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B.C. Bosna Asa BH Telecom
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One
of the most successful clubs in former Yugoslavia, Bosna has won four
Bosnian League Championships and is the defending Bosnian Cup winner.
The team is coached by former NLB League winner with Zeleznik, Serbian
Vlada Vukoicic who took over the Coaching reign half way through last
season.
The key to the team’s success this year will be team play along with
great support from the Sarajevo crowd, Bosna should finish in the top
eight this season.
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B.C. Buducnost
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The
best team in Montenegrin history is always ambitious and has a team
full of talent. They should have no trouble making the top eight but
the top four would be a big ask and anything more would mean a success
for the Blues of Podgorica.
Six domestic trophies in the last three years is only proof of the
dominance of Buducnost, the NLB is a great opportunity for them to
prove they have what it takes to be ranked amongst one of the best
teams in the region.
Coached by the young Dejan Radonjic who has already won allot with the
club, Buducnost lead by Montenegro star Goran Jeretin and new addition
to the club former Red Star and Partizan player Cedomir Vitkovac should
have a great season.
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B.C. Cedevita
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The
club from Zagreb is playing its first season in the NLB Liga and it
should be a valuable experience for the club who had a great season in
the Croatian Basketball League.
Coached by the experienced Slobodan Subotic Cedevita is club that has a
mix of youth and experience.
Will find it tough on the road but there isn’t much to expect for a
club on the rise.
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B.C. Cibona
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One
of the best European clubs of all time, a club with a rich history the
former Euroleague winners from 1985 and 1986 and the best Croatian team
of all time with 15 league titles since the countries independence. The
side will be helped by the arrival of former Real Madrid player Marko
Tomas will have the available experience to be a serious contender this
season. Coach Velemir Perasovic will be an influential figure for the
Zagreb team.
Key Player - Marko Tomas
Only 24 the Croatian international has become a valuable member of the
national squad and played in the recent major tournaments for his
country. He was a member of the Croatian Junior Basketball team that
won the gold medal in European Championships in 2002. Marko has won the
ULEB Cup with Real Madrid and the Spanish League in the 2007 season. He
will be a valuable addition for Cibona this season and is set to be one
of the stars of the league. He is one to look out for.
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B.C. Crvena Zvezda
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Red
Star is the most popular club in Serbia although it hasn’t won as much
trophies as rivals Partizan they are one of the countries and regions
most feared teams.
Every season the club has ambitions to be the countries and regions
best team. They have come close on several occasions and maybe this
year they can go all the way.
Svetislav Pesic left the club at the beginning of the season and its
now all down to Aco Petrovic who has an excellent basketball CV to
build the club and turn it into a winning team. It is going to be hard
but with the give talent and motivation, Red Star will be at the top of
the league throughout the season.
Key Player - Nemanja Bjelica
The twenty year old is coming off a high from the European
Championships in Poland wear he was one of Serbia’s key contributors
and is destined to be a world class player. This could be a vital
season for the youngster after his excellent break through season last
year thanks to Svetislav Pesic having faith in his abilities and the
added boost of the legendary Dusan Ivkovic being his national coach
wear Aco Petrovic was the assistant, Bjelica has already learnt a lot
in his very young basketball career.
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B.C. FMP Zeleznik
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The
club has one of the best youth systems in Europe and an emphasis on
letting their youth players come into the first team at a young age has
seen the club achieve great results and won a lot of admirers over the
years.
They look strong even though their side has an every age of 21. The
depth in the Centre Position will see great talents such as Raduljica,
Musli and the Macedonian Samardziski all vying for the starting centre
role. They will be the team to watch this season and be aware to
remember the names as you will be hearing them for the next ten years
in Europe’s best clubs and even the NBA.
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B.C. Helios Domzale
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The
Slovenian club which won the domestic double in 2007 has struggled in
the NLB liga failing to show any signs of a team that can compete
amongst the best in the region.
It will be the same story this season, a mixture of youth and
experience the team led by Rado Trifunovic can only hope to achieve
their personal best and hope to play some respectable basketball.
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B.C. Hemofarm
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Champions
of the 2005 Goodyear league. Hemofarm is one of the leagues best teams
and have always been in the top four since their inclusion into the
league. Many may ask why they haven’t won more then one title. Coached
by the well respected Montenegrin Stevan Karadzic, Hemofarm boosts a
squad with great talent, players such as Milan Macvan who was part of
the Serbian squad at the European Championships in Poland can be a
valuable asset to the team. Macvan has showed he has what it takes to
be Serbia’s next great centre filling in the shoes of the legendary
Vlade Divac. Macvan has everything a club wants and is only 19! Hope to
see another great season by Hemofarm and possibly that second title is
not to far away.
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B.C. Partizan
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Partizan
is one of Europe’s most known clubs and Serbia’s greatest basketball
team of all team. The former European champion has had plenty of stars
wearing the black and white singlet in its rich history. Vlade Divac
and Aleksandar Djordjevic just to name a few, the latter scored a
remarkable and historic three pointer in the dying seconds of the
Euroleague final in 1991to gift Partizan their only European Champions
trophy. The cub has also won 3 Korac Cups and a remarkable 8
consecutive Serbian titles. A regular in the Euroleague the club has
made the Quarter Finals in the last two editions and broken all crowd
records. They have also won the last three NLB competitions which just
goes to show what a club this is. Can anyone stop them will be the
question on everyone’s lips.
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B.C. Radnicki
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Newcomers
to the NLB, Radnicki had a breakthrough season in the domestic league.
The achievement of qualifying for their first Adriatic basketball
season is something many thought was to much for the club, but the team
from Kragujevac has already shown they have talent in their ranks and
will cause a few suprises this season. This is a club which will become
a constant participant in the league.
Former Partizan player Marko Brkic will be the team’s best player this
season, with a relatively good mix of players and age, Radnicki will
have a great debut season in the NLB.
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B.C. Siroki
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Twelve
domestic trophys in the last eleven years is a clear example that
Siroki is Bosnias premier basketball club. The defending Bosnian League
champions have flatterd to deceive in the NLB League with a few good
scalps each season, the club has to grow and take it to the next step
if they wish to reach their goals and add to their domestic success.
This season it will be the same story for the club although they have
had a mixed start winning the same amount of games as they have lost. A
top eight spot is not out of their reaches but the main question is can
they stay consistent.
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B.C. Union Olimpija
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An
amazing 30 trophies won in Slovenian basketball and an extra 6 in the
Former Yugoslavia, Olimpia is the most successful and most popular
basketball team in Slovenia.
What more can you say about its domestic riches and offcourse the
excellent talent the club has produced over the years. Olimpia is also
a Euroleague contestant and a club that is always a tough ask no matter
how good the opponent is. Their Coach former Yugoslavian basketball
legend Jure Zdovc is also the national team manager and his modern
tactics have put an injection of life to Slovenian basketball. This
season a lot will be expected of the Dragons from Ljubljana.
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B.C. Zadar
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Zadar
is the city of basketball. The residents are crazy for the sport and
their team has over the years had some of the biggest names in Yugoslav
and Croatian basketball history be apart of the club. Domestically the
club has achived their biggest success in the cup winning it six times
and adding two Croatian league titles. They have won the Adriatic
League on one occasion in their excellent 2003 season. Coached by
Zmagoslav Sagadin the former Olimpia and Red Star coach, the team is
taking a fresh start this season and hopes to make the top eight which
wont be a hard task for a team that always produces great basketball
talent.
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B.C. Zagreb
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The
Croatian Cup in 2008 is the only trophy the club has won. After
Finishing second from bottom last season a year to forget for the
‘Mravi’ they can only hope to play some respected basketball this
season and improve their tarnished reputation. Zagreb will yet again
find it tough in this competition and it’s a matter of time before the
club fails to qualify for the NLB League. A poor season is predicted.
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