Worthing Thunder have confirmed the signing of Evaldas Zabas, two weeks after the Lithuanian was one of five players sacked by Worcester.
Zabas, who also held talks with Everton Tigers, is likely to make his debut against Leicester on December 19.
Long-time Thunder absentee Janis Ivanovskis is set to resume practice this week but will likely make his season debut in the New Year.
Everton, seeking a replacement guard, could now make a move for former BBL MVP Trey Moore. The American is understood to have been offered to a number of teams but the Tigers are the most likely to hand him a deal.
.
Sunday, 13 December 2009
Saturday, 12 December 2009
Great Britain snubbed for world's wild card
Great Britain’s men have missed out on a place at next year’s world championships after FIBA chiefs opted to offer wild-card entries to Lithuania, Russia, Germany and Lebanon.
British Basketball had lobbied for a spot in Turkey to improve their chances of getting a guaranteed berth at the 2012 Olympics. However, GB’s lack of pedigree counted against them in yesterday’s vote and Chris Finch’s side will now play in the qualifiers for the 2011 Eurobasket finals in Lithuania.
“We thank FIBA for giving us careful consideration,” said performance director Chris Spice. “We must now take a different path, which will be to qualify for EuroBasket 2011 next summer. If anything we arrived at this point in time much earlier than initially expected, which is credit to the players and coaching staff and we are proud to have been able to put ourselves into the mix.”
The draw for the qualifiers takes place on January 16.
.
British Basketball had lobbied for a spot in Turkey to improve their chances of getting a guaranteed berth at the 2012 Olympics. However, GB’s lack of pedigree counted against them in yesterday’s vote and Chris Finch’s side will now play in the qualifiers for the 2011 Eurobasket finals in Lithuania.
“We thank FIBA for giving us careful consideration,” said performance director Chris Spice. “We must now take a different path, which will be to qualify for EuroBasket 2011 next summer. If anything we arrived at this point in time much earlier than initially expected, which is credit to the players and coaching staff and we are proud to have been able to put ourselves into the mix.”
The draw for the qualifiers takes place on January 16.
.
Thursday, 10 December 2009
Lewis hoping for wild-card shock for GB
Great Britain assistant coach Tim Lewis insists a place in next year’s FIBA World Championships in Turkey would provide a massive boost to the sport – even if the chances of earning a wild-card are deemed slim at best.
FIBA’s executive committee, who are meeting this weekend in Turkey ahead of Tuesday’s draw, will vote on Sunday on which four nations will fill the vacant places in the 24-nation event.
FIBA states it will take into account "Sporting Aspects", based on the popularity of basketball in the country, previous international results and the ‘quality of work’ by the National Federation. It also will factor in the potential economic benefits from television and other commercial revenues.
With no track record, and little chance of a lucrative TV deal in the UK, it puts Britain behind luminaries such as Russia, Germany, Israel and Lithuania with a maximum of three European sides to be added.
However Lewis is hoping that the draw of bringing the 2012 Olympic hosts into the fold might cast a spell over the voters.
“Everybody would love to compete at the world championships,” said the Essex Pirates coach. “When we started out playing those B Division games four years ago, nobody would even though we’d have had a chance to do that. It would be a great opportunity. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.
“The chances are slim but in our favour is 2012 and the way we’ve come through stuff. Despite those losses at the Euros, we were right there with teams. And people recognise we were without Luol Deng and Ben Gordon who would make a big difference to us.”
.
FIBA’s executive committee, who are meeting this weekend in Turkey ahead of Tuesday’s draw, will vote on Sunday on which four nations will fill the vacant places in the 24-nation event.
FIBA states it will take into account "Sporting Aspects", based on the popularity of basketball in the country, previous international results and the ‘quality of work’ by the National Federation. It also will factor in the potential economic benefits from television and other commercial revenues.
With no track record, and little chance of a lucrative TV deal in the UK, it puts Britain behind luminaries such as Russia, Germany, Israel and Lithuania with a maximum of three European sides to be added.
However Lewis is hoping that the draw of bringing the 2012 Olympic hosts into the fold might cast a spell over the voters.
“Everybody would love to compete at the world championships,” said the Essex Pirates coach. “When we started out playing those B Division games four years ago, nobody would even though we’d have had a chance to do that. It would be a great opportunity. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.
“The chances are slim but in our favour is 2012 and the way we’ve come through stuff. Despite those losses at the Euros, we were right there with teams. And people recognise we were without Luol Deng and Ben Gordon who would make a big difference to us.”
.
Deng, Gordon not in All-Star hunt
Thew first voting returns for this season's NBA All-Star Game have been released - and as expected, there is little chance Great Britain duo Luol Deng or Ben Gordon will be headed to Dallas in February.
Deng - currently out-of-sorts on a dreadful Chicago Bulls squad - is in eleventh place among Eastern Conference forwards with 37,428 votes, well behind leader LeBron James.
While Gordon, who moved to the Detroit Pistons last summer, has failed to crack the top ten for guards in the East.
Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets top the Western Conference, while Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat and James of the Cleveland Cavaliers lead the Eastern Conference after the first returns of 2010 NBA All-Star Balloting presented by T-Mobile. Bryant, who shared All-Star MVP honours with Shaquille O’Neal last season, is the overall leader with 692,518 votes.
Fans can vote on nba.com.
.
Deng - currently out-of-sorts on a dreadful Chicago Bulls squad - is in eleventh place among Eastern Conference forwards with 37,428 votes, well behind leader LeBron James.
While Gordon, who moved to the Detroit Pistons last summer, has failed to crack the top ten for guards in the East.
Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets top the Western Conference, while Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat and James of the Cleveland Cavaliers lead the Eastern Conference after the first returns of 2010 NBA All-Star Balloting presented by T-Mobile. Bryant, who shared All-Star MVP honours with Shaquille O’Neal last season, is the overall leader with 692,518 votes.
Fans can vote on nba.com.
.
Finch pleads for world spot for Great Britain; funding cut
Great Britain coach Chris Finch wants FIBA to send its strongest signal yet that the hosts will get a place in the 2012 Olympic Games by handing his team a wild-card berth in next summer’s world championships.
With a vote on the four available spots for Turkey set to be taken on Sunday, British Basketball officials have been lobbying to earn an invite in the face of competition from established powers including Lithuania, Israel and Russia.
Basketball is the only Olympic sport that does not provide an automatic spot for the home teams with the governing body demanding that GB’s men’s and women’s sides demonstrate their competitiveness before any decision is taken.
And despite finishing bottom of their first-round group at this year’s European Championships, Finch is hoping for a positive sign on the road to London.
"With regard to the wildcard, as we were in Poland, we are competing against some top nations for those finals few places in Turkey next year and it will be no mean feat in achieving one,” the American said. "If you look at our performances alone then we have demonstrated to FIBA exactly what they have asked of us since we began this journey in 2006. We gained promotion at the first attempt, then qualified for the European Championships at the first time of asking, and finally competed well in Poland against three group opponents, two of whom went on to contest the overall final.
"We are still striving for that Olympic place in 2012 but to warrant that we have to play against the best teams in the world and the only way of doing this is to compete at the World Championships.
"With a fully fit roster available to us we would not just be making up numbers in Turkey next year, we would be there to compete. The long-term goal for the team is to medal at 2012, but the long term goal for the sport is to establish itself in Britain for years to come and I believe the efforts of our two GB teams will be integral in providing a platform for this."
UK Sport have announced that British Basketball's funding through to 2012 has sustained a small cut, reduced from a planned £8,751,800 to £8,575,000.
"UK Sport have so far showed tremendous support and belief in what British Basketball is trying to achieve and in turn I believe we have demonstrated that we deserve this through our rapid rise within the European rankings; both our men and women,” Finch added. “And if we are to be successful in three years time, then we undoubtedly need that continued support from them."
.
With a vote on the four available spots for Turkey set to be taken on Sunday, British Basketball officials have been lobbying to earn an invite in the face of competition from established powers including Lithuania, Israel and Russia.
Basketball is the only Olympic sport that does not provide an automatic spot for the home teams with the governing body demanding that GB’s men’s and women’s sides demonstrate their competitiveness before any decision is taken.
And despite finishing bottom of their first-round group at this year’s European Championships, Finch is hoping for a positive sign on the road to London.
"With regard to the wildcard, as we were in Poland, we are competing against some top nations for those finals few places in Turkey next year and it will be no mean feat in achieving one,” the American said. "If you look at our performances alone then we have demonstrated to FIBA exactly what they have asked of us since we began this journey in 2006. We gained promotion at the first attempt, then qualified for the European Championships at the first time of asking, and finally competed well in Poland against three group opponents, two of whom went on to contest the overall final.
"We are still striving for that Olympic place in 2012 but to warrant that we have to play against the best teams in the world and the only way of doing this is to compete at the World Championships.
"With a fully fit roster available to us we would not just be making up numbers in Turkey next year, we would be there to compete. The long-term goal for the team is to medal at 2012, but the long term goal for the sport is to establish itself in Britain for years to come and I believe the efforts of our two GB teams will be integral in providing a platform for this."
UK Sport have announced that British Basketball's funding through to 2012 has sustained a small cut, reduced from a planned £8,751,800 to £8,575,000.
"UK Sport have so far showed tremendous support and belief in what British Basketball is trying to achieve and in turn I believe we have demonstrated that we deserve this through our rapid rise within the European rankings; both our men and women,” Finch added. “And if we are to be successful in three years time, then we undoubtedly need that continued support from them."
.
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
BBA draws up new play
The British Basketball Association - the presumed rival to the BBL - is still gearing up for a launch in 2010, according to sources close to the New York-based venture.
"There is more meat on the bones this time," said a person with knowledge of the plans. The BBA, which has appointed well-known sports finance consultant Keith Harris to approach potential investors, previously tried to begin play three years ago but its plans fell through to a lack of backing, as well as the collapse of a buy-in with the BBL.
More news is expected on the venture in the New Year. However the BBA, run by Wall Street investor Ron Scott, has unveiled its new logo and branding campaign.
.
"There is more meat on the bones this time," said a person with knowledge of the plans. The BBA, which has appointed well-known sports finance consultant Keith Harris to approach potential investors, previously tried to begin play three years ago but its plans fell through to a lack of backing, as well as the collapse of a buy-in with the BBL.
More news is expected on the venture in the New Year. However the BBA, run by Wall Street investor Ron Scott, has unveiled its new logo and branding campaign.
.
Harker exits Worcester
Former Worcester Wolves coach Skouskon Harker has been officially dismissed by the club for his role in the strike action that previously saw the contracts of five players terminated.
The Canadian, who continued in a playing capacity after being replaced at the helm by Chuck Evans in the summer, went through a disciplinary procedure on Monday.
And officials have decided to end his stay at the Wolves.
“Skouson will not play for the Wolves again,” club chairman Roger Clarke said. “He was one of the striking players and his playing contract has been terminated."
.
The Canadian, who continued in a playing capacity after being replaced at the helm by Chuck Evans in the summer, went through a disciplinary procedure on Monday.
And officials have decided to end his stay at the Wolves.
“Skouson will not play for the Wolves again,” club chairman Roger Clarke said. “He was one of the striking players and his playing contract has been terminated."
.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
