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

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

Copyright � 1997-2012 Eurobasket
WARNING:
Do not copy, redistribute, publish or otherwise exploit information that you download from the site!
Do not encumber, license, modify, publish, sell, transfer or transmit, or in any way exploit, any of the
content of the report, nor will you attempt to do so.
More info:www.eurobasket.com

Men News

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

ADRIATIC LEAGUE

After Edwards, Igokea brings in Branko Jorovic too - by Rado Markovic Hribernik

The new member of the Adriatic league Igokea from Aleksandrovac is already showing it's high ambitions for the forecoming season. After they had extended contracts with Nebojsa Joksimovic (191-SF-81), Marko Brkic (206-FC-82, agency: Beo Basket), Nenad Sulovic (202-C-85) and Milos Komatina (205-FC-84) and penned a deal with big man Corsley Edwards (205-C/F-79, agency: Prossin Sports Management, college: Cent.Conn.St.), they have brought also Branko Jorovic (205-F-81, agency: Beo Basket) into their squad.

The former Serbian international played at New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig in Germany last season, where he averaged 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in BBL. Previously he played for FMP II Beograd, Crvena Zvezda Beograd, Swisslion Takovo and Enosi Kalathosfairisis Kavalas, after he started his career in his hometown of Cacak, playing for KK Borac Cacak.

Krka tabs Vladovic, extends Lucic and Lalic - by Rado Markovic Hribernik

Krka Novo Mesto has begun composing the team for the coming season. The first reinforcement of this summer will be Jakov Vladovic (186-PG-83), who had a good previous season playing for HKK Siroki WWin, where he averaged 10.9 points, 5 assists along with 3 rebounds per game in the adriatic league.

Good news for the fans of Krka Novo Mesto is also an announcement that Uros Lucic (207-C-83) and Jure Lalic (212-C-86) will remain part of the team, as the team management was satisfied with their performances in the court last season.

Captain Jure Balazic (204-F-80) leaves Novo mesto and heads abroad, as he didn't agree on the clubs proposal on extension of the contract for the upcoming season. Simon Petrov (189-G-76), who announced the end of his career at the end of slovenian league finals will join the coaching staff of the club and will together with Gasper Potocnik assist head coach Aleksander Sekulic .

The club is looking for both starting shooting guard and power forward. Some would like to see Matjaz Smodis (205-F-79) back in Krka Novo Mesto jersey, but it is important to mention that he still has a valid contract with KK Cedevita Zagreb.

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

AFRICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS U18

Afrobasket U18 Qualifier: Energetic Ghana defeat Cote dIvoire 60-47 - by Olusegun Ikuesan

Ghana came out stronger against Cote dIvoire in the reverse fixtures of the Afrobasket U18 qualifiers Thursday night to end the unbeaten run of the Ivorian with a 60-47 points win with the crowd cheering them all the way.

Ghana won the first two quarters by 15-06 and 15-13 to take an 11 points advantage going into the break but lost the third quarter by 13-17 points to the Ivorian who were not prepared for the challenge posed by the Ghanaian on the night.

With a seven point advantage Ghana continue the pressure on the Cote dIvoire side and ended the quarter by 17-11 point win for a cumulative score-line of 60-47 points to inflict a first defeat on the Ivoirian who has Nigeria to contend with today while Ghana will battle Liberia in the first game at the Palais des Sports, Treichville, Abidjan.

Afrobasket U18 Qualifier: Nigeria survives Liberia threat, win 47-42 - by Olusegun Ikuesan

Nigeria managed to survive the threat of Liberia in a reverse fixture on Thursday in the Afrobasket U18 qualifiers at the Plaias des Sports escaping with a 47-42 points win to remain in contention for FIBA Africa Zone-3 ticket to the main championship of the 2012 Afrobasket U18 Men championship slated for Mozambique next month.

The Nigerian side had maintain a nine points lead going into the last quarter (16-11, 07-04, 16-12, 08-15) but the resilient Liberia who are yet to pick a win in the qualifier were ready to upturn the lead thus keeping the Nigeria technical crew on their toe through the ten minutes the fourth quarter lasted as the Liberia narrow down the lead to just five points at the buzzer.

Nigeria forward Michael Nzei once again led his side in scoring and on the board with 13 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steal, guard Hakeem Suleiman added 11 points, 4 assists and 2 steal to ensure victory for Nigeria who will file out against Cote dIvoire today at 18H00.

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

ANDORRA

Andorra clinched the Final appearance - by Eurobasket News

Andorra - Malta 75:65

Andorra claimed the win in the first semifinal at the European Championship for Small Countries tonight. They held off Malta for the spot in the Final. Xavier Galera (182-PG-82) came up with 21 points for the winners.
Malta jumped to a 23:12 lead ten minutes into the game. Andorra slowly took over in the second quarter. They cut the deficit to trail by 8 points at halftime 33:41. Andorra narrowed the gap even more in the third quarter. They trailed by just 4 points heading into the fourth period 52:56. Andorra then stunned their opponents with a 23:9 run in the fourth period to seal a comfortable win. Oriol Fernandez (186-F-88) accounted for 14 points, 7 assists and 4 boards, while Rafael Casals added 12 points for the winners. Darryl Jackson (189-SG-85, agency: Interperformances, college: Warner Pacific) answered with 25 points for Malta. Samuel Deguara (223-C-91) tallied 22 points and 17 rebounds in the loss.

Andorra: Xavier Galera 21, Oriol Fernandez 14, Rafael Casals 12
Malta: Darryl Jackson 25, Samuel Deguara 22+17 boards

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

ANGOLA

ARGENTINA

Argentina edge Brazil to win Super 4 Hope Funds Cup - by Eurobasket News

Argentina - Brazil 80:74

Argentina clinched the title at Super 4 Hope Funds Cup in Buenos Aires. Emanuel Ginobili (198-G-77, agency: Interperformances) scored 33 points to lead the hosts.
Brazil ensured the better start to the game. They ignited a 7:0 run in the opening quarter to pull ahead. Brazil enjoyed a 22:20 lead ten minutes into the game. Brazil maintained the lead throughout the second quarter. They arrived at halftime up by a single point 40:39. Argentina though managed to erase the deficit and pull in front in the third quarter. The hosts established a 60:57 lead paced by Juan Gutierrez (205-F/C-83) and Emanuel Ginobili. The home team kept their opponents at safe distance throughout the fourth stanza sealing a tough win at the end. Juan Gutierrez posted 20 points, while Andres Nocioni (199-F-79) added 11 points for the winners. Marcelinho Huertas (191-PG-83, agency: Edge Sports) answered with 15 points for Brazil. Leandrinho Barbosa (190-PG-82) topscored with 17 points for the visitors.

Argentina: Emanuel Ginobili 33, Juan Gutierrez 20, Andres Nocioni 11
Brazil: Leandrinho Barbosa 17, Marcelinho Huertas 15

U17 World Championship: Australia stopped Argentina - by Eurobasket News

Australia U17-Argentina U17 78:59

Australia stopped Argentina in the Quarterfinals of the U17 World Championship. The Aussies beat the team from Latin America 78:59 to reach the semis.
Argentina won the opening tip when Alvaro Merlo (182-PG-95) brought 11:6 lead. Gabriel Deck (202-C/F-95) scored for 13:10 and Rodrigo Haag (193-SG-95) kept his side in front at 17:14. Gabriel Deck and VILDOZA gave their team 30:23, but Argentina failed to win the game. LUXFORD reduced to 30:26 at the end of the half and then Dante Exum (193-PG-95) tied the game at 34:34. Derksen delivered two for 47:46 and LUXFORD scored for 52:51. The teams left the third period at 53:53 and only after that Australia exploded for a win. They erupted with 25-6 in the last stanza to reach the victory.
Dante Exum top-scored for the winners with 23 points. Benjamin Simmons (203-PF-96) netted 12, while Matt Jackson (203-F-95) added 9. Gabriel Deck ended up with 19 points in the losing effort, Alvaro Merlo posted 14, while Rodrigo Haag notched 7.

Australia U17: Dante Exum 23, Benjamin Simmons 12, Matt Jackson 9
Argentina U17: Gabriel Deck 19, Alvaro Merlo 14, Rodrigo Haag 7

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

AUSTRALIA

U17 World Championship: Australia stopped Argentina - by Eurobasket News

Australia U17-Argentina U17 78:59

Australia stopped Argentina in the Quarterfinals of the U17 World Championship. The Aussies beat the team from Latin America 78:59 to reach the semis.
Argentina won the opening tip when Alvaro Merlo (182-PG-95) brought 11:6 lead. Gabriel Deck (202-C/F-95) scored for 13:10 and Rodrigo Haag (193-SG-95) kept his side in front at 17:14. Gabriel Deck and VILDOZA gave their team 30:23, but Argentina failed to win the game. LUXFORD reduced to 30:26 at the end of the half and then Dante Exum (193-PG-95) tied the game at 34:34. Derksen delivered two for 47:46 and LUXFORD scored for 52:51. The teams left the third period at 53:53 and only after that Australia exploded for a win. They erupted with 25-6 in the last stanza to reach the victory.
Dante Exum top-scored for the winners with 23 points. Benjamin Simmons (203-PF-96) netted 12, while Matt Jackson (203-F-95) added 9. Gabriel Deck ended up with 19 points in the losing effort, Alvaro Merlo posted 14, while Rodrigo Haag notched 7.

Australia U17: Dante Exum 23, Benjamin Simmons 12, Matt Jackson 9
Argentina U17: Gabriel Deck 19, Alvaro Merlo 14, Rodrigo Haag 7

Australia edge Russia University team in China - by Eurobasket News

Australia edge Russia University team in China at the start of the Stankovic Cup 2012. The winners grabbed 76:61 win in the opener. Nikita Barinov (200-F-91) scored 16 points for the Russian team and Lasarev netted 11. Maksym Kolyushkin (194-G-90) posted 8 points, while Strebkov and Ivlev netted 5 each.

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

BAHRAIN

AlAhli won the Final opener - by Eurobasket News

AlAhli won the Final opener against ALMuharraq. The team overcame the opponents 84:70 in Game 1. Trailing 19-25 after the first period AlAhli bounced back with 11-8 in the second frame and then added 23-12 in the last stanza.
Game 2 is scheduled on Sunday.

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

BELGIUM

Leuven Transfer - by Peter Buyse

Stella Artois Leuven Bears has announced the addition of American forward Ivan Aska (200-F-90) for the upcoming season.
Aska just finished his college career at Murray State. As senior he averaged 10.6 ppg and 6. rpg. He was voted to the Ohio Valley conference 2nd team after his senior year.
In 2008-2009, his freshman year, he earned OVC Freshman of the Year honors.
The Leuven roster is taking shape but the team is still looking for more additions.

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

BOSNIA

Kings land Bosnian forward Toni Bizaca - by Eurobasket News

Toni Bizaca (202-F-82) will continue his career in Sweden. The Bosnian forward signed a deal with Basketligan runner-up Sodertalje Kings. Bizaca played last season for the Croatian team Dubrovnik, but appeared only six times in the league. He averaged 24 points and 7.2 rebounds. Before Dubrovnik, Toni Bizaca spent one season with Ukrainian Khimik Yuzny. There he had 10.4 ppg and 3.4 rpg in 47 Superleague games. The player also added 11.4 ppg and 3.6 rpg for 8 games in EuroChallenge. From 2007 to 2010, Bizaca played for Trogir and was two-time scoring champion in Croatian league. In the past, he was a member of Bosnian teams Grude and Trogir Livno. In 2010, Bizaca was named Eurobasket.com All-Croatian A1 League Bosman Player of the Year.

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

BRAZIL

Vuk Ivanovic extends with Vivo/Franca Basquete - by Interperformances

The Serbian Center Vuk Ivanovic (208-F/C-83, agency: Interperformances, college: BYU) will remain for another season with the Brazilian NBB Club, Viva /Franca. The 29 year old center started the previous season with Tamis Petrohemija Pancevo averaging 15.7ppg and 7.3rpg. In January moved to Vivo/Franca where he joined another two Interperformances Players; Edward Basden (196-G/F-83, agency: Interperformances, college: Charlotte) and Kevin Sowell (190-G-81, agency: Interperformances). Vuk averaged 8.5ppg, 5.2 rpg. It is definitely not easy for a Serbian Player to enter in a Brazilian market where are mainly hired US Players. He has demonstrated that he is worth to play in the NBB and very happy to continue playing for Franca.

Argentina edge Brazil to win Super 4 Hope Funds Cup - by Eurobasket News

Argentina - Brazil 80:74

Argentina clinched the title at Super 4 Hope Funds Cup in Buenos Aires. Emanuel Ginobili (198-G-77, agency: Interperformances) scored 33 points to lead the hosts.
Brazil ensured the better start to the game. They ignited a 7:0 run in the opening quarter to pull ahead. Brazil enjoyed a 22:20 lead ten minutes into the game. Brazil maintained the lead throughout the second quarter. They arrived at halftime up by a single point 40:39. Argentina though managed to erase the deficit and pull in front in the third quarter. The hosts established a 60:57 lead paced by Juan Gutierrez (205-F/C-83) and Emanuel Ginobili. The home team kept their opponents at safe distance throughout the fourth stanza sealing a tough win at the end. Juan Gutierrez posted 20 points, while Andres Nocioni (199-F-79) added 11 points for the winners. Marcelinho Huertas (191-PG-83, agency: Edge Sports) answered with 15 points for Brazil. Leandrinho Barbosa (190-PG-82) topscored with 17 points for the visitors.

Argentina: Emanuel Ginobili 33, Juan Gutierrez 20, Andres Nocioni 11
Brazil: Leandrinho Barbosa 17, Marcelinho Huertas 15

Helio goes to Limeira - by Paulo Freire

This Friday the Winner/Limeira announced the signing of experienced point guard Helio Vitor Lima (184-PG-81) that spend the last few seasons as the starter PG of Flamengo.
With 30 years old Helio has averaged in the last NBB 7.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game and helped the Flamengo team came in fourth place overall.

"I always had the desire to play with the coachs Demetrius and Dede. I like their basketball philosophy employed on the them. The structure that the president of the club Cassio Roque put together in the city also excited me " said Helio

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

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

Garraways 23 leads Another Level to win over Young Stars - by David Edole

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI Another Level may have had a comfortable 65-55 win against the Stars, but the East had a much rougher ride in the latest round of matches in the BVI Basketball Federation Summer League that concluded on Sunday July 1, 2012.

A second half commanding performance by Revaughn Garraway stimulated Another Level from their first half slumbers and they were able to put the game to bed by the end of the 3rd quarter. Garraway scored 23 points with 6 rebounds, 6 steals and 6 assists as his team overcame a 20-23 deficit to outscore their opponents by 13 in a second half of almost slow motion basketball.

Kevin Bodkin with 15 and Terrique Wattley with 13 were the other scorers of note, whilst Jolyon Wilson led the Stars with 11 points and 16 rebounds. Jamoi Dore hit 17 points, but his team mates were unable to add much.

The weekends first game saw the Young Gunners beat the Junior Pure Playaz 86-45.

With the Gunners racing into a 23-4 lead by the end of the first quarter, the result was in little doubt and with Ashfield Frett in dominating form that doubt was soon removed. Frett finished with 22 points, 16 rebounds, 4 steals and 5 assists to lead the Gunners, with other significant contributions coming from Michael Benjamin and LiShaqua Fahie who both scored 13.

The first senior game of the weekend saw the Rebels take another bashing, this time at the hands of Mega Mix. Douron Phillip scored 34 points and added 21 rebounds for the Mix in the 107-84 rout. Sean Woods did his best to match Phillip by scoring 35 of the Rebels points picking up 10 rebounds on the way and Jamal Serrant added 20 points, but the Rebels were blown away in the 4th quarter.

On Saturday June 30, the Bulls beat Hi Speed 50-27 with Franklyn Penn Junior scoring 18 points. He would contribute 13 to the Sundays 45-16 win against Monei. Tahj Malone scored 12 points and Albert Hatchett 10.

The Skulls then used two 20-point plus quarters to edge home 71-66 over Another Level, after the game was tied at the half. Jomoiri Dagou scored 22 points, Shamoii added 19 and both Akil Basil and JMoi Liburd scored 10 for the Skulls.

Garraway scored 21, Wattley 17 and Charlesworth Georges 15 with 10 rebounds for Another Level.

All Ah Wee were awarded the points as the Latinos were no shows and then the Kings inflicted more damage onto East with a 94-81 win. Jevonne Demming top scored with 34 points, Kimani Stevens added 23 and Delbert Samuel picked up 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Kings, who swung the game in their favour, thanks to a 4th quarter where they outscored East by 32-18.

On Sunday following the Bulls win, the Skulls beat the Junior Pure Playaz 80-66, recovering from being down 3 at the half to outscore their opponents by 16 in the second half to secure victory. Shamoii Dagou scored 30 points with 10 rebounds and JMoi Liburd added 18. Tyree Maduro top scored for the Playaz with 26 points and 15 rebounds.

What would have been the weekends last game turned out to be a famous if stilted victory for the HLSCC Stingrays as the East failed to turn up, giving the Stingrays their first points of the season.

Hon. Fraser opens SCBBC Neil Thomas Summer League - by David Edole

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Representative of the 3rd District, Hon. Julian Fraser, RA was in ebullient mood yesterday Thursday July 5, 2012, as he addressed the players taking part in the Sea Cows Bay Basketball Clubs Summer Basketball League.

The League, which is named after Mr. Neil Thomas, who is the grandson of the late Sea Cows Bay pioneer Valerie O. Thomas, opened at the Multi Purpose Sports Complex after fears of inclement weather caused the switch from the uncovered court in Sea Cows Bay, was attended by all the players, some parents, the Thomas Family, Mr. Fraser and Ephraim Penn, President of the BVI Olympic Committee.

More Parents need to come and show their support, not just for the Children, but also to show they care about the Community, commented Fraser during his remarks. The best way to keep the children off the streets is to occupy their minds with something they like.

Fraser was also full of praise for the work of Unsung Hero, Milton McLean, who organises the league in conjunction with his committee and the SCBBC. Milton, though, is the driving force and not just because he always picks the players up in his Taxi and makes sure they get home. He has instilled discipline and a sense of purpose into many of the Youths and not just those from the 3rd District and as Fraser noted, Wonderful things just dont fall from the sky, so Milton McLean should be applauded and congratulated for what he has done. Two weeks of Basketball for you all to look forward to!

Fraser has been a long-time fan and supporter of the game and was quick to seize upon the Honouree, Neil Thomas, when he heard McLean describing how good a player, a referee and a Coach he was. I am surprised to hear how a good a player and a person Mr. Thomas is; I am thinking to recruit him to the Rebels! Fraser also commended Thomas on his work in the Community. Its not just skills on the court that led to this Honour, but skills in life. We appreciate those skills and also the work you do throughout the Community.

The Rebels do indeed need some new players, but Thomas remained tight lipped on Mr. Frasers proposal.

Before the first game, McLean and Vice President, Raymond Chi-Chi Fonseca made presentations to three newly accredited Referees. Rushawn Johnson, Kevon Lettsome and Devon Blaize all had successfully attended a course held by the SCBBC. Neil Thomas also received a plaque to commemorate the naming of the League in his honour.

The League then kicked off with an epic encounter between Manners from District 3 and Huntums Ghut in the Under 10s. The team from District 5 raced into a 7 nil lead by the end of the first quarter, but then Manners pulled it back to take a 9-8 half time lead.

The third quarter saw Huntums Ghut restore a 2 point advantage to reach the break 15-13 ahead. The fourth quarter was a see saw of attack and defense from both teams as they looked to secure victory. First Manners pulled themselves level at 17-17, then Huntums Ghut restored a two point margin, before with the fans going wild and the clock ticking down.

Both teams missed shots in the frenetic final seconds, before as the Buzzer sounded Manners missed a crucial two pointer that would have tied the score giving Huntums Ghut a 19-17 victory.

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

CANADA

U17 World Championship: USA rout Canada in Kaunas - by Eurobasket News

USA U17-Canada U17 113:59

USA became the Semifinalist of the U17 World Championship. The defending champions thrashed Canada 113:59.
USA started the game confidently and reached 26:15 after the first 10 minutes of the game. Jahlil Okafor-Benton (6'11''-C-95) made a dunk for 31:17 and Domingo scored for 33:20. USA added 20-15 in the frame for 46:30 lead at the halftime. The second half was a nightmare for Canada that allowed the opponents to score 67 points. USA won the third period 32-13 and finished the game with 35-16. Domingo brought the team the three digit number as he made the shot for 101:53 advantage. Later S. Johnson, Domingo, Justice Winslow (6'6''-F-96) and NDUKA-ANYA brought he final points in the winning game.
Tyus Jones (6'2''-G-96) top-scored for the winners with 22 points, while Justice Winslow collected 17 points and 13 rebounds. Joel BERRY netted 15, whilst Jabari Parker (6'8''-F-95) and Jahlil Okafor-Benton posted 10 apiece. Justin Jackson replied with 17 points in defeat and Tyrell Bellot-Green (6'6''-G/F-95) scored 12.

USA U17: Tyus Jones 22, Justice Winslow 17+13 rebs, Joel BERRY 15, Jabari Parker 10, Jahlil Okafor-Benton 10
Canada U17: Justin Jackson 17, Tyrell Bellot-Green 12

Energy unplugged in IBL playoffs - by Eurobasket News

The Edmonton Energy's season came to an abrupt end on Thursday night with a 101-89 playoff loss to the Olympia Reign.

The Energy, ranked third in the International Basketball Leagues playoff bracket, lost to the sixth-seeded Reign in the first round of the six-team championship.

Edmonton reached the final a year ago, losing to the Vancouver (Wash.) Volcanoes.

'It was hard, Energy head coach Dave Youngs said. 'We just didn't hit any shots, basically. We had our opportunities and, at points during the game, we got a little frustrated and we let them have easy baskets.'

'We just could never recover.'

The Reign built up a 57-43 halftime lead before the Energy got into the game, narrowing the deficit to eight points after outscoring Olympia 25-19 in the third quarter.

Olympia pulled away in the fourth quarter, going up by as many as 19 points late in the game.

Edmonton was led offensively by forward Robbie Sihota (198-F-87) and guard/forward Curtis Nash (196-G/F-80, college: Charlotte), although individual stats were not available immediately after the game.

The IBL playoffs have been troublesome for the Energy. The team has often faced scaled down versions of their opponents during the regular season, only to be surprised by more talented versions of the same teams in the post-season.

Its really tough because we showed up on Tuesday to play the game against Olympia (the Reign won 118-111) and they have three guys that we havent seen before that are good players that never came up to Edmonton, Youngs said.

The Energy played without one of their star players, Jermaine Bucknor. The Ross Sheppard high school alum hurt his shoulder in the final regular-season series against the Japan Tornadoes.

Youngs said his first season as the teams head coach was a good one.

'I really enjoyed being around Steve (Sir) and Jermaine and being able to meet some of these other guys and get to know them a little bit better'', Youngs said. 'Overall, it was a learning experience for me and it was positive.'

Courtesy of www.edmontonjournal.com

Vancouver Volcanoes stay alive, advance to IBL semifinals - by Eurobasket News

The Vancouver Volcanoes advanced to the semifinals of the International Basketball League playoffs Thursday with a 131-117 victory over the Salem Soldiers.

Vancouver was the No. 4 seed in the six-team postseason after finishing the regular season with an 11-8 mark. The Volcanoes, the defending league champions, will face the host team and No. 1 seed Bellingham Slam at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

The championship game of the single-elimination tournament is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday at Whatcom Pavilion.

On Thursday, the Volcanoes rode a big second half to the victory. After leading 64-55 at halftime, Vancouver outscored Salem 37-27 in the third period, then extended the lead to 25 points early in the fourth.

Andre Murray (6'2''-G-87, college: Portland St.) led a balanced attack for Vancouver, finishing with 26 points. Devin Uskoski (6'6''-F-85, college: Rocky Mountain) scored 22, including 10 of 10 from the free-throw line, and Alex Tiefenthaler (6'9''-F, college: Concordia, OR) had 20.

Josh Tarver (6'3''-G-86, college: Oregon St.) (18 points), Porter Troupe (6'5''-G-83, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Portland) (16) and Brad Lechtenberg (6'2''-G-81, college: San Diego) (15) also contributed. Lechtenberg went 5 of 6 from 3-point range, accounting for all of his points.

Tiefenthaler added 22 rebounds as Vancouver held a 64-46 edge on the boards, helping the Volcanoes overcome a 36-point outing by Salem's Cory Largent.

Courtesy of www.columbian.com

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

CHILE

Spain topple Chile in Buenos Aires - by Eurobasket News

Spain - Chile 99:59

Spanish B National Team celebrated the first win at the Super 4 Hope Funds Cup tournament in Argentina. They overcame Chile to clinch the third position in the final ladder. Adrian Laso (204-F/C-90) knocked down 19 points and grabbed 8 rebounds for the winners.
Spain held Chile to 8 points in the opening quarter to pile up a 9-point lead. Spain increased the tempo firing 25 points in the second quarter and taking a 42:28 halftime advantage. Spain did not slow down after the big break. They erupted for 31 points in the third quarter to ensure a massive 33-point lead with one quarter remaining. Spain notched 26 points in the fourth term and sealed a cruising win at the end. David Doblas (206-C-81) posted 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Joaquim Colom (188-PG-88, agency: Interperformances) contributed 12 points for Spain. Gerardo Isla (200-F/C-91) replied with 12 points and 9 rebounds for Chile. Erik Carrasco (181-PG-83) and Evandro Arteaga (178-G-83) netted 11 points each in the loss.

Spain: Adrian Laso 19, David Doblas 17+12 boards, Joaquim Colom 12
Chile: Gerardo Isla 12, Erik Carrasco 11, Evandro Arteaga 11

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

CHINA

China Loses to Spain 64-57 - by Arthur Volbert

China fought valiantly but came up short against Spain in the FIBA U-17 World Championship, falling 64-57. China led 14-11 after one quarter, and 31-26 at the half. But China faltered in the second half being outscored 17-10 in the third quarter to trail 43-41. China was outscored 21-16 in the fourth quarter.

6-10 Ilimaine Diop had 26 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks for Spain, while Zhou Qi (216-C-96) had 20 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks for Cnina so the play of the two centers was fairly even. Zhao Jiwei had 16 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals and 5 turnovers for China. Alberto Martin, the Spanish point guard, had 14 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 4 turnovers for Spain. Again, the two players were fairly even in their performance. Han Delong had 10 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists and is the third best player on this team. Liu Bo, a highly talented power forward listed as born in 1996, fouled out in 17 minutes and had only 3 points and 2 rebounds. With Liu misfiring today China's lack of depth clearly showed. Heng Yifeng also had a poor game scoring 5 points on 2 of 9 shooting but he did have 4 assists. China is only using 10 players this tournament as Luo Kaiwen was left off the team and Su Hao has not played at all. This is likely due to injury.

I had initially predicted that this team was likely to finish sixth, seventh or eighth and that's where it will end up. Let's hope it will be sixth as this would still be China's highest finish ever in a men's world basketball championship..

2012 Stankovic Basketball Cup Takes Place in Guangzhou July 6-10 - by Eurobasket News

The 2012 Stankovic Continental Champions Cup takes place at the Tianhe Gymnasium in Guangzhou from July 6-10. Now in its 8th year, the Stankovic Cup is a Chinese-organised international basketball championship featuring top class players from around the world. On June 6, 7 and 8 at 19:30, China, Tunisia, Australia and Russia will go head to head. The semi-finals and finals will take place on July 10 at 19:30 and 21:30 respectively.
Courtesy of: echinacities.com

U17 World Championship: Spain hold off China to reach semis - by Eurobasket News

Spain U17 - China U17 64:57

Spain survived a thriller against China to become the first semifinalists of U17 World Championship in Lithuania. Ilimane Diop (210-C-95) scored 26 points and 11 rebounds to lead the European team. It was never an easy ride for Spain. China dominated in the first half. The Asian team led by three points ten minutes into the game 14:11. They stretched the gap to 5 points at halftime 31:26. But Spain reacted with a stifling defence in the third quarter. The Europeans limited their opponents to 10 points in the period to gain a single-point advantage heading into the fourth frame 43:42. China surged ahead midway through the final term but Spain reacted with an 11:3 run to gain a decisive lead late in regulation. Alberto Martin (185-PG-95) knocked down 14 points for Spain. Alberto Abalde (200-SF-95) added 9 points in the winning case. Zhou Qi (216-C-96) responded with 20 points and 15 rebounds for China. Zhao JiWei (185-G-95) had 16 points in the loss.

Spain U17: Ilimane Diop 26+11 boards, Alberto Martin 14, Alberto Abalde 9
China U17: Zhou Qi 20+15 boards, Zhao JiWei 16

NBL Round 2 of Quarter-Finals - by Eurobasket News

Hebei - Changan Group 92-95

The guests trailed by 11 points after three quarters before their 31-17 charge, which allowed them to win the game. 29 personal fouls committed by Hebei helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. American forward Joseph Taylor (203-85, college: Wyoming) had a double-double by scoring 30 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 blocks to lead the charge for the winners and forward XiaTi Re (202-89) chipped in 19 points and 8 rebounds during the contest. Changan Group's coach MingZhu Pu used an eleven-player rotation in such tough game. American forward Bryan Davis (206-86, college: Texas A&M, agency: N.E.T.) responded with a double-double by scoring 27 points and 14 rebounds and guard ZhiTong Yin (195-86) scored 15 points and 7 rebounds. Four Hebei players scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Changan Group: T.Joseph 30+13reb+5ast, R.XiaTi 19+8reb, Y.DaPeng 18+3reb, S.Jian 7+1reb+1ast, J.JunQi 6+6reb, S.Lei 4+1reb+1ast
Hebei: D.Bryan 27+14reb, Z.ZhenHu 17+3reb+3ast, Y.ZhiTong 15+7reb+1ast, S.ChunLei 13+5reb+2ast, W.Tong 7+3ast, Y.TingYu 6+5reb

Jiangsu - Heilongjiang 91-63

The game was mostly controlled by Jiangsu. Heilongjiang was better in fourth quarter 26-18. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Jiangsu dominated down low during the game scoring 58 of its points in the paint compared to Heilongjiang's 34. They outrebounded Heilongjiang 61-29 including a 20-8 advantage in offensive rebounds. Forward JianYe Song (198-91) notched a double-double by scoring 14 points and 12 rebounds to lead the effort and forward QingQing Ni (200-90) supported him with 13 points. Even 15 points by forward Xu Liu (201-85) did not help to save the game for Heilongjiang. Center Gang Yu (208-92) added 7 points and 11 rebounds for the guests. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games.
Top scorers:
Jiangsu: S.JianYe 14+12reb+3ast, N.QingQing 13+3reb+2ast, M.Zhuang 11+4reb+3ast, G.MingYang 10+5reb+1ast, W.YanQing 9+1ast, P.YuLe 8+9reb
Heilongjiang: L.Xu 15+4reb+2ast, Z.JunXiong 13+5reb+1ast, H.Mengxin 8+3reb+1ast, J.Ming 8+2reb+3ast, Y.Gang 7+11reb+2ast, F.Rashaun 6+2reb

Guangzhou L. - Nanjin Army 113-104

The hosts were already 13 points ahead after 3 quarters before a 20-16 Nanjin Army's run in the last quarter cut the lead to 113-104 at the end of the game. Guangzhou L. players were unselfish on offense dishing 21 assists. Nanjin Army was plagued by 33 personal fouls down the stretch. Forward DaWei Chen (203-85) notched 25 points and 7 rebounds to lead the effort and the former international power forward XiangTao Liu (202-80) supported him with 26 points and 5 rebounds. Even 21 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists by forward Shengyue Sun (198-89) did not help to save the game for Nanjin Army. Forward ChengLin Fan (202-91) added 19 points and 7 rebounds for the guests. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games.
Top scorers:
Guangzhou L.: L.XiangTao 26+5reb, C.DaWei 25+7reb+3ast, W.Jing 21+4reb+2ast, C.Brandon 13+10reb+4ast, T.Chao 12+5reb+5ast, J.Lei 7+1reb+1ast
Nanjin Army: S.Shengyue 21+6reb+5ast, F.ChengLin 19+7reb+1ast, W.Chen 13+7reb+2ast, D.QinShuo 12+2reb, Z.CaiBao 11+3reb+2ast, T.JiaFu 9+4reb

Guangzhou FM - Sichuan 103-89

The game was mostly controlled by Guangzhou FM. Sichuan was better in third quarter 26-22. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They outrebounded Sichuan 49-36 including 18 on the offensive glass. American forward Walter Sharpe (206-86, college: UAB, agency: Two Points) notched a double-double by scoring 32 points, 23 rebounds and 7 assists (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) to lead the effort and guard KaiFu Yao (196-83) supported him with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Five Guangzhou FM players scored in double figures. Even a double-double of 28 points and 10 rebounds by American power forward David Palmer (206-86, college: N.Kentucky) did not help to save the game for Sichuan. Guard YingLiang Wang (183-91) added 21 points for the guests.
Top scorers:
Guangzhou FM: S.Walter 32+23reb+7ast, Y.KaiFu 13+7reb+3ast, Y.Peng 11+3reb+3ast, L.DaPeng 11+8reb+1ast, D.JunJiang 11+1ast, L.XueSong 11+5reb+2ast
Sichuan: P.David 28+10reb+2ast, W.YingLiang 21+3reb+3ast, C.XiaoDong 16+6reb, D.ChengLong 8+8reb+1ast, Y.ZhaoLei 7+3reb, H.XiaoBin 5+3reb

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

CROATIA

U17 World Championship: Croatia continue their winning streak - by Eurobasket News

Croatia U17-Czech Republic U17 94:71

Croatia continue their winning streak and reached already the Semifinals of the U17 World Championship. The team won over Czech Republic U17 to close the Quarterfinal day in Kaunas.
Croatia won the opening tip 7-2 and then ZGANEC brought 15:9. The teams exchanged several more baskets and finished the first period with 24:21. Domagoj Bosnjak (201-G/F-95) made two free throws for 29:26, while Martin Peterka (203-PF-95) gave his side 32:31 lead later in the second period. Adam Pechacek (207-C-95) and ZGANEC exchanged the late baskets at the end of the frame for 42:40 at the halftime. In the third period Croatia stayed in front for the whole time, however sometimes the lead was not comfortable. Tomislav Gabric (202-F-95) scored for 72:64 and Adam Pechacek reduced to 6 points at the end of the period. Only due to 22-5 in the last stanza the Croatian side managed to prove their ambitions for the top places.
Domagoj Bosnjak led the way with 21 points and ZGANEC notched 19. Mario Hezonja (202-G/F-95) delivered 18, while Tomislav Gabric posted 8. Martin Peterka replied with 23 points and 11 rebounds in the losing effort. Jiri Dedek (191-SF-95) scored 16 and Adam Pechacek chipped in 11.

Croatia U17: Domagoj Bosnjak 21, ZGANEC 19, Mario Hezonja 18, Tomislav Gabric 8
Czech Republic U17: Martin Peterka 23+11 rebs, Jiri Dedek 16, Adam Pechacek 11

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

CYPRUS

The draw for the Cypriot teams - by Michael Aristidou

Champions InterCollege Etha Engomis Nicosia, cup holders Keravnos Strovolou and Pizza Express Apollon Limassol Apollon Limassol found out their European opponents in Eurochallenge

InterCollege Etha Engomis Nicosia is in first group along with Krka (SLO), Pinar Karsiyaka (TUR) and the winner of qualifier 4 between Tofas (TUR) and Rakvere Tarvas (EST)

Keravnos Strovolou is in second group with Krasnye Krylia (RUS), Asesoft Ploesti (ROU) and the winner of qualifier 1 between Aliaga Petkim (TUR) and Joensuun Kataja (FIN)

Finally Pizza Express Apollon Limassol will face Xion Dukes (AUS) in preliminary round and if they go through the next round will be in seventh group with Gravelines (FRA), BC Minsk 2006 (BLR) and SLUG Nancy (FRA)

Another important signing for ENAD - by Michael Aristidou

It seems that Ydra Asfalistiki ENAD Agios Dometios will be much stronger this year. The team after the signing of Giorgos Anastasiadis (194-SF-77) and Christodoulos Kaskiris (206-C/F-79), proceed to another important signing. Vassilis Kounas (195-G-84) will play with the cats under the management of the new head coach of the team Christos Stylianidis . Kounas was in Laurio having 9,8ppg and 3,6apg.

Ydra Asfalistiki ENAD Agios Dometios is trying to be as competitive as possible and their signings so far shows that the team will fight hard next season.

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

CZECH REPUBLIC

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Olympic Qualifying Tournament: Dominican Republic step closer to London - by Eurobasket News

Dominican Republic - FYR Macedonia 86:76

Dominican Republic recovered from a slow start to knock down FYR Macedonia in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament quarterfinals. Francisco Garcia (201-F/G-81, college: Louisville) stepped up with 28 points to lead the winners as they would face Lithuania for a spot in the Olympic Games.
It was all about FYR Macedonia in the opening quarter. The Europeans held Dominican Republic to 10 points in the first period to take a 13-point lead. The teams exchanged baskets throughout the second quarter. FYR Macedonia secured a 41:28 halftime advantage. But Dominican Republic turned the tables after the big break. They erupted for 26 points in the third quarter to narrow the margin to 2 points at the final intermission. Dominican Republic ignited an impressive 32:20 rally in the fourth term to seal the victory at the end. Alfred Horford (208-F/C-86, college: Florida) accounted for 14 points and 15 boards, while Jack Michael Martinez (201-F-81, agency: Paris Global Sports) added 14 points and 13 rebounds for the winners. Bo McCalebb (178-PG-85, college: New Orleans) responded with 35 points for FYR Macedonia. Vlado Ilievski (187-PG-80, agency: Beo Basket) banked 16 points in the loss.

Dominican Republic: Francisco Garcia 28, Alfred Horford 14+15 boards, Jack Michael Martinez 14+13 boards
FYR Macedonia: Bo McCalebb 35, Vlado Ilievski 16

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

EGYPT

U17 World Championship: Lithuania sneak past Egypt - by Eurobasket News

Lithuania U17 - Egypt U17 73:72

Lithuania claimed a narrow win over Egypt at the start of the classification round at U17 World Championship. The hosts needed some wise decision late in regulation to hold off pesky Egypt in Kaunas tonight. Edvinas Seskus (192-SF-95) scored 18 points to lead the winners. Lithuania will now take on France for the 9th position. Egypt will face South Korea in the final game at the tournament.
Egypt jumped to an early lead. The African team enjoyed an 18:14 lead ten minutes into the game. The sides exchanged baskets throughout the second quarter. Egypt maintained the lead posting a 37:33 halftime advantage. Lithuania recovered in the third quarter. The hosts knocked down 22 points in the period to secure a 5-point lead at the final intermission. Egypt refused to back off as they competitive till the final seconds. Lithuania proved cool and determined in the dying seconds and stole a narrow win at the end. Ernestas Serkevicius (187-PG-95) and Gediminas Zalalis (205-C-95) posted 12 points each for the winners. Walid Aly (185-G-95) answered with 19 points and 6 boards for Egypt. Ehab Amin (185-G-95) had 15 points and 9 rebounds in the loss.

Lithuania U17: Edvinas Seskus 18, Ernestas Serkevicius 12, Gediminas Zalalis 12
Egypt U17: Walid Aly 19, Ehab Amin 15

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

ESTONIA

Estonia hand Georgia second straight defeat - by Eurobasket News

Estonia U20 - Georgia U20 96:77

Estonia celebrated the second straight win in the test series versus Georgian counterparts. Once again the hosts looked dominant and claimed a well-deserved win. Rauno Nurger (207-C-93) stepped up with 17 points and 8 rebounds to pace Estonia.
The hosts jumped to an early lead and accumulated a 25:15 lead at the first break. They erupted for 31 points in the second quarter to stretch the margin. Estonia posted a 56:34 halftime advantage. Georgia finally stopped the rot and outscored Estonia in the third quarter. The visitors narrowed the margin to 19 points before the fourth frame. The teams exchanged baskets throughout the final period as Estonia cruised to the victory. Oliver Metsalu (196-G-93) nailed 16 points and 8 rebounds for the hosts. Rannar Raap (190-G/F-92) added 12 points for the winners. Beka Burjanadze (203-F-94) answered with 21 points and 8 rebounds for Georgia. Merab Bokolishvili (198-G-92) netted 12 points in the loss.

Estonia U20: Rauno Nurger 17, Oliver Metsalu 16, Rannar Raap 12
Georgia U20: Beka Burjanadze 21, Merab Bokolishvili 12

Latvia beat Estonia at the start of Baltic Cup - by Eurobasket News

Estonia U16 - Latvia U16 53:77

Latvia earned the opening win at the U16 Baltic Cup tournament in Tallinn. They toppled the hosts in the opener. Davis Zonne (183-PG-96) stepped up with 20 points to lead the charge.
Latvia earned a 22:16 lead ten minutes into the game. Estonia managed to slow their opponents down in the second quarter. The hosts narrowed the gap at 4-point mark at the interval 31:35. Latvia however regained control in the third term. The visitors outgunned Estonia 21:11 to pile up a 14-point lead at the final intermission. Latvia dropped 21 points in the final stanza to seal a comfortable win at the end. Gustavs Treimanis (196-C-96) knocked down 12 points, while Ervins Meznieks (184-F-96) had 10 points for the winning side. Karl-Robin Jurjens (199-F-96) answered with 18 points for Estonia. Andre Reinart had 14 points in the loss.

Estonia U16: Karl-Robin Jurjens 18, Andre Reinart 14
Latvia U16: Davis Zonne 20, Gustavs Treimanis 12, Ervins Meznieks 10

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

EUROBASKET SUMMER LEAGUE

Orlando NBA Summer League set to start same day as ESL, July 9 - by ESL News

The Orlando Magic will host the AirTran Airways Orlando NBA Summer League at the teams practice court at the Amway Center from July 9-13, 2012. The Eurobasket Summer League will be run at the same time down the street at the Orlando Convention Center from July 9-11. Orlando NBA Summer League will feature the Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons with games starting Sunday, July 9. Eurobasket Summer League will hold its registration at the convention center starting at 1 pm and will begin NBA type workouts and team preperation games at 2 pm and will go until 6 pm. Games that count will begin Monday morning, July 10 at 10 am.

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

EUROCHALLENGE

EuroChallenge regular season drawn - by Eurobasket News

The EuroChallenge 2012/13 season was officially inaugurated in Freising, Germany on Friday with the competition Draw.

The Regular Season tips off on 6 November and will feature 32 clubs, divided in eight groups of four teams each.

28 teams were drawn directly into the Regular Season groups. Four others will emerge following the EuroChallenge Qualifying Round, which features eight clubs in total and will fight for qualification over two legs, home and away.

The first leg of the Qualifying Round will be played on 25 September with the return leg on 2 October.

The Final Four will take place in the venue of one of the four participants, 26-28 April 2013. The venue will be decided after the conclusion of the play-offs.

The Qualifying Round pairings (teams mentioned first play the return leg of the tie at home):

QUALIFIER 1: Aliaga Petkim (TUR) v Joensuun Kataja (FIN)
QUALIFIER 2: Apollon Limassol (CYP) v Xion Dukes Klosterneuburg (AUT)
QUALIFIER 3: Ural Ekaterinburg (RUS) v GAZ Metan Medias (ROU)
QUALIFIER 4: Tofas (TUR) v Rakvere Tarvas (EST)

The Regular Season groups are:

GROUP A
Krka (SLO)
ETHA Engomi (CYP)
Pinar Karsiyaka (TUR)
QUALIFIER 4

GROUP B
Krasnye Krylia (RUS)
Keravnos (CYP)
Asesoft Ploesti (ROU)
QUALIFIER 1

GROUP C
BK Ventspils (LAT)
Norrkping Dolphins (SWE)
Tampereen Pyrint (FIN)
Sdertlje BBK (SWE)

GROUP D
Khimik Yuzhny (UKR)
University Tartu (EST)
JDA Dijon (FRA)
QUALIFIER 3

GROUP E
Belfius Mons-Hainaut (BEL)
Okapi Aalstar (BEL)
Paris Levallois (FRA)
BCMU Pitesti (ROU)

GROUP F
Szolnoki Olaj (HUN)
EWE Baskets (GER)
Fortress-Lami Ved Krmend (HUN)
BC Timisoara (ROU)

GROUP G
Gravelines (FRA)
BC Minsk 2006 (BLR)
SLUC Nancy (FRA)
QUALIFIER 2

GROUP H
Antwerp Giants (BEL)
Telekom Baskets (GER)
Armia Tblisi (GEO)
Hapoel Holon (ISR)

Courtesy of FIBA Europe

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

EUROLEAGUE

Turkish Airlines Euroleague draw 2012-13 - by Eurobasket News

The draw for the 2012-13 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Regular Season and the Euroleague Qualifying Rounds Friday set the wheels in motion for another spectacular edition of the continent's best basketball. One significant change to the competition format mean that this will be the only draw for the season and teams and fans can start marking their calendars with game nights all the way through the 2013 Final Four in London. The new season will feature a longer Top 16 phase, to which teams will qualify directly, without another draw. All told, the teams that reach London will play between 29 and 31 games this season. Moreover, the days of the games themselves will shift with the weekly calendar moving to all games being played on Thursdays and Fridays. The first action will be the qualifying rounds, in which eight teams will clash for one available ticket to the 2012-13 regular season. The qualifying round will be played between September 25 and 28 at Desio, Italy.

The regular season, featuring four groups of six teams, will commence on October 11 and last through December 14, 2012. The top four teams from each group will advance to the new, longer Top 16, which allows for more games pitting the top teams in the competition against one another. The Top 16 sees two groups of eight play out a 14-game schedule between December 27, 2012 and April 5, 2013, after which the best four in each group graduate into always-dramatic best-of-five playoffs series. The playoffs, scheduled between April 9 to 25, set the stage for the 2013 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four, which for the first time will take place at The O2 in the British capital from May 10 and 12.

Also on Friday, Dusan Ivkovic (agency: Beo Basket) picked up his Alexander Gomelskiy Coach of the Year award in a ceremony before the draw. Ivkovic led Olympiacos to the 2011-12 Turkish Airlines Euroleague title before walking off the European club stage as the only coach to lift all major European trophies - Euroleague, Eurocup, Saporta Cup and Korac Cup. At age 68, Ivkovic has also become the oldest coach to win the Euroleague title. Before that, Olympiacos Piraeus co-owners Panayotis and George Angelopoulos shared Euroleague Basketball's 2011-12 Executive of the Year award. The Angelopoulos brothers struck gold this season by changing the direction of the team in several bold strokes.

Euroleague President and CEO Jordi Bertomeu presented a special executive award in memorian to the late Enzo Lefebre, who passed away earlier on this year. His widow Irmgard received the award to a respectful ovation. Lefebre, a longtime club executive in Italy, participated in the founding of Euroleague Basketball in 2000 and was most recently the vice president of Benetton Basket.

The Devotion Marketing Awards were also unveiled before the draw. Unicaja Malaga was given the Gold Devotion award for the second time, after having already received that honour in 2007. CSKA Moscow and Olympiacos received the Silver and Bronze Devotion awards, respectively.

Regular season
GROUP A: Panathinaikos, Real Madrid, Khimky Moscow Region, Fenerbahce, Union Olimpija, QR team.
GROUP B: Maccabi Tel Aviv, Montepaschi Siena, ALBA Berlin, Unicaja Malaga, Asseco Prokom Gdynia, Chalon.
GROUP C: Olympiacos, Caja Laboral, Anadolu Efes, Zalgiris Kaunas, EA7 Milano, Cedevita.
GROUP D: Regal Barcelona, CSKA Moscow, Partizan Belgrade, Lietuvos Rytas, Brose Baskets Bamberg, Besiktas.

*Four best teams from each group will advance to Top 16.

Euroleague Qualification Round:
Unics Kazan - Ratiopharm Ulm
Le Mans - BC Donetsk
CEZ Nymbuerk - Telenet Oostende
Pallacanestro Cantu - Lukoil Academic Sofia

Click here for more. Click here for competition format.

Courtesy of Euroleague

Milano officially confirms Gianluca Basile for 2012/13 - by Eurobasket News

As expected, Gianluca Basile (192-G-75) officially became a new member of EA7 Emporio Armani Milano. The veteran guard penned a deal for the next season. Basile arrives to Milano from Bennet Cantu, where he had 10 ppg, 3.1 apg and 1.9 rpg for 15 Euroleague games last season. Cantu had a great year and reached Top 16. In SerieA, Basile collected 8.6 ppg, 1.9 apg and 1.5 rpg. Cantu reached Cup Final last season in Italy.
Before Cantu, Gianluca Basile spent six years with Barcelona. They won the Euroleague title together in 2010. They also were Spanish league champions in 2009 and Copa del Rey winners in 2007 and 2010. In 2010/11 season Basile appeared in just one game with Barca. In the past, he played for Climamio Bologna and Reggio Emilia. Basile also played for the Italian National Team from 1996 to 2007.

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

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

European Championship for Small Countries. Semifinal Stage - by Eurobasket News

SEMIFINALS

San Marino - Moldova 63:88

Moldova will play in the title game at European Championship for Small Countries. They overcame San Marino to book the spot in the championship game. Ivan Cropotov (210-C-88, college: SW Baptist) accounted for 22 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. San Marino will now take on Malta in the consolation final.
Moldova built a 10-point lead after ten minutes 24:14. Moldova boosted the margin to 11 points at halftime 39:28. Moldova maintained the lead throughout the third period. They piled up a 17-point buffer before the final stanza 62:45. Moldova did not slow down for a second and rallied to a confident win at the end. Vladimir Colesnicov (202-F/C-80) accounted for 17 points, while Vladimir Priscepnii (200-F-88) added 16 points and 11 rebounds and Nicolai Coputerco (191-SG-85) had triple-double of 10 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. Andrea Raschi (198-SG-79) answered with 23 points and 13 rebounds for San Marino. Fabio Tentoni (183-G-79) and Enrico Zanotti (195-C-90) finished with 7 points each in the loss.

San Marino: Andrea Raschi 23+13 boards, Fabio Tentoni 7, Enrico Zanotti 7
Moldova: Ivan Cropotov 22, Vladimir Colesnicov 17, Vladimir Priscepnii 16+11 boards

Gibraltar-Wales 72:95

Wales beat Gibraltar and finished 5th at the European Championship for Small Countries. The team needed 95:72 win to win the Group for 5-7 places.
Gibraltar grabbed 20-18 lead at the end of the first period, but could not keep the lead for good. Wales replied with 28-18 in the second frame and took 8-point advantage at the halftime. The third quarter brought 20-19 for Gibraltar as the latter reduced to 7 points entering the final stanza. Wales however erupted with 30-14 in the last stanza to seal the victory.
Jordan Seeley top-scored for the winners with 20 points and Christopher Pearce notched 17. Ioan Nickson delivered 14, while Ryan Kilmartin posted 11. Adam Cassaglia finished the game with 15 points in defeat, while Angel Guerrero netted 14. Jamie Sercombe scored 11 and Christopher Noon chipped in with 10.
Tomorrow Gibraltar will face Scotland for the 6-7 places.

Gibraltar: Adam Cassaglia 15, Angel Angel Guerrero 14, Jamie Sercombe 11, Christopher Noon 10
Wales: Jordan Seeley 20, Christopher Pearce 17, Ioan Nickson 14, Ryan Kilmartin 11

European Championship for Small Countries. Semifinal Stage - by Eurobasket News

SEMIFINALS

San Marino - Moldova 63:88

Moldova will play in the title game at European Championship for Small Countries. They overcame San Marino to book the spot in the championship game. Ivan Cropotov (210-C-88, college: SW Baptist) (210-C-88, college: SW Baptist) accounted for 22 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. San Marino will now take on Malta in the consolation final.
Moldova built a 10-point lead after ten minutes 24:14. Moldova boosted the margin to 11 points at halftime 39:28. Moldova maintained the lead throughout the third period. They piled up a 17-point buffer before the final stanza 62:45. Moldova did not slow down for a second and rallied to a confident win at the end. Vladimir Colesnicov accounted for 17 points, while Vladimir Priscepnii added 16 points and 11 rebounds and Nicolai Coputerco had triple-double of 10 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. Andrea Raschi (198-SG-79) answered with 23 points and 13 rebounds for San Marino. Fabio Tentoni (183-G-79) and Enrico Zanotti finished with 7 points each in the loss.

San Marino: Andrea Raschi 23+13 boards, Fabio Tentoni 7, Enrico Zanotti 7
Moldova: Ivan Cropotov 22, Vladimir Colesnicov 17, Vladimir Priscepnii 16+11 boards

Andorra - Malta 75:65

Andorra claimed the win in the first semifinal at the European Championship for Small Countries tonight. They held off Malta for the spot in the Final. Xavier Galera (182-PG-82) came up with 21 points for the winners.
Malta jumped to a 23:12 lead ten minutes into the game. Andorra slowly took over in the second quarter. They cut the deficit to trail by 8 points at halftime 33:41. Andorra narrowed the gap even more in the third quarter. They trailed by just 4 points heading into the fourth period 52:56. Andorra then stunned their opponents with a 23:9 run in the fourth period to seal a comfortable win. Oriol Fernandez (186-F-88) accounted for 14 points, 7 assists and 4 boards, while Rafael Casals added 12 points for the winners. Darryl Jackson (189-SG-85, agency: Interperformances, college: Warner Pacific) answered with 25 points for Malta. Samuel Deguara tallied 22 points and 17 rebounds in the loss.

Andorra: Xavier Galera 21, Oriol Fernandez 14, Rafael Casals 12
Malta: Darryl Jackson 25, Samuel Deguara 22+17 boards

5-7 places

Gibraltar-Wales 72:95

Wales beat Gibraltar and finished 5th at the European Championship for Small Countries. The team needed 95:72 win to win the Group for 5-7 places.
Gibraltar grabbed 20-18 lead at the end of the first period, but could not keep the lead for good. Wales replied with 28-18 in the second frame and took 8-point advantage at the halftime. The third quarter brought 20-19 for Gibraltar as the latter reduced to 7 points entering the final stanza. Wales however erupted with 30-14 in the last stanza to seal the victory.
Jordan Seeley (190-PG-89) top-scored for the winners with 20 points and Christopher Pearce notched 17. Ioan Nickson delivered 14, while Ryan Kilmartin posted 11. Adam Cassaglia (191-G/F-78) finished the game with 15 points in defeat, while Angel Guerrero (192-F-75) netted 14. Jamie Sercombe scored 11 and Christopher Noon chipped in with 10.
Tomorrow Gibraltar will face Scotland for the 6-7 places.

Gibraltar: Adam Cassaglia 15, Angel Angel Guerrero 14, Jamie Sercombe 11, Christopher Noon 10
Wales: Jordan Seeley 20, Christopher Pearce 17, Ioan Nickson 14, Ryan Kilmartin 11

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

FINLAND

KORISLIIGA: Giordan Watson from Iceland to Finland - by Rauno Hurmalainen

American G Giordan Watson (178-G-85, college: Cent.Michigan) will leave Iceland and move to Finland during his professional career. After winning the Championship in Iceland (Grindavik) Watson has signed with Karhu (Kauhajoki) for coming 2012-13 season. Watson averaged last season 16,3 ppg, 4,4 rpg, 7,2 apg and 1,8 spg in 31 contests. Watson has played earlier also in Germany.
Finnish G Aleksi Koskinen (183-G-92) is leaving YMCA Lappeenranta and joining FoKoPo (Forssa) roster. FoKoPo has then seven contracts with Finnish players. Team new Head Coach is Miikka Sopanen .

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

FRANCE

Nicolas Batum, Timberwolves agree - by Eurobasket News

Restricted free agent Nicolas Batum (6'7''-F-88) has agreed to terms on an offer sheet with the Timberwolves and is hoping the Portland Trail Blazers either do not match the offer or execute a sign-and-trade to get him to Minnesota, Batum's agent told The Associated Press on Thursday night.

Batum and agent Bouna Ndiaye met with Blazers officials Thursday, and informed them the versatile swingman feels his best fit is in Minnesota. Ndiaye declined to give the terms of the agreement, but a person with knowledge of the deal said it was for four years and $45 million, with bonuses that could push it past $50 million. The person requested anonymity because the deal hasn't been completed.

The Blazers have been adamant they will match any offer for Batum and were not interested in trading the 23-year-old native Frenchman. Ndiaye said Batum has great respect for the Blazers and their fans but believes playing for Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman and alongside point guard Ricky Rubio and forward Kevin Love is the best situation for him.

"It was a very cordial meeting. There were no hard feelings," Ndiaye said. "So Nicolas basically talked about his four years with the Blazers, and he expressed that maybe it was time for him to look at a place where he could be more happy."

The offer cannot be signed until the moratorium ends July 11. Batum has averaged 10.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game over four seasons with Portland, part of the reason the Blazers see him as such a valuable piece moving forward.

"We appreciated the face-to-face meeting to get our message across," Blazers general manager Neil Olshey told The Oregonian. "And that message was that we intend to match any offer and we will not facilitate any sign-and-trade scenarios."

Batum visited Minnesota this week and met with owner Glen Taylor, team president David Kahn and Adelman, and was sold on the franchise's direction and the Twin Cities. Ndiaye said Batum is hoping the Blazers will do for him what the Suns did for Steve Nash, and grant his request to move on to a place where he can be happy and competitive.

"Nicolas said, 'I really respect the Blazers' organization, the Blazers' fans,'" Ndiaye said. "He even mentioned he really loved to be coached by (former assistant) Monty Williams, who was a mentor. But his choice, his heart went to Minneapolis."

Things started to sour for Batum and Portland in January when the Blazers didn't sign him to a long-term extension, saying at the time that they considered him a big part of their future but wanted to retain salary-cap flexibility before reaching a deal with him. Ndiaye said Batum felt stifled in Portland's system, and wanted to spend less time standing in the corner and shooting 3-pointers, and more time breaking down defenders off the dribble and getting to the rim.

"Nicolas expressed this during his meeting with the Blazers," Ndiaye said. "He was never himself. He has mentioned this in the meeting. He said, 'I just want to be me. I don't want to stand in the corner. I'm a player with movement. I was locked up in the corner.' So he has expressed that for sure."

The one thing that could complicate Portland's plan to keep Batum is a reported max offer to Indiana center Roy Hibbert. If Hibbert takes the deal and Minnesota's offer is big enough, the Blazers could be hampered financially starting in 2013-14, when the new collective bargaining agreement levies much harsher fiscal penalties for exceeding the salary cap.

Wolves assistant Bill Bayno also is a big part of Batum's desire to play in Minnesota. Batum rents Bayno's house in Portland.

"Nicolas is really anxious to join and play with a great unselfish point guard, excited to play with a young team that thinks he is the missing piece," Ndiaye said. "He had a great feel with the coach Rick Adelman, and Nicolas thinks this is a system that will fit him."

Courtesy of ESPN

Orleans extend Mael Lebrun - by Eurobasket News

Orleans and Mael Lebrun (198-F-91) have agreed on terms of contract extension. The new deal is meant for three seasons. Mael Lebrun has been playing for Orleans since 2007. Last season the forward averaged 4.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game in ProA. He was the member of U18 and U20 French National Teams.

ADA Blois gets bigger with rookie Kevin Cantinol - by Eurobasket News

ADA Blois Basket reinforced its roster under the basket. The French NM1 team penned a deal with center Kevin Cantinol (205-C-88, college: Florida Gulf Coast) for the next season. This is the first pro deal for the player, who graduated at Florida Gulf Coast University few months ago. He had 2.8 ppg and 3 rpg for 31 games as a senior. Cantinol transferred to Florida Gulf Coast in 2010 averaging 6.5 points and 5 rebounds in their first season together. The center started his college career in 2007 with the University of Mississippi. However, Cantinol had very limited playing time there and decided to transfer. Last season with Gulf Coast he reached A-Sun Tournament Finals.
Kevin Cantinol s new team ADA Blois Basket reached NM1 Finals last season. They failed against Charleville 63-75 in the title game.

Tony Parker cleared to play at Olympics after eye injury - by Eurobasket News

Spurs guard Tony Parker (183-PG-82) can play for European runner-up France in the Olympic Games after San Antonio's doctors agreed he has recovered from an eye injury.

Parker scratched his left cornea during a nightclub melee in New York last month.

"The two ophthalmologists (from the Spurs) confirmed the opinion of the French doctor who operated on Tony Parker, and the two Swiss specialists who also examined the player last Thursday, and indicated that he can resume playing," the French Basketball Federation said on Friday, adding that Spurs coach Gregg Popovich also gave his blessing.

Parker is joining the French squad in Orleans and he could play in a tuneup against England on Saturday.

France's first game at the Olympics is against the United States on July 29.

"It is great news and a relief for the whole France team," coach Vincent Collet said. "I spoke with Tony on the phone and he sounded very happy and also relieved about this development. It was a difficult and alarming situation for everyone."

Parker was included on the team's 12-man Olympic roster as he waited to see whether his injury would heal in time.

He was hurt by shards of flying glass in a nightclub fight involving singer Chris Brown and members of hip-hop star Drake's entourage.

Parker scored 26 points for France when it lost last year's European final 98-85 to Spain.

France will be missing Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah, who is still recovering from a left ankle injury he hurt during the NBA playoffs.

Courtesy of www.usatoday.com

France names roster for 2012 Olympics - by Eurobasket News

Head Coach of the French National Team Vincent Collet named 12-man roster for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Tony Parker (183-PG-82) is on the list, but it is not clear yet will he be able to play or not. The French superstar suffered serious eye injury recently.

Guards: Yannick Bokolo (190-G-85), Nando De Colo (202-G-87, agency: Arete Sports Agency), Tony Parker, Fabien Causeur (193-G-87).
Forwards: Nicolas Batum (201-F-88), Boris Diaw (203-PF-82), Mickael Gelabale (201-F-83, agency: Court Side), Charles Kahudi (197-F-86, agency: Beo Basket).
Centers: Florent Pietrus (202-F-81), Kevin Seraphin (205-F/C-89), Ali Traore (207-C-85, agency: Beo Basket, college: S.Idaho JC), Ronny Turiaf (208-C/F-83, agency: Priority Sports, college: Gonzaga).

France is placed to Group A of the Preliminary Round in London. Their rivals will be Argentina, Tunisia and USA. There are two more spots available for this pool, but names will be known after the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Caracas. The Olympics begin on July 29. France will meet USA in the first game. Their next rival will be Argentina. August 12 will be the last day of the basketball tournament in London.

France U20 wins the Troyes tournament opener - by Eurobasket News

France U20-Sweden U20 69:63

France U20 wins the Troyes tournament opener against Sweden U20. The home side celebrated a 69:63 victory.
Both teams nailed 19 points in the opening period. The difference did not change at the end of the half as both squads were tough in the court and scored another 15 points apiece. The third quarter was decisive in the game and brought 18-10 surge for France. Sweden bounced back with 19-17 in the last quarter but it was not enough to catch up with the opponents.
Rudy Gobert (212-C-92) top-scored for the winners with 16 points, while Livio Jean-Charles (204-PF-93) netted 15. Kevin Thalien (190-PG-92) produced 12 and Pierre Pelos (205-C/F-92) netted 6. Viktor Gaddefors (203-SF-92) ended up with 18 points and 12 rebounds, whilst Markus ERIKSSON had 15. Charles Barton (192-PG-92) and Tobias Borg (183-PG-93) followed them with 10 points apiece.

France U20: Rudy Gobert 16, Livio Jean-Charles 15, Kevin Thalien 12, Pierre Pelos 6
Sweden U20: Viktor Gaddefors 18+12 rebs, Markus ERIKSSON 15, Charles Barton 10, Tobias Borg 10

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

FYR MACEDONIA

GEORGIA

GERMANY

2012-2013 Eurochallenge Draw Announced For German Teams EWE Baskets Oldenburg And Telekom Baskets Bonn - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

The EuroChallenge 2012/13 was officially announced today. The Eurochallenge season tips off on 6 November and will feature 32 clubs, divided in eight groups of four teams each. 28 teams were drawn directly into the Regular Season groups. Four others will emerge following the EuroChallenge Qualifying Round, which features eight clubs in total and will fight for qualification over two legs, home and away. The first round of the Qualifying Round will be played on 25 September with the return leg on 2 October. The Final Four will take place in the venue of one of the four participants, 26-28 April 2013. The venue will be decided after the conclusion of the play-offs. The Qualifying Round pairings (teams mentioned first play the return leg at home). For Beko BBL players like Patrick Ewing Jr. (203-F-84, college: Georgetown) he will be making his debut in European international competition as will Oldenburg guard Chris Kramer (191-G-88, college: Purdue). Others guys like Julius Jenkins (187-PG-81, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Georgia South) and Konrad Wysocki (201-F-82, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Princeton) are European international veterans in competition like this.

QUALIFIER 1: Aliaga Petkim (TUR) v Joensuun Kataja (FIN)

QUALIFIER 2: Apollon Limassol (CYP) v Xion Dukes Klosterneuburg (AUT)

QUALIFIER 3: Ural Ekaterinburg (RUS) v GAZ Metan Medias (ROU)

QUALIFIER 4: Tofas (TUR) v Rakvere Tarvas (EST)

The Regular Season groups are:

GROUP A Krka (SLO); ETHA Engomi (CYP); Pinar Karsiyaka; (TUR); QUALIFIER 4
GROUP B Krasnye Krylia (RUS); Keravnos (CYP); Asesoft Ploesti (ROU) ; QUALIFIER 1
GROUP C BK Ventspils (LAT); Norrkping Dolphins (SWE); Tampereen Pyrint (FIN); Sdertlje BBK (SWE)
GROUP D Khimik Yuzhny (UKR); University Tartu (EST); JDA Dijon (FRA); QUALIFIER 3
GROUP E Belfius Mons-Hainaut (BEL); Okapi Aalstar (BEL); Paris Levallois (FRA); BCMU Pitesti (ROU)
GROUP F Szolnoki Olaj (HUN); EWE Baskets (GER); Fortress-Lami Ved Krmend (HUN); BC Timisoara (ROU)
GROUP G Gravelines (FRA); BC Minsk 2006 (BLR); SLUC Nancy (FRA); QUALIFIER 2
GROUP H Antwerp Giants (BEL);Telekom Baskets (GER); Armia Tblisi (GEO); Hapoel Holon (ISR)

Source: Fiba Europe

German National Team Announced Tor July Training Session - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

With the qualifying for the Euro 2013 getting closer and closer, preparation is in full swing as German national coach Svetislav Pesic has announced the roster for a training session at Kienbaum, Berlin for July 11th-21st. The biggest surprises in the roster was Eisbaeren Bremerhaven Anthony Canty (183-PG-91) who has developed well in the last years under Doug Spradley and TBB trier Andreas Seifert, but developing German players has been the secret middle name of Henrik Rodl since years. The German roster is as follows:

Robin Benzing (FC Bayern Munchen), Anthony Canty (183-PG-91) (Eisbren Bremerhaven), Bastian Doreth (FC Bayern Munchen), Per Gnther (ratiopharm Ulm), Yassin Idbihi (ALBA Berlin), Jan-Hendrik Jagla (FC Bayern Munchen), Tim Ohlbrecht (Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt), Tibor Plei (Saski Baskonia Caja Laboral Vitoria / Spanien), Heiko Schaffartzik (ALBA Berlin), Philipp Schwethelm (Foto, FC Bayern Munchen), Andreas Seifert (TBB Trier), Lucca Staiger (Letzer Verein: ALBA Berlin), Karsten Tadda (Brose Baskets Bamberg), Maik Zirbes (Brose Baskets Bamberg) und Philip Zwiener (Eisbren Bremerhaven).

Source: DBB

Euroleague Opponents Announced for The Brose Baskets Bamberg And Alba Berlin - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

The draw for the 2012-2013 Euroleague season was announced today and both German teams Brose baskets Bamberg and Alba Berlin got interesting opponents. One could describe the Bamberg group as the power group, but the teams that Alba Berlin recieved werent too shabby either. Bamberg will play against teams FC BARCELONA REGAL, CSKA Moscow, PARTIZAN MT:S BELGRADE, LIETUVOS RYTAS VILNIUS, and BESIKTAS JK ISTANBUL, while Alba Berlin will tangle against MACCABI ELECTRA TEL AVIV, MONTEPASCHI SIENA, UNICAJA MALAGA, ASSECO PROKOM GDYNIA, and ELAN CHALON-SUR-SAONE.

Source: Euroleague basketball

The Eisbaeren Bremerhaven Catch Jacob Burtschi - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

Jacob Burtschi (198-F-84, college: Air Force) turned around the 2011-2012 Beko BBL season for the Fraport Skyliners with his unending hustle on the court, but will go elsehwere this season and will bring his Oklahoma basketball magic to the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven getting a one year contract. Burtschi is a 28 year old 198 forward from Chickasha, Oklahoma and will commence on his third professional season. Last season the friendly American started the season for CAI Zaragoza (Spain-ACB, starting five): 9 games: 2.6ppg, 2.4rpg; left in Nov.'11, in Dec.'11 moved to Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt (Germany-BBL): German League: 22 games: 8.2ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.4apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 36.3%, FT: 87.5%; EuroCup: 2 games: 5.5ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.0apg, 1.0spg. "We wanted to get Jacob Burtschi already before the season 2011-2012. The enjoyment is even greater now that we could get him. He is a fighter, that is a team player, but can also score 20 points. He can penetrate and also shoot from outside. He is flexibal on defense, always gives 100% and is hot for the new season", stressed Eisbaeren Bremerhaven head coach Doug Spradley.

Burtschi started his basketball career for the Air Force in 2003 where he played until 2007. In his senior year, he played : 35 games: 13.5ppg, 6.0rpg, 2.3apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 49.7%, 3Pts: 39.0%, FT: 77.3%. He played a total of 124 NCAA games. In 2007, he had some offers to play in the NBA, but served in the Air Force for three years and could only play club ball. He finally turned professional in 2010 playing for Phoenix Hagen (Germany-1.Bundesliga): 33 games: 14.2ppg, 6.9rpg, 2.5apg, Steals-3 (1.5spg), FGP: 56.0%, 3PT: 44.2%, FT: 82.2%. Awards/Achievements in his basketball career have been All-MWC Honorable Mention -05, MWC Regular Season Runner-Up -06, All-MWC 2nd Team -06, 07, NABC All-NCAA District 13 2nd Team -07, NIT Final Four -07, German 2.Bundesliga Pro B (Group North) Regular Season Champion -11, Eurobasket.com All-German Bundesliga Newcomer of the Year -11, Eurobasket.com All-German Bundesliga 3rd Team -11, and Eurobasket.com German Bundesliga All-Newcomers Team -11

Source: Eisbaeren Bremerhaven

Justin Smith moves from Weiden to Schalke - by Daniel Poerschke

Justin Smith (201-F/C-87, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: Hawaii-Hilo) is the new american player for the FC Schalke 04 team. Schalke plays in the 1. Regionalliga West. Smith played last season with the Baskets Weiden in the 1. Regionalliga South-East. In 24 games Justin Smith averaged 19.7ppg, 10.0rpg, 2.3apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 61.8%, FT: 72.1%. He was named to the Eurobasket.com All-Regionalliga South-East 2nd Team -12. Before that the versatile forward had a standout career at NCAA 2 school University of Hawaii-Hilo, where was twice named to the All-PacWest 1st Team in 2010 and 2011.

The Scorers1st Showcase 2012 will be held in Las Vegas again and is only one week away - by Daniel Poerschke

The german pro basketball agency Scorers1st Sportmanagement will be in Las Vegas again to put up their annual Showcase.
The 2012 edition will take place in Las Vegas from July 13th to July 15th, which are the dates when the prestigious NBA Summer League also tips off at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavillion. This year, the Scorers1st staff was able to secure a gym right on the UNLV campus, only 300 yards from the Thomas & Mack Center.

45 players will be playing throughout our 3-day tournament and we have a good mix of talent again this year. The way the schedule is set up all players will receive a tremendous opportunity to be seen by team representatives from all over the world who already have committed to attending the Scorers1st Showcase 2012 says Scorers1st President Gerrit Kersten-Thiele from Duesseldorf.

The teams in the Scorers 1st Showcase will once again be coached by international pro coaches, which adds extra value for the participants. Swiss Marko Simic (2012 German ProB Champion with Gotha), american Jamie Duncan (Assistant Coach of German BBL Champion Brose Baskets Bamberg/ Head Coach of TSV Breitenguessbach), as well as germans Kevin Magdowski (Head Coach of Residence Walferdange, Luxemburg), Hanno Stein (Assistant Coach of Bochum Astrostars, Germany) and american Pascual Padilla (Head Coach of Chico Rage, ABA) will have the players go through individual drills and training, as well as make sure the games are not just going in run and gun fashion.

Among the participating players, a couple have already pro experience playing in Germany, such as Chase Adams (178-G-88, college: Pittsburgh, Jena, Pro A), Blake Poole (195-C-88, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: St.Martin's, Dorsten, Pro B) and Darrell Bullock (185-G, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: Wells, Voelklingen, 1.RL), but the Showcase also features proven overseas pros and NCAA 1 rookies such as Larry Gordon (196-F-87, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: Cal Poly Pomona, Netherlands & Austria), Brandon Hassell (209-F-86, college: Penn St., Uruguay), Jabari Edwards (208-F-88, George Washington), Nathaniel Lester (195-G/F-88, Hofstra), Brandon Richardson (182-G-88, Nebraska), Justin Manns (210-C-89, Kent State) or Al Rapier (200-F, Stony Brook).

For a complete listing of the player rosters and the game schedule, please visit: http://scorers1stshowcase.wordpress.com/

Cuxhaven: Pluskota stays on - by Moritz Korff

Maurice Pluskota (206-F/C-92) has agreed a new deal to stay with the Cuxhaven BasCats (2. Bundesliga Pro A). The 20-year-old post player joined the team in the course of this past season on a transfer from Bremerhaven. He had 10 Pro A appearances until the remainder of the season and scored 3.8 points per contest, while pulling down 2.8 rebounds a game.
Pluskota is a product of BSG Bremerhaven. In these past two years he saw action in five BBL encounters on the Eisbaeren squad, but mostly played for BSG in the 2. Regionalliga.

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

GHANA

GIBRALTAR

Wales beat Gibraltar and finished 5th at the European Championship for Small Countries - by Eurobasket News

Gibraltar-Wales 72:95

Wales beat Gibraltar and finished 5th at the European Championship for Small Countries. The team needed 95:72 win to win the Group for 5-7 places.
Gibraltar grabbed 20-18 lead at the end of the first period, but could not keep the lead for good. Wales replied with 28-18 in the second frame and took 8-point advantage at the halftime. The third quarter brought 20-19 for Gibraltar as the latter reduced to 7 points entering the final stanza. Wales however erupted with 30-14 in the last stanza to seal the victory.
Jordan Seeley (190-PG-89) top-scored for the winners with 20 points and Christopher Pearce (195-G/F-89) notched 17. Ioan Nickson (194-F-88) delivered 14, while Ryan Kilmartin (195-G) posted 11. Adam Cassaglia (191-G/F-78) finished the game with 15 points in defeat, while Angel Guerrero (192-F-75) netted 14. Jamie Sercombe (187-F-92) scored 11 and Christopher Noon (200-C-86) chipped in with 10.
Tomorrow Gibraltar will face Scotland for the 6-7 places.

Gibraltar: Adam Cassaglia 15, Angel Angel Guerrero (192-F-75) 14, Jamie Sercombe 11, Christopher Noon 10
Wales: Jordan Seeley 20, Christopher Pearce 17, Ioan Nickson 14, Ryan Kilmartin 11

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

GREECE

Greek NT lost by Nigerian NT and was eliminated from Olympic Games - by Chris Mammides

In a game for the 2012 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, which just ended, the Hellenic NT managed to lose the game from the theoretically weaker team of Nigeria and will not participate in the Olympic Games this coming August in London. The result of the game which just finished was 79-80 with the victory by the Nigerian NT which is now having two games and two chances to participate in London's Olympic Games.

The man of the game was undoubtedly but unfortunately not a player either from the winners (Ike Diogu (208-F/C-83, college: Arizona St.) 17 points and 10 rebounds) or from losing site (Vassilis Spanoulis (193-G-82) 25 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists) but was the lord of the match the main referee of the game the Slovenian Matej Boltauzer and his assistant referees, the Algerian Nachid Messaoudi and the Australian Bradley Jon Giersch who did everything they could to eliminate the Greek NT with the most obvious being the blind eyes in the last phase of the game when Vassilis Spanoulis was clearly fouled by Derrick Obasohan (198-F-81, college: Texas Arlington) but the obvious foul was never called so the history will simply write that the Hellenic NT will be absent from the Olympic Games.

About the game now, which was a derby from the very beginning the Nigerians prove to be a tough nut for the Greeks as they were following from a close distance nearly all the first period with the final bit finds both the team's starting from scratch as the 21-21 was the result of this first period.

The second period was much better for the Hellenic NT as with VSpan and Ioannis Bourousis (212-C-83) in a great shape were able to reach the maximum difference by the end of the first half with the Nigerians being much better in the rebounding area but not steady at all in the offensive duties. The result of this first half was 42-30 with the Greeks being much better and more solid in their offensive skills. Papanikolaou, Ioannis Bourousis and Spanoulis were the top men for the Greek NT while Diogu and Al-Farouq Aminu (206-F-90, college: Wake Forest) with his older brother Alade Aminu (210-C-87, college: Georgia Tech) were the top men for Nigeria

The third period though was an absolute nightmare for the Greeks as they kept losing their free throws (ended the game with the 12 missing shots) while the Nigerians with very tough defense by Aminu brothers and Diogu cut the deficit to as little as two with the third period finally ending with 56-50.

The heart breaking fourth quarter was the worst for the Greeks and the best for the Nigerians who saw their team two minutes before the end of the game to getting the lead initially with one and then with three points as the battle of the rebounds was totally for the Nigerians with the Greek centers not being able to compete their opponents in the rebounding area.

The top scorers for the two teams:

Greece: Spanoulis 25, Ioannis Bourousis 18, Printezis 10

HOLLAND

DBL News: Finally 10 teams playing in the DBL - by Terry Cooper

After a long and trying time with the mid summer, the DBL will finally have 10 teams competiting in the top league for the 2012-13 season. Last season due to heavy financial crisis with busineses that usually would sponor a top basketball club, two teams: Amsterdam and Bergen op Zoom dropped out of the league before the season started leaving only 8 teams to compete and in many opinions, completing a somewhat dismal season with Eiffeltowers Den Bosch being champions of the DBL. The teams returning to the DBL will be BC APOLLO Amsterdam who were the PromoiteDivisie Champions and Den Helder who have been in and out of the top league for some time. We all hope that the league will be more competitive but what is a plus for Dutch Players are the new rules which enables teams to have only four imports. For all the PromotieDivise playes I have spoken to in the past about not getting a chance to show you can play in the DBL, this will give those players (Veterans and youngsters) a chance to show they belong as they will be 'out of the frying pan, into the fire' with this new rule. In the past the league required only 3 imports with no restrictions with Bosman A or B players. Only time will tell if this 'Gentlemen's Agreement' was the right move for Dutch Basketball for the near future. As always stay tuned as the rollercoaster begins...

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

IBL

Volcanoes a step closer to repeat with win over Salem - by Kip Leonetti

The Vancouver Volcanoes began their quest for back-to-back International Basketball League Championships with a 131-117 upset victory over the Salem Soldiers in first round playoff action at Whatcom Pavilion on Thursday.

The Volcanoes broke open a close game in the second quarter with a 14-2 run, keyed by a pair of buckets by guard Andre Murray (6'2''-G-87, college: Portland St.). Vancouver carried the momentum into halftime, leading 64-55.

The Soldiers pushed back in the middle stages of the third quarter, trimming the gap to five, at 78-73, on a bucket by guard Damon King (6'4''-G-78, college: Weber St.). But the Volcanoes responded with an eruption of points, posting 21 in the final 5:31 of the quarter to take a 101-82 lead. Forward Devin Uskoski (6'6''-F-85, college: Rocky Mountain) came up big during the run with 10 points in that span.

Salem was able to eat into the deficit a bit in the fourth quarter, but by the time they got it down to 11 points, at 124-113 with 1:55 left, it was too late to mount a serious comeback.

Murray led six Vancouver players in double figures with 26 points. Center Alex Tiefenthaler (6'9''-F, college: Concordia, OR) came up big with a monster double-double of 20 points and 22 rebounds.

Forward Corey Largent (6'7''-F-80, college: W.Carolina) led Salem with 36 points on 13-for-22 shooting.

Vancouver now advances to the semi-finals for a rematch with the host Bellingham Slam, who the Volcanoes eliminated in last year's playoffs at Clark College in Vancouver. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at Whatcom Pavilion.

Olympia stuns Edmonton with 101-89 playoff win - by Kip Leonetti

The Olympia Reign opened the 2012 International Basketball League playoffs in impressive fashion with a 101-89 upset victory over the #3 ranked Edmonton Energy on Thursday at Whatcom Pavilion.

After finishing strong in a overtime victory against Edmonton on Tuesday in the regular season finale for both teams, the Reign displayed the same tenacity to start their first-round re-match. Olympia used a 15-7 run in the final four minutes of the first quarter to build a 28-19 lead.

A competitive second quarter saw Olympia build their lead to 14 at halftime, at 57-43.

The talented Energy did show they weren't going to be put away easily as they rallied to draw the deficit down to three, at 67-64, with 3:11 left in the third quarter on seven quick points from forward Robbie Sihota (6'6''-F-87).

In the fourth quarter, Reign guard Michael Ward (6'2''-G-86, college: Evergreen St.) rose to the occasion and put an end to Edmonton's comeback hopes with a pair of big shots that pushed Olympias lead to 16, at 91-75 with 6:47 left. Poor shooting down the stretch for Edmonton prevented them for putting much of a dent in to the lead the rest of the way.

Ward led Olympia with 27 points while newcomer Gijo Bain (7'0''-C-85, college: S.Mississippi) posted a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds.

"Michael Ward has been stepping up for us all year long. He is a really good all-around player, and we know he's going to get us points consistently," commented Reign head coach Steve Smothers about his veteran guard from Evergreen State.

Guard Curtis Nash (6'5''-G/F-80, college: Charlotte) paced Edmonton with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Troy Gottselig (6'8''-F-87) added 16 and 11. Sihota finished with 14 points. The Energy struggled offensively as a team, shooting just 32.7 percent from the floor.

The Olympia Reign now advance to face the #2 seed Portland Chinooks in a semi-final match on Friday at 5pm. Portland was idle Thursday after earning a first-round bye by virtue of their regular season record.

"I like our chances against Portland. I think we will be able to compete with them a lot better now that we have a big guy," observed Smothers. "Since we've been able to get [Gijo Bain] we've been playing a pretty high level, and I like our guards against anybody."

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

INDONESIA

SEABA Cup: Indonesia hand Thailand first defeat - by Eurobasket News

Indonesia - Thailand 66:46

Indonesia posted the first win at SEABA Cup. They held off Thailand for the opening win at the tournament. Arki Wisnu (187-G-88) knocked down 24 points to lead the winners.
The teams were all tied at 17 after ten minutes. Indonesia pulled in front in the second quarter. They accumulated a narrow 32:29 lead at halftime. Indonesia stretched the margin in the third frame. They held the hosts to 7 points taking a 17-point advantage with one quarter remaining 53:36. Thailand scored only 10 points in the final quarter allowing Indonesia to breeze to the victory. Faisal Julius Ahmad (179-PG-81) netted 14 points, while Galank Gunawan (194-PF-87) contributed 11 points for the winners. Wutipong Dasom answered with 9 points for Thailand. Danai Kongkum netted 8 points in the loss.

Indonesia: Arki Wisnu 24, Faisal Julius Ahmad 14, Galank Gunawan 11
Thailand: Wutipong Dasom 9, Danai Kongkum 8

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

ISRAEL

Italian Sassari After Dane Diliegro. Haifa Adds Anton Shoutvin. Skverer Joins Eilat - by David Pick

According to sources with information, Dane Diliegro, who was heavily pursued by Israeli Maccabi Haifa, is likely to use his Italian citizenship and stay in Italy. The Jewish center has an offer from Seria A team Banco Sassari, Eurobasket was told.

The 23-year-old 2009 USA Team member in the Israeli Maccabiah Championship games was wanted by many Israeli League organizations with Haifa begin the front runner, but according to Eurobasket sources, he's likely to land a deal with Sassari.

Diliegro played last season in Italy with Assi Basket Ostuni of the local minor league. The New Hampshire alumnus recorded impressive 9.1 points and 7.1 boards per game in his professional rookie season.

Earlier today, David Pick reported via Twitter that after departing from its three Americans (Josh Carter, Josh Duncan and Alex Tyus, who's expected to opt-out), Maccabi Ashdod released the former youth star and Israeli prospect Anton Shoutvin, who became Haifa's second singing this summer.

Shoutvin, a 6-foot-9, 23-year-old power forward with a dual Russain-Israeli passport was a member of Maccabi Tel-Aviv's junior team and participated in the 2006 European Adidas Superstar Camp, grabbing the All-Star Team and Best Defensive Player honors. He played pro-ball for five different Israeli clubs including USC Freiburg of Germany before joining Maccabi Ashdod. Last season, Shoutvin posted 3.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.

Hapoel Eilat Signs Skverer

Israeli basketball scenes new comer Hapoel Eilat, inked its first player this off-season in 6-foot-2 Israeli point guard Ezequiel Skverer.

Or Shkedy of Israel's Walla! was first to report of the negotiations and signing of Skverer, who finished last season as best Division I shooter from beyond the arc with 40.5% on the season.

Skverer, another product of Tel-Aviv's youth team played for the organizations senior squad before moving to Givat Shmuel/B.C. Habikaa where he's played for the past fine seasons. The three-time minor league champion participated in the 2007 Nike Junior tournament and was named a member of last season's Israeli Premier League All-Star game.

Israel start Baltic Cup with victory - by Eurobasket News

Israel U16 - Lithuania U16 87:84

Israel clinched the opening win at the 2012 Baltic Cup Tournament in Tallinn. They overcame Lithuanian counterparts by three points. Eran Tessone came up with 20 points and 8 rebounds for Israel.
The teams stayed neck and neck throughout the opening quarter. The scoreboard read 16:16 at the first break. Israel poured in 27 points in the second quarter to pull ahead. They built an 11-point lead at halftime. Lithuania bounced right back as they unleashed 27 points in the third quarter trimming the deficit to a single point. But Israel managed to eke out a narrow win scoring 27 points in the fourth frame. Yevgeni Holodov delivered 16 points for Israel. Liad Braun added 12 points for the winners. Antanas Krimelis responded with 21 points for Lithuania. Domantas Pavlovskis had 14 points in the loss.

Israel U16: Eran Tessone 20, Yevgeni Holodov 16, Liad Braun 12
Lithuania U16: Antanas Krimelis 21, Domantas Pavlovskis 14

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

ITALY

Milano officially confirms Gianluca Basile for 2012/13 - by Eurobasket News

As expected, Gianluca Basile (192-G-75) officially became a new member of EA7 Emporio Armani Milano. The veteran guard penned a deal for the next season. Basile arrives to Milano from Bennet Cantu, where he had 10 ppg, 3.1 apg and 1.9 rpg for 15 Euroleague games last season. Cantu had a great year and reached Top 16. In SerieA, Basile collected 8.6 ppg, 1.9 apg and 1.5 rpg. Cantu reached Cup Final last season in Italy.
Before Cantu, Gianluca Basile spent six years with Barcelona. They won the Euroleague title together in 2010. They also were Spanish league champions in 2009 and Copa del Rey winners in 2007 and 2010. In 2010/11 season Basile appeared in just one game with Barca. In the past, he played for Climamio Bologna and Reggio Emilia. Basile also played for the Italian National Team from 1996 to 2007.

Angelico Biella extends Goran Jurak to 1+1 year deal - by Eurobasket News

Angelico Biella announced signing of 1+1 year contract extension with Goran Jurak (203-F/C-77). The Slovenian PF/C joined the club in 2010 from Teramo. He also played for Biella in 2008/09. Jurak appeared 32 times in SerieA last season averaging 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals. He had almost the same numbers in 2010/11.
As mentioned above, Goran Jurak spent 2009/10 season with Banca Tercas Teramo. There he had 9 ppg and 4.8 rpg in Italy, plus 7.1 ppg and 4.4 rpg in EuroCup. In the past, Jurak played for Zalgiris, Climamio Bologna, Union Olimpija and Cantu. He also has experience from Jesi, Olympiacos and Pivovarna Lasko. Goran Jurak played for the Slovenian National Team from 1997 to 2006.

Turkey U16 grabs first win at Torneo de Guadalajara - by Eurobasket News

Italy U16-Turkey U16 66:79

Turkey U16 overcame Italy U16 in Day 1 of the Torneo de Guadalajara in Spain. The Turkish side celebrated a 79:66 victory.
Turkey grabbed 18:17 after the opening period and never slowed down until the end of the game. They took 40:31 at the halftime and continued their push in the third quarter as well. The teams finished thirty minutes of the game as the board showed 63:47 for the Turkey side. Italy however looked better at the end of the game and managed to reduce the score to 13 points.
Akif Guven (206-C-96) top-scored for the winners with 21 points and Suheyl Cakmak (200-PF-96) netted 10. Cevik and Mehmet Alemdaroglu (205-F-96) produced 9 points each in a winning effort. Rossato ended up with 17 points in the losing effort, while Daniel Donzelli (195-G-96) posted 12. Martino Mastellari (190-F-96) finished the game with 11 points and Picarelli added 7.

Italy U16: Mussini 6, Oliva 5, Picarelli 7, Flaccadori, Bristot, Martino Mastellari 11, Rossato 17, Zucca 2, Daniel Donzelli 12, Lenti 2, Spera, Trovato 4.
Turkey U16: Baykan 8, Gecim 7, Oktay, Ugurlu, Suheyl Cakmak 10, Arar 7, Cevik 9, Bayrak 1, Ulubay 7, Cifci, Akif Guven 21, Mehmet Alemdaroglu 9.

Dane Diliegro signs with Dinamo Sassari - by Eurobasket News

Dane Diliegro (204-C-88, college: New Hampshire) signs with Dinamo Sassari for the next season. According to sportando.net the player will continue his career in Italy.
Last year Assi Basket Ostuni announced the signing of Dane Diliegro.
DiLiegro is a center who has double passport (USA and Italian). The player has spent almost all his college career with New Hampshire Wildcats and he has averaged as a senior in 28 mpg 8.7 ppg and 8.2 rpg. The player his almost known for the grit and stamina that he put on the ground. With his team he reached AEC Tournament Semifinals -09, 10. Moreover he participated at the Maccabiah Championships in Raanana -09 (USA Team).
In 2011-2012 for Assi Basket Ostuni (Italy-Lega2) he averaged 9.1ppg, 7.1rpg, FGP: 56.8%, FT: 60.7%. In 2011 he also participated at the Imola Summer League Open (Aget Imola team).

Linton Johnson extends with Avellino - by Antonello Varallo

Sidigas Avellino announced the agreement with Linton Johnson (203-F/C-80, agency: Priority Sports, college: Tulane)
The big man from Chicago will play for the third year with Biancoverdi, having joined Avellino in 2010-2011, after a long NBA career (7 seasons and 151 games with 582 points scored) with Chicago, San Antonio, New Jersey, Phoenix, Toronto and New Orleans. In Italy, after a first season ended with 7.8 ppg and 7.1 rpg, Johnson played an amazing 2011-2012, with 13.3 ppg (high of 25 points scored against Bologna), 10.1 rebounds (the second of the league, with a record of 22 rebounds grabbed against Caserta), becoming one of the most spectacular players of Serie A, thanks to his energy and his huge slams

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

KOSOVO

Eurobasket.com All-Kosovo League Awards 2011-12 - by Eurobasket Center

Eurobasket.com All-Kosovo League 1st Team 2012

Hajrizi

Gilchrist

Azemi

Asllani

Player of the Year: Drilon Hajrizi (208-C-91) of Trepca
Guard of the Year: John Gilchrist (187-G-84) of Sigal Prishtina
Forward of the Year: Edmond Azemi (201-G/F-80) of Sigal Prishtina
Center of the Year: Drilon Hajrizi (208-C-91) of Trepca

1st Team
G: John Gilchrist (187-84) of Sigal Prishtina
G/F: Edmond Azemi (201-80) of Sigal Prishtina
F/C: Besnik Azemi (198-89) of Trepca
F: Gazmend Asllani (200-86) of Trepca
C: Drilon Hajrizi (208-91) of Trepca

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

LATVIA

Latvia beat Estonia at the start of Baltic Cup - by Eurobasket News

Estonia U16 - Latvia U16 53:77

Latvia earned the opening win at the U16 Baltic Cup tournament in Tallinn. They toppled the hosts in the opener. Davis Zonne (183-PG-96) stepped up with 20 points to lead the charge.
Latvia earned a 22:16 lead ten minutes into the game. Estonia managed to slow their opponents down in the second quarter. The hosts narrowed the gap at 4-point mark at the interval 31:35. Latvia however regained control in the third term. The visitors outgunned Estonia 21:11 to pile up a 14-point lead at the final intermission. Latvia dropped 21 points in the final stanza to seal a comfortable win at the end. Gustavs Treimanis (196-C-96) knocked down 12 points, while Ervins Meznieks (184-F-96) had 10 points for the winning side. Karl-Robin Jurjens (199-F-96) answered with 18 points for Estonia. Andre Reinart had 14 points in the loss.

Estonia U16: Karl-Robin Jurjens 18, Andre Reinart 14
Latvia U16: Davis Zonne 20, Gustavs Treimanis 12, Ervins Meznieks 10

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

LBQ

Standings

LBQ Standings

1. Revolution		12-3
2. Seigneurs		11-4
3. Jaguars		6-9
4. Page-Dynamo		5-11
5. Monteregie		4-11

Regular Season: Round 21

Jul. 4: Monteregie - Jaguars 64-81
Jul. 6: Seigneurs - Monteregie
Jul. 8: Revolution - Jaguars

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

LITHUANIA

Energa Czarni sign PF Valdas Dabkus - by Eurobasket News

Valdas Dabkus (204-PF-84) is back to Poland after almost ten years. The Lithuanian power forward signed a deal with Energa Czarni Slupsk. Dabkus finished last season with Lithuanian squad Rudupis Prienu averaging 10.3 points and 3.8 rebounds for 11 games in LKL. They reached Playoff Semifinals. He started the season with InterCollege Etha Engomis, where he also played in 2010/11. Dabkus helped Etha to win the Cypriot league title and Cup in 2011. Etha defended the championship title last season as well, but Dabkus departed to Rudupis Prienu before the end of the season. Valdas Dabkus split 2009/10 season between AEK Larnaca and Rudupis Prienu. He also has some experience from Spain and Italy. Dabkus played for Anwil in 2002/03 season.

Mellila returns Lithuanian guard Darius Pakamanis - by Eurobasket News

Darius Pakamanis (193-G-81) returned to Mellila after one year. The Lithuanian guard signed a deal for the 2012/13 season, according to Solobasket.com. He spent the last one with Juventus-LKSK Utenos collecting 11.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 3.1 apg for 22 LKL games. Pakamanis participated at the LKL All-Star Games. The player also shined in Baltic league with 12.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 2.5 apg for 20 games.
As mentioned above, Darius Pakamanis played for Melilla in 2010/11 season. He had 5.7 ppg and 1.6 rpg in 34 LEB Gold games. It was his first year in Spain. Before that, Pakamanis played for Juventus-LKSK Utenos, Odessa and Bremerhaven. In 2006/07 season Pakamanis spent some time with Lietuvos Rytas. In the past, the player spent several years with Siauliai.

Olympic Qualifying Tournament: Lithuania eliminate Puerto Rico - by Eurobasket News

Lithuania - Puerto Rico 76:72

Lithuania survived a battle for life from Puerto Rico to advance to the semifinal round of Olympic Qualifying Round. Lithuania will now take on Dominican Republic for the spot at the Olympic Games. Mantas Kalnietis (195-G-86, agency: Interperformances) and Linas Kleiza (203-F-85, college: Missouri) scored 14 points each to lead the Baltic team.
Puerto Rico sent a strong message to their opponents in the opening quarter. They grabbed a 22:16 lead after ten minutes. Lithuania however gained control in the second quarter. The Europeans fired 24 points to deny the deficit. Lithuania posted a 40:38 halftime lead. The teams went neck and neck throughout the third quarter. Lithuania led by two points heading into the fourth frame 57:55. Kaukenas made it a 7-point game midway through the final period. Carlos Arroyo (188-G-79, college: FIU) drilled two three-pointers to put Puerto Rico in front 68:67 with just over three minutes remaining. The lead changed hands for several times before Sarunas Jasikevicius (192-G-76, college: Maryland) knocked down four points and Linas Kleiza added one more to help Lithuania escape with a narrow win at the end. Sarunas Jasikevicius scored 11 points, while Maciulis provided 10 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Alexander Galindo (200-F-85, college: FIU) answered with 17 points for Puerto Rico. Jose Juan Barea (181-PG-84, college: Northeastern) and Carlos Arroyo had 13 points each in the loss.

Lithuania: Mantas Kalnietis 14, Linas Kleiza 14, Sarunas Jasikevicius 11
Puerto Rico: Alexander Galindo 17, Jose Juan Barea 13, Carlos Arroyo 13

Israel start Baltic Cup with victory - by Eurobasket News

Israel U16 - Lithuania U16 87:84

Israel clinched the opening win at the 2012 Baltic Cup Tournament in Tallinn. They overcame Lithuanian counterparts by three points. Eran Tessone came up with 20 points and 8 rebounds for Israel.
The teams stayed neck and neck throughout the opening quarter. The scoreboard read 16:16 at the first break. Israel poured in 27 points in the second quarter to pull ahead. They built an 11-point lead at halftime. Lithuania bounced right back as they unleashed 27 points in the third quarter trimming the deficit to a single point. But Israel managed to eke out a narrow win scoring 27 points in the fourth frame. Yevgeni Holodov delivered 16 points for Israel. Liad Braun added 12 points for the winners. Antanas Krimelis responded with 21 points for Lithuania. Domantas Pavlovskis had 14 points in the loss.

Israel U16: Eran Tessone 20, Yevgeni Holodov 16, Liad Braun 12
Lithuania U16: Antanas Krimelis 21, Domantas Pavlovskis 14

U17 World Championship: Lithuania sneak past Egypt - by Eurobasket News

Lithuania U17 - Egypt U17 73:72

Lithuania claimed a narrow win over Egypt at the start of the classification round at U17 World Championship. The hosts needed some wise decision late in regulation to hold off pesky Egypt in Kaunas tonight. Edvinas Seskus (192-SF-95) scored 18 points to lead the winners. Lithuania will now take on France for the 9th position. Egypt will face South Korea in the final game at the tournament.
Egypt jumped to an early lead. The African team enjoyed an 18:14 lead ten minutes into the game. The sides exchanged baskets throughout the second quarter. Egypt maintained the lead posting a 37:33 halftime advantage. Lithuania recovered in the third quarter. The hosts knocked down 22 points in the period to secure a 5-point lead at the final intermission. Egypt refused to back off as they competitive till the final seconds. Lithuania proved cool and determined in the dying seconds and stole a narrow win at the end. Ernestas Serkevicius (187-PG-95) and Gediminas Zalalis (205-C-95) posted 12 points each for the winners. Walid Aly (185-G-95) answered with 19 points and 6 boards for Egypt. Ehab Amin (185-G-95) had 15 points and 9 rebounds in the loss.

Lithuania U17: Edvinas Seskus 18, Ernestas Serkevicius 12, Gediminas Zalalis 12
Egypt U17: Walid Aly 19, Ehab Amin 15

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

MALAYSIA

SEABA Cup: Philippines march past Malaysia - by Eurobasket News

Philippines - Malaysia 85:50

Philippines earned the third straight win at the SEABA Cup in Thailand. They knocked down Malaysia yesterday to remain undefeated on top of the ladder. Chico Lanete (183-G-79) came up with 14 points to lead balanced effort from the winners.
Philippines gained a 15:8 lead ten minutes into the game. They exploded with 28 points in the second term to boost the lead to 27-point mark at halftime. Philippines kept their opponents at bay throughout the third quarter. They piled up a 37-point buffer with ten minutes remaining. Philippines never looked back afterwards coasting to the victory at the end. Marcus Douthit (210-C/F-80, agency: Edge Sports, college: Providence) delivered 11 points, while Marnel Baracael (191-F/G-85) had 9 points in the winning case. Wei Hong Choo (196-C-92) reacted with 8 points for Malaysia. Shee Fai Loh (192-G/F-89), Juin Wip Chong (188-F-91) and Sing Tee Ng dropped 6 points apiece in the loss.

Philippines: Chico Lanete 14, Marcus Douthit 11, Marnel Baracael 9
Malaysia: Wei Hong Choo 8, Shee Fai Loh 6, Juin Wip Chong 6, Sing Tee Ng 6

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

MALTA

MOLDOVA

Moldova trounce San Marino at European Championship for Small Countries - by Eurobasket News

San Marino - Moldova 63:88

Moldova will play in the title game at European Championship for Small Countries. They overcame San Marino to book the spot in the championship game. Ivan Cropotov (210-C-88, college: SW Baptist) accounted for 22 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. San Marino will now take on Malta in the consolation final.
Moldova built a 10-point lead after ten minutes 24:14. Moldova boosted the margin to 11 points at halftime 39:28. Moldova maintained the lead throughout the third period. They piled up a 17-point buffer before the final stanza 62:45. Moldova did not slow down for a second and rallied to a confident win at the end. Vladimir Colesnicov (202-F/C-80) accounted for 17 points, while Vladimir Priscepnii (200-F-88) added 16 points and 11 rebounds and Nicolai Coputerco (191-SG-85) had triple-double of 10 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. Andrea Raschi (198-SG-79) answered with 23 points and 13 rebounds for San Marino. Fabio Tentoni (183-G-79) and Enrico Zanotti (195-C-90) finished with 7 points each in the loss.

San Marino: Andrea Raschi 23+13 boards, Fabio Tentoni 7, Enrico Zanotti 7
Moldova: Ivan Cropotov 22, Vladimir Colesnicov 17, Vladimir Priscepnii 16+11 boards

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

NBA

Jason Kidd opts to join Knicks - by Eurobasket News

In an unforeseen reversal, Jason Kidd (6'4''-PG-73, college: California) has decided to leave the Dallas Mavericks to join the New York Knicks.

"I think I can help," Kidd told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher, adding that he felt the Knicks have more "pieces to work with."

With the Mavericks confident they were closing in Thursday on a verbal agreement on a three-year deal with Kidd worth $9 million, sources told ESPN.com that Kidd -- after all-day deliberations with both teams -- has decided instead to leave Dallas to join the Knicks for a similar deal.

The contract can't be signed until July 11, which is the first day new NBA contracts can be signed. It's also possible, one source said, that Kidd ultimately could move to the Knicks in a sign-and-trade deal.

Sources briefed on the matter told ESPN.com that Kidd ultimately was swayed to take the Knicks' offer to go to New York, and take on the challenge of trying to help the Knicks move into the Eastern Conference elite and mentor fans' darling Jeremy Lin.

He could rotate in with Lin or inherit the point guard role full-time if the Knicks reverse course and decline to match an offer the Houston Rockets made to Lin, a restricted free agent whom the Knicks have said they intend to keep.

Kidd averaged 6.2 points and 5.5 assists last season, his 18th in the NBA. Kidd ranks second all-time with 11,842 assists, trailing only John Stockton (15,806).

Courtesy of ESPN

Jeremy Evans staying with the Jazz - by Eurobasket News

The NBA slam dunk champion is staying in Utah.

TNT's David Aldridge first reported that Jeremy Evans (6'9''-F-87, agency: Priority Sports, college: W.Kentucky) agreed to a 3-year, $5.5 million deal to stay with the Jazz. Evans, a restricted free agent, was given a qualifying offer with the Jazz last week.

The 6-9, 194-pound forward captured the slam dunk title during NBA all-star weekend this past February. He just finished his second season with the Jazz, playing in 29 games averaging 2.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. He played in 49 games as a rookie, averaging 3.6 points per game.

A second round draft pick out of Western Kentucky in 2010, Evans could have signed an offer sheet with another team, but the Jazz would have been able to match it.

Courtesy of www.abc4.com

Brandon Bass agrees to stay with Celtics - by Eurobasket News

Brandon Bass (6'8''-F-85, college: LSU) is happy that he doesnt have to fill out another change of NBA address card, and hes even more ecstatic Boston will remain his basketball home.

He and the Celtics [team stats] agreed on a three-year deal yesterday, with Bass pegging the overall figure at $20million. As for how that will be broken down, the power forward said, Its three years for $20million. Thats all I know.

Bass opted out of the $4.25million final year of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent, and he sifted through the advances from NBA suitors.

We had interest from some other teams, but Boston is where I wanted to be at the end of the day, so thats where Im at, he said.

Bass averaged career highs of 12.5 points and 6.2 rebounds while starting 39 of the 59 games he played for the Celts this season after coming aboard from Orlando in a sign-and-trade deal for Glen Davis. His game picked up as he became more comfortable with his surroundings, and the Celtics got a better feel for how he could be effective.

Having established himself as a starter alongside Kevin Garnett, Bass enjoyed playing a major role in the clubs run to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals against Miami.

It was definitely a big part of my decision that I have the chance to play for a team that every year is competing for a championship, the 27-year-old Bass said. The experience that I had this year, there was nothing like it, and I wanted to experience that for the rest of my career.

I always want to play deep in the playoffs and compete for a championship every year, so its definitely the best for me to be a part of this team. Im just ready to go to work now.

Bass also likes that hell be working in the same place. After playing for four teams in his first seven seasons, he welcomes stability.

I didnt want to keep jumping around teams, Bass said. I feel like Im a good enough player to just stick with one team.

All of those things were factors in me staying. I want to stay put. I want to finish my career as a Celtic. Its a great team and an organization thats all about winning. And thats all Im about.

Courtesy of www.bostonherald.com

Grizzlies and Marreese Speights reach agreement on two-year deal - by Eurobasket News

The Grizzlies have agreed in principle with restricted free agent Marreese Speights (6'10''-F/C-87, college: Florida) on a two-year contract, per a source with knowledge of the negotiations.

Speights, who had a strong first season with the Grizzlies after being acquired in the wake of Zach Randolph's early-season knee injury, first hinted at the new deal on Twitter tonight, saying only that he'd be back with the Grizzlies this season. A source confirmed a two-year deal with a starting salary close to Speights' qualifying offer of $3.8 million. Depending on the exact starting salary, Speights' deal should be in the $7-$8 million range. The second year of the deal is a team option.

Contracts can be negotiated now but cannot be signed until July 11th.

Despite the Speights deal, the Grizzlies are not ruling out bringing back fellow restricted free agent Darrell Arthur.

The Grizzlies would like to retain Arthur as well, but doing so while addressing the team's stated goals of adding a veteran point guard and a proven three-point shooter will be tricky, even with the team recently committing to exceeding the luxury tax to start the season.

If the Grizzlies choose to use the full mid-level exception which is $5 million and can be split among players they would have to withdraw their qualifying offer to Arthur. If the team signs Arthur or maintains his qualifying offer, they will only have access to the tax-payer mid-level, which is $3 million.

Addressing two of three remaining goals Arthur, point guard, shooter is very feasible. Addressing all three will require creativity or filling one of the perimeter needs via a minimum contract.

As for potential perimeter targets, the Grizzlies remain theoretically in the hunt for Ray Allen, but I don't detect much confidence on that front.

Of the three other names previously reported as targets, the Clippers' Randy Foye and the Hawks' Kirk Hinrich remain on the radar, while versatile Russian guard Alexey Shved seems less likely. Based on his Euroleague production, Shved projects as an NBA rotation player, but the same was true of Jeremy Pargo. The Grizzlies already have a couple of roll-the-dice prospects on the perimeter in Josh Selby and Tony Wroten Jr. They're looking for more certainty in free agency.

Two new names that are definitely under consideration: The Rockets' Courtney Lee and the Sixers' Jodie Meeks, both of whom were set to be restricted free agents but became unexpectedly unrestricted when their former teams withdrew (Lee) or did not tender (Meeks) qualifying offers.

Off these four, Lee is probably the only one who could demand a full mid-level offer. Both Hinrich and Meeks should be available for well below the full mid-level.

Courtesy of www.memphisflyer.com

Cavs sign top draft picks Waiters, Zeller - by Eurobasket News

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed first-round draft picks Dion Waiters (6'4''-G-91, college: Syracuse) and Tyler Zeller (7'0''-PF-90, college: N.Carolina) to their rookie contracts.

Financial terms of the deals were not immediately known.

The Cavs selected Waiters, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Syracuse, with the No. 4 overall pick last week. The choice surprised many experts and disappointed some Cleveland fans who had hoped the team would take Harrison Barnes or Thomas Robinson. Waiters didn't even work out for the Cavs, who did extensive background research on him before taking the Big East's top sixth man. Waiters didn't start a game in two seasons for the Orange.

Cleveland picked the 7-foot Zeller at No. 17 after trading three picks to the Dallas Mavericks. Zeller was the ACC's player of the year last season at North Carolina.

Courtesy of www.chron.com

Brandon Roy agrees to terms with T-Wolves - by Eurobasket News

Brandon Roy (6'6''-G-84, college: Washington) is starting his comeback with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

A person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press that the former All-Star guard has agreed to terms on a two-year, $10.4 million deal to join the Wolves next season. The person requested anonymity because the news has not been officially announced.

The former Portland guard retired before last season because of chronic knee issues. The Blazers used the amnesty clause on the remaining $63 million of Roy's deal to get his salary off of its books, but he received some treatments that prompted him to try to return.

Roy was originally drafted by the Wolves in 2006, but traded to Portland on draft night for Randy Foye.

The Oregonian first reported the agreement.

Courtesy of http://sports.yahoo.com

Nicolas Batum, Timberwolves agree - by Eurobasket News

Restricted free agent Nicolas Batum (6'7''-F-88) has agreed to terms on an offer sheet with the Timberwolves and is hoping the Portland Trail Blazers either do not match the offer or execute a sign-and-trade to get him to Minnesota, Batum's agent told The Associated Press on Thursday night.

Batum and agent Bouna Ndiaye met with Blazers officials Thursday, and informed them the versatile swingman feels his best fit is in Minnesota. Ndiaye declined to give the terms of the agreement, but a person with knowledge of the deal said it was for four years and $45 million, with bonuses that could push it past $50 million. The person requested anonymity because the deal hasn't been completed.

The Blazers have been adamant they will match any offer for Batum and were not interested in trading the 23-year-old native Frenchman. Ndiaye said Batum has great respect for the Blazers and their fans but believes playing for Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman and alongside point guard Ricky Rubio and forward Kevin Love is the best situation for him.

"It was a very cordial meeting. There were no hard feelings," Ndiaye said. "So Nicolas basically talked about his four years with the Blazers, and he expressed that maybe it was time for him to look at a place where he could be more happy."

The offer cannot be signed until the moratorium ends July 11. Batum has averaged 10.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game over four seasons with Portland, part of the reason the Blazers see him as such a valuable piece moving forward.

"We appreciated the face-to-face meeting to get our message across," Blazers general manager Neil Olshey told The Oregonian. "And that message was that we intend to match any offer and we will not facilitate any sign-and-trade scenarios."

Batum visited Minnesota this week and met with owner Glen Taylor, team president David Kahn and Adelman, and was sold on the franchise's direction and the Twin Cities. Ndiaye said Batum is hoping the Blazers will do for him what the Suns did for Steve Nash, and grant his request to move on to a place where he can be happy and competitive.

"Nicolas said, 'I really respect the Blazers' organization, the Blazers' fans,'" Ndiaye said. "He even mentioned he really loved to be coached by (former assistant) Monty Williams, who was a mentor. But his choice, his heart went to Minneapolis."

Things started to sour for Batum and Portland in January when the Blazers didn't sign him to a long-term extension, saying at the time that they considered him a big part of their future but wanted to retain salary-cap flexibility before reaching a deal with him. Ndiaye said Batum felt stifled in Portland's system, and wanted to spend less time standing in the corner and shooting 3-pointers, and more time breaking down defenders off the dribble and getting to the rim.

"Nicolas expressed this during his meeting with the Blazers," Ndiaye said. "He was never himself. He has mentioned this in the meeting. He said, 'I just want to be me. I don't want to stand in the corner. I'm a player with movement. I was locked up in the corner.' So he has expressed that for sure."

The one thing that could complicate Portland's plan to keep Batum is a reported max offer to Indiana center Roy Hibbert. If Hibbert takes the deal and Minnesota's offer is big enough, the Blazers could be hampered financially starting in 2013-14, when the new collective bargaining agreement levies much harsher fiscal penalties for exceeding the salary cap.

Wolves assistant Bill Bayno also is a big part of Batum's desire to play in Minnesota. Batum rents Bayno's house in Portland.

"Nicolas is really anxious to join and play with a great unselfish point guard, excited to play with a young team that thinks he is the missing piece," Ndiaye said. "He had a great feel with the coach Rick Adelman, and Nicolas thinks this is a system that will fit him."

Courtesy of ESPN

Spurned by Jason Kidd, Mavericks turn focus to Ramon Sessions - by Eurobasket News

With Jason Kidd (6'4''-PG-73, college: California) surprising the Dallas Mavericks by deciding to join the New York Knicks on a deal similar to the one Dallas offered, the Mavericks have turned their attention to free agent Ramon Sessions (6'3''-PG-86, college: Nevada), late of the Los Angeles Lakers.

A source tells Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com that team officials reached out to Sessions a second time following Kidds decision, this time with a starting job to pitch. The source said that Sessions is searching for a starting job and long-term security. The two sides are scheduled to talk on Friday.

Sessions played well for the Lakers after being acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers at the trade deadline, averaging 12.7 points and 6.2 assists in 23 games while shooting 47.9 percent from the field (48.6 percent from the three-point line). However, he was exposed in the playoffs by Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, who held Sessions to 6.8 points and 3.0 assists in the second round of the playoffs.

Courtesy of http://tracking.si.com

Sixers to use amnesty clause on Brand. - by Bryan Floyd

The Sixers have decided to use their one and only amnesty clause on Elton Brand (6'8''-F-79, college: Duke) . The move will become official on July 11, when teams will be able to bid on him. Brand has $18 million left on the final year of his contract. Teams will be free to bid on him off the amnesty waiver wire, where he'll draw plenty of interest. The Sixers will now have more financial flexibility going forward. Earlier today they agreed to a one-year, $6 million deal with the offensive minded Nick Young (6'6''-G/F-85, agency: Priority Sports, college: USC) ,and will re-sign Spencer Hawes (7'0''-C-88, college: Washington) as well. Teams under the salary cap get the first chance to bid on Brand, which puts the Bobcats, Hornets, Rockets, Cavs, Mavs, Suns and Blazers in a position to take a shot at him.

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

NCAA1

The Scorers1st Showcase 2012 will be held in Las Vegas again and is only one week away - by Daniel Poerschke

The german pro basketball agency Scorers1st Sportmanagement will be in Las Vegas again to put up their annual Showcase.
The 2012 edition will take place in Las Vegas from July 13th to July 15th, which are the dates when the prestigious NBA Summer League also tips off at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavillion. This year, the Scorers1st staff was able to secure a gym right on the UNLV campus, only 300 yards from the Thomas & Mack Center.

45 players will be playing throughout our 3-day tournament and we have a good mix of talent again this year. The way the schedule is set up all players will receive a tremendous opportunity to be seen by team representatives from all over the world who already have committed to attending the Scorers1st Showcase 2012 says Scorers1st President Gerrit Kersten-Thiele from Duesseldorf.

The teams in the Scorers 1st Showcase will once again be coached by international pro coaches, which adds extra value for the participants. Swiss Marko Simic (2012 German ProB Champion with Gotha), american Jamie Duncan (Assistant Coach of German BBL Champion Brose Baskets Bamberg/ Head Coach of TSV Breitenguessbach), as well as germans Kevin Magdowski (Head Coach of Residence Walferdange, Luxemburg), Hanno Stein (Assistant Coach of Bochum Astrostars, Germany) and american Pascual Padilla (Head Coach of Chico Rage, ABA) will have the players go through individual drills and training, as well as make sure the games are not just going in run and gun fashion.

Among the participating players, a couple have already pro experience playing in Germany, such as Chase Adams (178-G-88, college: Pittsburgh, Jena, Pro A), Blake Poole (195-C-88, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: St.Martin's, Dorsten, Pro B) and Darrell Bullock (185-G, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: Wells, Voelklingen, 1.RL), but the Showcase also features proven overseas pros and NCAA 1 rookies such as Larry Gordon (196-F-87, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: Cal Poly Pomona, Netherlands & Austria), Brandon Hassell (209-F-86, college: Penn St., Uruguay), Jabari Edwards (208-F-88, George Washington), Nathaniel Lester (195-G/F-88, Hofstra), Brandon Richardson (182-G-88, Nebraska), Justin Manns (210-C-89, Kent State) or Al Rapier (200-F, Stony Brook).

For a complete listing of the player rosters and the game schedule, please visit: http://scorers1stshowcase.wordpress.com/

NCAA bans four AAU teams from July period for agent relationships - by Eurobasket News

The NCAA announced on Thursday that four prominent AAU teams are banned from the upcoming July live period due to an association with an agent.

According to a release, the directors of New England Playaz, Florida Rams, Worldwide Renegades and SEBL Elite All-Stars have a relationship with ASM Sports, a professional sports agency. By NCAA rule, non-scholastic basketball teams that are associated with agents are prohibited from competing in NCAA certified summer basketball events.

Sources tell CBSSports.com that, over the last few months, the NCAA has interviewed each program's director: T.J. Gassnola (New England Playaz), Matt Ramker (Florida Rams), Desmond Eastmond (Worldwide Renegades) and Tony Edwards (SEBL Elite All-Stars). Sources also indicate that the NCAA questioned multiple players on the teams regarding their knowledge of a relationship involving prominent sports agent Andy Miller.

The NCAA enforcement staff obtained an email sent from Miller to the four aforementioned program directors.

"I get tired of being the 1 guy that has to get the 1st rd [sic] picks every year. I'd be happy to help you get guys + lend support. You have to want it + have to hustle. To create situations to manifest chaos + plow down walls to open up new opp's [sic], the email stated. We're facing a summer with no revenue. Yet, everyone will expect their checks, expenses reimburse [sic], etc. I try to give a consistant [sic] platform inorder [sic] to facilitate production. Am I getting the level of production in return that I want or expect?...You decided to be apart [sic] of it on some levelDo more than just give it thought, act on it."The eligibility of the prospects to play in July is not in question, and they can still participate in certified events as long as they play on a different team. A new team formed of the same players must show that Gassnola, Ramker, Eastmond and Edwards are no longer involved or associated with the players or team.

Some of the top prospects affected by this ruling include three five-star prospects in the class of 2013, all playing for the Florida Rams: Chris Walker, Kasey Hill and Brannen Greene.

Courtesy of www.cbssports.com

Report: Syracuse sex-abuse probe prompt but flawed - by Eurobasket News

Syracuse University's prompt response to allegations of sexual abuse against an assistant basketball coach was done in good faith but was flawed because, among other things, there was no direct contact with law enforcement, a special committee of the university's board of trustees said in a report released Thursday.

Although the 52-page document states there was no attempt to "cover up" any conduct, it reiterates a criticism voiced by Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick that police and the district attorney should have been notified immediately so they could conduct the investigation with all the experience and tools available to law enforcement.

The committee assessed the university's response to allegations that Bernie Fine had sexually abused former ball boy Bobby Davis. It said Davis' allegations "should have been viewed from the outset as involving serious alleged crimes."

Davis, now 41, claims Fine molested him for years beginning when he was around 12 years old. He took the claims to university officials in September 2005.

Fine, in his 36th year on the basketball staff, was fired in November 2011 after the allegations were made public.

Fine, 66, has not been charged, and he denies the accusations.

The claims by Davis and his step-brother, Michael Lang, happened too long ago to be investigated, but the U.S. attorney's office is investigating the claims of a third man who said Fine abused him. That third accuser, 23-year-old Zach Tomaselli, of Lewiston, Maine, has since said he lied.

The abuse allegations threw into turmoil what was then the nation's top-ranked men's basketball team and seemed to threaten the career of Hall of Fame Coach Jim Boeheim, who staunchly defended his longtime assistant before softening his stance.

The university investigated the allegations with the aid of its longtime law firm, Bond, Schoeneck & King, and took no action after the investigation concluded that Davis' claims could not be substantiated.

The report, which does not reach any conclusion about the validity of Davis' claims, also said the school's counsel should have alerted Chancellor Nancy Cantor to allegations that student athletes may have had sexual encounters with Bernie Fine 's wife, Laurie Fine, and that Cantor should have informed the board of trustees of the allegations.

Laurie Fine has said she was the victim of lies.

Among other findings in the report:

The investigation didn't talk to enough witnesses or failed to interview witnesses thoroughly.

No sexual abuse expert was called in to help.

Bernie Fine was allowed to change his original statement but lawyers who did the investigation did not note the change in their final report. Fine originally said Davis might have stayed alone with him in Fine's hotel room during a road trip, but that was deleted at the request of Fine's lawyer.

Lawyers didn't talk to two people who Davis said might have been potential abuse victims.

Attorney Gloria Allred, who represents Davis, said she would review the report and discuss it with him before issuing a response on Monday. Davis did not return a call seeking comment.

The university did not respond to a request for comment, but in a statement to students, faculty and staff, Cantor outlined steps it has taken to address campus interaction with minors. A working group has written new rules regarding programs in which minors are involved, and the athletics department has new policies regarding supervision of minors.

"The most important things now are that we continue to learn from these events over the long term and that anyone impacted by abuse or harassment is able to come forward in a supportive environment," Cantor said.

A judge in May threw out a defamation lawsuit Davis and Lang brought in December against Syracuse University and Boeheim. Davis and Lang, who also served as a ball boy and said he was sexually abused by Fine, claimed Boeheim slandered them by saying they were out for money after their allegations against Fine became public.

Courtesy of www.nola.com

Rodney Hood transfers from Mississippi State to Duke - by Eurobasket News

Rodney Hood (6'8''-G-92) is transferring from Mississippi State to Duke.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski said Thursday that Hood will sit out this season, will have three seasons of eligibility remaining beginning in 2013-14 and "will have a huge positive impact on our program."

Hood is a left-handed wing who stands 6-foot-8 and averaged 10.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and two assists as one of the Southeastern Conference's top freshmen. Coach Rick Stansbury said in March that he was retiring, and a month later Hood announced his decision to leave the Bulldogs.

He becomes the fourth major college transfer to come to Duke since Krzyzewski took over the program in 1980, and the second in four years. Most recently, senior Seth Curry came to Duke in 2009 after one season at Liberty.

Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

U17 World Championship: USA rout Canada in Kaunas - by Eurobasket News

USA U17-Canada U17 113:59

USA became the Semifinalist of the U17 World Championship. The defending champions thrashed Canada 113:59.
USA started the game confidently and reached 26:15 after the first 10 minutes of the game. Jahlil Okafor-Benton (6'11''-C-95) made a dunk for 31:17 and Domingo scored for 33:20. USA added 20-15 in the frame for 46:30 lead at the halftime. The second half was a nightmare for Canada that allowed the opponents to score 67 points. USA won the third period 32-13 and finished the game with 35-16. Domingo brought the team the three digit number as he made the shot for 101:53 advantage. Later S. Johnson, Domingo, Justice Winslow (6'6''-F-96) and NDUKA-ANYA brought he final points in the winning game.
Tyus Jones (6'2''-G-96) top-scored for the winners with 22 points, while Justice Winslow collected 17 points and 13 rebounds. Joel BERRY netted 15, whilst Jabari Parker (6'8''-F-95) and Jahlil Okafor-Benton posted 10 apiece. Justin Jackson replied with 17 points in defeat and Tyrell Bellot-Green (6'6''-G/F-95) scored 12.

USA U17: Tyus Jones 22, Justice Winslow 17+13 rebs, Joel BERRY 15, Jabari Parker 10, Jahlil Okafor-Benton 10
Canada U17: Justin Jackson 17, Tyrell Bellot-Green 12

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

NCAA2

Justin Smith moves from Weiden to Schalke - by Daniel Poerschke

Justin Smith (6'7''-F/C-87, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: Hawaii-Hilo) is the new american player for the FC Schalke 04 team. Schalke plays in the 1. Regionalliga West. Smith played last season with the Baskets Weiden in the 1. Regionalliga South-East. In 24 games Justin Smith averaged 19.7ppg, 10.0rpg, 2.3apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 61.8%, FT: 72.1%. He was named to the Eurobasket.com All-Regionalliga South-East 2nd Team -12. Before that the versatile forward had a standout career at NCAA 2 school University of Hawaii-Hilo, where was twice named to the All-PacWest 1st Team in 2010 and 2011.

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

NIGERIA

Olympic Qualifying Tournament: Adeola Dagunduro carries Nigeria past Greece - by Eurobasket News

Nigeria - Greece 80:79

Nigeria came up with the loudest sensation so far at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. After beating Lithuania in the preliminary round they knocked down Greece tonight to eliminate the Hellenes from the race for the ticket to London. Nigeria in the meantime are now one step away from the goal. Adeola Dagunduro (195-G-86, college: Nebraska) knocked down two free throws with three seconds left in regulation to seal the victory for the African team.
The teams stayed neck and neck throughout the opening quarter. The scoreboard read 21:21 at the first break. But Greece pulled ahead in the second quarter. They took off to ensure a 42:30 halftime advantage. Nigeria cut the distance in the third term. The African team narrowed the gap at just 6-point mark at the final break 50:56. The fourth period turned into drama. Adeola Dagunduro made it 75:72 for Nigeria with just over a minute to go. Ioannis Bourousis (212-C-83, agency: FCM) narrowed the gap and then put Greece in front 76:75. Adeola Dagunduro drained a triple to make it 78:76 but Papanikolau responded with his own triple to ensure Greece 79:78 lead with 14 seconds to go. Adeola Dagunduro got fouled and sank two free throws to put Nigeria back in charge. Vassilis Spanoulis (193-G-82, agency: Beo Basket) had a chance to win the game for Greece but Derrick Obasohan blocked the shot and Nigeria celebrated a crucial win at the end. Ike Diogu (208-F/C-83, college: Arizona St.) stepped up with 17 points and 12 rebounds for Nigeria. Adeola Dagunduro knocked down 14 points in the victory. Vassilis Spanoulis answered with 25 points for Greece. Ioannis Bourousis had 18 points in the loss.

Nigeria: Ike Diogu 17+12 boards, Adeola Dagunduro 14, Al-Farouq Aminu (206-F-90, college: Wake Forest) 13
Greece: Vassilis Spanoulis 25, Ioannis Bourousis 18

Afrobasket U18 Qualifier: Nigeria survives Liberia threat, win 47-42 - by Olusegun Ikuesan

Nigeria managed to survive the threat of Liberia in a reverse fixture on Thursday in the Afrobasket U18 qualifiers at the Plaias des Sports escaping with a 47-42 points win to remain in contention for FIBA Africa Zone-3 ticket to the main championship of the 2012 Afrobasket U18 Men championship slated for Mozambique next month.

The Nigerian side had maintain a nine points lead going into the last quarter (16-11, 07-04, 16-12, 08-15) but the resilient Liberia who are yet to pick a win in the qualifier were ready to upturn the lead thus keeping the Nigeria technical crew on their toe through the ten minutes the fourth quarter lasted as the Liberia narrow down the lead to just five points at the buzzer.

Nigeria forward Michael Nzei once again led his side in scoring and on the board with 13 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steal, guard Hakeem Suleiman added 11 points, 4 assists and 2 steal to ensure victory for Nigeria who will file out against Cote dIvoire today at 18H00.

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

OLYMPIC GAMES

Standings

Group A
1. Argentina		0-0
2. France		0-0
3. Tunisia		0-0
4. USA		0-0
Group B
1. Australia		0-0
2. Brazil		0-0
3. Chile		0-0
4. U.Kingdom		0-0
5. Spain		0-0
Group Qualification Gr.A
1. Greece		2-0
2. P.Rico		1-2
3. Jordan		0-2
Group Qualification Gr.B
1. Lithuania		2-1
2. Nigeria		1-1
3. Venezuela		1-1
Group Qualification Gr.C
1. Russia		2-0
2. Dominican R.		2-1
3. S.Korea		0-2
Group Qualification Gr.D
1. Angola		1-1
2. N.Zealand		1-1
3. FYR Macedo.		1-2

Additional Qualifying Round: Round 4

Jul. 6: RUS - ANG 80-65
Jul. 6: GRE - NGR 79-80
Jul. 6: MKD - DOM 76-86
Jul. 6: LTU - PUR 76-72

Additional Qualifying Round: Round 5

Jul. 7: LTU - DOM
Jul. 7: RUS - NGR

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Bo MCCALEBB
  USA
  (178-PG-85)
  Avg: 26.3

1. McCalebb, MKD	26.3
2. Vasquez, VEN	24.0
3. Horford, DOM	22.0
4. Kleiza, LTU	21.3
5. Mingas, ANG	20.3
6. Spanoulis, GRE	19.3
7. Sandrin, KOR	18.0
8. Kirilenko, RUS	15.3
9. Ramos, PUR	14.7
10. Garcia, DOM	14.3

Rebounds Per Game

Jack Michael MARTINEZ
  DOM
  (201-F-81)
  Avg: 16.7

1. Martinez, DOM	16.7
2. Horford, DOM	12.0
3. Pledger, NZL	10.0
4. Diogu, NGR	10.0
5. Maciulis, LTU	8.0
6. Gomes, ANG	8.0
7. Kirilenko, RUS	8.0
8. Samardziski, MKD	7.7
9. Echenique, VEN	7.5
10. Antic, MKD	7.0

Assists Per Game

Mantas KALNIETIS
  LTU
  (195-G-86)
  Avg: 6.3

1. Kalnietis, LTU	6.3
2. McCalebb, MKD	6.0
3. Spanoulis, GRE	5.7
4. Vasquez, VEN	5.0
5. Kim, KOR	5.0
6. Arroyo, PUR	4.7
7. Shved, RUS	4.7
8. Cubillan, VEN	4.5
9. Tait, NZL	4.5
10. Kenny, NZL	4.5

Steals Per Game

Tae-Sool KIM
(180-PG-84)
Avg: 3.5

1. Kim, KOR	3.5
2. Kirilenko, RUS	3.0
3. Khryapa, RUS	2.3
4. Dagunduro, NGR	2.3
5. Daghles, JOR	2.0
6. Pocius, LTU	2.0
7. Vasquez, VEN	2.0
8. Sandrin, KOR	1.5
9. Vukona, NZL	1.5
10. Yang, KOR	1.5

Blocks Per Game

Windi GRATEROL
(204-C-86)
Avg: 2

1. Graterol, VEN	2.0
2. Javtokas, LTU	1.3
3. Echenique, VEN	1.0
4. Sandrin, KOR	1.0
5. Oyedeji, NGR	1.0
6. Mozgov, RUS	1.0
7. Lee, KOR	1.0
8. Aminu, NGR	1.0
9. Yoon, KOR	1.0
10. Peavy, PUR	0.7

Dominican Republic, Russia, Nigeria and Lithuania stay in the race - by Eurobasket News

Lithuania - Puerto Rico 76-72
Lithuania survived a battle for life from Puerto Rico to advance to the semifinal round of Olympic Qualifying Round. Lithuania will now take on Dominican Republic for the spot at the Olympic Games. Mantas Kalnietis (195-G-86, agency: Interperformances) and Linas Kleiza (203-F-85, college: Missouri) scored 14 points each to lead the Baltic team. Puerto Rico sent a strong message to their opponents in the opening quarter. They grabbed a 22:16 lead after ten minutes. Lithuania however gained control in the second quarter. The Europeans fired 24 points to deny the deficit. Lithuania posted a 40:38 halftime lead. The teams went neck and neck throughout the third quarter. Lithuania led by two points heading into the fourth frame 57:55. Kaukenas made it a 7-point game midway through the final period. Carlos Arroyo drilled two three-pointers to put Puerto Rico in front 68:67 with just over three minutes remaining. The lead changed hands for several times before Sarunas Jasikevicius (192-G-76, college: Maryland) knocked down four points and Linas Kleiza added one more to help Lithuania escape with a narrow win at the end. Sarunas Jasikevicius scored 11 points, while Maciulis provided 10 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Alexander Galindo (200-F-85, college: FIU) answered with 17 points for Puerto Rico. Jose Juan Barea and Carlos Arroyo had 13 points each in the loss.

Greece - Nigeria 79-80
Nigeria came up with the loudest sensation so far at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. After beating Lithuania in the preliminary round they knocked down Greece tonight to eliminate the Hellenes from the race for the ticket to London. Nigeria in the meantime are now one step away from the goal. Adeola Dagunduro (195-G-86, college: Nebraska) knocked down two free throws with three seconds left in regulation to seal the victory for the African team. The teams stayed neck and neck throughout the opening quarter. The scoreboard read 21:21 at the first break. But Greece pulled ahead in the second quarter. They took off to ensure a 42:30 halftime advantage. Nigeria cut the distance in the third term. The African team narrowed the gap at just 6-point mark at the final break 50:56. The fourth period turned into drama. Adeola Dagundro made it 75:72 for Nigeria with just over a minute to go. Ioannis Bourousis narrowed the gap and then put Greece in front 76:75. Adeola Dagundro drained a triple to make it 78:76 but Papanikolau responded with his own triple to ensure Greece 79:78 lead with 14 seconds to go. Adeola Dagundruo got fouled and sank two free throws to put Nigeria back in charge. Vassilis Spanoulis (193-G-82, agency: Beo Basket) had a chance to win the game for Greece but Derrick Obasohan blocked the shot and Nigeria celebrated a crucial win at the end. Ike Diogu (208-F/C-83, college: Arizona St.) stepped up with 17 points and 12 rebounds for Nigeria. Adeola Dagunduro knocked down 14 points in the victory. Vassilis Spanoulis answered with 25 points for Greece. Ioannis Bourousis had 18 points in the loss.

FYR Macedonia - Dominican Republic 76-86
Dominican Republic recovered from a slow start to knock down FYR Macedonia in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament quarterfinals. Francisco Garcia (201-F/G-81, college: Louisville) stepped up with 28 points to lead the winners as they would face Lithuania for a spot in the Olympic Games. It was all about FYR Macedonia in the opening quarter. The Europeans held Dominican Republic to 10 points in the first period to take a 13-point lead. The teams exchanged baskets throughout the second quarter. FYR Macedonia secured a 41:28 halftime advantage. But Dominican Republic turned the tables after the big break. They erupted for 26 points in the third quarter to narrow the margin to 2 points at the final intermission. Dominican Republic ignited an impressive 32:20 rally in the fourth term to seal the victory at the end. Alfred Horford (208-F/C-86, college: Florida) accounted for 14 points and 15 boards, while Jack Michael Martinez added 14 points and 13 rebounds for the winners. Bo McCalebb (178-PG-85, college: New Orleans) responded with 35 points for FYR Macedonia. Vlado Ilievski banked 16 points in the loss.

Russia - Angola 80-65
Russian National Team made another step towards Olympic Games tournament. They defeated Angola in the quarterfinals of Olympic Qualifying Tournament and need one more step to seal their ticket to London. Vitaly Fridzon (196-G-85, agency: Alti Sport) scored 18 points to lead David Blatts team. Russia scored 25 points in the first quarter to take a 4-point lead. They held Angola to 5 points in the second term to ensure a 17-point halftime advantage. Russia and Angola traded baskets throughout the third quarter as Russia managed to secure a comfortable lead. They entered the final period up by 18 points 60:42. Angola outscored Russia in the final quarter but just sweetened the pill at the end. Sasha Kaun (211-C-85) notched 17 points for Russia. Andrei Kirilenko added 14 points for the winning team. Eduardo Mingas (200-C-79) answered with 20 points for Angola. Carlos Morais had 14 points in the losing case.

Greek NT lost by Nigerian NT and was eliminated from Olympic Games - by Chris Mammides

In a game for the 2012 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, which just ended, the Hellenic NT managed to lose the game from the theoretically weaker team of Nigeria and will not participate in the Olympic Games this coming August in London. The result of the game which just finished was 79-80 with the victory by the Nigerian NT which is now having two games and two chances to participate in London's Olympic Games.

The man of the game was undoubtedly but unfortunately not a player either from the winners (Ike Diogu (208-F/C-83, college: Arizona St.) 17 points and 10 rebounds) or from losing site (Vassilis Spanoulis (193-G-82) 25 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists) but was the lord of the match the main referee of the game the Slovenian Matej Boltauzer and his assistant referees, the Algerian Nachid Messaoudi and the Australian Bradley Jon Giersch who did everything they could to eliminate the Greek NT with the most obvious being the blind eyes in the last phase of the game when Vassilis Spanoulis was clearly fouled by Derrick Obasohan (198-F-81, college: Texas Arlington) but the obvious foul was never called so the history will simply write that the Hellenic NT will be absent from the Olympic Games.

About the game now, which was a derby from the very beginning the Nigerians prove to be a tough nut for the Greeks as they were following from a close distance nearly all the first period with the final bit finds both the team's starting from scratch as the 21-21 was the result of this first period.

The second period was much better for the Hellenic NT as with VSpan and Bourousis in a great shape were able to reach the maximum difference by the end of the first half with the Nigerians being much better in the rebounding area but not steady at all in the offensive duties. The result of this first half was 42-30 with the Greeks being much better and more solid in their offensive skills. Papanikolaou, Bourousis and Spanoulis were the top men for the Greek NT while Diogu and Al-Farouq Aminu (206-F-90, college: Wake Forest) with his older brother Alade Aminu (210-C-87, college: Georgia Tech) were the top men for Nigeria

The third period though was an absolute nightmare for the Greeks as they kept losing their free throws (ended the game with the 12 missing shots) while the Nigerians with very tough defense by Aminu brothers and Diogu cut the deficit to as little as two with the third period finally ending with 56-50.

The heart breaking fourth quarter was the worst for the Greeks and the best for the Nigerians who saw their team two minutes before the end of the game to getting the lead initially with one and then with three points as the battle of the rebounds was totally for the Nigerians with the Greek centers not being able to compete their opponents in the rebounding area.

The top scorers for the two teams:

Greece: Spanoulis 25, Bourousis 18, Printezis 10

Nigeria: Diogu 17, Dagunduro 14, Aminu 13 and Oguchi 10

There are many talks and discussions which will follow this game but the fact is simply one Greece lost and Nigeria won, whatever the Greeks feel is pointless as the referees decide and they simply judged that no foul has been made in the most crucial point of the game.....

Was this "gray" decision due to the general situation with Greece financially?? Who knows......

France names roster for 2012 Olympics - by Eurobasket News

Head Coach of the French National Team Vincent Collet named 12-man roster for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Tony Parker (183-PG-82) is on the list, but it is not clear yet will he be able to play or not. The French superstar suffered serious eye injury recently.

Guards: Yannick Bokolo (190-G-85), Nando De Colo (202-G-87, agency: Arete Sports Agency), Tony Parker, Fabien Causeur (193-G-87).
Forwards: Nicolas Batum (201-F-88), Boris Diaw (203-PF-82), Mickael Gelabale (201-F-83, agency: Court Side), Charles Kahudi (197-F-86, agency: Beo Basket).
Centers: Florent Pietrus (202-F-81), Kevin Seraphin (205-F/C-89), Ali Traore (207-C-85, agency: Beo Basket, college: S.Idaho JC), Ronny Turiaf (208-C/F-83, agency: Priority Sports, college: Gonzaga).

France is placed to Group A of the Preliminary Round in London. Their rivals will be Argentina, Tunisia and USA. There are two more spots available for this pool, but names will be known after the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Caracas. The Olympics begin on July 29. France will meet USA in the first game. Their next rival will be Argentina. August 12 will be the last day of the basketball tournament in London.

Tony Parker cleared to play at Olympics after eye injury - by Eurobasket News

Spurs guard Tony Parker (183-PG-82) can play for European runner-up France in the Olympic Games after San Antonio's doctors agreed he has recovered from an eye injury.

Parker scratched his left cornea during a nightclub melee in New York last month.

"The two ophthalmologists (from the Spurs) confirmed the opinion of the French doctor who operated on Tony Parker, and the two Swiss specialists who also examined the player last Thursday, and indicated that he can resume playing," the French Basketball Federation said on Friday, adding that Spurs coach Gregg Popovich also gave his blessing.

Parker is joining the French squad in Orleans and he could play in a tuneup against England on Saturday.

France's first game at the Olympics is against the United States on July 29.

"It is great news and a relief for the whole France team," coach Vincent Collet said. "I spoke with Tony on the phone and he sounded very happy and also relieved about this development. It was a difficult and alarming situation for everyone."

Parker was included on the team's 12-man Olympic roster as he waited to see whether his injury would heal in time.

He was hurt by shards of flying glass in a nightclub fight involving singer Chris Brown and members of hip-hop star Drake's entourage.

Parker scored 26 points for France when it lost last year's European final 98-85 to Spain.

France will be missing Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah, who is still recovering from a left ankle injury he hurt during the NBA playoffs.

Courtesy of www.usatoday.com

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

PHILIPPINES

Day 4 of the 2012 SEABA Stankovic Qualifying Cup - by Enzo Flojo

Notes:
Team Pilipinas put one foot in the FIBA-Asia Cup door by blasting Malaysia, 85-50, in the penultimate day of competitions in the 2012 SEABA Stankovic Cup Qualifying Tournament in Chiang Mai, Thailand. In contrast, the Pinoys final opponent, Thailand, didnt seem too keen on playing their best as they were content to be blown out by Indonesia, 66-46.

Garvo Lanete poured in 14 points as Marcus Douthit finished with a double-double (11 points & 10 rebounds) to lead the Philippines past a visibly overmatched Malaysian squad missing some of its best players. Chris Tiu also frolicked as a playmaker, dishing out 9 assists, while former Smart-Gilas teammate Mac Baracael scored 9 points as the teams main scoring option at forward. This loss sends Malaysia crashing to the bottom of the standings at 1-3. They are still, however, considered strong contenders for next years SEABA meet as main guns Guga Batumalai, John Ng, and Lee Wei Chee.

In the second game, Arki Wisnu, Julius Faisal Ahmad, and Galank Gunawan all scored in twin digits to lead Indonesia to its first win in three tries. The Indons and Thais played a close game for the first 20 minutes before the visitors poured in 23 points while limiting the hosts to just 7 in the third period. Wisnu was the games top scorer with 24 points, while Ahmad had 14 and Gunawan finished with 11. Indonesia dominated practically every category, especially rebounding, where they had a 46-28 advantage. This was due mainly to Gunawan and Dodo Sitepu combining for 24 boards. This turned out to be a no-bearing loss for Thailanf, though, since Indonesias best possible final record is 2-2 (if they beat the Singaporeans next).

In the final day of the tourney, the Pinoys and the Thais will dispute the only SEABA slot in the 2012 FIBA-Asia Cup, while Singapore and Indonesia will battle it out for third place.

Day 4 Scores
PHILIPPINES over MALAYSIA, 85-50
PHI 85 - Lanete 14, Douthit 11, Baracael 9, Monfort 8, Ramos 8, Tenorio 8, Thoss 8, Marcelo 6, Co 5, Hermida 4, Tiu 4
MAS 50 - Choo 8, Tong 7, Ng ST 6, Loh 6, Chong 6, Ong 5, Kuek 5, Gan 3, Kwaan 3, Ng KK 1, Yeo 0, Chin 0
QS: 15-8, 43-16, 65-28, 85-50
Notable Performances:
Marcus Douthit (PHI) - 11pts, 10rebs, 3asts, 2blks
Chris Tiu (PHI) - 11pts, 9asts, 4rebs, 1stl

INDONESIA over THAILAND, 66-46
INA 66 - Wisnu 24, Ahmad 14, Gunawan 11, Siregar 5, Michel 4, Susanto 4, Sitepu 4, Liogu 0, Handoyo 0
THA 46 - Dasom 9, Danai 8, Sekteera 5, Ghogar 5, Wanna 4, Sangthong 4, Klahan 4, Samerjai 2, Suthap 2, Kaedum 2, Apiromvilaivhai 1, Lertmalaiporn 0
QS: 17-17, 32-29, 53-36, 66-46
Notable Performances:
Galank Gunawan (INA) - 11pts, 12rebs
Arki Wisnu (INA) - 24pts, 6rebs, 3asts, 1stl

Source: HoopNut.blogspot.com

SEABA Cup: Philippines march past Malaysia - by Eurobasket News

Philippines - Malaysia 85:50

Philippines earned the third straight win at the SEABA Cup in Thailand. They knocked down Malaysia yesterday to remain undefeated on top of the ladder. Chico Lanete (183-G-79) came up with 14 points to lead balanced effort from the winners.
Philippines gained a 15:8 lead ten minutes into the game. They exploded with 28 points in the second term to boost the lead to 27-point mark at halftime. Philippines kept their opponents at bay throughout the third quarter. They piled up a 37-point buffer with ten minutes remaining. Philippines never looked back afterwards coasting to the victory at the end. Marcus Douthit (210-C/F-80, agency: Edge Sports, college: Providence) delivered 11 points, while Marnel Baracael (191-F/G-85) had 9 points in the winning case. Wei Hong Choo (196-C-92) reacted with 8 points for Malaysia. Shee Fai Loh (192-G/F-89), Juin Wip Chong (188-F-91) and Sing Tee Ng dropped 6 points apiece in the loss.

Philippines: Chico Lanete 14, Marcus Douthit 11, Marnel Baracael 9
Malaysia: Wei Hong Choo 8, Shee Fai Loh 6, Juin Wip Chong 6, Sing Tee Ng 6

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

POLAND

Siarka Jezioro adds 3 players, keeps Head Coach Dariusz Szczubial - by Eurobasket News

Siarka Jezioro Tarnobrzeg announced signing of Jakub Dloniak (192-F-83, agency: Promotex), Krzysztof Krajniewski (199-F-89) and Jakub Patoka (200-F-94) for the next season. Siarka Jezioro will most likely be one of the youngest teams in the league.
Jakub Dloniak spent last two seasons with Intermache Zastal Zielona Gora. In the latest one he had 7.5 ppg and 2.4 rpg for 28 games. In the past, Dloniak played for KS Spojnia Stargard Szczecinski, Znicz Basket Pruszkow, BT Wozki Pruszkow and 4 YOU Tarnovia Tarnowo Podgorne.
Krzysztof Krajniewski won 1Liga title last season with KS Start Gdynia. He had 3.8 ppg and 1.7 rpg for 29 games. Krajniewski played for Asecco Prokom 2 Gdynia from 2008 to 2011.
Jakub Patoka arrives to the club from Trefl II Sopot. Last season he had 2.6 ppg and 3.4 rpg for 16 games in 2Liga.
The team kept its Head Coach Dariusz Szczubial for 2012/13.

Energa Czarni sign PF Valdas Dabkus - by Eurobasket News

Valdas Dabkus (204-PF-84) is back to Poland after almost ten years. The Lithuanian power forward signed a deal with Energa Czarni Slupsk. Dabkus finished last season with Lithuanian squad Rudupis Prienu averaging 10.3 points and 3.8 rebounds for 11 games in LKL. They reached Playoff Semifinals. He started the season with InterCollege Etha Engomis, where he also played in 2010/11. Dabkus helped Etha to win the Cypriot league title and Cup in 2011. Etha defended the championship title last season as well, but Dabkus departed to Rudupis Prienu before the end of the season. Valdas Dabkus split 2009/10 season between AEK Larnaca and Rudupis Prienu. He also has some experience from Spain and Italy. Dabkus played for Anwil in 2002/03 season.

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

PUERTO RICO

Olympic Qualifying Tournament: Lithuania eliminate Puerto Rico - by Eurobasket News

Lithuania - Puerto Rico 76:72

Lithuania survived a battle for life from Puerto Rico to advance to the semifinal round of Olympic Qualifying Round. Lithuania will now take on Dominican Republic for the spot at the Olympic Games. Mantas Kalnietis (195-G-86, agency: Interperformances) and Linas Kleiza (203-F-85, college: Missouri) scored 14 points each to lead the Baltic team.
Puerto Rico sent a strong message to their opponents in the opening quarter. They grabbed a 22:16 lead after ten minutes. Lithuania however gained control in the second quarter. The Europeans fired 24 points to deny the deficit. Lithuania posted a 40:38 halftime lead. The teams went neck and neck throughout the third quarter. Lithuania led by two points heading into the fourth frame 57:55. Kaukenas made it a 7-point game midway through the final period. Carlos Arroyo (188-G-79, college: FIU) drilled two three-pointers to put Puerto Rico in front 68:67 with just over three minutes remaining. The lead changed hands for several times before Sarunas Jasikevicius (192-G-76, college: Maryland) knocked down four points and Linas Kleiza added one more to help Lithuania escape with a narrow win at the end. Sarunas Jasikevicius scored 11 points, while Maciulis provided 10 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Alexander Galindo (200-F-85, college: FIU) answered with 17 points for Puerto Rico. Jose Juan Barea (181-PG-84, college: Northeastern) and Carlos Arroyo had 13 points each in the loss.

Lithuania: Mantas Kalnietis 14, Linas Kleiza 14, Sarunas Jasikevicius 11
Puerto Rico: Alexander Galindo 17, Jose Juan Barea 13, Carlos Arroyo 13

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

ROMANIA

Jacob Pullen will play for Romanian National Team at Eurobasket 2013 Qualification Round - by Eurobasket News

Jacob Pullen (182-PG-89, college: Kansas St.) will play for Romanian National Team at Eurobasket 2013 Qualification Round. According to sportando.net Jacob Pullen, who has played in Italy during his rookie season, got the passport from Romania.
Last year Jacob Pullen started his professional career in Italy. The 21-year-old guard has agreed on terms of contract with Angelico Biella. The reports sent Jacob Pullen to Antalya in Turkey earlier but the guard has opted to pen deal with the Italian team. The 21-year-old guard has just graduated from the Kansas State University. Jacob Pullen averaged 20.2 points, 3.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game in his senior season.
Earlier in 2007-2008 his stats read 9.7ppg, 1.4rpg, 3.2apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 40.1%, 3Pts: 30.3%, FT: 68.5%. In 2008-2009 for Kansas St. (NCAA, starting five) he showed 13.9ppg, 2.7rpg, 3.2apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 38.0%, 3Pts: 33.5%, FT: 72.8%. In 2011-2012 for Angelico Biella (Italy-SerieA, starting five) he averaged 16.0ppg, 1.8rpg, 3.2apg, 1.8spg, FGP: 48.7%, 3PT: 34.1%, FT: 74.8%.
The guard was named into USBasket.com All-NCAA D1 3rd Team. Jacob Pullen also made it into Big 12 All-Defensive Team.

Serbian Aleksandar Vlahovic continue with CSU Ploiesti - by Eurobasket News

Serbian Aleksandar Vlahovic (190-G-90) continue with CSU Ploiesti for the next season. The player will enter his second season with the Romanian team.
Aleksandar Vlahovic became a new member of CSU Asesoft Ploiesti last season. The Serbian guard signed a one-year deal with his club but now extended for another season. Vlahovic headed to Ploiesti from Sloga Kraljevo. He appeared 25 times in Serbian league last season averaging 14.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.6 steals.
During the summer he participated at the Jesolo International U22 Summer League (IO Master International team). Before Sloga, Aleksandar Vlahovic spent one year with Partizan II. He also was a member of Vizura in 2008/09. Vlahovic played for U18 Serbia three years ago. He had 8.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg and 3 apg for 8 games at the European Championships U18 in Amaliada Pyrgos. Vlahovic also played for U16 Serbia in the past.
In 2011-2012 for CSU Asesoft Ploiesti (Romania-Div.A, starting five) his stats read 13.3ppg, 3.1rpg, 5.2apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 61.8%, 3PT: 34.7%, FT: 76.2%.

Mladen Ostojic takes over Romanian NT - by Eurobasket News

Mladen Ostojic is a new Head Coach of the Romanian National Team. He will lead them in 2013 EuroBasket Qualifications. Romania is placed to Group D, together with Georgia, Bosnia, Holland and Latvia. Two best teams from this pool will advance to the final tournament in Slovenia. Also four third best teams out of six groups will book a ticket for Slovenia.
Mladen Ostojic worked last season with Saudi Arabian team Al Ittihad Jeddah. He coached CS Municipal Bucuresti from 2009 to 2011. Before that Ostojic worked with Pitesti and Rapid Bucuresti. In 2008, Mladen Ostojic was Head Coach of the UAE National Team. In the past, Ostojic also worked in Bosnia, Cyprus, Israel and Greece.

Targu Mures returns C Cristian Jakab - by Eurobasket News

Cristian Jakab (206-C-81) is back to BC Mures Targu Mures after one year, according to Vasarhely.ro. The Romanian center penned a deal for the next season. Jakab spent the last one with Perla Harghitei Miercurea Ciuc. He appeared 30 times in Division A averaging 5.9 points and 3.8 rebounds.
Cristian Jakab played for Targu Mures from 2006 to 2011 and he was their member also in 2002/03 season. In 2010/11, Jakab had very limited playing time with the club. He appeared 16 times in total (Romania, BIBL) registering less than a point. In 2008, Jakab was named Eurobasket.com Romanian League All-Newcomers Team. In the past, the center played for Gaz Metan Medias. He also participated at Romanian NT training camp last summer.

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

RUSSIA

Olympic Qualifying Tournament: Russia ease past Angola - by Eurobasket News

Russia - Angola 80:65

Russian National Team made another step towards Olympic Games tournament. They defeated Angola in the quarterfinals of Olympic Qualifying Tournament and need one more step to seal their ticket to London. Vitaly Fridzon (196-G-85, agency: Alti Sport) scored 18 points to lead David Blatts team.
Russia scored 25 points in the first quarter to take a 4-point lead. They held Angola to 5 points in the second term to ensure a 17-point halftime advantage. Russia and Angola traded baskets throughout the third quarter as Russia managed to secure a comfortable lead. They entered the final period up by 18 points 60:42. Angola outscored Russia in the final quarter but just sweetened the pill at the end. Sasha Kaun (211-C-85) notched 17 points for Russia. Andrei Kirilenko (206-F-81) added 14 points for the winning team. Eduardo Mingas (200-C-79) answered with 20 points for Angola. Carlos Morais (193-G-85) had 14 points in the losing case.

Russia: Vitaly Fridzon 18, Sasha Kaun 17, Andrei Kirilenko 14
Angola: Eduardo Mingas 20, Carlos Morais 14

Nizhny Novgorod keep Primoz Brezec - by Eurobasket News

Nizhny Novgorod decided to keep Primoz Brezec (216-F/C-79). The Slovenian centre joined the team in March 2012. He signed 1+1 contract with Nizhny Novgorod. The team used the option of prolonging the cooperation for another season. Primoz Brezec averaged 13.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in PBL. In VTB League his stats read 13.5 points, 7.0 boards, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steal per appearance. Primoz Brezec started the previous season with Lokomotiv Kuban. The centre averaged 3.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in PBL. In VTB League he notched 6.0 points and 4.5 rebounds for the Krasnodar team. In EuroCup Primoz Brezec produced 3.6 points and 3.1 rebounds.

Australia edge Russia University team in China - by Eurobasket News

Australia edge Russia University team in China at the start of the Stankovic Cup 2012. The winners grabbed 76:61 win in the opener. Nikita Barinov (200-F-91) scored 16 points for the Russian team and Lasarev netted 11. Maksym Kolyushkin (194-G-90) posted 8 points, while Strebkov and Ivlev netted 5 each.

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

SAN MARINO

SERBIA

Partizan MT:S in difficult Group - by Ivan Milenkovic

In their 12th Euroleague season in a row, Partizan mt:s will not have easy job to qualify for Top 16 phase. Serbian champions will be in Group D, alongside Barcelona, CSKA Moscow, Lietuvos Rytas, Bamberg and Besiktas. Spanish and Russian giants are big favourites to finish in first and second position, while Partizan should fight for 3rd and 4th position with remaining three teams. Five national champions are in Group D, only Lietuvos Rytas didn't win trophy in their country. Considering Partizan was in third pot before the draw and strength of other groups, ''black and whites'' could have hoped for better luck, but they will do everything to return to Top 16 phase after one season.

Managing director Mladjan Silobad said for Euroleague website : "It is a very interesting group for us. I think CSKA and Barcelona are the favorites to make it to the Top 16, but all the other four teams need to fight for the other two spots. Our main strength this season is Dusko Vujosevic, who is back home. He will make the most of our young talents to do even better. I am hoping for a great season for us. Of course, all our home games in Belgrade will be a celebration, as always."

Vuk Ivanovic extends with Vivo/Franca Basquete - by Interperformances

The Serbian Center Vuk Ivanovic (208-F/C-83, agency: Interperformances, college: BYU) will remain for another season with the Brazilian NBB Club, Viva /Franca. The 29 year old center started the previous season with Tamis Petrohemija Pancevo averaging 15.7ppg and 7.3rpg. In January moved to Vivo/Franca where he joined another two Interperformances Players; Edward Basden (196-G/F-83, agency: Interperformances, college: Charlotte) and Kevin Sowell (190-G-81, agency: Interperformances). Vuk averaged 8.5ppg, 5.2 rpg. It is definitely not easy for a Serbian Player to enter in a Brazilian market where are mainly hired US Players. He has demonstrated that he is worth to play in the NBB and very happy to continue playing for Franca.

Serbian Aleksandar Vlahovic continue with CSU Ploiesti - by Eurobasket News

Serbian Aleksandar Vlahovic (190-G-90) continue with CSU Ploiesti for the next season. The player will enter his second season with the Romanian team.
Aleksandar Vlahovic became a new member of CSU Asesoft Ploiesti last season. The Serbian guard signed a one-year deal with his club but now extended for another season. Vlahovic headed to Ploiesti from Sloga Kraljevo. He appeared 25 times in Serbian league last season averaging 14.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.6 steals.
During the summer he participated at the Jesolo International U22 Summer League (IO Master International team). Before Sloga, Aleksandar Vlahovic spent one year with Partizan II. He also was a member of Vizura in 2008/09. Vlahovic played for U18 Serbia three years ago. He had 8.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg and 3 apg for 8 games at the European Championships U18 in Amaliada Pyrgos. Vlahovic also played for U16 Serbia in the past.
In 2011-2012 for CSU Asesoft Ploiesti (Romania-Div.A, starting five) his stats read 13.3ppg, 3.1rpg, 5.2apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 61.8%, 3PT: 34.7%, FT: 76.2%.

Mladen Ostojic takes over Romanian NT - by Eurobasket News

Mladen Ostojic is a new Head Coach of the Romanian National Team. He will lead them in 2013 EuroBasket Qualifications. Romania is placed to Group D, together with Georgia, Bosnia, Holland and Latvia. Two best teams from this pool will advance to the final tournament in Slovenia. Also four third best teams out of six groups will book a ticket for Slovenia.
Mladen Ostojic worked last season with Saudi Arabian team Al Ittihad Jeddah. He coached CS Municipal Bucuresti from 2009 to 2011. Before that Ostojic worked with Pitesti and Rapid Bucuresti. In 2008, Mladen Ostojic was Head Coach of the UAE National Team. In the past, Ostojic also worked in Bosnia, Cyprus, Israel and Greece.

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

SLOVENIA

Krka tabs Vladovic, extends Lucic and Lalic - by Rado Markovic Hribernik

Krka Novo Mesto has begun composing the team for the coming season. The first reinforcement of this summer will be Jakov Vladovic (186-PG-83), who had a good previous season playing for HKK Siroki WWin, where he averaged 10.9 points, 5 assists along with 3 rebounds per game in the adriatic league.

Good news for the fans of Krka Novo Mesto is also an announcement that Uros Lucic (207-C-83) and Jure Lalic (212-C-86) will remain part of the team, as the team management was satisfied with their performances in the court last season.

Captain Jure Balazic (204-F-80) leaves Novo mesto and heads abroad, as he didn't agree on the clubs proposal on extension of the contract for the upcoming season. Simon Petrov (189-G-76), who announced the end of his career at the end of slovenian league finals will join the coaching staff of the club and will together with Gasper Potocnik assist head coach Aleksander Sekulic .

The club is looking for both starting shooting guard and power forward. Some would like to see Matjaz Smodis (205-F-79) back in Krka Novo Mesto jersey, but it is important to mention that he still has a valid contract with KK Cedevita Zagreb.

Angelico Biella extends Goran Jurak to 1+1 year deal - by Eurobasket News

Angelico Biella announced signing of 1+1 year contract extension with Goran Jurak (203-F/C-77). The Slovenian PF/C joined the club in 2010 from Teramo. He also played for Biella in 2008/09. Jurak appeared 32 times in SerieA last season averaging 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals. He had almost the same numbers in 2010/11.
As mentioned above, Goran Jurak spent 2009/10 season with Banca Tercas Teramo. There he had 9 ppg and 4.8 rpg in Italy, plus 7.1 ppg and 4.4 rpg in EuroCup. In the past, Jurak played for Zalgiris, Climamio Bologna, Union Olimpija and Cantu. He also has experience from Jesi, Olympiacos and Pivovarna Lasko. Goran Jurak played for the Slovenian National Team from 1997 to 2006.

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

SPAIN

Spain U16 edged England in Torneo de Guadalajara - by Eurobasket News

Spain U16-England U16 90:43

Spain U16 started the Torneo de Guadalajara with the victory over England U16. The home side celebrated an easy 90:43 win.
Spain started with 15-11 and added 22-8 in the second period. Spain did not slow down in the second half as well. The hosts produced a 31-12 in the third quarter and finished the game with 22-12.
Francisco Alonso (188-G-96) paced all the winners with 14 points, while Sergi Garcia nailed 13. Marc Garcia (190-G-96) and Diego Gallardo (190-G-96) poured in 10 points apiece. Ogumleye ended up with 10 points in the losing effort, whilst Oghide added 8. Jules Akodo (G-96) nailed 7 and Swindells chipped in with 5.
In another game Turkey U16 overcame Italy U16 in Day 1 of the Torneo de Guadalajara in Spain. The Turkish side celebrated a 79:66 victory.

Spain U16: Francisco Alonso 14, Sergi Garcia 13, Marc Garcia 10, Diego Gallardo 10
England U16: Ogumleye 10, Oghide 8, Jules Akodo 7, Swindells 5

Spain topple Chile in Buenos Aires - by Eurobasket News

Spain - Chile 99:59

Spanish B National Team celebrated the first win at the Super 4 Hope Funds Cup tournament in Argentina. They overcame Chile to clinch the third position in the final ladder. Adrian Laso (204-F/C-90) knocked down 19 points and grabbed 8 rebounds for the winners.
Spain held Chile to 8 points in the opening quarter to pile up a 9-point lead. Spain increased the tempo firing 25 points in the second quarter and taking a 42:28 halftime advantage. Spain did not slow down after the big break. They erupted for 31 points in the third quarter to ensure a massive 33-point lead with one quarter remaining. Spain notched 26 points in the fourth term and sealed a cruising win at the end. David Doblas (206-C-81) posted 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Joaquim Colom (188-PG-88, agency: Interperformances) contributed 12 points for Spain. Gerardo Isla (200-F/C-91) replied with 12 points and 9 rebounds for Chile. Erik Carrasco (181-PG-83) and Evandro Arteaga (178-G-83) netted 11 points each in the loss.

Spain: Adrian Laso 19, David Doblas 17+12 boards, Joaquim Colom 12
Chile: Gerardo Isla 12, Erik Carrasco 11, Evandro Arteaga 11

U17 World Championship: Spain hold off China to reach semis - by Eurobasket News

Spain U17 - China U17 64:57

Spain survived a thriller against China to become the first semifinalists of U17 World Championship in Lithuania. Ilimane Diop (210-C-95) scored 26 points and 11 rebounds to lead the European team. It was never an easy ride for Spain. China dominated in the first half. The Asian team led by three points ten minutes into the game 14:11. They stretched the gap to 5 points at halftime 31:26. But Spain reacted with a stifling defence in the third quarter. The Europeans limited their opponents to 10 points in the period to gain a single-point advantage heading into the fourth frame 43:42. China surged ahead midway through the final term but Spain reacted with an 11:3 run to gain a decisive lead late in regulation. Alberto Martin (185-PG-95) knocked down 14 points for Spain. Alberto Abalde (200-SF-95) added 9 points in the winning case. Zhou Qi (216-C-96) responded with 20 points and 15 rebounds for China. Zhao JiWei (185-G-95) had 16 points in the loss.

Spain U17: Ilimane Diop 26+11 boards, Alberto Martin 14, Alberto Abalde 9
China U17: Zhou Qi 20+15 boards, Zhao JiWei 16

Valencia and Victor Claver officially part ways - by Eurobasket News

Victor Claver (207-F/C-88) is no longer a member of Valencia. The Spanish squad officially announced this news today. Claver is a product of Valencia, where he started as a teenager. Last season the player averaged 7.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 34 Liga Endesa games. He also added 9.4 ppg and 3.7 rpg for 10 games in EuroCup. In 2010/11, Claver had better numbers in both competitions. Claver and Valencia won the EuroCup title together in 2010.
Victor Claver played for the Spanish National Team in 2010 and last summer as well. They won two gold medals at European Championships in Lithuania and Poland. In the past, Claver very successfully played for the Spanish youth National Teams. Three years ago he was selected as 22nd overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Prat Juventud keeps Carles Duran as Head Coach - by Eurobasket News

Carles Duran will stay at least one more season with Prat Juventud. Two sides penned a contract extension earlier this week. Duran led Prat to LEB Silver Playoff Finals last season. He works with Prat since 2006. Duran served as Assistant Coach from 2008 to 2010.

Gran Canaria keeps Spencer Nelson for two more years - by Eurobasket News

Gran Canaria announced signing of a 2-year contract extension with Spencer Nelson (203-F-80, college: Utah St.). It means than Nelson will stay with the club until the end of 2013/14 season and they already spent last two together. The American forward had 9.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 2.2 apg for 29 games in 2011/12 Liga Endesa. In EuroCup he added 9.6 ppg and 5.6 rpg for 8 appearances. The player had lower numbers in 2010/11. Two years ago Nelson received Azerbaijani passport, so he plays in Granca as Bosman.
Before Granca, Spencer Nelson was a member of Peristeri, Aris, Upim Bologna and Benetton. He also played for Bamberg in the past. Nelson is a product of the Utah State University, where he graduated in 2005. He played for Azerbaijani NT over the past two years.

Point guard Mikel Uriz joins Clavijo (LEB Gold) - by Eurobasket News

Clavijo reinforced its roster at position one. The LEB Gold team penned a 1-year deal with point guard Mikel Uriz (180-G-89). He arrives to the club from Navarra. Uriz played 41 games in LEB Gold last season collecting 10.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 3 apg. He helped Navarra to reach Playoff Semifinals and was named to Eurobasket.com All-Spanish LEB Gold 1st Team.
Before Navarra, Mikel Uriz split 2010/11 season between Santurtzi and Alcazar. He played there on loan from Bilbao Basket. With Santurtzi Uriz shined with 12.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 5 apg for 16 LEB Silver games. He played for the same team also in 2009/10 registering better numbers. In the past, Uriz played for Breogan and Estudiantes Lugo.

Mellila returns Lithuanian guard Darius Pakamanis - by Eurobasket News

Darius Pakamanis (193-G-81) returned to Mellila after one year. The Lithuanian guard signed a deal for the 2012/13 season, according to Solobasket.com. He spent the last one with Juventus-LKSK Utenos collecting 11.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 3.1 apg for 22 LKL games. Pakamanis participated at the LKL All-Star Games. The player also shined in Baltic league with 12.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 2.5 apg for 20 games.
As mentioned above, Darius Pakamanis played for Melilla in 2010/11 season. He had 5.7 ppg and 1.6 rpg in 34 LEB Gold games. It was his first year in Spain. Before that, Pakamanis played for Juventus-LKSK Utenos, Odessa and Bremerhaven. In 2006/07 season Pakamanis spent some time with Lietuvos Rytas. In the past, the player spent several years with Siauliai.

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

SWEDEN

France U20 wins the Troyes tournament opener - by Eurobasket News

France U20-Sweden U20 69:63

France U20 wins the Troyes tournament opener against Sweden U20. The home side celebrated a 69:63 victory.
Both teams nailed 19 points in the opening period. The difference did not change at the end of the half as both squads were tough in the court and scored another 15 points apiece. The third quarter was decisive in the game and brought 18-10 surge for France. Sweden bounced back with 19-17 in the last quarter but it was not enough to catch up with the opponents.
Rudy Gobert (212-C-92) top-scored for the winners with 16 points, while Livio Jean-Charles (204-PF-93) netted 15. Kevin Thalien (190-PG-92) produced 12 and Pierre Pelos (205-C/F-92) netted 6. Viktor Gaddefors (203-SF-92) ended up with 18 points and 12 rebounds, whilst Markus ERIKSSON had 15. Charles Barton (192-PG-92) and Tobias Borg (183-PG-93) followed them with 10 points apiece.

France U20: Rudy Gobert 16, Livio Jean-Charles 15, Kevin Thalien 12, Pierre Pelos 6
Sweden U20: Viktor Gaddefors 18+12 rebs, Markus ERIKSSON 15, Charles Barton 10, Tobias Borg 10

Kings land Bosnian forward Toni Bizaca - by Eurobasket News

Toni Bizaca (202-F-82) will continue his career in Sweden. The Bosnian forward signed a deal with Basketligan runner-up Sodertalje Kings. Bizaca played last season for the Croatian team Dubrovnik, but appeared only six times in the league. He averaged 24 points and 7.2 rebounds. Before Dubrovnik, Toni Bizaca spent one season with Ukrainian Khimik Yuzny. There he had 10.4 ppg and 3.4 rpg in 47 Superleague games. The player also added 11.4 ppg and 3.6 rpg for 8 games in EuroChallenge. From 2007 to 2010, Bizaca played for Trogir and was two-time scoring champion in Croatian league. In the past, he was a member of Bosnian teams Grude and Trogir Livno. In 2010, Bizaca was named Eurobasket.com All-Croatian A1 League Bosman Player of the Year.

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

SWITZERLAND

Stats Leaders - LNB

LNB Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

1 Marcario, Vevey 23.2
2 Steinmann, Bernex 22.4
3 Kautzor, Meyrin 20.0
4 Burns, Villars 18.5
5 Myles, Pully 17.2

Rebounds Per Game

1 Garruti, Lugano 11.4
2 Johnson, Neutachel 10.6
3 Engel, STB 10,1
4 Polite, AKA 9.6
5 Kautzor, Meyrin 9.2

Assists Per Game

1 Nattiel , STB 6.5
2 Lang D, Neutachel 6.4
3 Racic, Swiss CB 5.2
4 Cheren, Blonay 4.8
5 Johnson, Neutachel 4.5

Steals Per Game

1 Steinmann, Bernex 3.9
2 Bugnon, Frib 3.6
3 Tshitundu, Meyrin 3.2
4 Ahatri, Pully 2.9
5 Schwab, Frib 2.9

Blocks Per Game

1 Lang N, Neutachel 1.9
2 Cotture, Frib 1.6
3 Kautzor, Meyrin 1.2
4 Burns, Villats 1.2

Ivan Kuburovic joins SAV Vacallo - by Luca Maffioli

SAV Vacallo Basket agreed on terms of contract with Ivan Kuburovic (203-F-81). The Serbian forward spent last season in A League with KK Sloboda Uzice. He averaged 14.2 points (FGP: 58.4%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 75.3%), 6.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 steals in 23 games. Kuburovic started his career in Beopetrol Beograd. He played also in Poland (Polpak Swiecie and SSA Notec Inowroclaw), Bosnia (Igokea Aleksandrovac), Israel (Elitzur Ashkelon), Greece (Panorama) and Ukraine (SK Cherkasy Monkeys).

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

THAILAND

TURKEY

Turkey U16 grabs first win at Torneo de Guadalajara - by Eurobasket News

Italy U16-Turkey U16 66:79

Turkey U16 overcame Italy U16 in Day 1 of the Torneo de Guadalajara in Spain. The Turkish side celebrated a 79:66 victory.
Turkey grabbed 18:17 after the opening period and never slowed down until the end of the game. They took 40:31 at the halftime and continued their push in the third quarter as well. The teams finished thirty minutes of the game as the board showed 63:47 for the Turkey side. Italy however looked better at the end of the game and managed to reduce the score to 13 points.
Akif Guven (206-C-96) top-scored for the winners with 21 points and Suheyl Cakmak (200-PF-96) netted 10. Cevik and Mehmet Alemdaroglu (205-F-96) produced 9 points each in a winning effort. Rossato ended up with 17 points in the losing effort, while Daniel Donzelli (195-G-96) posted 12. Martino Mastellari (190-F-96) finished the game with 11 points and Picarelli added 7.

Italy U16: Mussini 6, Oliva 5, Picarelli 7, Flaccadori, Bristot, Martino Mastellari 11, Rossato 17, Zucca 2, Daniel Donzelli 12, Lenti 2, Spera, Trovato 4.
Turkey U16: Baykan 8, Gecim 7, Oktay, Ugurlu, Suheyl Cakmak 10, Arar 7, Cevik 9, Bayrak 1, Ulubay 7, Cifci, Akif Guven 21, Mehmet Alemdaroglu 9.

Turkish National Team 2012 - by Eurobasket Center

Turkish National Team 2012

Akyol

Balbay

Sirin

Cantekin

Guler

Cenk Akyol

196-G-87

Anadolu Efes Turkey

Dogus Balbay

185-G-89

Anadolu Efes Turkey

Osman Sirin

207-F-90

Anadolu Efes Turkey

Dusan Cantekin

222-C-90

Mega Vizura Serbia

Sinan Guler

193-G-83

Anadolu Efes Turkey

Ibrahim Yildirim

190-G-90

Bandirma Kir. Turkey

Izzet Turkyilmaz

210-PF-90

Banvit BK

Birkan Batuk

198-F-90

Anadolu Efes Turkey

Ilkan Karaman

205-F-90

Karsiyaka

Ender Arslan

190-G-83

Galatasaray Turkey

Furkan Aldemir

207-F-91

Galatasaray Turkey

Sertac Sanli

212-F/C-91

Galatasaray Turkey

Emir Preldzic

205-F-87

Fener.Ulker Turkey

Baris Hersek

204-F/C-88

Besiktas

Serhat Cetin

197-G-86

Besiktas

Can Mutaf

193-G-91

Mersin

Enes Kanter

208-C-92

Utah Jazz

Semih Erden

211-C-87

Cleveland C. USA

Bogdan Tanjevic

Head Coach

Acea Roma

David Hawkins agreed in principle with Fenerbahce Ulker - by Pervin Elgin

The American player set to reunite with Simone Pianigiani

According to Ismail Senol of NTV Spor, Fenerbahce Ulker agreed in principle with David Hawkins. The American player spent last season in Turkey with Besiktas winning Eurochallenge, National Cup and TBL.
Hawkins has worked under Simone Pianigiani in the season 2009-10 winning with Siena: Serie A, Supercup and Italian Cup.

Courtesy of sportando.net, Twitter Ismail Senol

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

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

Aska signs with Belgian team - by David Edole

Former Murray State standout Ivan Aska (200-F-90) is heading to Belgium to begin his professional basketball career. Aska will play for the Leuven Bears. Aska averaged 10.6 PPG and 6.0 RPG last year, despite missing six games with a broken hand.
Aska was the Ohio Valley Conference freshman of the year back in 2008-09, and earned second-team All-OVC honors last season. He leaves Murray State as part of the winningest senior class in school history and is a member of Murray State's 1000-point club.

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

UNITED KINGDOM

URUGUAY

Standings - Metropolitan League

Metropolitan Standings

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

Regular Season: Round 14

Jul. 8: Atenas - Capitol
Jul. 8: Goes - Verdirrojo
Jul. 8: Larranaga - Guruyu Waston
Jul. 8: Marne - Yale
Jul. 8: Urunday Univ. - Romis N.

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

VTB UNITED LEAGUE

Nizhny Novgorod keep Primoz Brezec - by Eurobasket News

Nizhny Novgorod decided to keep Primoz Brezec (216-F/C-79). The Slovenian centre joined the team in March 2012. He signed 1+1 contract with Nizhny Novgorod. The team used the option of prolonging the cooperation for another season. Primoz Brezec averaged 13.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in PBL. In VTB League his stats read 13.5 points, 7.0 boards, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steal per appearance. Primoz Brezec started the previous season with Lokomotiv Kuban. The centre averaged 3.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in PBL. In VTB League he notched 6.0 points and 4.5 rebounds for the Krasnodar team. In EuroCup Primoz Brezec produced 3.6 points and 3.1 rebounds.

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

WALES

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS U17

USA, Australia, Croatia and Spain reach the Semifinals - by Eurobasket News

Quarterfinals

USA - Canada 113-59
USA became the Semifinalist of the U17 World Championship. The defending champions thrashed Canada 113:59. USA started the game confidently and reached 26:15 after the first 10 minutes of the game. Jahlil Okafor-Benton (210-C-95) made a dunk for 31:17 and Domingo scored for 33:20. USA added 20-15 in the frame for 46:30 lead at the halftime. The second half was a nightmare for Canada that allowed the opponents to score 67 points. USA won the third period 32-13 and finished the game with 35-16. Domingo brought the team the three digit number as he made the shot for 101:53 advantage. Later S. Johnson, Domingo, Justice Winslow (198-F-96) and NDUKA-ANYA brought he final points in the winning game. Tyus Jones top-scored for the winners with 22 points, while Justice Winslow collected 17 points and 13 rebounds. Joel BERRY netted 15, whilst Jabari Parker (203-F-95) and Jahlil Okafor-Benton posted 10 apiece. Justin Jackson replied with 17 points in defeat and Tyrell Bellot-Green scored 12.

Australia - Argentina 78-59
Australia stopped Argentina in the Quarterfinals of the U17 World Championship. The Aussies beat the team from Latin America 78:59 to reach the semis. Argentina won the opening tip when Alvaro Merlo brought 11:6 lead. Gabriel Deck (202-C/F-95) scored for 13:10 and Rodrigo Haag kept his side in front at 17:14. Gabriel Deck and VILDOZA gave their team 30:23, but Argentina failed to win the game. Michael Luxford (181-PG-95) reduced to 30:26 at the end of the half and then Dante Exum tied the game at 34:34. Derksen delivered two for 47:46 and Michael Luxford scored for 52:51. The teams left the third period at 53:53 and only after that Australia exploded for a win. They erupted with 25-6 in the last stanza to reach the victory. Dante Exum top-scored for the winners with 23 points. Benjamin Simmons (203-PF-96) netted 12, while Matt Jackson added 9. Gabriel Deck ended up with 19 points in the losing effort, Alvaro Merlo posted 14, while Rodrigo Haag notched 7.

Croatia - Czech Republic 94-71
Croatia continue their winning streak and reached already the Semifinals of the U17 World Championship. The team won over Czech Republic U17 to close the Quarterfinal day in Kaunas. Croatia won the opening tip 7-2 and then Karlo Zganec (205-C/F-95) brought 15:9. The teams exchanged several more baskets and finished the first period with 24:21. Domagoj Bosnjak made two free throws for 29:26, while Martin Peterka gave his side 32:31 lead later in the second period. Adam Pechacek and Karlo Zganec exchanged the late baskets at the end of the frame for 42:40 at the halftime. In the third period Croatia stayed in front for the whole time, however sometimes the lead was not comfortable. Tomislav Gabric scored for 72:64 and Adam Pechacek reduced to 6 points at the end of the period. Only due to 22-5 in the last stanza the Croatian side managed to prove their ambitions for the top places. Domagoj Bosnjak led the way with 21 points and Karlo Zganec notched 19. Mario Hezonja (202-G/F-95) delivered 18, while Tomislav Gabric posted 8. Martin Peterka replied with 23 points and 11 rebounds in the losing effort. Jiri Dedek (191-SF-95) scored 16 and Adam Pechacek chipped in 11.

Spain - China 64-57
Spain survived a thriller against China to become the first semifinalists of U17 World Championship in Lithuania. Ilimane Diop (210-C-95) scored 26 points and 11 rebounds to lead the European team. It was never an easy ride for Spain. China dominated in the first half. The Asian team led by three points ten minutes into the game 14:11. They stretched the gap to 5 points at halftime 31:26. But Spain reacted with a stifling defence in the third quarter. The Europeans limited their opponents to 10 points in the period to gain a single-point advantage heading into the fourth frame 43:42. China surged ahead midway through the final term but Spain reacted with an 11:3 run to gain a decisive lead late in regulation. Alberto Martin (185-PG-95) knocked down 14 points for Spain. Alberto Abalde (200-SF-95) added 9 points in the winning case. Zhou Qi (216-C-96) responded with 20 points and 15 rebounds for China. Zhao JiWei had 16 points in the loss.

9-12 Place

France - South Korea 110-50
France overwhelm South Korea in the start of the Classification Round for 9-12 places. The European side celebrated an easy 110:50 win at the U17 World Championship I Kaunas. France U17 started with 29-12 in the opening period and never looked behind after. They added 23-6 in the second frame and enjoyed a 52:18 halftime advantage. Moreover France needed 24-12 in the third quarter to take 76:30 after thirty minutes. South Korea managed to score 20 points in the last quarter to finish with 50, however they could not even win that frame. France nailed 34 points in the final stanza to seal the victory. Arthur Rozenfeld (179-PG-95) top-scored for the winners with 21 points, while Charly Pontens, Damien Inglis and Antoine Chevrier posted 14 each. Paul Rigot notched 11 and Petr Cornelie (209-C/F-95) delivered 10. Heo Hoon ended up with 14 points in the losing effort and Lee Minyoung scored 12.

Lithuania - Egypt 73-72
Lithuania claimed a narrow win over Egypt at the start of the classification round at U17 World Championship. The hosts needed some wise decision late in regulation to hold off pesky Egypt in Kaunas tonight. Edvinas Seskus (192-SF-95) scored 18 points to lead the winners. Lithuania will now take on France for the 9th position. Egypt will face South Korea in the final game at the tournament. Egypt jumped to an early lead. The African team enjoyed an 18:14 lead ten minutes into the game. The sides exchanged baskets throughout the second quarter. Egypt maintained the lead posting a 37:33 halftime advantage. Lithuania recovered in the third quarter. The hosts knocked down 22 points in the period to secure a 5-point lead at the final intermission. Egypt refused to back off as they competitive till the final seconds. Lithuania proved cool and determined in the dying seconds and stole a narrow win at the end. Ernestas Serkevicius and Gediminas Zalalis (205-C-95) posted 12 points each for the winners. Walid Aly answered with 19 points and 6 boards for Egypt. Ehab Amin had 15 points and 9 rebounds in the loss.

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

Women News

EUROCUP

EuroCup Women Regular Season Drawn - by Eurobasket News

The Draw for the EuroCup Women was concluded Friday in Freising, Germany.

30 clubs from all corners of Europe have entered the 2013 season.

They were divided in eight Regular Season groups (six groups of four teams each and two groups with three teams).

The top two teams from each group advance to the Eighth-Finals.

The EuroCup Women Regular Season will start on 25 October and conclude on 29 November. All postseason match-ups, from the Eighth-Finals to the Finals will be played over two legs (home and away).

The Final will be played over two legs on 7 and 14 March 2013.

The Regular Season groups for EuroCup Women 2013 are as follows:

Group A	Chevakata	BLMA	CSM Satu Mare	SISU
Group B	Olimpia	Hainaut Basket	TED Ankara K.	Lotto Y.C.
Group C	Spartak Noginsk	Tarbes GB	Mersin BB SK	Belfius Namur
Group D	Dynamo GUVD	Nantes Reze	TSV Wasserburg	BBC S. Katelijne
Group E	Horizont	Soedertalje BBK	Kayseri K.S.
Group F	Dynamo Kursk	Dunav 8806	Botas SC
Group G	Dynamo Moscow	Basket Landes	Partizan Galenika	VS Prague
Group H	Ruzomberok	Elitzur Ramla	Homend Antakya	Kibirkstis

Courtesy of: www.fibaeurope.com

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

EUROLEAGUE

Sandra Mandir and Sena Pavetic move to Novi Zagreb - by Eurobasket News

Sandra Mandir (177-G-77) and Sena Pavetic (198-C-86) move to Novi Zagreb. The Croatian players according to lovewomensbasketball.com, move to their new team from Gospic.
Recently Sandra Mandir helped Croatian basketball penned a wonderful new and historical chapter in the Turkish capital when they booked a place at the Olympic Games for the first time in their history. They grabbed 59-56 victory against Canada in the Quarterfinals and successfully finished their participation at the tournament.
In 2011-2012 she played for Gospic Croatia Osiguranje (A1, starting five) and averaged 13.3ppg, 6.1rpg, 2.6apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 49.4%, 3PT: 32.0%, FT: 78.0% in EuroLeague.
Last year she was awarded Eurobasket.com All-Euroleague Honorable Mention -11, Eurobasket.com All-Croatian League Forward of the Year -11, Eurobasket.com All-Croatian League 1st Team -11, 12. Moreover she got Eurobasket.com All-Europeans Shooting Guard of the Year 2011, Eurobasket.com All-European Championships 1st Team -11, Eurobasket.com All-Europeans 1st Team 2011 and Eurobasket.com All-Europe Honorable Mention 2011.
Sena Pavetic also arrives from Gospic. In 2009-2010 she played for Acer ERG Priolo (Italy-A1) and averaged 3.8ppg, 3.1rpg, 1.6spg. In Feb.'11 signed at Gospic Industrogradnja (Croatia-A1, starting five) and in Adriatic League showed 8.8ppg, 3.5rpg, 1.0apg. In 2011-2012 for Gospic Croatia Osiguranje (A1) her stats read 3.1ppg, 2.5rpg.

EuroLeague Women Regular Season Drawn - by Eurobasket News

The Draw for Women's Basketball elite club competition, the 2012/13 EuroLeague Women season, was concluded Friday in Munich, Germany.

This year's line-up features 21 teams, among them five newcomers in Arras Pays D'Artois (FRA), Municipal Targoviste (ROU), Novi Zagreb (CRO), Tarsus Belediye Spor (TUR) and USO Mondeville (FRA).

The Regular Season will tip off on 17th October and will conclude on 6th February.

For the Regular Season the 21 participating clubs were divided in three (3) groups of seven (7) teams.

The top five (5) teams from each group (if the Final Eight hosts are among the top five in their group) will advance.

If the hosts are not among the top five (5) in their group, the top four (4) in every group plus the two best fifth (5th) placed teams will advance.

A best-of-three Eighth-Final play-offs series in February will then decide who will join the hosts in the Final Eight.

The Final Eight will take place in a pre-determined venue and have its peak in the Final on 24th March 2013.

The host venue will come from one of the EuroLeague Women participants and it will be chosen after a bidding process, in fall this year.

The EuroLeague Women 2012/13 Regular Season is as follows:

Group A	Group B	Group C
Rivas Ecopolis (ESP)	Fenerbahce (TUR)	UMMC Ekaterinburg (RUS)
Sparta&K Moscow Region Vidnoje (RUS)	Famila Schio (ITA)	Galatasaray (TUR)
Wisla Krakow (POL),	Good Angels Kosice (SVK)	Perfumerias Avenida Salamanca (ESP),
Bourges Basket (FRA)	Nadezhda Orenburg (RUS)	ZVVZ USK Prague (CZE)
Uni Seat Gyoer (HUN)	Uniqua Euroleasing Sopron (HUN)	CCC Polkowice (POL)
BK Brno (CZE)	Arras Pays D'Artois (FRA)	USO Mondeville (FRA)
Tarsus Belediye Spor (TUR)	CSM Targoviste (ROU)	Novi Zagreb (CRO)

Courtesy of: www.fibaeurope.com

CSM Targoviste add Gabriela Marginean and Florina Pascalau - by Eurobasket News

CSM Targoviste remains the busiest team in the transfer right now. The team announced two more players for the 2012/2013 roster.
Gabriela Marginean (182-F-87, college: Drexel) played in France last season. In 2011/2012 Arras bolstered their frontcourt as they reached agreement with Gabriela Marginean. In 2011-2012 she averaged high 16.9ppg, 4.8rpg, 1.0spg, FGP: 45.0%, 3PT: 45.2%, FT: 87.0% in EuroCup and in French League showed 12.3ppg, 3.6rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 42.1%, 3PT: 26.1%, FT: 81.7%.
Ealier Marginean played for Panathinaikos Athens. Her stats read 17.3 points, 7.6 boards, 2.2 steals and 1.5 assists per game. Eurobasket.com named Gabriela Marginean All-Greek League Bosman Player of the Year. The Romanian player also participated at Greek League All-Star Game. Gabriela Marginean is the member of Romanian National Team. The forward had a short WNBA stint. She played for the Minnesota Lynx.
Florina Pascalau (193-C-82) comes from Italy. She appeared first for Acer Priolo and spent there the majority of her career. In 2011-2012 she played for Cras Taranto (Italy-A1) and averaged 5.4ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 43.1%, FT: 83.3% in EuroLeague. In Italian League her stats read 5.8ppg, 3.2rpg, FGP: 52.3%, FT: 72.0%.

CSM Targoviste brings in Claudia Pop - by Eurobasket News

CSM Targoviste continues with signings for the next season, according to Totalbaschet.ro. Reportedly, the reigning Romanian champion penned a deal with Claudia Pop (185-F-89). The team already signed Elina Babkina (173-G-89, agency: LBM Management), Ivanka Matic (195-F/C-79, agency: LBM Management), Ksenia Tikhonenko (190-F/C-93, agency: Ryzhov Stanislav), Olga Vorobyeva (180-G-87, agency: LBM Management), Ancuta Stoenescu (169-G-80, agency: Data Plus Group) and Head Caoch Georgios Dikeoulakos (agency: FCM).
Claudia Pop arrives to the club from CSM Satu Mare, where she spent last season. She shined with 15.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 3.1 apg for 28 games in Romanian league. Pop joined Satu Mare in January of 2011 and she started that season with Spanish Olesa. For 11 games in LFB the player had 6.7 ppg and 1.9 rpg. She also has experience from Italian Termo Carispe La Spezia and Cluj Napoca. Last season Pop was named Eurobasket.com All-Romanian League Domestic Player of the Year. She is active member of the Romanian NT and she also very successfully played for Romanian youth National Teams in the past.

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

HUNGARY

Botas announced Dalma Ivanyi for the upcoming season - by Eurobasket News

Botas announced Dalma Ivanyi (178-G-76, college: FIU) for the upcoming season. The Hungarian player according to lovewomensbasketball.com has returned from missing out a season and signed with Botas in Turkey.
The last five years of her career she spent with MiZo Pecs. Early in 2010 Dalma Ivanyi was unstoppable with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to bring her MiZo Pecs the win over TS Wisla Can-Pak 68:64.
In 2010-2011 for Pecs 2010 (A, starting five) she averaged 6.9ppg, 5.3rpg, Assists-3 (4.8apg), 2.1spg, FGP: 50.9%, 3PT: 22.4%, FT: 86.2% in Hungarian League. In Euroleague her stats read 8.3ppg, 5.2rpg, Assists-1 (5.4apg), 1.8spg, FGP: 36.2%, 3PT: 25.6%.
Over the last few years she became the Hungarian League Regular Season Champion -05, 06, 11, Hungarian League Champion -05, 06, 10. Ivanyi was awarded Eurobasket.com All-Hungarian League Guard of the Year -08 and Eurobasket.com All-Hungarian League Domestic Player of the Year -08. Later she received Eurobasket.com All-Hungarian League 1st Team -08, 10, Eurobasket.com Hungarian League All-Domestic Players Team -08, 10 and Eurobasket.com Hungarian League All-Defensive Team -08, 09, 10.
In 2011 she was awarded Eurobasket.com All-Euroleague 3rd Team -11, Eurobasket.com Euroleague All-Europeans Team -11 and Eurobasket.com All-Hungarian League Honorable Mention -11.

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

ITALY

American Courtney Willis comes back to Liomatic Umbertide - by Eurobasket News

American Courtney Willis (188-F/C-82, agency: LBM Management, college: E.Carolina) comes back to Liomatic Umbertide in 2012/2013 season. According to lovewomensbasketball.com Italian club Liomatic Umbertide has announced their first signing of the offseason.
In 2002-2003 she started for E.Carolina (NCAA) and then in 2003-2004: E.Carolina (NCAA) averaged 18.6ppg, 10.0rpg. She became the fifth leading scorer in ECU history with 1,374 points.
In 2005-2006 moved to Centro S.Palladio Vicenzacenza (Italy-A1) and after 36 games averaged 16.0ppg, 9.6rpg, 1.9spg, 2FGP: 55,4%, 3PT: 8,3%, FT: 72,4%. In 2006-2007 moved to TermoCarispe La Spezia (Italy-A1, starting five) and showed 9.9ppg, 6.6rpg, 2.5spg, 2FGP: 56,3%, FT: 69,2%. After another season with the team Courtney Willis signed with Liomatic Umbertide (Italy-A1, starting five) and had 9.6ppg, 7.3rpg, 2.6spg, FGP: 47.4%, FT: 67.8%.
Later however she played for ACP Livorno and Ducato Lucca. Last year for Ducato Lucca (Italy-A1, starting five) she averaged 13.3ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.0apg, 2.0spg, FGP: 50.5%, FT: 85.5%.

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

LITHUANIA

Poland and Lithuania exchange victories - by Eurobasket News

Polish and Lithuanian U16 National Teams exchanged victories in test series. The first game ended with Poland claiming a 64:54 win. Amalia Rembiszewska (189-F-96) stepped up with 12 points and 11 rebounds to lead the winners. Poland dominated in the first half. They secured an 18-point halftime lead 42:24. The margin grew at 22-point mark with one quarter remaining. Lithuania went on a 20:8 run in the final frame to narrow the deficit but could not avoid the loss at the end. Patrycja Klatt (171-G-96) posted 11 points, while Zapart and Karolina Pobozy (188-F-96) contributed 10 points each for Poland. Dalia Belickaite (175-F-96) answered with 22 points for Lithuania. Laura Juskaite (97) accounted for 12 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.
Lithuania however bounced back in the second game of the series. The hosts clinched a 61:57 victory. Poland enjoyed a 5-point lead after ten minutes but the hosts took off in the second term. They went on a 22:4 rally to build a 13-point halftime lead. Poland outscored the home team in the second half but came up short of win at the end. Agne Cerneckyte (171-SG-96) delivered 20 points for Lithuania. Laura Juskaite added 12 points for the winning side. Patrycja Klatt replied with 15 points for Poland Amalia Rembiszewska had 11 points in defeat.

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

POLAND

ROMANIA

CSM Targoviste add Gabriela Marginean and Florina Pascalau - by Eurobasket News

CSM Targoviste remains the busiest team in the transfer right now. The team announced two more players for the 2012/2013 roster.
Gabriela Marginean (182-F-87, college: Drexel) played in France last season. In 2011/2012 Arras bolstered their frontcourt as they reached agreement with Gabriela Marginean. In 2011-2012 she averaged high 16.9ppg, 4.8rpg, 1.0spg, FGP: 45.0%, 3PT: 45.2%, FT: 87.0% in EuroCup and in French League showed 12.3ppg, 3.6rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 42.1%, 3PT: 26.1%, FT: 81.7%.
Ealier Marginean played for Panathinaikos Athens. Her stats read 17.3 points, 7.6 boards, 2.2 steals and 1.5 assists per game. Eurobasket.com named Gabriela Marginean All-Greek League Bosman Player of the Year. The Romanian player also participated at Greek League All-Star Game. Gabriela Marginean is the member of Romanian National Team. The forward had a short WNBA stint. She played for the Minnesota Lynx.
Florina Pascalau (193-C-82) comes from Italy. She appeared first for Acer Priolo and spent there the majority of her career. In 2011-2012 she played for Cras Taranto (Italy-A1) and averaged 5.4ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 43.1%, FT: 83.3% in EuroLeague. In Italian League her stats read 5.8ppg, 3.2rpg, FGP: 52.3%, FT: 72.0%.

CSM Targoviste brings in Claudia Pop - by Eurobasket News

CSM Targoviste continues with signings for the next season, according to Totalbaschet.ro. Reportedly, the reigning Romanian champion penned a deal with Claudia Pop (185-F-89). The team already signed Elina Babkina (173-G-89, agency: LBM Management), Ivanka Matic (195-F/C-79, agency: LBM Management), Ksenia Tikhonenko (190-F/C-93, agency: Ryzhov Stanislav), Olga Vorobyeva (180-G-87, agency: LBM Management), Ancuta Stoenescu (169-G-80, agency: Data Plus Group) and Head Caoch Georgios Dikeoulakos (agency: FCM).
Claudia Pop arrives to the club from CSM Satu Mare, where she spent last season. She shined with 15.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 3.1 apg for 28 games in Romanian league. Pop joined Satu Mare in January of 2011 and she started that season with Spanish Olesa. For 11 games in LFB the player had 6.7 ppg and 1.9 rpg. She also has experience from Italian Termo Carispe La Spezia and Cluj Napoca. Last season Pop was named Eurobasket.com All-Romanian League Domestic Player of the Year. She is active member of the Romanian NT and she also very successfully played for Romanian youth National Teams in the past.

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

SLOVAKIA

Standings - Women

Extraliga Standings

1. Cassovia K.		0-0
2. Dannax Sport		0-0
3. Good Angels		0-0
4. Levice		0-0
5. MBK Ruzomb.		0-0
6. Petrzalka		0-0
7. Piestany		0-0
8. Poprad		0-0
9. Roznava		0-0
10. Samorin		0-0
11. SKBD Rucon		0-0
12. Spisska NV		0-0

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

TURKEY

Ceyhan lands Croatian F Jelena Ivezic - by Eurobasket News

Ceyhan officially announced signing of Jelena Ivezic (182-F/G-84) to a 1-year deal. The Croatian forward heads to the club from Gospic Croatia Osiguranje, where she spent last four seasons. In the latest one Ivezic collected 11.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 1.2 apg for 13 Euroleague games. Ivezic and Gospic won four Croatian league titles together. Last season Ivezic was named Eurobasket.com All-Croatian League Forward of the Year -12. In 2010 and 2011, Ivezic was Player of the Year in Croatia, while in 2010 she also was Player of the Year in Adriatic league. Gospic won Adriatic league title that season. In the past, Jelena Ivezic played in Hungary and Spain. She already has experience from Turkey as a member of Mersin in 2005/06 season. She had 9.5 ppg and 3.4 rpg in 14 league games at that time.

Quianna Chaney stays with Botas - by Eurobasket News

Quianna Chaney (180-G/F-86, college: LSU) stays with Botas for the next season. According to lovewomensbasketball.com, the team have re-signed American guard with Armenian passport for the upcoming season.
Last year Quianna Chaney became a new member of Botas. The American guard signed a one-year deal with her new club. She spent the year before with Hatis Yerevan averaging 10.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.6 steals in five EuroCup games. Chaney is not a new face in Turkey, as she already played there on season 2009/10. She was a member of Samsun at that time registering 15 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.5 apg and 2.6 spg for 22 games. Samsun also competed in EuroCup, where Chaney added 12.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.8 apg and 2 spg for 6 appearances. Season 2008/09, Chaney spent in Poland with Energa Torun.
Quianna Chaney is a product of the Louisiana State University, where she graduated in 2008. She had 14.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.3 apg and 1.6 spg for her school as a senior. They reached NCAA Final Four in 2006 and 2007.
In 2011-2012 for Botasspor Adana (Turkey-TKBL) she averaged 13.8ppg, 2.9rpg, 1.9apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 50.2%, 3PT: 30.3%, FT: 59.3%. In EuroCup her stats read 17.3ppg, 2.9rpg, 3.0apg, 2.1spg, FGP: 55.7%, 3PT: 27.6%, FT: 50.0%.

Botas announced Dalma Ivanyi for the upcoming season - by Eurobasket News

Botas announced Dalma Ivanyi (178-G-76, college: FIU) for the upcoming season. The Hungarian player according to lovewomensbasketball.com has returned from missing out a season and signed with Botas in Turkey.
The last five years of her career she spent with MiZo Pecs. Early in 2010 Dalma Ivanyi was unstoppable with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to bring her MiZo Pecs the win over TS Wisla Can-Pak 68:64.
In 2010-2011 for Pecs 2010 (A, starting five) she averaged 6.9ppg, 5.3rpg, Assists-3 (4.8apg), 2.1spg, FGP: 50.9%, 3PT: 22.4%, FT: 86.2% in Hungarian League. In Euroleague her stats read 8.3ppg, 5.2rpg, Assists-1 (5.4apg), 1.8spg, FGP: 36.2%, 3PT: 25.6%.
Over the last few years she became the Hungarian League Regular Season Champion -05, 06, 11, Hungarian League Champion -05, 06, 10. Ivanyi was awarded Eurobasket.com All-Hungarian League Guard of the Year -08 and Eurobasket.com All-Hungarian League Domestic Player of the Year -08. Later she received Eurobasket.com All-Hungarian League 1st Team -08, 10, Eurobasket.com Hungarian League All-Domestic Players Team -08, 10 and Eurobasket.com Hungarian League All-Defensive Team -08, 09, 10.
In 2011 she was awarded Eurobasket.com All-Euroleague 3rd Team -11, Eurobasket.com Euroleague All-Europeans Team -11 and Eurobasket.com All-Hungarian League Honorable Mention -11.

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

WNBA

Standings

WNBA Standings

Eastern
1. Connecticut S.		10-4
2. Chicago S.		8-5
3. Indiana F.		8-6
4. Atlanta D.		7-8
5. New York L.		5-9
6. Washington M.		4-10
Western
1. Minnesota L.		13-3
2. L.Angeles S.		10-7
3. S.Antonio SS		9-5
4. Seattle S.		8-8
5. Phoenix M.		4-11
6. Tulsa S.		2-12

Regular Season: Round 20

Jul. 5: L.Angeles S. - Minnesota L. 96-90
Jul. 3: S.Antonio SS - Phoenix M. 82-81
Jul. 5: Indiana F. - S.Antonio SS 72-88
Jul. 6: Washington M. - S.Antonio SS
Jul. 6: Tulsa S. - Connecticut S.
Jul. 6: Chicago S. - New York L.

Los Angeles Sparks sign Andrea Riley - by Eurobasket News

Andrea Riley (5'5''-PG-88, college: Oklahoma St.) is back to the Los Angeles Sparks. The 23-year-old point guard started this season with the Phoenix Mercury, where she had 2.8 ppg and 1.4 apg for 9 games before the team waived her last Sunday. Riley already played for the Sparks and it was in 2010 season. She had 3.3 ppg for 30 games in the league. The Sparks selected Riley as 8th overall pick in 2010 WNBA draft. She is a product of the Oklahoma State University. Meanwhile, Andrea Riley spent 2011 season with Tulsa Shock. For 32 games with them she had 5.9 ppg and 1.7 apg. Riley also played for Turkish team Tarsus in 2011/12 European season. Sparks and Riley penned a deal yesterday.

Kristi Toliver scores 29 in Sparks' 96-90 victory over the Lynx - by Eurobasket News

Guard Kristi Toliver (5'7''-PG-87, college: Maryland) matched her career high with 29 points to lead the Sparks to a 96-90 win over the defending champion Minnesota Lynx at Staples Center on Thursday.

The Sparks ended a losing streak at three games, their worst skid of the season.

The streak was personal for Toliver, who was scoreless in the Sparks' most recent loss June 28 at San Antonio.

The memory of that gaping zero bothered Toliver all week, driving her to play one of the best games in her career against the Lynx in front of an announced 11,256.

Toliver led all scorers in the game, making eight of her 13 shots from the field, including all six of her three-pointers.

"It was completely crazy that I didn't even shoot the ball in the last game," Toliver said. "Today I just kind of shifted that and showed everybody this is who I am and this is what I do. I'm back on track."

Candace Parker (6'4''-F/C-86, college: Tennessee), who scored 28 points and had 13 rebounds, sat by her locker after the game marveling at her teammate's performance.

"Some of that range was like near half-court," Parker said of Toliver. "When she's in her zone we just give her the ball and get out of the way."

The Sparks led by 20 points with 9:22 to go in the fourth quarter. But the Lynx went on a 15-2 run to cut the lead to six points with 21/2 minutes remaining.

The Sparks staved off the Lynx's comeback with flawless free-throw shooting down the stretch. They made each of their 12 attempts from the line in the final two minutes.

"You're not going to keep a champion down for four quarters," Sparks Coach Carol Ross said of the Lynx. "I'm just real excited with how we bounced back."

The Sparks are in second place in the Western Conference, 21/2 games behind Minnesota. The Sparks improved to 11-6 overall, and 7-1 at home, and the Lynx slipped to 13-3.

The last time the teams played, on May 24 at Minnesota, the Sparks lost, 92-84.

With this win, Toliver wasn't the only one who proved something to herself.

"It's good to know that we can beat them," she said.

Courtesy of www.latimes.com

Silver Stars withstand slow start, rally to cool off Fever - by Eurobasket News

The second half was all the San Antonio Silver Stars needed.

After a strong first half by Indiana, San Antonio picked up its defense and got better transition play to rally for an 88-72 win over the Fever on Thursday night.

Becky Hammon (5'6''-PG-77, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: Colorado St.) scored 19 points, Jia Perkins (5'8''-G-82, agency: Merit Sports, college: Texas Tech) had 17 points and Sophia Young (6'1''-F-83, college: Baylor) added 15 points and eight rebounds to help the Silver Stars (9-5) win their fifth straight.

"A little bit of grind and more assertiveness in the second half is what helped," Hammon said. "They came out in the first half red hot and we

knew we had to work hard on defense to give ourselves a chance. We knew the offense would come."

San Antonio came from 18 points down for and finished with the second-largest turnaround (34 points) by a Fever opponent in franchise history. The Charlotte Sting had a 43-point swing in a win against Indiana on Aug. 20, 2003.

"I thought in the second half we started assertively," San Antonio coach Dan Hughes said. "Defensively we were early in what we wanted to do. We were a step behind in the second half and we were able to play out of our defense. Our bench was very productive. We got 35 points off the bench. It allowed us a kind of consistency at that point."

Katie Douglas (6'1''-G/F-79, college: Purdue) scored 19 points for the Fever (8-6), who made 12 3-pointers. Tamika Catchings (6'1''-F-79, college: Tennessee), set for her third trip to the Olympics, had 17 points and a season-high 15 rebounds for her 75th career double-double.

After Catchings' jumper pushed the Fever's lead to 45-32 with 8:13 remaining in the third, the Silver Stars scored the next eight points to pull within five midway through the period.

Jia Perkins' 3 capped an 8-2 run that got San Antonio to 54-53 with about 1 minutes left in the third, and Danielle Adams jumper 20 seconds into the fourth tied the score at 59-all. Young's layup about a minute later put the Silver Stars ahead and they didn't trail again.

"Very disapointed with our lack of intensity in the second half," Fever coach Lin Dunn said. "The way we started the second half let them back in the game. San Antonio is a very good team. We did not match their intensity."

After Briann January's two free throws tied the score, Adams' hit a jumper with 8:03 to go to put San Antonio ahead for good. Perkins hit a jumper and Shenise Johnson made a 3 to cap a 13-2 run that put the Silver Stars ahead 68-61 with 7:20 remaining.

Danielle Robinson's jumper 4 minutes later made it a double-digit game, and San Antonio scored the last six points in the final 57 seconds as the final score was their largest margin of the game.

"We came out the first 20 minutes and played really well," Douglas said. "Then we were flat for some reason. Whatever it was in the third quarter, they were knocking down shots. We put our heads down and then we looked a little rattled out there and didn't hold our composure."

After going on a 15-2 run in the first quarter to take a 23-11 lead, the Fever pulled away further in the second quarter and did it from behind the arc.

Pohlen, Catchings, and Douglas each hit 3's on the next three possessions and held the Silver Stars scoreless to take a 32-20 lead midway through the quarter.

January made two 3s and Douglas had one as Indiana scored nine consecutive points to take a 41-23 lead with 3:20 to go in the second quarter. Robinson hit a jumper and Shameka Christon made a free throw to pull San Antonio to 43-28 at halftime.

"Indiana totally dominated us for a half," Hughes said. "We just didn't feel like we had any rhythm. We started getting rhythm, especially out of our defensive play, in the second half."

Courtesy of http://news.cincinnati.com

Lynetta Kizer gets short term deal by Phoenix Mercury - by Eurobasket News

Rookie Lynetta Kizer (6'4''-C-90, college: Maryland) signed a 7-day contract with the Phoenix Mercury and she is expected to make her debut in the WNBA. The team waived Andrea Riley last Sunday. Kizer graduated at the University of Maryland few months ago. She had 10.9 ppg and 5.5 rpg for her school last season. She was named ACC All-Tournament 1st Team -12 and All-ACC Sixth Woman of the Year -12. In 2010/11, Kizer averaged 13.2 points and 7.8 rebounds. For her performance she was awarded with All-ACC 2nd Team -11. Maryland reached NCAA Elite Eight in 2009 and this year as well. They won ACC Tournament twice. Last summer Lynetta Kizer played for the USA University NT.

New York Liberty acquire Katelan Redmon - by Eurobasket News

The New York Liberty have acquired guard/forward Katelan Redmon (6'1''-G/F-88, college: Gonzaga) through free agency. The announcement was made today by Head Coach and General Manager John Whisenant. Conditions of the contract were not released, per team policy.

Redmon, a rookie out of Gonzaga, was drafted by the Liberty with the 36th selection in the third round of the 2012 WNBA Draft. Appearing in one preseason game with New York, she recorded 10 points on 5-6 shooting from the field, three rebounds and one assist in 16 minutes of play versus the Connecticut Sun on May 7. She was waived on May 27.

"We were impressed with Katelan during training camp and are happy to have the opportunity to bring her back to New York," said Head Coach John Whisenant . "We know she will come in and do the things we ask of her, and her ability to score will definitely bring a needed burst of energy off the bench."

Redmon, a 6-1 guard/forward, began her collegiate career at the University of Washington where she was named to the Pacific-10 All-Freshman Team, leading the squad in scoring (11.8 ppg). She played her final two collegiate seasons at Gonzaga, averaging 14.0 ppg. In her final season she was named to the All-West Coast Conference Team becoming one of five players in Gonzaga history to score 600 or more points in a season, finishing with 600.

Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com