Ball in Europe, the European Basketball Blog

Euroleague officials announced one re-signing and one free-agent deal on Wednesday: Former NBAer and current Team Czech Republic swingman Jiri Welsch will be staying with Unicaja for a fourth season, while Bojan Bogdanovic has hooked up with Cibona Zagreb on a four-year contract.
Unicaja was certainly pleased to retain the 29-year-old Welsch, who has played nearly 60 games per season with the team since joining the team for 2006-07. In 15 Euroleague games during the last campaign, Welsch advertised 8.5 points per game.

Bogdanovic was last seen playing for Team Croatia in the FIBA U20 European Championship Men, where he averaged 17.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He spent most of the 2008-09 season with Real Madrid’s second team; Bogdanovic has called Spain home since 2006, when he first signed with Madrid after spending much of the 2005-06 on loan to the team from HKK Zrinjski Mostar. Welcome back to Croatia, Mr. Bogdanovic!

Continue Reading…

Over at heinnews.com runs an interview with Donatas Motiejunas, the center touted as the next international superstar to come out of Lithuania. The site contends that Motiejunas is “projected as the number three pick in the 2010 NBA Draft” in leading an interview that took place during the FIBA U20 Championship Men.

When asked about the prospect of entering the NBA Draft, Motiejunas said in part:

In Lithuania, they are all talking about that. But [...] I’m concentrating on the European Championship. And about teams where I will play next season, nobody knows because I don’t know either. I’m waiting for after this tournament. Then I will go back home and decide where I will play next season. And all Lithuanian journalists are waiting, writing that Donatas will do this or that. For me it’s silly. I’m sitting right here, I’m playing with the team. And they’re writing that I’m rejecting some offer from Zalgiris or some other team. It’s ridiculous.

Continue Reading…

I love it when a plan comes together. David Hein, he of heinnews.com, FIBAEurope.com and probably 10,000 other outlets, has wrapped coverage of the just-completed FIBA U20 European Championship Men. Having returned home to Germany from the competition in Rhodes, poor David sought ideas (more of them, i mean) for another basketball column to which to set his rapacious urge to sportswrite.

I skyped him: “Since you introduced us to all these fresh new players that are moving into top professional leagues – you know, guys like Georgios Bogris – during the U20s, why don’t you write a roundup of where they’ll be in future?”

And shazam! Hours later, Mr. Hein had produced a swell column entitled, “Where U20s are heading next season.” From Bogris to Vucevic, the list of names you’ll surely be seeing next year is the following.

Continue Reading…

The 2009 edition of the FIBA U20 European Championship Men is in the books, with unstoppable Greece topped France thanks to five starters scoring in double figures for the gold medal. For the bronze, Spain barely held off yet another comeback from surprising Team Italy to win.

FIBA roundups follow.

Continue Reading…

Headline news at the FIBA U20 European Championship Men semifinals was, of course, the crazy Italian comeback-then-upset of slick-looking Team Lithuania. On-scene reporter David Hein of heinnews provides his thoughts on the stunner of Rhodes in addition to the other youth basketball action going on down there.
Continue Reading…

The elimination tournament stage of the FIBA U20 European Championship Men tips off today with a full slate of six games. Though a few of these games seem a bit imbalanced thanks to some surprises (Turkey, Montenegro, Italy … we’re looking at you) advancing, most feature an intriguing subplot or two. And there’s an excellent marquee matchup in prime time. Today’s schedule of games follows.

Continue Reading…

Whoa.

Ball in Europe readers know that sportswriter David Hein is currently on the FIBA U20 World Championship Men beat. Over at heinnews.com right now is posted a nice interview with Team Greece center Georgios Bogris; full interview available here. To whet your appetite a bit, here’s Bogris on his recent four-year contract signed with Panathinaikos Athens in what has to be one of the most concise summations of finally making the big leagues ever:

Continue Reading…

Intrepid sports reporter David Hein, he of FIBAEurope.com and heinnews.com, continues his you-are-there coverage of the FIBA U20 European Championship Men with some notes on the proceedings to date.

And as for the weather in Rhodes, well, it’s hot. Damn hot.

Continue Reading…

With game threes in the book, the qualifying round of the FIBA U20 European Championship Men heads into the home stretch. Yesterday’s games had hometown Greece overcoming Russia in a real nail-biter, 73-71; Spain held off a frenzied Italian comeback to win 62-60; Croatia overcame Montenegro, 76-70; and Turkey destroyed Ukraine by a frankly unbelievable score.

The qualifying groups now resemble the proverbial “study in contrasts.” Group E is clearly defined by undefeated alpha dogs Spain and France, while its win puts Team Greece at a strong no. 3 and nicely separates Russia (1-2 with France the opposition today) from the cream of the Group E crop. At 0-3, Latvia and Italy are now playing out the string.

Group F still appears totally up for grabs and anyone could advance to the knockout phase. Croatia, Lithuania and Ukraine all sit atop the table at 2-1. However, Team Lithuania has actually been outscored on the way to this winning record, have outscored opponents by a mere eight in two wins; additionally, Lithuania plays both Croatia and Ukraine in their remaining schedule. Meanwhile, how seriously can Ukraine be taken after that demolishment at Team Turkey’s hands? We’ll see how they bounce back…

In beating Ukraine, Turkey demonstrated that Group F’s bottom three aren’t taking matters lying down. Montenegro may be outclassed here, but Serbia’s convincing win over Lithuania keeps them well alive with upcoming games against Turkey and Montenegro both well winnable. Assuming Croatia shows up for the final two games, this team seems to be the only shoo-in to advance to the tournament. FIBA roundups of yesterday’s games follow.

Continue Reading…

Reporting for heinnews, David Hein provides coverage from the U20 European Championship in fantastic Rhodes. Playing out were Spain v. Russia, Latvia v. Slovenia, Greece v. Belgium, France v. Italy and Ukraine v. Serbia.

(heinnews) – Looking at the first day of action at the U20 European Championship, a few of the big names were missing from the box scores in Rhodes and Ialysos. And some of the U19 World Championship stars started slowly in the tournament.

Continue Reading…