April 18, 2011 - Eurocup clubs commission meets in Treviso
Seven
clubs representing 2010-11 Eurocup teams met Sunday in Treviso, Italy
on the occasion of the Eurocup Finals to discuss the current status of
the competition and to propose improvements for future editions. Topics
discussed included the competition system, commercialization of
audiovisual rights, and the geographic coordination of regular season
groups. On the subject of the competition system, the clubs evaluated
the Eurocup qualifying round, the minimum number of guaranteed games,
the format of the second phase of the competition and the
quarterfinals, based on their experiences in previous years. Read more here.
April 17, 2011 - Eurocup Finals MVP, Marko Popovic of Unics
Unics
won its first Eurocup title and also earned a first appearance in the
Turkish Airlines Euroleague thanks to the leadership on court by
veteran guard Marko Popovic, who was elected MVP of the Eurocup Finals.
Popovic set a new record for assists in the title game with 11, to
which he added 18 points with good numbers - 2 of 3 two-pointers, 3 of
6 triples and 5 of 6 free throws. Popovic also pulled 2 boards and had
2 steals as well as drawing 6 fouls for a performance index rating of
29. Read more here.
April 17, 2011 - Unics, a huge, 92-77 title-game winner over Cajasol Sevilla
Unics
Kazan dominated Cajasol Sevilla 92-77 to finish the 2011 season as the
Eurocup champion. Maciej Lampe scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds
and Marko Popovic added 18 points and set a Eurocup Finals record with
11 assists to lead Unics to a historic win at the Palaverde in Treviso,
Italy. The result also gives the Russian club an automatic bid to the
2011-12 Euroleague Regular Season. Unics dominated early, making 9 of
14 two-pointers and 4 of 4 triples in the first quarter, as Kelly
McCarty and Lampe led their team to a 32-16 lead after 10 minutes.
Unics increased the lead to 20 before settling for 51-36 at halftime.
Outstanding defense brought Cajasol within 55-48 after the break and
gave the Spanish side a chance in the fourth quarter. However Unics was
too strong down the stretch and took over again in the last half of the
fourth quarter to secure the victory. Read more here.
April 17, 2011 - Cedevita beat Benetton in 3rd place game
Cedevita
Zagreb finished the 2010-11 Eurocup with a prestigious win by downing
Benetton Basket Bwin in the Third Place Game at Palaverde in Treviso,
Italy on Sunday. Cedevita pleased its fans that traveled for the Finals
with a marquee victory to end its first season in the Eurocup with
style. Corsley Edwards led the winners with 16 points and 9 rebounds
and Eurocup MVP Dontaye Draper tallied 10 points, 9 rebounds and 4
assists. Cedevita struggled to score in the opening 15 minutes, hitting
just 2 of its first 20 shots. Meanwhile, Jakub Wojciechowski and Greg
Brunner helped Benetton to a 14-8 lead. Draper and Edwards fueled a 0-7
run that gave the guests a 14-15 lead. Nicolo Cazzolato shined late in
the half, but a buzzer-beating jumper by Damjan Rudez kept Cedevita
within 23-21 at halftime. A three-pointer by Rudez allowed the guests
to regain the lead, 36-37, after three quarters. Read more here.
April 16, 2011 - Cajasol ousted Benetton 63-75
Cajasol
Sevilla has made it to the Eurocup final! Cajasol advanced to the title
game and will fight for its first Eurocup title - and the right to play
in the 2011-12 Euroleague - by downing Benettom Basket Bwin 63-75 in
the second semifinal at Palaverde in Treviso, Italy on Saturday night.
Cajasol is set for a big showdown against Russian powerhouse Unics in
the title game at 20:45 CET tomorrow. Before that, Benetton will play
the Third Place game against Cedevita Zagreb at 18:00 CET. Tariq
Kirksay led the winners with 16 points and Louis Bullock and Paul Davis
had 14 apiece. Massimo Bulleri had 15 points for Benetton while Stefan
Markovic added 13. Bullock and Katelynas helped Cajasol to get an early
10-17 lead. Hrvoje Peric and Markovic tried to change things for
Benetton buy Paul Davis helped Cajasol to keep a 16-22 lead after 10
minutes. A 0-6 run that Davis capped with a dunk boosted the guests'
lead to 21-36 but Brian Skinner and Peric brought Benetton within 33-38
near halftime. Read more here.
April 16, 2011 - Unics, a 87-66 winner over Cedevita
Unics
made it to the Eurocup final! Unics confirmed its status as a solid
candidate to lift the Eurocup trophy by downing Cedevita Zagreb 87-66
in the first semifinal at Palaverde in Treviso, Italy on Saturday.
Unics stormed into the Eurocup final for the first time in club history
and will also make its Euroleague debut next season if it adds another
win in the title game tomorrow. Cedevita, the first Croatian team to
reach the semifinals, will try to please its many fans with a win in
the Third Place game tomorrow. Terrell Lyday paced the winners with 27
points. Kelly McCarty aded 18, Maciej Lampe had 16 while Marko Popovic
got 14 for Unics. Damjan Rudez led Cedevita with 16 points. Bracey
Wright added 15, Dontaye Draper and Vedran Vukusic each had 11 while
Marino Bazdaric got 10 for the Croatian side. Rudez gave Cedevita an
early 5-9 lead but Lyday led a 10-0 run that allowed Unics to get a
15-9 margin. Cedevita made just 1-of-12 shots from downtown in the
first quarter, as Lyday, McCarty and Ricky Minard made it a nine-point
game, 22-13, after 10 minutes. Read more here.
April 15, 2011 - Eurocup Finals: Official press conference
The
Eurocup Finals got off to an official start Friday morning in a
beautiful setting with representatives of all four semifinal teams
meeting for the opening press conference in the Sala Affreschi (Room of
Frescoes) at the Palazzo Rinaldi in Treviso, Italy. The media members
in attendance were able to get impressions from the four head coaches
and star players of each of the teams set to take the floor Saturday in
the first games of the 2011 Eurocup Finals. Unics Kazan guard Marko
Popovic, Cedevita forward Vedran Vukusic , Cajasol Sevilla guard Louis
Bullock and veteran Benetton Basket Bwin guard Massimo Bulleri
represented their respective clubs, fielding questions and posing for
photos with the trophy that only one of them will take home. The four
teams all have their official practices at Palaverde scheduled for
later on Friday, including a last session with the media on court
before they get down to action. Read more here.
April 15, 2011 - Semifinal preview: Unics vs. Cedevita
The
Eurocup Finals gets underway with a duel between Unics Kazan and
Cedevita Zagreb at 18:00 CET on Saturday. The teams meet for the third
time this season, but this time the prize is much greater: a spot in
the 2011 Eurocup championship game. Not too much can be learned from
the previous games between the teams, both of which took place in the
Last 16. Unics beat Cedevita 76-94 in their first meeting in Zagreb
behind 22 points from Kelly McCarty and 20 points and 6 assists from
Terrell Lyday. Cedevita came back and topped Unics 84-88 in Russia in
the Last 16 finale as Bracey Wright poured in 27 points and Marino
Bazdaric had 20. Cedevita was without its top big man, Corsley Edwards,
for both games. Each team’s starting point guard, Lyday for Unics and
Eurocup MVP Dontaye Draper for Cedevita, missed their second date. Read
more here.
April 15, 2011 - Semifinal preview: Benetton vs. Cajasol
A
fight to reach the Eurocup title game sees two of the best teams in the
competition battling again in the second semifinals, as Benetton Basket
Bwin takes Cajasol Sevilla in Treviso, Italy on Saturday at 20:45 CET.
Both teams split home wins in the Last 16. In fact, Cajasol is the only
team that has beaten Benetton in this Eurocup season, but the Italian
powerhouse won their Last 16 group with a convincing 16-point win at
the PalaVerde, home of the Finals. There are some good news for
Benetton, as veteran big man Sandro Nicevic is back in action and ready
to play. Cajasol has injury problems, as even when former Eurocup
winner Louis Bullock and All-Eurocup second team center Paul Davis have
recovered from their respective injuries, sharp shooter Joan Sastre and
point guard Earl Calloway have been sidelined lately. Read more here.
April 8, 2011 - 2011 Eurocup Finals referees announced
Euroleague
Basketball has announced the names of the officials will work the games
of the 2011 Eurocup Finals in Treviso, Italy on April 16 and 17. The
list of referees for that weekend's two semifinal, third-place and
title games features a mix of experience and youth. The full list of
referees includes Panagiotis Anastopoulos of Greece, Guerrino Cerebuch
of Italy, Volodymyr Drabikovskyi of Ukraine, Sinisa Herceg of Croatia,
Olegs Latisevs of Latvia, Jose Martin of Spain, Borys Ryzhyk of Ukraine
and Milija Vojinovic of Serbia. The 2011 Eurocup Finals will feature
Benetton Bwin of Italy, Cajasol Sevilla of Spain, Cedevita Zagreb of
Croatia and Unics Kazan of Russia fighting to become the competition's
new champion on Sunday, April 17. Read more here.
April 7, 2011 - 2010-11 Eurocup MVP: Dontaye Draper, Cedevita Zagreb
Euroleague
Basketball is proud to announce that Dontaye Draper of Cedevita Zagreb
has been chosen as the 2010-11 Eurocup MVP. In his debut season, Draper
has led Cedevita all the way from the Qualifying Round to the Eurocup
Finals as the team’s undisputed floor general and star. Starting even
before the season began, when Cedevita had to defeat Dynamo Moscow just
to qualify for the Eurocup, Draper has been as dependable as any player
in the competition. He finished by leading Cedevita in total points,
assists, steals and foul drawn. Moreover, Draper led the Eurocup is
performance index rating and assists, while ranking third in steals and
fourth in scoring. Draper helped Eurocup newcomer Cedevita to overcome
early home losses in both the regular season and the Last 16 to finish
with a six-game winning streak good for a place in next week’s finals
in Treviso, Italy. Read more here.
April 6, 2011 - Countdown to Eurocup Finals in Treviso
With
10 days left until the Eurocup finals, the host city of Treviso, Italy
rolled out the welcome mat for fans with a press conference on
Wednesday to promote the event. The Eurocup Finals, featuring teams
from four different countries, will be played on Saturday, April 16 and
Sunday, April 17 at Palaverde in Treviso. Unics Kazan of Russia faces
Cedevita Zagreb of Croatia in Saturday's first semifinal, at 18:00 CET,
while Benetton Bwin of Italy hosts Cajasol Sevilla of Spain in the late
game. The winners face off on Sunday for the Eurocup title and
qualification for the 2011-12 Turkish Airlines Euroleague. Wednesday's
press conference highlighted the fact that all games of the Eurocup
Finals will be broadcast live on Eurosport 2, reaching at least 47
countries and a potential 50 million households in 16 languages. Read
more here.
April 6, 2011 - 2010-11 All-Eurocup first, second teams announced
After
152 games were played this season on the road to the Eurocup Finals and
a new champion of the competition, Euroleague Basketball has chosen 10
deserving stars to make up the All-Eurocup first and second teams for
the 2010-11 season. The list is largely composed of players that have
guided their teams to the Eurocup Finals, which take place on April 16
and 17 in Treviso, Italy. Headlining the first team is Benetton Bwin
forward Devin Smith, who was an All-Eurocup first team selection last
season, too. Smith becomes only the second player to earn Eurocup
first-team honors twice and is the first to do so with two different
teams. Smith starred for Panellinios last season. Joining him as
All-Eurocup first team choices are guards Dontaye Draper of Cedevita
Zagreb and Terrell Lyday of Unics Kazan, forward Tariq Kirksay of
Cajasol Sevilla and center Maciej Lampe of Unics. Read more here.