POSTED BY: Eurobasket News
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We bring you last week’s top performances from Poles 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 an experienced former international guard David Logan (184-82, college: Indianapolis, currently plays in Italy). He was the major contributor in Sassari‘s victory against the 14th-ranked Pesaro (0-1) 75-73 in the Italian Serie A in Sunday night’s game.
Logan recorded 14 points and added 6 assists in 28 minutes on the court. It was his first game for Sassari this season.
His team is placed first in the Serie A.
So far his team won all four games in the Regular Season.
But this is still an early stage of the season and everything may happen.
Logan is a naturalized American.
He played for the Polish senior national team twelve years ago.
Logan used to play for WTK Anwil Wloclawek in Polish league.
#2. Second place goes to an international shooting guard A.J. Slaughter (191-87, college: WKU, currently plays in Spain). He led Gran Canaria to a 1-point victory over the 12th-ranked Unicaja (1-2) 80-79 in the Spanish Liga Endesa last Saturday.
Slaughter was MVP of the game. He scored 16 points and added 4 assists.
Herbalife Gran Canaria (2-1) is placed second in the Liga Endesa.
But the season just started, so everything may happen.
Slaughter has relatively good stats this year: 12.7ppg, 1.7rpg, 3.3apg, 2.0spg, 2FGP: 46.2%, 3FGP: 25.0% and FT: 66.7%.
He is a naturalized American.
Slaughter is in the roster of the Polish senior national team. Strangely he has never played in Poland.
#3. The Polish player who performed third best last week abroad was an international center Aleksander Balcerowski (218-0, agency: BeoBasket, currently plays in ABA League). Balcerowski contributed to an easy victory against the closely-ranked SC Derby (1-1) crushing them 101-68 in the ABA League on Sunday night.
He recorded 10 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in 22 minutes. It was his first game for Mega this season.
His team is placed sixth in the ABA League.
But the season is still in its first stage and everything can happen.
Balcerowski is also a member of the Polish senior national team.
#4. Swingman Michal Sokolowski (196-92, currently plays in Italy) led Treviso to an easy victory against one of league’s weakest teams Tortona (0-1) 92-77 in the Italian Serie A in Sunday night’s game.
He recorded 17 points and added 4 assists. It was his first game for Treviso this season.
His team is placed in the Serie A.
Sokolowski is also Polish national team player.
#5. International swingman Michal Michalak (196-93, currently plays in Germany) contributed to a 3-point EWE Baskets‘ victory against the 11th-ranked Crailsheim Merlins (1-1) 82-79 in the German BBL last Wednesday.
He scored 9 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in 18 minutes.
EWE Baskets Oldenburg (0-2) is placed fourth in the BBL.
But the season is still in its first stage and everything can happen.
It’s Michalak’s first year with the team.
This season Michalak averages: 6.5ppg and 3.5rpg in two games he played so far.
He plays currently for the Polish national team.
#6. Shooting guard Dardan Berisha (190-88, currently plays in Kosovo) could not help one of league’s weakest teams Peja (3-1) in their last game. Despite his good performance Peja was badly defeated 83-66 on the road by the leading Trepca.
Berisha was the top scorer with 14 points. He also added 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals in 39 minutes.
They ended the series of three consecutive victories.
There are only three games left until the end of the Regular Season. So now every game will be critical.
Berisha has individually a very good year with high stats. He averages: 21.5ppg, 4.5rpg, 4.8apg and 2.0spg in four games.
Berisha is a former international player as he played for the Polish senior team six years ago.
#7. International forward Adam Waczynski (199-89, currently plays in Spain) was not able to help Zaragoza in their game against Burgos (1-2) in the Spanish Liga Endesa. He cannot count Saturday’s game as one of the best ones.
Waczynski scored only 2 points.
Zaragoza was crushed 75-54 at home by the much lower-ranked Burgos (#13).
But the season is still in its first stage and everything can happen.
This season Waczynski has relatively solid stats: 10.7ppg and 2.3rpg.
He is also Polish national team player.
#8. Small forward Mateusz Ponitka (198-93, currently plays in Euroleague) managed to help Zenit Sankt Petersburg in a 1-point victory against the 13th-ranked Unics (0-1) 70-69 in the Euroleague on Friday night.
Ponitka recorded only one point and added 4 assists in 23 minutes. It was his first game for Zenit this season.
His team is placed ninth in the Euroleague.
But the season is still in its first stage and everything can happen.
Ponitka plays currently for the Polish national team.
#9. International swingman Jakub Garbacz (197-94, currently plays in Germany) was not able to secure a victory for MBC (2-1) in their game against MLP Academics Heidelberg in the German BBL. Despite his very good performance in Saturday night’s game He was the top scorer with 14 points.
But the season is still in its first stage and everything can happen.
Garbacz has reliable stats this season: 12.5ppg and 3.0rpg.
He is also in the roster of the Polish national team.
#10. Center Adam Lapeta (217-87, currently plays in Lithuania) couldn’t help Dzukija (1-2) in their game against Jonava (1-1) in the Lithuanian LKL.
Lapeta scored 5 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 21 minutes.
Dzukija was crushed 85-63 on the opponent’s court by the higher-ranked (#5) Jonava.
But the season is still in its first stage and everything can happen.
This year Lapeta’s overall stats are: 5.0ppg, 9.0rpg, 1.7apg and 2.0bpg in three games.
He is a former international player as five years ago he still played for the Polish senior national team.
The list of other players, who all have Polish passport but never been selected to any of Polish national teams:
#1. Yovel Zoosman (198-SF-98, currently plays in Germany) contributed to an easy victory against one of league’s weakest teams Skyliners (0-2) crushing them 101-63 in the German BBL on Tuesday night.
Zoosman scored 8 points.
ALBA Berlin (1-1) is placed seventh in the BBL.
But the season is still in its first stage and everything can happen.
It’s Zoosman’s first year with the team.
This season he has relatively solid stats: 11.0ppg, 3.0rpg and 1.5apg.
Zoosman has a dual citizenship: Polish and Israeli.
#2. Dennis Nawrocki (192-SF-92, currently plays in Germany) managed to help JobStairs Giessen 46ers to win against the 14th-ranked Bayreuth (0-1) 86-74 in the German BBL on Sunday night.
Nawrocki recorded only 3 points.
JobStairs Giessen 46ers (2-0) is placed first in the BBL.
But the season is still in its first stage and everything can happen.
This season Nawrocki averages just 1.5ppg.
He is another player who holds two passports: Polish and German.
#3. Geoffrey Groselle (213-C-93, college: Creighton, currently plays in Italy). Groselle could not help Fortitudo BO to beat Reggio Emilia (1-0). He cannot count Sunday’s game as one of the best ones.
Groselle recorded only 2 points and added 3 assists in 15 minutes. It was his first game for Fortitudo BO this season.
His team was edged 81-80 at home by the second-ranked Reggio Emilia.
Groselle is a naturalized American.
He used to play for Enea Zastal BC Zielona Gora in Polish league.
#4. Maciek Klimaszewski (205-C-95, currently plays in Iceland) was not able to help Hamar (0-0) in their game against Selfoss (1-1) in the Icelandic D1 (second division).
Klimaszewski recorded 8 points.
Hamar was defeated 93-80 on their home court in Hamar by the lower-ranked Selfoss (#6).
Klimaszewski’s total stats this season are: 5.0ppg, 2.0rpg and 2.0apg.
He has both Polish and Icelandic nationalities.
Despite Klimaszewski’s Polish passport, he previously played for the Icelandic U18 national team and is probably not eligible to play for the Polish team.
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