Georgian basketball

[Dato]

Georgian NT (Sakartvelo)

Roster:

4. Giorgi Gamqrelidze 183-G-86 (LTi Giessen 46ers, Germany)
6 Anatoliy Boisa 195-G-83 (Army, Georgia)
7 Zaza Pachulia 212-C-84 (Atlanta H., NBA)
8 George Tsintsadze 192-G-86 (TU/Rock, Estonia)
9 Giorgi Shermadini 216-C-89 (Union Olimpija, Slovenia)
10 Kote Tugushi 192-G-84 (Army, Georgia)
11 Manuchar Markoishvili 195-G-86 (NGC Cantu, Italy)
13 Viktor Sanikidze 203-F-86 (CS Bologna, Italy)
15 Nika Metreveli 212-C/F-91 (Immobiliare SR, Italy Lega 2)
21 Taurean Green 183-G-85 (Gran Canaria, Spain)
22 Nikoloz Tskitishvili 212-C/F-83 (Lagun Aro Gipuzkoa BC, Spain)
23 Tornike Shengelia 205-G/F-91 (VOO Verviers-Pepinster, Belgium)
Boisa Vladimir 209 C/F 81 (U.Olimpija, Slovenia)

Igor Kokoshkov - Head Coach (Phoenix Suns)


Good Luck!

[rikhardur]

Kote Tugushi's triple-double lands him Player of the Week award - Dec 12, 2010 (by Eurobasket News)
26-year old guard Kote Tugushi (192-G-84) put on an amazing game in the last round for league's best team Army Sport Klub Tbilisi and receives a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 8.
He recorded a triple-double of 19 points and added 11 rebounds and 12 assists, while his team outclassed Dinamo Tbilisi (#10, 1-8) with 43-point margin 105-62. It allowed Army to take over top position in the Georgian league. Army have a solid 7-1 record. Tugushi turned to be Army's top player in his first season with the team. Tugushi has impressive league stats. He is in league's top in points (4th best: 18.9ppg), rebounds (5th best: 9.9rpg), assists (2nd best: 6.0apg) and averages solid 2.1spg and 54.8% FGP.

Second best performed player last round was David Ugrekhelidze (207-C-83). He is former international center in his first season at Army. In the last game Ugrekhelidze recorded impressive double-double of 21 points and 17 rebounds. Of course together with Tugushi he helped Army with another comfortable win outscoring the lower-ranked Dinamo Tbilisi (#10, 1-8) 105-62. This victory allowed Army to move up to 1st position in the standings. His team lost just one game this season, while they won 7 matches. Ugrekhelidze is a newcomer at Army and quickly became the team's new leader.

Third place about best performers goes to forward Richard Damus (198-F-83) of Sokhumi Tbilisi (#5). Damus scored 19 points and grabbed fourteen rebounds (!!!). He was a key player of Sokhumi, leading his team to a 79-57 easy win against GTU Tbilisi (#11, 0-8). Sokhumi needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 6 victories and 3 lost games. Damus has a great season in Georgia. After only 8 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 11.6rpg (#1 in league). He also has 1.8bpg and FGP: 63.5%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Giorgi Gulisabedashvili (194-G-88) of Samedicino - 21 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists
5. Talba Toudjani (201-F-80) of Energy Rustavi - 19 points and 11 rebounds
6. Zurab Korkotadze (194-F-83) of TSU Tbilisi - 26 points and 7 rebounds
7. Giorgi Barbakadze (203-F-91) of Kutaisi - 25 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists
8. Vakhtang Minashvili (200-C-79) of Army - 17 points and 7 rebounds
9. Levan Tsekvava (190-G-89) of Energy Rustavi - 22 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Nodar Tenieshvili (198-F-92) of Batumi - 19 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists

http://www.eurobasket.com/Georgia/basketball.asp?NewsID=211510

Sokhumi signed C Petras Baločka.

[rikhardur]

The Best Wedding Gift A Georgian Can Receive

// 16 September 2010
By Jeff Taylor

Of all the big stories to break in Istanbul the past three weeks during the FIBA World Championship, none was more important than the announcement that EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania is to expand to a 24-team field.

The toughest of all the zone competitions is to open its doors to many more national teams, and one of those in Georgia.

A country that has produced some terrific basketball players over the years, Georgia had narrowly missed out on booking a place in qualifying this summer when they won five times in eight games and finished second behind Belgium in Division A, Group C.

The expansion means that for the first time, a national team from Georgia will compete at a European Championship in any sport.

To understand the significance, one need only look at the reaction of Zaza Pachulia, the captain of the national side.

On the day of the announcement, September 5, Pachulia, a center with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, was getting married to his long-time partner at a church in Georgia and all of his national team friends were in attendance.

During the ceremony, his phone rang and he answered it and was told he would play at the EuroBasket in Lithuania.

Believing it to be a joke, Pachulia had to be convinced that the tournament had indeed been expanded.

"After telling him for a third time that it was true, all I could hear on the phone were amazing sounds in the background," said the secretary general of the Georgian Basketball Federation, Merab Ratishvili, to Basketball World News.

"It wasn't just players and people involved with the team that celebrated, but ordinary people, too.

"You could hear car horns blowing through the night. There were cars being driven with Georgian flags, people crying (for joy) that we are in the European Championship.

"The headlines in Georgia read ‘Thanks to FIBA Europe'."

The announcement was so important for Georgia that Pachulia and his wife did something else.

"The next morning," Ratishvili said, "Zaza and his wife went to the airport and flew to Istanbul to personally thank (FIBA Europe Secretary General) Nar Zanolin.

"They also thanked (FIBA Europe President) Olafur Rafnsson."

Nearly two weeks on from the announcement on expansion, one thing is clear.

The world knows that countries like Spain, Russia, Greece, Lithuania, Serbia and many other national sides that seem to always make it to European Championships can play basketball at the highest level.

The world is about to discover that Georgia can, too.

"We're very happy," Ratishvili said.

"It's the first time in the history of Georgia that any team will play at a European Championship. You can understand what this means, what happiness that has brought to the players, the fans and everyone in Georgia.

"We're not going just to show up. We realize very well we cannot win the European Championship, but we go to win some games and to do our best.

"A lot depends on the system of the competition and once FIBA Europe announces that, we'll make our aims.

"We're definitely not going just to show up."

http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_f,QJY13GIqEKzkmlIxcdm1.articleMode_on.container_frontpage.html

Cars driven with Georgian flags and people celebrating in the streets, now that surprised me.

[rikhardur]

Superleague 2009/2010 - playoff finals: game 4

TSU 92 Energy Rustavi 95 (1-3) OT

Rustavi is champion once again, congrats! Anatoli Boisa paced the winners with 22 points and 11 rebounds.

[rikhardur]

Superleague 2009/2010 - playoff finals: game 2

Energy Rustavi 75 TSU 84 (1-1)

[rikhardur]

Superleague 2009/2010 - playoff finals: game 1

Energy Rustavi 80 TSU 69 (1-0)

[rikhardur]

Superleague 2009/2010 - playoff semi-finals: game 3

SHSS Tbilisi 75 Energy Rustavi 95 (0-3)

TSU 72 GSAU 59 (3-0)


Energy Rustavi and TSU will play the finals.

[rikhardur]

Superleague 2009/2010 - playoff semi-finals: game 2

Energy Rustavi 83 SHSS Tbilisi 63 (2-0)

GSAU 67 TSU 82 (0-2)

[rikhardur]

Superleague 2009/2010 - playoff semi-finals: game 1

Energy Rustavi 82 SHSS Tbilisi 76 (1-0)

GSAU 81 TSU 90 (0-1)

[rikhardur]

Superleague 2009/2010 - playoff quarter-finals: game 3

Batumi 87 SHSS Tbilisi 88 95 (1-2)

Dynamo Tbilisi 91 GSAU 98 (1-2)


SHSS Tbilisi and GSAU join Energy Rustavi and TSU in the semis.

[rikhardur]

Golden Opportunities For Georgia Teen Shengelia

Georgia were once the nearly men of European basketball.

Stuck in EuroBasket Division B, Georgia has always had a talented squad and almost won promotion in 2005 and 2007 but suffered upset defeats that cost them a spot in Division A.

The most disappointing setback of all came on August 29 in 2007, when they travelled to Reykjavik to take on Iceland.

Heavily favored going into the game, Georgia lost 76-75 and ended up missing out on the Promotion Round.

Georgia finally accomplished their mission of reaching Division A last summer.

They advanced to the Promotion Round and then hammered Belarus 175-159 over two legs to clinch promotion.

Georgia have big-name players like Atlanta Hawks center Zaza Pachulia and former NBA player Nikoloz Tskitishvili.

One of the players that will be prominent in the near future is 18-year-old Tornike Shengelia, who has made three appearances for the senior side the last two summers.

The 2.05m small forward, who is on the books of Power Electronics Valencia in Spain's ACB, works out with the team but usually plays for Valencia's LEB EBA side and leads the team in scoring at better than 16 points per contest.

He was in the squad over the weekend when Valencia won the Eurocup Finals in Vitoria.

Shengelia spoke to Jeff Taylor for FIBA Europe.

What's it like for a Georgian to move to Spain to play basketball?

Tornike Shengelia: The first year was really hard. I didn't know the language and I was alone here, but after four or five months, it was so much easier. The basketball level is incredible. It's a much higher level - the top basketball in Europe. They have everything here - ACB teams and the LEB.

We noticed that Valencia coach Neven Spahija had you working out with the seniors in practice as they prepared for their recent ACB game against Bilbao, and you had to guard Thomas Kelati.

Tornike Shengelia: It's really good. Once you go up against those guys, you notice the difference when you play in the second team.

So you work out with one of the best teams in Spain but usually get most of your minutes in the second team in the EBA?

Tornike Shengelia: Yes, if I just play with the first team, I don't get that many opportunities to play (in games) so the second team allows me to get minutes. It's good to have games. I played in three Eurocup games, though.

You represented Georgia at the U20 European Championship Division B last year and averaged 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists but also were in the senior team squad?

Tornike Shengelia: Actually it was my second year with Georgia (senior team). This year was really incredible. We went to Division A, and I got a lot of experience by being able to play with some great players, some who are in the NBA or have been in the NBA.

So the national team is another golden opportunity for you to develop as a player. It's quite impressive that as a teenager, you are already in the national team squad.

Tornike Shengelia: All I'm trying to do is to get myself better every time that I step onto the court.

What do you think Georgia's chances are this year in terms of reaching next year's EuroBasket? You will take on Belgium, Portugal, Poland and Bulgaria in qualifying Group C.

Tornike Shengelia: We have a chance. This year, the group we have, there is not one favorite team. We can go far. We have a good team.

http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_ZftznGbfI1QeYTbTBZ1My1.articleMode_on.container_frontpage.html

[rikhardur]

Superleague 2009/2010 - playoff quarter-finals: game 2

Samedicino 54 Energy Rustavi 86 (0-2)

SHSS Tbilisi 84 Batumi 95 (1-1)

GSAU 85 Dynamo Tbilisi 88 (1-1)

TSU 85 Sokhumi 74 (2-0)


Energy Rustavi and TSU are in the semis.

[rikhardur]

Superleague 2009/2010 - playoff quarter-finals: game 1

Energy Rustavi 103 Samedicino 56 (1-0)

Batumi 70 SHSS Tbilisi 75 OT (0-1)

Dynamo Tbilisi 78 GSAU 88 (0-1)

Sokhumi 79 TSU 100 (0-1)

[rikhardur]

Superleague All-Star 2010

Beruashvili team 133 Kobeshavidze team 114

MVP: Akaki Dvalishvili
Dunk contest winner: Gigi Barbakadze
Three-point contest winner: Kote Tugushi

[rikhardur]

Superleague 2009/2010 - round 18

TSU 119 Samedicino 96

Dynamo Tbilisi 73 SHSS Tbilisi 79

GSAU 78 Energy Rustavi 89

Batumi 105 Sokhumi 78

Merani 20 Avia 0


Man of the round was TSU's Vakhtang Minashvili with 53 pts + 11 rebounds... in 28 minutes.