Before the Euroleague season started, we asked experts from all around the continent to give us their opinions about their home country’s team(s). They also had to predict the regular-season record of their team and which four teams would reach the Final Four. So it’s time to check the results and see who the über-expert is.
To identify who the BallinEurope expert for 2009 is, I just went for an easy calculation to determine the winner. Every correct Euroleague Final Four participant counts for one point. A penalty of one point was given for each win predicted that was not fulfilled by the team. So the maximum number of points to be scored would be four. While nobody reached this maximum score, we had four people close to perfection.
Our Turkish friend and Fenerbahce lover Kerem came up with 3 points down the road, predicted a correct 6-4 record for his favorite team with a final four of CSKA, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos together with TAU. Close but not enough. Another contender scoring three points was our guest writer from Italy, Francesco Cappelletti. He predicted a correct 8-2 record for Montepaschi Siena and had three of the final four teams (CSKA, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos) while his choice Montepaschi did not make the run to Berlin.
Finally, I have to decide the real winner from between the two other experts that finished with 3 points. Squaring off we have Karlo from kosarka.org and Israeli guru Yarone Arbel. Who to chose now for the top prize? Karlo was the only person that correctly predicted the Final Four, and guessed “4 or 5 victories” for Cibona. When I put the report online, he told me to chose and I took the four victories. But Yarone, despite only predicting three of the four participants in Berlin had the perfect record for Maccabi at 6-4. And he had one thing that makes him the favorite for the BallinEurope.com crew, and i quote: “Final Four winner: Ballineurope.com.”
So Karlo and Yarone, when will we see you guys go for a one-on-one competition to determine the BallinEurope expert winner of the 2008/2009 season? See you all in Berlin and have fun reading our experts’ previews of the Final Four teams during the next few days…
