After a few weeks off, BallinEurope finally returns the Top 100 list for your perusal this week. With Euroleague ball on a break, not much has changed near the top of the table, though Olympiacos’ dominance in EΣAKE ball has again leapfrogged them over Real Madrid for the no. 2 spot on the BiE table as the defending Euroleague champion holds on as top dog.
Since FIBA has awarded Great Britain an automatic qualification for the 2012 Olympic Games, BiE won’t be symbolically awarding the no. 100 spot to the top team in the British Basketball League; so congratulations to BC Oostende in this edition. Without further ado, the following are the current rankings based on play in all leagues to date.
1. (1) FC Barcelona (ESP), 382.44 points
2. (3) Olympiacos (GRE) 365.56
3. (2) Real Madrid (ESP), 365.12
4. (4) Montepaschi Siena (ITA), 358.51
5. (6) Panathinaikos (GRE), 347.50
6. (5) Fenerbahçe Ülker (TUR), 339.86
7. (8) Power Electronics Valencia (ESP), 330.24
8. (7) Caja Laboral Baskonia (ESP), 326.34
9. (9) Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR), 298.89 – Last week, high state honors were granted to Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv president Shimon Mizrahi; Mizrahi “was named among the 2011 recipients of the Israel Prize, the country’s most prestigious award given annually on Israel’s Independence Day. … Mizrahi, 71, is the seventh person to receive the Israel Prize in the field of sports and becomes the third person affiliated with Maccabi Tel Aviv’s basketball club top win the Israel Prize, joining former Euroleague champ Tal Brody (1979) and former Maccabi coach Ralph Klein (2006). Mizrahi has served as Maccabi president since 1969 and been a part of the club winning five European titles.” BiE’s question: When will Pini Gershon take this prize finally?
10. (10) Union Olimpija (SLO), 285.98
11. (12) Žalgiris Kaunas (LTU), 283.60 – The Žalgiris season to date: The Greens are 18-0 in LKL play and decisively whipped Lietuvos Rytas, 85-60, in the sole meeting between the two to this date; stand in second place in VTB United League Group B with a solid 7-2 record; remain ranked higher than their inter-country rivals in the BiE Top 100; and have managed to keep a head coach for two months (should Ilias Zouros last through today) … how long can this go on?
12. (14) Unicaja Malaga (ESP), 280.85
13. (11) Efes Pilsen (TUR), 277.84
14. (15) Lietuvos Rytas (LTU), 275.58
15. (13) Partizan Belgrade (SER), 270.51
16. (27) Norrköping Dolphins (SWE), 233.69 – The pride of Swedish basketball benefits in the rankings from its incredibly busy schedule; the Dolphins have played in a whopping 64 games in the 2009-10 season, just a couple fewer than the average NBA team right now. And at 35-29, Norrköping would be the current no. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, just ahead of the New York Knicks. (Hey, don’t look at me for this ranking: After leaving on The Continent for 16 years, BiE still thinks the European standard of awarding points for losses is weird.)
Plus, the Dolphins have inspired at least one original rap song:
17. (16) AJ Milano (ITA), 228.55
18. (17) Lottomatica Roma (ITA), 228.29
19. (25) Gran Canaria 2014 (ESP), 228.24
20. (18) Cajasol Sevilla (ESP), 226.62+
21. (24) Asefa Estudiantes (ESP), 226.62
22. (19) Galatsaray Café Crown (TUR), 223.48
23. (33) BK Ventspils (LAT), 221.39
24. (28) Tartu Rock (EST), 220.60
25. (34) BC Azovmash (UKR), 214.17
26. (26) Unics Kazan (RUS), 212.43
27. (20) BC Khimki Moscow region (RUS), 212.29
28. (23) CSKA Moscow (RUS), 208.61 – Could the nightmare finally be over for CSKA despite another coaching change? After getting officially ignominiously bounced from the Euroleague to close out 2010, the Red Army has gone 10-5 overall. They’re currently in fourth place in PBL play with an opportunity to jump into third in an April 5 meeting against Spartak St. Petersburg; meanwhile, the Muscovites have stormed out to an 8-1 mark in the VTB United League with the second round soon to start. BiE still thinks a top-to-bottom makeover will be in effect before the 2011-12 season, however … and one does have to wonder who might be coaching…
29. (21) Aris BSA (GRE), 208.59
30. (32) Budivelnik (UKR), 207.60
31. (37) Cedevita Zagreb (CRO), 203.78
32. (74) TTU/Kalev (EST), 200.69
33. (35) Benetton Bwin Basket (ITA), 197.73
34. (22) Cholet Basket (FRA), 196.45
35. (31) Asseco Prokom (POL), 193.85
36. (39) KK Krka (SLO), 192.57
37. (45) Kalev/Cramo (EST), 190.28
38. (44) Hemofarm Stada (SER), 189.19
39. (36) Beşiktaş Cola Turka (TUR), 188.70
40. (29) Brose Baskets Bamberg (GER), 188.51
41. (40) Pepsi Caserta (ITA), 185.61
42. (30) Bennet Cantu (ITA), 185.00
43. (48) CEZ Nymburk (CZE), 180.66
44. (42) Cibona Zagreb (CRO), 171.57
45. (46) Siauliai (LTU), 170.67
46. (47) Bizkaia Bilbao Baskets (ESP), 170.60
47. (51) Pinar Karşiyaka (TUR), 169.24
48. (38) PAOK BC (GRE), 168.46
49. (43) Banvit BK (TUR), 167.96 – So how did Juan Dixon’s debut with Banvit go? About as well as to be expected after a 13-month hiatus, one supposes … Dixon saw about 20 minutes of game time, shooting just 2-of-5 overall (though 2-of-3 beyond the arc) for seven points in an 84-76 loss to Karşiyaka. Banvit keeps its hold on third place in the TBL, but is now just one game ahead of Efes Pilsen and two in front of Karşiyaka and Beşiktaş Cola Turka in the domestic league.
50. (41) Buducnost (MNT), 167.50
51. (50) Gravelines Dunkerque (FRA), 163.64
52. (53) Panellinios BC (GRE), 162.19
53. (55) VEF Riga (LAT), 161.84
54. (49) Valladolid (ESP), 161.00
55. (56) Alba Berlin (GER), 158.42
56. (57) Rudupis (LTU), 155.75
57. (54) Fuenlabrada (ESP), 153.33 – The ACB has been quite a model of parity this season, with nearly every week producing a couple eyebrow-raising results. What would have been a true shocker was avoided when FC Barcelona awoke to rise up in the fourth quarter against would-be upsetters Menorca. However, on Saturday, Fuenlabrada torched current ACB no. 4 Caja Laboral Baskonia, 82-68, to utterly tighten things on the table: Just three standings points separate the third- and seventh-place teams with nine games to go…
58. (52) DKV Joventut (ESP), 151.40
59. (61) Le Mans (FRA), 151.21
60. (60) BG Goettingen (GER), 149.59
61. (63) Dnipro (UKR), 146.44
62. (62) KK Zadar (CRO), 144.32
63. (59) KK Zagreb Croatia Osiguranje (CRO), 142.58
64. (66) Liepaja Lauvas (LAT), 133.33
65. (58) Spirou Charleroi (BEL), 128.93
66. (68) Nevezis (LTU), 128.21
67. (71) Spartak St. Petersburg (RUS), 126.03
68. (78) BC Minsk 2006 (BLR), 125.35
69. (77) Perlas (LTU), 123.88
70. (83) Honka Espoo Playboys (FIN), 122.81
71. (73) Olin Edirne (TUR), 121.67
72. (81) BC Lokomotiv Kuban (RUS), 121.21
73. (69) Asvel Basket (FRA), 117.69
74. (67) KK Radnicki (SER), 117.40
75. (76) KK Siroki TT Kabeli (BIH), 115.00
76. (64) Fabi Shoes Montegranaro (ITA), 115.00
77. (87) BC Donetsk (UKR), 114.21
78. (65) Maroussi BC (GRE), 112.50
79. (n/a) Khimik Yuzhny (UKR), 111.82
80. (70) Chorale Roanne (FRA), 110.46
81. (n/a) Elitzur Netanya (ISR), 110.31
82. (79) SLUC Nancy (FRA), 110.00
83. (72) Air Avellino (ITA), 108.33
84. (85) Lukoil Academic Sofia (BUL), 107.27
85. (75) L’Elan Chalon/Saone (FRA), 106.79
86. (n/a) Panionios (GRE), 105.00
87. (82) CS Bologna (ITA), 105.00
88. (80) KK Igokea (BIH), 103.30
89. (n/a) Turk Telecom Ankara (TUR), 102.41
90. (90) BK Prostejov (CZE), 100.86
91. (93) Hoverla (UKR), 100.53
92. (86) Anwil Wloclawek (POL), 97.79
93. (96) Ferro-ZNTU (UKR), 97.37
94. (88) Deutsche Bank Skyliners (GER), 97.34 – Deutsche Bank Skyliners’ DaShaun Wood certainly has a fan over at Eurobasket.com. In a 3,500-word combination game writeup/profile piece entitled “Another Typical Day At The Office For Dashaun Wood Displaying A Strong Combination Of Monta/Kemba/Lebron Stats As The Deutsche Bank Skyliners Outgrind BG Goettingen 88-82,” Wood is likened to Mark Zuckerberg, Chris Paul, Tony Parker, Derrick Rose, an X-43 and an archangel. Right now, the man-cum-legend is going for 18.8 points and 5.9 assists per game, stats certain to land him the Bundesliga MVP award for 2010-11.
95. (84) Hapoel Jerusalem (ISR), 95.38
96. (92) Pyrinto (FIN), 94.76
97. (89) Gasterra Flames (NED), 91.49
98. (99) Kryvbasbasket (UKR), 90.00
99. (91) EWE Baskets (GER), 88.28
100. (97) BC Oostende (BEL), 85.61.
Bubbling under: Korihait (FIN), 84.51 points; Kataja (FIN), 82.00; KTP Basket KOTKA (FIN), 82.00; Maccabi Haifa (ISR), 77.74; Hapoel Gilboa/Galil (ISR), 77.69; Kouvot (FIN), 75.73; Krasnye Krylia (RUS), 72.39; SKS Polpharma-Pakmet (POL), 69.00; BC Kyiv (UKR), 68.95; Telekom Baskets Bonn (GER), 68.71; Dexia Mons-Hainaut (BEL), 68.55; Hyeres-Toulon (FRA), 65.71; Antwerp Giants (BEL), 65.47; FMP (SER), 64.81; PGE Turow (POL), 57.37; Trefl Sopot (POL), 55.88; Szolnoki Olaj (HUN), 55.36; Energa Czarni (POL), 53.25; Lisboa e Benfica (POR), 52.76; Artland Dragons (GER), 50.58.
