POSTED BY: Eurobasket News
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We bring you last week’s top performances from North Macedonians who are playing abroad and who all have had prior experience of national team duties at youth or senior level.
#1. This week’s number one is former international center Jacob Wiley (203-1994, agency: BeoBasket, college: EWU, currently plays in Spain). He could not help Real Betis (1-2) in their last game. Despite Wiley’s good performance Real Betis was edged 74-71 at home by the much lower-ranked (#14) Burgos.
He was the top scorer with 14 points. Wiley also added 7 rebounds (was perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line) in 21 minutes on the court; not bad, considering it’s only his first season in pro basketball. Wiley has relatively good stats this year: 12.2ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.2bpg, 2FGP: 67.5%(27-40) and FT: 87.5% in five games he played so far.
He is a naturalized American.
Wiley played for the North Macedonian senior national team year ago.
Strangely he has never played in North Macedonia.
#2. Second place goes to former international center Shane Whittington (211-1991, college: W.Michigan, currently plays in Japan). Whittington was not able to help Nagoya DD (21-10) in their last game on Wednesday. Despite his good performance the third-placed Nagoya DD (21-10) were edged 85-82 on their home court in Nagoya by the much lower-ranked San-en NP (#11) in the West group.
Whittington was the top scorer with 13 points. He also added 9 rebounds.
This season Whittington averages: 7.5ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.7apg, 2FGP: 51.4%, 3FGP: 27.7%.
He is a naturalized American.
Whittington played for the North Macedonian national team in 20.
Apparently he has never played in North Macedonia.
#3. The North Macedonian player who performed third best last week abroad was former international forward Andrej Jakimovski (201-2001, currently plays college basketball in the States). Jakimovski was not able to secure a victory for the WSU (12-10) in their game against the University of California at Los Angeles (16-5) in the NCAA, despite his very good performance last Thursday.
He recorded 15 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in 27 minutes.
But the WSU lost 65-75 on their home court in Pullman to the University of California at.
The Regular Season already ended in the NCAA.
This year Jakimovski’s overall stats are: 5.9ppg, 4.1rpg, 2FGP: 40.4%, 3FGP: 40.2% and FT: 71.9% in 33 games.
He has a dual citizenship: North Macedonian and Italian.
Jakimovski played for the North Macedonian national team year ago.
#4. Center Teodor Simic (210-2004, currently plays in Spain) led Barca 2 to a 3-point victory against the fifth-ranked Vic (11-7) 69-66 in the Spanish EBA (fourth division) on Saturday night.
He scored 14 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.
FC Barcelona Lassa 2nd team (18-0) is placed first in Group C-3.
So far his team won all eighteen games in the Regular Season.
There are only four games left until the end of the Regular Season. So now every game will be critical.
This season Simic has relatively solid stats: 11.1ppg, 5.8rpg and 1.5apg.
He used to play for the North Macedonian national team
back in 22.
#5. Former international point guard Andrej Magdevski (192-1996, agency: Mansfield and Associates, currently plays in Romania) couldn’t help one of league’s weakest teams Ploiesti CSM (9-11) in their game against Constanta (2-2) in the Romanian Liga Nationala, despite his good performance in Saturday night’s game.
Magdevski scored 10 points, had 7 rebounds and dished 5 assists in 31 minutes.
But Ploiesti CSM lost 71-86 on the road to the higher-ranked (#8) Constanta.
His team will play only one more game in the Regular Season. And now that game is very crucial.
Magdevski has reliable stats this year: 10.3ppg, 4.8rpg, 6.4apg and 2.0spg in 16 games.
He is another player who holds two passports: Serbian and North Macedonian.
Magdevski used to play for the North Macedonian national team
years ago.
#6. Shooting guard Rezart Memed (191-2003, currently plays in Italy) led Jesi to an easy victory against the fifth-ranked Ancona (15-7) crushing them 82-60 in the Italian Serie B (third division) last Sunday.
He recorded 11 points.
The Supporter Jesi (8-14) is placed 13th in Group C.
They ended the series of five consecutive loses.
Memed’s total stats this season are: 5.5ppg and 1.5rpg.
He is a former U18 international player as he played for the North Macedonian team year ago.
#7. Former international guard Luka Savicevic (190-2002, currently studies in the States) couldn’t help the EMU (5-15) in their game against the Miami University (8-13) in the NCAA. He cannot count Friday’s game as one of the best ones.
Savicevic recorded only 2 points and added 5 passes.
The EMU was defeated 76-63 on their home court in Ypsilanti by the University.
The Regular Season already ended in the NCAA.
Savicevic’s total stats this season are: 3.4ppg, 1.4rpg and 1.3apg.
He used to play for the North Macedonian national team
years ago.
#8. Guard Marko Milovanovic (196-2002, currently plays in Italy) contributed to Cremona‘s victory against the seventh-ranked Vicenza (11-11) 82-73 in the Italian Serie B (third division) in Sunday night’s game.
He recorded 9 points in only 13 minutes.
Ferraroni Juvi Cremonais placed in Group B.
This year Milovanovic’s total stats are: 7.3ppg, 3.7rpg and 1.5apg in 22 games.
He used to play for the North Macedonian U18 national team
back in 19.
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 over the closely-ranked Trieste (2-2) 78-65 in the Italian Serie A in Sunday night’s game.
He was MVP of the game. Theodore scored 25 points, had 8 rebounds and dished 4 assists in 32 minutes; quite an impressive performance considering it’s only his first season in pro basketball. 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: 14.4ppg, 3.0rpg, 4.4apg and 1.4spg in five 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) could not help the Cleveland Cavaliers (38-27) in their last game on Friday. Despite his very good performance the Cleveland Cavaliers (38-27) were defeated 125-119 on the road by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Osman scored 20 points.
Osman has individually a very good season with high stats. He averages: 11.2ppg, 2.2rpg and 2.1apg.
Osman 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 Prizreni-16 (13-3) in the Kosovan Superliga.
Zeqiri scored 8 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in 23 minutes.
The league leader Prishtina was edged 78-75 at home by the second-ranked Prizreni-16.
This year Zeqiri’s total stats are: 8.8ppg, 5.2rpg and 1.6apg in 15 games.
#4. Nikola Mladenovski (208-C-2002, currently plays in Switzerland) contributed to an easy victory against one of league’s weakest teams Levaux (3-14) crushing them 90-63 in the Swiss NLB (second division) last Saturday.
Mladenovski recorded 8 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in only 8 minutes.
Grasshopper Club Zurich Wildcats (14-3) are placed second in the NLB.
There are only three games left until the end of the Regular Season. So now every game will be critical.
This year Mladenovski’s total stats are: 2.0ppg and 3.5rpg in 10 games.
#5. Goce Petrushevski (198-F-2002, currently plays in Italy) managed to help Allianz Padiopzienza Cestistica San Severo to win against the third-ranked Ravenna (15-6) crushing them 96-68 in the Italian Serie A2 (second division) on Sunday night.
He scored only 3 points.
It was the game of the round between two top 3 ranked teams. Allianz Padiopzienza Cestistica San Severois placed in Group Red.
This season Petrushevski averages just 1.3ppg.
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