Overall, there are two huge surprises after the Top 16. Everybody counted on Real Madrid making the Final Four, or at least the playoffs, so them not going is a huge surprise for me. They started so well that no one had any doubt they were going to advance, but then came one bad game, a few bad decisions at the end against Maccabi, and that put them in a tough situation. They suddenly faced a crucial away game at Olympiacos and couldn't resist the Reds and their fans in that situation. The other shocker, of course, was the dethroning of Panathinaikos. It's hard to believe the champs aren't advancing to the last eight clubs. They tried to make more of a quality team than they had last year, and maybe it backfired on them. I don't know if there were too many stars on the same team or not, but I didn't see the chemistry and togetherness they played with all last season. Of course, you have to be very happy for Partizan. I personally cheer and root for them because they're a group of young guys with no big names except for Palacio, who was a good player in America, but not a top star, either. They put together a very competitive team, and I think that all Serbian basketball can be proud of this team. I call it a Serbian team, too, because in that sixth Top 16 game against Panathinaikos, that atmosphere on the court was electric. That's what European basketball stands for, in my mind. It was a spectacular atmosphere in a... more