Germany - FC Bayern Will Take 4-1 Record to Oldenburg

(Image -#13 Je'Kel Foster - Bayern Munich)

- 10.29.2011 - FC Bayern Munich at EWE Baskets Oldenburg (German League Regular Season)

In Good Shape - Je'Kel Foster & FC Bayern Munich are currently enjoying a four game winning streak after narrowly losing at Bonn in the season opener (10.3). Their latest victory was a 100-81 runaway over Hagen (largest win of the year so far). Guard Je'Kel Foster is Munich's scoring leader at the moment with an average of 18 points a game.

On to Oldenburg - FC Bayern (4-1) hopes to continue their winning ways against EWE Baskets (2-3) in Oldenburg on October 29. This will be Je'Kel's first game in Oldenburg since playing for the club during years 2008/2009 & 2009/2010 (Foster and Oldenburg won the 2009 German League Championship).

Web - 'Buckeye Check-In' Dallas Lauderdale!!

(Dallas Lauderdale)

Web: http://www.GeorgeLReese.com
Title: Buckeye Check-In Video (Dallas Lauderdale)
Description - Buckeye George Reese gives us another great installment of his 'Buckeye Check-In' video series. Past editions have included Scoonie Penn & Terence Dials, and the latest Buckeye to check in is rookie Dallas Lauderdale! The timing for this video could not have been anymore perfect as Lauderdale's club, PGE Turow, is set to play against fellow Buckeye George Reese & Koszalin on October 26.

Rookie Perspective - Dallas Lauderdale talks about how special it was to experience and graduate from The Ohio State University, as well as adjusting to overseas life..on & off the court. We most especially loved hearing D-Laud talk about his overall approach to the game, he has an exemplary attitude that always puts the team first. It's really no wonder why this Rookie Class had so much success at Ohio State. Lighty, Diebler, Lauderdale, and Lavender are all high character people.

- Buckeye Check-In - Dallas Lauderdale - Highly Reccomended!

BuckeyeBallersTV - David Lighty's Euroleague Debut!

(Images - #4 David Lighty - 10.19.2011 - Desio, Italy)

BuckeyeBallersTV - David Lighty Euroleague Debut!

Rookie David Lighty played key minutes in the second quarter of his first Euroleague game against SLUC Nancy of France. He played good individual defense against French Star Nicolas Batum, and when Cantu really needed a bucket, Lighty slipped under Nancy's zone defense, received the ball for the very first time and then proceeded to nail an important corner three which would be his first ever Euroleague points!

- The Plays -

• David Lighty's first Euroleague points! A HUGE three in the second quarter!
• Wow! David goes at current Portland Trailblazer Nicolas Batum! Hard drive, spins & stops on a dime at the foul line which sends Batum to the floor, Lighty then hits a jumper!
  

Euroleague 10.19.2011 - Bennet Cantu (Italy) 80 SLUC Nancy (France) 69 !

(Bennet Cantu opened Euroleague play at home versus Nancy of France)

10.19.2011 - Bennet Cantu (Italy) 80 vs SLUC Nancy (France) 69 (Euroleague Regular Season - Week 1)
- David Lighty: 5 points in little over 7 mins of play

The Big Stage - Former Buckeye David Lighty and Bennet Cantu hosted the reigning French Champions, SLUC Nancy, on October 19, 2011. This was Cantu's first game in Europe's top competition in some 18 years and their first game in the modern Euroleague era. So it would be an understatement to say there was just a little bit of tension, nervousness and excitement in the jam packed Paladesio Arena for the Euroleague opener!


Cantu - We feel like we have a decent handle on Cantu after watching multiple games in full. This is a veteran-laden team with an identity of offensive balance & strong defense. Cantu does not possess the extraordinary individual talent/athleticism that some of these other Euroleague teams feature, but what they have is experience, strong chemistry, and several guys who can pass & shoot. We watch a good amount of European basketball, most of these teams display a team-oriented style with good ball movement, but Cantu takes sharing the ball to even higher level..and they are really fun to watch when hitting on all cylinders.

Historical Win - There were certainly some questions heading into this one. How much run would David Lighty get in a contest of this magnitude? Would Cantu come out poised or nervous in the Euroleague setting? And how would they handle the athleticism & talent of center Akin Akingbala & current Portland Trailblazer, Nicolas Batum.

Cantu actually looked very comfortable for a team in its first Euroleague game, and their spirited crowd definitely did all they could to support and at the same time create a tough environment for Nancy. David Lighty checked in for the first time at the 7:09 mark of the 2nd quarter and played until halftime. Lighty was matched up with Batum (pictured left: #55 defending Lighty) for a good part of his time, he played solid defense (did not surrender a bucket) and also hit both of his shot attempts! Dave would not see any more playing time after the 2nd quarter, but it was great that he was able to make positive contributions in limited action.

It was even at halftime (44-44), but that was when Cantu proceeded to put the clamps on Nancy by holding them to 8 points in the 3rd quarter, and then winning the fourth quarter (23-17) to grab a huge 80-69 victory. We thought Nancy's center, Akingbala might be a problem down low, and he did hurt Cantu with 20 points. But Batum (13 points) didn't really go off (in what was his Euroleague debut as well), and Cantu did a really good job of keeping Nancy's American guards Jamal Shuler (4 points) & John Linehan (4 points) in check which was the difference in our opinion.
(Clips from Cantu's youtube page, if you can stand 'Pet ShopBoys' by Richard Niles haha)

BuckeyeBallersTV - Je'Kel Foster 2011 Bayern Munich Home Opener!

(Image - Je'Kel Foster looks to knock down the game clinching free throws to give Bayern Munich their first home win in the Audi-Dome! - Munich, Germany - 10.8.2011)

BuckeyeBallersTV - Clips of Je'Kel Foster in Bayern Munich's 2011 home opener. This game was in week 2 of the German League Regular season versus a squad called the NY Phantoms out of Braunscheweig, Germany. There was some pressure on Bayern to win this game because not only was it the first home contest in their new arena, but Bayern was also coming off a tough road loss at Bonn in Week one. It was close to the end, but contributions form Guards Jonathan Wallace (25 points) & Je'Kel Foster (16 points) helped Munich come away with a 90-87 home victory.

- The Plays -

• 2nd Quarter - Foster hits a long two just inside the arc
• Foster comes back on the next possesion and makes another shot from almost the exact same spot!
• Someone might want to get out there on #13..Je'Kel likes this side of the court as he hits yet another shot, this time a three. (PA guy - ("Je'Kellll Fossstterrrrrr" !)
  
• 3rd Quarter - Je'Kel one on one isolation, top of the key three pointer! (Announcer "He's money, he's money")
• Foster goes hard to the hoop for a layup and the foul!
• Je'Kel Foster seals the deal with game clinching freethrows..go Bayern!
  

Europe - Brandie Hoskins Continues to Shine Overseas

(Image - 26 year old Brandie Hoskins - #35 of SCM Craiova - Romania - 2011)

10.14.2011 - Craiova 70 Timisoara 61 (Regular Season - Game Three)
- Brandie Hoskins: 32 points, 6 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 assists!!

Dayton, Ohio's Brandie Hoskins is continuing her Pro Basketball career in Romania. A club called SCM Craiova announced the addition of Hoskins in late September 2011. The former Buckeye arrived to Romania with prior international experience in the countries of Israel, Greece, Ukraine, and most recently Portugal where she helped lead her team to the playoffs last season.

#1 in Romania - For years we have believed that if there was one former Lady Buckeye who should be in the WNBA right now, it is Brandie Hoskins! The former McDonald's All-American and All-Big Ten performer is a complete basketball player. She can score from anywhere on the court, has great floor vision to find teammates, plays D & also rebounds! Much like a Ron Lewis or Je'Kel Foster, we think of Hoskins as a 'gamer', meaning that Brandie will be an impact player on the court, no matter the caliber or level of play/players.

It certainly did not take long for Hoskins to start filling up the nets in Romania. Craiova opened the season with three straight victories. In those games, Hoskins scored 15 points in game one and then she erupted for 23 points & 32 points in games two & three! Her 32 point performance earned a MVP award for that round of league play (link).

After five games, Hoskins currently ranked as the #1 scorer in Romania (Craiova is 4-1). You can follow Brandie Hoskins' stats at Romanian Basketball website TotalBaschet (link)

- Video footage of Hoskins hooping out with some fellow former Buckeyes in Summer League play from the Summer of 2011 (Columbus, Ohio)

Israel - Ron Lewis & Hapoel Holon Made Noise at the 2011 Chance Super Cup

(Image - Ron Lewis & Hapoel Holon give the audience a customary post-game applause - 2011 Israel)

(2011 Israeli Super Cup Tournament: October 9 to October 13)

10.10.2011 - Hapoel Holon 101 vs Gailboa/Galil 67 (Super Cup Quarterfinals)
- Ron Lewis: 20 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals!

10.11.2011 - Hapoel Holon 84 vs Maccabi Rishon 81 OT (Super Cup Semi-finals)
- Ron Lewis: 24 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal!

10.13.2011 - Hapoel Holon 74 vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv 78 (Super Cup Finals)
- Ron Lewis: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals

Five year pro Ron Lewis & Hapoel Holon participated in the 2011 Israeli National Cup from October 9 through October 13. Lewis has recently been very successful in European Cup competitions. He won the 2010 Czech Cup Championship with Nymburk (Czech Republic) & the 2011 Belgian Cup title as a member of Dexia Mons (Belgium) last season.

Here is a snippet from wiki on Israel's Cup Tournament

The Basketball League Cup is a pre-season basketball tournament held Israel since 2006. It is held in Malha Arena, Jerusalem, on the week before the start of the League season. It is currently sponsored by Pais Lotto and therefore officially known as the Chance Cup (link)

2011 Israeli National Cup - Holon had a very good showing at the Chance Cup in Jerusalem. They made a tremendous statement in the Cup Quarterfinals with a dominating 34 point win over Gilboa/Galil (101-67). Holon ran into an equally game Maccabi Rishon team in the Semi-final. It was a back & fourth contest, but Hapoel eventually out-lasted Rishon in overtime by a score of 84-81. Ron Lewis was in top form for both games. He scored 20 points in the quarterfinals and dropped 24 (which included six threes!) Rishon in the Semis.

Finals - Hapoel Holon advanced to the Cup Finals against the reigning Israeli Champions, powerhouse Maccabi Tel-Aviv. So just one game stood in the way of Ron Lewis winning his third straight National Cup Tournament. And capturing this one might have ranked at the top due to Holon's underdog status against a team like Maccabi T.A. Hapoel exerted a significant amount of effort to challenge the tourney favorites, but Maccabi would come out with the victory in what was a competitive 78-74 Cup Finals. (We'll have more about this game in a later post)

BuckeyeBallersTV - A couple clips of Ron Lewis in the first 2 games of the tournament

- Clip #1 is from the Semis vs Rishon. Ron makes a guy fall with a quick in & out dribble and then nails a 3 from the top of the key!!

- Clip #2 - (Quarterfinals) Lewis steals the ball and finishes the break with a slam!

Poland - PGE Turow Takes Control of League Standings

(The Zgorzelec Crew - PGE Turow - Poland - 2011)

The 2011/2012 Polish League season is an interesting follow for inquiring fans. Club Asseco Prokom has dominated Polish Basketball in the last decade (7 straight titles). But what appears to be a down year for Prokom coupled with several formidable league teams has us beliving that the champs might finally be dethroned this season.

With Asseco Prokom currently playing in the VTB Regional League & Euroleague, PGE Turow, last year's runner up in Poland, has quickly assumed the top spot in the league standings. Following the Euroleague Qualifiers, Turow opened Polish League play in promising fashion with a current four game winning streak. A hard fought opener against Kotwica (76-74 - 10/8/2011) seemed to springboard Turow into the right type of form as they would roll their way past PGE Basket (by 12 - 10/12/2011), Slask Wroclaw (by 21 - 10/15/2011), & Zastal (by 7 - 10/18/2011).

Former Buckeye Dallas Lauderdale is seeing reserve action so far for this strong Turow team (averages about 15mins per in Polish League play). Dallas contributed 6 points, 2 rebounds, & 2 blocks (in 15 mins) in the win over PGE Basket on October 12.

Next Game - 10.26.2011 - Dallas Lauderdale & undefeated Turow host George Reese & Azs Koszalin!


Video Clip - Turow Guard David Jackson feeds Dallas Lauderdale for the Dunk! (10.15.2011)

Germany - Je'Kel Foster And Bayern Open Regular Season Play With Impressive Start

(Image - Je'Kel Foster, wearing #13 for 2011/2012, is a starting guard for one of Germany's high profile basketball teams, Bayern Munich)

Bayern Munich - Five rounds of games have now been completed in the 2011/2011 German League Regular Season. The Bundesliga entrance of FC Bayern Munich garnered much pre-season hype, and the Bavarian club has not disappointed with a 4-1 record up to this point.

Just a quick rewind for those who may be catching up, this is Bayern's first season in Germany's top division (BBL) since back in 1989 (won 2nd division title last season which earned a promotion to the top league). The name Bayern Munich is prominent in European soccer and the club has utilized a nice budget to create a formidable basketball team for the 2011/2012 season. It is pretty amazing to watch this collection of names for fans of German League Basketball. Bayern's head coach, Dirk Bauermann, is the most recognizable coach in Germany. Bauermann (pictured left with Dirk Nowitzki) has been the country's head man in FIBA international competitions (Olympics, World Championships, European Championships) since 2003 and has also won two Bundesliga championships with Brose Baskets in Bamberg.

So we have the top coach of Germany who has coached Dirk Nowitzki for several years and won league championships. Well, we might as well add some of the players from his German Nationals team as well right? That's exactly what Bayern did during the off-season. They acquired Steffen Hamann (veteran of German & International ball, played for Bauermann & with Nowizski for years on the National Team), Jan Jagla (Big Ten fans may remember that Jagla played at Penn State before his pro days. He brings high level European experience for Munich at forward.), Demond Green (G), and Robin Benzing (F).

The Imports - Buckeye star Je'Kel Foster starts alongside Hamann at shooting guard, he is usually then relieved by fellow American Jonathan Wallace of Georgetown (Pictured left with Coach Bauermann & Je'Kel. Wallace & Foster won a German Championship with Oldenburg in 2009). Rookie Ben Hansbrough, last year's Big East player of the year, rounds out the guard lineup for Munich. Sherrod Ford was supposed to be the clubs main post player, but he left the squad prior to the season which opened the door for talented big Chevon 'Chevy' Troutman to join the club in mid-October.

German League 2011 - Something funny happens when you assemble a talented team with a top coach, hook them up with brand new jerseys and give them a sweet new arena to play in..the other teams in the league want to beat you very bad! Munich found that out in the season opener at Telekom Baskets Bonn on October 3rd. Bonn is a German League Contender in their own right, and they were able to feed off the loud home crowd to narrowly defeat Bayern in Overtime 80-76 (Foster: 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists).

Foster & Bayern Go On Run - Bayern wasn't too discouraged following the loss in game one. They knew it would take a few games to develop chemistry with all the new players. The club was also without Sherrod Ford who departed for the States for States before the season...so falling short versus a pretty good Bonn team was not the worst of occurrences. Game two was Bayern's very first home game in their new 'Audi-Dome' arena. Munich would play in the closest game of the week for the second time in a row. The opposing NY Phantoms of Braunschweig, Germany almost spoiled the home opener, but like Bonn did to them, Bayern answered all of Braunscheweig's runs to come away with a 90-87 victory (Foster: 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals!).

Munich continued their solid play by ripping off two more hard fought wins against Tubingen (Game 3 - 86-77) and Goettingen (Game 4 - 77-73 , Foster led Munich win 19 points!)

Big Addition - Former Pittsburgh Panther, Chevy Troutman, recently made his debut with Bayern in Week 5. Troutman comes to Germany from Air Avellino in Italy where he was a low-post force in recent years, he brings even more balance to Munich and figures to be a key piece. Bayern promptly dismantled Phoenix Hagen (100-81) on October 22, Chevy Troutman scored 23 points (10-11 from the field), and Je'Kel Foster was by his side with 23 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals! With Troutman, Foster, Jagla and several others on a deep roster, Munich (4-1) is certainly equipped to contend in Germany.

(Clips of Bayern's very tough first home win vs Braunschweig)

BuckeyeBallersTV - George Reese (2011 PLK Round 2 at Kotwica)

(Image - G-Reese is always all business on the court - Kolobrezeg, Poland - 10.12.2011)

Game Context - The second regular season game for Buckeye George Reese & AZS Koszalin was a challenging road contest versus Kotwica in hostile Millennium Hall. Crowd noise is definitely a unique aspect of Polish League Basketball. These are proud and passionate basketball fans who will create tough environments for teams to play in. Kotwica's home arena is much like Koszalin's, it does not have one of the larger seating capacities in Poland (1,300), but the tightness of the structure coupled with the crowd noise makes for a loud place!

A Fight to the End - It was an uphill battle for Koszalin after Kowica seized control in the first quarter (21-11). A good part of the contest can be described as Koszalin (down 10 at one point) attempting to find a good enough rhythm to disrupt Kotwica's comfortable pace. A visibly frustrated George Reese had just two points after three quarters. But you can't keep a Buckeye down for long of course. George responded with ten fourth quarter points including a six point stretch in three consecutive possessions. Reese additionally nailed two free throws late in the fourth to bring Koszalin to just a one point deficit. But they ultimately could not get over the hump, falling 65-64 in their first defeat of the season.

Buckeye Ballers TV - AZS Koszalin at Kotwica 10.12.2011 (George Reese Clips)

Once again, George Reese shows why he has been one of the most skilled Pro Buckeyes in the last decade. Reese's offensive repertoire is serious with a variety of face-up and post moves. When he's on, it doesn't matter how hostile or raucous the environment is!


- The Plays -

• PG Igor Milicic finds a streaking George Reese for an easy transition layup in the first quarter
• A quick first step to the hoop by Reese in the 4th
• Reese gets the ball on the opposite side (free throw line extended), quick jab step, jumper in defender's face!
• Quick pump-fake to a two-dribble pull-up J, wow!
• Spins off defender in the post, too good!
• clutch free throws
  

Europe - Star Allen Parted Ways With Romanian Club Satu Mare

(Images - Former Ohio State teammates Star Allen & Andrea Walker - Romania - September 2011)

It looks like Buckeye Nation will go zero for two in regards to seeing a couple of Buckeye Ballers on the same pro squad for the 2011/2012 season. Byron Mullens could be playing alongside Jon Diebler as Panionios' starting center s Greece, but he instead opted to train in Columbus & Oklahoma with his OKC Thunder teammates during the NBA lockout.

Former Ohio State teammates Star Allen and Andrea Walker were introduced as new members of Romanian club Satu Mare in early September 2011. The two Buckeyes participated in several preparation games before the regular season opener on October 2. Star Allen brought down 9 rebounds with 5 points, and Andrea Walker contributed 7 points and 9 rebounds in Satu Mare's 72-44 home domination of Oradea. So the run to the Romanian Championship was now on lol...Yet, to our surprise, news reports came out prior to week two about Star Allen suddenly parting ways with Satu Mare.

There was not any information released about why Allen decided to head back to the States, but we wish her all the best and hope to see her back on the court. (Satu Mare is currently 2-1. Andrea Walker leads the club with most rebounds & blocks per game)

Poland - AZS Koszalin Mid-October Results (Reese scores 27 & 23 in consecutive rounds!)

(#9 George Reese of Columbus, Ohio - United States)

10.8.2011 - AZS Koszalin 87 Polpharma 68 (Polish League Regular Season Opener)
- George Reese: 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block

10.12.2011 - AZS Koszalin 64 at Kotwica Kolobrezeg 65 (First regular season road game)
- George Reese: 12 points, 6 rebounds

10.15.2011 - AZS Koszalin 91 vs PGE Basket Poznan 88
- George Reese: 27 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals!!

10.18.2011 - AZS Koszalin 85 at Slask Wroclaw 76
- George Reese: 23 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

2011/2012 - AZS Koszalin and their star forward George Reese moved to 3-1 in Polish League Regular Season play after defeating Slask Wroclaw on October 18. Koszalin opened the season with a big home victory over Polpharma behind 37 points from guard J.J Montgomery (October 12). An away test in Kolobrezeg awaited in round two derby action. The host team, Kotwica, was able to control most of the contest and despite 10 fourth quarter points from George Reese, Koszalin would fall by just one point 65-64 (October 15).

The next date, a weekend home contest (October 18) against PGE Basket of Poznan, was supposed to be relatively comfortable victory. But PGE Basket proved to be a more than formidable opponent. A seemingly routine type of game suddenly turned into an adverse situation when Koszalin found themselves facing a stunning 19 point deficit at halftime following a -13 second quarter. With their backs against the wall, Reese and company responded with an amazing 34 point third quarter to trail by only two points heading into the fourth period. And from there, the home team would ride veterans George Reese (15 2nd half points, 27 points overall!) and Igor Milicic (15 points, 7 assists) to a close 81-78 win!


Reese and Milicic continued to display their top form at Slask Wroclaw on October 18. Koszalin's top two players once again paced the club in minutes and points. Igor Milici contributed 19 points (40 minutes), and George Reese led everyone with 23 points & 6 rebounds (36 minutes). The 86-75 final gave Koszalin their first road victory of the regular season. Currently at 3-1, Reese and AZS Koszalin will close October out with a home game against Zastal ZG (October 22), and a big road game in Zgorzelec versus Turow.

(Videos - clips of opening day - check out the Reese dunk at the 1:00 mark! Plus an interview that George did with Igor from last season!)

Team Check - Panionios B.C. (Jon Diebler - Greece)

(Image - Nea Smyrni - Athens, Greece - #9 Jon Diebler & Byron Mullens in Panionios Red, White, And Blue - early fall pre-season 2011)

Buckeye: #9 Jon Diebler (Rookie)
Position: Guard/Forward
Team: Panionios B.C.
Location: Nea Smyrni District (Athens, Greece)
League: Greece A1 (HEBA)
Profile - Panionios B.C is a name to get familiar with for the 2011/2012 season. The Athens based club is home to two former Ohio State Buckeyes who are playing their first seasons overseas, Brittany Johnson & Jon Diebler. It has been a memorable off-season for Upper Sandusky, Ohio's Jon Diebler. The former Mr. Ohio Basketball got married in late June 2011, was selected by the Portland Trailblazers in the 2011 NBA Draft, and in August he agreed to join Greek club Panionios B.C. for the first stage of his pro career.

It did not take long for Jon (pictured left: arriving in Athens - late Summer 2011) to become famous in Greece after being seen with NBA superstar Kobe Bryant at a Nike House of Hoops event in downtown Athens (late September). And now fans can see what Diebler is about on the court as he dawns the red, white, and blue of Panionios for the 2011/2012 Greek Season.

Like Poland (Lauderdale) & Italy (Lighty), the Greek A1 League presents tough competition to compete against in one's first season overseas. The field is formidable; there is powerhouse Panathinaikos, a revamped Olympiacos team, and then a group of traditional clubs with long histories who are attempting to climb back to the top tier. These teams are Aris, PAOK, Maroussi, and Panionios who most recently played in the Euroleague during the 2008/2009 season (but they did not have a great run last season, finished 9th in the Greek League).

We saw some familiar names upon first glancing at Panionios' roster. Two main guards will run the show, veteran American import William Keys (G - 34 - played Israel, Spain, Greece, Eurocup) and Greek Vasilis Xanthopulos (G - 27 - recently played for Greece at the 2011 European Championship). Those two, along with Serbian forward Stevan Nadfeji (32) bring solid experience. At center, Panionios wanted former Buckeye Byron Mullens to be its starting big man for 2011/2011, but Mullens (pictured at the top with Diebler: What could have been, two Bucks on the same squad!) fled back to the States in mid October to be with his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates.

Panionios targeted Mareese Speights of the Philadelphia 76ers as a replacement for Mullens, but instead they came to an agreement with Alex Stepheson, a very solid young big out of Southern California. And it turns out that Diebler still has a former Buckeye as a teammate in Greece because big center Zisis Sarikopoulos is back for his second season with Panionios since leaving Ohio State (roster).

This looks like a solid, if not dangerous mid-level Greek League team on paper right now with a decent mix of experience and young talent. It will take some time to attain a good level of chemistry, but Keys and Xanthopulos are two guards who will be able to quickly facilitate cohesion on the perimeter. Stevan Nadfeji is one of those traditional European forwards that you see on every one of these teams who will do work inside/out, and 7'1 Zisis Sarikopoulos (C - 21) is still an interesting young prospect at backup center.

The two young talented American imports Alex Stepheson and Jon Diebler stand out as potential game changers for Panionios. Stepheson was a big time recruit (2006 - Oden Class) out of California who first played at North Carolina before transferring back home to USC. Alex played his first year of international ball in Cyprus last season. The Greek league will be a step up in competition for Stepheson, but many feel that he is of this caliber.

After a wonderful amateur career, Jon Diebler is ready to perform as a professional. Much like Stepheson, we can expect an adjustment period for Diebs, who as a rookie, just needs time to adapt to the international style. Pro play is similar to conference games in D1 NCAA, but on an even higher level. It just takes time to learn the tendencies of all these new clubs and players that you are competing with & against. Yet, for Diebler, we already know that it will only be a matter time before he breaks out as that high level outside threat with an all around floor game that the Portland Trailblazers liked in the 2011 NBA Draft.


Jon Diebler (Opening Greek segment Pre-season) by BuckeyeBallersTV

- Panionios' Biggest Early Season Games -

10.22.2011 - Panionios at Kolossos Rhodes (Greek League season Opener on the road)

11.5.2011 - Panionios vs Aris

11.12.2011 - Panionios at PAOK

Greece - Lockout Delayed Start of 2011 Greek Regular Season

(Image - Greek Basketball League logo)

Waiting to tip in Greece - One by one, international leagues across the globe began to start regular season play in early October. Two more leagues of interest were slated to open the season during the mid-month weekend of Oct. 14.-16. The A1 Greek League (Jon Diebler) & the Israeli Premier League (Ron Lewis). Everything went according to plan in Israel, but arenas were empty in Greece due to a lockout dispute that ended up postponing opening season play.

From George Georgakopoulos of ekathimerini.com

Greek Lockout in Effect

Basketball clubs decided on October 11 to postpone the start of the league, originally planned for the weekend of October 15-16, due to the lack of a television contract, which constitutes the main source of revenues for the cash-strapped teams.

ESAKE, the league's organizer, decided by majority (seven votes to four) to put off the opening round of games until a TV channel agrees to buy the rights of all teams as a package, as opposed to having separate deals only for the most popular teams.

State broadcaster ERT has already agreed on terms with giants Panathinaikos and Olympiakos, who voted against this Greek version of a lockout.

Now the league's other clubs, led by PAOK, Aris and Panionios, are putting pressure on ERT to buy their rights, too, to render the league viable.

The next possible date for the league's tipoff is October 22.(link)

This latest issue is just one dispute in what has been a series of tumultuous relations between league clubs, the players union and the league federation. Let's hope this gets settled as we are really eagered to see how Jon Diebler & Panionios perform in opening weeks.

Showtime - Lighty And Cantu Prepare for Euroleague Schedule

(Pallacanestro Cantu - October 2011)

Euroleague - Here we go, it's the Turkish Airlines Euroleague! This is the number one competition in international club basketball. Much like the Champions League of European club football (soccer), the Euroleague is a super competition where championship level squads of various countries compete against each other. European club basketball has a long history, but the modern Euroleague era under the current leadership began in 2000 when European basketball cabal ULEB broke away from FIBA Europe. (Here's an informative link on the history of the Euroleague.)

Two former Ohio State Buckeyes have competed in the prestigious Euroleague since its first season in 2001-2002, the great Scoonie Penn and Je'Kel Foster!


Scoonie Penn's international career ranks as the greatest of any former Buckeye to date. Many words can be used to describe Penn's overseas run, elite would definitely be one of them. Scoonie competed with and against some of the best in the world for a good part of the last decade. Penn played in six Euroleague seasons which included a marvelous five year run from the 2003-2004 season to 2007/2008. Penn's Euroleague resume boasts two Top 16 (2nd round) appearances (KK Cibona Zagreb 2006, Efes Pilsen Instanbul 2008), two Top 8 playoff (3rd round) appearances (Scavolini Pesaro 2005, Olympiacos 2007), and one Euroleague Championship Game in 2010 after returning to Olympaicos). (we'll be going into more detail about Penn's extensive Euroleague career in a later post)

Je'Kel Foster's Euroleague appearance in 2009/2010 capped off an incredible two year run with German club EWE Baskets of Oldenburg, Germany. Foster achieved a career mark in Spring 2009 by capturing the BBL championship. Winning the German Championship gave Oldenburg their first ever league title & automatic berth into the Euroleague. Je'Kel participated in 10 Euroleague games from 2009/2010, finishing as the 26th ranked best scorer in the 2009 Euroleague regular season.

Former Ohio State star David Lighty now joins these elite Buckeyes as the third Ohio State player to compete in the ULEB era Euroleague! Bennet Cantu is pretty much on schedule right now. They battled league champion Siena in a close & exciting Super Coppa Final to close the pre-season (October 1). And then Cantu took care of business in the opening two weeks of regular season play by getting past Vanoli Cremona and Dinamo Sassari. Bennet Cantu now prepares for the Euroleague schedule to hit on October 19 which will then present a Euroleague game during the week, in addition to Italian League games on the weekend (until at least early 2012).


Vital links

Official Euroleague Website - http://www.Euroleague.net

Bennet Cantu - Euroleague Team Profile Page (Schedule, results stats)

Field And Format - The 2011/2011 Euroleague Regular Season features 24 teams from 14 different countries. The field includes 13 league champions from last season, 3 runner-ups, last year's Eurocup Champion, five wild card/license teams, and two teams from this fall's Euroleague qualification tournament. Via a draw, the 24 Euroleague teams were placed in 4 six team groups for regular season play. Every team in the group plays each other home away which totals to a ten game regular season. The best four teams out of the six advance to the last 16 stage (followed by the top 8 playoffs & final four).

Most of these Euroleague teams are perennial powers within their countries and in Europe. The top European clubs like CSKA Moscow, Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Barcelona, & Panathinaikos use big budgets to keep a core of guys together for a couple years or longer while signing top free agents to continue the winning ways (in fact, those four clubs are responsible for every euroleague championship in its 10 year history). There's a group of top teams who want to dethrone the four traditional champions and then yet another group of squads that want to make some noise by making it out of the regular season stage. The bolstering of rosters by NBA players competing in Europe as a consequence of the lockout has only added to the excitement for fans. Each & every game should have some big names.

Bennet Cantu's goal for the Euroleague is unknown as one of this year's newcomers. Cantu finished second in last season's Italian League Playoffs which earned an automatic birth into Europe's top competition for the club's first time in 18 years! Any Euroleague victory they get will be gold.

Group A. - Every Euroleague group is tough and Cantu's Group A is no different. The Spanish ACB is the strongest national league in Europe. Spain has a league high five teams in the Euroleague including two in Group A, league runner-ups Bizakia Bilbao Baskets, and power Caja Laboral. Joining the two Spanish teams are reigning Turkish Champions Fenerbahce Ulker of Istanbul, the French Champions SLUC Nancy, Olympiacos of Greece and of course Bennet Cantu..the Italian League runner-ups.

Euroleague Opener - Bennet Cantu vs SLUC Nancy - October 19, 2011

Thoughts - Bennet Cantu's Euroleague opener is very interesting. While this is Cantu's first entry into top play in quite some time, they do bring veterans like Gianluca Basile (off-season acquisition) & Denis Marconato who have significant Euroleague experience. Cantu is a club that wins most of its battles with strong ball movement and clever play. Their opponents, SLUC Nancy, bring an up-tempo transition game to Italy led by NBA French Star Nicolas Batum (Portland Trailblazers) who was signed by Nancy shortly after the season started (lockout).

We got a good look at Nancy last season when Ron Lewis & Mons played them in the Eurochallenge. Their center Akin Akingbala is a beast, long and athletic. They also have pretty good guards in John Lienhan & Jamal Shuler. We think Cantu's defense and tempo will be enough to dictate pace at home. Nancy's guard's should not hurt Cantu considerably much, but it will be awfully difficult to contain Batum & Akingbala down low. Cantu needs good games from forwards Vladmir Micov, Marty Leunen, and Marko Scekic.

We are certainly wondering what David Lighty's role might be in his Euroleague debut. Cantu in'ts playing him much so far so we shouldn't expectt big minutes in such a huge game. From watching a little big more of Cantu, we can already see that as the club's most athletic & versatile player, Lighty will be a defensive wildcard for this team where they can use him to match up/lock down various players (he'll be an offensive wildcard down the line as well). We can probably expect Dave to be matched with Batum when he gets in. Offensively, we thought it was great that Lighty was able to the three agianst Sassari late in the 4th a couple days ago..it was his first regular season points in Italy & something to build on. Good luck Cantu!