Unicaja adds playmaker Zab Dowdell

Unicaja has reached an agreement with playmaker Zabian Dowdell on a deal for the remainder of the season, the club confirmed Tuesday. Unicaja has an option to extend the deal until the end of the 2010-11 season. Dowdell (191, 25) arrives from Tulsa of the NBDL, where he averaged 12.9 points and 3.7 assists in 10 games this season. He is not a newcomer to European basketball, having also played for Fastweb Casale Monferrato in the Italian second division and SLUC Nancy in France after finishing his college basketball career at Virginia Tech. Dowdell averaged 11.2 points and 3.2 assists in 10 ULEB Cup games with Nancy in the 2007-08 season, in which he also led the team to lift the French League trophy. Dowdell was named to the ACC All-Defensive Team in 2006 and 2007 while playing for the Hokies. He is set to undergo medical tests and join his new team in practice as soon as possible.