Eurobasket Daily News Report: 7/14/2012 1:04:01 AM

EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 7/14/2012 1:04:01 AM

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Men News

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ARGENTINA

Brazil win Super 4 Cup in Foz de Iguacu - by Eurobasket News

Brazil - Argentina 91:75

Brazil celebrated the title at the Super 4 Cup international tournament in Foz de Iguacu. The hosts held off Argentina in the final. Tiago Splitter (211-C/F-85, agency: Interperformances) stepped up with 19 points to lead the hosts.
Brazil unleashed 28 points in the first quarter to take a 7-point lead. The margin grew at 10-point mark at halftime 47:37. But Argentina took over in the third term. The visitors cut the deficit to just five points heading into the fourth frame 61:66. Brazil however bounced back with a massive rally in the fourth stanza and sealed the victory at the end. Anderson Varejao (205-C-82) posted 17 points, while Larry Taylor (185-G-80, college: Missouri Western) accounted for 16 points for Brazil. Luis Scola (206-F/C-80) answered with 19 points for Argentina. Andres Nocioni (199-F-79) finished with 13 points in defeat.

Brazil: Tiago Splitter 19, Anderson Varejao 17, Larry Taylor 16
Argentina: Luis Scola 19, Andres Nocioni 13

Rockets 'amnesty' Scola to free up salary to get Howard - by Eurobasket News

The Houston Rockets plan to use the amnesty provision on forward Luis Scola (6'9''-F/C-80) and could do it as early as Friday, a person familiar with the process told USA TODAY Sports.

The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly until the decision was official.

If the Rockets amnesty Scola, it allows them to make a considerable trade offer to the Orlando Magic for center Dwight Howard (6'11''-C-85).

The amnesty provision, new to the collective bargaining agreement reached in November, allows a team to waive a player and not have the player's salary count against the salary cap. However, the team is still responsible for paying the player. Scola has two years and $19.6 million fully guaranteed left on his deal and a third year worth $11 million, of which only $1 million is guaranteed.

If Scola's salary comes off the Rockets' books, they could acquire Howard and absorb some bad contracts the Magic are looking to unload as they prepare for a future without Howard.

A person familiar with Orlando's trade discussions and requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations told USA TODAY Sports that the Rockets were one team the Magic have talked with about a Howard trade this week.

The Rockets selected guard Jeremy Lamb and forwards Royce White and Terrence Jones in the first round of the June draft, have first-round picks available to send Orlando and are able to take back salary.

That's exactly what the Magic have been looking for in a trade for Howard some combination of young talent, draft picks and salary cap relief. Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu has two years, $23.8 million left on his deal $17.8 million which is guaranteed and guard Jason Richardson has three years, 18.6 million left on his deal. New Magic general manager Rob Hennigan would love to jettison one if not both contracts.

If Scola is amnestied, he will go through a waiver process. The highest bidding non-taxypaying team wins Scola's rights. If he clears waivers, he is free to choose his team. However, that scenario seems unlikely. Scola's waiver process would be a tad complicated because of a clause in the new collective bargaining agreement, which would require teams trying to claim to Scola to pay at least the sum of the unguaranteed money he could make in the final year of his current deal -- about $10 million spread out over the next three seasons.

Even so, Scola should be sought after in the waiver process. The 32-year-old veteran, who will play for Argentina at this summer's London Olympics, averaged 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds last season.

Courtesy of www.usatoday.com

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BELARUS

BELGIUM

U20 European Championship: Poland rout Belgium in Sofia - by Eurobasket News

Poland U20-Belgium U20 71:59

Poland rout Belgium in Sofia in Day 2 of the U20 European Championship in Division B. The Polish side improved to 2-0 record after 71:59 in Group B.
Amaury Gorgemans (212-C-92) brought Belgium the first lead and as it became clear after it was the last one. Grzegorz Grochowski (178-PG-93) closed an 8-0 run for the Polish team and then Mateusz Ponitka (196-G-93) scored for 20:10 at the end of the first period.
Niedzwiedzki and Bonarek scored for 28:20 and Gielo sent the teams to the lockers at 38:27. Both teams nailed 19 points each in the third quarter for 57:46 at the end of three quarters. Poland added 14-13 in the last stanza for the final result.
Mateusz Ponitka paced all the winners with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Przemyslaw Karnowski (214-C-93) nailed 14, while Grzegorz Grochowski posted 10. Obasohan Ojomoh (183-PG-93) answered with 21 points in the losing case and Amaury Gorgemans scored 12.

Poland U20: Mateusz Ponitka 18+16 rebs, Przemyslaw Karnowski 14, Grzegorz Grochowski 10
Belgium U20: Obasohan Ojomoh 21, Amaury Gorgemans 12

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BRAZIL

On Soroca Neto will met again some players from his former team Araraquara, such as Ricardo Azevedo, Daniel File and Daniel Zilmer.

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CHILE

CHINA

NBL: Both Guangzhou won the second games - by Eurobasket News

Changan Group - Guangzhou L. 71-85

The game was mostly controlled by Guangzhou L.. Changan Group was better in third quarter 23-19. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Guangzhou L. dominated down low during the game scoring 66 of its points in the paint compared to Changan Group's 42. Guangzhou L. had a 43-28 advantage in offensive rebounds. American center Brandon Crump (208-82, college: Tennessee) notched a double-double by scoring 14 points and 22 rebounds to lead the effort and forward Jing Wang (197-78) supported him with 27 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Four Guangzhou L. players scored in double figures. Even a double-double of 23 points and 14 rebounds by American forward Joseph Taylor (203-85, college: Wyoming) did not help to save the game for Changan Group. Forward Peng Liu (199-91) added 14 points and 6 rebounds for the hosts. Changan Group's coach MingZhu Pu tested ten players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games.
Top scorers:
Changan Group: T.Joseph 23+14reb+2ast, L.Peng 14+6reb+2ast, J.JunQi 9+5reb+1ast, J.Cheng 9+9reb+2ast, R.XiaTi 8+3reb+2ast, G.Yan 7+4reb+2ast
Guangzhou L.: W.Jing 27+5reb+5ast, L.XiangTao 18+4reb+2ast, C.DaWei 14+8reb+3ast, C.Brandon 14+22reb+2ast, J.Lei 6+4reb+1ast, T.Chao 5+3reb+2ast

Jiangsu - Guangzhou FM 93-99

The guests trailed by 2 points after three quarters before their 27-19 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Guangzhou FM shot 27 for 39 from the free-throw line, while Jiangsu only scored nine points from the stripe. Guangzhou FM forced 27 Jiangsu turnovers. 28 personal fouls committed by Jiangsu helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. American forward Walter Sharpe (206-86, college: UAB, agency: Two Points) had a double-double by scoring 19 points, 26 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the charge for the winners and guard SongWei Wu (192-79) chipped in 22 points and 4 assists during the contest. Nigerian forward Ndudi Ebi (206-84, agency: Higher Vision Sports) responded with a double-double by scoring 26 points, 19 rebounds and 5 blocks and guard XianLing Sun (190-89) scored 21 points and 4 assists. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Jiangsu's coach ZhiLong Zheng rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help.
Top scorers:
Jiangsu: E.Ndudi 26+19reb+2ast, S.XianLing 21+2reb+4ast, F.Xin 16+3reb+6ast, F.Hui 10+7reb+2ast, G.MingYang 6+7reb+2ast, P.YuLe 6+7reb
Guangzhou FM: W.SongWei 22+2reb+4ast, S.Walter 19+26reb+5ast, L.DaPeng 19+3reb+2ast, Y.Peng 13+6reb, Y.Liang 11, Y.KaiFu 8+4reb+3ast

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CONGO-BRAZAVILLE

Quimper brings in Jean-Felix Moupegnou - by Eurobasket News

Quimper officially announced signing of Jean-Felix Moupegnou (201-F-82, college: Alabama) for the next season. The player arrives from the Slovakian squad Spisska Nova Ves, where he finished 2012/13. Moupegnou joined them in February averaging 9.8 points and 6.8 rebounds for 10 Extraliga games. He helped them reach Slovakian Cup Semifinals. Jean-Felix Moupegnou started last season with NM1 team Cognac. There he had 8.2 ppg and 2.8 rpg for 18 games. In 2010/11, the Congolese/French forward played for NM2 team Poligny Jura Basket Comte. A year before that he averaged 7.9 points and 2.7 rebounds in 24 games with Clermont (ProB). Moupegnou graduated at the University of Alabama in 2006. His first season as a pro he spent with NBA D-League team Tulsa 66ers.

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CROATIA

DENMARK

U20 European Championship: Denmark grabbed 79:77 win over Belarus - by Eurobasket News

Denmark U20-Belarus U20 79:77

Denmark grabbed 79:77 win over Belarus in their start at U20 European Championship in Division B. The Danish side improved to 1-0 record while for Belarus it was the second straight loss.
The teams exchanged several leads in the opening period and then Belarus won the end of the frame. Pronin and Robertas Ruzgatis (197-PF-93) scored for 25:19 and Robertas Ruzgatis opened the second frame at 28:22. Bigum tied the game at 28:28 and Eleraky gave Denmark 38:33 advantage. Philip Hertz (210-C/F-92) and Rungby scored for 49:39 but then Azaare closed the third period at 59:58 for Belarus. The latter led in the whole last stanza, but failed to win the game. Eleraky tied the game at 77:77 and then Esben Reinholt (196-G-93) brought the victory for Denmark.
Philip Hertz led the way with 18 points and Anders Haas (185-PG-92) nailed 16. Esben Reinholt delivered 12, while Soren Dossing (185-G-92) posted 10. Vitali Liutych (198-SG-92) finished the game with 19 points and Robertas Ruzgatis scored 17. Anton Papruha (190-PG-93) poured in 11, while Henadziy Zakhar (198-SF-92) collected 9 points and 10 boards.

Denmark U20: Philip Hertz 18, Anders Haas 16, Esben Reinholt 12, Soren Dossing 10
Belarus U20: Vitali Liutych 19, Robertas Ruzgatis 17, Anton Papruha 11, Henadziy Zakhar 9+10 rebs

Danish league MVP has Israel, france and spain on his mind. - by Thomas Soltau

We caught up with the 2011/2012 CDL league MVP Chanan Colman (191-G-84, college: Chipola) and asked him a couple of questions about this past season and what his future plans are.

Q: Chanan you had a great season, Svendborg was predicted as the 4th best team in the nation but you managed to win the cup and finish second after losing in game 6. Put a couple of words on the season.

A: Well the season was great, obviously I/we wanted to win the whole thing and despite all the predictions we always believed and wanted to win the championship. We played a style of basketball I like. Team basketball where all the roles were very defined and everyone is willing to make the extra pass. People knew their roles, without us really ever talking about it. Degn and Maagaard had license to shoot every time they saw light, we knew Vinson and Mariegaard was our main stoppers/energizers, we knew Adama should shoot every foul shoot and we wanted the ball in my hands if the game was close in the end or whenever we would use ball screens. We had great guys who bought in to the system, and thats why we won the cup!

Q: What was your best experience in Svendborg?

A: My best experience was being the underdog and winning the cup title on neutral grounds, with the support of almost the whole city. It was and intense game, and we were down pretty much the whole game. We strapped up on defense in the end and I scored our last 7 out of 9 points, including the 5 last points scored in the game, that led us to a victory by 2 points.

Q: Last season you avg. double figures, you was number 4 in the assist standings and among the leaders in both 2 & 3point percentage. This all led to you being named league MVP. What did you do to improve your game so drastically?

A: Hmmmm, been asked this question in previous interviews before, and the answer is the same. Of course Ive worked out like crazy, but I think the main thing I changed about my game was my approach. I sat down and analyzed the things that has brought me success this far, but also added a few things that Ive either been told by previous coaches, or felt I could do different/better. That resulted in me being more of a leader, more aggressive, creating more off the dribble and all in all just taking more control! Watching old game tapes also helped out, somewhere midway in my career I got made into being a shooter and that is fine, but just because I can shoot well doesnt mean I have to stop being aggressive off my drives and off the pick and roll, which used to be my bread and butter. That really helped me this year!

Q: You have played in both Finland, Germany, Israel and Denmark. Now that your contract is coming to an end with Svendborg can we expect to find you in the CDL league or do you have other plans for your basketball future?

A: I dont think Ill be a Rabbit next year. I really enjoyed my time in Svendborg, but I am ready to go back out and play. All of the reason for me returning home has been solved and I think its time for me to go back out and play at a top level again. I feel great and I want to get back to competing at the highest possible level. I really enjoyed the days where we played the mens national team of Greece, Spain, Israel and Croatia with the national team, not to speak of when or when we made it trough to the eurocup challenge with LrNMKY and played against top team from other European countries.

Q: Where would you like to play?

A: Id like to play in Israel, France, Spain or actually anywhere if the situation is good. Ive played in Israel already and feel that I have a special bond there with my mother being from there and all. A couple of other teams from the Israeli top league have shown a lot of interest and two teams has made an offer. But as I mentioned, I am open to new challenges and new destinations as long as the situation is right.

Eurobasket Denmark

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Durant scores 24, US Olympic team wins exhibition against Dominican Republic - by Eurobasket News

New role, same old result for Kevin Durant (6'9''-G/F-88, college: Texas). And even with another loss from its roster, the U.S. Olympic basketball team just keeps on rolling along.

Durant picked up where he left off in international competition, scoring 24 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to lead the Americans to a 113-59 victory over the Dominican Republic on Thursday night in an exhibition game.

The MVP of the world basketball championship two years ago, Durant came off the bench to shoot 9 of 11 from the field, making 5 of 6 3-pointers in 22 minutes. He said coach Mike Krzyzewski told him shortly before the game that Carmelo Anthony would start alongside LeBron James (6'8''-F-84) at forward, and he adjusted just fine.

"It felt good to me," Durant said. "It was cool to come off the bench for the first time. Wherever they need that spark, I'm going to try to come out and give them that spark. So I was looking forward to having different roles playing with USA, so it was kind of fun for me, actually."

And it worked perfectly for the Americans, who continue to shake off their lack of size by throwing together lineups that negate any height disadvantage. Durant came in the first time for center Tyson Chandler (7'1''-C-82).

"The way we're playing is exactly the way we should play, I think, with this group of athletes and with the depth that we have," Krzyzewski said, adding that Durant would remain a reserve for at least the next game. "We have good depth, especially on the perimeter."

Andre Iguodala added 18 points and Anthony had 13 for the Americans, who were without All-Star forward Blake Griffin (6'10''-F-89, college: Oklahoma). The Los Angeles Clippers announced Thursday night that he would need surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee and would miss the Olympics.

It's another loss up front for the Americans, already without Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh. But James, Anthony and Durant can all play power forward or perhaps even center in the international game.

"They're big," said Dominican Republic coach John Calipari , who won the national championship with Kentucky in April. "They're bigger than you think."

Alternate Anthony Davis (6'10''-F-93, college: Kentucky) took Griffin's place and was in uniform against his college coach. But Calipari was the on the wrong end of the talent mismatch in this one, calling a few timeouts but probably knowing there was no strategy to stop the onslaught of U.S. fast breaks.

Davis, the national player of the year as a freshman and No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, didn't make the 12-man roster after being unable to scrimmage before it was selected while recovering from a sprained ankle. But USA Basketball leadership believes his rebounding and shot blocking could be a good addition to an undersized team in case of an injury, and he scored nine points in 10 fourth-quarter minutes.

Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks shot 1 of 12 and had seven points and the Dominicans' other NBA player, Francisco Garcia, missed all three attempts from the field and didn't score.

James and Kobe Bryant (6'6''-G-78) both had limited duty, playing less than 20 minutes and combining for 11 points.

Durant hit all five shots in the first quarter, including three 3-pointers. He returned early in the second and knocked down another 3 before he finally missed, helping the Americans build a 50-27 halftime lead behind his 21 points. He started the second half.

Griffin is another loss for a U.S. team that already saw Howard, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade and Bosh withdraw because of injuries. Chris Paul has been limited during training camp after spraining his right thumb on the first day.

Despite those losses, the Americans still consider themselves the best team in the world and apparently, ever. Bryant created a stir when he said he thought this young, athletic U.S. team probably would have pulled out a game against the Dream Team, which didn't sit well with his Hall of Fame elders.

"I absolutely laughed," Michael Jordan said before playing in a celebrity golf tournament in Charlotte, N.C. "For him to compare those two teams is not one of the smarter things he ever could have done."

Bryant wasn't bothered.

"I'm not really tripping," Bryant said. "The fact is they've got (Patrick) Ewing and (David) Robinson, those big guys. I mean it's tough. But if you're asking me if we can beat them one game, hell yeah we can beat them one game. You didn't ask me if we could beat them in a seven-game series. One game, we could get them, no question about it."

The Americans believe they can be better than the team that won the gold medal four years ago because of Durant, the NBA's three-time scoring champion who seems even more dangerous in international competition. The 3-point line, just over 22 feet away, is an easy shot for him, and at 6-foot-9 he can play any frontcourt position he entered the game the first time for center Tyson Chandler.

Durant set U.S. tournament records two years ago in Istanbul with 38 points in a game and an average of 22.8 for the championship, leading a young U.S. team to its first gold medal in the event since 1994. He has transitioned easily to this veteran squad that returns five players from the gold medalists in Beijing.

The Dominicans nearly joined the Americans in London, losing to Nigeria in the third-place game of the Olympic qualifying tournament last Sunday. Had they won, they would have claimed the 12th and final place in the field.

Now they know what they favorites would have looked like.

With Duke's Krzyzewski on the U.S. bench and facing Calipari for the first time in seven years, the coaching matchup was worthy of an NCAA Final Four. The scoreboard was more representative of a No. 1 vs. No. 16 game.

The Americans barely let the Dominicans get into any sort of offense, limiting them to 32 percent shooting.

About the only thing to question about the U.S. were their uniforms, featuring white tops with the pattern of an American flag faded into the back, and shorts that were white in the front and blue in back, making them look like the home team facing one direction and the visitors from behind.

The Americans head across the country Friday to continue their training in Durant's hometown of Washington. They will play an exhibition game against Brazil on Monday before finishing their Olympic preparations in Europe.

The Dominicans lost former Louisville guard Edgar Sosa (6'3''-PG-88, college: Louisville) to a leg injury in the first quarter. Calipari believed he had a broken foot.

Courtesy of www.vcstar.com

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ESTONIA

U20 European Championship: Greece record second straight win - by Eurobasket News

Greece U20 - Estonia U20 91:69

Greece registered the second straight win at the start of the U20 European Championship. They knocked down Estonia tonight to seal the next round appearance. Giannoulis Larentzakis (195-SG-93, agency: FCM) stepped up with 28 points and 10 rebounds to lead the winners.
The Hellenes left Estonia far behind in the opening quarter. Greece ignited a 28:13 run to clear off. They stretched the lead to as many as 17 points at halftime 45:28 at the interval. Estonia slowed their opponents down a bit in the third term. The Baltic team cut the deficit to 16 points at the final intermission. But Greece unloaded 25 points in the fourth quarter to seal a comfortable win at the end. Anastasios Antonakis (204-PF-92) finished with 23 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, while Fotios Zoumpos (192-SG-93) added 14 points for the winners. Rannar Raap (190-G/F-92) answered with 13 points for Estonia. Rait-Riivo Laane (179-PG-93) netted 12 points and 6 assists in the loss.

Greece U20: Giannoulis Larentzakis 28+10 boards, Anastasios Antonakis 23, Fotios Zoumpos 14
Estonia U20: Rannar Raap 13, Rait-Riivo Laane 12

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EUROBASKET SUMMER LEAGUE

Orlando ESL First Day went very well as teams are selected! - by ESL News

First day of Orlando ESL in the old Orlando Magic training facility went very well as Coach John Spezia put the guys through the NBA pro style drills and teams were selected. The excitement is high here as the NBA summer league is in town as well and our hotel is literally two blocks from the practice facility. Most players who are staying at the Sheraton hotel have been bumping into NBA players, scouts, coaches and gms as they are staying at the same hotel. We had a couple of practice games tonight and a few trades were made to even things out and make the teams competitive. Several players stood out tonight, but we have two more days to go, so I am sure many more will start to shine. Players will now play 6 games in the next two days as the guys will have to show they are in shape as these days will be long and tiresome and we look forward to the scouts that will be coming in.

Orlando ESL First Day went very well as teams are selected! - by ESL News

First day of Orlando ESL in the old Orlando Magic training facility went very well as Coach John Spezia put the guys through the NBA pro style drills and teams were selected. The excitement is high here as the NBA summer league is in town as well and our hotel is literally two blocks from the practice facility. Most players who are staying at the Sheraton hotel have been bumping into NBA players, scouts, coaches and gms as we are all staying at the same hotel. We had a couple of practice games tonight and a few trades were made to even things out and make the teams competitive. There have been several players who excelled tonight and really played well, we will know more about this group in the next couple of days, but right now they looked very promising. Players will now play 6 games in the next two days as the coming days will be long and tiresome, but the guys seem like they are up to it.

ESL adds two new camps due to high demand: Houston on August 3-5th and Atlanta on September 14-16th ! - by Eurobasket

Eurobasket is very excited to be adding two quality cities and locations to the summer league events this summer.
Due to the fact that Las Vegas had to be closed early because of unexpectedly high demand (we could not accept so large number of interested players) and requests from players and coaches we have decided to expand ESL events to Houston and Atlanta.
Also, with the high cost of travel this year, we thought that it would be a great idea to hold ESL events in these two locations to give players a chance to show themselves in a central location.
We are aware that both of these locations have a very high level of talent in and the surrounding areas, so the talent level we know will be very high.
The Houston dates are August 3-5 and the Atlanta Dates are September 14-16.
You can make registration to Houston and Atlanta by clicking these proper links.

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EUROCUP

Transfer news: Zastal Zielona re-signs Hodge, VEF Riga keeps Bertrans - by Diamadis Farmakis

Eurocup sides, Zastal Zielona and Vef Riga, kept their best players for the upcoming season.

*Zastal Zielona Gora re-signed its star player over the past two seasons, point guard Walter Hodge (183-PG-86, college: Florida), for an additional two years. Hodge (1.82 meters, 25 years old) was the Polish League regular season MVP last year.
He led the Polish League in scoring with 19.4 points per game more than 3 points more than any other player and he also ranked third in assists with 5.7 per game and fifth in steals (1.4 spg.). A native of Puerto Rico, Hodge moved to Florida for high school and was a teammate of CSKA Moscow center Sasha Kaun at Florida Air Academy.
He later played college basketball at the University of Florida. Hodge helped the Gators win back-to-back NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007. He later played alongside future Euroleague champion Nick Calathes at Florida.

*The player who started the most Eurocup games for VEF Riga last season, guard Dairis Bertrans, will be wearing black a long time after the Latvian champs signed him to a new three-year deal on Thursday. Bertans (1.92 meters, 23 years old) averaged 10 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 11 Eurocup games last season for Riga.
He was the only player to start 10 of those games, and averaged the second-most minutes, 29 per game, on the team. Bertans has played five Eurocup seasons already after debuting as a teenager with ASK Riga.
After two seasons with ASK, he spent one-and-a-half with BK Venstpils of Latvia before switching to VEF Riga. Bertans is the older brother of Davis Bertans, a forward who plays for Partizan mt.s Belgrade.

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EUROLEAGUE

Panathinaikos close to signing Xanthopoulos and Mavroeidis. - by Dimitris Katsionis

According to Greek media Panathinaikos is close to sign two Greek NT's players, Vasilis Xanthopoulos (187-G-84) and Dimitris Mavroeidis. The Greens purpose is to add some depth in the point guard and center position after the departures of Nick Kalathes and Mike Batiste. Xanthopoulos has played for Panathinaikos the seasons 2004-05 and 2006-07 ( when he took the Euroleague title in Athens) but his role was limited. He has many common characteristics with Kalathes as he is a tremendous ball handler with terrific passing ability (his big advantage), very good on the ball defender, quick but average shooter. Last year he was Panionios starting PG, finishing the season with 6.8 ppg.-4.6 apg and 1.7 spg.

Dimitris Mavroeidis (208-C-85) was Panathinaikos target since he was playing for Maroussi. It was rumored that the Greens had agree to acquire the player before 2010 season's end but Mavroeidis signed with Bilbao the next summer. The 27 year old center is probably the best pickn roll (frontcourt) player in Greece on both ends of the court and thats why Panathinaikos wants to add him in its roster. His ex-team, Gescrap Bizkaia, has already sign Milan Rakovic so is very difficult for Mavroeidis to stay in Basque's country. Last year on ACB, 3.6ppg-3.4rpg. Panathinaikos's purpose is to sign both players, but the team hasnt made any official announcement yet.

Euroleague regular season announced, including many Friday games - by Diamadis Farmakis

Euroleague Basketball today released the calendar with the exact days on which Turkish Airlines Euroleague teams will play the upcoming 2012-13 regular season, with the big news being that more than 40% of the games will be on Fridays for the first time in the competition's history.

A total of 50 out of the 120 regular season games will be on Fridays, an innovation tested last season and approved by the ECA Shareholders for introduction in the 2012-13 season and beyond,as the advent of Friday games gives fans more options than ever before to enjoy Turkish Airlines Euroleague action, with families more likely to be able to bring children, fans of other sports facing fewer conflicts and clubs prepared to celebrate the start of the weekend at their facilities.

At the same time, Euroleague Basketball also selected the opponents for the Game of the Week, which will be held on Thursdays, for the first half of the regular season.

The first Game of the Week will feature Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul hosting Khimki Moscow Region of Russia, last season's Eurocup champion. Week 2 will see Partizan mt:s Belgrade host CSKA Moscow, last season's Turkish Airlines Euroleague runner-up. In Week 3, newcomer Elan Chalon-Sur-Soane welcomes Maccabi Electra to France. Week 4 is a clash of Euroleague regulars, Caja Laboral Vitoria and Anadolu Efes Istanbul. And the halfway point of the regular season will be reached with Alba Berlin hosting Maccabi Electra in Week 5.

The Turkish Airlines Euroleague Regular season begins on Thursday, October 11 and finishes on Friday, December 14 with the best 16 teams advancing to the next round, the Top 16, which begins on December 27.

Fenerbahce Ulker officially signs PAO's Mike Batiste - by Eurobasket News

As expected, Mike Batiste (203-F-77, college: Arizona St.) officially became a new member of Fenerbahce Ulker. The American big guy spent last 9 seasons with Panathinaikos Athens. They won 8 Greek league titles together. Baitste and PAO also celebrated six times in Greek Cup and of course they were Eurolegue champions in 2007, 2009 and 2011. Last season Mike Batiste appeared 23 times in Euroleague averaging 9.7 points and 4.6 rebounds. He had slightly lower numbers for 30 games in Greece. Before PAO, Batiste played for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2002/03 season. He had 6.4 ppg and 3.4 rpg for 75 games. In the past, Batiste also played for Biella and Charleroi. He is the second player who moved from PAO to Fenerbahce in just two days. Yesterday, the former Turkish champ signed Romain Sato (194-G/F-81, college: Xavier).

Barca lock Erazem Lorbek until 2015 - by Eurobasket News

Erazem Lorbek (209-F/C-84, college: Michigan St.) signed a 3-year contract extension with Regal Barcelona. It means that he will stay with the reigning Spanish champions until the end of 2014/15 season. Lorbek helped Barca to win last two championship titles in Spain. They also won Euroleague title in 2010 and Copa del Rey that same year and in 2011 as well. Lorbek was named Eurobasket.com All-Spanish ACB Center of the Year -12. The player was also awarded with Eurobasket.com All-Euroleague 1st Team -12. Erazem Lorbek appeared 21 times in Euroleague last season averaging 13 points and 4.6 rebounds. In Liga Endesa he had 11.8 ppg and 4.3 rpg in 44 games. The Slovenian big guy arrived to Barca three years ago from CSKA Moscow, where he spent 2008/09 season. Before that he played for Lottomatica Virtus Roma, Benetton, Unicaja and Climamio Bologna. He is also very important member of the Slovenian NT since 2004. Last summer in Lithuania Lorbek had 11.1 ppg and 5 rpg for 11 games.

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EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS U20

Standings

Group A
1. Serbia		2-0
2. France		1-1
3. Germany		1-1
4. Montenegro.		0-2
Group B
1. Greece		2-0
2. Russia		2-0
3. Ukraine		0-2
4. Estonia		0-2
Group C
1. Spain		2-0
2. Latvia		1-1
3. Turkey		1-1
4. Georgia		0-2
Group D
1. Slovenia		2-0
2. Italy		1-1
3. Lithuania		1-1
4. Sweden		0-2

Preliminary Round: Round 2

Jul. 13: MNT - FRA 68-102
Jul. 13: GER - SRB 45-69

Jul. 13: UKR - RUS 75-81
Jul. 13: EST - GRE 69-91

Jul. 13: GEO - TUR 67-103
Jul. 13: ESP - LAT 64-51

Jul. 13: ITA - LTU 89-82
Jul. 13: SWE - SLO 69-70

Preliminary Round: Round 3

Jul. 14: MNT - GER
Jul. 14: FRA - SRB

Jul. 14: EST - UKR
Jul. 14: GRE - RUS

Jul. 14: TUR - LAT
Jul. 14: GEO - ESP

Jul. 14: SWE - ITA
Jul. 14: SLO - LTU

M-Standings - Division B

Standings Div.B

Group A
1. Austria		1-0
2. Bulgaria		1-0
3. Israel		0-1
4. Slovakia		0-1
Group B
1. Poland		2-0
2. Holland		1-1
3. Belgium		1-1
4. Luxembourg.		0-1
5. FYR Macedo.		0-1
Group C
1. U.Kingdom		2-0
2. Denmark		1-0
3. Croatia		1-1
4. Portugal		0-1
5. Belarus		0-2
Group D
1. Czech Rep.		1-0
2. Switzerlan.		1-0
3. Finland		0-1
4. Hungary		0-1

Preliminary Round: Round 2

Jul. 13: POL - BEL 71-59
Jul. 13: LUX - NED 56-64 OT

Jul. 13: DEN - BLR 79-77
Jul. 13: CRO - ENG 78-90

Preliminary Round: Round 3

Jul. 14: AUT - ISR
Jul. 14: BUL - SVK

Jul. 14: MKD - POL
Jul. 14: BEL - LUX

Jul. 14: POR - CRO
Jul. 14: ENG - DEN

Jul. 14: CZE - HUN
Jul. 14: SUI - FIN

Results and Stats from Day 2 in Bulgaria - by Eurobasket News

Group B

Poland - Belgium 71-59
Poland rout Belgium in Sofia in Day 2 of the U20 European Championship in Division B. The Polish side improved to 2-0 record after 71:59 in Group B. Amaury Gorgemans (212-C-92) brought Belgium the first lead and as it became clear after it was the last one. Grzegorz Grochowski (178-PG-93) closed an 8-0 run for the Polish team and then Ponitka scored for 20:10 at the end of the first period. Piotr Niedzwiedzki (210-F-93) and Bonarek scored for 28:20 and Gielo sent the teams to the lockers at 38:27. Both teams nailed 19 points each in the third quarter for 57:46 at the end of three quarters. Poland added 14-13 in the last stanza for the final result. Ponitka paced all the winners with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Przemyslaw Karnowski (214-C-93) nailed 14, while Grzegorz Grochowski posted 10. Obasohan Ojomoh (183-PG-93) answered with 21 points in the losing case and Amaury Gorgemans scored 12.

Luxembourg - Holland 56-64 OT
Netherlands spoil Luxembourg's opener in Day 2 of the U20 European Championship in Division B. The Dutch team recovered from the loss in the first game from Poland and beat Luxembourg 64:56. Netherlands started with 20-8 in the first period and added 15-13 in the second frame. The second half however belonged to Luxembourg that managed to tie the game. They produced a 15-11 surge in the third frame and erupted with 19-9 in the fourth quarter as the board showed 55:55. In overtime Netherlands needed 9-1 to win the game. Sam De Haas top-scored for the winners with 13 points, while Ivan Filipan (193-G/F-92) and Stolk netted 10. Kasper Averink (183-PG-93, agency: Arete Sports Agency) collected 9 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Max Schmit (182-PG-92) delivered 18 points in defeat and Arendt had 9.

Group C

Croatia - United Kingdom 78-90
Great Britain surprise Croatia in Bulgaria at U20 European Championship in Division B. The team improved to 2-0 record in Group C after 90:78 victory. Croatia won the first period 15:13 but could not win the first half. Great Britain bounced back with 22-19 and Stewart brought his team 35:34 at the halftime. Moreover Great Britain added narrow 27-25 win in the third period and grabbed 3-point lead at the end of three quarters. Panduric nailed three for 67:64 lead for Croatia, but Great Britain needed a 26-12 finish to win the second straight game. Devon Van Oostrum (190-G-93) top-scored for the winners with 27 points and Fraser notched 17. Louis Sayers (199-SF-92) posted 14, while Washington added 13. Rogic finished the game with 20 points for Croatia that fell at 1-1 record. Bruno Markulin (192-SF-92) had 12 and Panduric chipped in with 10. The next game for GB is against Denmark, who started their tournament earlier in the day with a 79:77 victory over Belarus.

Denmark - Belarus 79-77
Denmark grabbed 79:77 win over Belarus in their start at U20 European Championship in Division B. The Danish side improved to 1-0 record while for Belarus it was the second straight loss. The teams exchanged several leads in the opening period and then Belarus won the end of the frame. Pronin and Robertas Ruzgatis (197-PF-93) scored for 25:19 and Robertas Ruzgatis opened the second frame at 28:22. Bigum tied the game at 28:28 and Eleraky gave Denmark 38:33 advantage. Philip Hertz (210-C/F-92) and Rungby scored for 49:39 but then Azaare closed the third period at 59:58 for Belarus. The latter led in the whole last stanza, but failed to win the game. Eleraky tied the game at 77:77 and then Esben Reinholt (196-G-93) brought the victory for Denmark. Philip Hertz led the way with 18 points and Haas nailed 16. Esben Reinholt delivered 12, while Dossing posted 10. Liutych finished the game with 19 points and Robertas Ruzgatis scored 17. Papruha poured in 11, while Zakhar collected 9 points and 10 boards.

Results and Stats from Day 2 in Slovenia - by Eurobasket News

Group A

Montenegro - France 68-102
Six players score in double digits as France rout Montenegro at Day 2 of the U20 European Championship in Division A. France erupted with 102:68 win for 1-1 record. France erupted with 34 points in the first period showing an outstanding game and percentage in the court. They added 21-10 in the second frame and led 55:33 at the halftime. The French outfit did not slow down in the second half and also won both quarters. They reached three digit numbers after the last two shots in the game. Luka Radovic and Pelos scored in the last minute of the game for the final result bringing 102:68 victory. Axel Toupane (200-G/F-92) paced all the winners with 17 points and Vincent Pourchot (222-C-92) nailed 16. Livio Jean-Charles ended up with 14 points, while Louis Labeyrie and Dzenan Kurtic posted 11 each. Vukota Pavic (203-C-93) produced 16 points in the losing effort and Luka Radovic had 14. Andrej Pajovic delivered 11 and Marko Mugosa scored 10.

Germany - Serbia 45-69
Serbia clinched the second consecutive win at the U20 European Championship. Bogdan Bogdanovic (197-F-92) knocked down 21 points to lead the winners. Germany fell at 1-1 record after the loss in Group A. Serbia grabbed the lead early on. They posted an 18:9 lead at the first break. Serbia stretched the margin to 13-point mark at halftime 35:22. Serbia maintained the lead throughout the third frame. They ensured a 20-point buffer at the interval 52:32. Germany never recovered in the fourth quarter as Serbia coasted to the victory at the end. Aleksandar Cvetkovic (183-PG-93) nailed 13 points, while Djordje Drenovac added 10 points in the winning case. Patrick Heckmann (198-G/F-92) answered with 12 points for Germany. Philipp Neumann netted 11 points in the loss.

Group B

Estonia - Greece 69-91
Greece registered the second straight win at the start of the U20 European Championship. They knocked down Estonia tonight to seal the next round appearance. Giannoulis Larentzakis (195-SG-93, agency: FCM) stepped up with 28 points and 10 rebounds to lead the winners. The Hellenes left Estonia far behind in the opening quarter. Greece ignited a 28:13 run to clear off. They stretched the lead to as many as 17 points at halftime 45:28 at the interval. Estonia slowed their opponents down a bit in the third term. The Baltic team cut the deficit to 16 points at the final intermission. But Greece unloaded 25 points in the fourth quarter to seal a comfortable win at the end. Anastasios Antonakis (204-PF-92) finished with 23 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, while Fotios Zoumpos added 14 points for the winners. Rannar Raap (190-G/F-92) answered with 13 points for Estonia. Rait-Riivo Laane netted 12 points and 6 assists in the loss.

Ukraine - Russia 75-81
Russia improved to 2-0 record in Group B of the U20 European Championship. The team needed 81:75 win over Ukraine to keep them winless. Russia won the opening tip 4:0 and Razumov later scored for 13:8. Tikhonin and Denis Zakharov (193-PG-93) later closed the first period at 22:13 and then Vladislav Trushkin (201-F-93) brought 30:19. Klym Artamonov and Vyacheslav Bobrov reduced to 33:29, while Zaryazhko closed the half at 40:34. Ukraine managed to cut it to 7 points midway through the third frame, but Russia erupted for 64:51 lead after thirty minutes. Gleb Goldyrev and Denis Zakharov kept the difference at 10 points, while Vladislav Trushkin made the final result in the game. Vladislav Trushkin top-scored for the winners with 15 points and Denis Zakharov nailed 13. Gleb Goldyrev posted 12, while Artem Vikhrov delivered 9. Olexandr Mishula (187-G-92) ended up with 23 points in the losing effort and Vyacheslav Bobrov collected 15 points and 11 rebounds. Artem Pustovyi had 14, whilst Klym Artamonov delivered 9.

Group C

Spain - Latvia 64-51
Spain recorded the second straight win at the U20 European Championship in Slovenia. The reigning champions took care of Latvian counterparts in Group C. Jaime Fernandez (187-G-93) scored 19 points as Spain improved at 2-0 record, while Latvia fell at 1-1. The teams stayed neck and neck throughout the first half. The scoreboard read 11:11 ten minutes into the game. Spain eked out a 22:21 halftime lead. Spain increased the tempo in the third quarter. They delivered 21 points in the third frame to ensure a 43:36 lead at the final break. Spain unloaded 21 points in the fourth quarter sealing a comfortable win at the end. Daniel Diez (203-F-93) notched 15 points for Spain. Jose Pozas contributed 10 points in the victory. Davis Coders (188-PG-92) responded with 11 points for Latvia. Arnolds Helmanis finished with 8 points in the loss.

Georgia - Turkey 67-103
Turkey started Day 2 at the U20 European Championship with the victory over Georgia. The team improved to 1-1 record after 103:67 win. The score was tied at 7:7 and then Beka Burjanadze gave Georgia their lead at 9:7. Turkey meanwhile replied with a 13-0 run and then closed the period at 25:16. Georgia replied with 22-16 in the second frame and reduced to 3 points at the halftime. Turkey started the third quarter with six unanswered points in the first 30 seconds as part of a 14-2 run, after which the Turkish side never looked back. Turkey added 36-17 in the last quarter to score three digit number. Berkay Candan (204-F-93) exploded with 36 points and 10 rebounds, while Ramazan Tekin (212-C-93) and Safak Edge (188-PG-92) nailed 12 each. Samet Geyik followed them with 8 points in a win. Duda Sanadze (196-G/F-92) replied with 25 points in the losing effort and Irakli Alkhanaidze as well as Beka Burjanadze poured in 12 each. Nodar Tenieshvili ended up with 10 points in a loss.

Group D

Sweden - Slovenia 69-70
Slovenia withheld a furious challenge from Sweden to record the second straight win at the U20 European Championship. Alen Omic (215-C-92) scored 24 points to pace the hosts. Sweden in the meantime suffered the second straight loss at the tournament. The lead changed hands throughout the opening quarter. The teams appeared tied at 18 after ten minutes. Sweden grabbed a 22:18 lead early in the second quarter but the hosts quickly denied the deficit. Slovenia capped the first half with five points in a row to take a 38:35 lead. Slovenia boosted the lead to 5 points midway through the third quarter. They arrived at the final break up by one 49:48. The teams continued to go neck and neck throughout the final frame. Klemen Prepelic (194-G-92) gave Slovenia a 63:61 lead with under two minutes remaining. However Borg and Marcus Eriksson answered with five straight points to put Sweden in front. Klemen Prepelic and Marko Pajic returned the lead to the hosts 70:69 with 11 seconds remaining. Marcus Eriksson had a chance to save the game for the Scandinavians but missed a late jumper. Klemen Prepelic accounted for 13 points, while Marko Pajic added 11 points for the winners. Jonathan Person (192-PG-93, agency: JEMsports) answered with 20 points for Sweden. Marcus Eriksson netted 14 points in the loss.

Italy - Lithuania 89-82
Italy celebrated the first win at the U20 European Championship. They knocked down Lithuania in what can be crucial game for both teams. Marco Ceron (194-G-92) exploded with 29 points to pace the Azzurri. Both teams are now tied at 1-1 record in Group D. Lithuania aggressively opened the game. They scored first seven points in the game and maintained the lead throughout the opening quarter. Lithuania posted a 24:15 lead at the first break. The margin grew at 10-point mark early in the second quarter. But Italy managed to recover as they narrowed the deficit to just a single point 38:39 at halftime. Marco Ceron put the Azzurri in charge at the start of the second half. Italy gradually built a 67:58 advantage at the final intermission. The margin grew at 20-point mark midway through the fourth quarter. Lithuania cut the distance to 7 points but still lost the game. Amedeo Tessitori (205-C-94) posted 15 points, while Marco Lagana contributed 11 points for the winners. Edgaras Ulanovas (197-G-92) answered with 23 points for Lithuania. Vytenis Cizauskas had 15 points in the loss.

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FINLAND

KORISLIIGA: Matt Gibson and the second visit - by Rauno Hurmalainen

American G Matthew Gibson (196-G-84) will return back to Finland. Same country, same town Lappeenranta and same team YMCA LPR as 2009-10, when Gibson first time visited in Finland. The first visit lasted only a few months and 22 games as Gibson got injured in January -10, when his wrist and forearm got broken. Nine days earlier Gibson was doping tested and didn't get through the A-test. B-test was never taken and Gibson's suspension was to be two years. On the court Gibson was one of the better guards that season: 15,4 ppg - 4,8 rpg - 3,7 apg - 3,1 spg in 32:38 mpg!

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FRANCE

France edge Belarus in Lievin - by Eurobasket News

France - Belarus 84:64

France overcame Belarus in a friendly game in Lievin. Tony Parker (183-PG-82) orchestrated the victory. He finished with 17 points and 12 assists for the winners.
France secured a 20:15 lead after ten minutes. The hosts stretched the gap in the second quarter. Les Bleus posted a 39:31 halftime lead. France dropped 22 points in the third term to stay in charge. They entered the final frame up by 14 points 61:47. Belarus could not get closer in the final period as France cruised to the victory at the end. Kevin Seraphin (205-F/C-89) accounted for 16 points for France. Fabien Causeur (193-G-87) added 14 points in the victory. Aliaksandr Kudrautsau (190-G-80) and Aliaksei Trastsinetski (200-F-86) answered with 13 points each for Belarus. Pavel Ulyanko (204-F/C-79) netted 10 points in the loss.

France: Tony Parker 17+12 assists, Kevin Seraphin 16, Fabien Causeur 14
Belarus: Aliaksandr Kudrautsau 13, Aliaksei Trastsinetski 13, Pavel Ulyanko 10

Le Havre bring in Bangaly Fofana - by Eurobasket News

Bangaly Fofana (212-F/C-89) is changing the team. The centre signed contract with Le Havre. The deal is meant for two seasons. Previously Bangaly Fofana played for ASVEL. Last season the centre posted 2.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in Euroleague Qualifying Round. In EuroCup Bangaly Fofana notched 3.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per appearance. The centre averaged 1.6 points and 1.3 rebounds in ProA. Bangaly Fofana participated at Adidas EuroCamp in 2010 and 2011. He made it into Adidas EuroCamp All-Star Team in 2010. He was ProA champion and Le Semaine des As Cup Winner in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

U20 European Championship: Six players score in double digits as France rout Montenegro - by Eurobasket News

Montenegro U20-France U20 68:102

Six players score in double digits as France rout Montenegro at Day 2 of the U20 European Championship in Division A. France erupted with 102:68 win for 1-1 record.
France erupted with 34 points in the first period showing an outstanding game and percentage in the court. They added 21-10 in the second frame and led 55:33 at the halftime. The French outfit did not slow down in the second half and also won both quarters. They reached three digit numbers after the last two shots in the game. Luka Radovic (205-C/F-92) and Pelos scored in the last minute of the game for the final result bringing 102:68 victory,
Axel Toupane (200-G/F-92) paced all the winners with 17 points and Vincent Pourchot (222-C-92) nailed 16. Livio Jean-Charles (204-PF-93) ended up with 14 points, while Louis Labeyrie (209-C-92) and Dzenan Kurtic (207-F/C-92) posted 11 each. Vukota Pavic (203-C-93) produced 16 points in the losing effort and Luka Radovic had 14. Andrej Pajovic (188-G-92) delivered 11 and Marko Mugosa (198-F-93) scored 10.

Montenegro U20: Vukota Pavic 16, Luka Radovic 14, Andrej Pajovic 11, Marko Mugosa 10
France U20: Axel Toupane 17, Vincent Pourchot 16, Livio Jean-Charles 14, Louis Labeyrie 11, Dzenan Kurtic 11

Quimper brings in Jean-Felix Moupegnou - by Eurobasket News

Quimper officially announced signing of Jean-Felix Moupegnou (201-F-82, college: Alabama) for the next season. The player arrives from the Slovakian squad Spisska Nova Ves, where he finished 2012/13. Moupegnou joined them in February averaging 9.8 points and 6.8 rebounds for 10 Extraliga games. He helped them reach Slovakian Cup Semifinals. Jean-Felix Moupegnou started last season with NM1 team Cognac. There he had 8.2 ppg and 2.8 rpg for 18 games. In 2010/11, the Congolese/French forward played for NM2 team Poligny Jura Basket Comte. A year before that he averaged 7.9 points and 2.7 rebounds in 24 games with Clermont (ProB). Moupegnou graduated at the University of Alabama in 2006. His first season as a pro he spent with NBA D-League team Tulsa 66ers.

Strasbourg brings in former NBAer Rashad McCants for 2012/13 - by Eurobasket News

Strasbourg announced signing of Rashad McCants (193-G/F-84, college: N.Carolina) for the next season. The American guard most recently played for Filipino team Powerade Tigers. He missed 2011/12 European season, but later joined Puerto Rican squad Caciques de Humacao. There he shined with 18 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 2.3 apg for 6 games in BSN. In March, McCants left Humacao for Pirates de Quebradillas, where he appeared only once. In 2010/11, Rashad McCants played for the NBA D-League team Frisco Texas Legends. He appeared 11 times for them averaging 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists. McCants played for the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2005 to February of 2009, when he moved to the Sacramento Kings for rest of 2009/10 season. With the Kings he had 10.3 ppg and 2 rpg in 24 NBA games. In 2007/08, McCants exploded with 14.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg and 2.2 apg for 75 NBA games with Minnesota. In 2005, the player won NCAA1 title with North Carolina University.

Timberwolves waive Darko Milicic, make offer to Nicolas Batum - by Eurobasket News

The Minnesota Timberwolves' pursuit of Nicolas Batum (6'7''-F-88) will drag on for at least one more day.

The Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers engaged in sign-and-trade talks all day on Thursday with the Wolves hoping to land the versatile 23-year-old swingman.

But no deal had been reached as of Thursday night, so both sides agreed to resume discussions on Friday. That means the Wolves have yet to file a signed offer sheet for four years and $46 million that Batum signed earlier in the day.

The restricted free agent would be unable to be traded if he signs the deal.

Portland would have three days to match the offer once the contract is filed with the league office.

The Timberwolves are still hoping to pull off a sign and trade that would help them alleviate their salary cap situation, add what they feel is the missing piece on the perimeter, and still hold on to second-year forward Derrick Williams.

Portland general manager Neil Olshey has said that the Blazers intended to match any offer and did not see enough attractive pieces on the Wolves roster to entice them to trade Batum.

But Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said earlier Thursday that if they couldn't work out a trade, the Wolves would file the paperwork with the league and force the Blazers to match.

"We're going to call their bluff," Taylor said.

The Timberwolves used the amnesty clause on center Darko Milicic (7'0''-C-85) earlier in the day to start creating the necessary cap room to sign Batum.

The Wolves likely would have to buy out the contracts of Martell Webster and Brad Miller to create more room to add Batum, Brandon Roy and Alexey Shved. The Wolves have already agreed to terms on deals with Roy and Shved.

But the Wolves are holding off on buying out Webster and Miller for the moment in case those contracts can be used in a trade to land Batum.

It's been a back and forth and sometimes acrimonious negotiation between the Blazers and the Wolves that has dragged on for nearly a week. It all started with Batum's agent saying his client felt stifled in the Blazers' offense and preferred to play for coach Rick Adelman in Minnesota.

Olshey has been steadfast in his public stance that the Blazers would not that to happen.

"I don't believe in letting talent walk out the door," he said.

Milicic received the amnesty designation, a one-time provision allowing a team to let a player go without his remaining contract counting against the league's salary cap or luxury tax. The Wolves still must pay the 27-year-old Milicic about $7 million more.

Milicic signed a four-year deal with $16 million guaranteed in July 2010. Acquired in a throwaway trade with the New York Knicks in February 2010, the 7-footer showed flashes of the potential that prompted the Detroit Pistons to make him the second pick in the 2003 draft with Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade still on the board.

Milicic often struggled to stay in shape and fell out of Adelman's favor down the stretch last season. His productivity was far less than what president of basketball operations David Kahn predicted after signing the big Serbian, infamously calling his acquisition for the Wolves "like manna from heaven." Milicic appeared in 29 games last season, starting 23, and averaged 4.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 16.3 minutes.

Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Spurs re-sign Diaw for next season - by Eurobasket News

The San Antonio Spurs say they have re-signed forward Boris Diaw (6'8''-PF-82) for the coming season.

The Spurs announced the move Thursday without disclosing terms.

Diaw played in 20 games, seven of them starts, after signing on with the Spurs on March 23. He averaged 4.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 20.3 minutes while shooting .588 (40-68) from the field. In the playoffs, Diaw started all 14 games for the Spurs and averaged 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 24.7 minutes.

The 6-8, 235-pound Diaw is a nine-year NBA veteran and a member of France's Olympic team with Spurs teammate Tony Parker.

Courtesy of http://msn.foxsports.com

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GEORGIA

U20 European Championship: second half performance lifts Turkey over Georgia - by Eurobasket News

Georgia U20-Turkey U20 67:103

Turkey started Day 2 at the U20 European Championship with the victory over Georgia. The team improved to 1-1 record after 103:67 win.
The score was tied at 7:7 and then Beka Burjanadze (203-F-94) gave Georgia their lead at 9:7. Turkey meanwhile replied with a 13-0 run and then closed the period at 25:16. Georgia replied with 22-16 in the second frame and reduced to 3 points at the halftime. Turkey started the third quarter with six unanswered points in the first 30 seconds as part of a 14-2 run, after which the Turkish side never looked back. Turkey added 36-17 in the last quarter to score three digit number.
Berkay Candan (204-F-93) exploded with 36 points and 10 rebounds, while Ramazan Tekin (212-C-93) and Safak Edge (188-PG-92) nailed 12 each. Samet Geyik (205-PF-93) followed them with 8 points in a win. Duda Sanadze (196-G/F-92) replied with 25 points in the losing effort and Irakli Alkhanaidze (202-F-92) as well as Beka Burjanadze poured in 12 each. Nodar Tenieshvili (198-F-92) ended up with 10 points in a loss.

Georgia U20: Duda Sanadze 25, Irakli Alkhanaidze 12, Beka Burjanadze 12, Nodar Tenieshvili 10
Turkey U20: Berkay Candan 36+10 rebs, Ramazan Tekin 12, Safak Edge 12, Samet Geyik 8

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GERMANY

Peter Guenschel appointed Coach Assistant of Phantoms Braunschweig - by Moritz Korff

Peter Guenschel has been named a Coach Assistant of the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig. The 32-year-old moves from Bonn to Lower Saxony, where he served as an Assistant to Telekom Baskets' coach Michael Koch for three years. Guenschel previously worked for BG 74 Goettingen, the Brandenburg Basketball Federation, TuS Lichterfelde and Bayer Leverkusen. In Braunschweig the Bernau native will work side by side with the new head coach Kostas Flevarakis.

Dragons Rhoendorf add Alejo Rodriguez to 2012-13 roster - by Moritz Korff

2. Bundesliga Pro B team Dragons Rhoendorf has bolstered its 2012-2013 roster by landing Alejo Rodriguez (203-F, college: Iona). The native of Bronx, New York, graduated from NCAA Division One school Iona in 2011. As a senior he had averaged 6.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 block per game.
Following his NCAA career Rodriguez briefly played for D-League team Springfield Armor (7 games: 0.7ppg, 2.6rpg) and then moved to Spain. In five contests for LEB Silver outfit Oviedo he produced 3.2 points and 5.6 boards per outing. He then went on to play for Sameji of the Dominican Republic.

Jaivon Harris signs two-year deal with BG Karlsruhe - by Moritz Korff

Jaivon Harris (197-G-82, college: Ohio) has signed a two-year deal with BG Karlsruhe, the 2. Bundesliga Pro A team unveiled today. Harris is a very experienced guard who has spent his entire professional career in Germany. Last season he averaged 15.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest for Pro A team Nuernberger BC and was named Eurobasket.com All-Pro A Honorable Mention. Harris has previously played three years in Chemnitz and four in Bayreuth. At the BG team he is going to replace Domonic Jones who decided not to accept a contract extension.

Marcus Ligons to play for SG Sechtem - by Moritz Korff

Marcus Ligons (201-F-84) will strengthen the frontcourt of SG Sechtem in the 2012-13 season, the 1. Regionalliga West club unveiled on its website.
Sechtem will be Ligons' sixth team in Germany since 2008 and his fifth in the RLW after Salzkotten, Hagen, Dorsten and Hagen-Haspe. Last season he recorded 23 points and 10 rebounds per contest for Hagen-Haspe, while being named to the Eurobasket.com All-RLW Second Team.

Hagen: Kruel and Bleck sign contract extensions - by Moritz Korff

BBL team Phoenix Hagen has handed contract extensions to Bernd Kruel (210-C/F-76) and Fabian Bleck (201-F-93).
36-year-old Kruel has been a member of the Phoenix squad since 2008 and signed a new deal for the 2012-13 campaign. The veteran scored close to seven points per contest for Phoenix last season. In the last game of the season, the "final" against the Giessen 46ers, Kruel added 20 points, which helped Phoenix to win the match and secure another year in the Bundesliga.
Meanwhile, Bleck inked a contract until 2014. The 19-year-old prospect will also continue to play for the Iserlohn Kangaroos in the 1. Regionalliga West to gain playing time. Last season he was the leading scorer of Hagen's team in the U19-Bundesliga NBBL.

USC Heidelberg Give Janis Heindel Contract Extension - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

PRO A team USC Heidelberg announced today that Janis Heindel (199-G/F-83) will remain another season. Heindel is a 28 year old 199cm swing man that will commence his second season in Heidelberg. Last season the German played 24 games: 9.2ppg, 5.4rpg, 2.2apg, FGP: 63.7%, 3PT: 22.2%, FT: 63.3%. He scored in double figures 8 times including 20 points against the Webmoebel Baskets Paderborn. "I am looking forward to play in my home town and town where I grew up for another season. I am sure that we will have a good team and that we will be able to attack thiss eason", stressed Janis Heindel (199-G/F-83).

Source: USC Heidelberg

The Dragons Rhondorf Haul In Alejo Rodriguez - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

PRO B club Dragons Rhondorf have announced the arrival of Alejo Rodriguez (203-F, college: Iona) today. Alejo Rodriguez (203-F, college: Iona) is a 203cm forward that will be playing his second professional season and first in Germany. Last season, he played for Springfield Armor (D-League): 7 games: 0.7ppg, 2.6rpg, left in Jan.'12, then joined Oviedo Club Baloncesto (Spain-LEB Silver): 5 games: 3.2ppg, 5.6rpg. "After seeing his videos and talking with him, I am sure that we made a good choice. He will give us an important presence on defense and that was one of the main reasons why we got him. He has good moves and is very agile and quick for his size. He will fit well into our offense", stressed Dragons head coach Boris Kaminski The Bronx native played at Iona (NCAA) from 2006-2011 playing a total of 119 NCAA games. Awards/Achievements:in his basketball career have been MAAC Tournament Semifinals -10, MAAC All-Academic Team -10, 11, MAAC Regular Season Co-Runner-Up -11, and MAAC Tournament Finalist -11

Source: Dragons Rhndorf

Usamedin Mehmed Remains With The LTi Giessen 46ers - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

The LTI Giessen 46ers announced today that Mathias Perl (188-G-89) will leave Giessen and play for the Licher Baskets Baeren next season, and assistant coach Usamedin Mehmed will remain. "We wish Mathias Perl all the best for the future and thank him for his ideal work the last three years. We had contact with him the last weeks, but he wanted a new challenge. We wish him the best in Lich", stressed LTi Giessen CEO Heiko Schelberg. After three years in Giessen, Perl will move down the road to Lich. "I want to thank the fans for the great support. It was always my goal to play in the Osthalle. I was able to do this and am thankful for this experience. I will miss playing there. I am looking forward to Lich. Lich was the more interesting offer", stressed Mathias Perl. Usamedin Mehmed will continue to be assistant coach now under Mathias Fischer. he will also have the duty to assist in the youth program and in individual training.

Source: LTi Giessen 46ers

Peter Gunschel New Assistant Coach With The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig announced today that Peter Guenschel is the new assistant coach for the new season getting a two year deal. Guenschel last worked as assistant coach under Michael Koch for the Telekom Baskets Bonn from 2010 until 2012. "I am thrilled that we have found a young, but experienced assistant coach with Peter Guenschel . He has national and international experience, works very hard and has had part in many youth concepts. With us, he will also be able to be active in the yout program and support it", stated Phantoms sport director Oliver Braun.

Guenschel started his coaching career with Bayer Leverkusen as a youth coach in 1999 where he stayed until 2002. He then worked for TUS Lichterfelde as a U-16 and U-18 coach from 2002-2005. He then coached in the German region brandenburg from 2005-2007. He then was assistant coach for John Patrick at BG Goettingen from 2007-2009. "It is an honour for me to have recieved the trust from the New Yorker Phnatoms. I am coming into a good situation that is successful and consistent as the last three years have shown. I will give my best and am looking forwrad to the new challenge", added Peter Guenschel.

Source: New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig

The Artland Dragons Make Deal With Marquez Haynes Official - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

The Artland Dragons have snatched Marquez Haynes (191-G-86, college: Texas Arlington) (191-G-86, college: Texas Arlington) for the upcoming season giving him a one year deal. Haynes is a 25 year old 191cm guard from Irving, Texas that will be playing his first season in Germany. Last season, he played in the top European league ACB with C.B. Gran Canaria 2014 playing EuroCup: 8 games: 11.1ppg, 2.1rpg, 1.6apg, FGP: 47.6%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 50.0%; Spanish League: 34 games: 10.9ppg, 2.2rpg, 1.6apg, FGP: 47.4%, 3PT: 28.5%, FT: 79.1%. Last season in Eurocup play, Haynes scored 14 and 12 points against his future team Artland Dragons and 11 and 9 points against the Fraport Skyliners. "Marquez is a young player and we see see big potential in him to develop. We liked his play in the two games last season where he played against us. He will make our team better", stressed Artland Dragons head coach Stefan Koch . Haynes started his basketball career in 2005 with Boston College. He transfered to Texas Arlington (NCAA) in 2008 playing there until 2010. In his senior year, he played 30 games: ScoreNCAA-3 (22.6ppg), 4.3rpg, 3.7apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 40.9%, FT: 74.6%. He played a total of 125 NCAA games. He started his professional basketball career in 2010 with ES Chalon-Sur-Saone (France-ProA, starting five): 33 games: 14.3ppg, 2.2rpg, 3.9apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 50.3%, 3PT: 38.3%, FT: 73.1%. There he played together with ex Skyliner Ilian Evtimov. Awards/Achievements in his basketball career have been ACC Tournament Finalist -06, NCAA Sweet 16 -06, ACC Tournament Semifinals -07, All-Southland Conf. 2nd Team -09, All-Southland Conf. 1st Team -10, All-Southland Conf. Player of the Year -10, NABC Division I All-District 23 1st Team -10, AP NCAA All-America Honorable Mention -10, French La Semaine des AS Cup Finalist -11, French Cup Winner -11, Georgian National Team -11, and European Championships in Lithuania -11: 8 games: 8.0ppg, 1.6rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 48.5%, 3PT: 32.0%, FT: 53.3%. At the moment, he is playing NBA summe rleague with 2012 NBA finalist Oklahoma Thunder. He wont take part with the Georgian national team this summer so that he will be at the start of the Dragons training camp.

Lucca Staiger Moves To The Neckar Riesen Ludwigsburg - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

There had been enormous speculation the last weeks where Lucca Staiger (196-G-88, college: Iowa St.) would play for this season with the only team not making the rounds being the Brooklyn Nets, but the German national player finally found a new home today with the Neckar Riesen Ludwigsburg. Staiger is a 24 year old 196cm guard that already made waves as a 16 year old hitting for 106 points in a youth game. Last season he played for : ALBA Berlin (1.Bundesliga): German League: 21 games: 2.2ppg; EuroCup: 8 games: 0.9ppg; Euroleague Qualifying Round: 2 games: 7.5ppg, also played at ALBA Berlin II (ProB): 8 games: 14.5ppg, 5.4rpg, 5.5apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 40.0%, 3PT: 27.9%, FT: 83.3%. Staiger started his basketball career in 2003 with the Urspring Basketball Academy. He continued to develop with TSG Ehingen (2.Bundesliga) playing there until 2007. He then went overseas playing in the Ncaa with Iowa St. (NCAA) from 2007-2010. He played a total of 49 NCAA games. He returned back to Germany in the winter of 2010 moving to Alba Berlin. Staiger never got areal chnace with Alba Berlin playing only a total of 69 Beko BBL games. Awards/Achievements in his basketball career have been German U16 National Team -03-04, German U18 National Team -04-05, European Championships U18 in Belgrade -05: 8 games: 6.8ppg, 1.1rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 48%, 3FGP: 36.4%, FT: 60%, Adidas Superstar Camp -05, German U20 National Team -06, 08, European Championships U20 in Izmir (Turkey) -06: 8 games: 6.4ppg, 2.0rpg, 1.5apg, 1.0spg, 2FGP: 26.3%, 3FGP: 32.4%, FT: 80%
European Championships U20 Division B in Targu Mures (Romania) -08: (Champion): 8 games: 10.3ppg, 2.8rpg, 2.1apg, 1.0spg, 2FGP: 55.6%, 3PT: 42.1%, FT: 80.0%
German A2 National Team -08-09, German University National Team -09, World University Games in Belgrade (Serbia) -09: 7 games: 13.4ppg, 3.6rpg, 2.9apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 46.2%, 3PT: 38.2%, FT: 77.8%, German National Team -09-12, European Championships in Poland -09: 6 games: 5.0ppg, 1.2rpg, German Regionalliga (North Group) Champion -10
Adidas Eurocamp in Treviso All-Star Team -10, German Bundesliga Regular Season Runner-Up -10, World Championships in Turkey -10: 4 games: 7.3ppg, 1.0rpg, FGP: 66.7%, 3PT: 37.5%, and European Championships in Lithuania -11: 6 games: 2.7ppg, 1.2apg

Cedric Quarshie Moves To TV Langen - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

Experience and a local face in the Rhein-Main area will brighten up TV Langen this season as the club announced the arrival of Cedric Quarshie (194-F-83). Quarshie is a 28 year old 194cm forward that has the German and Ghana citizenship. He has played in the region since 2004 and had been playing for TG 1837 White Wings Hanau since 2008 having played three of those years in the Regionaliga and last season in the PRO B. Last season for Hanau, he played 14 games: 1.5ppg, 1.6rpg. "We are happy that he will play for us", stressed TV Langen manager Jogi Barth. Quarshie started his basketball career in 2004 with Eintracht Frankfurt (Regionalliga) where he played until 2006. He then had a two year stint with MTV Kronberg from 2006-2008. He has primarly had a REgionaliga career, but will continue to develop in his second season in the PRO B. I am looking forward to wearing their jersey. "Langen is a challenge for me and I am sure that I will get a new role. The most players arent unknown to me, so I will probably get used to all quickly and feel good quick", stressed Cedric Quarshie (194-F-83). Awards/Achievements in his basketball career have been German Regionalliga (South-West North Group) Champion -07, German 2.Regionalliga Champion -09, and German Regionalliga (South-West Group) Champion -11

Source: TV Langen

The Licher Basket Baeren Grab Mathias Perl - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

A local basketball hero is returning back to where it all started back to Lich as Mathias Perl (188-G-89) will play for te Licher Basket Baeren this season. Perl is a 23 year old 187cm point guard that played for the LTi Giessen 46ers (1.Bundesliga): last season getting into 28 games: 0.8ppg. "As we got the chance to get him, we right away took advantage of it. He has made a name in te region and with the fans in the last years. He is always a player that plays at the limit and does all to win. He will help us a lot at te guard position", stressed Licher Basket Baeren head coach Igor Starcevic. Perl started his basketball career in 2004 with MTV Giessen cadet team. In 2006-2007, he played for VfB Giessen (Regionalliga). He then played for LTi Lich (ProA) from 2007-2011 also having a license to play for the LTi Giessen 46ers in the years 2009-2011. He played atotal of 51 Beko BBL games. Awards/Achievements in his basketball career have been German U16 National Team -04-05, European Championships U16 in Greece -04, and German U18 National Team -07

Source: Licher BasketBaren

U20 European Championship: Serbia topple Germany to earn second straight win - by Eurobasket News

Serbia U20 - Germany U20 69:45

Serbia clinched the second consecutive win at the U20 European Championship. Bogdan Bogdanovic (197-F-92) knocked down 21 points to lead the winners. Germany fell at 1-1 record after the loss in Group A.
Serbia grabbed the lead early on. They posted an 18:9 lead at the first break. Serbia stretched the margin to 13-point mark at halftime 35:22. Serbia maintained the lead throughout the third frame. They ensured a 20-point buffer at the interval 52:32. Germany never recovered in the fourth quarter as Serbia coasted to the victory at the end. Aleksandar Cvetkovic (183-PG-93) nailed 13 points, while Djordje Drenovac (209-F-92, agency: Interperformances) added 10 points in the winning case. Patrick Heckmann (198-G/F-92) answered with 12 points for Germany. Philipp Neumann (210-C-92) netted 11 points in the loss.

Serbia U20: Bogdan Bogdanovic 21, Aleksandar Cvetkovic 13, Djordje Drenovac 10
Germany U20: Patrick Heckmann 12, Philipp Neumann 11

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GREECE

Tzimis Koustenis took charge of Peristeri - by Giorgos Diploidis

Tzimis Koustenis will be the new coach of DASH Peristeri GS Athens. He will take the place of Argiris Pedoulakis who was the trainer of the club the last two seasons. Mr Koustenis was the assistant coach of Argiris Pedoulakis in Peristeri the period 2010-11. Last season was first coach in the team of Filipos Peristeriou and now is promoted to be the first coach of the club of Athens.

Between the years 2005-07 was again assistant of coach Pedoulakis in the team of Panionios.

His first statement was : "The period we pass through is a period of crisis not only for basketball but for the society in general.The only thing we can promise is doing hard work for the team of DASH Peristeri GS Athens. Our road will be hard but i hope to have a successful season".

Euroleague regular season announced, including many Friday games - by Diamadis Farmakis

Euroleague Basketball today released the calendar with the exact days on which Turkish Airlines Euroleague teams will play the upcoming 2012-13 regular season, with the big news being that more than 40% of the games will be on Fridays for the first time in the competition's history.

A total of 50 out of the 120 regular season games will be on Fridays, an innovation tested last season and approved by the ECA Shareholders for introduction in the 2012-13 season and beyond,as the advent of Friday games gives fans more options than ever before to enjoy Turkish Airlines Euroleague action, with families more likely to be able to bring children, fans of other sports facing fewer conflicts and clubs prepared to celebrate the start of the weekend at their facilities.

At the same time, Euroleague Basketball also selected the opponents for the Game of the Week, which will be held on Thursdays, for the first half of the regular season.

The first Game of the Week will feature Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul hosting Khimki Moscow Region of Russia, last season's Eurocup champion. Week 2 will see Partizan mt:s Belgrade host CSKA Moscow, last season's Turkish Airlines Euroleague runner-up. In Week 3, newcomer Elan Chalon-Sur-Soane welcomes Maccabi Electra to France. Week 4 is a clash of Euroleague regulars, Caja Laboral Vitoria and Anadolu Efes Istanbul. And the halfway point of the regular season will be reached with Alba Berlin hosting Maccabi Electra in Week 5.

The Turkish Airlines Euroleague Regular season begins on Thursday, October 11 and finishes on Friday, December 14 with the best 16 teams advancing to the next round, the Top 16, which begins on December 27.

U20 European Championship: Greece record second straight win - by Eurobasket News

Greece U20 - Estonia U20 91:69

Greece registered the second straight win at the start of the U20 European Championship. They knocked down Estonia tonight to seal the next round appearance. Giannoulis Larentzakis (195-SG-93, agency: FCM) stepped up with 28 points and 10 rebounds to lead the winners.
The Hellenes left Estonia far behind in the opening quarter. Greece ignited a 28:13 run to clear off. They stretched the lead to as many as 17 points at halftime 45:28 at the interval. Estonia slowed their opponents down a bit in the third term. The Baltic team cut the deficit to 16 points at the final intermission. But Greece unloaded 25 points in the fourth quarter to seal a comfortable win at the end. Anastasios Antonakis (204-PF-92) finished with 23 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, while Fotios Zoumpos (192-SG-93) added 14 points for the winners. Rannar Raap (190-G/F-92) answered with 13 points for Estonia. Rait-Riivo Laane (179-PG-93) netted 12 points and 6 assists in the loss.

Greece U20: Giannoulis Larentzakis 28+10 boards, Anastasios Antonakis 23, Fotios Zoumpos 14
Estonia U20: Rannar Raap 13, Rait-Riivo Laane 12

Panathinaikos close to signing Xanthopoulos and Mavroeidis. - by Dimitris Katsionis

According to Greek media Panathinaikos is close to sign two Greek NT's players, Vasilis Xanthopoulos (187-G-84) and Dimitris Mavroeidis. The Greens purpose is to add some depth in the point guard and center position after the departures of Nick Kalathes and Mike Batiste. Xanthopoulos has played for Panathinaikos the seasons 2004-05 and 2006-07 ( when he took the Euroleague title in Athens) but his role was limited. He has many common characteristics with Kalathes as he is a tremendous ball handler with terrific passing ability (his big advantage), very good on the ball defender, quick but average shooter. Last year he was Panionios starting PG, finishing the season with 6.8 ppg.-4.6 apg and 1.7 spg.

Dimitris Mavroeidis (208-C-85) was Panathinaikos target since he was playing for Maroussi. It was rumored that the Greens had agree to acquire the player before 2010 season's end but Mavroeidis signed with Bilbao the next summer. The 27 year old center is probably the best pickn roll (frontcourt) player in Greece on both ends of the court and thats why Panathinaikos wants to add him in its roster. His ex-team, Gescrap Bizkaia, has already sign Milan Rakovic so is very difficult for Mavroeidis to stay in Basque's country. Last year on ACB, 3.6ppg-3.4rpg. Panathinaikos's purpose is to sign both players, but the team hasnt made any official announcement yet.

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HOLLAND

U20 European Championship: Netherlands spoil Luxembourgs opener - by Eurobasket News

Luxembourg U20- Netherlands U20 56:64 OT

Netherlands spoil Luxembourgs opener in Day 2 of the U20 European Championship in Division B. The Dutch team recovered from the loss in the first game from Poland and beat Luxembourg 64:56.
Netherlands started with 20-8 in the first period and added 15-13 in the second frame. The second half however belonged to Luxembourg that managed to tie the game. They produced a 15-11 surge in the third frame and erupted with 19-9 in the fourth quarter as the board showed 55:55. In overtime Netherlands needed 9-1 to win the game.
Sam De Haas (193-G/F-92, agency: Court Side, college: St.Bonaventure) top-scored for the winners with 13 points, while Ivan Filipan (193-G/F-92) and Bart Stolk (206-C-93) netted 10. Kasper Averink (183-PG-93, agency: Arete Sports Agency) collected 9 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Tim Schmit (195-F/G-95) delivered 18 points in defeat and Louis Arendt (187-F/G-93) had 9.

Luxembourg U20: Tim Schmit 18, Louis Arendt 9
Netherlands U20: Sam De Haas 13, Ivan Filipan 10, Bart Stolk 10, Kasper Averink 9+10 rebs

Landstede Zwolle re-signs Hulzebos, Zondervan and Ridderhof - by Fred Roggen

Landstede Zwolle updated its roster this week by re-signing Nikki Hulzebos (208-F-86, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement), Kenrick Zondervan (206-F/C-85, agency: Court Side, college: Cent.Florida) and Mark Ridderhof (192-G-89) for one more year.
Center Hulzebos averaged 8.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in 36 Dutch Basketball league games last season. Power forward Kenrick Zondervan averaged 7.6 points and 5.9 rebounds in 34 DBL games while guard Mark Ridderhof averaged 1.0 points in the Dutch Basketball League last season.

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HUNGARY

Jaszberenyi signs young Roland Torok - by Eurobasket News

Roland Torok (202-C-90, agency: TSS Management) will continue his career in Hungary, according to Totalbaschet.ro. The Romanian/Hungarian big guy signed a deal with Jaszberenyi. He arrives to the club from CSM Oradea. Roland Torok played for Romanian U20 National Team two years ago. He had 11.3 ppg and 9.4 rpg for 7 games at U20 EuroBasket Division B in Austria. In 2009, the player was named Eurobasket.com All-European Championships U20 Division B 3rd Team. He appeared 7 times in Skopje averaging 14 points and 11.3 rebounds. Torok was the best rebounder of the championship.
Jaszberenyi recently extended deal with Rastko Dramicanin (207-C-86, agency: BeoExcell). The Serbian big guy joined the club in December. He immediately became one of their top players with 18.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.7 spg and 1.2 apg.

Coach Sabali moves to Budapest - by Tamas Deri

The former head coach of Fortress-Kormend and Atomeromu SE, Balazs Sabali decided to stay in the country and work for MAFC Budapest in the second division. The 35 years old coach is spending this summer as an assistant coach of Laszlo Ratgeber with the Hungarian National Team again and will start to work in Budapest in September. Sabali was voted to the coach of the year in 2006 when he was only 29 and worked for Kormend. After several seasons working as an assistant and head coach of the very famous team of his hometown he decided to move to Paks, where he spent 1,5 seasons. He worked shortly for Enternet-Hegyvidek in 2009 before moving back to Kormend, where he spent the last 3 seasons in a row.

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ITALY

Dinamo Sassari adds Michal Ignerski - by Eurobasket News

Michal Ignerski (207-F-80, agency: Stanley International, college: Mississippi St.) will continue his career in Italy. Dinamo Sassari officially announced his signing today. Ignerski split last season between Russian teams Nizhny Novgorod and Lokomotiv Kuban. He joined Lokomotiv in March averaging 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds for 8 games in PBL. The player also added 3.8 ppg and 2.3 rpg for 6 games in VTB United League. Before Lokomotiv, Ignerski shined with 14.6 ppg and 4.8 rpg for 13 VTB League games with Nizhny Novgorod. He also had 13.1 ppg and 6.2 rpg for 9 EuroChallenge games, plus 12.7 ppg and 3.9 rpg for 9 appearances in PBL. The player was awarded with Eurobasket.com All-VTB League Honorable Mention -12.
Michal Ignerski spent 2010/11 season with Besiktas Cola Turka. Before that, he played one year for Spanish Lagun Aro. Ignerski also has experience from Cajasol Sevilla, Anwil and Slask. He graduated at Mississippi State University in 2003.

U20 European Championship: Italy prevail against Lithuania - by Eurobasket News

Italy U20 - Lithuania U20 89:82

Italy celebrated the first win at the U20 European Championship. They knocked down Lithuania in what can be crucial game for both teams. Marco Ceron (194-G-92) exploded with 29 points to pace the Azzurri. Both teams are now tied at 1-1 record in Group D.
Lithuania aggressively opened the game. They scored first seven points in the game and maintained the lead throughout the opening quarter. Lithuania posted a 24:15 lead at the first break. The margin grew at 10-point mark early in the second quarter. But Italy managed to recover as they narrowed the deficit to just a single point 38:39 at halftime. Marco Ceron put the Azzurri in charge at the start of the second half. Italy gradually built a 67:58 advantage at the final intermission. The margin grew at 20-point mark midway through the fourth quarter. Lithuania cut the distance to 7 points but still lost the game. Amedeo Tessitori (205-C-94) posted 15 points, while Marco Lagana (193-G-93) contributed 11 points for the winners. Edgaras Ulanovas (197-G-92) answered with 23 points for Lithuania. Vytenis Cizauskas (190-SG-92) had 15 points in the loss.

Italy U20: Marco Ceron 29, Amedeo Tessitori 15, Marco Lagana 11
Lithuania U20: Edgaras Ulanovas 23, Vytenis Cizauskas 15

Biella interested in Dwight Buycks - by Pervin Elgin

The PG finished the season in Belgium

Angelico Biella is searching for the new 'Jacob Pullen'. With the American/Romanian PG who will leave Biella, the Italian team is on the market looking for a starter in PG position. Biella was impressed in Orlando by Dwight Buycks. Former Marquette started the season in D-League with Tulsa 66ers and then moved to Telenet Oostende with whom he won the Belgian title.

Courtesy of sportando.net

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JAPAN

Scott Berry to anchor Levanga - by John Scribe

The JBL's Levanga Hokkaido recently announced that they have signed Scott Berry to be the new head man of the
northern Japan-based basketball team for the 2012-2013 season.

Berry last coached Dickinson State in Washington state before signing the pro club. It has been said that Berry has been well known in Japanese circles

through his clinics and visits to Japan in the past.

Levanga, which posted a 22-20 record last season, was lead by German guru Torsten Loibl and ended the season with
its best record in franchise history. The team also missed the playoffs by only one game during the last week of the regular season.
Loibl left the team to take an associate head coach position with the Japanese National Team. Berry, a close friend of Loibl is
expected to guide the team with a similar approach with an emphasis on defense and a meticulous system offense. However, he will
have to lead this team without import center Jai Lewis (201-F-83, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: George Mason) and naturalized star Mamadou Diouf (197-G/F-77, college: Delaware).

It has been publicized that Lewis--who had been named to the All-Import Team--will sign with the Hitachi Sunrockers, while Diouf will
join forces with last place team Toshiba for the upcoming season.

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LATVIA

U20 European Championship: Spain prevail against Latvia - by Eurobasket News

Spain U20 - Latvia U20 64:51

Spain recorded the second straight win at the U20 European Championship in Slovenia. The reigning champions took care of Latvian counterparts in Group C. Jaime Fernandez (187-G-93) scored 19 points as Spain improved at 2-0 record, while Latvia fell at 1-1.
The teams stayed neck and neck throughout the first half. The scoreboard read 11:11 ten minutes into the game. Spain eked out a 22:21 halftime lead. Spain increased the tempo in the third quarter. They delivered 21 points in the third frame to ensure a 43:36 lead at the final break. Spain unloaded 21 points in the fourth quarter sealing a comfortable win at the end. Daniel Diez (203-F-93) notched 15 points for Spain. Jose Pozas (184-PG-92) contributed 10 points in the victory. Davis Coders (188-PG-92) responded with 11 points for Latvia. Arnolds Helmanis (201-PF-92) finished with 8 points in the loss.

Spain U20: Jaime Fernandez 19, Daniel Diez 15, Jose Pozas 10
Latvia U20: Davis Coders 11, Arnolds Helmanis 8

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LITHUANIA

U20 European Championship: Italy prevail against Lithuania - by Eurobasket News

Italy U20 - Lithuania U20 89:82

Italy celebrated the first win at the U20 European Championship. They knocked down Lithuania in what can be crucial game for both teams. Marco Ceron (194-G-92) exploded with 29 points to pace the Azzurri. Both teams are now tied at 1-1 record in Group D.
Lithuania aggressively opened the game. They scored first seven points in the game and maintained the lead throughout the opening quarter. Lithuania posted a 24:15 lead at the first break. The margin grew at 10-point mark early in the second quarter. But Italy managed to recover as they narrowed the deficit to just a single point 38:39 at halftime. Marco Ceron put the Azzurri in charge at the start of the second half. Italy gradually built a 67:58 advantage at the final intermission. The margin grew at 20-point mark midway through the fourth quarter. Lithuania cut the distance to 7 points but still lost the game. Amedeo Tessitori (205-C-94) posted 15 points, while Marco Lagana (193-G-93) contributed 11 points for the winners. Edgaras Ulanovas (197-G-92) answered with 23 points for Lithuania. Vytenis Cizauskas (190-SG-92) had 15 points in the loss.

Italy U20: Marco Ceron 29, Amedeo Tessitori 15, Marco Lagana 11
Lithuania U20: Edgaras Ulanovas 23, Vytenis Cizauskas 15

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LUXEMBOURG

MONTENEGRO

MarkoTodorovic leaves Juventud and joins Barcelona - by Darko Pekic

The talented big man of U21 National Team Montenegro Marko Todorovic (210-C/F-92) who had to miss the European Championship in Slovenia due to a fist injury decided to leave Juventud Badalona and join their arch rival Barcelona! Podgorica native, born in 1992, had a great season in LEB Silver aputting up great numbers for Juventud's afiliate CB Prat- 15.8 ppg, 8.2 rp and 1.2 bpg.

Todorovic started his career in KK Junior and he is one of the most successful products of the basketball wizard Jadran Vujacic along with Nikola Mirotic (207-F/C-91), Nikola Ivanovic (187-G-94, agency: Beo Basket) and Andrej Pajovic (188-G-92). According to Eurobasket.com sources in Spain Todorovic will be loaned to Barcelona's exciting young team that plays in Spanish second division along with Marcus Eriksson (196-G/F-93), Alexandr Zigulin (205-F-94) and probably one of the best talents in the world Mario Hezonja (202-G/F-95) who is close to sign with Barcelona. Barcelona's future will certainly be bright with them.

U20 European Championship: Six players score in double digits as France rout Montenegro - by Eurobasket News

Montenegro U20-France U20 68:102

Six players score in double digits as France rout Montenegro at Day 2 of the U20 European Championship in Division A. France erupted with 102:68 win for 1-1 record.
France erupted with 34 points in the first period showing an outstanding game and percentage in the court. They added 21-10 in the second frame and led 55:33 at the halftime. The French outfit did not slow down in the second half and also won both quarters. They reached three digit numbers after the last two shots in the game. Luka Radovic (205-C/F-92) and Pelos scored in the last minute of the game for the final result bringing 102:68 victory,
Axel Toupane (200-G/F-92) paced all the winners with 17 points and Vincent Pourchot (222-C-92) nailed 16. Livio Jean-Charles (204-PF-93) ended up with 14 points, while Louis Labeyrie (209-C-92) and Dzenan Kurtic (207-F/C-92) posted 11 each. Vukota Pavic (203-C-93) produced 16 points in the losing effort and Luka Radovic had 14. Andrej Pajovic (188-G-92) delivered 11 and Marko Mugosa (198-F-93) scored 10.

Montenegro U20: Vukota Pavic 16, Luka Radovic 14, Andrej Pajovic 11, Marko Mugosa 10
France U20: Axel Toupane 17, Vincent Pourchot 16, Livio Jean-Charles 14, Louis Labeyrie 11, Dzenan Kurtic 11

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NBA

Mavericks amnesty Haywood, likely to bid for Brand - by Eurobasket News

The Dallas Mavericks plan to waive center Brendan Haywood (7'0''-C-79, college: N.Carolina) using amnesty provision that forces teams to pay the remainder of a player's contract while keeping it off the books for salary cap and luxury tax purposes.

Haywood has a salary of $8.3 million for 2012 and is owed more than $27 million over the next three seasons.

The Mavericks, in turn, are reportedly planning to commit a chunk of their newfound cap room to sign Elton Brand (6'8''-F-79, college: Duke). Brand was waived by the 76ers via the amnesty clause. Brand would join a frontcourt that features Dirk Nowitzki and center Chris Kaman, who signed a one-year, $8 million contract Thursday morning.

Courtesy of http://sports.yahoo.com

Blake Griffin expected to miss Olympics after injuring left knee - by Eurobasket News

Team USA's big man problem just got bigger.

According to a source close to Clippers power forward Blake Griffin (6'10''-F-89, college: Oklahoma), the All-Star is expected to miss the Olympics after suffering a left knee injury during the national team's practice in Las Vegas on Wednesday. The Clippers confirmed the development Thursday night, revealing in a statement that Griffin has a medial meniscus tear in his left knee that will require arthroscopic surgery soon but saying he is expected to be ready for training camp in October.

The source close to Griffin described the tear as "small" and said the early estimates are that he will be out of action for approximately six weeks. Griffin, who missed his rookie season (2009-10) because of a stress fracture and broken kneecap in the same knee and also injured it during last season's playoffs, signed a five-year extension worth up to $95 million on Tuesday. The source close to Griffin said that the injury isn't new but rather a flare-up dating back to Griffin sprained the left knee during Game 5 of the first round of the playoffs against Memphis.

"We're relieved that this does not affect Blake's ability to be ready in time for training camp," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said in the statement. "Missing out on the Olympic experience will be tough for him to take. I know how dedicated he was to doing that. We're glad we can get this fixed now and take advantage of the available time for him to fully recover."

After turning the knee during practice Wednesday but continuing to play, a second source with knowledge of the situation said Griffin woke up with swelling on Thursday morning before deciding to head to Los Angeles. He then underwent an MRI that was analyzed by Clippers physician, Dr. Steven Shimoyama and Dr. Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic.

Hornets power forward and Team USA alternate Anthony Davis was summoned to replace Griffin, and the No. 1 pick in the draft scored nine points in 10 fourth-quarter minutes of Thursday's 113-49 exhibition win over the Dominican Republic at UNLV. Davis is a Team USA alternate and is likely to be Griffin's replacement on the team.

"Blake is a proven commodity and if we don't have him, it's a big loss," Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski told reporters after the game. "He was playing really well for us."

Team USA was already dealing with a lack of depth in its frontcourt, with Griffin, Timberwolves power forward Kevin Love and Knicks center Tyson Chandler seen as the primary rebounders.

Davis, the No. 1 pick in last month's draft, is expected to suit up for Team USA's exhibition against the Dominican Republic on Thursday at UNLV. He's been a member of the U.S. select team but hasn't been participating in contract drills during the Americans' weeklong camp because of an ankle injury that he sustained on June 30.

"It's getting there," Davis said of his ankle on Sunday in Las Vegas. "[It's] about 75 percent right now, 75 to 80 percent. I'm getting there. I just want to come out here and try to make this team. It means a lot to represent your country. ... Playing with these pro guys is a great opportunity for me.

"I'm doing no contact still, trying to get healthy. I'm trying to aim for Tuesday, Wednesday, to get out here and start playing."

Griffin is merely the latest Team USA candidate to go down. That list includes Bulls point guard Derrick Rose (knee), Magic center Dwight Howard (back), Clippers point guard Chauncey Billups (Achilles), Trail Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge (hip), Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (knee) and Heat power forward Chris Bosh (abdominal strain).

Lakers center Andrew Bynum -- who would have been a natural fit to replace Howard -- passed on the opportunity to join Team USA because he plans to underdog the same knee procedure that teammate Kobe Bryant had last offseason.

Yahoo! Sports first reported Griffin's injury.

Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Rockets 'amnesty' Scola to free up salary to get Howard - by Eurobasket News

The Houston Rockets plan to use the amnesty provision on forward Luis Scola (6'9''-F/C-80) and could do it as early as Friday, a person familiar with the process told USA TODAY Sports.

The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly until the decision was official.

If the Rockets amnesty Scola, it allows them to make a considerable trade offer to the Orlando Magic for center Dwight Howard (6'11''-C-85).

The amnesty provision, new to the collective bargaining agreement reached in November, allows a team to waive a player and not have the player's salary count against the salary cap. However, the team is still responsible for paying the player. Scola has two years and $19.6 million fully guaranteed left on his deal and a third year worth $11 million, of which only $1 million is guaranteed.

If Scola's salary comes off the Rockets' books, they could acquire Howard and absorb some bad contracts the Magic are looking to unload as they prepare for a future without Howard.

A person familiar with Orlando's trade discussions and requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations told USA TODAY Sports that the Rockets were one team the Magic have talked with about a Howard trade this week.

The Rockets selected guard Jeremy Lamb and forwards Royce White and Terrence Jones in the first round of the June draft, have first-round picks available to send Orlando and are able to take back salary.

That's exactly what the Magic have been looking for in a trade for Howard some combination of young talent, draft picks and salary cap relief. Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu has two years, $23.8 million left on his deal $17.8 million which is guaranteed and guard Jason Richardson has three years, 18.6 million left on his deal. New Magic general manager Rob Hennigan would love to jettison one if not both contracts.

If Scola is amnestied, he will go through a waiver process. The highest bidding non-taxypaying team wins Scola's rights. If he clears waivers, he is free to choose his team. However, that scenario seems unlikely. Scola's waiver process would be a tad complicated because of a clause in the new collective bargaining agreement, which would require teams trying to claim to Scola to pay at least the sum of the unguaranteed money he could make in the final year of his current deal -- about $10 million spread out over the next three seasons.

Even so, Scola should be sought after in the waiver process. The 32-year-old veteran, who will play for Argentina at this summer's London Olympics, averaged 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds last season.

Courtesy of www.usatoday.com

Raptors, Jose Calderon working together on trade - by Eurobasket News

The Toronto Raptors and the representative for veteran guard Jose Manuel Calderon (6'3''-PG-81) are working together to try to find a new home for Calderon via trade.

After ESPN.com reported Thursday that Calderon would welcome a trade after the arrival of Kyle Lowry to become the Raptors' new starting point guard, agent Mark Bartelstein confirmed Thursday night that he and Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo are "working together" to try to find a workable trade.

"There's a little bit of a logjam there in the backcourt now," Bartelstein said. "Bryan and I are talking and we're putting our heads together to see what we can do to find a solution."

Sources close to the situation say Calderon, while undeniably attached to the city of Toronto after spending his entire six-year NBA career there, is hoping the Raptors can find a trade home for him now that it's been made clear the Raptors have no plans to release the Spaniard through the NBA's amnesty clause.

The Raptors, sources say, are open to a trade but want to send Calderon to a team with salary-cap space that can absorb the Spaniard's $10.6 million salary, thereby creating a trade exception for Toronto and giving them added financial flexibility for further moves.

Sources say that the Raptors and Dallas Mavericks have discussed various Calderon trade scenarios this week. But the Mavericks, longstanding fans of Calderon, have put those talks on hold until they knows how much of their salary-cap space is needed to win the amnesty bidding for former Philadelphia 76ers forward Elton Brand, who will be awarded to the highest bidder among teams with cap room when Brand clears waivers Friday at 5 p.m. following his amnesty release this week by the Sixers.

The Mavericks, sources say, also plan to lodge an amnesty bid for Argentinean forward Luis Scola if the Rockets go ahead with their reported plans to release Scola through the amnesty clause to clear additional salary-cap space to help facilitate a trade for Orlando Magic superstar Dwight Howard.

Dallas' need for another point guard, however, is not as drastic as it was before Thursday, when the Mavericks acquired Darren Collison from the Indiana Pacers in a sign-and-trade deal that sent center Ian Mahimni to Indiana. The Mavericks also remain in negotiations with free-agent guard Delonte West about returning for next season.

Colangelo, speaking Wednesday to the Toronto media to formally announce the Lowry trade, acknowledged that Calderon was "not thrilled" by the news that Lowry was coming in as Toronto's marquee newcomer following its attempts to win the Steve Nash sweepstakes in free agency.

Colangelo described Lowry as "the future of the position." But he praised Calderon's contributions to this point in Toronto, telling local reporters: "Jose has been a true professional in everything he's done for the organization. For now Jose is part of the team and we will welcome him back."

Colangelo added Wednesday that the Raptors had received "multiple inquiries" for Calderon, who is entering the final year of his contract.

The Raptors, though, could elect to keep Calderon for the short term if they can't find a trade partner with cap space. They could then either keep him to backup Lowry or playing alongside him before trying again to move him before the trade deadline in February.

Courtesy of ESPN

Pacers officially sign Gerald Green - by Eurobasket News

The Indiana Pacers have signed veteran swingman Gerald Green (6'8''-G/F-86).

During his career, Green has played for Boston, Minnesota, Houston, Dallas, and the Nets. Last season, he averaged a career-best 12.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 31 games for the Nets.

"We've watched Gerald and we saw how he improved last year," Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard said. "His scoring off the bench should help us in the future. He's one of the most dynamic athletes I've seen, and how he's improved will make him a great addition to the Pacers family."

Green, who was the winner of the 2007 Slam Dunk Contest, has a career average of 8.3 points over 212 games.

Courtesy of www.sacbee.com

Pacers trade Darren Collison to Mavericks - by Eurobasket News

The Indiana Pacers announced Thursday they have acquired 6-11, 230-pound center Ian Mahinmi (6'9''-F/C-86) from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Darren Collison (6'0''-PG-87, college: UCLA) and Dahntay Jones (6'5''-F/G-80, agency: Priority Sports, college: Duke).

This trade was an effort to shore up positions as part of our front court, said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh. We feel Ian will do a wonderful job being in our rotation. Our priority during the moratorium was to keep our own guys and shore up our bench. I feel like we are making strides in that direction.

Mahinmi is a four-year veteran of the NBA, having played for both the Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs. In his career he has played 149 games and has averages of 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, including the 2011-12 season with the Mavericks where he averaged 5.8 ppg and 4.7 rpg.

Born in Rouen, France, the 26-year-old Mahinmi was a first-round pick of the San Antonio Spurs (28 th overall) in the 2005 NBA Draft. He played two seasons with the Spurs before signing with the Mavericks in July 2010.

Collison, a fourth-year player out of UCLA, was acquired (along with James Posey) by the Pacers on August 11, 2010, from New Orleans as part of a four-team trade that sent Troy Murphy to New Jersey. In his two seasons with the Pacers he averaged 11.9 points and 4.96 assists per game. Jones, a 6-6, 210-pound guard/forward was signed by the Pacers on July 14, 2009; and in his three seasons with the Pacers he averaged 7.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.

We will miss the contributions that Darren Collison and Dahntay Jones made to the Pacers and feel that they will be valuable members of the Mavericks, said Walsh. We hope this is a good trade for both teams.

Courtesy of www.insidehoops.com

Kings re-sign PF Jason Thompson - by Eurobasket News

The Sacramento Kings have signed power forward Jason Thompson (6'11''-F-86, college: Rider) to a new contract.

The Kings announced the move on the first day free agents could sign Wednesday. The team had extended a qualifying offer to Thompson before free agency.

Thompson was a restricted free agent and had the opportunity to sign elsewhere and wait to see if Sacramento matched the offer. Instead, he decided not to take the chance and signed with the Kings.

Thompson averaged 9.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists playing mostly off the bench last season. He was selected by the Kings with the 12th overall pick in the 2008 draft.

Terms of the deal were not announced.

Courtesy of www.mercurynews.com

Bucks re-sign Ilyasova - by Eurobasket News

The Milwaukee Bucks re-signed forward Ersan Ilyasova (6'10''-F-87) to a multi-year contract Thursday.

Financial terms of the deal were not released, but the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported it is a five-year deal worth around $45 million.

Ilyasova averaged career-highs of 13.0 points and 8.8 rebounds through 60 games, including 41 starts, with the Bucks last season.

The 25-year-old has spent his entire four-year NBA career with Milwaukee. He averaged 9.7 points, 6.0 assists and 1.0 assists through 267 games (120 starts).

Courtesy of www.miamiherald.com

Agent: Bobcats, Sessions agree on 2-year deal - by Eurobasket News

The Charlotte Bobcats have agreed to a two-year contract with former Los Angeles Lakers point guard Ramon Sessions (6'3''-PG-86, college: Nevada).

Sessions' agent, Jared Karnes, confirmed to ESPNLosAngeles.com that Sessions and the Bobcats agreed to a two-year guaranteed contract on Thursday.

Financial terms of the deal have not been announced.

Sessions replaces D.J. Augustin, whose qualifying offer was rescinded earlier Thursday. The move made Augustin, last year's starting point guard, an unrestricted free agent.
Sessions is entering his sixth season and averaged 12.7 points, 6.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game last season for the Lakers with 19 starts. He's previously played for Milwaukee, Minnesota and Cleveland and has averaged 11.1 points and five assists per game during his career.

Sessions opted out of his contract with the Lakers to sign with the Bobcats.

It's unclear at this point who'll be the team's starting point guard. The Bobcats drafted Kemba Walker with the ninth pick in last year's draft and owner Michael Jordan likes the savvy of the former Connecticut star, although he's a little undersized at 6 feet 1. Jordan had a major role in the decision to draft Walker, who played in spurts last season and had one triple-double as a rookie.

Augustin leaves after four seasons with the Bobcats.

He was Charlotte's ninth overall pick in the 2008 draft.

By rescinding Augustin's qualifying offer, the Bobcats saved about $4.4 million under the salary cap -- money they turned around and used to sign Sessions.
Augustin initially was selected by the Bobcats with the ninth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. In four NBA seasons, he played in 282 games for the Bobcats with averages of 10.9 points, 4.4 assists and 2.0 rebounds but struggled at times with shooting. Last year, he played in 48 games, averaging 11.1 points, 6.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Courtesy of http://abclocal.go.com

Looking to solidify roster, Wizards re-sign Cartier Martin - by Eurobasket News

The Washington Wizards re-signed guard/forward Cartier Martin (6'7''-G/F-84, college: Kansas St.), though terms of the deal have not been released. Martin has previous experience with the Wizards, suiting up for the Washington side in parts of the 2009-2010 season, 2010-2011 season and last year.

In a piece from early July, CSN Washington Wizards Insider Ben Standig predicted a return to the Wiz for Martin. Considering Martin played for Washington in each of the last three seasons, it is easy to deduce that management likes certain aspects of his game. Last season, Martin averaged 9.3 points and 3.4 rebounds in 17 games with the Wiz, shooting 38 percent from the 3-point line.

"Cartier has been with our team for parts of the past three seasons and he has always made a positive contribution both on the court and in the locker room," Wizards General Manager Ernie Grunfeld in a statement. "In addition to his three-point shooting touch, he is a good defender and gives us another solid veteran to help solidify our bench."

Where Martin will find minutes remains a question. A trade earlier this offseason brought Trevor Ariza to the Wizards, a player with similar size and skills to Martin. The team has another young slashing forward in Chris Singleton, and the guard spots seem filled with John Wall, Jordan Crawford, rookie Bradley Beal and Shelvin Mack.

Courtesy of www.csnwashington.com

2012 Orlando Pro Summer League roundup: Day 4 - by Eurobasket News

Magic 77, Sixers 75 (2 OT)
BOX SCORE

With Maalik Wayns (6'2''-G-91) joining the Golden State Warriors to play in the 2012 Las Vegas Summer League, Kevin Anderson got the starting nod at the point guard position for the Magic. The 6-foot Anderson has exceptional speed in the open court and was a handful for Sixers point guard Jacob Pullen (6'0''-PG-89, college: Kansas St.) on the defensive end. Anderson gets a lot of vertical lift on his jumpshot, which results in consistent shot mechanics and a high release point. Anderson will probably need to be more vocal as a point guard if he plans to lead a team. He has progressed nicely throughout the week as he has gotten much more comfortable with his role on the Magics Summer League team. His size, however, will be a huge deterrent to interested NBA teams, which could result in him playing overseas.
Although he didnt convert many of them, Justin Harper showed some moxie taking tough shots in the clutch. Harper didnt let his misses deter him from stepping up to the plate when the Magic needed a bucket late in the game, I was getting good looks most of the night. I knew if I kept shooting, they were going to start falling for me so luckily they fell when we needed it most. Given the current makeup of the Magic roster, Harper may garner consistent playing time next season. His fearlessness will be needed if thats the case.

Pistons 93, Celtics 79
BOX SCORE

Brandon Knight (6'3''-G-91, college: Kentucky) set a game-high with 14 assists today to go along with his game-high 19 points. Knight was able to get into the teeth of the defense whenever he wanted and was able to get easy baskets for his teammates along the frontline. Although some pundits might say Knight overdribbles at times, there really isnt another perimeter player on the Pistons that can handle the responsibilities of being the primary ballhandler due to the physicality of the game. Given the amount of possessions Knight played today, his six turnovers are statistically insignificant and Pistons fans should be excited about their point guards future.

Thunder 87, Nets 86
BOX SCORE

This was the most exciting game so far this week, with both teams being led by superior guard play. The Nets Tyshawn Taylor (6'3''-G-90, college: Kansas) diced his way into the gaps of the defense, resulting in either made layups or free-throw attempts. Taylor has always been known for his first step and it seems that his quickness is going to translate to the NBA level. At times, Taylors quickness can cause him to speed out of control into a wall of taller defenders, which is how he creates most of his turnovers.
The Thunders Dwight Buycks has been patiently waiting for his opportunity to take the reins of the Oklahoma City offense and its apparent he was an attentive pupil. Buycks shot the ball well (10-for-15 from the floor) and led the Thunder in scoring with 22 points. Even though the Thunder trailed by as many as 13 points in the game, they never gave up and were able to eventually come back to win. Buycks spoke about that mentality to fight back despite being down by double-digits, Oklahoma is an organization where theres no giving up. These guys that are not on the team, we basically learned that from the players that are on the team.

Jazz 87, Pacers 81
BOX SCORE

Outside of the Pistons Andre Drummond (6'11''-C-93, college: Connecticut), the most perplexing enigma in Orlando this week has been the Pacers Orlando Johnson. Throughout the week, Johnson has demonstrated good strength on his drives to the basket. Arguably, Johnson has the best body control of anyone here and his strong core enables him to absorb contact without altering the trajectory of his shot. Johnson must improve his shot selection and look to score within the flow of the Pacers half-court offense. He has a bad habit of attacking a gap hard, picking up his dribble in the middle of the paint, and attempting a contested shot from a standstill position. Taken with the No. 36 overall pick by the Sacramento Kings and then immediately traded on draft night, Johnson has a great chance of making the Pacers roster. If he wants to see playing time next season, he is going to need to trust his outside shot more, given that he was a 42.7 percent three-point shooter at UC Santa Barbara last season.

Courtesy of www.magicbasketball.net

Timberwolves waive Darko Milicic, make offer to Nicolas Batum - by Eurobasket News

The Minnesota Timberwolves' pursuit of Nicolas Batum (6'7''-F-88) will drag on for at least one more day.

The Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers engaged in sign-and-trade talks all day on Thursday with the Wolves hoping to land the versatile 23-year-old swingman.

But no deal had been reached as of Thursday night, so both sides agreed to resume discussions on Friday. That means the Wolves have yet to file a signed offer sheet for four years and $46 million that Batum signed earlier in the day.

The restricted free agent would be unable to be traded if he signs the deal.

Portland would have three days to match the offer once the contract is filed with the league office.

The Timberwolves are still hoping to pull off a sign and trade that would help them alleviate their salary cap situation, add what they feel is the missing piece on the perimeter, and still hold on to second-year forward Derrick Williams.

Portland general manager Neil Olshey has said that the Blazers intended to match any offer and did not see enough attractive pieces on the Wolves roster to entice them to trade Batum.

But Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said earlier Thursday that if they couldn't work out a trade, the Wolves would file the paperwork with the league and force the Blazers to match.

"We're going to call their bluff," Taylor said.

The Timberwolves used the amnesty clause on center Darko Milicic (7'0''-C-85) earlier in the day to start creating the necessary cap room to sign Batum.

The Wolves likely would have to buy out the contracts of Martell Webster and Brad Miller to create more room to add Batum, Brandon Roy and Alexey Shved. The Wolves have already agreed to terms on deals with Roy and Shved.

But the Wolves are holding off on buying out Webster and Miller for the moment in case those contracts can be used in a trade to land Batum.

It's been a back and forth and sometimes acrimonious negotiation between the Blazers and the Wolves that has dragged on for nearly a week. It all started with Batum's agent saying his client felt stifled in the Blazers' offense and preferred to play for coach Rick Adelman in Minnesota.

Olshey has been steadfast in his public stance that the Blazers would not that to happen.

"I don't believe in letting talent walk out the door," he said.

Milicic received the amnesty designation, a one-time provision allowing a team to let a player go without his remaining contract counting against the league's salary cap or luxury tax. The Wolves still must pay the 27-year-old Milicic about $7 million more.

Milicic signed a four-year deal with $16 million guaranteed in July 2010. Acquired in a throwaway trade with the New York Knicks in February 2010, the 7-footer showed flashes of the potential that prompted the Detroit Pistons to make him the second pick in the 2003 draft with Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade still on the board.

Milicic often struggled to stay in shape and fell out of Adelman's favor down the stretch last season. His productivity was far less than what president of basketball operations David Kahn predicted after signing the big Serbian, infamously calling his acquisition for the Wolves "like manna from heaven." Milicic appeared in 29 games last season, starting 23, and averaged 4.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 16.3 minutes.

Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Anthony Davis returns to US Olympic team - by Eurobasket News

Hornets rookie Anthony Davis (6'10''-F-93, college: Kentucky) is one step closer to a spot on the 12-man U.S. Olympic basketball team now that Clippers power forward Blake Griffin (6'10''-F-89, college: Oklahoma) will miss the London Games with a torn left meniscus.

But while Davis will accompany the U.S. team today to Washington, D.C., the formality of Griffins withdrawal still must take place before Davis is added to the U.S. roster, according to USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo .

Until we get official word, and we know what the reports are, but not to us if thats official, then Blake has to withdraw because he is an Olympian, and when and if that takes place, thats when we can officially add Anthony Davis to our roster, Colangelo said after the U.S. beat the Dominican Republic 113-59 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Davis, who arrived back in Las Vegas at 2 p.m. local time Thursday after attending the ESPY Awards Wednesday night in Los Angeles, reported to the team hotel, ate the pregame meal, then played the entire fourth quarter. He scored nine points in 10 minutes, and hit the only 3-point shot he attempted, on which he was fouled. He completed the four-point play.

Davis afterward did not know that the U.S. team would be bringing him to Washington. He said he was just filling in for Griffin until Griffin got healthy. Davis was unaware of the severity of Griffins injury.

Im not on the team yet; Im still an alternate, Davis said Thursday night. Until I hear something different, thats my mindset; that Im not on the team, just an alternate. I just came in and filled Blakes spot for tonight and see where it goes from there. No one has given me any indication of what Im doing.

I felt good tonight, very comfortable. Melo (Carmelo Anthony) told me to take deep breaths. It was just like college. Youre just out there playing ball. If you really love this game, youre going to be nervous, but just go out and have fun. Plus, it was great to beat Coach Cal (Kentuckys John Calipari, his college coach who coached the Dominican team). He just said, Great game. If you make the team hes going to come to London to support me. He said he should have let me shoot 3s in college, too.

Even before Thursday nights game Colangelo was presenting a calm exterior, yet there was little doubt on the inside, Colangelo was far from a tranquil individual.

And the stomach-churning escalated Thursday morning.

Davis went to the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, after launching a few jump shots after practice, but planned to return for Thursdays exhibition to be a spectator.

Instead, he was in uniform on the U.S. bench.

When he didnt make the Olympic roster, Davis planned to join the Hornets summer league team that begins its competition here Sunday night.

Hornets Coach Monty Williams wasnt sure Thursday night about Daviss Summer League status.

Weve got to wait and see; we havent talked to the USA people yet, so its not official, Williams said. I dont want to talk in hypotheticals, but any time you get a chance to play around all that talent, I dont care who you are, its going to have a positive effect on you.

Hes working hard. Weve got (strength coach Carlos Daniel) out there with him, and Carlos is going to spend the summer with him to get him stronger, quicker and ready to play. Hes going to get better either way. Ive heard all the stuff; Dell (Demps) and I talked today, but theres no official ruling yet until we hear something about Blake. Either way, I think for Anthony its a great honor to be thought of in that way. Theres some great young centers around the league who are pretty good, and theyre calling on him. That should tell people just how good he is.

As Team USA took to the court in preparation for its first appearance in the London Olympic Games on July 29, Colangelo had reason for concern.

The teams week-long training camp was a fractured exercise during which neither of the teams starting point guards Chris Paul and Deron Williams could participate, one (Paul) with an injury, the other (Williams) because he hadnt signed a new contract with the Brooklyn Nets until Wednesday, and therefore could not practice with his USA teammates.

For a club hoping to defend Americas basketball honor, and the 2008 Olympic gold medal won in the Beijing Games, continuity remains a far piece down the road.

I think the lack of having our point guards to be able to participate has been a little bit of a detriment in terms of brining cohesion to us, Colangelo said. Although we knew there were going to be a lot of distractions, we got squeezed on both ends of the calendar: the extended NBA season and playoffs and the Olympics are earlier this time than last. And everything hit on the same week. Our camp, free-agency, signings.

Were a little bit discombobulated. I think were trying to deal with all those issues, so its going to take us a while to get to where we want to be. Thats why we knew, we had a feeling our camp was going to go way beyond Las Vegas, extend into Washington, D.C., and one step at a time so we could build. But we need our players in their specific roles and we havent been able to do that because of all the issues.

Courtesy of www.nola.com

Pacers, D.J. Augustin agree to terms - by Eurobasket News

The Indiana Pacers have wasted little time finding a backup point guard to replace Darren Collison (6'0''-PG-87, college: UCLA), whom they traded along with Dahntay Jones (6'5''-F/G-80, agency: Priority Sports, college: Duke) to the Dallas Mavericks late Wednesday in exchange for center Ian Mahinmi (6'9''-F/C-86).

Team president Donnie Walsh and new general manager Kevin Pritchard were again busy Thursday, agreeing to a deal with point guard and unrestricted free agent D.J. Augustin (5'11''-PG-87, college: Texas), according to a source.

Augustin, a former star at the University of Texas, was originally chosen by the Charlotte Bobcats with the ninth pick in the 2008 draft. He's averaged 8.9 points and 2.9 assists in three years in the NBA.

It's presumed Augustin will slide into the backup point guard role vacated by Collison. The Pacers signed George Hill, who supplanted Collison as the starter late last season, to an extension earlier this summer.

The Pacers also announced Thursday that they have signed free agent guard/forward Gerald Green.

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Green, a five-year NBA veteran, has played for five teams in the NBA, most recently the New Jersey Nets. He averaged 12.9 points and 3.5 rebounds a game last season.

"We've watched Gerald and we saw how he improved last year," Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard said in a news release. "His scoring off the bench should help us in the future. He's one of the most dynamic athletes I've seen, and how he's improved will make him a great addition to the Pacers family."

Green might be best known for winning the 2007 Slam Dunk Contest.

Courtesy of www.usatoday.com

Source: Lakers target Jamison, Brand, O'Neal - by Eurobasket News

Dwight Howard (6'11''-C-85) isn't the only big man on the minds of the Los Angeles Lakers' front office staff these days.

One source familiar with the trade negotiations said Thursday that calls between the Houston Rockets and Lakers discussing a three-way trade have cooled, while the Atlanta Hawks appear to be gaining steam in their pursuit of Howard.

With Howard's eventual destination still anybody's guess, the Lakers are turning their attention to adding a backup big man or two.

The Lakers remain in negotiations with Jordan Hill, who averaged 4.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in seven regular-season games with L.A. after being acquired from the Houston Rockets at the trade deadline in March. Hill's agent, Bill Duffy, told ESPNLosAngeles.com on Wednesday that there was still some distance between the two sides, but he planned to circle back with Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak before Hill made his final decision. The Lakers hold partial Bird rights to Hill and can offer him a maximum of $3,632,450 per season for up to five years.

Aside from Hill, appearing on the Lakers' "short list" of names they are hoping to add to the roster for the veteran's minimum are Antawn Jamison (6'9''-F-76, college: N.Carolina), Elton Brand (6'8''-F-79, college: Duke) and Jermaine O'Neal (6'11''-F/C-78),, according to a source familiar with the team's thinking.

The Lakers also have the "mini" mid-level exception available to them, beginning at $3 million a season, but prefer to hold off on using that in case a Howard deal goes down involving multiple players and they are left needing to fill a glaring void.

Not only is adding a backup big man a priority because signing Hill might not work out, but because Josh McRoberts and his expiring $3.1 million contract have drawn interest from other teams in potential Howard trade scenarios.

Jamison, 36, averaged 17.2 points and 6.3 rebounds last year for Cleveland in his 14th season in the league, but shot a career-low 40.3 percent from the field.

He was acquired by the Cavaliers via trade in 2009-10, the last season Lakers coach Mike Brown was at the helm for the Cavs. The Lakers are in competition with several other teams for Jamison's services, including Brooklyn, Golden State and Charlotte, and a source close to Jamison said on Thursday the Nets appeared to be his preferred destination at the moment.

The final one-year, $18 million remaining on Brand's contract was amnestied by Philadelphia on Thursday. Brand, 32, averaged 11.0 points and 7.2 rebounds for the 76ers last season. Brand will be first made available to teams under the salary cap through the waiver process, with under-the-cap teams able to bid on him. Dallas is under the cap and has interest in Brand, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein.

If Brand clears waivers, he will be free to sign as a free agent wherever he chooses and could decide a return to L.A., where he played for the Clippers for seven seasons, would be in order.

O'Neal, 33, played just 25 games for Boston last season, averaging 5.0 points and 5.4 rebounds before having his year end because of left wrist surgery. The market for O'Neal is not as robust as it is for Jamison and Brand and the Lakers figure he could be worth the risk if he can come into camp healthy.

O'Neal recently traveled to Germany to visit Dr. Peter Wehling, the same doctor who Kobe Bryant has consulted in recent years. O'Neal is also a member of the famed 1996 draft class, along with Bryant and Steve Nash. Bryant said that draft connection helped in convincing Nash to want to come to the Lakers.

Courtesy of http://abclocal.go.com

Spurs re-sign Diaw for next season - by Eurobasket News

The San Antonio Spurs say they have re-signed forward Boris Diaw (6'8''-PF-82) for the coming season.

The Spurs announced the move Thursday without disclosing terms.

Diaw played in 20 games, seven of them starts, after signing on with the Spurs on March 23. He averaged 4.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 20.3 minutes while shooting .588 (40-68) from the field. In the playoffs, Diaw started all 14 games for the Spurs and averaged 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 24.7 minutes.

The 6-8, 235-pound Diaw is a nine-year NBA veteran and a member of France's Olympic team with Spurs teammate Tony Parker.

Courtesy of http://msn.foxsports.com

Durant scores 24, US Olympic team wins exhibition against Dominican Republic - by Eurobasket News

New role, same old result for Kevin Durant (6'9''-G/F-88, college: Texas). And even with another loss from its roster, the U.S. Olympic basketball team just keeps on rolling along.

Durant picked up where he left off in international competition, scoring 24 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to lead the Americans to a 113-59 victory over the Dominican Republic on Thursday night in an exhibition game.

The MVP of the world basketball championship two years ago, Durant came off the bench to shoot 9 of 11 from the field, making 5 of 6 3-pointers in 22 minutes. He said coach Mike Krzyzewski told him shortly before the game that Carmelo Anthony would start alongside LeBron James (6'8''-F-84) at forward, and he adjusted just fine.

"It felt good to me," Durant said. "It was cool to come off the bench for the first time. Wherever they need that spark, I'm going to try to come out and give them that spark. So I was looking forward to having different roles playing with USA, so it was kind of fun for me, actually."

And it worked perfectly for the Americans, who continue to shake off their lack of size by throwing together lineups that negate any height disadvantage. Durant came in the first time for center Tyson Chandler (7'1''-C-82).

"The way we're playing is exactly the way we should play, I think, with this group of athletes and with the depth that we have," Krzyzewski said, adding that Durant would remain a reserve for at least the next game. "We have good depth, especially on the perimeter."

Andre Iguodala added 18 points and Anthony had 13 for the Americans, who were without All-Star forward Blake Griffin (6'10''-F-89, college: Oklahoma). The Los Angeles Clippers announced Thursday night that he would need surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee and would miss the Olympics.

It's another loss up front for the Americans, already without Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh. But James, Anthony and Durant can all play power forward or perhaps even center in the international game.

"They're big," said Dominican Republic coach John Calipari , who won the national championship with Kentucky in April. "They're bigger than you think."

Alternate Anthony Davis (6'10''-F-93, college: Kentucky) took Griffin's place and was in uniform against his college coach. But Calipari was the on the wrong end of the talent mismatch in this one, calling a few timeouts but probably knowing there was no strategy to stop the onslaught of U.S. fast breaks.

Davis, the national player of the year as a freshman and No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, didn't make the 12-man roster after being unable to scrimmage before it was selected while recovering from a sprained ankle. But USA Basketball leadership believes his rebounding and shot blocking could be a good addition to an undersized team in case of an injury, and he scored nine points in 10 fourth-quarter minutes.

Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks shot 1 of 12 and had seven points and the Dominicans' other NBA player, Francisco Garcia, missed all three attempts from the field and didn't score.

James and Kobe Bryant (6'6''-G-78) both had limited duty, playing less than 20 minutes and combining for 11 points.

Durant hit all five shots in the first quarter, including three 3-pointers. He returned early in the second and knocked down another 3 before he finally missed, helping the Americans build a 50-27 halftime lead behind his 21 points. He started the second half.

Griffin is another loss for a U.S. team that already saw Howard, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade and Bosh withdraw because of injuries. Chris Paul has been limited during training camp after spraining his right thumb on the first day.

Despite those losses, the Americans still consider themselves the best team in the world and apparently, ever. Bryant created a stir when he said he thought this young, athletic U.S. team probably would have pulled out a game against the Dream Team, which didn't sit well with his Hall of Fame elders.

"I absolutely laughed," Michael Jordan said before playing in a celebrity golf tournament in Charlotte, N.C. "For him to compare those two teams is not one of the smarter things he ever could have done."

Bryant wasn't bothered.

"I'm not really tripping," Bryant said. "The fact is they've got (Patrick) Ewing and (David) Robinson, those big guys. I mean it's tough. But if you're asking me if we can beat them one game, hell yeah we can beat them one game. You didn't ask me if we could beat them in a seven-game series. One game, we could get them, no question about it."

The Americans believe they can be better than the team that won the gold medal four years ago because of Durant, the NBA's three-time scoring champion who seems even more dangerous in international competition. The 3-point line, just over 22 feet away, is an easy shot for him, and at 6-foot-9 he can play any frontcourt position he entered the game the first time for center Tyson Chandler.

Durant set U.S. tournament records two years ago in Istanbul with 38 points in a game and an average of 22.8 for the championship, leading a young U.S. team to its first gold medal in the event since 1994. He has transitioned easily to this veteran squad that returns five players from the gold medalists in Beijing.

The Dominicans nearly joined the Americans in London, losing to Nigeria in the third-place game of the Olympic qualifying tournament last Sunday. Had they won, they would have claimed the 12th and final place in the field.

Now they know what they favorites would have looked like.

With Duke's Krzyzewski on the U.S. bench and facing Calipari for the first time in seven years, the coaching matchup was worthy of an NCAA Final Four. The scoreboard was more representative of a No. 1 vs. No. 16 game.

The Americans barely let the Dominicans get into any sort of offense, limiting them to 32 percent shooting.

About the only thing to question about the U.S. were their uniforms, featuring white tops with the pattern of an American flag faded into the back, and shorts that were white in the front and blue in back, making them look like the home team facing one direction and the visitors from behind.

The Americans head across the country Friday to continue their training in Durant's hometown of Washington. They will play an exhibition game against Brazil on Monday before finishing their Olympic preparations in Europe.

The Dominicans lost former Louisville guard Edgar Sosa (6'3''-PG-88, college: Louisville) to a leg injury in the first quarter. Calipari believed he had a broken foot.

Courtesy of www.vcstar.com

Sixers sign guard Nick Young - by Eurobasket News

Moments after using their amnesty clause on forward Elton Brand (6'8''-F-79, college: Duke), the Philadelphia 76ers signed guard Nick Young (6'6''-G/F-85, agency: Priority Sports, college: USC) to a reported one-year contract.

Reports also place the value of Young's contract at $6 million, although the team did not release the official numbers.

Young split last season between the Wizards and Clippers and averaged 14.2 points per contest while shooting 36.5 percent from three-point range. He spent all but the latter part of last season with the Wizards. In a five-year career he averaged 11.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists.

Courtesy of www.sacbee.com

Knicks ink Kidd, re-sign Novak - by Eurobasket News

Jason Kidd (6'4''-PG-73, college: California), second on the NBA's all-time list in assists and steals, officially signed with the New York Knicks Thursday.

The Mavericks and Kidd were reportedly putting the finishing touches on a multi-year contract last week, but Kidd changed his mind and decided to join the Knicks, according to the Daily News.

NBA teams were not allowed to officially sign players until the free agency signing moratorium was lifted on July 11.

The 39-year-old Kidd averaged 6.2 points, 5.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 48 games for Dallas last season.

"I am absolutely thrilled that we were able to add Jason Kidd to our roster," Knicks head coach Mike Woodson said. "I consider him to be a great professional that will help our team both on and off the court."

The 18-year pro has averaged 13.0 points, 9.0 assists and 6.4 rebounds in 1,315 career contests with the Suns, Nets and Mavericks.

Kidd, a 10-time All-Star selection, won his only NBA title with the Mavericks during the 2010-11 season.

The Knicks also re-signed forward Steve Novak on Thursday.

Novak, a six-year veteran, averaged a career-high 8.8 points a game while shooting a league-best 47.2 percent from three-point range through 54 contests off the bench last season.

Over 279 career games with the Rockets, Clippers, Mavericks, Spurs and Knicks, Novak has averaged 4.9 points and 1.3 rebounds per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the floor and 43.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Courtesy of www.miamiherald.com

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

NCAA1

Drug ring indictments allege KU players involved - by Eurobasket News

Nearly three dozen people were indicted Thursday for what federal prosecutors say was a ring that supplied about $17 million worth of "high-grade" drugs to customers, including marijuana to members of last year's University of Kansas basketball team.

The U.S. Attorney's office for Kansas said the 101-count indictment involves 35 defendants, most of them from Kansas. The defendants supplied marijuana and cocaine to residents in Johnson and Douglas counties, prosecutors said.

At a hearing last month, assistant U.S. attorney Terra Moorhead said one of the defendants, a 32-year-old Overland Park man, supplied marijuana to multiple members of the Jayhawks' 2010-11 basketball squad. The university would not comment on the case then and officials with the school did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment Thursday.

The university said then that its internal drug-testing policy requires all freshman or new transfer student athletes to take a drug test "within a reasonable amount of time" after arriving on campus. All teams that qualify for postseason play also may be subject to testing.

The indictment stemmed from an original federal complaint filed in June that accused 25 people and included only one count. The new charges include conspiracy to possess and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 kilos of marijuana, conspiracy to commit money laundering and unlawful possession of firearms.

In announcing the indictment Thursday, the U.S. Attorney's office said in a release that two Lawrence residents, Los Rovell Dahda, 30, and Chad Eugene Bauman, 33, "made millions" leading the drug ring. Lawyers listed in online court records as representing Dahda and Bauman did not immediately return phone messages left Thursday evening.

Prosecutors are seeking additional penalties for several of the defendants for distributing drugs within 1,000 feet of high schools, a middle school and Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence from about 2005 to 2012. They're also asking a judge to order the forfeiture of $16.9 million in cash and real estate they allege was gained from the scheme.

Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Top recruit Jabari Parker announces top 10 list - by Eurobasket News

Basketball star Jabari Parker (6'8''-F-95) has named the 10 college programs he is considering with a year to go before he graduates from high school, and DePaul in his hometown of Chicago made the cut.

Parker tweeted his 10 schools on Wednesday night in no particular order: national champion Kentucky, Stanford, Michigan State, Kansas, Florida, Duke, BYU, Georgetown, DePaul and North Carolina.

"I want to make my decision in November if that's possible," he told the Associated Press at the Gatorade national prep athletes of the year dinner a night earlier. "I just need to cut it down so I'll be able to go on visits and make my decision from there."

Parker said he hopes to reduce his list to five by this fall, when he will start his senior year at Chicago's Simeon Career Academy, where he is an A student. He said geography would play a role in his eventual choice.

"I don't want my family waking up at 12 o'clock in the morning just to watch my games," he said, "but then again I have to do what's best for me. I have to go with which program fits me the best and what system and style of play is going to allow me to expand my game out in the pros."

Last season, Parker averaged 19.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 3.3 blocks and 1.4 steals in leading Simeon to its third consecutive Illinois state title.

He said this summer has been "kind of a setback in recruiting" because he hasn't been able to talk to many coaches since he was traveling overseas with the under-17 U.S. team.

Parker was late in joining the other Gatorade nominees in Los Angeles after traveling from Lithuania. He was in and out of the lineup during the world championships because of a toe injury that occurred a couple weeks ago.

"I really didn't get to play in 99 percent of the games," he said, "but I was learning how to be a better teammate, cheering on people, being a leader because I know this year being a senior I'm going to have to do that."

He played in last Sunday's gold-medal game, scoring 12 points in 14 minutes as the U.S. defeated Australia 95-62.

"I learned how to play basketball for something," he said of his international experience. "That's the biggest thing in my age group is getting a gold medal. It's playing against the world."

Parker made the trip to Los Angeles with his parents and sister. After losing out as a nominee at the Gatorade dinner, he attended the ESPY Awards on Wednesday night and enjoyed a few days respite from basketball.

"It's been very hard trying to live up to expectations," he said, "but as soon as I got here I can be fun and just be around a lot of the next future generation of stars in sports."

Parker got a chance to spend more time around former NBA star Alonzo Mourning, who visited Parker at Simeon in April to present him with his Gatorade boys basketball player of the year award.

"I know that he's going to strive to continue to get better because he has everything together off the court," Mourning said. "When you have that balance in your life it usually pays dividends down the road."

Mourning recalled telling Parker in April not to be in a hurry to grow up.

"I told him the NBA isn't going anywhere," he said. "I also told him you get out of the game what you put into it. People are going to dissect his game and try to find his weaknesses. I told him to work more on his weaknesses than he does on his strengths and then he'll be more of an all-around player because then you've got to pick your poison with him. He's very versatile at his position, and he's going to get taller."

Parker declined to talk about a major religious decision that awaits him when he turns 19 at the end of his freshman year in college. That's the age when Mormon men decide whether to go on a two-year mission to spread the church's faith in the U.S. or overseas. Parker is part of a small segment of the U.S. population that is Mormon, and rarer still are the number of blacks like Parker who are Mormon.

Parker's inclusion of BYU among his college choices is clearly a nod to his faith.

Mourning believes that if Parker chooses to go on a mission that he could give up basketball for two years and successfully return to the sport, citing former NBA center Hakeem Olajuwon, who missed games during his career because of his Muslim faith.

"I'm not putting him in this category, but Muhammad Ali did it," Mourning said of the boxing great. "He stepped away from the game because of beliefs, and when he came back he excelled at it. He's got a good enough support group around him that he can come back and perform at a high level if that's what he believes in."

Courtesy of www.cbssports.com

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

NIGERIA

Dodan Warriors prospect camp ends in Lagos - by Olusegun Ikuesan

... Coach Nwora sure of Cape Verde qualification of 2013 Afrobasket

The second edition of the Dodan Warriors Prospect camp was rounded off Wednesday in Lagos with pump and pageantry as the players were divided into different to test their level of understanding what they were taught during the 3-Day camping exercise.

The camp which was supported by Global Sports Advantage of the United States of America and Samaritans Feet worldwide witnessed the traditional washing of the campers feet while donation of playing shoes was also made to each of the fifty players that attended the camp.

President of the Dodan Warriors Basketball Programme and coordinator of the camp, Col. Sam Ahmedu (Rtd) promised to make the third edition of the camp bigger in terms of attendance of coaches/instructors and the players.

Ahmedu who is the president of FIBA Africa Marketing council says the annual camp is a way of the Dodan Warriors Basketball programme of giving back to the society as its modest contribution to human capacity development through basketball.

Camp director Coach Alex Nwora urged the players to put to use what they have learnt from the different coaches over the three days the camp lasted.

The Nigerian-born coach of Erie Community College, USA and Cape Verde senior men national team applauded management of Dodan Warriors Basketball programme and call for more of such camps for the continuous development of basketball in Nigeria and Africa.

He is however optimistic that Cape Verde will make it to the 2013 Afrobasket for Men during next month FIBA Africa Zone-2 qualifiers.

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

OLYMPIC GAMES

Standings

Group A
1. Argentina		0-0
2. France		0-0
3. Lithuania		0-0
4. Nigeria		0-0
5. Tunisia		0-0
6. USA		0-0
Group B
1. Australia		0-0
2. Brazil		0-0
3. China		0-0
4. U.Kingdom		0-0
5. Spain		0-0
6. Russia		0-0

Preliminary Round: Round 1

Jul. 29: NGR - TUN
Jul. 29: USA - FRA
Jul. 29: ARG - LTU

Jul. 29: AUS - AUS
Jul. 29: ESP - CHN
Jul. 29: RUS - ENG

Blake Griffin expected to miss Olympics after injuring left knee - by Eurobasket News

Team USA's big man problem just got bigger.

According to a source close to Clippers power forward Blake Griffin (6'10''-F-89, college: Oklahoma), the All-Star is expected to miss the Olympics after suffering a left knee injury during the national team's practice in Las Vegas on Wednesday. The Clippers confirmed the development Thursday night, revealing in a statement that Griffin has a medial meniscus tear in his left knee that will require arthroscopic surgery soon but saying he is expected to be ready for training camp in October.

The source close to Griffin described the tear as "small" and said the early estimates are that he will be out of action for approximately six weeks. Griffin, who missed his rookie season (2009-10) because of a stress fracture and broken kneecap in the same knee and also injured it during last season's playoffs, signed a five-year extension worth up to $95 million on Tuesday. The source close to Griffin said that the injury isn't new but rather a flare-up dating back to Griffin sprained the left knee during Game 5 of the first round of the playoffs against Memphis.

"We're relieved that this does not affect Blake's ability to be ready in time for training camp," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said in the statement. "Missing out on the Olympic experience will be tough for him to take. I know how dedicated he was to doing that. We're glad we can get this fixed now and take advantage of the available time for him to fully recover."

After turning the knee during practice Wednesday but continuing to play, a second source with knowledge of the situation said Griffin woke up with swelling on Thursday morning before deciding to head to Los Angeles. He then underwent an MRI that was analyzed by Clippers physician, Dr. Steven Shimoyama and Dr. Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic.

Hornets power forward and Team USA alternate Anthony Davis was summoned to replace Griffin, and the No. 1 pick in the draft scored nine points in 10 fourth-quarter minutes of Thursday's 113-49 exhibition win over the Dominican Republic at UNLV. Davis is a Team USA alternate and is likely to be Griffin's replacement on the team.

"Blake is a proven commodity and if we don't have him, it's a big loss," Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski told reporters after the game. "He was playing really well for us."

Team USA was already dealing with a lack of depth in its frontcourt, with Griffin, Timberwolves power forward Kevin Love and Knicks center Tyson Chandler seen as the primary rebounders.

Davis, the No. 1 pick in last month's draft, is expected to suit up for Team USA's exhibition against the Dominican Republic on Thursday at UNLV. He's been a member of the U.S. select team but hasn't been participating in contract drills during the Americans' weeklong camp because of an ankle injury that he sustained on June 30.

"It's getting there," Davis said of his ankle on Sunday in Las Vegas. "[It's] about 75 percent right now, 75 to 80 percent. I'm getting there. I just want to come out here and try to make this team. It means a lot to represent your country. ... Playing with these pro guys is a great opportunity for me.

"I'm doing no contact still, trying to get healthy. I'm trying to aim for Tuesday, Wednesday, to get out here and start playing."

Griffin is merely the latest Team USA candidate to go down. That list includes Bulls point guard Derrick Rose (knee), Magic center Dwight Howard (back), Clippers point guard Chauncey Billups (Achilles), Trail Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge (hip), Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (knee) and Heat power forward Chris Bosh (abdominal strain).

Lakers center Andrew Bynum -- who would have been a natural fit to replace Howard -- passed on the opportunity to join Team USA because he plans to underdog the same knee procedure that teammate Kobe Bryant had last offseason.

Yahoo! Sports first reported Griffin's injury.

Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Anthony Davis returns to US Olympic team - by Eurobasket News

Hornets rookie Anthony Davis (6'10''-F-93, college: Kentucky) is one step closer to a spot on the 12-man U.S. Olympic basketball team now that Clippers power forward Blake Griffin (6'10''-F-89, college: Oklahoma) will miss the London Games with a torn left meniscus.

But while Davis will accompany the U.S. team today to Washington, D.C., the formality of Griffins withdrawal still must take place before Davis is added to the U.S. roster, according to USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo .

Until we get official word, and we know what the reports are, but not to us if thats official, then Blake has to withdraw because he is an Olympian, and when and if that takes place, thats when we can officially add Anthony Davis to our roster, Colangelo said after the U.S. beat the Dominican Republic 113-59 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Davis, who arrived back in Las Vegas at 2 p.m. local time Thursday after attending the ESPY Awards Wednesday night in Los Angeles, reported to the team hotel, ate the pregame meal, then played the entire fourth quarter. He scored nine points in 10 minutes, and hit the only 3-point shot he attempted, on which he was fouled. He completed the four-point play.

Davis afterward did not know that the U.S. team would be bringing him to Washington. He said he was just filling in for Griffin until Griffin got healthy. Davis was unaware of the severity of Griffins injury.

Im not on the team yet; Im still an alternate, Davis said Thursday night. Until I hear something different, thats my mindset; that Im not on the team, just an alternate. I just came in and filled Blakes spot for tonight and see where it goes from there. No one has given me any indication of what Im doing.

I felt good tonight, very comfortable. Melo (Carmelo Anthony) told me to take deep breaths. It was just like college. Youre just out there playing ball. If you really love this game, youre going to be nervous, but just go out and have fun. Plus, it was great to beat Coach Cal (Kentuckys John Calipari, his college coach who coached the Dominican team). He just said, Great game. If you make the team hes going to come to London to support me. He said he should have let me shoot 3s in college, too.

Even before Thursday nights game Colangelo was presenting a calm exterior, yet there was little doubt on the inside, Colangelo was far from a tranquil individual.

And the stomach-churning escalated Thursday morning.

Davis went to the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, after launching a few jump shots after practice, but planned to return for Thursdays exhibition to be a spectator.

Instead, he was in uniform on the U.S. bench.

When he didnt make the Olympic roster, Davis planned to join the Hornets summer league team that begins its competition here Sunday night.

Hornets Coach Monty Williams wasnt sure Thursday night about Daviss Summer League status.

Weve got to wait and see; we havent talked to the USA people yet, so its not official, Williams said. I dont want to talk in hypotheticals, but any time you get a chance to play around all that talent, I dont care who you are, its going to have a positive effect on you.

Hes working hard. Weve got (strength coach Carlos Daniel) out there with him, and Carlos is going to spend the summer with him to get him stronger, quicker and ready to play. Hes going to get better either way. Ive heard all the stuff; Dell (Demps) and I talked today, but theres no official ruling yet until we hear something about Blake. Either way, I think for Anthony its a great honor to be thought of in that way. Theres some great young centers around the league who are pretty good, and theyre calling on him. That should tell people just how good he is.

As Team USA took to the court in preparation for its first appearance in the London Olympic Games on July 29, Colangelo had reason for concern.

The teams week-long training camp was a fractured exercise during which neither of the teams starting point guards Chris Paul and Deron Williams could participate, one (Paul) with an injury, the other (Williams) because he hadnt signed a new contract with the Brooklyn Nets until Wednesday, and therefore could not practice with his USA teammates.

For a club hoping to defend Americas basketball honor, and the 2008 Olympic gold medal won in the Beijing Games, continuity remains a far piece down the road.

I think the lack of having our point guards to be able to participate has been a little bit of a detriment in terms of brining cohesion to us, Colangelo said. Although we knew there were going to be a lot of distractions, we got squeezed on both ends of the calendar: the extended NBA season and playoffs and the Olympics are earlier this time than last. And everything hit on the same week. Our camp, free-agency, signings.

Were a little bit discombobulated. I think were trying to deal with all those issues, so its going to take us a while to get to where we want to be. Thats why we knew, we had a feeling our camp was going to go way beyond Las Vegas, extend into Washington, D.C., and one step at a time so we could build. But we need our players in their specific roles and we havent been able to do that because of all the issues.

Courtesy of www.nola.com

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POLAND

Extra league is losing another team (Kotwica Kolobrzeg) - by Maciej Paszyn

This is not good summer for PLK Polish highest mens league. Already fourth club within a few last months was forced to winding up and withdrawal from schedule. After LKS Sphinx Petrolinvest Lodz, AZS Politechnika Warszawa and PBG Basket Poznan - Kotwica Kolobrzeg is the fourth team which suffered the same fate as them. Chairman of Kotwica Kolobrzeg S.A Mr. Stanisaw Trojanowki - announced that for reasons of financial difficulties the team in the next season wouldn't appear in games. The club until the end counted on the help on the part of municipal authorities, however local politicians repelled the request what after all ruined chances of the successful conclusion of the problem.

For this moment 11 teams are entitled to a right to the game in the league. The twelfth team KS Rosasport Radom - being aimed to buy out "wild card what gives the possibility of participation in PLK games. Fortunately it isn't becoming overcast to another losses, whereas clubs which stayed are working intensively on rosters for new season.

U20 European Championship: Poland rout Belgium in Sofia - by Eurobasket News

Poland U20-Belgium U20 71:59

Poland rout Belgium in Sofia in Day 2 of the U20 European Championship in Division B. The Polish side improved to 2-0 record after 71:59 in Group B.
Amaury Gorgemans (212-C-92) brought Belgium the first lead and as it became clear after it was the last one. Grzegorz Grochowski (178-PG-93) closed an 8-0 run for the Polish team and then Mateusz Ponitka (196-G-93) scored for 20:10 at the end of the first period.
Niedzwiedzki and Bonarek scored for 28:20 and Gielo sent the teams to the lockers at 38:27. Both teams nailed 19 points each in the third quarter for 57:46 at the end of three quarters. Poland added 14-13 in the last stanza for the final result.
Mateusz Ponitka paced all the winners with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Przemyslaw Karnowski (214-C-93) nailed 14, while Grzegorz Grochowski posted 10. Obasohan Ojomoh (183-PG-93) answered with 21 points in the losing case and Amaury Gorgemans scored 12.

Poland U20: Mateusz Ponitka 18+16 rebs, Przemyslaw Karnowski 14, Grzegorz Grochowski 10
Belgium U20: Obasohan Ojomoh 21, Amaury Gorgemans 12

Anwil keeps Szubarga, returns Frasunkiewicz - by Eurobasket News

Anwil will announce signing of Krzysztof Szubarga (182-G-84) and Przemyslaw Frasunkiewicz (202-G/F-79) today, according to Polish media (2takty.com).
Point guard Krzysztof Szubarga played 38 games for the club last season averaging 11.9 points, 4.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals. He was named Eurobasket.com All-Polish League Honorable Mention -12. Szubarga played for Anwil also in 2009/10 season. In the meantime he won the PLK title with Asseco Prokom.
Swingman Przemyslaw Frasunkiewicz played for Anwil in 2004/05 season. He spent last two with the Polish powerhouse Asseco Prokom winning two PLK titles with them. Frasunkiewicz had 6.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg and 1.7 apg for 25 games in PLK 2011/12. The player also added 2.3 ppg and 1.1 rpg for 8 Euroleague games, plus 4.7 ppg and 1.8 rpg for 12 games in VTB United league. Before Asseco Prokom, Frasunkiewicz played for Polonia Warszawa and Energa Czarni Slupsk.

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ROMANIA

RUSSIA

SERBIA

U20 European Championship: Serbia topple Germany to earn second straight win - by Eurobasket News

Serbia U20 - Germany U20 69:45

Serbia clinched the second consecutive win at the U20 European Championship. Bogdan Bogdanovic (197-F-92) knocked down 21 points to lead the winners. Germany fell at 1-1 record after the loss in Group A.
Serbia grabbed the lead early on. They posted an 18:9 lead at the first break. Serbia stretched the margin to 13-point mark at halftime 35:22. Serbia maintained the lead throughout the third frame. They ensured a 20-point buffer at the interval 52:32. Germany never recovered in the fourth quarter as Serbia coasted to the victory at the end. Aleksandar Cvetkovic (183-PG-93) nailed 13 points, while Djordje Drenovac (209-F-92, agency: Interperformances) added 10 points in the winning case. Patrick Heckmann (198-G/F-92) answered with 12 points for Germany. Philipp Neumann (210-C-92) netted 11 points in the loss.

Serbia U20: Bogdan Bogdanovic 21, Aleksandar Cvetkovic 13, Djordje Drenovac 10
Germany U20: Patrick Heckmann 12, Philipp Neumann 11

Djordje Micic extends contract with PGE Turow - by Zoran Popovic

After good season in PGE Turow management of Polish team decides to extend contract with Djordje Micic (195-G-83). Last season Djordje Micic on 37 games average scored 15.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game. During the career Micic played for KK Borac Cacak, FMP Zeleznik, Union Olimpija Ljubljana, Keravnos Strovolou, Igoeka Aleksandrovac, KK Napredak Krusevac, EWE Baskets Oldenburg and PBG Basket Poznan. Djordje Micic was member of Serbian University National team 2007.

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SLOVENIA

U20 European Championship: Slovenia cool off Sweden - by Eurobasket News

Slovenia U20 - Sweden U20 70:69

Slovenia withheld a furious challenge from Sweden to record the second straight win at the U20 European Championship. Alen Omic (215-C-92) scored 24 points to pace the hosts. Sweden in the meantime suffered the second straight loss at the tournament.
The lead changed hands throughout the opening quarter. The teams appeared tied at 18 after ten minutes. Sweden grabbed a 22:18 lead early in the second quarter but the hosts quickly denied the deficit. Slovenia capped the first half with five points in a row to take a 38:35 lead. Slovenia boosted the lead to 5 points midway through the third quarter. They arrived at the final break up by one 49:48. The teams continued to go neck and neck throughout the final frame. Klemen Prepelic (194-G-92) gave Slovenia a 63:61 lead with under two minutes remaining. However Borg and Marcus Eriksson (196-G/F-93) answered with five straight points to put Sweden in front. Klemen Prepelic and Marko Pajic (204-F/C-92) returned the lead to the hosts 70:69 with 11 seconds remaining. Marcus Eriksson had a chance to save the game for the Scandinavians but missed a late jumper. Klemen Prepelic accounted for 13 points, while Marko Pajic added 11 points for the winners. Jonathan Person (192-PG-93, agency: JEMsports) answered with 20 points for Sweden. Marcus Eriksson netted 14 points in the loss.

Slovenia U20: Alen Omic 24, Klemen Prepelic 13, Marko Pajic 11
Sweden U20: Jonathan Person 20, Marcus Eriksson 14

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SPAIN

Spain cruise past Chile in Foz de Iguacu - by Eurobasket News

Spain - Chile 103:71

Spanish B National Team finished Super 4 Cup tournament in Foz de Iguacu with victory. They denied Chile for the third place at the tourney. Jose Salvador Arco (194-G-85) stepped up with 22 points to lead the European team.
Chile looked impressive in the first quarter. They held Spain to 9 points in the period to take a 19:9 lead. But Spain gradually took over in the next quarter. The Europeans cut the deficit to 7 points at halftime 30:37. Spain unloaded 39 points in the third quarter to surge ahead. They entered the final stanza up by 17 points. Spain stayed on fire in the fourth quarter scoring 34 points and sealing a comfortable win at the end. Pau Ribas (193-PG-87) accounted for 15 points, while Xavier Rabaseda (198-G/F-89) added 12 points for Spain. Evandro Arteaga (178-G-83) answered with 23 points for Chile. Erik Carrasco (181-PG-83) had 20 points in the loss.

Spain B: Jose Salvador Arco 22, Pau Ribas 15, Xavier Rabaseda 12
Chile: Evandro Arteaga 23, Erik Carrasco 20

U20 European Championship: Spain prevail against Latvia - by Eurobasket News

Spain U20 - Latvia U20 64:51

Spain recorded the second straight win at the U20 European Championship in Slovenia. The reigning champions took care of Latvian counterparts in Group C. Jaime Fernandez (187-G-93) scored 19 points as Spain improved at 2-0 record, while Latvia fell at 1-1.
The teams stayed neck and neck throughout the first half. The scoreboard read 11:11 ten minutes into the game. Spain eked out a 22:21 halftime lead. Spain increased the tempo in the third quarter. They delivered 21 points in the third frame to ensure a 43:36 lead at the final break. Spain unloaded 21 points in the fourth quarter sealing a comfortable win at the end. Daniel Diez (203-F-93) notched 15 points for Spain. Jose Pozas (184-PG-92) contributed 10 points in the victory. Davis Coders (188-PG-92) responded with 11 points for Latvia. Arnolds Helmanis (201-PF-92) finished with 8 points in the loss.

Spain U20: Jaime Fernandez 19, Daniel Diez 15, Jose Pozas 10
Latvia U20: Davis Coders 11, Arnolds Helmanis 8

Raptors, Jose Calderon working together on trade - by Eurobasket News

The Toronto Raptors and the representative for veteran guard Jose Manuel Calderon (6'3''-PG-81) are working together to try to find a new home for Calderon via trade.

After ESPN.com reported Thursday that Calderon would welcome a trade after the arrival of Kyle Lowry to become the Raptors' new starting point guard, agent Mark Bartelstein confirmed Thursday night that he and Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo are "working together" to try to find a workable trade.

"There's a little bit of a logjam there in the backcourt now," Bartelstein said. "Bryan and I are talking and we're putting our heads together to see what we can do to find a solution."

Sources close to the situation say Calderon, while undeniably attached to the city of Toronto after spending his entire six-year NBA career there, is hoping the Raptors can find a trade home for him now that it's been made clear the Raptors have no plans to release the Spaniard through the NBA's amnesty clause.

The Raptors, sources say, are open to a trade but want to send Calderon to a team with salary-cap space that can absorb the Spaniard's $10.6 million salary, thereby creating a trade exception for Toronto and giving them added financial flexibility for further moves.

Sources say that the Raptors and Dallas Mavericks have discussed various Calderon trade scenarios this week. But the Mavericks, longstanding fans of Calderon, have put those talks on hold until they knows how much of their salary-cap space is needed to win the amnesty bidding for former Philadelphia 76ers forward Elton Brand, who will be awarded to the highest bidder among teams with cap room when Brand clears waivers Friday at 5 p.m. following his amnesty release this week by the Sixers.

The Mavericks, sources say, also plan to lodge an amnesty bid for Argentinean forward Luis Scola if the Rockets go ahead with their reported plans to release Scola through the amnesty clause to clear additional salary-cap space to help facilitate a trade for Orlando Magic superstar Dwight Howard.

Dallas' need for another point guard, however, is not as drastic as it was before Thursday, when the Mavericks acquired Darren Collison from the Indiana Pacers in a sign-and-trade deal that sent center Ian Mahimni to Indiana. The Mavericks also remain in negotiations with free-agent guard Delonte West about returning for next season.

Colangelo, speaking Wednesday to the Toronto media to formally announce the Lowry trade, acknowledged that Calderon was "not thrilled" by the news that Lowry was coming in as Toronto's marquee newcomer following its attempts to win the Steve Nash sweepstakes in free agency.

Colangelo described Lowry as "the future of the position." But he praised Calderon's contributions to this point in Toronto, telling local reporters: "Jose has been a true professional in everything he's done for the organization. For now Jose is part of the team and we will welcome him back."

Colangelo added Wednesday that the Raptors had received "multiple inquiries" for Calderon, who is entering the final year of his contract.

The Raptors, though, could elect to keep Calderon for the short term if they can't find a trade partner with cap space. They could then either keep him to backup Lowry or playing alongside him before trying again to move him before the trade deadline in February.

Courtesy of ESPN

Barca lock Erazem Lorbek until 2015 - by Eurobasket News

Erazem Lorbek (209-F/C-84, college: Michigan St.) signed a 3-year contract extension with Regal Barcelona. It means that he will stay with the reigning Spanish champions until the end of 2014/15 season. Lorbek helped Barca to win last two championship titles in Spain. They also won Euroleague title in 2010 and Copa del Rey that same year and in 2011 as well. Lorbek was named Eurobasket.com All-Spanish ACB Center of the Year -12. The player was also awarded with Eurobasket.com All-Euroleague 1st Team -12. Erazem Lorbek appeared 21 times in Euroleague last season averaging 13 points and 4.6 rebounds. In Liga Endesa he had 11.8 ppg and 4.3 rpg in 44 games. The Slovenian big guy arrived to Barca three years ago from CSKA Moscow, where he spent 2008/09 season. Before that he played for Lottomatica Virtus Roma, Benetton, Unicaja and Climamio Bologna. He is also very important member of the Slovenian NT since 2004. Last summer in Lithuania Lorbek had 11.1 ppg and 5 rpg for 11 games.

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SWEDEN

SWITZERLAND

SAV Vacallo signs Hakeem Rollins - by Luca Maffioli

SAV Vacallo Basket officially announced signing of Hakeem Rollins (202-F/C-83, agency: Dream Team Management, college: Washington) for the next season. The American center played last four seasons in Argentina. Last season he started to play in San Martin Corrientes then, in november, he moved to Centro Juventud Sionista de Parana. Rollins averaged 9.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 30 games with Sionista. Graduated at University of Washington, Rollins started his overseas career in Great Britain with Scottish Rocks.

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SYRIA

Standings - D1

Division I Standings

North
1. Al Ittihad		7-2
2. Al Jalaa		6-3
3. Al Hurriyeh		3-6
4. Al Yarmouk		2-7
South
1. Al Jaish		9-0
2. Al Wahda		6-3
3. Qassyoun		2-7
4. Thawra		1-8

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TURKEY

Bucks re-sign Ilyasova - by Eurobasket News

The Milwaukee Bucks re-signed forward Ersan Ilyasova (6'10''-F-87) to a multi-year contract Thursday.

Financial terms of the deal were not released, but the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported it is a five-year deal worth around $45 million.

Ilyasova averaged career-highs of 13.0 points and 8.8 rebounds through 60 games, including 41 starts, with the Bucks last season.

The 25-year-old has spent his entire four-year NBA career with Milwaukee. He averaged 9.7 points, 6.0 assists and 1.0 assists through 267 games (120 starts).

Courtesy of www.miamiherald.com

Fenerbahce Ulker officially signs PAO's Mike Batiste - by Eurobasket News

As expected, Mike Batiste (203-F-77, college: Arizona St.) officially became a new member of Fenerbahce Ulker. The American big guy spent last 9 seasons with Panathinaikos Athens. They won 8 Greek league titles together. Baitste and PAO also celebrated six times in Greek Cup and of course they were Eurolegue champions in 2007, 2009 and 2011. Last season Mike Batiste appeared 23 times in Euroleague averaging 9.7 points and 4.6 rebounds. He had slightly lower numbers for 30 games in Greece. Before PAO, Batiste played for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2002/03 season. He had 6.4 ppg and 3.4 rpg for 75 games. In the past, Batiste also played for Biella and Charleroi. He is the second player who moved from PAO to Fenerbahce in just two days. Yesterday, the former Turkish champ signed Romain Sato (194-G/F-81, college: Xavier).

Erman Kunter: If Arroyo has 2 million dolar, he should give it to us - by Baha Kurtulus

Besiktas head coach Erman Kunter , gave an interview to Ali Can Yaylaci from hurriyet.com.tr about recent news.

We have serious efforts and works. We progressed very much. We continue to interviewing. 6.5 million euro budget supplied by our management seems to be enough for us.

It is said that we are going to add Bradley Buckman (203-F-84, college: Texas). This is not definite but this transfer is also included to our plans. David Hawkins (194-G-82, agency: Arete Sports Agency, college: Temple) is still our player.

It is said that Pops Mensah-Bonsu (206-F-83, agency: SportsTalent, college: G.Washington) will be decided in 3-5 days, but this is not true. Bonsu is completely consantrated on London Olympic Games however the money he asked is too much for us. Carlos Arroyo (188-G-79, college: FIU) wants 2 million dolars, if he owns that amount, he can give this money to us.

We do not have sponsor at that moment and we continue as it. We are talking with sponsor candidates but as I said before, we continue our work without a sponsor and we progressed a lot.

Mirsad Turkcan will announce his retirement on July 21 - by Baha Kurtulus

The Turkish player decided to leave basketball

Mirsad Turkcan (206-F-76) will announce his retire on July 21 in a press conference. His jersey No.6 will be retired by Fenerbahce.
"At 99% I will retire, in the press conference I will explain all my decisions" said Turkcan.

He was played in the teams below, respectively.
1994-1999 Efes Pilsen
1999-2000 New York Knicks (NBA) and moves Milwaukee Bucks (NBA)
2000-2001: Efes Pilsen and moved PSG
2001-2004 CSKA Moskow
2004-2005 Dynamo Moskow
2005-2012: Fenerbahce Ulker

Courtesy of sportando.net via salsabasket.net

Turkish National Team 2012 - by Baha Kurtulus

Turkish National Team 2012

Akyol

Balbay

Sirin

Cantekin

Guler

Cenk Akyol

196-G-87

Anadolu Efes Turkey

Dogus Balbay

185-G-89

Anadolu Efes Turkey

Osman Sirin

207-F-90

Anadolu Efes Turkey

Dusan Cantekin

222-C-90

Mega Vizura Serbia

Sinan Guler

193-G-83

Anadolu Efes Turkey

Ibrahim Yildirim

190-G-90

Bandirma Kir. Turkey

Izzet Turkyilmaz

210-PF-90

Banvit BK

Birkan Batuk

198-F-90

Anadolu Efes Turkey

Ilkan Karaman

205-F-90

Karsiyaka

Ender Arslan

190-G-83

Galatasaray Turkey

Furkan Aldemir

207-F-91

Galatasaray Turkey

Sertac Sanli

212-F/C-91

Galatasaray Turkey

Emir Preldzic

205-F-87

Fener.Ulker Turkey

Baris Hersek

204-F/C-88

Besiktas

Serhat Cetin

197-G-86

Besiktas

Can Mutaf

193-G-91

Mersin

Enes Kanter

208-C-92

Utah Jazz

Semih Erden

211-C-87

Cleveland C. USA

Bogdan Tanjevic

Head Coach

Acea Roma

Hasan Ozmeric

Assistant Coach

Selcuk Universitesi Turkey

UKRAINE

U20 European Championship: Russia improved to 2-0 record in Group B - by Eurobasket News

Ukraine U20-Russia U20 75:81

Russia improved to 2-0 record in Group B of the U20 European Championship. The team needed 81:75 win over Ukraine to keep them winless.
Russia won the opening tip 4:0 and Razumov later scored for 13:8. Tikhonin and Denis Zakharov (193-PG-93) later closed the first period at 22:13 and then Vladislav Trushkin (201-F-93) brought 30:19. Klym Artamonov and Vyacheslav Bobrov (202-F-92) reduced to 33:29, while Zaryazhko closed the half at 40:34. Ukraine managed to cut it to 7 points midway through the third frame, but Russia erupted for 64:51 lead after thirty minutes. Gleb Goldyrev (200-F/G-93) and Denis Zakharov kept the difference at 10 points, while Vladislav Trushkin made the final result in the game.
Vladislav Trushkin top-scored for the winners with 15 points and Denis Zakharov nailed 13. Gleb Goldyrev posted 12, while Artem Vikhrov (196-PG-92) delivered 9. Olexandr Mishula (187-G-92) ended up with 23 points in the losing effort and Vyacheslav Bobrov collected 15 points and 11 rebounds. Artem Pustovyi (215-C-92, agency: Beo Basket) had 14, whilst Artamonov delivered 9.

Ukraine U20: Olexandr Mishula 23, Vyacheslav Bobrov 15+11 rebs, Artem Pustovyi 14, Klym Artamonov 9
Russia U20: Vladislav Trushkin 15, Denis Zakharov 13, Gleb Goldyrev 12, Artem Vikhrov 9

BC Odessa sign Hernst Laroche - by Eurobasket News

BC Odessa bolstered their backcourt. They agreed on terms of contract with Hernst Laroche (185-G). The guard will start his pro career in Ukraine. Hernst Laroche just graduated from New Mexico State University. The guard notched 11.9 points, 3.8 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game in his senior season. Hernst Laroche made it into All-WAC 2nd Team. He was also named into WAC All-Tournament Team in 2012. Hernst Laroche was WAC Tournament winner twice in 2010 and 2012 with the Aggies. Hernst Laroche was among the best in assists in the division. He was also the top in steals in the WAC.

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UNITED KINGDOM

U20 European Championship: Great Britain surprise Croatia in Bulgaria - by Eurobasket News

Croatia U20-Great Britain U20 78:90

Great Britain surprise Croatia in Bulgaria at U20 European Championship in Division B. The team improved to 2-0 record in Group C after 90:78 victory.
Croatia won the first period 15:13 but could not win the first half. Great Britain bounced back with 22-19 and Stewart brought his team 35:34 at the halftime. Moreover Great Britain added narrow 27-25 win in the third period and grabbed 3-point lead at the end of three quarters. Luka Panduric (192-G-93) nailed three for 67:64 lead for Croatia, but Great Britain needed a 26-12 finish to win the second straight game.
Devon Van Oostrum (190-G-93) top-scored for the winners with 27 points and Alasdair Fraser (203-F-92) notched 17. Louis Sayers (199-SF-92) posted 14, while Connor Washington (184-PG-92) added 13. Roko Rogic (187-PG-92) finished the game with 20 points for Croatia that fell at 1-1 record. Bruno Markulin (192-SF-92) had 12 and Luka Panduric chipped in with 10.
The next game for GB is against Denmark, who started their tournament earlier in the day with a 79:77 victory over Belarus.

Croatia U20: Roko Rogic 20, Bruno Markulin 12, Luka Panduric 10
Great Britain U20: Devon Van Oostrum 27, Alasdair Fraser 17, Louis Sayers 14, Connor Washington 13

The Prince Is Back For Eagles - by Paul Nilsen

Thirteen seasons since first signing for the Eagles as a graduate from Rider University, Eagles star Charles Smith (198-F-75, college: Rider)eturns to his home club for the 2012-13 season.

Following a stellar year with the club, including a haul of all four trophies and MVP awards at the BBL Cup Final and BBL Play Off Final, Smith returns with high hopes of doing it all again.

Smith averaged 17.5 points per game and was 38% from three point range in 2011-12, Eagles player/coach Fab Flournoy is hoping for more of the same this season from the mercurial talent.

'It's fantastic to be signing Charles back to the club. He's been a key player in our success and he will play an instrumental role in helping us to retain last season's form. Charles was a double MVP last season, in both the Cup and Play-Off Finals. He is our man for the big games, when in doubt we find Charles Smith and the Prince delivers!'

The club are looking to announce on further signings in the next 2/3 weeks in preparation for pre-season, including home based tournament at Sport Central on the 10th and 11th September 2012. Details are being finalised with opposition and will be announced in the near future.

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Women News

Great Britain fire past Angola in Sheffield - by Eurobasket News

Great Britain - Angola 74:57

Great Britain opened Game On Sheffield tournament with victory. The hosts took down Angola in the opener. Natalie Stafford (173-G-76) scored 14 points to lead the hosts.
Great Britain held Angola to 10 points in the first quarter building a 10-point lead. They maintained the advantage throughout the second quarter. Great Britain ensured a 39:28 halftime lead. The hosts boosted the lead in the third quarter. Great Britain accumulated a 55:39 lead with one frame remaining. Great Britain gave little chance for Angola in the fourth term cruising to the victory at the end. Jenaya Wade-Fray (175-G-88, college: Chattanooga) accounted for 13 points, while Johannah Leedham (180-G/F-87, college: Franklin Pierce) added 12 points for the home team. Nadir Manuel (185-PF-86) answered with 11 points and 13 boards for Angola. Catarina Camufal (167-PG-80) netted 9 points in the loss.

Great Britain: Natalie Stafford 14, Jenaya Wade-Fray 13, Johannah Leedham 12
Angola: Nadir Manuel 11+13 boards, Catarina Camufal 9

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AUSTRALIA

Australia beat France in friendly - by Eurobasket News

France - Australia 59:69

Australia opened their European Tour with victory. The Opals held off France at the start of Game on Sheffield Tournament in United Kingdom. Cambage Elizabeth (203-C-91) came up with 28 points to pace the winners.
Australia jumped to a 21:11 lead after ten minutes. France bounced back in the second frame. They went on a 20:8 run to take a 31:29 halftime lead. But the Opals took over once again in the third quarter. Australia held Les Bleus to just 11 points in the period to ensure a 47:42 lead. Australia scored 22 points in the fourth frame and sealed the victory at the end. Belinda Snell (181-F-81) came up with 16 points and 8 rebounds, while Lauren Jackson (196-F/C-81) accounted for 13 points for the Opals. Sandrine Gruda (193-C-87) answered with 13 points for France. Isabelle Yacoubou-Dehoui (190-C-86) finished with 12 points in the loss.

France: Sandrine Gruda 13, Isabelle Yacoubou-Dehoui 12
Australia: Cambage Elizabeth 28, Belinda Snell 16, Lauren Jackson 13

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BELARUS

U16 Slovenia secures first place in Group D in Tallinn - by Eurobasket News

U16 SLOVENIA - U16 BELARUS 69-50

Slovenia was better than Belarus today 69-50 for 2-0 record at U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. It is already clear that Slovenia will be the winner of this pool, despite there is one more day to go in Preliminary Round. Belarus slipped to 1-1, but they will also advance. Slovenia made impressive 21-7 lead in the first ten minute and managed to keep it for rest of the way. They had much better shot percentage from the field. Quarters: 21-7, 15-16, 14-10, 19-17. Maja Jakobcic (184-PF-97) led the winners with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Zala Lesek (187-F-97) had 13 points and 11 boards, while Larisa Ocvirk (184-F-97) added 12 pts and 5 rebs. In defeat, Darya Panasiuk (175-SF-96) top-scored with 19 pts. Viyaleta Kuiliak (182-PF-96) had 12 points and same numbers of boards. Tomorrow, Slovenia will meet last ranked Norway. Belarus will play against Latvia and the winner will take second place in Group D.

Slovenia: Maja Jakobcic 15+6 boards, Zala Lesek 13+11 boards, Larisa Ocvirk 12+5 boards
Belarus: Darya Panasiuk 19, Viyaleta Kuiliak 12+12 boards

Belarus celebrates 85-19 win in Day One of U16 EuroBasket Division B - by Eurobasket News

U16 BELARUS - U16 NORWAY 85-19

Belarus gave a basketball lesson to Norway in Day One of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They celebrated huge 85-19 victory in this meeting. Belarus limited its rival to just two points in the first quarter and at that time it was already clear that Norway is simply too weak for Belarus. Both teams are placed to Preliminary Group D, together with Latvia and Slovenia. Three teams will advance to the next stage. Darya Panasiuk (175-SF-96) scored 23 points in victory, while Viyaleta Kuiliak (182-PF-96) had monster double-double of 21 points and 19 rebounds (valuation 31!). Yanina Inkina (183-PF-97) added 18 pts and 12 rebs to this win. Rosanna Elahi (172-G-95) scored 5 points in defeat and Thale Messel (173-SF-97) had 4. Norway had 34 turnovers for the game. Quarters: 25-2, 22-8, 16-5, 22-4. Belarus will play against strong Slovenia today, while Norway will meet Latvia.

Belarus: Darya Panasiuk 23, Viyaleta Kuiliak 21+19 boards, Yanina Inkina 18+12 boards
Norway: Rosanna Elahi 5, Thale Messel 4

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BELGIUM

U16 Belgium jumps to 2-0 in Miskolc - by Eurobasket News

U16 SWEDEN - U16 BELGIUM 44-82

Belgium registered second straight win at U16 EuroBasket in Miskolc. They blasted Sweden 44-82 for perfect 2-0 record in Preliminary Group A and already booked a spot for the next stage. Eva Devliegher (170-SG-96) led the winners in scoring with 13 points, while Julie Allemand (173-PG-96) was their best player with 12 pts, 6 rebounds and 6 assists (valuation 21). Kyara Linskens (189-C-96) added 11 points and 6 boards for just 14 minutes on the court. Sweden did not have anyone with double digits in scoring. Andjela Hrnjez (185-C-96) (8 rebs) delivered 9 points, Elin Ljunggren (182-F-96) had 8 and Sigrid Sandstrom (177-G-96) stopped to 7 pts. Sweden dropped to 0-2 after this loss. Belgium trashed its rival in the second quarter 9-29 for 20-point lead at the halftime. They increased it to plus 24 with ten minutes remaining and limited Sweden to only 2 points for rest of the way, while draining 16 at the other side. In the last day of the Preliminary Round, Belgium will meet host Hungary. Sweden will take on Turkey hoping they can reach the next stage.

Sweden: Andjela Hrnjez 9+8 boards, Elin Ljunggren 8, Sigrid Sandstrom 7
Belgium: Eva Devliegher 13, Julie Allemand 12+6 boards+6 as, Kyara Linskens 11+6 boards

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BULGARIA

U16 Poland has joyful Day One in Tallinn - by Eurobasket News

U16 POLAND - U16 BULGARIA 75-55

Poland demonstrated its power against Bulgaria in the opening day of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. It was a 75-55 win for Poland, who improved to 1-0 record in Group C. Participants of the same pool are also Romania and Luxembourg. Three teams will advance to the Qualifying Round. Poland got 16 points from Julia Tyszkiewicz (177-G-96) in this meeting and Patrycja Klatt (171-G-96) scored three less. Karolina Pobozy (188-F-96) registered double-double of 11 points and 12 rebs. In Bulgaria, Teodora Dineva (175-G-96) shined with 17 points and 8 boards, while Borislava Hristova (180-F-96) netted 16 points. Iva Georgieva (172-F-96) followed them with 11 pts. Poland made 9-point lead in the first quarter, but Bulgaria cut the margin to 6 at the halftime. Julia Tyszkiewicz and her teammates jumped to plus 10 after the breather and smashed its rival for the last ten minutes (16-6) registering comfortable 20-point win at the end. Poland will play against Luxembourg today and another win is expected. Bulgaria will meet Romania.

Poland: Julia Tyszkiewicz 16, Patrycja Klatt 13, Karolina Pobozy 11+12 boards
Bulgaria: Teodora Dineva 17+8 boards, Borislava Hristova 16, Iva Georgieva 11

U16 Bulgaria books ticket for Qualifying Round in Tallinn - by Eurobasket News

U16 BULGARIA - U16 ROMANIA 74-63

Bulgaria registered its first win at U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They handed 74-63 loss to Romania for 1-1 record in Preliminary Group C. Thanks to this win Bulgaria already booked a spot for the Qualifying Round. Romania dropped to 0-2 and it is already clear they will not be able to advance. Bulgaria was 18-point up with 10 minutes remaining in the game. Romania finally showed some of their talent in the last quarter, but it was too late for them (23-13, 14-10, 21-17, 16-23). Borislava Hristova (180-F-96) had amazing game collecting 35 points and 6 rebounds (valuation 26). Teodora Dineva (175-G-96) had double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Iva Georgieva (172-F-96) added 13 pts and 9 rebs. In Romania, Teodora Neagu (181-C-96) had 19 pts and 7 rebs. Paula Lenart (178-F/G-96) (10 rebs) and Mihaela Maxim (167-PG-96) netted 11 pts each. Tomorrow, Bulgaria will meet Luxembourg. Romania will take on Poland.

Bulgaria: Borislava Hristova 35+6 boards, Teodora Dineva 17+11 boards, Iva Georgieva 13+9 boards
Romania: Teodora Neagu 19+7 boards, Paula Lenart 11+10 boards, Mihaela Maxim 11

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CANADA

CANADA SWNT EARNS BERTH IN 2012 london OlYMPICS - by John Gary

courtesy basketball.ca With everything on the line and a win separting both teams from a berth in the LONDON OLYMPICS, Canada got off to a fast start and was able to hold on for a 71-63 win over Japan. This marks the first berth into the Olympics since both senior mens and womens teams did so in the 2000 Sdyney OLYMPIC GAMES."It was inspiring to see the way the team developed this past week and see it get back to the OLYMPICS after 12 years of dedication," declared Canada Basketball President Wayne Parrish.

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CROATIA

CZECH REPUBLIC

DENMARK

McGuff Adds Danish Recruit To 2012-13 Class - by Eurobasket News

SEATTLE - The Washington women's basketball program added another player to its incoming 2012-13 class with the signing of Denmark native Mathilde Gilling (186-C/F-93) to a National Letter of Intent, according to head coach Kevin McGuff .

The 6-3 Gilling will provide the Huskies with depth in the front court, a position that suddenly came into need following the graduations of Regina Rogers, Mackenzie Argens and Mollie Williams.

McGuff had a firsthand look at Gilling when she played with the Danish National Team against the Huskies during an August 2011 exhibition game in Hrsholm, Denmark. "We're excited to welcome Mathilde into our program," McGuff said. "She brings a lot of basketball savvy and athleticism to the frontcourt. I was impressed when we saw her last summer on our European tour and felt right away she'd be a positive fit in our system."

Gilling comes to UW from the Danish coastal town of Rungsted Kyst, located just north of Copenhagen. The 19-year-old Gilling has a decorated career not just at the club level, but also while representing Denmark internationally. She has been a steady presence for Hrsholm Basketball Club, which finished second in the Danish League last season. Gilling averaged 10 points and seven rebounds a game for the 79ers. Hrsholm won the Danish League in 2010, and has consistently been one of the better teams in the Nordic Region.

"She has great hands, is very movable and runs the floor well," said Hrsholm coach Johan Enbom. "With her quickness she is very hard to guard for inside players." Gilling has also been a starter on the Danish U16 National team, and played at the European Championships in 2008 and 2009. She is spending her summer playing with the Danish U-23 team in China, a tournament that runs through July 18.

Gilling is not the only member of her family to have success playing basketball. Her brother Jonathan will be a sophomore at Arizona State next fall, averaging 7.1 ppg in 16 starts. Her younger sister Caroline is also a standout player in Denmark.
Courtesy of: http://www.gohuskies.com

U16 Lithuania too strong for U16 Denmark in Tallinn - by Eurobasket News

U16 DENMARK - U16 LITHUANIA 55-76

Lithuania opened U16 EuroBasket Division B in style. In the first day of the competition in Tallinn Lithuania blasted Denmark with 21 points difference, 55-76. Both teams are placed to Preliminary Group B, which also includes Israel. All of them will advance to the Qualifying round, but wins and defeats will be transferred. Lithuania made 12-20 lead in the first ten minutes and later they increased it to 21 pts with ten minutes to go. Denmark was not able to replay in the last quarter and faced with big loss at the end. Ruta Drungilaite (183-SF-96) stepped up for the winners with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Dalia Belickaite (175-F-96) had 14 points, 8 rebs and 6 assists, while Agne Cerneckyte (171-SG-96) helped her country with 12 points. Enna Pehadzic (176-G/F-97) answered with double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds for Denmark. Ann Noerregaard (166-G-97) and Sandra Raun (177-G-96) scored 10 and 9 pts respectively. Quarters: 12-20, 18-20, 13-24, 12-12. Today, Lithuania will play against Israel. Denmark will have
a day-off.

Denmark: Enna Pehadzic 12+12 boards, Ann Noerregaard 10, Sandra Raun 9
Lithuania: Ruta Drungilaite 18+8 boards, Dalia Belickaite 14+8 boards+6 as, Agne Cerneckyte 12

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ESTONIA

U16 Portugal cruises past U16 Estonia in Day One in Tallinn - by Eurobasket News

PORTUGAL - ESTONIA 64-40

Portugal demonstrated wonderful performance against the host of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They celebrated 64-40 win thanks to great played third quarter of the game (21-5). Both teams are placed to Preliminary Group A, together with Finland and Ukraine. Three teams will advance to the Qualifying round. At this moment, Finland and Portugal share the first place. Simone Costa (176-G-96) top-scored in victory with 15 points and Maria Kostourkova (188-C-97) added 12 points, plus 11 rebounds. Emilia Ferreira and Francisca Meinedo (165-PG-96) followed them with 9 points each. In Estonia, Tatjana Razguliajeva (173-G-96) answered with 12 points and their second scorer was Kadri-Ann Lass (177-F-96) with 8 pts (8 rebs). Quarters: 13-12, 16-12, 21-5, 14-11. Portugal will play against Ukraine today. Estonia will meet Finland and will try to get the first win.

Portugal: Simone Costa 15, Maria Kostourkova 12+11 boards, Francisca Meinedo 9
Estonia: Tatjana Razguliajeva 12, Kadri-Ann Lass 8+8 boards

U16 Finland improves to 2-0 after 49-47 win over U16 Estonia - by Eurobasket News

U16 ESTONIA - U16 FINLAND 47-49

Finland jumped to 2-0 record in Group A of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They grabbed 47-49 victory against the host team and already booked a spot for the Qualifying Round. Estonia dropped to 0-2 in this pool, but still has a chance to advance. Emilia Helle's free throw lifted Finland to 45-49 lead with 13 seconds remaining in the game and Kadri-Ann Lass (177-F-96) made a basket at the other side with 6 seconds to go. Tuuli Menna (183-F-96) was sent to the line and she missed both free throws, but Elina Koskimes grabbed an offensive rebound to secure the victory for Finland. Quarters: 14-18, 15-9, 6-15, 12-7. Tuuli Menna led the winners with 16 points and 7 rebounds today. Veera Valimaa (182-F-96) had 8 points and 7 boards, while Elina Koskimies (180-F-96) helped with 6 pts and 5 rebs. In defeat, Marie Roosalu (177-F-96) collected 12 points and 6 rebs. Kadri-Ann Lass had 10 pts and 9 rebs, while Sofia Anissimova (179-F-96) added 9 points and 15 boards. Tomorrow, Finland will meet Portugal for the first place in this group. Estonia will play against Ukraine and it will be a do-or-die game for both teams.

Estonia: Marie Roosalu 12+6 boards, Kadri-Ann Lass 10+9 boards, Sofia Anissimova 9+15 boards
Finland: Tuuli Menna 16+7 boards, Veera Valimaa 8+7 boards, Elina Koskimies 6+5 boards

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EUROLEAGUE

CCC Polkowice signs Euroleague champ Laia Palau - by Eurobasket News

CCC Polkowice officially announced signing of Laia Palau (178-G-79) for the next season. The Spanish point guard arrives to the club from Ros Casares, where she spent last six years. They won Euroleague and Spanish league titles last season. Palau had 6.5 ppg, 5.6 apg and 3.5 rpg for 19 Euroleague games. She was the second ranked player in assists. In Spanish league, she averaged 4.6 points, 4.3 assists (No.3) and 3.1 rpg for 29 games. Laia Palau and Ros Casares won Spanish league titles also in 07, 08, 09 and 10. They grabbed Cup trophies in 2009 and 2010. Before Ros Casares, Laia Palau won the French title with Bourges in 2006 and they also were Cup winners that same year. Palau is very important member of the Spanish NT. She helped them reach 2013 EuroBasket with 7.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg and 2 apg in qualifications.
Recently CCC Polkowice lost Sharnee Zoll and Teja Oblak due to serious knee injuries (ACL).

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EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS U16

W-Standings - Div.A

Standings

Group A
1. Belgium		2-0
2. Hungary		2-0
3. Sweden		0-2
4. Turkey		0-2
Group B
1. Russia		2-0
2. Serbia		1-1
3. Slovakia		1-1
4. Greece		0-2
Group C
1. France		2-0
2. Croatia		1-1
3. Czech Rep.		1-1
4. U.Kingdom		0-2
Group D
1. Italy		2-0
2. Holland		1-1
3. Spain		1-1
4. Germany		0-2

Preliminary Round: Round 2

Jul. 13: TUR - HUN 68-87
Jul. 13: SWE - BEL 44-82

Jul. 13: SRB - RUS 60-73
Jul. 13: GRE - SVK 35-44

Jul. 13: CZE - ENG 65-48
Jul. 13: CRO - FRA 62-64

Jul. 13: ITA - GER 73-38
Jul. 13: NED - ESP 45-53

Preliminary Round: Round 3

Jul. 14: TUR - SWE
Jul. 14: HUN - BEL

Jul. 14: SVK - RUS
Jul. 14: GRE - SRB

Jul. 14: ENG - FRA
Jul. 14: CZE - CRO

Jul. 14: GER - ESP
Jul. 14: ITA - NED

Standings - Div.B - by Charles Ramsdell

Standings Div.B

Group A
1. Finland		2-0
2. Portugal		2-0
3. Ukraine		0-2
4. Estonia		0-2
Group B
1. Lithuania		2-0
2. Denmark		0-1
3. Israel		0-1
Group C
1. Poland		2-0
2. Bulgaria		1-1
3. Luxembourg.		1-1
4. Romania		0-2
Group D
1. Slovenia		2-0
2. Belarus		1-1
3. Latvia		1-1
4. Norway		0-2

Preliminary Round: Round 2

Jul. 13: UKR - POR 48-70
Jul. 13: EST - FIN 47-49

Jul. 13: LTU - ISR 85-71

Jul. 13: BUL - ROM 74-63
Jul. 13: LUX - POL 51-86

Jul. 13: SLO - BLR 69-50
Jul. 13: NOR - LAT 21-83

Preliminary Round: Round 3

Jul. 14: POR - FIN
Jul. 14: UKR - EST

Jul. 14: ISR - DEN

Jul. 14: BUL - LUX
Jul. 14: ROM - POL

Jul. 14: BLR - LAT
Jul. 14: SLO - NOR

Division B: Day One in Tallinn - by Eurobasket News

Group A

Portugal - Estonia 64-40
Portugal demonstrated wonderful performance against the host of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They celebrated 64-40 win thanks to great played third quarter of the game (21-5). Both teams are placed to Preliminary Group A, together with Finland and Ukraine. Three teams will advance to the Qualifying Round. At this moment, Finland and Portugal share the first place. Simone Costa (176-G-96) top-scored in victory with 15 points and Maria Kostourkova (188-C-97) added 12 points, plus 11 rebounds. Emilia Ferreira and Francisca Meinedo (165-PG-96) followed them with 9 points each. In Estonia, Tatjana Razguliajeva (173-G-96) answered with 12 points and their second scorer was Kadri-Ann Lass (177-F-96) with 8 pts (8 rebs). Quarters: 13-12, 16-12, 21-5, 14-11. Portugal will play against Ukraine today. Estonia will meet Finland and will try to get the first win.

Finland - Ukraine 67-52
Finland had a joyful Day One of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They outplayed Ukraine 67-52 for 1-0 record in Preliminary Group A. Tuuli Menna (183-F-96) led the winners with double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds for 27 minutes on the court. She had 8 of 11 from the field. Emilia Helle (169-PG-96) had 11 points and 6 assists, while Elina Koskimies (180-F-96) helped Finland with 9 points. In Ukraine, Anastasiya Polovynka (176-G-96) was better than the others with 20 points and Vita Gorobets (180-SG-96) scored 14 pts (5 rebs). Finland was 7-points up at the halftime and Ukraine closed the gap to 6 with 10 minutes to go. However, Tuuli Menna and her teammates intensified defense in the last period to make 18-9 for the final 67-52 win. In Day Two, Finland will meet Estonia. Ukraine will take on Portugal. Three teams from this group will advance to the Qualifying Round.

Group B

Denmark - Lithuania 55-76
Lithuania opened U16 EuroBasket Division B in style. In the first day of the competition in Tallinn Lithuania blasted Denmark with 21 points difference, 55-76. Both teams are placed to Preliminary Group B, which also includes Israel. All of them will advance to the Qualifying round, but wins and defeats will be transferred. Lithuania made 12-20 lead in the first ten minutes and later they increased it to 21 pts with ten minutes to go. Denmark was not able to replay in the last quarter and faced with big loss at the end. Ruta Drungilaite (183-SF-96) stepped up for the winners with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Dalia Belickaite (175-F-96) had 14 points, 8 rebs and 6 assists, while Agne Cerneckyte (171-SG-96) helped her country with 12 points. Enna Pehadzic (176-G/F-97) answered with double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds for Denmark. Ann Noerregaard (166-G-97) and Sandra Raun (177-G-96) scored 10 and 9 pts respectively. Quarters: 12-20, 18-20, 13-24, 12-12. Today, Lithuania will play against Israel. Denmark will have
a day-off.

Group C

Romania - Luxembourg 76-84
Luxembourg exploded offensively in the last ten minutes of the game against Romania to celebrate very valuable 76-84 victory. It was a Day One of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn and Luxembourg started it in style. They have 1-0 record in Preliminary Group C, sharing the first place with Poland at this moment. Mia Pauly (176-F-96) led Luxembourg with 18 points and 5 rebounds, and Hannah Pauly (163-PG-97) added 16 pts. Jessy Goergen (173-PG-97) secured a nice help adding 13 pts to this win. In Romania, Paula Lenart (178-F/G-96) (10 rebounds) and Birgitte Steiner (177-SF-96) posted 18 points each. Vasilica Cuzic (171-G-96) had three less. As mentioned above, Luxembourg smashed Romania 15-26 in the last ten minutes of the game to take the victory. Quarters: 23-13, 21-25, 17-20, 15-26. Today, Luxembourg will take on strong Poland. Romania will play against Bulgaria in Balkan derby.

Poland - Bulgaria 75-55
Poland demonstrated its power against Bulgaria in the opening day of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. It was a 75-55 win for Poland, who improved to 1-0 record in Group C. Participants of the same pool are also Romania and Luxembourg. Three teams will advance to the Qualifying Round. Poland got 16 points from Julia Tyszkiewicz (177-G-96) in this meeting and Patrycja Klatt (171-G-96) scored three less. Karolina Pobozy (188-F-96) registered double-double of 11 points and 12 rebs. In Bulgaria, Teodora Dineva (175-G-96) shined with 17 points and 8 boards, while Borislava Hristova (180-F-96) netted 16 points. Iva Georgieva (172-F-96) followed them with 11 pts. Poland made 9-point lead in the first quarter, but Bulgaria cut the margin to 6 at the halftime. Julia Tyszkiewicz and her teammates jumped to plus 10 after the breather and smashed its rival for the last ten minutes (16-6) registering comfortable 20-point win at the end. Poland will play against Luxembourg today and another win is expected. Bulgaria will meet Romania.

Group D

Belarus - Norway 85-19
Belarus gave a basketball lesson to Norway in Day One of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They celebrated huge 85-19 victory in this meeting. Belarus limited its rival to just two points in the first quarter and at that time it was already clear that Norway is simply too weak for Belarus. Both teams are placed to Preliminary Group D, together with Latvia and Slovenia. Three teams will advance to the next stage. Darya Panasiuk (175-SF-96) scored 23 points in victory, while Viyaleta Kuiliak (182-PF-96) had monster double-double of 21 points and 19 rebounds (valuation 31!). Yanina Inkina (183-PF-97) added 18 pts and 12 rebs to this win. Rosanna Elahi (172-G-95) scored 5 points in defeat and Thale Messel (173-SF-97) had 4. Norway had 34 turnovers for the game. Quarters: 25-2, 22-8, 16-5, 22-4. Belarus will play against strong Slovenia today, while Norway will meet Latvia.

Latvia - Slovenia 60-64
Slovenia had to work very hard to beat Latvia in Day One of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. Slovenians celebrated 60-64 victory for 1-0 record in Preliminary Group D. Latvia was 53-51 up with 7:47 remaining in the game, but Slovenia created crucial 0-7 run after that. Latvia threatened with 3 minutes to go as they came to 59-61, but Slovenia limited them to a single point for rest of the game. Quarters: 18-14, 19-11, 12-26, 11-13. Manca Jelenc (172-PG-96) led Slovenia with 16 points and 5 rebounds, and Zala Lesek (187-F-97) had 14 pts and 8 rebs to help her country. Maja Jakobcic (184-PF-97) collected 10 points and 6 rebs. In Latvia, Beate Markane (172-G-96) posted 15 points and Kate Kreslina (184-PG-96) had 3 less. Kitija Laksa (180-G-96) was limited to 9 pts in this meeting with poor shot percentage. Slovenia will play against Belarus today, while Latvia will meet Norway.

Division A: Day Two in Miskolc - by Eurobasket News

Group A

Sweden - Belgium 44-82
Belgium registered second straight win at U16 EuroBasket in Miskolc. They blasted Sweden 44-82 for perfect 2-0 record in Preliminary Group A and already booked a spot for the next stage. Eva Devliegher (170-SG-96) led the winners in scoring with 13 points, while Julie Allemand (173-PG-96) was their best player with 12 pts, 6 rebounds and 6 assists (valuation 21). Kyara Linskens (189-C-96) added 11 points and 6 boards for just 14 minutes on the court. Sweden did not have anyone with double digits in scoring. Andjela Hrnjez (185-C-96) (8 rebs) delivered 9 points, Elin Ljunggren (182-F-96) had 8 and Sigrid Sandstrom (177-G-96) stopped to 7 pts. Sweden dropped to 0-2 after this loss. Belgium trashed its rival in the second quarter 9-29 for 20-point lead at the halftime. They increased it to plus 24 with ten minutes remaining and limited Sweden to only 2 points for rest of the way, while draining 16 at the other side. In the last day of the Preliminary Round, Belgium will meet host Hungary. Sweden will take on Turkey hoping they can reach the next stage.

Turkey - Hungary 68-87
The host of U16 EuroBasket Division A had another great game in the front of its fans. They cruised past Turkey 68-87 and already booked a spot for the Qualifying Round. Hungary and Belgium share the first place in Group A with perfect 2-0 record. They will meet tomorrow in the last day of the Preliminary Round. Turkey (0-2) will play against Sweden in do-or-die game for both teams. Hungary won every single quarter today: 14-19, 14-19, 17-22, 23-27. Their best player was Agnes Dobos (190-C-96) with 21 points and 9 rebounds. Debora Dubei (180-SF-97) had 18 pts and 9 rebs, while Timea Toth (184-PF-97) collected 15 points and 9 rebs. In Turkey, Serife Onar (167-PG-96) shined with 23 points and 9 assists. Betul Erkoyuncu (186-C-96) had 12 points (5 rebs) and Basak Altunbey (187-C-96) collected 10 pts, plus 11 boards in defeat.

Group B

Serbia - Russia 60-73
Both teams celebrated in Day One of U16 EuroBasket in Miskolc. Russia managed to beat Serbia today 60-73 for perfect 2-0 record in Group A. Russia already booked a spot for the Qualifying Round and they will have a chance to win this pool. Tomorrow, Russia will play against Slovakia. Serbia dropped to 1-1 and its last rival in the Preliminary Round will be Greece. Daria Kolosovskaya (181-SF-96) stepped up for Russia with 18 points and 5 rebounds, and Anastasia Borovykh (173-SG-96) posted 14 points. Tatiana Sema (193-C-96) collected 12 points and 7 rebounds in this victory. In the loosing squad, Aleksandra Crvendakic (188-F/C-96) shined with 19 points and 8 rebounds. Zeljka Petkovic (188-C-96) (5 rebs) and Tijana Cukic (173-PG-96) (5 as) netted 11 and 10 points respectively. Russia made 6-point lead in the first quarter and extended it to 9 until the halftime. Serbia made turn in 27th minute and it was 45-42, but Russia answered with 0-9 run for rest of the period. Serbia came to minus 2 at the beginning of the last quarter, but Russia once again replied and jumped to 54-63 with 5 minutes remaining, what was too much for its rival.

Greece - Slovakia 35-44
Slovakia registered its first win at U16 EuroBasket in Miskolc, Group B. They failed against Serbia in Day One, but managed to beat Greece today 35-44. Slovakia limited its rival to just ten points in the first half, which helped them to take 11-point lead in this low-scoring meeting. They jumped to 16-31 at the middle of Q3, but Greece didn't give up and came to minus 5 with 2 minutes remaining. Slovakia answered with mini 0-4 run and had no troubles to keep the lead for rest of the way. Quarters: 5-10, 5-11, 11-10, 14-13. Veronika Remenarova (185-F-97) had 11 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. Kristina Matuskova (172-PG-96) and Lucia Ondrejkova (170-G/F-96) netted 8 points each. In Greece, Maria Goula (178-G/F-96) scored 9 points and Vasiliki Karambatsa (183-F-96) added 7 points, plus 19 rebounds. Kleanthi Oikonomaki (182-F-96) had 7 points and 9 rebs. Tomorrow, Slovakia (1-1) will play against Russia for the first place in this pool. Greece (0-2) will meet Serbia in do-or-die game.

Group C

Czech Republic - United Kingdom 65-48
Czech Republic cruised past UK 65-48 in Day Two of U16 EuroBasket in Miskolc. Both teams had 0-1 before this meeting (Group C). Thanks to this win Czech Republic already booked a spot for the Qualifying Round. At the other side, UK dropped to 0-2 and failed to reach the next stage. UK will end as the last ranked team of this pool. Gabriela Andelova (191-PG-96) exploded with 28 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. She made 7 of 14 attempts from behind the arc. Sarah Berankova (176-PG-96) and Eliska Mircova (176-PG-96) netted 9 points each. In UK, Leah McDerment (180-PG-96) posted 17 points. Their second scorer was Samanta Clement (176-PG-97) with only 7 pts. Quarters: 13-18, 16-11, 15-11, 21-8. Czech Republic will play against Croatia tomorrow. UK will meet top-ranked France.

Croatia - France 62-64
France jumped to 2-0 in Group C of U16 EuroBasket in Miskolc. They grabbed 62-64 thriller win against Croatia (1-1) today. The last two minutes were emotional, but the French avoided overtime with Carla Blatrie (170-G-96) making the decisive lay-up with just 12 seconds to go. Croatia destroyed France in Q3 with 17-2 for 48-43 lead, but Blatrie and her teammates were strong enough to recover and to take the victory at the end. Croatia had the last possession, but Ivana Dojkic (176-SG-97) missed a lay-up. Quarters: 16-20, 15-21, 17-2, 14-21. Lisa Berkani (173-SG-97) had 14 points and 8 rebounds for France, who already booked a spot for the Qualifying Round. Katia Clanet (187-F-96) (5 rebs) and Alix Duchet (165-PG-97) posted 11 and 10 points respectively. Dojkic shined at the other side with 26 points and 5 rebounds, but as mentioned above she missed the last basket. Anita Kelava (185-PF-97) had 15 pts and 10 boards, while Iva Slonjsak (181-SG-97) added 12 pts and 7 rebs. Tomorrow, France will play against the UK. Croatia will meet Czech Republic.

Group D

Italy - Germany 73-38
Italy registered another easy win at U16 EuroBasket in Miskolc. This time Italy blasted Germany 73-38 for 2-0 record in Group D. There is one more day to go at this stage, but Italy already secured a spot for the Qualifying Round. At the other side, Germany dropped to 0-2 and their chances to reach the next stage drastically decreased. Italy was way better team during the entire game. Quarters: 13-6, 20-9, 24-11, 16-12. Francesca Russo (172-SG-96) netted 15 points for the winners and Cecilia Zandalasini (182-F-96) posted 2 less. Marzia Tagliamento (179-F-96) helped her country with 12 points. In Germany, Emma lina Stach (175-PG-96) scored 12 points and Lena Wenke (178-SF-96) had 9. Italy will play against Holland tomorrow. Germany's rival will be Spain (1-1).

Holland - Spain 45-53
Box-score and game report will be available soon.

Division B: Day Two in Tallinn - by Eurobasket News

Group A

Estonia - Finland 47-49
Finland jumped to 2-0 record in Group A of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They grabbed 47-49 victory against the host team and already booked a spot for the Qualifying Round. Estonia dropped to 0-2 in this pool, but still has a chance to advance. Emilia Helle's free throw lifted Finland to 45-49 lead with 13 seconds remaining in the game and Kadri-Ann Lass (177-F-96) made a basket at the other side with 6 seconds to go. Tuuli Menna (183-F-96) was sent to the line and she missed both free throws, but Elina Koskimies (180-F-96) grabbed an offensive rebound to secure the victory for Finland. Quarters: 14-18, 15-9, 6-15, 12-7. Tuuli Menna led the winners with 16 points and 7 rebounds today. Veera Valimaa (182-F-96) had 8 points and 7 boards, while Elina Koskimies helped with 6 pts and 5 rebs. In defeat, Marie Roosalu (177-F-96) collected 12 points and 6 rebs. Kadri-Ann Lass had 10 pts and 9 rebs, while Sofia Anissimova (179-F-96) added 9 points and 15 boards. Tomorrow, Finland will meet Portugal for the first place in this group. Estonia will play against Ukraine and it will be a do-or-die game for both teams.

Ukraine - Portugal 48-70
Portugal had another great game at U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They smashed Ukraine 48-70 for 2-0 record in Preliminary Group A. With this victory Portugal already secured a spot for the next stage. Ukraine dropped to 0-2, but they still have a chance to advance. Portugal took control on its rival from the beginning and never looked back. Quarters: 11-16, 12-18, 7-14, 18-22. Simone Costa (176-G-96) stepped up with 23 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Francisca Meinedo (165-PG-96) had 15 points and 5 boards, while Ana Moniz (170-SG-96) netted 11 pts. In Ukraine, Alina Batkovska (171-PG-96) was better than the others with 20 points. Vita Gorobets (180-SG-96) and Yana Holubosh (180-SF-96) (5 rebs) posted 7 and 6 pts respectively. Portugal will meet Finland tomorrow for the first place in Group A. Ukraine will have to beat Estonia to reach the next stage.

Group B

Lithuania - Israel 85-71
Lithuania finished Preliminary Round of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn with perfect 2-0 record. They handed 85-71 loss to Israel winning the Group B. Of course, Lithuania advanced to the Qualifying Round. At the other side, Israel dropped to 0-1 but they will also advance as there are only three teams in this pool. However, wins and defeats will be transferred, so it is important for Israel to beat Denmark tomorrow. Israel was 61-63 up after three quarters, but Lithuania exploded in the last ten minutes 24-8 to secure comfortable win in this meeting. Quarters: 16-24, 23-16, 22-23, 24-8. Dalia Belickaite (175-F-96) was a key player in victory with 25 points and 10 rebounds, and Laura Juskaite (187-PF-97) also had amazing game with 18 points and 17 rebs. Agne Cerneckyte (171-SG-96) was third scorer in Lithuania with 16 pts. Israel got 15 points from Eden Porat (176-F-96) and 13 from Noa Zelivanski (171-PG-96). Each of them grabbed 5 rebounds, while Yarden Danan (177-SG-97) scored 12 points. As mentioned above, Lithuania played all two games at this phase, while Israel will meet Denmark tomorrow.

Group C

Bulgaria - Romania 74-63
Bulgaria registered its first win at U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They handed 74-63 loss to Romania for 1-1 record in Preliminary Group C. Thanks to this win Bulgaria already booked a spot for the Qualifying Round. Romania dropped to 0-2 and it is already clear they will not be able to advance. Bulgaria was 18-point up with 10 minutes remaining in the game. Romania finally showed some of their talent in the last quarter, but it was too late for them (23-13, 14-10, 21-17, 16-23). Borislava Hristova (180-F-96) had amazing game collecting 35 points and 6 rebounds (valuation 26). Teodora Dineva (175-G-96) had double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Iva Georgieva (172-F-96) added 13 pts and 9 rebs. In Romania, Teodora Neagu (181-C-96) had 19 pts and 7 rebs. Paula Lenart (178-F/G-96) (10 rebs) and Mihaela Maxim (167-PG-96) netted 11 pts each. Tomorrow, Bulgaria will meet Luxembourg. Romania will take on Poland.

Luxembourg - Poland 51-86
Poland will be the winner of Group C at U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They had no mercy for Luxembourg registering 51-86 victory for 2-0 record in this pool. At the other side, Luxembourg dropped to 1-1, but they also secured a spot for the next stage despite there is one more day to go in the Preliminary Round. Poland dominated in all basketball elements today and Luxembourg was simply not able to resist. Quarters: 16-20, 14-21, 7-24, 14-21. Monika Radomska (188-PF-96) had 15 points and 5 rebounds for the winners, while Karolina Pobozy (188-F-96) added 13 points and 15 boards! Julia Tyszkiewicz (177-G-96) scored 10 pts in this victory. In Luxembourg, Mia Pauly (176-F-96) had 8 points and Lisa Jablonowski (186-C-97) had 7 pts, plus 11 rebounds. Hannah Pauly (163-PG-97) also scored 7 points in this loss. Poland will play against Romania tomorrow. Luxembourg will take on Bulgaria in the battle for the second place.

Group D

Norway - Latvia 21-83
Both teams failed in Day One of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. Today, Latvia destroyed Norway with huge 83-21 for 1-1 record in Preliminary Group D. At the other side, Norway dropped to 0-2. It automatically means that Latvia secured a spot for the next stage, while Norway will fail to do it. Latvia stopped its rival to only 2 points in third period. Quarters: 5-14, 6-23, 2-20, 8-26. Kitija Laksa (180-G-96) led the winners with 22 points and 6 rebounds. Kate Kreslina (184-PG-96) had 12 points and 7 rebounds, while Kitija Stolce (184-F-96) helped with 11 pts and 7 rebs. What to say about Norway. Their best players were Alida Dale (179-PF-96) and Alva Eide (172-G-96) with 6 and 5 points respectively. Tomorrow, Latvia will meet Belarus for the second place in this group. Latvia will play against No.1 Slovenia.

Slovenia - Belarus 69-50
Slovenia was better than Belarus today 69-50 for 2-0 record at U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. It is already clear that Slovenia will be the winner of this pool, despite there is one more day to go in Preliminary Round. Belarus slipped to 1-1, but they will also advance. Slovenia made impressive 21-7 lead in the first ten minute and managed to keep it for rest of the way. They had much better shot percentage from the field. Quarters: 21-7, 15-16, 14-10, 19-17. Maja Jakobcic (184-PF-97) led the winners with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Zala Lesek (187-F-97) had 13 points and 11 boards, while Larisa Ocvirk (184-F-97) added 12 pts and 5 rebs. In defeat, Darya Panasiuk (175-SF-96) top-scored with 19 pts. Viyaleta Kuiliak (182-PF-96) had 12 points and same numbers of boards. Tomorrow, Slovenia will meet last ranked Norway. Belarus will play against Latvia and the winner will take second place in Group D.

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FINLAND

U16 Finland improves to 2-0 after 49-47 win over U16 Estonia - by Eurobasket News

U16 ESTONIA - U16 FINLAND 47-49

Finland jumped to 2-0 record in Group A of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They grabbed 47-49 victory against the host team and already booked a spot for the Qualifying Round. Estonia dropped to 0-2 in this pool, but still has a chance to advance. Emilia Helle's free throw lifted Finland to 45-49 lead with 13 seconds remaining in the game and Kadri-Ann Lass (177-F-96) made a basket at the other side with 6 seconds to go. Tuuli Menna (183-F-96) was sent to the line and she missed both free throws, but Elina Koskimes grabbed an offensive rebound to secure the victory for Finland. Quarters: 14-18, 15-9, 6-15, 12-7. Tuuli Menna led the winners with 16 points and 7 rebounds today. Veera Valimaa (182-F-96) had 8 points and 7 boards, while Elina Koskimies (180-F-96) helped with 6 pts and 5 rebs. In defeat, Marie Roosalu (177-F-96) collected 12 points and 6 rebs. Kadri-Ann Lass had 10 pts and 9 rebs, while Sofia Anissimova (179-F-96) added 9 points and 15 boards. Tomorrow, Finland will meet Portugal for the first place in this group. Estonia will play against Ukraine and it will be a do-or-die game for both teams.

Estonia: Marie Roosalu 12+6 boards, Kadri-Ann Lass 10+9 boards, Sofia Anissimova 9+15 boards
Finland: Tuuli Menna 16+7 boards, Veera Valimaa 8+7 boards, Elina Koskimies 6+5 boards

U16 Finland too strong for U16 Ukraine in Tallinn - by Eurobasket News

FINLAND - UKRAINE 67-52

Finland had joyful Day One of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They outplayed Ukraine 67-52 for 1-0 record in Preliminary Group A. Tuuli Menna (183-F-96) led the winners with double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds for 27 minutes on the court. She had 8 of 11 from the field. Emilia Helle (169-PG-96) had 11 points and 6 assists, while Elina Koskimies (180-F-96) helped Finland with 9 points. In Ukraine, Anastasiya Polovynka (176-G-96) was better than the others with 20 points and Vita Gorobets (180-SG-96) scored 14 pts (5 rebs). Finland was 7-points up at the halftime and Ukraine closed the gap to 6 with 10 minutes to go. However, Tuuli Menna and her teammates intensified defense in the last period to make 18-9 for the final 67-52 win. In Day Two, Finland will meet Estonia. Ukraine will take on Portugal. Three teams from this group will advance to the Qualifying Round.

Finland: Tuuli Menna 18+13 boards, Emilia Helle 11+6 as, Elina Koskimies 9
Ukraine: Anastasiya Polovynka 20, Vita Gorobets 14+5 boards

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FRANCE

Blatrie's basket lifts U16 France to 64-62 thriller win against U16 Croatia - by Eurobasket News

U16 CROATIA - U16 FRANCE 62-64

France jumped to 2-0 in Group C of U16 EuroBasket in Miskolc. They grabbed 62-64 thriller win against Croatia (1-1) today. The last two minutes were emotional, but the French avoided overtime with Carla Blatrie (170-G-96) making the decisive lay-up with just 12 seconds to go. Croatia destroyed France in Q3 with 17-2 for 48-43 lead, but Blatrie and her teammates were strong enough to recover and to take the victory at the end. Croatia had the last possession, but Ivana Dojkic (176-SG-97) missed a lay-up. Quarters: 16-20, 15-21, 17-2, 14-21. Lisa Berkani (173-SG-97) had 14 points and 8 rebounds for France, who already booked a spot for the Qualifying Round. Katia Clanet (187-F-96) (5 rebs) and Alix Duchet (165-PG-97) posted 11 and 10 points respectively. Dojkic shined at the other side with 26 points and 5 rebounds, but as mentioned above she missed the last basket. Anita Kelava (185-PF-97) had 15 pts and 10 boards, while Iva Slonjsak (181-SG-97) added 12 pts and 7 rebs. Tomorrow, France will play against the UK. Croatia will meet Czech Republic.

Croatia: Ivana Dojkic 26+5 boards, Anita Kelava 15+10 boards, Iva Slonjsak 12+7 boards
France: Lisa Berkani 14+8 boards, Katia Clanet 11+5 boards, Alix Duchet 10

Australia beat France in friendly - by Eurobasket News

France - Australia 59:69

Australia opened their European Tour with victory. The Opals held off France at the start of Game on Sheffield Tournament in United Kingdom. Cambage Elizabeth (203-C-91) came up with 28 points to pace the winners.
Australia jumped to a 21:11 lead after ten minutes. France bounced back in the second frame. They went on a 20:8 run to take a 31:29 halftime lead. But the Opals took over once again in the third quarter. Australia held Les Bleus to just 11 points in the period to ensure a 47:42 lead. Australia scored 22 points in the fourth frame and sealed the victory at the end. Belinda Snell (181-F-81) came up with 16 points and 8 rebounds, while Lauren Jackson (196-F/C-81) accounted for 13 points for the Opals. Sandrine Gruda (193-C-87) answered with 13 points for France. Isabelle Yacoubou-Dehoui (190-C-86) finished with 12 points in the loss.

France: Sandrine Gruda 13, Isabelle Yacoubou-Dehoui 12
Australia: Cambage Elizabeth 28, Belinda Snell 16, Lauren Jackson 13

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GERMANY

U16 Italy has no mercy for U16 Germany in Miskolc, 73-38 - by Eurobasket News

U16 ITALY - U16 GERMANY 73-38

Italy registered another easy win at U16 EuroBasket in Miskolc. This time Italy blasted Germany 73-38 for 2-0 record in Group D. There is one more day to go at this stage, but Italy already secured a spot for the Qualifying Round. At the other side, Germany dropped to 0-2 and their chances to reach the next stage drastically decreased. Italy was way better team during the entire game. Quarters: 13-6, 20-9, 24-11, 16-12. Francesca Russo (172-SG-96) netted 15 points for the winners and Cecilia Zandalasini (182-F-96) posted 2 less. Marzia Tagliamento (179-F-96) helped her country with 12 points. In Germany, Emma lina Stach (175-PG-96) scored 12 points and Lena Wenke (178-SF-96) had 9. Italy will play against Holland tomorrow. Germany's rival will be Spain (1-1).

Italy: Francesca Russo 15, Cecilia Zandalasini 13, Marzia Tagliamento 12
Germany: Emma lina Stach 12, Lena Wenke 9

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GREECE

U16 Slovakia limits U16 Greece to 35 pts, takes first win in Miskolc - by Eurobasket News

U16 GREECE - U16 SLOVAKIA 35-44

Slovakia registered its first win at U16 EuroBasket in Miskolc, Group B. They failed against Serbia in Day One, but managed to beat Greece today 35-44. Slovakia limited its rival to just ten points in the first half, which helped them to take 11-point lead in this low-scoring meeting. They jumped to 16-31 at the middle of Q3, but Greece didn't give up and came to minus 5 with 2 minutes remaining. Slovakia answered with mini 0-4 run and had no troubles to keep the lead for rest of the way. Quarters: 5-10, 5-11, 11-10, 14-13. Veronika Remenarova (185-F-97) had 11 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. Kristina Matuskova (172-PG-96) and Lucia Ondrejkova (170-G/F-96) netted 8 points each. In Greece, Maria Goula (178-G/F-96) scored 9 points and Vasiliki Karambatsa (183-F-96) added 7 points, plus 19 rebounds. Kleanthi Oikonomaki (182-F-96) had 7 points and 9 rebs. Tomorrow, Slovakia (1-1) will play against Russia for the first place in this pool. Greece (0-2) will meet Serbia in do-or-die game.

Greece: Maria Goula 9, Vasiliki Karambatsa 7+19 boards, Kleanthi Oikonomaki 7+9 boards
Slovakia: Veronika Remenarova 11+12 boards, Kristina Matuskova 8, Lucia Ondrejkova 8

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HUNGARY

U16 Hungary secures a spot for Qualifying Round in Miskolc - by Eurobasket News

U16 TURKEY - U16 HUNGARY 68-87

The host of U16 EuroBasket Division A had another great game in the front of its fans. They cruised past Turkey 68-87 and already booked a spot for the Qualifying Round. Hungary and Belgium share the first place in Group A with perfect 2-0 record. They will meet tomorrow in the last day of the Preliminary Round. Turkey (0-2) will play against Sweden in do-or-die game for both teams. Hungary won every single quarter today: 14-19, 14-19, 17-22, 23-27. Their best player was Agnes Dobos (190-C-96) with 21 points and 9 rebounds. Debora Dubei (180-SF-97) had 18 pts and 9 rebs, while Timea Toth (184-PF-97) collected 15 points and 9 rebs. In Turkey, Serife Onar (167-PG-96) shined with 23 points and 9 assists. Betul Erkoyuncu (186-C-96) had 12 points (5 rebs) and Basak Altunbey (187-C-96) collected 10 pts, plus 11 boards in defeat.

Turkey: Serife Onar 23+9 as, Betul Erkoyuncu 12+5 boards, Basak Altunbey 10+11 boards
Hungary: Agnes Dobos 21+9 boards, Debora Dubei 18+9 boards, Timea Toth 15+9 boards

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ISRAEL

ITALY

LATVIA

Latvia celebrates first win at U16 EuroBasket Division B - by Eurobasket News

U16 NORWAY - U16 LATVIA 21-83

Both teams failed in Day One of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. Today, Latvia destroyed Norway with huge 83-21 for 1-1 record in Preliminary Group D. At the other side, Norway dropped to 0-2. It automatically means that Latvia secured a spot for the next stage, while Norway will fail to do it. Latvia stopped its rival to only 2 points in third period. Quarters: 5-14, 6-23, 2-20, 8-26. Kitija Laksa (180-G-96) led the winners with 22 points and 6 rebounds. Kate Kreslina (184-PG-96) had 12 points and 7 rebounds, while Kitija Stolce (184-F-96) helped with 11 pts and 7 rebs. What to say about Norway. Their best players were Alida Dale (179-PF-96) and Alva Eide (172-G-96) with 6 and 5 points respectively. Tomorrow, Latvia will meet Belarus for the second place in this group. Latvia will play against No.1 Slovenia.

Norway: Alida Dale 6, Alva Eide 5
Latvia: Kitija Laksa 22+6 boards, Kate Kreslina 12+7 boards, Kitija Stolce 11+7 boards

Slovenia starts U16 EuroBasket Division B with victory - by Eurobasket News

U16 LATVIA - U16 SLOVENIA 60-64

Slovenia had to work very hard to beat Latvia in Day One of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. Slovenians celebrated 60-64 victory for 1-0 record in Preliminary Group D. Latvia was 53-51 up with 7:47 remaining in the game, but Slovenia created crucial 0-7 run after that. Latvia threatened with 3 minutes to go as they came to 59-61, but Slovenia limited them to a single point for rest of the game. Quarters: 18-14, 19-11, 12-26, 11-13. Manca Jelenc (172-PG-96) led Slovenia with 16 points and 5 rebounds, and Zala Lesek (187-F-97) had 14 pts and 8 rebs to help her country. Maja Jakobcic (184-PF-97) collected 10 points and 6 rebs. In Latvia, Beate Markane (172-G-96) posted 15 points and Kate Kreslina (184-PG-96) had 3 less. Kitija Laksa (180-G-96) was limited to 9 pts in this meeting with poor shot percentage. Slovenia will play against Belarus today, while Latvia will meet Norway.

Latvia: Beate Markane 15, Kate Kreslina 12, Kitija Laksa 9
Slovenia: Manca Jelenc 16+5 boards, Zala Lesek 14+8 boards, Maja Jakobcic 10+6 boards

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LITHUANIA

U16 Lithuania wins Group B in Tallinn - by Eurobasket News

U16 LITHUANIA - U16 ISRAEL 85-71

Lithuania finished Preliminary Round of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn with perfect 2-0 record. They handed 85-71 loss to Israel winning the Group B. Of course, Lithuania advanced to the Qualifying Round. At the other side, Israel dropped to 0-1 but they will also advance as there are only three teams in this pool. However, wins and defeats will be transferred, so it is important for Israel to beat Denmark tomorrow. Israel was 61-63 up after three quarters, but Lithuania exploded in the last ten minutes 24-8 to secure comfortable win in this meeting. Quarters: 16-24, 23-16, 22-23, 24-8. Dalia Belickaite (175-F-96) was a key player in victory with 25 points and 10 rebounds, and Laura Juskaite (187-PF-97) also had amazing game with 18 points and 17 rebs. Agne Cerneckyte (171-SG-96) was third scorer in Lithuania with 16 pts. Israel got 15 points from Eden Porat (176-F-96) and 13 from Noa Zelivanski (171-PG-96). Each of them grabbed 5 rebounds, while Yarden Danan (177-SG-97) scored 12 points. As mentioned above, Lithuania played all two games at this phase, while Israel will meet Denmark tomorrow.

Lithuania: Dalia Belickaite 25+10 boards, Laura Juskaite 18+17 boards, Agne Cerneckyte 16
Israel: Eden Porat 15+5 boards, Noa Zelivanski 13+5 boards, Yarden Danan 12

U16 Lithuania too strong for U16 Denmark in Tallinn - by Eurobasket News

U16 DENMARK - U16 LITHUANIA 55-76

Lithuania opened U16 EuroBasket Division B in style. In the first day of the competition in Tallinn Lithuania blasted Denmark with 21 points difference, 55-76. Both teams are placed to Preliminary Group B, which also includes Israel. All of them will advance to the Qualifying round, but wins and defeats will be transferred. Lithuania made 12-20 lead in the first ten minutes and later they increased it to 21 pts with ten minutes to go. Denmark was not able to replay in the last quarter and faced with big loss at the end. Ruta Drungilaite (183-SF-96) stepped up for the winners with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Dalia Belickaite (175-F-96) had 14 points, 8 rebs and 6 assists, while Agne Cerneckyte (171-SG-96) helped her country with 12 points. Enna Pehadzic (176-G/F-97) answered with double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds for Denmark. Ann Noerregaard (166-G-97) and Sandra Raun (177-G-96) scored 10 and 9 pts respectively. Quarters: 12-20, 18-20, 13-24, 12-12. Today, Lithuania will play against Israel. Denmark will have
a day-off.

Denmark: Enna Pehadzic 12+12 boards, Ann Noerregaard 10, Sandra Raun 9
Lithuania: Ruta Drungilaite 18+8 boards, Dalia Belickaite 14+8 boards+6 as, Agne Cerneckyte 12

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LUXEMBOURG

Poland improves to 2-0 at U16 EuroBasket Division B - by Eurobasket News

U16 LUXEMBOURG - U16 POLAND 51-86

Poland will be the winner of Group C at U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They had no mercy for Luxembourg registering 51-86 victory for 2-0 record in this pool. At the other side, Luxembourg dropped to 1-1, but they also secured a spot for the next stage despite there is one more day to go in the Preliminary Round. Poland dominated in all basketball elements today and Luxembourg was simply not able to resist. Quarters: 16-20, 14-21, 7-24, 14-21. Monika Radomska (188-PF-96) had 15 points and 5 rebounds for the winners, while Karolina Pobozy (188-F-96) added 13 points and 15 boards! Julia Tyszkiewicz (177-G-96) scored 10 pts in this victory. In Luxembourg, Mia Pauly (176-F-96) had 8 points and Lisa Jablonowski (186-C-97) had 7 pts, plus 11 rebounds. Hannah Pauly (163-PG-97) also scored 7 points in this loss. Poland will play against Romania tomorrow. Luxembourg will take on Bulgaria in the battle for the second place.

Luxembourg: Mia Pauly 8, Lisa Jablonowski 7+11 boards, Hannah Pauly 7
Poland: Monika Radomska 15+5 boards, Karolina Pobozy 13+15 boards, Julia Tyszkiewicz 10

U16 Luxembourg explodes in Q4 to beat U16 Romania in Tallinn - by Eurobasket News

ROMANIA - LUXEMBOURG 76-84

Luxembourg exploded offensively in the last ten minutes of the game against Romania to celebrate very valuable 76-84 victory. It was a Day One of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn and Luxembourg started it in style. They have 1-0 record in Preliminary Group C, sharing the first place with Poland at this moment. Mia Pauly (176-F-96) led Luxembourg with 18 points and 5 rebounds, and Hannah Pauly (163-PG-97) added 16 pts. Jessy Goergen (173-PG-97) secured a nice help adding 13 pts to this win. In Romania, Paula Lenart (178-F/G-96) (10 rebounds) and Birgitte Steiner (177-SF-96) posted 18 points each. Vasilica Cuzic (171-G-96) had three less. As mentioned above, Luxembourg smashed Romania 15-26 in the last ten minutes of the game to take the victory. Quarters: 23-13, 21-25, 17-20, 15-26. Today, Luxembourg will take on strong Poland. Romania will play against Bulgaria in Balkan derby.

Romania: Paula Lenart 18+10 boards, Birgitte Steiner 18, Vasilica Cuzic 15
Luxembourg: Mia Pauly 18+5 boards, Hannah Pauly 16, Jessy Goergen 13

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MALTA

Luxol land Mollie Williams - by Eurobasket News

Luxol bolstered their roster. They added Mollie Williams (187-F, agency: Team 31 Sports Management, college: Washington). The forward will start her pro career in Malta. Mollie Williams has graduated from the University of Washington in 2012. She tallied 5.3 points and 5.5 boards per game in her senior season. Mollie Williams reached NIT Elite Eight with the team. Luxol will enter the new season defending their title. They defeated Loyola for Division 1 crown last season.

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NEW ZEALAND

Standings - WNBL

WBC Standings

1. Hutt Valley		5-0
2. Nelson S.		4-1
3. Waikato W.		4-2
4. Cantenbury W.		3-2
5. W.Auckland R.		3-2
6. Harbour B.		3-2
7. Taranaki T.		3-3
8. Otago Oceana		1-3
9. Palmerston		1-3
10. Rotorua LV		1-5
11. Southland P.		0-5

Hutt Valley High's basketball star aims high - by Eurobasket News

Stella Beck (177-F-95) can't get enough basketball.

The Hutt Valley High School pupil has represented her school, province and country this year and keeps stepping up for more.

She has dabbled with other sports, including football and netball, but basketball has always been No1 for Beck.

"I like the speed of the game it's a fast game."

Netball's loss has been basketball's gain, for Beck is Stella by name and stellar by nature.

The 16-year-old still has another year at school, but is already a member of the Junior Tall Ferns [New Zealand under-19] and playing for the Hutt Valley Flyers in the senior women's basketball championships.

She had previously been a New Zealand under-16 and under-17 representative and was selected for the tournament team at the national under-21 tournament in May.

She was also a key member of the Hutt Valley High School senior basketball team which established an extraordinary winning streak of 65 games.

Hutt Valley suffered their first defeat in Wellington since August 2008, when beaten by Newlands College late last month, but Beck, who missed the Newlands game, can see the silver lining. "We're starting a new streak now."

Beck, who began to play mini-ball as a 5-year-old, regards the Junior Tall Ferns tour to China this year as the high point of her career.

It was an exhausting fortnight, with nine games in three venues against teams from China, Australia and the United States, but Beck says it developed her game.

"I've definitely improved since then. The tournament really helped.

"It was pretty tiring and quite a relief to get home. China was exactly what you would expect lots of people and the food was really different.

"Basketball-wise, it was the toughest standard I've played. The US team was mostly in their 20s and they were really good.

"They weren't rough just a really good team, while I was the height of the smallest player in the Chinese team.

Beck missed one game in China with a minor injury, but otherwise got significant playing time in each match, playing as either a small forward or shooting guard.

"They are my two favourite positions and [the roles] are pretty much the same. It's also pretty much what my build is."

Beck is not short, but at 1.77 metres, she is no giant on a basketball court.

"I'm quite tall for a girl, but not compared with the average basketball player. But I'm tall compared with other people in my position."

Beck is the second youngest player in the Junior Tall Ferns squad, but impressed coach Sean Fuller, in China.

"She was one of our top performers," Fuller said.

"She averaged about 12 points and eight rebounds a game and that was against bigger and more experienced players, so she did pretty well.

"She started the first couple of games but she expends that much energy, that we found we got better results from her when she was coming off the bench, when the game was two or three minutes old.

"It also gave her a chance to see how the game was progressing.

"She's very athletic, with good elevation and gets to the basket really well. She seems to get there almost with ease."

The main target for the Junior Tall Ferns this year is the Oceania under-19 tournament at Porirua in September, where they will meet Australia for a place in the 2013 world championships.

Beck was the leading scorer for the Hutt Valley Flyers, who had a 5-0 winning record in the opening round of the women's championships, in Nelson last month. The second round will be played in Hutt Valley from July 20 to 22.

"Stella was our top scorer across the board, at 11.8. That isn't high, but that's the way I like it," Flyers coach Denise Morgan said.

"I prefer the scoring to be spread across the team, rather than rely on one or two players."

Like Fuller, Morgan enjoys Beck's energy.

"I love the fact that she will give it all, her work rate, her competitiveness and her tenacity," Morgan said. "She is one of those players who knows how to score. Give [the ball] to her and she will take it to the hoop. She has a nice outside shot as well.

"She's had a lot of success, but is still willing to listen to what I have to say."
Courtesy of: stuff.co.nz

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NORWAY

Latvia celebrates first win at U16 EuroBasket Division B - by Eurobasket News

U16 NORWAY - U16 LATVIA 21-83

Both teams failed in Day One of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. Today, Latvia destroyed Norway with huge 83-21 for 1-1 record in Preliminary Group D. At the other side, Norway dropped to 0-2. It automatically means that Latvia secured a spot for the next stage, while Norway will fail to do it. Latvia stopped its rival to only 2 points in third period. Quarters: 5-14, 6-23, 2-20, 8-26. Kitija Laksa (180-G-96) led the winners with 22 points and 6 rebounds. Kate Kreslina (184-PG-96) had 12 points and 7 rebounds, while Kitija Stolce (184-F-96) helped with 11 pts and 7 rebs. What to say about Norway. Their best players were Alida Dale (179-PF-96) and Alva Eide (172-G-96) with 6 and 5 points respectively. Tomorrow, Latvia will meet Belarus for the second place in this group. Latvia will play against No.1 Slovenia.

Norway: Alida Dale 6, Alva Eide 5
Latvia: Kitija Laksa 22+6 boards, Kate Kreslina 12+7 boards, Kitija Stolce 11+7 boards

Belarus celebrates 85-19 win in Day One of U16 EuroBasket Division B - by Eurobasket News

U16 BELARUS - U16 NORWAY 85-19

Belarus gave a basketball lesson to Norway in Day One of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They celebrated huge 85-19 victory in this meeting. Belarus limited its rival to just two points in the first quarter and at that time it was already clear that Norway is simply too weak for Belarus. Both teams are placed to Preliminary Group D, together with Latvia and Slovenia. Three teams will advance to the next stage. Darya Panasiuk (175-SF-96) scored 23 points in victory, while Viyaleta Kuiliak (182-PF-96) had monster double-double of 21 points and 19 rebounds (valuation 31!). Yanina Inkina (183-PF-97) added 18 pts and 12 rebs to this win. Rosanna Elahi (172-G-95) scored 5 points in defeat and Thale Messel (173-SF-97) had 4. Norway had 34 turnovers for the game. Quarters: 25-2, 22-8, 16-5, 22-4. Belarus will play against strong Slovenia today, while Norway will meet Latvia.

Belarus: Darya Panasiuk 23, Viyaleta Kuiliak 21+19 boards, Yanina Inkina 18+12 boards
Norway: Rosanna Elahi 5, Thale Messel 4

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OLYMPIC GAMES

Standings - Women

Standings

Group A
1. Angola		0-0
2. China		0-0
3. Croatia		0-0
4. Czech Rep.		0-0
5. Turkey		0-0
6. USA		0-0
Group B
1. Australia		0-0
2. Brazil		0-0
3. Canada		0-0
4. U.Kingdom		0-0
5. France		0-0
6. Russia		0-0

Preliminary Round: Round 1

Jul. 28: CHN - CZE
Jul. 28: TUR - ANG
Jul. 28: USA - CRO

Jul. 28: CAN - RUS
Jul. 28: BRA - FRA
Jul. 28: AUS - ENG

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POLAND

U16 Poland has joyful Day One in Tallinn - by Eurobasket News

U16 POLAND - U16 BULGARIA 75-55

Poland demonstrated its power against Bulgaria in the opening day of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. It was a 75-55 win for Poland, who improved to 1-0 record in Group C. Participants of the same pool are also Romania and Luxembourg. Three teams will advance to the Qualifying Round. Poland got 16 points from Julia Tyszkiewicz (177-G-96) in this meeting and Patrycja Klatt (171-G-96) scored three less. Karolina Pobozy (188-F-96) registered double-double of 11 points and 12 rebs. In Bulgaria, Teodora Dineva (175-G-96) shined with 17 points and 8 boards, while Borislava Hristova (180-F-96) netted 16 points. Iva Georgieva (172-F-96) followed them with 11 pts. Poland made 9-point lead in the first quarter, but Bulgaria cut the margin to 6 at the halftime. Julia Tyszkiewicz and her teammates jumped to plus 10 after the breather and smashed its rival for the last ten minutes (16-6) registering comfortable 20-point win at the end. Poland will play against Luxembourg today and another win is expected. Bulgaria will meet Romania.

Poland: Julia Tyszkiewicz 16, Patrycja Klatt 13, Karolina Pobozy 11+12 boards
Bulgaria: Teodora Dineva 17+8 boards, Borislava Hristova 16, Iva Georgieva 11

CCC Polkowice signs Euroleague champ Laia Palau - by Eurobasket News

CCC Polkowice officially announced signing of Laia Palau (178-G-79) for the next season. The Spanish point guard arrives to the club from Ros Casares, where she spent last six years. They won Euroleague and Spanish league titles last season. Palau had 6.5 ppg, 5.6 apg and 3.5 rpg for 19 Euroleague games. She was the second ranked player in assists. In Spanish league, she averaged 4.6 points, 4.3 assists (No.3) and 3.1 rpg for 29 games. Laia Palau and Ros Casares won Spanish league titles also in 07, 08, 09 and 10. They grabbed Cup trophies in 2009 and 2010. Before Ros Casares, Laia Palau won the French title with Bourges in 2006 and they also were Cup winners that same year. Palau is very important member of the Spanish NT. She helped them reach 2013 EuroBasket with 7.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg and 2 apg in qualifications.
Recently CCC Polkowice lost Sharnee Zoll and Teja Oblak due to serious knee injuries (ACL).

Poland improves to 2-0 at U16 EuroBasket Division B - by Eurobasket News

U16 LUXEMBOURG - U16 POLAND 51-86

Poland will be the winner of Group C at U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They had no mercy for Luxembourg registering 51-86 victory for 2-0 record in this pool. At the other side, Luxembourg dropped to 1-1, but they also secured a spot for the next stage despite there is one more day to go in the Preliminary Round. Poland dominated in all basketball elements today and Luxembourg was simply not able to resist. Quarters: 16-20, 14-21, 7-24, 14-21. Monika Radomska (188-PF-96) had 15 points and 5 rebounds for the winners, while Karolina Pobozy (188-F-96) added 13 points and 15 boards! Julia Tyszkiewicz (177-G-96) scored 10 pts in this victory. In Luxembourg, Mia Pauly (176-F-96) had 8 points and Lisa Jablonowski (186-C-97) had 7 pts, plus 11 rebounds. Hannah Pauly (163-PG-97) also scored 7 points in this loss. Poland will play against Romania tomorrow. Luxembourg will take on Bulgaria in the battle for the second place.

Luxembourg: Mia Pauly 8, Lisa Jablonowski 7+11 boards, Hannah Pauly 7
Poland: Monika Radomska 15+5 boards, Karolina Pobozy 13+15 boards, Julia Tyszkiewicz 10

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PORTUGAL

U16 Portugal cruises past U16 Estonia in Day One in Tallinn - by Eurobasket News

PORTUGAL - ESTONIA 64-40

Portugal demonstrated wonderful performance against the host of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They celebrated 64-40 win thanks to great played third quarter of the game (21-5). Both teams are placed to Preliminary Group A, together with Finland and Ukraine. Three teams will advance to the Qualifying round. At this moment, Finland and Portugal share the first place. Simone Costa (176-G-96) top-scored in victory with 15 points and Maria Kostourkova (188-C-97) added 12 points, plus 11 rebounds. Emilia Ferreira and Francisca Meinedo (165-PG-96) followed them with 9 points each. In Estonia, Tatjana Razguliajeva (173-G-96) answered with 12 points and their second scorer was Kadri-Ann Lass (177-F-96) with 8 pts (8 rebs). Quarters: 13-12, 16-12, 21-5, 14-11. Portugal will play against Ukraine today. Estonia will meet Finland and will try to get the first win.

Portugal: Simone Costa 15, Maria Kostourkova 12+11 boards, Francisca Meinedo 9
Estonia: Tatjana Razguliajeva 12, Kadri-Ann Lass 8+8 boards

Another joyful day for U16 Portugal in Tallinn - by Eurobasket News

U16 UKRAINE - U16 PORTUGAL 48-70

Portugal had another great game at U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They smashed Ukraine 48-70 for 2-0 record in Preliminary Group A. With this victory Portugal already secured a spot for the next stage. Ukraine dropped to 0-2, but they still have a chance to advance. Portugal took control on its rival from the beginning and never looked back. Quarters: 11-16, 12-18, 7-14, 18-22. Simone Costa (176-G-96) stepped up with 23 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Francisca Meinedo (165-PG-96) had 15 points and 5 boards, while Ana Moniz (170-SG-96) netted 11 pts. In Ukraine, Alina Batkovska (171-PG-96) was better than the others with 20 points. Vita Gorobets (180-SG-96) and Yana Holubosh (180-SF-96) (5 rebs) posted 7 and 6 pts respectively. Portugal will meet Finland tomorrow for the first place in Group A. Ukraine will have to beat Estonia to reach the next stage.

Ukraine: Alina Batkovska 20, Vita Gorobets 7, Yana Holubosh 6+5 boards
Portugal: Simone Costa 23+6 boards, Francisca Meinedo 15+5 boards, Ana Moniz 11

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ROMANIA

U16 Luxembourg explodes in Q4 to beat U16 Romania in Tallinn - by Eurobasket News

ROMANIA - LUXEMBOURG 76-84

Luxembourg exploded offensively in the last ten minutes of the game against Romania to celebrate very valuable 76-84 victory. It was a Day One of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn and Luxembourg started it in style. They have 1-0 record in Preliminary Group C, sharing the first place with Poland at this moment. Mia Pauly (176-F-96) led Luxembourg with 18 points and 5 rebounds, and Hannah Pauly (163-PG-97) added 16 pts. Jessy Goergen (173-PG-97) secured a nice help adding 13 pts to this win. In Romania, Paula Lenart (178-F/G-96) (10 rebounds) and Birgitte Steiner (177-SF-96) posted 18 points each. Vasilica Cuzic (171-G-96) had three less. As mentioned above, Luxembourg smashed Romania 15-26 in the last ten minutes of the game to take the victory. Quarters: 23-13, 21-25, 17-20, 15-26. Today, Luxembourg will take on strong Poland. Romania will play against Bulgaria in Balkan derby.

Romania: Paula Lenart 18+10 boards, Birgitte Steiner 18, Vasilica Cuzic 15
Luxembourg: Mia Pauly 18+5 boards, Hannah Pauly 16, Jessy Goergen 13

U16 Bulgaria books ticket for Qualifying Round in Tallinn - by Eurobasket News

U16 BULGARIA - U16 ROMANIA 74-63

Bulgaria registered its first win at U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They handed 74-63 loss to Romania for 1-1 record in Preliminary Group C. Thanks to this win Bulgaria already booked a spot for the Qualifying Round. Romania dropped to 0-2 and it is already clear they will not be able to advance. Bulgaria was 18-point up with 10 minutes remaining in the game. Romania finally showed some of their talent in the last quarter, but it was too late for them (23-13, 14-10, 21-17, 16-23). Borislava Hristova (180-F-96) had amazing game collecting 35 points and 6 rebounds (valuation 26). Teodora Dineva (175-G-96) had double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Iva Georgieva (172-F-96) added 13 pts and 9 rebs. In Romania, Teodora Neagu (181-C-96) had 19 pts and 7 rebs. Paula Lenart (178-F/G-96) (10 rebs) and Mihaela Maxim (167-PG-96) netted 11 pts each. Tomorrow, Bulgaria will meet Luxembourg. Romania will take on Poland.

Bulgaria: Borislava Hristova 35+6 boards, Teodora Dineva 17+11 boards, Iva Georgieva 13+9 boards
Romania: Teodora Neagu 19+7 boards, Paula Lenart 11+10 boards, Mihaela Maxim 11

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RUSSIA

Russia beats Serbia, stays perfect at U16 EuroBasket - by Eurobasket News

U16 SERBIA - U16 RUSSIA 60-73

Both teams celebrated in Day One of U16 EuroBasket in Miskolc. Russia managed to beat Serbia today 60-73 for perfect 2-0 record in Group A. Russia already booked a spot for the Qualifying Round and they will have a chance to win this pool. Tomorrow, Russia will play against Slovakia. Serbia dropped to 1-1 and its last rival in the Preliminary Round will be Greece. Daria Kolosovskaya (181-SF-96) stepped up for Russia with 18 points and 5 rebounds, and Anastasia Borovykh (173-SG-96) posted 14 points. Tatiana Sema (193-C-96) collected 12 points and 7 rebounds in this victory. In the loosing squad, Aleksandra Crvendakic (188-F/C-96) shined with 19 points and 8 rebounds. Zeljka Petkovic (188-C-96) (5 rebs) and Tijana Cukic (173-PG-96) (5 as) netted 11 and 10 points respectively. Russia made 6-point lead in the first quarter and extended it to 9 until the halftime. Serbia made turn in 27th minute and it was 45-42, but Russia answered with 0-9 run for rest of the period. Serbia came to minus 2 at the beginning of the last quarter, but Russia once again replied and jumped to 54-63 with 5 minutes remaining, what was too much for its rival.

Serbia: Aleksandra Crvendakic 19+8 boards, Zeljka Petkovic 11+5 boards, Tijana Cukic 10+5 as
Russia: Daria Kolosovskaya 18+5 boards, Anastasia Borovykh 14, Tatiana Sema 12+17 boards

Russia beat Spain in Lugo - by Eurobasket News

Spain U18 - Russia U18 48:70

Russian U18 National Team successfully opened their Lugo International tournament campaign. They fired past the hosts in the opener. Albina Razheva (186-F-94) scored 19 points to lead the winners.
Russia pulled ahead in the opening quarter. They built a 16:12 lead after ten minutes. Spain denied the deficit in the second quarter. The hosts tied things up at 26 at halftime. But Russia pulled in front once again in the third quarter. They ensured a 4-point lead at the final break. The visitors went on a 25:7 run in the fourth frame to seal the victory at the end. Polina Fedorova (188-F-95) accounted for 15 points, while Olga Novikova (177-G-94) added 7 points for the winners. Irene Gari (184-F-94) answered with 9 points for Spain. Leticia Romero (174-G-95) had 8 points in defeat.

Spain U18: Irene Gari 9, Leticia Romero 8
Russia U18: Albina Razheva 19, Polina Fedorova 15, Olga Novikova 7

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SERBIA

SLOVAKIA

SLOVENIA

Slovenia starts U16 EuroBasket Division B with victory - by Eurobasket News

U16 LATVIA - U16 SLOVENIA 60-64

Slovenia had to work very hard to beat Latvia in Day One of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. Slovenians celebrated 60-64 victory for 1-0 record in Preliminary Group D. Latvia was 53-51 up with 7:47 remaining in the game, but Slovenia created crucial 0-7 run after that. Latvia threatened with 3 minutes to go as they came to 59-61, but Slovenia limited them to a single point for rest of the game. Quarters: 18-14, 19-11, 12-26, 11-13. Manca Jelenc (172-PG-96) led Slovenia with 16 points and 5 rebounds, and Zala Lesek (187-F-97) had 14 pts and 8 rebs to help her country. Maja Jakobcic (184-PF-97) collected 10 points and 6 rebs. In Latvia, Beate Markane (172-G-96) posted 15 points and Kate Kreslina (184-PG-96) had 3 less. Kitija Laksa (180-G-96) was limited to 9 pts in this meeting with poor shot percentage. Slovenia will play against Belarus today, while Latvia will meet Norway.

Latvia: Beate Markane 15, Kate Kreslina 12, Kitija Laksa 9
Slovenia: Manca Jelenc 16+5 boards, Zala Lesek 14+8 boards, Maja Jakobcic 10+6 boards

U16 Slovenia secures first place in Group D in Tallinn - by Eurobasket News

U16 SLOVENIA - U16 BELARUS 69-50

Slovenia was better than Belarus today 69-50 for 2-0 record at U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. It is already clear that Slovenia will be the winner of this pool, despite there is one more day to go in Preliminary Round. Belarus slipped to 1-1, but they will also advance. Slovenia made impressive 21-7 lead in the first ten minute and managed to keep it for rest of the way. They had much better shot percentage from the field. Quarters: 21-7, 15-16, 14-10, 19-17. Maja Jakobcic (184-PF-97) led the winners with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Zala Lesek (187-F-97) had 13 points and 11 boards, while Larisa Ocvirk (184-F-97) added 12 pts and 5 rebs. In defeat, Darya Panasiuk (175-SF-96) top-scored with 19 pts. Viyaleta Kuiliak (182-PF-96) had 12 points and same numbers of boards. Tomorrow, Slovenia will meet last ranked Norway. Belarus will play against Latvia and the winner will take second place in Group D.

Slovenia: Maja Jakobcic 15+6 boards, Zala Lesek 13+11 boards, Larisa Ocvirk 12+5 boards
Belarus: Darya Panasiuk 19, Viyaleta Kuiliak 12+12 boards

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SPAIN

Russia beat Spain in Lugo - by Eurobasket News

Spain U18 - Russia U18 48:70

Russian U18 National Team successfully opened their Lugo International tournament campaign. They fired past the hosts in the opener. Albina Razheva (186-F-94) scored 19 points to lead the winners.
Russia pulled ahead in the opening quarter. They built a 16:12 lead after ten minutes. Spain denied the deficit in the second quarter. The hosts tied things up at 26 at halftime. But Russia pulled in front once again in the third quarter. They ensured a 4-point lead at the final break. The visitors went on a 25:7 run in the fourth frame to seal the victory at the end. Polina Fedorova (188-F-95) accounted for 15 points, while Olga Novikova (177-G-94) added 7 points for the winners. Irene Gari (184-F-94) answered with 9 points for Spain. Leticia Romero (174-G-95) had 8 points in defeat.

Spain U18: Irene Gari 9, Leticia Romero 8
Russia U18: Albina Razheva 19, Polina Fedorova 15, Olga Novikova 7

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SWEDEN

TURKEY

UKRAINE

U16 Finland too strong for U16 Ukraine in Tallinn - by Eurobasket News

FINLAND - UKRAINE 67-52

Finland had joyful Day One of U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They outplayed Ukraine 67-52 for 1-0 record in Preliminary Group A. Tuuli Menna (183-F-96) led the winners with double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds for 27 minutes on the court. She had 8 of 11 from the field. Emilia Helle (169-PG-96) had 11 points and 6 assists, while Elina Koskimies (180-F-96) helped Finland with 9 points. In Ukraine, Anastasiya Polovynka (176-G-96) was better than the others with 20 points and Vita Gorobets (180-SG-96) scored 14 pts (5 rebs). Finland was 7-points up at the halftime and Ukraine closed the gap to 6 with 10 minutes to go. However, Tuuli Menna and her teammates intensified defense in the last period to make 18-9 for the final 67-52 win. In Day Two, Finland will meet Estonia. Ukraine will take on Portugal. Three teams from this group will advance to the Qualifying Round.

Finland: Tuuli Menna 18+13 boards, Emilia Helle 11+6 as, Elina Koskimies 9
Ukraine: Anastasiya Polovynka 20, Vita Gorobets 14+5 boards

Another joyful day for U16 Portugal in Tallinn - by Eurobasket News

U16 UKRAINE - U16 PORTUGAL 48-70

Portugal had another great game at U16 EuroBasket Division B in Tallinn. They smashed Ukraine 48-70 for 2-0 record in Preliminary Group A. With this victory Portugal already secured a spot for the next stage. Ukraine dropped to 0-2, but they still have a chance to advance. Portugal took control on its rival from the beginning and never looked back. Quarters: 11-16, 12-18, 7-14, 18-22. Simone Costa (176-G-96) stepped up with 23 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Francisca Meinedo (165-PG-96) had 15 points and 5 boards, while Ana Moniz (170-SG-96) netted 11 pts. In Ukraine, Alina Batkovska (171-PG-96) was better than the others with 20 points. Vita Gorobets (180-SG-96) and Yana Holubosh (180-SF-96) (5 rebs) posted 7 and 6 pts respectively. Portugal will meet Finland tomorrow for the first place in Group A. Ukraine will have to beat Estonia to reach the next stage.

Ukraine: Alina Batkovska 20, Vita Gorobets 7, Yana Holubosh 6+5 boards
Portugal: Simone Costa 23+6 boards, Francisca Meinedo 15+5 boards, Ana Moniz 11

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UNITED KINGDOM

U16 Czech Republic outplays U16 UK in crucial game, 65-48 - by Eurobasket News

CZECH REPUBLIC - UNITED KINGDOM 65-48

Czech Republic cruised past UK 65-48 in Day Two of U16 EuroBasket in Miskolc. Both teams had 0-1 before this meeting (Group C). Thanks to this win Czech Republic already booked a spot for the Qualifying Round. At the other side, UK dropped to 0-2 and failed to reach the next stage. UK will end as the last ranked team of this pool. Gabriela Andelova (191-PG-96) exploded with 28 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. She made 7 of 14 attempts from behind the arc. Sarah Berankova (176-PG-96) and Eliska Mircova (176-PG-96) netted 9 points each. In UK, Leah McDerment (180-PG-96) posted 17 points. Their second scorer was Samanta Clement (176-PG-97) with only 7 pts. Quarters: 13-18, 16-11, 15-11, 21-8. Czech Republic will play against Croatia tomorrow. UK will meet top-ranked France.

Czech Republic: Gabriela Andelova 28+9 boards, Sarah Berankova 9, Eliska Mircova 9
United Kingdom: Leah McDerment 17, Samanta Clement 7

Great Britain fire past Angola in Sheffield - by Eurobasket News

Great Britain - Angola 74:57

Great Britain opened Game On Sheffield tournament with victory. The hosts took down Angola in the opener. Natalie Stafford (173-G-76) scored 14 points to lead the hosts.
Great Britain held Angola to 10 points in the first quarter building a 10-point lead. They maintained the advantage throughout the second quarter. Great Britain ensured a 39:28 halftime lead. The hosts boosted the lead in the third quarter. Great Britain accumulated a 55:39 lead with one frame remaining. Great Britain gave little chance for Angola in the fourth term cruising to the victory at the end. Jenaya Wade-Fray (175-G-88, college: Chattanooga) accounted for 13 points, while Johannah Leedham (180-G/F-87, college: Franklin Pierce) added 12 points for the home team. Nadir Manuel (185-PF-86) answered with 11 points and 13 boards for Angola. Catarina Camufal (167-PG-80) netted 9 points in the loss.

Great Britain: Natalie Stafford 14, Jenaya Wade-Fray 13, Johannah Leedham 12
Angola: Nadir Manuel 11+13 boards, Catarina Camufal 9

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WNBA

Standings

WNBA Standings

Eastern
1. Connecticut S.		15-4
2. Indiana F.		10-7
3. Atlanta D.		9-10
4. Chicago S.		8-9
5. New York L.		6-12
6. Washington M.		5-14
Western
1. Minnesota L.		15-4
2. L.Angeles S.		14-7
3. S.Antonio SS		13-5
4. Seattle S.		10-10
5. Phoenix M.		4-15
6. Tulsa S.		3-15

Regular Season: Round 23

Jul. 13: S.Antonio SS - Atlanta D. 91-70
Jul. 12: Minnesota L. - Tulsa S. 89-74
Jul. 13: Chicago S. - Connecticut S. 78-80 OT
Jul. 12: Indiana F. - L.Angeles S. 74-77
Jul. 13: Phoenix M. - Seattle S. 64-83
Jul. 13: New York L. - Washington M. 53-70

Regular Season: Round 24

Aug. 16: New York L. - Connecticut S.
Aug. 16: Indiana F. - Washington M.
Aug. 16: Seattle S. - Phoenix M.
Aug. 17: Tulsa S. - S.Antonio SS
Aug. 17: Minnesota L. - Washington M.
Aug. 17: Chicago S. - Atlanta D.

Nneka Ogwumike leads Sparks past Fever 77-74 - by Eurobasket News

Rookie forward Nnemkadi Ogwumike (6'2''-F-90, college: Stanford) had 22 points and 20 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Indiana Fever 77-74 on Thursday night.

Ogwumike finished with 12 offensive rebounds, tying a WNBA record. Los Angeles outrebounded Indiana 47-31 and grabbed 23 offensive boards.

Candace Parker (6'4''-F/C-86, college: Tennessee) and Kristi Toliver (5'7''-PG-87, college: Maryland) each scored 19 points for the Sparks (15-6), who won their fifth straight in the final game for both teams before the Olympic break.

Indiana (10-7) had a chance to tie in the final seconds, but Tamika Catchings (6'1''-F-79, college: Tennessee) missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Catchings scored 27 points and Briann January added 11 for the Fever. Katie Douglas (6'1''-G/F-79, college: Purdue), Indiana's No. 2 scorer, finished with nine points on 3-for-14 shooting.

The game wasn't decided until the final minute.

Ogwumike was called for a foul while boxing out Erlana Larkins with 35.5 seconds left. Larkins could have given Indiana the lead, but she missed both free throws and Los Angeles rebounded. Toliver was fouled and made both of her free throws to give the Sparks a 77-74 advantage, setting up the final sequence.

Indiana led 39-30 at halftime. Catchings scored 15 points in the first half to carry an otherwise lackluster Fever offense. Indiana held Parker to six points on 3-for-9 shooting in the first half.

The Sparks rallied early in the second half. Parker's putback cut Indiana's lead to 41-39, and Los Angeles got as close as a point before two 3-pointers by January pushed Indiana's lead back to 51-44.

Parker made a free throw, then missed the second before Ogwumike scored on a putback. Larkins was called for a technical foul, Los Angeles made the free throw and suddenly it was a one-point game again.

The Sparks finally took the lead late in the third quarter, but Indiana hung tough. A pair of free throws by Catchings with 0.5 seconds left in the period gave the Fever a 57-56 lead heading into the fourth. Parker and Ogwumike each scored 10 points in the third to pull Los Angeles back into the game.

Courtesy of www.mercurynews.com

Moore's 28 points fuel 89-74 Lynx win over Shock - by Eurobasket News

Maya Moore (6'0''-F-89, college: Connecticut) looked ready for the Olympics.

She made sure she left the Minnesota Lynx in good shape, too.

Moore scored a franchise-record 19 points in just the second quarter, leading the Lynx out of an early funk and onto an 89-74 victory over the Tulsa Shock on Thursday, their last game before the five-week Olympic break.

''Teams are going to compete and fight as hard as they can. If we continue to push and push, hopefully we'll wear them out and break them down, and that's what we tried to do,'' Moore said.

One of the Lynx's three Team USA members, Moore matched her career high with 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. The second-year star shot 8 for 12 from the floor and 11 for 12 from the free-throw line. Seimone Augustus (6'2''-G-84, college: LSU) and Monica Wright (5'11''-F-88, agency: LBM Management, college: Virginia) each added 14 points.

''They're so deep. With Maya, she's the 'X' factor, because she moves around so well,'' Shock coach Gary Kloppenburg said, adding: ''She's just a complete player. To me, that's the difference, what gives them that edge.''

Rookie Glory Johnson (6'3''-F-90, college: Tennessee) led the league-worst Shock with 30 points and 14 rebounds, both season highs for any Tulsa player. She was 14 for 15 from the foul line.

''One thing that we struggled on was our defense. It was kind of a lot of confusion out there on the floor,'' Johnson said.

Moore had a lot to do with that. The Lynx finished the first half on a 25-7 spurt, with 17 points by Moore. She broke the Lynx mark for scoring in one period set previously by Candice Wiggins (5'11''-G-87, college: Stanford) (2012) and Augustus (2006) with 17 points. Moore also set career highs in free throws made and attempted.

''She was just tremendous in that stretch where she scored 10 straight,'' coach Cheryl Reeve said.

Moore, Augustus and Lindsay Whalen, the three Olympians, combined for 53 points, 19 rebounds and 11 assists. Playing the power forward spot, her natural position, while Rebekkah Brunson is out with a strained left calf muscle, Moore again showed off those skills that made her the first overall pick in last year's draft.

In helping the WNBA-leading Lynx (15-4) stop a three-game losing streak with two wins this week against the Shock (3-15), Moore totaled 52 points over her first consecutive 20-point performances as a pro.

Playing for the second time in three days, the Lynx and Shock traded their share of angry words and mild shoves. There were four technical fouls issued, two on Shock guard Temeka Johnson, who was ejected after the second one midway through the third quarter.

Johnson had her jump shot blocked by Wiggins with the score tied at 31 and 6:54 remaining in the first half, prompting a tussle for the ball and a double technical, one on each player. The Lynx argued that Wiggins wasn't at fault to no avail, but they channeled their energy into breaking open the game with their Moore-fueled run to take a 49-33 lead at the intermission.

Wiggins swished a 3-pointer with 6:01 left to stretch the lead to 63-43, the Lynx's largest of the afternoon.

''We're feeling a little bit more confident about ourselves, especially our defense,'' Augustus said.

The Lynx announced their attendance at 15,318, the second-largest crowd in their 14-year history. Their annual midweek matinee was filled with screaming kids from area recreation programs and day camps, coloring the arena with their group T-shirts. The atmosphere in London later this month will be just as raucous, though the voices at the Summer Games will be a lot deeper.

Reeve told her Olympians to enjoy the experience, bring back a gold medal - and avoid getting hurt.

''We really wanted to send them off with smiles on their faces, not scowls,'' Reeve said.

Courtesy of http://sports.yahoo.com

Diana Taurasi wins 2012 ESPY for 'Best WNBA Player' - by Eurobasket News

Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (6'0''-F/G-82, college: Connecticut) won the ESPY for "Best WNBA Player" last night at the 2012 ESPY Awards. For Taurasi, it marks her sixth career ESPY award and third consecutive in the category for "Best WNBA Player". The University of Connecticut alum also twice won "Best Female College Athlete (2003 and 2004) and in 2004 was named "Best Female Athlete" after leading the Huskies to their third consecutive NCAA National Championship.

Taurasi, who has missed all but two games this season with a strained left hip flexor, has led the WNBA in scoring in each of the last four seasons and five of the last six seasons. In 2011, the five-time All-Star won the closest scoring race in league history, edging Atlanta's Angel McCoughtry by .07 points per game on the last day of the regular season. On July 15, 2011 she became the fastest player in league history to score 5,000 career points (243 games) and on July 28, just the second WNBA player with 5,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 1,000 career assists.

For her efforts last season she was named to the All-WNBA First Team for the seventh time in her career and was honored as one of the WNBA's 15 greatest players of all-time during last season's 15th anniversary celebration.

A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Taurasi will join Team USA on Saturday in pursuit of the team's fourth straight Olympic gold medal. She will be available to the media, along with Seattle's Sue Bird, prior to Friday's game against the Storm. The press conference will be held at 5:30 p.m. PT in the Central room on the event level of US Airways Center. Tipoff for the game is 7 p.m.

Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com