Stephane Lasme came to the Eurocup this season to
help Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul capture the crown. The big man was a
major reason the club was able to do so and was recognized accordingly
when he was named the 2016 Eurocup Finals MVP. Lasme was chosen in a
vote of accredited journalists at Game 2 of the series at Abdi Ipekci
Sports Hall. Lasme, 33, controlled the paint in Game 2 of the series
with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks as Galatasaray won the game
78-67 and the two-game, total-points series by 7 points. Read more here.
April 28, 2016 - Galatasaray takes the crown!
Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul is the 2016 Eurocup
champion! Galatasaray defeated Strasbourg 78-67 at a sold-out Abdi
Ipekci Sports Hall to win the first continental trophy in the club’s
105-year history. It also became the first Turkish team to win the
Eurocup. Strasbourg won the opening leg of the two-game, total points
series 66-62 in France and entered the final minute of regulation down
2 points on aggregate, but Galatasaray scored the final 5 points,
including a steal and layup by Sinan Guler in the closing seconds, to
win the series by a total score of 140-133. Stephane Lasme was voted
Eurocup Finals MVP after posting 16 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks
for the winners. Errick McCollum also scored 16. Read more here.
April 27, 2016 - Eurocup Finals Game 2: Trophy time!
A new Eurocup champion will be crowned on Wednesday,
when Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul hosts Strasbourg at Abdi Ipekci
Sports Hall. Galatasaray fans sold out the arena just minutes after
tickets were released, so an outstanding basketball atmosphere is
guaranteed to match the importance of this game. Strasbourg holds a
four-point lead in the series due to its 66-62 home win in Game 1
behind 16 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists from team captain Louis
Campbell. It was Galatasaray's worst scoring night this season, as the
guests hit just 3 of 18 three-point shots and picked up 15 turnovers.
Galatasaray is 10-1 at home this season, winning its last seven games
there by double figures with an average margin of victory of 23.3
points. Read more here.
April 22, 2016 - 2015-16 Eurocup MVP: Errick McCollum, Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul
Galatasaray
Odeabank Istanbul has had a rock-solid season, dominating its regular
season and Last 32 groups before going all the way to the finals. None
of its players has shined brighter than playmaker Errick McCollum, who
has been unstoppable all season, leading the 2015-16 Eurocup in
performance index rating average (22 per game) and taking Galatasaray
to the Eurocup Finals for the first time. McCollum had already been the
2013-14 Eurocup top scorer (20.2 ppg.) playing for Panionios Athens and
took his game to a new level this season as a go-to presence for
Galatasaray through thick and thin. McCollum is the second-best top
scorer in the 2015-16 Eurocup (18.7 ppg.), leads the competition in
total fouls drawn (6.6 per game), free throws made (6.5 per game, with
an excellent 86.7%). He also helped on the boards (4.4 rpg.) and shared
the ball well (3.7 apg.). Read more here.
April 22, 2016 - Inside the finals
Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul
Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul had reached the
Eurocup Finals for the first time in club history - its best previous
result was making it to the semifinals in 2008, losing against DKV
Joventut Badalona. Head coach Ergin Ataman put together a core of
experienced players - Sinan Guler, Blake Schilb, Stephane Lasme, Vlado
Micov - who also happen to be hungry - none of them has ever won the
Turkish Airlines Euroleague or the Eurocup, therefore facing a great
opportunity in their careers. Galatasaray added Errick McCollum right
before the season and it paid off incredibly well. McCollum is this
season’s leader in performance index rating (22 per game) and ranked
second in scoring (18.7 ppg.), despite coming off the bench in half his
games. Adding more experienced players like Chuck Davis and Curtis
Jerrells, only made the team even more dangerous. Read more here.
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is definitely trying to re-write French
basketball's recent history with a truly historical season. The team
started the competition in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague and was just
one win away from becoming the first French team to make it to the Top
16 since 2007. Its wins against three eventual playoffs teams - Real
Madrid, Fenerbahce Istanbul and Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade - did
not go unnoticed. Once in the Eurocup, Strasbourg has also found
unprecedented success in the competition, going all the way to the
Finals, something that no other French team had even been close to.
Head coach Vincent Collet has relied on a core of players like Louis
Campbell, Matt Howard, Bangaly Fofana, Romain Duport and Jeremy Leloup,
who have been playing together for years, adding Mardy Collins, Kyle
Weems and Rodrigue Beaubois into the fold to go the extra mile as a
team. This chemistry has worked and has paid off really well until now.
Read more here.
April 15, 2016 - 2015-16 All-Eurocup First, Second teams announced
In a season that has seen a lot of firsts, all 10
members of the 2015-16 All-Eurocup First and Second Teams are
first-time selections and half of them are Eurocup rookies. The annual
All-Eurocup selections honor 10 deserving stars for their on-court
excellence throughout the season and leading their respective teams in
deep runs in the competition. Though the selections, made by Euroleague
Basketball’s panel of expert, do not have many players rich in Eurocup
history, they do tell the story of the current season as the league
leaders or runners-up in performance index rating, scoring, defensive
rebounds, blocks, fouls drawn and true shooting percentage are all
represented, as are eight players who appeared in the Eurocup
Semifinals and Four due to play in the Eurocup Finals. The All-Eurocup
First Team is comprised of guards Errick McCollum of Galatasaray
Odeabank Istanbul and Mardy Collins of Strasbourg, forwards Vlado Micov
of Galatasaray and Davide Pascolo of Dolomiti Energia Trento and center
Alen Omic of Herbalife Gran Canaria Las Palmas. Read more here.
April 13, 2016 - 2015-16 Eurocup Coach of the Year: Maurizio Buscaglia, Dolomiti Energia Trento
Euroleague Basketball is pleased to announce that
the 2015-16 Eurocup Coach of the Year is Maurizio Buscaglia of Dolomiti
Energia Trento. In the club's first season in any European club
competition, Buscaglia led Trento to the semifinals, getting 15 wins in
22 games and only losing to Strasbourg by a two-point differential in
their home-and-away series. Buscaglia, who turned 47 on April 9, has
completed an amazing journey, taking Trento from the Italian third
division to the Eurocup semifinals in less than six seasons with the
club. Not only did Trento win this season, but Buscaglia instilled in
the team a fun-to-watch, aggressive playing style. Trento put a lot of
pressure on the passing lines, attacked the offensive glass with its
wing players and opened the floor with its undersized big men Davide
Pascolo and Julian Wright. Trento was second in its regular season
group with a 7-3 record and first in its Last 32 group at 4-2. Its
dream season continued with Trento downing CAI Zaragoza on point
difference in the eighthfinals then sweeping mighty EA7 Emporio Armani
Milan in the quarterfinals. Trento even won Game 1 of the semifinals on
the road against Strasbourg, but its season ended at home, where it
lost in Game 2. Coach Buscaglia has been part of his club's history
over and over again, and now, by writing the most brilliant chapter in
that book, he has become Euroleague Basketball's choice for the 2015-16
Eurocup Coach of the Year. Read more here.
April 13, 2016 - 2015-16 Eurocup Rising Star Trophy winner: Mateusz Ponitka, Stelmet Zielona Gora
Euroleague
Basketball is pleased to announce Mateusz Ponitka of Stelmet Zielona
Gora as the winner of the 2015-16 Eurocup Rising Star Trophy. The
22-year-old forward enjoyed a breakout season in what was his third in
the competition after two years with Telenet Ostend. After joining
Zielona Gora over the summer, he helped the Polish champs reach the
Eurocup Quarterfinals for the first time in club history by ousting
Unics Kazan in the eighthfinals. Zielona Gora did not lose a Eurocup
game on the road all season. The Eurocup Rising Star Trophy recognizes
the most outstanding player in the competition who was younger than 22
years of age on July 1 of the summer before the season started.
Ponitka, who will turn 23 in August, had already showcased his skills
in the competition, but this season posted career-best averages in
points, rebounds, assists, steals and performance index ranking.
Ponitka did it all for Zielona Gora, leading his team in scoring (13.5
ppg.), rebounding (6.5 rpg.), fouls drawn (4 per game) and performance
index rating (17.3 PIR), which made him a perfect choice as the 2015-16
Eurocup Rising Star! Read more here.
April 13, 2016 - Refereeing crews announced for Eurocup Finals
The 2016 Eurocup Finals between Galatasaray Odeabank
Istanbul and Strasbourg will be in the hands of veteran refereeing
crews with experience at the very top of the sport. Euroleague
Basketball has announced the two crews of three referees each that will
officiate the two games to decide a new Eurocup champion. Game 1 of the
will be played at Strasbourg’s home court on Friday, April 22 with
Fernando Rocha of Portugal serving as the Crew Chief and working
together with Sasa Pukl of Slovenia and Emilio Perez Pizarro of Spain.
The referring trio for Game 2 in Istanbul on Wednesday, April 22 will
have Christos Christodoulou of Greece as Crew Chief alongside Carmelo
Paternico of Italy and Piotr Pastusiak of Poland. Read more here.
April 9, 2016 - Eurocup Finals at a glance: Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul vs. Strasbourg
Galatasaray built a team with the weaponry to
challenge for Eurocup glory and now there is only one opponent standing
in its way. Coach Ergin Ataman has the competition’s No. 2 scorer for
the season in guard Errick McCollum (18.7 ppg., 3.7 apg.) – who leads
in performance index rating with 22.0 per game, and the Eurocup’s
all-time No. 3 scorer coming off the bench in Chuck Davis (8.2 ppg.),
yet it was another player who took charge in the decisive Game 2 of the
semifinals; Vladimir Micov (13 ppg.) shined with 21 points. And it’s
not all offense; Stephane Lasme (11.1 ppg., 6.4 rpg., 1.3 bpg.) is
second in the Eurocup in blocked shots this season and swingman Blake
Schilb (12.2 ppg., 44.2% 3FG, 3.8 apg.) contributes everywhere. Add in
the defense of captain Sinan Guler (8.9 ppg., 3.6 apg.) and it’s
understandable how this team is standing where it is. Another
significant advantage Galatasaray boasts in Game 2 at home; this team
has gone 10-1 in the Eurocup in Istanbul this season, including seven
straight by double figures (with an average margin of victory of 23.3
points!). After competing in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague in three
of the previous four seasons, not only are Galatasaray and its
passionate fans hungry to get back to the promised land, but
overflowing with the experience to handle the big games that could get
it there. Read more here.
Galatasaray
Odeabank Istanbul has had a rock-solid season, dominating its regular
season and Last 32 groups before going all the way to the finals. None
of its players has shined brighter than playmaker Errick McCollum, who
has been unstoppable all season, leading the 2015-16 Eurocup in
performance index rating average (22 per game) and taking Galatasaray
to the Eurocup Finals for the first time. McCollum had already been the
2013-14 Eurocup top scorer (20.2 ppg.) playing for Panionios Athens and
took his game to a new level this season as a go-to presence for
Galatasaray through thick and thin. McCollum is the second-best top
scorer in the 2015-16 Eurocup (18.7 ppg.), leads the competition in
total fouls drawn (6.6 per game), free throws made (6.5 per game, with
an excellent 86.7%). He also helped on the boards (4.4 rpg.) and shared
the ball well (3.7 apg.). Read more 
Euroleague
Basketball is pleased to announce Mateusz Ponitka of Stelmet Zielona
Gora as the winner of the 2015-16 Eurocup Rising Star Trophy. The
22-year-old forward enjoyed a breakout season in what was his third in
the competition after two years with Telenet Ostend. After joining
Zielona Gora over the summer, he helped the Polish champs reach the
Eurocup Quarterfinals for the first time in club history by ousting
Unics Kazan in the eighthfinals. Zielona Gora did not lose a Eurocup
game on the road all season. The Eurocup Rising Star Trophy recognizes
the most outstanding player in the competition who was younger than 22
years of age on July 1 of the summer before the season started.
Ponitka, who will turn 23 in August, had already showcased his skills
in the competition, but this season posted career-best averages in
points, rebounds, assists, steals and performance index ranking.
Ponitka did it all for Zielona Gora, leading his team in scoring (13.5
ppg.), rebounding (6.5 rpg.), fouls drawn (4 per game) and performance
index rating (17.3 PIR), which made him a perfect choice as the 2015-16
Eurocup Rising Star! Read more 
