Eurobasket Daily News Report:

Men News

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KK BOSNA marks 30th Anniversary of winning European Champion title - by Sead Buljina

Thirty years ago KK BOSNA from Sarajevo became the first club, aside of CSKA, to win European Champions Cup (today Euroleague) without foreign players on its roster. On April 5, 1979 in the final KK Bosna, led by late Mirza Delibasic, beat Italian champion Emerson 96:93. Let's remind that Emerson has dominated Europe during '70s. KK Bosna, Sarajevo had won the Yugoslavian League and Cup in 1978 and managed to keep its main players: RatkoRadovanovic, Zarko Varajic and above all, Mirza Delibasic, a Hall of Famer. Tall, gifted, smart and versatile, Delibasic was not only an outstanding shooter, but had an incredible court vision that allowed him to change any game with his creativity. Bosna started its Euroleague season in the Quarterfinals Group Stage, finishing first in its group. Once in the semifinals group stage, Bosna sent a message right away by edging defending champion Real Madrid 114-109 in overtime in Sarajevo. Bosna would eventually win all its home games and would advance to the title game by edging Olympiacos 83-88 in Athens. The second finalist would be either Varese or Real Madrid, who faced each other in the final game in that round. Varese beat Madrid 82-83. That game will be remembered by Prada's missed free throws. Luis Maria Prada famously missed 3 free throws with no time on the clock that could have changed history. Once in the title game, Bosna downed mighty Emerson,Varese 96-93 in front of 15,000 fans in Grenoble, France. Delibasic led his team scoring 30 points in the process, Zarko Varajic scored 45 points in a career-best performance, while Radovanovic added 10 points. Americans Bob Morse and Charlie Yelverton scored 30 and 27 points respectively for Varese. KK Bosna had won the Euroleague title with no foreign player on its roster.
The club has gathered all players, coach Tanjevic, assistant coaches Prodanovic, Krehic, first club's coach Halilovic and all Club members who helped Bosna achieve a great success such is winning a European title. Unfortunatelly, two key members of Bosna championship team are not among us anymore. Mirza Delibasic Kindje and Sabahudin Dino Bilalovic have past away, but they will be remembered by all Bosna fans forever. Many great players and coaches from the region joined the gathering in memory to one great generation of Bosna players and their accomplishment.

April 5, 1979. Sports Arena Grenoble, France. Attendance: 15,000. Referees: Turner (England), Van der Vileges (Netherlands). Final Score: Bosna - Emerson 96:93 (45:43).
BOSNA, Sarajevo: Boro Vucevic, Anto Djogic 6, Predrag Benacek 3, Bosko Bosiocic 2, Nihad Izic, Ratko Radovanovic 10, Dragan Zrno, Zarko Varajic 45, Mirza Delibasic 30, Sabahudin Bilalovic, Sabit Hadzic, Svetislav Pesic. Coach: Bogdan Tanjevic.
EMERSON, Varese: Gergatti 7, Colombo 2, Gwalko 16, Bob Morse 30, Osola, Dino Menegin 10, Canneva, Tosarinni, Carraria 1, Yalverton 27. Coach: Dodo Ruskoni.

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argentinian awards 2008/09 - by Facundo Iatzky
Liga A:

MVP: David Jackson (196-G-82, college: Penn St.) of penarol

Best team:
Juan Pablo Cantero (186-G-82) of sionista
David Jackson of penarol
Juan Locatelli (198-F-75) of Atenas
Federico Kammerichs (203-F-80) of Regatas
Roman Gonzalez (211-C-78, agency: HM Sports Agency) of penarol

Second team:
Jonathan Treise (182-G-85) of quimsa
Juan Espil (193-G-68, agency: Interperformances) of Boca
Federico Marin (199-G/F-82) of Independiente
Brice Assie (201-F-83, college: W.Connecticut) of independiente
Edward Nelson (203-F-82, college: Connecticut) of BB estudiantes

All domestic team:
Juan Pablo Cantero of sionista
Juan Espil of Boca
Juan Locatelli of atenas
Federico Kammerichs of regatas
Roman Gonzalez of penarol

All import team:
David Jackson of penarol
Cedric Moodie (187-G-78, college: Indianapolis) of independiente
Brice Assie of independiente
Edward Nelson of BB estudiantes
Djibril Kante (201-C-80, college: Indiana St.) of atenas

Best domestic player: Roman Gonzalez of penarol
Best import player: David Jackson of penarol
Best coach: Nicolas Casalanguida of Gimnasia CR
6th man: Juan Pablo Figueroa (184-G-86, agency: Interperformances) of Atenas
Most improved player: Juan Pablo Cantero of sionista
Best rookie: German Sciutto (190-F-78, agency: Interperformances) of Gimnasia

All rookie team:
Nicolas Laprovittola of Lanus
German Sciutto of gimnasia
Miguel Gerlero of olimpico
Alexis Elsener of el nacional
Ariel Hillebrand of Ben hur


TNA:

MVP: Alex Carcamo (200-F-77, agency: Gross Zeev ISA, college: E.Washington) of San martin corrientes

best team:
Emiliano Agostino of gimnasia lp
Byron Wilson of cilcista junin
Matias Tomatis of alma jrs
Alex Carcamo of san martin corrientes
Francis Nwankwo of san martin marcos juarez

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Henry Sacked by Wildcats, Beveridge Likely Replacement - by James Hoff
Former NBA Player Conner Henry has been sacked by the Perth Wildcats one year into a two-year deal despite leading the Wildcats to the playoffs last season. Perth finished the 2008-09 season with a 17-13 record however were defeated by the Townsville Crocodiles in the controversial 'one-game series' in the first round of the playoffs.

Henry played for the Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks in a short NBA career and replaced Perth Legend Scott Fisher (agency: Warren Sports International ) as head coach before the start of last season. It is alleged by many sources that former Sydney Spirit Coach Rob Beveridge will be offered the position vacated by Henry.

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Jarryd Loyd named Player of the Week - by Interperformances
6'1' Jarryd Loyd (184-G-86, agency: Interperformances, college: Valparaiso) is off to great start for the Nelson Giants in the New Zealand NBL where he was named Round Four Player of the Week. He scored 27 points in the road win over the Wiakato Pistons 73-80 to move the Giants into first place in the league. The all-around guard also finished with a dominating 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Jarryd is averaging 22.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 5.4 apg. for the season. Tony Rampton added 13 points and John Barber 11 points for the Giants.

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Home Protector Insurance Wins With a Blowout!!! - by David Magana
Home Protector Insurance massacred Grace Kennedy Belize by 70 pts in the Interoffice League of Belize. In other news, the game between General Post Office and Port of Belize was a close one in which General Post Office won dramatically by one point. Meantime, Kolbe Foundation out scored Youth for the Future by 14 pts. Below are the final stats:

Game 1:
Kolbe Foundation 51 - Youth for the Future 37
Top Scorers
Kolbe - Dale Turner (165-G) 25 pts / 1 rebound / 3 assist / 3 steals
Nadir Ahmad 15 pts / 18 rebounds / 2 assist / 2 blocks / 4 steals
Youth - E. Itza 10 pts / 5 rebounds / 1 assist / 2 blocks / 3 steals
H. Williams 8 pts / 6 rebounds / 2 steals

Game 2:
General Post Office 64 - Port of Belize 63
Top Scorers
GPO - Kevin Flowers 'Beeno' 17 pts / 4 rebounds / 1 assist
Marlon Meyer 17 pts / 2 rebounds / 2 assist / 2 steals
Port - Ian Augustine (191-F-73) 'AC' 20 pts / 16 rebounds / 2 assist / 3 blocks / 3 steals
Leroy Forbes (-F) 'Fayah' 10 pts / 5 rebounds / 1 assist / 2 steals

Game 3:
Home Protector Insurance 99 - Grace Kennedy Belize 29
Top Scorers
Home Protector - Albert Zelaya 20 pts / 5 rebounds / 1 assist / 1 block / 7 steals
Carlton 'Pancho' Humes 18 pts / 5 rebounds / 1 assist / 1 steal
Grace - Vernon Samuels 15 pts / 4 rebounds / 2 steals
Rafael O'brien 8 pts / 10 rebounds


NEXT GAMES: Wednesday 08 April, 6:30 pm at Civic Center

Game 1 - Medical & Johnston International vs Belize City Council
Game 2 - Tuff e Nuff Tours vs SSB / BNTU
Game 3 - Belize Telemedia Limited vs First Caribbean International Bank

FIBA Americas Secretary General to visit Belize!!! - by David Magana

The Belize Basketball Federation (BBF) is pleased to announce the visit of Mr. Alberto Garcia, Secretary General of FIBA Americas based in Puerto Rico. Mr. Garcia will be visiting on the 16th and 17th April and his visit will feature various meetings including the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Belize Olympic Association, and some corporate sponsors. Mr Garcia will also be taking a brief tour of basketball facilities in the country and will review the recently launched Mens Senior National Team Programme and the overall BBF four-year strategic plan.
This will be the first ever visit of such a high level FIBA official to Belize and the BBF is therefore delighted that Mr Garcia has accepted the invitation to visit at this critical time in the reinvigoration of basketball in Belize.

Basketball Symposium by the Belize Basketball Federation:

The Belize Basketball Federation (BBF) will be holding an open-house symposium to introduce its fouryear strategic plan to the basketball community, media, and the general public at large. All basketball players, coaches, referees, enthusiasts, corporate sponsors, other interested parties, the media and the general public are invited to the attend the session on Tuesday, April 14th from 7:00pm at the Sports Council meeting room at the Civic Center in Belize City. The session will feature a presentation of the proposed strategic plan followed by an open discussion session on the issues, challenges and opportunities facing the sport of basketball in Belize. The BBF hasconsulted widely during the development phase of the plan and the symposium will be the culmination of this consultation process.

Press Release Belize Basketball Federation

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KK BOSNA marks 30th Anniversary of winning European Champion title - by Sead Buljina
Thirty years ago KK BOSNA from Sarajevo became the first club, aside of CSKA, to win European Champions Cup (today Euroleague) without foreign players on its roster. On April 5, 1979 in the final KK Bosna, led by late Mirza Delibasic, beat Italian champion Emerson 96:93. Let's remind that Emerson has dominated Europe during '70s. KK Bosna, Sarajevo had won the Yugoslavian League and Cup in 1978 and managed to keep its main players: RatkoRadovanovic, Zarko Varajic and above all, Mirza Delibasic, a Hall of Famer, one of the great basketball geniuses in the sports history. Tall, gifted, smart and versatile, Delibasic was not only an outstanding shooter, but had an incredible court vision that allowed him to change any game with his creativity. Bosna started its Euroleague season in the Quarterfinals Group Stage, finishing first in its group. Once in the semifinals group stage, Bosna sent a message right away by edging defending champion Real Madrid 114-109 in overtime in Sarajevo. Bosna would eventually win all its home games and would advance to the title game by edging Olympiacos 83-88 in Athens. The second finalist would be either Varese or Real Madrid, who faced each other in the final game in that round. Varese beat Madrid 82-83. That game will be remembered by Prada's missed free throws. Luis Maria Prada famously missed 3 free throws with no time on the clock that could have changed history. Once in the title game, Bosna downed mighty Emerson,Varese 96-93 in front of 15,000 fans in Grenoble, France. Delibasic led his team scoring 30 points in the process, Zarko Varajic scored 45 points in a career-best performance, while Radovanovic added 10 points. Americans Bob Morse and Charlie Yelverton scored 30 and 27 points respectively for Varese. KK Bosna had won the Euroleague title with no foreign player on its roster.
The club has gathered all players, coach Tanjevic, assistant coaches Prodanovic, Krehic, first club's coach Halilovic and all Club members who helped Bosna achieve a great success such is winning a European title. Unfortunatelly, two key members of Bosna championship team are not among us anymore. Mirza Delibasic Kindje and Sabahudin Dino Bilalovic have past away, but they will be remembered by all Bosna fans forever. Many great players and coaches from the region joined the gathering in memory to one great generation of Bosna players and their accomplishment.
April 5, 1979. Sports Arena Grenoble, France. Attendance: 15,000. Referees: Turner (England), Van der Vileges (Netherlands). Final Score: Bosna - Emerson 96:93 (45:43).
BOSNA, Sarajevo: Boro Vucevic, Anto Djogic 6, Predrag Benacek 3, Bosko Bosiocic 2, Nihad Izic, Ratko Radovanovic 10, Dragan Zrno, Zarko Varajic 45, Mirza Delibasic 30, Sabahudin Bilalovic, Sabit Hadzic, Svetislav Pesic. Coach: Bogdan Tanjevic.
EMERSON, Varese: Gergatti 7, Colombo 2, Gwalko 16, Bob Morse 30, Osola, Dino Menegin 10, Canneva, Tosarinni, Carraria 1, Yalverton 27. Coach: Dodo Ruskoni.

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Atila Santos shines in Bulgaria - by Eurobasket News
Brazilian big guy Atila Santos (208-C-83, agency: Interperformances, college: Minn.St.-Mankato) demonstrated pretty good performance this season in Bulgarian top division. In Round 21 of NBL he was the second MVP with index value 27. Santos scored 17 points and pulled down 16 rebounds against the reigning champ Lukoil Akademik. His Cherno More was not able to win this road game (89-82), but it still has decent 10-8 record. Santos appeared 20 times in NBL this season averaging 13.7 ppg and 8.7 rpg. His season high is 28 points against Rilski Sportist in Round 19. He had 16 rebounds twice. Cherno More also participated in Balkan league, but did not qualify for the Final 4. In this regional championship Atila Santos had 12 ppg and 7.9 rpg in 10 games. His season high in BIBL is 22 points against Feni Industri. In the first round against Radnicki Santos grabbed 17 rebounds. Cherno More is currently on third place in NBL with a nice chance to reach play-off semifinals. Lukoil Akademik is on top with 15-3. No.2 Levski had 13-5, while the fourth ranked Spartak has the same number as Cherno More.

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Standings A1


Rilski Sportist defeat Spartak and tied them in the standing of NBL - by Valentin Anguelov

The team of Rilski Sportist took an important home win in the battle for third place in the regular season of National Basketball leauge defeating 98-87 Spartak Pleven. Important though could be the difference in points because Rilski needed to win by 15 because now if the teams finish with the same record of wins and losses Spartak will have the advantage.

Rilski Sportist could have easily won by a lot more than the necessary 15 points because the team had leads as large as 20 points. In the second half though Spartak was very close to a comeback but after a good last quarter the players of Aleksandar Todorov have to feel happy that they even won the game because with a little bit more luck Spartak could have claimed the victory. This was first win for Rilski against Spartak in Samokov in the last two years - the last one was on 08.04.2006 and it was followed by five straight losses.

A total of six players scored in double figures for Rilski Sportist. Dragoslav Papic (205-C/F-87, agency: Global Sports Plaza) was the top scorer for the team with 24 points. Travis Peterson had another very good game with a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds. Ivan Lilov had 14 points while 10 apiece had Branko Mirkovic and Bogdan Boev. The captain of the team Aleksandar Gruev had 14 and show good form in the game.

Hrisimir Dimitrov was once again the go-to guy for Spartak Pleven with 26 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists. Very good played also Vladimir Marinov who finished with 17 points and 5 assists before fouling out. Vesko Georgiev scored 16 and Rob Preston 10.

In the next round Rilski Sportist will travel to Pravets to play against Lukoil Academic while Spartak well go to Sofia to play against Levski on Sunday.

FULL STATS OF RILSKI SPORTIST - SPARTAK PLEVEN GAME

Easy win for Levski in Yambol - by Valentin Anguelov

The team of Levski recorded another win this time away at Yambol. 'The Blues' defeated their opponent 84-101 . The big difference doesn't show how tight and difficult for the visitors was the game.

The start was good for the visitors who took the lead. They scored 34 points in the first quarter and started in the same way the second. But then the players of Titi Papazov started to play more relaxed and that reflected on the game as Yambol cut the deficit from 12 to 6 points. With 30 seconds to go in the first half Yambol tied the game at 52 but then Stefan Georgiev (206-C/F-78, agency: Interperformances) scored to make it 52-54 at the break.

In the first minutes of the third quarter Levski pulled ahead again but after 26 minutes Yambol was down by only three points. In the next minutes the visitors made a 13-0 run and practically decided the game as the last quarter was only to settle the final score.

For Yambol strong game had Stanislav Govedarov with 25 points as Martin Durchev added 17.

For Levski five players scored in double figures with Stefan Georgiev finishing with 18. Zlatin Georgiev and Arnas Kazlauskas added 17 apiece.

In the next round Yambol will visit Euroins Cherno More while Levski will host Spartak Pleven.

FULL STATS OF THE YAMBOL - LEVSKI GAME

Ivan Lilov is MVP of Round 21 - by Eurobasket News
Ivan Lilov (196-F/G-88, agency: FCM) of Rilski Sportist is MVP of NBL, Round 21. Lilov was a key player for his Rilski Sportist collecting 23 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Rilski was better than Sliven 111-72 and he reached index value 27. Lilov is the first Bulgarian player who managed to grab two consecutive MVP of the Round awards this season. Ivan Lilov played 19 games for Rilski in NBL averaging 15.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 3.2 apg. In Balkan league he appeared 11 times with 14.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 3.4 apg. His season high in NBL is 30 points against Yambol in Round 20. In Balkan league Lilov nailed 18 pts twice (Levski and Rabotnicki).

Second MVP of this round is Atila Santos (208-C-83, agency: Interperformances, college: Minn.St.-Mankato) of Cherno More, who also had index 27. He scored 17 points and pulled down 16 rebounds against the reigning champ Lukoil Akademik. Santos averages 13.7 ppg and 8.7 rpg this season in NBL. In the regional championship he had 12 ppg and 7.9 rpg in 10 games.

Third place is reserved for Dragoslav Papic (205-C/F-87, agency: Global Sports Plaza), again of Rilski Sportist. Lilov's teammate had index value 26 collectign 20 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals.

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Dimayor: Navarrete and Johnson signed with ULA - by Daniel Valencia
Universidad de Los Lagos announced the signing of two players for the new season of Dimayor. The team coached by the american Carlton Johnson signed the point guard Ignacio Navarrete (175-G-87) (former Provincial Llanquihue) and the shooting guard Marquis Johnson (180-G-86) (former Deportes Ancud). Universidad de Los Lagos will play two friendly games this week, against Provincial Llanquihue and Provincial Osorno in a way to prepare the team for the start of the season.

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Standings - D1


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Standings - Ozujsko A1 League


A1, Round 5: Zadar crushes Cibona - by Eurobasket News

Group 1-8

KK Zagreb - KK Split 93-84
Zagreb became the only undefeated team in the league after home win vs Split. Krunoslav Simon (197-G/F-85) top-scored for the hosts with 21, while Damir Mulaomerovic (195-G-74, agency: FCM) and Luka Zoric (211-C/F-84) netted 20 pts each. Mulaomerovic also dished out 9 assists beside that. Split got 25 pts and 7 boards from Darlon Johnson (206-F-81, college: UNLV), falling to 2-2.

Zadar - Cibona 97-88
The reigning champion crushed Cibona at home for 2-1 record. Desmon Farmer (195-G-81, college: USC) came up with 18, while Todor Gecevski (209-C-77, agency: Interperformances) and Vladimir Boisa (209-F/C-81, agency: World Sport Agency) netted 16 points apiece. Alan Anderson (198-G/F-82, college: Michigan St.) collected 32 points and 8 boards in Cibona, who fell to 4-1.

Cedevita - Sibenka 95-85
Cedevita grabbed the first win in the second stage of Croatian A1 league mostly owing to Ramel Bradley (188-G-85), who drained 26 points. Vonteego Cummings (192-G-76, college: Pittsburgh) had 15 pts and 6 assists. Ivan Mimica (193-G-80) and Mario Filipovic (195-G-88) combined 49 pts in defeat. Both teams have 1-4 record now.

Dubrovnik - Svjetlost 102-81
The box-score will be available soon.

Group 9-14

Dubrava - Trogir 68-60
Dubrava grabbed very important home win vs Trogir mostly owing to Karlo Vragovic (191-G-89), who nailed 17 points and pulled down 5 rebounds. Zeljko Sakic (202-F-88) had 16 pts and 8 rebs, while Igor Matic registered 12 pts and 11 rebs. Toni Bizaca (202-F-82) answered with 17 pts for Trogir.

Kvarner NR - Borik 90-79
Fran Pilepic (192-G-89) this time stepped up for Kvarner netting 25 points (4 triples). Jurica Spahija (203-F/C-83) had 20 and Marijan Mance (197-G-78) stopped on 10 pts in 29 minutes. Mate Mrva (195-F-83) scored 21 pts (5 triples) for Borik.

Zabok - Alkar Sinj 93-73
Domagoj Basic (190-G-86) was on fire for Zabok in this game netting 23 points. Ive Ivanov also had important role collecting 19 pts and 5 rebounds. Alkar got the most form Josip Blajic and Igor Sumic - 14 pts each.

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Ciego de Avila wins LSB - by Gianni Pascucci
The Ciego de Avila 'Buffaloes' defeated Azules de Capitalinos La Habana, 78-70 in the seventh and decisive game of the Liga Superior de Balocesto Finals in front of a sellout 'Sala Ramon Frost' Arena. It was a tough game because Capitalinos, who had forced the series to Game 5 by winning Game 4, 71-64 some days ago, started very strong. The fisrt half ended with the home team ahead only by two points 39-37. In the second half, Ciego de Avila enlarged the advatage pointing on a good defense and on the offensive skills of Geoffrei Silvestre (202-F/C-79) and Georvys Elias (199-F-81). Silvestre confirmed to be the best Cuban active player, scoring 35 points as the game MVP. This is the fith triumph in a row for the 'Buffaloes', winners of LSB from 2005 to 2009.

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Standings - 1st Division


1. divisions season is over - Aalborg BK is final winner - by Thomas Quaade
After one of the best and strongest 1. division seasons ever this years league has now completed their games and the final standings are:

1. Aalborg
2. Herlev
3. Vaerlose
4. Stevnsgade
5. Aarhus BF
6. Hobas
7. Falcon
8. Virum
9. Lemvig
10. Odense
11. Jonstrup
12. Alba

This means that Aalborg BK is the final winner of the league (congratulations) and will move up in the Canal Digital Liga. Herlev finishes second and will play Aabyhoj for the final spot. Jonstrup and Alba will move down to the 2. division. There has been rumours that Roskilde from the Canal Digital Liga will move all the way down to the 2. division because of financial problems, if that's true, Jonstrup could end up with another ticket to play 1. division next season. But so far no real news on that yet.

We know for sure that Skt. Klemens and Solrod will be the new teams in the 1. division next season. Congratulations to you and welcome to the league.

The last round of the 1. division produced these results:

Falcon - Alba 87-84
Herlev - Jonstrup 77-59
Vaerlose - Stevnsgade 66-75
Aarhus BF - Odense 93-70
Lemvig - Hobas 98-79
Aalborg - Virum 83-86

After Easter we will be back with eurobasket.com's awards and evaluation.

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Eddie Gill Named NBA D-League Impact Player Award - by Surujh Roopnarine
An award for a unique feat was handed out yesterday as Colorado 14ers point guard Eddie Gill (6'0'-G-78, college: Weber St.) was awarded the NBA Development League Impact Player of the year award. Awarded to a player who joins a D-League team following the start of the season, the award honors a player who made the greatest contribution following his in-season acquisition. The former Weber State star is averaging 15.1 points, 8.7 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 35.5 minutes in 35 games (33 starts) for the 14ers. The 6-1 guard is shooting 79.5% from the free-throw line and 32.8% from three-point range, and has recorded 13 double-doubles this season. Gill earned a Gatorade Call-Up to the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 9 and was signed to two consecutive 10-day contracts. In six games for the Bucks, Gill averaged 2.3 points, 1.8 assists and shot .667 from the floor.
Utah Jazz guard Morris Almond (6'6'-F-85, college: Rice) (currently on assignment from the Utah Jazz) was the awards first recipient during the 2007-08 D-league season.

Brent Petway Selected as Defensive Player of the Year - by Surujh Roopnarine
It appears that playing on one of the D-Leagues best defensive teams lent itself to someone receiving the leagues Defensive Player of the Year award. Idaho Stampede forward Brent Petway (6'8'-F-85, college: Michigan) was the 2008-09 selection after starting all 45 of the Stampedes games thus far and ranking second in the league in blocks at 2.1 per contest. Brent is averaging 10.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in just under 30 minutes per game. The Stampede hold opponents to a league-low .440 field goal percentage and ranks third in opponent scoring (99.1 ppg). The former Michigan forward joins Stephane Lasme (6'8'-F-82, college: Massachusetts) (Los Angeles Defenders, 2007-08) and Mouhamed Sene (7'0'-C-86) (Idaho Stampede 2007-08), Renaldo Major (6'7'-F-82, college: Fresno St.) (Dakota, 2006-07), Derrick Zimmerman (6'3'-G-81, college: Mississippi St.) (Austin 2005-06, Columbus 2004-05), Karim Shabazz (7'2'-C-78, college: Providence) (Charleston 2003-04), Mikki Moore (6'11'-C-75, college: Nebraska) (Roanoke 2002-03) and Jeff Myers (6'3'-G-74, college: Drexel) (Greenville 2001-02) as winners of the Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Standings


Last games (3) - Trey Gilder leads 14ers to victory - by Eurobasket News
Reno - Austin 124-118
The Reno Bighorns outplayed Austin Toros on the road jumping to 24-24 record. Rod Benson (6'10'-F/C-84, college: California) came up with 27, Richie Frahm had 26, while David Noel added 23 pts. Malik Hairston netted 31 in loss.

Albuquerque - Colorado 121-129
Trey Gilder (6'9'-F-85, college: Northwestern St.) was a key player for the 14ers last night collecting 32 points and 12 rebounds. Billy Thomas also had very important role delivering 27 pts. Will Conroy responded with 31 pts and 7 assists for the loosing side.

Los Angeles - Utah 118-117
The LA D-Fenders celebrated in thriller vs Utah Flash moving up to 18-31 record. Dwayne Mitchell (6'5'-G-82, agency: Pro One Sports, college: La-Lafayette) and Mickael Gelabale scored 27 points each in victory. The hosts got 45 pts and 22 rebs from Ronald DuPree and JR Giddens.

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Super League Standings


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Kouvot bet Kataja - by Esko Saarinen
Finnish korisliiga two top teams Kataja (Joensuu) and Kouvot (Kouvola) had an even match in Joensuu. Kouvot was better in two and three quarters and took two points to the travelling back home. Kouvot won 85-89 (36-38) and is making sure to have second place in regular season. Two matches are still left before play-offs. Kouvot was in this match better in shooting 2-points and taking rebounds. The MVP was Kouvot's Brian Swift (31/5) having ten points in the last two minutes. Roope Suonio (17/4) and Calvin Walls (15/3) were other important players in Kouvot. In Kataja Petri Virtanen is coming back for top scoring and had in this match 21 points. Another national team player Sami Lehtoranta (16/7) was also in good humor. Larry Blair tried in last minutes make the match to Kataja, but he was too alone. Kataja is the leader team and will start play-offs at home.
Another important match was ToPo (Helsinki) vs. Namika (Lahti). ToPo won after overtime 91-85 (75-75, 36-42). Overtime was the show of ToPo's american layers. Jean Francois made seven points, James Allen three points and Isaac Spencer two points in free throws. The finish of the match was when ToPo's Eero Lehtinen had a dunk. KTP (Kotka) lost home start for play-offs by loosing Namika (Lappeenranta) 80-85 (37-45) at home. Pasi Heinonen and >Robert Owens made 13 points. Best of Lappeenranta players were HL Coleman (28/9) and Adrian Penland (31/9). Honka won Porvoo 79-74 and Korihait won Componenta 96-56. These two matches are nothing to tell, Porvoo is going down to I division and Componenta will battle the place in korisliiga for the second best of I division.

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Stats leaders of Superleague, Round 7 - by Eurobasket News
Dimitar Karadzovski (189-G-84, agency: Global Sports Plaza) of Swisslion Pelister is the top scorer of Round 7 with 33 points. Dime Tasovski (201-F-80, agency: Interperformances) of Fersped Rabotnicki followed him with 28, while third place belongs to Nebojsa Ristic (194-G/F-77) of Ovce Pole with 25 points.
Ovce Pole also has the best rebounder in this round. It is Todorovic, who grabbed 11 boards. Zlatko Gocevski (206-C-82, agency: Global Sports Plaza) of Feni and Simic of Rabotnicki are on the second and third place with 10 boards each. Pero Blazevski (200-C-72, agency: Global Sports Plaza) of MZT had 7.
The best assistant of Round 7 is Miljkovic of Pelister with 6 as. Nebojsa Ristic and Samardziev had 5, while Darko Sokolov (190-G-86) and Mirakovski dished out 4 assists.
Aleksandar Ugrinoski (192-G-88, agency: Interperformances) was the best shooter from behind the arc making 6 of 6 attempts.
Pero Blazevski was the best for FG2 with 71.4%. He made 5 of 7 shots.
Slobodan Agoc scored 7 of 8 from the free throw line.

MVP of Round 7 is Dime Tasovski .

He is together with, Aleksandar Ugrinoski, Dimitar Karadzovski, Zlatko Gocevski and Donald Cole (204-C-81, agency: Edge Sports, college: Sam Houston St.) named in top five player of the round.

In the second five are placed Darko Sokolov, Fray, Milan Prekovic (195-G/F-75), Pero Blazevski and Nebojsa Ristic.

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The Deutsche Bank Skyliners Have An Easter Date With The Walter Tigers Tubingen On Saturday April 11th - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
Tubingen Mascot Tiger Walter can do as many tricks on his unicycle as he wants, but he will have his paws full with The Deutsche Bank Skyliners, who will attempt to find the Easter Bunnies golden eggs on the court and trade them in for the greater total of points in terms of baskets. Since Frankfurt will be missing their faithful and very beloved big size mascot Dunking Kong, they will need the support of the Easter bunny. Frankfurt are on a very positive way of reaching their second consecutive post season, while Tubingen is scrapping on the boarder of reaching the playoffs, but have a very difficult rest program and dont only need the support of Tiger Walter, but also the Easter bunny, but Skyliner coach Murat Didin is looking toward the sky for support. We will work hard for Tubingen, but you need to have luck and pray to God. I am sure that he will find a way to send us the eggs of luck, joked Skyliner coach Murat Didin. Tubingen know it wont be easy to make the playoffs, but they will need a lot more help than only the Easter Bunny. We believe 100% in making the playoffs. We work hard each day for our goal. I am in maniac mode 24/7 and so is Rasko Katic. Everybody works hard in practice, if not then we will tell them. We have a deep team this year. In general the BBL has gotten a lot deeper this season. You have to have a deep team in order to be successful in Europe, stressed Tubingen American AJ Moye. We will hopefully put many eggs into the basket on the court and make for a nice Easter party, joked Skyliner captain Pascal Roller.


Tubingen is 30 kilometers south west of Stuttgart and is situated on a ridge between the Necker and Ammer rivers with a landscape that is breath taking, so it doesnt come as a surprise that in 1995, the German weekly magazine Focus published a national survey according to which Tubingen had the highest quality of life of all cities in Germany. But Tubingen is most known as being an important German University town, where nearly of the 88,000 population are students. The Eberhard Karls University was founded in 1477 and is one of the oldest Universities in Germany. Skyliner coach Murat Didin hopes that the students will be too exhausted from exams to be able to make any noise and disruptions for his players. I am sure many of the youth of Tubingen will have exams in the University and then they will come to the court and try their best to make our examination on the court harder and harder, but that is a natural thing, warned Skyliner coach Murat Didin.


Tubingen is also the home town of perhaps Germanys finest middle distance runner Dieter Baumann, who ran for Lav Asics Tubingen. He is best remembered for his Olympic silver at Seoul in 1988 over 5000 meters and his gold at Barcelona in 1992 over 5000 meters. In his triumph in Barcelona, he sprinted the last 100 meters in 11,9 seconds to secure the gold medal. I was at the Olympics in 1992 in Barcelona as TV commentator for Turkish Basketball. I was unable to catch his sprint in the stadium, but I hope he will bring a good light to us and save some of his sprint and emotion for us for the Skyliner effort, stressed Skyliner coach Murat Didin. Skyliner forward Ilian Evtimov hopes that his team does not have to worry about a sprint in the crunch time, but settle matters a lot earlier in the game. We cant do what Baumann did. We dont want an up and down game. We have to get the lead early and control the game so we can finish the game smoothly, added Skyliner Ilian Evtimov.


The game will also reunite too good old coaching friends from Turkey Murat Didin and Tolga Ongoren. They have been friends for more than 30 years and will reunite in Tubingen as Ongoren is still searching for his first win on German soil against his amigo Didin who leads the coaching head to head 3-0. The biggest success of Ongoren was winning the Turkish cup in 2003 with Ulker Istanbul. Didin is never shy of starting a quote with an exaggeration. I know Tolga since the second World War. Our first meeting was in 1975 as I was coach and he was a guard in the Cadet team. We know each other 34 years, said Murat Didin. Last season Ongoren won three of the last seven games to keep Tubingen in the BBL and this season, they are knocking on the playoff door step once again. He coaches with high discipline. It is not difficult to understand that he can be a good coach from his cadet playing days, added Skyliner coach Murat Didin.


Skyliner assistant coach Engin Gencoglu never worked for him, but has high respect for him. Tolga is a very serious coach that likes long practices. He likes defense and he is on a good way of leading his team to the playoffs, stated Skyliner assistant Engin Gencoglu. Gencoglu and Didin think a like when it comes to the question if Didin and Ongoren will keep smiling at each other during the 40 minutes or if those smiles and the friendship are put on hold until after the siren sounds. It doesnt mater if the coach is Tolga, a Russian, a woman or Bobby Knight, when the game starts, it is a fight until the game is over. We will not play stiff just because it is Tolga, but play hard to win, stressed Engin Gencoglu. Murat Didin had the same thinking, but just used different examples. During a game it doesnt matter if it is Tolga, Kuzcmann, Messina, or Mr. Obama, all teams are the same opponent. Each coach makes their life the same way you or I do, expressed Skyliner coach Murat Didin.

The game also will mark the return of Pascal Roller who played two years in Tubingen as a youth. He also scored his BBL high point total with 29 points against Tubingen in 2001. I always like coming back to see old friends. Even though I played here for two years, It is like a regular game for me. I really want to win against my old team. I had no idea that my highest BBL total was against Tubingen, added captain Pascal Roller. The game will also mark a new encounter between AJ Moye and Ilian Evtimov, who have had three duels in the BBL all won by Evtimov. Usually when two NCAA players talk about knowing each other, it is usually from playing against each other in the States, but when it comes to Evtimov and Moye, they first met in the 2007-2008 season. I love Evtimov, he is my boy, said AJ Moye. I like playing against Moye. I dont think that I played against him in college, but the world is small and you tend to run into people. We met on the court last season and started talking trash, added Ilian Evtimov.


The game also will mark another new appearance by Ilian SWISH Evtimov, who will make his second match after starting a special conditioning program with Skyliner athletic trainer and 1998 German champion for the 400 meters Stefan Letzelter one week ago. He worked out with American Anthony King Wednesday morning on the track with Letzelter. Didin knows that it will be essential that Evtimov will gain something by the special conditioning program by the time the playoffs have arrived. I am sure Evtimov will play in Tubingen. He needs not only to gain quickness now, but also for his Basketball future. Evtimov is not a sprinter like Usain Bolt, because he was fast, but more like a Larry Bird, because he was quick. Evtimov has a good chance of improving each day, warned Skyliner coach Murat Didin. Evtimov never for an instance shunned the conditioning, but has been appreciative by the help of Stefan Letzelter and the support of Murat Didin. I am grateful that Stefan has taken time to help me. This is a great opportunity for me to become quicker at position three. We have been working on quickness and explosiveness. I am feeling better each day condition wise. I cant get so much better in such a short time, but I hope that it will pay off down the road and hope we can continue to work together, added Ilian Evtimov. Evtimov also has understood that he can be so much more valuable at many different positions. I feel my future is the position three. I want to get to the next level and understand that if I want to be a strong three and compete against the highest level, than I have to be quick. I understand that it will be more impressive if I am a 201cm player at the three, warned Skyliner Ilian Evtimov.



The Walter Tigers Tubingen got of to a great start into the 2008-2009 BBL season winning three of their first five games, but since that positive start, lost nine of 11 games. record. But since the start of 2009, Tubingen has been playing concentrated Basketball and have a 9-4 record. We have been lucky in this strong phase that we had no more injuries. Some of the things that have changed is that we like to use two point guards and we have switched up some things on defense, expressed Tubingen American AJ Moye. Even though Tubingen is in 10th place, coach Murat Didin knows that this is a hungry basketball team that you cant underestimate. This is a team that can score many points. Eight players are capable of leading the team in scoring on any given night. We have to be careful. If one or two players lose some concentration, then we could lose the game, warned Skyliner coach Murat Didin. Tubingen surprised Ratiopharm Ulm last weekend in overtime 98-95. We stuck together as a team. Michael Haynes made some big shots and Kenny Williams got some big rebounds. That win has told the story of the last 11-12 games where the whole team has stepped up and grown, added Tubingen American AJ Moye. Tubingen is always good for a surprise like they showed in Ulm. They didnt look good in Frankfurt, but they have a lot of potential. We dont want to let their playoff ambitions take us out of our rhythm, stressed Skyliner captain Pascal Roller.



The last years have been an uphill struggle for The Walter Tigers Tubingen as they were caught in the deregulation fight. Aaron Mccarthy was let go at the Christmas break 2007-2008. He was replaced by Turk Tolga Ongoren, who saved the team with a 15th place showing winning three of the last seven games. During the off season, he was able to start from scratch and form a new team. He was able to keep a healthy foundation with Rasko Katic and AJ Moye, who are playing their third season in Tubingen and German Jay Thomas who also is playing his third season. Ongoren made the team younger and always expects 110% from his team. If a player performs then he plays as is the case with Branislav Ratkovica, who had a very limited role in Oldenburg, but has crawled out of his shell in Tubingen and has averaged 25 minutes for Tubingen. Ongoren also has shown that he is not afraid of limiting the minutes of ex BBL Allstar AJ Moye. Coach bases his coaching on winning more than performance. I am ok with the reduced minutes. Coach and I still have a great relationship. If you look around the league, there are many players like Derrick Allen or Lamont Mcintosh who are getting less minutes. It is something that you have to accept. Basketball is like a game of chess. I cant move myself. I am an old school player and stick to the script. If coach tells me to run through a wall, I will, said AJ Moye.



The Deutsche Bank Skyliners have a positive record of 5-2 against The Walter Tigers Tubingen in the last three years. They have won five games in a row and could almost call the Paul Horn arena, their substitute living room for the Ballsporthalle since they have won six of the last seven games there. I was at three wins in Tubingen. We won one game easily and the other two games were close. Every new game is another condition. They dont give any bonus for winning in the past, warned Skyliner coach Murat Didin. Frankfurt won at home last season 69 to 54, where Derrick Allen had a monster game of 21 points, nine rebounds. Frankfurt also won on the road last season 78 to 70. The most exciting game the last years was the Frankfurt 104-102 victory in double overtime in the 2006-2007 season. That was a crazy game. I thought it would never end. That was one of those games, where no team deserved to lose. I couldnt walk for days after that game, remarked AJ Moye. This season, Frankfurt demolished the Tigers in Frankfurt 82-65. Derrick Allen had a monster game with 22 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Rasko Katic had a dismal game with three points(1/9 shooting and two rebounds in 29 minutes.


The Walter Tigers Tubingen are led by Serb Rasko Katic, who is averaging 15,1ppg and 7,4rpg. He has been one of the top centers in the BBL the last years and has received countless respect from his peers. He is tough to guard. He is a strong rebounder and plays well inside. He is a good one on one player. I will have to use my quickness to deny him the ball, warned American Derrick Allen. Katic has scored in double figures 26 times and had nine double doubles. Canadian Jermaine Anderson is averaging 13,9ppg, 3,2rpg and 4,0 apg. He has scored in double figures 23 times. He played at Fordham University and came to Tubingen in mid season last year. He is a dangerous playmaker, who can also step up and score if needed. American Mike Haynes is averaging 13,6ppg and 4,7 rpg. He ahs scored in double figures 20 times. He played together with Jermaine Anderson at Fordham and has four years of European experience. He is an all rounder at the power forward position. Serb Branislav Ratkovica is averaging 9,1ppg, 2,1rpg and 2,4apg. He has done a fine job coming off the bench and running the Tubingen offense. He has shown that when given the chance, he can be a solid BBL player after only scoring 2.4ppg at Oldenburg last season.


American AJ Moye is averaging 8,6ppg, 3,8rpg, and 1,0apg. The guy that once scored 65 points in a high school game and reached the NCAA Tournament in 2002 with Indiana, may not be getting the minutes and scoring stats like in his first season, but he is still dangerous and explosive and can light up the score board at any time. American Richard Chaney is averaging 8,4ppg, and 4,8rpg. He has scored in double figures 11 times. He is in his second year after playing his rookie season in Turkey for Bursa and duelling twice against Skyliner Lorenzo Gordon. He is really athletic and can run the transition well. We won both games against him and I had two double doubles, stated Lorenzo Gordon. American Daniel Fountain is a BBL rookie and is averaging 5,2ppg and 1,3rpg. He already showed in a pre season game in Frankfurt that he has the shooting touch from outside, but he has been very up and down this season. American Ken Wiliams is averaging 3,4ppg and 3,3rpg. He is a BBL rookie having played at the University of Mississippi last season where he reached the NIT final four in 2007. He comes from the bench and gives some strength under the boards. German Jay Thomas is averaging 1,6ppg and 1,1rpg. He also doesnt get many minutes, but he is the type of player that always gives his best and makes the plays that arent seen in the stats.


The Deutsche Bank Skyliners have arrived in the crunch time of the regular season with five games remaining and want to extend their winning streak to three games. Tubingen rely largely on Katic to score inside and clean up under the boards, as well as on Chaney and Haynes for scoring and Anderson for running the show. These four players are the key figures that Frankfurt will have to stop. If Frankfurt can keep their aggressive defense working and hinder the Tubingen shooting like they did in Frankfurt at 35%, control the rebounds like they did in Frankfurt 42-21, then they should have good chances of winning their sixth game in a row against Tubingen. I dont see a problem defending two point guards. We have to focus on Katic and stop him, expressed Skyliner captain Pascal Roller. Tubingen understands that they will have to control the boards. I think we are missing a big guy next to Katic, but we have to deal with it and win other ways. We are always fighting and scrapping to win games. The way we rebound usually answers the question if we win or lose. We dont have the luxury like Murat Didin who can throw in five big men, warned Tubingen guard AJ Moye. The Walter Tigers Tubingen host The Deutsche Bank Skyliners on Saturday April 11th at 20:00




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Panionios - Olympiacos 84-86 - by Kostas Papadopoulos

Olympiacos won at the last game of the 23th day Panionios 86-84 at a game with a lot of anxiety for the fans of both teams. Giannis Bourousis (212-C-83, agency: FCM) was the key player for the Reds with his 27 points, while Ivan Zoroski's (195-G-79, agency: Octagon) 26 points were not enough for Panionios.

Eurobasket.com is at Hellenikon Sports Hall to report on the game of Panionios - Olympiacos that will end the 23rd day of the Greek A1 Championship. It is a crucial game for the Reds in their attempt to succeed in gaining the first place of the regular season. Panionios represents today its new player, Vladimir Micov (201-F-85, agency: Beo Basket) (he took the place of Branko Cvetkovic (200-G/F-84) at the team's roster), while Lonny Baxter (203-C-79, agency: Priority Sports, college: Maryland) and Levon Kendall (209-F-84, college: Pittsburgh) are out due to injuries. For Olympiacos, Nikola Vujcic (211-C-78, agency: Interperformances) is out due to the known injury that kept him out of the last Euroleague's game against Real.
Panionios leaded 11-4 early at the first period since Reds' defense was weak enough, but soon, hitting from inside the paint, Olympiacos drawed the score (11-11). A quick 5-0 serie for Panionios made the 16-11, and although Olympiacos achieved, mainly with Giorgos Printezis (206-F-85, agency: FCM) (7 points), to restore the difference to 1 (18-17), the end of the first period found Panionios ahead by 3 (20-17).
At the second period, Panionios kept on being ahead until the 13th minute when Zoran Erceg (210-C/F-85) equalized 24-24. However, the Reds couldn't take the lead at any time during this first half, since Panionios kept the rhythm of the game under its own standards. It relead 39-32 and 41-34, mainly due to Ivan Zoroski's successful 3-point shots (3/3) and although Thodoros Papaloukas (200-G-77, agency: Interperformances) managed to improve his team's game (more calm and self-concentration). Milos Teodosic (195-G-87) scored the second 3-point shot for the Reds to complete a 4-0 serie to end the first half at 41-38 for Panionios.
This first half seemed balanced, as the score shows, but it should be mentioned that it was so due to Panionio's very good performance. Keeping the pace of the rhythm, it succeeded in recovering its poor percentage at 2p shots (10/22) by its very good at 3p ones (4/5). Besides, the 6 offensive rebounds and the only four turnovers gave to the team from Nea Smirni this 3 point advantage. On the other hand, Olympiacos seemed less concentrated at the most of these 20 minutes, hitting mainly from inside (13/16) since its 2/9 successful 3-point shots seemed few to bring him ahead. The referred problem at the rebounds (only 3 offensive regarding to Panionios' six), as well as the six turnovers just accomplish the reasons for the score of the first half.
For Panionios, Ivan Zoroski scored 11 points, Giannis Kalambokis (195-G-78, agency: FCM) 7, Giannis Giannoulis (207-C-76, agency: World Sport Agency) and Dimos Dikoudis (207-F/C-77, agency: Court Side) 5 (with 4 rebs), while for Olympiacos, Giorgos Printezis and Giannis Bourousis (6 rebs) scored 8 points each, with Josh Childress (203-G/F-83, college: Stanford) and Thodoros Papaloukas following with 6 each one.
Giannis Bourousis was the one who brought the Reds ahead (41-42) but Giannis Kalambokis two 3p shots restore the lead (49-44) before a quick 8-2 serie from Olympiacos for the 51-52. This lead increased only up to 2 (53-55), but Panionios hasnt been disappointed and equalized the score up the end of the period (63-63). It should be mentioned that this period seemed as a game between Giannis Kalambokis versus Giannis Bourousis (10-13 points respectively), while the extremely good percentages at 2p shots for Olympiacos remained (22/25).
Two quick successful 3p shots from Panagiotis Vasilopoulos (202-F-84, agency: FCM) and Lynn Greer (186-G-79, college: Temple) gave the Reds a 6-point difference (63-69) only 54 seconds after the beginning of the last period. However, it didn't score for the next 3:02 minutes (and after a small mess between the players of both the teams) and with a 7-0 serie Panionios retook the lead (70-69). Giorgos Printezis, Giannis Bourousis and Lynn Greer were, though, there again for an 8-1 to shape the 71-76, bringing Olympiacos ahead by 5 points 4:17 before the end. Ivan Zoroski was there again to score a 3p shot (his fourth one), but Giannis Bourousis had no opponent scoring his 26th point for the 74-79. With 1:52 remaining, Vladimir Micov lost two free throws which could have reduced the difference to 1, while Ivan Zoroski then scored only one of his pair for the 80-82 and didn't scored at his next lay-up for the draw. Consecutive free throws by Giannis Bourousis, Aaron Miles (186-G-83, agency: Octagon, college: Kansas) and Milos Teodosic brought the score at 82-84, but the Serbian player lost his last one and with Giannis Kalambokis next two successful ones Panionios equalized the score for the 8th draw at the second half (84-84) with 9,4 seconds remaining. Lynn Greer took the foul, scored both of his free throws (84-86), Aaron Miles lost the last shot and Olympiacos took the precious two points.

Final score 84-86 with Olympiacos being improved a lot at the second half and Panionios not giving back until the very last moment. The Reds shot better at the last 20 minutes (32/53 in total regarding the 27/53 of Panionios), took the appropriate rebounds (Panionios took only 4 offensive at the second half) and had much better concentration proved by the 16 assists (Panionios had only 5). Olympiacos had five players scoring double-digit points, with Giannis Bourousis distinguishing (27 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks), while Panionios had Ivan Zoroski and Giannis Kalambokis over 20 points and Dimos Dikoudis as its next step. As a conclusion, Olympiacos seemed more lucky at the end and took the win needed in order to keep the home advantage, over Panathinaikos, at this Championship

Panionios (Aleksandar Trifunovic (agency: Beo Basket )): Xanthopoulos 4, Ivan Zoroski 25 (4/5 3p.), Georgalis, Giannis Kalambokis 20, Aaron Miles 8, Raicevic 3, Giannis Giannoulis 5, Vladimir Micov 4, Dimos Dikoudis 15 (7 rebs)
Olympiacos (Panagiotis Yannakis ): Thodoros Papaloukas 10 (9 ass.), Pelekanos, Josh Childress 10, Milosevic, Giannis Bourousis 27, Halperin, Lynn Greer 14 (3 ass.), Panagiotis Vasilopoulos 3, Giorgos Printezis 15 (4 rebs), Zoran Erceg 3, Milos Teodosic 4

Standings - A1


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Standings - Eredivisie


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Standings - National League


National League Round: 24 (Regular Season) - by Eurobasket News
Hap.Afula - Lev Hashar. 100-88
Hapoel Afula overcame Lev Hasharon 100:88 in Regular Season Round 24. Adi Pereg (186-G-79, agency: Arik Krayn Services) top-scored for the winners with 20 points and Lavi Shir added 19 points. Uter Adrian and Shaibi Shachar combined 50 points in defeat.

Bar.Netanya - Megido/Yok. 87-82
Netanya improved to 23-1 record on throne after the win over Megido 87:82. Tony Washam (198-F/G-82, college: St.Vincent) led the league-leaders with 26 points and Levi Lior posted 15. Drayton and Almoznino Oshri scored 19 points each for the guests.

Kohav Yair - Benyamina 99-72
Kohav Yair won over Benyamina 99:72 as six players scored in double figures for the winners. D Briger led all of them with 17 points, while Shmidt Omer and Ben-Eliyaho Hen produced 17 points each in defeat.

Macc.Ashdod - Hod Hasharon 106-95
Maccabi Ashdod edged Hod Hasharon 106:95 as Dwight Brewington (196-G-84, agency: AMI, college: Liberty) top-scored for the winners with 28 points and Assaf Dori added 26. Brandwein Oded ended up with 32 points in the losing effort.

Elitzur Ramla - Natzrath Elite 89-90
Elitzur Ramla lost to Natzrath Elite 89:90 as Stanley Brandy (200-F-67, agency: Arik Krayn Services, college: De Paul) finished the night with 25 points and 20 rebounds for the winners. Nenikashvili Avi posted 20 and Digmel Ofer added 19. Badalov Michael scored 25 points in the losing effort.

Elitzur Yavne - Ironi N-Ziona 106-95
Ben Goren Or produced 29 points as Elitzur Yavne rolled over Ironi N-Ziona 106:95. Yaron Lahat (186-G-76, agency: Arik Krayn Services, college: Davidson) and Zagury Eilon finished the night with 17 points each in the losing effort.

Hap.Beeri - Hap.Tivon 116-89
Hapoel Beeri edged Hapoel Tivon 116:89 behind 33 points from Cedric Jackson (201-F/C-84, agency: Ronsport, college: Troy). Haris Andre produced 36 points in the losing effort, while Yasu Shlomo notched 14.

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Treviso defeats Roma in postponed Serie A game - by Gianni Pascucci
Benetton Treviso 'dressed' the disappoint of the Eurocup Final Eight yesterday night, when the greens clearly defeated at home, 79-62, third seeded Lottomatica Roma, making an important pace towards a good position in the playoff grid. Led by Gary Neal (193-G-84, college: Towson) and DaShaun Wood (185-G-85, college: Wright St.), Benetton took immediately the lead, ending 25-24 the first quarter, and then enlarged the advantage minute after minute. C.Judson Wallace (205-F/C-82, agency: Elfus-Siegel Management (ESM), college: Princeton) ended the game with 13 pts, 19 rebounds and 1 assist and wa sthe game MVP. DaShaun Wood added 12 pts and 6 assists and Massimo Bulleri (188-G-77) and Sandro Nicevic (210-C-76, agency: Beo Basket) 11 points apiece in Benetton. Youngster Daniele Sandri (196-F/G-90) performed for 10 points and 4 rebounds. At the losing side, Angelo Gigli (209-F/C-83) and Andre Hutson (202-F-79, college: Michigan St.) were the best, with 17 and 16 points, respectively.

Standings - SerieA


Standings - B1


End of Reg.Season in "A dilettanti" - by Gianni Pascucci
The third Italian league, newly named 'A dilettanti', completed its regular season during the last weekend. After Easter will start the playoffs, with the two winners advancing to Lega 2. The quarterfinal pairings are as follows:

1A Forli - 8A Lumezzane
4A Casalpusterlengo - 5A Omegna
2A Treviglio - 7A Castelletto Ticino
3A Vigevano - 6A Fidenza

1B Latina - 8B Barcellona
4B Osimo - 5B Trapani
2B Siena - 7B Potenza
3B Ferentino - 6B Palestrina

The first series are best of three games, Seminals and Finals are best of five. Game 1 is scheduled for April 19.

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Roberts Stelmahers left Riga for Prima Veroli - by Emiliano Carchia
Roberts Stelmahers (192-G-74) left ASK Riga to join Prima Veroli which is looking for a replacement for Dawan Robinson (189-G-82, college: Rhode Island) out for remainder of season. The player will have medical tests with the Italian club and if he passes them will be signed by Prima Veroli. ASK Riga said that his departure is 'surprising' having the Latvian club already paid the entire season salary at the player.
In Baltic League Stelmahers was averaging 2.3 points while in Latvian championship the points scored were 5.3.

Official: Stelmahers signed for Veroli - by Emiliano Carchia
Prima Veroli announced that Roberts Stelmahers (192-G-74) signed a contract until the end of the season with the Italian team.
Stelmahers is a playmaker who is going to replace Dawan Robinson, out for remainder of the season. During his career the Latvian has played for Ulker, Olimpija Lubiana and Lietuvos Rytas.
In the current season he was in ASK Riga where he has also started his career.
With Latvian NT Stelmahers has played 144 games.

Standings - LBAL


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In very good and hard game mouttahed lead 1-0 - by Maarouf Mawloud

By Maarouf Mawloud

Great evening in safadi center...1st final 4 match in the packed gym was one exciting, hard, and aggressive game.

The start of the game asserted Tebnine's presence in the final 4. The guests played aggressively and hard from the beginning and hamdar was at the top of his game... ghaleb Rida's absence is missed on court, his team would have benefited from him ... he is the man of this type of games..not to mention the three-pointer Mohammad Akkari who was injured against Tebnine too.His fans, team, and court are missing him a lot. Guests started well and home team had a passive start...end of 1st quarter Moutahed got first lead 23-19 but Tebnine team didnt give up Start of 2nd quarter again, the guests made a 7-0 run giving tebnine their first and last lead of 35-34, Roy Samaha (205-F/C-84, agency: Pro Management Agency)'s 3rd foul Forced coach Toni Vujanic to go in 2-1-2 zone....for a short time...Al Moutahed Tripoli changed a rhythm of Tebnine.After the last Time out of Al Moutahed Tripoli, home team got back in m-t-m and very aggressive Darren Kelly (190-G-78, college: Texas) (190-G-78, college: Texas) Tony Williams (202-F-78, agency: ACMT, college: Louisville)-Mohammad Fahes-Mazen Mneimneh (192-G-86) and mario Aboud...started full court run and jump and forced Tebnine in another 3 TO that made gap in the second quarter...48-35

Beginning of 3rd quarter tells the same story only Tebnine was on zone...home team was patient and lead by Darren Kelly (190-G-78, college: Texas) astonishing play and found gaps in the zone...But Chudney Gray (188-G-78, college: St.John's) didnt want to surrender...he tried hard, but Al Moutahed Tripoli's defense held him back...third quarter ended 70-55

in forth all was done...Mazen Mneimneh started to hit open shots...Tony Williams was very active and he was testing the nonstop defense of Tebnine...that looked lost and without idea's....at the end, a very ugly moment.Brandon Kurz center of Tebnine made hard and very unsportsmanlike foul on purpose to injure Tony Williams...the court was mess...coach Toni Vujanic took Time out to calm down the players of both sides....same time he took oth foreigners out to secure further problems and injuries....
Asia-basket.com asked after the game coach Toni Vujanic his opinion.....he said we expected hard and aggressive game, and we were ready...Lebanese players stepped up and played a good game (offensive and defensive),Imports was as usual high on both levels,My players did great job...but series are moving in Tebnine court...so we have a lot of work to do in this week...

Q1: 23-19, Q2: 48-35, Q3: 70-55, Q4: 91-73

Stats:

Al Moutahed Tripoli:
-Tony Williams (202-F-78, agency: ACMT, college: Louisville) 31Pts, 10Rbs, 3Ass (with 2 , 3's)
-Darren Kelly 23Pts, 3Rbs, 7Ass (with 2, 3's)
-Mazen Mneimneh 13Pts (with 3,3's)
-Roy Samaha 9Pts, 10Rbs
-Elie Roustom (191-F-87) 9Pts, 3Rbs

Tebnine:
-Chudney Gray (188-G-78, college: St.John's) 33Pts, 3Rbs, 5Ass (with 4, 3's)
-Brandom Kurz 21Pts, 11Rbs, 2Ass and added 1 Block
-Mohamad Handar 5Pts, 6Rbs and added 1 Block
-Hassan Lakkis 7Pts, 2Rbs, 2Ass

*TO:
Al Moutahed Tripoli 12-19 Tebnine

*Ass:
Al Moutahed Tripoli 17-11 Tebnine

*TR:
Al Moutahed Tripoli 28-29 Tebnine

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Sports Power arrived in Liberia - by Numennie Williams
The Sports Power Delegation which is mainly made of some former NBA Star and some former basketball players has arrived in Liberia. The teams trip to Liberia is made possible by the Greater Grace Church and the Friends and Supporters of Liberian Basketballers.

The Sport Power delegation is being headed by former Boston Celtics Chaplain Bill Alexson and is comprised of some eleven former basketballer. An advance team of the delegation led by Pastor Charles Heidenreich is currently in the country and the rest is expected to fly in on Wednesday April 8, 2009. The team will in Liberia for the period of one week and will be involved in teaching some basketball skills and preaching the gospel. The delegation will conduct training for coaches, referees, administrator and journalists on a daily basis during the one week and will play some of the top basketball club in the country and the country national team. Some members of the delegation include Allan Houston (198-G-71, college: Tennessee), Byron Mouton (198-G-78, college: Maryland), Lindsey Hunter (188-G-70, agency: Priority Sports, college: Jackson St.)

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Meresta deny Juventus on the road - by Eurobasket News
Meresta fired past Juventus away from home in the opening game of the NKL semifinal stage. Meresta came back from a devastating first quarter to secure an important 73:63 road win over the regular season champions.
Juventus got the upper hand in the starting period. Marijus Kugauda (190-G-76) scored 5 points to fuel an 11:0 run midway through the first quarter as Juventus gained a 20:8 lead. Vaidas Trepocka (200-F-80, agency: Court Side) soon made it 25:10 for the hosts before Gediminas Orelikas (200-G/F-90) cut the distance to 12 points after ten minutes. Vaidas Trepocka, Gintautas Matulis (195-F/G-86) and Marijus Kugauda made it look too bad for the visitors early in the second period as they aggravated the margin to 21 points. But Meresta finished the half on a 10:2 rally to clip the deficit at 3 points. Meresta opened the second half knocking down 9 points in a row to take a 6-point lead. Simonas Slivka (194-G-86) nailed 9 points in the frame as Meresta ensured a 60:54 advantage heading into the fourth stanza. Gediminas Orelikas and Mindaugas Kumpis (202-F-82) kept the home team at bay throughout the fourth quarter and Meresta earned the victory at the end.
Gediminas Orelikas finished with game-high 19 points for Meresta. Simonas Slivka poured in 15 points, dished out 6 assists and pulled down 5 boards in the win. Vaidas Trepocka tallied 15 points and 7 rebounds for Juventus in defeat.
Rudupis held off Mazeikiai 70:55 to edge ahead in the series. Kestutis Sestokas (203-F-76) fired 18 points to lead the home team. Modestas Sidlauskas (182-G-85) had 13 points in the winning case. Paulius Budreckis (200-F-85) stepped up with 13 points for Mazeikiai.

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Contern soundly defeats T71! Etella gets past Musel Pikes! Sparta slips by Amicale! - by Alex Meyers

Friday, April 3, 2009

Contern 93 - T 71 75

Contern, Luxembourg
Ken Diederich was back in form last Friday night scoring 25 points to lead Contern over recently crowned Cup Champion T71. Eric Jeitz also stepped it up with 24
against his for mer teammates. Jeitz added 7 rebounds 4 assists and 3 steals. Brandon Gary (202-F-83, agency: Passing Lane, college: Hutchinson CC) also played well with 12 points 12 rebounds, 6 steals 4 blocked shots and 4 assists. Yves Braun was 4 or 4 from the field including 2 three pointers and hit a few free throws for 15 points. T71's Tim Whitworth (198-G/F-81, agency: Court Side, college: Drexel) knocked down 5 threes ending up with 28 points. Martin Rajniak led T71 however with 30 points and 14 rebounds. Contern won this game in the first period romping the visitors 26-11. The match was marred by several technical fouls. T71 is still without Bob Kieffer, Philippe Rech and Gilles Klein.

Contern: 32 field goals, 5 three pointers, 24 for 31 free throws, 41 rebounds, 20 fouls and 17 turnovers
Gary 12, Becker 4, Diederich 25, Jeitz 24, Fasbender 4, also Torres Dos Santos 2, Majerus 2, Gindt, Braun 15 and Bissener 5
T 71: 28 field goals, 7 three pointers, 12 ofr 17 free throws, 37 rebounds, 24 fouls and 18 turnovers
Whitworth 28, Rajniak 30, Ruffato 6, Siebenbour, Hoffmann 2, also Abreu 2, Bemtgen, Kostur 2, Laures and Steinmetz 5

Technical Fouls: 25' Diederich(Con), 6' Rajniakl(T71), 25' Ruffato(T71)
Score by quarters: 1st Q 26-11, Halftime 42-29, 3rd Q 66-45, Final 93-75
340 Spectators


Etzella 77 - Musel Pikes 72

Ettelbruck, Luxembourg
Etzella snuck past visiting Musel Pikes by 5 points. Etzella was up by as many as 19 as they let Musel Pikes make a late game run to pull within 5 before the final buzzer. Etzella jumped out to a commanding 30-16 fist period lead and led the entire way. Marcus Kennedy (193-F-84, college: Montevallo) led the Etzella with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Nelson Delgado (185-G-80) and Tim Giver also scored big with 19 and 16 points. Chris Braier (195-F-84, college: Lawrence) showed he is capable of scoring when necessary with a huge double double 25 points and 18 rebounds. Samy Picard was held to only 8 points and Guy Schmit and Tom Schmitz scored 13 each.

Etzella: 28 field goals, 8 three pointers, 13 for 16 free throws, 31 rebounds, 24 fouls and 5 turnovers
Kennedy 21, Giver 16, N. DelGado 19, J. DelGado 9, Schroeder 4, also Albladejo 8, Benseghir, Garganese and E. Ferreira
Musel Pikes: 26 field goals, 4 three pointers, 16 for 24 free throws, 41 rebounds, 17 fouls and 12 turnovers
G. Schmit 13, Schmitz 13, Picard 8, Braeir 25, Schwartz 5, also R. Dentzer 3, Kox 2 and C. Schmit 3

Score by quarters: 1st Q 30-16, Halftime 52-36, 3rd Q 65-55, Final 77-72
335 Spectators

Sparta 67 - Amicale Steinsel 62

Sparta led by 15 with less than 6 minutes to go in Bertrange last Friday night. Amicale made it interesting and gave Sparta scare pulling close in the final minutes before
bowing out by 5 at the game's end. Amicale never led in this defensive battle but played very well in the fourth period. Sparta won the first three quarters with defense as they shot poorly from inside the three point arc(18/50 for 36%). Amicale won the battle of the boards with a 40-33 difference. Larrie Smith (195-F-75, college: Tennessee Tech)(7 steals 4 assists) had a double-double again with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Pit Hoffmann added 18 points and 3 blocked shots. Julien Hublart was limited to only 4 points. Travis DePree (201-F/C, college: Albion) had 12 points and tore down 22 rebounds. Sam Ney scored 15 and Christopher Jones 13 for Amicale. Christian Wulff and Fabio Palumbo did not play for Sparta. Amicale was without Olivier Haan and Robert Steinmetz.

Sparta: 24 field goals, 6 three pointers, 13 for 20 free throws, 3 rebounds, 21 fouls and 12 turnovers
Smith 20, Hoffmann 18, Engel 8, Hublart 4, Wagner 8, also Evans 2, Wolzfeld, De Marchi 7 and Nittler
Amicale Steinsel: 24 field goals, 2 three pointers, 12 for 19 free throws, 40 rebounds, 21 fouls and 19 turnovers
Schartz 9, Ney 15, DePree 12, Jones 13, Scholtes 9, also Rausch, Kartheiser 4 and Birenbaum

Unsportsmanlike fouls: 32' and 39' Juien Hublart(Spa) Fouled out: 39' Julien Hublart(Spa), 40' Chris Scholtes(Spa)
Score by quarters: 1st Q 19-14, Halftime 35-29, 3rd Q 49-40, Final 67-62
305 spectators

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MBEL Sophomore Season - by Eurobasket
The time is drawing near to the sophomore season of the Mississippi Basketball Exposure League. Owners Jarell Jones and Daniel Price , who is also the owner of the ABA team Mississippi Blues, look forward to an even better season this year in the MBEL.
The inaugural season of the MBEL in summer 2008, was a success. Our goal was to help players follow their dreams of playing professional basketball by creating an exposure league that would bring scouts and agents to them. We know how hard it is for players that do not have the means to make it to camps and tryouts so we try to ease that burden for them with the MBEL.
The MBEL saw ten percent of its players get deals. From the championship team the Warriors saw four of its players go on to play in the ABA for the Mississippi Blues. Jarell Jones , Bobby Johnson, and Sandrell Spann all received contracts to play for the Blues. BJ Townsend became assistant coach for the Blues and later became interim head coach when Daniel Price hung up his clipboard and started playing for his team. Richard Griffin, who played for the Raiders in the MBEL also received and contract to play for the Mississippi Blues of the ABA. The Jackson Jam saw five of its players get deals. Ernest Hassell, Julius Young, Roderick Smith, Dakari Wallace, and Trey Johnson (6'5'-G-84, agency: Priority Sports, college: Jackson St.) all of them playing their college basketball at Jackson State University all got contract to further their careers. Hassell, Young, and Smith all played in the ABA with the Mississippi Blues. Roderick Smith was named and Eastern Conference ABA All-star for the Blues. Dakari Wallace got a contract to play in Japan. The most successful was Trey Johnson who went on to play in the NBA D-league and received to 10 day contracts with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Trey Johnson is an amazing talent and hard worker, says owner Jarell Jones . I have never seen anyone work harder than him. Trey Johnson went on to play for the Bakersfield Jam in the D-league. Trey Johnson is a gym rat. He is the type of guy that you have to make leave the gym. Johnsons work ethic is crazy. From 5 am weight lifting and shooting to mid to late day workouts. You can see it in his eyes how bad he wants to make it on a NBA roster permanently, says Daniel Price . In every drill he does he goes at game speed. He is relentless in his workouts. Its only a matter of time before Trey has found a permanent home in the NBA

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Standings - 1A


MNT SL 4Round : new win for Danilovgrad and ABS - by Dragan Scepanovic

DANILOVGRAD 63 - ULCINJ 51
DANILOVGRAD - City SC.Spect 1.000. Reff :Z. Sutulovic, M. Koljensic, R. Savovic( Podgorice). By -Q. : 19:12, 21:12, 8:13,15:14.
DANILOVGRAD: Jovovic, Andrija Pejovic (205-C-83) 9, Bogojevic 9, Radulovic 8, Djurovic, Simonovic 8, B.Stanisic15, Danilo Vojvodic (202-F/C-83), Vujisic, Manojlovic,Milatovic 14, M.Stanisic
ULCINJ: Latkovic 2, Stanic 8,Pelkic 10, Jovanovic 4, Jankovic,Sekulic 2, Micetic, Durkovic 17, Cetkovic, Ivanovic 4, Djordjevic,Miljan Vukotic (203-F/C-77) 4


MORNAR Bar 81 - ABS Primorje 97
BAR - School center 'Yugoslavia'.Spect 100. Reff: Vojinovic, Kaludjerovic (Niksic) i Raicevic (Bijelo Polje).By-Q.:29:23, 21:27, 17:26, 14:21.
MORNAR: Ljujic, Djurisic 14 (2-2), Djeljosevic 4, Mihajlovic 7,Damjanovic, Radovic 2 (2-2), Mijovic 24 (2-1), Dobrovic 8, Popovic 14 (6-4), Samojlovic, Vujosevic 2,Sekulovic 6 (2-2).
ABS PRIMORJE: Bulatovic, Radovanovic 5, Boricic 26 (12-10), Djuricic, Pajevic 7, Komatina 29 (4-3), Minic, Bacovic, Vujovic 6 (5-4), Vasilije Seferovic (193-G/F-85) 13 (2-2), Mandic 11(1-1), Medic

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Standings


Last games (9) - Lakers grab 62nd win - by Eurobasket News
Spurs - Thunder 99-89
The SA Spurs celebrated in Oklahoma City last night improving to 50-27 record. Tim Duncan (6'10'-F-76, college: Wake Forest) led the winners with 25 points and 15 rebounds. Tony Parker drained 21 pts and handed out 10 assists, while Drew Gooden added 20 pts. Kevin Durant collected 24 points, 7 boards and 6 assists for the loosing side.

Knicks - Bulls 103-110
The Bulls had couple of players in a game mood last night, but maybe the best one was Kirk Hinrich (6'3'-G-81, agency: Octagon, college: Kansas), who drained 25 points. John Salmons was behind him with 19 pts, 6 rebs and 6 as. Wilson Chandler and Al Harrington combined 49 points in defeat. Bulls 38-40, Knicks 30-48.

Magic - Rockets 83-93
The Rockets improved to 50-28, while the Magic fell to 57-20 after this game. Ming Yao (7'5'-C-80) once again was a key player for the hosts collecting 20 points and 16 rebounds. Rashard Lewis had 22 pts and 12 boards for the guests.

Lakers - Kings 122-104
Victory number 62 for the LA Lakers and defeat No. 61 for the Kings this season. Pau Gasol (7'0'-F/C-80) came up with 26 points and 12 rebounds, while Kobe Bryant delivered 22 pts and grabbed 5 rebs. Spencer Hawes had 21 pts and 15 boards on the other side.

Timberwolves - Clippers 87-77
The Wolves celebrated 87-77 road win against the Clippers moving up to 23-55 record. Ryan Gomes (6'7'-F-82, college: Providence) was central figure of the game collecting 24 points and 13 rebounds. Eric Gordon netted 28 pts in loss.

76ers - Bobcats 98-101
The Bobcats grabbed home win vs Philadelphia 76ers thanks to Raymond Felton (6'5'-G-84, college: N.Carolina) and Gerald Wallace, which combined 61 points. Wallace also pulled down 11 rebounds beside that. On the other side, visitors got 23 pts from Andre Miller and 20 from Louis Williams. Bobcats 35-43, 76ers 40-37.

Hawks - Raptors 118-110
Josh Smith (6'9'-F-85) and Joe Johnson stepped up for the Hawks last night draining 25 points each. Maurice Evans followed them delivering 17 pts. The team from Toronto got double-double from Chris Bosh, 21 points and 10 boards. Hawks 44-34, Raptors 30-47.

Hornets - Heat 93-87
Chris Paul (6'0'-G-85, college: Wake Forest) was maybe the key player for the Hornets yesterday as he almost registered triple-double: 26 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. Predrag Stojakovic had 24, while David West delivered 20 points. Dwyane Wade replied with 32 pts in loss, while Michael Beasley contributed with 25 pts and 9 boards. Hornets 48-29, Heat 41-37.

Trail Blazers - Grizzlies 96-93
Brandon Roy (6'6'-G-84, college: Washington) top-scored for the winners with 24 points, La Marcus Aldridge and Rudy Fernandez had 15 each, while Travis Outlaw stopped on 11 pts. OJ Mayo shined for the loosing side with 31 pts. Blazers 49-28, Grizzlies 22-55.

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Pastner the pick for Memphis - by Kevin Cochran
The University of Memphis has hired Josh Pastner to take over the reins of the Tiger basketball program, Director of Athletics R.C. Johnson announced late Monday afternoon.

The 31-year-old Pastner came to Memphis as an assistant coach prior to the 2008-09 campaign after a six-year stint as an assistant on Hall of Famer Lute Olson's staff at the University of Arizona (2003-08). During Pastner's time in Tucson, the Wildcats averaged 23 wins per season (137-60 record), captured two Pac-10 regular season titles, advanced to two NCAA Tournament regional finals and made six-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

In his one year in the Bluff City in 2008-09, Pastner helped lead the Tigers to a 33-4 overall record, a sweep of the Conference USA regular season and tournament titles and an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance. Memphis made it another sweep of the C-USA crowns, winning the league's tournament for a fourth-consecutive season. The Tigers also jumped into the top five of both national polls, reaching as high as the No. 2 spot. Memphis finished the regular season ranked No. 3 in the final Associated Press poll and No. 2 in the ESPN/USA Today poll.

The Tigers won 30 games for a fourth-straight year (2006-09), becoming the first school in NCAA Division I history to accomplish the feat. In 2007-08, Memphis was the second school in NCAA history to have three-straight 30-win seasons. Kentucky was the first to do so from 1947-49 and 1996-98. UCLA joined the elite group later in 2007-08.

Pastner, who was with the Arizona program as a player, administrator and coach since 1996, was a key cog in the Wildcats' recruiting efforts and working with the program's big men.

In his six seasons as an assistant in Tucson, Pastner's tireless efforts on the recruiting trail paid big dividends, as the Wildcats continued to successfully recruit top-notch student-athletes. Arizona's recruiting classes were among the best nationally in each of his six seasons as an assistant. In June of 2005, Rivals.com's Chris Wallace named Pastner one of college basketball's top 25 recruiters, writing, 'Any list of top recruiters must include Pastner.' In May 2008, FoxSports.com rated Pastner as the No. 7 high-major recruiter in the country. And just recently, Basketball Times named Pastner the No. 5 assistant coach in the country in the publication's April 2009 issue.

Pastner's hard work is not only seen on the recruiting trail, but also on the court as evidenced by the outstanding play of Arizona's frontline. Former Wildcat All-Americans Luke Walton and Channing Frye each flourished under Pastner's tutelage. Both showed marked improvement each season under Pastner, eventually turning themselves into NBA draft picks -- Walton a second-round pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2003 and Frye a first-round pick of the New York Knicks in 2005.

Pastner's efforts were also evident in the progress of current Wildcat Jordan Hill. An unheralded recruit when he entered the program in 2006, Hill blossomed into one of the finest big men in the Pac-10 Conference, posting averages of 13.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots per game to go with a .620 field goal percentage in 2007-08.

During his time at Arizona, Pastner was also involved in a wealth of charitable organizations, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tucson, Boy Scouts of America, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Naval Special Warfare Foundation, Special Olympics and various local law enforcement support groups to name a few. His charitable efforts got him named to the Tucson Business Edge's '40 Under 40' list for 2007. The honor recognizes local business leaders under 40 years of age. The annual list not only recognizes recipients for professional success, but community involvement, public service and participation in trade groups or professional organizations.

In the 2001-02 season, Pastner served as the team's video and recruiting coordinator, as well as an administrative assistant. In that role, he oversaw the team's video room and assisted in film editing, as designated by the coaching staff. Pastner coordinated all recruiting mailings and assisted in monitoring the academic progress of the program's student-athletes. He filled the coaching vacancy left when former assistant Jay John left to become the head coach at Oregon State. Pastner assumed his full-time assistant coach responsibilities on Apr. 10, 2002.

Pastner made the step up from the playing ranks to the coaching world in June 2000 when he was named an undergraduate assistant coach for Arizona. Pastner, who played for the Wildcats from 1996-2000, had similar duties as the three assistant coaches, but could not go on the road to recruit.

Pastner earned his bachelor's degree in Family Studies from Arizona in December 1998, two-and-a-half years after enrolling, the fastest an Arizona student-athlete has ever earned a degree. He finished his master's in Teaching and Teacher Education in December 1999 before beginning work on his doctorate. In his role as an undergraduate assistant in 2000-01, Pastner began pursuit of another undergraduate degree.

Despite taking as many as 33 units a semester while at Arizona, Pastner maintained a high grade-point average, was nominated for the CoSIDA/GTE Academic All-America team and was named to the Academic All-Pac-10 second team as a senior in 2000.

While a high school and college athlete, Pastner began his career as a coach on the AAU circuit. He led the Houston Hoops, a select all-star team from that area, to the 1999 Nike National Summer Championship in San Diego. Pastner also led the Houston Hoops to the Global World Championship in the summer of 2000.

Courtesy: Memphis athletics

Griffin, Blair, and Harden highlight early entry candidates - by Kevin Cochran

With the college season now concluded, many top players are deciding if they should go to the NBA or play another year in college. 21 players have already declared, and another dozen may end up adding their names. Here is a look at some of the future stars who have asked for NBA evaluations.

Blake Griffin (6'10'-F-89) was the best player in college basketball this past season, and is a near lock to be the first player taken. The national player of the year averaged 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds while helping the Sooners to the elite eight of the NCAA Tournament. Coach Jeff Capel called the decision a 'no-brainer', and he's right. Griffin make a lot of good players look bad, and is a future NBA All-Star. 'I felt in my mind from the time that I actually thought about it that this would be the right decision,' said Griffin. 'I remember talking to Coach Capel last year after I made my decision of coming back and he said I had the chance to be in this position and I should take it.

DeJuan Blair (6'7'-F-89) was the co Big East Player of the year, and is looking to hire an agent. Blair said he planned to play four years at Pittsburgh, but averaging 15.7 points and 12.3 rebounds has changed his outlook. 'I had to do what's best for me,' said Blair, who doesn't want to risk another knee injury in college. 'No one else made the decision but me. ... I've heard all the downfalls about me being too big or me being too small. That's just motivation. ... I'm not going to tell them what I can do in the NBA, I'm going to show them what I can do.' Blair is undersized but has been very effective for the Panthers, and should be taken in the first round.

The Pac-10 player of the year, Arizona State guard James Harden (6'5'-G-89), has hired an agent and is staying in the draft. 'I haven't talked to anyone in the NBA as far as where I'm projected to go,' Harden said, 'but my coaches have been talking to people and it's looking pretty high right now as far as me and my draft status. ... I'm in the best position right now as far as getting drafted at a high place so why not take it.' Harden averaged 20.1 points per game and became the first Sun Devil to be named a first team All-American. He should be taken in the first 12 picks.

Memphis guard Tyreke Evans (6'6'-G-89) lit Missouri up for 33 points in his last college game. His play as the Tigers point guard will keep him in the top 10 picks. Louisville's Earl Clark (6'9'-F-88) has signed with an agent and is a first round talent. USC's Demar DeRozan (6'7'-F-89), Wake Forest's James Johnson (6'9'-F-87), and Ohio State's B.J. Mullens (7'0'-C) should also be first rounders.

A number of other prominent players have declared for the draft as well. Arizona's Chase Budinger (6'7'-F-88) has declared for the second straight year, and cannot go back to the Wildcats. He may sneak into the first round but could just as easily end up in Europe. His teammate Jordan Hill (6'10'-F-87) has also declared, and has a much better chance of being a first rounder. Florida guard Nick Calathes (6'6'-G-89) is a member of the Greek national team, and could end up joining his brother Pat in the A1 league. Two other SEC guards, Devan Downey (5'9'-G-87) of South Carolina and Jodie Meeks (6'4'-G-87) of Kentucky, have also declared, but should head back to college after hearing what the NBA scouts have to say. Greivis Vasquez (6'6'-G-87) of Maryland is a Venezuelan combo guard who has skills, but is more likely to end up in Europe. Wake Forest guard Jeff Teague (6'2'-G-88) is testing the waters, but is likely to return to school.

The most intriguing player to declare so far is Brandon Jennings (6'0'-G-89) of Virtus Roma. Jennings went to Italy out of high school, and played only 18 minutes per game with averages of 6.7 points and 2 assists. He is a great athlete, but needs to show he can shoot the ball from the perimeter after making only 23 percent of his three pointers. One positive sign is that Jennings had better numbers in Euroleague play, suggesting he may play better against better competition.

The NBA draft is June 25, and players must decide to stay in the draft or return to school by June 15. USBasket.com will continue providing updates as players make their decisions.

Miller moves to Arizona - by Kevin Cochran

Sean Miller has been named to take over the reins of the University of Arizona's heralded men's basketball program, athletics director Jim Livengood announced today.

Miller, 40, completed five seasons as head coach at Xavier with his fourth consecutive 20-victory season and fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance last month.

Miller succeeds Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member Lute Olson, who retired last fall, and his interim replacement, Russ Pennell, who continued Arizona's streak of consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament with the programs' 25th in 2008-09. The first 23 of those came under Olson and the 24th under 2007-08 interim coach Kevin O'Neill.

His clubs won the last three Atlantic-10 Conference regular-season championships and he carries a career head coaching record of 120-47, a superlative .718 winning percentage. He took two Xavier teams to the Sweet 16, in 2008 and 2009. He is the school's overall coaching leader in NCAA play with a 6-4 record in his share of Xavier's 20 tournament appearances.

'During the last three days I have gone through a very difficult decision-making process. I love Xavier University. Mike Bobinski, the director of athletics, has become a close friend of mine and my players are like a part of my family. These factors mad it hard for me to even consider leaving Xavier,' Miller said.
'However, I believe I have the opportunity of a lifetime to become the head basketball coach at the University of Arizona,' he said. 'It's a school that has competed for a national championship for more than two decades. To be in charge of a new era of Arizona basketball, and to build the program toward winning a national title again, is where my heart is now. I look forward to this new step in my family's life in Tucson,' Miller said.

Miller's 2008-09 club won the A-10 championship finishing with a 27-8 record. The Musketeers lost to No. 1-seed Pitt as the No. 4 seed in the East Regional in Boston the day before UA's season ended in its Sweet 16 appearance in the Midwest at Indianapolis. XU was ranked No. 20 in the final Associated Press poll and was ranked steadily after Nov. 25, rising as high as No. 7 on Dec. 15 and holding a spot in the top 10 (9th) on Feb. 2.

As a player Miller participated in three NCAA Tournaments for Pittsburgh (1988, 1989 and 1991), coached in one as an assistant at Miami of Ohio (1995) and in three as associate head coach at Xavier from 2002-04. He is a member of the Pitt all-Centennial Team and a former all-Big East honoree. His Xavier squad reached the Elite Eight in 2008.

Moreover, Miller's work with his student-athletes off the court has paid outstanding dividends with 100 percent of the basketball seniors who completed their eligibility since 1986 graduating. While a head coach, 13 Xavier players have earned their degrees with an additional pair expected to do so in the near future.

'I'm very pleased the coaching-search process has been completed with the hiring of Sean,' Livengood said. 'It's been an exhaustive week, but it's a good day to be a Wildcat. We believe we've brought in the best young coach in the country, a proven winner who will take this program into the future,' he said.'

'Sean Miller is a perfect fit for the University of Arizona,' said UA President Robert Shelton. 'Sean has had tremendous achievements on the court, but he has also done an extraordinary job of ensuring that his players succeed in the classroom. Arizona fans are going to be very proud of the way he approaches the game. He is absolutely the right person to lead our program forward,' Shelton said.

Livengood said details of Miller's contract will be available at the news conference Tuesday. His appointment and the contract are subject to approval by the Arizona Board of Regents.

He becomes Arizona's fourth appointed head coach in the last 36 years dating to a 10-year run by Fred Snowden from 1973 to 1982, one year by Ben Lindsey and Olson's remarkable run from 1984 to 2007. Olson took a leave of absence in 2007-08 resulting in then-assistant O'Neill leading the program, returned in the off season, and announced his retirement shortly before the season began last fall.

Miller's 30-7 record in 2007-08 set a Xavier record for victories in a season, and helped earn him Atlantic 10 Conference honors, along with his 14-2 record and second A-10 regular-season title. The National Association of Basketball Coaches named Miller its District 10 Coach of the Year and he was a finalist for a number of other national coaching honors. His overall record (120-47) ranks him third all time on Xavier's coaching chart behind Pete Gillen (202-75 from 1985 to 1994) and the late Skip Prosser (148-65 from 1994 to 2001).

Xavier finished 25-9 overall in 2006-07, Miller's third year as the Xavier University head coach. XU won the 2007 Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season championship and advanced to the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Miller finished 21-11 in the 2005-06 season, winning the 2006 Atlantic 10 Championship and earning a berth into the NCAA Tournament.

Miller took over as head coach in 2004, replacing Thad Matta. He was Matta's right hand man the previous three seasons as XU's first-ever associate head coach. Miller helped the Musketeers record three straight 26-victory seasons and three straight NCAA Tournament appearances that culminated in the 2004 Elite Eight run.

Miller began coaching at Xavier after stops at North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, Miami (Ohio) and Wisconsin. He has coached on 14 teams that advanced to postseason play in his first 17 seasons as a head coach, assistant or associate head coach. That includes seven NCAA Tournaments in his eight years at Xavier.

The Xavier stint as assistant and head coach helped that school parallel Arizona's mark for the past 10 years. Under Olson, O'Neill and Pennell, Arizona posted a 259-105 record (.712) since 1999. The Musketeers, after their string of plus-25 victory years, posted a 265-101 (.724) record in that span. They've also kept pace in 20-victory seasons in the past 25 years, with 21 to Arizona's 23, both ranking in the nation's top 10 behind leader Kansas (25).

Xavier's scheduling has been as tough as any nationally prominent program during Miller's head coaching tenure. The slate this year included Duke, Virginia and Virginia Tech from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Missouri from the Big 12, USC, Cincinnati from the Big East, Auburn and LSU from the Southeastern Conference, Memphis from Conference USA and Butler of the Horizon League. The NCAA Tournament his Musketeers beat this year were Portland State and Wisconsin, with a five-point loss to his former school, Pitt, in the Sweet 16.

Considered Pittsburgh's best three-point shooter of all time, Miller was a Big East all-Rookie team pick in 1987-88. In his four-year career he helped lead the Panthers to three NCAA berths and an NIT appearance. He was No. 16 entering this past season on Pitt's all-time scoring chart with 1,282 points, ranked 10th among career Division I free throw shooters at .885 and ranked third all-time in Big East career assists. He was seventh in three-point shooting on the Big East career chart.

He played on the United States' 1991 World University Games team that earned a gold medal after his final year at Pitt. He was named to the Pitt all-Centennial Team in 2005.

Courtesy: arizonaathletics.com

Bone succeeds Bennett at WSU - by Kevin Cochran
Washington State University and Director of Athletics Jim Sterk introduced Ken Bone as the 17th Cougar men's basketball head coach during a press conference Tuesday on the WSU campus.

'Ken's arrival to WSU completes a search that, although just a week in duration, was an extensive one,' Sterk said. 'We interviewed exceptional candidates for the position and at the conclusion of the process I determined that Ken was the best person to lead our basketball program. Throughout his coaching career, Ken has a track record of leading programs to high-levels of achievement. He is a heck of a coach and will be a great fit for Washington State University.'

'I am pleased that the athletics department has been able to move quickly to identify and hire such an excellent candidate,' WSU President Elson S. Floyd said. 'Ken Bone has a strong background in Pacific Northwest basketball and a proven ability to build teams that succeed both on and off the court. After talking with him, I am confident that he is the right choice to build on the progress our men's basketball program has made under Dick and Tony Bennett.'

Bone spent the past four years as the head coach at Portland State, leading the Vikings to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2007-08 and 2008-09. The Vikings went 23-10 during each of the last two years, the two best seasons in the 48-year history of the program. In his four seasons with the Vikings, Bone posted a 77-49 record, recording the best winning percentage of any PSU coach since basketball was reinstated in 1996-97 (.611).

'Growing up in the state of Washington and being aware of Washington State University for many years, I always thought it would be a great place to coach basketball,' Bone said. 'To have the opportunity to coach in the Pac-10 and to bring my family here and raise our three daughters in a nice community, is very exciting.'

Bone led Portland State to its finest season in school history in 2007-08, winning a school-record 23 games en route to the Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament titles and making the school's first appearance in the NCAA Division I Tournament. As a result, Bone earned Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year honors, becoming the first Viking basketball coach to do so.

Over the last two seasons at PSU, Bone coached a Big Sky Conference Player and Newcomer of the Year, the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year and four All-Big Sky selections. Portland State also notched its first win over a ranked opponent in school history, defeating No. 7 Gonzaga, 77-70 in Spokane (Dec. 23, 2008). This season the Vikings gave Washington a scare with a one-point, 84-83 loss in Seattle (Dec. 14, 2008).

No stranger to the Pacific Northwest, Bone holds a 335-167 record in 17 years as a head coach, including 12 seasons at his alma mater, Seattle Pacific University. He registered a 253-97 (.723) record with the Falcons between 1990-2002. Bone's SPU teams claimed six outright or shared Pacific West Conference championships and earned eight NCAA playoff appearances. The Falcons made five trips to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 over a span of eight years, including a semifinal appearance in 2000 that capped a 27-5 season. In 2000, Bone was recognized as both NABC District 8 Coach of the Year and PacWest Conference Co-Coach of the Year.

During Bone's final season at Seattle Pacific, the Falcons posted a 24-5 record, advanced to the second round of the NCAA playoffs and were ranked ninth in the final 2002 poll.

Between his stints at SPU and PSU, Bone spent the 2002-05 seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Washington, playing a major role as the program returned to national prominence.

In 2005 Bone helped direct Washington to the Pacific-10 Conference title as the Huskies earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16. The previous year, Washington had a runner-up finish in the Pac-10 regular-season standings. In 2004 the Huskies advanced to the championship game of the Pac-10 Tournament and competed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999. That season UW swept the three meetings with highly-ranked Arizona and capped the regular season with a win over No. 1 and undefeated Stanford.

A Seattle native, Bone graduated from Seattle Pacific in 1983 and received his master's in athletic administration in 1993. He played two seasons (1980-82) at SPU after one-year stints at Shoreline and Edmonds (Wash.) Community Colleges. He is a Shorecrest (Wash.) High School graduate.

Ken and his wife Connie have three daughters, Kendra, Jenae and Chelsea.

Courtesy: wsucougars.com

Two Huskers to transfer - by Kevin Cochran
Nebraska point guard Cookie Miller (5'7'-G-87) and forward Alonzo Edwards (6'7'-F) are leaving the Huskers and will transfer to another school.

A sophomore from Charleston, WV, Miller played in 60 games at Nebraska with 46 starts. He averaged 6.7 points and 3.6 assists per game, and says he wants to play closer to his family. Look for West Virginia to be among the leaders in the chase for his services.

Edwards redshirted two years ago, and played in only 16 games this season. He says he hopes to compete for more playing time at his new school.

Griffin wins Naismith award - by Kevin Cochran
Oklahoma sophomore Blake Griffin (6'10'-F-89) has been named the winner of the 2009 Naismith Men's College Player of the Year Award presented by AT&T, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today. He edged out DeJuan Blair (6'7'-F-89) (Pittsburgh), Tyler Hansbrough (6'9'-F-85) (N.Carolina) and Hasheem Thabeet (7'3'-C-87) (University of Connecticut) in becoming the fourth current Big 12 conference winner of the award, and third this decade (Kevin Durant, Texas, 2007; T.J. Ford, Texas, 2003; Danny Manning, Kansas University, 1988 - Kansas was a member of the Big 8 at the time).

Griffin, the Big 12 Player of the Year, accepted the trophy from Barry Goheen, Atlanta Tipoff Club Chairman, David Christopher, AT&T's Chief Marketing Officer, Mobility & Consumer, and Gary Stokan, Atlanta Tipoff Club president, at the AT&T National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Guardians of the Game awards program earlier this evening.

Griffin was chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country, in addition to fan voting via text message, which accounted for 25 percent of the final results - more than any other national college basketball award. The board based its criteria on player performances this season. The vote was tabulated and certified by the accounting firm of Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, LLP.

'To achieve such great personal and team success yet remain humble and grounded speaks volumes about Blake's character,' said Stokan. 'He is a worthy recipient of the Naismith Trophy, and we honor all of the finalists for their tremendous accomplishments throughout the year.'

This season marks the 40th anniversary of the first Naismith Trophy, which was first presented to UCLA's Lew Alcindor, who is known today as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. At the time, the Atlanta Tipoff Club, founded during the 1956-57 basketball season, was looking to create a national identity for its brand and created the award to honor the best basketball player in the nation. Alcindor, along with UCLA head coach John Wooden, flew to Atlanta in the spring of 1969 to receive the trophy. Today, the Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T is regarded as the most prestigious national basketball award and is given annually to the men's college basketball player of the year.

'At AT&T, we are dedicated to bringing fans closer to their sports passions through our products and services,' said Christopher. 'We're glad to give fans an easy way to support the Naismith award nominees. Since text voting counted 25 percent of the overall scores, we know their voices were heard -- loud and clear.'

'This is a tremendous honor for Blake, and a deserved one,' said Oklahoma head coach Jeff Capel. 'He was magnificent for us all season and everyone associated with our program is proud of what he's accomplished. Blake has dedicated himself to the game of basketball like no other player I've coached and the results speak for themselves. More impressive than his basketball ability, though, is his life approach and how he carries himself off the court. Blake is a much better person than he is a basketball player.'

A 6-10 forward, Griffin led the nation in rebounding (14.4 rpg) and double-doubles (30) while ranking second in field goal percentage (.654) and 11th in scoring (22.7 ppg). He also averaged 2.3 assists and led the Sooners with 41 blocked shots. His rebounding, double-double and field goal marks all set Oklahoma and Big 12 Conference single-season records. The Oklahoma City native had 15 games of at least 20 points and 15 rebounds this year, more than doubling the previous league record of seven. He led the Sooners to a 30-6 record and the South Regional final where they lost to North Carolina.

Courtesy: naismithawards.com

Hamilton gets new deal at FSU - by Kevin Cochran
Florida St. Director of Athletics Randy Spetman announced that head basketball coach Leonard Hamilton has received a new five-year contract that will keep him as the Seminoles' head coach through April 30, 2014. Terms of the new contract are still being finalized.

'Through a lot of hard work and dedication, Leonard has built the Florida State program into one that we are all very proud of,' Spetman said. 'He continues to bring in quality student-athletes who represent Florida State in a first-class manner both on and off the court.'

Hamilton, who was named the 2009 National Coach of the Year by Basketball Times and the ACC Coach of the Year by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association, guided the Seminoles to one of the most successful seasons in school history with a 25-10 record, a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament and the first ACC Championship game appearance in school history. Additionally, under Hamilton's direction, the men's basketball program has had a 100 percent graduation rate and Florida State was one of just seven schools that played in the 2009 NCAA Tournament to hold this distinction.

'I am very appreciative that our administration has shown a high level of confidence in me and in our staff,' said Hamilton. 'Much of the credit for our accomplishments goes to our staff and our players who have worked so hard to put us in position to be successful. I feel that the future is very bright for this program.'

The Seminoles' 25 wins is tied for second most in school history while their 10 conference wins is the third highest in school history. It marked the first time since the 1992-93 season that the Seminoles had won at least 10 ACC games in a single season. Hamilton's coaching has produced three of Florida State's four All-ACC First Team selections, including two in the last three years. One of those pupils, Al Thornton, was the 14th overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft - just the second Draft lottery pick in school history. In 2009, Toney Douglas earned All-ACC First Team honors, was the runner-up for ACC Player of the Year and was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

With 20 or more wins in three of the last four seasons, Hamilton, the 21st winningest coach in ACC history, has put the Seminoles on the cusp of becoming the next great program in one of toughest conferences in the nation. Florida State ranks as the fourth winningest program in the ACC in the last three seasons with a cumulative record of 67-38 for a winning percentage of .638. During the last four seasons, Hamilton has elevated the Seminoles' play in the ACC as he has guided Florida State to a 33-31 record (.516 winning percentage) - tied for the fourth highest win total in ACC play since the start of the 2005-06 season.

'We are very anxious to keep moving ahead as we take the program to higher heights and continue to make Florida State basketball a program of significance both nationally and in the ACC,' said Hamilton. 'We took a big step this season in moving towards becoming the kind of basketball program we can be on an annual basis. We are very happy to be here at Florida State and are proud to represent the entire university community.'

Hamilton just completed his seventh season as Florida State's head coach. He has a career record of 331-305 (20 seasons as a collegiate head coach) and a 131-95 record at Florida State.

Courtesy: Florida State athletics

Chambers takes over Terriers - by Kevin Cochran
Villanova associate head coach Patrick Chambers , whose five years with the Wildcats produced four NCAA Sweet 16 appearances and a berth in the 2009 Final Four, has been named the head coach of the Boston University men's basketball program, Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics Mike Lynch announced today.

Villanova posted a 126-45 record (.737 winning percentage) in the last five seasons, including a 2008-09 mark of 30-8, setting the school's single-season win total. The Wildcats advanced to the NCAA tournament all five years Chambers was on staff and posted a 56-28 (.667) conference record in the formidable Big East.

Villanova has consistently peaked in March as well as any other program recently, achieving an 11-5 mark in the last five NCAA tournaments and is one of just three programs to have advanced to the Sweet 16 four times in that span (Memphis and North Carolina are the others). Villanova won at least 22 games each of the last five years, and its 2009 senior class has set a school record with 126 career victories.

'We were very deliberate during our search process in deciding the type of person and the caliber of coach who we wanted to lead our program,' Lynch said. 'We narrowed our national pool of candidates by determining who would provide our student-athletes with the best experience, be the best fit for Boston U. and offer us the best opportunity to win our conference and advance to the NCAA tournament.

'Each time and every way we looked at it, we arrived at the same conclusion: Patrick Chambers is the best person and the right coach to lead BU basketball to greatness. We could not be happier about welcoming him, his wife and their daughter to the Terrier family.'

'I am very pleased with the appointment of Pat Chambers as our Terriers basketball coach,' said Boston U. President Robert A. Brown. 'He has the skills, the experience and the drive to bring success to our program and excitement to the Boston U. fans.'

Courtesy:goterriers.com

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Jarryd Loyd named Player of the Week - by Interperformances
6'1' Jarryd Loyd (184-G-86, agency: Interperformances, college: Valparaiso) is off to great start for the Nelson Giants in the New Zealand NBL where he was named Round Four Player of the Week. He scored 27 points in the road win over the Wiakato Pistons 73-80 to move the Giants into first place in the league. The all-around guard also finished with a dominating 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Jarryd is averaging 22.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 5.4 apg. for the season. Tony Rampton added 13 points and John Barber 11 points for the Giants.

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Four youth teams for Boguns Basketball fiesta - by Olusegun Ikuesan
Friends of late Babatunde Oguntula popularly known as Boguns have concluded plans to put together a four-day event to commemorate his birthday from April 15 through 18 this year.

The event which will start with a one-day seminar on April 15 which incidentally happen to be the late basketball enthusiast birthday and will be followed by clinic and tournament between four youth teams drawn from across Lagos metropolis.

The event according to the programme coordinator, Jubril Bolaji will feature some former international and associates of the late Oguntula delivering papers on the prospect of basketball and education while seasoned coaches and renowned former players have been penciled down to teach the kids some basic basketball skills.

The four youth teams who are expected to do battle in the first Boguns Basketball Festival includes, Police Rookies Academy, Warriors Basketball Academy, Raptors Basketball Academy and Magnet Basketball Academy on around robin basis.

A Friends of Boguns side will take on Ebun Comets basketball club where the late Oguntula once served as it General Manager in an exhibition game to round off the event on Saturday.

Until his demise last year, the late Babatunde Oguntula Boguns, was the Content Manager of HiTv.

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Standings - Men


D1 Standing


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Standings - 2 Liga


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A Superleague Round: 23 (Regular Season) - by Eurobasket News
Ural Great - CSKA 68-84
CSKA posted the 22nd victory as they shot down Ural Great in Perm. Ramunas Siskauskas (197-G-78) scored 15 points and pulled down 7 boards for the defending champions. Matjaz Smodis added 14 points in the victory. Ralph Biggs secured 15 points for Ural Great in defeat.

Unics - Triumph 73-54
Unics left not a single chance for Triumph bruising those in Kazan. Marko Popovic (185-G-82, college: S.Idaho JC) nailed 17 points to lead the home team. Artur Urazmanov produced 14 points in the winning case. Ernest Bremer responded with 14 points for Triumph.

Spartak-P. - CSK VVS 81-70
Spartak Primorie rebounded from the loss to Triumph and handled CSK VVS in Vladivostok. Ermin Jazvin (210-C-80) notched 22 points and 7 rebounds to lead the home side. Maurice Bailey was helpful with 19 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. Virgil Stanescu answered with 20 points for CSK VVS.

Spartak-P. - Triumph 75-89
Triumph grabbed the 12th victory in the season as they outgunned Spartak Primorie in Vladivostok. Marcus Goree (201-F-77, agency: Passing Lane, college: W.Virginia) was impressive with 33 points and 12 boards. Marque Perry contributed 21 points and 8 assists in the winning effort. Maurice Bailey responded with 21 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds for Spartak in defeat.

Standings - Superleague A


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Final tournament for juniors starts today in Belgrade - by Dragan Jankovski
The final tournament of Serbian championship for juniors (U19) will start today in 'Basket City' in Belgrade. The competition system is changed for this season so 12 teams will take a place on this event. They are divided in 4 groups and two best teams from each pool will advance to quarterfinals. Junior team of Crvena Zvezda is the defending champion from the last season.

In the first games of Group A Mladost Cacak will meet Mecina from Kraljevo. Third team in this group is the above mentioned Crvena Zvezda.
In Group B - Hemofarm STADA will meet Stara Pazova in the first game. Third team is Knjazevac.
In Group C - FMP will play against Ergonom and team number 3 there is Radnicki Kragujevac.
In Group D - Mega Hypo Leasing waits Beovuk. Third team is NS Junior.

The final game is scheduled for Sunday at 15h.


This week the best U17 teams (cadets) will also play the final tournament. The system of competition is the same and the event will take a place in Kraljevo.

Groups:
A - Loznica, Sloga, Zemun
B - Kula, Radnicki, Junior
C - OFI basket, Zdravlje, Krusevac
D - Koledz, Beovuk, Danubijus

Standings - A Liga


FMP beats Borac in friendly game - by Dragan Jankovski
FMP Zeleznik celebrated in the last friendly game before the Superlegaue. The Panthers were better than Borac in Zeleznik 84-62. FMP dominated during the entire time, making plus 13 already at the half time. Last two quarter also belonged to them, 25-20 and 22-16. Andreja Milutinovic (199-G-90) and Predrag Samardziski (214-C-86, agency: Interperformances) scored 12 points each for the hosts. Radenko Plicevic had 10 in Borac, who will also participate in Superleague. FMP will play on Friday against Partizan in Pionir. Borac will take on Crvena Zvezda tomorrow.

Coach Stojan Ivkovic (207-C-66) and Dragan Aleksic (196-G-70, agency: Beo Basket) won Hungarian National Cup last week-end. In the final game their PVSK Panthers outplayed Falco Szombathely 98-87. Aleksic was on of the most important player for PVSK scoring 13 points. The loosing side, Falco, had Serbian coach Srecko Sekulovic on its bench. For Falco also played Andrija Ciric (199-G-80, agency: Beo Basket), who scored 11 points. These two teams are also one of the candidates for the championship title this season in Hungary.


Falco-SZOVA KC Szombathely - Pecsi VSK-PANNONPOWER 87-98
(23-18, 19-24, 22-27, 18-34)

Hungarian Cup Final, Szombathely, Arena Savaria, Att.: 2.000, Referees: Foldhazi T., Palla Z., Bognar T.

Falco KC: Vida -, Hudson 14/3, Lakatos 4, Perincic 10/6, Zoltan Horvath 21/9, Ciric 11/3, Kalman 21/9, Vrsaljko 6, Feigl -, Coach: Srecko Sekulovic
Pecsi VSK: Krisztian Wittmann 20/12, Thomas Kelley 31/9, Toth 5/3, Grebenar 5, Bencze 13, Aleksic 13/9, Denes 3/3, Hosszu 8/6, Czigler -, Coach: Stojan Ivkovic.

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Standings - 1A


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KBL Round: 1 (Semi-Finals) - by Eurobasket News
Dongbu Promy - KCC Egis 93-84
Dongbu Promy won the first Semifinal Game over KCC Egis 93:84 on April 8th. Daniels Chris (211-C-84) led the winners with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Kang Dae-Hyup netted 18. Choo Seung-Kyun produced 22 points in the losing effort.

Mobis Phoebus - Samsung Th. 81-62
Mobis Phoebus rolled over Samsung 81:62 in the Semifinal opener. Thomas Victor (201-F-79, college: La Salle) top-scored for the winners with 21 points and 9 rebounds, while Park Goo-Young netted 16. Haynes Aaron responded with 26 points in defeat.

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Dragons advance to big final knocking out the regular season champion - by Eurobasket News
Sundsvall Dragons are the first finalists of Basketligan 08/09. The Dragons escaped with 83-82 home win against Norrkoping Dolphins ending the semifinal series with 3-1. Alex Wesby (196-G-80, agency: R.H.Consultancy, college: Temple) was totally the best player for the Dragons in this very exciting game scoring 26 points. Liam Rush (203-F/G-82) had 14 and Michael Palm delivered 13 pts. Srdan Subotic helped with 12 points. The Dolphins got 24 points from Joe McNaull (208-C-72, agency: SportsTalent, college: Long Beach St.). Kenny Grant (188-G-82, college: Davidson) this timer scored 15 and the same number had Oladapo Ayuba. As a reminder, Norrkoping Dolphins were the regular season champions with 24-6 record.
In the second semifinals Uppsala Basket was better than Solna Vikings 80-61 tying the series to 2-2. Except of the first ten minutes, the host demonstrated much better performance than the Vikings. Thomas Jackson (175-G-80, college: Butler) was their leading player with 27 points. Danny Gathings (193-F-80, college: High Point) followed him with 17. Jonte Flower responded with 17 points for the loosing side. The fifth decisive game will be played on April 10th and the Vikings will have home court advantage.


Sundsvall Dragons - Norrkoping Dolphins 83 - 82
(25 - 21, 12 - 18, 21 - 18, 25 - 25)

Sundsvall: Alex Wesby 26, Liam Rush 14, Michael Palm 13, Srdan Subotic 12, Doug Thomas 10, Olivier Ilunga 8.
Norrkoping: Joe McNaull 24, Kenny Grant 15, Oladapo Ayuba 15, Joakim Kjellbom 13, Andrew Pleick 7, Fred Drains 3, Anton Saks 3, Pedro Cipriano 2.


Uppsala Basket - Solna Vikings 80 - 61
(20 - 24, 20 - 10, 22 - 16, 18 - 11)

Uppsala: Thomas Jackson 27, Danny Gathings 17, Marko Djuric 9, Mindaugas Budzinauskas 9, Anton Gaddefors 6, Fredrik Jnzn 6, Jeff Horowitz 5, Andreas Person.
Solna: Jonte Flowers (196-G, college: Winona St.) 17, Saulius Dumbliauskas 13, Lesli Myrthil 13, Mats Levin 10, Alexander Lindqvist 4, Samuel Desport 2, Daniel Persson 2.

Uppsala gets best defence award - by Antonio Matek
The Swedish basketball team Uppsala Basket won the award Juptierpriset as the best defensive team in Basketligan. Coach Wally Smith USA (who has been assisted by Bosse ErikssonSwedish) says that people tend to say that talent and technique are the qualities which are needed in offense. Meanwhile, a big heart and a big will is the most important part of the defensive work. Smith points out that its not all true, a player needs too have the feeling that I want to play defense. An other thing is positioning, you need to be on the right spot while defending your rim. The biggest reason to Uppsalas strong defense is that the team has a good composure of athletisism, size, height and big wills.

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Six teams set for super cup - by Carlos Pereira
By Majuto Omary

Six teams have qualified for the Super Cup basketball tournament set to take place later this month, Basketball Dar Es Salaam (BD) official said yesterday.

Communication Director of the BD, Michael Maluwe, said the teams qualified after performing well in the Kili RBA league that ended last month.
Maluwe named the teams as Vijana 'City Bulls', Savio, ABC, Tanzania Prisons and the reigning champions JKT.
He advised the teams to start intensive training ahead of the tournament whose kick-off date has yet to be announced.
'All have qualified because of their great performances. It is high time now they start intensive preparations for the Super Cup,' Maluwe said.

He also said the basketball body was busy looking for sponsors who would support to stage the tourney.
'We want this year's event to be more thrilling, so we are trying to attract many sponsors to support us,' he said.

The event is deemed competitive due to the qualification of high profile teams with fantastic players.
'Yes, I expect it to be tougher to predict the winner, this is down to the strength of the teams. It is really going to be difficult for ill prepared teams,' Maluwe commented.

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Banvit changed coach - by Sinan Can
BANVITSPOR made an official announcement as Head Coach Selcuk Ernak's position changed in the club. After Tab Baldwin's departure, Ernak had been in charge at Banvit as Head Coach since 2007, had a meeting with club board and decided to resign. After starting the season with an impressive win vs. Efes Pilsen, Banvitspor surprised many as coming to a 10-15 record after 25 weeks which is very close to the relegation zone. There had been some interesting decisions taken by the club like extending Lance Williams and Joe Crispin's contract for next season, it's a big point of concern if the new coach would want to keep with these two players or not. The club already confirmed that Assistant Coach's Yalin Kucukozkan and Sedat Ozyer will be in charge. Ernak's new position in the organization will be annouced later.

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Standings - Superleague




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Women News

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Teams ready for play-off - by Eurobasket News
In the last round of the second stage Dexia just sealed a first place in Group A outplaying Waregem 82-65. Even before this game it was clear that these two teams already qualified straight to the semifinals. Dexia ended this stage with almost perfect 7-1, while Waregem has 5-3. Stephanie Dubuc (175-F/G-85, agency: LBM Management) top-scored for the winners in this one with 15 points. Oksana Agabalova (186-F-73) had 13, while Krystyna Szymanska-Lara (173-G-69) helped with one point less. On the other side, Angele Boucquey (175-F-81) collected 21 points and 5 steals. She was the only player with double-digits in scoring for the loosing squad.
In Group B, BBC Boom was better than Novia Namur one the road 58-39. It means that BBC Boom finished this stage as No.1 with 8-2 record and it will take a place in the quaretrfinals. The hosts are on the bottom with 3-7. Monceau celebrated vs Houthalen 83-73 for the second place with 5-5 score. In third game Ieper outsmarted Point Chaud 74-69 so both teams have 5-5 (same as Monceau). Both squads also booked a spot for the quarterfinals.

As it is mentioned above, Dexia and Waregem go straight to the semifinals. At one stage earlier, what is kind of quarterfinals or additional qualifications stage, Sint Kateline will meet Point Chaud, while BBC Boom will play against Monceau.

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Aabyhoj enter semifinal stage - by Eurobasket News
Aabyhoj clinched the second win over Vaerlose to seal the win in the quarterfinal series. They celebrated a 74:62 success at home court to advance to the next stage. There Aabyhoj is scheduled to take on Horsholm, with the opening game set on April 15.
The hosts looked too good for Vaerlose in the starting frame claiming a decisive lead. Ida Krogh (181-G/F-91) paced Aabyhoj as they cleared off to an 8-point distance at the first intermission. Vaerlose adjusted after the small break and clawed their way back into contest. Chelsea Lutha (-F) paced the visitors as they clipped the margin at 7 points at halftime. The tempo decreased in the third stanza as the tension grew high. The teams combined for 24 points in the period, while the hosts were able to stretch the gap at 9 points. Emilie Hesseldal (185-F/C-90) and Ida Krogh stayed concentrated as well as the whole Aabyhoj team to ensure a tough victory at the end.
Ida Krogh secured 18 points, 6 boards and 6 assists to lead Aabyhoj. Emilie Hesseldal added 15 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists in the winning effort. Chelsea Lutha fired game-high 24 points for Vaerlose. Trine Duelund (182-F-84) managed 10 points and 9 boards in the losing clause.

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Standings - LFB

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Standings - Women

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D1 Round: 1 (Finals) - by Eurobasket News
Electra Ramat - Ramla 82-65
The winner of the Regula Season Electra Ramat topped Ramla 82:65 in the opener of their Final series. The favorites did not have any problems reaching 1-0 record. Perkins Jia top-scored for the winners with 25 points and Troina Tatyana added 13. Levitsky Katya and Ogorodnikova Olena netted 15 points each in defeat.

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Stats Leaders - Women

Standings - LSBL

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Standings - Women League

SL 3 Round : Easy win for Jedinstvo - by Dragan Scepanovic
Herceg Novi - Jedinstvo 54:108 (8:36, 13:25, 12:27, 21:20)
SC Zupa' in Tivat. Spect 100. Reff: Miodrag Lakicevic (Budva) i Rado Savovic (Podgorica).
HERCEG NOVI: Marjanovic 8, Pasic 5, Vucetic 12, Nikezic, Sabanovic 12, S. Kuzelj 2, Djuratovic, Jovic, M. Kuzelj, Ana Dabovic (183-G/F-89) 25, Nikpaljevic, Nikic 2
JEDINSTVO: Knezvic 17, Burdzovic 9, Popovic 11, Pavicevic 12, Cvijovic, Radivojevic 3, Jeknic 19, Zivana Jankovic (174-G-83) 2, Ruzic 19, Hadzovic 16

SL 4Round : new win for Jedinstvo - by Dragan Scepanovic
ROLING Niksic 46 - JEDINSTVO B.POlje 85
NIKSIC - Sport center .Spect 50. Reff : Janjusevic , Pantovic (Niksic).By-Q. : 16:27, 9:24, 13:15,8:19
ROLING: Jovanovic, Vucic 3 (2-1), Staniic 15 (2-2), Nikolic 10 (4-2), Mikovic 2 (2-2), Orbovic 11 (2-1), Andjela Djurovic (188-F/C-90) 5 (2-1), Baletic, Milatovic.
JEDINSTVO: Knezevic 13 (3-2),Burdzovic 3 (2-1), Popovic 5 (2-1),Pavicevic 4 (2-2), Cvijovic, Radivojevic 3 (2-1), Jeknic 11 (4-3), Zivana Jankovic (174-G-83) 18(6-6), Ruzic 12 (4-2), Hadzovic 16(3-1).

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Pat Summitt named recipient of 2009 inspiring coach award - by Eurobasket News
University of Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt has been named the recipient of the 2009 WNBA Inspiring Coach Award in recognition of her profound impact on female athletes and her demonstrated commitment, passion and dedication to work, family and community. A special presentation of the award will be held at a later date during the 2009 WNBA season.

The WNBA introduced the Inspiring Coach Award in 2007 to honor coaches who have positively influenced athletes across numerous levels and whose achievements leave an indelible mark on sports as a whole.

'We are absolutely thrilled to honor Pat Summitt for all of her professional accomplishments,' said WNBA President Donna Orender. 'On the court, she is an extraordinary coach who has won eight NCAA Championships and now holds the all-time record for most wins in NCAA history. But what is more important is that she leads with her heart and soul. Her commitment and dedication to the development of women's sports and her passion for inspiring young athletes to achieve their dreams has been a source of inspiration to us all.'

The all-time winningest basketball coach in NCAA men's and women's basketball history, Summitt (1005-193) has cemented her status as a coaching legend during her 35-tenure coaching the Tennessee Lady Vols. She became the first coach in college basketball - man or woman - to reach 1,000 wins on Feb. 5, 2009 with a 73-43 triumph over Georgia. The victory came 12,445 days after Summitt's first win on Jan. 10, 1975 over Middle Tennessee State, a testament to her unmatched longevity and success.

Under Summitt's incomparable leadership, the Tennessee Lady Vols have established a legacy as one of the top women's college basketball programs in the country. She has steered the program to eight NCAA Championships, 28 NCAA Tournament appearances and 27 combined Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament titles. The Lady Vols hold multiple NCAA Tournament records, including most games (124), most wins (104), and most appearances (28).

During her tenure, her Lady Vols teams have produced 12 Olympians, 19 Kodak All-Americans on 33 teams, 10 first-round WNBA Draft selections, and 30 WNBA players. Summitt has been similarly impressive off the court in guiding her players. Over her career, she boasts a 100 percent graduation rate for all players who finished their eligibility at Tennessee.

Summitt's accomplishments have garnered a multitude of honors including seven NCAA and SEC Coach of the Year awards and the Naismith Coach of the Century award in 2000. Both the University of Tennessee, and University of Tennessee at Martin, her alma mater, have renamed their courts to commemorate Summitt's peerless career.

Courtesy of WNBA

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Zenith Bank Women League: First Deepwater battles Dolphin in friendly - by Olusegun Ikuesan
First Deepwater basketball club will Thursday take on Dolphin basketball club in another warm-up game aimed at preparing the Oil & Gas ladies ahead the Zenith Bank Women League set to dunk-off soon.

The Thursday friendly game between the two sides is the second in the series with the Lateef Erinfolami tutored First Deepwater ladies winning the first encounter by 84-65 points.

First Deepwater head coach, Erinfolami thanked the management of Dolphin led by Wale Aboderin for agreeing to give his wards another opportunity to test their skill and build on what they have learnt so far ahead the jump-ball date of the Nigeria Women League sponsored by financial giant, Zenith Bank Plc.

The former Nigeria international told our correspondent that the warm-up game is coming at the right moment just as the Task Force set up by the Nigeria Sports Ministry is working tirelessly to see that the league takes off.

He promised that his players will give their best against an equally determined Dolphin side that he said have displayed the highest level of maturity so far by agreeing to take to the floor against the Oil & Gas team of Engr. Babtunde Babalola.

Erinfolami who was until his recent appointment as head coach of First Deepwater basketball club was with Delta Force basketball club of Asaba called on all well-meaning basketball lovers and stake-holders in Nigeria to rally round the Task Force in moving the game forward pending the constitution of the board of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF.

The former Ebun Comets basketball club forward hailed the idea behind the composition of the Task Force headed by Tijjani Umar by the Sports Ministry and National Sports Commission.

He enjoined those against the Task Force to look beyond personal interest and work closely with the body if they truly have the interest of the game at heart.

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Players of San Jose Leon announced a strike - by Ivan Villar
Economic troubles are appearing in many teams beacuse of world crisis.San Jose Leon is one of them.The dayline is April 9th because the club must pay them last months.In spite of this situation the team is showing a great level in the court.They are fighting with Olesa and Perfumerias Avenida for a ticket for playoffs.Miguel Estrada hopes that his club can solve this problem as soon as possible because this is the most important moment of season

Standings - LFB

Extrugasa Vilagarcia plays a final against Euroleague's subchampion - by Ivan Villar
Extrugasa will play this evening a final against Perfumerias Avenida.Galician team should win to avoid a tragic day,so they would move down to LF2.The host will receive Salamanca's team,which played the Euroleague final last weekend in its arena.Perfumerias Avenida cannot relax because they haven't assured second place for playoffs.Although players of Tito Diaz (agency: BrezoPro ) won to Perfumerias they probably will have to make another miracle winning in Valecia to powerful Ros Casares.In spite of this Fontecarmoa Arena will be full to help their team.

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No guarantees for WNBA draft picks - by Eurobasket News
Think your NCAA bracket was bad? Try a WNBA mock draft.

And make it easy, just select the top two.

After a string of certain No. 1 picks dating to the Storm's selection of former Connecticut star Sue Bird in 2002, the top player this season isn't easily pegged because of varied team needs and lack of depth.

Players selected Thursday in the 13th annual draft aren't even given the same assurance to make a roster as in the past. Last winter, the league disbanded Houston, winner of the first four championships, and decreased rosters to a maximum of 11 players eliminating the two-player inactive list.

Economic moves amounted to 39 lost jobs this season. The draft is three rounds, 39 picks for 13 teams.

'I can't emphasize it enough, but the competition for jobs in this league right now is extraordinary,' said Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer, whose defending champion Shock has the 11th and 37th picks. 'And extraordinary is probably too soft a word. It's going to be very, very difficult for players to make a team in this league unless you have a team that's looking for a smaller contract. That will be why a [rookie] player makes it.'

The WNBA salary cap is set at 803,000ドル this summer, with rookies making 35,190ドル to 44,945ドル (top four picks). That could make a newcomer more attractive as teams vie for high-priced free agents like two-time MVP Lauren Jackson, who would make 99,500ドル by re-signing with Seattle.

Atlanta, picking up spoils like free agent Chamique Holdsclaw and former Comet Sancho Lyttle, isn't budget-conscious. The Dream has the No. 1 overall pick and is looking at players ranging from Connecticut guard Renee Montgomery to Oklahoma center Courtney Paris or Louisville forward Angel McCoughtry.

'I could use a point guard,' said Marynell Meadors, Atlanta's coach and general manager. Veteran point guard Nikki Teasley also returns for the Dream after giving birth.

In a cost-cutting measure, there isn't a predraft camp to help finalize decisions. Most coaches simply made more phone calls this year.

Washington, Atlanta, and Connecticut snagged surprise players last season from those evaluations.

The Storm even found a roster filler in third-round pick Kimberly Beck of George Washington.

'I understand it's all about budget, but I feel bad for the players that are maybe the ones that didn't get watched during the season,' said Minnesota coach Don Zierden, who has three of the top 15 picks and the 30th overall selection. 'There's always one or two that teams haven't been able to see or they want to see them go against Division I talent. That [predraft camp] gave the players an opportunity.'

Now the chances of making the team are grim, especially for Seattle's 12th and 38th overall selections.

'I do not think any second-rounders or third-rounders will make our league,' said Sacramento general manager John Whisenant.

So what gives a player an edge?

'I value people that can play more than one position,' first-year Washington coach Julie Plank said.

California forward Ashley Walker isn't concerned. An undersized forward, she led the Pac-10 in scoring (19.8) and was third in rebounding (8.6). Walker, who's 6 feet 1, is projected to be selected late in the first round or early in the second.

'I f I get drafted, I get drafted. If not, I'll go on and play overseas,' she said.

'I definitely think everybody who has a chance to play in the WNBA will still play.'

Courtesy of https://seattletimes.nwsource.com

Pat Summitt named recipient of 2009 inspiring coach award - by Eurobasket News
University of Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt has been named the recipient of the 2009 WNBA Inspiring Coach Award in recognition of her profound impact on female athletes and her demonstrated commitment, passion and dedication to work, family and community. A special presentation of the award will be held at a later date during the 2009 WNBA season.

The WNBA introduced the Inspiring Coach Award in 2007 to honor coaches who have positively influenced athletes across numerous levels and whose achievements leave an indelible mark on sports as a whole.

'We are absolutely thrilled to honor Pat Summitt for all of her professional accomplishments,' said WNBA President Donna Orender. 'On the court, she is an extraordinary coach who has won eight NCAA Championships and now holds the all-time record for most wins in NCAA history. But what is more important is that she leads with her heart and soul. Her commitment and dedication to the development of women's sports and her passion for inspiring young athletes to achieve their dreams has been a source of inspiration to us all.'

The all-time winningest basketball coach in NCAA men's and women's basketball history, Summitt (1005-193) has cemented her status as a coaching legend during her 35-tenure coaching the Tennessee Lady Vols. She became the first coach in college basketball - man or woman - to reach 1,000 wins on Feb. 5, 2009 with a 73-43 triumph over Georgia. The victory came 12,445 days after Summitt's first win on Jan. 10, 1975 over Middle Tennessee State, a testament to her unmatched longevity and success.

Under Summitt's incomparable leadership, the Tennessee Lady Vols have established a legacy as one of the top women's college basketball programs in the country. She has steered the program to eight NCAA Championships, 28 NCAA Tournament appearances and 27 combined Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament titles. The Lady Vols hold multiple NCAA Tournament records, including most games (124), most wins (104), and most appearances (28).

During her tenure, her Lady Vols teams have produced 12 Olympians, 19 Kodak All-Americans on 33 teams, 10 first-round WNBA Draft selections, and 30 WNBA players. Summitt has been similarly impressive off the court in guiding her players. Over her career, she boasts a 100 percent graduation rate for all players who finished their eligibility at Tennessee.

Summitt's accomplishments have garnered a multitude of honors including seven NCAA and SEC Coach of the Year awards and the Naismith Coach of the Century award in 2000. Both the University of Tennessee, and University of Tennessee at Martin, her alma mater, have renamed their courts to commemorate Summitt's peerless career.

Courtesy of WNBA