Olympiacos tabs promising player Vangelis Mantzaris

Olympiacos Piraeus announced Monday the signing of talented and promising point guard Vangelis Mantzaris to a four-year deal. Mantzaris (1.95 meters, 21 years old) arrives from Peristeri, where he averaged 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 28 Greek League games last season. Mantzaris grew up with Peristeri and is considered one of the most successful players of the younger Greek generation of players. Together with Kostas Papanikolaou and Kostas Sloukas, his new teammates at Olympiacos, he won the gold medal at the 2008 European U-18 Championships and at the 2009 European U-20 Championships and the silver medal at the 2009 World U-19 Championships. Mantzaris is a member of the Greek senior men's national team, but was cut by head coach Elias Zouros a few days before tipoff of EuroBasket 2011.