Nymburk bolstered their frontcourt. They added Christos Tapoutos (208-F-82) to the roster. The forward spent the last season in Aris. He tallied 13.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists per game in A1 League. In EuroCup Christos Tapoutos posted 8.2 points, 4.4 boards and 1.5 assists per appearance. Eurobasket.com gave the forward All-Greek A1 Honourable Mention for the second straight season. Previously Christos Tapoutas had stints with AEK Athens, PAOK, Panionios, Iraklis, Achilleas. He participated at A1 League All-Star Games in 2001, 2004 and 2011. Christos Tapoutos was the member of Greek National Team in 2002/05 seasons. He also played for U18 and U20 Greek selections.




Astrum Levice Begins to Shape its Roster for 2012-13 NBL Season - by Surujh Roopnarine

Astrum Levice announced this week the first of several signings the club expects in anticipation of a repeat run in the Mattoni NBL for the 2012-13 season. The first new face to the club is 7-1 forward/center Gabriel Szalay (215-F/C-86). The 26-year old Szalay missed last year due to a knee injury, and spent the 2010-11 season with BC Prievidza where he averaged 14.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.9 blocks while shooting 51.6% from the field in 20 games. A young, talented veteran, Szalay has experience playing internationally in Italy, Spain, Sweden, France and Poland in addition to his time in the Extraliga. Another new addition to the club is Matej Marchyn (192-F-90), a 22-year old swingman who spent part of the 2008-09 season in Levice. The past two seasons he suited up for Banska Bystrica, and is coming off his most productive season yet as a pro, averaging 8.5 points in 29 games last year.

Additionally, the club scored a major coup this week with the signing of Slovak National team representative Tomas Mrvis (194-G/F-91). The 21-year old wing player spent last season in MBK Handlova, averaging 6.2 points in 36 games. Levice rounded out its recent acquisitions with the signing of two former Slovenian Junior National Team members in Sinisa Bilic (201-F-89) and Salih Nuhanovic (209-C-82). Bilic, 23, can play both the 3 and 4 positions and spent last season in Slovakia playing for MBK Rieker Komarno where in 41 games he posted solid numbers of 12.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting 57.7% on two-point field goals and 33.1% from three. Salih Nuhanovic brings considerable size the Levice, pairing with Gabriel Szalay as a center (6-10) who can provide depth off the bench or starting caliber play. He has spent the majority of his professional career playing in Slovenia aside from a brief stint in Hungary during the 2009-10 season. Last season he played for Elektra Sostanj in the Telemach league, averaging 11.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and a league-leading 1.4 blocks in 27 games.


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Denmark U16 - Finland U16 79:65

Denmark celebrated the first win in classification round Group G. They held off Finnish opponents to take 2-1 record in the ladder. Mathias Kelly (189-G-96) stepped up with 22 points to pace the winners.
Denmark eked out a narrow 14:13 lead after ten minutes. Finland responded with a surge in the second quarter. The Finnish team secured a 33:30 halftime advantage. Denmark regained control in the third quarter. They unloaded 25 points in the period and entered the fourth frame up by 11 points 55:44. Denmark stayed aggressive offensively scoring 24 points in the final frame and sealing a comfortable win at the end. Jacob Larsen (204-PF-97) notched 19 points and 16 rebounds for Denmark. Jakob Ravn (193-G-96) and Johannes Nielsen (203-PF-96) had 14 points each in the win. Henri Niemisto (194-G-96) replied with 15 points for Finland. Juho-Matti Henttonen (195-C-96) chipped in 12 points in the loss.

Denmark U16: Mathias Kelly 22, Jacob Larsen 19+16 boards, Jakob Ravn 14, Johannes Nielsen 14
Finland U16: Henri Niemisto 15, Juho-Matti Henttonen 12


Naestved land Stian Mjos - by Eurobasket News

Naestved continued to work actively on the market. They bolstered their backcourt. Naestved signed contract with Stian Mjos (182-PG-89). The guard spent the last season in Norway. He played for Baerum Basket. Stian Mjos tallied 22.7 points, 4.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game in BLNO. The guard was named All-Norwegian BLNO Player of the Year in 2012. He also participated at BLNO All-Star Game. Previously Stian Mjos had stints with Jamtland Basket in Sweden and Asker Aliens in Norway. Stian Mjos used to be the member of U18 Norwegian National Team.


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D-LEAGUE

Head coach Bob MacKinnon re-signs with Springfield Armor - by Eurobasket News

Head coach Bob MacKinnon has signed a contract extension to remain with the Springfield Armor, the team announced Wednesday.

MacKinnon led the Armor to a franchise-best 29-21 regular season record during the 2011-12 season. The team's 16-game improvement from the prior season established an NBA Development League record and resulted in the franchise's first playoff berth.

The full press release appears below:

The Springfield Armor today announced that head coach Bob MacKinnon has signed a contract extension with the organization. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

Coach MacKinnon has done a great job with the Armor, said Brooklyn Nets General Manager of Minor League Operations Milton Lee. In year one in Springfield, our expectations were to establish a culture of professionalism, competitiveness and accountability both on and off the court . Coach MacKinnon took the lead and was able to create an extremely high standard of which we are very proud. The Nets and Armor management are looking forward to the upcoming 2012-13 season.

MacKinnon returns for his second season in Springfield after directing the greatest single-season turnaround in NBA Development League history in his first season with the Armor. The Armor compiled a 29-21 record during the 2011-12 regular season, a league-record 16-win improvement over the 2010-11 season. The Armor captured the leagues Eastern Division championship and earned the franchises first-ever playoff berth under MacKinnons direction. The 2011-12 Armor had three players earn a total of four GATORADE NBA Call-Ups, including Dennis Horner (New Jersey Nets, twice), Jeff Foote (New Orleans Hornets) and Jerry Smith (New Jersey Nets).

I am very excited to once again be a part of the Brooklyn Nets organization as the head coach of the Springfield Armor, said MacKinnon. It is a privilege to coach in Avery Johnsons system and for the city of Springfield. Im looking forward to providing our great fans with more exciting times and memories!

The 2012-13 season will be MacKinnons fourth as a head coach in the NBA D-League. MacKinnon owns a career NBA D-League coaching record of 93-64 (.592) and has earned two division championships, as well as the 2008-09 NBA D-League championship with the now-defunct Colorado 14ers. Seven of MacKinnons players have earned a total of 11 GATORADE NBA Call-Ups in his three seasons at the helm of the 14ers, the Idaho Stampede and the Armor.

Prior to his coaching stints in the NBA D-League, MacKinnon spent more than 25 years coaching and scouting on the collegiate and professional levels.

Assistant coach Chris Carrawell and athletic trainer Mark Mahoney have also finalized contract extensions and will return to Springfield for the 2012-13 season.

Courtesy of www.masslive.com


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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Standings - District National LNB Standings North Division  1. Indios SF 3-2   2. Metros 3-2   3. Huracanes 3-2   4. Reales 1-4  South Division  1. Caneros 4-1   2. Titanes 3-2   3. Cocolos 2-3   4. Leones SD 1-4  Regular Season: Round 4 Jul. 24: Metros - Indios SF 83-71 Jul. 25: Huracanes - Reales 81-76 Jul. 24: Titanes - Caneros 74-70 Jul. 25: Cocolos - Leones SD 100-94 Regular Season: Round 5 Jul. 27: Metros - Reales Jul. 27: Titanes - Leones SD Jul. 28: Caneros - Cocolos Jul. 28: Indios SF - Huracanes Jul. 29: Leones SD - Indios SF Jul. 29: Reales - Caneros

Metros de Santiago adds Huertas to their roster - by Eurobasket Center

Metros de Santiago added to their roster 25-year old Puerto Rican international guard David Huertas (195-G-89kg-87, college: Mississippi). Huertas played most recently at Pirates de Quebradillas (Puerto Rico). While playing 34 games for Quebradillas last season he recorded 14.2ppg, 4.6rpg and 2.1apg. He helped them to make it to the final. It was a very successful year in Huertas career as He was voted to Latinbasket.com All-Puerto Rican BSN Honorable Mention. Huertas is a very experienced player. He played also pro basketball in France, Greece, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. Huertas graduated from The University of Mississippi in 2009 and it will be his fourth season in pro basketball. Huertas played for Puerto Rican senior national team this year. He represented Puerto Rico at the Olympic Games Additional Qualifying Round in Caracas (Venezuela) this year and his stats at this event were 3 games: 5.3ppg, 2.7rpg, FGP: 16.7%, 3PT: 30.8%.

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ESTONIA

Joosep Toome joins TU - by Janar

University of Tartu continues rebuilding the team. After adding Ivan Nelyubov and Egidius Dimsa, the team has confirmed that Estonian NT member Joosep Toome (202-F-85) will also move to Tartu.
Toome played last two seasons in BC Kalev/Cramo, he is a three-time Estonian champion. Last year he averaged 8 points and 4.5 rebounds in Estonian league. Playing for the national team, he averaged 9.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 3 games of EuroBasket division B.


U16 European Championship: Estonia topple Norway - by Eurobasket News

Estonia U16 - Norway U16 63:44

Estonia clinched the win in the classification round Group J. They defeated Norway to improve at 2-0 record in the ladder. Marko Meimer (199-F-96, agency: FCM) and Karl-Robin Jurjens (199-F-96) scored 10 points each to lead the winners.
Estonia enjoyed a 14:5 lead ten minutes. into the game. The Baltic team stretched the margin in the second quarter. Estonia ensured a 27:16 halftime advantage. Estonia deepened their lead in the third quarter. They limited Norway to 12 points to pile up a 23-point advantage with one quarter to go. The Scandinavian team outscored Estonia in the fourth frame but could not avoid the loss at the end. Jaagup Russak (179-G-96) accounted for 8 points for Estonia. Sjur Berg (196-PF-96) answered with 17 points and 14 boards for Norway. Harald Frey (174-PG-97) and Anders Nymo (177-PG-96) netted 8 points each in the loss.

Estonia U16: Marko Meimer 19, Karl-Robin Jurjens 10, Jaagup Russak 8
Norway U16: Sjur Berg 17+14 boards, Harald Frey 8, Anders Nymo 8


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EUROCUP

PF Boris Savovic moves from Galatasaray to Crvena Zvezda - by Eurobasket News

Boris Savovic (206-F-87, agency: Beo Basket) is a new member of Crvena Zvezda. The Serbian power forward signed a 2-year deal with the club. Earlier this week Crvena Zvezda signed Marko Simonovic (202-F-86, agency: Beo Basket) and parted ways with its Head Coach Svetislav Pesic (agency: Interperformances). The team named Milivoje Lazic as new HC.
Boris Savovic finished last season with Turkish giant Galatasaray Medical Park Istanbul. He joined them in January averaging 6.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 21 TBL games. The player also added 1.6 ppg and 3.2 rpg for 5 games in Euroleague. Savovic started the season with Hemofarm Vrsac, where he had 12.8 ppg, 11.4 rpg and 1.8 apg for 16 games in Adriatic league. He was the top rebounder of the championship. Boris Savovic played for Hemofarm also from 2004 to 2009 and in 2010/11 season. Meanwhile, he spent one year with Buducnost Podgorica winning the Montenegrin championship title and Cup with them. Savovic was named Eurobasket.com All-Adriatic League European Player of the Year -12 and Eurobasket.com All-Adriatic League 1st Team -12.


ARTLAND DRAGONS tab former Eurocup champ Mallet - by Diamadis Farmakis

Artland Dragons found a team leader and go-to scorer by signing Demond Mallet (186-G-78, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: McNeese St.), who return to play in Germany after five years abroad. Mallet (1.86 meters, 34 years old) started his professional career in Germany and played a total of six seasons for BS Energy Braunschweig, Bamberg and RheinEnergie Cologne between 2001 and 2007.

He spent last season split between Spirou Charleroi of Belgium and Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv of Israel and he ranked third in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague in scoring in the regular season after posting 18.9 points on 51.3% shooting from two-point range and 37.5% from long distance plus 2.4 assists and 2.1 rebounds in nine games for Spirou.

He joined Maccabi prior to the Top 16 and helped the Israeli champs reach the playoffs.

Mallet has stared in the Eurocup in four seasons with as many different teams. The best of course was the 2007-08 season with Joventut Badalona, with whom he lifted the 2008 ULEB Cup. His 729 career points in the competition rank him 10th all-time and his 136 three-pointers are second most in Eurocup history. Overall Mallet has averaged 14.9 points on 45.2% three-point shooting in 49 Eurocup games


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EUROLEAGUE

Le Mans signs PG Khalid El-Amin - by Eurobasket News

Le Mans announced signing of experienced point guard Khalid El-Amin (178-G-79, college: Connecticut) for 2012/13. The American led Cibona Zagreb to Croatian league title last season. He joined them in December averaging 8.6 points, 1.8 assists and 1.7 rebounds for 20 games in domestic championship. The player also added 5.3 ppg, 2.8 apg and 1.8 rpg for 12 games in Adriatic league. Khalid El-Amin played for Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius in 2010/11 season. He had 12.1 ppg, 3.3 apg and 1.9 rpg for 15 Eurolague games with them. Before Rytas, El-Amin played for Budivelnyk Kyiv, Turk Telekom and Azovmash. In 2008, he won the Turkish Cup with Turk Telekom and was named MVP of the final tournament. In 2007 and 2010 Khalid El-Amin was Eurobasket.com All-Ukrainian Superleague Player of the Year. In 2004 and 2005 he was Eurobasket.com All-Turkish League Player of the Year. He played for Besiktas at that time. El-Amin won two Ukrainian league titles and two Cup trophies in his career. The player spent some time with SIG Strasbourg back in 2001/02 season.


Chalon inks rookie G Marcus Denmon - by Eurobasket News

Marcus Denmon (190-G-90, college: Missouri) will start his pro basketball career in France. The American shooting guard signed a 1-year deal with Chalon. The team won three trophies last season.
Marcus Denmon graduated at the University of Missouri few months ago. He had 17.6 ppg, 5 rpg and 2.1 apg for 35 games as a senior. He helped Missouri to win the Big 12 Tournament. In 2011 and last season as a well Denmon was named All-Big 12 1st Team. He had 16.9 ppg and 3.5 rpg for his school as a junior. As freshman Denmon won his first Big 12 Tournament with Missouri. A year ago he was a member of the USA University National Team.
Marcus Denmon was 59th overall pick at the latest NBA Draft. The San Antonio Spurs selected him.


CSKA seals deal with veteran swingman Zozulin - by Diamadis Farmakis

Turkish Airlines Euroleague runner-up CSKA Moscow, in it's effort of re-byilding it's roster, bolstered its backcourt with the signing of veteran swingman Alexey Zozulin, who arrives from Spartak St. Petersburg. Zozulin (1.99 meters, 29 years old) and CSKA agreed to terms for one season with an option on a second year.

He helped Spartak reach the Eurocup Finals by averaging 4.3 points on 46.4% three-point shooting over 16 games, while on the same time, he was also worth 3.8 points and 2 rebounds in the Russian League.

Zozulin has also played for Ural Great, Sibirtelekom-Lokomotiv Novosybirsk, Khimik-Avtodor, Arsenal Tula and Unics Kazan in his native Russia. Among his career accomplishments, Zozulin helped Unics to win the FIBA Europe League title in 2004 and won the 2011 Russian Cup with Spartak. Zozulin also played for the Russian national team at EuroBasket 2009.


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EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS U16

M-Standings - Group B Standings Div.B Group E 1. Belgium 2-1 2. Sweden 2-1 3. Israel 1-2 4. FYR Macedo. 1-2 Group F 1. Hungary 2-1 2. Montenegro. 2-1 3. Portugal 1-2 4. Bosnia 1-2 Group G (places 9-16) 1. Belarus 2-1 2. Denmark 2-1 3. Finland 2-1 4. Bulgaria 0-3 Group H (places 9-16) 1. Georgia 2-1 2. Holland 2-1 3. Romania 1-2 4. Switzerlan. 1-2 Group I (places 17-21) 1. Luxembourg. 1-0 2. Slovakia 0-1 Group J (places 17-21) 1. Estonia 2-0 2. Norway 1-1 3. Austria 0-2 Second Stage: Round 7 E Jul. 26: MKD - ISR 69-76 Jul. 26: BEL - SWE 59-65 F Jul. 26: HUN - BIH 63-52 Jul. 26: POR - MNT 51-90 G Jul. 26: DEN - FIN 79-65 Jul. 26: BUL - BLR 72-76 H Jul. 26: NED - ROM 56-52 Jul. 26: SUI - GEO 52-69 J Jul. 26: EST - NOR 63-44 Semi-Finals: Round 8 Jul. 28: DEN - SUI Jul. 28: ROM - BUL Jul. 28: BLR - GEO Jul. 28: NED - FIN 5-8 places Jul. 28: ISR - POR Jul. 28: BIH - MKD SEMIFINAL Jul. 28: SWE - MNT Jul. 28: HUN - BEL

Div.C Standings Standings Group A 1. Monaco 3-0 2. San Marino. 2-1 3. Malta 1-2 4. Wales 0-3 Group B 1. Scotland 2-0 2. Gibraltar 1-1 3. Andorra 0-2 Regular Season: Round 3 A Jul. 26: MON - SMR 82-32 Jul. 26: WAL - MLT 57-59 B Jul. 26: GIB - SCO 41-70 Semi-Finals: Round 4 Places 5-7 Jul. 28: A4 - B3 Semis 1 Jul. 28: A1 - B2 Semis 2 Jul. 28: B1 - A2

Results and Stats from Day 3 in Gibraltar - by Eurobasket News

Gibraltar U16-Scotlnad U16 41:70

Scotland wins Group B of the U16 European Championship in Division C. The team overcame Gibraltar 70:41 in the game for the top place in the group for 2-0 record. The hosts of the tournament meanwhile finished second with 1-1 record.
It was a tough start in the game and the teams exchanged the lead several times. The guests grabbed 17:16 advantage and added 12:7 in the second frame. Moreover the second half also belonged to the Scottish side. They won the third period 20-10 and finished the game with 21-8 in the last stanza.
Gregor Gray top-scored for the winners with 17 points, while Winning added 16. Malcolm collected 13 points and 10 rebounds, whilst McKay delivered 6. Jake Haefner (185-G/F-97) finished the game with 17 points in the losing effort and Timothy Fava (176-F-97) posted 8. Jeremy Britto (187-G/F-96) followed them with 7 points in a loss.

Gibraltar U16: Jake Haefner 17, Timothy Fava 8, Jeremy Britto 7
Scotlnad U16: Gregor Gray 17, Winning 16, Malcolm 13+10 rebs, McKay 6

Malta U16 - Wales U16 59:57

Malta registered the first win at the U16 European Championship in Division C. They nipped Wales for 1-2 record in Group A. Zane Micallef (170-PG-96) posted 21 points, 5 boards and 5 assists to lead the winners.
Wales ensured a brave start. They established an 18:12 lead after ten minutes. Malta narrowed the gap at 4-point mark at halftime 27:23. Malta surged ahead in the third quarter. They held Wales to 12 points and eked out a 40:39 lead with one period remaining. The teams stayed neck and neck throughout the fourth frame but Malta managed to ensure a tough win at the end. Farrugia accounted for 9 points, while Carabott and Rizzo contributed 7 points each in the victory. Joshua Thomas (186-G/F) answered with 19 points and 9 rebounds for Wales. Nico-Pele Wilson had 13 points in the loss.

Malta U16: Zane Micallef 21, Farrugia 9, Carabott 7, Rizzo 7
Wales U16: Joshua Thomas 19, Nico-Pele Wilson 13

Monaco U16 - San Marino U16 82:32

Monaco celebrated the third straight win at U16 European Championship in Division C. They exploded with a stunning win over San Marino to clinch the top position in Group A. Clement Marechal (180-G-96) (180-G-96) accounted for 22 points to lead the winners. San Marino fell at 2-1 record and occupied the second position in the ladder. Both teams advanced into semifinals.
Monaco led from start to finish. They accumulated a 14:8 lead after ten minutes. Monaco exploded with 35 points in the second quarter to pile up a 31-point buffer at the interval. Monaco maintained the lead throughout the third quarter. They secured a 34-point cushion heading into the fourth stanza. Monaco limited their opponents to 3 points in the final period and sealed a confident win at the end. Alessandro Generale (185-C-96) posted 19 points and 19 rebounds, while Daniel Pieper added 18 points for the winners. Berardi answered with 13 points for San Marino. Igor Biordi had 9 points and 13 boards in defeat.

Monaco U16: Clement Marechal 22, Alessandro Generale 19+19 boards, Daniel Pieper 18
San Marino U16: Berardi 13, Igor Biordi 9+13 boards


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FINLAND

Italy beats Finland in Day One of Trentino Cup, 79-71 - by Eurobasket News

Italy - Finland 79-71

Italy was better than Finland 79-71 in Day One of Trentino Cup. Pietro Aradori (194-SG-88) and Luigi Datome (202-G/F-87) led the winners with 17 and 15 points respectively. Stefano Mancinelli (203-F-83) scored 13 points and David Chiotti (205-F/C-84, agency: Court Side, college: N.Mexico) helped with one less. In Finland, Petteri Koponen (194-G-88) was better than the others with 14 points, while Mikko Koivisto (194-G-87, college: NC-Greensboro) and Hanno Mottola (209-F/C-76, college: Utah) had 11 pts apiece. Finland had better start holding 24-18 lead after ten minutes of play. They were pretty good in the second quarter as well and managed to keep plus 5 at the halftime. Italy took control on its rival after the breather (21-13) and managed to make a turn. The hosts had 59-56 lead with ten minutes to go and increased it for rest of the way. In Day One of the tournament Bosnia grabbed 83-81 win against Montenegro. Today, Italy will meet Bosnia.

Italy: Pietro Aradori 17, Luigi Datome 15, Stefano Mancinelli 13, David Chiotti 12
Finland: Petteri Koponen 14, Mikko Koivisto 11, Hanno Mottola 11


Ura Basket bring in Nolan Richardson - by Eurobasket News

Ura Basket strengthened their roster. They agreed on terms of contract with Nolan Richardson (188-G, college: Midwestern St.). The guard spent the last season in D-League. Nolan Richardson appeared in just two games for the Tulsa 66ers. In 2010/11 season Nolan Richards played in Portugal. He had a stint with Vitoria Guimaraes. The guard posted 12.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in LPB. Nolan Richardson helped Vitoria into Portuguese League and Cup semifinals. Earlier the guard played for Erdgas Ehingen in Germany. Nolan Richardson is Midwestern State University graduate. He participated at NCAA D2 All-Star Game in 2009. The guard was named MVP of that game.


U16 European Championship: Mathias Kelly leads Denmark past Finland - by Eurobasket News

Denmark U16 - Finland U16 79:65

Denmark celebrated the first win in classification round Group G. They held off Finnish opponents to take 2-1 record in the ladder. Mathias Kelly (189-G-96) stepped up with 22 points to pace the winners.
Denmark eked out a narrow 14:13 lead after ten minutes. Finland responded with a surge in the second quarter. The Finnish team secured a 33:30 halftime advantage. Denmark regained control in the third quarter. They unloaded 25 points in the period and entered the fourth frame up by 11 points 55:44. Denmark stayed aggressive offensively scoring 24 points in the final frame and sealing a comfortable win at the end. Jacob Larsen (204-PF-97) notched 19 points and 16 rebounds for Denmark. Jakob Ravn (193-G-96) and Johannes Nielsen (203-PF-96) had 14 points each in the win. Henri Niemisto (194-G-96) replied with 15 points for Finland. Juho-Matti Henttonen (195-C-96) chipped in 12 points in the loss.

Denmark U16: Mathias Kelly 22, Jacob Larsen 19+16 boards, Jakob Ravn 14, Johannes Nielsen 14
Finland U16: Henri Niemisto 15, Juho-Matti Henttonen 12


KORISLIIGA: Lapua signed players and Coach - by Rauno Hurmalainen

Torpan Pojat (Helsinki) was not allowed to continue in Top League (Korisliiga) and that spot was given to Korikobrat (Lapua). Lapua has now signed with three players and Head Coach. The new players are Nigerian Henry Umoru (202-C-85) and Lasse Hintsala (194-G/F-84). Jussi Turja (193-G-90) instead will return back home after studying and playing one year in the USA. Turja averaged at Virginia University of Lynchburg (USCAA) 9,3 ppg - 2,5 rpg in 26 contests. Lapua's new Head Coach is again Nenad Stefanovic from Serbia.


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FRANCE

Chalon inks rookie G Marcus Denmon - by Eurobasket News

Marcus Denmon (190-G-90, college: Missouri) will start his pro basketball career in France. The American shooting guard signed a 1-year deal with Chalon. The team won three trophies last season.
Marcus Denmon graduated at the University of Missouri few months ago. He had 17.6 ppg, 5 rpg and 2.1 apg for 35 games as a senior. He helped Missouri to win the Big 12 Tournament. In 2011 and last season as a well Denmon was named All-Big 12 1st Team. He had 16.9 ppg and 3.5 rpg for his school as a junior. As freshman Denmon won his first Big 12 Tournament with Missouri. A year ago he was a member of the USA University National Team.
Marcus Denmon was 59th overall pick at the latest NBA Draft. The San Antonio Spurs selected him.


Clippers, Ronny Turiaf agree to a deal - by Eurobasket News

The Clippers and free-agent Ronny Turiaf (6'10''-C/F-83, agency: Priority Sports, college: Gonzaga) have agreed to a one-year, veterans minimum contract worth $1.146 million, said NBA executives who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Turiaf, a 6-10, 245-pounder, will be a backup power forward and center for the Clippers.

He becomes the fifth big man for the Clippers behind starters DeAndre Jordan, Blake Griffin and reserves Lamar Odom and Ryan Hollins the 13th player on the roster.

Turiaf played his first three NBA seasons with the Lakers.

He played for the Washington Wizards and Miami Heat last season.

Turiaf played in 12 playoff games with the NBA champion Heat, seven as a starter.

He averaged 1.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in 10.1 minutes in the postseason with the Heat.

Courtesy of www.latimes.com


Le Mans signs PG Khalid El-Amin - by Eurobasket News

Le Mans announced signing of experienced point guard Khalid El-Amin (178-G-79, college: Connecticut) for 2012/13. The American led Cibona Zagreb to Croatian league title last season. He joined them in December averaging 8.6 points, 1.8 assists and 1.7 rebounds for 20 games in domestic championship. The player also added 5.3 ppg, 2.8 apg and 1.8 rpg for 12 games in Adriatic league. Khalid El-Amin played for Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius in 2010/11 season. He had 12.1 ppg, 3.3 apg and 1.9 rpg for 15 Eurolague games with them. Before Rytas, El-Amin played for Budivelnyk Kyiv, Turk Telekom and Azovmash. In 2008, he won the Turkish Cup with Turk Telekom and was named MVP of the final tournament. In 2007 and 2010 Khalid El-Amin was Eurobasket.com All-Ukrainian Superleague Player of the Year. In 2004 and 2005 he was Eurobasket.com All-Turkish League Player of the Year. He played for Besiktas at that time. El-Amin won two Ukrainian league titles and two Cup trophies in his career. The player spent some time with SIG Strasbourg back in 2001/02 season.


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FYR MACEDONIA

Standings - Division II Vtora Liga Standings  1. Millenium 14-4   2. Pelister Bitola 14-4   3. V.Lisici 13-5   4. Angeli Skopje 12-6   5. Goce Delchev 11-7   6. Kralevi 8-10   7. Borec Basket 6-12   8. Junior Fruktal 5-13   9. Teteks 5-13   10. Negotino 2-16

U16 European Championship: Israel beat F.Y.R. of Macedonia, both miss the semis - by Eurobasket News

F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16-Israel U16 69:76

Israel beat F.Y.R. of Macedonia, however both teams miss the semis at the U16 European Championship in Division B. Israel outscored the opponents 76:69 for 1-2 record on the third place in Group E. F.Y.R. of Macedonia also dropped to 1-2 record on the fourth position.
Israel opened the game with 21-17 and added 22-13 in the second frame. Yevgeni Holodov (178-PG-96) and Andrej Magdevski (190-G-96) exchanged the baskets for 43:30 at the halftime. The third period however belonged to F.Y.R. of Macedonia. The erupted with 21-19 in the period for 51:52. Moreover Andrej Cvetkovski (185-G-96) brought 53:52 lead early in the fourth, but Israel did not give up. The final baskets from Tamir Blatt (178-PG-97), Netanel Artzi (196-F-97) and Yevgeni Holodov brought the victory for the team.
Tamir Blatt paced all the winners with 19 points and Yevgeni Holodov notched 15. Netanel Artzi collected 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Eran Tessone (200-G-96) added 7. Kristijan Nikolov (185-G-96) ended up with 24 points and Andrej Cvetkovski scored 19. Andrej Magdevski delivered 11, whilst Oliver Dvojakovski (204-C-97) nailed 8.

F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16: Kristijan Nikolov 24, Andrej Cvetkovski 19, Andrej Magdevski 11, Oliver Dvojakovski 8
Israel U16: Tamir Blatt 19, Yevgeni Holodov 15, Netanel Artzi 13+13 rebs, Eran Tessone 7


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GERMANY

Bayer Giants Leverkusen sign Josh Parker - by Moritz Korff

The Bayer Giants Leverkusen (2. Bundesliga Pro B) announced the signing of their first import player for the 2012-13 season. Josh Parker (182-PG-89, agency: Fierce Sports Management), a product of NCAA Division 1 school Dayton, will strengthen the Bayer backcourt. The 23-year-old combo guard averaged 8.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per contest for the Flyers last season.
The Leverkusen team had to let go Till-Joscha Joenke (190-PG-92) and Farid Sadek (188-G-83) this summer - Parker's job will be to make up for the losses. "Josh definitely has the tools to do that, because he is fast as lightning, he is a tenacious defender, a good shooter and a quality passer", assistant coach Stephan Ruers said.


The Artland Dragons Follow Bayern Munich With The Double Guard Strike Hauling In Bryce Taylor And Demond Mallet - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

According to www.sportando.net, the Artland Dragons have come to terms with Bryce Taylor (196-G-86) and Demond Mallet (186-G-78, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: McNeese St.). The Artland Dragons quietly continue to build a strong team that will be tapping on the back door of the big three Bamberg, Berlin and Munich. Last week, FC Bayern MUnich made the double guard strike bringing in Tyrese Rice and Yotam Halperin, but Dragons head coach Stefan Koch must of thought, what FC Bayern Munich can do, so can we bringing in this guard duo. In the last months, Alba Berlin fans were waiting for the contract extension with Bryce Taylor, but it never came as the American has decided to leave the bright lights of the German capital for the country like atmosphere of Quackenbruck. Taylor who will be starting his fifth professional season continues to feel comfortable as this will be his fourth consecutive season in Germany. Taylor is a 25 year old 196cm guard that was born in San Diego and grew up in Encino, Calirfornia. He had played the last two seasons with Alba Berlin and last season played Euroleague Qualifying Round: 2 games: 9.5ppg, 5.5rpg, 1.0apg; EuroCup: 12 games: 9.8ppg, 4.8rpg, 1.4apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 45.9%, 3PT: 39.3%, FT: 80.0%; German League: 36 games: 11.8ppg, 3.9rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 53.5%, 3PT: 42.6%, FT: 82.4%. Taylor is the son of Brian Taylor who played 10 seasons in the NBA. Taylor started his basketball career at Oregon (NCAA) where he played from 2004-2008 playing a total of 117 NCAA games. In hiss enior year, he played 30 games: 12.8ppg, 3.8rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 46.1%, 3Pts: 38.2%, FT: 82.3%. He started his professional basketball career in 2008 in Italy for Premiata Montegranaro (Italy-SerieA, starting five): 30 games: 13.0ppg, 2.4rpg, 1.6spg, FGP: 54.2%, 3PT: 36.9%, FT: 82.6%. In 2009-2010, he came to Germany to play for the Telekom Baskets Bonn (Germany-1.Bundesliga, starting five): EuroCup: 6 games: 18.5ppg, 3.3rpg, 1.0apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 56.3%, 3PT: 36.4%; German League: 34 games: 12.5ppg, 2.6rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 46.8%, 3PT: 31.0%, FT: 81.4%. Awards/Achievements in his basketball career have been USA U21 National Team -04, Dallas Global Games U21 -04, NCAA All-American Freshmen Honorable Mention -05, Pac-10 All-Freshman Team -05, Pac-10 Tournament Semifinals -06, Pac-10 Tournament Winner -07, NCAA Elite Eight -07, Pac-10 All-Tournament Team -07, USA National Team -07, Panamerican Games in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) -07, German Bundesliga Finalist -11, and Eurobasket.com All-German Bundesliga Honorable Mention -12.

Demond Mallet returns back to the Beko BBL having played in Braunschweig, Bamberg and Cologne. Mallet is a 34 year old 186cm point guard from Leesville, Louisiana that has the distinction of being a cousin of NBA legend Shaq. Mallet will be starting his 11th professional basketball season with the Artland Dragons and returns back to the Beko BBL after leaving in 2007. Last season he played for Belgacom Spirou (Belgium-D1, starting five): 26 games: Score-3 (15.1ppg), 2.7rpg, 2.8apg, 1.8spg, FGP: 51.5%, 3PT: 35.7%, FT: 84.0%; Euroleague: 12 games: Score-4 (16.6ppg), 2.3rpg, 3.1apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 49.5%, 3PT: 36.3%, FT: 71.0%; in Dec.'11 moved to Maccabi Electra Tel-Aviv (Israel-Premier League): Israeli League: 4 games: 3.8ppg, 1.3rpg, 1.8apg, 1.3spg; Euroleague: 10 games: 4.6ppg; Adriatic League: 12 games: 6.3ppg, 1.2rpg, 1.8apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 31.7%, FT: 87.5%. Mallet started his basketball career at Mc Neese St. This week the gregarious American was inducted into the Mcneese Hall of fame where he rests together with NBA legend Joe Dumars. He started his professional basketball career in Germany with TXU Energie Braunschweig in 2001 where he stayed until 2004. After three strong seasons, he caught the eye of Bamberg head coach Dirk Bauermann who signed him and prompt they won the Beko BBL title in 2005. Mallet played two seasons there. He then played for RheinEnergie Koeln (Germany-1.Bundesliga, starting five): Euroleague: 13 games: 12.8ppg, 2.7rpg, 2.3apg, 2FGP: 46.3%, 3FGP: 37.1%, FT: 81.8%; German League: 43 games: 12.7ppg, 2.4rpg, 2.3apg, 1.1spg, 2FGP: 55.1%, 3FGP: 40.4%, FT: 75.7%. From 2007-2012, he got further valuable playing experience in Europe. In 2007-2008, he played with Ricky Rubio and Jan Jagla at DKV Joventut Badalona (Spain-ACB) until 2009. In the 2008-2009 season, he played ULEB Cup: 17 games: 13.6ppg, 2.1rpg, 2.4apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 57.4%, 3PT: 48.5%, FT: 80%; Spanish ACB Regular Season: 34 games: 11.3ppg, 1.3rpg, 2.3apg, 1.1spg, 2FGP: 46.0%, 3PT: 42.0%, FT: 84.0%; Spanish ACB Play-Offs: 5 games: 10.4ppg, 1.2rpg, 3.0apg. In 2009-2010, he played for Turk Telekom Ankara (Turkey-TBL, starting five): EuroCup: 12 games: 12.3ppg, 1.4rpg, 3.2apg, FGP: 46.3%, 3PT: 46.4%, FT: 92.9%; Turkish League: 31 games: 10.4ppg, 2.7rpg, 3.4apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 47.4%, 3PT: 36.1%, FT: 90.5%. In 2010-2011, he played for TEC Spirou Charleroi (Belgium-D1, starting five): Euroleague: 16 games: 12.6ppg, 2.2rpg, 2.9apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 59.1%, 3PT: 35.3%, FT: 89.2%; Belgian League: 35 games: Score-4 (15.7ppg), 2.5rpg, 2.2apg, Steals-5 (2.1spg), FGP: 52.0%, 3PT: 39.1%, FT: 80.2%. Awards/Achievements in his basketball career have been NCAA I All-American Honorable Mention -01, Southland Conf. 1st Team -01, Southland Conf. Player of the Year -01, German Bundesliga All-Star Game -02, 04, 05, 06, 07 (MVP), Braunschweig (Germany) Player of the Year - 02, 03, German Bundesliga Semifinals -03, 07, Eurobasket.com All-German Bundesliga 2nd Team -05, 06, German Bundesliga Regular Season Runner-Up -05, German Bundesliga Champion -05, German Cup Winner -07 (MVP), German Bundesliga Cup Winner -07, Spanish Cup (Copa del Rey) Winner -08, ULEB Cup Winner -08, Eurobasket.com All-ULEB Cup Honorable Mention -08, Spanish ACB Semifinals -08, Spanish ACB Regular Season Runner-Up -08, Belgian Cup Semifinals -11, Belgian Ethias League MVP -11, Belgian League Champion -11, Belgian League Regular Season Champion -11, Eurobasket.com All-Belgian League Player of the Year -11, Eurobasket.com All-Belgian League Guard of the Year -11, Eurobasket.com All-Belgian League Import Player of the Year -11, Eurobasket.com All-Belgian League 1st Team -11, Eurobasket.com Belgian League All-Imports Team -11, 12, Euroleague Quarterfinals -12, Eurobasket.com All-Belgian League 2nd Team -12, and Belgian League Finalist -12

Kyle Weems Signs With The Telekom Baskets Bonn - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

The Telekom Baskets Bonn made it official today signing Kyle Weems (198-F-89) giving him a one year deal . Weems may have the same first name and be as tall as 2012 Euroleague champion Kyle Hines, but one thing that separates the two Americans is age as Weems is comong fresh from the NCCA. Weems is a 22 year old 198cm forward that was born in Topeka, Kansas. He played at Missouri St. (NCAA) from 2007-2012. In his senior year, he played 31 games averaging 15.4ppg, 7.1rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 41.4%, 3PT: 40.3%, FT: 78.0%. In his Missouri State career, he played a total of 134 NCAA games. "Bonn is my first station as player. I might be only a rookie, but I want to help them in the Bundesliga and Eurochallenge. Jared Jordan is a great point guard. He creates room and you always have to be ready to get the ball and shoot right away", warned Kyle Weems. He recently played the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (Pre-NBA Draft): 3 games: 13.3ppg, 4.7rpg, 1.0apg, Steals-1 (3.3spg). Awards/Achievements in his basketball career have been MVC All-Freshman Team -09, All-MVC 2nd Team -10, NABC Division I All-District 16 2nd Team -10, MVC Regular Season Champion -11, MVC Tournament Finalist -11, All-MVC Player of the Year -11, All-MVC 1st Team -11, 12, MVC All-Tournament Team -11, and NABC Division I All-District 16 1st Team -11, 12. "Kyle can play with his back to the basket or with his face to the basket. That will make us more flexible", stated Bonn head coach Michael Koch.

Source: Telekom Baskets Bonn

Konstantin Klein (Fraport Skyliners) It Is My Job As A Point Guard To Make My Teammates Better - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber


Konstantin Klein (185-PG-91)s a 21 year old 185cm guard from Berlin that will be playing is first season for the Fraport Skyliners. He started his basketball career with ALBA Berlin II (Regionalliga) where he played until 2011. Last season he played for BiG Oettinger Rockets Gotha (ProB, starting five): 28 games: 9.9ppg, 1.9rpg, 3.7apg, FGP: 52.5%, 3PT: 32.7%, FT: 73.2%. Awards and achievements in his career have been German U18 National Team -09, Nike Euroleague Junior Tournament (Unofficial European Clubs Junior Championships) -09, European Championships U18 in Metz (France) -09: 6 games: 0.7ppg, 1.7rpg, German Regionalliga (North Group) Champion -10
German U20 National Team -11, European Championships U20 in Bilbao (Spain) -11: 9 games: 3.6ppg, 1.9rpg, 1.0apg, German 2.Bundesliga Pro B (Group South) Regular Season Champion -12, and German 2.Bundesliga Pro B Champion -12. He spoke to eurobasket about basketball.

Welcome to the Fraport Skyliners. How happy are you about joining this organization?


I am very happy that they have given me this chance.

How did the contact come to the Fraport Skyliners?


My agent Jan Rhodewald got the contact after Klaus Perwas had noticed my play.

What were the main reasons for coming to the Fraport Skyliners?


The city was important. I am from a big city Berlin and being in Frankfurt is a plus. Also the chnace to play with the Beko BBL team each day was important. I also like the orgnaization and my grandmother lives in the area.

What are your goals with the Fraport Skyliners?

To be successful with the PRO B team and fight for the playoffs. I also want to work hard and become a Beko BBL player one day.

What do you know about your new coach Eric Detlef?


I remember playing against him twice last season with Gotha. I spent a day with him in Frankfurt. I am happy that he is the new coach?

Detlef said that you have the ability to make your teammates better. Where did you get this ability?

That is a big compliment from him. It is my job as a point guard to make my teammates better.


What is a strength in your game that isnt noticed right away?

My defense and my never give up mentality.

If you could ask Pascal Roller one thing about being a point guard, what would you ask him?

I would ask him for advice on defense and just about observing the little things on the court.

How were you able to develop further as a player with Gotha?


I think just being able to get minutes and the trust from coach Marko Simic was important. Playing 30 minutes as a 20 year old was important. I think I was able to take more responsibility and just playing with talented players helped me.

How did Marko Simic help you on the court most?

When I came from Alba Berlin 2, there were so many things that I wasnt aware of on the court like how to make adjustments on defense, but he showed me how to do it. He had a lot of trust in me and let me play.

Who would win a one on one in practice, you or Kevin Schaffartzik?

We never really played.

How did you start with basketball.

I played soccer until I was 10 years old, but I wasnt amused how parents would show up at games at 9am with beer cans. I then played street ball and soon after organized basketball.

Who were your basketball idols as a kid?

Magic Johnson and Allen Iverson.

Why didnt you complete the Alba Berlin route?

I liked playing there and won a NBBL title in 2010, but I guess they werent totally convinced of my play.

What did you learn at age 17 from head coach Henrik Rodl?

He let me play right away giving me 20-25 minutes and in my second season, I was the starting point guard. He gave me a lot of trust.

Did you ever think that Nils Giffey would win an NCAA title in 2008 when you were teammates?

No I didnt but I am happy for him. We were roommates at the u-20 European championships. We are good friends and I hope that he get more minutes next season.

How much potential does your ex teammate Malte Ziegenhagen have as a player?

His best asset is his shooting from all over the court. He is a fighter and can defend well. He will make his way.

What were the most free throws that you made in a row without missing?

I never really have counted, but I once made 100 out of 104 shots.

What has been your most crazy shot in your career?

I hit a game winning three pointer and some free throws at the end to win games.

You have been working out at the Lumani summer camp. What kind of experience has that been?

It has been tough. I really felt pain after the first few days. I am working hard. There are many players here like Maik Zirbes, Oskar Fassler, Philipp Zwiener and Kevin Schaffartzik.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

The Departed on a flight from New York.

Thanks Konstantin for the chat.



Thaddeus McFadden Joins The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber



Eurobasket had reported recently that Thaddeus McFadden (188-G-87, agency: Stanley International, college: Fairmont St.) was on his way to Braunschweig and today the Beko BBL team made it official. Thaddeus McFadden is a 25 year old 187cm guard from Flint, Michigan. He will be starting his fourth professional basketball season after having played the last three seasons in the Czech republic. Last season, he played for SLUNETA Usti nad Labem (Czech Rep.-NBL, starting five): 45 games: Score-3 (18.2ppg), 4.0rpg, 4.1apg, Steals-3 (2.3spg), FGP: 53.4%, 3PT: 39.2%, FT: 80.1%. "He is a very athletic player that can play at the positions one and two. He has a lot of talent and already showed that in the past. He might have a different role for us and not be the scorer so much. But we are convinced that Braunschweig will be a great chnace for him to develop further", warned Kostas Flevarakis. He started his basketball career in 2006 with St. Clair CC (NJCAA) where he played 26 games: 17.4ppg, 3.3rpg, 1.4apg, 2.1spg, FGP: 45.8%, 3PT: 40.6%, FT: 79.0%. He then played at Fairmont St. (NCAA2) from 2007-2009 and in his senior year played 29 games: ScoreNCAA2-2 (25.4ppg), 5.4rpg, 3.9apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 45.5%, 3PT: 37.1%, FT: 79.6%. Awards/Achievements in his basketball career have been WVIAC All-Tournament Team -08, 09, All-WVIAC 1st Team -08, 09, Daktronics NCAA Division II All-East Region 2nd Team -08, NCAA D2 Pre-Season All-America Honorable Mention (by The Sporting News College Basketball Yearbook) -08, NABC NCAA D2 All-America Atlantic District 1st Team -09, NCAA D2 All-America Honorable Mention (by Division II Bulletin) -09, Czech Rep. 1.Liga Semifinals -11, Eurobasket.com All-Czech Rep. League Player of the Year -12, Eurobasket.com All-Czech Rep. League Guard of the Year -12, Eurobasket.com All-Czech Rep. League Import Player of the Year -12, Eurobasket.com All-Czech Rep. League 1st Team -12, and Eurobasket.com Czech Rep. League All-Imports Players Team -12

Source: New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig

Kyle Visser Departs From The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig fans got a sad notice today that Kyle Visser (211-C-85, college: Wake Forest) will no longer strap on their jersey. After five years in the Beko BBL, the big man has decided to move on and play in Italy for Juve Caserta. Visser is a 26 year old 211cm center from Grand Rapids, Michigan that played four years in Braunschweig. Last season, he played 36 games: 11.0ppg, 5.3rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 61.0%, FT: 56.4%. He played a total of 140 Beko BBL games for the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig. He also played a season with EnBW Ludwigsburg in 2009-2010 playing 32 games: 10.7ppg, 4.9rpg, FGP: 58.8%, 3PT-2 (50.0%), FT: 55.7%


The LTi Giessen 46ers Nab Andreas Buechert - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

After playing in the PRO A last season to work on his skills, Andreas Buechert (208-C-87, agency: Limelight Hoops, college: Winthrop) returns back to the Beko BBL where he was a rookie in 2010-2011. The LTi Giessen 46ers gave him a one year deal and he is the fourth German on the team. Buechert is a 25 year old 204cm center with NCAA experience. He is a athletic inside player who can defend both inside positions because of his strength and his quickness, he runs the floor very well and is explosive around the basket, very strong and agressive rebounder on both ends of the floor and defends the lane very well because of his shot blocking skills. Last season he played for Erdgas Ehingen/Urspringschule (ProA): 27 games: 11.3ppg, 7.0rpg, FGP: 53.1%, FT: 55.2%. "Andreas is a athletic inside player that can defend both big mna positions due to his strength and quickness. He is explosive and very agile for his height. He is strong rebounding and defending", expressed Lti Giessen 46er head coach Mathias Fischer.

Buechert started his basketball career for Tallahasse (JUCO) in 2005 where he played until 2007. He then played for Winthrop (NCAA) where he played until 2010. He played a totasl of 65 NCAA games. In his senior year, he played 33 games averaging 5.7ppg, 6.5rpg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 44.6%, FT: 44.6%. In 2010-2011, he turned professional and made the jump to the Beko BBL playing for Eisbaeren Bremerhaven (1.Bundesliga): 1 game: 0pts, 1reb, 1ast, 1block, in Dec.'10 moved to Phoenix Hagen (1.Bundesliga): 9 games: 3.3ppg, 3.2rpg, 1.6bpg. "I hope to play a good season with Giessen. I play for the team and not for myself. I had an important job in the PRO A and in college I had to do the dirty work. I will have a new role in Giessen and I am ready to do anything to be successful. I will do what the team wnats me to do to help them", stressed Andreas Buechert. Awards/Achievements in his basketball career have been NJCAA Tournament Finalist -06, Big South Conf. Regular Season Runner-Up -08, Big South Conf. Tournament Winner -08, 10, Big South Conf. All-Tournament Team -08, and German 2.Bundesliga Pro B (Group North) Regular Season Champion -11

Source: LTi Giessen 46ers

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GIBRALTAR

U16 European Championship: Scotland wins Group B - by Eurobasket News

Gibraltar U16-Scotlnad U16 41:70

Scotland wins Group B of the U16 European Championship in Division C. The team overcame Gibraltar 70:41 in the game for the top place in the group for 2-0 record. The hosts of the tournament meanwhile finished second with 1-1 record.
It was a tough start in the game and the teams exchanged the lead several times. The guests grabbed 17:16 advantage and added 12:7 in the second frame. Moreover the second half also belonged to the Scottish side. They won the third period 20-10 and finished the game with 21-8 in the last stanza.
Gregor Gray top-scored for the winners with 17 points, while Winning added 16. Malcolm collected 13 points and 10 rebounds, whilst McKay delivered 6. Jake Haefner (185-G/F-97) finished the game with 17 points in the losing effort and Timothy Fava (176-F-97) posted 8. Jeremy Britto (187-G/F-96) followed them with 7 points in a loss.

Gibraltar U16: Jake Haefner 17, Timothy Fava 8, Jeremy Britto 7
Scotlnad U16: Gregor Gray 17, Winning 16, Malcolm 13+10 rebs, McKay 6


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GREECE

Kalles officially signed again with PAOK - by Giorgos Diploidis

Nikos Kalles (211-F/C-87) as it was officially announced will remain in the team of PAOK Thessaloniki for two more years. The player has agreed a lot of days ago with the team of Thessaloniki. Kalles started his career from PAOK Thessaloniki then he mooved to GS Iraklis Thessaloniki for three periods (2006-2009) and afterwarfs he returned to his first club of which is a member the last three years.

With this deal Kalles will be the player with the most extended career in the team and he may take the role of its leader. Last season in Basketleague had 4.3ppg and 2.4rpg in 26 matches.


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HOLLAND

CAI Zaragoza locks C Henk Norel until 2015 - by Eurobasket News

As expected, CAI Zaragoza officially signed a 3-season deal with Henk Norel (212-F/C-87). The 24-year-old big guy is a product of Joventut Badalona, where he moved as a teenager. Last season Norel appeared 28 times in Liga Endesa averaging 6.9 points and 4.5 rebounds. In 2010/11, the player had 6.4 ppg and 4.8 rpg. Norel got injured in January of 2011 and missed rest of the season. In the past, Henk Norel played on loan for Alicante and Prat. He also has experience from Demon Astronauts Amsterdam. Henk Norel played for Dutch National Team in Qualifications to European Championships Division B 2011. He exploded with 26.7 ppg, 11 rpg and 3.3 apg for 3 games. In 2009, Norel played for his country at EuroBasket Division B. There he had 8.8 ppg and 3.3 rpg in 4 games.
Today CAI Zaragoza announced signing of Gregg Thondique (201-F-87, agency: FCM, college: Virginia Union). He also signed 3-year deal with the club. In another move CAI Zaragoza sent Levi Knutson (193-G-88, agency: FCM, college: Colorado) on 1-year loan to the Polish squad Energa Czarni.


EiffelTowers keeps Jeffrey Touw - by Fred Roggen

Dutch champion EiffelTowers Den Bosch and Jeffrey Touw (190-F-91) agreed on a one-year contract extension that will keep the guard at the club for a third consecutive season.
The 21-year-old Jeffrey Touw averaged 0.9ppg, 0.5rpg, 0.2apg, FGP: 33.3%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 37.5% in 20 Dutch Basketball League games last season
Touw is a product of their own youth academy and has played two seasons in the first team ofEiffelTowers. "We are very pleased that Jeffrey accepted the contract extension for next season," said manager Frederiks.




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HUNGARY

Lorant Peter signed to Italy - by Balazs Radics

Hungarian National Team's Center Peter Lorant (207-F/C-85, agency: Laszlo Vinko Group) will continue his carrier in Italy and going to play for Virtus Roma. Lorant played for 6 years in Spain, last season for ACB side Lagun Aro where he has averaged 3.4 ppg and 2.3 rpg in 11.2 mins. Previously he had stints with Ford Burgos, Ricoh Manresa, Antwerp Giants, Debreceni and Kormend. Eurobasket.com named the centre into Spanish LEB Gold All-Bosmans Team in 2011. Peter Lorant played for Hungarian U20 National Team. He has been the member of the Hungarian National Team since 2006. Eurobasket Hungary wishes Peter good luck in Italy.


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ICELAND

Standings - Iceland Express League Express L. Standings  1. Fjolnir 0-0   2. Grindavik 0-0   3. IR 0-0   4. Keflavik 0-0   5. KFI 0-0   6. KR 0-0   7. Njardvik 0-0   8. Skallagrimur 0-0   9. Snaefell 0-0   10. Stjarnan 0-0   11. Thor Thorl 0-0   12. Tindastoll 0-0  Regular Season: Round 1 Oct. 7: Fjolnir - KR Oct. 7: Tindastoll - Stjarnan Oct. 7: Keflavik - Grindavik Oct. 7: Snaefell - IR Oct. 7: Thor Thorl - Njardvik Oct. 7: KFI - Skallagrimur

Lithuania thrash Iceland in friendly - by Eurobasket News

Lithuania - Iceland 101:51

Lithuania celebrated a comfortable win over Iceland in a friendly encounter in Vilnius. It was the last test game for Kestutis Kemzura team before the start of the Olympic basketball tournament. Antanas Kavaliauskas (208-C-84, agency: Interperformances, college: Texas A&M) posted 16 points and 9 rebounds to pace the hosts.
Lithuania silenced the visitors in the opening quarter. The home team went on a 30:10 run. Iceland stopped the bleeding in the second quarter. They cut the deficit at 16-point mark at halftime 47:31. But Lithuania regained control in the third quarter. They ignited a 28:4 run to leave Iceland far behind. Lithuania stayed aggressive in the final period and sealed a comfortable win at the end. Rimantas Kaukenas (192-G-77, college: Seton Hall) and Jonas Valanciunas (211-C-92) delivered 12 points each for Lithuania. Renaldas Seibutis (195-G-85) had 10 points, 7 assists and 4 boards for the hosts. Hlynur Baeringsson (200-F/C-82) answered with 13 points and 8 rebounds for Iceland. Jon Stefansson (196-G-82) notched 12 points, while Pavel Ermolinskij (202-G/F-87, agency: I.D.S. Law) had 10 points in the loss.

Lithuania: Antanas Kavaliauskas 16, Rimantas Kaukenas 12, Jonas Valanciunas 12
Iceland: Hlynur Baeringsson 13, Jon Stefansson 12, Pavel Ermolinskij 10


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ISRAEL

U16 European Championship: Israel beat F.Y.R. of Macedonia, both miss the semis - by Eurobasket News

F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16-Israel U16 69:76

Israel beat F.Y.R. of Macedonia, however both teams miss the semis at the U16 European Championship in Division B. Israel outscored the opponents 76:69 for 1-2 record on the third place in Group E. F.Y.R. of Macedonia also dropped to 1-2 record on the fourth position.
Israel opened the game with 21-17 and added 22-13 in the second frame. Yevgeni Holodov (178-PG-96) and Andrej Magdevski (190-G-96) exchanged the baskets for 43:30 at the halftime. The third period however belonged to F.Y.R. of Macedonia. The erupted with 21-19 in the period for 51:52. Moreover Andrej Cvetkovski (185-G-96) brought 53:52 lead early in the fourth, but Israel did not give up. The final baskets from Tamir Blatt (178-PG-97), Netanel Artzi (196-F-97) and Yevgeni Holodov brought the victory for the team.
Tamir Blatt paced all the winners with 19 points and Yevgeni Holodov notched 15. Netanel Artzi collected 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Eran Tessone (200-G-96) added 7. Kristijan Nikolov (185-G-96) ended up with 24 points and Andrej Cvetkovski scored 19. Andrej Magdevski delivered 11, whilst Oliver Dvojakovski (204-C-97) nailed 8.

F.Y.R. of Macedonia U16: Kristijan Nikolov 24, Andrej Cvetkovski 19, Andrej Magdevski 11, Oliver Dvojakovski 8
Israel U16: Tamir Blatt 19, Yevgeni Holodov 15, Netanel Artzi 13+13 rebs, Eran Tessone 7


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ITALY

Montegranaro brings in G Daniele Cinciarini - by Eurobasket News

Daniele Cinciarini (194-G-83) is a new member of Sutor Montegranaro. The Italian guard penned a 1-year deal with his new club. Cinciarini arrives to Montegranaro from Vanoli-Braga Cremona, where he spent last season. He appeared 32 times in SerieA averaging 10.3 points and 2.7 rebounds. Cinciarini joined Cremona in February of 2011 and spent rest of the 2010/11 season there. For 10 games the player had 4.5 ppg and 1.6 rpg. Before Cremona, Daniele Cinciarini spent year and a half with Scavolini Pesaro. He had 6.1 ppg and 1.3 rpg in their second season together. In the past, Cinciarini played for Avelino, Biella, Roma, Fabriano and Forli. He is a product of Scavolinis youth teams. In 2008, Daniele Cinciarini played for the Italian National Team. He averaged 5.2 points for 6 games at 2009 EuroBasket Qualifications.


Juve Caserta signs American C Kyle Visser - by Eurobasket News

Kyle Visser (211-C-85, college: Wake Forest) will play next season for Juve Caserta, according to Lareggiadelbasket.it. Reportedly, two sides already agreed terms and contract will be signed soon. The American center spent last two seasons with New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig. In the latest one he had 11 ppg and 5.3 rpg for 36 games. Visser led Braunschweig to German Cup Finals a year ago. He also played for the club from 2007 to 2009. In the meantime, Visser spent one season with EnBW Ludwigsburg. There he had 9.2 ppg and 4.7 rpg for 38 games.
Kyle Visser is a product of the Wake Forest University, where he graduated in 2007. He had 17 ppg and 7.4 rpg for his school in 31 games as a senior.

Update: Juve Casserta officially signed the player.


Andrea Michelori returns to Juve Caserta after 2 years - by Eurobasket News

Andrea Michelori (202-F-78) will return to his former team Juve Caserta, according to Lareggiadelbasket.it. Italian power forward played for the club from 2008 to 2010. He had 9.5 ppg and 5.3 rpg for 38 games in their second season together. Last two years Michelori spent with Montepaschi Siena winning two SerieA titles with them. They also won two Cup trophies. Last season the player had 2.7 ppg and 2 rpg for 23 games in Italy. He had almost the same numbers for 7 Euroleague games. In the past, Andrea Michelori was a member of La Fortezza Bologna, Cantu, Biella and Milano. He also played for the Italian National Team at 2006 World Championship in Japan averaging 4 points and 3 rebounds for 6 games. In 2009 EuroBasket Qualifications Michelori had 4.3 ppg and 1.8 rpg in 4 games.
The deal between Andrea Michelori and Caserta should be official soon.


Italy beats Finland in Day One of Trentino Cup, 79-71 - by Eurobasket News

Italy - Finland 79-71

Italy was better than Finland 79-71 in Day One of Trentino Cup. Pietro Aradori (194-SG-88) and Luigi Datome (202-G/F-87) led the winners with 17 and 15 points respectively. Stefano Mancinelli (203-F-83) scored 13 points and David Chiotti (205-F/C-84, agency: Court Side, college: N.Mexico) helped with one less. In Finland, Petteri Koponen (194-G-88) was better than the others with 14 points, while Mikko Koivisto (194-G-87, college: NC-Greensboro) and Hanno Mottola (209-F/C-76, college: Utah) had 11 pts apiece. Finland had better start holding 24-18 lead after ten minutes of play. They were pretty good in the second quarter as well and managed to keep plus 5 at the halftime. Italy took control on its rival after the breather (21-13) and managed to make a turn. The hosts had 59-56 lead with ten minutes to go and increased it for rest of the way. In Day One of the tournament Bosnia grabbed 83-81 win against Montenegro. Today, Italy will meet Bosnia.

Italy: Pietro Aradori 17, Luigi Datome 15, Stefano Mancinelli 13, David Chiotti 12
Finland: Petteri Koponen 14, Mikko Koivisto 11, Hanno Mottola 11


Vanoli Cremona announce Fabio Ruini - by Eurobasket News

Vanoli Cremona boosted their backcourt. They tabbed Fabio Ruini (186-G-80). The guard spent the last season with Trenkwalder Reggio Emilia. He tallied 5.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 steal per game in LegaDue. Fabio Ruini became LegaDue champion together with Trenkwalder. Previously the guard had spells for Latina Basket, Pallacanestro Roseto, Fabriano, Virtus Bologna, Carife Ferrara, Treviglio and Kinder Bologna. He played for U18 Italian National Team. Fabio Ruini joined Italian B National Team in 2001. In 2004 the guard debuted for the Italian National Team. Fabio Ruini was Italian League champion in 1998 and participated in Euroleague Final in 1999.


Biella tab Russell Robinson - by Eurobasket News

Angelico Biella strengthened their roster. They agreed on terms of contract with Russell Robinson (185-G-86). The guard comes to Italy from Turkey. Russell Robinson played for Trabzonspor Basketbol in TBL last season. The guard delivered 13.4 points, 3.2 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. Previously Russell Robinson had spells for Joventut, Reno Bighorns, Maine Red Claws, Erdemirspor. The guard is the product of the University of Kansas. He was the NCAA champion in 2008. He made it into Big 12 All-Academic 2nd Team in 2008. Russell Robinson debuted for the Chadian National Team in 2011.


Peter Lorant joins Virtus Roma - by Eurobasket News

Peter Lorant (207-F/C-85, agency: Laszlo Vinko Group) will continue his career in Italy. He has repotedly agreed on terms of contract with Virtus Roma. It will be the first Italian experience for the Hungarian centre. He played lately in Spain. Last season Peter Lorant played for Lagun Aro. He tallied 3.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game in ACB. Previously Peter Lorant had stints with Ford Burgos, Ricoh Manresa, Antwerp Giants, Debreceni and Kormend. Eurobasket.com named the centre into Spanish LEB Gold All-Bosmans Team in 2011. Peter Lorant played for Hungarian U20 National Team. He has been the member of the Hungarian National Team since 2006.


Christian Burns joins Sutor Montegranaro - by Antonello Varallo

Sutor Montegranaro announced the agreement with the explosive forward Christian Burns (203-F-85, college: Philadelphia) . The big man from Trenton will play his sixth european season in the sixth different nation, having played in Poland (AZS Koszalin 8.9 ppg), Portugal (FC Porto Ferpinta, 18.9 ppg), Germany (Ratiopharm Ulm, 14.8 ppg), Ukraine (Ferro-ZNTU Zaporozhye, 16 ppg) and during 2011-2012 in Israel (Elitzur Netanya, 14.3 ppg with a season high of 25 points scored against Maccabi Tel Aviv).
Burns is a very strong athele, with amazing slamming skills, and he could be one of the stars of next Serie A


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LATVIA

Serbia beats Latvia in another friendly - by Eurobasket News

Serbia - Latvia 94-85

Serbia and Latvia met in another friendly game yesterday. Serbia was the host and managed to win 94-85 in their second official check since the beginning of preparations. Serbia outplayed Latvia in the first game 91-68. Last night, Milos Teodosic (195-G-87) was the leading player in victory with 24 points. Zoran Erceg (210-C/F-85) and Vladimir Lucic (202-F-89, agency: Beo Basket) scored 14 points each, while Nemanja Bjelica (209-F/C-88, agency: Interperformances) followed them with 12 pts. In the loosing squad, Janis Strelnieks (191-G-89) and Davis Bertans (208-F-92) scored 15 points each. Martins Meiers (206-C-91) had one less. Serbia was up by 4 at the halftime and they shined after the breather to take 13-point lead with ten minutes remaining. Latvia won the last period 24-28, but that was not enough for them to avoid second straight loss against Serbia. Both teams prepare for the 2013 EuroBasket Qualifications. It starts on August 14.

Serbia: Milos Teodosic 24, Zoran Erceg 14, Vladimir Lucic 14, Nemanja Bjelica 12
Latvia: Janis Strelnieks 15, Davis Bertans, 15 Martins Meiers 14


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LITHUANIA

Lithuania thrash Iceland in friendly - by Eurobasket News

Lithuania - Iceland 101:51

Lithuania celebrated a comfortable win over Iceland in a friendly encounter in Vilnius. It was the last test game for Kestutis Kemzura team before the start of the Olympic basketball tournament. Antanas Kavaliauskas (208-C-84, agency: Interperformances, college: Texas A&M) posted 16 points and 9 rebounds to pace the hosts.
Lithuania silenced the visitors in the opening quarter. The home team went on a 30:10 run. Iceland stopped the bleeding in the second quarter. They cut the deficit at 16-point mark at halftime 47:31. But Lithuania regained control in the third quarter. They ignited a 28:4 run to leave Iceland far behind. Lithuania stayed aggressive in the final period and sealed a comfortable win at the end. Rimantas Kaukenas (192-G-77, college: Seton Hall) and Jonas Valanciunas (211-C-92) delivered 12 points each for Lithuania. Renaldas Seibutis (195-G-85) had 10 points, 7 assists and 4 boards for the hosts. Hlynur Baeringsson (200-F/C-82) answered with 13 points and 8 rebounds for Iceland. Jon Stefansson (196-G-82) notched 12 points, while Pavel Ermolinskij (202-G/F-87, agency: I.D.S. Law) had 10 points in the loss.

Lithuania: Antanas Kavaliauskas 16, Rimantas Kaukenas 12, Jonas Valanciunas 12
Iceland: Hlynur Baeringsson 13, Jon Stefansson 12, Pavel Ermolinskij 10


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MALTA

U16 European Championship: Malta post first victory - by Eurobasket News

Malta U16 - Wales U16 59:57

Malta registered the first win at the U16 European Championship in Division C. They nipped Wales for 1-2 record in Group A. Zane Micallef (170-PG-96) posted 21 points, 5 boards and 5 assists to lead the winners.
Wales ensured a brave start. They established an 18:12 lead after ten minutes. Malta narrowed the gap at 4-point mark at halftime 27:23. Malta surged ahead in the third quarter. They held Wales to 12 points and eked out a 40:39 lead with one period remaining. The teams stayed neck and neck throughout the fourth frame but Malta managed to ensure a tough win at the end. Farrugia accounted for 9 points, while Carabott and Rizzo contributed 7 points each in the victory. Joshua Thomas (186-G/F) answered with 19 points and 9 rebounds for Wales. Nico-Pele Wilson had 13 points in the loss.

Malta U16: Zane Micallef 21, Farrugia 9, Carabott 7, Rizzo 7
Wales U16: Joshua Thomas 19, Nico-Pele Wilson 13


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MEXICO

LNBP Roundup - by Alejandro Martinez

Fuerza Regia de Monterrey has signed Dan Tacheny to be their head basketball coach for the upcoming 2012 LNBP season. Tacheny just recently obtained the CIBACOPA 2012 Championship with Rayos de Hermosillo as their head coach. He is no stranger to LNBP, he coached Potros Itson in 2009 and Soles de Hermosillo in 2010. In other news, Huracanes Tampico announced the signing of Head Coach Luis Manuel "Chango" Lopez. Chango, a 2 time Champion at the LNBP, recently completed a very succesful season with with Tijuana Zonkeys. It is being rumored that he will ask the front office for the return of Omar Quintero (183-PG-81, college: S.Nazarene) and Import Marcus Morrison (198-G/F-84, college: Middle Tenn.St.). Both played for him with the TIjuana squad.


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MONACO

U16 European Championship: Monaco fire past San Marino - by Eurobasket News

Monaco U16 - San Marino U16 82:32

Monaco celebrated the third straight win at U16 European Championship in Division C. They exploded with a stunning win over San Marino to clinch the top position in Group A. Clement Marechal (180-G-96) accounted for 22 points to lead the winners. San Marino fell at 2-1 record and occupied the second position in the ladder. Both teams advanced into semifinals.
Monaco led from start to finish. They accumulated a 14:8 lead after ten minutes. Monaco exploded with 35 points in the second quarter to pile up a 31-point buffer at the interval. Monaco maintained the lead throughout the third quarter. They secured a 34-point cushion heading into the fourth stanza. Monaco limited their opponents to 3 points in the final period and sealed a confident win at the end. Alessandro Generale (185-C-96) posted 19 points and 19 rebounds, while Daniel Pieper (185-F-96) added 18 points for the winners. Berardi answered with 13 points for San Marino. Igor Biordi (200-C-96) had 9 points and 13 boards in defeat.

Monaco U16: Clement Marechal 22, Alessandro Generale 19+19 boards, Daniel Pieper 18
San Marino U16: Berardi 13, Igor Biordi 9+13 boards


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MONTENEGRO

Buducnost agreed terms with former University of Wisconsin star Jordan Taylor - by Darko Pekic

It seems that Buducnost found a good replacement for Jermaine Anderson (188-G-83, college: Fordham) who led the team last year. Jordan Taylor (185-PG-89), the former star of University of Wisconsin and one of the biggest stars among NCAA guards last years will sign a two year deal with Buducnost and reinforce the team from Podgorica.

Jordan Taylor had an extraordinary university career. For the 2011-12 season, Taylor was named to multiple preseason watchlists: Wooden Award Top 50 list, All-Big Ten team, All-American team, Naismith Trophy Top 50 list. He averaged 14.8 ppg, 4.1 apg and 3.8 rpg. Taylor agreed to play for the Atlanta Hawks in the 2012 NBA Summer League, after going undrafted in the 2012 NBA Draft.


U16 European Championship: Montenegro grab the Semifinal ticket - by Eurobasket News

Portugal U16-Montenegro U16 51:90

Montenegro grab the Semifinal ticket at the U16 European Championship in Division B. The team overcame Portugal for 2-1 record in the second place in Group F. Portugal meanwhile finished the group with 1-2 record on the last place.
Montenegro started with 17-13 in the first period and erupted with 27-9 in the second frame. Lazar Pavicevic (184-G-96) scored for 45:22 early in the third as his team added another 25-8 in the quarter. Both teams nailed 21 points in the last stanza for the final result. Durisic gave Montenegro their finals points from the free throw line.
Petar Popovic (188-PG-96) top-scored for the winners with 24 points and Milos Andelic (171-PG-96) netted 18. Aleksandar Dozic (199-F-96) collected 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Lazar Pavicevic added 9. Sergio Brito (190-PG-97) notched 9 points in the losing effort and Carlos Salamanca (187-G-97) posted 7.

Portugal U16: Sergio Brito 9, Carlos Salamanca 7
Montenegro U16: Petar Popovic 24, Milos Andelic 18, Aleksandar Dozic 16+12 rebs, Lazar Pavicevic 9


Montenegro fails against Bosnia in Day One of Trentino Cup - by Eurobasket News

Montenegro - Bosnia and Herzegovina 81-83

Montenegro faced with 81-83 loss in Day One of Trentino Cup, Italy. Montenegro had 73-63 lead with something more than five minutes remaining in the game, but that was not enough for the victory. Bosnia drained 20 points for rest of the way, while Montenegro was limited to 8 and win belonged to Bosnia at the end. Quarters: 27-20, 19-20, 20-15, 15-28. Mirza Teletovic (206-F-85, agency: Beo Basket) led Bosnians with 29 points. Center Elmedin Kikanovic (211-C-88, agency: Beo Basket) had 13 and Nihad Djedovic (196-F-90, agency: Beo Basket) helped with 12 pts. In the loosing squad Vladimir Dasic (206-F-88, agency: Beo Basket) was better than the others with 26 points. Suad Sehovic (197-G/F-87) scored 15, while Vladimir Mihailovic (193-G-90) and Nikola Ivanovic (187-G-94, agency: Beo Basket) netted 9 points each. It is important to mention that Montenegro played without injured Taylor Rochestie. In Day Two of the tournament Montenegro will meet Finland.

Montenegro: Vladimir Dasic 26, Suad Sehovic 15, Vladimir Mihailovic 9, Nikola Ivanovic 9
Bosnia: Mirza Teletovic 29, Elmedin Kikanovic 13, Nihad Djedovic 12


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NBA

Wolves sign Russian guard Alexey Shved - by Eurobasket News

The latest European addition to the Minnesota Timberwolves will be able to use a deep backcourt to ease his transition to the NBA.

That's the view of Timberwolves general manager David Kahn, who in announcing Alexey Shved's signing Wednesday took pains to make clear the 23-year-old Russian will not be asked to be a consistent producer for the team during his rookie season.

This year in particular I think it's important to not put too much pressure on him, Kahn said.

Though point guard Ricky Rubio (6'4''-G-90) is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, the Wolves still have Luke Ridnour and J.J. Barea at point guard, plus Malcolm Lee and whoever else is acquired over the rest of yet another active offseason.

The 6-foot-5 Shved is a shooting guard first, but he can move to the point guard spot, too. Kahn, who first saw Shved play last year, was taken by Shved's creativity with the ball.

Shved spent the last six seasons playing professionally in Russia and for his country's national team. Most recently, he scored a game-high 22 points to go with six assists to help Russia beat Nigeria for a spot in the London Olympics tournament. The Summer Games begin this weekend.

But the NBA is always where he's wanted to ultimately be. On a conference call with reporters, using his agent as a translator, Shved said he's played the sport since he was 6 or 7 years old, remembering his coach and father, Victor, bringing home VHS tapes of NBA games for him to watch.

He was hooked.

I told my mom and dad that this is my wish to play like the guys on TV, Shved said.

He watched more-modern video of the Timberwolves last season, before he knew of their interest in him. Like anyone else, he saw a stark difference in the quality of play before and after Rubio's injury.

What I like about the team is the players are very young, Shved said, adding: I think that it will be a good fit for me.

He's been listed around 160 pounds, unquestionably thin. Kahn said he wasn't worried.

When he arrives we can make him stronger, but there are other skinny players in our league who've been successful, Kahn said. I have very high hopes for him.

Shved's signing was rather anticlimactic, considering the news of his agreement has been out for weeks. There is still plenty else going on in the front office with the roster, most notably a three-team trade between Minnesota, Phoenix and New Orleans.

According to a person familiar with the deal, speaking on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because it's pending completion of routine logistical matters, the Wolves will send first-round bust Wes Johnson and a first-round draft pick to the Suns and cash to the Hornets. The Wolves will get guard Jerome Dyson, two second-round draft picks and get back retiring center Brad Miller's contract from the Hornets that allows them to create more space under the salary cap.

The Wolves also have an agreement pending with guard Brandon Roy. Kahn said he expects to finalize Roy's contract soon but declined to comment on any other moves, including the pending trade or the reported interest in Andrei Kirilenko (6'9''-F-81).

The 31-year-old Kirilenko spent last season in Russia after 10 years with the Utah Jazz. The 6-foot-9 small forward averaged 12.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game during that time. Shved said he hasn't spoken with his fellow Russian national team member about Kirilenko's interest in Minnesota, preferring to keep his focus on the Olympics.

All-Star Kevin Love has more than once voiced his preference for urgency in building a winning team around him, and Kahn was asked on the conference call about Love's outlook.

I think sometimes Kevin thinks that he's the only person here who wants to make the playoffs next year. I think we all are motivated to do so. It's just the right time, Kahn said, adding: Provided we stay healthy we think that next season, that's the year where this is within our reach.

Kahn also suggested Love's perceived impatience is connected to losing so many games with the Wolves at the beginning of his career.

He was born into a situation of a team that was many years away, as opposed to other players in effect born into many more advantageous situations, Kahn said. I share his urgency but only in a healthy way. Everything we do is in keeping with making this team a competitive team, not only for next season but for seasons beyond.

Courtesy of www.jamestownsun.com


Mavericks sign second-round pick James - by Eurobasket News

The Dallas Mavericks have announced the signing of former Florida State center and Air Force veteran Bernard James (6'10''-F-85, college: Florida St.). In a Wednesday statement, the Mavericks said terms of the deal won't be disclosed.

The Cleveland Cavaliers took the 6-10, 240-pound Seminole in the second round of the 2012 NBA draft - 33rd overall. The Mavs acquired him June 28 with 24th overall pick Jared Cunningham and 34th overall pick Jae Crowder. The Cavs got guard Kelenna Azubuike (ah-zuh-BOO'-keh) and 17th overall pick Tyler Zeller.

James served six years in the Air Force, attaining the rank of staff sergeant and serving three tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and Qatar. James is a former Staff Sergeant who served six years in the Air Force including three tours to Iraq, Afghanistan and Qatar.

Courtesy of www.brownsvilleherald.com


Clippers, Ronny Turiaf agree to a deal - by Eurobasket News

The Clippers and free-agent Ronny Turiaf (6'10''-C/F-83, agency: Priority Sports, college: Gonzaga) have agreed to a one-year, veterans minimum contract worth $1.146 million, said NBA executives who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Turiaf, a 6-10, 245-pounder, will be a backup power forward and center for the Clippers.

He becomes the fifth big man for the Clippers behind starters DeAndre Jordan, Blake Griffin and reserves Lamar Odom and Ryan Hollins the 13th player on the roster.

Turiaf played his first three NBA seasons with the Lakers.

He played for the Washington Wizards and Miami Heat last season.

Turiaf played in 12 playoff games with the NBA champion Heat, seven as a starter.

He averaged 1.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in 10.1 minutes in the postseason with the Heat.

Courtesy of www.latimes.com


Grizzlies trade Jeremy Pargo to Cavs - by Eurobasket News

The Memphis Grizzlies acquired guard/forward D.J. Kennedy (6'6''-G/F-89, agency: Interperformances, college: St.John's) from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for guard Jeremy Pargo (6'2''-PG-86, agency: Priority Sports, college: Gonzaga), a 2014 second round pick and cash considerations, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

Kennedy (6-6, 215) made two appearances for Cleveland as a rookie last season, recording 6.0 points and 3.5 rebounds on .417 shooting in 29.5 minutes after being called up from the NBA Development Leagues Erie Bayhawks on April 21,2012.

The 22-year-old posted 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists on .447 shooting in 37.3 minutes in 44 games (all starts) for Erie. He also averaged 14.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists in the Bayhawks three postseason games.

The Pittsburgh native enjoyed a four-year career (2007-11) at St. Johns University,where he became just the third player in school history to total at least 1,500 points, 750 rebounds and 150 steals, joining Malik Sealy and George Johnson.

Pargo (6-2, 219) averaged 2.9 points and 1.3 assists on .333 shooting in 9.6 minutes in 44 games (five starts) as a rookie for Memphis last season. The 26-year-old Gonzaga product originally was signed by the Grizzlies as a free agent on Dec. 10,2011.

Courtesy of www.insidehoops.com


Report: Wolves, Kirilenko finalizing 2-year, $20 million deal - by Eurobasket News

The Minnesota Timberwolves are finalizing a two-year, $20 million deal with former Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko (6'9''-F-81), according to a Yahoo! Sports report.

Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com's Marc Stein on Tuesday the Brooklyn Nets were making a hard push to land Kirilenko. A source also told Stein the Golden State Warriors were among the bidders for Kirilenko.

The 31-year-old spent 10 seasons with the Jazz before joining CSKA Moscow in his native Russia.

Also on Wednesday, the Timberwolves agreed to a multi-team trade with the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Hornets that will send center Robin Lopez and forward Hakim Warrick from Phoenix to New Orleans, while moving forward Wesley Johnson and a first-round draft pick from Minnesota to Phoenix, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.

The deal also sends guard Jerome Dyson and retiring center Brad Miller's $5.1 million contract from New Orleans to Minnesota, allowing the Timberwolves to clear space under the NBA's salary cap as they pursue free agents. Minnesota also will receive two second-round draft picks from New Orleans, while the Hornets will receive cash.

Minnesota general manager David Kahn declined to confirm the deal when asked about it on a conference call Wednesday, saying only that he is "not allowed to comment on anything that hasn't been consummated."

The Timberwolves did announce the signing of 23-year-old Russian guard Alexey Shved on Wednesday.

Shved spent the last six seasons playing professionally in Russia and for his country's national team. Most recently, he scored a game-high 22 points to go with six assists to help Russia beat Nigeria for a spot in the London Olympics tournament. The Summer Games begin this weekend.

Though point guard Ricky Rubio is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, the Wolves still have Luke Ridnour and J.J. Barea at point guard, plus Malcolm Lee and whoever else is acquired over the rest of yet another active offseason.

The 6-foot-5 Shved is a shooting guard first, but he can move to the point guard spot, too. Kahn, who first saw Shved play last year, was taken by Shved's creativity with the ball

Courtesy of http://abclocal.go.com


Sources: Magic's Howard still desires trade - by Eurobasket News

Dwight Howard (6'11''-C-85) reiterated to Orlando Magic general manager Rob Hennigan on Wednesday during a meeting in Los Angeles that he still wants to be traded and will leave as a free agent after next season.

The Magic considered the meeting as an opportunity to check in with Howard and brief him on their plans going forward, league sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard.

The Los Angeles Lakers would seem to be a team that has moved on with their business as the Magic pulled back on trade talks involving Howard.

The Lakers introduced new forward Antawn Jamison on Wednesday, announced the re-signing of forward Jordan Hill and have had preliminary discussions about an extension for center Andrew Bynum.

While Orlando regroups to assess its options with Howard, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said as far as he's concerned, the door remains open for the team to make an impact trade.

"Typically it slows down in August, but the brakes are never on," Kupchak said coyly.

The Lakers' position on Howard has remained relatively unchanged for the past few months, league sources familiar with the situation have told ESPNLosAngeles.com. The Lakers always have been willing to trade for Howard without assurances he'd re-sign with them after the season, believing that once Howard experienced a championship culture, he would want to stay.

However, the Lakers also remain unwilling to take back burdensome contracts from Orlando that would subject them to the most punitive luxury-tax penalties of the new collective bargaining agreement, according to sources.

The Lakers also lost the ability to include future first-round draft choices after including their 2013 and 2015 first-round picks in a sign-and-trade with Phoenix for Steve Nash earlier this month.

While the pace of the talks has frustrated executives and hamstrung business around the league, the Lakers seem to have found a way of remaining open to a trade for Howard while still going about their business.

Kupchak said Wednesday he's had "positive and productive" conversations with Bynum's agent in recent days.

Under the terms of the new CBA, Bynum would be eligible to sign a three-year extension before the start of the season. Or he could play out this season, become an unrestricted free agent and sign for four years with another club or re-sign with the Lakers for five years.

"You can argue both sides," Kupchak said when asked whether he had developed a sense of Bynum's thinking on the issue. "The risks associated with playing out a contract versus bird in hand. That's something each player or representative weighs and evaluates on their own.

"I remember when I signed with the Lakers. I was coming off two back surgeries and I know what I told my agent. So you can argue it either way. If you feel you're never going to get hurt and you're healthy, God's in your corner. You can take a risk and become a free agent and deal with all of the abundancies of free agency. Everybody evaluates that differently. I know how I looked at it."

Bynum has been plagued by injuries throughout his career. This was the first year he's made it through a full season without a significant injury.

When reached by ESPNLosAngles.com on Wednesday afternoon, Bynum's agent, David Lee, said he wasn't sure which direction Bynum was leaning and denied he'd had any substantive conversations with Kupchak about an extension.

"We talk all the time, but we've never had a conversation about an extension," Lee said. " (We haven't talked) about anything of any substance regarding next year or the following year or the following year."

Asked whether he and his client have decided whether it benefits him to sign for three years on top of the final year and $16.1 million he's owed for 2012-13, Lee said: "He generally addresses things as they come to fruition. As I've said before, if we were to talk about everything that comes out, every trade rumor, we'd spend more time talking about other teams than the Lakers.

"To discuss a hypothetical would be a waste of our time."

Bynum has been the subject of trade rumors for most of his career and is somewhat used to them by now. Although it gets tiresome, Lee reiterated that any notion this latest round of speculation would sour him on the Lakers is incorrect.

"I haven't heard him say anything negative about the Lakers," Lee said. "I know that (Lakers executive vice president of basketball operations) Jim Buss has reached out. I'm not sure that he's been successful yet."

Last week, Lee told ESPNLosAngeles.com that it would be "foolish" for any team to trade for his client without first speaking to Bynum to gauge his interest in signing an extension or long-term contract.

The Lakers so far have not granted the Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Magic or any team permission to speak directly with Bynum or his representatives.

Lee also denied that Bynum had a list of preferred destinations, saying he and Bynum chuckled when they read reports while on vacation in Alaska last week indicating he already had made such decisions.

However, sources have told Broussard that Bynum likely would not sign an extension anywhere else but with the Lakers this summer because it benefits him financially to wait until after the season so he can get a longer, more lucrative deal.

The inability to decipher Bynum's intentions complicated trade talks last week and Broussard subsequently reported the Magic may not trade Howard after all.

Howard has been steadfast in his desire to be traded since the end of last season, telling Hennigan last month during their first face-to-face meeting that he wanted to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets.

But with Howard under contract for next season, the only firm deadline Orlando faces is next season's trade deadline. By then, the Nets would be free to trade center Brook Lopez, whom they signed to a four-year extension once talks with the Magic broke down earlier this month.

Courtesy of ESPN


Lakers sign F Jamison - by Eurobasket News

The Los Angeles Lakers signed free agent forward Antawn Jamison (6'9''-F-76, college: N.Carolina) on Wednesday.

Jamison, a 14-year veteran, spent last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 17.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists through 65 games.

Jamison, who was selected with the fourth overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 1998 draft but was quickly traded to the Golden State Warriors, has appeared in 985 career games with 858 starts for the Warriors, Mavericks, Wizards and Cavaliers.

He has averaged 19.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the floor and 34.6 percent from three-point range.

Jamison also joins Dirk Nowitzki as the only players to accumulate at least 19,000 points, 7,000 rebounds and 1,000 three-pointers made in a career.

Courtesy of www.foxnews.com


Lakers, Andrew Bynum open contract extension talks - by Eurobasket News

This negotiation isn't a matter of price, but of preferred destinations and collective bargaining agreement logistics.

The Orange County Register reports that the Los Angeles Lakers and All-Star center Andrew Bynum (7'0''-C-87, agency: David Lee services) have begun conversations about a contract extension.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and Andrew Bynum's agent spoke Wednesday about a contract extension for Bynum, an indication of the Lakers' ongoing interest in locking Bynum beyond next season.

Kupchak declined to detail the Wednesday conversation between him and Bynum's representative beyond a general descrition of productive and positive. Kupchak said no changes in Bynum's status would be coming soon.

Bynum, 24, is coming off of a career year, being selected to first All-Star game in 2012 and being named to the All-NBA Second Team. A true 7-footer with good hands, an array of moves on offense and solid defensive and shot-blocking numbers, Bynum is considered the NBA's second-best center, behind Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard. He posted averages of 18.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks while shooting 55.8 percent from the field for the Lakers last season. He appeared in 60 of the team's 66 games.

To date, Bynum has made nearly $50 million in salary, according to Basketball-Reference.com. He's set to earn $16.9 million in 2012-13 after the Lakers decided to pick up their team option on his deal.

There is no question about Bynum's asking price going forward. Even with numerous eye-roll inducing comments, multiple ugly on-court incidents and a string of traffic violations, Bynum is a max player, no questions asked. The Lakers are able to offer him a 3-year extension currently; should he decide to wait until the summer and become an unrestricted free agent, he would be eligible for a 5-year extension.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul found himself in the same situation this summer and opted against inking an extension, instead waiting for a bigger pay day down the road. One possible X-factor for Bynum: Bynum underwent surgery on his right knee in 2010 and continued to receive treatment into the 2011-12 season. But is hedging against the risks associated with his knee really worth sacrificing two guaranteed years of high 8-figure per year salary? Not likely.

Really, the biggest X-factor in all of this has nothing to do with Bynum and everything to do with Howard. The two centers have been linked in rumors for years at this point and Howard is entering the final season of his contract with the Orlando Magic. Howard has requested a trade and Bynum is the league's most obvious return trade chip.

Bynum's future, then, likely winds up on hold until the Howard soap opera finally plays out a bit further. Wonderful.

Courtesy of www.cbssports.com


Suns move Lopez, Warrick to Hornets in 3-team trade - by Eurobasket News

The Hornets, Suns and Timberwolves have agreed to a multiplayer trade sending 7-foot center Robin Lopez (7'0''-C/F-88, college: Stanford) and forward Hakim Warrick (6'9''-F-82, college: Syracuse) from Phoenix to New Orleans, while moving forward Wesley Johnson and a first-round draft pick from Minnesota to Phoenix, a person familiar with the deal said.

The person told The Associated Press about the trade on condition of anonymity Wednesday because it has not been announced pending the completion of some routine logistical matters.

The deal also sends guard Jerome Dyson (6'3''-G-87, college: Connecticut) and retiring center Brad Miller's (6'11''-C-76, agency: Priority Sports, college: Purdue) $5.1 million contract from New Orleans to Minnesota, allowing the Timberwolves to clear space under the NBA's salary cap as they pursue free agents. Minnesota also will receive two second-round draft picks from New Orleans, while the Hornets will receive cash.

Minnesota general manager David Kahn declined to confirm the deal when asked about it on a conference call Wednesday, saying only that he is "not allowed to comment on anything that hasn't been consummated."

The acquisition of Lopez fills a need at center for the Hornets, who traded away Emeka Okafor and let Chris Kaman go in free agency.

While the Hornets were able to draft 6-11 Kentucky star Anthony Davis first overall in last month's draft, Davis is expected to play often at power forward because his slender build could leave him at a defensive disadvantage in one-on-one matchups against some of the league's more powerful centers such as Dwight Howard or Andrew Bynum.

The Hornets also have 7-footer Jason Smith on the roster, and while he has filled in at center well when called upon, he has been primarily a reserve power forward during his career.

New Orleans now has made two trades to acquire new front court players, having also dealt forward Gustavo Ayon to Orlando for 6-10 sharpshooter Ryan Anderson, a perimeter threat who can space out an opposing defense.

Lopez was drafted 15th overall by the Suns in 2008. Before that, he starred at Stanford with his twin brother, Brook, now a starter with Brooklyn Nets.

Robin Lopez has been an off-and-on starter in the NBA and was a reserve for all 64 games in which he appeared last season, averaging 5.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 14 minutes a game.

Warrick, a former Syracuse standout now entering his eighth season, started periodically in Memphis early in his career, but played a reserve role the past two seasons in Phoenix. For his career, he has averaged 9.5 points and 4.1 rebounds in 20.4 minutes.

The 6-7 Johnson is entering his third season in the NBA out of Syracuse. He has averaged 7.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 24.6 minutes in his young career.

The Suns made another move Wednesday, re-signing guard Shannon Brown for two years with the second year partially guaranteed.

Brown averaged 11 points and 2.7 rebounds in a career-high 23.7 minutes per game last season. He appeared in 59 games, 19 as a starter.

He came to the Suns as a free agent in 2011, signing a one-year deal.

Courtesy of www.usatoday.com


Lakers re-sign forward Jordan Hill - by Eurobasket News

The Los Angeles Lakers have re-signed free agent forward Jordan Hill (6'10''-F/C-87, college: Arizona), it was announced by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

Hill, who was originally acquired by the team on March 15, 2012 as part of a trade with the Houston Rockets, appeared in seven regular season games last season averaging 4.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 11.7 minutes. In 12 postseason games, Hill averaged 4.8 points and 6.3 rebounds in 18.1 minutes.

A 6-10 forward/center out of the University of Arizona, Hill was originally selected by the New York Knicks with the eighth overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. Acquired by Houston as part of a three-team, nine-player trade midway through his rookie campaign, Hill has appeared in 158 games during his three-year NBA career, averaging 5.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 14.6 minutes.

Courtesy of www.insidehoops.com


Trail Blazers' coaching search down to four finalists: Stotts, Turner, Clifford, Canales - by Eurobasket News

The Trail Blazers coaching search has been pared to four finalists: Terry Stotts, Elston Turner, Steve Clifford and Kaleb Canales, The Oregonian has learned.

The four candidates will interview in Portland next week, after which general manager Neil Olshey is expected to make a recommendation to owner Paul Allen.

Stotts is the lead assistant for Dallas and is the only finalist besides Canales with head coaching experience. Stotts has a 114-168 record in four seasons as a head coach in Atlanta and Milwaukee. His best season was in 2005-2006 when he led the Bucks to a 40-42 record and a playoff appearance. He is credited with directing Dallas offense during the Mavericks title run in 2011.

Turner has been an NBA assistant for 16 years, including the last two in Phoenix and a five-year stint in Portland (1996-2000). A noted defensive coach, Turner also spent time in Houston and Sacramento. A 6-foot-5 guard, Turner played eight years in the NBA with Dallas, Denver and Chicago and was known for his defense.

Clifford spent the past six seasons in Orlando, and has spent all of his coaching career under the Van Gundys - Jeff in New York and Houston - and Stan in Orlando. He is viewed as a teacher and mentor.

Canales, 34, is the youngest of the candidates, and the candidate who comes with the strong endorsement of the Blazers players. He replaced head coach Nate McMillan in March on an interim basis and went 8-15. A former video coordinator for the team who works out with star LaMarcus Aldridge, Canales coached the Blazers Summer League entry and guided them to a 4-1 record. In the process, he worked extensively with heralded rookies Damian Lillard and Meyers Leonard.

Courtesy of www.oregonlive.com


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NBLCANADA

Raptors coming to Halifax in fall - by Eurobasket News

The new-look Toronto Raptors are coming to Halifax.

The NBA club is expected to announce at a news conference on Thursday morning at the Canada Games Centre in Clayton Park that it will hold its training camp and an inter-squad game in the city in early October.

The news conference will include Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo, Halifax Rainmen president and CEO Andre Levingston , and Trade Centre Ltd. CEO Scott Ferguson.

The camp is expected to be held at the new Canada Games Centre during the first week of October and would likely wrap up with an inter-squad game at the Metro Centre on Oct. 6.

Neither Levingston nor Erin Esiyok-Prime, the communications and marketing advisor for Trade Centre Ltd., would comment about todays announcement, referring all requests to the Raptors.

Jim LaBumbard, the Raptors director of media relations, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Courtesy of http://thechronicleherald.ca


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NCAA1

OSU men, women to play on USS Yorktown - by Eurobasket News

Ohio State's men's and women's basketball teams will open the season on the USS Yorktown in the Carrier Classic.

The Buckeye women will play national runner-up Notre Dame on Nov. 9. That game will be followed by the Ohio State men playing Marquette. The 2011 Carrier Classic was held in San Diego on the USS Carl Vinson when North Carolina defeated Michigan State, a game attended by President Barack Obama.

Michael Whalen, director of event organizer Morale Entertainment Foundation, said Wednesday he expected to have about 4,000 seats available for the doubleheader. Although Whalen said the final capacity would be determined by state and local fire marshals.

The Yorktown served in World War II and Vietnam. It is docked in Charleston Harbor as a museum.

Courtesy of www.lancastereaglegazette.com


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NORWAY

U16 European Championship: Estonia topple Norway - by Eurobasket News

Estonia U16 - Norway U16 63:44

Estonia clinched the win in the classification round Group J. They defeated Norway to improve at 2-0 record in the ladder. Marko Meimer (199-F-96, agency: FCM) and Karl-Robin Jurjens (199-F-96) scored 10 points each to lead the winners.
Estonia enjoyed a 14:5 lead ten minutes. into the game. The Baltic team stretched the margin in the second quarter. Estonia ensured a 27:16 halftime advantage. Estonia deepened their lead in the third quarter. They limited Norway to 12 points to pile up a 23-point advantage with one quarter to go. The Scandinavian team outscored Estonia in the fourth frame but could not avoid the loss at the end. Jaagup Russak (179-G-96) accounted for 8 points for Estonia. Sjur Berg (196-PF-96) answered with 17 points and 14 boards for Norway. Harald Frey (174-PG-97) and Anders Nymo (177-PG-96) netted 8 points each in the loss.

Estonia U16: Marko Meimer 19, Karl-Robin Jurjens 10, Jaagup Russak 8
Norway U16: Sjur Berg 17+14 boards, Harald Frey 8, Anders Nymo 8


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PARAGUAY

76th Paraguayan Metro started its Semi Finals - by Santiago Maciel

Last Saturday started our 76th METRO tournament semi-finals.
Four teams are playing it, the difference among last year is the presence of Cerro Porteo and San Jose this year and the absence of Sol de America.
Last Saturday San Jose beat Cerro 85 to 72. Through the conversion of 18 three pointers, San Jose built a great entrance in the Semi Finals.
At second time Libertad earned its first round game to FELIX PEREZ 95 to 78.
Both Libertad and San Jose seem to be the strongest teams at the beginning of this part of the tournament, although for the second round Cerro, Libertad and San Jose have already brought foreigners for their teams to get stronger.
Last Monday , second round was played with this over all results: LIBERTAD beat CERRO 82 to 75; and Felix Perez earned its firt semi final game 76 to 72.
Bruno Zannoti and Dany Perez are playing extraordinary game at this moment. For San Jose, the faboulous five pilarenses Aldo Acosta, Federico Mellone, Victor Brizuela, Ramon Sanchez and Tavy Torres are breaking all defenses by a great 3pt effectivity.


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POLAND

Turkey wins European Basketball Tour - by Eurobasket News

Poland-Turkey 62:70

Turkey wins European Basketball Tour in Sofia with 4 participating teams. The team celebrated the victories in all three games including the final one over Poland 70:62. The latter meanwhile finished on the third place with 1-2 record.
Poland started better and reached 22:17 advantage at the end of the first period. They lost the second quarter by three points but led 31:29 at the halftime. Poland opened the third quarter better again and started to improved the deficit. They grabbed 56:49 lead after three quarters however could not win the game. Turkey needed a strong last period to seal an 8-point victory.
Emir Preldzic (205-F-87, agency: Beo Basket) stepped up with 15 points and Semih Erden (211-C-87) nailed 14. Serhat Cetin (197-G-86) poured in 9, while Izzet Turkyilmaz (210-PF-90) scored 7. Dardan Berisha (192-G-88, agency: INVICTUS Sports Group) ended up with 16 points in the losing effort and Marcin Gortat (213-C-84) notched 13. Przemyslaw Zamojski (194-SG-86, agency: Alti Sport, college: Independence CC) and Lucasz WISNIEWSKI followed them with 8 points apiece.

Poland: Dardan Berisha 16, Marcin Gortat 13, Przemyslaw Zamojski 8, Lucasz WISNIEWSKI 8
Turkey: Emir Preldzic 15, Semih Erden 14, Serhat Cetin 9, Izzet Turkyilmaz 7


Biela is back at AZS Radex Szczecin - by Eurobasket Center

AZS Radex Szczecin (1 Liga) agreed terms with 32-year old Polish forward Lukasz Biela (200-F-80). Its actually Bielas comeback to AZS Szczecin as he played here before. Biela played most recently at BC Montbrison (France). While playing 26 games for Montbrison last season he recorded 14.1ppg, 6.0rpg and 1.4apg. He played in France for in total 5 years: 3 years at Montbrison, one year at Longwy-Rehon and one year at Feurs. He is a very experienced player. In season 2008-09 while playing in Szczecin Biela was voted Eurobasket.com All-Polish 2Liga Forward of the Year.

By Eurobasket Data Center


AZS Radex Szczecin adds Trela to their roster - by Eurobasket Center

AZS Radex Szczecin (1 Liga) agreed terms with 23-year old Polish power forward Igor Trela (206-C/F-89). Trela played most recently at King Wilki Morskie Szczecin (2Liga). While playing 22 games for Wilki Morskie last season he recorded 12.0ppg, 7.3rpg and 2.0spg. He played for Polish U18 national team in 2006. He also played at the Euroleague Nike Junior Tournament together with Prokom Trefl Sopot team.

By Eurobasket Data Center


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PORTUGAL

U16 European Championship: Montenegro grab the Semifinal ticket - by Eurobasket News

Portugal U16-Montenegro U16 51:90

Montenegro grab the Semifinal ticket at the U16 European Championship in Division B. The team overcame Portugal for 2-1 record in the second place in Group F. Portugal meanwhile finished the group with 1-2 record on the last place.
Montenegro started with 17-13 in the first period and erupted with 27-9 in the second frame. Lazar Pavicevic (184-G-96) scored for 45:22 early in the third as his team added another 25-8 in the quarter. Both teams nailed 21 points in the last stanza for the final result. Durisic gave Montenegro their finals points from the free throw line.
Petar Popovic (188-PG-96) top-scored for the winners with 24 points and Milos Andelic (171-PG-96) netted 18. Aleksandar Dozic (199-F-96) collected 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Lazar Pavicevic added 9. Sergio Brito (190-PG-97) notched 9 points in the losing effort and Carlos Salamanca (187-G-97) posted 7.

Portugal U16: Sergio Brito 9, Carlos Salamanca 7
Montenegro U16: Petar Popovic 24, Milos Andelic 18, Aleksandar Dozic 16+12 rebs, Lazar Pavicevic 9


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PUERTO RICO

Metros de Santiago adds Huertas to their roster - by Eurobasket Center

Metros de Santiago added to their roster 25-year old Puerto Rican international guard David Huertas (195-G-89kg-87, college: Mississippi). Huertas played most recently at Pirates de Quebradillas (Puerto Rico). While playing 34 games for Quebradillas last season he recorded 14.2ppg, 4.6rpg and 2.1apg. He helped them to make it to the final. It was a very successful year in Huertas career as He was voted to Latinbasket.com All-Puerto Rican BSN Honorable Mention. Huertas is a very experienced player. He played also pro basketball in France, Greece, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. Huertas graduated from The University of Mississippi in 2009 and it will be his fourth season in pro basketball. Huertas played for Puerto Rican senior national team this year. He represented Puerto Rico at the Olympic Games Additional Qualifying Round in Caracas (Venezuela) this year and his stats at this event were 3 games: 5.3ppg, 2.7rpg, FGP: 16.7%, 3PT: 30.8%.

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ROMANIA

Marcel Jones to Pitesti - by Chris Terrell

Marcel Jones (203-F-85, college: Oregon St.) has agreed to terms to join BCM U Pitesti for the 2012-2013 campaign. Jones is a forward with good size for the 3 position at 6'8. Jones was an NBA draft candidate in 2007 after averaging over 15ppg at the Pac-10's Oregon State Universtiy as a Junior. Jones career has taken him all over the world including several all-star seasons in New Zealand including a championship in 2010, a championship in the English BBL, and among others, a good performance this past season in the Balkan league while playing for HKK Zrinjski in Bosnia where he was Eurobasket.com All-Balkan League Honorable Mention. This will be Jones first season in Romania.


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RUSSIA

Kuban closes in on Aleks Maric - by Anton Zirkov

Lokomotiv Kuban are close to agree terms with Australian Center Aleks Maric (211-C-84, college: Nebraska),A source from Kuban confirmed to Eurobasket.
Both parties have been in intensive negotiations in the past week and yesterday the reached an agreement about a two years deal.
A source from Lokomotiv confirmed that Maric is heading to the Krasnodar club:"Maric is a player we wanted for a long time,he wanted to check all his options and we waited.

in the last couple of days there were an intensive talks and they were very positive".the deal is around 600.000 Euros per season.

Kuban were very interested in Serbian center Kosta Perovic,but he proved to cost to much for the club.
Maric,who finished 4 years at Nebraska University (2004-2008) headed to Granada in the 2008/2009 season.in 2009 he singed for Partizan Belgrade and reached the Euroleague final four with an excellent season,in 2010 he singed a two years deal with Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos and in both seasons played a limited time.

Wolves sign Russian guard Alexey Shved - by Eurobasket News

The latest European addition to the Minnesota Timberwolves will be able to use a deep backcourt to ease his transition to the NBA.

That's the view of Timberwolves general manager David Kahn, who in announcing Alexey Shved's signing Wednesday took pains to make clear the 23-year-old Russian will not be asked to be a consistent producer for the team during his rookie season.

This year in particular I think it's important to not put too much pressure on him, Kahn said.

Though point guard Ricky Rubio (6'4''-G-90) is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, the Wolves still have Luke Ridnour and J.J. Barea at point guard, plus Malcolm Lee and whoever else is acquired over the rest of yet another active offseason.

The 6-foot-5 Shved is a shooting guard first, but he can move to the point guard spot, too. Kahn, who first saw Shved play last year, was taken by Shved's creativity with the ball.

Shved spent the last six seasons playing professionally in Russia and for his country's national team. Most recently, he scored a game-high 22 points to go with six assists to help Russia beat Nigeria for a spot in the London Olympics tournament. The Summer Games begin this weekend.

But the NBA is always where he's wanted to ultimately be. On a conference call with reporters, using his agent as a translator, Shved said he's played the sport since he was 6 or 7 years old, remembering his coach and father, Victor, bringing home VHS tapes of NBA games for him to watch.

He was hooked.

I told my mom and dad that this is my wish to play like the guys on TV, Shved said.

He watched more-modern video of the Timberwolves last season, before he knew of their interest in him. Like anyone else, he saw a stark difference in the quality of play before and after Rubio's injury.

What I like about the team is the players are very young, Shved said, adding: I think that it will be a good fit for me.

He's been listed around 160 pounds, unquestionably thin. Kahn said he wasn't worried.

When he arrives we can make him stronger, but there are other skinny players in our league who've been successful, Kahn said. I have very high hopes for him.

Shved's signing was rather anticlimactic, considering the news of his agreement has been out for weeks. There is still plenty else going on in the front office with the roster, most notably a three-team trade between Minnesota, Phoenix and New Orleans.

According to a person familiar with the deal, speaking on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because it's pending completion of routine logistical matters, the Wolves will send first-round bust Wes Johnson and a first-round draft pick to the Suns and cash to the Hornets. The Wolves will get guard Jerome Dyson, two second-round draft picks and get back retiring center Brad Miller's contract from the Hornets that allows them to create more space under the salary cap.

The Wolves also have an agreement pending with guard Brandon Roy. Kahn said he expects to finalize Roy's contract soon but declined to comment on any other moves, including the pending trade or the reported interest in Andrei Kirilenko (6'9''-F-81).

The 31-year-old Kirilenko spent last season in Russia after 10 years with the Utah Jazz. The 6-foot-9 small forward averaged 12.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game during that time. Shved said he hasn't spoken with his fellow Russian national team member about Kirilenko's interest in Minnesota, preferring to keep his focus on the Olympics.

All-Star Kevin Love has more than once voiced his preference for urgency in building a winning team around him, and Kahn was asked on the conference call about Love's outlook.

I think sometimes Kevin thinks that he's the only person here who wants to make the playoffs next year. I think we all are motivated to do so. It's just the right time, Kahn said, adding: Provided we stay healthy we think that next season, that's the year where this is within our reach.

Kahn also suggested Love's perceived impatience is connected to losing so many games with the Wolves at the beginning of his career.

He was born into a situation of a team that was many years away, as opposed to other players in effect born into many more advantageous situations, Kahn said. I share his urgency but only in a healthy way. Everything we do is in keeping with making this team a competitive team, not only for next season but for seasons beyond.

Courtesy of www.jamestownsun.com


Report: Wolves, Kirilenko finalizing 2-year, $20 million deal - by Eurobasket News

The Minnesota Timberwolves are finalizing a two-year, $20 million deal with former Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko (6'9''-F-81), according to a Yahoo! Sports report.

Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com's Marc Stein on Tuesday the Brooklyn Nets were making a hard push to land Kirilenko. A source also told Stein the Golden State Warriors were among the bidders for Kirilenko.

The 31-year-old spent 10 seasons with the Jazz before joining CSKA Moscow in his native Russia.

Also on Wednesday, the Timberwolves agreed to a multi-team trade with the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Hornets that will send center Robin Lopez and forward Hakim Warrick from Phoenix to New Orleans, while moving forward Wesley Johnson and a first-round draft pick from Minnesota to Phoenix, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.

The deal also sends guard Jerome Dyson and retiring center Brad Miller's $5.1 million contract from New Orleans to Minnesota, allowing the Timberwolves to clear space under the NBA's salary cap as they pursue free agents. Minnesota also will receive two second-round draft picks from New Orleans, while the Hornets will receive cash.

Minnesota general manager David Kahn declined to confirm the deal when asked about it on a conference call Wednesday, saying only that he is "not allowed to comment on anything that hasn't been consummated."

The Timberwolves did announce the signing of 23-year-old Russian guard Alexey Shved on Wednesday.

Shved spent the last six seasons playing professionally in Russia and for his country's national team. Most recently, he scored a game-high 22 points to go with six assists to help Russia beat Nigeria for a spot in the London Olympics tournament. The Summer Games begin this weekend.

Though point guard Ricky Rubio is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, the Wolves still have Luke Ridnour and J.J. Barea at point guard, plus Malcolm Lee and whoever else is acquired over the rest of yet another active offseason.

The 6-foot-5 Shved is a shooting guard first, but he can move to the point guard spot, too. Kahn, who first saw Shved play last year, was taken by Shved's creativity with the ball

Courtesy of http://abclocal.go.com


Aleksey Zozulin joins CSKA - by Eurobasket News

Aleksey Zozulin (199-G/F-83) moves to Moscow. The guard has agreed on terms of contract with CSKA. He signed a 1+1 deal with the Russian champions. Aleksey Zozulin played for Spartak Saint Petersburg since 2008. Last season the guard notched 4.5 points and 1.6 boards per game in EuroCup. In Russian League Aleksey Zozulin averaged 4.5 points and 2.0 rebounds per appearance. In VTB League his stats read 3.8 points and 2.3 boards. Previously Aleksey Zozulin had stints with Unics Kazan, Sibirtelekom-Lokomotiv and Ural Great Perm. He was the member of U17, U18 and U20 Russian National Teams. Aleksey Zozulin also played for Russian National Team in 2004/09 seasons.


Enisey Krasnoyarsk adds PG Zabian Dowdell for the next season - by Eurobasket News

Zabian Dowdell (191-PG-84, agency: Ryzhov Stanislav, college: Virginia Tech) will continue his career in Russia. The American point guard signed a 1-year deal with Enisey Krasnoyarsk. Dowdell arrives to the club from Gran Canaria, where he finished last season. He joined them at the beginning of March averaging 4.2 points and 1.6 rebounds for 12 games in Liga Endesa. Dowdell split 2010/11 season between the Phoenix Suns and Tulsa 66ers. With the Suns he had 5 ppg and 2.1 apg in 24 NBA games. Before that, the player had 15 ppg, 4.5 apg and 2.1 rpg for 17 games in NBA D-League. Zabian Dowdel played for Unicaja in the second half of 2009/10 season. He had about 6.5 ppg in Euroleague and ACB. In the past, he played for Casale and Nancy. Dowdel is a product of the Virginia Tech University, where he graduated in 2007.


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SAN MARINO

U16 European Championship: Monaco fire past San Marino - by Eurobasket News

Monaco U16 - San Marino U16 82:32

Monaco celebrated the third straight win at U16 European Championship in Division C. They exploded with a stunning win over San Marino to clinch the top position in Group A. Clement Marechal (180-G-96) accounted for 22 points to lead the winners. San Marino fell at 2-1 record and occupied the second position in the ladder. Both teams advanced into semifinals.
Monaco led from start to finish. They accumulated a 14:8 lead after ten minutes. Monaco exploded with 35 points in the second quarter to pile up a 31-point buffer at the interval. Monaco maintained the lead throughout the third quarter. They secured a 34-point cushion heading into the fourth stanza. Monaco limited their opponents to 3 points in the final period and sealed a confident win at the end. Alessandro Generale (185-C-96) posted 19 points and 19 rebounds, while Daniel Pieper (185-F-96) added 18 points for the winners. Berardi answered with 13 points for San Marino. Igor Biordi (200-C-96) had 9 points and 13 boards in defeat.

Monaco U16: Clement Marechal 22, Alessandro Generale 19+19 boards, Daniel Pieper 18
San Marino U16: Berardi 13, Igor Biordi 9+13 boards


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SCOTLAND

U16 European Championship: Scotland wins Group B - by Eurobasket News

Gibraltar U16-Scotlnad U16 41:70

Scotland wins Group B of the U16 European Championship in Division C. The team overcame Gibraltar 70:41 in the game for the top place in the group for 2-0 record. The hosts of the tournament meanwhile finished second with 1-1 record.
It was a tough start in the game and the teams exchanged the lead several times. The guests grabbed 17:16 advantage and added 12:7 in the second frame. Moreover the second half also belonged to the Scottish side. They won the third period 20-10 and finished the game with 21-8 in the last stanza.
Gregor Gray top-scored for the winners with 17 points, while Winning added 16. Malcolm collected 13 points and 10 rebounds, whilst McKay delivered 6. Jake Haefner (185-G/F-97) finished the game with 17 points in the losing effort and Timothy Fava (176-F-97) posted 8. Jeremy Britto (187-G/F-96) followed them with 7 points in a loss.

Gibraltar U16: Jake Haefner 17, Timothy Fava 8, Jeremy Britto 7
Scotlnad U16: Gregor Gray 17, Winning 16, Malcolm 13+10 rebs, McKay 6


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SERBIA

PF Boris Savovic moves from Galatasaray to Crvena Zvezda - by Eurobasket News

Boris Savovic (206-F-87, agency: Beo Basket) is a new member of Crvena Zvezda. The Serbian power forward signed a 2-year deal with the club. Earlier this week Crvena Zvezda signed Marko Simonovic (202-F-86, agency: Beo Basket) and parted ways with its Head Coach Svetislav Pesic (agency: Interperformances). The team named Milivoje Lazic as new HC.
Boris Savovic finished last season with Turkish giant Galatasaray Medical Park Istanbul. He joined them in January averaging 6.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 21 TBL games. The player also added 1.6 ppg and 3.2 rpg for 5 games in Euroleague. Savovic started the season with Hemofarm Vrsac, where he had 12.8 ppg, 11.4 rpg and 1.8 apg for 16 games in Adriatic league. He was the top rebounder of the championship. Boris Savovic played for Hemofarm also from 2004 to 2009 and in 2010/11 season. Meanwhile, he spent one year with Buducnost Podgorica winning the Montenegrin championship title and Cup with them. Savovic was named Eurobasket.com All-Adriatic League European Player of the Year -12 and Eurobasket.com All-Adriatic League 1st Team -12.


Serbia beats Latvia in another friendly - by Eurobasket News

Serbia - Latvia 94-85

Serbia and Latvia met in another friendly game yesterday. Serbia was the host and managed to win 94-85 in their second official check since the beginning of preparations. Serbia outplayed Latvia in the first game 91-68. Last night, Milos Teodosic (195-G-87) was the leading player in victory with 24 points. Zoran Erceg (210-C/F-85) and Vladimir Lucic (202-F-89, agency: Beo Basket) scored 14 points each, while Nemanja Bjelica (209-F/C-88, agency: Interperformances) followed them with 12 pts. In the loosing squad, Janis Strelnieks (191-G-89) and Davis Bertans (208-F-92) scored 15 points each. Martins Meiers (206-C-91) had one less. Serbia was up by 4 at the halftime and they shined after the breather to take 13-point lead with ten minutes remaining. Latvia won the last period 24-28, but that was not enough for them to avoid second straight loss against Serbia. Both teams prepare for the 2013 EuroBasket Qualifications. It starts on August 14.

Serbia: Milos Teodosic 24, Zoran Erceg 14, Vladimir Lucic 14, Nemanja Bjelica 12
Latvia: Janis Strelnieks 15, Davis Bertans, 15 Martins Meiers 14


Elton Brown in Crvena zvezda Diva! - by Ivan Milenkovic

Great day for Crvena zvezda Beograd Diva who signed three quality players. After Boris Savovic (206-F-87) and talented Luka Mitrovic (204-F/C-93), "red and whites" signed Elton Brown (206-C-83, college: Virginia)! Partizan MTS wanted to sign American center too, but Crvena zvezda Diva offered him more money and he will play for them next season. Elton Brown played for Trabzonspor in Turkey last season and averaged 18.1 points (FG 57.9%, FT 56.7%) and 12.2 rebounds, but his team was relegated. This means that money will not be problem for Crvena zvezda Beograd after all and they will have big budget thanks to changes in Serbian government. New players are expected soon!


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SLOVAKIA

Astrum Levice Signs Two Slovenians - by Thomas Kottra

Former 2010/2011 Champion who is about to participate in two highest division - Slovak and Czech again - signed Bilic and Nuhanovic.
There are no doubts that management of Astrum Levice wants to retrieve their high champion credit and also to shuffle into top half of Czech MNBL. Levice are currently working on their roster and after signing a fair portion of domestic players, they are about to fulfill foreign players limits. First two players from beyond the borders are Slovenians.
Sinisa Bilic (201-F-89) is well known after his year-long stay in last runner-up team - MBK Rieker Komarno. 23 years old forward competed well and left his footprint on the court with 12.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game with 33.1% from beyond the arc.
Second is big-man - Salih Nuhanovic (209-C-82) - who knows Sinisa well because of their common stays in Slovenian club Elektra Sostanj. Averaging 11.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks made him one of the most valued domestic centers in Slovenian league. 30 years old center will be one of most experienced players on roster of Astrum Levice.


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SPAIN

CAI Zaragoza locks C Henk Norel until 2015 - by Eurobasket News

As expected, CAI Zaragoza officially signed a 3-season deal with Henk Norel (212-F/C-87). The 24-year-old big guy is a product of Joventut Badalona, where he moved as a teenager. Last season Norel appeared 28 times in Liga Endesa averaging 6.9 points and 4.5 rebounds. In 2010/11, the player had 6.4 ppg and 4.8 rpg. Norel got injured in January of 2011 and missed rest of the season. In the past, Henk Norel played on loan for Alicante and Prat. He also has experience from Demon Astronauts Amsterdam. Henk Norel played for Dutch National Team in Qualifications to European Championships Division B 2011. He exploded with 26.7 ppg, 11 rpg and 3.3 apg for 3 games. In 2009, Norel played for his country at EuroBasket Division B. There he had 8.8 ppg and 3.3 rpg in 4 games.
Today CAI Zaragoza announced signing of Gregg Thondique (201-F-87, agency: FCM, college: Virginia Union). He also signed 3-year deal with the club. In another move CAI Zaragoza sent Levi Knutson (193-G-88, agency: FCM, college: Colorado) on 1-year loan to the Polish squad Energa Czarni.


CAI Zaragoza signs 3-year deal with Gregg Thondique - by Eurobasket News

Gregg Thondique (201-F-87, agency: FCM, college: Virginia Union) will continue his career in Spain. The American big guy penned a 3-year deal with CAI Zaragoza. He shined with 19.9 ppg, 13.2 rpg, 2.9 apg and 1.8 spg for 28 games with Israeli Hapoel Afula last season. Thondique was second rebounder of the National League and was named to Eurobasket.com All-Israeli National League 2nd Team -12. Before Hapoel Afula, the player spent one year with Slovenian Hopsi Polzela. There he also had impressive season averaging 16.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 2.1 assists and 1.2 blocks. Thondique was top rebounder of the league, top stealer, top shot blocker and fifth scorer. He played for Polzela also in 2009/10 and was named to Eurobasket.com Slovenian League All-Imports Team -10. In 2011, he was named to Eurobasket.com Slovenian League All-Defensive Team. Gregg Thondique graduated at Virginia Union University (NCAA2) 3 years ago.


Melilla gets bigger with Jose Amador - by Eurobasket News

Jose Amador (210-F/C-83, agency: Duran International) is a new member of Melilla. The Spanish big guy signed a deal for the next season. Amador arrives to Melilla from Mallorca, where he spent 2011/12. The player appeared 34 times in LEB Gold averaging 12 points and 5.4 rebounds. A year ago Amador led Breogan to LEB Gold Semifinals. With them he had 5.2 ppg and 2.5 rpg in 41 games. Jose Amador played for Mallorca also in 2009/10 season. Before that he was a member of VIC, Bruesa, Alerta Cantabria Lobos, Pamesa Castellon and Pamesa. Amador won the LEB Silver title and Cup in 2008 with Vic. He helped the team with 10 ppg and 4.1 rpg for 22 games. Amador is a product of Pamesa, where he started as teenager.
Few days ago Melilla signed a 1-year contract extension with Kiril Wachsmann (203-C/F-83, agency: Edge Sports, college: Iona). The power forward/center arrived to the club last summer from Alzacar. He had 5.6 ppg and 6.2 rpg in 48 LEB Gold games. He helped Melilla to reach the LEB Gold Finals.


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SWEDEN

U16 European Championship: Sweden overcome Belgium in Bucharest - by Eurobasket News

Sweden U16 - Belgium U16 65:59

Sweden celebrated the first win at the second round of U16 European Championship. They knocked down Belgian counterparts to improve at 2-1 record on top of Group E. Ludvig Hakanson (190-PG-96) accounted for 20 points, 6 assists and 4 boards to pace the Scandinavians.
Belgium jumped to an early lead. They accumulated a 17:12 lead ten minutes into the game. Belgium stretched the lead in the second quarter. They established a 35:25 halftime lead. But Sweden slowly gained the initiative. The Scandinavian team cut the deficit at 9-point mark at the final intermission. Sweden went on a 12:2 run early in the fourth quart to narrow the deficit at a single point 54:55. They then used an 8:0 run to surge ahead for a 62:57 lead. Belgium could not recover as Sweden marched to the victory at the end. Erik Johansson (194-F-96) delivered 12 points, while Andreas Von Uthmann (196-F-96) netted 9 points in the win. Ordane Kanda-Kanyinda (96) answered with 18 points for Belgium. Sami Demirtas (189-G-96) and Romain Boxus (194-F-96) had 8 points each in the losing effort.

Sweden U16: Ludvig Hakanson 20, Erik Johansson 12, Andreas Von Uthmann 9
Belgium U16: Ordane Kanda-Kanyinda 18, Sami Demirtas 8, Romain Boxus 8


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SWITZERLAND

Brian Savoy, Jure Brekalo and Christian Boveda joins BBC Monthey - by Luca Maffioli

BBC Monthey strengthened their roster with addition of Brian Savoy (192-SG-92), Jure Brekalo (205-C/F-93) and Christian Boveda (199-F/C-92). Savoy come back to Swiss after one season in Spain. The Swiss 20-years old guard played 22 games with Grupo Inec Zamora and he averaged 13.1 points (2FGP: 40.8%, 3PT: 43.9%, FT: 77.8%), 3.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists. Savoy played also the last European Championships U20 Division B in Sofia and he had 18.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Brekalo spent last season with GC Zurich Wildcats and he averaged 3.4 points and 5.2 rebounds. Boveda played in LNB with Vevey Riviera Basket. The Swiss-Spanish power forward-center averaged 5.3 points and 4.2 rebounds in 12 games.


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TAIWAN

21 players apply for 2012 SBL Draft - by Chris Wang

The Chinese Taipei Basketball Association announced that a total of 21 players have applied for the 2012 SBL Draft which will be held on August 1 in Taipei.

A pre-draft tryout is scheduled to be held on July 31 in Taipei.

Five players among the applicants appeared to be catching the most attention, including Sung Yu-hsuan, Lin Yao-tsung, Chou Po-hsun, Chang Chia-jung and Chiang Shih-feng.

Sung and Lin are on the roster of the second national team in this years Jones Cup tournament while Chang Chia-jung was on the best-five list in the University Basketball Association this year.

The most intriguing prospect is none other than 50-year-old Chung Hsiao-ping, an incumbent Taipei City councilor who always liked to say he is the record-holder for most three-point goals made in a single game in the university leagues second division.

And Chung was recommended by Pure Youth head coach Hsu Chin-tse. I have no idea why.

2012 SBL Draft applicants:
Name, DOB, Ht., Wt., Pos., School
Chang Chia-jung, 1988/9/28, 192, 85, Forward, Hsing Wu College
Hsu Cheng-yu, 1988/9/25, 186, 83, Guard, Chinese Culture Univ.
Chang Chin-cheng, 1988/11/28, 197, 95, Center, National Univ. of Tainan
Lin Tsun-chi, 1990/8/2, 190, 80, Forward, Kainan Univ.
Chou Po-hsun, 1991/3/6, Forward, Mindao Univ.
Chen Nian-en, 1990/3/30, 175, 82, Guard, Chinese Culture Univ.
Chung Hsiao-ping, 1962/8/27, 174, 70, Guard, Taipei City Councilor
Tsui Kuo-tseng, 1990/10/6, 187, 80, Guard, Mindao Univ.
Chen Yi-yang, 1991/7/24, 190, 96, Forward, Keelung Vocational School
Lee Ping-hung, 1989/11/3, 183, 83, Guard, National Taiwan Normal Univ.
Tsai Cheng-hsien, 1989/8/11, 197, 97, Center, Mindao Univ.
Tsang Fa-han, 1987/9/20, 181, 82, Guard, Fu Jen Univ.
Chang Cheng-hui, 1991/11/2, 199, 88, National Taiwan College of Physical Education
Lin yao-tsung, 1990/9/7, 193, 90, Mindao Univ.
Chiang Shih-feng, 1990/12/14, 182, 82, Guard, Mindao Univ.
Chang Chih-yu, 1983/10/23, 186, 83, Guard, National Chengchi Univ.
Sung Yu-hsuan, 1989/12/5, 185, 80, Guard, Chinese Culture Univ.
Lin Po-fang, 1987/2/23, 188, 99, Forward, National Taiwan College of Physical Education
Lin Hao, 1989/10/23, 172, 75, Guard, National Taiwan Univ. of Art
Liu Yi-chen, 1990/5/22, 190, 96, Forward, National Taiwan Univ. of Art
Chiu Cheng-sheng, 1980/6/8, 190, 78, Forward, Tungnan Univ.


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TRBL

TRBL adds Nighthawks for 2013 season - by Eurobasket News

In the first of several anticipated off-season additions, the Tobacco Road Basketball League has announced that the Johnston County Nighthawks have joined the TRBL for the 2013 season. The addition comes on the heels of a recently announced move by the Carolina Gladiators to Robeson County, North Carolina. "We appreciate all of the fans and support that the Gladiators had in Smithfield last season. It is a great market, and we are certain that the Nighthawks will do well there. Our ties in the Lumberton area are strong, and it simply made good business sense for everyone involved to make the move," comments Jerome Williams, owner of the Carolina Gladiators.

Chuck Paylin, former manager of the Carolina Gladiators, will take over as owner of the new Nighthawks organization that will play home games at the SRAC in Smithfield, North Carolina. Tom Murray will be the team's head coach. "There is no better way to grow as a league than to have existing, proven league members and teams owners develop new markets for us. The Cary Invasion started exactly the same way in 2011," says TRBL Board Member and Wilmington Sea Dawgs owner Pete Gratale.

The TRBL will start its second season in April 2013. ScoreTRAX.com provides score broadcasting services for all TRBL games and technology services for all TRBL teams. League operations are funded through existing sponsorships, and qualified member teams will be charged no league fees. For more information, please email info@trblproball.com or visit nighthawks.trblproball.com or www.trblproball.com.

Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com


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TURKEY

Aliaga Petkim signs 1-year deal with Preston Shumpert - by Eurobasket News

Aliaga Petkim signed a 1-year deal with Preston Shumpert (198-G/F-79, college: Syracuse). The player arrives from Galatasaray Medical Park, where he played last two seasons. In the latest one Shumpert had 6.6 ppg and 2.5 rpg for 19 Euroleague games. He helped Galatasaray to reach Top16 in their debut Euroleague season. In TBL, the player added 9 ppg, 2.6 rpg and 1.2 apg in 34 games. Shumpert had better numbers in his first year with Galata. From 2008 to 2010 Preston Shumpert played for Efes Pilsen. They won TBL title and Cup together in 2009. Before Efes Pilsen, the American spent one year with Besiktas. He split 2006/07 season between Climamio Bologna and Benetton Treviso. Shumpert also has experience from Milano, Livorno, Montecatini and French Besancon. He won the Italian Cup in 2007 with Benetton.


Karsiyaka in talks with point guard Bobby Dixon - by Eurobasket News

Pinar Karsiyaka wants to sign Bobby Dixon (178-PG-83, agency: Beo Basket, college: Troy) for the next season, according to Turkish media (Salsabasket.net). Reportedly, two sides are already in talks. Dixon played last season for JDA Dijon. He appeared 30 times in ProA averaging 12.4 points, 5.1 assists and 4.1 rebounds. He was awarded with Eurobasket.com All-French ProA Honorable Mention -12. Season 2010/11 the American PG spent with Enel Brindisi. There he had 12.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.9 apg and 2 spg for 29 games in SerieA. Before Brindisi, Dixon split one year between ASVEL and Benetton Treviso. With ASVEL, he had 11.5 ppg, 3.1 apg and 2.6 rpg for 10 Euroleague games. Bobby Dixon won the French Federation Cup and also Semaine des As with Le Mans in 2009. He joined the club in February averaging 15.4 points, 5.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals for 17 games in ProA. Dixon started that season with Benetton collecting 12.4 ppg, 3.8 apg, 3.1 spg and 2.9 rpg for 17 games in Italy. He also has experience from Polpak Swecie, Gravelines and Saint-Etienne.


David Hawkins agreed to terms with Galatasaray - by Baha Kurtulus

David Hawkins (194-G-82, agency: Arete Sports Agency, college: Temple) will continue his career with Galatasaray Medical Park Istanbul. The American player agreed to terms with the Turkish team for the next three years. Galatasaray Medical Park Istanbul will pay 750.000USD as buyout to Besiktas where Hawkins has spent last season. Hawkins will get $4.5M.

Hawkins palyed for Besiktas Milangaz last season and led the team to their first Turkish Cup win averaging 9.8 points, 3.3 assists and 29.3 minutes. he won the EuroChallenge Cup with Beikta scoring 13 points and 4 assists in the final. He won the Turkish League Champions with Beiktas Milangaz

Courtesy of sportando.net


Turkey wins European Basketball Tour - by Eurobasket News

Poland-Turkey 62:70

Turkey wins European Basketball Tour in Sofia with 4 participating teams. The team celebrated the victories in all three games including the final one over Poland 70:62. The latter meanwhile finished on the third place with 1-2 record.
Poland started better and reached 22:17 advantage at the end of the first period. They lost the second quarter by three points but led 31:29 at the halftime. Poland opened the third quarter better again and started to improved the deficit. They grabbed 56:49 lead after three quarters however could not win the game. Turkey needed a strong last period to seal an 8-point victory.
Emir Preldzic (205-F-87, agency: Beo Basket) stepped up with 15 points and Semih Erden (211-C-87) nailed 14. Serhat Cetin (197-G-86) poured in 9, while Izzet Turkyilmaz (210-PF-90) scored 7. Dardan Berisha (192-G-88, agency: INVICTUS Sports Group) ended up with 16 points in the losing effort and Marcin Gortat (213-C-84) notched 13. Przemyslaw Zamojski (194-SG-86, agency: Alti Sport, college: Independence CC) and Lucasz WISNIEWSKI followed them with 8 points apiece.

Poland: Dardan Berisha 16, Marcin Gortat 13, Przemyslaw Zamojski 8, Lucasz WISNIEWSKI 8
Turkey: Emir Preldzic 15, Semih Erden 14, Serhat Cetin 9, Izzet Turkyilmaz 7


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U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

Hooks signs with Barton College - by David Edole

WILSON, N.C.-Seventeenth year head coach Ron Lievense has revealed the addition of a half dozen freshmen to study at Barton College and play basketball for the Bulldogs men's basketball program in 2012-13.

The six newcomers will be looked upon to help fill a void left by last year's senior class of five. Barton will still have a veteran team with 13 returning letter winners including a senior class of five.

"Coach Dooley and Coach Howard did a great job of recruiting this class for the school," Lievense said. "We are very excited about the athleticism of this class. That will probably be the biggest advantage that this class brings in: athleticism. In recruiting this class, we really wanted to bring in players with high character traits and great work ethic and we believe we were successful in doing this."

Brandon Hooks is a 6-foot-5 forward. Hooks played for Middle Creek High School in Apex, North Carolina. He averaged six points and six rebounds at Middle Creek while earning the team's sportsmanship award.

"Brandon is a very good athlete. He runs and jumps very well. His role for us this year is to defend and rebound, which are some of his strengths we believe he can bring to the team."

video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLZJ9KAQ1qk


Duncan as an Olympic Bird - by David Edole

by Buck Harvey
LONDON-- Tim Duncan (211-F/C-76, college: Wake Forest) would have helped the 2012 U.S. basketball team. But thats not why he should be in London these next few weeks with Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

Duncan deserved a do-over. He deserved better teammates, and a better Olympic memory.

Yes, he deserved a better result, too.

Duncan never considered signing up again. When he left Athens in 2004, it was for good.

He had never planned on 2004, either. Had his knee not required surgery in the summer of 2000, he would have gone to Sydney, won gold and been done with the Olympics forever.

Duncan came back for Athens, as well as for qualifying the summer before, and others didnt. If Shaquille ONeal, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett had joined him in Greece, the U.S. team would have would have won.

Instead, Duncan drew a group that didnt impress then, and impresses less in hindsight. Allen Iverson has since gone bankrupt, Stephon Marbury to China, Lamar Odom to the Kardashians.

As for the small forward who the USA staff leaned on then: If the Spurs couldnt count on Richard Jefferson, how could a nation?

Duncans jersey number, 13, summed up his karma. And he acted as cursed, walking through the mixed zone after games with headphones on, ignoring the clamor around him.

What followed was the worst American showing in the Olympics in the NBA international era. And what teammates didnt do to Duncan, officials did. He was called for 30 fouls in eight Olympic games, which gave way to his parting words in Athens.

Then, after saying his international career was 95 per cent finished, he added, FIBA sucks.

Announcing Federation Internationale de Basketball sucks wouldnt have had the same ring.

Duncans image took a beating then, though the 2005 title erased most of that. Jerry Colangelo continued to offer him a spot in the revamped program, because Duncan was still among the top three in the game then, but Duncan never wavered.

Duncan figured he was past this part of his life and, besides, he had done his duty. He played on seven various international teams, and four of his teams went undefeated.

As for the idea that his resume is incomplete without a gold medal: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Walton managed to survive without one, too.

As the years went on, his inclusion made less and less sense. Now, at his age and with his knee, the last thing the Spurs want to see Duncan do is bang against the Gasol brothers in the summer.

But Larry Bird was in far worse shape as part of the Dream Team in 1992, and he treasures that time. Furthermore, just as Duncan doesnt have to carry the Spurs anymore, he wouldnt have to carry his country.

He could have played spot minutes, and heres the kicker: The U.S. could use a smart, effective big man.

So Duncan deserved something better than spending another summer at the Spurs practice facility, and who knows?

Maybe he would have liked London, too.


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UKRAINE

Ukraine edge Bulgaria to finish European Basketball Tour - by Eurobasket News

Bulgaria-Ukraine 65:82

Ukraine edge Bulgaria to finish European Basketball Tour on the second place. The Ukrainian side overcame the hosts 82:65 for 2-1 record. Bulgaria meanwhile suffered the third straight loss.
Bulgaria led 24:12 after the first period but could not win the game. Ukraine reduced to 30:32 at the halftime and erupted for 54:44 after three quarters. They won another period to seal a comfortable victory.
Steven Burtt (185-G-84, college: Iona) top-scored for the winners with 16 points and Sergii Gladyr (196-G/F-88) nailed 13. Maksym Pustozvonov (200-F-87, agency: Beo Basket) delivered 12, while Ihor ZAYTSEV scored 11. Chavdar Kostov (196-G-88, agency: Interperformances) ended up with 26 points in the losing effort, whilst Cedric Simmons (206-F/C-86, college: N.Carolina St.) notched 8.
Turkey wins European Basketball Tour in Sofia with 4 participating teams. The team celebrated the victories in all three games including the final one over Poland 70:62. The latter meanwhile finished on the third place with 1-2 record.

Bulgaria: Chavdar Kostov 26, Cedric Simmons 8
Ukraine: Steven Burtt 16, Sergii Gladyr 13, Maksym Pustozvonov 12, Ihor ZAYTSEV 11


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VTB UNITED LEAGUE

Nymburk land Christos Tapoutos - by Eurobasket News

Nymburk bolstered their frontcourt. They added Christos Tapoutos (208-F-82) to the roster. The forward spent the last season in Aris. He tallied 13.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists per game in A1 League. In EuroCup Christos Tapoutos posted 8.2 points, 4.4 boards and 1.5 assists per appearance. Eurobasket.com gave the forward All-Greek A1 Honourable Mention for the second straight season. Previously Christos Tapoutas had stints with AEK Athens, PAOK, Panionios, Iraklis, Achilleas. He participated at A1 League All-Star Games in 2001, 2004 and 2011. Christos Tapoutos was the member of Greek National Team in 2002/05 seasons. He also played for U18 and U20 Greek selections.




Aleksey Zozulin joins CSKA - by Eurobasket News

Aleksey Zozulin (199-G/F-83) moves to Moscow. The guard has agreed on terms of contract with CSKA. He signed a 1+1 deal with the Russian champions. Aleksey Zozulin played for Spartak Saint Petersburg since 2008. Last season the guard notched 4.5 points and 1.6 boards per game in EuroCup. In Russian League Aleksey Zozulin averaged 4.5 points and 2.0 rebounds per appearance. In VTB League his stats read 3.8 points and 2.3 boards. Previously Aleksey Zozulin had stints with Unics Kazan, Sibirtelekom-Lokomotiv and Ural Great Perm. He was the member of U17, U18 and U20 Russian National Teams. Aleksey Zozulin also played for Russian National Team in 2004/09 seasons.


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WALES

U16 European Championship: Malta post first victory - by Eurobasket News

Malta U16 - Wales U16 59:57

Malta registered the first win at the U16 European Championship in Division C. They nipped Wales for 1-2 record in Group A. Zane Micallef (170-PG-96) posted 21 points, 5 boards and 5 assists to lead the winners.
Wales ensured a brave start. They established an 18:12 lead after ten minutes. Malta narrowed the gap at 4-point mark at halftime 27:23. Malta surged ahead in the third quarter. They held Wales to 12 points and eked out a 40:39 lead with one period remaining. The teams stayed neck and neck throughout the fourth frame but Malta managed to ensure a tough win at the end. Farrugia accounted for 9 points, while Carabott and Rizzo contributed 7 points each in the victory. Joshua Thomas (186-G/F) answered with 19 points and 9 rebounds for Wales. Nico-Pele Wilson had 13 points in the loss.

Malta U16: Zane Micallef 21, Farrugia 9, Carabott 7, Rizzo 7
Wales U16: Joshua Thomas 19, Nico-Pele Wilson 13



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Women News

Mladi Krajisnik lands Markovic - by Zeljko Zule

Bosnian runner-up Mladi Krajisnik continued its roster building proces by inking Serbian Marina Markovic (181-G/F-91) to a one-year deal. She arrives from Radivoj Korac, for whom she averaged 6.4 points and 3.5 rebound in 17 Adriatic League games last season and 4.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 2 Serbian League games. Markovic has been a member of the Sebian U-16, U-18 and U-20 national teams. .


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AUSTRALIA

Lauren Jackson to carry Olympic flag - by Hugh McAuliffe

Basketball Australia has welcomed todays announcement that womens basketball superstar Lauren Jackson (196-F/C-81) has been selected to carry the Australian flag at the 2012 London Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.

Jackson was named as the flag bearer by Nick Green, the Chef de Mission of the Australian Olympic Team, earlier today.

She will become the second basketballer to receive the ultimate Australian sporting honour in the past four Games, following in the footsteps of Boomers legend Andrew Gaze who carried the flag into the stadium for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

Basketball Australia Interim Chief Executive Officer Scott Derwin said Jackson was the perfect choice to carry the flag in London.

I congratulate the Australian Olympic Committee on their selection of Lauren as the flag bearer for London, not just because she is one of our own basketballers, but because she embodies what is great about Australia and the Olympic ideal, said Derwin from London. She strives for excellence every single day and has achieved success at every level. Lauren is the ultimate competitor who wont back down from any challenge. I think she is the perfect choice to carry the flag.

The incoming CEO of Basketball Australia Kristina Keneally, who commences her new role on August 4, said that Jackson would be the perfect representative of all Australians.
Lauren will be the ideal representative for all Australians in London, including the over one million people around the country who play basketball, said Keneally. She is an outstanding athlete, an exceptional leader and a terrific role model who has inspired so many young Australians with her amazing performances.

Our best ever mens basketballer carried the flag in Sydney in Andrew Gaze. Lauren is quite clearly our best ever female basketballer, and quite possibly the greatest female player of all time. I cant think of a better choice as flag bearer.


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BELGIUM

Standings - Women Division I Standings  1. Belfius Namur 0-0   2. Blue Cats 0-0   3. Castors Braine 0-0   4. Houthalen 0-0   5. Jeugd Gentson 0-0   6. Kangoeroes-B. 0-0   7. Point Chaud 0-0   8. Sint Katelijne 0-0   9. Spirou Monceau 0-0   10. Tulikivi Deerlijk 0-0   11. Waregem 0-0   12. Willebroek 0-0  Regular Season: Round 1 Sep. 29: Houthalen - Spirou Monceau Sep. 29: Point Chaud - Belfius Namur Sep. 29: Jeugd Gentson - Castors Braine Sep. 29: Kangoeroes-B. - Tulikivi Deerlijk Sep. 30: Sint Katelijne - Waregem Sep. 30: Blue Cats - Willebroek

U18 Serbia destroys defending champ U18 Belgium for perfect start in Bucharest, 64-36 - by Eurobasket News

U18 Belgium - U18 Serbia 36-64

Serbia demonstrated its power in Day One of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. They destroyed defending champion Belgium with huge 64-36. Serbia took control on its rival from the beginning and never looked back. They made 20-5 lead in the first ten minutes and jumped to impressive 43-13 at the halftime. Serbia slowed down after the breather as rest of the way was just the formality. Dragana Stankovic (188-PF-95) stepped up for her country with 18 points and 6 rebounds, and Jovana Vidakovic (171-G-94) scored 12 points. Natasa Kovacevic (187-F-94) collected 10 points and 6 rebounds. Belgium got 12 points from Antonia Delaere (176-F/G-94) and 11 from Hind Ben Abdelkader (170-SF-95). Serbia and Belgium are placed to Preliminary Group D in Bucharest. Participants of this pool are also Italy and Slovenia. Three teams will book a spot for the next stage. In Day Two, Serbia will play against Italy. Belgium will take on Slovenia.

Belgium: Antonia Delaere 12, Hind Ben Abdelkader 11
Serbia: Dragana Stankovic 18+6 boards, Jovana Vidakovic 12, Natasa Kovacevic 10+6 boards


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CROATIA

Holland beats Croatia 51-43 in U18 EuroBasket opener - by Eurobasket News

U18 Holland - U18 Croatia 51-43

Holland had joyful Day One of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. They handed 51-43 loss to Croatia for 1-0 record in Preliminary Group C. Participants of this pool are also Czech Republic and Slovakia. Three teams will book a spot for the next stage. Holland made 3-point lead in the first quarter, but Croatia exploded after that limiting its rival to just 5 pts for rest of the first half. At the other side, Croatia drained 15 pts for 21-28 HT lead. After triple by Cornelius, Holland made 35-34 turn in the finish of Q3 and jumped to 45-39 at the halfway of Q4. Croatia was not able to reply and faced with 8-point loss at the end. Isabella Slim (181-F-95) led the winners with 18 points and 5 rebounds. Jacobine Klerx (175-G-94) and Britt Zappeij (184-C-95) helped their team with 8 and 7 points respectively. In the loosing squad, Lana Packovski (170-G-94) scored 16 points and Ivana Tikvic (189-C-94) had double-double of 10 points, plus 10 boards. Ana-Marija Begic (190-C-94) followed with 8 pts and 10 rebounds. In Game Two, Holland will meet Slovakia, while Croatia will play against Czech Reopublic.

Holland: Isabella Slim 18+5 boards, Jacobine Klerx 8, Britt Zappeij 7
Croatia: Lana Packovski 16, Ivana Tikvic 10+10 boards, Ana-Marija Begic 8+10 boards


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EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS U18

W-Standings - Group A Standings Group A 1. France 1-0 2. Sweden 1-0 3. Poland 0-1 4. Spain 0-1 Group B 1. Greece 1-0 2. Serbia 1-0 3. Romania 0-1 4. Belgium 0-1 Group C 1. Holland 1-0 2. Slovakia 1-0 3. Croatia 0-1 4. Czech Rep. 0-1 Group D 1. Italy 1-0 2. Turkey 1-0 3. Russia 0-1 4. Slovenia 0-1 Preliminary Round: Round 1 A Jul. 26: SWE - POL 82-78 Jul. 26: ESP - FRA 67-68 B Jul. 26: GRE - ROM 69-52 Jul. 26: BEL - SRB 36-64 C Jul. 26: CZE - SVK 59-70 Jul. 26: NED - CRO 51-43 D Jul. 26: TUR - RUS 77-74 Jul. 26: ITA - SLO 69-57 Preliminary Round: Round 2 A Jul. 27: FRA - SWE Jul. 27: POL - ESP B Jul. 27: RUS - GRE Jul. 27: ROM - TUR C Jul. 27: SVK - NED Jul. 27: CRO - CZE D Jul. 27: SLO - BEL Jul. 27: SRB - ITA

Standings - Division B - by Eurobasket News Standings Div.B Group A 1. Hungary 1-0 2. Portugal 1-0 3. Israel 0-1 4. Austria 0-1 Group B 1. Bulgaria 1-0 2. Finland 1-0 3. Denmark 0-0 4. Norway 0-1 5. Switzerlan. 0-1 Group C 1. Belarus 1-0 2. U.Kingdom 1-0 3. Latvia 0-1 4. FYR Macedo. 0-1 Group D 1. Germany 1-0 2. Lithuania 1-0 3. Ukraine 0-0 4. Montenegro. 0-1 5. Scotland 0-1 Preliminary Round: Round 1 A Jul. 26: POR - AUT 60-45 Jul. 26: ISR - HUN 55-68 B Jul. 26: FIN - SUI 71-42 Jul. 26: BUL - NOR 67-41 C Jul. 26: LAT - BLR 67-68 Jul. 26: ENG - MKD 57-53 D Jul. 26: GER - SCO 80-32 Jul. 26: LTU - MNT 76-60 Preliminary Round: Round 2 B Jul. 27: DEN - FIN Jul. 27: SUI - BUL D Jul. 27: MNT - GER Jul. 27: UKR - LTU

U18 EuroBasket 2012: Division A and Division B tournaments start today in Bucharest and Strumica - by Eurobasket News

Everything is ready for U18 EuroBasket 2012. Division A tournament will take a place in Bucharest (Romania), while Division B will be played in Strumica (FYROM). Both events start today.


Division A
Preliminary Round includes 16 teams divided in 4 groups. Best 3 teams from each group will advance to the Qualifying Round. Last ranked teams will be transferred to Group G, where they will fight for the survival in Division A. Only the winner of this pool will make it, while other three teams will be relegated to Division B.
Qualifying Round will include 12 teams divided in two groups. Four best teams from each pool will advance to the Quarterfinals.

Group A
1. Spain 0-0
2. France 0-0
3. Poland 0-0
4. Sweden 0-0

Group B
1. Belgium 0-0
2. Greece 0-0
3. Romania 0-0
4. Serbia 0-0

Group C
1. Holland 0-0
2. Slovakia 0-0
3. Czech Rep. 0-0
4. Croatia 0-0

Group D
1. Italy 0-0
2. Russia 0-0
3. Slovenia 0-0
4. Turkey 0-0


Division B
Preliminary Round includes 14 teams divided in 4 groups. Best 2 teams from each group will advance to the Qualifying Round. Other teams will be transferred to Classification Round from 9th to 18th place (Groups G and H).
Qualifying Round will include 8 teams divided in two groups. Two best teams from each pool will advance to the Semifinals. Medal winners will be promoted to Division A.

Group A
1. Austria 0-0
2. Hungary 0-0
3. Israel 0-0
4. Portugal 0-0

Group B
1. Bulgaria 0-0
2. Denmark 0-0
3. Finland 0-0
4. Norway 0-0
5. Switzerland 0-0

Group C
1. Belarus 0-0
2. U.Kingdom 0-0
3. Latvia 0-0
4. FYR Macedon. 0-0

Group D
1. Germany 0-0
2. Lithuania 0-0
3. Montenegro 0-0
4. Scotland 0-0
5. Ukraine 0-0


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HOLLAND

Holland beats Croatia 51-43 in U18 EuroBasket opener - by Eurobasket News

U18 Holland - U18 Croatia 51-43

Holland had joyful Day One of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. They handed 51-43 loss to Croatia for 1-0 record in Preliminary Group C. Participants of this pool are also Czech Republic and Slovakia. Three teams will book a spot for the next stage. Holland made 3-point lead in the first quarter, but Croatia exploded after that limiting its rival to just 5 pts for rest of the first half. At the other side, Croatia drained 15 pts for 21-28 HT lead. After triple by Cornelius, Holland made 35-34 turn in the finish of Q3 and jumped to 45-39 at the halfway of Q4. Croatia was not able to reply and faced with 8-point loss at the end. Isabella Slim (181-F-95) led the winners with 18 points and 5 rebounds. Jacobine Klerx (175-G-94) and Britt Zappeij (184-C-95) helped their team with 8 and 7 points respectively. In the loosing squad, Lana Packovski (170-G-94) scored 16 points and Ivana Tikvic (189-C-94) had double-double of 10 points, plus 10 boards. Ana-Marija Begic (190-C-94) followed with 8 pts and 10 rebounds. In Game Two, Holland will meet Slovakia, while Croatia will play against Czech Reopublic.

Holland: Isabella Slim 18+5 boards, Jacobine Klerx 8, Britt Zappeij 7
Croatia: Lana Packovski 16, Ivana Tikvic 10+10 boards, Ana-Marija Begic 8+10 boards


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ICELAND

Standings - Women Express L. Standings  1. Fjolnir 0-0   2. Grindavik 0-0   3. Haukar 0-0   4. Keflavik 0-0   5. KR 0-0   6. Njardvik 0-0   7. Snaefell 0-0   8. Valur 0-0  Regular Season: Round 1 Oct. 3: KR - Grindavik Oct. 3: Haukar - Keflavik Oct. 3: Fjolnir - Njardvik Oct. 3: Valur - Snaefell

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ISRAEL

Abby Oliver joins Elitzur Netanya - by Eurobasket Center

Abby Oliver (172-G-90, college: Richmond) joined Elitzur Netanya and she is the third foreign player in the roster of Netanya for 2012/2013 season. Oliver plays as a guard and she is a graduate of the University of Richmond where she played over 120 games. In 32 games she played for her team in the last season Oliver posted averages of: 16.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 31 minutes per game.

The Coach, Zohar Riezman: "Abby Oliver is a young and talented player, we believe that Abby will properly fit together in the roster of Elizur Netanya. This season the team will play in a different method than last year, Abby is expected to help in the leading of the ball and also to contribute points thanks to her wonderful shooting abilities".

Abby Oliver: "I decided to come to Israel because the league in Israel is great and with high competition. I believe it is a wonderful place to live overseas as well as a great place to grow as a basketball player. In the 2012/2013 season, I expect myself to work extremely hard to do whatever it takes to help the team. I believe that the team will have a lot of success this season and with a lot of hard work, we can be among the top teams in the league. It is my first season playing basketball overseas and I am extremely excited and nervous at the same time. I am very excited about playing basketball overseas with and against great players, so I am not nervous about the basketball part. But, I am a little nervous about living in a different place and so far away from home. However, I am sure once I get to Israel the nervousness will go away and I will enjoy everything that Israel has to offer".

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MALTA

Latisha Belcher lands in Depiro - by Eurobasket News

Latisha Belcher (187-F/C-88) lands in Depiro for the next season. The American Import has signed contract to continue her career in Malta. Belcher comes to Depiro after a successful career at East Tennessee State where she really stacked up the awards and more important help led her team to the NCAA 1 National Tournament 3 out of 4 years.
Belcher is a former A-Sun (NCAA 1) Defensive Player of the Year, A-Sun Tournament MVP, All A-Sun 2nd Team Member. Belcher finished her career at ETSU with 1,115 points 15th in school history, 773 rebounds -8th in school history, and 256 steals- 2nd in school history. Belcher is excited about the opportunity Depiro has given her to continue her career.
For her Awards/Achievements it is a must to mention A-Sun Tournament Semifinals -07, 11 and A-Sun All-Tournament Team -07, 08. She became A-Sun Regular Season Champion -08 and A-Sun Tournament Winner -08, 09, 10. Moreover Latisha Belcher was an A-Sun All-Tournament MVP -08 and A-Sun Regular Season Runner-Up -09, 11. She made it into All-A-Sun 2nd Team -09 and became A-Sun Defensive Player of the Year -09.


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NCAA1

USA National Team 2012 - by Greg

USA National Team 2012
#s#	Augustus	Bird	Cash	Catchings	Charles	#e#5

Seimone Augustus

6'0''-SF-84

Minnesota L.

Sue Bird

5'9''-PG-80

Seattle S.

Swin Cash

6'1''-SF-79

Chicago S.

Tamika Catchings

6'1''-SF-79

Indiana F.

Tina Charles

6'4''-C-88

Connecticut S.

Sylvia Fowles

6'6''-C-85

Chicago S.

Asjha Jones

6'2''-PF-80

Connecticut S.

Angel McCoughtry

6'1''-SF-86

Atlanta D.

Maya Moore

6'0''-SG-89

Minnesota L.

Candace Parker

6'4''-C-86

L.Angeles S.

Diana Taurasi

6'0''-SG-82

Phoenix M.

Lindsay Whalen

5'9''-PG-82

Minnesota L.

Geno Auriemma

Head Coach

OSU men, women to play on USS Yorktown - by Eurobasket News

Ohio State's men's and women's basketball teams will open the season on the USS Yorktown in the Carrier Classic.

The Buckeye women will play national runner-up Notre Dame on Nov. 9. That game will be followed by the Ohio State men playing Marquette. The 2011 Carrier Classic was held in San Diego on the USS Carl Vinson when North Carolina defeated Michigan State, a game attended by President Barack Obama.

Michael Whalen, director of event organizer Morale Entertainment Foundation, said Wednesday he expected to have about 4,000 seats available for the doubleheader. Although Whalen said the final capacity would be determined by state and local fire marshals.

The Yorktown served in World War II and Vietnam. It is docked in Charleston Harbor as a museum.

Courtesy of www.lancastereaglegazette.com


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POLAND

Sweden grabs 82-78 OT win against Poland in Day One of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest - by Eurobasket News

U18 Sweden - U18 Poland 82-78

Sweden and Poland played a heartbreaking thriller in Day One of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. Sweden grabbed 82-78 overtime win improving its score to 1-0 in Preliminary Group A. Paulina Hersler (190-PF-94) made a jump shot for Sweden at the end of the regular time and forced this game to extra five minutes. Poland was 72-74 up with 1:42 to go, after what Hersler made 6-0 run on her own. Kinga Wozniak (168-G-94) closed the gap to 78-77 few moments later, but Dutch players were focused from the free throw line in the finish and grabbed valuable 82-78 win at the start of U18 EuroBasket. Paulina Hersler was a key player in victory with 32 points and 11 rebounds. Elme Hansson (180-SF-94) had 18 points and 7 rebs, and Gabriella Hanson (180-SG-95) scored 11 points. In Poland, Karolina Puss (182-SF-94) collected 15 points and 7 rebs. Dominika Owczarzak (169-PG-94) (7 rebs, 5 as) and Wozniak scored 12 and 10 points respectively. Quarters: 8-16, 17-19, 27-15, 16-18, 14-10 OT. Sweden will meet France in the next game, while Poland will play against Spain.

Sweden: Paulina Hersler 32+11 boards, Elme Hansson 18+7 boards, Gabriella Hanson 11
Poland: Karolina Puss 15+7 boards, Dominika Owczarzak 12+7 boards+5 as, Kinga Wozniak 10


Katarzyna Bednarczyk joins Widzew Lodz - by Lukasz Lukaszewski

Widzew Lodz signed 23-year old forward Katarzyna Bednarczyk (184-F-89, agency: Data Plus Group). She made the same move like Malgorzata Chomicka (168-G-83). Both players exchanged MKS Tecza Leszno for Widzew Lodz.

Katarzyna Bednarczyk graduated SMS PZKosz Lomianki. Then she signed contract with CCC Polkowice. After that she was playing in Matizol Lider Pruszkow and Basketpro Jelenia Gora. Before last season she signed contract with MKS Tecza Leszno. In 34 games of 2011/2012 she averaged: 6,6 points and 3,6 rebound.

Widzew Lodz 2012/2013 actual roster: Katarzyna Bednarczyk, Malgorzata Chomicka, Magdalena Rzeznik (171-G-83), Lidia Kopczyk (171-PG-88, agency: Promotex)



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RUSSIA

Russian National Team 2012 - by Greg

Russian National Team 2012
#s#	Arteshina	Belyakova	Danilochkina	Grishaeva	Hammon	#e#5

Olga Arteshina

188-PF-82

UMMC

Eugeniya Belyakova

182-SF-86

Spartak V MR

Elena Danilochkina

183-SG-86

Nadezhda O.

Nadezhda Grishaeva

195-C-89

Dynamo M.

Becky Hammon

175-PG-77

S.Antonio SS

Ilona Korstin

182-SG-80

Perfumerias

Marina Kuzina

195-C-85

Spartak V MR

Irina Osipova

196-C-81

Istanbul Univ.

Anna Petrakova

189-PF-84

UMMC

Natalia Vieru

198-C-89

Spartak V MR

Natalia Vodopiyanova

190-PF-81

Dynamo K.

Natalia Zhedik

182-SF-88

Nadezhda O.

Boris Sokolovskiy

Head Coach

Dynamo-GUVD

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SERBIA

U18 Serbia destroys defending champ U18 Belgium for perfect start in Bucharest, 64-36 - by Eurobasket News

U18 Belgium - U18 Serbia 36-64

Serbia demonstrated its power in Day One of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. They destroyed defending champion Belgium with huge 64-36. Serbia took control on its rival from the beginning and never looked back. They made 20-5 lead in the first ten minutes and jumped to impressive 43-13 at the halftime. Serbia slowed down after the breather as rest of the way was just the formality. Dragana Stankovic (188-PF-95) stepped up for her country with 18 points and 6 rebounds, and Jovana Vidakovic (171-G-94) scored 12 points. Natasa Kovacevic (187-F-94) collected 10 points and 6 rebounds. Belgium got 12 points from Antonia Delaere (176-F/G-94) and 11 from Hind Ben Abdelkader (170-SF-95). Serbia and Belgium are placed to Preliminary Group D in Bucharest. Participants of this pool are also Italy and Slovenia. Three teams will book a spot for the next stage. In Day Two, Serbia will play against Italy. Belgium will take on Slovenia.

Belgium: Antonia Delaere 12, Hind Ben Abdelkader 11
Serbia: Dragana Stankovic 18+6 boards, Jovana Vidakovic 12, Natasa Kovacevic 10+6 boards


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SWEDEN

Sweden grabs 82-78 OT win against Poland in Day One of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest - by Eurobasket News

U18 Sweden - U18 Poland 82-78

Sweden and Poland played a heartbreaking thriller in Day One of U18 EuroBasket in Bucharest. Sweden grabbed 82-78 overtime win improving its score to 1-0 in Preliminary Group A. Paulina Hersler (190-PF-94) made a jump shot for Sweden at the end of the regular time and forced this game to extra five minutes. Poland was 72-74 up with 1:42 to go, after what Hersler made 6-0 run on her own. Kinga Wozniak (168-G-94) closed the gap to 78-77 few moments later, but Dutch players were focused from the free throw line in the finish and grabbed valuable 82-78 win at the start of U18 EuroBasket. Paulina Hersler was a key player in victory with 32 points and 11 rebounds. Elme Hansson (180-SF-94) had 18 points and 7 rebs, and Gabriella Hanson (180-SG-95) scored 11 points. In Poland, Karolina Puss (182-SF-94) collected 15 points and 7 rebs. Dominika Owczarzak (169-PG-94) (7 rebs, 5 as) and Wozniak scored 12 and 10 points respectively. Quarters: 8-16, 17-19, 27-15, 16-18, 14-10 OT. Sweden will meet France in the next game, while Poland will play against Spain.

Sweden: Paulina Hersler 32+11 boards, Elme Hansson 18+7 boards, Gabriella Hanson 11
Poland: Karolina Puss 15+7 boards, Dominika Owczarzak 12+7 boards+5 as, Kinga Wozniak 10