Star power fills 2012-13 All-Eurocup teams!
Eurocup named the best two teams of the season
The 2012-13 Eurocup basketball season was among the finest in competition history. The six-month long campaign showered fans with spectacular plays, amazing team and individual performances, and consistent drama. As it does every season, Euroleague Basketball is pleased to honor 10 deserving stars as members of the All-Eurocup First and Second Team, players that clearly helped make the season as great as it was. One reason for the season's success was an influx of new talent, which can be seen clearly on the 2012-13 All-Eurocup First Team. Four of the five All-Eurocup First Team members made their Eurocup debuts this season. They are guards Nick Calathes of PBC Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar and Malcolm Delaney of BC Budivelnik Kiev, forward Justin Doellman of Valencia Basket and center John Bryant of ratiopharm Ulm. Among the first team honorees, only forward Kostas Vasileiadis of Uxue Bilbao Basket had played the Eurocup prior to this season. The All-Eurocup second team features Walter Hodge of Stelmet Zielona Gora, Chuck Eidson of Unics Kazan, Derrick Brown of PBC Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar, Lamont Hamilton of Uxue Bilbao Basket and Loukas Mavrokefalidis of Spartak St. Petersburg. The other previously announced award winners were Fotis Katsikaris as the Eurocup Coach of the Year and Bojan Dubljevic as the 2012-13 Eurocup Rising Star. Still to be revealed is the identity of the 2012-13 Eurocup MVP.
All-Eurocup First Team
Calathes (13.1 ppg., 5.9 rpg., 6.6 apg., 1.4 spg.), a former Euroleague champion, took charge from the start of his first Eurocup season in eventually leading Lokomotiv to Saturday’s title game against Bilbao. He came within 1 assist of the Eurocup record when he dished 14 in the regular season finale and had three of the top five assist games this season. Calathes finished the season as the league leader in assists and ranked eighth in steals and 12th in rebounds. Delaney (16.1 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 2.8 apg.) placed eighth in the competition in scoring and made headlines by breaking four semifinals records with 38 points and a performance index rating (PIR) of 47 in that round's opening game against Bilbao. Both numbers were the highest attained by any player in the Eurocup all season. Delaney ranked among Budivelnik's top three players in scoring, rebounds, assists, steals and three-pointers made. Doellman (15.1 ppg., 4.2 rpg., 1.7 spg.) was a pillar in the frontcourt of semifinalist Valencia, leading his team in scoring, steals and performance index rating and ranking second in rebounds, blocked shots and three-point shooting. On four occasions this season, Doellman was among the week's top five players in PIR. Vasileiadis (14.4 ppg., 35 three-pointer, 3.1 rpg.) was not just Bilbao's top scorer and second in the competition in three-pointers made, but owned some of the biggest highlights of the season. His triple in the closing seconds of a Last 16 game at Valencia clinched a dramatic victory and helped pave his team's way to the quarterfinals. Bryant (16 ppg., 9 rpg.), the only first-team selection to not have reached at least the semifinals, was a force in the middle for Ulm in their first Eurocup campaign. He was twice named MVP of the week and totaled five double-doubles this season. Bryant also led the Eurocup in rebounding and ranked fifth in average PIR.
All-Eurocup Second Team
Former Eurocup MVP Chuck Eidson of Unics Kazan highlights the 2012-13 All-Eurocup Second Team. Eidson (16.5 ppg., 4.6 rpg., 3.6 apg., 1.4 spg.) joins a select group of players to earn All-Eurocup distinctions twice. He was once again brilliant in the competition and finished as the season's PIR leader with 20.5 per game. He ranked fifth among all Eurocup players this season in scoring and ninth in steals and posted double-figure performance ratings in all but one game while helping Kazan reach the quarterfinals. Walter Hodge (21.1 ppg., 50% three-point shooting, 5.4 apg., 1.4 spg.) was an unstoppable force for upstart Zielona Gora, guiding the team to the Last 16 in his and the club's Eurocup debuts. Hodge was the 2012-13 Eurocup scoring champ, ranked second in PIR (22.4 per game), fourth in assists and 10th in steals. He finished his brilliant season in style with back-to-back weekly MVP honors in the final two games of the Last 16. Derrick Brown (16 ppg., 4.5 rpg., 1.7 spg) joined Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar late and played less than 10 minutes in two of his first three appearances, but was simply lights-out after that. In just his first Eurocup season, Brown led Lokomotiv in scoring, steals and blocks to help propel his new team to the title game. His 39-point effort in the regular season finale earned Brown weekly MVP honors. Lamont Hamilton (13.8 ppg., 5.3 rpg., 0.8 bpg.) quietly served as the tough backbone for Bilbao, ranking second in scoring and rebounding for the men in black. Moreover, Hamilton raised his level of play when it was needed most; he helped Bilbao reach its first Eurocup title game as one of the competition's top three scorers in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. Loukas Mavrokefalidis (14.5 ppg., 5.3 rpg.) was the top scorer and rebounder for Spartak, which reached the quarterfinals before bowing out. It was his finest Eurocup season from an individual standpoint in his four years playing the competition.
All-Eurocup First Team
Calathes (13.1 ppg., 5.9 rpg., 6.6 apg., 1.4 spg.), a former Euroleague champion, took charge from the start of his first Eurocup season in eventually leading Lokomotiv to Saturday’s title game against Bilbao. He came within 1 assist of the Eurocup record when he dished 14 in the regular season finale and had three of the top five assist games this season. Calathes finished the season as the league leader in assists and ranked eighth in steals and 12th in rebounds. Delaney (16.1 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 2.8 apg.) placed eighth in the competition in scoring and made headlines by breaking four semifinals records with 38 points and a performance index rating (PIR) of 47 in that round's opening game against Bilbao. Both numbers were the highest attained by any player in the Eurocup all season. Delaney ranked among Budivelnik's top three players in scoring, rebounds, assists, steals and three-pointers made. Doellman (15.1 ppg., 4.2 rpg., 1.7 spg.) was a pillar in the frontcourt of semifinalist Valencia, leading his team in scoring, steals and performance index rating and ranking second in rebounds, blocked shots and three-point shooting. On four occasions this season, Doellman was among the week's top five players in PIR. Vasileiadis (14.4 ppg., 35 three-pointer, 3.1 rpg.) was not just Bilbao's top scorer and second in the competition in three-pointers made, but owned some of the biggest highlights of the season. His triple in the closing seconds of a Last 16 game at Valencia clinched a dramatic victory and helped pave his team's way to the quarterfinals. Bryant (16 ppg., 9 rpg.), the only first-team selection to not have reached at least the semifinals, was a force in the middle for Ulm in their first Eurocup campaign. He was twice named MVP of the week and totaled five double-doubles this season. Bryant also led the Eurocup in rebounding and ranked fifth in average PIR.
All-Eurocup Second Team
Former Eurocup MVP Chuck Eidson of Unics Kazan highlights the 2012-13 All-Eurocup Second Team. Eidson (16.5 ppg., 4.6 rpg., 3.6 apg., 1.4 spg.) joins a select group of players to earn All-Eurocup distinctions twice. He was once again brilliant in the competition and finished as the season's PIR leader with 20.5 per game. He ranked fifth among all Eurocup players this season in scoring and ninth in steals and posted double-figure performance ratings in all but one game while helping Kazan reach the quarterfinals. Walter Hodge (21.1 ppg., 50% three-point shooting, 5.4 apg., 1.4 spg.) was an unstoppable force for upstart Zielona Gora, guiding the team to the Last 16 in his and the club's Eurocup debuts. Hodge was the 2012-13 Eurocup scoring champ, ranked second in PIR (22.4 per game), fourth in assists and 10th in steals. He finished his brilliant season in style with back-to-back weekly MVP honors in the final two games of the Last 16. Derrick Brown (16 ppg., 4.5 rpg., 1.7 spg) joined Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar late and played less than 10 minutes in two of his first three appearances, but was simply lights-out after that. In just his first Eurocup season, Brown led Lokomotiv in scoring, steals and blocks to help propel his new team to the title game. His 39-point effort in the regular season finale earned Brown weekly MVP honors. Lamont Hamilton (13.8 ppg., 5.3 rpg., 0.8 bpg.) quietly served as the tough backbone for Bilbao, ranking second in scoring and rebounding for the men in black. Moreover, Hamilton raised his level of play when it was needed most; he helped Bilbao reach its first Eurocup title game as one of the competition's top three scorers in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. Loukas Mavrokefalidis (14.5 ppg., 5.3 rpg.) was the top scorer and rebounder for Spartak, which reached the quarterfinals before bowing out. It was his finest Eurocup season from an individual standpoint in his four years playing the competition.
E. Carchia
@Sportando
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