November 2009 45
FIBA Euroleague Women closes week four tonight with Szeviép Szeged v. Fenerbahce
With four games down in the ten-game FIBA Euroleague Women 2009-10 first round, the playoff picture is taking early shape and more than a few surprises – pleasant and otherwise – have graced play thus far. In the “disappointing” column can definitely be entered Mizo Pécs 2010, early considered one of the favorites to be […]
Pops Mensah-Bonsu back with Toronto Euro-Raptors
Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Team Great Britain stud and former teammate of Ricky Rubio with DKV Joventut, is back with the Toronto Raptors after spending six days on waivers. Mensah-Bonsu was waived by the Houston Rockets on Friday after signing with the team as a free agent in the 2009 off-season. Pops played in 19 games with […]
Legend of Basketball/serious partier Rodman busted in Germany
How do you say, “You have the right to remain silent” in German…? Now that Dennis Rodman has enlisted with the “Legends of Basketball” organization and its touring team, the Worm is up to his old party-master tricks – only this time, he’s doing it on an international level. The good ol’ gossipmongers over at […]
It's official: Repesa out as Team Croatia coach
FIBA officials made it official late yesterday: Jasmin Repesa, citing personal disappointment with his team’s performance in Eurobasket 2009, has resigned as Croatia national basketball team coach. Though Croatian media had reported Repesa’s imminent dismissal/retirement from the post as early as two weeks ago and his contract ran out as of Croatia’s elimination from this […]
New Playboy Belser makes quick impact in Finland
Don’t look now, but the balance of power in Finland’s top league may have shifted a bit with the arrival of Corey Belser from Aris Thessaloniki to the excellently named Honka Espoo Playboys of Finland’s Korisliiga. Belser first appeared on international scouts’ radar in his days playing for the University of San Diego, culminating in […]
Best of the (basketball) net: Food-and-retro edition
For your edification and amusement, Ball in Europe presents seven stories, interviews, blog entries and whatnot definitively worth a little of your time on a Sunday. Read on, compliments of us and a bunch of hard-working writers out there. The Los Angeles Times was intrigued enough by the blogging activities of Coleman Collins – he […]
Euroleague attendance figures mostly dismal through four weeks
The numbers are in and if one thing can be said about Euroleague 2009-10 this early on, it’s that this association is hardly free of the specter of economic woes. After Partizan and Alba Berlin set attendance records in 2008-09, this season has heretofore seen a most remarkable downturn in paying fandom with Lottomatica Roma […]
The Frank Euroleague Roundup: Week four
In the afterglow of Euroleague week four, BallinEurope’s man in Italy, Francesco Cappelletti, rounds up all that was in the week that was, including the lack of upsets, a dearth of home support in Turkey, and several teams that have yet to make the leap. Easy groups At the day of the Euroleague draw, most […]
Ataman: “Hopeful” about “serious opportunity” in tonight’s Olympiacos-Efes game
Early on, Euroleague followers are putting Efes Pilsen in the “disappointing” category for 2009-10; the team has managed a 1-2 record in Euroleague play and, as defending champions, a mark of just 2-1 in Turkey’s Beko Basketball League. Nevertheless, Efes head coach Ergin Ataman still likes his team’s chances tonight. After praising Olympiacos as one […]
Betting on basketball: Pointspreads and odds for Euroleague week 4, part 2
The second half of Euroleague play this week is the small half, with just four games happening this evening, and at least one dandy if the bookmakers are accurate – which they tragically so often are. After all, it’s their money out there. That’s how I justify it to myself, anyway. Tonight’s pointspreads and over/under […]
Fantasy tips from the Euroleague Boss: Week four
Hello everybody and welcome back – if you’ve ever read this column before, that is. One way or another, I’m Javier Gancedo, writing not from the Euroleague headquarters but rather from home this time around. Yes, it will be a very busy Wednesday for all of us with as many as eight games taking place, […]
Dispatch from parallel universe: Iverson, Olympiacos roll into game fours
parallel universe (n.): A universe or space-time continuum that exists alongside ours, and which may possess different physical laws or a different history. – Answers.com dictionary Talk about your critical decisions: I mean, imagine if Allen Iverson had turned down Olympiacos’ mammoth $10 million offer back in August to come play for the Angelopoulos Brothers’ […]