Zoran Planinic 32
“This is the Final Four”: The Euroleague quotebook going into the semifinals
A quick collection of quotes for you, collected yesterday and today at various press conferences and media meetings. With just hours to go before tipoff, enjoy a bit of wit and wisdom from coaches and players on BallinEurope. On Paris “It is […] special to have the Final Four in Paris. This is the city […]
Euroleague Final Four history by the numbers
Attention, all statistics addicts! With the time to tipoff running down steadily, BallinEurope this morning puts things into a little numerical perspective. Which players, coaches and teams will forever be immortalized in the record books when all is said and done at the 2010 Euroleague Final Four? Some measuring sticks for would-be heroes are listed […]
Euroleague Final Four head-to-head matchups: CSKA Moscow vs. FC Barcelona
With the Euroleague Final Four mere days away, the giddiness increases at the prospect of figuring that, yes, without hyperbole, basketball fans could well be getting a complete slate of four classic games. While FC Barcelona and Olympiacos are the heavy favorites (and, ahem, BallinEurope.com’s teams predicted to make the finals at the beginning of […]
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. […]
After Eurobasket, the future: Part Two
In part two of Ball in Europe’s look at Europe’s top teams following Eurobasket 2009, Francesco Cappelletti contributes his analysis of present and future for those nations who did not finish in Eurobasket’s top four. Part one, featuring looks at Spain, Serbia, Greece, and Slovenia, may be found by clicking here. FRANCE Absences: Mickael Pietrus, […]
Best of the (basketball) net: Double-sized two-week edition
Right. Because this column did not appear last weekend due to the tsunami of Eurobasket 2009 games, this week’s Best of The (Basketball) Net includes good stuff still enjoyable and written that long, long, 14 days ago in some cases. Enjoy! The most discussed basketball event of the off-season – besides Dude Perfect and The […]
The official BallinEurope FIBA Eurobasket 2009 All First-Round Team
Since we live in the cyberworld of the sound bite, instant history and, most importantly for the sports world, hyperbole, Ball in Europe officially unveils its first-round all-stars; hey, for some of these guys, the Eurobasket tournament is *the* moment in the international spotlight, so let’s help ‘em live it up! Ladies and gentlemen, yourrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr […]
Eurobasket 2009, day 2: Opening Day wraps, fearless predictions
Whoa, nice start to Eurobasket 2009, eh? In one game, the complexion of the tournament has changed delightfully; in general, the gap from best-to-worst suddenly appears to be tiny. A nice pair of upsets and the general pluckiness of the underdogs – with the notable exception of FYR Macedonia, who was unfortunately hopelessly outclassed by […]
Betting on Eurobasket 2009 outright winner
With just hours to go before the 4.30pm CET tipoff of Eurobasket 2009, time is running out for those willing to “make things interesting” with the ponying-up of a few Euros on the results.
Croatia-Macedonia meet in World Cup final, Eurobasket preview
The dust has mostly settled in Ankara, with Croatia and Macedonia the final two terms standing. Though Croatia should prevail in this one and the “World Cup of Basketball” isn’t really much more than a lot of friendly matches bound together loosely and packaged as a tournament, the game tonight could prove to be crucial […]
Euroleague Final Four Preview: CSKA Moscow
CSKA Moscow was the team I covered since before the season, so I have to go with it again now that the Final Four is approaching. Ettore Messina has once again put together a team that can win the supreme title, but this season, the task of winning the cup looks a bit more challenging […]
Why Americans should watch Euroleague Final Four
Many observers and participants are already calling the 2009 Final Four in Berlin in early May the best ever. While that remains to be seen, one thing that is certain is that the affair in the German capital is anything but just another European party. And American basketball fans will have plenty of reasons to […]