenkins, Gent	13.0
10. Freeman, Leuven	12.6

Rebounds Per Game

Jason LOVE
  Verviers-Pep.
  (206-F/C-87)
  Avg: 8.7

1. Love, Verviers-Pep.	8.7
2. Brown, Gent	7.9
3. Mejri, Antwerp	7.8
4. Young, Aalstar	7.1
5. Merriex, Verviers.	7.1
6. Mukubu, Verviers.	6.8
7. McLean, Leuven	6.8
8. Jackson, Aalstar	6.3
9. Booker, Oostende	6.0
10. Maras, M.Hainaut	6.0

Assists Per Game

Dominic WATERS
  Liege
  (185-PG-86)
  Avg: 4.1

1. Waters, Liege	4.1
2. Djordjevic, Ooste.	3.5
3. Bosco, Gent	3.4
4. Marnegrave, Leuven	3.4
5. Black, Antwerp	3.0
6. Slaughter, M.Hai.	2.9
7. Steinbach, Aalstar	2.9
8. Mallet, Spirou	2.8
9. Thompson, Verviers.	2.6
10. Bostic, Liege	2.6

Steals Per Game

Adeola DAGUNDURO
  Leuven
  (196-G-86)
  Avg: 2.5

1. Dagunduro, Leuven	2.5
2. Mukubu, Verviers.	2.2
3. Black, Antwerp	2.0
4. Bosco, Gent	2.0
5. Hopkins, Antwerp	2.0
6. Mallet, Spirou	1.9
7. Wilson, Antwerp	1.8
8. Muya, Liege	1.7
9. Maras, M.Hainaut	1.6
10. Bostic, Liege	1.5

Blocks Per Game

Salah MEJRI
  Antwerp
  (216-C-86)
  Avg: 2.5

1. Mejri, Antwerp	2.5
2. Riddick, Spirou	1.8
3. Jennings, Liege	1.5
4. Love, Verviers-Pep.	0.9
5. Booker, Oostende	0.8
6. Young, Aalstar	0.8
7. Nivins, M.Hainaut	0.6
8. De Zeeuw, Verviers.	0.5
9. Holiday, Aalstar	0.5
10. Vaughn, Antwerp	0.5

Charleroi celebrates 69-80 road win in Game One of the Finals - by Eurobasket News

Finals, Game 1: Telenet BC Oostende - Belgacom Spirou Basket 69-80 (0-1)

First game of the Belgian league Finals was played last night. Charleroi celebrated 69-80 road victory for 1-0 lead in the series. The format is best-of-five and second game is scheduled for Wednesday. Charleroi will be the host.
The guests trailed by 3 points at the halftime before their 42-28 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. 26 personal fouls committed by Oostende helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. Worth to mention a great performance of American guard Demond Mallet (186-78, college: McNeese St., agency: Higher Vision Sports) who helped to win the game recording 20 points. Georgian forward Tornike Shengelia (207-91) contributed with 18 points for the winners. Four Charleroi players scored in double figures. American power forward Brent Wright (203-78, college: Florida) answered with 13 points and 6 rebounds and the other American import forward Kennedy Winston (198-84, college: Alabama) added 12 points and 5 rebounds in the effort for Oostende. Oostende's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help.
Oostende was the regular season champion, but they lost the home court advantage last night. Charleroi was No.3 in regular season, despite they had the same record as Oostende and second ranked Antwerp (23-9). Charleroi is the defending champion from the last season. Actually, Charleroi won last four titles in Belgium.

Oostende: B.Wright 13+6reb+1ast, K.Winston 12+5reb+2ast, D.Buycks 8+1reb, D.Drobnjak 8+3reb+2ast, M.Lojeski 7+3reb+2ast, D.Lauwers 6+1reb
Charleroi: D.Mallet 20+4reb+2ast, T.Shengelia 18+3reb, C.Hill 16+3reb+1ast, C.Green 11+9reb+1ast, C.Beghin 8+2reb+1ast, J.Welsch 7+6reb+3ast

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BOSNIA

Bosnia and Herzegovina National Team 2012 - by Miljan Veskovic

Coach Aleksandar Petrovic (agency: Interperformances ) announced Bosnia and Herzegovina national team candidates for the 2013 European Championship Qualifiers:

1. Zack Wright (188-G-85, college: Central Mo.)
2. Nemanja Gordic (193-G-88)
3. Muhamed Pasalic (192-G-87)
4. Nihad Djedovic (196-F-90, agency: Beo Basket)
5. Nemanja Mitrovic (195-G)
6. Dalibor Persic (193-G-85)
7. Ivan Opacak (201-SG-80)
8. Ante Masic (200-F-85, agency: Interperformances)
9. Mirza Teletovic (206-F-85, agency: Beo Basket)
10. Edin Bavcic (210-F/C-84, agency: Beo Basket)
11. Nedzad Sinanovic (221-C-83)
12. Elmedin Kikanovic (211-C-88, agency: Beo Basket)
13. Ognen Kuzmin (215-C-90)
14. Jozo Brkic (211-F/C-86, agency: Interperformances)
15. Jusuf Nurkic (210-C-94)

Nihad Djedovic selected the top Bosnian playing abroad in last week's games - by Eurobasket Center

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

Nihad Djedovic

#1. This week's number one is an international forward Nihad Djedovic (196-90, agency: Beo Basket), who plays in the Turkish TBL. He could not help Galatasaray (25-5) in their last game. Despite Djedovic's very good performance the league leader Galatasaray lost 73-84 in a derby game to the lower-ranked (#4) Besiktas. He was the top scorer with 19 points. Djedovic also added 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 37 minutes on the court. Djedovic has relatively good stats this year: 11.4ppg, 2.9rpg, 2.3apg, 1.3spg, 2FGP: 55.4%(41-74), 3FGP: 33.3% and FT: 63.6% in the 12 games he played so far. He is currently a member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina senior national team.

Kenan Bajramovic

#2. Second place goes to an international forward Kenan Bajramovic (206-81). Bajramovic was the major contributor in a 2-point Banvit BK's victory against the closely-ranked Anadolu Efes (24-6) 73-71 in the Turkish TBL last Wednesday. He recorded 17 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and made 2 blocks. It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. Banvit Basketbol Kulubu (25-5) is placed second in the TBL. It was his team's eighth consecutive victory in a row. It's Bajramovic's first season with the team. This year Bajramovic has relatively solid stats: 11.0ppg, 4.7rpg, 1.7apg, 2FGP: 59.5%(103-173), 3FGP: 38.7% and FT: 70.8%. He is in the roster of the Bosnia and Herzegovina senior national team.

Marko Keselj

#3. The Bosnia and Herzegovina player who performed third best last week abroad was an international forward Marko Keselj (205-88, also represented by Beo Basket). Keselj contributed to Olympiacos' victory against the closely-ranked Panathinaikos (22-2) 84-72 in a derby game in the Greek A1 on Sunday night. He scored 10 points in only 11 minutes. It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. Olympiacos S.F.P. Pireus (23-1) is placed first in the A1. It was his team's 20th consecutive victory in a row. This year Keselj's overall stats are: 5.7ppg, 2.5rpg, 2FGP: 57.4%(27-47), 3FGP: 32.4% and FT: 72.7% in the 24 games. He has a dual citizenship: Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbian. Despite Keselj played previously for the Serbian national team, he is currently a member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina senior national team.

Mirza Teletovic

#4. Forward Mirza Teletovic (206-85, another player represented by Beo Basket), who plays in the Spanish ACB was not able to help one of league's weakest teams Caja Laboral (23-11) in their last game on Saturday. Despite Teletovic's very good performance Caja Laboral was defeated 73-64 on the road by the second-ranked Real Madrid. He was the top scorer with 16 points. Teletovic is one of the most experienced players in a team as it's his sixth year in Caja Laboral's roster. Teletovic is currently third on the league's list of top scorers. He has individually a very good season with high stats. Teletovic averages: 16.0ppg, 6.6rpg and 1.1apg. Despite he played previously for the Serbian national team, Teletovic is currently in the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team roster.

Mirza Begic

#5. International center Mirza Begic (217-85) was not able to secure a victory for Real Madrid (26-8) in their game against Caja Laboral (23-11) in the Spanish ACB. He recorded 9 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks in 20 minutes. But Real Madrid lost 71-81 at home to the lower-ranked (#3) Caja Laboral. Begic is currently fourth on the league's list of best blockers with 1.5bpg. This year he also averages: 5.7ppg and 4.2rpg in the 36 games. Begic is another player who holds two passports: Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenian. Despite he played previously for the Slovenian national team, Begic is currently in the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team roster.

Suad Sehovic

#6. Swingman Suad Sehovic (197-87), who plays in the Ukrainian Superleague couldn't help Budivelnyk (30-9) in their last game on Wednesday. Despite his very good performance Budivelnyk was defeated 99-85 in Zaporozhye by the lower-ranked Ferro-ZNTU (#5). Sehovic was the top scorer with 24 points. He also added 8 rebounds. Sehovic has reliable stats this season: 11.2ppg, 5.8rpg and 1.3spg. Despite he played previously for the Montenegrin national team, Sehovic is also an international player who is currently on the senior Bosnia and Herzegovina National Team roster.

Goran Suton

#7. International center Goran Suton (209-85, college: Michigan St.) led Cibona to a victory against the second-ranked Cedevita (11-3) 84-77 in a derby game in the Croatian A1 in Saturday night's game. He recorded 12 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in 28 minutes. It was the game of the round between two top 3 ranked teams in Group Championship. KK Cibona VIP Zagreb (14-0) is placed first in Championship Group. So far his team won all fourteen games in the Finals. This year Suton's total stats are: 10.0ppg, 6.6rpg and 1.3spg in the 17 games. Despite he played previously for the Croatian national team, Suton is currently in the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team roster.

Zlatko Jovanovic

#8. Point guard Zlatko Jovanovic (181-84, another player represented by Beo Basket), who plays in the Romanian Division A couldn't help Timisoara (21-7) in their last game on Thursday. Despite his very good performance Timisoara was edged in an overtime 80-78 on the opponent's court by the lower-ranked Ploiesti (#4). Jovanovic was the top scorer with 20 points. He also added 9 passes. This season Jovanovic has very high stats. He averages: 16.3ppg, 2.4rpg, 4.9apg and 1.1spg. Despite Jovanovic played previously for the Croatian national team, he is currently in the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team roster.

Ivan Opacak

#9. Former international shooting guard Ivan Opacak (201-80) contributed to an easy victory against the third-ranked KK Split (10-4) crushing them 96-70 in the Croatian A1 on Wednesday night. Opacak scored 14 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in 22 minutes. It was the game of the round between two top 3 ranked teams in Group Championship. KK Cedevita Zagreb (11-3) is placed second in Championship Group. It was his team's fourth consecutive victory in a row. Opacak has averaged so far 8.3ppg and 1.9rpg in the 18 games. Despite he played previously for the Croatian national team, Opacak is currently in the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team roster.

Vanja Plisnic

   #10. Power forward Vanja Plisnic (205-80, another player represented by Beo Basket), who plays in the Italian SerieA couldn't help Banco di Sardegna Sassari (20-12) in their last game on Monday. Despite his very good performance Banco di Sardegna Sassari was crushed 91-68 in Siena by the leading Montepaschi. Plisnic was the top scorer with 15 points. He also added 7 rebounds. Plisnic has averaged so far 8.6ppg, 4.3rpg and 1.4apg. Despite he played previously for the Serbian national team, Plisnic is also a former international player as three years ago he still played for the Bosnia and Herzegovina senior national team.

   #11. Former international center Stanko Barac (217-86) contributed to an Anadolu Efes' victory against the closely-ranked Banvit BK 77-72 in the Turkish TBL last Saturday. He scored 6 points in only 9 minutes. Barac has averaged so far 6.8ppg and 3.3rpg in the 31 games. Despite he played previously for the Croatian national team, Barac is currently in the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team roster.

   #12. International power forward Ramiz Suljanovic (206-79) contributed to a Xion Dukes' victory against the leader Gmunden Swans 68-56 in the Austrian A Bundesliga on Sunday night. He scored 18 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. This season Suljanovic has very high stats. He averages: 16.2ppg and 6.5rpg. Despite Suljanovic played previously for the Croatian national team, he is currently in the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team roster.

   #13. International center Drasko Albijanic (211-86) helped Ploiesti win their game against the eighth-ranked Timisoara 63-55 in the Romanian Division A in Wednesday night's game. Albijanic scored 11 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in a mere 16 minutes. Albijanic has averaged so far 8.3ppg and 4.4rpg in the 30 games. Despite he played previously for the Croatian national team, Albijanic is currently in the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team roster.

   #14. International swingman Veselin Petrovic (196-77, 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 last Monday. He recorded 7 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. Petrovic has averaged so far 6.9ppg and 3.3rpg. Despite he played previously for the Serbian national team, Petrovic is currently in the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team roster.

   #15. Former international point guard Vedran Princ (192-82) is a teammate of previously mentioned Ivan Opacak. He played also in the last Croatian A1 game facing Goran Suton (above) in the other team. Princ couldn't help Cedevita in their game against Cibona. He recorded 6 points in only 12 minutes. His team lost 77-84. Princ has averaged so far 3.9ppg, 1.3rpg and 1.1apg in the 14 games. Despite he played previously for the Serbian national team, Princ is currently in the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team roster.

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BOTSWANA

Standings

D1 Standings

1. Spartans		12-1
2. Cadets		8-3
3. Police		7-5
4. Troopers		7-5
5. Flames		6-2
6. Dolphins		4-3
7. BDF V		3-7
8. Bullets		2-8
9. Splinters		1-9
10. Saints		0-7

Regular Season: Round 12

May. 26: Flames - Police 76-64
May. 26: Flames - Troopers 55-42
May. 26: Splinters - Police 43-57

Regular Season: Round 13

Jun. 2: Bullets - Saints
Jun. 2: Police - Dolphins
Jun. 2: Flames - BDF V
Jun. 2: Dolphins - Saints
Jun. 2: Bullets - Police
Jun. 2: Splinters - BDF V
Jun. 2: Troopers - Cadets

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BRAZIL

Leandrinho Barbosa ends another successful NBA season - by Eurobasket News

The 2011/12 NBA season is over for Leandrinho Barbosa (190-PG-82) and his team Indiana Pacers. The Brazilian point guard appeared 33 times for the franchise averaging 7.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He was traded to Indiana in March from the Toronto Raptors. Barbosa played 42 games with the Raptors this season registering 12.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg and 1.5 assists. Leandrinho Barbosa and his Pacers reached Eastern Conference Semifinals, but were not able to avoid elimination against Miami Heat. The Big Three Team outplayed them 4-2 in the series.
Leandrinho Barbosa started this season with Clube de Regatas do Flamengo. He played 3 games with them in Liga Sudamericana collecting 17 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 4 apg. Barbosa spent 2010/11 season with Toronto and before that he was a member of the Phoenix Suns. In Brazil, he played for Bauru and Palmeiras.

Sao Jose/Vinac and Uniceub/BRB reach NBB Final - by Eurobasket News

Sao Jose/Vinac advanced into NBB Final. They shot down Flamengo 106:90 in the decisive fifth game of the semifinal series. Murilo Becker (210-C/F-83) stepped up with 32 points and 7 rebounds to lead the charge.
Sao Jose/Vinac poured in 44 points in the first half to establish a 7-point lead. The hosts stretched the margin in the third quarter. They accumulated an 18-point buffer before the fourth quarter. Flamengo erupted for 30 points in the final stanza but it was not enough as Sao Jose rolled to the victory. Fulvio de Assis (187-G-81) produced 20 points, while Dede Stefanelli (196-F/G-84) accounted for 16 in the win. Marcelo Magalhaes (199-F/G-75, agency: Interperformances) answered with 28 points for Flamengo. Guillermo Kammerichs (203-F/C-80) had 22 points in the loss.
In the meantime the defending champions Uniceub/BRB survived Pinheiros/Sky challenge and advanced into Final. Uniceub/BRB earned a decisive 81:68 road win in Game 5. The visitors built a 15-point lead ten minutes into the game and shielded well throughout the rest of the encounter. Welington Dos Santos (185-PG-81) came up with 20 points and 8 assists for Uniceub/BRB. Alex Ribeiro (191-G-80, agency: Interperformances) added 15 points in the victory. Paulinho Boracini (183-G-84) answered with 16 points for Pinheiros/Sky. Marquinhos Vieira (207-F-84) netted 14 points for the hosts.

Marcelinho Huertas selected the top Brazilian playing abroad in last week's games - by Eurobasket Center

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

Marcelinho Huertas

#1. This week's number one is an international point guard Marcelinho Huertas (191-83, agency: Edge Sports), who plays in the Spanish ACB. He could not help Regal FC Barcelona (29-5) in their last game. Despite Huertas' very good performance the league leader Regal FC Barcelona lost 76-81 on the road to the lower-ranked (#4) Valencia Basket. He was the top scorer with 17 points. Huertas also added 8 passes in 28 minutes on the court. It's Huertas' first season with the team. This year he averages: 8.3ppg, 2.7rpg, 3.5apg, 1.1spg, 3FGP: 42.3% and FT: 86.0% in the 38 games he played so far. Huertas has a dual citizenship: Brazilian and Italian. Despite he played previously for the Italian national team, Huertas is currently a member of the Brazilian senior national team.

Vitor Faverani

#2. Second place goes to an international center Vitor Faverani (211-88), who plays in the Spanish ACB. He was not able to help Valencia Basket (20-14) in their last game on Thursday. Despite Faverani's very good performance Valencia Basket was crushed 84-57 in Barcelona by the leading Regal FC. He was the top scorer with 19 points. Faverani also added 5 rebounds. Faverani's overall stats this season are: 7.9ppg, 3.9rpg, 2FGP: 57.7%(94-163), 3FGP: 27.3% and FT: 64.8%. Despite he played previously for the Italian national team, Faverani is currently a member of the Brazilian senior national team.

Tiago Splitter

#3. The Brazilian player who performed third best last week abroad was an international power forward Tiago Splitter (211-85, agency: Interperformances). He contributed to a 3-point San Antonio Spurs' victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder (47-19) 101-98 in the NBA on Sunday night. Splitter recorded 9 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in only 13 minutes. The San Antonio Spurs have a very solid 50-16 record this season. It was his team's tenth consecutive victory in a row. Splitter has relatively good stats this year: 9.1ppg, 5.0rpg, 2FGP: 61.9%(239-386) and FT: 64.6% in the 67 games. He is another player who holds two passports: Brazilian and Spanish. Despite Splitter played previously for the Spanish national team, he is currently a member of the Brazilian senior national team.

Leandrinho Barbosa

#4. Point guard Leandrinho Barbosa (190-82) was not able to secure a victory for the Indiana Pacers (42-24) in their game against the Miami Heat (46-20) in the NBA. Barbosa scored 6 points. The Indiana Pacers were crushed 115-83 in Miami by the Heat. This season Barbosa has relatively solid stats: 7.8ppg, 2.2rpg and 1.4apg. Despite he played previously for the Spanish national team, Barbosa is currently in the Brazilian national team roster.

Raul Neto

#5. International point guard Raul Neto (186-92) couldn't help one of league's weakest teams Lagun Aro GBC (19-15) in their game against Valencia Basket (20-14) in the Spanish ACB. He scored 5 points and added 4 assists in 22 minutes. Lagun Aro GBC lost 67-75 in Valencia to the higher-ranked (#4) Basket. This year Neto's overall stats are: 5.8ppg, 1.8rpg, 2.1apg and 1.1spg in the 37 games. He plays currently for the Brazilian national team.

Jonathan Tavernari

#6. Swingman Jonathan Tavernari (198-87, college: BYU), who plays in the Italian Lega2 (second division) couldn't help Tuscany Pistoia (18-10) in their last game on Thursday. Despite Tavernari's good performance Tuscany Pistoia was edged 85-84 in Scafati by the lower-ranked Givova (#4). He recorded 10 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. Tavernari's total stats this season are: 9.7ppg, 3.9rpg and 1.5spg. Despite he played previously for the Italian national team, Tavernari is also a former international player as he played for the Brazilian senior team two years ago.

Other top Brazilian players, who play abroad:

Fernando Andrade (206-C-95) plays for Regal FC Barcelona in Spanish ACB
Jeferson Froehlich (193-PG-91) plays for Real Madrid in Spanish ACB
Dimitris Sousa (196-G-94) plays for Montepaschi Siena in Italian SerieA
Anderson Varejao (205-C-82) plays for Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA
Hilario Nene (207-C-82) plays for Washington Wizards in the NBA
Joao Paulo Batista (207-F/C-81) plays for Le Mans in French ProA
Rafael Freire (188-PG-92) plays for Meridiano Alicante in Spanish ACB
Paulo Prestes (210-C-88) plays for Pieno Zvaigzdes in Lithuanian LKL
Sebastien Bellin (205-C-78) plays for Belfius Mons-Hainaut in Belgian Ethias League
Rafael Hettsheimer (206-C-86) plays for CAI Zaragoza in Spanish ACB

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

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BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

Pure Playaz too tricky for Hon. Frasers Rebels - by David Edole

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI Even with long time Basketball fan and sponsor, the Honourable Julian Fraser RA, in attendance, the shorthanded Rebels from Sea Cows Bay couldnt get their season going Saturday night May 26, 2012, finishing up with a 86-73 defeat to the Pure Playaz in the BVI Basketball Federation (BVIBF) Summer League.

The score at 11-11 was as close as the game got and that was early in the first quarter as the Playaz capitalised on the lack of reserves on the Rebels bench to play an energy sapping quick transition game.

The Playaz scored nine straight either side of the first quarter buzzer as the Playaz turned a three-point edge into a double-digit lead.

Despite a lack of replacements and with the urging of Hon.Fraser, the Rebels had one last chance in the 4th quarter as they made a 3-pointer to cut it to seven points. However, it was too little too late and the final margin of 13 points gave the Playaz a comfortable victory.

In other games, the Heat from Virgin Gorda proved too hot to handle for the ESHS Rams, but only just.

Although the final score was 34-30, the Rams missed a couple of key free throws and lost possession on a final attack just when it looked like they were capable of at least forcing overtime.

The evenings second game was an exciting encounter between the Young Gunners and the Skulls with the Gunners out shooting their opponents to win 81-79.

The fast pace of the Skulls attack caused problems all night for the Gunners defense, but also led to several turnovers and missed opportunities which allowed the Gunners to stay in touch with the score and eventually run out the winners.

The first quarter ended 19-18 to the Gunners, the second 37-36 and the third 54 each to set up a thrilling climax.

The Skulls went ahead by one with 30 seconds left, but then missed two free throws. From the resulting possession, the Gunners made no such mistake from the free throw line to secure victory.

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CANADA

Joel Anthony and his Miami Heat ready for Boston Celtics - by Eurobasket News

Joel Anthony (206-C-82, college: UNLV) and his team Miami Heat will meet Boston Celtics today in Game One of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. They eliminated Indiana Pacers with 4-2 in the Semis and Anthony had important role during the series. His best performance came in Game Three, when he scored 10 points. Joel Anthony averages this season 3.5 points and 3.9 rebounds. He gets more than 21 minutes per game. Anthony is a member of Miami since 2007 and in 2010 he signed a five-year contract extension. Joel Anthony is a product of the UNLV, where he graduated in 2007. He is active member of the Canadian NT since 2008. At the latest FIBA Americas in Mar del Plata, Anthony collected 5.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg and 1.7 bpg for six games. He played for Canada at 2010 World Championship in Turkey and also at 2009 FIBA Americas in San Juan.

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COLOMBIA

COLOMBIA FINISHED THE SUPER 4 WITH A 2-1 RECORD - by Victor Garcia

Colombia finished the Super 4 with a 2-1 record, after defeat the Chile National Team 82 75, coming back from a low start the National team took the lead in the second quarter and never look back, Stalin Ortiz again leaded the Colombian offensive with 30pts, John Hernandez had also a good night finishing with 12 points.
Chile had in Eduardo Sepulveda its best perfomer, Sepulveda scored 17 pts.

Colombia 82, Ortiz 30
Chile 75, Sepulveda 17.

Colombia, Venezuela and Urguay finished tied in points but Venezuela got the first place thanks to goal average.

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CROATIA

Bruno Sundov wins the title in Bulgaria - by Eurobasket News

Bruno Sundov (221-C-80, agency: Alti Sport) finished successful season in Bulgaria. The Croatian big guy and his team Lukoil Academik Sofia defended the championship title with perfect 3-0 win against Levski in the NBL Finals series. Lukoil grabbed 82-87 road victory last night to defend the trophy. Sundov helped his team with 7 points and 7 rebounds in this meeting. In Game Two, the center collected 12 points and 7 rebs for 28 minutes on the court. In Game One of the Finals, Sundov had 14 points and 3 rebs. Bruno Sundov joined Lukoil in December of 2010. He won two championship titles with them and also two National Cup trophies. Sundov appeared 36 times in the league this season averaging 12.6 points and 5.9 rebounds. In EuroCup, his numbers went down to 7.6 ppg and 3.6 rpg for 8 games. In 2011, Sundov was named Eurobasket.com All-Bulgarian League Bosman Player of the Year. He participated twice at the NBL All-Star Game.

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Leones SD tab Delonte Holland and Heissler Guillent - by Eurobasket News

Leones de Santo Domingo bolstered their roster prior to the start of LNB season. The defending champions brought in Delonte Holland (201-F-82, college: De Paul) and Heissler Guillent (186-PG-86, agency: Paris Global Sports).
Delonte Holland started the season in Argentina. The US forward played for Atenas Cordoba. His stats read 12.9 points, 3.0- rebounds per game in LigaA. Later Delonte Holland moved to Venezuela. He signed a contract with Toros de Aragua. The guard notched 23.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in LPB. Delonte Holland participated at Venezuelan LPB All-Star Game in 2012.
Heissler Guillent tipped off the season with Bucaneros de La Guaira in Liga Americas. The point guard tallied 10.3 points, 3.3 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game at the tournament. In March Heissler Guillent signed with Guaros de Lara. His stats read 15.6 points, 4.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game in LPB.

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DR CONGO

Christian Eyenga ends 2011/12 NBA season - by Eurobasket News

2011/12 NBA season is over for Christian Eyenga (199-G-89). The DR Congolese guard and his team Los Angeles Lakers faced with elimination in the Western Conference Semifinals. The Oklahoma City Thunder outplayed them 4-1 in the series. Eyenga joined Lakers in April. He appeared just three times for the franchise averaging 4 points and 1.3 rebounds. He started the season with Spanish team Joventut Badalona due to the NBA lockout. There he registered 7.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg for 5 games. In December he moved back to Cleveland Cavaliers and played 6 games for them. Meanwhile, Christian Eyenga was assigned few times to the Canton Charge and he also played 11 games for the LA Defenders. With them he had 7.9 ppg and 3.3 rpg. Season 2010/11 Christian Eyenga spent with the Cavs. It was his rookie year and Eyenga had 6.9 ppg, plus 2.8 rpg in 44 games.

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EUROCUP

BC Khimki announced it's first transfer of the summer - by Diamadis Farmakis

2012 Eurocup champion BC Khimki, will play in Euroleague next season and gets ready for that challenge, before the summer starts. The Russian powerhouse announced it's first transfer for the next season. We talking about the American center Paul Davis (211-C-84, college: Michigan St.), who arrives in Moscow to give more power (and points) to Khimki, in the paint, in both sides of the court.

Paul Davis is a dynamic 27 years old center, with a height of 2.11cm, who had previously drafted by the L.A. Clippers and played the last two years in Spanish team of Cajasol, with great statistic numbers. He averaged 14,1 points per game and 7,3 rebounds, in 31 games in the Spanish ACB league. Here is the analytic basketball bio of Paul Davis:

Paul Davis

Birthday July 21, 1984.
Position center.
Height 211 cm.
Weight 115 kg.
Entry to club since 2012

Sports career

Teams played:

2002-2006 Michigan State University (NCAA, USA),
2006-2009 Los-Angeles Clippers (NBA, USA),
2009 Washington Wizards (NBA, USA),
2010 Xacobeo BluSens Obradoiro (ACB, Spain),
2010-2012 Cajasol (Sevilla, ACB, Spain),
Since 2012 BC Khimki

Achievements:

2002 State of Michigan's Mr. Basketball (best player),
2003 U-18 World Championship in Greece (with USA National team),
2005 NCAA Tournament Final Four participant,
2006 selected by Los-Angeles Clippers in the second round (# 34 overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft,
2011 Eurocup finalis (Cajasol Sevilla),
2012 Spanish Cup (Copa del Rey) semifinalist (Cajasol Sevilla)

Average stats in ACB, Spain (season 2011/2012):

Games 28, Min 21.8, Pts 14.6, Reb 7.4, Ass 1.4, Stls 1.1, Blks 0.4

BK Ventspils Interested In Youngsters Roope Ahonen And Janis Timma - by David Pick

Latvian powerhouse BK Ventspils, who's coming off a 3-1 finals series loss to VEF Riga, is hitting the free agency market, looking to bounce back stronger and apparently younger, next season.

Eurobasket was informed that Ventspils administrators led by General Manager Ralfs Pleinics and Head Coach Gundars Vetra are hoping to acquire one of the two rising European talents, Finnish Roope Ahonen and Latvian Janis Timma.

Ahonen, a 6-foot-2 scoring point guard, began his pro career at 15-years of age with Salon Vilpas Vikings, whom he spent five years with in two different tenures. Last season, Ahonen recorded 13 points per game shooting over 41% from beyond the arc while grabbing 2.2 rebounds and setting a career high in assists with 3.1 dimes per game, significantly improving his court vision and decision making.

The 21-year-old guard represented Finland in the World University Games, posting 8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1 assists per game en route to a 5-3 record.

The other youngster who caught Venspils' attention is Latvian sensation, Janis Timma.

Timma, who celebrates his 22nd birthday in July, experienced many ups and downs throughout his professional career. The versatile 6-foot-7 swingman split last season playing for Liepajas Lauvas both in the domestic premier league (13.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game), and the Baltic league (9.2 points, 4.1 boards, 1.4 dimes and 1.1 steals per game), in addition to Lauvas' minor league team where he posted 13.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

Timma, a 2012 Latvian All-Star nominee, was recently awarded Eurobasket.com's All-Latvian League Honorable Mention award.

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EUROLEAGUE

Is this the fall of the Green Empire and the rise of the red one? - by Chris Mammides

After three games the 'tired' players of Panathinaikosare proving more and more that they are not the players and the team used to be the last decade. The Greens are tired and game by game are proving it strongly, last night in their worst game (their worst game in final round of the Greek league, the last decade) lost another the game from the talented youngsters of Olympiakos with 84-72 and the series is now to the 1-2 bringing the games in the green home court of OAKA, witht he greens to try and balance the series in order to play their do or die game in SEF at the end of the week.

Obradovic's greens seems to be in a low morale and low psychology the last couple of weeks and the one game won in OAKA by just a basket says a lot, even though the greens were running a difference of +16 and +10 few minutes before the end of the game, they were so near to lose it and that is a sign which shows quite easily the current status of the team. There is no winning spirit in the Green team, as it used to be during all the previous seasons. With no passion and no enthusiasm the team of Giannakopoulos brothers seems to simply wait for its destiny as already many players are ready to leave the team this summer (due to the new financial deductions) and a totally successful green circle comes to an end. There is no real help from Logan, Smith, Sato, Calathes brothers and Maric while the veterans Mike Batiste (203-F-77, college: Arizona St.), Tsartsaris, and Dimitris Diamantidis (196-G-80) seem to be helpless and lonely, Perperoglou and Kaimakoglou with Vougioukas are not steady players and the red defense is blogging them quite easy, while Jasikevicius after the game against the Russians of CSKA simply stopped playing productively.

The last good game played by the Greens was the one against CSKA in the Semis of the final four and it was lost (with the way it was lost...) and since then in all four games played after that (three against Olympiakos and one against Barcelona) the green team is showing so many negative signs and is obvious that it will need a small miracle to save the season with any other trophy than the Greek Cup won earlier this year in (probably) last season for many players and the coaching team with Panathinaikos.

The Green Empire is coming to an end and rumors are helping this faster as the behind the scenes news do take Mike Batiste in Spain (with Zoc), Calathes back in the States, Saras back to Lithuania and Logan in Israel. All these are simply rumors which could turn to be true quite easy, especially if Panathinaikos loses (for the first time in the last decade and in play-offs games) in its home court the 4th game of the series and the Greek champion changes hands to travel all the way to Piraeus and the reds with a 1-3 victories.

On the other hand, Olympiakos and Aggelopoulos brothers seems to become the new emperors in the sport (especially if Giannakopoulos brothers go home this season as they announced so) the reds after the magnificent game against CSKA and their second European trophy (the first one took place in 1997) beat quite easy both games in SEF and they are aggressive enough to even Dare to beat the Greens in their home court in their 4th in between game. The young players of Olympiakos, Kostas Papanikolaou (204-F-90), Katsivelis, Evangelos Mantzaris (196-G-90) and Konstantinos Sloukas (197-G-90) are not young any more as they are proving their temperament and passion in the court as after the European trophy they are playing more mature than ever, and against the green monsters Dimitris Diamantidis, Kaimakoglou, Mike Batiste etc the super kids are doing fantastic with the assistance of the old duet of Spanoulis and Printezis and the American passion of Hines and Dorsey, Olympiakos had build a team to be a protagonist for at least a decade or so.

The red empire has been developed through the financial crisis is more Hellenic than ever and is more powerful and passionate than any other time in the latest history of Olympiakos who used to have a powerful team at the mid 90s but with Serbs and Croats and not with Greeks, now is different! The path which was designed by the greens was copied and pasted by the Reds with the same success. In no time Olympakos kicked off all his NBA stars and hired the Greek super kids, that was it!! The passion, talent and the experience gained from all the European tournaments all these years for the Greek trio (Konstantinos Sloukas, Evangelos Mantzaris and Kostas Papanikolaou) brought the Reds to the success route and after the European trophy are ready to beat up and replace 3D and his teammates.
In less than five days we will be able to witness the replacement of the Green Basketball Empire with the Red one.. unless 3D has a different opinion which honestly we doubt it as it seems to be tragically alone.

So, is the end of the green empire and the beginning of the Red one? Stay tuned in a few days we will be able to know it.

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FRANCE

Cedric Gomez inks with Nantes - by Eurobasket News

Cedric Gomez (186-G-83) will continue his career in ProB. The guard has agreed on terms of contract with Nantes. He will sign a two-year contract with ProB side. Cedric Gomez had been playing for Poitiers since 2005. Last season the guard notched 1.4 points, 1.8 assists and 1.2 boards per game in ProA. Eurobasket.com named Cedric Gomez All-French N1 Most Improved Player of the Year in 2006. The same year the guard participated in N1 All-Star Game. In 2010 Cedric Gomez made it into ProA All-Newcomers Team. The guard also played for Brest in 2001/2005 seasons. He was N1 champion in 2006 as well as ProB champion in 2005 and 2009.

Cognac and Nicolas Kaczmarow part ways - by Eurobasket News

Nicolas Kaczmarow (204-C-83) is no longer a member of Cognac. His contract expired and will not be extended, according to the club. The French center appeared 34 times in NM1 this season averaging 6.3 points and 3 rebounds. He joined Cognac two years ago. Before that Kaczmarow spent two years with Longwy-Rehon and one with Mulhouse. He also has experience from Maurienne, Saint Quentin, Le Mans and INSEP. A year ago, Nicolas Kaczmarow won NM2 Group B title with Cognac. In 2008, he was named Eurobasket.com French N1 All-Newcomers Team. Cognac reached NM1 Quarterfinals this season. However, they failed against Charleville 69-79.

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FYR MACEDONIA

Damjan Stojanovski wins another trophy in Bulgaria - by Eurobasket News

Damjan Stojanovski (197-F-87) had another victorious season in Bulgaria. The FYROM NT member and his team Lukoil Academik Sofia defended the championship title with perfect 3-0 win against Levski in the NBL Finals series. Lukoil grabbed 82-87 road victory last night to defend the trophy. Stojanovski helped his team with 13 points in this meeting. He had 6 points in Game Two and 7 points in Game One of the Finals. Stojanovski joined Lukoil Academik in 2010. He won two championship titles and two Cup trophies with them. This season Stojanovski averaged 7.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 34 NBL games. He also added 6.6 ppg and 2.3 rpg for 7 games in EuroCup. Before Lukoil, Stojanovski played for Vardar Osiguruvanje Skopje.

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GERMANY

Stats Leaders - 1.Bundesliga

Points Per Game

Bobby BROWN
  EWE Baskets
  (188-G-84)
  Avg: 16.9

1. Brown, EWE Baskets	16.9
2. Tucker, Brose B.	16.2
3. Holston, Art.Drag.	15.3
4. Swann, Ratiopharm	15.3
5. Wood, ALBA	15.0
6. Jonusas, Phoenix	14.8
7. Ensminger, Teleko.	14.8
8. Homan, B.Muenchen	14.5
9. Carter, Phoenix	14.5
10. Bryant, Ratiopharm	14.4

Rebounds Per Game

John BRYANT
  Ratiopharm
  (208-C-87)
  Avg: 9.4

1. Bryant, Ratiopharm	9.4
2. Chubb, EWE Baskets	8.5
3. Homan, B.Muenchen	7.8
4. Ensminger, Teleko.	7.3
5. Zirbes, TBB Trier	7.1
6. Tucker, Brose B.	7.1
7. Troutman, B.Mue.	7.0
8. Watts, Ratiopharm	6.6
9. Evans, Goettingen	6.6
10. Ovcina, LTi 46ers	6.5

Assists Per Game

Jared JORDAN
  Telekom .
  (188-PG-84)
  Avg: 8.2

1. Jordan, Telekom	8.2
2. Holston, Art.Drag.	5.6
3. Brewer, Bremerha.	5.1
4. Everett, Bremerha.	4.9
5. Wood, ALBA	4.8
6. Brown, EWE Baskets	4.7
7. Hamann, B.Muenchen	4.5
8. Joyce, TBB Trier	4.4
9. Campbell, Walter T.	4.1
10. Bauscher, Goett.	3.9

Steals Per Game

Nate LINHART
  TBB Trier
  (201-F-86)
  Avg: 1.7

1. Linhart, TBB Trier	1.7
2. Kramer, s.Oliv.	1.5
3. Gibson, Fraport SKY	1.4
4. Bernard, LTi 46ers	1.4
5. Redding, Walter T.	1.4
6. Trice, Ratiopharm	1.4
7. Dorris, EnBW L.	1.4
8. Carter, Phoenix	1.3
9. Gaffney, Teleko.	1.3
10. Holston, Art.Drag.	1.3

Blocks Per Game

Tony GAFFNEY
  Teleko.
  (204-F-84)
  Avg: 1.8

1. Gaffney, Teleko.	1.8
2. Davidson, Fraport	1.7
3. Looby, EnBW L.	1.6
4. Ibekwe, Bayreuth	1.6
5. Homan, B.Muenchen	1.5
6. Pleiss, Brose B.	1.4
7. Bryant, Ratiopharm	1.3
8. King, Art.Dragons	1.1
9. Slaughter, Brose B.	1.1
10. Constantine, Phoe.	0.9

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

GREECE

HOLLAND

GasTerra Flames, David Bell part ways - by Fred Roggen

GasTerra Flames has reached an agreement with guard David Bell (186-G-81) to dissolve his contract, the club announced Today. GasTerra Flames has thanked David Bell (186-G-81) for his work in this season with the club and wish him luck in the rest of his basketball career. The American guard didn't play up to the expectations and he didn't have the best of relations with the fans of the Flames. Guard David Bell (186-G-81) averaging 13.7 ppg, 2.6 apg and 4.1 rpg in 36 games this season.

Eurobasket.com All-Dutch Eredivisie Awards 2011-12 - by Fred Roggen

Eurobasket.com All-Dutch Eredivisie 1st Team 2012

Boxley

Dourisseau

Jeter

Jansen

Wesley

Player of the Year: Seamus Boxley (201-F-82) of Leiden
Guard of the Year: Rogier Jansen (188-G-84) of Den Bosch
Forward of the Year: Seamus Boxley (201-F-82) of Leiden
Center of the Year: Tai Wesley (200-F-86) of Den Bosch
Newcomer of the Year: Gerald Robinson (203-F-84) of Zwolle
Most Improved Player of the Year: Leon Williams (183-PG-91) of Rotterdam
Rookie of the Year: Valentijn Lietmeijer (191-G-91) of Leeuwarden
Import Player of the Year: Seamus Boxley (201-F-82) of Leiden
Domestic Player of the Year: Rogier Jansen (188-G-84) of Den Bosch
Defensive Player of the Year: Jason Dourisseau (196-G-83) of Groningen
Coach of the Year: Raoul Korner of Den Bosch

1st Team
G: Jason Dourisseau (196-83) of Groningen
F: Seamus Boxley (201-82) of Leiden
G: Lance Jeter (190-88) of Leeuwarden
G: Rogier Jansen (188-84) of Den Bosch
F: Tai Wesley (200-86) of Den Bosch

2nd Team
PG: Frank Turner (178-88) of Den Bosch
PG: Thomas Jackson (175-80) of Leiden
PG: Cameron Wells (185-88) of Zwolle
F: Markel Humphrey (198-87) of Nijmegen
F: Jevohn Shepherd (196-86) of Leiden
F: Mark Sanchez (201-87) of Leeuwarden

Honorable Mention
Lucas Hargrove (198-F-88) of Nijmegen
Maurice Acker (173-PG-87) of Nijmegen
Tyrone Sally (201-F-82) of Rotterdam
Stefan Mladenovic (190-G-90) of Rotterdam
Robbie Harman (185-G-88) of Weert
Alex Wesby (196-G-80) of Groningen
Cameron Wells (185-PG-88) of Zwolle
Avis Wyatt (211-F/C-84) of Groningen
Peter Van Paassen (211-C/F-78) of Den Bosch
Arvin Slagter (192-G-85) of Leiden
Worthy de Jong (194-SG-88) of Leiden
Thomas Jackson (175-PG-80) of Leiden

All-Domestic Players Team
G: Jessey Voorn (193-90) of Groningen
G: Rogier Jansen (188-84) of Den Bosch
F: Stefan Wessels (203-84) of Den Bosch
F: Gerald Robinson (203-84) of Zwolle
C/F: Peter Van Paassen (211-78) of Den Bosch

All-Imports Team
G: Jason Dourisseau (196-83) of Groningen
F: Seamus Boxley (201-82) of Leiden
G: Lance Jeter (190-88) of Leeuwarden
F: Markel Humphrey (198-87) of Nijmegen
F: Tai Wesley (200-86) of Den Bosch

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

HUNGARY

A Division Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Justin INGRAM
  FS Debre.
  (185-PG-85)
  Avg: 24.6

1. Ingram, FS Debre.	24.6
2. Ciric, PVSK P.	22.0
3. Timberlake, Falco-.	21.1
4. Raivio, Kaposvari	21.1
5. Austin, Jaszberenyi	20.8
6. Ivosev, Szedeak	20.4
7. Schachtner, FS Deb.	20.1
8. Doyne, PVSK P.	20.1
9. Levy, Szedeak	19.1
10. Dramicanin, Jaszb.	18.8

Rebounds Per Game

Miklos SZABO
  FS Debrecen
  (206-F/C-86)
  Avg: 10.4

1. Szabo, FS Debrecen	10.4
2. Miskovic, Marso N.	9.6
3. Pantelic, Falco-Sz.	9.1
4. Fey, Kaposvari	9.1
5. Townes, Kormend	8.7
6. Raivio, Kaposvari	8.7
7. Ivosev, Szedeak	8.6
8. Bader, Szolnok	8.6
9. Austin, Jaszberenyi	8.1
10. Egemonye, Soproni	8.1

Assists Per Game

Laszlo KALMAN
  Falco-Sz.
  (186-G-72)
  Avg: 6.2

1. Kalman, Falco-Sz.	6.2
2. Simon, Albacomp	5.9
3. Wilson, Kaposvari	5.9
4. Ingram, FS Debre.	5.7
5. Trotter, Szolnok	5.6
6. Williams, Atomeromu	5.5
7. Fekete, Marso N.	4.6
8. Thomas, Soproni	4.5
9. Drahos, Szedeak	4.3
10. Hodges, Jaszbere.	4.0

Steals Per Game

Stefan FEKETE
  Marso N.
  (188-G-86)
  Avg: 2.7

1. Fekete, Marso N.	2.7
2. Drahos, Szedeak	2.6
3. Austin, Jaszberenyi	2.5
4. Ingram, FS Debre.	2.4
5. Trotter, Szolnok	2.4
6. Raivio, Kaposvari	2.3
7. Wittmann, Kecsk.	2.2
8. Toth, PVSK P.	2.2
9. Ivosev, Szedeak	2.2
10. Perine, ZTE K.	2.2

Blocks Per Game

Darian TOWNES
  Kormend
  (208-F/C-84)
  Avg: 1.9

1. Townes, Kormend	1.9
2. Pantelic, Falco-Sz.	1.6
3. Keller, Albacomp	1.4
4. Egemonye, Soproni	1.0
5. Levy, Szedeak	1.0
6. Morgen, Atomeromu	0.9
7. Ivosev, Szedeak	0.9
8. Chism, Albacomp	0.9
9. Miskovic, Marso N.	0.8
10. Fey, Kaposvari	0.8

Szolnoki Olaj defends the championship title - by Eurobasket News

Finals, Game 4: Szolnoki Olaj - Falco-Szova KC Szombathely 102-84 (3-1)

Szolnok defended the championship title in Hungary. They blasted Falco-Szova last night 102-84 in Game Four of the Playoff Finals. It means that Szolnok won the series with almost perfect 3-1. The hosts opened the game in style making 35-22 in the first ten minutes. They jumped to plus 23 at the halftime and later had no troubles to keep the comfortable lead. Quarters: 35-22, 28-18, 23-17, 16-27. Brandon Gay (203-F-82, agency: Edge Sports, college: San Diego) and Marton Bader (212-C-80, agency: Laszlo Vinko Group) were the leading players in victory with 19 points each. Akos Horvath (193-G/F-81) had 16, while Julien Mills (193-G/F-85, college: Ball St.) and Zoltan Trepak (210-C-77, agency: Laszlo Vinko Group) helped with 12 points apiece. In defeat, Chad Timberlake (194-G-84, college: Fair Dickinson) was better than the others with 25 points. Zsolt Szabo (202-F-86, agency: Laszlo Vinko Group) and Djordje Pantelic (204-F-84) netted 15 and 12 points respectively. Szolnoki Olaj was No.3 in the regular season with 21-5 record. They eliminated Kesckemeti in the Quarterfinals and Albacomp in the Semis, both with perfect 3-0. It is important to mention that Szolnoki already won the Hungarian Cup earlier this season.

Szolnoki Olaj: Brandon Gay 19, Marton Bader 19, Akos Horvath 16, Julien Mills 12, Zoltan Trepak 12
Falco-Szova KC Szombathely: Chad Timberlake 25, Zsolt Szabo 15, Djordje Pantelic 12

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

IBA

Standings

IBA Standings

1. Kankakee S.		10-2
2. Albany L.		10-4
3. L.Angeles L.		9-0
4. Chicago R.		9-4
5. Gary Splash		9-10
6. Kenosha B.		6-8
7. Lansing C.		5-7
8. Lake County S.		5-10
9. Battle Creek K.		2-12
10. St.Louis T.		1-0
11. Springfield E.		1-10
12. Malibu P.		0-1

Regular Season: Round 24

May. 26: L.Angeles L. - Malibu P. 122-99
May. 26: Lansing C. - Springfield E.

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

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.		7-2
3. Olympia R.		2-7
International
1. Edmonton E.		6-3
2. Portland C.		4-4
3. Nippon T.		0-1
Travel Team
1. S. Soldiers		2-6
2. Los Angeles		0-0
3. W.Coast H.		0-0

Regular Season: Round 10

May. 28: Bellingham S. - Nippon T. 155-101
May. 26: Vancouver V. - Nippon T. 153-119
May. 26: Edmonton E. - S. Soldiers 131-103

Regular Season: Round 11

May. 31: Olympia R. - Nippon T.
Jun. 1: S. Soldiers - Nippon T.
Jun. 1: Edmonton E. - Olympia R.
Jun. 1: Vancouver V. - Bellingham S.
Jun. 1: Orlando V. - Portland C.

Anderson's triple-double helps give Slam eighth straight win - by Kip Leonetti

The Bellingham Slam, thanks in part to a triple-double from guard Morris Anderson (6'3''-G, college: W.Washington), earned their second lopsided victory of the holiday weekend with a 155-101 win over the Japan Tornadoes on Monday at Whatcom Pavilion.

Anderson's triple-double, the first of his professional career, consisted of 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

The Slam stormed out in front early and looked interested in challenging the teams record for points scored in a game after posting 48 in the first quarter alone en route to a 84-54 halftime lead.

The Tornadoes, who suited just six players for the game, struggled to compete with the Slam throughout the night, despite receiving a big game from one of their import players, guard Jordan Mast (6'2''-G), who also posted a triple-double with 38 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists.

High scorer honors for the Slam were shared by guards Paul Hafford (6'4''-G-84, college: Portland St.) and Jacob Stevenson (6'4''-G-81, college: W.Washington), who each had 27 points.

The 38 points scored by the Tornadoes' Mast was good for game-high status, while guard Yasu Iijima added 33.

The Slam completed the first half of their regular season schedule with a 9-1 record, good for first place in the International Basketball League.

The Slam heads to Vancouver on Friday for a road game against the 2011 IBL Champion Volcanoes, before heading north to Blaine for a home game on Saturday, June 2 against the Salem Soldiers, the only team to defeat the Slam this season. Tip-off for Saturdays game is set for 7 p.m. at Blaine High School.

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

INDIA

63rd jr National basketball championship - by umashankar gowda

Karnataka lose to Kerala
Kerala 75 (Abhijith 29, Sreeraj 17, Sijumon 17,) bt Karnataka 68 (Karan 30, Rishi 14).
Maharashtra 79 (M. Shaikh 22, S. Malik 13) bt Uttar Pradesh 72 (A. Choudhary 15, R. Pandey 14)
Rajasthan 85 (M. Kaswan 27, S. Dinesh 26) bt Andhra Pradesh 53 (Naga Babu 12, Venkata Reddy 11)

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

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.	17.0
5. Hickman, Scavolin.	16.3
6. Green, Sidigas AV	16.1
7. Pullen, Angelico BI	16.0
8. Shakur, Novipiu CM	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.	7.0
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. Bourousis, Armani	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. Waleskowski, Tezen.	7.4
7. Borovnjak, Enel B.	7.2
8. Diliegro, Assi Ost.	7.1
9. Brooks, Fileni BPA	6.9
10. Kotti, Aget Imola	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. Marigney, Givova S.	3.3
8. Renfroe, Enel B.	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.	2.6
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. Gandini, Trieste	8.0
7. Benevelli, Orlandi.	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. Iardella, Fabriano	2.9
3. Guarino, Ferentino	2.9
4. Bertolazzi, Omegna	2.9
5. Rivali, Santarcang.	2.8
6. Rossi, Chieti	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

Playoffs semifinals : Siena downs Sassari. It's 1-0 - by Giovanni Bargna

A good start for the defending champs in the first game of the semifinals as they defeated Sassari 91-68.
Montepaschi Siena got to the semifinals by downing Varese in the quarterfinal series for 3 - 1 and met Banco di Sardegna Sassari, the the most surprising outsider of the whole tournament. Coach Meo Sacchetti's team is doing a great job at its second season ever in the italian Serie A. They reached the fourth spot in the standings in the regular season and then won the quarterfinal series against bologna with an unexpected 3 - 0.
Game one took place at the Palaestra and Siena brought the game on its way in the second period. In a quite balanced first quarter the home team got a 2-point lead almost at the buzzer with a triple sank by Bo McCalebb and then never looked back and won all of the single periods keeping on increasing the gap.
For the home side there was an outstanding performance of lithuanian center Ksistof Lavrinovic (210-C-79) who scored 19 points and added 9 rebounds. Then point guard McCalebb gave a great contribution with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
Sassari had points from Vanja Plisnic and a good effort from cousins Diener, Hosley and Easley.

MONTEPASCHI SIENA - BANCO DI SARDEGNA SASSARI 91-68 (23-21, 31-17, 18-14, 19-16)
Siena : Lavrinovic 19, Moss 13, Zisis 13, McCalebb 12
Sassari : Plisnic 15, Diener D. 12, Hosley 10

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

LBQ

Standings

LBQ Standings

1. Seigneurs		9-0
2. Revolution		6-1
3. Monteregie		2-4
4. Jaguars		2-6
5. Page-Dynamo		0-8

Regular Season: Round 10

May. 27: Seigneurs - Jaguars 85-70
May. 27: Monteregie - Revolution 58-103

Regular Season: Round 11

Jun. 1: Monteregie - Page-Dynamo
Jun. 2: Revolution - Seigneurs

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

LEBANON

Riyadi inks Ahmad Ibrahim from Rice University !! - by Rabih Khoury

The Lebanese best prospect player, Ahmad Ibrahim (201-G/F-92), decided to opt out of the NCAA and join the Lebanese League. Ahmad left Rice University after just his freshman year where he had a great season and averaged in 31 games: 6.1ppg, 1.9rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 41.2%, 3PT: 30.8%, FT: 71.0%. Ahmad signed a 4 years deal with Riyadi and was considered the biggest deal in history for such a young player. Ibrahim will be a great add to the team that lost the championship this year after having 7 straight wins !!

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

MEXICO

CIBACOPA Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Devon PEARSON
  Los M.
  (198-F-84)
  Avg: 27.7

1. Pearson, Los M.	27.7
2. Reese, Tepic	24.4
3. Scott, Los Mochis	23.4
4. Thomas, Cananea	22.6
5. McCullough, Nogales	22.3
6. Robinson, Culiacan	21.9
7. Alexander, Cananea	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.	10.3
3. Alexander, Cananea	10.1
4. Selleaze, Navolato	8.4
5. Scott, Los Mochis	8.2
6. Sanders-F., Nogales	8.2
7. Robinson, Culiacan	7.8
8. Habel, Guaymas	7.6
9. Moore, Navolato	7.6
10. Strobbe, Nogales	7.4

Assists Per Game

William FUNN
  Los Mochis
  (188-G-82)
  Avg: 9.1

1. Funn, Los Mochis	9.1
2. Allen, Guaymas	7.4
3. Taylor, Los Mochis	5.8
4. Monreal, Hermosillo	5.6
5. Harris, Cananea	4.6
6. Nungaray, Guaymas	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. Hamilton, Hermosil.	2.0
2. George, Nogales	1.8
3. Gibson, Navolato	1.6
4. Riley, Tepic	1.5
5. Monreal, Hermosillo	1.4
6. Thomas, Cananea	1.4
7. Carter, Guasave	1.3
8. Buelna, Guasave	1.3
9. Toussaint, Los M.	1.3
10. Gale, Nogales	1.3

Blocks Per Game

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

1. Riley, Tepic	3.5
2. Habel, Guaymas	1.3
3. Zamora, Culiacan	1.3
4. Wiley, Los Mochis	1.0
5. Alexander, Cananea	0.9
6. Young, Tepic	0.9
7. Davis, Nogales	0.8
8. Robinson, Culiacan	0.8
9. Scott, Los Mochis	0.8
10. Tate, Tijuana	0.7

Tijuana and Los Mochis advance to CIBACOPA Semifinals - by Eurobasket News

Tijuana and Los Mochis are the first two teams who advanced to CIBACOPA Semifinals. They eliminated Guasave and Cananea with perfect 4-0 in the series. In Game Four, Tijuana cruised past Guasave as a guest to comfortable 76-96 win. Los Mochis had to work much harder against Cananea, but managed to registered 105-110 OT win at the end. Tijuana now waits for the winner of Hermosillo - Culiacan series. Hermosillo currently has 3-1 lead and they are one win away from the Semis. Los Mochis will play against Guaymas. It will be another best-of-seven series.

Guasave - Tijuana 76-96 (0-4 win)
The game was mostly controlled by Tijuana Zonkeys. Frayles de Guasave was better in fourth quarter 19-17. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They outrebounded Frayles de Guasave 48-30 including a 15-4 advantage in offensive rebounds. Tijuana Zonkeys looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. The game was dominated by American players. Power forward Robert Hornsby (196-F/C-82, college: Troy) fired 16 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists for the winners. Swingman Marcus Morrison (198-84, college: Middle Tenn.St.) chipped in 19 points and 7 rebounds. Five Tijuana Zonkeys players scored in double figures. Tijuana Zonkeys' coach Luis Lopez used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Guard Russell Carter (196-85, college: Notre Dame) produced 20 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists and point guard MaJic Dorsey (185-81, college: S.Indiana, agency: Court Side) added 20 points respectively for lost side.
Top scorers:
Guasave: M.Dorsey 20+2ast, R.Carter 20+5reb+6ast, G.Giron 10+8reb+3ast, J.Acosta 9+3ast, H.Fuller 7+8reb, R.Castaneda 5+1reb
Tijuana: M.Morrison 19+7reb+2ast, C.Tate 17+6reb+1ast, R.Hornsby 16+9reb+7ast, E.Medina 16+6reb+3ast, L.Rodriguez Sainz 13+2reb+1ast, L.Ramirez 7+4reb+3ast

Cananea - Los Mochis 105-110 OT (0-4 win)
Mineros de Cananea was tied after three quarters and then recorded another tie at the end of regular time. They were eventually defeated in overtime 9-14s. Pioneros Los Mochis made 23-of-27 free shots (85.2 percent) during the game. The game was dominated by American players. Forward Devon Pearson (198-84, college: SMU) fired a double-double by scoring 35 points (!!!) and 13 rebounds for the winners. Guard William Funn (188-82, college: Portland St.) chipped in a double-double by scoring 20 points and 13 assists. Funn is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. Forward Derek Thomas (193-84, college: Appalachian St.) produced 30 points and 9 rebounds and forward Rodney Alexander (201-87, college: Oklahoma City) added 18 points and 11 rebounds respectively for lost side. Five Pioneros Los Mochis and four Mineros de Cananea players scored in double figures. Mineros de Cananea's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help.
Top scorers:
Cananea: D.Thomas 30+9reb+1ast, F.Harris 19+5reb+5ast, R.Alexander 18+11reb+1ast, C.Moore 16+8reb+2ast, J.Casillas 9+2reb, J.Arturo Farrera Chantiri 6+2reb+1ast
Los Mochis: D.Pearson 35+13reb+1ast, E.Cuen 23+4reb+2ast, W.Funn 20+2reb+13ast, S.Scott 15+5reb+1ast, L.Felipe Diaz 11+1reb, E.Hare 4+3reb

Guaymas eliminate Nogales, head to CIBACOPA Semis - by Eurobasket News

Quarterfinals, Game 5: Nogales - Guaymas 71-108 (1-4 win)

Fifth game of the CIBACOPA Quarterfinals between Nogales and Guaymas was played last night. Visitors destroyed Nogales with huge 71-108 winning the series with almost perfect 4-1. It means that Guaymas advanced to the Semifinals, where they will take on Los Mochis. It will be another best-of-seven series. Guaymas will have a home court advantage in this series.
The game was mostly controlled by Ostioneros de Guaymas. Fuerza Guinda Nogales managed to win third quarter 22-19. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Ostioneros de Guaymas dominated down low during the game scoring 68 of its points in the paint compared to Fuerza Guinda Nogales' 36. The best player for the winners was American point guard Myron Allen (182-PG-79, college: Lee JC) who scored 24 points and 7 assists. His fellow American import guard Haakim Johnson (201-87, college: Pikeville) chipped in 14 points and 5 rebounds. Four Ostioneros de Guaymas players scored in double figures. Ostioneros de Guaymas' coach LaSelle Taylor felt very confident that he used 11 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American swingman O'Louis McCullough (198-82, college: Francis Marion) produced 25 points and international forward Michael Strobbe (201-85) added 11 points and 7 rebounds respectively for the hosts.
Guaymas was the second ranked team of CIBACOPA regular season with 27-11 record. Los Mochis was No.4 with 19-19. Tijuana also advanced to the Semis, but they still wait to get the rival. It will most probably be Hermosillo, who has 3-1 lead against Culiacan.

Nogales: O.McCullough 25+4reb+1ast, B.Heredia 13+3reb, M.Strobbe 11+7reb+1ast, V.Rojo 6, R.George 6+1reb+1ast, J.Mercado 5+2reb+1ast
Guaymas: M.Allen 24+2reb+7ast, H.Johnson 14+5reb+3ast, J.Habel 13+8reb+1ast, J.Sanchez 13, R.Benitez 13+2reb, H.Carrillo 8+2reb+1ast

Hermosillo completes CIBACOPA Semifinals picture - by Eurobasket News

Quarterfinals, Game 5: Culiacan - Hermosillo 92-106 (1-4)

Game Five of the CIBACOPA Quarterfinals between Culiacan and Hermosillo was played last night. Visitors registered 92-106 victory closing the series with almost perfect 4-1. It means that Hermosillo advanced to the Semifinals, while the season is over for Culiacan.
The game was mostly controlled by Rayos de Hermosillo. Caballeros de Culiacan managed to win second period 26-24. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Rayos de Hermosillo made 19-of-25 free shots (76.0 percent) during the game. They shot the lights out from three sinking 13 long-distance shots on high 56.5 percentage. The best player for the winners was point guard Steve Monreal (180-PG-86, college: CS Monterey) who scored 26 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. American forward Patrick Sanders (198-F-85, college: Cal-Irvine) chipped in 25 points. American forward Rob Robinson (203-F-87, agency: SDJ Sports, college: Robert Morris) produced 31 points and 9 rebounds (on 14-of-16 shooting from the field) and the other American import swingman Rene Rougeau (198-G/F-86, agency: ProSportsCareers, college: UNLV) added 18 points and 6 assists respectively for the hosts. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures.
Hermosillo was the regular season champion in CIBACOPA. They registered 34 wins and only 4 defeats. In the Semis, Hermosillo will meet Tijuana. It will be another best-of-seven series and first game is scheduled for Friday. Hermosilo will have a home court advantage in the series.

Culiacan: R.Robinson 31+9reb+1ast, R.Rougeau 18+4reb+6ast, V.Avila 15+6reb+2ast, R.Navarro 12+1reb+5ast, J.Gonzalez 10+2reb+1ast, L.Lopez 4
Hermosillo: S.Monreal 26+6reb+5ast, P.Sanders 25+1reb, B.Hamilton 15+5reb+5ast, J.Camacho 12+6reb+1ast, E.Little 10+8reb+1ast, J.Manuel Esteva 9+2reb+3ast

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

MONTENEGRO

Nikola Vucevic ends his rookie NBA season - by Eurobasket News

The 2011/12 season is over for Nikola Vucevic (208-F-90, college: USC) and his team Philadelphia 76ers. The Montenegrin NT member had very successful rookie year averaging 5.5 points and 4.8 rebounds for 52 games. His season-high was 18 points against the Houston Rockets. Philadelphia reached Eastern Conference Semifinals, but failed against Boston Celtics (3-4). Nikola Vucevic started the season with Buducnost Podgorica due to NBA lockout. He played 10 Adriatic league games for them registering 16.9 ppg and 9.7 rpg. Vucevic also added 16.8 ppg and 7 rpg in 4 EuroCup games. Nikola Vucevic graduated at the University of Southern California something more than a year ago. He shined with 17.1 ppg and 10.3 rpg as a senior. Vucevic is active member of the Montenegrin National Team since 2010.

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

NAIA

Marygrove Mustangs Sign Local Standout Jerome Wheeler - by Stephan Ditgens

DETROIT, Mich. -- the Mustangs announced the signing of their ninth commit of the 2012 class. This time, Coach Dave Sichterman and the Mustangs did not have to travel far as they made the trek down the road to sign Jerome Wheeler from Renaissance High School.

Wheeler, a 6'1' guard/forward, will be heading to Marygrove after enjoying much success at the prep level under the guidance of the highly-respected Renaissance Phoenix coaching staff. Recently, Wheeler is fresh off a senior campaign in which he helped lead the Phoenix to a PSL Westside Championship to conclude the 2011-12 season. The talented wing player also played two years for the well-known Motor City Magic AAU team.

At Marygrove, Wheeler plans on majoring in Business with a concentration in Finance.

Coach Sichterman on Wheeler: Jerome is coming to us from an excellent program at Renaissance High School. He is another great product of the Renaissance system and we will work to continue his development at the collegiate level. He is deceptively athletic, mostly because he plays left-handed, and has the ability to provide instant offense. Jerome is the first men's basketball recruit from Renaissance to join our program and we are happy to have a local product as a part of our plans for the next four years. I look forward to coaching Jerome and the rest of our 2012 class next season.

courtesy of marygrovemustangs.com

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

NBA

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Kobe BRYANT
  LA Lakers
  (198-G-78)
  Avg: 28.2

1. Bryant, LA Lakers	28.2
2. Durant, Oklah.Ci.	27.9
3. James, Miami Heat	27.5
4. Love, Minnesota T.	26.0
5. Westbrook, Oklah..	23.6
6. Anthony, New Y.	23.1
7. Wade, Miami Heat	22.4
8. Nowitzki, Dallas M.	22.0
9. Rose, Chicago B.	21.9
10. Aldridge, Portlan.	21.7

Rebounds Per Game

Dwight HOWARD
  Orlando M.
  (211-C-85)
  Avg: 14.5

1. Howard, Orlando M.	14.5
2. Love, Minnesota T.	13.4
3. Bynum, LA Lakers	11.7
4. Humphries, New J.	11.0
5. Cousins, Sacramen.	11.0
6. Gasol, LA Lakers	10.3
7. Griffin, LA Clipp.	10.3
8. Gortat, Phoenix	10.0
9. Smith, Atlanta H.	9.9
10. Chandler, New Y.	9.8

Assists Per Game

Rajon RONDO
  Boston C.
  (185-PG-86)
  Avg: 11.7

1. Rondo, Boston C.	11.7
2. Nash, Phoenix Suns	10.7
3. Paul, LA Clippers	8.9
4. Calderon, Toron.	8.8
5. Williams, New J.	8.7
6. Rubio, Minnesot.	8.2
7. Wall, Washington W.	8.0
8. Rose, Chicago B.	7.9
9. Parker, San A.	7.6
10. Conley, Memphis G.	6.7

Steals Per Game

Chris PAUL
  LA Clippers
  (183-PG-85)
  Avg: 2.5

1. Paul, LA Clippers	2.5
2. Rubio, Minnesot.	2.2
3. Conley, Memphis G.	2.1
4. Rondo, Boston C.	1.9
5. James, Miami Heat	1.9
6. Kidd, Dallas M.	1.8
7. Millsap, Utah Jazz	1.8
8. Allen, Memphis G.	1.7
9. Iguodala, Philadel.	1.7
10. Shumpert, New Y.	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Serge IBAKA
  Oklah.Ci.
  (208-C/F-89)
  Avg: 3.6

1. Ibaka, Oklah.Ci.	3.6
2. McGee, Washingt.	2.5
3. Howard, Orlando M.	2.1
4. Bynum, LA Lakers	2.1
5. Hibbert, Indiana P.	2.1
6. Jordan, LA Clippers	2.0
7. McGee, Denver N.	2.0
8. Gasol, Memphis G.	1.9
9. Biyombo, Charlott.	1.8
10. Udoh, Golde S.	1.7

Miami V.S. Boston Game 1: Ghosts of 1991 - by Robert Pate

There have been plenty surprises, hard fought games, last second shots and even heroic performances in the 2012 NBA Playoffs. But this is the first series that has emerged with that same old feel, as the young, brash, upstart Chicago Bulls, colliding with the crafty, veteran laden Detroit Pistons. Looking for validation. Looking for the torch to be passed. Detroit was older, and felt it might be their last battle together, but still had something to prove. The truth was, most fans, coaches, and players doubted the new evolution of the Bulls, and maintained that Detroit would always hold just enough of an edge psychologically and physically, and that their bench was just too strong.

Many similarities are staring us in the face for the #2 seed Miami Heat V.S. the #5 seed Boston Celtics, and the epic 1991 Bulls V.S. Pistons Battle.

1)Kevin Garnett has been nothing short of amazing since his move to the five, which is great for Boston who has been punished in the post since losing Kendrick Perkins. They look to him to set the physical tempo. But tonight in game 1, while he passed Dirk Nowitzki for #22 on the All Time Most Playoff Rebounds list tonight, we didnt see KG come out and make his physical presence felt. If he is to lead them past this young, brash Heat group, he must Channel the KG that defied logic and reason as a rookie. He must turn up the intensity.

2)Rajon Rondo emerged in his rookie season as the eyes and legs of the Boston Celtics. He sets the game tempo, the way Garnett sets the physical tempo. He has shown he is a Champion and a Leader. But now he must show he can carry the whole team, opposed to solely being the glue guy that guides the ship. Without huge triple-doubles, which Rondo didnt get close to in Game 1, they are fighting an up-hill battle.

3)Ray Allen has been in trade and retirement rumors for 3 years. Ankle injuries had forced him out of the starting line-up to the bench as a sixth man, and almost certain ankle surgery in the post-season. But hobbled he is back into the starting line-up again to replace injured Avery Bradley in Game 1. We saw the heart of a warrior, but also the ankles that would show him struggle to get up on his toes when missing 2 of 3 free-throws and leaving his jump shots flat.

4)Paul Pierce (AKA 'The Truth) has been the Celtics closer and center piece since he was gifted to the team. He is the Captain of the ship, and was the lead building block when deciding to put the original Big 3 together. But now an aging Paul Pierce is suffering from a severely sprained knee and noticeably having problems creating space when trying to find his shot with James, Battier and even the injured Mike Miller in close pursuit.

The Miami Heat have young, brash All-Stars that have shown a hunger to prove the skeptics wrong and get passed the original Big 3:

1)LeBron James was jokingly greeted to by Heat coach Erik Spoelstra as, 'My One through the Five', instead of by his name upon passing by the weight room where James was during the Pacers series. James had an MVP Caliber season, and an even better Playoff run so far. Now as we have seen in game 1, it will be his job to guard everyone from Rajon Rondo, to Kevin Garnett while containing 'The Truth', which he held to 5 of 18 shooting on the night.

2)Dwyane Wade has had knee troubles we know, even fluid drained to be able to keep playing. He had such bad shooting performances during that stretch, his heart and passion for the game were even in question. But, in back to back performances he dispelled those thoughts and helped propel the Heat passed the Pacers. Tonight in Game 1, Wade came out flat, but stayed with it and didn't check-out. He found a rhythm and looked for his teammates the whole night. He lead the Heat in assists, and fought for lose balls. He was the consummate teammate.

3)Mike Miller might possibly have more heart than any player in the NBA. No matter the injury (and the list is long), he continues to show up on the offensive and defensive ends. With bad ankles, knees, back, wrists...he managed to give his team 8pts, on 2 huge treys in the first half that came at crucial times to maintain there flow.

4)Miamis defense can be like dealing with an octopus. Hands are always flying in the passing lanes. Lebron James fronting the post, with help crashing in on the lobs from the weak side, make up for a large chunk of Miami's post issues. The equation is simple, Attacking Pressure + Recovery Speed = Fast break Points.

Big 3 Game Changing Elements:

1)Lebron James came out and set the tone. He dominated on the offensive and defensive sides of the game. When Boston mustered a run, he stepped in with a big bucket, steal, block, rebound or Pass. His Coach simply said, 'He is a 'Maestro'!' It was another all around superior performance from the NBA's, MVP.
His line, 32points, 13rebounds, 3assists, 3blocks in 43:53. James passed Sam Jones for #22 on the All Time Playoff Scoring List with 2,909 points. With all the column filling stats, he ended the game with an assist to his teammates, 'We get a lot of the press, we get a lot of the headlines,' James let it be known, 'But our teammates, they do everything to help us win ball games.' Nothing more need be said.

2)Kevin Garnett came to play. He put up quick points in the first half, but still didn't establish a deep post presence on offense, and got caught cheating in no-mans land on defense, giving up 2 treys to Mike Miller. Knowing the Heat dont have the size or advanced skill-set without Bosh to contend with KG on the block, the adjustments weren't made to exploit the Heats deficiency.

3) 13-6 start to the 3rd Quarter for the Miami Heat, and ended it scoring 26, while holding Boston to 15. The Miami Heat never looked back.

Boston is beat-up, battered and injured. There have been rumors of slicing up and selling off pieces of the Celtics all of this year and last. With many wondering what's left in the tank, just listen to Rajon Rondo at the end of the game. He was not happy that James and Wade made it through the lane so easily on offense. He let it be known, the 'Dynamic Duo' needs to hit the floor rather than keep getting free paths to the basket.

Article by, Robert Pate

Glen Grunwald sees Knicks retaining Jeremy Lin - by Eurobasket News

There were some other interesting nuggets from general manager Glen Grunwald's conference call with the media in the wake of Mike Woodson's new deal with the Knicks.

For starters, he told the media that he 'can't see a scenario where we don't keep Jeremy Lin (6'3''-PG-88, college: Harvard).'

Lin will be a restricted free agent this summer and, thanks to the Gilbert Arenas clause, teams would be forbidden from offering him more than the $5 million in the first year of any deal or $5.225 million in the second. Teams can offer more in the third and fourth years of a proposed deal. However, Grunwald said he doesn't foresee any deal being offered that the Knicks wouldn't match 'at this time.'

'We can keep him if he want and we do want to keep him,' Grunwald said. 'And I believe that Jeremy had a great experience here and I believe he wants to come back.'

The Knicks will have their own mid-level exception to offer Lin, but they may not need it. Depending on how an upcoming hearing with the players' union goes, Linwho was waived before signing with the Knickscould be granted 'early Bird rights' which means the Knicks could exceed the salary cap to re-sign him and soon-to-be free agent forward Steve Novak. Novak is an un-restricted free agent, which is why Grunwald says he has the most 'freedom' of any of the team's players that aren't signed for next season.

Grunwald who has a law degree, an MBA, and an honors business degree in marketingwouldn't give his opinion on the hearing, which is aimed to clarify Bird rights of waived players, but did say, 'We're interested bystanders.'

'I don't really have an opinion on it although I am a recovering lawyer,' he said. 'I don't really think that it's my position to make a comment on the merits of the case.'

Both Woodson and Grunwald insisted that Lin's rehab from season-ending knee surgery is going well and Woodson remarked that he expects to work with Lin in Las Vegas this July as the point guard will be training against Team USA on the U.S. National Men's Select Team.

Grunwald was asked about Amar'e Stoudemire's self-inflicted left-hand laceration, which he suffered following a Game 2 loss to the Heat in Miami in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, but the Knicks GM revealed the team didn't consider fining the co-captain: 'Nobody suffered more than he did. Obviously it was a mistake that he made that he did own up to. He did come back and play with that injury... We didn't consider fining him because it was a mistake made in the emotions of a game or just after a game.'

Grunwald also said he hopes J.R. Smith will exercise his player option for next season and return to the Knicks. He wouldn't comment on Smith's arrest in Miami on Thursday night, but Grunwald did say he was aware of it. (Smith was pulled over because there was a bench warrant for his arrest for missing a court appearance following a charge of driving without a valid license)

Grunwald also said the team is 'happy' with its roster, but still hopes to improve. He admitted that the Knicks didn't 'pass the test' in 2012, adding, 'We have high expectations for our team and for our organization.'

Courtesy of www.nj.com

Timberwolves' Glen Taylor thinking playoffs in 2013 - by Eurobasket News

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, who also is chairman of the NBA Board of Governors, has been watching his league's playoffs closely.

'I don't think there's a clear champion, and that's a good thing,' he said.

It also means Taylor expects his Wolves to be in the playoffs next season.

'We have the players to do it,' he said. 'We were close this season.'

Taylor also said his team is 'going to try' the free-agent market.

Courtesy of www.twincities.com

Report: Warriors discuss trade with Jazz to keep lottery pick - by Eurobasket News

The Golden State Warriors are in talks with the Utah Jazz to ensure they keep their lottery pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, according to a report from ESPN's Marc Stein.

The NBA Draft lottery is Wednesday. Golden State needs to land in the top eight to keep its pick. It has a 72 percent chance of doing that. The Warriors previously dealt the pick to New Jersey, who swung it to the Jazz in dealing for star point guard Deron Williams (6'3''-PG-84, college: Illinois).

The Warriors are discussing sending a combination of future draft considerations, cash and/or a relaxation of the current restrictions on Utah's rights to the pick in question in either 2013 or 2014, according to the ESPN report. The report adds that Golden State's pick is protected within the top seven in 2013 and within the top six in 2014.

Golden State won a coin flip in early April that gave them the No. 7 pick. The Warriors tied with the Toronto Raptors for the NBAs seventh-worst record at 22-43 during the season. The Jazz bowed out in the first round of the NBA playoffs, falling 4-0 in its series against the San Antonio Spurs.

Courtesy of http://tracking.si.com

British to cover Deng Olympic insurance costs - by Eurobasket News

Britain's basketball chiefs have vowed to cover the cost of Luol Deng's (6'9''-F-85, agency: Interperformances, college: Duke) participation in the Olympics amid concerns over the high cost insurance for the Chicago Bulls star.

Deng has been nursing a wrist injury for the closing months of the NBA season, a pre-existing condition which means his lucrative $27-million-dollar contract is not covered by the league's insurance during the Olympics.

It means British Basketball is likely to have to find around 300,000 pounds to insure Deng for the games this summer, according to some reports, an enormous amount for the relatively cash-strapped governing body.

British Basketball has already in the past paid additional insurance to cover an old back injury sustained by Deng, but cash for the new premium will have to be found by diverting resources from other programmes, officials said.

'Luol Deng is hugely committed to the British Basketball programme and he has maintained this stance, despite recent pressure for him not to play after injuring his wrist during the highly-demanding shortened NBA season,' British Basketball performance director Chris Spice said.

'We admire and support his stance. Luol is a true professional and manages his body extremely well, as shown by the high amount of minutes he was able to play for his club after sustaining the injury in January this year.

'We pride ourselves on having an expert medical team for all our players and he will receive the best possible care when he is with us. Our world-leading staff are now widely known and accepted in the greater basketball community and we have worked very hard to build this reputation over the last six years.

'The insurance to cover Luol is always expensive due to his high value, and due to the back exclusion placed on him by the NBA's insurers some years ago.

'Our medical expert opinion remains that his back is no worse than others in the NBA but we have had to continue to cover this as we are contracted to do.

'Unfortunately, we have had no support from the NBA regarding this issue which remains a constant disappointment.

'His wrist situation will make this exorbitant premium even more expensive and we will have to make sacrifices to all our other programmes if we are to make this happen. It is difficult, but there is only one Luol Deng and there is only one London 2012 Olympic Games.

'In basketball terms we are a small and emerging nation with not a lot of resources but we have huge pride and great ambition.'

Deng, 27, was born in Sudan but moved to London as a youngster from Egypt after his family were granted political asylum.

Deng has said he feels duty-bound to represent Britain in the Olympics because of the country's willingness to provide a refuge for his family.

'I'm going to play in the Olympics. What people don't understand, when we were in Egypt, we were refugees,' he told ESPN recently.

'My family and I were homeless. For five years, out of all of the countries in the world that my father was contacting, the only one that took us in was England. So how do I not participate (in the Olympics)?

'If I don't play for them, knowing that I had the opportunity to, explain to me, how am I supposed to live with that for the rest of my life?'

Courtesy of www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bulls may leave practice facility - by Eurobasket News

The Bulls could be losing their commute.

President and chief operating officer Michael Reinsdorf said Saturday the team would explore leaving their suburban practice facility for a downtown building, which sources indicated would be near the United Center. Reinsdorf said discussions on the subject have taken place recently with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who supports the project.

'We're intrigued by the idea,' Reinsdorf said. 'We're happy at the Berto Center, but it's something we're going to take a look at for our players. Eliminating their commute could be a good thing.'

Reinsdorf said if the move happens, it wouldn't be for the 2012-13 season and could take up to two seasons for planning and construction. Most Bulls live in the northern suburbs for proximity to Deerfield's Berto Center, which opened in September 1992. A real-estate source said the Bulls have sent feelers on selling the property.

After morning shootarounds are in Deerfield, players are allowed to stay at a downtown hotel on home game days to beat the rush-hour commute to the United Center. A downtown facility would eliminate this expense.

Courtesy of www.chicagotribune.com

Kyle Lowry takes issue with McHale - by Eurobasket News

Kyle Lowry (6'0''-PG-86, college: Villanova) expects the Houston Rockets' backcourt to look a little different next season.

The Rockets guard told the Houston Chronicle on Friday that he does not think he and Goran Dragic (6'5''-PG-86) will both return next season. And he is especially unlikely to play for Houston if Kevin McHale returns as coach.

'I don't think so,' Lowry told the newspaper about playing under McHale. 'I honestly think it would be tough. Things have to be addressed. The situation would have to be addressed.

'If things aren't addressed coaching-wise, I guess I have to be moved.'

McHale told the Chronicle he thought their issues could be overcome.

'That's very surprising,' McHale told the newspaper. 'I didn't think we had too much of a problem coexisting this year. Everybody has a little beef every once in a while. I didn't feel like (there were problems). He apparently did.

'There were times that we didn't agree on things. There were times that I got on him. I don't think it was unduly harsh on anybody.'

The rift between McHale and Lowry was most visible in a game in Denver in April when they argued during a timeout. McHale grabbed Lowry and pulled him back toward the huddle.

Lowry had surgery May 1 to repair a sports hernia and was expected to return to normal offseason training in six to eight weeks.

The 6-foot Lowry missed 19 games this season, mostly because of a bacterial infection. Dragic took over the starting job in March and averaged 18 points and 8.4 assists in 28 starts.

Lowry averaged 14 points and 6.6 assists in 47 games for the Rockets this season.

Courtesy of ESPN

Chris Bosh back to practice, doing light work on the court - by Eurobasket News

Before the Eastern Conference Finals tip off between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics at the American Airlines Arena on Monday, the men from the South Beach have received some encouraging news regarding their star power forward Chris Bosh (6'11''-F-84, college: Georgia Tech).

On Sunday afternoon, Miami's injured forward was seen performing on-court drills with assistant coach, Keith Askins which is a good sign for the team as he has been out for around two weeks.

Even though the Heat do not expect Bosh to be back for the series opener against the Boston Celtics, however the progress he has made during a layoff of nearly one and a half week is a definite sign of recovery.

This Miami team who started the post season very dominantly have faced their problems without Bosh among the starters and will be hoping that he is able to make a return soon.

On the other hand, Bosh highlighted one thing with his comments that is his team will have to extend their season in order for him to make a successful return.

He injured his lower abdomen while driving to the basket in Game 1 of Miami's series against Indiana Pacers in the previous round and has not been able to get any kind of action with the team ever since.

In his absence this Miami team looked uninspiring on the court as they lost the next two games of the series against the Pacers. However the following three games saw the star duo of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade erupt on the scoring end.

During these three games, James put up astounding numbers by averaging 32.7 points. On the other hand, Wade who had the worst playoff performance of his career in Game 3 by managing only 5 points really got hot. He even bettered James's performances by averaging 33 points, silencing his critics along the way.

Those performances however came against an inexperienced Indiana side. Come the Conference Finals, the Heat will be up against the veteran Celtics, who will be more than rearing to exploit their already under sized opponents on the paint. To counter that, LeBron and Wade will have to keep rolling and that is what Erik Spoelstra is hoping for;

'What happened the last three games, now that has to be the norm,' Spoelstra said 'What I told them (Saturday) as a team is we have to go to the next level. That won't be enough for our ultimate goal.'

For Spoelstra, Boshs comeback is not even on the mind. All he is concentrating right now is how to tackle the Celtics with whatever resources he has got;

'I'm not even preparing for that right now,' Spoelstra said 'I'm preparing for who we have in the gym. So our focus is (Monday). And that's all I can concentrate on. We have enough to win (Monday). That's all that any of our guys should be focused on.

Courtesy of http://blogs.bettor.com

Boston Celtics Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce confident about matchup against Miami Heat - by Eurobasket News

Its fitting that the Celtics player who tormented the Heat the most this season is the one most openly bullish about his teams chances in these Eastern Conference Finals.

'We feel we can beat Miami', point guard Rajon Rondo (6'1''-PG-86, college: Kentucky) said, undaunted by the Heats 4-1 series win against the Celtics in last years second round. 'Obviously, we got to this point. There is no doubt in my mind that we can. Last year is in the past. This year, we are a totally different team.'

Rondo averaged 18.7 points, 13.7 assists and 7.7 rebounds in three games against the Heat this season.

'We know we are capable of going into their building and getting the win', forward Paul Pierce (6'7''-F/G-77, college: Kansas) told Boston media. 'But they're a different team. They're in a playoff mind-set now. They are going to be a lot more difficult.'

Celtics center Kevin Garnett (6'11''-F-76) said: 'The Heat are playing well. They beat a very tough Indiana team. I think LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are playing at high levels. We have a lot of confidence in ourselves. We definitely dont like the way we left last year, so well see what happens.'

Courtesy of www.miamiherald.com

Sources: Bobcats eye Shaw, Snyder interviews - by Eurobasket News

The Charlotte Bobcats are in the process of setting up an interview with Indiana Pacers assistant Brian Shaw , perhaps as soon as next week. They also plan to meet with Los Angeles Lakers assistant Quin Snyder in Chicago before the NBA pre-draft camp the first week in June, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard.

The Bobcats have reportedly already interviewed Jerry Sloan, Patrick Ewing, Nate McMillan, Dave Joerger, Mike Malone, Nate Tibbetts, Mike Dunlap and Stephen Silas -- son of departed coach Paul Silas.

The Bobcats decided not to renew Paul Silas' contract after the team finished 7-59 this season for the worst winning percentage in league history (.106).

Silas was in a difficult situation heading into the season with a young and inexperienced team, plus a shortened offseason that limited practice time. Injuries to top players like Corey Maggette, D.J. Augustin and Gerald Henderson did not help.

The Bobcats were last in the league in scoring and shooting percentage and lost 22 games by 20 or more points.

Charlotte is guaranteed one of the top four picks in the NBA draft and could have the No. 1 pick overall and a shot at Kentucky's Anthony Davis. They're also expected to be extremely aggressive in free agency, trying to build with some young talent.

Courtesy of http://abclocal.go.com

LeBron, Wade spark Heat to Game 1 win - by Eurobasket News

The way LeBron James (6'8''-F-84) and Dwyane Wade (6'4''-G-82, college: Marquette) are rolling right now, one bad quarter is hardly too much for the Miami Heat to overcome.

And with that, the Heat are three wins away from another trip to the NBA finals.

James scored 32 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, Wade scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and the Heat beat the Boston Celtics 93-79 on Monday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

''One down. And they still have an opportunity in Game 2 to accomplish what they want to,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, referring to how Boston can still grab home-court advantage by winning Game 2. ''At times it was a strange game. Some good runs, both teams. We felt we could have played better and I'm sure they felt the same thing. But we found a way to grind it.''

Shane Battier (6'8''-F-78, college: Duke), playing in the conference finals for the first time, had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat, who wasted an early 11-point first-half lead, then gave up 35 second-quarter points before running away to break a halftime tie - getting going with a 9-2 run early in the third.

Miami outrebounded the Celtics 48-33, blocked 11 shots and didn't trail at any time.

''A block is like a dunk,'' Wade said. ''It gets your team going.''

Kevin Garnett (6'11''-F-76) had 23 points and 10 rebounds for Boston, which got 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists from Rajon Rondo (6'1''-PG-86, college: Kentucky) and 12 points from Paul Pierce (6'7''-F/G-77, college: Kansas). Ray Allen (6'5''-G-75, college: Connecticut) shot just 1 for 7 from the floor for Boston, which was outscored by 10 in the first quarter and 11 in the third.

''On the road, you can't have two quarters of lulls,'' Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Miami.

And while both sides would say there's a long way to go in this series, Game 1 winners have a decided edge in any best-of-seven, the conference final being no exception. In the most recent 10 postseasons, teams with 1-0 leads in conference finals have advanced 15 out of 20 times.

James and Wade scored 197 points in the final three games of Miami's second-round series with Indiana, all those games being Heat wins. The momentum carried over into Game 1 with the Celtics.

''We get a lot of the press, we get a lot of the headlines,'' James said. ''But our teammates, they do everything to help us win ball games.''

It's the third straight year the Heat and Celtics have met in the playoffs, and the third straight year James has seen his postseason path go through Boston - the first of those matchups coming in 2010 in his final run with Cleveland.

Each of those came in the first or second rounds, not this close to the NBA finals. And yes, the rivalry seems to be heating again.

''They're home, they're comfortable and when you're comfortable you do things like that,'' Garnett said, suggesting that Miami was showboating at times down the stretch. ''We have to show them to take them out of their comfort zone. We've got to fight a lot harder.''

Last season's Miami-Boston series ended with James scoring the final 10 points of Game 5, and the start of this year's matchup had him putting on another offensive display.

He had 13 points in the first quarter - two more than the entire Celtics roster - and Miami ran out to a 21-11 lead after the opening period. Garnett made three of his four shots in the quarter, while everyone else in Boston green was 2 for 16 from the floor.

''I thought they were ready to play,'' Rivers said. ''I'm talking about Miami. I thought we kind of joined the game.''

The 11 points matched the lowest output by any team in the opening quarter this postseason. The other team to manage that few was San Antonio, which then dropped 32 on the Los Angeles Clippers in the second quarter of their game on May 19.

The Celtics' response was even better.

Boston scored 35 in the second quarter, erasing what was an 11-point deficit early in the period by scoring 27 points in the final 8:46 of the half to pull into a 46-all tie. Rondo, Garnett and Pierce combined to score 23 points in the quarter, looking absolutely vintage, near-perfect offensive execution getting to Miami time and time again.

And the Celtics' comeback happened even while they got hit with three technical fouls in the second quarter, plus Allen missing four first-half free throws - matching his career-worst for an entire game.

''We may never see that again,'' Rivers said.

In the end, it went down as merely a one-quarter lapse for Miami.

Another technical foul, this one on Rondo, came in the third quarter, likely born from frustration as the Heat started to roll again.

With the game tied at 50, Rondo missed three shots in a 31-second span early in the third, the last of those getting blocked by Battier - who hit a 3-pointer 11 seconds later. It started a 9-2 Miami burst, including a touchdown pass from Wade to James - Wade grabbed the rebound of a miss by Pierce, spun and delivered a 90-foot pass to the reigning MVP - for an easy score.

''We knew at halftime we hadn't played our best basketball,'' James said. ''So we just had to stop making the mental mistakes and start to play the way we're capable of playing.''

And that's what happened.

Miami led by as many as 13 late in the third, before taking a 72-61 lead into the fourth. James scored 10 more in the third, Boston went cold again, shooting just 27 percent in the period, and Wade's left-handed bullet pass into the lane set up Joel Anthony for a dunk that pushed the Heat lead to 15 with 10:13 remaining.

Pierce was 5 for 18. Rondo shot 8 of 20. Ray Allen was 1 for 7 from the floor and 3 for 7 from the foul line - missing four free throws for just the third time in his 1,270 career regular-season and playoff games.

''We kept fighting,'' Rondo said. ''It wasn't pretty. We missed four or five layups, a bunch of free throws. That being said, we were tied at halftime but we just didn't come out with the right mindset in the second half.''

Miami did and takes a 1-0 lead into Game 2 as its reward. But James said he knows Boston is far from done.

''I look at them as a top opponent, as a top contender and a competitive group ... a championship-caliber team,'' James said.

Courtesy of http://msn.foxsports.com

Heat, Celtics: No excuses - by Eurobasket News

Despite establishing one of the more bitter playoff rivalries recently, there's at least one thing the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics can agree on entering their Eastern Conference finals showdown: Leave the excuses at home.

Both teams are coping with major injuries that have knocked key players out of the series, as well as nagging bumps and bruises affecting other stars. Miami and Boston are coming off conference semifinal series where they were pushed to six and seven games, respectively.

And with games scheduled for every other night in the conference finals, starting with Game 1 in Miami on Monday, there might be legitimate concerns about fatigue, particularly with Boston's aging and ailing core.

Just don't mention any of those issues to the Heat.

'Get out of here with that,' guard Dwyane Wade (6'4''-G-82, college: Marquette) said Sunday. 'I don't believe none of that. No feet hurting, no (one being) tired, nothing. This is the Boston Celtics. They're all 100 percent to me. When they play the Miami Heat, it's a different ball game. And vice versa. No storylines. No excuses.'

Instead, both teams vow to focus on what they have working for them entering the series. But regardless of which team wins and advances to the NBA Finals, it will be one that had to survive significant adversity to get there.

The Celtics will be without shooting guard and defensive specialist Avery Bradley, who underwent shoulder surgery last week and won't be available to defend Wade. Boston is also dealing with Ray Allen (6'5''-G-75, college: Connecticut) 's lingering ankle injury that has affected his play and will require surgery after the season.

Meanwhile, the Heat aren't expected to have Chris Bosh for the series, as the perennial All-Star forward continues his methodical recovery from a strained abdominal muscle he sustained in Game 1 of the semifinal series against Indiana.

Boston did not hold practice Sunday, instead handing out scouting reports and flying to Miami. Celtics coach Doc Rivers was packed with the hopes of making a Miami trip even before Game 7 of the Philly series, just so he could take every possible moment after the game Saturday night to watch film of the Heat, and he planned more of the same on the three-hour flight from Boston.

'We'll be ready,' Rivers said. 'It's going to be a tough turnaround, but listen, we're not an excuse team. We'll be ready on Monday.'

His players said they welcomed the short turnaround.

'I kind of like it for us,' Celtics captain Paul Pierce said. 'It keeps us in rhythm. It keeps us playing. We're an older team so we get kind of stiff when we sit around for too long. We like the fact that we're going to go right into it.'

For the fifth time in seven years, it'll be Boston or Miami winning the Eastern Conference championship. The Heat say it almost seemed predestined that they would be seeing the Celtics again, and Boston's perspective being that the team in green is exactly where it expected to be as well.

'Inevitable. It's the matchup the game of basketball wants,' Wade said Sunday afternoon. 'Obviously, with the Chicago Bulls being out, this is the biggest matchup the Eastern Conference can have. So we accept the challenge and we look forward to the series.'

Added Heat coach Erik Spoelstra: 'Was there any doubt that it'd be us and Boston?'

Well, maybe a little.

Spoelstra watched Boston's Game 7 East semifinal matchup against Philadelphia without a notepad, not wanting to start game planning until the winner was decided. And that didn't come until late in the night, when Rajon Rondo -- forced into the closer's role after Pierce fouled out with 4:16 left -- delivered time and again down the stretch, carrying the Celtics to an 85-75 closeout victory.

'This is a good time right now,' Celtics forward Kevin Garnett (6'11''-F-76) said. 'This is the cream of the cream. This is what it's all about, you know, conference finals. We definitely didn't like the way we left last year. So we'll see what happens, man. We'll see what happens. Let's get it on.'

Miami beat Boston in five games in last year's East semifinals, and the Celtics took three of four games from Miami this season. Both sides cautioned against reading too much into any of those results.

Neither team is short on desperation this time around. With Pierce, Garnett and Allen possibly playing their final season together, the Celtics hope to send their veteran core out with a second championship after they won the 2007-08 title in their first season together.

After squandering a 2-1 series lead and losing to the Dallas Mavericks in last season's NBA Finals, the Heat are under pressure to complete the job in the second season of their own 'Big 3' era. But that task is even greater now that Miami is without Bosh, who averaged 18 points and 7.9 rebounds this season.

LeBron James (6'8''-F-84) said the game changes in the playoffs, even more so as teams get deeper into it. The Celtics know what he wants to do, he knows what the Celtics will try, familiarity born from James having already faced Boston in 18 playoff games -- more than any other active player, and more than any club the reigning MVP has squared off with in the postseason.

'I wouldn't have it no other way, personally,' James said. 'It's really the only team I'm accustomed to playing in the playoffs. No matter where I go, I find a way to play Boston. ... We've got a lot of history.'

James and the Cleveland Cavaliers lost in seven games to Boston in 2008. In 2010, the Celtics topped the Cavs in six games, one round after easily beating the Heat in a series punctuated by Wade vowing that he wouldn't lose another first-round series for a long time to come.

The Celtics are averaging 88.1 points in the playoffs. James and Wade are averaging nearly 53 in the postseason by themselves, and combined to score 197 in the last three games -- all Miami wins -- in the second-round series against Indiana.

Clearly, a clash in styles is possible, and the Celtics are leery of what Miami can do in the open floor.

'We will lose in a track meet,' Allen said. 'This team, they get up and down the floor. They want to score in transition. They pride themselves off of getting easy baskets. Defensively, we have to get back. Offensively, we can't play with the ball, we can't turn the ball over, we can't not execute.'

Courtesy of ESPN

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

NCAA1

Pastner to complete Memphis staff by hiring Marquette assistant Collins - by Eurobasket News

Memphis coach Josh Pastner will hire Marquette assistant Aki Collins to complete his staff, a source told CBSSports.com on Sunday.

Collins replaces Jack Murphy, who left to become Northern Arizona's head coach. He's a Brooklyn native who has spent the past four seasons working for Buzz Williams at Marquette, which was important to Pastner for three reasons:

1.Collins has East Coast ties.
2.Collins has recruited to the Big East.
3.Collins is from a consistently succesful program.

Collins joins Damon Stoudemire and Jimmy Williams on staff.

Memphis is leaving Conference USA for the Big East after this season.

Courtesy of www.cbssports.com

Hurricanes remain 'committed to ACC' - by Eurobasket News

Miami is reaffirming its commitment to the Atlantic Coast Conference, debunking speculation that the Hurricanes may be considering a jump to the Big 12 or elsewhere.

Hurricanes athletic director Shawn Eichorst released a statement Friday saying, among other things, that Miami has 'not engaged in any formal or informal discussions with any other conferences' and that the school continues to believe in the appeal and strength of the ACC.

The Hurricanes began play in the ACC in 2004.

'We could not be more proud than to call the ACC our home,' Eichorst wrote in a statement. 'We are confident in our progress and in our accomplishments, yet there is still much work to be done. We are committed to the ACC and to doing our part to continue the tradition of excellence across the board. In that regard, we have not engaged in any formal or informal discussions with any other conferences.'

Speculation about schools like Florida State, Clemson and Miami in the ACC has increased in recent days, with reports linking all three on some level to the Big 12.

Florida State says it is not negotiating with the Big 12, and university president Eric Barron said earlier this month one of the reasons for that is because the Seminoles 'would lose the rivalry with University of Miami that does fill our stadium.' Barron released a list of pros and cons for a possible move, after FSU board of trustees chairman Andy Haggard told Warchant.com the board 'would be in favor of seeing what the Big 12 might have to offer.'

And on Thursday, the chairman of Clemson's board of trustees said that the Tigers have not received any offers to move out of the ACC either, though cautioned that the school would listen if a serious one came along.

'We've not had any contact from any league,' Clemson board chairman David Wilkins said Thursday. 'If we receive a viable option, a viable proposal, that is presented to us by any league, we will consider it.'

The ACC has 12 members and will be adding Pittsburgh and Syracuse as soon as 2013. The Big 12 has 10 members after it replaced Texas A&M and Missouri, which are headed to the Southeastern Conference next season, with West Virginia and TCU.

The buzz about possible ACC defections to the Big 12 picked up considerably this week after TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte discussed the possibility of the Hurricanes, Tigers and Seminoles wanting to switch conferences. Del Conte soon clarified his remarks, saying he was only repeating rumors.

Also earlier this month, the ACC and ESPN announced an extension of their television rights contract through the 2026-27 seasons, the pact reportedly set to be worth $3.6 billion - meaning each member institution would see its share of TV revenues increase about 33 percent over the most recent deal to just over $17 million a year.

'The additions of the University of Pittsburgh and Syracuse University, as well as the new exclusive television partnership with ESPN, signal the very strength and nationwide appeal of the ACC,' Eichorst wrote. 'Fans will be able to watch more ACC sports and more ACC games in more ways than ever before with the most powerful brand in sports behind us. This is an exciting time to be a part of the ACC and we are honored and humbled to be among its members.'

Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

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

NEW ZEALAND

Kirk Penney yearns to be a Breaker again - by Eurobasket News

Kiwi basketball superstar Kirk Penney (196-G-80, agency: Duran International, college: Wisconsin) says he'd love to play again for the New Zealand Breakers though any return to the club he guided to their first Australian NBL title is likely to be at least a year away.

Penney, who revealed last week that he was pulling out of the Tall Blacks shot at the London Olympics in July, is back home for a short holiday.

In an exclusive interview he spoke about how proud he was of the Breakers' latest triumph, how agonising the decision had been to withdraw from the Olympic qualifying tournament in Caracas, and also the yearning he still has to return and play for his hometown club.

'I would love to play for the Breakers again one day,' said Penney, who has just finished a season with Baloncesto Fuenlabrada in Spain's highly regarded ACB league. He averaged 14.4 points a game for the Madrid club, fifth best in the competition.

'It's a very special team,' he said of the Breakers. 'The fans understand it now, the players for a few years we've realised what's going on behind the scenes, what's being created. It's a very unique situation. I'm very proud to have played for them and I follow the Breakers as if I still play for them.'

Penney said he watched the deciding game of this year's epic grand final series against the Perth Wildcats in Madrid, and felt deep satisfaction that the club had continued dominating the league in his absence.

'I was so thrilled. It was hard to watch, Perth were really, really tough and, man, anything could have happened in that third game. To see them pull it out just says so much for the coaching staff and for the players.

'A big part of it is the culture in the team. When you leave you recognise it even more. It's just this awesome culture the players want to be part of, the players wives want to be part of, and the fans want to get behind. It's very, very special, and regardless of what players come and go, if you keep that culture and personality of the club, it's going to breed success.

'And, yes, you do miss it when you're not part of it any more.'

Penney felt the Breakers were in a great position for a title threepeat, regardless of whether they're able to bring back their outstanding import duo of Cedric Jackson and Gary Wilkinson.

'If you keep that culture, that humble approach and values, man, in life it breeds success. I'm sure they'll do a good job with personnel, they always seem to bring in good guys who are also very good basketball players.'

Ad Feedback The North Shore native also noted the sellouts at Vector that made the Breakers the hottest ticket in town. 'That's what my dream was when I was playing there, for them to enjoy that and experience it. Playing at Vector and having SkyCity as sponsor seems to have given it a real professional brand.'

Penney said it had been an agonising decision to pull out of the Tall Blacks' upcoming campaign that will culminate in the Olympic qualifying tournament in Venezuela (July 2-8), but after twice tearing his calf muscle in Spain he felt he had to prioritise his recovery.

'It's very important I'm right for next season. I'm a free agent and you just want everything to be in the right place before you go into your next contract.'

He is upbeat about New Zealand's prospects of earning a spot in London. 'The timing of it's really weird, in the very middle of everyone's off-season. I'm thinking no-one's going to be in great form and if we can find a good rhythm leading in, you just never know.'

The 31-year-old has no idea where he will play next year but is confident it will be somewhere in Europe. Wife Audra played professional volleyball in Madrid and wherever he ends up, the plan is for them both to secure teams.

He confirmed the NBA was 'off the radar' and a return to Spain was preferred. 'It's out of my control now. I've done my work and you just watch and wait.'

Courtesy of www.stuff.co.nz

Australiabasket.com All-New Zealand NBL Awards 2012 - by Hugh McAuliffe

Australiabasket.com All-New Zealand NBL 1st Team 2012

Tisby

Tait

Pace

Abney

Horvath

Player of the Year: Antoine Tisby (203-F/C-83) of OceanaGold N.
Guard of the Year: Lindsay Tait (192-G-82) of Auckland P.
Forward of the Year: Josh Pace (198-G/F-83) of Hub Jets
Center of the Year: Antoine Tisby (203-F/C-83) of OceanaGold N.
Newcomer of the Year: Reuben Te Rangi (201-F-94) of Harbour H.
Import Player of the Year: Antoine Tisby (203-F/C-83) of OceanaGold N.
Domestic Player of the Year: Lindsay Tait (192-G-82) of Auckland P.
Defensive Player of the Year: Nick Horvath (208-F/C-81) of Hub Jets
Coach of the Year: Paul Henare of Bay Hawks

1st Team
G: Lindsay Tait (192-82) of Auckland P.
G/F: Josh Pace (198-83) of Hub Jets
F: Lawrence Abney (203-77) of Southland S.
F/C: Antoine Tisby (203-83) of OceanaGold N.
F/C: Nick Horvath (208-81) of Hub Jets

2nd Team
G: Jack Leasure (191-86) of Taranaki MA
G: Kevin Braswell (188-79) of Southland S.
F/G: Akeem Wright (200-84) of OceanaGold N.
F: Ismail Muhammad (198-83) of Auckland P.
C: Alex Pledger (213-87) of Auckland P.

Honorable Mention
Everard Bartlett (198-G-86) of Bay Hawks
Jason Crowe (193-G-76) of Wellington S.
Phill Jones (196-G-74) of Nelson G.
Casey Frank (203-F-77) of Wellington S.
Justin Bailey (188-G-77) of Harbour H.
Zack Atkinson (206-F/C-86) of Harbour H.
Michael Harrison (206-F/C-84) of Nelson G.

All-Domestic Players Team
G: Lindsay Tait (192-82) of Auckland P.
G: Everard Bartlett (198-86) of Bay Hawks
G: Phill Jones (196-74) of Nelson G.
F/C: Nick Horvath (208-81) of Hub Jets
C: Alex Pledger (213-87) of Auckland P.

All-Imports Team
G: Jack Leasure (191-86) of Taranaki MA
G/F: Josh Pace (198-83) of Hub Jets
F/G: Akeem Wright (200-84) of OceanaGold N.
F: Lawrence Abney (203-77) of Southland S.
F/C: Antoine Tisby (203-83) of OceanaGold N.

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

NIGERIA

DStv PBL Standings

DStv PBL Standings

Atlantic Conf.
1. D.Warriors		13-0
2. Royal Hoopers		12-2
3. Islanders		8-5
4. Comets		5-8
5. Customs		4-9
6. Police Baton		5-7
7. Union Bank		4-9
8. Chariots		1-12
Savannah Conf.
1. Kano Pillars		13-0
2. Yelwa Hawks		10-3
3. Niger Potters		8-5
4. Kada Stars		7-6
5. Immigration		4-9
6. Bauchi Nets		4-9
7. Rockets		3-10
8. Defenders		3-10

Regular Season: Round 13

Atlantic

May. 27: Union Bank - Royal Hoopers 73-74
May. 26: D.Warriors - Comets 69-67
May. 26: Police Baton - Royal Hoopers 67-84
May. 27: Islanders - Customs 63-57

Savannah

May. 26: Niger Potters - Defenders 91-86
May. 27: Kano Pillars - Rockets 85-64
May. 26: Immigration - Bauchi Nets 81-68
May. 27: Kada Stars - Yelwa Hawks 81-68

Regular Season: Round 14

Atlantic

Jun. 2: Police Baton - Comets
Jun. 2: Islanders - Chariots
Jun. 3: D.Warriors - Union Bank
Jun. 3: Customs - Police Baton

Savannah

Jun. 2: Bauchi Nets - Niger Potters
Jun. 2: Defenders - Immigration
Jun. 3: Yelwa Hawks - Kano Pillars
Jun. 3: Rockets - Kada Stars

DStv PBL: Warriors survive Comets scare - by Olusegun Ikuesan

.... As Yahaya posted double double
Inform Dodan Warriors basketball club small forward Abdulwahab Yahaya was instrumental to the 69-67 points win for the Atlantic conference leader over former league champion Comets basketball club Saturday in Lagos.

The week-13 Game-49 pairing kept fans on the edge of their seats throughout the four quarters of the explosive game of the 2011/2012 DStv Premier Basketball League game as Comets coach Ayo Bakare make some decisive input to the his side to rattle the Coach Adeka Daudu tutored Warriors giving pundits who had predicted a one-sided game to beat a retreat as Comets race to a 15-13 points win in the first quarter.

Warriors charged back like a wounded warriors in the second quarter to take a one point lead into the break with a 16-13 points win for a 29-28 points advantage.

Fresh from the break Yahaya and his teammates continue a major offense on the Comets in order to maintain their invisibility in the conference with a 20-17 points to open up a four points lead going into the last quarter but Coach Bakare proved his mettle one of the best coach in the domestic scene as he propelled his young and inexperienced side to match the Warriors strength for strength resulting in the reduction of the margin to two points and almost created an upset but a three point attempt by it point guard Victor Ugo missed its target at the buzzer.

Yahaya led the floor with a double double of 21 points, 17 rebounds and gave 4 assists while the duo of Solomon Idoko and Oladipupo Osunnubi added 12 and 10 points to help the Warriors survive a huge scare of the season.

in the other games played in the Atlantic and Savannah conferences Police Baton basketball club of Lagos lost at home to defending champion Royal Hoopers basketball club of Port Harcourt by 67-84 points (12-23, 15-28, 15-18, 25-15).

Immigration basketball club of Kano continue it resurgence for a place in the playoffs with a 76-52 points win over Bauchi Nets basketball club while Niger Potters basketball club of Minna defeated visiting Defenders basketball club of Abuja by 91-86 points to maintain it third position on the conference table.

... Kada Stars pick fourth playoff ticket in Savannah
2010/2011 fourth place team Kada Stars basketball club of Kaduna on Sunday confirm it place in the final-8 playoffs of the 2011/2012 DStv season with a 81-68 points victory over Yelwa Hawks basketball club of Bauchi.

The Stars whose hope of making the cut was hanging in the balance no thanks to its week-5 home game forfeiture to Kano Pillars basketball club rose to the occasion against the Hawks who are second behind conference leader Pillars in the week-13 pairing to confirm it place in the playoffs ahead Bauchi Nets basketball club who lost at the weekend to Immigration basketball club of Kano by 76-52 points.

Kano Pillars basketball club posted an 85-64 points win over Tapgun Rockets basketball club of Jos, Union Bank basketball club went down by 73-74 points to defending champion Royal Hoopers basketball club of Port Harcourt who made it two-of-two in its road game to Lagos in the Atlantic conference while Islanders basketball club dampen the hope of Customs basketball club of making the final-8 with a 63-57 points win.

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PHILIPPINES

Standings - PBA Fiesta Conference

PBA Standings

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

Regular Season: Round 5

May. 27: B-Meg Llam. - Ginebra Kings 96-88
May. 27: Barako Bull - Alaska Aces 84-104

Regular Season: Round 6

May. 30: Air21 Express - Rain or Shine
May. 30: Talk N Text - Petron Blaze

PBA Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Zach GRAHAM
  Air21 E.
  (198-G-89)
  Avg: 34.5

1. Graham, Air21 E.	34.5
2. Harris, Talk N Text	31.0
3. Bozeman, Ginebra	29.5
4. Forte, Alaska Aces	27.0
5. Oguchi, Meralco Bo.	26.5
6. Basden, Petron B.	26.0
7. Cornley, Rain o.	26.0
8. Peterson, Barako B.	26.0
9. David, Powerade T.	25.5
10. McCants, Powerad.	25.0

Rebounds Per Game

Marqus BLAKELY
  B-Meg L.
  (196-F-89)
  Avg: 16.5

1. Blakely, B-Meg L.	16.5
2. Harris, Talk N Text	15.0
3. Forte, Alaska Aces	15.0
4. Peterson, Barako B.	14.5
5. Graham, Air21 E.	13.5
6. Bozeman, Ginebra	11.5
7. Salvador, Powerade.	11.5
8. Taulava, Meralco	11.0
9. Cornley, Rain o.	11.0
10. Reavis, B-Meg L.	10.5

Assists Per Game

Mike CORTEZ
  Ginebra .
  (183-G-80)
  Avg: 7

1. Cortez, Ginebra	7.0
2. Tenorio, Alaska A.	6.5
3. Ross, Meralco	6.5
4. Hubalde, Air21 E.	6.0
5. Arboleda, Barako B.	5.5
6. Miller, Barako Bull	5.5
7. Norwood, Rain o.	5.5
8. Cabagnot, Petron	4.5
9. Lutz, Petron Blaze	4.5
10. Blakely, B-Meg L.	4.5

Steals Per Game

Edward BASDEN
  Petron B.
  (196-G/F-83)
  Avg: 3

1. Basden, Petron B.	3.0
2. Blakely, B-Meg L.	3.0
3. Urbiztondo, B-Meg	2.5
4. Dillinger, Talk N.	2.0
5. Mercado, Meralco	2.0
6. Hatfield, Ginebra	2.0
7. Arboleda, Barako B.	2.0
8. Graham, Air21 E.	1.5
9. Peterson, Barako B.	1.5
10. Reavis, B-Meg L.	1.5

Blocks Per Game

Marqus BLAKELY
  B-Meg L.
  (196-F-89)
  Avg: 2.5

1. Blakely, B-Meg L.	2.5
2. Thoss, Alaska Aces	2.5
3. McCants, Powerade.	2.0
4. Baguio, Alaska Ac.	1.5
5. Aguilar, Talk N.	1.5
6. Seigle, Barako Bull	1.5
7. Graham, Air21 E.	1.0
8. Miller, Barako Bull	1.0
9. deOcampo, Talk N.	1.0
10. Norwood, Rain o.	1.0

B-Meg back on winning track - by Eurobasket News

B-Meg Llam. - Ginebra Kings 96-88
Yancy de Ocampo (203-C-80) is not shying away from the challenge, just taking advantage of the opportunity coming his way. The 6-foot-8 center was productive for the second straight game, helping B-Meg notch its first win in the PBA Governors Cup with a 96-88 whipping of Barangay Ginebra at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Sunday night. 'Seventeen points after 16 points. It's 16.5 points a game, an impressive average in an import-laden tourney. He's really taking advantage of the opportunity, picking up the slack for Joe Devance and Marc Pingris,' said B-Meg coach Tim Cone. 'We're dumping the ball to him and he's responding. That's the big key tonight,' Cone added. As a whole, the B-Meg locals outplayed their Ginebra counterparts, overcoming Marcus Blakely's 3-of-15 free throws and measly 13-point output. 'They (the Kings) lived up to their reputation as a never-say-die. They kept on coming back and coming back. But we had a good shooting night and they didn't. That's one of the big differences,' said Cone. Peter Simon (186-G-82) top scored with 21 points with James Yap, De Ocampo and JC Intal also putting in double-digit outputs as B-Meg kept its domination of Ginebra. The Llamados made the Commissioner's Cup finals and went on to win the crown after beating out the Kings, 3-1, in their semis showdown. B-Meg pulled yet another one against Ginebra though playing short-handed minus Devance and Pingris. De Ocampo covered well for their absence, going 6-of-9 from the field and 4-of-5 from the stripe while also getting eight rebounds and two assists against one error in 25 minutes of play. Blakely bled for his points but helped with 17 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal. 'Marcus is just amazing with his all-around game. He's showing here what he did for his school,' said Cone of Blakely, going down in US NCAA history as the only player to lead his team in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocks. He churned out that feat in 2010, leading the Vermont Cantamounts to a trip in the NCAA proper. Cedric Bozeman led all scorers with 30 points with Kerby Raymundo chipping in 20. The Kings lack contribution from the other players, though, as they failed to follow up their 103-85 rout of the Air21 Express on Wednesday. Mark Caguioa, returning from an injury with a flourish versus the Express, was held down to eight points by the Llamados. (SB) *Courtesy of www.pba.ph

Barako Bull - Alaska Aces 84-104
ALASKA didn't have to wait that long to score that breakthrough win under interim head coach Luigi Trillo. The Aces handily drubbed Barako Bull 104-84 Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum for their first win in the PBA Governors Cup and for Trillo in the league. Jason Forte (196-F-84, college: S.Mississippi) went berserk in the second half with 24 of his game-high 29 points while LA Tenorio (178-G-84), Gabriel Espinas (193-F-82) and Cyrus Baguio gave significant contributions in Alaska's rebound from a 100-107 loss to Rain or Shine on opening day last Sunday. For Trillo, who took over from Joel Banal just after the Commissioner's Cup, it was a matter of his team sticking to the basics at this point. 'We're a team in transition,' said Trillo. 'I barely had two weeks with this team, so we want to keep it as simple as possible. It was a feeling-out process in our first game, but the guys really sacrificed in this game, not only from the triangle (offense) but also from a defensive standpoint.' Trillo, who served as one of Tim Cone's assistants for close to 13 years and Banal's chief aide, was just glad he didn't take as long as Banal to break into the win-column. Banal took six games before realizing his first win at the helm of the Uytengsu franchise. 'It's nice to get that monkey off our back,' stated the man who handled Adamson in the UAAP from 2000 and promptly lost his first 29 games with the Falcons. The early fruits were clearly visible, especially during the last 15 minutes of the game when Alaska pulled away for good. 'It's nice to see activity in defense for us,' he explained. 'When we generate that, it's encouraging. Unlike our first game, we didn't wait for the second quarter. We played aggressive right from the first (quarter).' Despite a listless start Barako hung tough, took a brief taste of the lead and was tantalizingly within 61-66, with still 2:48 left in the third period. Then Mac Baracael sparked a 10-2 run to end the period and Baguio started the fourth with back-to-back baskets before Forte, Tenorio, Espinas and the comebacking Tony dela Cruz presided in a mighty surge from an 80-70 count. Barako Bull, which prevailed in their quarterfinals matchup to relegate Alaska into fifth place in the mid-season tourney, failed to follow up its 106-101 win over Powerade last Friday, nowithstanding the 19 points and seven boards by Jamine Peterson. As a result, Barako is now at joint fourth-running spot with its conqueror, Meralco and Air21. Trillo offered that Energy game against the Tigers paertly explains Sunday night's outcome. 'They had a really tiring game last Friday and they brought their A-game there. Then they just had a one-day break,' he said. Definitely, his team did its part. 'We played good defense and they started a little bit flat,' Trillo pointed out. 'Peterson is one great talent but he has to learn to pace himself. The thing with him, we have to make it hard for him to get his touches. We have to play him off the ball, deny him for when he comes out, it's hard to play him one-on-one. He's one ball of energy.' A little frustration did set in for Peterson, partly brought about by Espinas and by his teammates failing to find him or by converting his passes. Danny Seigle highlighted his 15-point performance by leading Barako Bull in the first half and burying a triple that made it a five-point game in the third period. But he and the rest of the Energy faded just when the Aces broke off for good. Willy Miller was the lone other Energy player in double digits with 14. Tenorio had 21 points, six rebounds and as many assists with Espinas winding up with 18 points and Baguio 14. Espinas got the goat of Peterson as early as the first quarter, but it didn't fully show until the final second of the half that ended in Alaska's favor 42-36. The former Meralco Bolt scored seven of the Aces' last 10 points of the the second period, the last two on charities off Peterson's flagrant foul-1 called when Peterson pushed him from behind. Tenorio also lent a big hand for Alaska with eight points in the second quarter, although Barako got its act together and even took a 33-32 edge before Espinas' explosion. The second quarter development was a far cry from the way the game started, with the Energy missing their first 11 shots and committing two turnovers to find themselves staring at a 0-11 deficit. (NC) *Courtesy of www.pba.ph

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POLAND

Eurobasket.com All-Polish 2Liga Awards 2011-2012 - by Eurobasket Center

Eurobasket.com All-Polish 2Liga 1st Team 2011-2012

Hyzy

Stoklosa

Majewski

Laydych

Lopatka

Player of the Year: Radoslaw Hyzy (203-F-77) of Slask II W.
Guard of the Year: Marcin Stoklosa (188-G-77) of Open Florentyna
Forward of the Year: Radoslaw Hyzy (203-F-77) of Slask II W.
Center of the Year: Miroslaw Lopatka (213-C/F-77) of Slask II W.
Best Young Player of the Year: Jakub Karolak (196-G/F-93) of Novum Lublin
Coach of the Year: Waldemar Mendel of AZS PP Poznan

1st Team
G: Marcin Stoklosa (188-77) of Open Florentyna
G: Dominik Majewski (185-83) of PWiK Piaseczno
F/C: Sebastian Laydych (203-87) of Astoria Bydg.
F: Radoslaw Hyzy (203-77) of Slask II W.
C/F: Miroslaw Lopatka (213-77) of Slask II W.

All-Polish 2Liga Group A 1st Team 2011-2012

Sobkowiak

Stoklosa

Janiak

Laydych

Szyttenholm

Player of the Year: Marek Sobkowiak (200-C-86) of AZS PP Poznan
Guard of the Year: Marcin Stoklosa (188-G-77) of Open Florentyna
Forward of the Year: Sebastian Laydych (203-F/C-87) of Astoria Bydg.
Center of the Year: Marek Sobkowiak (200-C-86) of AZS PP Poznan
Best Young Player of the Year: Wojciech Fras (203-F-91) of Trefl Sopot
Coach of the Year: Waldemar Mendel of AZS PP Poznan

1st Team
G: Marcin Stoklosa (188-77) of Open Florentyna
G: Damian Janiak (191-89) of Ksiezak Lowicz
F/C: Sebastian Laydych (203-87) of Astoria Bydg.
F: Dorian Szyttenholm (194-83) of Astoria Bydg.
C: Marek Sobkowiak (200-86) of AZS PP Poznan

Honorable Mention
Wojciech Zurawski (199-F/C-76) of Open Florentyna
Kacper Kromer (204-F-87) of Ksiezak Lowicz
Marcin Kowalewski (200-PF-86) of AZS UWM Olsz.
Pawel Hybiak (173-PG-89) of AZS PP Poznan
Bartosz Sarzalo (197-G-83) of Korsarz Gdansk

All-Polish 2Liga Group B 1st Team 2011-2012

Hyzy

Dymala

Mroczek-Truskowski

Lepczynski

Lopatka

Player of the Year: Radoslaw Hyzy (203-F-77) of Slask II W.
Guard of the Year: Marcin Dymala (185-G-90) of BM Wegiel Stal
Forward of the Year: Radoslaw Hyzy (203-F-77) of Slask II W.
Center of the Year: Miroslaw Lopatka (213-C/F-77) of Slask II W.
Best Young Player of the Year: Mateusz Dziemba (194-G-92) of AZS AWF K-ce
Coach of the Year: Rafal Kalwasinski of Slask II W.

1st Team
G: Marcin Dymala (185-90) of BM Wegiel Stal
G: Adrian Mroczek-Truskowski (195-85) of Slask II W.
G/F: Maciej Lepczynski (193-82) of Pogon Prudnik
F: Radoslaw Hyzy (203-77) of Slask II W.
C/F: Miroslaw Lopatka (213-77) of Slask II W.

Honorable Mention
Kamil Nowak (196-F-88) of AZS AWF K-ce
Marcin Ecka (184-G-78) of AZS AWF K-ce
Krystian Swiech (205-F-80) of MKS Skierniew.
Lukasz Olejnik (203-F/C-79) of BM Wegiel Stal
Piotr Niedzwiedzki (209-F-93) of Slask Wroclaw
Bartosz Diduszko (198-F-87) of Slask Wroclaw

All-Polish 2Liga Group C 1st Team 2011-2012

Majewski

Paszkiewicz

Karolak

Zabielski

Mis

Player of the Year: Dominik Majewski (185-G-83) of PWiK Piaseczno
Guard of the Year: Dominik Majewski (185-G-83) of PWiK Piaseczno
Forward of the Year: Arkadiusz Zabielski (195-F-84) of Tur Bielsk Pdl.
Center of the Year: Piotr Mis (204-F/C-77) of Handlopex AZS
Best Young Player of the Year: Jakub Karolak (196-G/F-93) of Novum Lublin
Coach of the Year: Rafal Gil of UMKS Kielce

1st Team
G: Andrzej Paszkiewicz (180-79) of PWiK Piaseczno
G: Dominik Majewski (185-83) of PWiK Piaseczno
G/F: Jakub Karolak (196-93) of Novum Lublin
F: Arkadiusz Zabielski (195-84) of Tur Bielsk Pdl.
F/C: Piotr Mis (204-77) of Handlopex AZS

Honorable Mention
Artur Busz (194-G-88) of UMKS Kielce
Lukasz Kuczynski (194-F-85) of Tur Bielsk Pdl.
Piotr Kwandrans (200-F-79) of MKS Limbach
Wojciech Miernik (194-F-88) of UMKS Kielce
Lukasz Fafara (194-F-84) of UMKS Kielce
Dariusz Wyka (207-C-91) of Siarka Jezioro
Damian Zapert (196-F-84) of PWiK Piaseczno

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PUERTO RICO

Stats Leaders - BSN

Points Per Game

Al THORNTON
  Guayama
  (203-F-83)
  Avg: 25.3

1. Thornton, Guayama	25.3
2. Sensley, Humacao	19.7
3. Randolph, Quebradi.	19.4
4. Harris, San German	18.9
5. Diogu, Arecibo	18.1
6. Brown, Humacao	18.0
7. Dalmau, Bayamon	17.7
8. Ayuso, Arecibo	17.3
9. Ramos, Quebradillas	17.1
10. Vassallo, Guayna.	16.4

Rebounds Per Game

Shavlik RANDOLPH
  Quebradi.
  (208-F-83)
  Avg: 11.5

1. Randolph, Quebradi.	11.5
2. Harris, San German	10.3
3. Diogu, Arecibo	9.9
4. Lloreda, San G.	9.5
5. Thornton, Guayama	9.2
6. Powell, Guayama	9.2
7. Sensley, Humacao	9.0
8. Ramos, Quebradillas	8.8
9. Burgess, Guaynabo	8.4
10. Shannon, Quebradi.	8.1

Assists Per Game

Andres RODRIGUEZ
  Arecibo
  (184-PG-81)
  Avg: 7.7

1. Rodriguez, Arecibo	7.7
2. Rivera, San German	5.6
3. Guzman, Guaynabo	5.4
4. Garcia, Humacao	5.2
5. Pagan, Guayama	5.0
6. Smith, Mayaguez	5.0
7. Butler, Quebradill.	4.8
8. Pinnock, Arecibo	4.1
9. Dalmau, Bayamon	4.1
10. Brown, Humacao	3.4

Steals Per Game

Donta SMITH
  Mayaguez
  (201-G-83)
  Avg: 2

1. Smith, Mayaguez	2.0
2. Rodriguez, Arecibo	1.8
3. Mojica, Bayamon	1.7
4. Dalmau, Bayamon	1.5
5. Pinnock, Arecibo	1.5
6. Hamilton, Mayaguez	1.4
7. Thornton, Guayama	1.3
8. Figueroa, Guaynabo	1.3
9. Sensley, Humacao	1.3
10. Rivera, San German	1.3

Blocks Per Game

Mamadou LAMIZANA
  Bayamon
  (207-F/C-81)
  Avg: 2.4

1. Lamizana, Bayamon	2.4
2. Penn, Humacao	1.8
3. Aubry, Arecibo	1.7
4. Shannon, Quebradil.	1.6
5. Thornton, Guayama	1.6
6. O''Bryant, Mayaguez	1.6
7. Burgess, Guaynabo	1.4
8. Randolph, Quebradi.	1.3
9. Powell, Guayama	1.3
10. Ramos, Quebradill.	1.2

Vaqueros tie semifinals against Indios: - by Luis Modestti

Vaqueros de Bayamon defeated Indios de Mayaguez 76-68 to tie the semifinal series 2-2. The pivotal game five is Tuesday at Mayaguez.

Bayamon came out with a good game plan on offense and had an aggressive mindset on defense to keep Mayaguez from having an offensive run.

The first half ended 41-32 in favor of Bayamon as they were led by Christian Dalmau (194-G-77, agency: Paris Global Sports, college: Daytona Beach CC) who had 14 points.

In the third quarter Mayaguez started with a lot of intensity and made a late 7-0 run to close it down 55-53.

Mayaguez tied it to 55 and 57 early in the final quarter but Bayamon played a more intelligent game on offense, dishing the ball inside and to open shooters. They also attacked the basket and took advantage of their free throw trips to get the win.

Michael Sweetney (203-F-82, college: Georgetown) had 17 points with 11 boards and Dalmau added 16.

In the loss Carlos Rivera (187-PG-83, agency: Paris Global Sports, college: Hofstra) and Donta Smith (201-G-83, college: SE Illinois JC) had 14 each.

The other game on Tuesday is Atleticos de San German at Capitanes de Arecibo. Capitanes lead the series 3-1.

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ROMANIA

Timisoara locks PG Zlatko Jovanovic until 2014 - by Eurobasket News

Timisoara announced another important signing. The team extended deal with Serbian point guard Zlatko Jovanovic (181-PG-84, agency: Beo Basket) for the next two years. He joined Timisoara last summer and helped them reach the Romanian League and Cup Finals. Jovanovic shined with 16.3 ppg, 4.9 apg and 2.4 rpg for 39 games. He was named to Eurobasket.com All-Romanian League 1st Team -12. Jovanovic also added 13.4 ppg, 4.4 apg and 1.6 rpg for 9 games in Balkan league. There, the PG was awarded with Eurobasket.com All-Balkan League Honorable Mention -12. Zlatko Jovanovic split 2010/11 season between Borac Nektar Banja Luka and Towzin Electric Kashan. With Kashan he reached Iranian league Semifinals. In the past, Zlatko Jovanovic played for Bosna ASA BHT, Sloboda Dita and Polet Keramika Novi Becej. In 2010, he won the Bosnian Cup with Bosna ASA BHT. In 2009, Jovanovic was Eurobasket.com All-Bosnia and Herzegovina League Player of the Year -09.

Timisoara extends American F Dominique Archie - by Eurobasket News

Dominique Archie (200-F-87, college: S.Carolina) stays with Timisoara for the 2012/13 season. Two sides penned a deal today. Archie arrived to Timisoara a year ago. He played 40 games in Romanian league averaging 13.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.8 steals. Timisoara reached the Finals, but failed against Asesoft Ploiesti (0-4). Archie appeared 9 times for the club in Balkan League registering 15.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.1 spg and 1.7 apg. He was named Eurobasket.com All-Balkan League 2nd Team -12. Archie also was awarded with Eurobasket.com All-Romanian League 2nd Team and he participated at the All-Star Game. Dominique Archie played for the NBA D-League team Austin Toros in 2010/11 season. He had 5.5 ppg and 3.2 rpg for them in 15 games. Archie is a product of the South Carolina University, where he graduated in 2010. It is important to mention that Timisoara also reached Cup Finals this year in Romania.

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RUSSIA

Khimky land Paul Davis - by Eurobasket News

Khimky bolstered their frontcourt. They agreed on terms of contract with Paul Davis (211-C-84, college: Michigan St.). The centre signed a two-year deal with the Russian team. Paul Davis spent the last two seasons with Cajasol Sevilla. Last season the centre notched 14.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game in ACB. He led his team to the Spanish Copa del Rey semifinals. Last season the player earned Eurobasket.com All-Spanish ACB Honourable Mention. Paul Davis also made it into All-EuroCup 2nd Team. Previously Paul Davis played for Obradoiro, Maine Red Claws, the Wizards and the Clippers in the NBA. Paul Davis also played at NCAA Tournament Final Four together with his Michigan State back in 2005.

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SERBIA

SOUTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

SPAIN

EBA Play Offs: Last Round - by Mariano Galindo

This weekend will take part the last round of EBA play offs, with eight teams playing for four places in LEB Plata. Up to now, the advantage is for Cafes Aitona, that won easily to Canoe (72-54), so the team coached by Javi Juarez has to overcome 18 points, Sabadell, that defeated Establecimientos Otero at home (71-66), and Santfeliuenc won away to Cimbis (66-69) and Platja de Palma made the same against Meridiano Santa Cruz (78-84)

Andres Nocioni doubtful for Game 3 against Real Madrid - by Eurobasket News

Andres Nocioni (199-F-79) was not able to help his teammates in Game Two against Real Madrid and he is doubtful for Game Three as well. The experienced forward injured femoral biceps of his left leg. Noconi spent just three minutes on the court in Game One, which belonged to Caja Laboral 71-81. Andres Nocioni joined the club at the end of March. He appeared 11 times in Liga Endesa averaging 9.7 points and 3.5 rebounds. Nocioni started the season with Penarol Mar del Plata. There he had 16.5 ppg and 11 rpg for two games in Argentinean LigaA. After the NBA lockout, Nocioni returned to Philadelphia 76ers, where he registered 1.7 ppg and 1.3 rpg. Last season with the 76ers Nocioni averaged 6.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 54 games. Before Philadelphia, he played for the Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls. Andres Nocioni was a member of Tau Ceramica (now Caja Laboral) from 1999 to 2004.

Jorge Garbajosa will retire soon - by Eurobasket News

According to Spanish media (La Opinion de Malaga), Jorge Garbajosa (205-C/F-77, agency: Interperformances) is set to retire. Reportedly, the player will decide his future in the next few days and most likely he will decide to retire. Unicaja Malaga would like to have Garba in the coaching staff next season. FEB will also offer him a position inside the organization.
Jorge Garbajosa started his professional basketball career with Tau Vitoria in 1995. He also played for Benetto Treviso, Unicaja, Toronto Raptors, Khimky Moscow and Real Madrid. This season with Malaga he had 6.8 ppg and 3.2 rpg for 22 Liga Endesa games. Garba also added 6.2 ppg and 3.1 rpg in 14 Euroleague games.
Jorge Garbajosa played for the Spanish National Team from 1998 to 2010. He helped Spain to win the Gold at 2006 World Championship in Japan and also at 2009 EuroBasket in Poland. They also won the Silver at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and 2007 EuroBasket in Spain.

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

TAIWAN

Glen Grunwald sees Knicks retaining Jeremy Lin - by Eurobasket News

There were some other interesting nuggets from general manager Glen Grunwald's conference call with the media in the wake of Mike Woodson's new deal with the Knicks.

For starters, he told the media that he 'can't see a scenario where we don't keep Jeremy Lin (6'3''-PG-88, college: Harvard).'

Lin will be a restricted free agent this summer and, thanks to the Gilbert Arenas clause, teams would be forbidden from offering him more than the $5 million in the first year of any deal or $5.225 million in the second. Teams can offer more in the third and fourth years of a proposed deal. However, Grunwald said he doesn't foresee any deal being offered that the Knicks wouldn't match 'at this time.'

'We can keep him if he want and we do want to keep him,' Grunwald said. 'And I believe that Jeremy had a great experience here and I believe he wants to come back.'

The Knicks will have their own mid-level exception to offer Lin, but they may not need it. Depending on how an upcoming hearing with the players' union goes, Linwho was waived before signing with the Knickscould be granted 'early Bird rights' which means the Knicks could exceed the salary cap to re-sign him and soon-to-be free agent forward Steve Novak. Novak is an un-restricted free agent, which is why Grunwald says he has the most 'freedom' of any of the team's players that aren't signed for next season.

Grunwald who has a law degree, an MBA, and an honors business degree in marketingwouldn't give his opinion on the hearing, which is aimed to clarify Bird rights of waived players, but did say, 'We're interested bystanders.'

'I don't really have an opinion on it although I am a recovering lawyer,' he said. 'I don't really think that it's my position to make a comment on the merits of the case.'

Both Woodson and Grunwald insisted that Lin's rehab from season-ending knee surgery is going well and Woodson remarked that he expects to work with Lin in Las Vegas this July as the point guard will be training against Team USA on the U.S. National Men's Select Team.

Grunwald was asked about Amar'e Stoudemire's self-inflicted left-hand laceration, which he suffered following a Game 2 loss to the Heat in Miami in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, but the Knicks GM revealed the team didn't consider fining the co-captain: 'Nobody suffered more than he did. Obviously it was a mistake that he made that he did own up to. He did come back and play with that injury... We didn't consider fining him because it was a mistake made in the emotions of a game or just after a game.'

Grunwald also said he hopes J.R. Smith will exercise his player option for next season and return to the Knicks. He wouldn't comment on Smith's arrest in Miami on Thursday night, but Grunwald did say he was aware of it. (Smith was pulled over because there was a bench warrant for his arrest for missing a court appearance following a charge of driving without a valid license)

Grunwald also said the team is 'happy' with its roster, but still hopes to improve. He admitted that the Knicks didn't 'pass the test' in 2012, adding, 'We have high expectations for our team and for our organization.'

Courtesy of www.nj.com

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TRBL

TRBL standings

TRBL Standings

1. PT Players		8-1
2. Cary Invasion		8-2
3. Wilmington SD		6-5
4. Fayetteville C.		5-6
5. Big Texas		2-3
6. Queen City E.		1-3
7. Carolina G.		1-11

Regular Season: Round 14

May. 26: PT Players - Carolina G. 127-100
May. 26: Cary Invasion - Fayetteville C. 106-95

Regular Season: Round 15

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

PrimeTime Players cruise to 8th straight league win - by Eurobasket News

PrimeTime Players opened slowly in Smithfield with neither team scoring a basket until the 8 minute mark of the first quarter, then PrimeTime open up there fast break game with numerous easy baskets and also a big second quarter from Malachai Jones to help push the halftime lead to 66-40. The second half started with 5 quick points form Charles Gamble to cut the lead to 21points but Donald Rutherford then hit a three pointer then had two back to back SportsCenter Top 10 Dunks to basically finish any chance that the Carolina Gladiators had of making a comeback and Carolina never got closer than 27 the rest of the way which was the final margin of victory at 127-100.

The PrimeTime Players who now moved to 8-1 in league play where led by Terell Smith (6'2''-G, college: Limestone) with 23 points and 7 rebounds and Brian Mobley (6'6''-G/F-87, college: Johnson C. Smith) added 20pts and 6 rebounds. PrimeTime Players also had 5 player with double doubles in the game with Thomas Pfaff (6'8''-F-87, college: Lipscomb) 19 points 14rebounds, Donald Rutherford 19pts 11rebounds, Malachai Jones 15 pts, 10 rebounds, James Dillard 11pts 11rebounds, and Victor Street Jr with 11pts and 14assists. Travis Taylor (6'0''-F/G) for Carloina Gladiators led all scorers with 32pts and Charles gamble added 28pts for Carolina Gladiators who completed there season.

PrimeTime Players next host games Friday June 1st at Home against Wilmington then Saturday they will host the Cary Invasion which should decide the League Championship. This should be a great Crowd with Johnson C Smith battling Livingstone College in a Alumni game at 3:30 before the TRBL teams Play at 5:10.

Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com

Cary secures home Playoff game, beats Fayetteville - by Eurobasket News

Fayetteville, NC: Coming in on the heels of a record-breaking 177-point performance the night before, a couple of big wins, and a mathematical shot at winning the TRBL point series, the Fayetteville Crossover stepped on to their home court as the team no one wanted to face. For three quarters, the streak looked like it was going to stay alive. Point blank misses and turnovers from the visitors helped the Crossover cause. The game was played tight throughout the first half, with neither team getting a lead of more than a couple of possessions. The Invasion led at the break 49-46.

The Crossover looked to begin to take control late in the third quarter, leading 70 to 69 heading into the final period. But that final period would belong to Cary. Invasion forward Jonathan Moore (6'8''-F/G-82, college: N.C.Central) willed in several early-period buckets to start a 20 to 15 run that the home team could not overcome. The final score was Cary 106, Fayetteville 95. Jonathan Moore (NCCU) had 19 points for the Invasion. Seven Invasion players scored in double figures. John Humphreys had 20 points for the Crossover. With the win, Cary secures a first round home playoff game and can finish no lower than second in the 2012 TRBL point standings.

Courtesy of www.trblproball.com

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TURKEY

Mersin returns guard Altan Erol - by Eurobasket News

Altan Erol (194-G-83) is back to Mersin after two years. The Turkish guard penned a one-season deal with his former club. Erol spent last two seasons with Erdemir. He played 26 games in this one averaging 4.8 points and 2.6 rebounds. In 2010/11, Erol collected 7.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg and 1.6 apg for 29 games in TBL. The guard played for Mersin from 2007 to 2010. He had 5.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg and 1 apg in their last season together. He helped the club to reach Turkish Cup Finals. Before Mersin, Altan Erol played for Oyak Renault Bursa. They were D2, Group B champions in 2006 winning the promotion for TBL. This year Erol played at TBL All-Star Game.

No suprise, Neven Spahija leaves Fenerbahce Ulker - by Ugur Turker

Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul announced in official website that expiring contract of Neven Spahija will not renew. Besides, Aydn rs who has been General Manager of Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul for two years is decided to quit in order to ' give a chance to new Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul board to act whatever they want '. Neven Spahija was the choise of Aydn Ors at the beginning of 2010-2011season.In his first season, Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul won both Turkish Cup and League Championship and shoved very impressive performance in Euroleague Group Stage defeating Barcelona in road. Nevertheless, 2011-2012 season has to be forgotten because of eliminating in Euroleague Top 16 and Semifinal in Turkish Cup and Play Off. There are some rumours that Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul Board is trying to hire ' Big Coach ' as replace of Slovenian Coach for next years to reach Final Four in THY Euroleague. Even if there is no official announcement, Ivkovic and Messina are said to be candidates.

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UKRAINE

NBA season over for Fesenko - by Eurobasket News

The 2011/12 NBA season is over for Kyrylo Fesenko (213-C-86) and his team Indiana Pacers. They reached Eastern Conference Semifinals, but failed against the Miami Heat. The Big Three Team outplayed them 4-2 in the series. Fesenko arrived to Indiana in March. He appeared only three times for the franchise averaging 2.7 points and 3 rebounds. From 2008 to 2011, Kyrylo Fesenko played for Utah Jazz. He had 2 ppg and 2.1 rpg for 52 games in their last season together. In the past, Fesenko played for Cherkassy Monkeys and Azovmash Mariupole. He is active member of the Ukrainian National Team since 2009. At the latest EuroBasket in Lithuania Fesenko registered 5 ppg and 2.4 rpg for 5 games. He had 7.5 ppg and 4.7 rpg during the qualifications.

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UNITED KINGDOM

British to cover Deng Olympic insurance costs - by Eurobasket News

Britain's basketball chiefs have vowed to cover the cost of Luol Deng's (6'9''-F-85, agency: Interperformances, college: Duke) participation in the Olympics amid concerns over the high cost insurance for the Chicago Bulls star.

Deng has been nursing a wrist injury for the closing months of the NBA season, a pre-existing condition which means his lucrative $27-million-dollar contract is not covered by the league's insurance during the Olympics.

It means British Basketball is likely to have to find around 300,000 pounds to insure Deng for the games this summer, according to some reports, an enormous amount for the relatively cash-strapped governing body.

British Basketball has already in the past paid additional insurance to cover an old back injury sustained by Deng, but cash for the new premium will have to be found by diverting resources from other programmes, officials said.

'Luol Deng is hugely committed to the British Basketball programme and he has maintained this stance, despite recent pressure for him not to play after injuring his wrist during the highly-demanding shortened NBA season,' British Basketball performance director Chris Spice said.

'We admire and support his stance. Luol is a true professional and manages his body extremely well, as shown by the high amount of minutes he was able to play for his club after sustaining the injury in January this year.

'We pride ourselves on having an expert medical team for all our players and he will receive the best possible care when he is with us. Our world-leading staff are now widely known and accepted in the greater basketball community and we have worked very hard to build this reputation over the last six years.

'The insurance to cover Luol is always expensive due to his high value, and due to the back exclusion placed on him by the NBA's insurers some years ago.

'Our medical expert opinion remains that his back is no worse than others in the NBA but we have had to continue to cover this as we are contracted to do.

'Unfortunately, we have had no support from the NBA regarding this issue which remains a constant disappointment.

'His wrist situation will make this exorbitant premium even more expensive and we will have to make sacrifices to all our other programmes if we are to make this happen. It is difficult, but there is only one Luol Deng and there is only one London 2012 Olympic Games.

'In basketball terms we are a small and emerging nation with not a lot of resources but we have huge pride and great ambition.'

Deng, 27, was born in Sudan but moved to London as a youngster from Egypt after his family were granted political asylum.

Deng has said he feels duty-bound to represent Britain in the Olympics because of the country's willingness to provide a refuge for his family.

'I'm going to play in the Olympics. What people don't understand, when we were in Egypt, we were refugees,' he told ESPN recently.

'My family and I were homeless. For five years, out of all of the countries in the world that my father was contacting, the only one that took us in was England. So how do I not participate (in the Olympics)?

'If I don't play for them, knowing that I had the opportunity to, explain to me, how am I supposed to live with that for the rest of my life?'

Courtesy of www.abs-cbnnews.com

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URUGUAY

Standings - Metropolitan League

Metropolitan Standings

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

Regular Season: Round 3

May. 26: Capitol - Atenas 89-87
May. 25: Yale - Marne 77-89
May. 26: Guruyu Waston - Larranaga 74-81
May. 25: Verdirrojo - Goes 73-84
May. 26: Romis N. - Urunday Univ. 67-75

Regular Season: Round 5

Jun. 1: Cader - Marne
Jun. 1: Capitol - Yale
Jun. 1: Goes - Atenas
Jun. 1: Larranaga - Urunday Univ.
Jun. 1: Verdirrojo - Romis N.

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VTB UNITED LEAGUE

Women News

QBL Player of the Week: Round 3 - by Eurobasket News

Gladstones Natalie Hurst (163-G-83) has been selected as the womens' Round 3 Player of the Week, for her outstanding performance against Bundaberg. Hurst played a full 40 minutes for the Power in the grand-final rematch at Kev Broome Stadium on Saturday night, contributing 26 points at 62.5 percent in the field, and shooting four from seven from the perimeter. Her 13 assists also contributed to the win for the home side, with teammates Bibby, Neves and Haynes also scoring 20 points or over. The pressure was on the Power to emulate their 2011 win over Bundaberg in the Championship match, and they didnt disappoint, taking the victory 105 to 88.
Its the point guards fourth season with the Power, returning to Gladstone following her second stint in France with the Aix-en-Provence team, playing 26 games and averaging 15.5 points per game during the 2011-2012 season. Hurst was this month named in the French league All-Star Five, recognising her dual skills in the point guard and shooting guard roles. Hurst is currently a member of the Australian Opals squad and has been in camp in preparation for the 2012 London Olympics, and was also included in Opals selection in 2009 and 2011. The 29 year old also played for her home WNBL side the Canberra Capitals from 2005 to 2010, taking out the WNBL Championship with the Capitals six times, and was selected as 2008/09 Grand Final MVP. She was also named as QBL Player of the Week in Round Three in 2011 and was QBL Grand Final MVP in 2011.
Other notable performances in Round 3 came from Hursts teams mates Jessica Bibby (28pts) and Rebecca Haynes (22pts, 20rbs, 4assts, 3blks, 3stls), Taylor Lilley (29pts @ 63.2%, 6rbs, 4stls, 1blk, 1asst) who stood out in Northsides win over Maroochydore, Helen Naylor (25pts, 5assts, 3stls) making the most of her 24 minutes in Brisbanes defeat of South West, Emma Langford who stole (20pts, 7rbs, 7stls, 5blks, 3assts) the show in Ipswich win over Townsville and was well supported by Nadeen Payne with another double-double (19pts, 10rbs), Nicole Romeo (23pts, 2assts, 2stls), Chandrea Jones (17pts, 13rbs, 4stls, 3assts, 1blk) and Shanavia Dowdell (13pts, 20rbs, 2blks, 1asst) who combined well for Rockhampton to topple Mackay, Lisa Braunberger who put in two strong performances for Townsville in their road trip (av 18pts, 11rbs), and lastly Yvonne Turner (28pts, 7rbs, 1asst), Racheal Maenpaa (18pts, 6rbs, 6assts) and Alice Honnery (15pts, 10rbs, 4blks, 3assts in 22mins) who fought hard in Bundys loss to Gladstone.
Courtesy of: http://www.qbl.basketball.net.au

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BELGIUM

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 (Ukraine, Germany and Belgium) or the Olympics (Great Britain).

Anke de Mondt and Evelien Callens are sideline of the squad - by Eurobasket News

Basketfeminin.com reports the injuries of Anke De Mondt (180-F/G-79) and Evelien Callens (188-F/C-84). Anke De Mondt and Evelien Callens are sideline of the squad for 2-3 weeks.
Anke De Mondt recently extended her deal with Wisla Can-Pack for the next season. She helped them win the Polish league title and Cup. De Mondt appeared 31 times in PLKK averaging 9.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals in 31 games. She also added 8.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 1.6 apg for 20 games in Euroleague. De Mondt joined Wisla last summer from Perfumerias.
Evelien Callens started the last season with Pallacanestro Pozzuoli (Italy-A1) and in Italian League averaged 7.4ppg, 3.7rpg, 1.3spg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 31.8%, FT: 92.3%. In Feb.'12 she moved to VS Praha (Czech Rep.-ZBL, starting five) and after 17 games showed 14.7ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 54.3%, 3PT-3 (43.8%), FT: 82.6%.
Both player will join the national team later for the Qualifications.

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BULGARIA

Netherlands earn first win in Pomezia - by Eurobasket News

Netherlands - Bulgaria 50:39

Netherlands earned the first win at the international Citta di Pomezia tournament in Italy. They shot down Bulgaria in the final game. Bulgaria finished the tourney at 0-3 record. Leonie Kooij (187-F-86) scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the winners.
Netherlands stunned their opponents early in the game. They outscored Bulgaria 19:7 in the starting frame. Netherlands maintained the lead throughout the second quarter. They established a 31:16 halftime advantage. Bulgaria however played their best quarter at the tournament right after the big break. They cut the distance to 6 points with ten minutes to go. But Netherlands timely stopped the rot and sealed the winning outcome in the fourth quarter. Anouk Biesters (182-G/F-86) produced 10 points for the winners. Clara Van der Hoek (187-F-90) added 8 points for Nethelands. Daniela Peteva (179-F-89, agency: Josep and Nicolas) answered with 11 points for Bulgaria. Daniela Georgieva (184-G/F-86) topscored with 12 points in the loss.

Netherlands: Leonie Kooij 13+10 boards, Anouk Biesters 10, Clara Van der Hoek 8
Bulgaria: Daniela Georgieva 12, Daniela Peteva 11

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CHILE

First two regular season games for the Silver Stars - by Daniel Valencia

The regular season started for the San Antonio Silver Stars with 1 victory and 1 defeat. The chilean center Ziomara Morrison (193-C-89, agency: Regeneracom Sports) havent had many playing time in the first two games, just playing 9 second in the victory of the Silver Stars against the Tulsa Shock 88-79 and 29 seconds (1 rebound) in the defeat 83-79 to the Connecticut Sun. The next game for Morrison and the Silver Stars is on Wednesday against the Chicago Sky.

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CROATIA

DENMARK

Denmark beat Norway in Oslo - by Eurobasket News

Norway - Denmark 55:70

Denmark finished their 2012 Nordic Championship campaign on a high note. They defeated Norway to improve at 1-3 record. Camilla Blands (180-PG-85, college: Alabama) scored 16 points and grabbed 8 rebounds to pace the Danish team. Norway slipped at 0-4 record.
Denmark built a comfortable 22:12 lead ten minutes into the game. Norway cut the distance to just two points at halftime 33:35. But Denmark gained the tempo again in the third term. Norway struggled offensively scoring just 9 points in the quarter and Denmark capitalized taking a 10-point lead before the fourth frame. Denmark did not allow the hosts get any closer in the final period rallying to the victory. Trygedsson accounted for 14 points, while Tea Jorgensen (177-F-87) had 11 points for Denmark. Emilie Gronas (168-G-92) answered with 14 points for Norway. Tori Halvorsen (187-F/C-88) chipped in 11 points in the loss.

Norway: Emilie Gronas 14, Tori Halvorsen 11
Denmark: Camilla Blands 16, Trygedsson 14, Tea Jorgensen 11

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FINLAND

Sweden win Nordic Championship in Oslo - by Eurobasket News

Sweden - Finland 77:68

Sweden claimed the 2012 Nordic Championship trophy. They won four games in as many played to clinch the top spot. Sweden wrapped up their campaign with a 77:68 win over Finland. Both teams entered the game undefeated. But Sweden proved the strength behind 15 points from Kadidja Andersson (185-F-80, college: Minnesota).
Sweden enjoyed a 23:18 lead after ten minutes. But Finland gained the tempo and spurred in front for a 39:37 halftime lead. Sweden reacted with a stifling defence in the third term. They held Finland to 9 points to build a 10-point lead at the final intermission. Sweden scored 23 points in the fourth period to seal the victory at the end. Louice Halvarsson (189-C-89, agency: Josep and Nicolas) produced 14 points, while Martina Stalvant (181-G-89) added 13 points in the win. Taru Tuukkanen (190-C-77, agency: Regeneracom Sports, college: Xavier) answered with game-high 18 points for Finland. Tiina Sten (189-G/F-85, agency: Regeneracom Sports, college: St.John's) had 15 points in defeat.

Sweden: Kadidja Andersson 15, Louice Halvarsson 14, Martina Stalvant 13
Finland: Taru Tuukkanen 18, Tiina Sten 15

Taru Tuukkanen continue with Caja Rural Valbusendat - by Eurobasket News

Taru Tuukkanen (190-C-77, agency: Regeneracom Sports, college: Xavier) continue with Caja Rural Valbusendat next season. The Finnish player will stay with the Spanish side according to lovewomensbasketball.com.
Last year Taru Tuukkanen started for Caja Rural Zamarat and averaged 10.2ppg, 6.0rpg, FGP: 43.0%, 3PT: 14.6%, FT: 75.8%.
In 2007-2008 Taru played for Gran Canaria La Caja de Canarias (Spain-LFB, starting five) and in EuroCup after 8 games averaged 14.3ppg, 8.9rpg, 1.1spg, FGP: 41.8%, 3PT: 19.4%, FT: 62.5%, while in Spanish League became the fifth top-scorer with 15.7ppg, 7.4rpg, 1.1spg, 2FGP: 39.0%, 3PT: 29.0%, FT: 76.0%. In 2008-2009 moved to Vomero Basket Napoli (Italy-A1, starting five) and had 9.8ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.3spg, but in Dec.'08 moved to Extrugasa Vilagarcia (Spain-LFB, starting five) and in Spanish League showed 11.8ppg, 5.6rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 41.6%, 3PT: 32.0%, FT: 81.3%. In January 2010 signed at Kotka Peli-Karhut (D1, starting five) and showed 15.8ppg, 9.4rpg, 1.1apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 43.3%, 3PT: 24.5%, FT: 77.6%. Last season played for Torpan Pojat Helsinki (D1, starting five) and became the fourth top-scorer with 18.9ppg, 9.5rpg, 1.5apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 51.0%, 3PT: 15.9%, FT: 70.4%.

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GERMANY

Serbia earn second win in Berlin - by Eurobasket News

Germany - Serbia 73:76

Serbian National Team played the second test game against Germany in Berlin. Once again the visitors celebrated victory. Sara Krnjic (193-C-91) stepped up with 21 points to pace Serbia.
Germany got to the better start. They accumulated a 19:15 lead after ten minutes. The hosts stretched the gap in the second quarter. They established a 39:32 halftime lead. But Serbia changed the complexion of the encounter after the big break. They cut the deficit to 4 points at the final break. The Balkan team dropped 25 points in the final period to snatch a tough win at the end. Ana Dabovic (183-G/F-89) accounted for 19 points, while Maja Skoric (184-F-89) added 10 points in the win. Tina Menz (174-G/F-88) had 16 points for Germany. Anne Breitreiner (183-G/F-84, agency: LBM Management) delivered 13 points in the loss.

Germany: Tina Menz 16, Anne Breitreiner 13
Serbia: Sara Krnjic 21+11 boards, Ana Dabovic 19, Maja Skoric 10

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GREECE

Greece wins Citta di Pomezia tournament - by Eurobasket News

Italy - Greece 56:58

Greece celebrated the Citta di Pomezia tournament title. They defeated Italy on the final day of the competition to finish the tourney undefeated. Aikaterini Spatharou (172-G-83, agency: Josep and Nicolas), Chatzinikolau and Peli Papamichail (189-F/C-86, agency: Josep and Nicolas) scored 10 points each for the winners.
Greece led by a single point 20:19 after ten minutes. The hosts however gained control in the second quarter posting a 32:27 halftime lead. Greece came back into the lead in the second half. It all came down to the final seconds. Peli Papamichail gave Greece a 57:52 lead late in regulation. Italy fought hard till the final seconds but Greece managed to secure the winning outcome. Dimitrakou accounted for 8 points in the victory. Giorgia Sottana (177-G-88) answered with 12 points for Italy. Giulia Gatti (172-G-89, agency: LBM Management) and Lavinia Santucci (186-F-85) had 7 points each in the loss.

Italy: Giorgia Sottana 12, Giulia Gatti 7, Lavinia Santucci 7
Greece: Aikaterini Spatharou 10, Chatzinikolau 10, Peli Papamichail 10

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HOLLAND

ITALY

A2, Group North and South Finals: First games (best-of-three) - by Eurobasket News

North

Vigarano - Bologna 58-66 (0-1)
Vigarano trailed by 11 points after 3 quarters before a 19-16 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 58-66 at the end of the game. Meccanica NB dominated on the defensive end, holding Vigarano to just 7 points in second quarter. Meccanica NB shot 22 for 34 from the free-throw line, while Vigarano only scored two points from the stripe. 26 personal fouls committed by Vigarano helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. Power forward Anna Denti (185-F/C-83) fired 7 points and 14 rebounds for the winners. Forward Eleonora Costi (180-83) chipped in 15 points and 6 rebounds. Four Meccanica NB players scored in double figures. Meccanica NB's coach Luigi Piatti used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Center Gloria Vian (190-89) produced 14 points and 5 rebounds and Polish forward Magdalena Losi (173-80, agency: Promotex) added 10 points and 7 rebounds respectively for lost side.
Top scorers:
Vigarano: G.Vian 14+5reb, M.Zanardi 10, M.Losi 10+7reb+1ast, E.Laffi 8+5reb+1ast, S.Farris 6+6reb, L.Venzo 5
Bologna: E.Costi 15+6reb, F.Nannucci 12+3reb+1ast, I.Cigliani 12, V.Zanoli 10+3reb+1ast, G.Leva 10+7reb, A.Denti 7+14reb

South

Chieti - Orvieto 45-48 (0-1)
Orvieto dominated on the defensive end, holding C.U.S. Chieti to just 7 points in first and second quarters and to 14 points in first half. Worth to mention a great performance of Latvian power forward Lauma Reke (185-F/C-86, college: St.Peter's) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 15 points and 11 rebounds. Guard Veronica Perini (175-88) contributed with 15 points for the winners. Argentinian point guard Debora Gonzalez (172-90, agency: Players Group) answered with 12 points and 5 rebounds and international power forward Federica Tognalini (183-91) added 5 points and 8 rebounds in the effort for C.U.S. Chieti.
Top scorers:
Chieti: D.Gonzalez 12+5reb, V.Gatti 9+5reb, E.Silva 7+7reb, J.Olheim 7+2reb, F.Tognalini 5+8reb+3ast, V.Diodati 3+1reb
Orvieto: L.Reke 15+11reb, V.Perini 15+2reb, L.Filippetti 9+3reb, L.Tripalo 4+5reb, A.Tava 2+2reb, A.Ratti 2+3reb

Third games are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.

Greece wins Citta di Pomezia tournament - by Eurobasket News

Italy - Greece 56:58

Greece celebrated the Citta di Pomezia tournament title. They defeated Italy on the final day of the competition to finish the tourney undefeated. Aikaterini Spatharou (172-G-83, agency: Josep and Nicolas), Chatzinikolau and Peli Papamichail (189-F/C-86, agency: Josep and Nicolas) scored 10 points each for the winners.
Greece led by a single point 20:19 after ten minutes. The hosts however gained control in the second quarter posting a 32:27 halftime lead. Greece came back into the lead in the second half. It all came down to the final seconds. Peli Papamichail gave Greece a 57:52 lead late in regulation. Italy fought hard till the final seconds but Greece managed to secure the winning outcome. Dimitrakou accounted for 8 points in the victory. Giorgia Sottana (177-G-88) answered with 12 points for Italy. Giulia Gatti (172-G-89, agency: LBM Management) and Lavinia Santucci (186-F-85) had 7 points each in the loss.

Italy: Giorgia Sottana 12, Giulia Gatti 7, Lavinia Santucci 7
Greece: Aikaterini Spatharou 10, Chatzinikolau 10, Peli Papamichail 10

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NORWAY

ROMANIA

Ancuta Stoenescu and CSU Alba Iulia part ways - by Eurobasket News

Ancuta Stoenescu (169-G-80, agency: Data Plus Group) is no longer a member of CSU Alba Iulia. Her contract expired and will not be extended, according to the club. Stoenescu arrived to Alba Iulia in January. She appeared 21 times for the team averaging 9.5 points, 3.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals. Alba Iulia reached Playoff Quarterfinals, but failed against Satu Mare (0-2). Alba Iulia finished regular season as No.3 with 25-5 record. Ancuta Stoenescu started the season with BCM Bega Danzio Timisoara. With them she had 12.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg and 2.4 apg in 14 games. She played for Timisoara also in 2010/11. Before that, Stoenescu was a member of ICIM Arad, Elitzur Ramla, AEL Limassol, Achilleas Kaimakliou, Sporting Athens and Targoviste. In 2005, she won the Romanian league title with Targoviste. Stoenescu also won two championship titles on Cyprus, as well as three Cup trophies.

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SERBIA

SPAIN

Taru Tuukkanen continue with Caja Rural Valbusendat - by Eurobasket News

Taru Tuukkanen (190-C-77, agency: Regeneracom Sports, college: Xavier) continue with Caja Rural Valbusendat next season. The Finnish player will stay with the Spanish side according to lovewomensbasketball.com.
Last year Taru Tuukkanen started for Caja Rural Zamarat and averaged 10.2ppg, 6.0rpg, FGP: 43.0%, 3PT: 14.6%, FT: 75.8%.
In 2007-2008 Taru played for Gran Canaria La Caja de Canarias (Spain-LFB, starting five) and in EuroCup after 8 games averaged 14.3ppg, 8.9rpg, 1.1spg, FGP: 41.8%, 3PT: 19.4%, FT: 62.5%, while in Spanish League became the fifth top-scorer with 15.7ppg, 7.4rpg, 1.1spg, 2FGP: 39.0%, 3PT: 29.0%, FT: 76.0%. In 2008-2009 moved to Vomero Basket Napoli (Italy-A1, starting five) and had 9.8ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.3spg, but in Dec.'08 moved to Extrugasa Vilagarcia (Spain-LFB, starting five) and in Spanish League showed 11.8ppg, 5.6rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 41.6%, 3PT: 32.0%, FT: 81.3%. In January 2010 signed at Kotka Peli-Karhut (D1, starting five) and showed 15.8ppg, 9.4rpg, 1.1apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 43.3%, 3PT: 24.5%, FT: 77.6%. Last season played for Torpan Pojat Helsinki (D1, starting five) and became the fourth top-scorer with 18.9ppg, 9.5rpg, 1.5apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 51.0%, 3PT: 15.9%, FT: 70.4%.

Ziomara Morrison, PLAYER SIGNATURE BY THE RIVAS Ecopolis Community - by Lino Lopez

Rivas Ecopolis and the first tab with extra-cover in their squad for next season with the hiring of Ziomara Morrison. This is a center of 1'93 meters high, Chilean from the Jopisa Burgos and now part of the San Antonio Silver Stars in the WNBA.

Rivas Ecopolis is taking important steps to complete the first team squad for the season 2012/13, and in this sense, announces the recruitment for the next course of Ziomara Morrison. This is an inside player 1'93 meters high, 23 years old (02/15/1989) from Chile.

Ziomara Morrison gives, thus, a major new step in a dizzying career has taken him three years of playing in the second category of Spanish basketball to sign for the Euroleague runner-up in the same summer in which he has given the jump to live your first experience in the WNBA, as part of the staff of the San Antonio Silver Stars. Morrison comes from Jopisa Burgos, where last season he averaged 14'3points and 10.6 rebounds -being one of only two players in women's league able to finish the regular season with double figures. It was his second season in all Burgos, having played earlier in Sedis and Aros Leon. Prior to his arrival in Spain, Morrison played in the Banco di Sicilia Ribera in Italy, where he came from the Catholic University of Chile, the club he started playing basketball at age eleven.

This is a player who can cope well in the center position as a power forward, offering a wealth of options to attack the basket, has a good hand to throw from a distance (averaged 43'5% success in triples last season), and has a great ability to go hard to rebound. For his youth, has room to continue growing as a player, and she and Rivas Ecopolis mutually benefit from this new alliance.

http://www.basketrivasecopolis.com

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SWEDEN

UNITED KINGDOM

Croatia outscore Great Britain in Sibenik - by Eurobasket News

Croatia-Great Britain 81:59

Croatia outscore Great Britain in Sibenik in the friendly campaign. The home side grabbed 81:59 dominating the court against the hosts of the Olympics.
Croatia started with 27:14 and never looked behind. The tempo had slowly went down in the second period and Great Britain managed to win the period 9-8. Moreover the guests won the third quarter 19-17 and reduced to 10 points with 10 minutes remaining. Croatia meanwhile needed a 29-17 end to finish the game successfully.
Marija Vrsaljko (195-C-89) top-scored for the winners with 17 points and Luca Ivankovic (199-C-87) as well as Emanuela Salopek (179-G-87) posted 13 each. Ana Lelas (183-G/F-83) followed them with 11 points in a win. Johannah Leedham (180-G/F-87, college: Franklin Pierce) delivered 15 points in the losing effort, while Natalie Stafford (173-G-76) added 13. Chantelle Handy (191-F/C-87, college: Marshall), Stewart and Temitope Fagbenle delivered 6 points each.

Croatia: Marija Vrsaljko 17, Luca Ivankovic 13, Emanuela Salopek 13, Ana Lelas 11
Great Britain: Johannah Leedham 15, Natalie Stafford 13, Chantelle Handy 6, Stewart 6, Temitope Fagbenle 6

GB Senior Women cut to 14 as they head to Croatia - by Eurobasket News

Tom Maher, the head coach of the Sandard Life GB Senior Women's team, believes his players are ready to be tested after three weeks of training at their base in Guildford.

Croatia is the first stopping point on their long journey towards London as the Australian sees his side in action for the first time this summer with a pair of test matches against Croatia on Monday and Tuesday.

The roster was reduced to 14 players on Saturday with the departure of Kate Butters and Georgia Jones as Maher took another step towards finalising his squad of 12 for the Olympic Games.

And among those who remain, he is seeing signs that Great Britain's best are ready to take another major step forward in unison:

'We have quality players,' declared Maher. 'We're not going to be the most loaded team. We're not going to have a bunch of 6-foot-5 gazelles. But we're going to be a competitive team.

'We've had a real fillip with one girl coming in for her first year in Temitope Fagbenle (193-F-92). She's special. But everybody is so much more professional. Their IQ is better. They've taken a leap forward.'

Fagbenle, who has just completed her first year at Harvard, and Dominique Allen (187-C-89), fresh from finishing her degree at Oral Roberts University, will be in line to win their first caps against the powerful Croatians with these two and Stephanie Gandy (178-F-82, college: Michigan) and Jeneya Jenaya Wade-Fray (175-G-88, college: Chattanooga) being the only members of the 14 who did not participate at EuroBasket last summer.

The games against Croatia are the first of 17 warm-up fixtures for GB in a schedule that also includes games in Belgium, Turkey, China and the Czech Republic, as well as two Standard Life Game On tournaments in Edinburgh and Sheffield. The Croats are building towards next month's Olympic qualifying tournament in Turkey after reaching the quarter-finals of last year's EuroBasket Women in Poland.

With Durham-born forward Chantelle Handy (191-F/C-87, college: Marshall) back to full fitness after recovering from a broken metatarsal, Maher is now keen to put theory into practice with one eye on the Olympics and with three more tests to come next weekend in a four-team tournament in Belgium before Britain hosts Canada at Meadowbank on June 9 and 10, the veteran coach is expecting his side to be challenged from the start.

'Croatia's in our league,' he said. 'Canada would be ranked considerably above us. But they're great tests, fantastic.

'The preparation is spot on. As long as we stay healthy, we couldn't ask for better preparation as a coach, you couldn't ask for better organisation. It makes my job really easy.'

Name	Home Nation	Current Club/College
Dominique Allen	England	Oral Roberts University, USA
Rose Anderson (175-G-88, college: Cent.Oklahoma)	Scotland	UWIC Archers
Kimberly Butler (186-F-82, college: Oregon St.)	England	SK Cesis, Latvia
Stefanie Collins (174-G-82, college: St.Bonaventure)	England	UWIC Archers
Temitope Fagbenle	England	Harvard University, USA
Stephanie Gandy	England	Sheffield Hatters
Chantelle Handy	England	Athinaikos, Greece
Johannah Leedham (180-G/F-87, college: Franklin Pierce)	England	Bulleen Boomers, Australia
Julie Page (188-F/C-83, college: E.Washington)	England	Torun, Poland
Natalie Stafford (173-G-76)	England	Sydney University Flames, Australia
Azania Stewart (193-C-89)	England	University of Florida, USA
Lauren Thomas-Johnson (178-G-88, college: Marquette)	England	Sheffield Hatters
Rachael Vanderwal	England	University of Limerick, Ireland
Jenaya Wade-Fray	England	UWIC Archers

Courtesy of: http://www.englandbasketball.co.uk