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He grew up in England, didn't even try basketball until age 16 and until this season played professionally in the Canary Islands. But in his few short weeks on the European mainland, Unicaja big man Joel Freeland has made his presence felt like few other rookies in Euroleague history. Despite a spate of injuries to key players, Unicaja is the exclusive undefeated leader of Euroleague regular season Group B, and through three games, the 22-year-old Freeland leads the team in scoring, rebounds and performance index rating. If it seems like a marriage made in heaven - a late-blooming super-talent under the tutelage of a master coach on an experienced team whose massive fan base supports it through thick and thin - well, after a month, Freeland would agree. "Honestly, it's the perfect situation for me here in Malaga," Freeland told Euroleague.net. "All the tools are here to help me become a great player. I look at everything I have in front of me and know that all I have to do is take advantage of what everyone is offering me."
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November 3, 2009
Lietuvos Rytas
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Although he's just 26 years old, Bojan Popovic is an old hand by any measure when compared to the rest of the Lietuvos Rytas roster.
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October 27, 2009
EWE Baskets Oldenburg
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It's no wonder that his was the biggest smile of Week 1 of the Euroleague regular season. Rickey Paulding had spent six years as a pro in Europe.
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October 19, 2009
Regal FCB
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When last seen on a Euroleague court at the Final Four in Berlin, the competition's MVP for last season was disappointed not to have reached the title game and a shot at his second continental champions trophy.
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October 16, 2009
Caja Laboral
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In the six seasons since he joined Europe's top competition, Caja Laboral center Tiago Splitter has been a two-time All-Euroleague selection amid four consecutive trips to the Final Four.
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October 14, 2009
Union Olimpija
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In the process of improving its roster over the summer, Union Olimpija also proved itself to be a place to which players enjoy returning.
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October 8, 2009
Alba Berlin
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The Euroleague's qualifying rounds come down to two games in three days for the last two places in the 2009-10 regular season.
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