SORRY THAT I HAVENT BEEN ABLE TO WRITE FOR AWHILE.  . IVE BEEN REALLY BUSY OVER HERE DEALING WITH THE BUSINESS SIDE OF PLAYING EUROPEAN BASKETBALL. MYSELF ALONG WITH OUR AMERICAN POINT GUARD AGREED ON TERMS TO LEAVE THE CLUB HERE IN SWEDEN . THERE WAS ONLY A MONTH LEFT IN THE SEASON AND WE HAD NO CHANCE OF MAKING THE PLAYOFFS . SO IT WAS BEST FOR US TO LEAVE. I WILL BE JOINING A CLUN IN LUXEMBOURG. IM VERY HAPPY ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE COUNTRY AND BASKETBALL THERE. LAST SEASON I PLAYED IN LUXEMBOURG AND HAD GOOD SUCCESS . I WILL BE JOINING MY NEW CLUB ON MONDAY. I WILL UPDATE YOU GUYS IN A COUPLE OF DAYS ONCE IM SETTLED IN.

 

Tomorrow is our last game before our mid season break! Its a very big game for us as well as a big game for our opponent! We will be playing the Norrokping Dolphins. On paper they are the most talented team in the league. They boast to have 3 NBA prospect!!!!!! They have a very high powered offense second in the league in scored points. We are first !!! So this will be a very high paced game . 

Key players : Andrew Pleick is a 6-5 point guard. Was a Mcdonalds All-American in highschool! Was a starter on his euorpean allstar team while in highschool. That teams roster included Andrei Kirlenko, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker. So this guy can really play. 

Pawel Mroz is a 7-1 forward played in Italy last year. Considered an nba prospect . Loves to shoot and put the ball on the floor. This is very impressive for a guy that is 7-1. Capable of putting up numbers.

Gabriel Szalay is a 7-1 forward similar to Pawel where he can put the ball down on the florr and also shoot . Played in France last year. Also considered and NBA prospect. Hes just 18 years old!!!!!! 

Jeff Viggiano 6-7 shooting guard , played his college ball at UMASS . Very good shooter and loves to attack the basket. Has had some really big scoring games this year (19ppg) .

Thomas Soltau is a 6-11 center plays for the Danish National team, played college ball at Northwestern. Last season played for a top club in Italy . He is also very capable of scoring in bunches! Has had a 38point game this season!!!!!

   Big win for us lastnight!!!!!! We knew going into the game that it would be a very tough game. It was  very physical and high paced , there were many lead changes throughout the course of the game I had 17pts 7rbs 5assist. I shot 7 for 11 from the field and 3 for 4 from the free thrown line . Next game will be Tuesday against the second place Sundsvall Dragons!!!!!! Former B.C standout Louis Hinnant runs point for this team.

 

Saturday we will play Ockelbo, they have been struggling alot this season ,but they have some good talent on their team. They are coming off of a 30 point win over Gotia who beat us on tues by 30. So they seem to be hot right now. This is a must win game for us!!! Could make or break the season.

Key Players :

Howard Frier , is a 6-5 combo guard he can score from almost anywhere on the floor! He is capable of scoring in bunches ! Played in many big leagues here in Europe . Very Experienced! He is averaging 18pts per game.

Demetrius Brown , is a 6-8 power forward with lots of athletic ability. This is his rookie season in Europe. Played college ball at San Jose State. Plays real hard and physical. Has had two 40 point games this season. Very capable on any night to go off!

Borislav Djordjic is a 6-10 center from Serbia ! Very savy likes to use the job hook alot!!!! He is a very skilled bigman, coming off a 30 point game . Can be dangerous if you let him get going!!!

 

 Last nights match up was against the Gotia Lions.  They featured  6-10 Randy Orr an American who was with the Memphis Grizzleys this past summer. They also had a lighting quick point guard Mike Bree who is an Irish national team player. He's played on all levels of basketball in Europe.

 Going into the game we felt really confident that we could take this game!!! They lost 5 games straight, and the last time we played them we beat them. We did not show up to play they beat us 109-81 . They controlled the game from the start . I will admit that I didnt come ready to play along with my team. I had 15pts and 3 rebs(horrible) . I've said it before and I'll say it again you MUST ALWAYS BE READY TO PLAY!!!!! Always have respect for your opponent . Our next game is Saturday and we look forward to redeeming ourselves after that horrible display of basketball. Friday I will give you a preview of our next contest!!!

 

                                         SCORING

NAME Jerome Coleman	TEAM Solna Vikings	G 17	3 PT 222	2 PT 142	FT 72	PTS 436	AVG 25.7
Boakai Lalugba	Jämtland Basket	18	12	318	80	410	22.8
Andrew Mitchell	Plannja Basket	18	144	170	80	394	21.9
Jerel Blassingame	Solna Vikings	11	66	98	68	232	21.9
Orlando Lightfoot	Jämtland Basket	11	123	88	20	231	21.0
Glen Stokes	Södertälje Kings	13	126	90	55	271	20.5
Scott Hazelton	Södertälje Kings	18	30	268	77	375	20.3
Lorenzo Gordon	Gothia Basket	18	3	324	46	373	20.2
Gerald Riley	Akropol BBK	18	99	200	74	373	20.2
Jeffrey Viggiano	Norrköping Dolphins	15	93	154	55	302	20.3

                                      REBOUNDS

NAME Karim Shabazz	TEAM Akropol BBK	Games 16	Off 61	Def 148	AVG 13.1
Emmanuel Dies	08 Stockholm HR	18	80	130	11.7
Boakai Lalugba	Jämtland Basket	18	56	127	10.2
Michael Palm	Sundsvall Dragons	18	59	123	10,11
Joakim Kjellbom	Sundsvall Dragons	18	53	125	9.9
Alexander Wikner-Nordberg	Södertälje Kings	14	47	83	9.3
Anthony Johnson	Öresundskraft	12	41	67	9.0
Adam Sonn	Plannja Basket	18	42	114	8.7
Borislav Djordjic	Ockelbo BBK	14	45	75	8.6
Lorenzo Gordon	Gothia Basket	18	75	76	8.4
Augustinas Vitas	Södertälje Kings	3	11	13	8.0
Randal Orr	Gothia Basket	18	50	93	7.9
Demetrius Brown	Ockelbo BBK	17	36	99	7.9
Danny Gathings	Sallén Basket	18	42	93	7.5
Philip Dejworek	Akropol BBK	16	26	91	7.3
Jonathan Skjöldebrand	Södertälje Kings	18	33	98	7.3
Pawel Mroz	Norrköping Dolphins	18	50	80	7.2
Titi Spasojevic	Sallén Basket	15	39	68	7.1
John Rosendahl	Plannja Basket	18	31	97	7.1
Fred Drains	Plannja Basket	18	34	94	7.1
Johan Åkesson	Öresundskraft	18	40	84	6.9
Michael Kingma	Sundsvall Dragons	18	45	77	6.8
Scott Hazelton	Södertälje Kings	18	22	93	6.4

Five quick question to Sodertaljes Scott Hazelton

Scott Hazelton

by Helen Lindqvist - Dec 23, 2006  It has been an interesting opening 3 months to the OBL Basketball season, who have you been most impressed with so far? It definitely has been an interesting three months. I've been impressed with just about every team I've played against so far. It seems like everyone in this league can beat one another. So every night is a tough game. The league is very competitive. It has been an interesting opening 3 months to the OBL Basketball season, who have you been most impressed with so far? It definitely has been an interesting three months. I've been impressed with just about every team I've played against so far. It seems like everyone in this league can beat one another. So every night is a tough game. The league is very competitive. What do you think about the Swedish Basketball league compared to other countries you have played in? This is my second year out in Europe. The Swedish league is definitely a step up from where I was last year. The overall talent in this league is very solid. I'm really impressed with what I've seen so far. What is your most memorable basketball moment? This is a very hard question because I've had a few memorable moments in basketball. So it's very hard to pick one. I'd have to say my greatest moments were playing in the elite 8 championship for NCAA basketball, being a McDonalds All-American which is the highest achievement for a high school basketball player! And also playing in the Famed Rucker Park in New York City!!!!!! What single player/person inspired you to play basketball? My family definitely inspired me to play basketball. They always pushed me to be the very best I can be. They still do to this day!!!! So I'm very grateful for them and I owe the talent that I have to them. What do you do when you don't play ball? When I'm done playing basketball I would like to be a high school teacher and I would also like to coach high school. For me it's all about making a difference in someone's life. I think by teaching and coaching it will give me the opportunity to do so.

Tonights game was a tough one!! It was a very high paced game. We lost the game 114- 100 . For a good portion of the game it was even, but we had a bad 3rd quarter. Good teams will make you pay for that and they sure did!!!!!! Our defensive execution was horrible. I had 25pts 10rbs 4 assist . Well hope your games went well this week. Write back let me know the results

Tomorrow we will play the first place team Plannja!!!! They have been league champs 3 years in a row. This will be a very challenging game for us. The last time we met they beat us by 20. The key to this game will have to be our defense and transition offensive. I think if we are solid on defense and run the basketball we have a good chance of winning!

Key Players :

Fred Drains, played on some of the top teams in Europe very experienced guy!

Andrew Mitchell, played in the NBDL also France, a top notch point guard!

Jonas Jereckbo,17 years old , 6-9 slasher one of the top up and coming young talents in Europe, an NBA prospect

 So we will have our work cut out for us, but I still believe we can pull it out if we play hard!!! I will let you all know how the game goes

Hey everyone tonight I have a big game. The other team is very solid but maybe we can pull it out. Last time we played them they beat us by 10. There best players are a guy named Karim Shabazz he's a 7-2 center, highschool Mcdonalds All-American and he played for the Bobcats last year!!! They also have a guy Named Gerald Riley who was a star at Georgetown University , he will be my match up!!!! So its going to be a fun game with lots of people watching. Anyways I'll write back after the game to let you know how it went. Also goodluck to those who are playing tonight!!! Play hard