In recent years, there has been an increase of U.S. ex-pats returning from stints in Europe to realize their goal of returning to the NBA and making an impact. Some, such as P.J. Tucker, Chris Copeland, Gerald Green and Danny Green, have even been able to make big impacts on their teams after honing their craft in Europe. With only one week left in the Euroleague regular season before the Top 16 round begins, here is a look at some of
Overshadowing what was a fantastic week in European basketball, the overseas hoops community was struck by shock and despair. Just after the 10th anniversary of the famous Malice at the Palace, an even more tragic confrontation went down in Turkey, as a 25 year old Serbian fan was murdered just prior to a Euroleague game between Galatasaray and Red Star Belgrade. As a coach, there are very few things that give you more motivation than seeing your home fans give you undying
Welcome to another edition of “Where Are They Now?” For the unfamiliar, we at Sheridan Hoops track down the stars of yesteryear and inform you, the reader, of where it is they have ended up. From ex-NBA standouts to college basketball award winners, we’re determined to find every player you shouldn’t have forgotten about. Not only are many of these players still contributing at a high level, but they’re upholding the standard that fans once set for them when they were
The Euroleague is unquestionably the highest level of basketball outside the NBA. While NBA teams are always looking for the next European draft steal, there are many top-level Americans playing overseas who could potentially make an impact in the NBA in the near future — while there are others who have come to realize that their best chance for playing time, and their best option for making big money, will only come overseas. Whether it’s from the vastly different style of play,
TEL AVIV — After a long and arduous season, Maccabi Tel-Aviv took home the 2012 Adriatic league title with an 87-77 win Monday night over KK Cedevita Zagreb. This season, Maccabi Tel-Aviv has played in three separate leagues, playing well over 80 games in a compact schedule that often involved taking connecting flights around Europe to get to countries such as Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia. Despite the fact that Maccabi typically breezed past opponents in the Adriatic league, there was
This past week, the majority of the leagues in Europe took a break from their season as teams competed in the Final Four of each country’s respected State Cups. Similar to the leagues in soccer, State Cups are a one-and-done tournament that consists of every team in the first and second division of each country, with two rounds being played out every six weeks or so. While the State Cup may not hold the same respect and demeanor as a
With their backs against the wall, Israel’s Maccabi Tel-Aviv kept their Euroleague chances alive with a resounding 75-60 home win against Italy’s Bennet Cantu. After struggling in both the Israeli league and the Euroleague over the past several weeks, Maccabi turned a corner in the third quarter, displaying the brand of basketball that propelled them to an excellent first round of the Euroleague. While many were anticipating former Maccabi point guard Doron Perkins’ debut with Cantu back in the familiar Nokia Arena,
TEL AVIV, Israel — Regal Barcelona put on a defensive clinic in Tel-Aviv against Maccabi in a round of 16 showdown between two of the powerhouse teams in the Euroleague. Barcelona’s stable of big men and heady guard play were too much for Maccabi to overcome, giving the Spanish squad a big 71-57 road victory. Barcelona’s frontcourt features two NBA prospects in Erazem Lorbek and Fran Vasquez, whose combination of size and skill was too much for Maccabi. With Sofoklis Schortsanitis