Bitter-Sweet For Sparta&K M.R. Vidnoje?

Simone Augustus and her Sparta&K team-mates have lived dangerously but proved they can take care of business when it matters

This was no better demonstrated than in the case of Sparta&K M.R. Vidnoje whom having claimed yet another narrow victory with a last gasp success at BLMA, set up what promises to be a particularly intense struggle against domestic rivals Nadezhda.

Had they lost in France, they might have faced Good Angels Kosice – a club they have already managed to beat twice this season in the competition.

Simone Augustus and her Sparta&K team-mates have lived dangerously but proved they can take care of business when it matters

Pokey Chatman and her team have posted an absolutely fascinating regular season campaign by the way. They deserve huge credit for finishing top of Group C and more than any other year I can remember, they have actually flown relatively low on the radar when it comes to making headlines. They have just taken care of business.

While I still feel they are one of the fringe teams in terms of Final Eight rather than An absolute favourite, I would not write them off because they seem to almost always find a way when they need to in some pretty tight situations. This is of course to be applauded.

The flip-side of course is that whenever a team is locked in close games on a regular basis, it’s inevitable one is going to get away and it could come back to haunt Sparta&K. They are incidentally 4-1 in close encounters with their only nail biting loss coming in Madrid against Rivas Ecopolis.

Generally reliant on big contributions from two key players in Seimone Augustus and Candice Dupree this year, I can’t wait to see if the former four-time champions can keep digging out the wins they need and repeat their hugely impressive run to another final just like last year.

The transition pick & roll is one of the best ways to create separation.  The fact that the defense in not yet set makes it even more effective.  Moving the pick around from the wing (outer third of the court) to the middle (inner third of the court) and on the elbow makes this extremely hard to guard.

Today’s Play Of the Day comes from a slight variation of a drill I watched the other day at the University of Virginia Men’s Basketball workout.  I added some terminology I am used to, but the teaching principals and structure were the same.

Coach Bennett and his staff do such a fantastic job of teaching all the little, fundamental details.

Even with coaching at Virginia for four years and I am still amazed every time I walk into the John Paul Jones Arena… it’s simply fabulous.

This drill is a half court defensive drill, 4 on 3.

4 on 3 w/ Trailer

Epiphanny Prince

What started at Rutgers the last three years, had a couple month stop in Russia is now headed for Botas Spor, a team in Adana, Turkey – an American-friendly city near a United States military base about 90 minutes by airplane from Istanbul.

Epiphanny Prince began her professional playing career for Spartak Moscow and Head Coach Pokey Chatman.

I heard she had yet to play because owner Shabtai von Kalmanovic was working on her Russian pass port when tragedy struck.  Piph is fortunate to land in Turkey.  This could be a blessing in disguise for Prince.  More playing time is on the horizon and that will give WNBA General Managers a more valuable body of work to assess her draft status.

The story does not elaborate on how the progress is going towards moving her family from their Brooklyn home.  The focus of Piph’s journey has been reported as two-fold: 1.) Provide for her family and 2.)  Prepare better for WNBA.

Let’s update this in a month and see how her progress is going.

From GREG BISHOP, New York Times

Resource.

BASKETBALL OVERSEAS “HOW TO” GUIDE

Watching San Antonio vs. Washington.

Saw a nice inverted High Split used as a pressure release for PTG:  Used with good passing center (Duncan), with Back Door action into inverted High Split.

CLICK for DOWNLOADABLE / PRINTABLE Play

Lyndra is among the Top Ten scorer’s in the Euroleague

ABR: Iverson Worth the Risk for Grizzlies

That really wasn’t a hard on e to call though.

What’s the latest?

From nba.com

After complaining about his back-up role with the Memphis Grizzlies, Allen Iverson left the team Saturday following a meeting with the team’s owner and Coach Lionel Hollins.

Happier days for Iverson and the Grizzlies

“It’s a personal issue,” Hollins said before the Grizzlies played the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. “And it’s indefinite.”

Memphis owner Michael Heisley gave the four-time NBA scoring leader permission to skip the Grizzlies’ game Saturday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

According to a team spokesman, Iverson participated in a walkthrough at the team’s hotel in the morning and then hopped a flight in the afternoon after he and personal manager Gary Moore met with Heisley.

Iverson, a former NBA rookie of the year and league MVP, played Friday night in a 114-98 loss to the Lakers, scoring eight points in 22 minutes. He had come off the bench in the previous two games after sitting out the first three with a hamstring injury.

“I just want to win, I hate losing more than I like winning,” Iverson said prior to Friday’s game. “Its just a frustrating feeling losing. I’ve never been a loser in my career and I don’t want to start now. I’m not trying to be selfish or anything like that, I just want to win.”

Iverson, who signed a one-year contract with Memphis in September after a tumultuous stint last season in Detroit, has been open about his displeasure with his reserve role. On Friday, he also told reporters he also wasn’t communicating with Hollins, who was hired last January to replace Marc Iavaroni.

“I think that’s probably the worst part of all this,” Iverson said after the loss to the Lakers. “That while all this is going on, we have never talked to each other. That’s probably why it’s at this point right now. We’ve just never had a conversation, so it’s probably going to always be hard for me and him to see eye-to-eye, because we’ve never even talked to each other. Obviously that’s what you do if you’re trying to accomplish the same goal.”

When asked before Saturday’s game to respond, Hollins bluntly: “If Allen wants to talk to me, my door is open. I talk to him during the game before the game and after the game.

“I understand star power, and that’s to be expected,” Hollins added. “I wouldn’t mind even talking about Allen’s star power if it was about the game and his performance during the game, versus what Allen has said and what he will or won’t do.”

Hollins said third-year player Marcus Williams would likely assume Iverson’s minutes during his absence.

Latavious Williams from Rivals.com

Latavious Williams made history Thursday when he became the first high school player ever to jump straight to the NBA D-League.

The Tulsa 66ers chose Williams with the 16th overall pick. Tulsa is an affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

His high school coach said Williams turned down a $100,000 guaranteed contract to play in China in favor of entering the NBDL Draft because he felt it gave him a better shot at reaching the NBA. The average D-League salary is between $35,000-$40,000.

“He had a contract on the table that could’ve paid him $100,000 or better in China but he had to weigh the pros and cons,” said Carlos Wilson of Humble (Texas) Christian Life Center. “It came down to taking the money and getting some financial stability for now, but still you’re a long way from the NBA when you’re in China. Or taking the least amount of money and being a step closer instead of four steps closer.”

The 6-foot-8, 205-pound Williams initially committed to Memphis in May but faced academic hurdles that endangered his eligibility. He then announced in July that he would play overseas instead.

“Obviously if a kid has a chance to play professionally and have a chance financially to better him and his family, again, you have to support the kid because that’s No. 1,” Memphis head coach Josh Pastner told the Memphis Commercial Appeal in July.

Brandon Jennings skipped college last year to play professionally in Italy and ended up being chosen No. 10 in this year’s NBA Draft by Milwaukee. He is now the leading contender for NBA Rookie of the Year honors.

Jeremy Tyler, a 6-10 junior from San Diego, is suffering through a rocky time in Israel and plans to enter the 2011 NBA Draft.

Two American college guards, Nick Calathes of Florida and Terrence Oglesby of Clemson, opted to leave college early to play professionally overseas.

But Williams made history by jumping to the D-League, which he hopes will eventually lead him to the NBA.

“Somebody from the NBA is going to see your every move,” Wilson said. “I think that was it. It was basically closer to making it to the NBA.”

According to Tulsa’s official Website, three players on the Thunder’s opening night roster saw playing time with the 66ers last season.

Kyle Weaver averaged 17.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and nine assists in two games, while D.J. White averaged 18.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in six games on assignment in Tulsa. Shaun Livingston played 11 games for Tulsa, averaging 9.3 points, six assists and 3.5 rebounds per contest, before being called-up to the Thunder on March 31.

In addition, Ramon Sessions of the Minnesota Timberwolves played on assignment during the 2007-08 season, while Milwaukee Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova and Orlando Magic forward Brandon Bass each played on assignment during the 2005-06 season.

Williams hopes he can follow in their path.