Regular Season, Round 1 MVP: Ricky Hickman, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan

Ricky Hickman’s first Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan was a memorable one. Not only did he lead his team to a thrilling 99-97 victory over his former team, Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv, but he earned MVP honors for Regular Season Round 1 in the process. Hickman sparkled with 22 points, 3 assists and 3 steals for a performance index rating of 32, which was the most among all players on winning teams in Round 1. He made 2 of 3 shots from downtown and 12 of 15 free throws after drawing 12 fouls. He didn’t just produce in volume. Hickman came up big with the game on the line by scoring his team’s final 11 points over the last 2:40 to secure the victory. The player with the highest index rating of opening week was on the losing end in that game; Andrew Goudelock led Maccabi’s comeback and finished the game with 27 points, 5 assists and an index rating of 33. Three players tied for the third-highest index rating of Round 1: Justin Doellman and Ante Tomic of FC Barcelona Lassa and Latavious Williams of Unics Kazan each posted 25s in Barcelona’s 63-69 come-from-behind win in Kazan. Doellman amassed 23 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Tomic tallied 13 points, 9 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. And Williams collected 12 points and tied a club record with 15 rebounds.

Individual leaders: Latavious Williams of Unics Kazan, 15 rebounds

Goudelock marked his return to the EuroLeague with the best scoring effort of Round 1 with 27 points. The week’s best rebounder was Unics’ Williams, who tied D’Or Fischer’s club record with 15 rebounds. All-EuroLeague guard Milos Teodosic of CSKA Moscow was in mid-season form with 11 assists to top the weekly charts. Hickman, his former backcourt mate Tyrese Rice of FC Barcelona Lassa, and Anadolu Efes Istanbul forward Tyler Honeycutt shared the Round 1 lead with 3 steals each. Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade big man Ognjen Kuzmic rejected 3 shots to put himself in the league lead in that category. Three players recorded Round 1 double doubles: Teodosic (20 points, 11 assists), Adrien Moerman (10 points, 11 rebounds) of Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul and Williams.