Thursday, June 23, 2011

2011 SEABA Qualifying Day 1

Game 1: Philippines-Malaysia http://www.fibaasia.net/PDFUpload/PDF01201162334958.PDF
For the first 25 minutes of the game (2 1/2 quarters), the Malaysians gave the Smart Gilas Pilipinas a fight and a run for their money. But with 4:34 left to go in the third quarter, JV Casio hit a three to break a 49-49 deadlock and then after a Malysian miss, he hit a two-point field goal to give the Philippines a 54-49 lead and they never looked back.
Casio led the way scoring wise off the bench with 19 points (7/11 FG, 3/6 3pt) and also posted 3 assists and a steal in 23 minutes.
Japeth Aguilar came off the bench and also played well, powering his way to 18 points and 5 rebounds.
Big performace mula sa naturalized center Marcus Douthit, He had a very effective game on the low block, garnering 14 points and 15 rebounds in 33 minutes of play.
Starting guard Chris Tiu was the other man in double figures scoring, hitting for 12 points, including three 3's.
The Philippines owned the paint, outrebouding the Malaysians 51-21 and outscored them in the paint 58-24.

In the losing effort the Malysians were led by Ho Yeow Loong with 11 points and 2 steals. #8 Choo Wei Hong hit for 10 off the bench and grabbed a team high 5 rebounds. John Ng grabbed pumped in 10 as well in the starting effort.
A few bright things though for the Malaysians. They held a lead for a little over 18 minutes in the game...they came out to a roaring start behind the arc and finished at a 38% clip (11 3s). I don't know if many fans will remember the name Tan Kim Chin, but he was a deadly sharpshot for the Malaysians in the mid1980s-1990s for Malaysia. While I do not see an individual player here of his shooting caliber, the team has played well as a team. All they have to do is finish 3rd to earn a spot for this summer's Asian championship in Wuhan, and if they shoot from the outside like they did today again, they could very well earn themselves a spot. The game for them that could be the decisive factor will be today versus Singapore, a team the Malaysians will be battling with for third place.
The Philippines take on hosts Indonesia today in the second contest of the evening.

Game 2: Indonesia-Singapore http://www.fibaasia.net/PDFUpload/PDF012011623957.PDF
Indonesia for three quarters had been outplayed by an underdog Singaporean side. But a 23-6 fourth quarter all but destroyed and ended the upset victory right in its' tracks.
In the 71-60 win, Indonesia was led by bench player Ponsianus Indrawan (12 points on 6/7 shooting, team high 10 rebounds and team high 2 blocks) and starter Rony Gunawan (10 points, team high 3 steals). Indonesia had stumbled early, owning only a two point lead at the end of the 1st quarter and was down 3 at the half and 6 at the end of the third. But a 14-2 in the first five minutes in the final frame closed the deal.

Singapore was led by starters Wong Wei Long (11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals) and Pathman Matialakan (11 points, team high 9 rebounds in game high 36 minutes). Off the bench, Wei Oh poured in 10.

The stats show a relatively even game, but a few areas Indonesia was able to come out on top on helped them to victory. 1. The Inside: 38-37 rebounds, 30-14 points in the paint, 13-4 second chance points, 4-0 blocks, all in favor of Indonesia. The paint, as the Philippines and Indonesia have proven, are going to be key in winning games in this tournament and down the line as well. 2. Turnovers: 16 turns for Indonesia compared to 29 for Singapore, including 7 in the final frame. Limiting turnovers is key to any victory, and Singapore gave the game away despite holding a large 28-17 disparity in free throw attempts. 3. Bench: Indonesia outscored Singapore 32-25 off the bench and as the recently crowned NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks showed, a deep bench in key in the long run to a successful side.

Games Tomorrow:
Singapore-Malaysia
Philippines-Indonesia

Friday, January 28, 2011

2011 FIBA-Africa Championship -Abidjan

The Central Board of FIBA Africa and the Ivorian Basketball Federation (FIBB) are currently evaluating the feasability of Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire for hosting the upcoming Afrobasket. Abidjan, which won the bid, has said that construction of its' arena has stalled and will not be completed until November 2011, months after the championship is supposed to be held. On February 15, FIBA Africa will anounce its' decision on whether Abidjan will host or whether another nation will step in to take its' place. Interested parties to replace Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire are said to be Angola, Madagascar, Morocco, and Tunisia.

FIBA Africa Press Release
Interbasket forums

2011 FIBA-Asia Championship

The 2011 FIBA-Asia Championship has been officially moved from Lebanon to Wuhan, China....apparently, the infrastructure and organization of the 2010 FIBA Stankovic Cup did not please FIBA-Asia....
Here's a quick rundown of the qualifiers as there is plenty of confusion.
Those finishers earned an extra spot for their zone in the upcomong FIBA-Asia Championship.
Lebanon, by winning, has qualified for China.
Japan = + 1 spot for East Asia
Qatar = +  1 for Gulf
Philippines = + 1 for SEABA
Jordan = + 1 for WABA
So with that,
East Asia = host (China) + 2 qualifiers + 1 extra for Japan's finish in Asia Stankovic
Gulf = 2 qualifiers + 1 extra for Qatar's finish....Qatar, UAE, Bahrain all qualified to FIBA-Asia by virtue of finishing top 3 in the 12th Gulf Basketball Championship
SEABA = 2 qualifiers + 1 extra for Philippines finish
WABA = Stankovic champion (Lebanon), + 2 qualifiers, + 1 extra for Jordan's finish
Middle Asia = 2 qualifiers

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Review -November 16,2010

CHINA 91-46 MONGOLIA
China took a 13-2 lead five minutes into the game and never looked back. They did once trail in this game and their hieght advantage served them well today as they beat up Mongolia in the paint 48-24.
China was led by Zhou Peng, who came off the bench to score 16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 asissts, 2 steals, and 1 block. Also playing well were co-captain and starting center Wang Zhizhi (11 points, 5 rebounds) and Tang Zhengdong (11 points, 3 rebunds). As a team, they shot 47% and comitted only 14 turnovers.
For Mongolia, nobody hit double figures and they only hit 2 threes from 23 attempts. Ikhbayar Ganbaatar was the high man, scoring 8 points. Saunbayar Oyunbileg had 5 points and 7 rebounds. Captain Sedbazar Shinen scored 7 points and 4 rebounds.
Next up for China is North Korea while Mongolia will square off against Uzbekistan. Both games take place tomorrow.
My CHN player of the game: Zhou Peng
My MON player of the game: Sedbazar Shinen

QATAR 97-48 INDIA
Qatar never trailed in this game as India's poor offensive execution and lack of defense led to this big margin. Qatar's height advantage led them to a 40-14 advantage in the paint and a 40-21 edge in rebounding.
Qatar's star man Targuy Ngombo has started where he left off from the FIBA-Asia Stankovic Cup as he posted 19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals. Also playing well were Baker Ahmad Mohammed (18 points, 7 rebounds off the bench), Saad Abdulrahman Ali (16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists), Daoud Mousa Daoud (12 points), and Khalid Suliman Abdi (10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals.
India had only 2 players hit double figures. SG Hareesh Koroth was the high man with 24 points on 9/14 shooting (6/10 shooting threes) in 38 minutes. Captain Vishesh Bhriguvanshi has 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. All 48 of India's points came from their starting five as the bench shot 0/7.
Next up for Qatar is Smart-Gilas Pilipinas while India will square off against Chinese Taipei tomorrow.
My QAT player of the game: Targuy Ngombo
My IND player of the game: Hareesh Koroth

SOUTH KOREA 103-54 UZBEKISTAN
South Korea came in to this game as an unknown favorite since they had been training in secrecy and Lenny Wilkens had been hired as an advisor for the team. South Korea held advantages in all facets of the game: guard play, post play, running the break, keeping it in the paint.
South Korea was led by C/PF Lee Seung-Jun. He had 20 points off the bench along with 8 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. In support was Ham Jihoon (15 points, 4 rebounds), Yang Hee-Jong (13 points, 3 rebounds), Ha Seung-Jin (12 points off the bench), and Oh Sekeun (11 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals). As team the shot 53% from the floor and turned the ball over 9 times.
Uzbekistan's lone standout was C Semender Juginisov with a game-high 27 points on 10/16 shooting (2/2 three-point FG), along with 9 rebounds, a steal, and a block. Uzbekistan was outscored in the following categories: points off turnovers (9-17), points in the paint (20-66), second chance points (3-21) and fastbreak points (0-10).
Next for South Korea is Jordan. Uzebekistan will square off against 0-1 Mongolia.
My KOR player of thegame: Lee Seung-Jun
My UZB player of the game: Semender Juginisov

JORDAN 90-80 NORTH KOREA
Upstart North Korea fought, but in the end Jordan won the game. Their superior shooting percentage (51-37) and free throw advantage (37 attempts to 12) gave them the game.
Jordan was led by Abdullah Abuqoura a team-high 25 points and 10 rebounds (9 offensive). Mohammad Hadrab also played well, posting 19 points and 9 rebounds. Mahd Abdeen (15) and Ali Zaghab (11 points, 8 rebounds) round out the double figure scorers.
Pak Myong Jin scored a game-high 27 points in the loss, hitting 7 threes and grabbing 6 rebounds off the bench. Pak Un Chol had 16 points (4/13 three-point FG) and 6 rebounds while Kim Un Chol added 10 points and 8 rebounds.
Despite Jordan's superior advanage in the paint (58-18), North Korea connected from long-distance 15 times compared to 3 for Jordan.
Up next for North Korea is 1-0 China while Jordan squares off against 1-0 South Korea tomorrow.

IRAN 65-48 PHILIPPINES
A defensive struggle left the Philippines behind as Iran was able to slowly mount their lead throughout the entire match. Iran outrebunded the Philippines 31-20, outscored them in the paint 24-18, and moade more of their opportunities off turnovers (22-14).
Iran was led by PF Hamed Sohrabnejad scored 11 points and 5 rebounds to pace Iran while Aren 10 points and 3 assists while G Javed Davari scored 10 points (2/2 three-pointers).
The Philippines were led by G Chris Tiu, who scored 14 points (4/5 three-point FG). He was the only player in double figures. Kelly Williams scored 8 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. The Philippines were outrebounded 31-20. Center Asi Taulava grabbed only 1 rebound. The Philippines must be able to convert the 2 point field goals and have their big men grab rebounds.
The Iranians face-off against 1-0 Japan while Philippines try to grab their first preliminary round win against 1-0 Qatar.
My IRN player of the game: Hamed Sohrabnejad
My PHI player of the game: Kelly Williams

JAPAN 63-57 CHINESE TAIPEI
In a game that featured 13 lead changes and five ties, the game was determined by turnovers as Chinese Taipei had 15 compared to 8 by Japan.
Japan moves to 1-0. They were led by Joji Takeuchi who had 15 points and 13 rebounds. Kosuke Takeuchi had 10 points and 13 rebounds.  Ryota Sakurai added 12 points and 2 assists while Yuta Tabuse scored 10.
Chinese Taipei had Tien Lei hit a double-double as he scored 15 points and 12 rebounds. Lin Chin Chieh posted 15 points, 5 rebounds despite fouling out in 30 minutes.
Japan had the advatage in the paint (44-24), showing their prowess and height advantage inside.
Next up for Japan is the 1-0 Iranians while Chinese Taipei is up against 0-1 India.
My JPN player of the game: Joji Takeuchi
My TPE player of the game: Tien Lei

Monday, November 15, 2010

Preview for November 16, 2010

Mongolia lost to the Chinese B team at the 2009 East Asian Games if I am not mistaken. China now is featuring an NT at almost full-strength. Mongolia will not be able to handle their size. The Mongolian 7'0 C played only 11 minutes vs. Turkmenistan and had only 4 points. He is also one of the oldest players in the tournament, so I expect at least a 40 point difference for China.

Qatar should pull it out. If Targuy Ngombo is half of what he was at the FIBA-Asia Stankovic Cup, Qatar should win. India has also shown that while their starters got the job done against Afghanistan, they don't have a strong bench. If India gets in foul trouble early, expect a rout.

Jordan vs. North Korea is tough. Jordan is missing perennial all-everything Rasheim Wright as well as leading rebounder Zaid Abbas and leading assist man Osama Daghlas. Those three were also the leading scorers in Turkey for the team. North Korea hit 13 of 32 threes and grabbed 46 rebounds against Hong Kong. But Jordan has about a 3 inch height advantage and with North Korea's tallest player at 6'4, look for Jordan to get points in the paint. I expect Jordan to pull it out, but it'll be a scare.

Korea should beat Uzbekistan pretty well. South Korea have been training hard and they have been hyped to be one of the best squads the nation has ever fielded.

Review -November 15,2010

AFGHANISTAN 76:83 INDIA
In a rematch from the gold-medal game at the SAF Games earlier this year won by Afghanistan, this game had been the hardest to predict. Afghanistan, a team made up of mostly American-based players with Afghan heritage, and India, a team with a new coach and many practices together, battled it out right to the end. Afghanistan led by as much as 12 in the first half and 8 in the third quart but India went on a 10-0 spanning the 3rd and 4th quarters to turn a 5 point deficit to a five point lead and they never trailed in the 4th quarter. Both teams used short benches. 6 man rotation basically for India (7th player played only 49 seconds) while Afghanistan (7 man rotation).
Leading the way for India was G Jagdeep Singh with a team-high 22 points, team-high 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and the teams lone block in 35 minutes of play. Supporting him was SF Trideep Rai with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and a game-high 5 assists. Also playing well were G Hareesh Koroth (17 points with a team high 3 three-pointers) and C Yadwinder Singh (15 points and 5 rebounds).
In the losing effort, Mohammad Mojaddidi led 4 players in double figures by posting a game-high 25 points on 8-19 shooting (7-13 on three-pointers), 3 rebounds, a game-high 5 assists and 1 steal. G Ali Sajad Noorzad scored 15 points, connectin on 3 threes, ad grabbed 4 rebounds. Off the bench, F Haroun Arefi had 12 points and 6 rebounds while starting F Yousof Etemadi had 10 points and 5 assists. Starting C and captian Nafi Mashriqi grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds and had 5 points.
In a highly competitive match, there were a few things helped India pull this game out. A 22-12 edge at the free-throw line helped. From the line, India shot 73% while Afghaistan was just 50%. Field goal percentage was also key as India was 48% while Afghanistan was a mediocre 39%. Lastly, there is points in the paint. A 34-28 advantage was held by the Indians. While the Afghans were hitting threes, ultimately you have to go inside not only to score but also to get to the free throw line. The starters of India had scored 81 of 83 points, showing that their starting five is talented and can get the job done.
With the win, India advances to Group B and plays Qatar tomorrow at 7:15 inside the Huangpu Gymnasium. Afghanistan unfortuantely goes home, but they should be encouraged and definately should enter more tournaments.
My AFG player of the game: Mohammad Mojaddidi
My IND player of the game: Jagdeep Singh

Afghanistan 76:83 India

  AFGHANISTAN VS. INDIA NOVEMBER 15,2010 19:15Guangti Gymnasium
  AFGHANISTAN                     
# NamePosMinPtsFGMFGAFG%3PM3PA3P%FTMFTAFT%ORDRTRAST.TO.STL.BLK.FLFO
4*Yousof EtemadiSF31:231041526.7%1812.5%11100.0%011511031
5*Nafi MashriqiC35:1952450.0%000.0%1520.0%11112010145
6 Qais HaiderPF1:030000.0%000.0%000.0%000000011
7 Masseh TahiryPFDNP0000.0%000.0%000.0%000000000
8 Sayed Yussuf AnsarySGDNP0000.0%000.0%000.0%000000000
9*Habib Mohammad KabirC16:3642450.0%000.0%000.0%538020030
10 Abdullah KarimiPG19:3452450.0%010.0%1250.0%112031021
11 Haroun ArefiSF26:381251145.5%1250.0%1250.0%246103034
12*Ali Sajad NoorzadPG36:401561735.3%3933.3%000.0%224101021
13*Mohammad MojaddidiPG32:472581942.1%71353.8%22100.0%123531014
14 Mohammad Shekib SoratgarPGDNP0000.0%000.0%000.0%000000000
15 Mohammad Sayed AmiriSFDNP0000.0%000.0%000.0%000000000
  TEAM                1    
  TOTAL  76297439.2%123336.4%61250.0%1224361211711917
  INDIA                     
# NamePos.Min.PtsFGMFGAFG%3PM3PA3P%FTMFTAFT%ORDRTRAST.TO.STL.BLK.FLFO
4*Hareesh KorothSG38:451771258.3%3837.5%000.0%134000021
5 Dinesh Coimbatore VenugopalG/SF9:300020.0%020.0%010.0%112000010
6 Dishant Vipul ShanPGDNP0000.0%000.0%000.0%000000000
7 Prakash MishraSFDNP0000.0%000.0%000.0%000000000
8 Kiran Pal SinghPG/SGDNP0000.0%000.0%000.0%000000000
9*Vishesh BhriguvanshiPF27:5092366.7%000.0%5683.3%123453023
10 Sunil Kumar RatheeCDNP0000.0%000.0%000.0%000000000
11 Eudrick PereiraPF13:3221425.0%000.0%000.0%145120010
12*Trideep RaiSF39:131861442.9%2540.0%4580.0%077510044
13 Jayram JatPG0:490000.0%000.0%000.0%000000000
14*Yadwinder SinghC34:571561833.3%010.0%33100.0%145110045
15*Jagdeep SinghSG35:242291275.0%000.0%4757.1%268430136
  TEAM                     
  TOTAL  83316547.7%51631.3%162272.7%727341512311719



TEAMQ1Q2HTQ3Q4FT
AFGHANISTAN1016203849536076
INDIA1114233041536783



AFGIND
Pts off Turnovers84
Pts in Paint2834
Second Chance Points138
Fast Break Points24
Starter Points5981
Bench Points172
% Pts from Starters77.6%97.6%
Biggest Lead129
Biggest Scoring Run910
 38-2753-58
Lead Changes10
Times Tied8
 AFGIND
Pts7683
FG29/7431/65
%39.2%47.7%
3pt12/335/16
%36.4%31.3%
FT6/1216/22
%50.0%72.7%
OR+DR12+247+27
TR3634
Ast.1215
To.1112
Stl.73
Blk.11
Fl.1917
Fo.1719



Commissioner Koichi Nomura (JPN)
RefereeCristiano Jesus Maranho (BRA)
UmpireFerdinand Pascual (PHI)
UmpireFong Kin Lung (HKG)