2008-09 club profile: Panellinios BC
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 One of the oldest basketball clubs in Europe, Panellinios heads to the Eurocup looking to show folks across the continent what fans in Greece already know. Panellinios opened its basketball section in 1929 and won the Athens regional title that same year. Coach Nikos Nisiotis soon became one of the first legends
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Panellinios Roster 2008-09
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| Name |
Pos.
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Height
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| Georgios Kalaitzis |
G
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1.95
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| Dimitrios Kalaitzidis |
G
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1.98
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| Ioannis Sakellariou |
G
|
1.87
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| Manolis Papamakarios |
G
|
1.90
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| Anthony Grundy |
G
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1.89
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| Dimitris Kobodietas |
G
|
1.96
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| Vladimir Petrovic |
F
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1.98
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| Brad Newley |
F
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1.99
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| Stevan Nadjfeji |
F
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2.02
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| Jurica Golemac |
F
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2.09
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| Alexandros Petroulas |
F
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2.01
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| Djuro Ostojic |
C
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2.11
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| Ivan Radenovic |
F
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2.08
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| Nikos Makris |
G
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1.88
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| Elias Zouros |
Head Coach |
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in Greek basketball, playing an important role in the development of the sport in the 1930s and '40s. Panellinios won two more championships in 1939 and 1940, right before World War II. The team returned known as "the Golden Pentada" after the war, winning three more national championships between 1946 and 1960, led by super scorer Antonis Christeas.
The Golden Pentada was the base for the 1952 Greek basketball Olympic team in Helsinki. Once the Greek League was created in 1963, Panellinios had the initiative to set the basis for the Greek Basketball Federation. Panellinios stayed in the top division for 23 straight years, finishing third in 1970 and 1978 led by Vassilis Goumas. Tough times came throughout the 1990s, however, as the team battled in the second and third division until a new management came in 1999. The team was promoted to the second division in 2000 and started to fight to return to the Greek elite. It finally happened in 2004, when then the team returned to the first division led by the Soulis brothers and Marijan Kraljevic. Panellinios battled hard to stay alive in 2005 and then made it to the Greek League playoffs in 2006, when Damir Mulaomerovic and Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje helped Panellinios finish sixth. In each of the past two seasons, Panellinios has finished the regular season in fifth place only to fall to Panionios in the quarterfinals. Panellinios also reached the Greek Cup semifinals only to run into mighty Panathinaikos. Last season also marked the club's maiden ULEB Cup voyage and despite an opening night win over Oostende, Panellinios hit hard times and finished last in its group. Nevertheless, the experience gained will only help this growing club get it right in the Eurocup this year.
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Eurocupbasketball.com
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