News

Sportingbet Fantasy Challenge, Week 3 winner

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

One of the lowest-scoring weeks in the history of Sportingbet Fantasy Challenge, now in its sixth season, produced the second prize winner in a row from Greece, as Ioannis Papanikos of Greece and his team "betojohn" came out on top with 201.1 points.

Regular Season Week 3 MVP: Romain Sato, Montepaschi Siena

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

One of the Euroleague's quiet superstars, Montepaschi Siena small forward Romain Sato, made plenty of noise to run away with the MVP honor for regular season Week 3 while helping to help keep his team undefeated at 3-0 in Group A.

Sportingbet Fantasy Challenge: Week 3, injury update

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Remember that the Week 3 deadline is 17:00 CET on Wednesday, November 4, one hour before the first games of the week, Maroussi vs. Lottomatica Roma and BC Khimki vs. EWE Baskets. From this week until the end of the regular season, the traditional 3 player changes per week will be allowed.

Sportingbet Fantasy Challenge, Week 2 winner

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A new country has been heard from in Sportingbet Fantasy Challenge as the Week 2 prize winner was Miltos Aravanis of Greece. His team "Knights of Cydonia" was a couple points better than any others in a relatively low-scoring week due, in part, to some last-minute injuries. Miltos will receive an official Euroleague basketball as his prize! The second week brought an early favorite for the top overall sport of the regular season, too. Tomasz Pycia of Poland and his team "himym" have vaulted to the top of the standings with 411.7 points after two weeks, almost 15 better than the next-best team. Keep adding teams and trying your luck all season long in Sportingbet Fantasy Challenge!

Euroleague MVP for October: Bojan Popovic, Lietuvos Rytas

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Despite his relative inexperience and coming to a new team this season, point guard Bojan Popovic has proven over two weeks to be the perfect leader for young Lietuvos Rytas, playing almost non-stop and re-defining himself as an assist-maker of prodigious potential. Only a handful of the Euroleague's finest point guards all decade can match the 19 assists Popovic dished while L. Rytas was beating Efes Pilsen and Entente Orleanaise to tie for first place in Group B. But the numbers that most prove Popovic's impact on L. Rytas are 2 and 0, wins and losses, respectively. Largely due to his efforts, a young, inexperienced team is sharing first place in its regular season group when no one expected it. For that reason, Bojan Popovic is the choice as Euroleague MVP for October.

Reds' Bourousis to miss at least two games

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Olympiacos big man Ioannis Bourousis will miss at least two weeks with a leg injury suffered during last week's game at Unicaja. Bourousis, an All-Euroleague selection last season, played only 3 minutes and 17 seconds before leaving the court for treatment and not returning. He also skipped the Reds’ Greek league win over Maroussi on Sunday. He underwent a medical examination after his return in Athens and the doctors diagnosed a bruise on his leg that he will keep him out of action for the upcoming games against Lietuvos Rytas and Efes Pilsen. No firm timetable has been set for his return.

Basile, Navarro out for Regal FCB

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Group A co-leader Regal FC Barcelona will miss some experience in its backcourt after the news on Monday that veterans Gianluca Basile and Juan Carlos Navarro will miss at least one game with left ankle sprains. Both players suffered their injuries during a weekend domestic victory in the Spanish League. Basile's injury is serious enough to sideline him for approximately a month, the team said in an announcement, while Navarro will miss at least one game - this week's Group B road game at Zalgiris - and be re-examined to determine his mid-term availability to play.

Asvel Basket shores up frontline with Victor Samnick

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

With star center Curtis Borchardt sidelined with a hand injury, Asvel Basket moved quickly to sign forward Victor Samnick to shore up its frontline. Samnick arrives from fellow French club SLUC Nancy, for whom he averaged 5.3 points and 4.2 rebounds in nine Euroleague games last season. He spent the past three seasons at Nancy, though only last year did the club compete in the Euroleague.

Unicaja forward Georgios Printezis out indefinitely

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Unicaja forward Georgios Printezis is out indefinitely after suffering a shoulder injury in a Spanish League game on Sunday against Cajasol Sevilla. Printezis, who joined Unicaja this summer from Olympiacos, fell badly during a dunk attempt and landed on his shoulder, which was fractured. He was removed from the court on a stretcher and taken to a local hospital, though after a preliminary examination Printezis returned to Malaga on the team bus...

Regular Season, Week 2: Co-MVPs, Tiago Splitter and Matt Walsh

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

One of the Euroleague's most consistent young stars, All-Euroleague center Tiago Splitter of Caja Laboral, and a rookie playing just his second game, Matt Walsh of Union Olimpija, put up singularly excellent performances to share the MVP honor for Week 2 of the regular season with performance index ratings of 36 each.

Referees wear microphones for Thursday game

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Euroleague Basketball has announced that, for the first time in a Euroleague regular season game, the referees will wear microphones for TV on Thursday's clash between Regal FC Barcelona and Cibona Zagreb in Group A. The game will be shown live by local host broadcaster TV3 in Spain. Euroleague referees have previously worn microphones at the 2008 and 2009 Final Fours.

2010 Final Four tickets on sale!

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Tickets for the 2010 Final Four are now on sale to the general public. The Final Four, which will crown a champion of the 2009-10 Euroleague season, takes place from May 7 to 9, 2010 at Palais-Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in the French capital. All tickets grant their holders access to four games, both of Friday's semifinals, plus the third-place and title games on Sunday.

Maroussi tabs guard Milosevic

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

With a hole in its backcourt due to injury, Maroussi BC moved on Tuesday to add depth and young talent with the signing of combo guard Igor Milosevic to a one-year contract. Milosevic (192, 23) had made his Euroleague debut last season with Olympiacos, and even played his most minutes in the consolation third-place game, which the Reds lost to Regal FC Barcelona. Indeed, Milosevic has made it to the playoffs or beyond in all three of his seasons in European competition. In 2005-06, Milosevic and Crvena Zvezda reached the ULEB Cup eighthfinals together, and the following year, they made it as far as the ULEB Cup quarterfinals, before losing to eventual champion Real Madrid.

Sportingbet Fantasy Challenge: Week 2, injury update

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Euroleague fans, a new Sportingbet Fantasy Challenge has just started with the promise of more excitement than ever. For a sixth consecutive season, you and your friends can enjoy Euroleague fun at its finest by playing Sportingbet Fantasy Challenge - and win terrific prizes, too! Keep in mind that all Maccabi and Olimpija players have been added before Week 2. In order to compensate fans that wished to put Maccabi and Olimpija players on their teams, four player changes - one more than the usual amount- are allowed before Week 2 starts. Remember that you can trade players and add new teams until the Week 2 deadline, Wednesday, OCTOBER 28, at 17:15 CET. What are you waiting for? Make sure you take part in the ultimate Euroleague game!

Oldenburg loses Gardner for another month

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A week after missing his team's historic debut victory in the Euroleague, EWE Baskets Oldenburg has learned that it must survive without point guard Jason Gardner for up to a month more due to his ongoing back injury. Gardner (178, 29) has been more than a leader for Oldenburg. Last season, he won the regular season MVP award in the German League before leading Oldenburg to its first-ever domestic title. He averaged 15 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds and 1 steal per game last season. What's more, he entered this season as the only Oldenburg player with previous Euroleague experience entering the current season.