Eurobasket Daily News Report: 9/7/2012 1:04:01 AM

EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 9/7/2012 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

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

AFRICAN CHAMPIONS CUP

ACCMW Qualifier: Gumut drive Pillars past Oilers 91-54 - by Olusegun Ikuesan

Determined to finish well in the Africa Champions Cup for Men Zone-3 qualifier holding in Monrovia, Liberia Nigeria Kano Pillars basketball club Thursday defeated home side, LPRC Oilers basketball club by 91-54 points.

Pillars that are second on the log behind Abidjan Basket Club got off to a good start winning all four quarters by 24-16, 19-06, 29-16 and 19-16 for a 3-1 record.

Urged on by inspirational small forward Stanley Gumut who had 15 points and 2 rebounds the Nigerian side have two more games to play in the reverse fixtures against Uhuru Kings (Friday) and ABC (Sunday).

Gumut was joined by the duo of Mathew Onmonya (12 points) Shehu Mohammed (11 points and 3 rebounds) for Thursday victory. Stanley Gumut (197-F-86)

ACCMW Qualifier: ABC remain unstoppable beat Uhuru Kings 79-42 - by Olusegun Ikuesan

Abidjan Basket Club of Cote dIvoire continue it smooth run in the Africa Champions Cup Zone-3 qualifier in Monrovia, Liberia with a 79-42 points win over Uhuru Kings basketball club of Monrovia.

ABC though showed some fatigue but proved unstoppable winning in all four quarters by 24-09, 19-18, 17-11, 19-04 with inspirational player Stephane Konate hitting 19 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals as the Abidjan-based maintain its leadership spot in the four-team elimination series.

ABC forward Sidik Fofana recorded 13 points, 8 rebounds and 2 block shot while Anderson Affi contributed 10 points for the win, ABC will file out against LPRC Oilers basketball club of Liberia at 16H00 on Friday. Anderson Affi (195-F-82)

ACCMW Qualifier: ABC remain unstoppable beat Uhuru Kings 79-42 - by Olusegun Ikuesan

Abidjan Basket Club of Cote dIvoire continue it smooth run in the Africa Champions Cup Zone-3 qualifier in Monrovia, Liberia with a 79-42 points win over Uhuru Kings basketball club of Monrovia.

ABC though showed some fatigue but proved unstoppable winning in all four quarters by 24-09, 19-18, 17-11, 19-04 with inspirational player Stephane Konate hitting 19 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals as the Abidjan-based maintain its leadership spot in the four-team elimination series.

ABC forward Sidik Fofana recorded 13 points, 8 rebounds and 2 block shot while Anderson Affi contributed 10 points for the win, ABC will file out against LPRC Oilers basketball club of Liberia at 16H00 on Friday.

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

ARGENTINA

Lanus and Sionista reach Ciudad de Parana Tournament Final - by Eurobasket News

Lanus and Sionista will play in Ciudad de Parana pre-season tournament Final.
Lanus overcame Estudiantes de Concordia 82:66 to reach the title game. Adrian Boccia (195-G/F-82) and Robert Battle (204-C-81, agency: Dream Team Management, college: Drexel) stepped up with 15 points each to lead the winners. Lanus enjoyed a 39:32 lead at the interval. Estudiantes got within three points in the third term 49:52. But Lanus picked up the tempo in the latter stages and spurred ahead for the victory at the end. Nicolas Laprovittola (188-PG-90) contributed 12 points for the winners. Facundo Sucatzky (175-PG-72) answered with 15 points for Estudiantes. Lee Roberts (201-F/C-87, college: Findlay, OH) netted 14 points in the loss.
Sionista knocked down Echague 79:51. Sionista piled up a 40:26 halftime lead and never looked back en route to the victory. Daniel Hure (200-F-85) scored 20 points to pace the winners. Joshua Pittman (197-F-76, agency: Dream Team Management, college: NC-Asheville) added 14 points for Sionista. Echaque answered with 20 points from Aaron Williams (203-C/F-83, agency: Dream Team Management, college: W.Chester). David Oviedo (180-G-86) provided 14 points in defeat.

Libertad de Sunchales edge Olimpia in Montevideo - by Eurobasket News

Olimpia - Libertad de Sunchales 58:77

Libertad de Sunchales edged Olimpia at Sancor Seguros Cup in Montevideo. Gabriel Mikulas (200-F-80, agency: Interperformances, college: E.Carolina) and Marcos Saglietti (190-G-86) provided 15 points each to lead the winners. Diego Garcia (190-G-79) scored 14 points but sustained what could be a serious injury and left the game early.
Libertad jumped to a 24:17 lead after ten minutes. They maintained the lead throughout the second stanza. The Argentinean side ensured a 36:29 halftime lead. The margin grew in the third quarter. Libertad posted a 61:44 advantage at the start of the final stanza. Olimpia could not recover as Libertad cruised to the victory. Treise finished with 12 points for the winners. Kevin Nelson (192-G-84, college: Park) answered with 24 points for Olimpia. Nicolas Delgado (198-F/C-87) had 12 points in the loss.

Olimpia: Kevin Nelson 24, Nicolas Delgado 12
Libertad de Sunchales: Gabriel Mikulas 15, Marcos Saglietti 15, Diego Garcia 14

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

AUSTRALIA

BOSNIA

D1 Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Sead HADZIFEJZOVIC
  Vogos.
  (202-FC-89)
  Avg: 21.9

1. Sead Hadzife., Vog.	21.9
2. Dzenan Rahim., Bos.	21.4
3. Marko Jagodi., Cap.	19.8
4. Goran Gajovic Herc.	17.5
5. Mirza Hrncic Celik	17.0
6. Keith Richar., Cel.	15.6
7. Darko Kastra., Bor.	15.3
8. Nikola Lalic Herce.	15.2
9. Bojan Pelkic Leotar	14.7
10. Jozo Brkic Caplji.	14.6

Rebounds Per Game

Marko JAGODIC KURIDZA
  Caplj.
  (204-C-87)
  Avg: 11.9

1. Marko Jagodi., Cap.	11.9
2. Sead Hadzife., Vog.	9.6
3. Dzenan Rahim., Bos.	8.3
4. Marcel Jones Zrinj.	8.0
5. Jozo Brkic Capljina	7.5
6. Miroslav Mar., Var.	6.6
7. Milivoje Mir., Var.	6.6
8. Mirza Hrncic Celik	6.5
9. Bojan Pelkic Leotar	6.3
10. Goran Gajovic Her.	5.9

Assists Per Game

Keith RICHARDSON
  Celik
  (174-G-85)
  Avg: 5.1

1. Keith Richar., Cel.	5.1
2. Dino Hodzic Bosna	4.7
3. Nikola Lalic Herce.	4.6
4. Nemanja Kova., Cap.	4.3
5. Milivoje Mir., Var.	4.1
6. Miroslav Mar., Var.	4.1
7. Darko Kastra., Bor.	4.0
8. Petar Despot., Her.	3.9
9. Nenad Djurdj., Var.	3.7
10. Luka Klarica Zrin.	3.4

Steals Per Game

Mirza HRNCIC
  Celik
  (203-F/C-86)
  Avg: 3.7

1. Mirza Hrncic Celik	3.7
2. Nemanja Kova., Cap.	3.6
3. Maksim Stura., Bor.	3.5
4. Petar Ivanic Mlado.	3.5
5. Branimir Jos., Bro.	3.3
6. Darko Damjan., Var.	3.3
7. Srdjan Loncar Bora.	3.3
8. Sead Hadzife., Vog.	3.2
9. Goran Gajovic Herc.	3.1
10. Ante Cutura Brotn.	3.0

Blocks Per Game

Marko JAGODIC KURIDZA
  Caplj.
  (204-C-87)
  Avg: 1.1

1. Marko Jagodi., Cap.	1.1
2. Maksim Stura., Bor.	0.9
3. Slavisa Vuko., Her.	0.7
4. Milos Trikic Mlado.	0.6
5. Samir Leric Mladost	0.6
6. Armin Cengic Vogos.	0.6
7. Nemanja Slad., Ser.	0.5
8. Nermin Buza Bosna	0.5
9. Dzenan Rahim., Bos.	0.5
10. Igor Bijelic Serv.	0.5

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

BRAZIL

Standings - BNL

NBB Standings

1. Araraquara		0-0
2. Ceara		0-0
3. Cia do Terno		0-0
4. Flamengo		0-0
5. Minas		0-0
6. Tijuca TC		0-0
7. Uniceub/BRB		0-0
8. Unitri/Universo		0-0
9. Vila Velha		0-0

Standings - Paulista, Carioca, Minas G. leagues

Paulista Standings

GroupA
1. S.Jose/Unimed		5-1
2. Palmeiras		4-1
3. Gremio Mogi		3-2
4. Paulistano		3-2
5. Pinheiros/Sky		3-3
6. Suzano		2-3
7. Metodista/S.B.		1-4
8. Inter Santos		0-5
GroupB
1. Itabom/Bauru		4-0
2. Winner/Limeira		4-1
3. America		3-3
4. Liga Sorocaba		2-3
5. Vivo/Franca		2-3
6. Jacarei		1-3
7. Rio Claro		1-4

Stage Two Standings

Second Stage: Round 6

Sep. 5: America - Liga Sorocaba 93-73
Sep. 5: S.Jose/Unimed - Pinheiros/Sky 89-81
Sep. 5: Rio Claro - Winner/Limeira 64-90
Sep. 6: Itabom/Bauru - Jacarei
Sep. 6: Gremio Mogi - Paulistano
Sep. 6: Suzano - Palmeiras
Sep. 6: Inter Santos - Metodista/S.B.

Sao Jose/Vinac topple Pinheiros/Sky to stay on top of Group A - by Eurobasket News

Sao Jose/Vinac retained their leading position in Paulista League Group A. They knocked down Pinheiros/Sky 89:81 at home court. Alvaro Calvo (203-G/F-83, agency: Dynamics Global Management) erupted for 33 points to lead the winners. Sao Jose/Vinac unleashed 47 points in the first half to secure a 19-point lead. Pinheiros/Sky managed to narrow the deficit in the second half. They drained 32 points in the fourth term but still came up short of victory. Andre Laws (186-G-80, college: San Diego) provided 21 points, while Dede Stefanelli (196-F/G-84) finished with 11 points for the hosts. Mineiro Ferreira (208-C/F-88) accounted for 21 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists for Pinheiros/Sky. Marcio Dornelles (194-F-75) had 17 points in the loss.
America fired past Liga Sorocaba 93:73 to improve at 3-3 record in Group B. Rashaun McLemore (195-G/F, college: CS Northridge) posted 27 points to lead the charge. Desmond Holloway (190-G-88, college: Co.Carolina) answered with 23 points for Liga Sorocaba as they fell at 2-3 record.
Winner/Limeira stunned Rio Claro 90:64 on the road. Diego Pinheiro (195-F/G-80) provided 16 points as the winners gained 4-1 record in Group B. Guilherme Hubner (209-C-87) contributed 14 points in the winning case. Juliano Randal (87) had 14 points in the loss.

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

CANADA

KEVIN PANGOS PART OF FRESH START - by John Gary

courtesy basketball.ca THose involved with tha CANADIAN mens program have not been sitting around this summer feeling sorry for themselves after missing out on the FIBA OLYMPIC QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT in CARCUS VENEZUELA. UNLIKE 2000, when the CANADIANS played at the SDYNEY GAMES,and unlike 2008 when they traveled to the oqt in ATHENS the players didnt get a whiff of the OLYMPIC mens tournament. This is a squad to look out for next year in VENEZUELA though when teams in the FIBA AMERICAS will battle it out for spots in the very first FIBA BASKETBALL WORLD CUP in SPAIN. THERE will be veterans, but also youngsters who have been representing the country at the highest level in various competitions. One of them is playmaker Kevin Pangos,a fiesty point guard who competes for GONZAGA UNIVERSITY in WASHINGTON. THE 1.85 m PANGAS caught the eye last year at the FIBA U 19 World TOURNAMENT in LATIVA averaging 13.5 points and 3 assits per game.

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

CHILE

Standings - LIBSUR

DIMAYOR Standings

1. Duoc		0-0
2. Liceo Mixto		0-0
3. Quilicura		0-0
4. San Fernando		0-0
5. San Luis		0-0
6. U.Catolica		0-0
7. U.Concepcion		0-0
8. U.Espanola		0-0

Dimayor: the new season starts in September - by Daniel Valencia

The 2012-2013 season of Dimayor will start on September 22th. This season the league will have 8 teams, five of those teams already played the past season (CD Liceo Mixto, CD Universidad de Concepcion, CD Universidad Catolica, San Luis de Quillota and Union Espanola) and 3 new teams will be part of the league (Deportes Quilicura, Duoc UC and San Fernando). The schedule is going to be revealed the upcoming week.

Dimayor 2012-2013

CD Liceo Mixto de Los Andes (current champion)
CD Universidad de Concepcion
CD Universidad Catolica de Santiago
Union Espanola Santiago
San Luis de Quillota
Deportes Quilicura
Duoc UC
San Fernando

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

CHINA

Chinese clubs want NBA-style salary cap - by Eurobasket News

Teams in China's professional basketball league are calling for an NBA-style salary cap after a sharp rise in overseas players signing big-money contracts.

"We've been talking about how to make it happen," Bai Xilin, director of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) competition department, told the China Daily newspaper. "There is no timeline yet."

However, a salary cap cannot come quick enough for some.

"If we can have a salary restriction in the new season, it will be good for the club's revenue," Yuan Chao, general manager of the CBA champion Beijing Ducks, said.

"But we can't just simply copy the NBA model. We are two totally different leagues."

Introducing the cap could prove difficult, however, with the start of the season just two months away.

In 2009, monthly pay for foreign players was capped at $60,000 and $44,000 for Chinese players, with the exception of national team members.

However, a lack of supervision over implementing the rules and subsequent penalties for those dodging the guidelines doomed the CBA's first attempt at a cap.

With no equivalent to the NBA's luxury tax, the CBA had no way to enforce it.

The Xinjiang Flying Tigers and Zhejiang Golden Bulls bankrolled multi-million dollar deals for NBA players such as Kenyon Martin and J.R. Smith in last year's off-season.

It ended in losses for both clubs, financially and on the court.

Martin signed a $2.7 million one-year deal - the most lucrative ever in the CBA - with the Tigers, but left midway through the season, unable to adjust to the culture.

NEGATIVE CIRCLE

His abrupt exit left the club in chaos, while the Golden Bulls barely improved, and team chemistry suffered with local players complaining about Smith's salary and perks.

The salary cap was proposed by four owners during a meeting last week and welcomed by others, according to Bai.

"We need some regulations to manage the league," said Yuan, whose Ducks won the CBA title last season, helped by former New York Knicks guard Stephon Marbury.

"We can't let the rich clubs gather all the good players and make it a negative circle," added Yuan. "That's not supposed to happen in a mature, healthy league."

Smaller clubs have felt forced to dig deep to sign foreign players in order to compete in the CBA and say enough is enough.

"Clubs are the foundation of our league. We have to make sure each of them develops in a healthy fiscal condition," Bai said.

"Blind investments and a sharp increase in operating costs will harm the clubs and our league in the end. It's a consensus among owners to slow it down."

Yuan admitted that the time frame for implementing the proposed cap was critical with most clubs already involved in contract negotiations.

"We haven't been informed about when and how to make it happen," Yuan said. "If the CBA wants to implement it in the new season, they have to be quick."

The Ducks have already retained the services of Marbury and Randolph Morris with pay increases over the summer, Yuan said.

"We will hear as many suggestions as possible and make sure every detail is acceptable to all 17 clubs," Bai said. "We hope to announce it at the proper time."

(Reporting by Alastair Himmer in Tokyo; Editing by Patrick Johnston)

Courtesy of www.reuters.com (Reuters)

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

COLOMBIA

NUEVO CHOCO GETS ITS FIRST IMPORT ADDING RALPHY HOLMES - by Victor Garcia

Nuevo Choco is getting ready to its debut in the Colombian Basketball Federation Cup, the american guard Ralphy Holmes (1,93 G) arrived to the country to wear the green and yellow jersey.
Holmes is a good scoring guard, with experience in the CBA and overseas countries like France, Argentina and Canada, made his college career at Cal State at Fullerton, was teammate of the Colombian explayer Hardy Asprilla, Holmes will bring a good shooting range and talent to the Chocos backcourt

GUERREROS SINGS LASHAWN MALLOY - by Victor Garcia

Guerreros de Bogota completes its roster with the addition of the american center Lashawn Malloy (2,08 center), Malloy is true center always among the top five rebounders in the leagues, made his final two years of college basketball at the New Orleans University and has played profesionally in many countries such Uruguay, Argentina, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Bahrain, Libano and Japan where he posted a double digits average of 12 PPG and 10 RPG in the JB League,
With Malloy Guerrreros adds a defensive force in the middle.

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

CONGO-BRAZAVILLE

CROATIA

KK Zadar players in strike action - by Dajana Karl

KK Zadar players Ante Delas (201-G/F-88) , Ante Smolic (204-C-93), Franko Sango (200-PF-92), Ivan Batur (201-G/F-91), Ive Ivanov (201-C-85), Marko Ramljak (203-PF-93, agency: Interperformances) and Sime Olivari (197-G-90), with the support of the sporting director, head coach Ante Nazor and the rest of the coaching staff, decided to undertake a strike action on Sunday due to several months of not getting their salaries.

"We decided to undertake a strike action because we did not get our last season salaries. To some players the club owes three, and some several salaries, depending on when they signed the contract. We've been waiting the entire summer, they keep saying "next week, next week", however, we had enough of it. We decided to try and end this. From today we're in strike action. We have our coach's and sporting director's support, they understand us completely. Individual practices will still be held in Visnjik for the players that still didn't sign the contract and foreign players, whom the club still doesn't owe anything. Management knows what is all this about and they promised us that payment will be this week. When that happens, hopefully as soon as possible, we will start working as usually. Until then we'll be practicing ourselves. Coach said that, since we are not all together, we won't do anything on tactics. We're the first team, we all have to be as one, and so we'll be like that in this situation as well. Those who do not have a contract, we will work individually, and the rest of us in our own way and that's it. We are very sorry that all of this occurred, but it simply has to come to an end." - Ivanov said.

The sporting director, Branko Skroce, also addressed this issue: "I am not surprised by this move. I've been pointing at the issue for months. The club did not do what's been promised in the contracts, they wait too long and simply can't continue in this way. We've been listening to the promises for a while now, but there's nothing is happening. I don't have the money to pay the players. We did not get the money we needed to get, especially from the City so we can't pay the players and they can't handle it anymore. They don't have the basic necessities for living, rents and food. People are on the verge of bankruptcy, I'm not just talking about the players, but also about the club's staff. I thank them for their patience so far, but at this point I don't know how and when will this come to an end."

There's only a couple of weeks left until the beginning of Adriatic league, there's a lot left to work on. What the club's management has to say about all this, we'll hear on Monday, Sptember 3.

KK Zagreb inks Mike James. - by Dajana Karl

After a though previous season, KK Zagreb Croatia Osiguranje signed their first foreign player for this year - Mike James (185-G-90, college: Lamar) (185-G-90).

James is former Lamar basketball player and this will be his first season playing professionally, he's also the only Lamar senior from the 2011-12 to sign a professional contract.

He started his college career at Eastern Arizona College, then later for his junior and senior year, he transferred to an NCAA Division I, Lamar University. In sophomore season, James broke the University's record when he scored 52 points against Louisiana College. His senior season, he averaged 17.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.6 steals per game. By the end of his season he earned titles Southland Tournament MVP, All-Southland First Team and Southland Conference Player of the week three times in four weeks.

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

CYPRUS

Dominic James agreed terms with Trenkwalder RE - by Eurobasket

Trenkwalder Reggio Emilia (SerieA) added to their roster 26-year old American point guard Dominic James (180-86, college: Marquette). He played most recently at Partizan in Serbian A League. James managed to play in four leagues last year (!!!). While playing 20 A League games for the team from Beograd he averaged 9.2ppg, 1.9rpg, 3.6apg and 1.8spg. James helped them to win the championship title. He played also 7 games in Adriatic League where he had 12.0ppg, 1.4rpg, 3.6apg and 1.1spg. James helped them to win regular season and make it to the semifinals. The other team He played that season was Aris (Greece), where in 7 Eurocup games his stats were 14.7ppg, 2.6rpg, 2.3apg and 1.4spg. And finally he played 14 games in Greek A1 with following stats: 14.5ppg, 2.1rpg, 4.1apg and 1.9spg. It was a very successful year in his career as he was voted to Eurobasket.com All-Serbian League 2nd Team. James played also pro basketball in Bulgaria and Turkey.

By Eurobasket NEWS3 of Eurobasket.com

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

D-LEAGUE

Coruna gets bigger with American C Matt Rogers - by Eurobasket News

Matt Rogers (211-C-87, college: SW Baptist) will continue his career in Spain. The American center signed a 1-year deal with Leyma Basket Coruna. They will compete in LEB Gold. Rogers spent last two seasons in the NBA D-League. He played for the Frisco Texas Legends both years. In the latest season the player had 7.1 ppg and 4.4 rpg for 29 games. He registered almost the same numbers in 2010/11. Matt Rogers graduated at SW Baptist University (NCAA2) two years ago. He shined with 18.3 and 8.7 rpg for 30 games in his sophomore year. Rogers did not play in 2009/10. He participated at the 2012 NBA Summer League in Orlando averaging 5.5 ppg and 2.5 rpg in 2 games with Indiana Pacers. It was not enough for a deal. 2012/13 season will be the first one for Rogers in Europe.

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

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Standings - District National

LNB Standings

North Division
1. Indios SF		14-6
2. Metros		12-8
3. Huracanes		12-8
4. Reales		5-15
South Division
1. Caneros		11-9
2. Titanes		11-9
3. Leones SD		8-12
4. Cocolos		7-13

Regular Season: Round 16

Sep. 5: Cocolos - Leones SD 98-107
Sep. 4: Metros - Reales 95-81
Sep. 4: Titanes - Leones SD 86-68
Sep. 5: Huracanes - Reales 105-89

Semi-Finals: Round 1

Sep. 7: Metros - Caneros
Sep. 7: Indios SF - Titanes

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

EBA

Former EBA star playing well in Preseason! - by Justin Moore

Former EBA player NoVa Hawks and Washington Madness star Wade Dunston (6'4''-G, college: St.Bonaventure) is In Slovakia 1st league playing for MBK Handlova. The first preseason game Wade poured in 29 points 6-7 3pointers,5 rebounds and 5 assists against Zlin a team from the Czech republic. In there 2nd preseason game they played another team from Czech republic and won dunston scored 19 points,7assists, 6 Rebs 3 steals and Lost there 3rd game against banska bystrica from same slovakian league had 39 points, 8 assists, 6 Rebs, 3 steals. The team also won this past weekend MBK Handlova goes to Zlin in Czech republic for 3 more preseaon games!

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

EUROLEAGUE

John Greig Fires Back At Besiktas' Abdullah Sozer On Mensah-Bonsu - by David Pick

After reading Besiktas' president Abdullah Sozer's contemptible false comments in attempt to bash Pops Mensah-Bonsu's physical condition and reputation, John Greig, the Great Britain power forward's senior agent decided to fire back.

"There is no truth to the negligent comments made by Besiktas' president Abdullah Sozer," Greig told Eurobasket via phone conversation earlier today.

Earlier this summer, Mensah-Bonsu signed a two-year deal in Israel with Maccabi Tel-Aviv after turning down Sozer's flattering multi-year offer, estimated at 1.6M Euros per season.

The 6'9" human highlight who hasn't been home in nearly 11-months due to his Turkish season with Besiktas and Olympic Games with the United Kingdom, will attend his own wedding on September 10th and will report to Israel's Ben Gurion airport sometime between October 14-15. Recent rumors recently escalated around Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv, and were leaked to the media, stating Mensah-Bonsu underwent surgery and is highly questioned for Maccabi's season opener in October.

"Pops is signed to Maccabi Tel-Aviv and will not miss any of the team's games. He will play as healthy as he was last season when he won the Turkish League Championship, Turkish Cup, and the EuroChallenge title," Greig commented, shedding light on Mensah-Bonsu's situation.

When asked of the context of his recent conversations with Mensah-Bonsu and Maccabi executives, Greig said, "I frequently talk to Dani Federman (Tel Aviv owner) about Pops and they're (Maccabi) updated with every detailed information regarding Pops' situation. He (Pops) is looking forward to his new challenge of bringing the Euroleague title back to Tel Aviv."

Mirsad Turkcan stays in Fenerbahe Organisation - by Ugur Turker

Mirsad Turkcan (206-F-76) who is rebound leader in THY Eurleague History had announced his retirement after 2011-2012 season. Next week, Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul and CSKA Moscow will encounter in jubilee match of Mirsad Turkcan.
After 8 years spell at Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul, Club management announced that Mirsad Turkcan has promoted as Foreign Affairs Responsible. General Manager Kemal Dincer said " We do not want to lose Mirsad and we believe that he can help the club in management team so that he accepted our offer to continue in Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul organisation. "

Frank Robinson on his way to Poland - by Eurobasket News

Asseco Prokom have bolstered their backcourt. They have reportedly agreed on terms of contract with Frank Robinson (193-G-84, college: CS Fullerton). The guard started the previous season in Georgia. He played for Sokhumi. Frank Robinson delivered 16.5 points, 4.0 boards, 2.0 assists per game in EuroChallenge Qualifying Round. Later the guard moved to Israel. Frank Robinson signed with B.C. Habikaa. His stats read 12.6 points, 5.5 boards, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game in Premier League. He made it into Israeli League All-Defensive Team. Previously Frank Robinson played in Israel, D-League, Slovenia and Germany. He was named All-Israeli League Defensive Player of the Year in 2011.

Zalgiris bring in Jeff Foote - by Eurobasket News

Zalgiris bolstered their frontcourt. They agreed on terms of contract with Jeff Foote (212-C-88, college: Cornell). The centre signed a one-year deal with the Kaunas team. Jeff Foote spent the last season in D-League. He played for the Springfield Armor. Jeff Foote notched 14.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. He also played four games in NBA. Jeff Foote produced 1.0 point and 1.5 boards per game for the New Orleans Hornets. The centre made it into All-D-League 2nd Team. Jeff Foote participated at D-League All-Star Game. Previously Jeff Foote had stints with Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Mellila Baloncesto.

The best book of the decade about international basketball !!! - by Eurobasket

When something truly unique comes along, its always tough to ignore and this is certainly the case with Pro-Ballers Overseas: Life Beyond the Rim.
Never before have we been able to enjoy such a diverse, entertaining and no-holds barred basketball book written by a multitude of pro-ballers who all have such wonderful stories to tell.
This is an amazing opportunity for you to find out first-hand about the roller-coaster life of a pro-baller overseas.
Most crucially of all, this eclectic mix of stories is told directly through their eyes and unmistakably, in their own words.
Travelling the world, experiencing and adapting to different cultures off the court, honing their skills on the floor and adjusting to the basketball nuances of each country and their respective pro-leagues its truly an absorbing read.
They may well be living the post-College dream but in some cases, it has been dangerously close to a nightmare at times.
Read this book and you will realise that being a pro-baller is never straightforward. It comes with huge rewards but also plenty of pitfalls.
Theres no manual for becoming a pro-baller but this is the closest thing you will ever get to the ultimate pro-ballers survival guide.
It's genuinely not to be missed.

By Paul Nilsen
(European basketball writer and broadcaster)

Union Olimpija signs young PG Luka Rupnik - by Eurobasket News

Union Olimpija announced signing of Luka Rupnik (185-PG-93) to a 3-year deal. It means that young Slovenian point guard will stay with the club until the end of 2014/15 season. Rupnik arrives to Olimpija from Geoplin Slovan, where he spent last couple of years. In the latest season the player averaged 13.3 points, 5.3 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals. He was the leagues No.1 in assists and No.5 in steals. Rupnik participated at Telemach League All-Star Game last season.
Luka Rupnik played for the Slovenian U20 National Team this summer at U20 EuroBasket. Slovenia was the host of this event and won the bronze medal. Rupnik had 7.5 ppg, 3.3 apg and 2.3 rpg for 6 games. He also was on the list of candidates for the senior NT. In the past, he very successfully played for U18 and U16 Slovenia.

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

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Standings Div.A (Men)

Standings

Group Qualification Gr.A
1. Montenegro.		8-0
2. Serbia		5-3
3. Israel		5-3
4. Estonia		4-4
5. Iceland		1-7
6. Slovakia		1-7
Group Qualification Gr.B
1. Germany		6-0
2. Azerbaijan.		4-3
3. Sweden		3-3
4. Bulgaria		3-4
5. Luxembourg.		0-6
Group Qualification Gr.C
1. Croatia		6-0
2. Ukraine		5-2
3. Austria		3-4
4. Hungary		2-4
5. Cyprus		0-6
Group Qualification Gr.D
1. Bosnia		5-2
2. Georgia		4-2
3. Latvia		4-2
4. Holland		2-5
5. Romania		1-5
Group Qualification Gr.E
1. Finland		5-1
2. Poland		5-2
3. Belgium		3-3
4. Switzerlan.		3-4
5. Albania		0-6
Group Qualification Gr.F
1. Italy		7-0
2. Czech Rep.		5-2
3. Turkey		3-3
4. Belarus		1-5
5. Portugal		0-6

Qualifying Round: Round 8

Sep. 5: ISR - ISL 92-75
Sep. 5: SRB - SVK 87-62
Sep. 5: MNT - EST 76-67

Sep. 5: AZE - SWE 82-76
Sep. 5: GER - BUL 79-69

Sep. 5: AUT - HUN 97-81
Sep. 5: CRO - UKR 84-80

Sep. 5: NED - LAT 81-86
Sep. 5: GEO - BIH 103-107

Sep. 5: FIN - POL 91-96
Sep. 5: SUI - BEL 82-73

Sep. 5: CZE - POR 90-71
Sep. 5: TUR - ITA 82-83

Qualifying Round: Round 9

Sep. 8: ISL - MNT
Sep. 8: EST - SRB
Sep. 8: ISR - SVK

Sep. 8: SWE - GER
Sep. 8: BUL - LUX

Sep. 8: UKR - CYP
Sep. 8: HUN - CRO

Sep. 8: BIH - ROM
Sep. 8: LAT - GEO

Sep. 8: POL - ALB
Sep. 8: BEL - FIN

Sep. 8: ITA - BLR
Sep. 8: POR - TUR

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Anton GAVEL
  SVK
  (188-PG-84)
  Avg: 25.9

1. Gavel, SVK	25.9
2. Teletovic, BIH	25.6
3. Davis, AZE	22.2
4. Gortat, POL	21.6
5. Casspi, ISR	19.6
6. Hanga, HUN	19.0
7. Koponen, FIN	18.8
8. Jerebko, SWE	18.8
9. Norel, NED	18.3
10. Haciyeva, AZE	18.1

Rebounds Per Game

Orhan HACIYEVA
  AZE
  (200-PF-89)
  Avg: 12.3

1. Haciyeva, AZE	12.3
2. Gortat, POL	11.9
3. Shima, ALB	9.5
4. Pleiss, GER	9.3
5. King, CYP	9.2
6. Baeringsson, ISL	9.1
7. Simmons, BUL	8.4
8. Sanikidze, GEO	8.4
9. Hysenagolli, ALB	8.3
10. Nicoara, ROM	8.0

Assists Per Game

Zack WRIGHT
  USA
  (188-G-85)
  Avg: 7.3

1. Wright, BIH	7.3
2. Tsintsadze, GEO	5.5
3. Koponen, FIN	5.5
4. Preldzic, TUR	5.3
5. Ohayon, ISR	5.3
6. Kudrautsau, BLR	5.2
7. Grant, SWE	5.2
8. Jansen, NED	5.1
9. Gavel, SVK	5.1
10. Satoransky, CZE	5.1

Steals Per Game

Charles DAVIS
  USA
  (205-C-84)
  Avg: 3

1. Davis, AZE	3.0
2. Santos, POR	2.8
3. Markoishvili, GEO	2.7
4. Hanga, HUN	2.7
5. Tsintsadze, GEO	2.5
6. Shima, ALB	2.3
7. Razis, CYP	2.3
8. Kotti, FIN	2.2
9. Strelnieks, LAT	2.2
10. Wright, BIH	2.1

Blocks Per Game

Viacheslav KRAVTSOV
  UKR
  (212-C-87)
  Avg: 2.7

1. Kravtsov, UKR	2.7
2. Gortat, POL	2.4
3. Parakhouski, BLR	1.7
4. Erden, TUR	1.7
5. Cusin, ITA	1.7
6. Berzins, LAT	1.7
7. Rindin, AZE	1.6
8. Tyus, ISR	1.5
9. Eliyahu, ISR	1.5
10. Kikanovic, BIH	1.3

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

FRANCE

JSF Nanterre not signing Arvydas Eitutavicius - by Eurobasket News

Arvydas Eitutavicius (188-PG-82, college: American) is not coming to JSF Nanterre. The Lithuanian media reported earlier this week that two sides are close to sign a deal. Nanterre denied this news today and they are still on the market searching for the PG. Eitutavicius finished last season in Ukraine. He joined Khimik Yuzny averaging 8.4 points and 2 assists for 8 games. Eitutavicius started the season with Czech squad BK Prostejov. There he registered 9.7 ppg, 2.5 apg and 2.4 rpg for 26 games in NBL. The player also added 9.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg and 2 apg for 6 appearances in EuroChallenge. In 2010/11 season he played for Greek Iraklis. Arvydas Eitutavicius was a member of Cholet in 2009/10 and they were ProA champions together. The player had 6.8 ppg and 1.8 apg for 33 games in the league. In the past, Eitutavicius played for Neptunas Klaipeda and also for Spanish LEB Gold and EBA teams BC Real and Promobys. He graduated at American University in 2007. Yesterday J.P. Primm (185-G, college: NC-Asheville) left Nanterre and will not play for the team in the upcoming season.

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

GEORGIA

Lost and Kept Chances - by Darbaiseli

It can be said that Georgian basketball fans have never seen such dramatic and spectacular basketball performance at Tbilisi Sports Palace played by Georgian national team. It is
very common to say that both teams deserved to win the match and it is exactly such occasion. No one can say that Zaza Pachulia, Viktor Sanikidze, Manuchar Markoishvili and
their teammates did not deserve victory, but it is also newsworthy that Mirza Teletovic, Zack Wright and Ante Masics team also deserved two points. Nothing can change, this
time Georgian national basketball team lost, but it is impossible to criticize Georgian players. But it does not mean that the players as well as chairman did not make any mistake
(such thing does not happen at basketball match) but today Bosnians were luckier than Georgians in equal fight. Despite luckiness, Alexand Petrovics players showed a big
determination. It goes without saying that Bosnians are high-class players. Totally guests advanced for 23 minutes and won three periods from four, in the decisive moment they
managed to mobilize better than Georgians (besides this episode when they were given 2 technical penalties), which is really important factor in basketball.
.. You are supposed to remember that in the first qualifying match against Bosnia, Georgians gained superiority in the first period, this time Bosnians were playing more efficiently
and advanced at the beginning. Actually during the starting period guests had superiority (5:0, 7:3, 18:14) and mini-time ended in favor of them 20:16. During this period Zack
Wright was the best player. In the second period Georgians mobilized, as a result of Pachulia and Msrkoishvilis attempt, Georgians gained superiority- 27:20. In such way
Georgian managed to win the second ten-point period and before the time-out the score was 43:40 in favor of Georgia. In the first time Viktor Sanikidzes brilliant playing in
defense must be mentioned. According to coaches instructions he stuck to Teletovic and did not let him shake a hand. Teletovic managed to gain 2 points only three minutes
before the match and during the whole match he gained only 4 points.
From the second time started nerves war. After Giorgi Tsintsadzes three-point kick 50:44 we advanced and till the end of the period we kept superiority. After the third quarter,
Pullen did his best and the score was 74:72. Soon situation got tense and leaders of the Bosnian team gained so many personal fouls that there was risk of sending off.
It was clear that the main fight was ahead and it happened so. There was equal fight and at the end of the time Teletovic advanced his team with 7 points, five minutes were left
before ending the period- 92:85. Georgians had enough time for overcoming 7-point difference and Georgians did their best. Sinanovic gained personal foul and Pachulia scored
only one penalty, as for Markoishvili he scored both of the penalties, Pullen scored after efficient attack and Georgians advanced- 99:98. 29 seconds before ending the fourth
quarter, Markoishvili scored three-point kick and we advanced (103:102) and as a result we had real chance of winning the match, but 21 seconds before the final siren
Teletovic kicked from dressing room, scored and advanced his team 105:103. Igor Kokoskov took minutebreak. Unfortunately Georgians were very hurry in the decisive
moment, Pullen tried to score three-point kick, but his kick was not exact and finally the match ended in favor of Bosnians 107:103. As a result Bosnian national basketball team is
leader of the group.
In a word, it was pitiful failure and as a result of it Georgians lost chance of taking the first place in the group (it is impossible Bosnia to lose home match with Romania), but
gaining right of competition at European championship is realistic and Georgian players will use this chance in the upcoming matches.

At the press-conference, which was held after the match Igor Kokoskov chairman of Georgian national basketball team appeared first time and explained reasons of the failure.
first of all I would like to congratulate Bosnia this victory. It played better and gained victory. Our guys fought till the end and played very well, but it was not enough for victory.
You have to play well in defense as well as in offence against such team as Bosnia is and you have to fulfill all the instructions. But everyone who watches this match knows
that Georgian national team did its best for the victory. It is newsworthy that Alexandr Petrovic did good rotation in the team, young players also participated in this match. After
the first time, Zak Right was the best among opponents, due to fouls chairman decided to rest him and replaced him with young good player. Viktor Sanikidze played very well in
defense, but Mirza Teletovic is a strong player and gained 10 points in the last moments and played the biggest role in this victory. Nowadays Mirza is the best player in Europe
and a good player can win the match. But our destiny is still in our hands.

Two matches are ahead us in Latvia and Georgia, against Holland. Today in the evening we are leaving for Latvia for having rehabilitation. As for the three-point kick by Pullen,
he could kick two-point, but he chose three-point kick. There were four shooters and Zaza Pachulia on the field, Zaza had to block the opponents and others had to kick. It was
our tactic, we are having played with such tactic for five years. It goes without saying that we chose different tactic against each opponent team and make different surprises to
everyone. Today we had to play zone basketball, which we did well in the first time but in the second time we could not. Due to Mirza we changed our tactic many times, because
we could not stop him and thats why we lost. Of course our main goal was to save our main basketball played for the end of the match and we did it. As for the fact that four
Georgians were blocking one Bosnian player and other opponents were free, it means that players followed chairmans instructions badly and rotation was bad. None chairman
would give such instructions to his players- stated Kokoskov.

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

GERMANY

Standings - Pro B

ProB Standings

Group North
1. BSW Sixers		0-0
2. Dorsten		0-0
3. Hannover		0-0
4. Herten Lions		0-0
5. MTV Wolfenbuettel		0-0
6. Oldenburg		0-0
7. Recklinghausen		0-0
8. Rist Wedel		0-0
9. Schwelm		0-0
10. Stahnsdorf		0-0
11. SU Medien		0-0
12. Wulfen		0-0
Group South
1. Bayer Giants		0-0
2. Dragons		0-0
3. Dresden		0-0
4. Fraport SKY II		0-0
5. Hanau		0-0
6. Konstanz		0-0
7. Langen		0-0
8. Leitershofen		0-0
9. Licher Baeren		0-0
10. Noerdlingen		0-0
11. TSV Troester		0-0
12. Weissenhorn		0-0

Regular Season: Round 1

North

Oct. 3: Herten Lions - Hannover
Oct. 3: Dorsten - SU Medien
Oct. 3: Stahnsdorf - Schwelm
Oct. 3: BSW Sixers - Recklinghausen
Oct. 3: Oldenburg - Rist Wedel
Oct. 3: MTV Wolfenbuettel - Wulfen

South

Oct. 3: Fraport SKY II - Hanau
Oct. 3: Leitershofen - TSV Troester
Oct. 3: Langen - Dresden
Oct. 3: Konstanz - Weissenhorn
Oct. 3: Licher Baeren - Bayer Giants
Oct. 3: Dragons - Noerdlingen

Rainer Szewczyk Retires And Florian Hennen Returns To MTV Kronberg - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

Long time MTV Kronberg player Rainer Szewczyk (186-G-82) has announced his retirement. Szewczyk is a 30 year old 186cm guard that had played for the Hessen team since 2003. He played 8 seasons in the Regionaliga and in the 2004-2005 season in the German second BUndesliga playing 27 games: 10.1ppg, 1.3rpg, 1.1apg, 1.1spg, 2FGP: 40%, 3FGP: 35.8%, FT: 59.1%. "Rainer has been suffering for months of a achilles infection and inprovement doesnt seem to be in sight. He has been unable to complete a practice without pain. What his expereince means to out team was seen last season in games where he didnt play we lost", stressed MTV Kronberg head coach Milo Crnjac . The club did get good news in which they have brought back Florian Hennen (194-G-86) who had played for MTV Kronberg from 2004-2009. He played for VFL Limburg the last three years.

Tyrone Lewis Heads To The Finke Baskets Paderborn - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

Tyrone Lewis (180-PG-87, agency: Fierce Sports Management, college: Niagara) (180-PG-87, college: Niagara) is staying in Germany and will play for the Finke Baskets Paderborn this season. Lewis is a 24 year old 180cm point guard from Levittown, Pennsylvania. He comes from a known sports family, because his dad was a corner back for the Buffalo Bills during the 1987 NFL strike. Last season, he showed his scoring talent for SC Itzehoe Eagles (Germany-Regionalliga, starting five): 22 games: 26.0ppg, 4.6rpg, 3.3apg, 3.0spg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 59.3%, 3Pts: 29.4%, FT: 74.6%. He played at : Niagara (NCAA) from 2006-2010. In his senior year, he played 27 games: 17.1ppg, 4.7rpg, 1.7apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 38.6%, 3PT: 36.7%, FT: 75.4%. He played a total of 119 NCAA games. Awards/Achievements in his basketball career have been MAAC Regular Season Runner-Up -07, 09, MAAC Tournament Winner -07, MAAC Tournament MVP -07, MAAC All-Tournament Team -07, 09, MAAC All-Rookie Team -07, All-MAAC 2nd Team -08, 10, NABC Division I All-District 1 Second Team -09, MAAC Tournament Finalist -09
All-MAAC 1st Team -09, MAAC Defensive Player of the Year -09, Eurobasket.com All-Regionalliga North Defensive Player of the Year -12, Eurobasket.com All-Regionalliga North 1st Team -12, and German Regionalliga (North Group) Runner-Up -12.

The Fraport Skyliners Bring In Dion Dowell And Release Alexander Franklin - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

Sometimes players come and go in the Beko BBL as rapidly as acorns get gobbled up by squirrels in the Boston Common as this pre season for the Fraport Skyliners has only been two weeks old, but today the club said farewell to BBC Bayreuth Kevin Hamilton buddy Alexander Franklin and brought in power forward Dion Dowell (200-F/G-85, college: Houston) who gets a contract until mid January 2013. The team also announced that American Anthony Jones will be continued to be tested. Dowell is a 27 year old 200cm swing man that was born in Berlin and grew up in Texas. Last season he played for B.C. Habikaa (Israel-Premier League) playing 27 games: 12.3ppg, 7.3rpg, 1.8apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 53.3%, 3PT: 37.4%, FT: 72.0%. "Dion is an athletic wing player with a good three point shot. He brings experience with three different Israli teams. I know him very well and am happy to have him in the team. I am sure that he will fit in our system. We thank Alex Franklin for coming here and training hard. We wish him all the best for the future", stressed Fraport Skyliner head coach Muli Katzurin (agency: Avi Zilberman ). Dowell had the pleasure playing together with Beko BBL players like NBA player Brian Roberts, Isiah Swann, Rashaun Freeman, Danilo Pinnock and Tony Gaffney in Israel.

Dowell started his NCAA career at Texas in 2005 and finsihed at : Houston (NCAA) in 2008 and in his senior year played: 34 games: 10.9ppg, 6.8rpg, 1.0apg, 1.5bpg, FGP: 42.6%, 3Pts: 40.8%, FT: 87.9%. Before turning professional he took part at the well known Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (Pre-NBA Draft): 3 games: 10.3ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.7apg, FGP. In 2008-2009, he started his professional basketball career for teh Golden State Warriors (NBA), left in Oct.'08, in Nov.'08 signed at Dexia Mons-Hainaut (Belgium-D1): Belgian League: 6 games: 9.2ppg, 3.0rpg, FGP: 60.0%, 3PT: 63.6%, FT: 16.7%; EuroChallenge: 4 games: 6.3ppg, 2.8rpg, 1.0bpg, in Jan.'09 moved to Altshuler Saham Galil Gilboa (Israel-Premier League, starting five): 19 games: 6.9ppg, 4.8rpg, 1.2spg, FGP: 43.6%, 3PT: 32.5%, FT: 67.6%. In 2009-2010, he played for Altshuler Saham Galil Gilboa (Israel-Premier League, starting five): 27 games: 8.4ppg, 4.8rpg, FGP: 62.9%, 3PT: 40.4%, FT: 70.7%. In 2010-2011, he played for Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem (Israel-Premier League, starting five): EuroCup: 8 games: 3.4ppg, 3.1rpg; Israeli League: 31 games: 7.6ppg, 4.7rpg, FGP: 53.7%, 3PT: 39.7%, FT: 61.4%. "Frankfurt is a big chance for me and I am looking forward to this time. The orgnaization is very good and had success in the past. I want to help the team where ever I can. I think I am a team oriented player that always gives his best. The German league belongs to the best in Europe which means every game is hard. I love this challenge", stressed Dion Dowell. Awards/Achievements in his basketball career have been Big 12 Regular Season Champion -06, Big 12 Tournament Finalist -06, NCAA Sweet 8 -06, C-USA Tournament Finalist -07, All-C-USA 3rd Team -08, Israeli Premier League Semifinals -09, 11

Israeli Premier League Champion -10, Israeli Winner Cup Finalist -11, Israeli Cup Semifinals -12, and Eurobasket.com All-Israeli League Honorable Mention -12

Source: Fraport Skyliners

Phoenix Hagen Ink Dino Gregory - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

Phoenix Hagen have brought in Dino Gregory (200-F-89, agency: Two Points, college: Maryland) and given him a try-out contract until September 23rd. Gregory is a 23 year old 200cm forward from Baltimore, Maryland that will be starting his second professional season and first season in Germany. Last season, he played for Sundsvall Dragons (Sweden-Basketligan, starting five): 40 games: 13.2ppg, 6.5rpg, 1.0apg, Blocks-1 (1.5bpg), FGP: 54.0%, 3PT: 30.0%, FT: 73.0%. "I think that Dino Gregory can be the missing link in our team. He is very fast and athletic. That he is only 200cm doesnt play a role", added Phoenix Hagen head coach Ingo Freyer Gregory started his basketball career at Maryland (NCAA) in 2007 and played there until 2011. In his senior year, he played 33 games: 9.1ppg, 5.8rpg, 1.3bpg, FGP: 51.0%, 3PT: 50.0%, FT: 76.4%. He played a total of 107 NCAA games. "At college, he always had to paly against bigger centers and held his own. How well he can make the jump in the Beko BBL, we will see with this try-out contract", stressed Phoenix Hagen manager Oliver Herkelmann. Awards/Achievements in his basketball career have been ACC Tournament Semifinals -09, ACC Regular Season Co-Champion -10, and Eurobasket.com Swedish Basketligan All-Defensive Team -12.

Source: Phoenix Hagen

The Artland Dragons Haul In Andrew Drevo For 2 Month Try-Out - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

The Artland Dragons announced that Andrew Drevo (202-F/C-81, agency: Warren Sports International, college: Nebraska) will get a 2 month try-out contract. Drevo is a 31 year old 202 cm power forward that gives head coach Stefan Koch the ability to spread the floor with his deadly three pointer something the Frankfurt Skyliners experienced when they played against the Lincoln, Nebraska native when he was playing for the New Yorker Phnatoms Braunschweig and Eisbaeren Bremerhaven. Drevo also has good size and can run the floor while adding a solid presence in the paint. An all-around player, Drevo can pass well inside and has the ability to step outside the arc, which will create matchup problems for opposing defenses. Last season he took a breather from the European scene and returned to the States to play for the Iowa Energy (D-League) 52 games: 11.3ppg, 6.3rpg, 2.1apg, FGP: 52.6%, 3PT: 34.5%, FT: 87.3%. "Andrew is a player that knows the Beko BBL and has played for two different players and played well. We dont have a player at the moment that can spread the floor. We have found this player with Andrew with the good three point shot. He is also strong enough to play with his back to the hoop. We hope that he will bring our passing game to life with his experience and game intelligence", added Artland Dragons head coach Stefan Koch .

Drevo started his basketball career at Morningstar (NCAA2) in 1999 where he played until 2002. In 2002, he played at Nebraska (NCAA) until 2004. In his senior year, he plalyed 31 games: 10.8ppg, 4.3rpg, 1.7apg. In 004, he started his professional basketball career at Sodertalje Kings Sweden-Basketligan): 30 games: Score-4 (20.6ppg), 8.9rpg, 1.1apg, 1.3bpg, 1.7spg, FGP: 50.4%, 3Pts-1 (44.9%). In 2005-2006, he played for Etendard de Brest (France-ProA): 14 games: 12.9ppg, 6.6rpg, 1.6apg, 1.1spg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 26.4% waived in Dec.'05: 13.5ppg , 6.4rpg, then joined JSF Nanterre (France-ProB): 19 games: 14.7ppg, 6.4rpg, 1.4apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 49.5%, 3PT: 40.7%, FT: 88.6%. In 2006-2007, he played for JSF Nanterre (France-ProB): 34 games: 14.2ppg, 6.2rpg, 2.1apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 45.6%, 3PT: 41.6%, FT: 75.7%. He then played in the Beko BBL from 2007-2011 playing atotal of 127 Beko BBL games. He played for the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig from 2007-2009. He then played for the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven from 2009-2011. He did start the 2009-2010 season for Sant Josep Girona (Spain-LEB Gold): 20 games: 10.0ppg, 5.2rpg, 1.5apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 39.6%, 3PT: 34.8%, FT: 65.2%. Awards/Achievements in his basketball career have been Big 12 Conf. All-Newcomer Team -03, Swedish Basketligan All-Stars Game -05, Eurobasket.com All-Swedish Basketligan 2nd Team -05, Eurobasket.com Swedish Basketligan All-Imports Team -05, Swedish Basketligan Champion -05, French Cup Finalist -07, French ProB Regular Season Runner-Up -07, German Bundesliga All-Star Game -08, 09, German Bundesliga Semifinals -10, and Eurobasket.com All-German Bundesliga Honorable Mention -10

Source: Artland Dragons

A Conversation With Don Beck (Toyota Alvark) - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

Don Beck has been a professional basketball coach for 34 years. He started his coaching career in 1978 for Santa Barbara College. After that he got further experience coaching Bentley College, Rutgers University, and Fresno State University. He came to Europe in 1992 to coach Sunair Oostende (Belgium). He then spent 9 very successful seasons with TBB Trier reaching four cup finals and winning two. He then coached the EWE Baskets Oldenburg from 2002-2007. In 2007-2008, he coached Euphony Bree (Belgium-D1). The next season he coached Euphony Bree (Belgium-D1), in Jan.'09 hired by Eiffel Towers Den Bosch (Holland-Eredivisie). In 2009-2010, he coached Eiffel Towers Den Bosch (Holland-Eredivisie). He has been head coach of Toyota Alvark (Japan-JBL) since 2010. He spoke to eurobasket during his three team tour of Germany while he was in Frankfurt.

Thanks for talking to eurobasket Don. It has been five years since your last engagement in Germany with the EWE Baskets Oldenburg. What do you miss the most on and off the court in Germany?

I still live in GermanyWhen I am not working in Japan I spend my off season in Trier and the States. I cant really say that I miss anything, because I am always back in Trier. I have learned to drink white wine which the Mosel region is famous for.

You had coached many years in Trier and Oldenburg and since have coached in Belgium, Holland and Japan. Did you have enough of the German basketball scene? Did you still have offers from German teams in the last years? Why did you go to Japan?

I have been blessed of having my best years as a coach before coming to Japan. I won two cups with TBB Trier and went to four finals. We played international and went to the playoffs. With Bree we finished in first place and went to the finals. Then I went to Holland and coached Den Bosch. We reached the final and lost a seven game playoff series to Amsterdam who had kicked out Oldenburg from international play the season they won the BBL title. Amsterdam had a real good team that year. The next season the team made changes and we werent as successful and I had to go. I then had the choice between Mons and Toyota Alvark. It was a tough decision, but Japan was a great opportunity. Everything is done so professional and its the best training facility I have ever seen. Toyota is a great sponsor and it was just a great opportunity where I couldnt say no

You coached young players Doron Perkins and D or Fischer in 2006. How happy are you how much they have progressed and how much were you able to help in their development as players?

That last year in Oldenburg was very unstable with a lot of mistrust. I am glad that I had Fischer for a whole year. He really needed that and he was already a good player at the time. Perkins came in the middle of the season and was a very unique player. He was athletic, could get to the rim and could be as good a defender as anyone when he wanted to. After I left I took Fischer and Perkins to Bree. They continued to play well and their stock went up. Soon after they would play for Macabbi Tel Aviv. I helped them, but I had good assistants who helped as well. The programs in Oldenburg and Bree really benefited their development.

You gave a young Heiko Schaffartzik a chance in 2006 after he had been with Giessen and in Nurnberg. He had a very bad shooting year with Oldenburg, but how sure were you in that season that the German could become a top German team national player?

I was sure from the start that Heiko was a way better player than what he was showing. His minutes fell as Perkins was brought in. But I am not surprised with how his development has gone. Already in Oldenburg, Heiko always played hard with big balls. He was great to coach and was never afraid of anyone. I would of kept him in Oldenburg if I would have stayed.

You also coached very talented Desmond Penigar for two seasons who had played briefly with the Orlando Magic. After an injury, Penigar came back to have strong seasons in Austria and last year in Lebanon. Why wasnt Penigar able to develop into a Eurocup/euroleague type of player?

I think his knee injury has kept him from that. He was never 100% healthy, but I remember he had a great playoff series against Alba Berlin. We should have moved him in his second season. He had a great attitude and was just a tough kid. He probably played 5-6 years more than he should of just because his knee was never correct. However the way he has held up, I wouldnt be surprised if he plays until 40, because he is that special.

After you left in 2007, Predrag Krunic came in and two years later he won the German Beko BBL title. Players come and go each year, but did you build something in Oldenburg that Krunich ended with winning the title?

I cant take any credit away from him, because he did it all on his own. Working in Oldenburg was good for me with Dr Brinker the chairmen of the EWE. Before I came, Oldenburg was never higher than 13. He was a big reason for our success. He had great vision and gave me great support. They wanted a team that would be competitive and we lived up to that when I was there. I am sorry that we could never win a cup or get deeper in the playoffs. When Krunic came, he got full reigns of the team. I never had that. We never had a training camp or plane. We never had the budget that he had. I layed the path for him, but he simply demanded the things that I didnt. I congratulate him for winning the title in 2009. It is so hard to win a title as it is

What is a strength in your coaching style that isnt always recognized right away?

In my last five years, all my teams have been top 1 & 2 in rebounding and defense. We already had good defense in Oldenburg and was able to keep it in Bree and now in Japan. In the Japan league there are 11 categories and Toyota Alvark is #1 in nine categories and #2 in the other 2. I implemented a transition in Bree and it has carried over to Japan as well. I am very proud as well of the success of the offense as it has also been #1 with the defense in Japan which is unheard of.

How would you describe the style in the J-league? Was it difficult to adjust to this style coming from Europe? Did you have to make any changes?

There are two leagues in japan. The JBL where we play. It has 8 teams. It is the better league and most prestigious. We can carry only two foreigners and only one can be on the floor and never at the same time. The other league is the BJ league which can have 3-4 foreigners. The difference to the BBL is that at the 4-5 position there is no difference. But at the 1-3 positions, the players in Japan are shorter and less athletic

Toyota Alvark won the double last season. Of course it was a team effort, but where would the team have been without Jeff Gibbs?

Gibbs has been a good addition. We are very balanced and have no stars. We dont have the best 1,2,3 players or even 5 man Japanese player, but the difference is that the team plays together. They just all play very well. On any given night Gibbs or Ricci can have a double double even though they split the minutes and never play more than 20-22 minutes.

You have coached many great players in your career, but where would you rate a Jeff Gibbs?

Gibbs is very unique. He just brings so much to the court. He can run the break, can pass and just has a great basketball mind. He reads the ball movement well and can shoot from outside. The opponent usually dont take him serious when they see him play. When he gets going, he is a 6.11 player. He always creates havoc for the opponent with match up problems. I love his wisdom and is one of the best players that I have coached in the area of him doing what I want him to do. When he wants to make an impact then he is Mr incredible.

Toyota Alvark is on a German city tour playing in Frankfurt, Trier and Munich. How important is this visit bringing exposure to Japanese basketball in Europe?

We think it is important that our players see how the European style works. We want people here to see that we do play a different style but are still competitive. We played very well against TBB Trier and FC Bayern Munich. It was important that our players are exposed to the defensive intensity and bigger wing players in Germany. All the teams are physical in the BBL and playing here will help us in our quest to defend our title in Japan.

You will be back in Trier playing the team of Henrik Rodl. Do you remember where you were in 1993 when North Carolina beat Michigan in the NCAA final?

I was at the game. It is always great to watch ACC basketball and North Carolina is one of the best programs in the NCAA. Rodl playing in the NCAA was a big step for young German kids going to the NCAA. Last season there was something like 9 Germans playing in the NCAA. It seems to be growing each year.

What is your sweetest memory of your coaching days in Trier?

There are so many. Of course being in one place for 9 years in unbelievable. Trier is just a great place with great fan support. The players always feel comfortable there. We had the lowest budget, but still reached 4 cup finals. The cup wins were a great memory as was the wins against Alba Berlin. I dont support the BBL now how the cup is set up. I think that it is wrong. In the old format there was always one team that wasnt on the radar and snuck into the Top 4. With the new format, that surprise effect is taken away of a sleeper getting in.

You also had some nice battles against Frankfurt. I remember Malick Badiane kicking a chair in Oldenburg in 2005. What is your fondest memory playing against Frankfurt? Do you remember the game against Frankfurt on the last game day in 2006?

We always had fun games against Frankfurt. I remember some good wins against Gordie Herbert. Gunnar Wobke has done a good job there and was always a forward thinking guy of how to build teams. I dont remember that game, but it was a good win for Frankfurt.

You also coach against Bayern Munich. They have moved up to the Beko BBL and have enriched the German basketball name. How excited were you about playing the most famous German sports team and will you buy dinner for the team if they win?

I have always tried to promote basketball with needing them in a big city. It is very important that FC Bayern Munich is in the BBL now. Perhaps with this branding it could happen in the future in cities like Hamburg or Dortmund. When FC Bayern Munich plays basketball, then they are still FC Bayern Munich the name and that is very important. They have one of the best coaches with Dirk Bauermann who has had numerous success. They might not have been that successful last season, but I am sure that they will challenge for the title this season.

Who would win in their prime, the Dream team of Team USA 2012?

I am over 50 and I can only go with the Dream team. The Dream team was a special team like the first man on the moon. The 2012 was a great team too, but the Dream Team was one of a kind

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

The French film Ziemlich beste Freunde

Thanks Don for the chat.

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

GREECE

KAO Dramas tab Keyon Carter - by Eurobasket News

Keyon Carter (203-F-88, agency: Two Points, college: ODU) moves to Greece. The forward has agreed on terms of contract with KAO Dramas. Keyon Carter spent the previous season in Georgia. He played for Dinamo Tbilisi. The forward notched 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game in Superleague. Keyon Carter was the second best scorer in the league. He was also the best rebounder in Superleague. Keyon Carter participated at Superleague All-Star Game. The forward was trumped All-Superleague Rookie of the Year. He also made it into All-Georgian League 2nd Team.

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

HOLLAND

Preseason interview with Head coach Hakim Salem - by Fred Roggen

We continue our preseason interview series, this time with questions for GasTerra Flames head coach Hakim Salem (agency: R.H.Consultancy ).
The GasTerra Flames had a rough 2011-12 season but coach Hakim Salem (agency: R.H.Consultancy ) is really optimistic about what's going to happen the upcoming season.

Being in Groningen, theres a certain level of expectation which probably doesnt exist in other cities in the DBL. No matter where the GasTerra Flames finished the year before, theres always that sense of expectation with the team. How do you manage that and deal with it as a group on an ongoing basis?
Indeed the expectation level in Groningen is probably much higher than other cities in Holland. Basketball is big in Groningen en our fans are proud of their city and expect
the best. I try to explain to my team how we as a team lookto the season and how we will bounce back when facing adversity. It is important how we get back from the setbacks
and that includes also pressure from outside. I am always telling my team when facing adversity, trust your team mates because you are going to need them more than ever.
Together we can fight any kind of setback, work hard and with passion and the reward will follows.

What are you most looking forward to this season?
Coaching this team after couple of weeks is been amazing, the guys are playing with allot of energy and passion, they are all competitors. I am really looking forward to coach
this team in a sold out Martini plaza. I think the fans will react great to this team and it will be electrifying. I am also looking forward to start the season with 10 teams.
Amsterdam is back and it will be a little bit strange for me coaching in the Apollo hal as an opponent. That is also something I am looking forward to this season.

What other coaches really helped you reach the level of success youre at now? How does their advice and teachings still help you to this day?
Most important for a coach, you must be open for advice, no matter how many championships a coach have won. I talk with Arik Shivek, he is still my mentor. He left Belgium, which I really regret, but we will still have contact. Also other coaches and ex-players have been great for me, Mario Bennes, Laki Lakner and other but I cant mention them all. I like to discuss and brainstorm allot with coaches to improve my coaching. In Vegas, I have spent time with Doug Spradley (coach Bremerhaven) and we had allot of talks about being a coach and what kind of pressure we are facing daily. Those moments are very valuable to any coach.

Fans often just see what happens during the games, but talk about which of your guys deserve more credit for working hard in practice, in the workout room, and being leaders off the court:
This year I cant single no one out, they all have a great work ethic. My team is a hard working team in practice and in the weight room. They all are trying to help the young
kids to get better and the whole team is showing a lot of responsibilities. It is great working with this group, they are giving 100% effort and energy.

Discuss the incoming guys for a bit. What type of players are they?
We had 3 new players, as I dont count Dimeo van der Horst as a new player for me. Maurice is an authentic point guard who can score if it is necessary. He makes his team mates look better and makes their job easier by creating a lot for them. He played last season in Iceland and before that he played for Georgia Tech in the ACC which is one of
the toughest league in college Basketball.
Jamal Boykin is a high energy powerforward, he played in Turkey, Cyprus and Japan. Jamal is a player who communicate a lot with his teammates and also trying to push everyone to go harder. Like I have said he plays with a lot of energy, he is a good scorer around the paint and can attack the basket with both hands, but he also can shoot the short jumper.
Michael Kingma is the big center who will bring experience and toughness to the table. Michael will be our big body under the basket and will help Thomas Koenis in his development. Michael has been solid in rebounding throughout his whole career. Dimeo is practicing and playing with us like he has been always with this team for years.
He is matured in his basketball and together with Maurice they are bring leadership on the point guard position. I am very happy that Dimeo is joining my team after a one year
break.

Who should we expect to take their game to an even higher level this season?
I hope the whole team. But I think Jason will become better this season, last season he improved statistically and I think this coming season he will improve more.
I also think that Jessey will improve a lot this season. Playing with his youth buddy Dimeo and a point guard like Maurice will make it easy for Jessey to become a scorer in
our team. Also Sergio will step up his level much more than last season. I hope that the whole team will take their game to the next level.

How do you see the lineup shaking out to start the season?
I have 9 players which all can be a starter for our team. It is up to them to decide on practice who to start. I want to give Thomas, Jessey and Dimeo the chance to develop as
good as it can be. But they have to prove it everyday on practice and they will do! Like I have said before 80% character and 20% talent, work hard everyday and don't take nothing for granted, that is what it is all about this year. Who start is not even an issue, but who can contribute to the team and make the difference on consistent base.

How good can this years team be?
We just have to wait and see, right now we are not complete due to the Dutch National team, as soon as Ties and Thomas join us we will have to find out. Most important, we work as a team and we keep improving every day.

What are the team's goals for this year?
Become better every week and focus on the next first game. The season is a long race, more like a marathon. It doesnt matter who start well, it is all about who finishes strong .

Thanks Hakim for the time doing this interview. Wish You and the team a succesful season.

Preseason interview with Head coach Mark van Schutterhoef - by Fred Roggen

We continue this preseason Q&A Series with the new Head coach of Matrixx Magixx Wijchen Mark van Schutterhoef . After working with the U-16 and U-18 national teams of Luxembourg the past three seasons,, he took on the role as head coach of Matrixx Magixx this summer replacing Michael Schuurs.
Coach Van Schutterhoef was kind enough to take time out of his busy preseason schedule to answer questions for Eurobasket.com.

This is your first preseason as head coach of a DBL team, Is it a different feeling?
Actually I was in Zwolle one time the interim headcoach for a year, so it is not my first time ever, but it is great to be back in Holland and practice with professionals again.

What is most important when taking over a new team?
The most important for me was to know what the club wanted from me and what I could give them, as soon as we agreed on that we could move forward from there.

Mark, how excited are you for the challenge ahead this season?
I am really excited for the upcoming season, I think we have a nice group of unselfish players that really like to work together.

I know it's hard to answer many questions with so much change, but what should we expect to be the strengths and weaknesses of this years team?
I think our strenght will be that we can rotate a lot of players and have a lot of different looks for the opponents. Since we are a completely new team and coaching staff we are a
little behind in this department.

Can you talk about the character of the team and how things have come together?
We wanted players that could play defense and wanted to play in a team environment, right now we are still in a phase that we are finding our place on the team but we like
the atmosphere on practice.

What are your general thoughts on the team's performance in Luxembourg? What went better than you expected? What didn't go as well as you'd hoped?
The trip to Luxembourg was result wise ok, but more important was that we were together for three days and could invest energy and time into each other on and off the court.
We were most pleased with the defensive intensitiy rising every game, we had a little trouble getting into an offensive rhythm but that will come in the next few weeks.

What are the team's goals for this year?
one of the goals will be that at the end of this year, the club will have a solid base to go on for many more years. Results-oriented, the goal is to become a better team every day
and reach our potential.

Thanks Mark for the time doing this interview. Wish You and the team a successful season.

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

HUNGARY

Jones starts his professional career with Atomeromu SE - by Levente Szabo

Rookie forward, Anthony Jones (208-F-89) penned a deal this week with Atomeromu SE Paks and will start his overseas career with the top Hungarian team. With the signing of the 6'10" forward the roster of the team can be considered complete.

Anthony Jones played 4 years of college basketball for Baylor. He was a part of a very deep and strong team, especially at his position. The lanky forward had to fight for minutes with 3 newly NBA-drafted players: Quincy Acy, Quincy Miller and Perry Jones.

In his limited playing time Anthony performed this year mostly well with a few great performances too. On the 22th of November last year he scored his season high, 21 points in 28 minutes against South Carolina State. He had 13 points in 17 minutes against Texas Tech and had 11 points in just 9 minutes of action against South Dakota State. He finished his senior season with 5.2ppg and 2.9rpg (FGP: 56.4%, 3PT: 35.5%, FT: 58.8%) playing only 14 minutes/game.

The rookie forward is expected to get a much bigger role in his new team as a pro.

Anthony Nelson can be the new playmaker of NYKK - by Tamas Deri

American playmaker Anthony Nelson (185-G-89, college: Niagara) signed his contract including a tryout period with NYKK for the coming season and will arrive tomorrow to our country. The 185 cm tall playmaker graduated on the University of Niagara in 2011 and had a great senior season averaging 15.4ppg, 5.0rpg, 5.1apg, 3.4spg and was voted the Defensive Player of the MAAC. He started his professional carreer in February 2012 with BC Kalev/Cramo Tallinn and played for the team in the VTB, Baltic and Estonian League.

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

ISRAEL

ITALY

Virtus Bologna and Uros Tripkovic are still in talks - by Giovanni Bargna

As reported by Stadio it seems that Virtus Bologna and Uros Tripkovic (197-G-86) are in talks again.
It seemed they had reached an agreement days ago but then the talks stopped due to a contract clause asked by the player who wants to have the chance to leave the team whenever he gets an offer from a Euroleague team.
If this caused a split between the to actors yesterday, the team and the players seem closer to the deal today.
Virtus Bologna is in talks with Andy Rautins also.
Further details to come.

Dominic James agreed terms with Trenkwalder RE - by Eurobasket

Trenkwalder Reggio Emilia (SerieA) added to their roster 26-year old American point guard Dominic James (180-86, college: Marquette). He played most recently at Partizan in Serbian A League. James managed to play in four leagues last year (!!!). While playing 20 A League games for the team from Beograd he averaged 9.2ppg, 1.9rpg, 3.6apg and 1.8spg. James helped them to win the championship title. He played also 7 games in Adriatic League where he had 12.0ppg, 1.4rpg, 3.6apg and 1.1spg. James helped them to win regular season and make it to the semifinals. The other team He played that season was Aris (Greece), where in 7 Eurocup games his stats were 14.7ppg, 2.6rpg, 2.3apg and 1.4spg. And finally he played 14 games in Greek A1 with following stats: 14.5ppg, 2.1rpg, 4.1apg and 1.9spg. It was a very successful year in his career as he was voted to Eurobasket.com All-Serbian League 2nd Team. James played also pro basketball in Bulgaria and Turkey.

By Eurobasket NEWS3 of Eurobasket.com

Taurean Green joins Sigma Barcellona - by Eurobasket

Sigma Barcellona (Lega2) signed 27-year old American guard Taurean Green (185-80kg-85, college: Florida). He replaced Marcus Walker, who did not pass physical test. Green played last season at Tofas in Turkish TBL. While playing 7 TBL games for the team from Bursa Green averaged 9.4ppg, 2.0rpg and 3.9apg. He was selected also to the Greek League All-Star Game in 2010. Green played also 14 games for G.Canaria 2014 (Spain) in Spanish ACB where he had 3.5ppg and 2.2apg. The other team Green played that season was G.Canaria 2014, where in 8 Eurocup games his stats were 7.3ppg, 1.1rpg and 2.3apg. Green was also selected to All-SEC 2nd Team in 2007. Strange, but Green played in 2010 for ...Georgian National Team at the Qualifications to European Championships 2011. In 8 games he averaged 11.0ppg, 2.4rpg and 2.5apg.

By Eurobasket Data Center

Galatasaray hands 88-77 home loss to Dinamo Banco di Sardegna - by Eurobasket News

Dinamo Banco di Sardegna - Galatasaray 88-77

Dinamo Banco di Sardegna and Galatasaray played a friendly game yesterday. The Italian squad was the host, but it was Galata who celebrated 88-77 victory in this meeting. Henry Domercant (194-G-80, college: E.Illinois) stepped up for the guests with 24 points. David Hawkins (194-G-82, college: Temple) scored 16, Cenk Akyol (198-G/F-87) had 15, while Ersin Dagli (203-F/C-81, agency: Interperformances, college: Alabama) and Jamont Gordon (193-G/F-87, college: Mississippi St.) netted 12 points each. In defeat, Tony Easley (206-F-87, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Murray St.) led the scorers with 19 points. Marvis Thornton (194-G-77, college: St.John's) followed with 15 and Giacomo DeVecchi (196-F-85, agency: Players Group) stopped to 9 pts. Second quarter was the crucial one in this game. The hosts made 21-19 lead in the first ten minutes, but Henry Domercant and his teammates drained 24 more points until the halftime, while they stopped Dinamo to 12. It means that Galata was holding double digit lead at the HT and they kept plus 8 after 30 minutes of play. In the last quarter Galata was strong enough to keep its lead and actually to extend it even more. Before this game in Sardinia, Galata played five friendlies in Bormio.

Dinamo Banco di Sardegna: Tony Easley 19, Marvis Thornton 15, Giacomo DeVecchi 9
Galatasaray: Henry Domercant 24, David Hawkins 16, Cenk Akyol 15, Ersin Dagli 12, Jamont Gordon 12

Imola signs American point guard D.J. Gay - by Eurobasket News

D.J. Gay (183-G-89, college: San Diego St.) will continue his career in Italy. The American point guard penned a 1-year deal with Imola. He arrives from the Slovenian squad Helios Domzale. Gay appeared 25 times in Adriatic league last season averaging 12.7 points, 3.3 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals (No.1). The player was named to Eurobasket.com All-Adriatic League 2nd Team -12. In Slovenian league he added 10.6 ppg, 3.1 apg and 2 rpg for 29 games. Gay participated at the All-Star Game and he was awarded with Eurobasket.com All-Slovenian League Honorable Mention -12. It was his first season as a pro. D.J. Gay graduated at San Diego State University in 2011. He had 11.1 ppg, 3.1 apg and 2.2 rpg for 37 games as a senior.

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

IVORY COAST

ACCMW Qualifier: ABC remain unstoppable beat Uhuru Kings 79-42 - by Olusegun Ikuesan

Abidjan Basket Club of Cote dIvoire continue it smooth run in the Africa Champions Cup Zone-3 qualifier in Monrovia, Liberia with a 79-42 points win over Uhuru Kings basketball club of Monrovia.

ABC though showed some fatigue but proved unstoppable winning in all four quarters by 24-09, 19-18, 17-11, 19-04 with inspirational player Stephane Konate hitting 19 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals as the Abidjan-based maintain its leadership spot in the four-team elimination series.

ABC forward Sidik Fofana recorded 13 points, 8 rebounds and 2 block shot while Anderson Affi contributed 10 points for the win, ABC will file out against LPRC Oilers basketball club of Liberia at 16H00 on Friday.

ACCMW Qualifier: ABC remain unstoppable beat Uhuru Kings 79-42 - by Olusegun Ikuesan

Abidjan Basket Club of Cote dIvoire continue it smooth run in the Africa Champions Cup Zone-3 qualifier in Monrovia, Liberia with a 79-42 points win over Uhuru Kings basketball club of Monrovia.

ABC though showed some fatigue but proved unstoppable winning in all four quarters by 24-09, 19-18, 17-11, 19-04 with inspirational player Stephane Konate hitting 19 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals as the Abidjan-based maintain its leadership spot in the four-team elimination series.

ABC forward Sidik Fofana recorded 13 points, 8 rebounds and 2 block shot while Anderson Affi contributed 10 points for the win, ABC will file out against LPRC Oilers basketball club of Liberia at 16H00 on Friday. Anderson Affi (195-F-82)

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

JAPAN

KAZAKHSTAN

Azovmash edge Astana in Bormio - by Eurobasket News

Azovmash - Astana 83:71

Azovmash played another friendly game at the training camp in Bormio. They took on Kazakh Astana. The Ukrainian team proved the strength claiming a 12-point win. Simonas Serapinas (197-F-82) finished with 15 points to lead Azovmash.
Azovmash cleared off in the opening quarter. They capitalized on 9 turnovers from Astana to take a 14-point lead. Andreas Glyniadakis (215-C-81, agency: Beo Basket) helped Astana got closer in the second frame. But Azovmash quickly regained a comfortable lead. They piled up a 15-point buffer and rallied to the victory at the end. Tadija Dragicevic (206-F/C-86, agency: Beo Basket) posted 14 points, while Lynn Greer (186-PG-79, college: Temple) contributed 12 points for Azovmash.

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

LATVIA

VEF Riga start Kaunas pre-season tournament with win - by Eurobasket News

VEF Riga celebrated opening win at the Kaunas six-team pre-season tournament. The Latvian powerhouse knocked down Liatkabelis 81:72. Kristaps Janicenoks (196-F-83) and Will Daniels (203-F-86, college: Rhode Island) scored 15 points apiece to pace VEF Riga.
The Latvian team gained a 23:16 lead after ten minutes of action. Liatkabelis cut the deficit at 4-point mark at halftime 41:45. However VEF Riga ran away in the third term. They held their opponents at 9 points and secured a 14-point cushion heading into the fourth frame. Liatkabelis fought hard to narrow the deficit but came up short at the end. Antanas Kavaliauskas (208-C-84, agency: Interperformances, college: Texas A&M) accounted for 13 points, while Earl Rowland (188-G-83, college: St.Mary's, CA) and Donatas Zavackas (203-F-80, college: Pittsburgh) finished with 12 points each for the winners. Karolis Babkauskas (184-PG-91) and Darius Griskenas (194-F-84) answered with 15 points each for Liatkabelis.

Dnipro win Triobet Cup in Liepaja - by Eurobasket News

Dnipro - Ventspils 99:94

Dnipro clinched the first pre-season title. They triumphed at Triobet Cup in Liepaja. The Ukrainian team shot down Ventspils for the title. Derrick Low (188-PG-86, college: Washington St.) exploded with 32 points to lead the effort.
Ventspils started the game strong. They grabbed a 25:18 lead after ten minutes. Dnipro cut the deficit but could nit pull ahead in the second quarter. Donald Sims (185-PG-87, college: Appalachian St.) fired 21 points in the first half as Ventspils posted a 50:48 lead. But Dnipro erased the deficit in the third quarter. The teams entered the fourth quarter tied at 74. Dnipro fired 25 points in the fourth stanza and snatched a narrow win at the end. Donald Sims notched 26 points for Ventspils. Ronalds Zakis (207-F/C-87) had 21 points in the loss.

Valmiera lose two against TTU - by Eurobasket News

Valmiera continued their preparations for the upcoming season. They played two friendly games against Estonian TTU. The Latvian side suffered back-to-back defeats.
The first game ended with TTU claiming a narrow 79:78 victory. TTU built a 48:34 halftime lead. Valmiera exploded with a 22:9 run in the third term to narrow the gap. However TTU showed character and escaped with a narrow victory at the end. Janis Kaufmanis (185-G-89) and Pavels Veselovs (207-F/C-83, agency: Players Group) provided 17 points each for Valmiera. Artjoms Butjankovs (205-F/C-91, agency: FCM) and Berzins added 11 points apiece in the loss.
Next game finished with TTU celebrating a 76:68 victory. The Estonian side sneaked to a 41:37 halftime lead. Valmiera pulled in front in the third term but TTU answered with a 22:17 run in the fourth period to seal the victory. Kalvis Krumins (183-G-90) posted 15 points, while Edmunds Elksnis contributed 12 points in the losing effort.

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

LITHUANIA

Perlas-MRU edge LKKA-Atletas - by Eurobasket News

Perlas-MRU - LKKA-Atletas 86:81

Perlas-MRU celebrated a five-point win over LKKA-Atletas in pre-season clash. Mantas Virbalas (203-F/C-88) scored 17 points to lead the winners.
Perlas-MRU got to a flying start. They erupted for 30 points in the first ten minutes to take a 15-point lead. LKKA-Atletas however struck back in the second frame and narrowed the gap at 3-point mark at the interval. Perlas-MRU picked up the tempo in the third term. They ensured a 7-point lead before the fourth frame. Perlas stayed in control throughout the final period and raced to the victory. Zydrunas Stankus (197-F-78, college: Campbell) and Tadas Padegimas (201-F-90) finished with 15 points each for the winners. Taurantas Tamosiunas (189-PG-92) answered with 17 points for LKKA-Atletas. Vidmantas Sragauskis (200-F-86) had 15 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.

Perlas-MRU: Mantas Virbalas 17, Zydrunas Stankus 15, Tadas Padegimas 15
LKKA-Atletas: Taurantas Tamosiunas 17, Vidmantas Sragauskis 15+11 boards

Kryvbasbasket rally past Sakalai - by Eurobasket News

Kryvbasbasket - Sakalai 88:75

Kryvbasbasket celebrated a pre-season victory. They overcame Sakalai in Trakai. Vitali Malchevskiy (204-F-87) stepped up with 25 points and 9 rebounds to lead the Ukrainian team.
Kryvbasbasket started the game strongly posting a 27:14 lead after ten minutes. The teams traded baskets throughout the second quarter. The Ukrainian team ensured a 13-point lead at halftime. Kryvbasbasket bolstered their lead to 16 points at the final break. They did not look back in the fourth term cruising to the victory at the end. Zoran Krstanovic (204-C-82) posted 13 points, while Winsome Frazier (193-F/G-82, college: Mississippi St.) added 12 points in the victory. Ignas Ramasauskas (211-C-93) answered with 19 points for Sakalai. Edvinas Jezukevicius (207-C-90) had 10 points in the losing effort.

Kryvbasbasket: Vitali Malchevskiy 25, Zoran Krstanovic 13, Winsome Frazier 12
Sakalai: Ignas Ramasauskas 19, Edvinas Jezukevicius 10

Zalgiris bring in Jeff Foote - by Eurobasket News

Zalgiris bolstered their frontcourt. They agreed on terms of contract with Jeff Foote (212-C-88, college: Cornell). The centre signed a one-year deal with the Kaunas team. Jeff Foote spent the last season in D-League. He played for the Springfield Armor. Jeff Foote notched 14.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. He also played four games in NBA. Jeff Foote produced 1.0 point and 1.5 boards per game for the New Orleans Hornets. The centre made it into All-D-League 2nd Team. Jeff Foote participated at D-League All-Star Game. Previously Jeff Foote had stints with Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Mellila Baloncesto.

JSF Nanterre not signing Arvydas Eitutavicius - by Eurobasket News

Arvydas Eitutavicius (188-PG-82, college: American) is not coming to JSF Nanterre. The Lithuanian media reported earlier this week that two sides are close to sign a deal. Nanterre denied this news today and they are still on the market searching for the PG. Eitutavicius finished last season in Ukraine. He joined Khimik Yuzny averaging 8.4 points and 2 assists for 8 games. Eitutavicius started the season with Czech squad BK Prostejov. There he registered 9.7 ppg, 2.5 apg and 2.4 rpg for 26 games in NBL. The player also added 9.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg and 2 apg for 6 appearances in EuroChallenge. In 2010/11 season he played for Greek Iraklis. Arvydas Eitutavicius was a member of Cholet in 2009/10 and they were ProA champions together. The player had 6.8 ppg and 1.8 apg for 33 games in the league. In the past, Eitutavicius played for Neptunas Klaipeda and also for Spanish LEB Gold and EBA teams BC Real and Promobys. He graduated at American University in 2007. Yesterday J.P. Primm (185-G, college: NC-Asheville) left Nanterre and will not play for the team in the upcoming season.

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

MEXICO

Standings - LNBP

LNBP Standings

1. Abejas		1-0
2. Corr.Victoria		1-0
3. Guerreros		1-0
4. Halc.Xalapa		1-0
5. Osos		1-0
6. Panteras		1-0
7. Pioneros		1-0
8. Toros		1-0
9. Barreteros		0-1
10. Fuerza Regia		0-1
11. Gansos		0-1
12. Gigantes		0-1
13. Halc.Rojos		0-1
14. Huracanes		0-1
15. Lechugueros		0-1
16. Soles		0-1

Regular Season: Round 1

Sep. 4: Guerreros - Gansos 92-79
Sep. 4: Panteras - Barreteros 90-78
Sep. 4: Gigantes - Osos 90-102
Sep. 4: Corr.Victoria - Huracanes 84-78
Sep. 4: Pioneros - Soles 84-77
Sep. 4: Halc.Rojos - Halc.Xalapa 76-86
Sep. 4: Toros - Fuerza Regia 71-66
Sep. 4: Lechugueros - Abejas 0-20

Regular Season: Round 2

Sep. 6: Pioneros - Corr.Victoria
Sep. 6: Soles - Huracanes
Sep. 6: Guerreros - Panteras
Sep. 6: Gansos - Barreteros
Sep. 6: Toros - Lechugueros
Sep. 7: Fuerza Regia - Abejas
Sep. 6: Gigantes - Halc.Rojos
Sep. 6: Osos - Halc.Xalapa

LNBP 2012/13 season: Round One review - by Eurobasket News

The Regular Season in LNBP started on Tuesday. The league includes 16 teams. Regular season will have 40 rounds and the last one will be played on January 12. Round Two will start today.

Halc.Rojos - Halc.Xalapa 76-86
The game without a history. Halcones UV Xalapa led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Worth to mention a great performance of Venezuelan point guard Gregory Vargas (180-PG-86) (180-86) who helped to win the game recording 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. American guard LeRoy Hickerson (196-82, college: Cumberlands) contributed with 15 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. Five Halcones UV Xalapa players scored in double figures. Venezuelan power forward Luis Bethelmy (200-86) answered with 25 points and American point guard Mike Mitchell (181-83, college: N.Mexico St., agency: Two Points) added 12 points and 4 assists in the effort for Halcones Rojos.
Top scorers:
Halc.Xalapa: G.Vargas 17+7reb+4ast, L.Hickerson 15+9reb, A.Parada 14+8reb+1ast, V.Mariscal 12+2reb+2ast, S.Monroe 11+2reb+2ast, L.Mata 7+5reb
Halc.Rojos: L.Bethelmy 25+3reb, M.Mitchell 12+4reb+4ast, F.Cruz 11+2reb, A.Solares 8+3reb+1ast, N.Alonzo 8+2reb+1ast, C.Rivera 6+7reb+2ast

Toros - Fuerza Regia 71-66
Fuerza Regia was ahead by 4 points after three quarters before a 18-9 charge of Toros, which allowed them to win the game. They outrebounded Fuerza Regia 48-31 including 33 on the defensive glass. American players dominated the game. Forward Adrian Henning (203-82, college: Austin Peay St.) fired a double-double by scoring 15 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. Swingman Rene Rougeau (198-86, college: UNLV, agency: ProSportsCareers) chipped in 16 points and 7 rebounds. Forward Terrence Shannon (203-79, college: Elgin CC, agency: Paris Global Sports) produced 21 points and 9 rebounds and forward Renaldo Major (201-82, college: Fresno St., agency: Edge Sports) added 12 points (made all of his eight free throws) respectively for lost side.
Top scorers:
Toros: R.Rougeau 16+7reb+2ast, A.Henning 15+10reb+1ast, B.Angley 10+8reb+5ast, J.Lopez 9+4reb+2ast, I.Ofoegbu 7+4reb, J.Hernandez 7+4reb+3ast
Fuerza Regia: T.Shannon 21+9reb+3ast, R.Major 12+3reb+2ast, L.Allred 10+7reb, G.Grays 8+1reb+2ast, A.Joseph Tyronzic 7+3reb+2ast, G.Giron 5+2reb+1ast

Lechugueros - Abejas 0-20

Gigantes - Osos 90-102
The game was mostly controlled by Osos. Gigantes was better in second period 25-24. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They dominated down low during the game scoring 68 of its points in the paint compared to Gigantes' 30. They outrebounded Gigantes 42-29 including a 34-20 advantage in defensive rebounds. It was a very good performance for American forward Keith Gayden (202-83, college: Duquesne) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 24 points and 17 rebounds (on 11-of-14 shooting from the field). His fellow American import guard Larry Morinia (180-80, college: Montana St., agency: ProSportsCareers) contributed with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field) for the winners. Morinia is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. Four Osos players scored in double figures. American guard Sam Liggins (178, college: Alders.-Broad.) answered with 30 points and British V.Islands-Vincentian center John Gardiner (203-83, college: Sam Houston St.) added 12 points and 11 rebounds in the effort for Gigantes.
Top scorers:
Osos: L.Smith 29+5reb+1ast, K.Gayden 24+17reb+1ast, L.Morinia 21+7reb+8ast, M.Bryant 10+5reb+2ast, G.Moron 9+3reb, E.Zuniga 6+4reb+3ast
Gigantes: S.Liggins 30+2reb+3ast, D.Garcia Wood 25+1reb, J.Gardiner 12+11reb+2ast, A.Velarde 11+4reb+1ast, J.HumbertoJ. Inzunza Gil 8+4reb, Z.Alvidrez 4+5reb+1ast

Corr.Victoria - Huracanes 84-78
Correcaminos used a home court advantage and defeated the opponent from Tampico 84-78 on Tuesday night. However just six-point win is not that big difference and the fans of host team counted on more convincing victory. It was a key game for the top position in the league. The hosts were tied at the half but managed to speed up in last two quarters eventually winning the game. Correcaminos outrebounded Huracanes 43-31 including a 17-4 advantage in offensive rebounds. American players dominated also this game. Quite impressive performance for forward Rodney Alexander (201-87, college: Oklahoma City) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 23 points and 18 rebounds. Swingman O'Louis McCullough (198-82, college: Francis Marion) contributed with a double-double by scoring 14 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Swingman Marcus Morrison (198-84, college: Middle Tenn.St.) answered with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds and swingman Anthony Johnson (197-79, college: La-Lafayette, agency: Interperformances) added 20 points and 6 rebounds in the effort for Huracanes.
Top scorers:
Corr.Victoria: R.Alexander 23+18reb+2ast, B.Heredia 21+2reb, O.McCullough 14+10reb+4ast, D.Riley 12+7reb, J.Sanchez 8+4reb+3ast, E.Hare 2+1ast
Huracanes: A.Johnson 20+6reb, M.Morrison 20+10reb, D.Holmes 13+2reb+3ast, O.Quintero 11+1reb+2ast, J.Farrera 6+4reb, J.Gonzalez 3+4reb

Guerreros - Gansos 92-79
The hosts trailed by 1 point at the halftime before their 53-39 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. Guerreros forced 23 Gansos turnovers. Chris Caba nailed 32 points and 8 rebounds for the winning side and American point guard Michael Hunter (178, college: Cal-Irvine) accounted for 18 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Hunter is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. American CamRon Clay (203-82) came up with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds and the other American import forward Shane Thorson (198-83, college: Tampa) added 16 points and 5 rebounds respectively for Gansos in the defeat. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games.
Top scorers:
Guerreros: C.Caba 32+8reb, M.Hunter 18+6reb+5ast, J.Calvo 13+2reb+1ast, T.Gabbidon 12+2reb+3ast, A.Raj 8+2reb, D.Toralva 3
Gansos: C.Clay 20+10reb, S.Thorson 16+5reb+1ast, D.Pineda 16+3reb, I.Silva 11+3reb, J.Perez 5, G.Abraham 4+3reb

Panteras - Barreteros 90-78
Barreteros were ahead by 2 points at the halftime before a 50-36 second half run of Panteras. They made 27-of-33 charity shots (81.8 percent) during the game. Barreteros were plagued by 26 personal fouls down the stretch. Puerto Rican point guard Ricardo Melendez (179-83) stepped up and scored 32 points for the winners and Panamanian power forward Antonio Garcia (203-76, college: Ky Wesleyan) chipped in 10 points and 13 rebounds. At the losing side forward Christopher Silva responded with 21 points and 6 rebounds and naturalized American forward Ramiro Loera Almanza (196-81, college: Cameron) scored 13 points and 4 assists. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest.
Top scorers:
Panteras: R.Melendez 32+4reb+3ast, L.Nailon 12+4reb+1ast, A.Garcia 10+13reb+1ast, K.Malpica 7+1reb+2ast, F.Verdugo 7+4reb+2ast, A.Villalobos 5
Barreteros: C.Silva 21+6reb, M.BATTE 17+2reb+2ast, R.Loera Almanza 13+4reb+4ast, R.McKoy 11+6reb, J.Horton 5+2reb+5ast, R.Navarro 4+3reb+2ast

Pioneros - Soles 84-77
The hosts trailed by 1 point at the halftime before their 19-9 charge in the third quarter, which allowed them to win the game. Pioneros made 30-of-39 free shots (76.9 percent) during the game. Pioneros had a 24-13 advantage in offensive rebounds. It was a great shooting night for Pioneros especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 61.5 percentage. Soles were plagued by 27 personal fouls down the stretch. Quite impressive performance for Jamaican-American point guard Akeem Scott (186-83, college: High Point) who helped to win the game recording 23 points (made all of his seven free throws). American forward Jeremis Smith (203-86, college: Georgia Tech) contributed with 13 points for the winners. Scott is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top summer league for players who want to play basketball overseas. Pioneros' coach Josep Claros used entire bench and allowed the starting five to get some rest. American forward Nicchaeus Doaks (202-87, college: Chattanooga) answered with 21 points and 6 rebounds (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field) and the other American import guard Carl Elliott (193-83, college: G.Washington, agency: SportsTalent) added 18 points in the effort for Soles.
Top scorers:
Pioneros: A.Scott 23+1reb+1ast, J.Smith 13+4reb, F.Fisher 10+4reb, H.Hernandez 9+4reb, M.Williams 9+5reb+1ast, H.Llamas 6+2reb
Soles: N.Doaks 21+6reb, C.Elliott 18+3reb+2ast, J.Flores 13+1ast, M.Fraser 9+6reb, J.Griffin 7+1ast, R.Martinez 6+3reb+1ast

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

MONTENEGRO

Milos Lopicic signed a 2 year contract with Stelmet Zielona Gora - by Darko Pekic

Milos Lopicic (216-C-90) signed today a 2 year contract with Stelmet Zielona Gora (TBL- Poland)after a four week try-out with the Club. The young big man from Cetinje will play his first season abroad in the ambitious club coached by former Red Star head coach Mihailo Uvalin . Stelmet has big plans for the upcoming season as they brought earlier players with Euroleague experience such as Quinton Hosley (201-F/G-84, college: Fresno St.), Oliver Stevic (204-F/C-84, agency: Beo Basket) and former Prokom center Adam Lapeta (217-C-87, agency: Alti Sport). Lopicic will not be the only Montenegrin there because Uvalin is assisted by the former Red Star player Velibor Radovic (202-F/G-72, agency: Beo Basket).

The 22 year old player born in Cetinje had an extraordinary season last year in Montenegro. He was one of the best players in regular season and dominated the league with 17.7 ppg and 8.6 rpg. His departure will be a big loss for the young team from the historical capital of Montenegro- Lovcen.

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

NBA

The best book of the decade about international basketball !!! - by Eurobasket

When something truly unique comes along, its always tough to ignore and this is certainly the case with Pro-Ballers Overseas: Life Beyond the Rim.
Never before have we been able to enjoy such a diverse, entertaining and no-holds barred basketball book written by a multitude of pro-ballers who all have such wonderful stories to tell.
This is an amazing opportunity for you to find out first-hand about the roller-coaster life of a pro-baller overseas.
Most crucially of all, this eclectic mix of stories is told directly through their eyes and unmistakably, in their own words.
Travelling the world, experiencing and adapting to different cultures off the court, honing their skills on the floor and adjusting to the basketball nuances of each country and their respective pro-leagues its truly an absorbing read.
They may well be living the post-College dream but in some cases, it has been dangerously close to a nightmare at times.
Read this book and you will realise that being a pro-baller is never straightforward. It comes with huge rewards but also plenty of pitfalls.
Theres no manual for becoming a pro-baller but this is the closest thing you will ever get to the ultimate pro-ballers survival guide.
It's genuinely not to be missed.

By Paul Nilsen
(European basketball writer and broadcaster)

The Pacers sign three players - by Eurobasket

Indiana Pacers signed three free-agents: Sam Young (6'6''-F-85, college: Pittsburgh), Sundiata Gaines (6'1''-G-86, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Georgia) and Blake Ahearn (6'2''-PG-84, college: Missouri St.).
Sam Young supposed to re-sign with Philadephia, where he played last season helping them to make it to NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals. But he ended-up in Pacers roster. Young was drafted in 2009 by Memphis Grizzlies, where he played until middle of last season, before moving to the 76ers. His last season stats are 3.5ppg, 2.0rpg (Memphis) and 2.7ppg, 1.4rpg (Philadelphia).
Sundiata Gaines was about to be re-signed at Brooklyn Nets for 12-13. It seems he managed to secure a contract with the Pacers instead. He played previously in Utah, Minnesota, Toronto and New Jersey Nets. He has also some experience in Italy and ...Georgia, where he played last season for Armia Tbilisi (12.0ppg, 4.2rpg, 6.5apg in Georgian league and 16.8ppg, 3.5rpg, 5.5apg in their Eurochallenge games. Last december moved back to New Jersey Nets, where in 55 games he averaged 5.3ppg, 2.0rpg, 2.3apg and 1.0spg.
Blake Ahearn is the best scorer of D-League. It's his second year trying to make it to the NBA. After two years in Spanish and Italian leagues, he came back to the States last year first trying at Reno Bighorns in D-League (23.8ppg, 2.6rpg, 4.9apg), and then in April moving to Utah Jazz (6 games: 2.5ppg). He was voted to USBasket.com All-D-League 1st Team last year. Ahearn represented also USA at the Panamerican Games in Guadalajara (Mexico) where they won bronze medal.

Knicks Prepare for Camp Before the Official Training Camp - by Daniel Gibson

Tyson Chandler, the reigning defensive player of the year, and Amare Stoudamire have been showing off the new look New York Knicks uniforms lately, building excitement for the upcoming season. That's that the only thing they're doing to prepare for the upcoming year though.

Members of the team have agreed to give up some of their time and meet up in early September for a training camp, before the official training camp starts. Carmelo Anthony, Chandler and Stoudamire have heard the criticism for months about whether or not they function together as a successful unit. Last season injuries derailed the team as the main pieces all missed big chunks of time making it difficult to ever build chemistry.

The Jeremy Lin saga also took the team in a different direction, but he's on the Houston Rockets now. With the team healthy, aside from Iman Shumpert, and new faces on the team (Jason Kidd, Ronnie Brewer, James White and Pablo Prigioni) meeting up early is a great idea for the team.

The Knicks really feel like they have the pieces in place to be a contender. Carmelo Anthony has been focused all summer and was training hard to lose weight and better his conditioning before the Olympics. At the Olympic games he was a key player on the team and shot the ball extremely well and played solid defense on the opponents big men and guards.

From the outside looking in, it seems like Melo is even more focused on winning a title after his good friend, LeBron James picked up his first. While the two of them are friends, they do have a competitive rivalry that goes back to their days in high school. Melo also is looking to prove to the doubters that he can carry a team to the Finals and win. He's not the only star on the Knicks looking to prove some things this year.

Stoudamire is out to prove that his skills and explosiveness haven't diminished after multiple injuries and surgeries. He spent time in Houston this summer working on his post game with Hakeem Olajuwon, who's regarded as one of the best centers to play. For years people have talked about Stats lack of inside game and he's made the decision to develop that part of his game. Will his rebounding and defense improve to? That remains to be seen.

The addition of Jason Kidd is one that can't be discounted. Even at an advanced age, J. Kidd is a winner with a winning mentality. Chandler brought that professionalism over from Dallas last season and his impact was immediately felt, expect Kidd to only add to that. Ronnie Brewer is a strong defender who can finish on the break and has improved his shooting since he first entered the league.

On paper the Knicks have an athletic team with shooters, defenders and players with defensive ability. They seem like a complete team but that means nothing if they don't come together as a team. It will be interesting to see how things develop at these workouts and down the line in training camp. Playing in New York is always pressure packed but with other teams improving in the East and the Nets moving to Brooklyn, the pressure may never have been as high as it is now.

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

NCAA2

Tom Parker Lake Erie College 'Junior Season' It Now or Never - by Vance Marbury

Tom Parker Lake Erie College 'Junior Season' It Now or Never

2009-10 St. Ignatius (Iggy) High School Prepartory School mostly known for its football team, is embarking on something special. Tom Parker, Richard Austin, Tyler Hammond, Shonn Miller, and Shakir Epps are getting ready to put Iggy on the map. This quintet leads Ignatius to the Regional Finals, where they lose to St. Edwards High School in overtime by 5 pts. The kids are crushed because not only is there season over but this will be the last time that they play together in High School and also for St. Ignatius High School. The tradition of the school speaks for itself.

Tom Parker 6'0" 170 lb guard is a defensive hawk, gets offers from smaller schools and decides to go to Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio. Freshman year 2009-10 Parker appeared in only 12 games. Sophomore season 2010-11 Parker averaged 20.8 min 4.7 pts 2.1 rebs and 2.4 asts per game, but knowing Tom personally mid-season he still was not confident on the floor.

Lake Erie vs Malone college January 10th, Parker finally gets a chance to play heavy minutes, and produces. After the game I talk to Tom Parker and Rich Austin about their performance and they both felt like they could have played better. I tell those guys "it should be about nothing but basketball and books from now until the end of your senior season", and I believe Parker listened.

2012 JT Focus Mgt Cleveland Am Pro Summer League, Parker is more aggressive then Ive ever seen him. Parker is running the screen and rolls correctly, shooting 3 pt jump shots with confidence, pointing guys in the right direction, and still being a hawk on defense. I told Mr. Parker "Looks like you have finally dedicated yourself to the game of basketball, and the results are showing" and Parker simply responded "Yes Sir".

This being Tom Parker Junior season, its time for him to lead Lake Erie to the NCAA tournament for the first time since he has been attending the University. Tom has all the tools, his dedication is there, and he has some good quality teammates that can help him get there. Question is will Tom Parker get it done, or make excuses. We will see in a very short time, but I believe if Parker stays focus, he will have a break out season and put Lake Erie College on the map!!

Collin Barth and Justin Fritts, Sophomore + Freshman at Wheeling Jesuit University & Brothers For Life - by Vance Marbury

Collin Barth and Justin Fritts, Sophomore + Freshman at Wheeling Jesuit University & Brothers For Life

Collin Barth a Sophmore at Wheeling Jesuit University from Mentor Ohio, is a 510 170 lb guard from Mentor, Ohio is a lights out shooter. As a Senior in High School, Collin averaged 16.5 pts per game, was Play by Play Classic MVP, Brush Holiday tournament 1st team, McDonalds Student Athlete of the Month on WEWS, 1st team All Southwest Conference while at Olmsted Falls HS, 2nd team All Northeast District, Honorable Mention All State, and earned 3.3 GPA at Mentor High School. As a freshman at Wheeling Jesuit University Collin averaged 3.6 pts in 8.2 minutes per game last season.

Justin Fritts a 6-2 guard Freshman at Wheeling Jesuit University from Mentor Ohio was the winner of Ohio's coveted Mr. Basketball award for the 2011-12 season. As a senior last season at Mentor, Ohio Fritts averaged 28.1 points, eight rebounds, 3.7 steals and 2.9 assists in leading the fast-paced Cardinals to a 22-3 record, a fourth consecutive appearance in the Division I regional tournament. He made 60 percent of his field goal attempts, 39 percent of his 3-point attempts and 91 percent of his free throws.

Fritts became the first player from Northeast Ohio to win the award since LeBron James won it three consecutive years (2001-03) with St. Vincent-St. Mary and just the sixth player from the Northeast to win since its inception in 1988.

If you know these guys, their relationship goes past basketball, they are close friends and great young men. Much will be expected of these two guards this season at Wheeling Jesuit, and I believe the best is still yet to come in regards to the their basketball potential.

Collin Barth dad, A.J. Barth put together a team that won the 2012 JT Focus Mgt Cleveland Am Pro Summer League. Mr. Barth is a huge supporter of the Cleveland Am Pro Summer League. Mr Barth is also a very giving and caring person in the Cleveland Community.

Below you will find Collin Barth and Justin Fritts Summer League Highlight Tape produced by 3rd Coast Hoops

Collin Barth 2012 Cleveland Am Pro Summer League Mix Tape

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a7griwIqVQ

Justin Fritts Summer League Mix Tape 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDxaB9F7xKQ

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

NIGERIA

NORWAY

PARAGUAY

CERRO becomes champion after 50 years!!! - by Santiago Maciel

After a super low start during the regular season Cerro ended up consolidating a great chemistry group.
The team had to get over so many adversities during the season that most people including this reporter gave very low chances to this team.
The great candidate was of course Libertad. The team led by Cristhian Viveros lost its first game only in the quoadrangular round. The acquisition of Jamal Levy was surprising
considering his great level at Lanus in Argentina and also for being teammate with Bruno Zanotti (199-F-82, college: Merrimack) at that same team.
However, Cerro ended 3rd at the SEMI FINAL round, having to had to play extra games the best of 3 with San Jos. Unbelievably , Cerro shutted down the main weapon of San Jos; their 3 pointers.
Juan Pablo Feliu had a great lecture of what San Jos was doing to finally reach th final SERIES to the best of 5 against libertad.

Libertad , bad coached by Viveros in offense, never could obtain an offensive line, his players were so inconsistent except fo Zanotti and Perez. They rarely got Levy involved in the game which at large gave Cerro tremendous advantage due to the profound game of Fabio , Penny, Ozuna and Paniagua. Only Edison Ortiz (197-F/C-82) had a consistent game from the 3 point line, but obviously shooting from long range could never be enough at this level.

Libertad played and lost with this players: Daniel Perez (190-G/F-84) (18), Carlos Luis Vallejos (183-G-92), Bruno Zanotti (15), Jamal Levy (12) y Edison Ortiz (13),Alexis Bentez, Carlos Riveros (8) . Diego Bareiro (4).
Cerro played and won after 50 years with: Gustavo Paniagua (12), Richard Ozuna (17), Elias Sosa (194-F/C-80), Jose Fabio (6) , James Penny (198-F-76, college: TCU) (30) Nelson Peralta, Luis Ljubetich, Jorge Sequera (5) , Marcos Rabino (5).

Players that deserved following mentions:
Finals MVP - Richard Ozuna
Import Player of the Year: James Penny
Domestic Player of the Year: Richard Ozuna
Defensive Player of the Year: Jamaal Levy

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

PHILIPPINES

2012 FIBA-Asia Cup Scouting Report: The Old Guard - by Enzo Flojo

The biggest continental tournament in this corner of the basketball world will unfold in about a week. This will determine the first three qualifiers in the 2013 FIBA-Asia Mens Championships, which, in turn, will award the top three finishers with automatic berths in the 2014 FIBA World Championships.

Needless to say, this tournament is going to be big, so your friendly neighborhood Hoop Nut has taken it upon himself to detail some of the personalities to watch for. This is the first in a series of scouting reports aimed at unveiling some of the names well have to remember as the FIBA-Asia Cup unfolds. Some of these names are staples of the FIBA-Asia scene, some are due to break out , while some are rising stars destined to carry their respective countries causes in the future.

Lets begin with the guys whove been battling in the FIBA-Asia for quite some time now. These are the veterans. These are the stars whove lived and breathed FIBA-Asia for the better part of the past decade. These are the old guard.

Fadi ElKhatib of Lebanon
Known as the Lebanese Tiger, Fadi missed the 2011 FIBA-Asia Championships because he wanted to turn the reigns over to the younger generation of Lebanese cagers. That didnt turn out to well for the Cedars, who finished outside of the top four and ended up with a losing record (4-5). Fadi returned to action in the 2011 WABA tournament, where he led Lebanon to first place. He missed the 2012 Jones Cup, but should still continue to be the focal point of Coach Ghassan Sarkiss offense in Tokyo. His return automatically makes the Lebanese one of the title favorites.

Gabe Norwood of the Philippines
Prior to 2012, Norwood, the former George Mason University playmaker, already had stints with the Philippine team in 2007 and 2009. He has never experienced winning a title in the international scene until Gilas 2.0s unexpected title run in the just-concluded Jones Cup. That should raise his confidence as Coach Chot Reyes is looking to him for veteran leadership.

Samad Nikkhah Bahrami of Iran
Apart from Fadi, Samad is probably the most gifted and balanced scorer in all of Asia. The 29-year old swingman has been with Irans senior national squad since 2003 (if Im not mistaken), and he has led them to unprecedented levels of success. With Hamed Haddadi and Arsalan Kazemi unable to play for Iran in Tokyo, Coach Memi Becirovic will count on Samad anew to lead Irans offense, and to serve as mentor to some of the young guns tapped to eventually inherit his mantle.

Mehdi Kamrani of Iran
Mehdi is not the biggest name on Irans roster, and hes certainly not the biggest player in terms of stature, but hes a vital part of the whole Iranian hoops machine. Hes been Irans starting PG ever since they rose to prominence in 2007, and the 30-year olds playmaking and shooting will continue to be important factors in whether Iran will find success or failure in the FIBA-Asia Cup.

The Takeuchi twins of Japan
Kosuke and Joji Takeuchi have been the bulwarks of Japans frontline for the past 6 years. The twins first donned the Rising Suns colors in the 2006 FIBA World Championships as a pair of wide-eyed 21-year olds who were simply happy to be playing. They have certainly taken on bigger roles in recent years, although Japans standing in the continents hoops scene has dipped significantly. Kosuke seems to be the more accomplished of the two, as he was invited to be a part of the Minnesota Timberwolves 2010 Las Vegas Summer Camp roster. The literal twin towers of Japan have to be in their finest form if the home squad wants to gain an automatic qualifying berth for next year.

Tseng Wen-Ting of Taiwan
Strangely given the Japanese nickname The Samurai by Pinoys, Tseng Wen-Ting has been Taiwans top big man ever since the retirement of Wu Chih-Wei from international competitions in the early 2000s. Tseng, now 28 years old, is at the prime of his career and that should serve the Taiwanese in good stead for the next few years. He is one of the most versatile big men in Asia. The Shanghai Shark big man is known as a threat from practically any spot on the floor, and is a deceptively effective one-on-one defender and rebounder.

Chen Hsin-An of Taiwan
The former Dongguan Leopard and Sacramento King hopeful has had to endure a spate of leg injuries in recent years, but he can still shoot the lights out with the best of Asia. Hes one of a handful of players who has transcended generations in Taiwanese hoops. He played alongside legends Cheng Chich-Lung and Yen Hsin-Shu in the late 90s, and he was the main guy when guys like Tseng, Tien Lei, and Wu Tai-Hao were just getting their bearings in the early 2000s. He might be in the twilight of his international career, but the Pure Youth guard should still be an important piece of the puzzle for Taiwans efforts in the FIBA-Asia Cup.

Yaseen Musa of Qatar
The iconic poster boy for Qatari basketball missed the 2011 FIBA-Asia tournament, but he has been called back to represent the small Gulf nation in the wake of FIBAs clamping down on player eligibility. Qatar, known for brazenly parading naturalized African imports as locals, probably reaped what they had sown when their entire starting unit was deemed ineligible in Wuhan last year, but coach Tom Wisman, who coached Japan last year, remains hopeful that the presence of Yaseen should still make them tough for any opposition.

In the second part of this series, we will look at the guys who are poised to break out in the 2012 FIBA-Asia Cup.

Chris Ross re-signs with Meralco Bolts - by Eurobasket News

Meralco Bolts re-signed contract with Chris Ross (185-G-85, college: Marshall). The guard will enter his third straight season with the team. Last season Chris Ross notched 7.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game at the Commissioner's Cup. He also appeared in one Philippine Cup game. Chris Ross took part at Philippines PBA All-Star Game in 2012. He made it into Asia-Basket.com All-PBA Commissioners Cup 2nd Team. Previously Chris Ross had stints with Coca-Cola Tigers, Santa Lucia Realtors, Pharex Medics. He was trumped All-PBA Philippine Cup Import Player of the Year in 2011. Meralco Bolts were not quite successful last season. They were eliminated from both PBA Cup and PBA Commissioner's Cup at quarterfinal stages.

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

POLAND

Szymon Lukasiak joins Swedish Nassjo - by Eurobasket News

Szymon Lukasiak (208-C-87) is set to start his professional basketball career. The Polish big guy penned a 1-year deal with Nassjo. They will compete in Swedish top division for men - Basketligan. Lukasiak is a product of Jacksonville, where he graduated two years ago. The center had 1.6 ppg and 1.6 rpg for 28 games as a senior. They reached A-Sun Tournament Semifinals together. Szymon Lukasiak had limited playing time at Jacksonville. In the past, he played for the Polish U18 National Team.
Nassjo is a newcomer to Swedish top division. They won third place in Basketettan last season. Szymon Lukasiak spent some time on tryout with Nassjo and managed to earn a deal.

Frank Robinson on his way to Poland - by Eurobasket News

Asseco Prokom have bolstered their backcourt. They have reportedly agreed on terms of contract with Frank Robinson (193-G-84, college: CS Fullerton). The guard started the previous season in Georgia. He played for Sokhumi. Frank Robinson delivered 16.5 points, 4.0 boards, 2.0 assists per game in EuroChallenge Qualifying Round. Later the guard moved to Israel. Frank Robinson signed with B.C. Habikaa. His stats read 12.6 points, 5.5 boards, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game in Premier League. He made it into Israeli League All-Defensive Team. Previously Frank Robinson played in Israel, D-League, Slovenia and Germany. He was named All-Israeli League Defensive Player of the Year in 2011.

Anwil and Energa Czarni claim wins - by Eurobasket News

Anwil overcame Khimik Yuzny in pre-season action. Krzysztof Szubarga (182-PG-84) scored 19 points to lead Wloclawek team to a 74:71 win. Anwil piled up a 38:33 halftime lead. Khimik cut the deficit at 3-point mark at the final break. But Anwil stayed in charge throughout the final quarter and sealed the victory at the end. Ruben Boykin (201-F-85, college: N.Arizona) provided 17 points for Anwil. Ryan Wright (206-C/F-87, college: Oklahoma) added 11 points for the winning side.
Energa Czarni defeated Polpharma 99:51 in Slupsk. The hosts built a 54:32 halftime lead. They stretched the margin to as many as 33 points at the final intermission. Polpharma could not recover in the final period and had to surrender at the end. Oded Brandwein (186-G-88, agency: N.E.T.) notched 18 points for Energa Czarni. Mateusz Kostrzewski (201-G/F-89) added 13 points, while Levi Knutson (193-G-88, agency: FCM, college: Colorado) and Valdas Dabkus (204-PF-84) added 12 points each for the winners. Jawan Carter (180-PG-87, college: Delaware) replied with 9 points for Polpharma. Ben McCauley (206-F/C-86, college: N.Carolina St.) and Uros Mirkovic (205-F/C-82, agency: BeoExcell) chipped in 8 points each in the loss.

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

PORTUGAL

Jose Silva on his way to Guimaraes! - by Jorge Martin

According to its website, the Vitoria SC/M.Couto Alves Guimaraes has just come to an agreement with the Portuguese International player Jose Silva (194-G/F-89).

Silva joins his fellow national team, Paulo Cunha and Andre Bessa players on the orders of Fernando Sa that continues to prepare the team for next season.

The Portuguese averaged 11.2ppg, 3.3rpg and 1.1spg.

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

PUERTO RICO

Daniel Santiago joins Boca Juniors: - by Luis Modestti

Puerto Rican national team center Daniel Santiago (216-C-76, agency: Priority Sports, college: N.Mexico) signed with Boca Juniors for the 2012-2013 season of the Argentinean National League. He is expected to arrive in Buenos Aires on Friday.

Santiago played last season for Capitanes de Arecibo and averaged 10.55 points and 5.1 rebounds in 29 games. He has many years of experience in the best leagues in the world including the NBA, ACB, Italy and Turkey.

Boca is also close to signing guard Joel Jones (196-G/F-81, agency: Paris Global Sports, college: Sacramento St.). Jones played last season with Piratas de Quebradillas and then went to the Dominican Republic where he had a stint with Indios SFM.

Penn and Cortes selected by Titanes: - by Luis Modestti

Titanes del Licey selected Puerto Ricans Kleon Penn (213-C-86, agency: Paris Global Sports, college: McNeese St.) and David Cortes (190-G/F-81) in the import draft for the Dominican League semifinals.

Both Penn and Cortes played for Huracanes who missed the semifinals after a 12-8 record. Penn averaged 7.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.11 blocks in 17 games. Cortes averaged 15 points in five games.

Titanes selected Penn in the first round and Cortes in the next one. The team plays against Indios SFM starting tomorrow.

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

SERBIA

Tamis brings in Slobodan Lalic for 2012/13 - by Eurobasket News

Slobodan Lalic (197-G-86, agency: Beo Basket) will continue his career in Tamis. The Serbian guard penned a 1-year deal. Lalic arrives to Tamis from BKK Radnicki Belgrade, where he spent last two seasons. He appeared 40 times in the latest one (A League and Superleague) averaging 9.5 points and 2.5 rebounds. BKK Radnicki finished as the second ranked team in A League and advanced to Superleague. Slobodan Lalic helped BKK Radnicki to win the title in B League something more than a year ago. At the same time they were promoted to A League. Lalic shined with 15.9 ppg and 3 rpg for 25 games that season and was named Eurobasket.com All-Serbian B League Player of the Year -11. Before BKK Radnicki, Slobodan Lalic played for KB Progres Bambi Mitrovica and Ulcinj. He also has experience from Slavija Istocno Sarajevo, Varda VIsegrad, Mega Ishrana and Atlas.

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

SLOVAKIA

Jason Davis is the latest signing in Handlova - by Michal Duchovic

MBK Handlova has signed swingman Jason Davis (196-G/F-85, college: Sacramento St.). Davis has a lot of basketball experierence, he played in Portugal, Turkey and Ukraine. Last season he was a member of SK Cherkasy Monkeys, where he played 15 games with average of 14.2ppg, 4.8rpg, 1.8apg, 1.9spg. With team he has accomplished to be Ukrainian Higher League Champion. Also in Portugal he was a member in Portuguese League All-Star Game in 2009. MBK Handlova has completed with this sign their main squad, they will add one or two slovak players in their squad from their source or from to outside source.

Svit lose three in a row in pre-season action - by Eurobasket News

Svit started their preparations for the upcoming season rather slowly. They lost three games in a row. First Svit took on Inter Bratislava. It was a high-flying game where Inter proved the strength. The Bratislava team claimed a 97:92 victory. Marko Puzic (198-SG-85) led Svit with 24 points. Nikola Vladovic (214-F/C-87) finished with 21 points in the losing effort.
Next Svit faced Arkadia Traiskirchen Lions. The Austrian team dominated from start to finish. The Lions built a 51:41 halftime lead and never looked back en route to a 95:69 victory. Nikola Vladovic accounted for 23 points for Svit. Marko Puzic netted 17 points, while Eduard Znanec (205-F/C-76) had 12 in the loss.
Next Svit played versus Banska Bystrica. Svit faced a 32:38 deficit at halftime. The situation hardly changed in the second half. Banska Bystrica stayed in charge and secured an 86:79 victory. Marko Puzic provided 19 points, while Eduard Znanec added 16 points for Svit.

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

SLOVENIA

Union Olimpija signs young PG Luka Rupnik - by Eurobasket News

Union Olimpija announced signing of Luka Rupnik (185-PG-93) to a 3-year deal. It means that young Slovenian point guard will stay with the club until the end of 2014/15 season. Rupnik arrives to Olimpija from Geoplin Slovan, where he spent last couple of years. In the latest season the player averaged 13.3 points, 5.3 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals. He was the leagues No.1 in assists and No.5 in steals. Rupnik participated at Telemach League All-Star Game last season.
Luka Rupnik played for the Slovenian U20 National Team this summer at U20 EuroBasket. Slovenia was the host of this event and won the bronze medal. Rupnik had 7.5 ppg, 3.3 apg and 2.3 rpg for 6 games. He also was on the list of candidates for the senior NT. In the past, he very successfully played for U18 and U16 Slovenia.

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

SOUTH KOREA

1 on 1 with Courtney Sims "I am ready for the season" - by JungHwan Seo

1 on 1 with Sims Courtney (211-C-83, agency: Pro Partner Sports Management, college: Michigan) "I am ready for the season"

1. You selected as the first overall pick at KBL draft. How are you feeling?

It is truly an honor to be the first overall pick in the draft. I am extremely thankful on this day and I absolutely cannot wait to get the season started.

2. Did you expect the first pick selection before the draft?

I honestly did not know what to expect. This is the first draft that I have really been a factor in. During the tryout we had, there were a lot of players telling me that they thought I would be the number one pick. After playing basketball my whole life I have learned to expect anything.

3. There are lots of expectations on you because you have chosen No.1 player. Do you feel any pressure about that?

I dont really feel any pressure right now. I always work extremely hard during the offseason, and I believe in my abilities on the court. Instead of pressure I feel that this is gratification for all the hard work I have put into my game over the past couple of years.

4. Would you introduce yourself to Korean Fans?

Yes, definitely! I look forward to meeting all the Korean fans. I have heard nothing but great things. My family and I are excited to get to South Korea and enjoy this experience. I have been told that KCC has the best fans in the KBL! We will need all of their support every game!

5. As a player, what is your strong and weak point?

Well, of course I'm not going to tell you my weaknesses. Thats for my opponents to figure out. But I believe any player can improve no matter how good they are. My versatility is definitely the strength of my game; I can play inside and outside, pass and shoot well, rebound with efficiency, and defend anyone I will face down low.

6. This is your first time in Korea. There are many difficulties such as different culture, language and foods. How can you handle that?

I have played in many different places overthe course of my career. I have adjusted well to every place I have been.Everybody I have talked to that has been to Korea has loved it, so I'm sure Iwill, too!

7. What do you know about Koreanbasketball? And what is the first impression of Korean basketball?

From what I've seen and heard about Koreanbasketball the fans look very passionate, which I love. That's veryexciting. It is always so much better to play in front of fans that arecheering you on.

8. Do you know any specificAmerican player who is going to Korea this season?

I was able to watch some of the guys who weredrafted during the try out, so I have a little knowledge of who they are. Ihave also played against Rod Benson, Chris Alexander and a few other guys thatwere drafted in the NBA D League, as well.

9. Who is going to be yourbiggest rival among KBL players?

We will have to wait and see on that one. Someplayers improve over the summer and others don't. So you never know who willstep up. I am sure that I will develop some good rivalries as the season kicksoff.

10. People saying that Rod Benson whogot lots of experiences in Korea, is the best player in KBL. Do you agree? Howwill you play against Benson for the first time?

I know Rod has had a lot of success in the KBL,so the respect he gets from the media and fans is well deserved. I wouldn't beable to tell you if he is the best player in the KBL because the season hasn'tstarted yet and there are new players in the league. Rod is definitely avery talented player, though.

11. You had lots of experiences inabroad including Puerto Rico and Russia and so on. Which league was the mostcompetitive for you?

I always tell people the hardest league toplay in is the NBA D League. There are a lot of different challenges, but themain one is getting a group of ten guys that all have individual goals - to getcalled up to the NBA - to come together as a team. It is a lot harder than itlooks. I've been lucky with good teammates and great coaching, so my teams havealways been right at the top of the league. There are also a lot of guys in theD League that could easily be in the NBA. Its a very tough league.

12. How did you feel when you got aD-league of the year award in 2009?

I was very proud. It was a team effort.Without the teammates and coaches I had it wouldn't have been possible.

13. You tried to go to NBA severaltimes. But you could not play full season at there. What were difficulties tocompete with NBA players?

It isn't difficult to compete in the NBA. Ifeel like I am an NBA player, but a lot of other stuff goes into making the NBA.Two of the three teams I was on were over the salary cap and could not keep meon the roster. If they had kept me the whole year they would have had to paydouble my salary, so obviously they decided not to. Making the NBA is all abouthaving an opportunity and what you do with it. I never had a legitimateopportunity to make the NBA for the long term because I never played in gamesonce I made it up to the NBA

14. KBL has such a long season. Youhave to play 54 regular season games. Do you have a confidence with yourstamina?

Yes, I do. The NBA D League has a 50 gameseason and I have played two full seasons in that league. I have experienceplaying a lot of games in a short period of time, so I do not think that willbe an issue for me, personally.

15. A former Wolverin, DeShawn Simsplayed last season for KCC. You guys know each other?

Yes. DeShawn and I were teammates at Michiganfor a year. We hung out a little bit during the summer league but I haven'ttalk to him since I signed to KCC. I am looking forward to speaking to him andseeing what he has to say about KCC and Korean basketball, in general.

16. Hur Jae, a head coach of KCC, wasthe best Korean player ever. Now, He is one of the best coaches in KBL. How areyou feeling to play for him?

It's good to play for a coach that's beenthrough everything as a player and was successful. I'm excited to play for sucha well-respected and accomplished coach. It will be an opportunity that I willlook to take full advantage of.

17. You know, Coach Hur is a holyterror when he is angry during the game. How can you handle him?

Most of the coaches I had during my career hadthat type of intensity. It's not a problem at all. I know that when coaches getmad or angry they are just trying to make the team better. I take it as achallenge, not as an insult.

18. KCC has a great tradition with 5KBL championships. You should be very proud of that, right?

Most definitely! Hopefully our team this yearcan keep that great tradition going and get the sixth KBL championship. I amreally looking forward to getting out on the court with my teammates to try andget the sixth championship.

19. What is your personal goal forseason? For example, you can say that I am going to average 20 points and 10 rebounds per game

To win a championship. I've learned throughoutmy career that individual accolades come with winning. That's the mostimportant thing. When the team is winning, everything else seems to fall intoplace. I will simply do whatever I need to in order to help KCC win as manygames as possible.

20. Would you say hello to Korean fanswho waiting for you?

Hello to all of my fans, fans of KCC and fansof the KBL! All the fans that are waiting for me can follow my daily life on Twitterand Instagram at C_Sims44. Get to know me a little bit better. I am lookingforward to introducing myself to the fans.

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

SPAIN

Fiatc Joventut signs Moses Ehambe - by Eurobasket News

Fiatc Joventut signed Ehambe Moses Randall (198-G/F-86, college: ORU) for the upcoming season. The Congolese/American forward will play as 'cotonou'. Ehambe spent last season with the NBA D-League team Iowa Energy. He appeared 48 times for them averaging 12.9 points and 2.7 rebounds. In 2010/11 season Ehambe Moses Randall changed three teams. He started with Ourense collecting 9.6 ppg and 2.4 rpg for 16 LEB Gold games. In February of 2011 he moved to Austin Toros and finally finished the season with Iowa. In the past, Ehambe also played for Tulsa 66ers. He graduated at Oral Roberts University in 2008. This summer Ehambe Moses Randall played for the San Antonio Spurs in 2012 NBA Pro Summer League in Las Vegas. He had 1.3 ppg for 3 games. Ehambe Moses Randall played for the USA National Team at Panamerican Games in Guadalajara last summer. He had 4.6 ppg and 2.8 rpg for 5 games and USA won the bronze medal. He participated at the NBA D-League All-Star Game last season.

Coruna gets bigger with American C Matt Rogers - by Eurobasket News

Matt Rogers (211-C-87, college: SW Baptist) will continue his career in Spain. The American center signed a 1-year deal with Leyma Basket Coruna. They will compete in LEB Gold. Rogers spent last two seasons in the NBA D-League. He played for the Frisco Texas Legends both years. In the latest season the player had 7.1 ppg and 4.4 rpg for 29 games. He registered almost the same numbers in 2010/11. Matt Rogers graduated at SW Baptist University (NCAA2) two years ago. He shined with 18.3 and 8.7 rpg for 30 games in his sophomore year. Rogers did not play in 2009/10. He participated at the 2012 NBA Summer League in Orlando averaging 5.5 ppg and 2.5 rpg in 2 games with Indiana Pacers. It was not enough for a deal. 2012/13 season will be the first one for Rogers in Europe.

Adrian Laso re-signs with Mad-Croc - by Eurobasket

Mad-Croc Fuenlabrada (ACB) confirmed in their roster 22-year old domestic power forward Adrian Laso (204-90). He played therealso last season. While playing 13 EuroChallenge games for Baloncesto Fuenlabrada Laso averaged 7.1ppg and 3.7rpg. He helped them to make it to the quarterfinals. Laso played also 24 games for Baloncesto Fuenlabrada (Spain) in ACB where he had 2.1ppg and 1.5rpg. The other team Laso played that season was Fontedoso Carrefour, where in 3 ACB games his stats were 13.0ppg, 8.3rpg and 1.3apg. He was a member of Spanish U20 national team in 2010.

By Eurobasket Data Center

Adrian Laso re-signs with Mad-Croc - by Eurobasket

Mad-Croc Fuenlabrada (ACB) confirmed in their roster 22-year old domestic power forward Adrian Laso (204-90). He played therealso last season. While playing 13 EuroChallenge games for Baloncesto Fuenlabrada Laso averaged 7.1ppg and 3.7rpg. He helped them to make it to the quarterfinals. Laso played also 24 games for Baloncesto Fuenlabrada (Spain) in ACB where he had 2.1ppg and 1.5rpg. The other team Laso played that season was Fontedoso Carrefour, where in 3 ACB games his stats were 13.0ppg, 8.3rpg and 1.3apg. He was a member of Spanish U20 national team in 2010.

By Eurobasket Data Center

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

SWEDEN

Solna Vikings release Miilah Kombat due to injury - by Eurobasket News

Miilah Kombat (200-F-88, college: N.Idaho JC) is no longer a member of Solna Vikings. The team decided to release him due to knee injury. They penned a deal at the beginning of June. Kombat arrived to the club from Froya Basket, where he spent last three seasons. In the latest one he averaged 16.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists for 23 games in BLNO. They won the BLNO title and Kombat was named MVP of the Final Four Tournament. He participated at BLNO All-Star Game and also was named Eurobasket.com All-Norwegian BLNO 2nd Team. The forward got the same award also in 2011, while in 2010 he was named to First Team. He was a member of Ammerud Basket at that time. In the past, Kombat also played for North Idaho Junior College, Kongsberg Penguins and Asker Aliens BC. He won first BLNO title in 2005 with Asker Aliens. Solna Vikings are already on the market looking for replacement.

Vikings offer deal to Sean Smith - by Eurobasket News

Solna Vikings offered deal to Swedish forward Sean Smith (198-G-87, college: NC-Asheville) and now wait for the answer. Solna released Miilah Kombat due to injury. Smith spent last season with Sundsvall Dragons, but he had limited playing time. The player appeared 30 times in Basketligan averaging 2.4 points. Before Sundsvall, he spent one season with Eco Orebro registering 8.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg and 1.8 apg in 36 games. Sean Smith is a product of the University of North Carolina - Asheville, where he graduated two years ago. He had 9.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 2.3 apg for 21 games with his school as a senior. His numbers were even better in 2008/09. In the past, Sean Smith played for Sodertalje Kings juniors. He was on the list of candidates for the Swedish senior National Team in 2010. Smith played for U20 and U18 Sweden from 2004 to 2007.

Szymon Lukasiak joins Swedish Nassjo - by Eurobasket News

Szymon Lukasiak (208-C-87) is set to start his professional basketball career. The Polish big guy penned a 1-year deal with Nassjo. They will compete in Swedish top division for men - Basketligan. Lukasiak is a product of Jacksonville, where he graduated two years ago. The center had 1.6 ppg and 1.6 rpg for 28 games as a senior. They reached A-Sun Tournament Semifinals together. Szymon Lukasiak had limited playing time at Jacksonville. In the past, he played for the Polish U18 National Team.
Nassjo is a newcomer to Swedish top division. They won third place in Basketettan last season. Szymon Lukasiak spent some time on tryout with Nassjo and managed to earn a deal.

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

TURKEY

TB2L Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Tyrone NELSON
  Akhisar Bld
  (206-F-85)
  Avg: 21.7

1. Nelson, Akhisar Bld	21.7
2. Jackson, Balikesir	19.4
3. Gray, Baskent	18.9
4. Carter, Tire Gucu	18.4
5. Waller, Gaziantep	18.3
6. Delic, Pi Okullari	18.2
7. Pilgrim, Pamukkale	17.8
8. Taggart, TED I.	16.4
9. Dobie, Selcuk Univ.	16.0
10. Senol, Pamukkale	15.1

Rebounds Per Game

Charles JACKSON
  Balikesir
  (203-F-87)
  Avg: 11.6

1. Jackson, Balikesir	11.6
2. Nelson, Akhisar Bld	11.5
3. Pilgrim, Pamukkale	10.3
4. Kolaric, Istanbul.	10.0
5. Gray, Baskent	9.7
6. Pasco, Vestel	8.9
7. Can, Pertevniyal	8.4
8. Taggart, TED I.	8.2
9. Ozseven, TED I.	8.0
10. Ozdemir, Vestel	7.8

Assists Per Game

Admir KAN
  Istanbulspor
  (185-G-83)
  Avg: 6.4

1. Kan, Istanbulspor	6.4
2. Eryuz, Gaziantep	5.2
3. Sinanoglu, Final G.	5.2
4. Rizvanoglu, Pi Oku.	5.1
5. Eris, Istanbul B.B.	5.0
6. Bayraktar, Tire G.	5.0
7. Bayrak, Usak	4.6
8. Yikilmaz, Pertevni.	4.5
9. Ogut, Pi Okullari	4.4
10. Dobie, Selcuk Uni.	4.3

Steals Per Game

Matthew PILGRIM
  Pamukkale
  (203-F-87)
  Avg: 2.8

1. Pilgrim, Pamukkale	2.8
2. Yavuklu, Basken.	2.5
3. Akcay, Balikesir	2.0
4. Nelson, Akhisar Bld	1.9
5. Carter, Tire Gucu	1.7
6. Okkali, Final Genc.	1.6
7. Mentese, Gelisim	1.6
8. Waller, Gaziantep	1.6
9. Jackson, Balikesir	1.5
10. Dobie, Selcuk Uni.	1.5

Blocks Per Game

DeVaughn WASHINGTON
  Gelisim
  (202-F-89)
  Avg: 1.3

1. Washington, Gelisim	1.3
2. Ozseven, TED I.	1.3
3. Gray, Baskent	1.3
4. Cevik, Selcuk Univ.	1.3
5. Pasco, Vestel	1.2
6. Tekin, Pertevniyal	1.2
7. Brown, TED I.	1.1
8. Pilgrim, Pamukkale	1.1
9. Kaplan, Gaziantep	1.0
10. Boswell, Tire Gucu	0.9

Leo Westermann scores 29, leads Partizan to 77-69 win over Karsiyaka - by Eurobasket News

Partizan - Pinar Karsiyaka 77-69

Partizan and Pinar Karsiyaka played a friendly game yesterday in Belgrade. Partizan was the host of this meeting and celebrated 77-69 victory. The Serbian powerhouse shined in the second period to secure the win. Young French star Leo Westermann (198-G-92, agency: Beo Basket) exploded with 29 points and he was a key player in Partizan. Djordje Gagic (210-C-90, agency: Interperformances) scored 16 and Bogdan Bogdanovic (197-F-92) had 11 points. In Karsiyaka, Will Thomas (203-PF-86, agency: Two Points) delivered 20 points, while Alade Aminu (210-C-87, college: Georgia Tech) and Bobby Dixon (178-PG-83, agency: Beo Basket, college: Troy) posted 16 and 10 points respectively. Karsiyaka had better start making 23-27 lead in the opening ten minutes. As mentioned above, Partizan totally took control on its rival for rest of the first half. The hosts nailed 25 points and kept Karsiyaka to a single digit (9) for 48-36 lead at the HT. Partizan was better in Q3 as well 18-16 and Karsiyaka made 11-17 in the last ten minutes, but that was not enough.

Partizan: Leo Westermann 29, Djordje Gagic 16, Bogdan Bogdanovic 11
Pinar Karsiyaka: Will Thomas 20, Alade Aminu 16, Bobby Dixon 10

Galatasaray hands 88-77 home loss to Dinamo Banco di Sardegna - by Eurobasket News

Dinamo Banco di Sardegna - Galatasaray 88-77

Dinamo Banco di Sardegna and Galatasaray played a friendly game yesterday. The Italian squad was the host, but it was Galata who celebrated 88-77 victory in this meeting. Henry Domercant (194-G-80, college: E.Illinois) stepped up for the guests with 24 points. David Hawkins (194-G-82, college: Temple) scored 16, Cenk Akyol (198-G/F-87) had 15, while Ersin Dagli (203-F/C-81, agency: Interperformances, college: Alabama) and Jamont Gordon (193-G/F-87, college: Mississippi St.) netted 12 points each. In defeat, Tony Easley (206-F-87, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Murray St.) led the scorers with 19 points. Marvis Thornton (194-G-77, college: St.John's) followed with 15 and Giacomo DeVecchi (196-F-85, agency: Players Group) stopped to 9 pts. Second quarter was the crucial one in this game. The hosts made 21-19 lead in the first ten minutes, but Henry Domercant and his teammates drained 24 more points until the halftime, while they stopped Dinamo to 12. It means that Galata was holding double digit lead at the HT and they kept plus 8 after 30 minutes of play. In the last quarter Galata was strong enough to keep its lead and actually to extend it even more. Before this game in Sardinia, Galata played five friendlies in Bormio.

Dinamo Banco di Sardegna: Tony Easley 19, Marvis Thornton 15, Giacomo DeVecchi 9
Galatasaray: Henry Domercant 24, David Hawkins 16, Cenk Akyol 15, Ersin Dagli 12, Jamont Gordon 12

Mirsad Turkcan stays in Fenerbahe Organisation - by Ugur Turker

Mirsad Turkcan (206-F-76) who is rebound leader in THY Eurleague History had announced his retirement after 2011-2012 season. Next week, Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul and CSKA Moscow will encounter in jubilee match of Mirsad Turkcan.
After 8 years spell at Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul, Club management announced that Mirsad Turkcan has promoted as Foreign Affairs Responsible. General Manager Kemal Dincer said " We do not want to lose Mirsad and we believe that he can help the club in management team so that he accepted our offer to continue in Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul organisation. "

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

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

Marist hoopster Hart stars in international play - by David Edole

By Zach Dooley

Despite the state of the results, Marist basketball has always been a team with a lot of heart, and this years team should have more heart than ever. Or perhaps Hart, that is.

Incoming freshman Khallid Hart is one of the most highly touted newcomers to Marist and the entire MAAC this season. He is coming off of a standout performance with the US Virgin Islands Under-18 team at the FIBA America U18 Tournament this past summer. The Sanford School graduate led all scorers in the tournament with 23.4 points per game as he led his team to a seventh place finish.

After beginning the tournament with 12 points against the eventual champions from the United States, Hart put up 29 points against eventual runners up Brazil, which included four three pointers. Hart finished off group stage play by playing all but one minute of an 81-79 victory over Mexico, in which he again led his team in scoring with 30 points.

In the consolation round, Hart scored 26 points in a nail-biting loss to Puerto Rico, before leading his team to a victory in the seventh place game against Columbia, dropping in 20 points to lead the victory charge. As previously mentioned, Hart led his team and the entire tournament in scoring, a part of a great experience for the young guard.

It was a great experience and I think its really going to help me coming into the college year, Hart said. It was fun.

Harts competition at the tournament included players who have committed to various powerhouse schools around Division One basketball, including Duke, North Carolina and Syracuse. Harts performance is certainly one that will serve him well in this upcoming season, playing against the stern competition on the Red Foxes schedule.

Harts performances did not go unnoticed by his current coach, Chuck Martin, who is entering his fifth season behind the bench for the Red Foxes. With a player as talented as Khallid entering the fold, Martin knew that he was adding yet another weapon to his already loaded arsenal.

I think he gives us depth in the backcourt, Martin said. Im really excited about the kids coming back, returning to the program, but I think Khallid gives us some depth at the point guard spot and he clearly can score the ball so we can play him off the ball as well.

In terms of this upcoming season, Hart joins a crowded backcourt that includes two returning starters in sophomore point guard Isaiah Morton and senior shooting guard Devin Price. The Red Fox backcourt also includes sophomore Chavaughn Lewis, who started at small forward but did see time at the two guard slot, and sophomore TJ Curry, who excels in the defensive aspects of the game like no other Marist guard does.

Even though the FIBA style of play and the NCAA style of play are not identical, Martin knows that Harts skill set and mentality will be able to make the jump to college basketball.

I know FIBA basketball is a little bit different than college basketball, and his team with the Virgin Islands was a little bit different than our team, but we certainly welcome more scoring when it fits within what we do, Martin said. But I think [Khallid] is such a winner that he will figure out how to make it work within our system.

Besides the accolades from his coach Hart has begun to garner attention around the college basketball community. His performance on the international level caught the eye of many, including CBS College Sports Analyst Jon Rothstein, who said on his Twitter account Marist guard Khallid Hart could be the sleeper freshman in the MAAC. That is an extremely high honor for a Marist player, but despite all of the attention his play has received, Hart has remained quite humble.

I didnt really take it as anything, Hart said of his successes at the U18 FIBA Americas. Im coming into a new program, a new school so I have to prove myself all over again. Hopefully I can be a backup point guard for Isaiah. Whenever he gets tired, I can come in, do my job and whatever the team and coach needs me to do.

Regardless of who youre listening to, Khallid Hart is looking to be a valuable part of an up and coming Marist mens basketball program. The team has built upon its own win total in each of the last three seasons, and this year looks to be the pinnacle of what Martin has been building.

Were excited and I think the communitys excited about where were at right now and where we can wind up at the end of the year, Martin said. We just cant wait to get on the court on October 12, the first official day of practice, and just get going. I think its going to be a fun year, a special year.

As far as Harts take on the upcoming season, hes taking a very simple approach that seems to be what most successful teams do.

Just take it each game, he said. After each game we sit down, analyze what we did good, what we did well, and what we did wrong and we go from there.

For a freshman player becoming a part of program that is on the rise looking to turn in a winning season for the first time since 2008, thats about all you can do.

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

UKRAINE

Dnipro win Triobet Cup in Liepaja - by Eurobasket News

Dnipro - Ventspils 99:94

Dnipro clinched the first pre-season title. They triumphed at Triobet Cup in Liepaja. The Ukrainian team shot down Ventspils for the title. Derrick Low (188-PG-86, college: Washington St.) exploded with 32 points to lead the effort.
Ventspils started the game strong. They grabbed a 25:18 lead after ten minutes. Dnipro cut the deficit but could nit pull ahead in the second quarter. Donald Sims (185-PG-87, college: Appalachian St.) fired 21 points in the first half as Ventspils posted a 50:48 lead. But Dnipro erased the deficit in the third quarter. The teams entered the fourth quarter tied at 74. Dnipro fired 25 points in the fourth stanza and snatched a narrow win at the end. Donald Sims notched 26 points for Ventspils. Ronalds Zakis (207-F/C-87) had 21 points in the loss.

Kryvbasbasket rally past Sakalai - by Eurobasket News

Kryvbasbasket - Sakalai 88:75

Kryvbasbasket celebrated a pre-season victory. They overcame Sakalai in Trakai. Vitali Malchevskiy (204-F-87) stepped up with 25 points and 9 rebounds to lead the Ukrainian team.
Kryvbasbasket started the game strongly posting a 27:14 lead after ten minutes. The teams traded baskets throughout the second quarter. The Ukrainian team ensured a 13-point lead at halftime. Kryvbasbasket bolstered their lead to 16 points at the final break. They did not look back in the fourth term cruising to the victory at the end. Zoran Krstanovic (204-C-82) posted 13 points, while Winsome Frazier (193-F/G-82, college: Mississippi St.) added 12 points in the victory. Ignas Ramasauskas (211-C-93) answered with 19 points for Sakalai. Edvinas Jezukevicius (207-C-90) had 10 points in the losing effort.

Kryvbasbasket: Vitali Malchevskiy 25, Zoran Krstanovic 13, Winsome Frazier 12
Sakalai: Ignas Ramasauskas 19, Edvinas Jezukevicius 10

Azovmash edge Astana in Bormio - by Eurobasket News

Azovmash - Astana 83:71

Azovmash played another friendly game at the training camp in Bormio. They took on Kazakh Astana. The Ukrainian team proved the strength claiming a 12-point win. Simonas Serapinas (197-F-82) finished with 15 points to lead Azovmash.
Azovmash cleared off in the opening quarter. They capitalized on 9 turnovers from Astana to take a 14-point lead. Andreas Glyniadakis (215-C-81, agency: Beo Basket) helped Astana got closer in the second frame. But Azovmash quickly regained a comfortable lead. They piled up a 15-point buffer and rallied to the victory at the end. Tadija Dragicevic (206-F/C-86, agency: Beo Basket) posted 14 points, while Lynn Greer (186-PG-79, college: Temple) contributed 12 points for Azovmash.

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

UNITED KINGDOM

Riders Land Slovak Forward - by Paul Nilsen

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders have signed 6 foot 8 inch Slovakian player, Pavol Losonsky (203-F-88, college: Cal-Irvine) as they continue team building for the new season.

The 24 year old weighs in at 231 pounds, and had his first year in the professional ranks last season with Nova Ves in the Slovakian League, after college basketball in the US.

He averaged 16 points and 7 rebounds a game playing for Nova Ves, in 33 minutes per game. He also shot a very respectable 50% from the floor. In his final year at the University of California at Irvine he average 7 points and 4 rebounds a game.

He was also in the Slovakian team at the recent European Championships.

The Jelson Homes DMU backed Riders Head Coach Rob Paternostro was looking for a big man who could play multiple positions, and the forward shoots the ball from long distance, as well as having a very solid inside game, and is a very good passer of the ball.

Paternostro said about his new signing, "We are looking forward to working with Pavol. He is a player that can play multiple positions and should be able to help us in many areas."

"He had a good year last year in his first professional season and was very interested in coming to play for us. He is a big man who can play both inside and outside and has shown the ability to impact games in many ways."

"He had a very solid college career at NCAA Division 1 college, the University of California Irvine, where he was an effective player in both seasons."

"With the addition of Pavol we feel like we have many players that are comfortable playing in many different positions which should allow us to play many different styles."

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

URUGUAY

Results for the Metro League - by Hector Lopez

Results for the Metro League 5th round second stage
Marne 85 - Eric Freeman (205-C-79, agency: Gamble Sports Management, college: Ky Wesleyan) 18 points 11 rebounds
Atenas 61 - Diego Soarez (205-C-87) 10 points 3 rebounds
- - -
Goes 63 - Matias De de Gouveia (180-PG-88) 16 points, Jimmy Boston (201-F-77, college: N.C.Central) 8 points 8 rebounds
Urunday 54 - Howard Wilkerson (198-F-84, agency: Two Points, college: Wofford) 10 points 5 rebounds
- - -
Standings Atenas 26 Cader 24.5, Goes 24 Marne 24, Urunday 21.5, Larranaga 19.5
Atenas won the promotion to the Uruguayan League. For the 2nd promotion will play Cader vs. Marne and Cader vs. Urunday

Libertad de Sunchales edge Olimpia in Montevideo - by Eurobasket News

Olimpia - Libertad de Sunchales 58:77

Libertad de Sunchales edged Olimpia at Sancor Seguros Cup in Montevideo. Gabriel Mikulas (200-F-80, agency: Interperformances, college: E.Carolina) and Marcos Saglietti (190-G-86) provided 15 points each to lead the winners. Diego Garcia (190-G-79) scored 14 points but sustained what could be a serious injury and left the game early.
Libertad jumped to a 24:17 lead after ten minutes. They maintained the lead throughout the second stanza. The Argentinean side ensured a 36:29 halftime lead. The margin grew in the third quarter. Libertad posted a 61:44 advantage at the start of the final stanza. Olimpia could not recover as Libertad cruised to the victory. Treise finished with 12 points for the winners. Kevin Nelson (192-G-84, college: Park) answered with 24 points for Olimpia. Nicolas Delgado (198-F/C-87) had 12 points in the loss.

Olimpia: Kevin Nelson 24, Nicolas Delgado 12
Libertad de Sunchales: Gabriel Mikulas 15, Marcos Saglietti 15, Diego Garcia 14

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

VENEZUELA

Yima Chia-kur to put some respect for Atleticos UCV - by Yelitza La Torre

Atleticos UCV added Yima Chia-Kurr (196-F-86, college: Arkansas St.) to its roster looking for the winning way in the 2012 Venezuela's National basketball League.
The Venezuela National League has been improving considerably in the last two seasons and has become one of the most important basketball leagues in South America. This fact is strong enough for team managers to add high level basketball players such Yima Chia-Kurr in their rosters.
Yima has an NBA type body; he is a focused player and is ready for any challenge given to him. His goal is to maximize his potential in order to be a top player in the future.
"Yima is a hard worker and will put the team on his back...he hustles hard, will not be denied on defense...scores in many ways" Corey D McCoy

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

Women News

ACCMW Qualifier: ABC post centenary point over K-Delta 111-35 - by Olusegun Ikuesan

... First Deepwater walk-over C-Delta

Inform Abidjan Basket Club women team Thursday posted the biggest win in the Africa Champions Cup Zone-3 elimination for women with a 111-35 points victory over K-Delta basketball club of Liberia.

The never-say-die Ivories ladies led in offense by Louise Ngoy who scored 25 points won all four quarters (28-11, 21-02, 30-05, 31-17) to record a centenary points win.

Four other ABC players posted double figures in the team round-robin game to top the women qualifiers with Mariam Kone 16 points; Reine Kouadio 15 points; Fatou Traore 14 points and 3 rebounds and Mamiky Cisse adding 14 points.

In the second women game billed for the fourth day of hostility, Nigeria champion First Deepwater basketball club moved to the second spot on the log without breaking a sweat as it walked-over C-Delta basketball club of Liberia.

The Nigerian side will play it last game against K-Delta basketball club of Liberia at 12H00 on Friday.

ACCMW Qualifier: ABC post centenary point over K-Delta 111-35 - by Olusegun Ikuesan

... First Deepwater walk-over C-Delta

Inform Abidjan Basket Club women team Thursday posted the biggest win in the Africa Champions Cup Zone-3 elimination for women with a 111-35 points victory over K-Delta basketball club of Liberia.

The never-say-die Ivories ladies led in offense by Louise Ngoy who scored 25 points won all four quarters (28-11, 21-02, 30-05, 31-17) to record a centenary points win.

Four other ABC players posted double figures in the team round-robin game to top the women qualifiers with Mariam Kone 16 points; Reine Kouadio 15 points; Fatou Traore 14 points and 3 rebounds and Mamiky Cisse adding 14 points.

In the second women game billed for the fourth day of hostility, Nigeria champion First Deepwater basketball club moved to the second spot on the log without breaking a sweat as it walked-over C-Delta basketball club of Liberia.

The Nigerian side will play it last game against K-Delta basketball club of Liberia at 12H00 on Friday.

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

BELARUS

PG Alexandra Tarasava stays in Czech Republic, VS Praha - by Eurobasket News

Alexandra Tarasava (170-PG-88) will stay at least one more year in Czech Republic. The Belarusian point guard signed contract extension with her team VS Praha. She joined them last summer from MBK Ruzomberok. Tarasava appeared 38 times in Czech league averaging 12.9 points, 3.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds. She was leagues No.3 in assists and was named to Eurobasket.com All-Czech Rep. D1 2nd Team -12. VS Praha reached Playoff and Cup Semifinals. As mentioned above, before VS Praha Alexandra Tarasava played for Slovakian Ruzomberok. She also has experience from Kosice and Minsk-2006. Tarasava is active member of the Belarusian National Team since 2009. She had 9 ppg and 3 rpg for 8 games in 2013 EuroBasket Qualifications.

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

BELGIUM

Evelien Callens extends her stay in Czech Republic - by Eurobasket News

Evelien Callens (187-F/C-84) stays in Czech Republic for the upcoming season. The Belgian PF/C signed a 1-year contract extension with her team VS Praha. She arrived to the club in February this year. For 17 games in the league Callens registered 14.7 ppg and 5.4 rpg. It was enough for the player to be named to Eurobasket.com Czech Rep. D1 All-Bosmans Team -12. Evelien Callens started last season with Italian Pozzuoli. There she had 7.4 ppg and 3.7 rpg for 12 appearances. Before Pozzuoli, Callens spent one season with Vomero Basket Napoli. She also has experience from Umbertide, La Spezia and Dexia Namur. She won the Belgian league title and Cup with Dexia Namur in 2006. Evelien Callens played for the Belgian National Team at 2007 EuroBasket in Italy. She also played for her country in 2009 and 2011 EuroBasket Qualifications.

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

CROATIA

Novi Zagreb signs WNBA point guard Leilani Mitchell - by Eurobasket News

Novi Zagreb reinforced its roster with WNBA player. They penned a deal with American point guard Leilani Mitchell (165-PG-85, agency: LBM Management, college: Utah), who is currently a member of the New York Liberty. After 28 WNBA games this season she averages 7.8 points, 3.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds. Last four seasons Mitchell spent with French Arras. In the latest one she had 9.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 3.3 apg in 24 LFB appearances. The player also added 6.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 3.3 apg for 10 games in EuroCup. They reached Quarterfinals in this competition. Leilani Mitchell also played for the Liberty every year since 2008. She is a product of the University of Utah. In her last season with Utah, Mitchell registered 16.8 ppg, 7.5 apg and 4.1 rpg for 32 games. She was named All-MWC Player of the Year -08. In 2010, Leilani Mitchell was awarded with Eurobasket.com All-French LFB Guard of the Year and All-WNBA Most Improved Player of the Year.

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

CZECH REPUBLIC

VS Praha lands American F Marshae Dotson, keeps Tarasava and Callens - by Eurobasket News

VS Praha announced signing of the American forward Marshae Dotson (180-F-87, agency: Merit Sports, college: Florida) to a 1-year deal. The team also kept Alexandra Tarasava (170-PG-88) and Evelien Callens (187-F/C-84) for the upcoming season.
Marshae Dotson heads to her new club from BLK VSE Praha, where she exploded with 18.6 ppg and 10.7 rpg for 26 ZBL games last season. She was second rebounder and third scorer of the competition. Dotson was named to Eurobasket.com Czech Rep. D1 All-Imports Team -12.
Alexandra Tarasava arrived to the club last summer. She had 12.9 ppg, 3.6 apg and 3.3 rpg for 38 games. Tasarava was awarded with Eurobasket.com All-Czech Rep. D1 2nd Team -12 and Eurobasket.com Czech Rep. D1 All-Bosmans Team -12.
Evelien Callens joined VS Praha in February this year. She shined with 14.7 ppg and 5.4 rpg fro 17 ZBL games.

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

EUROCUP

EUROLEAGUE

FINLAND

Honka land Vilja Kesanen - by Eurobasket News

Honka bolstered their roster. They agreed on terms of contract with Vilja Kesanen (179-G-91). The guard spent the last season with Catz. She tallied 0.6 points per game in D1. Previously Vilja Kesanen played for Team S-Hameenmaa. She was the member of Finnish U16 and U18 National Teams.

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

FRANCE

Nicole Antibe joins Taranto - by Eurobasket

Cras Taranto (A1) signed 38-year old French ex-international power forward Nicole Antibe (187-74) and international forward Nnena Abiola Wabara (183-81, agency: Two Points, college: Baylor).
Antibe played last season at Basket Parma (A1). While playing 24 games for the team from Parma Antibe averaged 13.8ppg (#4 scorer in th eleague), 5.8rpg and 1.1spg. She played in the final of Italian A1 in 2010. Antibe was also selected to Eurobasket.com All-Italian A1 2nd Team in 2011. She played also pro basketball in Spain. Antibe was a member of French senior national team between 1999 and 2005.

Wabara played at CUS Cagliari last season. In 27 games she averaged 8.9ppg and 6.0rpg. She was selected to league All-Star Game last year. Wabara has been a member of Italian National Team since 2010.

By Eurobasket Data Center

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

HUNGARY

ZTE NKK add Alex Gensler - by Eurobasket News

ZTE NKK bolstered their roster. They added Alex Gensler (180-G-90, agency: Interperformances) to the squad. The guard will start her pro career in Hungary. Alex Gensler has just graduated from Duquesne. She tallied 13.8 points, 3.1 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game in her senior season. Alex Gensler made it into All-Atlantic 10 2nd Team. She also made it into Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team.

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

ISRAEL

H.R. Le-Zion tabs Jessica Lawson - by Eurobasket

Hapoel Rishon Le-Zion (D1) strengthened their roster with addition of 26-year old American center Jessica Lawson (191-86, college: S.Florida). She played most recently at Elitzur Netanya (D1). While playing 19 games for the team from Netanya last season Lawson averaged 15.7ppg, 13.1rpg, 1.3apg and 1.0spg. A very spectacular season in his career as she was voted to Eurobasket.com All-Israeli League 2nd Team. It will be her second season in pro basketball.

By Eurobasket Data Center

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

ITALY

Standings A1 (W)

A1 Standings

1. Basket Parma		0-0
2. Bracco Geas		0-0
3. Cagliari CUS		0-0
4. Chieti		0-0
5. Faenza		0-0
6. Familia Schio		0-0
7. Lucca		0-0
8. Orvieto		0-0
9. Pozzuoli		0-0
10. Priolo		0-0
11. Taranto		0-0
12. Umbertide		0-0

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

IVORY COAST

ACCMW Qualifier: ABC post centenary point over K-Delta 111-35 - by Olusegun Ikuesan

... First Deepwater walk-over C-Delta

Inform Abidjan Basket Club women team Thursday posted the biggest win in the Africa Champions Cup Zone-3 elimination for women with a 111-35 points victory over K-Delta basketball club of Liberia.

The never-say-die Ivories ladies led in offense by Louise Ngoy who scored 25 points won all four quarters (28-11, 21-02, 30-05, 31-17) to record a centenary points win.

Four other ABC players posted double figures in the team round-robin game to top the women qualifiers with Mariam Kone 16 points; Reine Kouadio 15 points; Fatou Traore 14 points and 3 rebounds and Mamiky Cisse adding 14 points.

In the second women game billed for the fourth day of hostility, Nigeria champion First Deepwater basketball club moved to the second spot on the log without breaking a sweat as it walked-over C-Delta basketball club of Liberia.

The Nigerian side will play it last game against K-Delta basketball club of Liberia at 12H00 on Friday.

ACCMW Qualifier: ABC post centenary point over K-Delta 111-35 - by Olusegun Ikuesan

... First Deepwater walk-over C-Delta

Inform Abidjan Basket Club women team Thursday posted the biggest win in the Africa Champions Cup Zone-3 elimination for women with a 111-35 points victory over K-Delta basketball club of Liberia.

The never-say-die Ivories ladies led in offense by Louise Ngoy who scored 25 points won all four quarters (28-11, 21-02, 30-05, 31-17) to record a centenary points win.

Four other ABC players posted double figures in the team round-robin game to top the women qualifiers with Mariam Kone 16 points; Reine Kouadio 15 points; Fatou Traore 14 points and 3 rebounds and Mamiky Cisse adding 14 points.

In the second women game billed for the fourth day of hostility, Nigeria champion First Deepwater basketball club moved to the second spot on the log without breaking a sweat as it walked-over C-Delta basketball club of Liberia.

The Nigerian side will play it last game against K-Delta basketball club of Liberia at 12H00 on Friday.

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

LATVIA

UNB Obenasa inks Latvian NT forward Aija Putnina - by Eurobasket News

Aija Putnina (192-F/C-88, agency: Josep and Nicolas) will continue her career in Spain. The Latvian National Team forward penned a deal with UNB Obenasa. She arrives to the club from Lithuanian VICI Aistes Kaunas. Putnina appeared 13 times in Euroleague last season averaging 4.4 points and 3.5 rebounds. In Lithuanian league the player added 10 ppg and 6.4 rpg for 32 games. Almost the same numbers she registered for 8 Baltic league games. Before VICI Aistes Kaunas, Aija Putnina played for French Arras and USO Mondeville. She already played in Spain in 2008/09 season as a member of Olesa. Aija Putnina is active member of the Latvian National Team since 2008. This summer she averaged 6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds for 7 games in 2013 EuroBasket Qualifications.

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

LUXEMBOURG

Amicale bring back Meghan Gardler - by Eurobasket News

Amicale made a change on the roster. They brought back Meghan Gardler (183-F/C-88, college: Connecticut). She is meant to replace Deja Mattox (182-G/F-89, college: Indiana St.), who suffered a serious injury and is expected to miss up to six month. Meghan Gardler played for Amicale last season. She tallied 27.4 points, 14.3 boards, 2.9 steals, 2.2 assists and 1.1 blocks per game in Diekirch League. The centre was the topscorer in the league. She made it into All-Luxembourg League 1st Team.
Amicale also signed deals with Nadia Marcus (173-G-93) and Celine Marcus (168-F-91). They both played for Heffingen last season. Nadia Marcus notched 11.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.1 assists per game in Diekirch League. Celine Marcus posted 5.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per appearance.

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

POLAND

Standings - PLKK

PLKK Standings

1. Artego Bydg.		0-0
2. AZS Rzeszow		0-0
3. BI SSA Gdynia		0-0
4. CCC Polkowice		0-0
5. Energa Torun		0-0
6. Gorzow		0-0
7. Lider Pruszkow		0-0
8. PTK Pabianice		0-0
9. ROW Rybnik		0-0
10. Widzew		0-0
11. Wisla Can-Pak		0-0

Regular Season: Round 1

Sep. 28: AZS Rzeszow - Wisla Can-Pak
Sep. 29: AZS Rzeszow - Widzew
Sep. 29: BI SSA Gdynia - ROW Rybnik
Sep. 29: Energa Torun - Artego Bydg.
Sep. 30: CCC Polkowice - Lider Pruszkow

PLKK without Odra Brzeg - by Lukasz Lukaszewski

Odra Brzeg was not able to collect enough budget for playing in PLKK. So league management decided to let not them play on the highest level of Polish Women's Basketball. At this
moment league has 11 teams, but it could be not the end of resignations.

But it is not the end of the women's basketball in Brzeg. Team will play in polish 1st league B division. Some players from PLKK's team like Justyna Daniel (179-G/F-86, agency: Promotex), Aleksandra Teklinska (178-F-92) and Zaneta Kedra (170-G-93) will stay with the team after relegation.

Odra Brzeg is third team which will not play in the upcoming season. Also MKS Tecza Leszno and LKS Sphinx Petrolinvest Lodz resigned from playing in this league. At the moment PLKK has 11 teams, but it is the possibility that PTK Pabianice will not play in PLKK too.

AZS Gorzow announced agreement with 3 American players - by Lukasz Lukaszewski

AZS PWSZ Gorzow Wlkp. signed contracts with 3 players from USA: center Sybil Dosty (191-C-86, college: Arizona St.), forward Chineze Nwagbo (183-G-82, college: Syracuse) and point guard Ariana Moorer (170-G-90). Gorzow has quite interesting roster - Team had also two polish NT: Agnieszka Skobel (179-F-89) and Agnieszka Makowska (182-F-82).

Sybil Dosty is well-known player in Poland. She is 26 years old center with excellent jump and powerful moves under the basket. Sybil is also quite quick in transition. She graduated
Arizona St. where she averaged 8,2 points and 6,7 rebounds in 31 games in her last season in NCAA. Then she signed contract with Slovakian team - BK Inpek UKF Nitra. Dosty
noticed great stats there with 10.9ppg, 12.3rpg and 2,1 bpg. During last season she was playing for polish team - KK ROW Rybnik in PLKK. Her statistics were very good: 11,3
points and 9,7 rebound per game. Sybil Dosty was the third rebounder in the entire league.

Chineze Nwagbo has got a lot of experience from Spanish and Portuguese clubs. She is 30 years old player. She graduated Syracuse in 2005. Then she was playing in Spanish II
division for some time. In 2010 she moved to the Portuguese team - AD Vagos. She was leader of this team averaging 19,0 points and 12 rebounds per game in the league and 15,2
points and 6,7 rebounds in 6 games of EuroCup. Last year she spent in the LFB league playing for Cadi ICG Software. Her statistics were quite good: 9 points and 6,6 rebounds
in 25 league games.

Ariana Moorer is the youngest player, she is only 22 years old. She graduated Virginia University in this year. In her last season in NCAA she averaged 14.4ppg, 5.4rpg, 3.6apg,
2.8spg in 36 league games. AZS PWSZ Gorzow Wlkp. will be her first club in professional basketball.

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

PUERTO RICO

Standings - Women

BSNF Standings

1. Quebradillas		6-1
2. Morovis M.		5-0
3. Carolina G.		4-1
4. San German		2-2
5. Aguas B.T.		1-3
6. Juncos V.		1-5
7. Ponce L.		0-7

Regular Season: Round 5

Sep. 4: Morovis M. - Juncos V. 69-68
Sep. 3: San German - Quebradillas 66-74
Sep. 1: Quebradillas - Juncos V. 61-60
Sep. 5: Ponce L. - San German

Stats Leaders - Superleague 25

Points Per Game

Gaati WEREMA
  Juncos V.
  (183-G-88)
  Avg: 18.5

1. Werema, Juncos V.	18.5
2. Bruszewski, Quebra.	18.0
3. Williams, Morovis	16.5
4. Centeno, Quebradil.	13.3
5. Vargas-S., Juncos	13.0
6. Rosado, Morovis M.	12.5
7. Concepcion, Junco.	11.5
8. Lechlitner, Quebra.	11.3
9. Rodriguez, Morov.	11.0
10. Escalera, Morov.	10.5

Rebounds Per Game

Esmary VARGAS-SANCHEZ
  Juncos V.
  (191-C-81)
  Avg: 12.5

1. Vargas-S., Juncos	12.5
2. Pineiro, Morovis M.	9.0
3. Bruszewski, Quebra.	8.0
4. Williams, Morovis	7.5
5. Werema, Juncos V.	7.0
6. Williams, Juncos V.	6.5
7. Escalera, Morov.	6.5
8. Centeno, Quebradil.	5.0
9. Arlequin, Quebradi.	5.0
10. Concepcion, Junc.	4.5

Assists Per Game

Carla ESCALERA
  Morov.
  (179-PF-84)
  Avg: 4

1. Escalera, Morov.	4.0
2. Werema, Juncos V.	3.5
3. Bruszewski, Quebra.	3.3
4. Rodriguez, Morov.	3.0
5. Pineiro, Morovis M.	3.0
6. Figueroa, Morov.	3.0
7. Centeno, Quebradil.	3.0
8. De La Paz, Juncos	3.0
9. Williams, Morovis	2.5
10. Arlequin, Quebrad.	2.0

Steals Per Game

Pamela ROSADO
  Morovis M.
  (165-PG-86)
  Avg: 4

1. Rosado, Morovis M.	4.0
2. De La Paz, Juncos	4.0
3. Escalera, Morov.	3.5
4. Williams, Morovis	3.5
5. Centeno, Quebradil.	3.3
6. Pineiro, Morovis M.	3.0
7. Lechlitner, Quebra.	2.3
8. Bruszewski, Quebra.	1.7
9. Barrientos, Quebra.	1.7
10. Arlequin, Quebrad.	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Esmary VARGAS-SANCHEZ
  Juncos V.
  (191-C-81)
  Avg: 4.5

1. Vargas-S., Juncos	4.5
2. Williams, Morovis	4.5
3. Bruszewski, Quebra.	1.7
4. Barrientos, Quebra.	1.0
5. Escalera, Morov.	1.0
6. Roman, Juncos V.	0.5
7. Pineiro, Morovis M.	0.5
8. Figueroa, Morov.	0.5
9. Rodriguez, Morov.	0.5
10. Concepcion, Junc.	0.5

Morovis improves to 5-0 by winning over Juncos: - by Luis Modestti

Montaneras de Morovis edged Valencianas de Juncos 69-68 to stay undefeated with a 5-0 record.

Angelina Williams (183-F/C-83, college: Illinois) netted two free throws with one second left gave Morovis the win. This is the fifth loss in a row for Juncos and now has a 1-5 record.

Williams led the winners with 20 points and 11 boards.

Atleticas de San German crushed Leonas de Ponce 103-54 led by Angelica Bermudez and Dominique Smith who had 20 each. Leonas are in last place with a 0-8 record.

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

RUSSIA

Standings Women D1

PBL Standings

1. Chevakata		0-0
2. Dynamo K.		0-0
3. Dynamo M.		0-0
4. Dynamo-GUVD		0-0
5. Energy Ivanovo		0-0
6. Nadezhda O.		0-0
7. Rostov		0-0
8. Spartak N.		0-0
9. Spartak V MR		0-0
10. UMMC		0-0

Regular Season: Round 1

Oct. 15: Chevakata - Dynamo M.
Oct. 16: Spartak N. - Dynamo K.
Oct. 18: Rostov - UMMC
Oct. 18: Energy Ivanovo - Spartak V MR
Oct. 18: Dynamo-GUVD - Nadezhda O.

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

SLOVAKIA

Zuzana Zirkova to miss 2012/13 season - by Eurobasket News

Zuzana Zirkova (175-F/G-80) decided to skip 2012/13 season. The player announced her decision in interview for Slovakian national television. At this moment it is not known will she return to the court for 2013/14 or not. Zirkova won the Slovakian league title and Cup last season for Good Angels Kosice. However, she appeared just 5 times in the league averaging 8.6 points, 2.6 assists and 2 rebounds. The player started 2010/11 with Good Angels as well, but left them in February of 2011 for UMMC Ekaterinburg. With them she won Russian Cup and title. They also reached Euroleague Semifinals. Before her move to Ekaterinburg, Zuzana Zirkova won the Slovakian Cup with Good Angels. In the past, she played several years for Frisco Sika Brno. She also has experience from Sopron, Ruzomberok and Kosice. Zirkova was a member of the Slovakian National Team from 1998 to 2010.

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

SPAIN

UNITED KINGDOM

Lions Land Jackman - by Paul Nilsen

The London Lion's Player A Day programme moves on - talented forward, Orlan Jackman (196-F-88) joins Vince Macaulay's London squad ahead of the British Basketball League 2012-13 season.

The 6'7" Jackman has just graduated from Oklahoma City University in the Sooner Conference of the NAIA. At College Jackman was the team's leading scorer averaging 14 points a game and snaring 8 rebounds a game.

Lions' Head Coach Vince Macaulay had this to say, "At the London Lions we want to play a particular brand of basketball this season and Orlan typifies this, he can play every position on the floor, is athletically gifted, has three point range and most of all he's English, our role here is to show a legacy for what has happened here in London this summer and Orlan and the rest of our guys are going to spearhead this."

Jackman who has played for England at the European Championships in age group competition in 2006, 2007 and 2008, was delighted to be back home, "I am excited and ready to get this chapter of my life underway, and I thank the London Lions for giving me this opportunity."

Coach Macaulay continues to build his team for a season that starts very soon, "The way things are going right now, we are all delighted, the members of this squad have been carefully chosen for what they want to achieve which is in line with the goals of the London Lions, Orlan starts his pro career here at his hometown, Tayo is on the rise as far as his career while the torch is getting ready to be handed over by veteran Mike Martin - gosh even I'm getting excited!"

The first chance for London to see the first ever London Lions team in action will be on Saturday 8th September at 8pm when the team plays a pre-season friendly against Team USA Select. Tickets will be charged at a flat 6 for this game. Prior to the game the USA B Team will face Essex Leopards at 6pm, both games will be played at the Lions home of Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.

For further information on the London Lions, visit www.londonlionsbasketball.com. Tickets are available for all London Lions games at www.ticketmaster.com, including the first BBL home game on Sunday 23rd September at 5pm when the London Lions take on the BBL Champion Newcastle Eagles.

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

WNBA

Plenette Pierson leads Liberty over Phoenix, Samantha Prahalis - by Eurobasket News

It's been a while since Phoenix Mercury guard Samantha Prahalis (5'7''-PG-90, college: Ohio St.) played an organized basketball game in the New York area.

The last time was Dec. 19, 2010, at Madison Square Garden and Prahalis was a junior point guard playing for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Wednesday night, the Commack product made her return to the area for the first time as a pro to take on the Liberty. However, her homecoming was spoiled as the Liberty routed the struggling Mercury, 87-59, at the Prudential Center.

The win gives the Liberty (11-16) a half-game lead over the idle Chicago Sky (10-16) for the fourth and final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

Plenette Pierson (6'2''-PF-81, college: Texas Tech) (13) and Cappie Pondexter (5'9''-G-83, college: Rutgers) totaled 23 points as the Liberty bolted to a 51-29 halftime lead.

The Liberty kept the pressure on as a layup by Alex Montgomery gave it a 67-35 lead with 2:55 left in the third quarter. "We knew Phoenix is a streaky team," Pierson said. "We knew we just had to stay focused coming out the locker room at halftime and I think we did a great job of that."

Pierson led the Liberty with 17 points, Montgomery and Kara Braxton had 12 points each and Nicole Powell finished with 10 points.

DeWanna Bonner (6'4''-G-87, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: Auburn) led Phoenix with 20 points.

Prahalis didn't have much input in the contest as a first-quarter shoulder injury limited her to six minutes. "I got hurt so early that I didn't really play, but it was good to see my family," she said.

Phoenix dropped to 6-20 with the loss, but Prahalis, who didn't score, sees brighter days ahead for the Mercury.

"We want to finish out the season strong, but in the back of our heads we know it's going to be serious," said Prahalis, whose team has played much of the season without injured starters Diana Taurasi, Candice Dupree and Penny Taylor.

"All these losses we have now . . . won't be there [next year]."

Courtesy of www.newsday.com

Harding, Hayes lead Dream to 71-64 win over Fever - by Eurobasket News

Lindsey Harding (5'8''-G-84, college: Duke) scored 20 points and Angel McCoughtry (6'1''-SF-86, college: Louisville) came off the bench to add 15, leading the Atlanta Dream to a 71-64 win over the Indiana Fever on Wednesday night.

Tiffany Hayes (5'10''-G-89, college: Connecticut) added 12 points and Sancho Lyttle (6'4''-C-83, college: Houston) 10 for Atlanta, which has won three straight under new coach Fred Williams as it tries to keep pace in the Eastern Conference. The third-place Dream are three games behind the Fever in the East and five back of Connecticut.

The Dream, the two-time defending conference champions, struggled for much of the season before beating the Sun 87-80 Sunday and rallying past Indiana.

Atlanta (15-13) trailed 52-48 after three quarters, but Harding scored 12 points in the final period and Hayes added six to help the Dream snap Indiana's win streak at four.

Katie Douglas hit five 3-pointers and scored 23 points for Indiana (17-9). Tamika Catchings added 13 points and nine rebounds.

The Fever controlled much of the first half and built their biggest lead when Douglas made a pair of free throws with 2:08 left in the second quarter to make it 32-21.

Atlanta closed the half with an 8-0 run, however, keyed by two turnovers and a blocked shot by Dream center Erika de Souza to close to 32-29 at intermission.

The Dream kept the momentum early in the second half, and de Souza's putback gave the home team a 35-34 lead with 6:50 left in the third quarter.

Douglas hit back-to-back 3s to give the Fever a 45-42 lead and by the end of the third quarter Indiana led 52-48. But Douglas missed her final four 3-point tries.

The Dream made just 1 of 16 from 3-point range in the game, but was helped by a 7-for-10 showing at the free throw line in the fourth quarter.

Courtesy of www.sacbee.com