Who was the MVP of the FIBA Europe Cup Quarter-Finals?
MUNICH (Germany) - The FIBA Europe Cup Quarter-Finals were stacked with exciting highlights, incredible comebacks and raw emotion.
MUNICH (Germany) - The FIBA Europe Cup Quarter-Finals were stacked with exciting highlights, incredible comebacks and raw emotion.
Now, just four teams remain as the Semi-Finals are on the horizon. But who stood out most in the last eight?
Let's delve right in with the choices with at least one player from each of the Quarter-Final teams, and you can decide yourself with the vote below.
Bahcesehir College
Jerry Boutsiele - C / 207cm / 1992 / FRA
Tyler Cavanaugh - PF / 206cm /1994 / USA
Despite suffering their first loss in 11 games, Bahcesehir College emerged victorious over two legs against FC Porto to seal a Semi-Final spot with Boutsiele and Cavanaugh at the heart of it all.
Boutsiele scored 15 points and 9 rebounds in both ties and led the way in efficiency for the Turkish side, whereas Cavanaugh averaged 15.0 points and pulled down 6.0 rebounds in the two games as Bahcesehir recovered from a 10-point first leg deficit to secure a 168-142 aggregate win.
Itelyum Varese
Nico Mannion - G / 190cm / 2001 / ITA
Losing high-calibre players like Willie Cauley-Stein and Olivier Hanlan is far from ideal, but Itelyum Varese haven't given them a single thought as they coasted to the last four with double-digit victories over ERA Nymburk, adding to a 171-141 aggregate win.
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And it was one of their own countrymen who led the way as Siena-born Mannion scored 12 points in both legs; averaging 7.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game for good measure to play an important role in sending Varese through to another last four trip.
NINERS Chemnitz
Jeff Garrett - F / 201cm / 1994 / USA
Kaza Kajami-Keane - PG / 185cm / 1994 / CAN
NINERS Chemnitz sent a strong statement in their comprehensive success over Casademont Zaragoza with Garrett and Kajami-Keane the main culprits - ranking as the top two in efficiency in the Quarter-Finals.
Kamjami-Keane led the German side to a 98-64 win on the road in the first leg with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists with Garrett not too far behind as he posted a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double.
The duo then went for double-doubles in the second leg with Garrett going for 20 points and 11 boards alongside 14 points and 11 rebounds for Kajami-Keane, en route to a 102-86 victory and a 200-150 aggregate win.
Surne Bilbao Basket
Sacha Killeya-Jones - PF / 213cm / 1998 / GBR
Trailing by 19 points heading into the second leg against Legia Warszawa, Surne Bilbao Basket were facing a huge task. But somehow they found a way not only to overcome the largest deficit in FIBA Europe Cup history, but do so emphatically as an 81-53 win secured an overall 145-136 aggregate success.
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Killeya-Jones was sensational in both ties, as he went for 18 points and 6 rebounds in the first game before going one better in the follow-up fixture; posting 19-points and 15 boards for a stellar double-double.
Casademont Zaragoza
Trae Bell-Haynes - PG / 188cm / 1995 / CAN
Despite bowing out at the hands of NINERS Chemnitz, Bell-Haynes went out swinging for Casademont Zaragoza, as he exploded for 31 points on 10-for-12 shooting - including going 5-for-6 from three-point land in the second leg on the road.
Bell-Haynes did a lot of things on the floor that don't show up on the stats throughout the campaign, but it was an all-in-all forgettable Quarter-Finals experience for the Spanish side.
ERA Nymburk
Sukhmail Mathon - F / 208cm / 1998 / USA
Mathon was a bright light in a dim Quarter-Final memory for the Czech side ERA Nymburk as they lost out over two legs to Varese.
The American posted back-to-back double-doubles with 10 points and 12 rebounds in the opening game followed by 13 points and 13 rebounds in the second. Both statlines leading the way for Nymburk in efficiency.
FC Porto
Cleveland Melvin - PF / 204cm / 1991 / USA
Melvin was undoubtedly the hero of the first leg as he helped FC Porto to victory and end Bahcesehir College's 11-game winning run. He hit 27 points and pulled down 7 rebounds with his impressive statline including five triples in a 90-80 win on home soil.
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Unfortunately for him and Porto, Bahcesehir hit back with a vengeance and powered through the second leg for an overall victory but Melvin was certainly the main man for the Portugese side.
Legia Warszawa
Josip Sobin - C / 206cm / 1989 / CRO
Despite being on the wrong end of the FIBA Europe Cup record books, Legia's Josip Sobin was a beast under the basket and shot the ball with great efficiency - especially in the first leg - going 4-for-5 from the field.
He was two points shy of a double-double with 8 points and 11 boards in the first tie and led the Polish side in efficiency in the second leg with 2 points, 2 steals and 5 rebounds without a turnover in what was a tough evening in Bilbao.
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