French Pro A switches to Play-Off mode; can Nanterre complete the triple crown?

MUNICH (FIBA Europe Cup) - After winning the French Cup and celebrating the FIBA Europe Cup last month, the Pascal Donnadieu-coached Nanterre 92 are now aiming for their third trophy to complete an already historic season with a triple crown.

As the season switches into Play-Off mode in the French LNB Pro A, three of the four FIBA Europe Cup teams from France are still in the running for the domestic title, with only BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque spinning out of the race earlier than expected.

Elan Chalon got the highest seed among all FIBA Europe Cup teams, finishing the Regular Season in second place with a 27-7 mark, behind only the top-of-the-pack Basketball Champions League bronze medal winners AS Monaco. In the Quarter-Finals, Jean-Denys Choulet's team will travel up north to face Le Portel.

Nanterre were only one step behind though, accumulating a 25-9 record and claiming third place, which puts them against Paris-Levallois in an inter-city rivalry to start the Play-Offs.

The rivalry between Chalon and Nanterre could be restored in the Pro A

Were both Elan Chalon and Nanterre to advance to the Semi-Finals, we would see a rematch of the FIBA Europe Cup Finals on the domestic front as well, with plenty of dues still to be settled, at least from the perspective of Elan Chalon.

Meanwhile, the fifth-placed Pau-Lacq-Orthez, who had a 22-12 mark in the Regular Season, will be hoping to challenge SIG Strasbourg, but will have to do so without home court advantage.

Cooper claims MVP honors, beating Elan Chalon trio

At the end of the Regular Season, the best players from all LNB Pro A sides were honored at the gala, held at the Salle Wagram in Paris, with Elan Bearnais point guard D.J. Cooper taking home the MVP award.

The 26-year-old playmaker was the first player in the French top flight to average double digits in assists since Pierre Bressant accomplished the feat back in the 1988-89 season.

Cooper, who averaged 13.3 points, 11.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game, fended off the Elan Chalon trio of Moustapha Fall, Cameron Clark and John Roberson, who all finished among the top five vote-getters.

"I wanted to thank my whole team and my coach, who left me a lot of freedom to express my game on the court," said the player after being recognized as the best player of the season.

In spite of finishing second in the MVP voting, Moustapha Fall did not leave the evening empty-handed, reeling in the Defensive Player of the Year award, as well as leading the league in blocked shots.

"It's my first night at the awards gala and I came away with two of them. That's not bad," the Elan Chalon giant smiled. "I want to thank my club and my coach. They gave me the keys at the center spot and that's why I was able to show myself."

His teammate Cameron Clark, who led the league with 18.6 points per game, captured the scoring title.

In other nominations, Frank Ntilkina and Paul Lacombe picked up a pair of awards for SIG Strasbourg, being named Best Young Player and Most Improved Player of the Year awards, respectively.

Paris-Levallois big man Louis Labeyrie beat the field in the Sixth Man of the Year race, while AS Monaco strategist Zvezda Mitrovic was named Coach of the Year, leaving behind Nanterre head coach Pascal Donnadieu in second place.

FIBA