Don’t look now, but the Russians are coming. Or maybe that should be: The Russians Are Coming! Unics Kazan looked just great in disposing of Ratiopharm Ulm last night, 91-73, in the Euroleague Qualifying Round.
Team Greece’s Ian Vougioukas was good for 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting as again and again the new-look Kazan made him the end-user of some brilliant ball movement. Returning guard Terrell Lyday was a serious facilitator, getting 21 points himself including 5-of-8 on threes while dishing four assists; fellow returnee Petr Samolylenko found the shooter five times in 22½ minutes – while not taking a shot. Off-season acquisitions Chuck Eidson and Mire Chatman combined for 23 points and eight assists, demonstrating remarkable incorporation into Aco Petrovic’s offense.
Already BiE has BC Khimki and CSKA Moscow penciled in for the 2013 Euroleague quarterfinals; by demonstrating themselves the class of the play-in tournament, Unics Kazan could make BiE believe they’ll make noise in a potentially vulnerable Group A – and are we destined to see two Russian teams in London in May?
Across the bracket, underdogs Le Mans Sarthe earned the right to face Khimki by holding off BC Donetsk in a ground-out 61-55 win. As the French side frustrated the Ukrainians time and again in the fourth quarter, just under 80% of the scoring was provided by the quartet of double-digit scorers Cameron Long (the George Mason alum who’s been developing his skills in Lithuania for two seasons), Alain Koffi, Khalid El-Amin and Pape Sy.
(Damn, throw in João Paulo Batista, Dounia Issa and the Amazing Kahudi Brothers, and Le Mans may have the best-named roster in Europe.)
But despite the fact that Le Mans showed admirable depth – particularly for a French side – it was the Purple-and-Orange defense that stole the show. And the ball. And the game.
BiE can’t really see Le Mans holding such a front against the bigger, better shooters of Khimki, however. Can you? Visualize three Russia-based squads in Euroleague 2012-13, ‘cause right now that looks like a reality.
Tags: Aco Petrovič, Alain Koffi, basketball highlights, BC Donetsk, Cameron Long, Chuck Eidson, Euroleague, Euroleague 2012-13, Euroleague qualifying round, Ian Vougioukas, Khalid El-Amin, Le Mans-Sarthe, Mire Chatman, Pape Sy, Petr Samolylenko, ratiopharm Ulm, Terrell Lyday, UNICS Kazan
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Bwin Euroleague 2012-13 player rankings:
[B](players rated from 50-99):[/B]
1. Vassilis Spanoulis – 100
2. Nenad Krstic – 94
3. Bo McCalebb – 92
4. Dimitris Diamantidis – 90
5. Erazem Lorbek – 88
6. Milos Teodosic – 85
7. Juan Carlos Navarro – 81
8. Rudy Fernandez – 80
9. Nikola Mirotic – 80
10. Sonny Weems – 77
11. Mike Batiste – 75
12. Viktor Khryapa – 75
13. Fernando San Emeterrio – 73
14. Jordan Farmar – 73
15. Dusko Savanovic – 73
16. Marcelinho Huertas – 72
17. David Andersen – 72
18. Maciej Lampe – 72
19. Sofoklis Schortsanitis – 71
20. Malik Hairston – 71
21. Ioannis Bourousis – 70
22. Andres Nocioni – 70
23. Keith Langford – 70
24. Ksistof Lavrinovic – 69
25. Zoran Planinic – 68
26. Paul Davis – 68
27. Pete Mickeal – 67
28. Georgios Printezis – 65
29. Marko Popovic – 65
30. Jaycee Carroll – 65
31. Sasha Vujacic – 65
32. Romain Sato – 65
33. Ronnie Seibutis – 64
34. Blake Schilb – 64
35. Sergio Llull – 63
36. Lior Eliyahu – 63
37. Kostas Papanikolaou – 62
38. Bojan Bogdanovic – 62
39. Bostjan Nachbar – 62
40. Antonis Fotsis – 61
41. Devin Smith – 61
42. Nik Caner-Medley – 61
43. Roko Ukic – 60
44. Rimantas Kaukenas – 60
45. Felipe Reyes – 60
46. Vitaly Fridzon – 58
47. Jonas Maciulis – 58
48. David Moss – 58
49. Aaron Jackson – 58
50. Richard Hendrix – 58
51. Marcus Slaughter – 58
52. Kyle Hines – 57
53. Omar Cook – 57
54. Yogev Oyahon – 57
55. Stanko Barac – 57
56. Darjus Lavrinovic – 57
57. Andy Panko – 56
58. Luka Zoric – 56
59. David Logan – 56
60. Sarunas Jasikevicius – 55
61. Nathan Jawai – 55
62. Curtis Jerrells – 55
63. KC Rivers – 55
64. Tremmell Darden – 55
65. Giorgi Shermadini – 54
66. Fran Vazquez – 54
67. Mantas Kalnietis – 54
68. Dontaye Draper – 54
69. DaShaun Wood – 54
70. Sylven Landesberg – 54
71. Acie Law – 53
72. Mario Kasun – 53
73. Luksa Andric – 53
74. Bracey Wright – 53
75. Oliver Lafayette – 53
76. Sharrod Ford – 53
77. Joey Dorsey – 52
78. Kresimir Loncar – 52
79. Andrey Vorontsevich – 52
80. Krunoslav Simon – 52
81. Drew Nicholas – 52
82. Carlos Cabezas – 52
83. Bobby Brown – 52
84. Julian Khazzouh – 52
85. James Gist – 52
86. Jamon Lucas – 51
87. Emir Preldzic – 51
88. Marko Tomas – 51
89. Paulius Jankunas – 51
90. Semih Erden – 51
91. Hilton Armstrong – 51
92. James Augustine – 51
93. Ante Tomic – 50
94. Vladimir Micov – 50
95. Earl Calloway – 50
96. Damir Markota – 50
97. Shelden Williams – 50
98. Deon Thompson – 50
99. Mindaugas Katelynas – 50
100. Ricky Hickman – 50
101. Zach Morley – 50
102. Dragan Milosavljevic – 50
103. Drew Gordon – 50
[B](players rated from 35-49):[/B]
104. Kerem Tunceri – 49
105. Tibor Pleiss – 49
106. Maik Zirbes – 49
107. Petteri Koponen – 48
108. Vladimir Dasic – 48
109. Joe Ingles – 48
110. Vule Avdalovic – 48
111. Zoran Erceg – 48
112. Patrick Christopher – 48
113. Sergio Rodriguez – 47
114. Viktor Sanikidze – 47
115. Guy Pnini – 47
116. Marcelus Kemp – 47
117. Txemi Urtasun – 47
118. Marcus Denmon – 47
119. Dejan Ivanov – 47
120. Marques Green – 47
121. Nathan Peavy – 47
122. Sergey Monya – 46
123. Anton Gavel – 46
124. Leon Radosevic – 46
125. Zoran Dragic – 46
126. Marcus Williams – 46
127. Mickael Gelabale – 46
128. Carlos Suarez – 46
129. Milko Bjelica – 46
130. Esteban Batista – 46
131. Taylor Rochestie – 46
132. Predrag Suput – 46
133. Drew Viney – 46
134. Nihad Djedovic – 45
135. Stratos Perperoglou – 45
136. Pero Antic – 45
137. Kostas Sloukas – 45
138. Brad Oleson – 45
139. Aron Baynes – 45
140. Casey Jacobsen – 45
141. Kosta Perovic – 45
142. AJ Ogilvy – 45
143. Steed Tchicamboud – 45
144. Ilian Evtimov – 45
145. Curtis Stinson – 45
146. Oguz Savas – 44
147. Sergi Vidal – 44
148. Derwin Kitchen – 44
149. Goran Suton – 44
150. Omer Onan – 43
151. Gasper Vidmar – 43
152. Victor Sada – 43
153. Marty Pocius – 43
154. Aleksandar Rasic – 43
155. Fabien Causeur – 43
156. Mirza Begic – 43
157. Predrag Samardziski – 43
158. Teddy Gipson – 43
159. Dominic Waters – 43
160. Jerel Blassingame – 43
161. Robertas Javtokas – 42
162. Kerem Gonlum – 42
163. Nemanja Nedovic – 42
164. Davis Bertans – 42
165. Matt Janning – 42
166. Kaya Peker – 42
167. Frank Robinson – 42
168. Torey Thomas – 42
169. Sasu Salin – 42
170. Dylan Page – 42
171. Dimitrios Mavroeidis – 41
172. Benjamin Eze – 41
173. Matt Nielsen – 41
174. Baris Ermis – 41
175. Lukasz Koszarek – 41
176. Sasha Kaun – 40
177. Dino Muric – 40
178. Dejan Musli – 40
179. Sinan Guler – 39
180. Marko Car – 39
181. Heiko Schaffartzik – 38
182. Gianluca Basile – 38
183. Daniel Hackett – 38
184. Nemanja Bjelica – 38
185. Adam Hrycaniuk – 38
186. Cehver Ozer – 38
187. Vladimir Lucic – 38
188. Mike Bramos – 37
189. Alessandro Gentile – 37
190. Arturas Jomantas – 37
191. Yassin Idbihi – 37
192. Shawn James – 37
193. Marko Cakarevic – 37
194. Mindaugas Kuzminskas – 37
195. Janis Blums – 36
196. Teemu Rannikko – 36
197. Djordje Gagic – 36
198. Marino Bazdaric – 36
199. Vangelis Mantzaris – 35
200. CJ Wallace – 35
201. Leo Westermann – 35
202. Alexey Zhukanenko – 35
203. Steponas Babrauskas – 35
204. Piotr Szczkota – 35
205. Danilo Andjusic – 35
[B](players rated 34 and below):[/B]
206. Nicolo Melli – 34
207. Xavi Rabaseda – 34
208. Nemanja Besovic – 34
209. Marco Carraretto – 33
210. Tomas Ress – 33
211. Dogus Balbay – 33
212. J BAM – 32
213. Piotr Pamula – 32
214. Philipp Neumann – 32
215. Martynas Gecevicius – 31
216. Kristjan Kangur – 31
217. Albert Miralles – 31
218. Kostas Tsartsaris – 30
219. Rok Stipcevic – 30
220. Charis Giannopoulos – 30
221. Aleksey Zozulin – 30
222. Thomas Heurtel – 30
223. Bogdan Bogdanovic – 30
224. Miro Bilan – 30
225. Tutku Acik – 29
226. Vilmantas Dilys – 29
227. Ilkan Karaman – 28
228. Jacopo Giachetti – 28
229. Tadas Klimavicius – 28
230. Luka Babic – 28
231. Branislav Djekic – 28
232. Adas Juskevicius – 28
233. Deividas Dulkys – 27
234. Alex Abrines – 27
235. Augusto Lima – 27
236. Muratcan Guler – 27
237. Robert Witka – 26
238. Jeff Foote – 26
239. Simas Buterlevicius – 26
240. Can Akin – 25
241. Dmitry Sokolov – 25
242. Dimitry Khvostov – 25
243. Emir Sulejmanovic – 25
244. Dovydas Redikas – 24
245. Nicolas Lang – 24
246. John Goldsberry – 22
247. Gaios Skordilis – 22
248. Anton Ponkrashov – 21
249. Evgeniy Voronov – 21
250. Ermal Kuqo – 20
251. Egor Vyaltsev – 20
252. Jan Mocnik – 20
253. Jordan Abodou – 20
254. Mateusz Ponitka – 20
255. Sven Schultze – 19
256. Jaka Blazic – 19
257. Ulysse Adjagba – 18
258. Joffrey Lauvergne – 17
259. Dimitrios Katsivelis – 16
260. Drazen Bubnic – 16
261. Klemen Prepelic – 15
262. Karsten Tadda – 15
263. Mario Delas – 15
264. Berkay Candan – 15
265. Vassilis Xanthopoulos – 14
266. Vytenis Lipkevicius – 14
267. Vincent Gaillard – 14
268. Joey Ney – 13
269. Marko Todorovic – 12
270. Benjamin-Pavel Dudu – 12
271. Tomasz Snieg – 12
272. David Chiotti – 11
273. Daniel Schmidt – 11
274. Anton Pushkov 10
275. Moran Roth – 10
276. Luca Lechthaler – 10
277. Alen Omic – 10
278. Erbil Eroglu – 9
279. Birkan Batur -8
[...] Götterdämmerung in Munich as Bauermann fired +++ EuroBasket 2013 draw seedings: Some thoughts +++ Euroleague qualifiers: New-look Unics Kazan passes by Ratiopharm Ulm, Le Mans Sarthe Ds up to advanc… +++ Romanov hit with key Žalgiris question: “Will Plaza be sacked as quickly as Zouros?” +++ [...]
[...] ● Euroleague qualifiers – and another BallinEurope jinx handed to Unics Kazan; [...]
[...] ● Euroleague qualifiers – and another BallinEurope jinx handed to Unics Kazan; [...]