2008-09 EuroLeague Update

Vol. 1 - November 20, 2008

• 2008-09 EuroLeague Results
• Select USA Basketball Players: 2008-09 EuroLeague Stats
• Official EuroLeague Site
• Have a comment or suggestion? Let us know!
   

  The 2008-09 EuroLeague is underway and with four weeks remaining in preliminary round action, the standings are beginning to show who the top threats are to unseat two-time defending champs Spartak Moscow Region. Spartak, of course, features three of the USA's stars in Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, both of whom are competing in their third season with the club, and newcomer Sylvia Fowles. We'll be updating USA Basketball fans on a weekly basis from now through the end of the EuroLeague season so be sure to check back at the end of the week for updated statistics, the top performances this week and who we see as some of the top games to follow on next week's schedule.

  Young Guns Leading the Way
  Through the first five weeks of EuroLeague play, three young USA players have been quite impressive. Sylvia Fowles, Laura Harper and Crystal Langhorne are burning up the nets and dominating the glass. The trio are the top three rebounders to date with Lang ranked first (11.8 rpg.), followed closely by Big Syl (11.5 rpg.) and Harp is right behind (11.2 rpg.). All three are averaging double-doubles as Lang and Fowles rank tied for third among league leaders (18.5 ppg.), while Harper is ranked fifth (18.2 ppg.).

  Big USA Basketball Performers in Week Six
  

  • Sylvia Fowles continues to impress for Spartak Moscow Region (5-1) and she's earning every ruble they're paying her. Fowles came up with 19 points, including a dunk off of a feed from Sue Bird, and 12 rebounds in the 70-62 road win over Beretta Familia (1-5). And her double-double was no fluke as evidenced by her double-double average.
  • Swin Cash shot 12-of-21 from the field and came up with a game-high 27 points to go with eight rebounds and two assists as her ZVVZ USK Prague (2-4) team earned its second win with a 83-58 drubbing of Union Hainaut Basket (2-4) to keep the Czech team's playoff hopes alive.
  • Katie Douglas and Janel McCarville dropped 16 points apiece in a 88-79 win over ESB Lille Metropole (1-5) to up CSKA Moscow's record to 4-2. McCarville also added eight caroms and four assists.
  • Laura Harper posted 10 points and eight boards in Besiktas Cola Turka's (2-4) 60-56 loss to Bourges Basket (4-2).
  • Like the other two EuroLeague rookies Fowles and Harper, Crystal Langhorne has been a workhorse for her TEO Vilnius (4-2) club. However, her double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds weren't enough to help the Lithuanian side to victory as it fell to Fenerbache (4-2) 64-56.
  • DeLisha Milton-Jones led Ros Casares (4-2) to an 85-59 lopsided victory over LOTOS PKO BP Gdynia (2-4) with 19 points, seven rebounds, two assists and four steals.
  • Michelle Snow poured in 22 points, grabbed eight rebounds, eight boards and had a pair of steals as her Halcon Avenida (5-1) squad took MiZo Pecs (3-3) 83-60.
  • Sidney Spencer notched 21 points as Broker Kosice (4-2) took a 76-57 victory over Lattes Montpellier (0-6).

  Top Teams
  Through the completion of week six, there are two undefeated teams still standing. UMMC Ekaterinburg, featuring Ashja Jones and 2008 Olympic gold medalist Cappie Pondexter, and Umana Reyer, out of Venice, are both at 6-0. However, Halcon Avenida, with Michelle Snow on the roster, and Spartak Moscow Region, stacked with ‘08 gold medalists Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles and Diana Taurasi, not to mention Australia's Lauren Jackson and Russia's Irina Osipova, each have just one loss and lead their divisions with a 5-1 mark.

  In the Hunt for a Sweet Sixteen Spot
  With four weeks remaining in the qualifying round and only the top four finishing teams in each group advancing to the next round, some teams will be jockeying for a better playoff spot, while others will be hoping to simply survive and advance through to the round of 16. For Group A and Group C, it's much too early to predict which teams could advance and which will have to wait until next year so the next four weeks of games should be very competitive in those two pools. In Group B, however, there is a clear split between the top half of the pool, with three teams standing at 4-2 or better, and the bottom half, where Gambrinus SIKA Brno is 2-4 and the other two teams have just one win in their pockets. Group D is in a similar situation. After Spartak (5-1), TEO Vilnius, Maxima Broker Kosice and Fenerbache all have identical 4-2 marks, while Beretta Familia counts just one victory and Basket Lattes has yet to collect a win. The top four as it stands now in Group D should advance, the question, however, is in which order?

  What teams should you follow?
  Why, those teams with USA Basketball alumni on them of course! We've taken the guesswork out of everything and listed below the teams with players our fans should recognize. All of the athletes listed have helped the USA Basketball women's program remain at the No. 1 spot in international hoops and a number of them will continue to don the red, white and blue well into the future.

  Statistically Speaking
  We've also pulled out the 2008-09 EuroLeague stats for the players listed below to give you one-stop shopping! (coming soon)
  

  2008-09 EuroLeague Teams featuring USA Basketball Medalists / 2007-08 USA Women's National Team Members:

  Beretta Famila (Schio, ITA) - Tasha Humphrey (2007 Pan American Games gold medal) Besiktas Cola Turka (Istanbul, TUR) - Laura Harper (2004 FIBA Americas U18 Championship gold medal, 2007 FIBA U21 World Championship gold medal) - Alexis Hornbuckle (2007 Pan American Games gold medal) Bourges Basket (Bourges, FRA) - Broker Kosice (Kosice, SVK) Sidney Spencer (2008 USA National Team Tour of Spain participant) CSKA Moscow (Moscow, RUS) - Katie Douglas (1999 World University Games silver medal, 2007-08 USA National Team) - Janel McCarville (2003 Pan American Games silver medal, 2007 FIBA World League Tournament silver medal, 2007-08 USA National Team) ESB Lille Metropole (Villeneuve, FRA) - Jolene Anderson (2005 FIBA U19 World Championship gold medal, 2006 FIBA Americas U20 Championship gold medal, 2007 FIBA U21 World Championship gold medal) Fenerbahce (Istanbul, TUR) - Nicole Powell (2000 FIBA Americas U18 Championship gold medal, 2001 FIBA U19 World Championship bronze medal, 2003 Pan American Games silver medal, 2006 USA National Team) Gambrinus (Brno, CZE) - Tamika Whitmore (1998 R. William Jones Cup gold medal) Halcon Avenida (Salamanca, ESP) - Michelle Snow (2000 R. William Jones Cup gold medal, 2004 USA Women's National Team, 2006 USA Women's National Team, 2006 FIBA World Championship bronze medal, 2007-08 USA Women's National Team) Jolly JBS Sibenik (Sibenik, CRO) - Lattes Montpellier (Lattes, FRA) - Sheana Mosch (1998 World Youth Games bronze medal) LOTOS PKO BP (Gdynia, POL) - Alana Beard (2000 FIBA Americas U18 Championship gold medal, 2001 FIBA U19 World Championship bronze medal, 2003 FIBA U21 World Championship gold medal, 2006 USA National Team, 2006 FIBA World Championship bronze medal, 2007-08 USA National Team) - Monique Currie (2001 FIBA U19 World Championship bronze medal, 2005 World University Games gold medal) MiZo Pécs 2010 (Pécs, HUN) - Kelly Mazzante (2002 FIBA Americas U20 Championship gold medal) MKB Euroleasing (Sopron, HUN) - Nadezhda (Orenburg, RUS) - Shameka Christon (2001 FIBA U19 World Championship bronze medal, 2002 FIBA Americas U20 Championship gold medal, 2006 USA National Team) Ros Casares (Valencia, ESP) - Roneeka Hodges (2003 Pan American Games silver medal) - DeLisha Milton-Jones (1997 World University Games gold medal, 1997 USA Basketball International Invitational gold medal, 1998 FIBA World Championship gold medal, 1998 USA National Team, 1999 USA Winter European Tour Team, 1999-2000 USA National Team, 2000 Olympic Games gold medal, 2002 FIBA World Championship gold medal, 2004 USA National Team, 2006 USA National Team, 2006 FIBA World Championship bronze medal, 2007-08 USA National Team, 2007 FIBA Americas Championship gold medal, 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball gold medal, 2008 Olympic Games gold medal)

  Spartak (Moscow Region, RUS) - Sue Bird (2004 & 2008 Olympic gold medals, 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball gold medal, 2007 FIBA Americas Championship gold medal, 2007 FIBA World League Tournament silver medal, 2006 FIBA World Championship bronze medal, 2002 FIBA World Championship Gold Medal, 2002 Opals World Challenge gold medal, 2000 R. William Jones Cup gold medal, 2007-08 USA Women's National Team) - Sylvia Fowles (2008 Olympic gold medal, 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball gold medal, 2008 Good Luck Beijing Tournament silver medal, 2006 Opals World Challenge gold medal, 2005 World University Games gold medal, 2007-08 USA Women's National Team) - Diana Taurasi (2004 & 2008 Olympic gold medals, 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball gold medal, 2007 FIBA Americas Championship gold medal, 2007 FIBA World League Tournament silver medal, 2006 FIBA World Championship bronze medal, 2001 FIBA U19World Championship bronze medal, 2000 FIBA Americas U18 Championship gold medal, 2007-08 USA Women's National Team) TEO Vilnius (Vilnius, LTU) - Crystal Langhorne (2008 Good Luck Beijing Tournament silver medal, 2007 FIBA U21 World Championship gold medal, 2005 FIBA U19 World Championship gold medal) TTT Riga (Riga, LAT) - Essence Carson (2007 FIBA U21 World Championship gold medal, 2006 FIBA Americas U20 Championship gold medal, 2005 FIBA U19 World Championship gold medal,2005 International Sports Invitational gold medal, 2004 FIBA Americas U18 Championship gold medal) Umana Reyer (Venice, ITA) - UMMC Ekaterinburg (Ekaterinburg, RUS) - Asjha Jones (2007-08 USA Women's National Team member) - Cappie Pondexter (2008 Olympic gold medal, 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball gold medal, 2007 FIBA Americas Championship gold medal, 2007 FIBA World League Tournament silver medal, 2005 World University Games gold medal, 2003 FIBA U21 World Championship gold medal, 2002 FIBA Americas U20 Championship gold medal, 2001 FIBA U19 World Championship bronze medal, 2000 FIBA Americas U18 Championship gold medal) Union Hainaut Basket (Valenciennes, FRA) - Wisla Can-Pack (Krakow, POL) - Chamique Holdsclaw (2000 Olympic gold medal, 1999-2000 USA Women's National Team [two tournament titles], 1998 FIBA World Championship gold medal, 1997 Tournament of the Americas silver medal) ZVVZ USK Prague (Prague, CZE) - Swin Cash (2007 FIBA Americas Championship gold medal, 2004 Olympic gold medal, 2006 Opals World Challenge gold medal, 2007-08 USA Women's National Team) - Lindsay Whalen (2003 FIBA U21 World Championship gold medal, 2002 FIBA Americas U20 Championship gold medal, 2007-08 USA Women's National Team)