Buckeye Ballers - First Team All-November 2011 (Brandie Hoskins is Player of the Month!)

(Image - Romania Fall 2011 - #35 Brandie Hoskins SCM CSS Craiova)

First Team All-November - Brandie Hoskins (Guard/Forward - 5 Years Pro) is the top player of November 2011 after another dominant month of play in Romania. Brandie currently the number one scorer in the league and it doesn't look like she will be relinquishing that title anytime soon. Here's why, in five November games, Hoskins averaged 25.8 ppg and 6 assists. Her best scoring game of the month was a admirable 30 point effort against ICIM Arad, the #2 team in Romania (November 29).

• Je'Kel Foster - Guard (6) Years Pro (Veteran Je'Kel Foster experienced the most challenging schedule of all the Pro Buckeyes in November. His Munich, Germany based club, FC Bayern, had a crazy stretch that included two tough Eurocup away games in Russia and Croatia and contests in opposition to heavyweights ALBA Berlin and Benetton Treviso at home. Je'Kel was one of Bayern's top leaders (13ppg) in that difficult series of games. He continues to display that tough brand of basketball we have come to expect. Top moments - Foster dropped 31 points in Artland Nov. 12, led Bayern to their first ever Eurocup victory over Treviso on Nov. 14, and scored the game deciding three pointer versus Fraport on Nov. 12)

• Othello Hunter - Forward - (4) Years Pro (Othello Hunter had a monster first month of Basketball in China. He is currently the top rebounder in the CBA after five straight dbl-dbl games resulting in super nice averages of 18.4 ppg & 16.2 rpg! The forward from Winston Salem, North Carolina collected a season high 21 rebounds in his regular season debut on 11.19. Hunter also had 27 points (12 fgs including two threes) & 19 rebounds in Shandong's big victory over Wilson Chandler and Guangsha on 11.25. Shandong went 3-2 in the month of November.)

• Brittany Johnson - Guard - Rookie (First year pro Brittany Johnson, the player of October 2011, picked right up where she left off by scoring 28, 25, and 26 in three November games. Lady Buckeye fans knew Brittany would probably find success from the outside as she is a great shooter, but we have also been very impressed with how adept she has been at getting to the foul line and converting. Johnson is really damaging teams in this area..she earned 31 free throw attempts in those 3 games and made 28 of 31! - 90.3% )
  

• George Reese - Forward - (12) Years Pro (G. Reese averaged 14.8 ppg in five November Polish League games. In AZS Koszalin's 109-75 blowout of LKS Lodz..George contributed 24 points, half of which came from the 4 three pointers he hit out of six attempts. AZS Koszalin faced three of the top teams in Poland during November..they are currently ranked #6 in ths standings with a 5-6 record)

Eurocup - FC Bayern Munich Guard Je'Kel Foster Expected to Miss 3-4 Weeks after Ankle Injury in Russia

(Image - Demotix - St. Petersburg, Russia - FC Bayern Munich Guard, #13 Je'Kel Foster fights to gain possession of the ball against Spartak SP - 11.29.2011)

FC Bayern in Russia - German club FC Bayern Munich closed out their unbelievably tough November schedule with perhaps the most difficult game of the season so far, a Eurocup road trip against favored Spartak in St. Petersburg, Russia (11.29). Spartak SP is currently playing three schedules, the Russian Superleague, VTB United League, and the Eurocup Competition (2-0 in Bayern's Eurocup Group G).

Defeating a battle tested Spartak team in St. Petersburg was a daunting challenge for Bayern. So the 75-62 final in favor of Spartak was not much of a surprise, but finding out that Je'Kel Foster only participated for 9 minutes of the contest was. According to reports after the game, the starting two guard for Bayern a severe ankle/foot injury in the 2nd quarter. A writeup (link - injury description) on Foster additionally states he will be out of action for several weeks, and that's a setback for Munich to lose one of their top leaders for most likely the remainder December's games.

Foster's injury in St. Petersburg, Russia was an unfortunate close to what was an awesome month for the native of Natchez, Mississippi. Some of his November highlights include leading Bayern to their first ever Eurocup victory over Italy's Treviso (11.15), hitting the game sealing three pointer on Frankfurt (11.20), and a 31 point performance in Artland (11.12). Get well soon Je'Kel!

In The Game (China) - Buckeye Othello Hunter & Shandong Battle Jim Cleamons' Zhejiang Guangsha Lions With NBA Player Wilson Chandler!

(Screencap - 11.25.2011 - Pregame -National Anthem - left front - Shandong import and former Ohio State Buckeye Othello Hunter - right front - Zhejiang import Wilson Chandler - Shandong Province in East China)

Top Level Talent Overseas - Basketball Never Stops, a 2011 Nike Off-Season/Lockout ad campaign that celebrates a universal love of the game amidst serious labor disputes in the sport's top league, the National Basketball Association. The slogan, Basketball Never Stops, could not be anymore apropos for these late 2011 months of November & December where high level basketball can be found around the world, despite empty NBA arenas. It is disappointing to lose a portion or all of a season's NBA games, but Basketball never stops, a considerable amount of big time NBA talent has opted to played overseas through the duration of the NBA lockout or entire 2011/2012 season leading to unprecedented hype and excitement in the international game (NBA All-Star Deron Williams drops 50 points in a Euro-challenge game, Andrei Kirilenko returns to Moscow to dominate the Euroleague with CSKA..these are unique dream situations for international fans because these players should be in the States under normal circumstances).

Buckeyes in big games - Going into the season, we knew there would be chances to view the overseas Buckeyes compete against some high profile names and there has already been memorable games. In the early season, rookie David Lighty matched up with NBA guys Nicolas Batum and Thabo Sefolosha in Euroleague games, Ron Lewis played against Jordan Farmar and JJ Hickson in Israel, and Jantel Lavender competed against WNBA stars Tina Charles and Diana Taurasi in Turkey. Another former Buckeye, Othello Hunter, is slated to face several current and former NBA players this season as a member of Shandong in the Chinese Basketball Association. Hunter's first real marquee matchup took place on November 25 when Shandong (2-0) hosted Zhejiang Guangsha and NBA player Wilson Chandler.

11.25.2011 - Shandong FB 97 vs Zhejiang Guangsha 89 (CBA Round 3)
- Othello Hunter: 27 points (10-16 2pt fgs, 2-4 3pt fgs), 19 rebounds!
- Alan Anderson: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals
- Wilson Chandler: 42 points (14-20 2pt fgs, 3-7 3pt fgs), 10 rebounds, 3 steals

(Screencap - Zhejiang Head Coach, Jim Cleamons)

In the Game - American free agents Wilson Chandler, Aaron Brooks, JR Smith, and Kenyon Martin deciding to play in the Chinese Basketball Association has been one of the most discussed topics in regards to the lockout. Not only are these some NBA players hooping in China, but there is also an interesting angle where all of these guys will have to play the whole CBA Regular Season due to the league not allowing escape clauses in the event that the lockout ends. (link)

Wilson Chandler (pictured left: 11.25.2011 - Former New York Knick, played well with the Denver Nuggets this past season - currently an NBA restricted free agent when the lockout ends), signed with the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions back in August of 2011. The head coach of Zhejiang Guangsha is Jim Cleamons, a former Ohio State Buckeye and NBA Champion (as a player & assistant coach). Cleamons just concluded a legendary run as an assistant under Championship Coach Phil Jackson (7 seasons in Chicago, 13 seasons in Los Angeles), this is his first run as a head coach since the late 90's when he served as the head man for the Dallas Mavericks (1996-1997) and Chicago Condors women's ABL team (1998) -( Jim Cleamons - Hoopedia link). This ESPN article notes that Jim Cleamons as the coach of Guangsha was a plus or pro for Wilson Chandler over other situations.

Quote - ESPN's J.A. Andande

"Chandler, who had been in talks with Olimpia Milano in Italy as well, liked the appeal of playing up to three games a week in China, as opposed to one game a week in Italy. He also liked the fact that Jim Cleamons, the former Dallas Mavericks coach who was an assistant on Phil Jackson's championship teams in Chicago and Los Angeles, will be coaching the Lions." (link)

Guangsha's second American import is big man Dwayne Jones, a former Celtic & Cavalier (2006-2008) who has been every where from the D-League to Turkey, China, and Puerto Rico since his stint with Cleveland. Like Shandong, we do not know much about the Chinese Nationals that Coach Cleamons has to work with, but they have opened with a 2-0 start behind Wilson Chandler's 43 in the game one and 28/12 in game two.

So here we go, Shandong vs Guangsha! We love these types of games because it is always exciting to watch our pro Buckeyes playing under the bright lights against high profile competition! Othello Hunter, former Atlanta Hawk and Italian League All-Star, has been nice in his first two regular season games in China. He's accounted for two double-doubles, 11 points with 21 rebounds in game one and 19 points/13 rebounds in the followup, a 3 point OT win over Shanghai.


Video - 'In the Game' - Shandong/Guangsha clips!

- Game Notes -

• In China, only one American import per team can be on the court in the first half, Jim Cleamons made the obvious choice of starting Wilson Chandler while Shandong elected to open with Hunter who checked Guangsha's big man.
  

• Wow, Othello Hunter just looks better and better every season. He's worked on that mid-range to 17/18 foot jumper throughout his pro career, and now he wants to show that he can consistently hit from long range. So with the score at 2-2, Hunter hits back-to-back three pointers! Great way to start this big game..huge pops from the home Shandong crowd!

• Shandong actually got out to a great 15-2 opening run before Guangsha battled back to within six by the end of the 1st. Hunter had another cool sequence at the 3:57 mark (20-8 score) when he blocked a shot and then hit a short jumper over Chandler at the other end, prompting Coach Cleamons to call a timeout.

• Hunter and Chandler did match up occasionally. Hunter on defensive p&r switches, and Chandler when Guangsha would go small. Early in the 2nd quarter, Othello hits the Denver Nugget with a fadeway j in the post! But Chandler responds with a step back jumper of his own and a long three.
  

• Both Hunter and former Michigan State standout Alan Anderson were on the floor together in the 3rd. The American tandem provided the play of the game at the 8:56 mark..Anderson intercepted a poor outlet pass to create a 2 on 1 with Othello who finished with the two handed slam! Shandong went back up by ten at that point (58-48).

• Man, Wilson Chandler is near unstoppable in this setting. The talented wing can get where ever he wants on the court, and he's hitting everything from acrobatic layups to fadeways and long threes. He's going to have to have several big scoring nights for Cleamons because Guangsha's other import, Dwayne Jones, is more of a defender, rebounding type. By the way, Chandler, like many imports look huge in China..Couldn't imagine how Dwight Howard would look..lol..There's a lot of tall guys there, but the athletes here in the States are tall and big and strong and fast...those guys aren't as plentiful in China, although the country is starting to develop that archetype.
  

• Fourth quarter..both teams trading baskets. It's been close since late the 3rd when Guangsha was able to cut the game long deficit to single digits..Chandler, who is totally carrying his team, hits a jumper of the glass to give Guangsha a 76-72 lead. Alan Anderson nailed a three to bring Shandong within 1, Chandler comes back with another tough jumper, and then Hunter ties the game with a bucket and-1 finish! (78-78)

• 78-78 score - Wild sequence! Guangsha foils a Shandong fastbreak..they save the ball from going out of bounds, but Othello Hunter ends up getting the ball from a Shandong teammate and finds a waiting Alan Anderson in the corner for three!
  

• 81-78 score - Here we see Hunter off the bounce again, the agile PG drives, rebounds his own layup attempts and scores to give Shandong the five point lead.

• This is so fun to watch..these imports have the green light to go off in these games! Wilson Chandler was superb in carrying Guangsha, ending with 42 total points, but you tell that Shandong had a little too much with the 1-2 punch of Anderson and Hunter..and they got help from some of their guards who hit two late threes which ultimately put the game out of reach for Guangsha after tying it at 87.

• Statement Play - Under 50 seconds left, the score is 93-87 after the clutch Shandong threes, but Chandler isn't quitting and makes a running jumper. Shandong, with Alan Anderson on the ball, just wants to run some clock and get a decent shot with their next offensive possession. Anderson finds a guard in the corner who attempts a three, Othello Hunter rebounds the miss, gathers himself with a dribble where he gets low on Chandler and rises for the game clincher over Wilson Chandler! (Big pop from the crowd..Hunter is hyped, the Shandong bench is hyped, Anderson points to Hunter and starts flexing.. Hunter finished with his best game yet in China, 27 points, 19 rebounds!)
  

In The Game (China) - Shandong v... by BuckeyeBallersTV

Web - Byron Mullens Played Pick-Up Basketball at Ohio Prison Facility During Off-Season

(Byron James Mullens)

Web - Article - ESPN - Basketball Within Prison Borders (contains picture and video)

Pro Basketball players have gone far and wide to get some good competition during the NBA Lockout off-season. Aaron Brooks, Wilson Chandler, and J.R Smith went to China, Kevin Durant played at Rucker Park in New York, Deron Williams went to Turkey, and Byron Mullens went to Prison. Prison?!?

ESPN.com's Anna Katherine Clemmons writes 'Basketball Within Prison Borders', an interesting feature story about former Buckeye Byron Mullens playing basketball with and against inmates at an Ohio Correctional facility.

Excerpt-

"After the Thunder's playoff run ended last May, Mullens began offseason workouts with a trainer and played pickup games at Ohio State University, where he played for one season before going pro in 2009. But after talking this spring with friend Jeff Lisath, the assistant warden at Ross Correctional Institution in Chillicothe, Ohio, Mullens decided to play inside prison walls once again.

"I played ball at some places for juvenile kids when I was in high school and I kinda wanted to get back into it," Mullens said." (link)

Clip - Jamar Butler to Bryant Austin Alley-Oop! (Lima Explosion Season Opener)

(Image - Team Photo - 2011/2012 Lima Explosion Bottom row & second from the right - Buckeye Jamar Butler - November 2011)

Gametime - The ABA expansion Lima Explosion defeated the Gem City Hall of Famers by a score 115-76 in the 2011/2012 season opener. Ohio Northern product Kyle Meyer led Lima with 21 points followed closely by former Mr. Ohio Basketball and Ohio State Buckeye Jamar Butler and his 19 points.

The game was originally scheduled to take place in Dayton, home of Gem City Hall of Famers, but they failed to secure a venue in adequate time for the contest. Working on short notice, organizers planned the event to be played in Lima at Lima Catholic Central HS, giving local fans a chance to see their team in the club's first ever game (The Explosion's regular home venue is Elida Fieldhouse in Lima).

Clip - Season Opener - 11.27.2011 - (Lima Explosion guard Jamar Butler throws a lob pass to teammate Bryant Austin who finishes with a nice two handed slam!)

End of November 2011 Results !

(Photo - Remus Badea/Mediafax.Ro - action image - Buckeye Brandie Hoskins, current player of SCM Craiova shoots against ICIM Arad - 11.29.2011 - Craiova, Romania)

Buckeye Ballers -Top late November 2011 Storylines -

- Othello Hunter & Shandong meet up with Wilson Chander and Jim Cleamon's Guangsha

- Jamar Butler makes ABA Regular Season debut with the expansion Lima Explosion

- FC Bayern & Alba Berlin collide in Munich, Germany

- Hoskins & Johnson continue with more dominant scoring performances

- Diebler and Panionios reach the upper echelon of the Greek League Standings

- Stockman helps lead Abejas in overtime victory with season high scoring game

• Romania (Round 8) - 11.28.2011 - Craiova 67 vs ICIM Arad 82 (Buckeye standout Brandie Hoskins is currently in an amazing stretch high level play in Romania,. She collected her 8th 20+ points game on November 28, this time dropping 30 against one of the league's top squads, ICIM Arad. Hoskins and her American teammate Carla Bartee both played all 40 minutes for Craiova, Bartee added 24 points, but Arad came out on top in the battle of two three loss teams. - Hoskins 30 points/4 assists/3 rebounds and 1 turnover in 40 minutes of play )

• China (Round 3) - 11.25.2011 - Shandong 97 vs Guangsha L. 89 (Othello Hunter followed two double-double games with another great night in Shandong's win over Wilson Chandler and Guangsha, coached by former Buckeye Jim Cleamons. Hunter led Shandong wth 27 points (10-16 2pt fgs, 2-4 3pt fgs) with 19 rebounds!! Alan Anderson had 15 for Shandong and Guangsha's Wilson Chandler went off for 42 points. We can expect several big stat lines from the American imports as featured players in these NBA style games - 12 mins per quarter - Shandong moves to 3-0 in the CBA)

`

• Greece W (Round 8) - 11.27.2011 - Panionios 75 vs FES Neas 68 (Rookie Brittany Johnson blazes the nets again for her third straight 25+ scoring game! Johnson scored 25 points with 10 rebounds in Panionios' seven point Round 8 victory. The guard from Illinois has been adept at getting to the foul line and making teams pay with excellent free throw shooting. She made 12 of 13 free throw attempts vs FES Neas after hitting 10 of 11 in the previous game.)

• Mexico (Round 30) - 11.26.2011 - Abejas 97 at Lechugueros 94 OT (Tony Stockman and Abejas won in overtime at Lecugueros, ending a three game skid. Stockman turned in a season high scoring total of 23 points with 3 rebounds & 2 assists. Tony was nice from the field..8 of 11 overall including four 3-pointers and 3/4 from the foul line. He is seen in the video below playing good on ball defense which results in a turnover and bucket for Abejas - starting at 0:40 sec mark)

• Israel (Round 7) - 11.27.2011 - Hapoel Holon 93 at Maccabi Ashdod 84 (Hapoel Holon improved to 4-3 as a result of their 9 point home win over Maccabi Ashdod. Holon guard Ron Lewis played an instrumental part in the game with 20 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals. Lew was perfect from the foul line at 6 for 6 and led Holon in minutes, points, and assists. Hapoel Holon take a two game winning streak into the December 5 meeting with league Champion Maccabi Tel-Aviv! In addition to Lewis, Holon/Ashdod featured familiar import names such as Tasmin Mitchell, Josh Duncan, Josh Carter)

• USA - ABA (Round 1) - 11.27.2011 - Lima Explosion 115 vs Gem City 76 (The ABA expansion Lima Explosion easily won over Gem City in their first game in club history. Buckeye guard Jamar Butler opened the season with 19 points for his hometown squad. Clip - Butler throws a lob to teammate Bryant Austin!)

• Germany (Round 10) - 11.26.2011 - FC Bayern 79 vs Alba Berlin 85 (FC Bayern Munich suffered their first defeat in the Audi-Dome at the hands of German heavyweight Alba Berlin. Je'Kel Foster had a solid all-around contribution of 13 points - 4 made threes - 8 rebounds, 3 assists and Chevon Troutman added 14 points, but Berlin had 4 guys in double figures including DeShaun Wood who had 27 points..11 of which came from the free throw line. Foster's 8 boards vs Berlin was his highest rebounding game of the season so far.)

• Poland (Round 13) - 11.26.2011 - AZS Koszalin 82 at Energa Czarni 84 (In one of the closest games in late November, AZS Koszalin just barely lost at Energa Czarni in a 84-82 battle. Koszalin forward George Reese came up with his fourth double figure scoring game of November: 13 points, 7 rebounds & 3 assists. Koszalin should hopefully get some relief in the form of a lighter schedule in early December after facing three of the toughest squads in Poland in consecutive weeks.)

• Greece M (Round 6) - 11.26.2011 - Panionios 69 at Marousi 67 (Panionios, one of the hottest teams in Greece, improved to an impressive 5-1 record after holding on at Marousi 69-67. Jon Diebler contributed 8 points, 1 reb, 1 assist in just 14 minutes of play. His 4 fouls might explain why he didn't see more on court time. Nevertheless, Panionios extends their win streak to five and is currently tied for 2nd in the Greek League Standings.)

• Italy (Round 8) - 11.27.2011 - Bennet Cantu 74 at Lottomatica Roma 91 (Bennet Cantu ran into a hot shooting team in Rome in the Serie A Round 8. Roma blew the game open by winning the 2nd quarter 27-14 and then comfortably coasting to victory. Cantu surrendered their most points of the season..they are now 5-3 in Italian League Play. David Lighty: 6 points, 4 rebounds)

• Poland (Round 13) - 11.26.2011 - PGE Turow 105 at Polpharma 55 (PGE Turow steamrolled Polpharma to the tune of a 50 point annihilation!! In the previous four games, Turow lost three straight and then won the final contest at the final buzzer..so they were due for a game like this where everything clicked. They won the opening period by a score of 28-15, and Polpharma would never threaten. Dallas Lauderdale: 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1 assist)

Eurocup Round Two Results (Videos) - Lauderdale And Turow Win Thriller! Bayern Munich in Zagreb

(Screencap - Dallas Lauderdale competes in the 4th quarter of a tight game in Eurocup Round Two - 11.22.2011 - Zgorzelec, Poland)

11.22.2011 - FC Bayern Munich (Germany) 66 at KK Cedevita Zagreb (Croatia) 70 (Eurocup Regular Season Round )
- Je'Kel Foster: 8 points, 3 steals, 1 assist and rebound

11.22.2011 - PGE Turow (Poland) 67 vs Dexia Mons (Belgium) 66 (Eurocup Regular Season Round 2)

Eurocup Storylines - Eurocup Round Two presented some more challenges for our two teams of interest in the regular season competition, Bayern Munich (Germany) and Turow Zgorzelec (Poland). Je'Kel Foster and Bayern had one one of their most memorable games of the season in Eurocup week 1 after downing Benetton Treviso of Italy (11.15.). The quality victory over Treviso resulted in Bayern's first modern Eurocup win in club history...they followed that game and first win in a European competitions iv. This team is team is strong in the confines of the Audi-Dome in Munich with an undefeated 6-0 home record, but they have not won on the road since October 15 (0-2 in last road games), and now Bayern had to travel to Zagreb, Croatia for a tough road contest against Cedevita in Eurocup Round Two.

Turow Zgorzelec's treacherous November schedule has created significant adversity for the Polish League squad. Turow climbed to the top of the league standings with a superb 9-0 start, but they've dropped their last three in November, a tough loss in Eurocup week one and two close defeats in the Polish league. With their backs firmly against the wall, Turow looked to get back on track in Eurocup week two versus Dexia Mons of Belgium.

Classic finish in Zgorzelec - PGE Turow played host to Mons on November 22 in what was a 'must-win' for the two teams. Both Mons & Turow needed to avoid falling to 0-2 in the Group H standings after defeats in Eurocup week one. The slow start has seemed to plague Turow in their rough stretch of defeats as they've been held to an average of just 11 first quarter points in the last three games. But Zgorzelec was able to put together a strong first quarter against Dexia Mons, winning the opening period 25-16..their largest 1st Q output of the season. The road squad from Belgium displayed some grit and urgency of their own with a second quarter comeback fueled by Americans Justin Cage & Ahmad Nivans (2 former teammates of Buckeye Ron Lewis who played for Mons last season in 2010-2011).

After an even first half (40-37), Mons took control of the game by holding Turow to just eight points in the 3rd and putting up 19 to take a 56-48 lead to the 4th. Looking at a an 8 point deficit, and 0-2 start in Eurocup, and fourth consecutive loss, Turow Zgorzelec responded with spirited defense and hot outside shooting to climb back into the game. Both teams withstood each other's big second half runs and the game would come down to the wire. Turow led 65-64 in the waning seconds when Mons guard AJ Slaughter sliced through the defense for a layup. With just 5 seconds remaining, Turow's Ronald Moore raced end to end to hit a tough floater at the buzzer, scoring his first points of the game and giving Turow a thrilling 67-66 victory!

( Rookie Dallas Lauderdale contributed 6 points with a block in 15 minutes of play.)

Clips - A Couple nice alley oop finishes from Dallas Lauderdale and the Ronald Moore buzzer beater!)

(Extended Game Film - Last 5:30 minutes of the game)

Munich/Zagreb - German League club FC Bayern could not quite find their outside shooting in a frustrating 70-64 loss at the hands of Cedevita in Zagreb, Croatia. Munich Forward Chevon Troutman did some damage inside versus a formidable Cedevita frontcourt with 18 points/8 rebounds, but Bayern's disappointing 1-12 night from behind the three point arc is what may have prevented them from winning their first Eurocup road contest (Boxscore).

(Extended Game Film - Eurocup Round Two - Bayern at KK Cevedita Zagreb)

News (Turkey) - Americans Jantel Lavender And Amber Harris Leave Club Besiktas

(Image - 10.3.2011 - A Turkish medical official administers a routine health check to Los Angeles Sparks player Jantel Lavender prior to the 2011/2012 International Season - Istanbul, Turkey)

Los Angeles Sparks forward and former Buckeye All-American, Jantel Lavender, arrived to Istanbul, Turkey (pictured left: one of the first photos of Lavender in Turkey) in early October 2011 for her first career international campaign with famous club sports club Besiktas. Besiktas has garnered worldwide press in recent years due to their notable men's basketball signings of Allen Iverson (2010) and Deron Williams (2011). The club's financial situation has also received considerable publicity after it was reported that their accounts had been froze in the aftermath of a football (soccer) match fixing scandal.

According to this Sporting News article, Besiktas has reportedly had problems with paying athletes on time as well, in addition to soccer scandal (Boy, Turkish sports doesn't sound like the most professional outfit out there, lol). And it was late payments that ultimately led to the mid November departures of American women's bsketball imports Jantel Lavender & Amber Harris who both left after a little over a month of service (dispute was contract breach by Besiktas in form of late payments - Source1, Source2, Source - ESPN Marc Stein).

J-Lav in Turkey - Besiktas is going to wish they were more professional because they had a gem in Jantel Lavender. Lav played in three Turkish League Regular season games, and two Eurocup games with a scoring average of 22 points with 8 rebounds. Her biggest game in Turkey was a monster 36 point/10 rebound effort versus Galatasaray, the overseas squad of fellow WNBA stars Tina Charles (pictured left: Lavender matches up with Charles) and Diana Taurasi. Lavender scored more than half of her team's total points in the 82-63 defeat to Galatasaray.

It is currently not known if Lavender will join another team for the remainder of the 2011/2012 international season or instead opt to prepare for WNBA #2 in the States.

(#14 Jantel Lavender - Turkey Late 2011 - Amber Harris in left background)

BuckeyeBallersTV - Dunk of the Year Already?! Othello Hunter's Explosive Slam at Foshan!! (China - 11.19.2011)

(Flying Hunter - Great action photograph as Othello Hunter extends in flight during his electrifying dunk at Foshan - China - 11.19.2011)

BuckeyeBallersTV - It's early Winter and we might not see a better dunk all season from the Pro Buckeyes than Othello Hunter's sick one handed throw-down at Foshan during the CBA Regular Season opener! (Video below). Late in the first quarter, Othello received the ball near the top of key, he quickly recognized an open the lane to the basket and immediately exploded to the hoop..he only needed one dribbled before taking flight from well behind the inner arc. Foshan big man Marcus Douthit made a block attempt in the paint, but Hunter beautifully extended in mid-air to complete the highlight play.

We've seen many great dunks from Othello Hunter throughout his pro career, and this one has to rank up there at the top. We saw it all in ths play..his agility, bounce, hang time, and power. And it's crazy how quickly Hunter got to he basket. You literally can't blink while watching this because he's at that rim in a flash! Another cool aspect of the play is that Shandong/Foshan was front and center before a live national audience as the 2011/2012 CBA Regular Season opener. This was the only scheduled game on openeing day, so not only did Hunter have one of the first plays of the new season, but it was seen by millions in China!

BuckeyeBallersTV - Ron Lewis Drops 27 on Netanya (Israel Round 6)

(Image - Ron Lewis - Netanya, Israel - 11.20.2011)

BuckeyeBallersTV - Ron Lewis was pretty much unstoppable in Hapoel Holon's blowout road 98-75 win at Netanya (11.20). Lewis had his second 27 point (Seven 2pt fgs, three 3pt fgs & four free throws) game of the season. This video includes a couple sweet plays from the first half, one being a nice steal & dunk, plus Ron's three point barrage in the second half!

Video - Katie Smith Becomes Third Player in WNBA to Reach 6000 Points!

(Image - Katie Smith - Seattle Storm Media Day 2011)

Video of former Buckeye and current Women's Basketball star Katie Smith becoming the third player to reach 6000 points in the WNBA (9.11.2011 - Seattle vs Chicago). Smith is the WNBA all-time leader in three pointers made and is also the third all-time leading scorer in league history. (Katie Smith Stats)

BuckeyeBallersTV - Je'Kel Foster Hits Game Deciding Three vs Fraport! (Germany 11.20.2011)

(#13 Je'Kel Foster does it all for Bayern Munich - Germany 2011)

BuckeyeBallersTV - Bayern Munich Guard Je'Kel Foster is making a good case for First Team All-November. Foster scored 31 points against Artland on 11.13, lead Munich to their first ever Eurocup win versus Treviso (11.15), and when his team needed it most, Je'Kel made a clutch three pointer that would gove Bayern a close 58-57 W over Fraport (11.20.)

(Video - Je'Kel Foster vs Fraport 11.20.2011 - German BBL)

China (Round One) - Shandong 93 at Foshan 79 (CBA Debut of Othello Hunter, Alan Anderson, Gerald Green)

(11.19.2011 - Fans packed the home arena of Foshan for the opening game of the Chinese Basketball Association Regular Season - Foshan, China - Screencap)

11.19.2011 - Shandong FB 93 at Foshan 79 (CBA Reguar Season Round 1)
- Othello Hunter: 21 rebounds, 11 points, 3 steals, 1 assist!

Enter China - The Chinese Basketball Association is the top league in Asia and one of the premier professional outfits in the world The rise of hoops in this region has been well documented in the last decade, and to put it shortly..basketball is really big in China!

The emergence and stardom of former NBA star Yao Ming (pictured left with Greg Oden) had a tremendous impact on the national popularity of the sport and at the same time placed China on the worldwide basketball map. For casual fans, Yao's celebrity would probably be the first thing to come to mind in the the context of basketball and china. But due to the NBA lockout and numerous reports of elite players either considering or departing for international ball, (China and Europe), the CBA has received unprecedented North American exposure, and as of late 2011, it is the country's own national league that is garnering more global press than its biggest icon.

Why is the CBA legit? Domestic talent, organization, American imports. China is the top basketball country in Asia as winners of four of the last six FIBA Asian Championships. The quality of player development in China is comparatively higher to the continent's other basketball countries. Moreover, the great organization (financial strength) has made the CBA big time because lucrative contracts and heavy media exposure has attracted several former and current NBA players, taking China to another level. China (the CBA) is definitely a hot contract right now..big budget clubs, worldwide fan interest, plus an NBA style of play (the league is pretty exclusive as well, just 2 U.S imports per team).

(Shandong Imports: Alan Anderson & Othello Hunter)

Four year pro Othello Hunter , new import player for club Shandong, is the very first Ohio State Buckeye to compete in the Chinese Basketball Association! This is Hunter's second high profile international stint. Following his run with the Atlanta Hawks, Othello started for Dinamo Sassari in Italy (high level Europe) where he had an All-Star season. He now enters China at a time where the CBA is at its most popular. This league is going to get so much attention this season..almost every import is a name player! We're talking NBA guys like Kenyon Martin, Aaron Brooks, J.R Smith, Wilson Chandler, ect..lots of star power and media coverage. If you're a basketball fan who wants to see NBA level talent during the lockout, you're following the CBA this year.

Shandong FB - Due to the strict import rules in China, the roster makeup of each club is typically a core of Chinese Nationals with two American imports. It will take some time to get familiar with Shandong's domestic talent, but we already know that Othello Hunter and Alan Anderson should be a nice 1-2 punch. We remember Anderson from his battles with the Buckeyes and the rest of the Big Ten conference as a Michigan State Spartan. Anderson's impressive professional resume includes experience with the Charlotte Bobcats and international powers Maccabi Tel-Aviv (Israel) & Barcelona (Spain).

The Opener - Shandong kicked off the 2011/2012 Chinese Basketball Association Regular season with an away game at Foshan on November 19.. The CBA regular season officially began during the weekend of 11.19-11.20, Shandong/Foshan was the only game scheduled for the 19th..so both teams were able take center stage as the lone game on the first night of the season. Foshan's two American imports are former NBA Slam Dunk Champion Gerald Green and big man Marcus Douthit.

Hunter Time - Both teams traded baskets in the first three possessions. With the score at 4-2, Othello Hunter received the ball at the top of the key, he was left open and proceeded to knock down a three pointer, his first attempt & points in China. This wasn't Hunter's (pictured left: shooting against Douthit) best game from the field (4-12), but the former Buckeye's next field goal would not only announce his arrival in China an emphatic fashion, it also be one of the highlight plays of the season! It was late in the 1st quarter, Shandong had a three point lead at 22-19. Othello grabbed a defensive rebound at the 40 second mark, he trailed the play and ended up getting the ball at the top again..he was open and could have shot it like his earlier bucket, but this time Othello exploded to the basket off just one dribble for an insane right handed slam on Marcus Douthit who challenged from his paint position..the big time dunk elicited oohhhs and ahhhs from the road Foshan crowd..Shandong won the 1st 24-19.

(Inside the Huddle - Othello Hunter & Alan Anderson)

The first quarter passed and we were wondering why Alan Anderson of Shandong and Foshan's Gerald Green (pictured left: Former Boston Celtic), the main scorers on both teams, had not yet been in the contest. Well, it turns out that only one American per team can be on the court in the first half. So in this case, the two import forwards on both teams started the game and then the two swing-men, Green & Anderson, played in the second quarter. From watching some of the other first round CBA games, it is the third period where games really start to get hot in China because teams are allowed to have both imports on the court. One of the top highlights in the game came at the 3:06 mark in the 3rd when an Othello Hunter block lead to a nice fast break slam for Anderson. At this point Shandong led the game 72-57 before putting Foshan away in the fourth (boxscore).

Both Gerald Green and Alan Anderson finished with 18 points. Othello Hunter rebounding game of any player in Round One in China after bringing down a pro career high 21 rebounds to go with 11 points!!

(Video - Some clips from Shandong/Foshan..included is Hunter's opening three pointer, his mega slam over Douthit, and Alan Anderson's dunk! Plus a look at some of the top plays from CBA round one, Othello's dunk made #5)


CBA Round 1 - Shandong at Foshan (11.19... by BuckeyeBallersTV