POSTED BY: Eurobasket News
Here is the weekly review of the top performing North Macedonian players, who play currently abroad.
#1. This week’s number one is former international center Teodor Simic (210-2004, currently plays in Spain). Simic led Barca 2 to a victory over the fifth-ranked Mataro (10-5) 81-68 in the Spanish EBA (fourth division) on Saturday night.
He was MVP of the game. Simic scored 20 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 27 minutes on the court.
FC Barcelona Lassa 2nd team (17-0) is placed first in Group C-3.
So far his team won all seventeen games in the Regular Season.
Simic has relatively good stats this year: 10.9ppg, 5.7rpg, 1.5apg, 2FGP: 62.6%(57-91), 3FGP: 34.4% and FT: 84.2% in 15 games he played so far.
He played for the North Macedonian senior national team year ago.
#2. Second place goes to former international forward Andrej Jakimovski (201-2001, currently plays college basketball in the States), who plays in the NCAA. Jakimovski could not help the WSU (8-8) in their last game on Sunday. Despite his good performance the WSU was edged 62-60 at home by the University of Southern California.
Jakimovski recorded a double-double by scoring 10 points and getting 11 rebounds.
The Regular Season already ended in the NCAA.
This season Jakimovski averages: 6.0ppg, 4.1rpg, 2FGP: 42.2%, 3FGP: 41.2% and FT: 73.1%.
He has a dual citizenship: North Macedonian and Italian.
Jakimovski played for the North Macedonian national team in 22.
#3. The North Macedonian player who performed third best last week abroad was former U18 international shooting guard Rezart Memed (191-2003, currently plays in Italy). He was not able to help Jesi in their game against Rimini (15-4) in the Italian Serie B (third division).
Memed scored 6 points and added 3 passes in 21 minutes.
The 12th-placed Jesi (7-13) was badly defeated 92-75 on their home court in Jesi by the second-ranked Rimini in the Group C.
It was Jesi’s fourth consecutive loss in a row.
This year Memed’s overall stats are: 4.9ppg, 1.5rpg, 2FGP: 47.1%, 3FGP: 38.1% and FT: 81.8% in 15 games.
He played for the North Macedonian U18 national team year ago.
#4. Guard Luka Savicevic (190-2002, currently studies in the States) was not able to secure a victory for the EMU (5-12) in their game against the The University of Buffalo (12-4) in the NCAA. He cannot count it as his best performance.
Savicevic recorded only 2 points and added 4 assists in 20 minutes.
The EMU lost 69-83 on the road to the The University of.
There are only four games left until the end of the NCAA Regular Season. So now every game will be critical.
This year Savicevic’s total stats are: 3.3ppg, 1.4rpg and 1.1apg in 19 games.
He used to play for the North Macedonian national team
back in 22.
#5. Former U18 international guard Marko Milovanovic (196-2002, currently plays in Italy) contributed to an easy victory against the leader Virtus Lumezzane (10-2) crushing them 83-59 in the Italian Serie B (third division) last Saturday.
Milovanovic scored 6 points, grabbed 4 rebounds and dished 4 assists.
It was the game of the round between two top 3 ranked teams. Ferraroni Juvi Cremonais placed in Group B.
Milovanovic has averaged so far 7.3ppg, 4.0rpg and 1.6apg.
He used to play for the North Macedonian U18 national team
years ago.
The list of other players, who all have North Macedonian passport but never been selected to any of North Macedonian national teams:
#1. Experienced Jordan Theodore (182-PG-1989, agency: Network Sports International, college: Seton Hall, currently plays in Italy) led Venezia to a victory against the closely-ranked Napoli (1-3) 81-76 in the Italian Serie A in Saturday night’s game.
He scored 11 points and added 6 assists in 31 minutes.
It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. Umana Reyer Veneziais placed in the Serie A.
Theodore has relatively good stats this year: 11.8ppg, 1.8rpg, 4.5apg and 1.5spg in four games he played so far.
He is a naturalized American.
Strangely Theodore has never played in North Macedonia.
#2. Cedi Osman (204-F-1995, currently plays in NBA). He could not help the Cleveland Cavaliers (35-24) to beat the Detroit Pistons (14-45).
Osman recorded 9 points.
But the Cleveland Cavaliers (35-24) were edged 106-103 on the road by the Pistons.
It was Cavaliers’ third consecutive loss in a row.
Osman has relatively good stats this season: 10.8ppg, 2.3rpg and 2.0apg.
He has a dual citizenship: North Macedonian and Turkish.
#3. Jetmir Zeqiri (200-PF-1996, currently plays in Kosovo) was not able to help Prishtina in their game against Trepca (14-6) in the Kosovan Superliga.
Zeqiri scored 7 points and grabbed 4 rebounds.
The league leader Prishtina was defeated 94-90 in Mitrovice by the leading Trepca.
Zeqiri’s total stats this season are: 8.9ppg, 5.2rpg and 1.6apg.
Other top North Macedonian players, who play abroad:
Nenad Dimitrijevic (190-PG-1998) plays for Valencia in Spanish Liga Endesa
Jacob Wiley (203-C-1994) plays for Real Betis in Spanish Liga Endesa
Shane Whittington (211-C-1991) plays for Nagoya DD in Japanese B1 League
Andrej Magdevski (192-PG-1996) plays for Ploiesti CSM in Romanian Liga Nationala
Bogdan Mirkovski (202-F-2002) plays for Mantova in Italian Serie A2
Taulant Ibraimi (190-G-2002) plays for LCC in Lithuanian RKL
Dino Bocevski (205-PF-2003) plays for RO SAzzurra in Italian Serie A2
Goce Petrushevski (198-F-2002) plays for San Severo in Italian Serie A2
Nikola Mladenovski (208-C-2002) plays for GC Zurich in Swiss NLB
Danail Ivanov (198-F-2002) plays for Ljubljana in Slovenian 2SKL
Notice: The list above includes only some of the North Macedonian playing currently abroad. Go to North Macedonian Abroad Page to see completed list.
