ALBA Berlin 134
Eurocup final four: As fans stranded, Alba Berlin takes on Bizkaia Bilbao and Iceland
Who would have thought with domestic leagues grinding to a close (and a start of playoff rounds) and as the Euroleague Final Four approaches that the country garnering headlines in international circles would be … Iceland? Oh yes, you knew this would happen; since everything from state funerals to troop deployments in Afghanistan are being […]
Hashing out Eurocup quarterfinals qualification scenarios
Of the three major European club tournaments, the tightest Final 16 stage in 2009-10 has been held by the Eurocup competition. With the last night of “Last 16 2010” happening tonight, only three teams (Aris BSA, Bizkaia Bilbao Basket, Panellinios) have qualified for the quarterfinals already and five (Benetton Basket Treviso, Brose Baskets Bamberg, Galatasaray […]
Lollis: Too many foreign players in Bundesliga
In German club basketball, too many foreign players are allowed; in fact, carrying eight or nine American players on a single roster certainly hurts quite a few Bundesliga teams and may be undermining most. Such an opinion is often heard these days about the free-for-all state of BBL contract rules, but rarely does a player […]
State of the nations: European basketball organizations today
While not interested in passing definitive judgment, we think it would be useful and fair to take a look at the European basketball panorama. There will be no ratings or rankings here, just a snapshot of what the most important ballin’ countries offer us. Ten years into the third millennium, it’s common to hear repeated […]
(Slightly biased) highlight clip: Alba Berlin vs. Aris BSA
Just in case you missed it, following the text break is a (biased) highlight clip from last night’s Aris’ 65-61 away win at Alba Berlin in Eurocup competition. The win moved Aris BSA up to 1-2 in Eurocup Last 16 play; Alba Berlin dropped to 2-1, resulting in a wide-open Group I with groupmates DKV […]
The Euroleague Boss on fantasy: Final 16, week one
Due to an unfortunate series of tragic events, the deadline for this week’s fantasy tips column was missed. However, in the interests of satisfying The Euroleague Boss’ fans, were running this column with half the Final 16 week one games in the books; it’s valuable to see what Meet The Boss did, even if you […]
Staiger gives up on NBA ambitions, team; returns to play for Alba Berlin
When the Iowa State University Cyclones fell to the Texas Tech Red Raiders last night, 78-71, the biggest presence may well have been the missing one, namely German guard Lucca Staiger. Staiger had been ISU’s third-high scorer this season at 9.4 points per game to go with a 42.5 percent three-point shooting rate and even […]
The Frank Euroleague roundup, week nine
With just one more week to go in first-round play, Francesco Cappelletti touches on some issues regarding those teams positioning themselves for the Euroleague Top 16. Also examined frankly: Ergin Ataman’s tenuous position in Turkey, Zoran Planinic and Nikos Zisis embracing their positions on potential Final Four clubs; and bucking for position on Real Madrid. […]
L'Hospitalet: Round two of Nike Junior Tournament qualifiers tips off
Tipping off today is the 31st Torneig de Básquet Júnior “Ciutat de L’Hospitalet,” a.k.a. the second Euroleague Nike International Junior Tournament qualifiers. The L’Hospitalet tournament pool consists of 12 junior teams, including eight from Spain: DKV Joventut, Basket Valencia, and KK Split will square off in Group A; Alba Berlin, Regal FC Barcelona, and Estudiantes […]
Best of the (Basketball) Net: Rants 'n' quotes edition
Wrapping things up for the weekend here at BallinEurope means mostly one thing: a rundown of some of the best basketball stuff made available online this week. Some news, quotes and video for this week starts now. Starting off with a well repeated, now-definitive story, then: Namely, the New York Knicks’ Darko Milicic will be […]
FIBA EuroChallenge capsule previews: Group G
In the seventh of eight groups competing in FIBA EuroChallenge 2009-10 play — Group G — facing off are formidable programs and traditional tournament contenders from Antwerp, Artland, Tartu and Wels. Briefs follow the break.
Alba Berlin vs. Maroussi BC: A Tale of Two Nations
The plot thickens … as marvelous underdog Maroussi continues its dark-horse run into the Euroleague’s field of 24, the pressure would all appear to be on Alba Berlin, last year’s sensation. A nice microcosm of two differing basketball programs is provided by the game as well, although Bundesliga’s propensity for welcoming non-German players is well-known. […]