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

Italy (Round 7) - Rookie David Lighty Breaks Out vs Caserta!

(11.20.2011 - Air Lighty! Former Buckeye David Lighty soars for a right handed baseline slam vs Caserta! - Cantu, Italy - Image - Pallacanestro Cantu)

11.20.2011 - Bennet Cantu 86 vs Pepsi Caserta 75 (Italian League Round 7)

- David Lighty: 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal (22 minutes) !

Impact Player - Cleveland native David Lighty continued his fine stretch of play in November with a great all-around game in Serie A Round 7, perhaps the best in his early pro career!

You could see this type of game developing for Lighty as his minutes and comfort level gradually increased throughout the month (which produced consistency). Eight points (4-6 fgs) in 17 minutes vs Pesaro (10.30), Seven points in 20 minutes at Benetton Treviso (11.6), a fifteen point outburst (5-6 fgs, 4-4 fts) vs Avellino (11.13) in just 12 minutes, and Nine points/4 rebs/2 assists at Fenerbache (11.16) in a Euroleague clash (its worth noting that every one of those teams represent stiff competition).

Bennet Cantu (4-2) met up with Pepsi Caserta (3-2) for their Italian League Round 7 home game on November 20. And for the third straight contest, rookie David Lighty looked very comfortable working within Cantu's system and generally adjusted to the level of play & officiating. David is known as a versatile player who can contribute in several areas, and we believe this Caserta game was one of his first throwback 'OSU Lighty' type of games in Italy where he does some of everything at a high level.

Lighty Time - Cantu came in as slight favorites as the hosts, but this game was very much in doubt at tip due to the absence of their starting forward, Vladmir Micov (injured). Rookie David Lighty (pictured left with head coach Trinchieri) was able to get more starter's experience with Cantu by stepping in Micov's place. While some basketball players relish in the role of coming off the bench and being able to change the game with scoring punch or defensive energy, we think most ballers prefer to first enter the game as a 'starter'..at least from a comfort and competitive standpoint as one can influence the game with the score 0-0 while at the same time attaining some type of early game flow or rhythm.

So let's see....a stretch of games with consistency..check-mark...the staff's confidence to place you as a starter..check-mark..and the comfort of playing in your home arena..check-mark. Yes, this definitely had the makings of a very good game...the results? How about career highs in points, rebounds, and assists for Mr. Lighty! The former Buckeye really left his fingerprints over this one with aggressive offensive play off the dribble, good shooting & defense, great rebounding and also some play-making for teammates. In 22 minutes, David scored a season high 16 points (5-7 2pt fgs & 1-2 3pt fgs, 3-4 fts) with 8 rebounds & 4 assists!! Lighty and veteran Basile helped fuel a huge 34-17 run in the second half that would eventually lead to an 86-75 victory for Cantu (now 5-2 in Italy).

We call this a 'break out' game for David Lighty because he was all over the place by getting 'and-one' finishes, rebound put-backs, assisting teammates and of course defending. And most importanly, Dave played a significant role in his team's victory. He scored in double figures (16( for the second straight game in Italy..against Caserta he led Cantu in rebounds (8) and was also second with his assists contribution (4)..ending with the clubs second highest efficiency rating of the game!

Cantu fans are certainly finding out that good things happen when a comfortable & aggressive David Lighty is getting solid playing time. Lighty tweeted this with a picture after the game!

"They r staring to like me a lil in Cantu lol"

- Twitter

Italy Round Seven - Cantu/Caserta clips -

• 7 seconds in - Lighty image
• starting at 1:00 mark - David Lighty uses a fake to slip by the defender and takes it baseline for the right handed slam!! (pictured above)
• Next play/sequence, Lighty trails in transition and gets the basket
• Lighty finds fellow American Marty Leunen for the three pointer
• Next play, Lighty hits the shot and-one!
• Next play, Dave in transition to the hoop, draws the foul and count the bucket! Go Lighty!

November 19-20 Results - Lewis, Lighty, Hoskins Shine in Weekend of Super Games!

(Holon, Israel - 11.20.2011 - Ron Lewis was the man of the match versus Netanya after scoring 27 points in Israeli
Premier League Round Six - Screencap)

Worldwide Buckeyes - There were some interesting storylines/angles around the international slate of games on November 19 & 20.

• Hunter's Chinese debut! Othello Hunter was an All-Star in the 2010/2011 Italian League season and should have a great stint playing against NBA caliber imports in the C.B.A)

• Squads attempting to rebound - It was a big weekend for teams PGE Turow (Dallas Laudoerdale) & Hapoel Holon (Ron Lewis). In the preceding games, Turow went from an undefeated 9-0 record to dropping two straight road contests to Sopot & Buducnost. Energa Czarni, another dangerous Polish team stood in the way of Turow getting back in the win column (11.19). George Reese & AZS Koszalin had the challenge of taking down the team that snapped Turow's win streak, Trefl Sopot (11.20) Hapoel Holon of Israel is another good club that isn't used to losing much. They lost consecutive games to Gilboa (11.6) & Askelon in OT (11.13.)..Holon traveled to Netanya for the Round 6 game on 11.20.
  

• Sustaining Success - Other teams wanted to keep the victories going..Jon Diebler and Panionios looked to build on their three game winning streak in Greece (3-1 record). German team Bayern Munich was coming off a big win the Eurocup, Je'kel Foster and Munich hosted fellow Big Teners Jon Luer, Michael Thompson & Fraport on 11.20.
  

• Romania (Round 10) - 11.19.2011 - Craiova 66 at Brasov 56 (Another game and another super performance from Brandie Hoskins! The former Buckeye filled the stats sheet in leading Craiova (7-3) to a ten point road victory. 23 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals!)

• China (Round 1) - 11.19.2011 - Shandong 93 at Foshan 79 (Shandong outpaced Foshan on the road in the C.B.A Regular Season opener. Talented forward Othello Hunter of Shandong announced his arrival with an 11 point, 21 rebound double-double that included an explosive one handed slam in the 1st quarter! Hunter's dunk was #5 on the top plays of the opening week.)
  
  
  

• Japan (Round 13) - 11.19.2011 - Miyazaki SS 82 at Shinshu 79 (It has been a bit of a slow start for Miyazaki and 5th year pro Ivan Harris. But the Japanese team improved to 4-8 after a close 82-79 win at Shinshu. Harris (avg 9pts) contributed his best scoring game so far of 14 points with 4 boards (24mins). The Pro Buckeyes went 3-0 in road games on November 19)

• Greece (Round 5) 11.19.2011 - Panionios 92 KAOD 63 (Panionios moved to 4-1 after an easy win over KAOD. Panionios won the first half 50-24 before coasting victory to a 92-63 blowout victory. Jon Diebler went 2-4 from three point range and added two free throws in totaling 8 points in 19 minutes. Panionios has now won four straight in Greece with a challenging road game at Marousi up next on 11.26)

• Poland (Round 12) - 11.19.2011 - PGE Turow 60 vs Energa Czarni 61 (Fourth ranked Energa Czarni stunned PGE Turow by a score of 61-60..handing Turow their first home loss in Zgorzelec. Dallas Lauderdale (22 mins) & Daniel Kickert (30 mins) each brought down a team high 6 rebounds. Turow now looks to break their struggles (three game losing funk) against Belgiums Dexia Mons in Eurocup week 2)

• Israel (Round 6) - 11.20.2011 - Hapoel Holon 98 at Netanya 75 (Ron Lewis & Hapoel Holon got back in the winners' circle after a convincing road win over Netanya. Lewis led Holon wih 27 points with 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists! This was Ron's second 27 point game and 3rd 25+ scoring game of the season. Holon, now 3-3, closes November with Ashdod on 11.27)
  
  
  
  

• Italy (Round 7) - 11.20.2011 - Bennet Cantu 86 Pepsi Caserta 75 (Bennet Cantu improved to 5-2 in the Italian League with a solid home win against Caserta. Rookie David Lighty continued his great month of play with perhaps his best game in his early professional career. In 22 minutes - Career high 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal!
  
  
  
  
• Germany (Round 9) - 11.20.2011 - Bayern Munich 58 Fraport Skyliners 57 (Bayern Munich escaped a pesky Fraport Skyliners team in the Audi-Dome. Munich trailed by two - 57-58- late in the 4th quarter when former Buckeye Je'Kel Foster nailed a clutch three-pointer with 37 seconds remaining to give Bayern the lead and game! Foster ended with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist)

• 
  

• Poland (Round 12) - 11.20.2011 - AZS Koszalin 76 vs Trefl Sopot 83 (Surging Trefl Sopot defeated AZS Koszalin in a hard fought game on 11.20. Koszalin forward George Reese played a team high 36 minutes - 13 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 block. Koszalin has two road games up next at Energa Czarni and Polpharma.

Eurocup Round 1 Results - Foster Leads Munich to First Ever Eurocup Victory!

(11.15.2011 -FC Bayern Guard Je'Kel Foster drives against Treviso of Italy - Eurocup Round One - Munich, Germany)

(Eurocup Week One Results)

11.15.2011 - FCB Bayern Munich (Germany) 72 Benetton Treviso (Italy) 62 (Eurocup Round One)

- Je'Kel Foster: 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal (Eurocup Debut) !

11.15.2011 - PGE Turow Zgorzelec (Poland) 50 at Buducnost (Montenegro) 75 (Eurocup Round One)

- Dallas Lauderdale: 8 rebounds, 6 points, 1 block, 1 steal (17 minutes) !

Eurocup- Both PGE Turow & Bayern Munich entered the 2011/2012 Eurocup Regular Season looking to rebound after tough road overtime defeats on November 12. Turow, the squad of Zgorzelec Poland, had its undefeated 9-0 winning streak snapped at Trefl Sopot in overtime at Ergo Arena 86-83. They departed from Poland shortly thereafter en route to the remote Moraca Sports Center in Podgorica, Montenegro for the November 15 Eurocup opener versus KK Buducnost. Turow & Buducnost mirror each other in that both clubs display quality team-defense with a more deliberate, half-court style of attack/offense.

Turow competed well with the reigning Montenegrin League Champions for a solid half. They found a bit of a rhythm in the second quarter by scoring 19 points after a slow 7 point 1st period. The Polish squad found themselves down by just two points (28-26) at halftime against a great team on the road. A big Eurocup opening win was still attainable at that point, but Buducnost was just too strong defensively in the second half. Turow scored just 24 total points in the second half to Buducnost's 47 and were also held to another 7 point quarter in the 4th period (Final score - 75-50). One bright spot for Turow was Ohio State Rookie Dallas Lauderdale who came in and made an impact in his Eurocup competition debut. in 17 minutes of action, Dallas collected a season high 8 rebounds & six points with a steal and block!

Quote from Eurocupbasketball.com

"Dallas Lauderdale tried to ignite the guests' comeback early in the fourth quarter but Marko Popovic and Dubljevic soon allowed Buducnost to seal the outcome, 63-45, midway through the fourth quarter." (Game report)

PGE Turow rounds out the month of November with four more games, Energa Czarni(11.19.2011 - Polish League), Dexia Mons (11.22.2011 - Eurocup), at Polpharma (11.26.2011 - Polish League), Alba Berlin (11.29.2011 - Eurocup).

Munich v. Treviso - Despite 31 points from Buckeye guard Je'Kel Foster, Bayern Munich could not overcome a hot shooting Artland team in the 86-83 OT loss on November 12. Munich had to put that game in the past rather quickly with a formidable Benetton Treviso team coming in from Itay for Eurocup round one on November 15.

This game featured several familiar names in the world of basketball. Treviso had Celtics draft pick, rookie E'Twaun Moore from Purdue, Brian Scalabrine who has been playing in Italy during the NBA lockout, and Jeff Adrien who has experience in Italy & the NBA. Munich featured Je'Kel Foster (pictured left: shooting against fellow Big Ten Conference player E'Twaun Moore), Chevon Troutman, Jonathan Wallace of Georgetown and German Jan Jagla.

The matchup with Treviso was an equally tough challenge for Munich as Turow's game with Buducnost. However, one plus in Munich's favor was that they were able to have their opener at home which allowed them to feed off a great Audi-Dome crowd that was hungry for the club's first ever Eurocup victory. Bayern seized the opportunity and played one of their best team games of the season vs Treviso. Four guys scored in double figures led by guard Je'Kel Foster's 14 points with 3 assists, 2 rebounds and a steal! After a back and fourth 1st quarter, Bayern led the rest of the way, ultimately capturing their first win the Eurocup competition 72-62 (Game Report).

Munich's remaining schedule in November is very tough: Fraport (11.20 - German League), at Cedevita in Croatia (11.22 - Eurocup), Alba Berlin (11.26 - German League), at Spartak in Russia (11.29 - Eurocup)

BuckeyeBallersTV - David Lighty vs Fenerbahçe (Euroleague - 11.16.2011)

(Euroleague -#4 David Lighty checks Thabo Sefolosha of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Fenerbahche during lockout - 11.16.2011)

BuckeyeBallersTV - Clips of David Lighty competing against the Turkish League Champions in Istanbul, Turkey!

(Euroleague - Round 5- 11.16.2011)

-The Plays-

• First half - David hits a free throw, on the ensuing play he grabs the defensive rebound and takes it coast to coast for nice left hand layup!
• In a half court set, Lighty takes the pass from fellow American Marty Leunen and goes right at Fenerbahce Forward Emir Preldic for the score!
• 3rd quarter, Cantu has the ball as the home Turkish crowd whistles in disapproval (the internationa way of booing), but Buckeye David Lighty silences the arena with a turnaround jumper in the lane over Jerrells!
  
• 4th quarter and Lighty is experiencing critical moments in a big euroleague game. Dave flys in to grab an offensive rebound, and gets fouled on the shot attempt! The Fenerbahce diehards tried their best to distract, disrupt, and influence the foul shots but #4 stepped to the line and knocked down two clutch free throws to help keep Cantu alive!
  

Euroleague - Bennet Cantu (Italy) 83 at Fenerbahce Ulker (Turkey) 85 OT

(Istanbul, Turkey - Ohio State Rookie David Lighty, 23, defends Turkish veteran Omer Onan, 34, in Euroleague Round 5 - 11.16.2011)

Euroleague - 11.16.2011 - Bennet Cantu (Italy) 83 at Fenerbahce Ulker (Turkey) 85 OT (Round 5)
- David Lighty: 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

Making Euroleague Noise -Serie A Club Bennet Cantu has been a surprise team in the first half of the Euroleague regular season. The Italian based team is making the most of their first stint in Europe's highest competition in 18 years by starting with a 3-1 record that includes wins over France's SLUC Nancy (10.19), Bilbao of Spain (11.3) and Greek power Olympiacos (11.9). They again threatened to capture yet another monumental victory in Euroleague round 5 vs the reigning Turkish League Champions, Fenerbahce.

Cantu traveled to Istanbul, Turkey to play Fenerbahce on November 16, just days after their 90-55 blowout of Air Avellino in Italy (November 13). They knew they would have to concoct a great all-around game to have a chance in the Sinan Erdem Arena, Fenerbahce's home floor. This is one of our favorite games of the 2011/2012 season so far..we had a Buckeye rookie in a big game atmosphere, and an underdog team on the road versus Champion squad! Cantu wasn't too bothered with Fenerbahce's hostile crowd in the opening minutes, they looked like the same confident team that rolled Avelino by winning the first quarter and taking a one point lead at halftime. The game remained even after 3 quarters until Fenerbachce made a championship run in the 4th, jumping to a seven point lead. Not deterred, Cantu battled back to force OT at 73, and it would only be two late free throws in overtime that would allow Fenerbahce to escape Cantu by a score 85-83. (Game Report)

Lighty in Istanbul! The primary reason why this was one of the more memorable games of the season is because Ohio State Rookie David Lighty got an opportunity to compete and be a factor in a big Euroleague game. David played well in limited minutes vs Avellino why may have earned him more time/opportunities in Turkey. Lighty logged 21 minutes vs Fenerbahce, the most in his early Euroleague career which resulted in Euroleague career highs in posts (9), rebounds (4), and assists (2).

Fenerbahce Ulker is a strong team that features rock solid European veterans like Roko Ukic, Omer Onan, Oguz Savas..also on the team are imports Bojan Bogdanovic (Croatia), James Gist (U.S.A), Curtis Jerrells, and Swiss Star Thabo Seflosha, current member of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder. This is definitely a challenging environment for a rookie to be in, and we felt Lighty (pictured left: challenging Fener center Emir Preldzic) proved he belonged by contributing some nice buckets & rebounds to help Cantu stay with Fenerbahce. Our favorite play from Dave in this game was a sweet coast to coast layup in the 2 quarter, similar to the fast-break layups he had on Pesaro. Cantu next hosts Caserta (Italy) on November 20 before the return game with Nancy in France (Euroleague).

BuckeyeBallersTV - Je'Kel Foster's 31 Point Game vs Artland !! (Germany 2011)

( - 'The Takeover' Je'Kel Foster)

BuckeyeBallersTV presents, Je'Kel Foster's 31 point performance vs Artland! (Germany Round 8 - 11.12.2011)

Germany (Round 8) - Je'Kel Foster Dropped 31 points vs Artland!!

(- 11.12.2011 - Bayern Munich Guard #13 Je'Kel Foster drives against Artland's #31 Nathan Peavy - Quakenbruck, Germany)

11.12.2011 - FC Bayern Munich 83 at Artland Dragons 86 - Overtime (German League Regular Season)

A Targeted Team - FC Bayern Munich entered the 2011/2012 German Bundesliga Season with significant fan-fare and media coverage. They were able to back up the hype, so to speak, with a solid record in the first month of play..and every win has been earned because teams are seeing games with Bayern as an opportunity to notch a big early season victory. Bayern is getting the best efforts from their opponents, and it is the road games that are especially difficult due to an elevated level of energy & hostility of the away environments. It's tough to win on the road in high level Europe in general, but it just seems as if Bayern faces a major challenge every time they travel outside of Munich.

Bayern vs Artland - Munich experienced another challenging road task in Round 8 versus the Artland Dragons of Quakenbruck. We watched Munich in previous road games at Bonn & Oldenburg..those were raucous crowds..and it was no different in Artland Arena on November 13. And in similar fashion to prior road games, Bayern found themselves in an uphill battle from the jump as Artland hit shot after first half shot (taking a 42-34 lead at halftime).

Foster Shows Out - Bayern quickly erased their halftime deficit in the opening of the 3rd, both teams would then exchange punches for the duration of regulation. This game featured an amazing scoring duel between Artland Guard David Holston and former tOSU Buckeye Je'Kel Foster! Je'Kel was the man of the match for Bayern. The Guard from Natchez, Mississippi led his club early with 12 first half points (including two three pointers). Foster especially took over in the 3rd quarter when Munich was in dire need of points. He matched his first half effort by scoring another 12 points, but this time in just one quarter resulting in 24 points after the 3rd period. Je'Kel made his 5th three pointer at the 2:23 mark of the 3rd which prompted the announcer to emphatically state, "Je'Kel Foster is on fire!!".

Overtime Thriller - As the game got into the latter stages, it seemed like whoever had the final possession would be the team to emerge as victors. Je'Kel Foster made a nice three point play at the 19 second mark after driving past Nathan Peavy for the layup (pictured above), but David Holston responded with two free throws to tie the game up with 11 seconds left. So Bayern had the ball for the last possession, and it was like everything was set up for Je'Kel to cap his strong performance with a game winner, but #13 was doubled, and teammate Demond Greene missed a would be GW as the regulation time expired.

We did not view this game live, so we were quite surprised to see that Bayern actually had a six point lead in the overtime period. But Artland's David Holston would evidently not be denied on this evening. The guard out of Chicago State proved to be the difference after making two clutch threes that would ultimately give Artland the close 86-83 OT win.

Bayern did not get the W, but Je'Kel Foster was magnificent in finishing with a season high of 31 points, and once again living up to our nickname for him 'The Takeover' ! :)

BuckeyeBallersTV - Ron Lewis Steal and Dunk! (Israel - 11.13.2011)

(Image - Ron Lewis - Hapoel Holon - Israel - Fall 2011)

BuckeyeBallersTV - Here's a brief clip of Buckeye star Ron Lewis doing his thing at the Hapoel Holon/Ashkelon (11.13.2011) game in the Israeli Premier League. Lewis gets a steal and throws it down with the left hand! That's a routine type of play for Lew, but the fans of Hapoel Holon is what we really wanted you to soak in for a bit. Listen to these Holon fans as Lewis makes another play. This is one of the most unique aspects of high level international ball...the fans!