Lietuvos Rytas signed Sherron Collins

After Khalid El-Amin’s season was declared to be over, Lietuvos Rytas’ searches for a new point guard began.


Reportedly, the search is over as the Lithuanian champions inked Sherron Collins , formerly from the Kansas Jayhawks, on Friday. The 23-year-old American point guard started the season with the Charlotte Bobcats and played 16 games in the NBA before moving to the D-League. Collins averaged only 1.1 points and 0.5 assists for the Bobcats, but the statistics, as could be expected, got a noticeable bump, when the guard moved the Maine Red Claws, where he collected 12 points and 3.2 assists per game.

At his time in the NCAA with the Jayhawks, Collins was averaging 15.5 points and 4.5 assists, with his best season being the 2008-09 campaign where the guard was scoring 19 points per game and dishing out an additional 5 assists.

source : lithuaniabasketball.com


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Serge Ibaka could get Spanish passport

Serge Ibaka may join Spain in EuroBasket 2011 if there are no setbacks in his process of nationalization.


Ibaka was born in the Congo, but filled out an affidavit requesting a Spanish passport.

If Ibaka is naturalized, it will impact Nikola Mirotic, as FIBA allows only one citizen by choice. Mirotic is set for the Under-20 Championship in Bilbao, though he has played high level basketball for Real Madrid and is currently projected as the ninth overall selection in RealGM's latest mock draft.

source : realgm.com


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CSKA announced Sani Becirovic

Slovenian guard Sani Becirovic (29 years, 195 cm) signed the contract with CSKA until the end of the season with club's option for one more year.


The agreement became official after medical exams today. Becirovic will start practicing with the team tonight.

Becirovic started playing basketball at KK Bistrica. He signed his first important contract when he was 18 becoming Olimpija Ljubljana player. His career was difficult: he played for different clubs in Italy, Greece and Slovenia, he missed 2002-03 season to injury which did not prevent him from being drafted by NBA club. His accolades include U18 (1998) and U20 (2000) European Championship MVP titles, 2007 Euroleague win with Panathinaikos, multiple national championships medals. The Slovenian National Team guard participated in the Eurobaskets three times, played in 2010 World Championship. Sani started current season in Turk Telecom (20 pames, 13.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals).

Jonas Kazlauskas , CSKA Head Coach:
When I started to work with the team the injuries and illnesses were my nightmare. That is why we wanted to strengthen the roster. We need the player who can help us on the pick-n-rolls offensively, who can find the shooters on their spots. Finally, the team needs more competition inside. In my opinion the club like CSKA should have at least 14 active players. I think that Becirovic is the best option for us to improve. He is not young, he does not need to be teached much, he is ready to play. Sani is the 'two' who can play 'one'. I know him well for his play for Slovenian National Team, I remember him from his playing days in Panathinaikos.

Sani Becirovic :
I am happy and excited. Everything happened so quick that I did not have time to realize what's going on. I had to do all the paperwork needed and fly to Moscow. I hope to help the team to reach all its goals.

source : http://www.cskabasket.com/news/?a=news&id=9516&lang=en

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Valencia interesed in Mantzaris too

It seems there is another Spanish team that wants the Greek prospect.


A couple of weeks ago there was a Greek publication about a possible interest from Bilbao in Vangelis Mantzaris(1.95-PG), one of the new rising stars of Greek League and subsequently of the Greek National Team in the years to come. Mantzaris is continuing his breakout season with Peristeri in Greece but the contract that the team unilaterally activated is coming to its end.

There is a law in the Greek League that says that the teams can unilaterally sign a contract for a maximum of 3 years without the player's consent when they reach the age of 18, subject to terms and conditions. This contract will expire this summer and Mantzaris has yet to sign a new one with Peristeri. According to superbasket.gr, there is another team interested in him now and Valencia as well as Bilbao have set sights on the young star. Mantzaris has averaged so far 8.2 points 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 20 games in the Greek A1 league.

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BC Khimki announced Rimas Kurtinaitis

BC Khimki and a well-known Lithuanian specialist Rimas Kurtinaitis signed an agreement to the end of the 2010/11 season, with a possible prolongation for another year.


The new coach will join the team in Tallinn, where the yellow-blue will go on Tuesday. The interim head coach Oleg Meleschenko has left the club.

Victor Bychkov, BC Khimki General Manager:

— Because of the fact our team can not reach its proper level, and also as a result of painful defeats from direct competitors in the fight for the PBL Championship medals — UNICS and CSKA Moscow, we have made a difficult decision: to part with Oleg Meleschenko, an interim head coach. First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to Oleg, who spent several good seasons within the club's coaching staff and who at a difficult time was not afraid to take on the duties of a head coach. We wish Meleschenko good luck and hope that his career will continue to emerge successfully. 


A new BC Khimki head coach will be a well-known Lithuanian specialist, an Olympic champion — Rimas Kurtinaitis. In 2009 Lietuvos Rytas with Kurtinaitis won the European Cup, defeated BC Khimki in the final — it was one of the most painful defeats in our history. Rimas is a very hard-working coach. Moreover the very tasks before the team have not been removed — it's still a good performance in the final of VTB United League, as well as in the PBL Championship which ensures the entrance to Euroleague. We hope that together with Rimas we will achieve all the goals. 


souce : bckhimki.ru


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Varese kept Simonas Serapinas

Cimberio Varese announced signing of Simonas Serapinas (197-F-82) for rest of the season.


The player successfully passed tryout period securing a deal after just four days. At the same time, Varese parted ways with Damien Ryan (193-G-79).

Simonas Serapinas started the previous season in Azovmash in Ukraine. In February 2010 he moved to Neptunas averaging 10.0 points, 5.9 boards, 1.9 assists per game in LKL. Simonas Serapinas also played in Atletas, Alytus, Nevezis, Zalgiris as well as in Aris in Greece and Prokom in Poland.  


source : eurobasket.com

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Darryl Middleton signed with Valencia

The legend returns!


Valencia announced via their official website the signing of veteran Darryl Middleton(2.04-PF/C) for the next 2 months. Middleton is still going at 44 years of age and Svetislav Pesic called on him once again for help. He played under Pesic in Girona back in season 2006-2007 before Girona went bankrupt and plunged into the semi-pro leagues.

Middleton has had a great career in Europe and mainly in the ACB having played for Girona, Badalona, San Fernando, Barcelona and also Panathinaikos in Greece. He helped Girona in the last few years to climb up the leagues again and currently they are in LEB Gold. This season he averaged 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in 27 games so far. He also holds a Spanish passport and he is the oldest pro basketball player in Spain at the moment.

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Marko Scekic in Greece for Aris

He is the new kid in town!


According to allstarkourouna.blogspot.com, the new player of Aris is Bosnian forward/center Marko Scekic(2.07-PF/C) formerly of Buducnost. The article says that Scekic arrived in Thessaloniki last night and he will be replacing Dejan Borovnjak(2.09-PF/C) who moved to Gran Canaria and the ACB.

Scekic started his career in Drina, then moved to Borac, Vojvodina and then moved to Poland for Turow. The most notable part of his career were the next 2 seasons with Oldenburg in Germany where he won the German Bundesliga title in 2009 and also played in the Euroleague. This season he played for Buducnost in the Adriatic League averaging 10 points 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 24 games.

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Paok to sign Sherron Collins

He will replace Justin Gray.


According to gazzetta.gr, Paok are very close to signing Sherron Collins(1.80-PG). This will be Collins' debut in Europe and the Greek team are reportedly offering Collins 20,000 euros for the remainder of the season. Collins will be replacing Gray, who left for undisclosed reasons and went back to the States. The irony of the situation is that Gray was one of the very few players of Paok that were actually paid..

Collins was until recently a player of the Charlotte Bobcats. He managed to win a contract with them this summer after going undrafted in the summer of 2010 and won a 2 season deal with the Bobcats. He spent some time with the Maine Red Claws in the NBDL and went back to Charlotte only to be waived again. He played 19 games in the NBA without any noticeable averages. He was the leader of the Kansas Jayhawks in his days in the NCAA.

Paok should also be signing another center from the European market to replace Lazaros Papadopoulos.

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Dejan Borovnjak heading to Spain?

He is a free agent.


Aris and Dejan Borovnjak(2.09-PF/C) parted ways today and the deal was announced by the official website of Aris BC. It's rumored that Borovnjak has an offer from Spain and he will continue his career there. In Aris the situation is not too good but that will save the team some money and he will probably be replaced by another bosman player.

Borovnjak signed a contract for one season in the summer with Aris BC and so far he has averaged 9.6 points and 4.5 rebounds in 14 games in the Eurocup and also 7.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in 19 games in the A1 league in Greece.

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Ettore Messina resigned from Real's bench

It wasn't a shock really..


The shock heard 'round the Euroleague early on Friday has proven to be true this afternoon: Ettore Messina, one of the head coaching giants in the sport, has resigned from the Real Madrid bench. His decision came swiftly on Friday, the morning after what had been an unbeaten Top 16 until then ended Thursday night with a 77-95 home loss to Montepaschi Siena. Both teams were qualified for the playoffs and Madrid had already clinched first place in their group, so the game was essentially meaningless.

But obviously not for Messina, who arrived to Madrid two summers ago, but was unable to win a trophy yet for the club with the most European club titles, but none since 1995. Both were disappointed with having lost the Spanish King's Cup at home last month to archrival Regal F.C. Barcelona. But in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague, Madrid had its best Top 16 finish ever, 5-1, tying its record of two seasons ago, although then it lost first place in a tie-breaker - to Barcelona. Messina arrived to Madrid from CSKA Moscow, where he won Euroleague titles in 2006 and 2008, as well as four Russian Leagues from 2005 to 2009. He had previously won two Euroleague titles with Kinder Bologna in his native Italy, in 1998 and 2001. Messina was replaced by his long-time assistant coach, Emanuele Molin, who will take over the job of leading Madrid into the best-of-five playoffs against Power Electronics Valencia starting on March 22.

source : euroleague.net

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PJ Tucker wants to leave Aris

P.J. (Anthony) Tucker is not happy anymore.


The questionable performances and general unprofessional attitude in the last few games has sparked rumors about P.J. Tucker(1.98-SF/PF) and his future in Aris. It's rumored that the player has an offer from another team and some days ago the GM and coach of Bamberg went to watch him play aganist Goettingen.

According to basketnet.gr last night's game against Le Mans probably was the last as a player of Aris. He left straight after the game without talking to anyone clearing displaying his dismay and finished the game without putting up any effort; something to be expected from the star of the team.

Tucker's contract makes him 30,000 USD per month which is the highest in the team of Aris. However the player was brought to Aris by Sharon Drucker who is no longer with the team and Tucker hasn't taken that all too well. He had a really good start but in the last few weeks his performance has dwindled to a halt. It's possible that he will be replaced by 2 players (a small forward that can shoot and a power forward) to cover gaps in the roster of Aris. So far he has averaged 15.9 points and 8 rebounds in 14 games in the Eurocup and also 12.2 points and 7.4 rebounds in the A1 Greek League.

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