CroHoops

Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Kidd discusses Drazen Petrovic’s New Jersey legacy after the Mavs’ 106-100 win over the Clippers Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

Petrovic played for the Nets from 1991-1993, before being killed in a tragic German car accident in the summer of ’93. Kidd played seven seasons in New Jersey and is a 10-time NBA All Star.

He has also earned NBA First Team honors five times. The man has street cred and his invitation for a summer on the Adriatic is in the mail.

COMPLETE CONTENT BY CROATIANSOCCERREPORT.COM

Friday, April 1st 2011

Split vs Borik Puntamika   69:54

Zagreb CO vs Alkar Sinj   100:84

Zadar vs Zabok   92:61

Sunday, April 3rd 2011

Cibona Zagreb vs Cedevita Zagreb  64:80

STANDINGS

Cedevita 3-0

Zagreb CO 3-0

Zadar 2-1

Split 2-1

Borik Puntamika 1-2

Alkar 1-2

Zabok 0-3

Cibona 0-3

CROATIAN LEAGUE STATISTICAL LEADERS

With an 72:81 win over Estudiantes in the  quarter-final leg of ULEB Eurocup Cedevita Zagreb has accomplished an historic feat since it became the first Croatian team to qualify into the continental Final Four of any official basketball competition in the last two decades.

Last Croatian team that managed to qualify into the Final Four of any official basketball competition was legendary POP 84 Split which won the European Club Championship back in April 1991.

After trailing by 14-6 in the opening minutes Cedevita managed to hold on to Estudiantes minimal lead and to finish the half trailing by only 1 point (42:41).

In the second half Cedevita completely took over control of the game by raising the level of team defense and using it’s most known offensive weapon – outside shooting. Cedevita overall shot 7-15 from the three-point land.

Cedevita’s SG Bracey Wright led all scorers with 24 points to go along 11 boards. PF Vedran Vukusic added 15 points while future Croatian NT PG Dontaye Draper added 13 points to go along 5 assists.

ULEB Eurocup Final Four will take placein Treviso on 16th & 17th April 2011. In the semifinal leg Cedevita Zagreb will face Russian powerhouse Unics Kazan, while Cajasol Sevilla will play host Benetton Treviso.

Croatian NT head coach Josip “Joke” Vrankovic took over as the head coach of the struggling Croatian basketball giant Cibona Zagreb. Terms of the two-year deal remain undisclosed.

Interestingly enough Vrankovic inherited the head coaching position from Drazen Anzulovic who was the major runner-up right next to Vrankovic for the Croatian NT head coaching vacancy back in 2010.

This will be Vrankovic’s second stint with Cibona Zagreb as he already coached the team back in 2007/08 season but was forced to resign midway through the season due to the poor W/L record.

Cibona Zagreb is currently last placed team of Croatian Championship with 0-2 record after two embarrassing, both -23pts losses from Borik Puntamika and Zadar.

Cibona’s only remaining chance to keep it’s Adriatic League qualification chances alive is to battle it’s way to the semifinals of Croatian Championship.

After unforgetable “March Madness” it is time for Final Four. This year’s NCAA Final Four will take place from April 2nd until April 4th in Reliant Stadium (Houston, Texas).

On Saturday, Connecticut(3) will play Kentucky(4) in the clash of traditional  powerhouses while the second match-up will feature a duel of high-octane underdogs Butler(8) and VCU (11).

PF BRANDON BROWN, ZADAR

POINTS
(per game – 2 games played)

Brandon Brown(Zadar)     23.0

Bracey Wright(Cedevita) 20.0

Marko Car(Zadar)     19.5

Robert Lez(Zabok)     18.0

Marijan Cakarun(Borik)     16.0

Ivan Mimica(Split)     15.5

Marino Jurjevic(Borik)     15.5

B.Bogdanovic(Cibona)     15.0

D.Mulaomerovic(Zagreb)     14.5

Luka Zoric(Zagreb)     14.0

REBOUNDS
(per game – 2 games played)

Marijan Cakarun(Borik)     9.0

Luka Zoric(Zagreb)     8.0

Zeljko Zupic(Alkar)     7.5

Bracey Wright(Cedevita) 7.0

Ivica Radic(Alkar)     7.0

Ive Ivanov(Zadar)     7.0

Josip Sobin(Split)     7.0

Brandon Brown(Zadar)     6.5

Ante Grgurevic(Split)     6.5

Marko Car(Zadar)     6.5

ASSISTS
(per game – 2 games played)

Marko Car(Zadar)     5.0

Srđan Subotic(Split)     5.0

Ante Delas(Alkar)     4.5

D.Mulaomerovic(Zagreb)     4.5

Bracey Wright(Cedevita) 4.0

Josip Sobin(Split)     3.5

Krunoslav Simon(Zagreb) 3.5

Jakov Vladovic(Zadar)     3.0

Josip Blajic(Alkar)     3.0

M.Bazdaric(Cedevita)    2.5

STEALS
(per game – 2 games played)

Marko Car(Zadar)     4.5

Zeljko Zupic(Alkar)     2.5

Tomislav Zubcic(Cibona) 2.5

Jure Skific(Borik)     2.5

Ivan Perincic(Zabok)     2.0

Brandon Brown(Zadar)     2.0

M.Bazdaric(Cedevita)     2.0

Ive Ivanov(Zadar)     2.0

Josip Sobin(Split)     2.0

Luka Pesut(Zabok)     1.5

BLOCKS
(per game – 2 games played)

F.Kraljevic(Zabok)     3.0

Luka Zoric(Zagreb)     2.0

Marijan Cakarun(Borik)     1.5

Toni Katic(Split)     1.0

Ivica Radic(Alkar)     1.0

Damjan Rudez(Cedevita)     1.0

Josip Sobin(Split)     1.0

Joshua Heytvelt(Zagreb) 1.0

Ante Grgurevic(Split)     0.5

Bracey Wright(Cedevita) 0.5

TURNOVERS
(per game – 2 games played)

B.Bogdanovic(Cibona)    5.0

Luka Zoric(Zagreb)     4.0

M.Bazdaric(Cedevita)      4.0

Andrija Zizic(Cedevita) 4.0

Jure Skific(Borik)     4.0

Jure Lozancic(Zabok)     4.0

Toni Katic(Split)     3.5

Robert Lez(Zabok)     3.5

Ante Grgurevic(Split)     2.5

Marko Car(Zadar)     2.5

In a relatively tight game in front of it’s home crowd Gospic CO was able to hold off it’s biggest Croatian rival Jolly JBS Sibenik by 83:69 (28:21, 17:22, 18:15, 20:11) and win it’s 6th Croatian Ruzica-Meglaj Rimac Cup title.

Gospic CO guard Sandra Ivezic was named MVP of the Turnament while her teammate Jelena Ivezic led the Tournament in scoring with 38 points in 2 appereances.