Ekpe Udoh named EuroLeague Final Four MVP

After authoring one of the truly great Final Fours in competition history, Ekpe Udoh was voted MVP of the 2017 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. Udoh led Fenerbahce Istanbul to its first ever EuroLeague crown in an 80-64 victory over Olympiacos Piraeus on Sunday at Sinan Erdem Dome by dominating on both ends of the floor. He posted 10 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and a title-game record 5 blocks in the final, which came on the heels of his 18 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 blocks in an 84-75 semifinal victory over Real Madrid. His 12 assists in a single Final Four are the most by a center in completion history and tied for the 13thmost by any player. He set a semifinal record with a performance index rating of 36 and his index rating of 29 was the most in the championship game since 2013.

Udoh, who turned 30 on Saturday, is completing his second season with Fenerbahce. He was named to the 2016-17 All-EuroLeague First Team and voted runner-up for the Best Defender Trophy this season after earning All-EuroLeague Second Team honors one year ago. Udoh, who set a single season record for blocked shots this season with 68, averaged 12.1 points and led the league with 7.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.