Alba Berlin extends Sekulic, Wright

Alba Berlin keeps getting ready for the upcoming Euroleague Qualifying Rounds by extending center Blagota Sekulic and playmaker Rashad Wright until the end of the 2009-10 season, the club announced Tuesday. Sekulic (209, 26) arrived in Berlin last February. He averaged 10.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 3 Euroleague games last season, in which he helped Alba to win the German League regular season. Sekulic grew up with Buducnost Podgorica of Montenegro and made his Euroleague debut for that team in December 2000, at age 18. The next stops in his Euroleague career were Partizan Belgrade, from 2002 to 2003, and AEK Athens the next season. After two-an-and-a-half more seasons in the Greek League for Maroussi Athens and PAOK Thessaloniki, Sekulic joined Real Madrid in January of 2007, just in time to help eliminate Alba Berlin in the eighthfinals of the ULEB Cup. Madrid and Sekulic went on to become 2007 ULEB Cup champions. He stayed with Madrid for the 2007-08 Euroleague season. Meanwhile, Wright (189, 27) averaged 8.8 points and 2.4 assists in 16 Euroleague games with Alba last season. Wright is experienced at the top levels in Europe, having played two seasons in the ULEB Cup before joining Euroleague powerhouse Efes Pilsen. He was sixth in the 2006-07 ULEB Cup in scoring after recording 17.4 points and 3.5 assists per game with Base Oostende. Wright began his professional career in Greece with Panionios in 2004 following a successful college basketball career at the University of Georgia. He then played a season each with Hemofarm in Serbia and Oostende in Belgium, winning the domestic championship with the latter in 2007. "Our goal was to keep most of our roster. We played very well together last season even when we didn't end up winning the German League title," head coach Luka Pavicevic said. "Now we have the chance to keep working together, that will make things easier on the court."