This week’s Top Ten plays of the Lega Basket Serie A quarterfinals feature four players with ties to the New England area.
#6: Milan’s MarShon Brooks played collegiate basketball in the Big East Conference for the Providence Friars from 2007-2011.
#5: Dinamo’s Rakim Sanders was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island and played his first three years of college ball at Boston College before transferring to Fairfield (CT) for his senior year.
#3: Dinamo’s Jerome Dyson (UConn) throws down on American Josh Owens. Though a Stanford grad I am seriously doubting Owens’ basketball IQ…
#2: Brindisi’s Delroy James attended the University of Rhode Island from 2007-2011, earning All-Atlantic 10 Second Team honors in his senior season.
Jerome Dyson and #5 Dinamo Sassari have advanced to the Lega Basket Serie A semifinals upsetting #4 seed Trento 3-1. After dropping Game 1, Dyson and company rode a three game winning streak to keep their Championship hopes alive. Series MVP David Logan led the way for Dinamo, dropping 27 points in the Game 4 clincher. Dyson struggled to find his shot in the series but still found other ways to contribute, dishing out 6 assists in the final game.
As I discussed in my quarterfinal preview, Dinamo’s keys to the series included:
Contain League MVP Tony Mitchell
Post-production
Find shooting touch
Following the Game 1 loss, let’s see how Dinamo responded to each key.
Game 1: Trento 81, Dinamo 70
Game 2: Dinamo 88, Trento 79
Mitchell: 6-18, 6 TO
Rebound Margin: Even
Shane Lawal: 18 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block
Jeff Brooks: 13 points, 9 rebounds
66% from the field
Edgar Sosa: 21 points
Game 3: Dinamo 103, Trento 78
Mitchell: 2-12, 9 TO
Rebound Margin: -1
Shane Lawal: 8 points, 7 rebounds
Jeff Brooks: 18 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks
76% from the field
103 points scored
Edgar Sosa: 23 points, 4-7 3P
Game 4: Dinamo 84, Trento 80
Mitchell: 5-15, 6 TO
Rebound Margin: -9
Shane Lawal: 10 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks
Jeff Brooks: 5 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks
61% from the field
David Logan: 27 points, 3-5 3P
Mitchell, a player who had caused problems for Dinamo in the past, was harassed into a woeful performance- managing only 29% from the field and commiting 7 TO per game- during the final three games of the series. Dinamo received the post-production they desperately lacked in previous battles with Trento, as forward Jeff Brooks provided extra strength inside to complement center Shane Lawal. However, the most impressive statistic of the series is the 68% Dinamo shot from the field in the final three games, including a 103 point explosion in Game 3. When you shoot the ball at such a high mark, it becomes almost impossible to lose. Here is a look ahead at Dinamo’s semifinal matchup.
legabasket.it
Semifinals
Dinamo has reached its third semifinals in only five years of Serie A play, drawing a matchup with #1 seeded Milan- fresh off a 3-0 sweep of #8 Granarolo. The clubs split the season series 2-2, though Dinamo came out victorious in the most important games, defeating Milan in both the Italian SuperCup at the beginning of the year as well as the Italian Cup in February. It comes as no surprise that the winner of this series is the favorite to take the Serie A crown. Below is an inside look at the Italian Cup Finals matchup in February to give some perspective on the history of these two clubs.
This star-studded matchup features numerous former NBA players on the Milano side including MarShon Brooks (LA Lakers), Linas Kleiza (Toronto Raptors), Alessandro Gentile (Minnesota Timberwolves) and Samardo Samuels (Cleveland Cavaliers). Though Milano is favored and equipped with a deep bench, Dinamo possesses both the athleticism and momentum to eliminate the #1 seed for the third time this season. Here is a look at the probable starters for each team.
#5 Dinamo Sassari
Pos
Name
Nationality
College/Former Club
PPG
RPG
APG
PG
David Logan
USA/Poland
Indianapolis ‘05
16.5
2.8
3.0
SG
Jerome Dyson
USA
UConn ‘10
16.1
3.9
4.2
SF
Rakim Sanders
USA
BC/Fairfield ‘12
12.0
3.5
1.2
PF
Jeff Brooks
USA
Penn State ‘11
8.6
7.2
1.3
C
Shane Lawal
Nigeria
Oakland/Wayne St ‘09
10.8
9.2
1.2
Notable
Bench
Players
G
Edgar Sosa
Dominican
Louisville ‘10
11.9
1.7
3.2
#1 Milano
Pos
Name
Nationality
College/Former Club
PPG
RPG
APG
PG
Joe Ragland
USA/Liberia
Wichita State ’12
12.1
3.2
3.4
SG
MarShon Brooks
USA
Providence ’11
14.7
3.5
2.2
SF
Alessandro Gentile
Italy
Timberwolves (NBA)
12.7
4.6
1.9
PF
Linas Kleiza
Lithuania
Ulker (Turkey)
9.4
3.7
0.7
C
Samardo Samuels
Jamaica
Louisville ‘10
13.3
5.7
1.9
Notable
Bench
Players
G
Daniel Hackett
USA/Italy
USC ‘09
8.9
3.3
4.1
The series tips off tomorrow with two games in Milan before returning to Sassari on June 2nd for the final two games. Television information is unavailable at the time but the games should be available by following Lega Basket Serie A on the Twitter app Periscope. Best of luck to Sassari in their quest for a third trophy!
Jerome Dyson and Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari (Dinamo Sassari for short) enter the 2015 Lega Basket Serie A Playoffs with the #5 seed thanks to a 19-11 mark in league play. The club has already strung together an impressive year, competing in both Euroleague and EuroCup play, in addition to winning their second consecutive Italian Cup Championship in February. The Lega Basket Serie A is the first-tier level club competition league in Italy, with a home-and-away schedule comprised of 30 games followed by a playoff round featuring the top eight teams. The quarterfinals and semifinal series are conducted as best-of-five matchups leading into a best-of-seven finals. Lega Basket Serie A has become a popular destination for the stars of Big East past, with at least 16 players having suited up at some point this season- including former NBA All-Star Metta World Peace.
UCONN: Jerome Dyson
Georgetown: Austin Freeman, Chris Wright
Louisville: Edgar Sosa, Samardo Samuels
Marquette: Darius Johnson-Odom
Pittsburgh: Gilbert Brown, Sam Young
Providence: MarShon Brooks
Seton Hall: Jeremy Hazell
St. John’s: Metta World Peace aka Ron Artest
Syracuse: Andy Rautins, Brandon Triche
Villanova: Allan Ray, Isaiah Armwood, James Bell
With that in mind, here is a look at the 2015 playoff bracket:
legabasket.it
Quarterfinals
Dyson and Dinamo already find themselves in an 0-1 hole after losing the first game of the series to #4 Trento yesterday. Trento, led by league MVP Tony Mitchell’s (Alabama/Detroit Pistons) 16 points/11 rebounds, dominated the glass (55 to 28) en route to an 81-70 home victory. Dinamo struggled shooting the ball, finishing just 8-31 from deep and 18-41 from the field. Dinamo was led by Jerome Dyson’s 14 points and 7 steals with Edgar Sosa adding 11 points in the losing effort. Imposing center Davide Pascolo (Italy) had a monster game for Trento with 15 points and 14 rebounds. As two of the highest scoring teams in the league (Dinamo 85.0, Trento 81.3) boasting numerous high-flyers, the first game certainly did not disappoint the highlight reel (below). If you have been following my blog it should be no surprise who came in at #1…
Game 2 Preview
Dyson and company hit the hardwood tomorrow for Game 2 at Trento. Here is a look at probable starters for both sides as well as season statistics:
#5 Dinamo Sassari
Pos
Name
Nationality
College/Former Club
PPG
RPG
APG
PG
David Logan
USA/Poland
Indianapolis ‘05
16.5
2.8
3.0
SG
Jerome Dyson
USA
UConn ‘10
16.1
3.9
4.2
SF
Rakim Sanders
USA
BC/Fairfield ‘12
12.0
3.5
1.2
PF
Jeff Brooks
USA
Penn State ‘11
8.6
7.2
1.3
C
Shane Lawal
Nigeria
Oakland/Wayne St ‘09
10.8
9.2
1.2
Notable
Bench
Players
G
Edgar Sosa
Dominican
Louisville ‘10
11.9
1.7
3.2
#4 Trento
Pos
Name
Nationality
College/Former Club
PPG
RPG
APG
PG
Andres Forray
Argentina/Italy
Forli (Italy)
5.3
2.6
2.5
SG
Jamarr Sanders
USA
UAB ‘11
8.5
3.9
2.4
SF
Tony Mitchell
USA
Alabama ‘12
21.1
5.7
2.7
PF
Davide Pascolo
Italy
Udinese (Italy)
12.0
7.4
1.6
C
Josh Owens
USA
Stanford ‘12
13.3
6.3
1.1
Notable
Bench
Players
G
Keaton Grant
USA
Purdue ‘10
7.7
2.3
1.2
Keys to the Series
Contain Tony Mitchell
In two regular season matchups the league MVP torched Sassari for 31 and 24 points respectively. The 6’9 wing presents a matchup nightmare due to his versatility and freakish athletic ability. Game 1 was a move in the right direction for Dinamo as Mitchell was held to only 16 points on 3-12 shooting- though he did still manage to collect 11 rebounds and dish out 7 assists. For Dinamo to advance, Mitchell must be slowed down.
Post Production
Rebounding is not the only worry for the undersized Sassari squad. In the two regular season matchups, Trento scored an average of 63% of their points in the paint (compared to 37% from Sassari) including an insane 65% in a matchup back in December. The closer you are to the basket, the higher percentage the shot- an idea clearly translated in the field goal percentages for both teams. Through three games (including yesterday) Trento is shooting the ball at a 60% mark while Sassari checks in at 47%. League-leading shot blocker Shane Lawal will need to keep Trento’s bigs off the glass and out of the box score.
Three-Point Shooting
When post scoring is limited, points must come from elsewhere- specifically the three ball. For a team that averaged 35 three’s per game and had 4 players shoot over 100 three’s on the season (compared to two for Trento), the 8-31 mark (26%) Dinamo put up in the first game won’t cut it. Between sharpshooters Dyson, David Logan and Rakim Sanders- someone needs to get hot.
Best of luck to Dinamo Sassari and be sure to stay tuned for more updates!
Jerome Dyson is having quite the year in Italy. In addition to leading Dinamo Sassari to the Italian Cup Championship in February, Dyson’s regular season statistics of 16.2 points, 4.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game were good for 5th, 5th and 1st in Italian league play respectively. True to his hard-nosed, attack-the-basket style of play we became accustomed to at UConn, Dyson also led the league with 5.8 fouls drawn per game.
Never one to shy away from the highlight reel, this Dyson poster featured in January was voted the top play of the ENTIRE Italian League season.
Dyson and #5 Sassari are set to battle #4 Trento in quarterfinal play beginning Monday. Updates to come…
Jerome Dyson continues to stuff the stat sheet with 11 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists in #3 Dinamo Sassari’s victory over #11 Air Avellino. The flashiest dish shows up in the Legabasket Serie A Top Ten plays at #8, when Dyson serves one up to Nigerian center Shane Lawal (Oakland/Wayne State). In honor of the oop, below I have included my favorite Dyson dime of all time- which resulted in one of the loudest eruptions from a Gampel crowd I have ever witnessed…
The United Nations is investigating an alleged air assault on Georgia after this video surfaced online. Clearly 7’1 center Giorgi Shermadini doesn’t read mattwemet.com.
A flashback to Dyson’s January exchange with Italian center Tomas Ress:
Good thing Dyson can ball because foreign affairs is clearly not his forte…
Did a few names on that countdown make you miss the former Big East? The Italian Serie A League has become a popular destination for members of the former Big East, with 14 players currently participating in Italy’s top level of competition reviving classic rivalries. A full list of players by school can be found below:
Dinamo Sassari dominates the 2015 Beko Final Eight Top 10 plays including two from Jerome Dyson. Also of note- though the smallest state in the United States, Rhode Island produced #1 and #2 in the countdown, MarShon Brooks (Providence College) and Rakim Sanders (Pawtucket).
Dyson and Sassari return to action February 28th when they battle Cantu.
Marcus Williams is enjoying a great year taking over for DeMarcus Nelson (Duke) as point guard for Crvena Zvezda, a Serbian team competing in both the Adriatic League (ABA) and Euroleague (top level in Europe). The ABA is a regional professional league that features clubs from the former Yugoslavia including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia as well as Israel and Hungary. The league was founded in the years after the Yugoslav Wars and has featured American players such as Adam Morrison (Gonzaga), Jordan Farmar (UCLA) and Scoonie Penn (Ohio State). Williams has partnered this season with 2011 Golden State Warrior’s draft pick Charles Jenkins to lead Zvezda to a perfect 8-0 record, good for first in the ABA. Always a pass first point guard, Williams’ 6.8 APG are good for fourth in the league. Here’s a look at his complete stat line:
ADRIATIC
G
MIN
FG-FGA
FG%
3PM-A
3P%
REB
AS
PTS
EFF
M. Williams
8
22.5
13-39
33%
16-36
44%
2.4
6.8
10.5
10.8
As one of the premier clubs in European basketball, Zvezda also competes in Group D of the Euroleague, which, as I mentioned earlier, is the equivalent to the European NBA. The Euroleague regular season runs from October 16th to December 19th, with 24 teams divided into 4 groups (A, B, C, D). Each team plays 10 games within the group, in a round robin format, with the top four teams from each group advancing to the Top 16. The Top 16 divides clubs into two additional 8 club groups (E, F), where teams play a 14 game round robin season spanning December 30th, 2014 to April 10th, 2015. The top 4 teams from Groups E and F then advance to a best-of-five series with the series winners advancing to the Final Four. The 2015 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four will be held in Madrid, Spain from May 15th to 17th on a single elimination basis. Also competing in the Euroleague for UConn this season is Jerome Dyson (Banco di Sardegna, Italy, Group A) and Niels Giffey (ALBA Berlin, Germany, Group B).
Currently, Zvezda sits at #2 in Group D with a record of 3-3. Williams has put together an impressive season thus far, setting a Euroleague record with 17 assists in his last outing. Overall, his 8.0 APG lead the league through six games. Here is a complete statline below:
EURO
G
MIN
FG-FGA
FG%
3PM-A
3P%
REB
AS
PTS
EFF
M. Williams
6
30
13-38
34%
13-43
30%
4.2
8.0
13.5
14.7
Euroleague Assist of the Night:
Marcus Williams Zvezda Highlights:
Jerome Dyson
Club: Dinamo Banco Di Sardegna Sassari
Location: Sardinia, Italy
Leagues: Lega Basket A, EuroLeague
euroleague.net
Jerome Dyson comes to Sassari after one year with Enel Brindisi of the Italian National League (Lega Basket A) and has made an immediate impact. Dyson was named MVP of the Italian SuperCup, a yearly preseason competition that takes place between winners of the Italian Championship and Italian Cup from the previous year. It comes as no surprise Sassari is a great fit for Dyson- the team’s offensive philosophy is similar to Coach Calhoun’s at UConn, a run and gun that emphasizes getting out in transition and pushing the tempo. Dyson, along with Edgar Sosa (Louisville), Rakim Sanders (BC/Fairfield) and Jeff Brooks (Penn State) have led Sassari to a 5-1 record, good for second in a league widely considered one of the best in Europe. A quick search through the rosters seems to support this claim as former Big East stars Austin Freeman (Georgetown), Allan Ray (Villanova), Samardo Samuels (Louisville), Sam Young (Pittsburgh), MarShon Brooks (Providence) and Darius Johnson-Odom (Marquette) all participate. True to his UConn days, Dyson is first in the league with 2.7 steals per game. Here is a complete stat line below:
ITALY A
G
MIN
FG-FGA
FG%
3PM-A
3P%
REB
AS
ST
PTS
EFF
J. Dyson
6
28.7
14-32
44%
11-33
33%
3.2
4.8
2.7
14.7
16.8
Following a 2013-14 campaign that saw Sassari win the coveted Italian Cup, the club earned a chance to compete in the Euroleague. The adjustment has been difficult as Sassari currently sits in last place in Group A with a record of 1-5, a group that includes European powerhouse Real Madrid. The team struggles have not stopped Dyson’s individual performance however, as he continues to fill up the box score on a nightly basis. Here is a complete Euroleague statline:
EURO
G
MIN
FG-FGA
FG%
3PM-A
3P%
REB
AS
ST
PTS
EFF
J. Dyson
5
29
15-37
41%
12-29
41%
3.0
3.8
2.0
14.4
9.0
Dyson interview on Euroleague Media Day:
Highlights from 2013/14 season (low quality):
CHECK BACK NEXT WEEK FOR AN UPDATE ON NIELS GIFFEY / ENOSCH WOLF…
The Sacramento Kings won the 2014 Las Vegas Summer League earlier this week, featuring newly acquired Alex Oriahki at the center position (sneak peak into celebration below). Oriahki was just one of a slew of former Huskies participating in Vegas this summer. Others included Deandre Daniels (Toronto Raptors), Jerome Dyson (Charlotte Hornets), Niels Giffey (Utah Jazz), Shabazz Napier (Miami Heat) and Roscoe Smith (Los Angeles Lakers). Here are the complete statistics from Vegas:
Player
G
GS
MPG
FG%
3P%
RPG
APG
SPG
TO
PPG
Daniels
5
5
21.4
.36
.26
6.2
.2
.4
1.8
10
Dyson
4
0
16.8
.22
.22
1.3
1.3
0.0
2.8
3.8
Giffey
5
0
12.2
.25
.17
1.8
.6
.6
.6
3.4
Napier
4
4
27
.28
.250
1.3
2.8
2.5
3.5
10.3
Oriahki
4
4
12.5
.40
0.0
3.0
.5
0.0
1.5
2.8
Smith
5
0
12.8
.56
0.0
2.2
0.0
0.0
.4
5.0
Deandre Daniels
Getty Images
Out of all UCONN players in the two summer leagues, it is safe to say Deandre Daniels was the most consistent. Starting all five games at small forward for the Raptors, Daniels contributed UCONN-esque numbers of 10 points/6 rebounds per game. In a July 18th win versus the LA Clippers, Daniels registered a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Although roughly half of Daniels field goal attempts were from deep, he led the team in rebounding, proving he is not content to just hover on the perimeter but ready to mix it up in the middle. Already leading the team in rebounding, when he packs muscle onto his scrawny frame, Daniels will be a force. It has been rumored he will play this upcoming season overseas which will give him time to mature before returning to the Raptors next season.
Jerome Dyson
July 10th Jerome Dyson signed with Dinamo Sassari of the Italian Series A League, according to Sportando. The same release stated Dyson had an NBA out in his contract until July 23, allowing him to sign with a NBA team if his performance in the summer league won him a roster spot. Unfortunately for Dyson, he was stuck behind first-round pick PJ Hairston on the depth chart and averaged only 4 points in 17 minutes of play. Dyson will return to Italy next season teaming up with former Louisville guard Edgar Sosa and BC/Fairfield transfer Rakim Sanders. The club is a newcomer to the Euroleague (European NBA) and hopes to boost their championship aspirations with the addition of Dyson who averaged 17 points/4 rebounds with Enel Brindisi (Italian Series A) a season ago.
Here is a comparison of Napier’s statistics from the OSL to the LVSL. In Vegas, Napier shot the ball better (it couldn’t have gotten much worse) and his turnovers were down, but he averaged only 2.8 assists per game, third on the Heat. As I wrote earlier, I am not worried by Napier’s struggles. The learning curve is much sharper for a point guard and especially in a summer league setting with players hailing from all over the world and little time to practice offensive sets. Another point to consider: Napier finalized his contract at the end of the summer league. With this final distraction off his mind it will be all basketball from now until training camp.
Alex Oriahki
AO’s Kings Gear
July 12th the Sacramento Kings acquired the draft rights to Oriahki in exchange for guard Isaiah Thomas. Oriahki was drafted by the Suns in the second round of the 2013 NBA Draft but the Suns’ talented front court forced him to begin the season overseas. Oriahki started 4 games for the Kings in Vegas, averaging 3 points, 3 rebounds and 1 block per contest. This block against Cameron Bairstow and the Chicago Bulls made it to nba.com’s summer league highlights. This season, Oriahki faces another uphill battle to make a Kings roster featuring veterans Rudy Gay, DeMarcus Cousins, Reggie Evans and Jason Thompson. If he is unable to make the Kings roster this year, Oriahki will return overseas or play another year with a D League affiliate.
Roscoe Smith
Undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft, Smith earned an invite to play with the Lakers in Vegas. Scoe averaged 5 points and 2 rebounds in 13 minutes per game, playing with his typical high energy and intensity. Smith is a long shot to make a NBA roster this season and will most likely play overseas.
Sacramento Kings Championship Celebration via Snap Chat:
mattwemet 