Very late we know! Things like work & education can sometimes get in the way of video editing, plus we were waiting for certain games. The main thing about these types of videos is that we can obviously only recognize those top plays from the games that are accessible. So unfortunately, there will be some..not too many..but some absent plays because we could not obtain the game. For instance, there were a couple Matt Terwilliger throwdowns we read about in November that surely would have made the video, along with plays from other guys. With that said, the German & Greek league fans need to step up their game and upload contests from a variety of teams. (they only seem to upload the games from the biggest clubs)
Greg Oden & Ron Lewis pretty much ruled the month of November 2009 with several standout performances. And in our opinions, no game was greater than Oden’s performance against Tim Duncan & the San Antonio Spurs in a nationally televised ESPN game on November 6th. #52 was really starting to come into his own before getting injured in early December. The month of November was home to five double doubles, with his biggest statistical outing being a 24 point, 20 rebound effort vs Chicago on the 23. Ron Lewis of CEZ Nymburk scored in double figures in 4 of 6 November Czech League games. We did not get the chance to include even half of the clips of those two guys that we wanted in this video. Lewis & Oden will be really featured in later mixes.
The top plays of December 2009 will be out in early January 2010. December will feature the stellar play of point guard Mike Conley Jr., along with Michael Redd, Ron Lewis, Othello Hunter, Brent Darby, more Ken Johnson blocks, as well as some of Ivan Harris & Byron Mullens’ D-League work, and others.
Top plays of November 2009
10.Brent Darby pass vs Nanterre (France) 11/7/2009 9. Mike Conley Jr. sick hesistation on Omri Casspi of the Kings 11/23/2009 8. Ron Lewis baseline slam vs NH Ostrava (Czech Republic) 11/18/2009 7. Ken Johnson defending the rim vs TTU KK (Estonia) 11/22/2009 6. JeKel Foster vs Khimki of Russia in Euroleague play 11/4/2009 5. Two Greg Oden slams at Memphis 11/10/2009 4. Brent Darby hits the game winning three vs Nanterre (France) 11/7/2009 3. Greg Oden sends Anthony Randolf to the floor! 11/20/2009 2. Ron Lewis doing his thing vs BK B&W Opava (Czech Republic) 11/11/2009 1. Greg Oden vs Tim Duncan 11/6/2009
This blog attempts to exclusively cover the former Ohio State Buckeyes in the Professional ranks of basketball. However there are certainly exceptions, especially when we wake up to two Buckeyes in Sportscenter's top ten plays, including a big time statement dunk by do it all junior David Lighty which earned the top spot.
Lighty, the last remaining member of the 'Thad 5' super recruiting class, and emotional leader of Ohio State, has been forced to kick it up a notch with the injury induced absence of the best all around player in College Basketball, Evan Turner (12/5 back injury vs Eastern Michigan). David responded with 4 straight double figure scoring games, including a 20 point outing vs Presbyterian on December 16th, and a career high 30 point game against the Vikings of Cleveland State on December 22nd. #23 displayed the all-around game vs CSU, slashes to the hoop, mid range shots, 3 pointers, plus he was able to knock down the needed free throws to put the game out of reach. The biggest highlight of the night was undoubtedly at the 13:18 mark of the 2nd half when guard PJ Hill found a streaking Lighty in transition who threw down an emphatic one handed slam over CSU's Jared Cunningham. Ohio State went on to win by a score of 72-59.
Lighty's play & leadership should serve notice to the rest of the Big Ten for 2010. Ohio State is not going to be an easy game without Evan Turner.
- Brief OSU/CSU highlights
-Dallas Lauderdale & David Lighty make Sportcenter's top ten plays!
Je'kel Foster, along with teammates Rickey Paulding & Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje were recently nominated by EWE Baskets Oldenburg fans & coaches for the 2010 BBL All-Star Game. Foster is currently averaging 13 points, 4 dimes & 2 steals per game in the German League. He is among the league leaders in assists (#9 ranking), and ranks #4 in steals. The 2010 Bundesliga All-Star game will be on Saturday, January 23rd. Good luck guys!
Brand spankin' new video from Baskets Oldenburgfeaturing the nominees.
The Microwave: Ivan Harris was evidently a little more than bothered with the shaky early season start by his team, the Erie Bayhawks. The 2nd year NBA Developmental League club is currently at 2-7 with an average margin of loss at about ten points. Only two of those defeats really got out of hand, both to the Maine Red Claws..one of the better teams in the league this season. The rest were contests where Bayhawk fans saw the now all too familiar situation of their team competing, only to wilt in the 3rd or 4th quarters (mostly due to turnovers, Erie blogger Duane Rankin specifically pinpointed taking care of the ball, or lack thereof, in regards to their last defeat.)
Moreover, the new D-league schedule has not been accommodating to an Erie team searching for any type of chemistry that will result in wins. The league is now doing this home & home deal where you play a team twice (home & away, usually on a back to back) before you move on to the next club. The last four contests for Erie were against Maine & Iowa, the two top teams in the Eastern Conference..not exactly the recipe for a team looking to get on its feet.
On Saturday December the 19th vs the Iowa Energy, it looked like Erie would let another game get out hand, but the 'Microwave', Ivan Harris had different ideas.
Erie would face a 12 point deficit midway through the 2nd quarter before a Harris technical free throw triggered a consecutive seven point stretch that placed the Bayhawks back into the game. From there Erie scrapped their way into a competitive outing, eventually coming within one point following a Harris 3 point shot at the three minute mark of the 3rd quarter. But that was as close as Erie would come because Iowa's Curtis Stinson & Rashad Anderson would control the 4th quarter en-route to a 95-88 victory . The Bayhawks accounted for 21 turnovers, including 8 in the 2nd half. In contrast, Iowa finished with 7 less turnovers & 4 more offensive rebounds. This is a winnable game vs a good team if they can just clean a few things up.
3rd year Pro Ivan Harris finished with a game & season high of 28 points with 7 rebounds. His mark quickly topped Michael Redd's 25 from earlier in the week to make him the leading Buckeye in most points in a single game this season. While the loss is disappointing, Harris' game is encouraging considering that it took him a little time to get warmed up. 10 of Ivan's 12 field goals came from inside the arc. The more offensive versatility he can show, the better it will be for his career and his team. A shooter is what comes to mind, yet he already displayed a willingness & ability to score in a multitude of ways in his early pro career. It would certainly be advantageous for Erie to exploit the matchup problems that he can occasionally cause (driving, posting up)
Next game: Erie @ Springfield (1-7) December 23rd
The Iceman - It is safe to say that Jamar Butleris settling nicely into his 2nd year of European Basketball. Year number two brought him to the Greek League, where he finds himself in a more expansive role with an upstart Olympia Larissa team that has playoff aspirations. Jamar's 31 minutes per game average is indicative of a role where he, along with fellow guard Demond Greene are both called upon by head coach George Kalafatakis to control the tempo & provide solid guard stability. They are joined by two other effective Americans in Christopher Massie & especially Devin Green.
Larissa improved to a 3-5 record on Sunday, December 20th with a 82-71 victory over Kavala/Panor (2-6). Butler contributed to the cause with 17 points & 4 assists. The combination of Jamar Butler, Demond Greene, & Devin Green accounted for 52 of Larissa's 84 points. #15 Butler has scored in double figures in all but one of Larissa's eight games. He leads his club in assists, and we don't think coach minds Jamar's 90% free throw shooting percentage when it comes to the clutch moments down the stretch. (just missed one all year)
Now it is somewhat difficult to to get a true feel for how Butler & Larissa are playing without seeing the majority of games. But it is not hard to imagine that Jamar is probably doing work with his ill jump shot and overall floor game. Like Je'Kel Foster, we believe Butler's skillset, toughness, & understanding of the game is why he is tailor-made for high level European Basketball. A superior level is exactly what Larissa will have to display on December 29th when they play a very solid club called Panellinios. (6-2 3rd place)
Olympia Larissa is currently in a 4 way tie for 8th place in the A1 Standings.
Staying the course: Greg Oden publicly addressed his current status for the first time late last week. He uplifted his fans by reiterating his desire to get back and play, as well as not resigning to the assumption that he may be out for the remainder of the season.
from Sports Illustrated
"I just want to get back,'' said Oden in his first public comments since he suffered a fractured left kneecap Dec. 5, resulting in recent surgery. "They say I'm out for the whole year, but my plan is to work really hard and you never know. Hopefully I don't have to [be sidelined all season]. I'm hoping things are way ahead of schedule and I can come back at the end of the year.'' :)
Quick Dishes: - Ron Lewis & Scoonie Penn were both M.I.A in the boxscores of their weekend domestic league games. (Not sure if they were injuries or coaches decisions.) Mike Conley & Memphis earned another hard fought victory on the 20th versus the Denver Nuggets. Get all of the numbers at Easy Stat Access.
-Thunder Insider: Christmas looking merrier for Byron Mullens (Excellent article on Byron Mullens by Darnell Mayberry. Byron is actually recovering from an ankle injury. He missed his last D-League game & has since been allowed to travel with the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder on the inactive list.)
Tonight on ESPN at 7:00 pm US Eastern Standard time, two of the best teams in the United States will collide in Columbus, Ohio for a nationally televised High School clash.
#2 ranked Findlay Prep (NV) Pilots will travel to the home of #5 Northland (OH) Vikings in a game that will feature five players committed to high-major schools in addition to at least five more, plus a minimum of six other future DI players. Tristan Thompson & guard Cory Joseph lead Findlay Prep, a team that went undefeated en route to a mythical high school national title last season. Northland is led by one of, if not the best post player in the country in the Ohio State bound Jared Sullinger, 'baby' brother of former Toledo player Julian Sullinger, & former Buckeye JJ Sullinger. He is joined by fellow Ohio State recruit JD Weatherspoon, a high riser forward, among other players. Sullinger & Weatherspoon are apart of Ohio State's 2010 " Super Six" recruiting class. A collection of highly touted players that has Columbus talking of a possible freshmen impact similar to the " Thad Five " of 2006.
This nationally televised game got us thinking about some of the other big high school games from the Midwest that it made on ESPN this decade. Everyone of course remembers the 2003 Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary vs Oak Hill game. Lebron James vs the #1 team in the country was must see tv. Derrick Rose & Simeon High School (Chicago) man handling Oak Hill in 2007 on ESPN was semi-memorable. But most of all, we look back to the January 19, 2006 clash between two schools in the East side of Indianapolis. Lawrence North which featured former Ohio State stars Greg Oden & Mike Conley Jr. versus a North Central school that featured former University of Indiana guard & current LA Clipper, Eric Gordon. Now some will argue that platforms such as ESPN should not feature high school games, but when the talent is of the caliber of these players in some of these games, it is hard to argue against in our opinions.
Mike Conley Jr. supporting high school/and youth development basketball. Short clip from the Adidas Nations camp where Sullinger played. (Summer 2009)
Michael Redd & the Milwaukee Bucks played an inspired game against the defending NBA Champion Lakers on the 16th, but in the end..Kobe Bryant would show exactly why he is the best player in the clutch moments. The contest was back & fourth throughout the entire duration. Redd's total game was in full effect with multiple threes, drives to the basket, post ups, and mid range jumpers. The 9 year veteran looked extremely comfortable on the court, showing no signs of the knee soreness that kept him out for a stretch. He received most of his help from center Andrew Bogut, young Turk Ersan Illyasova who scored 24 points, and rookie point god Brandon Jennings who dropped in 7 assists.
The fourth quarter resembled a championship boxing round each team responded to each other with blow after blow. The game went into overtime after an Andrew Bogot make to tie the game at 95, and subsequent Kobe miss at the end of regulation. Milwaukee pretty much controlled the overtime period, even earning a 4 point lead after a Redd three with a little over a minute to go. But turning point occurred when Kobe Bryant barreled intro Andrew Bogut with 50 seconds to a go, not only did Bryant draw a block (looked like a charge, all of Wisconsin agrees), but he also hit shot & the and 1. The Bucks missed a runner on the other end, and Kobe did his thing at the end with a buzzer beater over Michigan State's Charlie Bell. Redd finished with 25 points, 7 rebounds, 4 dimes, & 2 steals..and the honor of being the Buckeye Ballers player of the week :)
The play of the Memphis Grizzlies has been one of the more interesting stories of the month. After a disappointing start to the season, the Grizz were able to open December with a 4-1 record, including impressive victories over the likes of Dallas, Cleveland, & Miami. Such play starts to attract more viewers..and one starts to think to themselves..'hmm..is this team starting to develop into the truth? ' Well we found out they still have a little ways to go as the Grizz fell to two of the beasts in the East this week, Boston & Atlanta. Like Milwaukee/LA..the Dec. 14th contest with Memphis/Boston was close throughout with the more experienced team pulling it out in the end.
The game in Atlanta last night looked it was going to have a similar recipe after a competitive first quarter. But hot scoring stretches in the 2nd & 3rd quarter by the Hawks effectively made the game out of reach for the Grizz. Point guard Mike Conley Jr. has still been nice & steady throughout the month of December. He finished with 12 points & 5 dimes vs the Hawks. Othello Hunter was able to get nice 7/8 minutes of playing time as well. Late in the game Hunter received a pass from a driving Jeff Teague and finished it off with an emphatic two handed slam. O had 6 points for the night.
All is not lost - CEZ Nymburk & EWE Baskets Oldenburg suffered pivotal losses in the Eurocup & Euroleague competitions this week Nymburk fell at Brose Baskets, a team they defeated at home a week earlier, by a score of 85-73 on the 15th. Nymburk now sits at 3rd place in their grouping at 2-2. Ron Lewis recently wrote about what it is going to take for his club to advance to the next Eurocup round.
EWE Baskets gained a big boost this week with the return of guard Jason Gardner. A back injury kept the veteran from Arizona out of action up to this point. But it wasn't enough in a dissapointing 62-49 Euroleague loss to BC Khimki on the 16th. EWE Baskets Oldenburg will not advance to the top 16 in their inaugural year of Euroleague play. But all is not lost, as they have still have some group games left to play in January vs the likes of Panathinakos & Real Madrid..the type of games where EWE could make their Euroleague season by winning. Oldenburg is still near the top of the Bundesliga standings with a current standing of 2nd place as well.
BK Ventspils at CEZ Nymburk (Eurocup Week 2, 12-1-2009)
-Oh, you thought we would do a team profile without showing some video? On the contrary, it is about time everyone gets to know CEZ Nymburk. A Czech Republic based club with an excellent blend of native Czech hoopsters & former American NCAA players. Get to know their passionate fans,their trademark horns, their coach, and fine team.
-Also congrats to Othello Hunter on scoring his first points of the season in Atlanta's victory over New Jersey (12/13/09) It was a month plus wait for O, but a couple Hawk forwards have been out due to injury which paved the way for Hunter's activation.
-And how about the Memphis Grizzlies? They continued their surge with a comfortable victory in Miami Sunday. Both of these teams are currently going in opposite directions. Lets see what Mike Conley & The Grizz have for New England's Boston Celtics tonight.
- Top ten plays of November vid is almost finished, will post later this week, peace
Welcome back yo: The big news so far out of this weekend is the victorious return of Michael Redd. There were whispers on Friday & Saturday of Redd's impending return, he was out of action since the November 27th contest against Oklahoma City. But we quelled some of our excitement, because you never really know until you actually see the player in the game. Yet, Michael Redd did indeed return for the December 12th home meeting versus the Oden-less Trailblazers. Redd came off the bench to spell Carlos Delphino in the first quarter, he immediately knocked down a jumper to give Milwaukee a 10-9 lead. The Bucks would not trail again in regulation. The Olympic Gold Medalist contributed 29 minutes, scored 11 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and dished out a couple assists in a thrilling double overtime victory over Portland.
Winners Column: Another #22 got back on track Saturday as Ron Lewis & CEZ Nymburk (18-0) continued their winning ways in the Czech League with an 83-45 drubbing of Basketball Brno. Lewis matched his season high point total of 24 points & brought down four rebounds. Next up for Nymburk is a trip to Germany for a huge Eurocup game against Brose Baskets (Dec. 15th) Meanwhile in France, Brent Darby & Limoges moved to a league leading 10-2 after disposing of St Vallier by a score of 84-57. Darby chipped in 4 points & 4 assists in just 21 mins of play.
George Reese & Ken Johnson each picked up big wins with their respective clubs over the weekend as well. Reese's 16/11 double/double helped AZS Koszalin in an 84-74 victory over ISS Sportino. Kalev/Cramo defeated Rakvere in the Estonian League 91-87. Both of these wins moves Kozalin & Kalev/Cramo to the middle of their league standings, putting them on track for the playoffs.
Almost: Olympia Larissa fell to 2-5 in the Greek League following a narrow 74-70 loss to VAP Kolossos. The backcourt of Jamar Butler & Devin Green is still hooping out though, Butler had 12 points, 4 steals, and three assists in the loss, Green scored 25. Scoonie Penn & Virtus Bologna lost to NGC Cantu by a score of 72-63. Bologna now sits at 6th in the Italian League Standings. (final 8 makes the playoffs)
Erie still working out the kinks: The 'Microwave' Ivan Harris, is starting to heat up for his Erie Bayhawks. He has scored in double figures in two of his last three games, including a 14 point effort in the last game against Maine (116-90 L). But the problem so far is that Erie has not been able to collectively match the quality that they displayed last season. The result has been early season inconsistency, a win here, a loss there. Some of this was to be expected as this is mostly a new cast of guys. The most notable absence is undoubtedly Erik Daniels, one of the best players in all of the D-League last year, who is currently playing in Europe. Yet, things like excessive turnovers and bad rebounding should not be problems for a pro team that wants to make some noise. Lets hope Ivan & the guys can get it together.
Sunday Games:
EWE Baskets Oldenburg (Foster) vs Walter Tigers (German Bundesliga)
Winning: With all of the intent watching of the box score, fantasy basketball games, and top Sportcenter highlights, it is sometimes easy for fans to lose sight of the ultimate goal within a team, victories and nothing else. Simply winning basketball games can alleviate the natural pressures of the pro game such as outside distractions or individual struggles. Playing winning basketball is exactly what Mike Conley Jr. & the Memphis Grizzlies have been doing in the month of December. The Grizz have won 8 of their last 11 games after a dreadful 1-8 start. The winning stretch can be attributed to improved play by Rudy Gay, OJ Mayo & Mike Conley, to go with the steady Marc Gasol.
In the last three games Lawrence North's Conley is averaging 11 points & 4 assists, he shot 50% from 3 point range over the course of those games, including a season high 20 point effort at Minnesota on December 2nd. Mike enjoyed perhaps his best moment of the season so far on December 8th when slipped past a switching Shaquille O'Neal to score the game winning bucket in overtime vs the Cleveland Cavaliers. I must say that it looked like the Grizzlies were already down and out after the early season losing streak. But credit must be given to Gay, Mayo, followed up by Conley & Coach Lionel Hollins for turning things around. Memphis (9-12) hopes to continue their winnings ways vs Oklahoma City tonight.
Conley's game winning heroics vs Cleveland
In contrast, Ron Lewis was not able to get into a flow in the Eurocup Round 3 contest vs Brose Baskets on December 8th. He did not score, and would only register one board in 16 minutes of play. But the good news is that Phillip Ricci & Ian Hanavan hooped out in leading CEZ to a huge 71-66 victory. Once again we see an example where a win is much bigger than any individual performance because it moves CEZ (now 2-1 in Eurocup play) one step closer to advancing to the next Eurocup grouping, thus giving Lewis and others more chances to shine. Nymburk plays Brose Baskets again next week in another pivotal Eurocup contest..something tells us that Ron Lewis won't go scoreless again. :)
Othello Hunter activated: We knew it would come, just not when. But Othello Hunter was finally activated for tonight's game against the Toronto Raptors after veteran forward Joe Smith suffered a hand injury. According to this Atlanta Journal Constitution article, Hunter will dress and could possibly receive backup minutes to starting power forward Josh Smith.
Estonian Block Party: Even with Greg Oden out, there is still a dominant professional Buckeye shotblocker out there. His name is Ken Johnson, and he is currently leading the Estonian Basketball League in blocks per game. Big Ken anchors the defense for Kalev/Cramo, a traditional league power who competes in the VTB league, and regional Baltic league, in addition to the national league of Estonia.
Video- Ken sending ish back in Estonia!
Lady Buckeye Update: Former Ohio Star All American, and current member of the Indiana Fever, Jessica Davenport, is playing her WNBA offseason with a club called Heilongjiang in China. Davenport is looking to carry the momentum from here game 5 WNBA Finals performance into her play in China and the next season here in the States. Late November Interview with Jessica.
Ron Lewis - (CEZ Nymburk, Czech League NBL 17-0, Eurocup 1-1)
The lowdown- Third year pro Ron Lewis is currently playing for the reigning champions of Czech Republic Basketball, CEZ Nymburk. He played his rookie season in Belgium before moving on to the Israeli League for the 2008/2009 season. The former Ohio State guard has had little trouble displaying his trademark scoring touch. Lewis is leading a balanced Nymburk team in scoring by dropping 14 points a game. He has scored 20 or more points on three occasions, and out of 17 Czech League games, he has failed to score in double figures only three times. (and lets put it this way, if Nymburk really needed the points, Ron probably would have scored in double figures in those games too) It is to the point where it is a surprise to not see a nice scoring night from Ron each time we check the box score.
#22 has already shown quite a repertoire, the sick first step to drive right or left, the curl off a screen to the three point shot, his familiar pull up J, and even a little post up game. Lewis is also able to exploit teams in transition with his speed & finishing ability..and when Lewis finishes..he finishes.. His driving skills affords him a decent amount of trips to the foul line where his 85% free throw percentage helps Nymburk in close stretches . So far, Lewis' biggest professional adjustment has been more about getting acclimated to a new club system, rather than the on court league competition.
Nymburk began their Eurocup schedule on November 24th vs Biella in Italy. On December 1st Ron Lewis recently had what can be called his best European game so far (considering the Eurocup stage) in round 2 of the Eurocup vs BK Ventspils of Latvia. He led Nymburk with 23 points, 3 rebounds, & 2 steals in a 79-57 home victory.
The team & role - To say that Cez Nymburk is handling themselves well in the Czech League is an understatement. This team is rolling through their schedule with a perfect 17-0 record. CEZ is defeating Czech League teams by an average margin of victory of 34 points. They have only had two really close contests. Nymburk is an extremely balanced team built around efficient offensive execution & good defense. Five players average double figure scoring with another three who are close to the 10 point mark. It all starts with veteran point guard Arthur Lee. The lead guard's ill floor game helps control the tempo for coach Muli Katzurin. Lee & Lewis look inside to three versatile 6'8 forwards in Petr Benda, Ian Hanavan, & Phillip Ricci. While arguably a little undersized compared to other top European front courts, each forward possesses the quintessential all-around European game of being able to do work inside, hit mid-range jumpers, & pass the ball. Benda has European Championship experience, Hanavan & Ricci are products of NCAA basketball with extensive experience overseas. The front courts one weakness may be rebounding which was evident in their sole loss vs Biella in Eurocup week one. Nymburk was out-rebounded 33-24 in a close 78-77 loss.
Another top player for Nymburk is Ladislav Sokolovsky. The 6'7 small forward/guard can shoot & handle the ball. Plus his length allows him to be disruptive at times on defense, he already has 7 steals in two Eurocup Games. Sokolovsky is one of the most decorated Czech players on Nymburk. Michael Lenzly, who played at Eurobasket 2009 for the United Kingdom is yet another versatile player for Nymburk. Lenzly's defensive energy and ability to score provides Czech League Championship quality depth. Nymburk has a familiar offensive attack that you will see from many European clubs. Deliberate in style with many sets, each player is a threat to score, but what separates Nymburk from other squads is they seem to have four or five guys who are capable of taking it over like Lee, Soko, Hanavan, with Lewis being the most explosive. And the always solid services of Ricci & Benda will have them in every game.
Ron Lewis' role with Nymburk differs from his last team (Ironi Nahariya) in that he joins a balanced team with more scoring threats. Lewis was one of the top overall scorers in all of the Israeli League with an 18 point average in 34 minutes per game. In contrast, Ron is currently averaging about 21mpg with Nymburk..the average number of minutes for just about everyguy on the club. The new system coupled with the number of blowouts can explain the occasional minute fluctuation throughout the season. Although the 8 minutes & 24 seconds that Lewis received in Nymburk's Eurocup loss in Italy was kind of a head scratcher. But overall the adjustment to Nymburk's system should make Lewis an all-around better player and professional. The most impressive thing right now is that the team chemistry seems to be there. Nymburk is playing very unselfishly on both sides of the court.
CEZ Nymburk's next huge game is a December 8th home Eurocup contest against Brose Baskets, a very solid club from the German League. Meanwhile in the Czech League, BK Prosetejov & Novy Jicin are Nymburk's main challengers. But CEZ will not matchup with these squads again until January 2010.
Best Game so far: vs BK Ventspils (Eurocup) 23 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
Ken Johnson - (BC Kalev/Cramo Estonia 4-3 in Estonian League, 4-4 Baltic League, 0-4 in VTB United League)
Veteran center Ken Johnson currently plays for BC Kalev/Cramo in the country of Estonia. He last played for Telekon Bonn in Germany. One of the most interesting things about Kalev is that they actually play in three different leagues. The Estonian National League, the Regional Baltic League (BBL), and a League called VTB United with teams from Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Lithuania, and the Ukraine.
According to the league standings, it looks like Kalev is battling in the Estonian League with a 4-3 record, but is not faring well in the other two super leagues..especially in their VTB grouping where they are matched against European powers CSKA Moscow & Zalgris. Johnson averages around 8 points per game in the Baltic & Estonian Leagues
Best game so far: vs Siauliai (Baltic League) 11/23: 15 points, 10 rebounds, 6 blocks
2nd year pro Jamar Butler is playing for a club called Olympia Larissa in the Greek League (one of the strongest in Europe) after playing in Italy & Turkey in his rookie season. If there was ever an underdog squad, it is Larissa. The club is a result of a merge between the old Larissa team & a club called AEL GS. They did not have much time to practice before the season, and they have had to deal with coaches coming & going. However, Butler & Larissa peservered and managed to grab a couple victories.
Their first win was a 70-68 victory over Trikala on November 7th...Butler had 13 points. Larissa along with the rest of the league did not play another game until two weeks later because of a players union strike. One thing we have noticed in following players overseas is that everything is not always rosy. Some clubs have financial problems whether it be for operations or failing to pay players on time, or at all. Plus some leagues & clubs have bad organization in general. For instance this above picture is from Larissa's first game of the season. The game had to be stopped because water leaking from a hole in the roof kept raining down onto the court play. And this is supposed to be a top European Professional Basketball League? Just some of the aspects players have to deal with overseas I guess..
But Larissa would win their 2nd game on November 29th vs Dash Peristeri by a score of 73-67. #15 Jamar Butler is currently averaging 13 points & 3 dimes a game. He ranks 9th in the Greek League in Assists. Jamar recently had his best scoring game of 18 points against AEK.
Best game so far: vs AEK 12/5/2009, 18 points, 4 rebounds
(Into the fire: Je'Kel Foster's early Euroleague efforts turned him into the face of Oldenburg)
Je'Kel Foster - (EWE Baskets Oldenburg 8-3 in German League, 1-5 in the Euroleague)
The word challenging can best describe Oldenburg's 2009/2010 season. The defending German League Champions are experiencing ups & downs in the Bundesliga & Euroleague. Everyone was aware of the monumental task of defending your first championship ever , and competing in the Euroleague competition at the same time. But stratus clouds have been hovering over Oldenburg's mission due to the season long absence of point guard Jason Gardner (back injury). Gardner was/is a pivotal member of EWE Baskets, he provided great direction for the club in their championship season. The loss of Gardner arguably exposed Oldenburg's guard depth, where there was not much ball handling depth & ability behind Je'Kel Foster, the team's normal starting 'two' guard, but who was forced to play a lot of of one with Gardner out. (Je'kel has always been a do it all type of guard anyway) Yet, Oldenburg responded by signing guard Bryan Bailey in November..we have not read anything about Gardner, but it seems as if he will not be returning this season.
As expected, Oldenburg has taken the best shot from each & everyone one of their German League opponents. They are currently #2 behind a solid Berlin club in the Bundesliga standings with an 8-3 record. So far Je'Kel Foster is averaging around 13 points, 4 rebounds & 4 assists in the German League. Oldenburg reminds me of Foster's Senior college team with Dials, Matt Sylvester & company. They have one true center in former Georgetown big man Ruben Boumtje Boumtje. He is complemented by three European forwards, Marko Scekic, Jasmin Perkovic, & Milan Majstorovic..all three have that familiar European skillset. Foster is joined in the back court by 2009 Bundesliga Finals MVP Rickey Paulding from Missouri, rookie Josh Carter out of Texas A&M, now Bryan Bailey & on occasion Daniel Hain. Like Ohio State, Oldenburg heavily relies on the versatility of their forwards & guards. If the best players on Oldenburg like Paulding, Scekic, Foster & Perkovic are shooting well, then they can challenge some of the best teams in Europe. But if they are not, they can be challenged themselves by many teams.
The best thing about Je'Kel Foster though, is that if his shot is not falling..he is definitely going to make his presence known in the form of passing, defense, & leadership. These attributes coupled with his toughness is why Foster is tailor made for a competition such as the Euroleague. Two months in, EWE has discovered how tough the Euroleague competition is with a 1-5 Group D record. They opened up their inaugural Euroleague schedule with a stunning victory in Poland vs Asseco Prokom. They followed that contest up with two close losses two Italy's Milano at home & a heart breaker in Russian to BC Khimki.
The next two Euroleague games were ugly blowout losses to Real Madrid & Panathinaikos. For my money Real Madrid is currently the best team in all of Europe. And Panathinaikos, along with Barcelona, is not far behind. This is an extremely though grouping for EWE Baskets Oldenburg. Their last EuroLeague game was another close loss, this time to a Prokom team looking to get revenge after the group opener. Je'Kel Foster played well (averaging 14 points & 4 assists in the Euroleague) in most of these games, but the fiery competitor inside him wants the victories more than anything. Whether EWE advances to the next Euroleague grouping or not, these experiences should make them a very formidable squad to deal with by the time the German League playoffs roll around
Best game so far: at Prokom (Euroleague) 10/21/2009: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists
-B3 feature video: Foster vs BC Khimki in Euroleague play, includes the stretch where Foster scores like 10 consecutive points for Oldenburg, all heart!)
Brian Brown- (TBB Trier 7-5 German Bundesliga)
Brian Brown is another veteran guard from Ohio State playing overseas. He is one of four Buckeyes currently playing in Germany's top league. Brown is nice & steady with is club averaging 10 points & 3 assists a game. Like Scoonie & Brent Darby, Brown provides back court experience & leadership for Trier alongside guard Derek Ravio. Similar to several German League clubs, Trier's team is populated by a considerable amount of Americans (four in the starting lineup). It is interesting subject because some in Germany have called for a quota on the number of international imports (lets be serious, they really mean Americans who dominate their league) in the national league in order to develop the homegrown German talent.
Trier currently sits in the middle of the Bundesliga standings with a 7-5 record. They will need strong play from Brown in their push for the BBL playoffs.
Best game so far: vs Ratiopharm 12/5/2009, 17 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists. Brian Brown Stats
(The title of this post is meant in no way to trivialize the real date of infamy, PH. But sometimes a gross over-exaggeration is needed to convey the extreme feeling of disappointment that is currently occurring.)
10:30 AM Eastern Time - I slept in a little after some some late night basketball viewing following a night out. (Mullens & Harris had decent performances in their respective D-League games). Decided to get a late morning meal, and when I got back home I remembered that my Ohio State Buckeyes were supposed to be playing a game around the same time. But I was not in much of a hurry because I saw that they were playing a scrub team in Eastern Michigan, plus John Wall & Kentucky were battling North Carolina on another channel. But when I finally turned to ESPNU to watch my guys, the image of Evan Turner laying on back is what welcomed me.
My first reaction was what happened?!? I wanted to see a replay, well I would get to see a replay alright, about 7 of them...and each one was painful to view. ET landed squarely on his lower back after a dunk attempt gone wrong. For the next hour the Buckeye Nation patiently waited for an update, and speculated for the best. But it turned out that Evan suffered broken bones in his back that will keep him out for the next eight weeks. Upon receiving this news, I immediately thought about David Lighty's injury against a scrub team last year. Now Coach Matt will once again have to navigate a thin team through a treacherous early Big Ten schedule. Just some bad luck huh?
10:15 PM Eastern Time - Fast forward to the night. Still a little salty about Turner, but attempted to take the mind off that with some college football viewings. All the pizza was downed, and I was actually getting a little sleepy. The NBA schedule that night was a little unusual as there were really no entertaining match ups.
The Portland vs Houston game was the only game I was waiting for. So before dosing off I headed to my PC to watch the big fella play, and what was the first image that I viewed? The horrific scene of Greg Oden clutching his left knee & grimacing in pain. This time I only needed one replay to see Oden's reaction and conclude that this one was bad. The big man was carted off on a stretcher, teammates consoling him, crowd chanting Oden..but to a man everyone had a feeling of sadness. An hour passed, another update. Left patella, surgery, likely out for the season. Words cannot describe the sick feeling that I had last night. Much more on Greg Oden after the 2nd International update.
Why? - I don't know why the basketball gods decided to have Ohio State's current best player, and Ohio State's current best former player fall to injuries on the same day. But it sure seems like Ohio State has had one too many of these 'unlucky' days. The feeling we have on this Sunday morning is worse than that following any kind of blowout or title loss. As fans we are used to seeing these players fall down and get back up time and again. But we are ultimately always hit with the reality that is the health of these athletes that allows them to entertain us with their extraordinary talents. And it really sucks to see this happen to two of the nicest guys in sports. I expect a whole lot of good karma to come our way for the next decade because we've taken some big blows recently. A lot more on these two later.
With about seven minutes to go the first quarter, Greg Oden rotated on a driving Houston Rocket in help side defense. The routine play turned for the worse when Oden came down from a block attempt clutching his left knee. It looked like he tweaked or twisted his knee a bit. Oden was taken out of the Rose Garden on a stretcher. More updates on the injury following the game.
Update: Per Blazers edge
Greg Oden will undergo surgery to repair fractured left patella. Likely out for the season :( Blazers Beat
Brent Darby & Limoges currently sit at the top of the French Pro B Standings with a 9-2 record. The number one team started the season with an easy three game winning streak before falling to Lillie on October 30th. Limoges would then go on to win four of their next five games.
So far veteran starting point guard Brent Darby is averaging about 10 points & 4 assists a game. Darby's job with Limoges is to control & dictate tempo, as well as to adequately run their offensive sets by getting the ball in hands of the right guys at the right time. He has a talented cast to work with, most notably in guard Alhaji Mohammed & Forward Karim Souchu, two versatile scorers with the capability of slashing to the rim or extending the defense out to the three point line. Inside Brent has two big & athletic post players to work with in John McCord & #18 Johan Passave-Ducteil. Darby strictly plays the role of a distributing captain. He isn't necessarily looking for his own points as much as he has in the past. However, his lead guard mindset does not mean any scoring inability as he has already scored in double figures on 6 occasions, with a 17, 19, & 20 point games. His knack for points is no more evident than his frequent foul line trips. Here Brent is able to use his driving ability & strength to draw fouls on the opposition. He averages about 6 fouls shots a game.
Limoges' talent & team chemistry has created a good formula so far. They seem to be the perfect French team that has athleticsm & talent, but enough of a controlled system to pull out the tough games..Darby is a big part of this. Look for their overall record to become even more impressive in the next month of games that include some of the lesser teams in the league.
Best game so far: vs Brest 11/28/2009 19 points, 7 assists
Video - Limoges vs Nanterre 11/7/2009 - Brent Darby scores 9 points to with 4 assists, 2 rebounds & one steal. Darby got a crucial steal late in the game, and followed it up with the game winning trey!
Terence Dials - (Paderborn Baskets 2-9, Germany)
Terence Dials signed with Paderborn Baskets (Matt Terwilliger) of the German League in early November 2009. It is exactly not clear why Terence parted ways with his last club Orleans in the off-season. Dials arrived to a team in need of a spark. Paderborn is currently at the bottom of the BBL standings at 2-9. The club signed Dials to replace their former starter at center Nate Gerwig.
In four games, Terence is already averaging 12 points & 4 rebounds. He went off for 18 points behind a perfect shooting from the field against the defending Champions Oldenburg (Je'Kel Foster) on 11/19/2009. But Dials would unfortunately suffer an ankle injury after the game vs the Walter Tigers on 11/21. He missed the last game vs Ratiopharm, and does not have an status update yet.
Best game so far: vs Oldenburg 11/19/2009: 18 points, 6 rebounds
Matt Terwilliger is settling in nicely in his 2nd year of pro basketball. Everything is up from last season including minutes, points, and rebounds. The same cannot be set for his team overall though as Paderborn is struggling to get wins. They would win their season opener against Hagen on October 11th, but then dropped their next 9 games.
They signed another Buckeye big man in Terence Dials after starting center Gerwig went down to injury. The result was closer point margins, but in the end still losses. Dials suffered an ankle injury after the 11/21 game, thrusting Terwilliger into the starting lineup. Matt responded with a career high 19 points in Paderborn's 2nd victory over Rationpharm on 11/28.
Although it seems improbable, Paderborn can turn their playoffs fortunes around with a great streak of wins. It starts on December 5th vs Telekon Bonn.
Best game so far: vs Ratiopharm, 19 points, 9 rebounds.
The smooth forward is still doing his thing in Poland. Reese's midrange madness is in full effect with a 13 point & 6 rebound average through 10 games. When George faces you up it is hard to know what he will do next. But chances are it will end up being a jumper in your face. We would add more about AZS Koszsalin, but frankly some of those Polish games are hard to make it through if you know what we mean. So hopefully they will get it together. :)
Best Game so far: vs Trefl Sopot 11/28/2009 - 23 points, 10 rebounds
Another veteran guard, Tony Stockman is currently playing for Vivo/Franco in Brazil after a stint in Mexico. The big time scoring threat has already put up two 20+ point scoring efforts for Franco, one of the top clubs so car in the Brazilian League.
Video- Short Brazilian news clip with Tony Stockman (11/25/09)
James 'Scoonie' Penn(La Fortezza Virtus Bologna 5-3, Italy Lega A)
Scoonie Penn is running the show for Virtus Bologna in one of the most competive European Leagues in Italy. Scoonie was signed by Bologna right before the season to give some back court support to young guard Petteri Koponen. His role with Bologna is much like Brent Darby's with Limoges...a calming presence who can distribute & score at the right times.
Now without viewing many Virtus games, it difficult to gauge exactly how well Penn is progressing with his role. But right now he is averaging just 8 points and 1 assist per game, numbers not up to his standards. In mid-November Penn missed a game with an ankle injury. But he rebounded with a season high 19 point performance against Eldo Caserta on 11/28/2009. Scoonie found his shot in a big way going 5/6 from deep. This is a great time for Penn's offense to come around as Virtus sits right in the middle of about 6 teams who are battling for the top spots in the Italian League Standings
Bestgame so far: vs Eldo Caserta 11/28/09 - 19 points, 2 assists)
Video - Early 2009 Interview with former Buckeye Ron Stokes
Euroleague 2009 - Once again, Je'Kel Foster gave Asseco Prokom of Poland nightmares in Euroleague play, but this time EWE Baskets Oldenburg fell in a tough 82-80 home loss on December 3rd. Je'Kel finished with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and two steals. The jack of all trades guard provided a suitable floor game for this back and fourth contest. Foster patiently waited on his offense with only three points in the first half, but in this time he played great on ball and help defense registering 2 steals (although I saw more than two), and finding teammates with great looks good for four assists. 3 of Foster's 10 points included a huge three from deep off the glass in the fourth quarter. But with the game at 82-80 with 7 seconds left, Je'Kel & Oldenburg could not deliver a buzzer beating shot for the tie or win. EWE's next Euroleague contest will be in Italy vs Milano on December 9th.
Conley lights up Minnesota - Mike Conley Jr. rebounded from a brief left shoulder injury by scoring a season high 20 points at Minnesota on December 2nd. The improved jumper that we heard about all offseason was on display as Conley hit four three pointers, finishing with 8-12 day overall from the field. But more importantly, his team got a 87-85 win to put them at 7-12 for the season. Considering all that Memphis has been through this year, it kind of feels like their overall record should be worse..yet Memphis fans would argue that their it should actually be the opposite if they would have played better basketball late in the 4th quarter of some games. The great thing about the NBA is that realities can change quickly by just winning games. Conley & the Grizzlies still have ample time to avoid a disappointing season.
O Still looking for some run - 2nd year pro Othello Hunter has yet to log any regular season minutes. He almost certainly would have played in Atlanta's 146-115 romping of the Toronto Raptors if he was in uniform. But his major obstacle is activation, as the 13th player on the roster Hunter is the one man who will not suit up if everyone else in healthy. Atlanta is currently one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference at 13-5. Their welcomed new-found depth does not currently call for Hunter to be anything more than an emergency big & good practice player. Only time will tell when Othello will get his first minutes, but their definitely be a time in this marathon NBA season where Atlanta may need some extra energy.
NBA D-League - Rookie Byron Mullens is averaging 13 points & 10 rebounds after four games into his D-League Stint. The 2-2 Tulsa 66ers will play Rio Grand Valley on Fri. December 4th. Meanwhile it is taking a little longer for the 'Microwave' Ivan Harris to heat up in cold Erie, Pennsylvania. The big time shooting threat has not been able to make a three in the Bayhawks' first two contests. Some of his early season struggles are stalked in about in Duane Rankin's latest Bayhawks review. 1-1 Erie plays Sioux Falls on December 4th at 8:00 pm eastern. All live games can be seen for free on NBA D-league Futurecast.
What about the other Mike? - It has been a tough going for Michael Redd in the early NBA season. A successful October preseason made it seem like the veteran was on the verge of a promising comeback. However Redd would suffer another setback on Oct 31 with a knee strain. Mike eventually gave it a go for three games, but felt re-aggravation after a loss to the Thunder on November 27th. The worst thing about Redd's injury status is the subsequent questions about his role and future with the Milwaukee Bucks. Now anyone who saw a little bit of Redd in those three games know he did not look that good. Everyone knew that it takes sometime to perform at a certain NBA level following an injury. But at least you have that opportunity to perform when healthy. Here is hoping Redd gets more chances to prove his critics wrong. Lady Buckeye Update - Former guard Marscilla Packer currently plays for a club called Ceyhan Belediyespor in Turkey. She is averaging 10 points in 6 games so far. Packer was selected by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2008 WNBA Draft before moving on to play in Sweden.
n Lewis pretty much ruled the month of November 2009 with several standout performances. And in our opinions, no game was greater than Oden’s performance against Tim Duncan & the San Antonio Spurs in a nationally televised ESPN game on November 6th. #52 was really starting to come into his own before getting injured in early December. The month of November was home to five double doubles, with his biggest statistical outing being a 24 point, 20 rebound effort vs Chicago on the 23. Ron Lewis of CEZ Nymburk scored in double figures in 4 of 6 November Czech League games. We did not get the chance to include even half of the clips of those two guys that we wanted in this video. Lewis & Oden will be really featured in later mixes.
