April 5, 2011 - 2010-11 Eurocup Coach of the Year: Aleksandar Petrovic, Cedevita Zagreb
Euroleague
Basketball is honored to announce that Aleksandar Petrovic of Cedevita
Zagreb, who took his team all the way from the Qualifying Round to the
Eurocup Finals, has been chosen as the 2010-11 Eurocup Coach of the
Year. In his second season on Cedevita's bench, Petrovic has already
led the club to its best results ever. Now, he and Cedevita aims for
the club's first trophy of any kind at the Eurocup Finals in Treviso,
Italy on April 16 and 17. Cedevita went against all odds this season,
first to survive qualifying, and then to rally rally from slow starts
in both the regular season and the Last 16. Cedevita crowned its
season-long effort by becoming the only quarterfinals team without
homecourt advantage to sweep its series. Read more here.
April 5, 2011 - 2010-11 Eurocup Rising Star Trophy winner: Donatas Motiejunas, Benetton Bwin
With
a great mix of size, talent and know-how, one of the world's top
prospects became the real deal this season by leading his team into the
Eurocup Finals. For his key role in that achievement and for his impact
on Eurocup courts all around the continent, versatile center Donatas
Motiejunas of Benetton Basket Bwin has been chosen by Euroleague
Basketball as the Eurocup Rising Star Trophy winner for 2010-11. In its
third season, the Rising Star Trophy recognizes the best Eurocup player
who was younger than 22 on July 1 of the summer before the season
started. Motiejunas, who turned 20 years old a few days before Benetton
started the Eurocup Qualifying Round in September, has been productive
beyond his years since then, at both ends of the court. Read more here.
March 31, 2011 - Quarterfinals Game 2 MVP: Bracey Wright, Cedevita
Game
2 of the Eurocup Quarterfinals will go down as a game to remember for
Cedevita Zagreb guard Bracey Wright. Not only did he lead his team to
victory and a Eurocup Finals berth, but Wright recorded his best game
of the season, his first double-double in European competition and
earned Quarterfinals Game 2 MVP honors. Wright starred in Cedevita’s
72-81 victory at Cedevita with 24 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 3
steals. He was 6 of 8 on two-point shots and made 9 of 11 free throws
en route to a performance index rating of 37. Read more here.
March 31, 2011 - Let the countdown to the Eurocup Finals begin!
The
lineup for the Eurocup Finals is set! Benetton Bwin Treviso, Cajasol
Sevilla, Cedevita Zagreb and Unics Kazan will compete for glory at the
Eurocup Finals in Treviso, Italy, on April 16-17 after that foursome
advanced from the Quarterfinals stage on Wednesday. The quarterfinals
featured two sweeps and one team that lost Wednesday, but passed
through thanks to its Game 1 exploits. First Unics edged Pepsi Caserta
79-77 as Maciej Lampe dominated with 31 points and 16 rebounds to sweep
their series. Unics won the first game by 6, but Caserta had the
pressure on with slim leads in the fourth quarter. Alas Unics was too
strong in the end. Jumaine Jones finished an impressive debut Eurocup
season with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Read more here.
March 30, 2011 - Quarterfinals, Game 2
Benetton Bwin - BG Goettingen 84:62 Benetton
Bwin defeated BG Goettingen at the Palaverde 84-62 on Wednesday night
to earn the right to play the Eurocup Finals in its home. Benetton will
rematch Last 16 foe Cajasol in the semifinals on April 16 with an eye
on the Eurocup prize. Benetton needed to win Game 2 of the
quarterfinals against Goettingen after tying Game 1 in Germany a week
ago, 66-66, and was able to notch the definitive victory thanks to a
15-0 run at the end of the first quarter and an impressive domination
of the paint throughout the game. Read more here.
Asefa Estudiantes - Cedevita 72:81 Cedevita
Zagreb reached the Eurocup Finals! Cedevita earnt the right to keep
fighting for the Eurocup title by beating Asefa Estudiantes 72-81 in
Madrid, Spain on Tuesday night. Cedevita swept the two way, total-point
series and went all the way from the Qualifying Rounds to the Finals.
Bracey Wright paced the winners with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Vedran
Vukusic added 15 points while Dontaye Draper had 13 for Cedevita.
German Gabriel and Pancho Jasen led Estudiantes with 12 points apiece.
Ty Ellis added 11, Sergio Sanchez had 10 while Nik Caner-Medley pulled
down 12 rebounds for the hosts, that led 21-15 early. Read more here.
Unics Kazan - Pepsi Caserta 79:77 Unics
Kazan edged Pepsi Caserta 79-77 Wednesday night at the Basket-Hall in
Kazan, Russia, to seal their ticket to the Eurocup Finals in Treviso,
Italy, next month. Kazan needed only to protect its 6-point advantage
from Game 1 of their quarterfinals series and a 26-17 first quarter and
11-3 run in the second basically set up the win, as the hosts had just
enough the rest of way. Maciej Lampe paced the winners with 31 points
and 16 rebounds and Marko Popovic added 17 and 6 assists, while
Vladimir Veremeenko recorded 11 points and 8 boards. Read more here.
Budivelnik - Cajasol Sevilla 80:77
Cajasol
Sevilla made it to the Eurocup Finals! Cajasol sealed its ticket to
Treviso, Italy and will keep fighting for Eurocup glory despite an
80-77 road loss against Budivelnik on Tuesday. Cajasol had registered a
67-49 win in Game 1 and won the two-way, total-point series by a long
margin. Denys Ikovlev and Dee Spencer paced the winners with 12 points
apiece. Billy Keys, Zach Morley and Andy Betts each added 10 for
Budivelnik. Txemi Urtasun led Cajasol with 15 points. Louis Bullock and
Kaloyan Ivanov each added 14 while Juanjo Triguero got 12 for the
guests, that keep beating all expectations in their Eurocup debut
season. Read more here.
March 30, 2011 - Decision night in the Eurocup!
It
is decision night in the Eurocup, as the Quarterfinals come to an end
on Wednesday with four critical showdowns all over the continent. Game
1 saw two convincing home triumphs, a narrow road win and a tie, so
anything can happen and only one thing is certain - we will know which
four teams make it to the Eurocup Finals in Treviso by the end of the
night. Wednesday’s games begin with a pair of 18:30 CET tip-offs. In
Kazan, Russia, Unics hosts Pepsi Caserta hoping to defend its 6-point
lead from the first game in the series. Unics, however, has already
lost twice at home in this Eurocup season and Caserta has been able to
steal three road wins, including one in Russia against Krasnye Krylia.
Read more here.
March 24, 2011 - Quarterfinals, Game 1 MVP: Vladimir Veremeenko, Unics
After
dominating inside on Wednesday to help his team edge closer to the
Eurocup Finals, Unics Kazan big man Vladimir Veremeenko is the
Quarterfinals Game 1 MVP. Veremeenko had by far the best performance of
his 53-game Eurocup career and one of the best in the competition all
season as Unics beat Pepsi Caserta 84-90 on the road in Game 1 of their
two-game total-points series for a spot in the Eurocup Finals.
Veremeenko was nearly perfect from the floor, making 12 of 13 two-point
shots and 6 of 7 free throws for a career-best 30 points. He added 12
rebounds – also a Eurocup career high – and dished 3 assists to amass a
performance index rating of 40, which was the best of the night by a
wide margin. Read more here.
March 23, 2011 - Quarterfinals, Game 1
Pepsi Caserta - Unics Kazan 84:90 Unics
Kazan topped Pepsi Caserta Wednesday night at the Palamaggio Arena
84-90 in the first leg of their two-game total-points Eurocup
Quarterfinals series. The 6-point win for the visitors now forces
Caserta to make up the deficit next Wednesday in Russia to make it to
next month’s Eurocup Finals in Treviso. Vladimir Veremeenko paced the
winners with 30 points and 12 rebounds, while Terrell Lyday added 16
points, Marko Popovic recorded 11 points and 6 assists and Kelly
McCarty tallied 10 points. Caserta was not able to counter Kazan’s
inside dominance through Veremeenko and better overall shooting
performance, and lost its first game at home since Week 3 of the
regular season. Read more here.
Cajasol Sevilla - Budivelnik 67:49 Cajasol
took a very important first step to reach the Eurocup Finals by downing
Budivelnik 67-49 in Game 1 of the two-game, total-point Quarterfinals
in front of a sellout crowd at San Pablo Arena in Seville, Spain on
Tuesday night. Cajasol, pushed by an incredible crowd, took n 18-point
lead in the series, that now travel to Dnipropetrovsk for Game 2 next
Wednesday. Lamayne Wilson shined early in the game and got some help
from Billy Keys and Andy Betts to give Budivelnik a 10-16 lead late in
the first quarter. Paul Davis led a 9-0 run that helped Cajasol regain
the lead. Outstanding defense that forced Budivelnik into 13 first-half
turnovers and a fast break layup by Tariq Kirksay gave Cajasol a 30-24
lead at the break. Read more here.
BG Goettingen - Benetton Bwin 66:66 BG
Goettingen and Benetton Bwin played to a 40-minute draw, 66-66, in an
exciting clash on Wednesday in the opening game of their two-game
total-points Quarterfinals. The result sets up a winner-takes all
second game in Treviso next week, meaning the two teams will play a
do-or-die game on the floor that will host the Eurocup Finals for a
ticket to the big show. The Violets controlled the game early, led by
14 in the second quarter and 41-32 at halftime. But Alessandro Gentile
and Stefan Markovic fueled a 0-11 start to the second half that carried
Benetton back. Goettingen rode Mike Scott to remain in the game and
came into the final minutes close. Read more here.
Cedevita - Asefa Estudiantes 90:81
Cedevita
Zagreb defeated Asefa Estudiantes 90-81 Wednesday night at the Drazen
Petrovic Basketball Center in the Croatian capital to get within one
step of the Eurocup Finals in Treviso. The 9-point win by Cedevita
means Estudiantes will have to make up the difference next Wednesday in
Madrid for the second and definitive quarterfinals game between the
teams. The hosts trailed by double figures in the first half, but took
over in the third quarter and held on for a crucial win. Cedevita’s
victory was its 5th in a row in the competition and broke a 3-game
winning streak for Estu. Forward Damjan Rudez paced the winners with 21
points, while point guard Dontaye Draper added 20 to go with 5 assists
and 3 steals, Marino Bazdaric scored 14 and Vedran Vukusic 10. Read
more here.
March 23, 2011 - Quarterfinals Game 1, Game Center
Eurocup
fans, the next decisive phase of the 2010-11 season arrives with the
start of the Quarterfinals tonight! Eight teams will begin their
two-game battles on Wednesday for four berths in the Eurocup Finals.
The series get rocking at 18:00 CET in Zagreb, Croatia as Cedevita
hosts Estudiantes. The action will continue at 19:30 CET in Germany as
Goettingen welcomes Benetton Bwin. Finally, the night will end with
simultaneous tipoffs at 20:00 CET: Caserta vs. Unics in Italy and
Cajasol vs. Budivelnik in Seville, Spain. The second and final games of
the Quarterfinals will be played next Wednesday and the four teams with
the highest cumulative scores in each series will make it to the
Eurocup Finals. Read more here.
March 18, 2011 - Quarterfinals Series breakdown: Asefa Estudiantes vs. Cedevita Zagreb
All
signs point to a high-scoring thriller when Asefa Estudiantes and
Cedevita Zagreb clash in the Eurocup Quarterfinals. Cedevita (85.5
ppg.) and Estu (81.5 ppg.) are ranked first and third, respectively, in
team scoring in the Eurocup this season, though with different styles.
Estudiantes ranked second in the Eurocup Last 16 in two-pointers made
(132) and two-point shooting percentage (54.5%), while Cedevita led the
competition in the corresponding stats for three pointers (69, 42.6%).
Both teams boast experience with multiple former Euroleague players on
the roster. Read more here.
March 17, 2011 - Quarterfinals Series breakdown: Unics Kazan vs. Pepsi Caserta
Two
teams that started the season in the Qualifying Rounds of the Turkish
Airlines Euroleague now meet with a ticket to the Eurocup Finals at
stake. Unics Kazan has been one of the dominant forces in the Eurocup
in recent seasons. It leads the competition this season in scoring,
rebounds and assists. Kazan’s deep roster features a former Euroleague
champ, Zakhar Pashutin; a Eurocup champ, Kelly McCarty; and a player,
Slavko Vranes, and head coach, Evgeny Pashutin, who took part in last
season’s Euroleague Final Four. Pepsi Caserta has been a revelation
this season, its first in continental competition in nearly two
decades. Read more here.
March 15, 2011 - Quarterfinals Series breakdown: Budivelnik vs. Cajasol
There
will be a clash of styles when Budivelnik meets Cajasol Sevilla in the
Eurocup Quarterfinals. Budivelnik is the lowest-scoring team with a
winning record in the Eurocup this season. The Ukrainian club tallied 8
victories and went 3-0 in games decided by less than 5 points. Cajasol
has also won 8 games and missed out on being the Last 16 Group L winner
in a tiebreaker. The coaches will share in the spotlight of this
matchup with Budivelnik led by Josep Maria Berrocal of Spain, an
assistant on the Regal FC Barcelona squad that won the Euroleague last
season, and someone certain to be familiar with Cajasol. Read more here.
March 14, 2011 - Quarterfinal Series breakdown: Benetton Bwin vs. BG Goettingen
The
competition's winningest team this season, Benetton Bwin of Italy,
tries to reach the 2011 Eurocup Finals on its home court by facing down
an upstart challenger, BG Goettingen of Germany, in a two-game
total-points quarterfinal series starting Wednesday, March 23. Benetton
relies on a mix of experience and young talent as it seeks its first
European trophy since 1999. Goettingen has head coach John Patrick and
seven players back from last season's FIBA EuroChallenge title team,
although none has played this late in the season at the Eurocup level.Read more here.