The Hoop

Donnie McGrath wants to leave Paok

2013-02-10T17:14:00.000+01:00

McGrath wants to take the next big step in his career.

Donnie McGrath(1.93-PG/SG) seems to be the chosen one to fill in the spot that Ibrahim Jaaber's religious fervor left behind. His current club though are not so happy to part with him. McGrath is one of the most important players in the composition of Paok and now that he reached the apex of his performance it's no surprise he attracted the attention of a wealthier and bigger club, Zalgiris Kaunas.

Zalgiris want to sign McGrath and offer him 60,000 USD for the remainder of the season and 190,000 USD for next season. Zalgiris' roster currently features a sizeable gap after Jaaber's departure and their leverage with McGrath is the player's wish to leave and what the player's agent says about owed salaries. If McGrath is owed 2 months' salaries then it's possible that he will be able to break his contract and although the player expressed his to leave the administration of Paok made it clear they will not allow it to the best of their abilities and will try to hold the player to his contract. According to reports from Greece, Paok's administration contacted FIBA and Zalgiris about the situation and will attempt to pay McGrath owed salary from January in an effort to fall within the clauses of the contract. There is also a rumor a clause that could release the contract as the agent's fee should have been paid back in October and it hasn't. McGrath who is the owner of an Irish passport so far has averaged 13.3 points 2.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 16 games in the A1 league in Greece

If he leaves Paok will lose one of their best players and yet another key player after the departure of Dimitris Haritopoulos(2.07-PF) to Lukoil Akademik.

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Xavier's Chris Mack came to Greece for Alexander Vezenkov

2013-02-06T09:04:00.001+01:00

The Cypriot-Bulgarian forward is one of the best prospects of his age group.

Xavier's head coach Chris Mack landed in Thessaloniki Greece to speak to Alexander Vezenkov(2.05-SF/PF) of Aris Thessaloniki about enlisting with them next season. Vezenkov is one of the best prospects of his age group in Europe and although the spotlight belonged to Dario Saric in the U18 European Championship of 2012, Vezenkov left his own mark with the National Team of Bulgaria averaging 16.7 points 5.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 9 games during the tournament.

Vezenkov has been enjoying some increased playing time in the A1 league in Greece with Aris lately. Head coach Vaggelis Aggelou believes in the talent of young Vezenkov and is trying to give him a crucial role in the team. Xavier is one of the best colleges in the NCAA and their lure would be strong but Aris are one of the most historic clubs in Europe and the recognition that comes from them is another incentive that will not be taken lightly. Vezenkov is bound to be a target for other teams in Europe as well and his talent is undeniable.

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Dorsey out, Christmas in for Olympiakos

2012-10-26T19:41:00.000+02:00

He didn't even last until January..

Joey Dorsey(2.06-C) will be the first player that will leave Olympiakos as the American center had a temper tantrum after last night's humiliating defeat by Zalgiris saying that he is done with the team. Dorsey complained that his teammates are too selfish and that he's has enough trying to fit in. In Olympiakos they're already scouring the market for a new player. Officially the team summoned Dorsey to explain his actions as he went live on Facebook with these comments but this is purely following protocol and Dorsey is considered persona non grata in Olympiakos. Dorsey's next team might be an NBA or worst case scenario for him an NBDL team.

Dionte Christmas(1.98-SG/SF) on the other hand could be the next addition for Olympiakos adding a much needed offensive touch to the team. The American sharpshooter was released by the Boston Celtics earlier this month and it seems that Olympiakos is his next destination.

Nigerian Center Ike Diogu(2.06-C) is the name that leaked out to the press as a possible candidate to replace Dorsey although it's too early to say whether that will happen. Diogu became famous in Greece this summer as the National Team of Nigeria knocked out of the Olympics the National Team of Greece.

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Aris to announce Pelekanos today

2012-09-22T11:02:00.001+02:00

The saga is finally over.

Michalis Pelekanos(1.98-SG/SF/PF) arrived in Thessaloniki yesterday and signed his contract and today he will be possibly announced today by the team and he will watch the team's Cup game against Peristeri. Pelekanos waited to see if he will get any offers from Panathinaikos or teams outside Greece but in the end the persistence of the administration of Aris won him over. Paok made an offer the last moment but it was way smaller to what Aris was offering and the player had already made up his mind at that point.

Aris are also contemplating about signing veteran Billy Keys(1.88-PG) who still remains without a team.

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Charleroi announced Je'Kel Foster

2012-09-16T12:04:00.000+02:00

A much needed addition.

Je'Kel Foster (1.91-PG/SG) is the latest addition of Charleroi and the signing was announced via the team's official website. Foster will be added some sought after scoring and playmaking skills to Charleroi that recently lost to ProB team(Rouen) with a margin of 20 points and he can also add some quality to their roster.

Foster, who is an Ohio State graduate, has played for Ludwisburg, Paris-Levallois, Oldenburg, Cremona and for Bayern Munchen last season where he averaged 13.9 points 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 32 games in the Basketball Bundesliga.

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Aris signed Tsakaleris and looking into Billy Keys

2012-09-15T21:13:00.001+02:00

One addition and one last one to go.

Efthimis Tsakaleris(2.07-PF) became the latest addition of Aris BC as the club announced today via their official website. The Greek power forward played for Paok BC last season but didn't find enough playing time and Aris needed one more player to complete the front-line. Tsakaleris will be a player for Aris for the next season and his good performance during the preparation earned him a contract.

Billy Keys(1.88-PG) could be the team's latest addition as Aris have been waiting on Michalis Pelekanos(1.98-SG/SF) but he has been waiting on Panathinaikos and his former coach Argiris Pedoulakis and there are rumors about offer from teams from Europe. Aris offered the player a 50,000 euros contract but Pelekanos wants around 70,000 euros. Aris also offered Pelekanos a leader's position in the roster as they're after his skills and experience at the highest level. Pelekanos is an all-around player that can contribute both in offense and defense.

Keys is a veteran of the Greek league, he doesn't require a letter of cleareance(Aris are still in talks with Guy Skordilis who won a FIBA injuction against his old team) and he seems like a quality addition despite his advanced age.

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Curtis Stinson joins Cedevita

2012-09-15T16:12:00.000+02:00

KK Cedevita Zagreb (A1) agreed terms with 29-year old American guard Curtis Stinson (191-83, college: Iowa State).

He played last summer at Caneros in LNB league in Dominican Republic. Stinson managed to play in four leagues last year (!!!). He also played at Marinos in Venezuelan LPB that season. In 4 LPB games he had 6.0ppg, 1.5rpg, 4.5apg and 1.3spg. Last season Stinson played at Iowa Energy in USA D-League. In 30 D-League games he had 11.7ppg, 4.6rpg, 5.8apg and 1.5spg. The other team he also played last season for was Krka in Slovenian league. In 4 Adriatic League games he had 8.3ppg, 3.3rpg and 4.5apg.

Stinson played also professionally in Greece and Philippines. He graduated Iowa State in 2006 and it will be his seventh season as a professional player.

source : eurobasket.com

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Orion Outerbridge to play in Greece

2012-08-10T14:55:00.000+02:00

One of the sleepers of this season's seniors.

Orion Outerbridge (2.06-PF) is going to be playing in Greece next season as he announced in his Twitter account. The Rhode Island senior also said that he worked on his conditioning and his shooting this summer hoping to attract the attention of NBA teams.

It seems a good choice to start his pro career in Greece as the league has a reputation for tough games and is often the stepping stone to more lucrative contracts, in some cases playing for Euroleague teams. It's a good guess as any where he will be playing as there are quite a few teams that are still recruiting there and with the new rule of 4 non-European players, the Greek teams are looking even deeper in the NCAA market.

Orion said that in the NBA he'd be playing SF/PF but in Europe he'll become a regular at the PF spot and with his physical and athletic attributes he can even occupy the C spot. He averaged 12.6 points 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in a total of 31 games in Rhode Island last season.

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Kyle Kuric to play overseas for 2 seasons

2012-08-10T14:36:00.001+02:00

The Louisville high-flyer moves to Europe.

Kyle Kuric(1.95-SG/SF) is moving to Europe according to his twitter account. He said that he has signed his new 2-season contract and thanked his agent for the effort.

Kuric was the top scorer of the Louisville Cardinals helping them through their great season and through March Madness. He didn't want to go to the NBDL so Europe is his next destination. He will be flying to Europe next week so possibly that's when his destination will be announced. He averaged 12.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in a total of 38 games in the NCAA.

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Frank 'The Tank' Hassell signed with Hapoel Holon

2012-08-09T18:23:00.001+02:00

A solid transfer for their front line.

After inking Lawrence Hill and Zack Rosen, Hapoel Holon continues to build its 2012-13 roster puzzle, adding the 6-foot-8 defensive minded big men Frank Hassell (203-F-88) to a one-year contract, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

Hassell, an ODU alumnus who averaged a double-double of 10 points and 11.7 boards in last year's Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, signed to play his rookie season in Turkey but returned to the United States to join the San Antonio Spurs' vet-camp when the NBA lockout ended.

Hassell recently enjoyed a dominant D-League season with the Canton Charge where he recorded 10.2 points and 7 rebounds per game thanks to his monstrous 7'4 wingspan. Hassell is also coming off a positive NBA Summer League appearance with the Atlanta Hawks.

source : eurobasket.com

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Verdel Jones III to play for Peristeri

2012-08-09T14:59:00.001+02:00

He'll get ample playing time there.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Verdell Jones III, who played for the Hoosiers from 2008-12 and graduated in May with a degree in Sports Communication, has signed a contract to play professionally for Peristeri Basketball Club located just outside Athens, Greece. The team competes in the A1 League in Greece, the highest professional level in the country and one of the best leagues in Europe.

"It's a great feeling," said Jones. "First of all just to be back on the floor playing again means a lot to me. And then to be able to play professionally on the top level is even better."

The regular season begins in Mid-October and runs through Mid-April when the playoffs begin and run until the end of May. Jones says he will be flying over to Greece on Aug. 27 to continue his knee rehab with the team's trainer before official practice begins.

"We had a couple other teams in Switzerland and Holland and places like that that were interested but this team contacted my agent and were very interested," said Jones. "They are one of the top teams in Europe so we felt it was a great opportunity.

Jones averaged 11.5 points during his career, but saw his career end when he injured his knee against Penn State on March 8, 2012, at the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. Jones has been going through the rehabilitation process in his hometown of Champaign, Ill. He has been participating in half court scrimmages and has been cleared to play full-court in the weeks leading up to his departure for Greece.

Jones finished his four-year career with 1,347 points,ranking 23rd on the all-time scoring list at IU and ranks ninth all-time at IU with 389 assists

source : iuhoosiers.com

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Tapoutos to play for Nymburk

2012-07-24T08:32:00.001+02:00

He cashed in on a good season.

Christos Tapoutos (2.07-SF/PF) parted as friends. Tapoutos is still a big fan of the team as he's always has been. According to basketplus.gr, Tapoutos spoke on Libero FM radio saying that he has decided to accept the offer from Nymburk. The offer's been around for a few days now but Tapoutos was still making up his mind. It's a good financial offer and he has played against Nymburk last season himself.

He'll be moving to the Czech Republic now but he said he would want to return to Aris at some point and end his career there playing for the team he loves. Tapoutos was the top scorer of Aris last season averaging 13.4 points 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 25 games in the Greek A1 league for Aris. He also averaged 8.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 10 games in the Eurocup.

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P.J. Tucker returns to NBA for 2 seasons

2012-07-24T08:24:00.001+02:00

He made it back after Toronto.

Over the five years since he last was in the NBA, P.J. Tucker has seen players come into leagues in six other countries with an expectation for success before struggling to find their roles and departing with a myopic view of their failures.

Tucker knows it all too well because that was his 2006-07 experience with Toronto, which included 17 appearances, D-League duty and a March waiver that started his circuitous path back to the NBA.

The time and experiences gave Tucker a greater maturity that led to a return to the NBA with the Suns, who will sign the burly, versatile forward to a two-year contract with partial guarantees on the first year.

To realize his dream of returning to the NBA, Tucker is taking less than half of the salary he would have made overseas to join the Suns at potentially $762,195 for the first season.

"It's been a long, grueling journey, but it's fulfilling," Tucker, 27, said. "I was so resentful in Toronto because I wasn't playing much. I was throwing fits. I was so young-minded. I didn't get the big picture or that it's a business. You have to understand your role on a team. You see kids come after you and do the same thing. So many never play and say they got screwed by the GM or coach. When you can be real with yourself and understand why, that's really when it comes to life."

Tucker's entry into the NBA was no sure thing as a No. 35 pick in 2006 because second-round draft picks do not get the guaranteed contracts that first-round picks do. Since he was waived, the 6-foot-6, 224-pound forward has been a Most Valuable Player in Israel, a scoring champ in the Ukraine and the MVP of this year's German League finals. He also played in Italy, Puerto Rico and Greece, passing on NBA training-camp invitations to cement his role with European clubs that paid him well and supplied a home and a driver or car.

Former Suns forward Casey Jacobsen has starred for the past six seasons in Germany, where he saw American players come and go because they could not adjust to veteran teams.

"Of all my teammates that I've had, P.J. seamlessly integrated himself into the lineup and did so by doing all the little things and then eventually became the star of the team," said Jacobsen, who was a Brose Baskets Bamberg road roommate with Tucker. "Ten games into the season, it was clear that P.J. was our best player. He came to play every game or practice. The thing that I like most about him is he doesn't require you to run plays for him. He doesn't yell, 'Get me the ball.' He just found a way to be efficient and productive. Those are the kind of teammates that don't come along very often. What P.J. can do and the attitude he has is abnormal."

Tucker has known Suns General Manager Lance Blanks, a fellow Texas Longhorn, for several years and heard of Suns Director of Player Personnel John Treloar's interest over the past year. He played on the Suns' summer-league team, where he averaged 5.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in 21.6 minutes per game and showed his vocal, competitive side.

Tucker is not being added for his stats, although he averaged 16 points for Brose. He can guard different positions, gives all-out effort and has the strength to move bodies.

"I love P.J." Suns summer coach Dan Majerle said. "He's right after my own heart. That guy plays extremely hard. He does everything you ask of him."

Tucker's European journeys enriched him and his bank account. His Ukrainian owner walked into a pregame locker room with a bag of cash and told the players they would get $10,000 each if they won. They rolled.

Tucker's goal was not just to get back to the NBA. The goal is to make an impact in the NBA.

"When was in Toronto, I wasn't half the player I am now," Tucker said.

"First and foremost, I'm going to help the young guys and always be a positive voice in the locker room. I look at myself as a defensive player first but I can rebound and handle the ball.

"I just stick my neck out and play hard. I never let anyone outwork me."

source: azcentral.com

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Sito Alonso a candidate for Olympiakos?

2012-07-04T00:45:00.001+02:00

Wouldn't be a total suprise if he were to be the chosen one!

According to allstarkourouna, Sito Alonso's name has not come up yet in any article or rumor related to the next head coach of Olympiakos. The author says that Chris Flemming's buy-out price was 100,000 dollars that were to be paid to Bamberg and his salary would have been 400,000 dollars. Apparently that was deemed too high for the administration of Olympiakos. His Greek agent, Giorgos Dimitropoulos said according to redplanet.gr, that Olympiakos never made an official offer for Flemming to Bamberg.

Sito Alonso is also meant to be on their list although it seems unlikely that a coach from the ACB will ever succeed in Greece as they are 2 completely different leagues.Not impossible though. Lagun Aro's spectacular run in the ACB amazed everyone and won Alonso the head of the year award and perhaps some brownie points with the Aggelopoulos brothers. As for Bartzokas, like the rest of us he is still waiting for an answer. This saga is beginning to rival the Spanoulis decision. Don't laugh!

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Bilbao announced Nikos Zisis

2012-07-03T21:20:00.001+02:00

Nikos and Fotis meet again.

Bilbao announced the signing of Nikos Zisis(1.96-PG/SG) via their official website for the next season and also with an option for another season. Nikos Zisis and Fotis Katsikaris meet again after about 8 years when the 2 of them were part of AEK Athens in the good old days of AEK. Zisis left Siena, where he played for the last 3 seasons.

It's not guaranteed that he will be playing in the Euroleague next season but Zisis wanted to be in a place where he would feel comfortable and how could be not in Bilbao with Katsikaris, Mavroeidis and Vassiliadis all members of the same team. Last season he averaged 6.4 points 2.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 42 games in LegaA1 winning the league title once more for Siena. In the Euroleague he averaged 4.5 points 1.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 20 games. Zisis and the other Bilbao playes are now in Venezuela trying to secure a place in the Olympic Games for the Hellenic National Team.

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Teletovic heads to Brooklyn

2012-07-03T19:20:00.000+02:00

The timing was good for Teletovic.

The Brooklyn Nets, fresh off trading for Joe Johnson, have made another move to upgrade the surrounding roster, signing Bosnian forward Mirza Teletovic to a three-year, $15.7 million deal using their mid-level exception, according to Howard Beck of the New York Times. The Nets have been interested in Teletovic for a while, so the signing isn't a surprise.

The 6'9', 26-year-old Teletovic has been a European star for several years. Last season, he averaged 16.3 points per game in 34 games in the Spanish ACB league and 21.7 points in 10 games in the Euroleague. Teletovic is a sweet-shooting big man that shot 43.6 percent from three-point range in those 10 Euroleague games last season. He is not a great rebounder, however, averaging just 6.9 per contest in the Spanish league and six per game in Euroleague competition last year.

The Nets were able to use the mid-level exception to sign Teletovic because they did not use their cap space to acquire Johnson. Instead, they sent out matching salaries, which allowed them to maintain all their cap exceptions to upgrade their roster. This increases the difficulty in finding enough salary to land Dwight Howard, but only slightly.

source : sbnation.com

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Kostas Papanikolaou who?!?

2012-06-29T21:56:00.000+02:00

You're possibly going to be cheering instead of booing in a couple of years.

The video of the announcement of the number 48 NBA Draft pick by the New York Knicks toured around the world through the magic of Youtube.

The average Knicks fan may have never heard of the Greek forward before so their reaction is justified. It's also very likely that the same people that booed the announcement of his name will be the ones cheering in Madison Square Garden.

Kostas Papanikolaou(2.03-SF/PF) has worked hard to get to where he is today and he has earned his draft spot with lots of sweat and effort. For the people who don't know what sort of player he is I'll give you a brief description. There are players that stand out as scorers but Kostas Papanikolaou is not one of them. For now at least. One day he might fill those shoes consistently but for now Kostas Papanikolaou is a player that binds a team together, the unsung hero, or as I like it to call it the team's catalyst.

He was the hero for Olympiakos during the Euroleague finals, the unsung MVP. Against Barcelona his defense dismantled the offensive efforts of veteran star Pete Mickeal forcing him down to 1/8 field goals, he scored 9 points and pulled down 4 rebounds himselm propellng Olympiakos up the hill towards the financial behemoth of CSKA. Where he shone mostly, was during the final where he played like a seasoned veteran both offensively and defensively against superstar Andrei Kirilenko. He scored 18 points while taking critical shots, achieving a career record and outscoring the undisputed leader of Olympiakos and former NBA-passer-by Vassilis Spanoulis.

Papanikolaou is a player that excels as small forward and in Europe he can even cover the power forward position. He is a tenacious defender with great motor and a high basketball IQ. What most people don't know is that when he was playing for the youth teams of Aris BC where he started, he was also playing the point guard position but as he grew he moved 2 positions up where he would find his niche at men's level as a forward. His shooting is quite streaky at the moment but he has all the time in the world to work on that. It's very likely that in the new Olympiakos his playing time will increase dramatically so he'll get plenty opportunities to work on another aspects of his game such as his off-the dribble shooting and posting-up opponents. He's been specializing in cuts towards the basket the last 2 years and he knows how to move without the ball.

He started playing basketball in Proteas in Grevena in Greece where he was spotted by the people of Aris BC who tried to promote him to the men's team. However the team's less than reliable(previous) administration had the team firmly in debt and considing with his stellar performance in the Young National Teams of Greece managed to sell Papanikolaou to Olympiakos for 950,000 euros making him one of the most expensive purchases in European basketball.

It's true that Knicks fans will have to wait a couple of years more to see Kostas Papanikolaou play but he is a player that can make an impact with his game and make the team around him better. Maybe this is a learning curve for NBA fans to watch the European basketball market more closely. Currently it's best for him to stay in Greece for at least one more season and do what he does best and that is work hard.

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Aris and Sergio Kerusch part ways

2012-06-29T18:57:00.001+02:00

It was a mutual decision.

Aris BC and high-flying Sergio Kerusch (1.96-SG/SF) mutually broke their contract for next season. Kerusch had initially signed a 3-season contract with Aris but as the team is looking to pay off all the debts accumulated from the catastrophic previous administration they proposed a reduced contract.

Kerusch did not accept it but both sides came to an agreement about the monies owed to the player for this past season's contract and parted as friends. Keruschs owns a German passport so it's expected that his next team will be one from Germany. There was interest expressed in him before from German teams previously and the player has been tried in the past by Bamberg it would be no surprise if he ended there. In his first season he averaged 7.4 points 5.8 rebounds in 12 games in the Eurocup and also 7.5 points and 4.4 rebounds in 26 games in the Greek A1 league.

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Tapoutos has offers from Zaragoza and Ludwigsburg

2012-06-27T14:59:00.000+02:00

But will he move out of Greece..he had offers before.

Christos Tapoutos(2.07-SF/PF) has become a target for Zaragoza from Spain and Ludwigsburg from Germany according to pressaris.gr. The agent of the player informed him of the offers from the 2 teams and earlier in the week Tapoutos rejected an offer from Lebanon it seems.

The article says that Tapoutos wants to discuss a possible offer from Aris first but also the monies owed from the previous seasons which come close to 100,000 euros and are a result of the deleterious management of the previous administration. Tapoutos was the top scorer of Aris last season averaging 13.4 points 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 25 games in the Greek A1 league for Aris.

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Giannopoulos has attracted interest from Germany

2012-06-26T08:58:00.001+02:00

Had a good season with Peristeri.

According to basketplus.gr, Paok want to sign Harris Giannopoulos(1.98-SF) or better sign him back because once upon time he was their player but Olympiacos bought him off them by breaking his singe sided contract with Paok. But Paok's interest is not really news. The article also says that teams from Germany have also expressed interest in the Greek forward, or at least that's what his agent told the people of Paok.

Giannopoulos had a good season with Peristeri where he had lots of playing time and he averaged 12.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 24 games in the A1 league. He is part of the class of 89 and he's won medals with the Youth Greek National Teams.

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Bogris attracts attention from Italy and Spain

2012-06-24T19:16:00.002+02:00

He is not sitting idly.

Giorgos Bogris(2.10-C) is currently in Australia playing with the reserve National Team of Greece in preparation games against Australia. His recent games left very good impressions with teams that were previously interested in him. According to basketblog.gr, Bogris seems to have attracted attention from teams in Italy and Spain.

Namely for Italy the author speaks about Varese and Venezia. Bogris played for Aris BC this last season and he did say that he would want to speak to Aris first but the budget for next season will be decreased for Aris. This could make the talks more difficult than expected.

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Aris renewed with Vagelis Alexandris for 2 more seasons

2012-06-23T16:13:00.000+02:00

Aris trusted the veteran to lead them once more.

Vagelis Alexandris used to be a player of Aris BC and led them to the Greek League title back in 1979. He's coached Aris before, back in 2002-2004 and he won the Eurocup Challenge back in 2003 with them.

It was announced via the official website of Aris BC that Vagelis Alexandris will be the head coach of the team for next 2 seasons. There is a new administration that has been called to clear off the debts of the previous catastrophic administration and they trusted Alexandris to lead the team once more and this time the budget will be even lower than last season.

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Besiktas signed Erman Kunter

2012-06-23T14:55:00.002+02:00

Besiktas JK made a first big step into its first Turkish Airlines Euroleague season ever by bringing back Erman Kunter as head coach for 2012-13.

Kunter, 55, is a former player and head coach of Besiktas. He replaces Ergin Ataman, who left for Galatasaray this week after having guided Besiktas to its first Turkish League title since 1975. Kunter arrives from Cholet Basket of France, where he coached for seven of the last 10 seasons. He made his Euroleague coaching debut in 2004-05 with another French team, Asvell Villeurbanne, in between stints with Cholet.

He began his coaching career in his native Istanbul, with Darussafaka between 1994 and 1996, before coaching Besiktas one season, the Turkish national team between 1997 and 2000, then Galatasaray for a year. As a player, Kunter spent four different stints in a Besiktas uniform during a 17-year career between 1975 and 1992. Kunter scored 153 points in a single Turkish League game in 1988, believed to be the highest official scoring total in a professional basketball game in the history of the sport.

source : euroleague.net

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Printezis has offers from CSKA, Fener and Efes

2012-06-22T14:53:00.001+02:00

Official offers on paper.

Giorgos Printezis(2.05-PF) is still in talks with Olympiacos about renewing his contract with them. There is still a big gab between the player and his former team and Printezis' value has suddenly gone up again after a terrific season with the Euroleague champion. According to allstarkourouna, Printezis' agent presented 3 officials offers to the administration of Olympiacos for CSKA Moscow, Fenerbahce and Efes Pilsen and the offers seem to be 1.2 million euros per season.

Obviously this means that Olympiacos cannot match the offers currently so they'll have to come a lot closer to what the player is asking. The talks are still favorable for Olympiacos and there is no immediate danger for the player to leave them permanently. Recently there have been rumors that Olympiacos are after Kostas Kaimakoglou(2.05-PF) who is now a free agent from Panathinaikos which could be a publicity stunt but it could also be a genuine plan B in case the talks with Printezis don't prosper.

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Voronov renews for 2 more seasons with CSKA

2012-06-20T14:31:00.000+02:00

Guard Evgeny Voronov (26 years, 194 cm) inked new 2-year contract with our club just before his departure to America with Russian National Team.

Voronov came to CSKA from Dynamo Moscow in 2011, signing “1+1” deal. In his first year Evgeny has become one of the key players in the rotation, playing mostly as defensive specialist. He made his debut in the Euroleague playing in 11 games episodically but was more important in VTB League (14 games, 4.8 points, 1.7 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.7 steals, 11.8 minutes) and BEKO PBL (22 games, 4.2 points, 1.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.1 steals, 14.1 minutes).

Ettore Messina, CSKA head coach:
I know well that Voronov works hard, plays excellent defense and shoots good. That’s invaluable combination of qualities for the player, and therefore it was very important for us to keep Evgeny on our team.

Evgeny Voronov, CSKA guard:
I am glad to stay. I heard a lot of doubts last year after signing with CSKA but I have no regrets at all. I think I can help the team more, I can become better player. It will be extremely interesting to work with Ettore Messina, because I heard a lot of good things about him. I know that he respects hardworking players and I don’t plan to lower the bar for myself.

source : cskabasket.com

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