March 2012 42
Surprise! With five weeks to play, Lithuanian league reduces playoff tournament
Only in Lithuania? In what is surely perceived of by fans of Lithuanian teams such as Pieno žvaigždės, KK Baltai, Kėdainiai and Juventus as (an unwelcome slap in the face) a controversial decision, LKL officials have decided today (!) to reduce the league’s playoff tournament from eight to six teams. Yesterday, league commissioner Mindaugas Balčiūnas […]
Possible “Nueva revolución a la vista” in Spain? Fearing contraction, small-market owners meet
Is Europe’s reputed top domestic league actually under threat from within? According to the excellent Spanish-based website Tu Basket, representatives of nine Liga Endesa clubs – Lagun Aro GBC, Fuenlabrada, Lycentum Alicante, FIATC Joventut, Valladolid, Asefa Estudiantes, Gran Canaria 2014, Assignia Manresa, and CAI Zaragoza – are meeting in Madrid today to discuss alleged unfair […]
Euroleague playoffs game one: The YouTube highlight clip roundup
Heading into games two of the 2011-12 Euroleague Playoffs, BallinEurope acknowledges CSKA Moscow and Panathinaikos’ superiority over their opponents, FC Barcelona having tallied an emphatic win, and Olympiacos shocking Montepaschi Siena in Italy. (Early on, the Reds look like the only possible big bracket buster: The far majority of predictions – BiE’s included – under […]
Euroleague Playoff Round: The BallinEurope Official Fearless Predictions™
BiE already submitted a Euroleague tournament bracket, but while a chance remains to put forth a few Official BallinEurope Fearless Predictions™ on the EL playoff round, well, BiE’ll take it. Over at Euro-Step, this writer takes part in the regular “Wiseman Know” column (I know, I know) along with the likes of former EL title-winner […]
The official BallinEurope Euroleague tournament bracket
Over on Twitter today, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando seems to have sparked the trending of #ELbracket. Great! Below runs BallinEurope’s… And yours? Comment here or meet BiE on Twitter…
Sofoklis: “I think we have the answers for Panathinaikos”; “I like our chances”
Going into what is certain to be a cliffhanger of a Euroleague Playoffs game one between Panathinaikos and Maccabi Tel Aviv, Sofoklis Schortsanitis is outwardly calm – this despite the way Big Sofo and teammate Richard Hendrix were thoroughly beaten at their games by the Greens in last season’s Euroleague championship. Added to this is […]
Sonny Weems + LKL dunk contest + awesome production values = Video of the month
The best basketball video clip of the roughly half-done month? Well, about a week before James White was bagging his fourth European dunk contest crown, Zalgiris Kaunas’ Sonny Weems was earning his first in Lithuania. Below runs not just any dunk contest highlight clip, but an amazingly edited 100-plus seconds replete with amazing angles and […]
Gershon: “Jasikevicius is key for Panathinaikos”; “Who can stop McCalebb?”
Over at Greece-based Eurohoops.net, yesterday was posted a nice interview with already-legendary former head coach Pini Gershon. Gershon in Europe is mostly known for his establishment of Maccabi Tel Aviv as a European basketball powerhouse, with Continental titles taken in 2001*, 2004, and 2005 (*actually a FIBA SuproLeague title in that strange season of two […]
March Madness: University of New Mexico Lobos win! (And now, the angst)
For no good reason other than BallinEurope displaying pride in his alma mater, BiE today congratulates the University of New Mexico Lobos in winning their second-round NCAA Tournament match against the Long Beach State 49ers, 75-68. Drew Gordon, the Lobos’ potential NBAer – the Draft Express mock 2012 draft has him going to the Boston […]
Swans Gmunden double up on free-falling Xion Dukes, Austria Bundesliga still tight
Probably the tightest race in European basketball as domestic leagues head into the stretch in approaching tournament time is that of the Austrian Bundesliga. Checking in with an update on recent happenings there is David Hein… With four game days left in the season, nothing is decided in the Austrian Admiral Basketball Bundesliga as three […]
Clips: More basketball diplomacy by Obama; the Rise of British Basketball
Speaking of Britain and basketball, BallinEurope this morning passes on a couple of Brit-centric clips… Chicago Bulls fan/U.S. president Barack Obama yesterday displayed more of his trademark basketball diplomacy in taking his British counterpart, prime minister David Cameron, to the Mississippi Valley State-Western Kentucky NCAA tournament play-in game in Dayton, Ohio. Obama was proud to […]
British Basketball League wrap: Mike Tuck’s huge 33/14 for Sharks; Eagles win two, Rocks lose two
It’s time for another look back at the weekend’s action in the British Basketball League and our guy to do so at BallinEurope is Sam Chadwick … so take it away, Sam! This past weekend, March 9-11, saw a total of nine BBL Championship games take place starting with two title favourites, the Newcastle Eagles […]