BuckeyeBallersTV - Othello Hunter vs Caserta (Serie A1 Week 2 - 10.24.2010)

(BuckeyeBallersTV - Othello Hunter has caught on to the European style of Basketball rather quickly. While more of a power forward, Othello will often times play Center in head coach Romeo Sacchetti's up-tempo offense. Hunter displayed some of his all-around game in the historic victory over Caserta on October 24th. In this short we the mid-range jumper, his constant activity around the basket, nice pick & roll play with Travis Diener, and a sweet running sky hook..go Othello!)

Italy - Dinamo Basket Sassari Captured First Ever Serie A Victory!!

(#5 Othello Hunter nails a long 2-point jumper in front of his Head Coach Romeo Sacchetti: 10.24 2010 vs Caserta - Image Sassari)

10.24.2010 - Dinamo Sassari 92 Caserta 87 (Italian Serie A League Round 2) W
- Othello Hunter - 16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals!

Electric is one word that can describe the atmosphere in Pala Serradimigni Arena on October 24th, 2010. Dinamo Sassari is a newly promoted team to Italy's top Basketball league the Serie A1. They struggled to find wins throughout the pre-season period mainly due to the absence of lead guard Travis Diener, but the former NBA player out of Marquette would return from injury just in time for the historic first Serie A1 home game vs Caserta.

The boisterous crowd was in it from the jump when James White & Buckeye Othello Hunter (pictured to the left: scoring 2 off a feed from Diener in the 1st quarter) hit a pair of jumpers in the opening minute. Caserta, is a Eurocup team with some solid players such as Americans Timothy Bowers, Jumaine Jones, and Italian lead guard Fabio Di Bella. They matched Sassari bucket for bucket & run for run in a game with several lead changes. But #12 Travis Diener kept the home team poised heads up assists & timely made shots.

Huge fourth quarter threes by Diener, James White, & Italian captain Manuel Vanuzzo would ultimately bring Sassari their first ever Serie A1 victory - 92-87..and what a scene it was..

(Videos)

-Postgame Aftermath - Celebration/Interview with Travis Diener plus clips



(crowd perspective shot to get a taste of the atmosphere)



(fourth quarter game film)



(game review clips)

Poland: AZS Koszalin Brought Back Buckeye Veteran George Reese!

(2nd from the right - George Reese & AZS Koszalin celebrate the 2010 Polish Cup Title)

Country: Poland
League: Polska PLK
Team: AZS Koszalin
Buckeye: George Reese

Columbus, Ohio's George Reese has played professional basketball in several countries including France, Germany, Philippines, & the United States, but it is Poland where Reese has undoubtedly made the biggest mark in his career. For the last three seasons George has played a significant role with club AZS Koszalin.

His leadership & consistent scoring has earned him the rep of one of Koszalin's most important cogs (arguably the most important). Reese has twice been recognized as one of the top players in all of Poland with back to back Polish League All-Star appearances in the 2008/2009, 2009/2010 seasons.

AZS made a coaching change after last season with the hire of Charles Barton, an American with considerable experience as a player & coach in Europe. Needless to say Barton was not interested in having Reese back despite #9 being the most consistent player in seasons past, & one of the best in AZS's history.

Well Barton's stint in Koszalin would be a short one after the club decided to part ways with the coach after a disappointing pre-season. That move and subsequent hiring of Polish Coach Mariusz Karol automatically cleared the way for negotitions to bring Reese back to Poland.

AZS Koszlain announced the re-signing of Reese on October 19th, & G-Money arrived to Poland on October 27th in preparation for the Saturday contest vs Polonia Azbud! The squad definitely needs Reese's presence to climb out of their 0-3 Polish league start.

AZS Koszalin Roster

George Reese's Pro Timeline

• - 2000-2001 Nantes (FRA2)
• - 2000-2001 Hyeres-Toulon (FRA2)
  
• - 2000-2001 Portugal Telecom (POR)
  
• - 2000-2001 Cincinnati Stuff (IBL)
  
• - 2000-2001 Trenton Shooting Stars (IBL)
• - 2001-2002 Columbus Riverdragons (NBDL)
  
• - 2001-2002 Asheville Altitude (NBDL)
• - 2002-2003 Sioux Falls Skyforce (CBA)
• - 2002-2003 Idaho Stampede (CBA)
  
• - 2003-2004 Paris Basket Racing (FRA)
  
• - 2003-2004 Barangay Ginebra Kings (PHI)
  
• - 2003-2004 Florence Flyers (USBL) -
• - 2004-2005 Polpharma Starogard Gdański
  
• - 2005-2006 Stal Ostrów Wielkopolski (POL)
  
• - 2006-2007 Skyliners Frankfurt (GER)
  
• - 2007-2010 AZS Koszalin (POL)
  

George Reese Koszalin Videos!

Random Vids (Sullinger, Lewis, Mullens)

(Byron Mullens)

(Some quick random videos)

• JJ Sullinger NBL Intro from Late May 2010
• Ron Lewis transition block & three vs Antwerp October 20th)
  
• Daequan Cook sets up Byron Mullens for the baseline fadeaway (Preseason October 12st)
  

In Memoriam - Larry Siegfried

(Larry Siegfried 1939-2010)

Former Ohio State Buckeye & NBA Champion Larry Siegfried was laid to rest last week at the age of 71 in his hometown of Shelby, Ohio after succumbing to a heart attack. Siegfried was a member of the historic 1960 Ohio State National Championship team that reunited in Columbus in Spring 2010 for the 50th anniversary, he helped the Boston Celtics win 5 National Basketball titles as well.

We are much too young to have any substantive memories of Siegfried, but all of the accounts from the friends, family, and members of the basketball community describe a versatile & tough player, but an even better person who served as a motivational speaker in Mansfield, Ohio

A big Buckeye Nation Salute to the Siegfried family, rest in peace.

• Mansfield Journal 10.21.2010 - What a Friend We had in Larry

BuckeyeBallersTV - Scoonie Penn Terrorizes Zalgiris (VTB Superleague 2008)

(Scoonie Penn of BC Kyiv drives past Khalid El-Amin - Ukraine 2008)

It's crazy to think about all the different leagues, Cups, & Tournaments a player overseas may participate in over the course of one season. First there is the National League like the German Bundesliga or Italian Serie A. Then each country may have a National Cup Tournament with more or less eight teams. These are the same squads from the national league, but the Cup is a separate competition from the regular season..some leagues will hold the Cups prior to the regular season or right in the middle (Italian League Version).

So the national Cup, national league & playoffs is play within the country. But the unique feature of International Basketball (Europe, Asia, South America, Africa) is that the best teams in a league are able to travel outside of their country and plays teams from different national leagues.

It definitely makes sense when looking at a map of Europe where several countries are not of the size of American States. Take Belgium where Ron Lewis plays for instance, it's really nothing to play a pre-season or European competition game with a team from neighboring Germany or France.

FIBA, the International Basketball governing body sponsors three main cross continental competitions in Europe, the Euroleague, Eurocup, and Eurochallenge.

In addition to the leagues that span all across Europe like the Euroleague, there are also regional leagues as well. Just like how the Big Ten Conference has teams from the Midwestern United States, it can be the same situation in Europe. There is the Adriatic League which is mostly comprised of countries from the former Repubic of Yugoslavia, and the Baltic Basketball League with Baltic State teams from countries like Lithuania, Latvia & Estonia. All of these leagues play their schedules concurrently with the different national leagues.

In 2008 VTB Bank, a leading Russian Bank founded the VTB United Super League. This regional league is almost like an East Europe Superleague with teams from Russian, Ukraine, & Lithuania. Why does this all matter?? Because Buckeye legend Scoonie Penn played in the inaugural VTB season in late 2008 when he was with Ukrainian club BC Kyiv. The organization & attendance of the first VTB league was not that good, but the considerable amount of good teams and recognizable players made for interesting basketball.

We've been sitting on a couple games from VTB season and decided to post one in light of recent news. Earlier in the week Lithuanian team Rytas announced on going negotiations with former UConn guard Khalid El-Amin & Scoonie. Well Rytas ended up signing Khalid, but the news made us think about the 2008 season when Penn & El-Amin went head to head in Ukraine as well participating in the VTB (and of course the NCAA final four). As for Penn, hearing about talks with high level teams like Rytas is a good thing to hear :)

(Video - There are two major teams in the country of Lithuania..Lietuvos Rytas, the team that was reportedly in talks with Penn..and another club called Zalgiris. Scoonie Penn & BC Kyiv defeated Zalgiris on 12.20.28 in the VTB League Tournament. Scoonie destroyed Zalgiris on defense with multiple on ball rips & off the ball steals, he also makes a guy fall..what else is new!)

Regular Season Play is Underway for Jessica Davenport & the Lady Buckeyes Overseas

(Jessica Davenport - Vologda-Chevakata - Russia 2010)

The United States is home to the National Basketball Association, the number one basketball league in the world in terms of talent, professionalism, organization, attendance, and money. The NBA has gradually expanded to 30+ teams with another 16 NBA Developmental teams. The U.S as the epicenter of basketball is indeed a sweet deal for American male ball players, but female hoopers have unfortunately not always enjoyed the luxury of a strong national league.

For decades the best woman players have had to continue their pro careers overseas in addition to minor leagues in the States. While the WNBA has risen to be the top women's league in the world, it has not changed the fact that as soon as the season is over, some of the top players will pack their bags and head overseas for a followup season in the best international leagues.

The Russian Super A League is sure to be one of the toughest national leagues overseas for the 2010/2011 season. The import list of WNBA names currently in this league reads like a who's who of greats including Candace Parker, Lauren Jackson, Sue Bird, Cappie Pondexter, Tina Charles, Deanna Nolan, Becky Hammon, and former Ohio State Buckeye Jessica Davenport.

Davenport, still a member of the Indiana Fever, currently plays for a club called Chevakata (logo above) in Vologda, Russia. Jessica recently blogged about her arrival to Russia & pre-season adventures. The four year pro scored 16 points in the regular season opener vs Dynamo Kursk on October 16, but Chevakata fell in defeat by a score 89-71. This team will find itself in high level games all season long in & outside of Russia as they play in the 2010/2011 FIBA Eurocup Competition as well. They are grouped with a team from Bosnia & one from Lithuania..which means away games in those countries (4 in total starting on Oct. 28..Eurocup schedule). Chevakata's next big Russian league game is on October 31 when they play UMMC Ekaterinburg, the squad with Candace Parker, Cappie Pondexter, Nolan and Crystal Langhorne!

Fever: JDav Blogs from Russia

As Jessica holds it down out in Russia, 3 more Buckeyes are way West of her in Portugal & Spain.

Big time scorer Brandie Hoskins currently plays for Boa Viagem of Portugal's top women's division. Her team is actually located in Angra do Heroismo, a city of the Portuguese autonomous island Terceir (map image). Viagem split their first two games of the season. Hoskins scored 16 an the season opening W vs AD Vagos (oct 16 - clips)..she then exploded for 28 points & 6 rebounds in an eight point loss to Olivias on the 17th (clips..Hoskins is #15).

Lethal post player Star Allen plays in the same league as Hoskins, her team Quinta Dos Lombos (she is not listed on eurobasket's roster yet, but her name looms large on the boxscores) is located in the Portuguese (flag of Portugal pictured above left) mainland municipality of Carcavelos. Allen has played a major role in Quinta's 2-0 start with a 19 point/7 rebound effort in game one and a 23 point/9 rebound outburst in game two! (October 16 & 17)

Both Hoskins & Allen will be in action on Saturday October 23rd in week 3 play. (schedule)

Evan Turner is not the only Buckeye rookie out there. Andrea Walker is playing her first season of overseas ball in the Spanish LF2 League for a club called CB Pio XII (Santiago de Compostela, Spain)

Pio XII is another team that will be attempting to go 3-0 on Saturday whenn they play Caceres.

(Videos - clips #11 Andrea Walker & Pio XII vs Aros Leon in the Regular Season & Univ. Ferrol from te pre-season)

(NBA) Turner to Start at Point Guard in Pre-season Return to Ohio

(Game Alert)

What: Philadelphia at Cleveland (Pre-season game six)
When: October 19, 2010
Where: Cincinnati, Ohio
Venue: U.S Bank Arena
Time: 7:00 PM U.S Eastern Standard
Tickets: Link
Television: FSN Ohio HD or NBA League Pass
Online Watch: Link
Game Notes

- Tickets are still available for Tuesday night's preseason contest between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers at U.S Bank Arena in Cincinnati. Former Ohio State Buckeye Evan Turner will make his first on court return to state of Ohio as an NBA player. On Monday Sixers beat writer Kate Fagan reported that Turner will get the start at point guard alongside Andre Iguodala, Jason Kapano, Elton Brand, and vet Tony Battie.

Buckeye Nation stand up! Time for fans in Cincinatti and/or the surrounding area to come out and support ET and the Sixers!

After the Cleveland game, Philadelphia will return home for their seventh and final pre-season game on Wed. vs the New York Knicks.

Team Check - Philadelphia 76ers (NBA - Evan Turner)

(Evan Turner)

Team: Philadelphia 76ers
League: National Basketball Association
Country: United States
Buckeye: Evan Turner
Sixers Roster

The Roots, Bahamadia, Will Smith & DJ Jazzy Jeff, Boyz to Men, Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Jill Scott, 'Dr. J' Julius Erving, Allen Iverson, Donovan McNabb, Rocky, the philly cheese steak, the Liberty Bell, passionate sports fans.

These are just some of the things (musical artists, sports, history) that come to our minds when thinking of pop culture from the city of brotherly love..and we can now add Buckeye Evan Turner to the list of identifiable sports figures with the city of Philadelphia.

It has been a whirlwind 2010 for the guard out of Chicago, Illinois. You have to wonder if he has really had enough time to truly soak in the achievements of winning the Big Ten Championship, and sweeping every major NCAA award before being selected as the #2 pick in the NBA draft. And as we sit on October 18th, Turner is now set to make is official NBA debut in a little over a week on his 22nd Birthday (Oct. 27) vs the Heat.

There are a lot of great team previews floating out there for the 2010 76ers (which we will link to), so we are not going to bore with a big writeup. Instead we really want to put out some team oriented videos as well as a brief recap on the preseason.

When thinking of Philadelphia in the pre-season, our immediate thoughts are how good can the inside game be? And how will Evan Turner fit in?

Samuel Dalembert was a defensive presence inside, he was traded for C Spencer Hawes in the off-season. PF Elton Brand will hold it down in the post, but absent of a starter quality Center Philly will hope to see contributions from PFs Marreese Speights & Darius Songalia.

At guard we have a young smooth & versatile guard from California by the name of Jrue Holiday. Like Evan, Jrue wants to defend, is capable on the boards, and just plays a poised type of game. When ET & Holiday assess their scoring outlets, they will often times be looking at guard/wing Andre Iguodala, wing/forward Thaddeus Young, and guard Lou Williams..another smooth scorer.

For Turner, fall training camp is just about feeling is way into the team and learning how to go about this professional game as a rookie.







Team Previews - Philadelpia 76ers

• Sporting News
• Philadelphia Examiner
• ESPN
  

Heading into the first pre-season game, it was announced that Turner would see his first minutes coming off the bench as the backup point guard...and that is how the first two games played out.

Philadelphia's first two game set of the season were on October 5 & 6 vs the Nets in Roanoke, VA & at the Celtics in New Hampshire. Evan brought down seven rebounds & was able to get to the line in his pre-season debut, but he struggled to get in a rhythm from the field in the opener & in second game vs the Celtics.

The third pre-season game, a road rematch with New Jersey on Oct. 9, saw a lineup change when Coach Doug Collins started Turner alongside Jrue Holiday for the first time. Evan responded with a break out game that consisted of 14 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, & 6 steals! Ever since this game ET has seemingly felt more comfortable, yes he has had the ball in his hands a litle more..but he is also getting better off the ball as well (as well illustrate later)

Thoughts on Turner/Holiday - From reading quotes & seeing interviews with Coach Collins, it seems like he definitely does not see this as an either/or situation. When both are out on the court together, Collins sees those positions as almost interchangeable. Sometimes Evan will bring the ball up and initiate, other times Jrue will bring it up. Both players are versatile enough to play off of each other, but like anything it will take time to develop chemistry. (Holiday is nice, but is a young ball player himself)

Thoughts on Turner - As noted above, he struggled to find a rhythm in the first two games, but has looked much more comfortable on & off the ball since.

• Evan's court recognition off the ball is picking up, he's been able to get some easy buckets off nice cuts.
  
• His rebounding is what has really translated immediately from college to the pros. ET has grabbed 6 or more rebounds in 3 of the 5 pre-season games so far. His patented rebound and transition push out has been evident as well...Transition is where Turner can be really dangerous as a rookie..he gets that board and can either go or kick it out fast. On the break he can take it himself or facilitate teammates with his court feel.
• He is holding his own defensively, but at times #12 is learning how quick & strong some of these guys really are. On some nights he will be asked to stay with a speedster like Leandro Barbosa, other nights he try to defend a savvy vet like Ray Allen who might want to post Evan up..it will be a learning experience all season.
• Turner's free-throw shooting has been stellar (26 of 30 foul shots in 5 games so far)..this can be another weapon for the Sixers as Evan continues to get comfortable.

Thoughts on the Sixers - Philly is currently 1-4 in the pre-season. We have seen them play three times, but it's kind of hard to take too much away from these games due to the inconsistent lineups. Some guys like Hawes & Nocioni are easing back into play from injuries, other times Collins is just experimenting with the lineup. One thing is clear though, to win games they will have to rebonnd & defend..and that type of team cohesiveness will only come in time.

(Video - Philly at Boston 10.12.2010 - Preseason Game 4)

- Just some brief game clips to get a feel of Turner and the Sixers

(Clip Notes)

• Holiday finds a curling Turner off the ball who sets Iggy up for a jumper.
• Evan Turner hits his very first field goal in Philadelphia (first 3 games were away from PA)
• Turner handles the ball pressure up court and finds Thad Young for a give & go resulting in a bucket/foul against fellow rookie Luke Harangody.
• Court awareness - ET gets an errand pass and throws an outlet to guard Lou Williams for the easy bucket.
• Transition - Turner catches the outlet from Holiday and finds Speights for the dunk.
• Future is now - Turner grabs the rebounds and sets up a trailing Holiday for a nice in rhythm three pointer..these guys can play together.
  

Evan Turner vs Boston (Preseason 10.12.2010)
Uploaded by BuckeyeBallersTV. - Basketball,Pro Buckeye Hoop videos.

(Video - Philly at Toronto 10.13.2010 - Preseason Game 5)

-Philadelphia's most recent contest, and another good game for Turner (1st double-double: 13 points, 12 rebounds, 5-5 from the line)

(Clip Notes)

• This is easy - Turner grabs the defensive rebound, gives Demar Derozen a quick light cross before finding the lefty Thad Young for a reverse layup.
• Off the ball - ET slips underneath the defense for the layup.
• The Villain type stuff - Evan gets the defensive rebound, at the other end it is the between the legs to the behind the back to the basket for the layup.
• Turner works with Iguodala for a left handed bucket.
• ET splits the defense at the top and slashes in for the score!
  

Evan Turner vs Toronto (Preseason 12.13.2010)
Uploaded by BuckeyeBallersTV. - More pro Buckeye hoop videos.



Stats & Pre-season results




Evan Turner Interview 10.18.2010

Former Buckeyes & current coaches Jim Cleamons and Chris Jent speak on Lebron/Kobe

(NBA Assistant coaches Chris Jent & Jim Cleamons)

(A couple videos from last month featuring former Buckeyes & current NBA Assistant coaches Chris Jent & Jim Cleamons at their respective youth camps.)

Dexia Mons Advanced to the Eurochallenge Regular Season!

(Ron Lewis - image Mons 9.12.2010)

(FIBA Euro-Challenge Qualifers)

9.29.2010 - Dexia Mons Hainuat 74 vs Trefl Sopot (Poland) 71 (Eurochallenge Qualifer Leg one)
- Ron Lewis - 18 points (4 threes), 3 assists!

10.5.2010 - Dexia Mons Hainuat 73 at Trefl Sopot (Poland) 55 (Eurochallenge Qualifer Leg two)
-Ron Lewis - 13 points, 5 rebound, 5 steals, 3 assists!

Ron Lewis & Dexia Mons Hainuat (DMH for short) of the Belgian League advanced to the 2010/2011 Euro-Challenge Regular Season after defeating Polish club Trefl Sopot (PLK) in the early fall eurochallenge qualifiers.

Leg one of the two game qualifying series was played in Mons, Belgium on September 28, 2010.

In the opening minutes of the first quarter the fans at Mons arena would get a nice look at Ron Lewis in transition when he finished an alley from Ronell Taylor to put Dexia up 4-2. PG Marcus Hatten scored 9 points in the 1st to help Mons to a 23-12 lead going into the 2nd.

It was looking nice at that point, but the team from Poland led by Lithuanian guard Giedrius Gustas responded with a 13-0 run to eventually grab the lead at 32-31 in the 2nd quarter. (tied 37-37 at the half)

Sopot proved that the second period was not a fluke by using a rebounding advantage to lead throughout the 3rd quarter. Mons stayed within striking distance, but could not get over the hump until #11 Ron Lewis hit the go ahead three from the top of the key late in 4th (1:33 mark) to put DMH up 71-69. A Hatten layup would seal the deal a couple possessions later to give Mons the tough 74-71 victory.

While happy with the opening victory, Mons knew they would have to play better on October 5, 2010 in Sopot, Poland to advance to the Regular Season.

In a FIBA two game series, the winner is decided on aggregate points. So a narrow 3 point advantage is not exactly a super comforting feeling going into a tough road contest. In this case Mons either had to win or not lose by more than 3.

Fortunately for fans of DMH, the blue & white of Mons were not interested in playing the points game in leg 2 of the qualifiers.
In the brand new Ergo Arena, Mons again sprinted out of the gates on Sopot in the 1st quarter..this time ending the first period with a 28-12 lead. In Belgium Sopot was able to weather Mons' storm to get back in it, but that run would never come on their home court as DMH continued to pour in buckets en route to a 49-31 half time lead. A 12 point margin was the closest Sopot would come int he 2nd half as Mons cruised to a nice 73-55 road victory.

Mons cleaned up a few things for leg two, namely rebounding and defense. DMH was out rebounded 40-28 in Belgium but it was even at 33 in Poland...and they also did not let Gustas get off with an exceptional game this time (held him to 10 points as opposed to his 18 in gm 1) Lewis had another good game with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals!

(video - first part is a little intro with the Americans Foster, Taylor, Lewis, Hatten & Cage. Then there is a quick little view of the nice Ergo Arena in Poland where Mons played. The first play in the clips is the alley oop from Taylor to Lewis in Leg One. Also there is a tough drive by Ron & the go ahead 3 in the 4th quarter.)



The Eurochallenge Regular Season will begin on November 16, 2010. Mons is slated to play in the 4 team Group H along with two teams from France's top division in Orleans & Nancy, plus Oostende, a familair squad from the Belgian League.

Mons will open up play on the 16th of November in France vs Orleans (schedule)

Domestic League Play - DMH's play in Poland may have been a strong response to their disappointing opener in the Belgian League just a few days earlier. Mons traveled on the road to face Aalstar on October 2nd and just could not stop the hosts in a 84-58 blowout. Dexia had a league bye week following the win in Poland and are now preparing for a fairly big game vs Oostende (same team in their EC grouping) on Oct. 1 to get in the Belgian League win column.

Team Check - Oklahoma City Thunder - NBA (Byron Mullens, Daequan Cook)

(Oklahoma City Thunder - Daequan Cook/Byron Mullens)

Team: Oklahoma City Thunder

League: National Basketball Association

Country: United States
Buckeyes: Byron Mullens & Daequan Cook
Thunder Roster

You already know this is going to be one of the main NBA teams to follow this season. Two Buckeyes, Daequan Cook and Byron Mullens together in Oklahoma City on a rising Thunder squad looking for another run to the playoffs. Former Bucks aside, this is just a fun team to watch as a basketball head. There's Kevin Durant along with guys like Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, and Serge Ibaka..the possible contributions from Buckeyes Cook & Mullens really make it an extremely easy team to root for.

When discussing the Thunder's recent success, it is sometimes easy to overlook their defensive prowess. OKC has many offensive weapons of course, but they also were able to get stops last season as well. The defensive end is where young players like Mullens & Cook need show their ability before they can even begin to play in this Scott Brooks' rotation.

It's been a constant storyline regarding Byron Mullens all throughout the off-season. The center from Columbus has gotten physically stronger and more mature mentally. Mullens credited familiarity from his rookie season as a facilitator going into camp. Rotation wise Byron is somewhat in a similar situation as Koufos in Minnesota. He currently has experience ahead of him in the form of Serbian Nenad Kristic & Nick Collision. And then there is new draft pick Cole Adrich who is in direct competition with BJ everyday in practice.

In thinking about Byron's development, it's not totally about battling Cole Aldrich for backup center minutes..rather it is about proving that he is a player who is indeed worthy of regular season minutes in general. This means competently rebounding the ball, being on time in defensive rotations, and just being in tune with what the squad is doing. If Mullens can prove he is player there might be some playing time (just being in line to play is a step in the right direction as opposed to D-league assignments) We've been reading reports from Thunder training camp and multiple peope have been impressed with Mullens' increased energy level and defensive awareness.

- Daily Thunder- Thoughts on OKC Thunder intra-squad scrimmage

(clip from the October 1st scrimmage)



The familiarity of OKC that has helped Byron improve is instead a foreign system to shooting guard Daequan Cook who arrived from Miami in a draft week trade. For Cook it has been about getting acclimated to Oklahoma City and fitting in with the Thunder program. Daequan's presence has good potential to work out as this is a team that could use more outside threats. But it's not just Cook after Harden & Thabo..OKC also has Morris Peterson and Royal Ivey.. two players with experience and in Ivey's case good defense.

Daequan Cook unfortunately bumped heads with a teammate early in training camp and was subsequently held out of the scrimmage and first preseason game for precautionary reasons (concussion like symptoms)

10.6.2010 - Oklahoma City Thunder 97 Charlotte Bobcats 93 (NBA Preseason Opener)
-Mullens 4pts, 4 rebounds, 1 block in a little under 14 mins

Game Recap

Darnell Maybury wrote "Mullens, meanwhile, got the fewest minutes of the three with just 14. But he scored four points, pulled down four rebounds and kept plays alive with his length. Most impressive, though, was his improvement in help-side defense and awareness in the team's defensive shell."

-The next pre-season game is an interesting Friday (10.8.2010) contest in Kansas City vs the Miami Heat (NBATV)

(on another note, shout out to Cook & Mullens for all their community work over the summer. When they haven't been working out, both have taken time to run youth camps and visit shelters and hospitals. These two are exemplary models of athletes giving back to the community..well done Bucks!)

Team Check - Phoenix Hagen Firebirds! - Germany (Matt Terwilliger)

(10.2.2010 - Hagen's Mark Dorris, Quentin Pryor, & Matt Terwilliger celebrate a season opening road victory)

-10.2.2010: Phoenix Hagen 89 at Walter Tigers 76 (German League Opener)
-Matt Terwilliger 10 pts, 5 rebounds, 2 assists (20mins)

Team: Phoenix Hagen Firebirds
League: Basketball Bundesliga League (Beko BBL)
Country: Germany
Buckeye: Matt Terwilliger
Hagen Roster

In the 2010 Summer of Player Movement Matt Terwilliger went from the red & white of Paderborn Baskets to the Yellow & white of Phoenix Hagen. The 25 year old Forward/Center is a two year veteran of Germany's top basketball division. He was described by the head coach of Hagen as a reliable big who provides solid work offensively, defensively, and on the boards.

Matt (pictured left: 9.8.2010 - this pic is from the first game with Hagen, he's wearing #32 but ends up getting his #42 which is seen in the above image) arrived to Hagen, Germany just in time for the Firebirds second preparation game (9.8.2010)

If the early season is any indication, Hagen plans on making a little noise this season. They went undefeated in ten preparation/preseason games..the Fire birds rolled the teams they were supposed to roll (teams from the lower german leagues), and defeated the tougher teams like Giessen, Bonn, Ludwigsburg of the Bundesliga and Gent of the Belgian League. (Terwilliger scored 17 points vs SV Dortmund on 9.11/2010 & 16 points vs Ludwigsburg on 9.18.2010)

Pre-season Results
(brief clip of the pre-season game vs Telekom Bonn, Twig gets an assist)



Season Opening W! - Phoenix Hagen would ride all of their pre-season momentum to a super nice season opening Bundesliga road victory (89-76) vs the Walter Tigers on 10.2.2010. Terwilliger was one of six Hagen players who scored in double figures..he contributed 10 points (including two threes), 5 rebounds, and 3 assists to the balanced team effort. The firebirds have a big one this Friday when they host the defending BBL champion Brose Baskets of Bamberg.

Looking at Hagen's roster, they have just as many Americans than Germans (Seven, and one Lithuanian forward) Other than Terwilliger, David Bell is the only player we are familiar with, so it will be cool to get to know some of Matt's teammates.

(clips of the season opener vs the Walter Tigers. first half is interviews with the opposing Tigers, 2nd half clips..Twig nails a 3 at the 3:29 mark!)

Team Check - Dinamo Basket Sassari! - Italy (Othello Hunter)

(Sassari huddle - preseason September 2010 - Othello Hunter far left -image Sassari)

Team: Dinamo Basket Sassari
Country: Italy
League: Serie A
Buckeye: Othello Hunter
Sassari's Roster

Exciting Buckeye big Othello Hunter has been in Sassari, Italy for a month plus now in preparation for competition in the tough Italian League. His new club Dinamo (Forza) Sassari is a newly promoted team in the premier Serie A.

Sassari's team makeup is quite interesting. In the summer they signed Hunter, Travis Diener, & James White..all guys with NBA/D-league and high level Europe (Italy, Greece) experience. Greek forward Dimitris Tsaldaris and Brian Sacchetti have experience in the Serie A, but what is left of the roster consists mostly of guys making that big transition from the B division to the top league, and it is obviously going to take time to get comfortable against these big Italian clubs.

Pre-Season Learning Experiences - The preparation stage has been extremely challenging for Sassari in their first foray into the Lega A. They were dealt a big blow early in the conditioning stage when lead guard to be Travis Diener injured his hamstring. his month + long recovery prompted the team to sign 38! year old Randy Childress. They have played a handful of preseason games and unfortunately have frequently been on the losing end.
Some Pre-season results

• 9.27.2010 - Biella 90 Sassari 76 (Othello Hunter 20 points, James White 25)
• 9.23.2010 - Cantu 78 Sassari 62 (Othello Hunter 18 points, James White 20)
• 9.21.2010 - Varese 91 Sassari 84 (Othello Hunter 26 points, James White 21)
• 9.16.2010 - Cremona 81 Sassari 69 (Othello Hunter 11 pts, White 28, Je'Kel Foster for Cremona had 13 pts)

We don't want to sound like super homers, but from the looks of these boxscores Hunter & White are both hooping out..they look ready for this level (very big gap between those two and the rest in scoring efficiency and percentage). But as a team Sassari is not there yet. Lets hope they can get some offense and defensive balance to compete in the Serie A (Regular Season Schedule)..their fans deserve it..especially for putting out these Othello Hunter training camp videos in September!

Shoutout to Sassari Nation, good luck guys!







(Video from one of the preseason games, it is mostly clips of the opposing team except for an Othello slam early in the video)



(Ford Italia sponsors Sassari)