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AfroBasket Finals August 17th-18th

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August 17, 2019

7th Place:

Egypt vs. Ivory Coast 62-58 EGY M. Awad 14/7r Elgedawy 13/6r R. Awad 10 Abelalim 7 Degheidy 7 Moussa 7 Elsharaawy 2/9r Abdelgawad 2 Bakr 0 Aly 0 Merssal DNP Marouf DNP CIV M. Kouyate 9/9r Kouakou 9 Fofana 9 Diawara 8 Berte 7 Mabelle 6 Gnanou 4/9r Yomy 3 Kolga 3 K. Kouyate 0 Djedjemel 0 Bognini DNP

5th Place:

Angola vs. Democratic Republic of Congo 68-48 ANG Lucas 18 Daniel 16 Filipe 11/8r Macuto 11 Manuel 4/6r Pequeno 3 Jorge 3 Dizeko 2 Matiquite 0 Mateus 0 Eusebio 0 Peso 0 COD Akonga 9/8r Mokango 8 Ngoyisa 7/6r Muganza Nyota 6/6r Mfutila Makiese 5 Kayolo 5 Kalanga 3/8r Mambengya Teba 3 Ngobeleza 2 Bisoga 0 Bombolo 0 Ndiba DNP

August 18, 2019

3rd Place:

Mozambique vs. Mali 54-66 MOZ Dongue 22 Seda 9/6r Pereira 7 Mucauro 5 Macamo 4 Cossa 3/6r Zita 2 Mafanela 2 Lhavanguane 0 Gimo 0 Erneso DNP Chiziane DNP MLI Tirera 21/6r K. Maiga 12/12r Gandega 12/6a M. Coulibaly 8/9r N’Diaye 7 Traore 3 Diallo 3 Camara 0 Diakite 0 A. Maiga 0 Doumbia DNP A. Coulibaly DNP

1st Place:

Senegal vs. Nigeria 55-60 SEN Traore 13/6r Sy-Diop 12 Niang 8 Sarr 6 Sene 6 Dieme 4 Wane 2 Diagne 2 Fall 2 Diarra 0 Diouf 0 Diop 0 NGR Akhator 14/9r Kalu 13 Amukamara 12 Elonu 7 Ibekwe 7 Nyingifa 3 Macaulay 2 Imovbioh 2 Balarabe 0 Ogoke 0 Edeferioka DNP Nwajei DNP

The last set of games was spread over two days.  Saturday started with Egypt playing for the fifth day in a row, leaving with a 62-58 win over the Ivory Coast in the 7th place game.  The Democratic Republic of Congo also played for the fifth day in a row, running out of steam in the 5th place game and losing 68-48.  Sunday started with the battle for the last medal with Meiya Tirera and Mali beating Leia Dongue and Mozambique 66-54.  After that it was time for the highly-anticipated rematch for the final game as Senegal gave the loud home crowd something to cheer about several times, but Nigeria held their nerve after losing several leads and escaped with a 60-55 win and a successful defense of their crown.  Also on Sunday, the draw was conducted for the next stage of Olympic qualifying.  Teams will play two games against the other teams in the group with the last place teams getting eliminated.  Crossover semifinals will be played by the remaining four teams for the two spots in the last qualifying tournaments.  Group A will consist of Nigeria, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Group B has Senegal, Mali, and Angola.

AfroBasket Semifinals August 16th

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August 16, 2019

5th Place Playoffs:

The critical games for the last two spots in Olympic qualifying were played first on Friday.  The Ivory Coast had the faster start, but the Democratic Republic seized control after halftime on their way to a 54-47 win.  Raneem Elgedawy and Egypt put themselves in strong position to take the last spot with one quarter to play, but after their own dramatic comeback earlier in the week, it was their turn to fall victim to another team as Angola escaped with a 68-66 win.

Democratic Republic of Congo vs. Ivory Coast 54-47 COD Mokango 11/8r Muganza Nyota 11/8r Ngobeleza 9 Mfutila Makiese 6 Ngoyisa 6 Kalanga 6 Mambengya Teba 2/7a Ndiba 1 Kayolo 1 Bombolo 1 Bisoga 0 Akonga DNP CIV K. Kouyate 13/6r Fofana 9 M. Kouyate 6 Diawara 5 Amani 5 Kouakou 3 Gnanou 2/10r Kolga 2/7r Yomy 2 Djedjemel 0 Berte 0 Bognini DNP

Angola vs. Egypt 68-66 ANG Lucas 14/6a Manuel 12 Macuto 10/6r Daniel 9 Jorge 7 Peso 6 Filipe 6 Eusebio 3 Mateus 1 Pequeno 0 Dizeko DNP Matiquite DNP EGY Elgedawy 20/8r Moussa 10 M. Awad 9 Elshaarawy 7 Abdelgawad 7 R. Awad 6 Degheidy 5 Aly 2 Abdelalim 0 Merssal DNP Bakr DNP Marouf DNP

Semifinals:

After the consolation playoffs, it was time to resume the chase for the championship and Nigeria used a strong start to beat Mali 79-58.  Mozambique caught the hosts napping early, but Senegal charged out of halftime, tying it in the fourth quarter and them taking the lead for good on their way to a 60-57 win.

Nigeria vs. Mali 79-58 NGR Kalu 19 Elonu 13/8r Akhator 12/13r Ibekwe 12/7r Nyingifa 10 Amukamara 5 Macaulay 4/6r Imovbioh 4 Balarabe 0 Edeferioka 0 Ogoke 0 Nwajei DNP MLI Tirera 14/6r M. Coulibaly 12/10r N’Diaye 11 K. Maiga 8 Diallo 6 A. Maiga 3 Traore 2/6r Diakite 2 Doumbia 0 Gandega 0 A. Coulibaly 0 Camara DNP

Senegal vs. Mozambique 60-57 SEN Traore 16/9r Dieme 10/7a Sy-Diop 9 Sarr 8 Diagne 7/9r Diop 6/6r Wane 4 Diarra 0 Diouf 0 Sene 0 Fall DNP Niang DNP MOZ Dongue 18/10r Seda 11/14r Cossa 9 Mucauro 5 Lhavanguane 4 Mafanela 4 Zita 4 Macamo 2 Pereira 0 Ernesto DNP Gimo DNP Chiziane DNP

AfroBasket Quarterfinals August 15th

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August 15, 2019

The quarterfinals were played on Thursday with the winners also earning spots in the next stage of Olympic qualification.  Nigeria played first and used a fast start to beat the Democratic Republic of Congo 79-46.  Leia Dongue and Mozambique were next, coasting past Egypt 80-66.  The closest game was Mali’s 60-51 win over the Ivory Coast as they only pulled away late.  Hosts Senegal took care of business against Angola with an 88-54 win.

Nigeria vs. Democratic Republic of Congo 79-46 NGR Kalu 17 Macaulay 14 Elonu 11 Akhator 7 Ogoke 6 Balarabe 6 Ibekwe 5 Imovbioh 4 Amukamara 4 Nwajei 3 Edeferioka 2 Nyingifa 0 COD Mfutila Makiese 15 Ngoyisa 11 Muganza Nyota 10/6r Kalanga 5 Mokango 2/7r Ndiba 2 Akonga 1 Ngobeleza 0 Bombolo 0 Mambengya Teba 0 Bisoga 0 Kayolo 0

Mozambique vs. Egypt 80-66 MOZ Dongue 25/9r Seda 17/13r Mucauro 16/10r Pereira 12 Zita 4/8a Mafanela 2 Macamo 2 Gimo 2 Lhavanguane 0 Ernesto DNP Cossa DNP Chiziane DNP EGY Degheidy 17 Moussa 12 Elgedawy 11/6r M. Awad 9 Abdelgawad 8 Elsharaawy 4 Abdelalim 3 R. Awad 2 Aly 0 Merssal DNP Bakr DNP Marouf DNP

Mali vs. Ivory Coast 60-51 MLI Gandega 15 Tirera 14 N’Diaye 13 M. Coulibaly 7/12r K. Maiga 3/10r Traore 3 Diallo 2 A. Maiga 2 Camara 1 A. Coulibaly 0 Doumbia 0 Diakite DNP CIV K. Kouyate 15 M. Kouyate 10/8r Gnanou 10 Diawara 6/6r Berte 4 Yomy 2 Kolga 2 Kouakou 2 Fofana 0 Amani 0 Bognini DNP Djedjemel DNP

Senegal vs. Angola 88-54 SEN Traore 17/8r Diop 14/7r Sy-Diop 12 Sarr 10 Wane 10 Diagne 8/7r Diouf 6 Sene 6 Dieme 3/12a Fall 2 Diarra 0/7r Niang 0 ANG Macuto 11/7r Jorge 10 Lucas 8 Manuel 8 Daniel 7 Eusebio 3 Pequeno 3 Filipe 2 Peso 2 Dizeko 0 Mateus 0 Matiquite 0

Bracket:

Semifinals:
Senegal vs. Mozambique
Nigeria vs. Mali

5th Place:
Angola vs. Egypt
Democratic Republic of Congo vs. Ivory Coast

AfroBasket Day 4 Recap August 14th

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August 14, 2019

The knockout round started on Wednesday with the top teams in each group getting a bye.  Angola beat Kenya 64-51 in the first game.  An excellent game from Joseana Vaz was not enough as Cape Verde lost to the Democratic Republic of Congo 78-46.  Cameroon looked to be in solid shape, but Egypt stormed back in the final frame behind Soraya Degheidy and Meral Abdelgawad to win 68-63.  The day ended with the Ivory Coast beating Tunisia 74-50 behind Djefarina Diawara.

Angola vs. Kenya 64-51 ANG Daniel 15 Jorge 9 Eusebio 9 Dizeko 8 Lucas 7 Filipe 6 Manuel 4/7r Macuto 3/9r Pequeno 3 Mateus 0 Peso 0 Matiquite 0 KEN Okoth 12/7r Indasi 11 Obunga 7/7r Wanyama 6/8r Kananu 5 Owino 4/7r Shani 2 Atieno 2 Otieno 2 Samba Mjomba 0

Cape Verde vs. Democratic Republic of Congo 46-78 CPV Vaz 21/8r Leitao 7 Barros 7 Fernandes 6 Evora 3 Livramento 2 Rocha 0 Mendes 0 Correia 0 Bento 0 Martins DNP Pires DNP COD Mokango 15/14r Ngobeleza 15 Mfutila Makiese 10 Muganza Nyota 8/12r Ngoyisa 7 Bombolo 6 Kayolo 6 Kalanga 4 Akonga 3 Ndiba 2 Mambengya Teba 2 Bisoga 0

Cameroon vs. Egypt 63-68 CMR Mfoula 12 Nyinkeu 11 Dimithe 8 Green 6 Ebogo 6 Njonkou 5/11r Ebondji 5 Mukoko 4 Mbong 4 Mbakop 2 Achiri 0 Ayangma 0 EGY Degheidy 23 Abdelgawad 20 Elgedawy 14/8s Moussa 5/8a Elshaarawy 3 Aly 3 Abdelalim 0 M. Awad 0 Bakr 0 R. Awad 0 Merssal DNP Marouf DNP

Ivory Coast vs. Tunisia 74-50 CIV Diawara 27/6r Berte 13 M. Kouyate 10/7r Kouakou 8 K. Kouyate 6/7r Gnanou 4/7r Fofana 4 Yomy 2 Amani 0 Kolga 0 Djedjemel 0 Bognini DNP TUN Loubiri 10/6r Msadek 7 Mistiri 6 Shili 6 Mefteh 5 H. Hamrouni 5 Baccar 4 Ben Gara 4 Laouini 3/6r Ben Mechlia 0 Houch DNP M. Hamrouni DNP

Bracket:
Senegal vs. Angola
Mozambique vs. Egypt
Nigeria vs. Democratic Republic of Congo
Mali vs. Ivory Coast

AfroBasket Day 3 Recap August 13th

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August 13, 2019

The day started in Group D with a game to determine the winner of the group and Mozambique got the bye into the quarterfinals with a 60-51 win over Cape Verde.  Mali won group C and kept the Democratic Republic of Congo winless 82-56.  The game for the top spot in Group B was won decisively by Nigeria 106-39 over Cameroon.  The day ended with hosts Senegal taking the last automatic spot in the quarterfinals with an 85-47 win over Egypt.  The groups winners will get to rest while the rest of the teams start elimination games tomorrow.

Cape Verde vs. Mozambique 51-60 CPV Vaz 14 Barros 9 Fernandes 8 Evora 7 Livramento 6 Leitao 4 Correia 2 Pires 1 Rocha 0/6r Martins 0 Mendes 0 Bento 0 MOZ Cossa 10 Mucauro 9 Zita 7 Mafanela 7 Lhavanguane 6 Macamo 6 Dongue 5 Chiziane 4 Pereira 3 Gimo 2 Seda 1 Ernesto 0

Democratic Republic of Congo vs. Mali 56-82 COD Ngobeleza 12 Mokango 8 Ngoyisa 8 Muganza Nyota 7 Akonga 6/8r Ndiba 6 Mfutila Makiese 4/7r Mambengya Teba 3 Kalanga 2 Bombolo 0 Bisoga 0 Kayolo 0 MLI Gandega 19 Diallo 13 K. Maiga 8/7r N’Diaye 8 M. Coulibaly 7/7r Tirera 6/7r Traore 6 Doumbia 4 A. Coulibaly 4 Diakite 3 Camara 2 A. Maiga 2

Cameroon vs. Nigeria 39-106 CMR Njonkou 16/8r Ebondji 6 Green 5 Mfoula 4 Nyinkeu 3 Mukoko 3 Ayangma 2 Dimithe 0 Mbong 0 Mbakop 0 Ebogo 0 Achiri 0 NGR Elonu 14/8r Amukamara 14/6r Balarabe 14/6r Ibekwe 14 Kalu 12 Akhator 9/7r Nwajei 8 Macaulay 8 Nyingifa 6 Ogoke 3 Imovbioh 2 Edeferioka 2

Egypt vs. Senegal 47-85 EGY Aly 17/9r Degheidy 12/8r Abdelalim 9 Awad 5 Moussa 2 Abdelgawad 2 Elsharaawy 0 Awad 0 Elgedawy 0 Bakr 0 Merssal 0 Marouf DNP SEN Sene 17 Sy-Diop 12 Traore 11/10r Diop 11 Diarra 10/11r Diagne 8/9r Sarr 8 Dieme 5 Diouf 3 Wane 0 Niang 0 Fall 0

Standings:
A: Senegal 2-0, Ivory Coast 1-1, Egypt 0-2
B: Nigeria 2-0, Cameroon 1-1, Tunisia 0-2
C: Mali 2-0, Angola 1-1, Democratic Republic of Congo 0-2
D: Mozambique 2-0, Cape Verde 1-1, Kenya 0-2

Bracket:
Senegal vs. winner Angola vs. Kenya
Mozambique vs. winner Cameroon vs. Egypt
Nigeria vs. winner Cape Verde vs. Democratic Republic of Congo
Mali vs. winner Ivory Coast vs. Tunisia

AfroBasket Day 2 Recap August 11th

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August 11, 2019

The second day of play started in Group D where Cape Verde started their tournament with a 64-57 win, leaving Kenya in last place.  In Group B, Cameroon had a strong debut with a 95-53 win over Tunisia, which now knows that it will be the last place in the group.  The Ivory Coast bounced back behind Djefarina Diawara, spoiling the Group A debut of Soraya Degheidy and Egypt 71-67.  The day ended in Group C as the Democratic Republic of Congo was the last team to start their tournament, losing 69-49 to Angola.

Kenya vs. Cape Verde 57-64 KEN Owino 15/11r Indasi 14 Wanyama 10/7r Atieno 6 Kanunu 6 Samba Mjomba 3 Okoth 2 Otieno 1 Shani 0 Obunga 0 CPV Barros 19 Leitao 17/6r Vaz 11/12r Livramento 11/6r Rocha 4 Mendes 2 Martins 0 Fernandes 0 Evero 0 Bento 0 Correia 0 Pires 0

Tunisia vs. Cameroon 53-95 TUN H. Hamrouni 14 Loubiri 11 Jedidi 9 Shili 5 Baccar 4 Msadek 4 Ben Mechlia 3 Laouini 2 Houch 1 Mefteh 0 Ben Gara 0 M. Hamrouni DNP CMR Dimithe 15 Njonkou 14/10r Mfoula 14 Ebogo 12/6r Ebondji 10 Green 7 Mbong 7 Nyinkeu 6 Ayangma 6  Achiri 3 Mukoko 1 Mbakop 0

Ivory Coast vs. Egypt 71-67 CIV Diawara 32/11r K. Kouyate 10/12r/7s Gnanou 8/8r Kolga 8 M. Kouyate 4/6r Fofana 4 Kouakou 2/8r Bognini 2 Yomy 1 Mabelle 0 Berte 0 Djedjemel DNP EGY Degheidy 21 Elshaarawy 11 Elgedawy 9/7r M. Awad 9 Moussa 6 Aly 5 R. Awad 4 Abdelalim 2 Abdelgawad 0 Bakr 0 Merssal DNP Marouf DNP

Angola vs. Democratic Republic of Congo 69-49 ANG Lucas 18/6a Jorge 10 Dizeko 9/7r Eusebio 7/8r Filipe 7/6r Mateus 5 Manuel 4/8r Peso 4 Daniel 3 Pequeno 2 Macuto 0 Matiquite 0 COD Akonga 14/7r Mfutila Makiese 10/13r Ngobeleza 10 Mokango 3/12r Bisoga 3/8r Kayolo 3 Mambengya Teba 3 Ndiba 2 Bombolo 1 Kalanga 0 Ngoyisa 0 Muganza Nyota 0

AfroBasket Day 1 Recap August 10th

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August 10, 2019

The tournament for the championship of Africa started in Dakar on Saturday as the top six teams will advance to the next stage of Olympic qualifying.  Defending champions Nigeria had a strong start in Group B with a 75-26 win over Tunisia.  Kenya had some late concerns about whether they would be able to make it to the tournament and are only carrying ten players on their roster, but they did make it and lost to Mozambique 55-39 in Group D.  Mali pulled away late to beat Angola 71-63 in Group C.  The final game of the day saw hosts Senegal beat the Ivory Coast 77-36.

Nigeria vs. Tunisia 75-26 NGR Akhator 13/10r Nyingifa 12 Nwajei 7/7r Amukamara 7 Ibekwe 6 Ogoke 5/6r Balarabe 5 Imovbioh 4/6r Edeferioka 4 Elonu 4 Macaulay 4 Kalu 4 TUN Laouini 5/8r Baccar 4 Mefteh 3 Ben Mechila 3 Msadek 3 Jedidi Mistiri 3 Loubiri 3 H. Hamrouni 2 Ben Gara 0 Shili 0 M. Hamrouni 0 Houch 0

Mozambique vs. Kenya 55-39 MOZ Seda 15/10r Lhavanguane 10 Dongue 9/7r Cossa 8 Mucauro 7 Chiziane 2 Macamo 2 Mafanela 1 Gimo 1 Zita 0/8a Ernesto 0 Pereira 0 KEN Wanyama 9/12r Shani 6/10r Indasi 6 Owino 4/6r Samba Mjomba 4 Kananu 4 Okoth 2 Atieno 2 Otieno 2 Obunga 0

Mali vs. Angola 71-63 MLI Tirera 16/12r K. Maiga 15/7r Gandega 12 M. Coulibaly 10/6r Diallo 5 N’Diaye 5 Traore 4/6a Camara 4 Doumbia 0 A. Coulibaly 0 A. Maiga DNP Diakite DNP ANG Dizeko 17 Filipe 16/8r Lucas 9/7a Manuel 5/10r Jorge 5 Daniel 5 Macuto 3 Peso 3 Eusebio 0 Pequeno 0 Mateus 0 Matiquite DNP

Senegal vs. Ivory Coast 77-36 SEN Traore 19/8r Dieme 14/7a Sy-Diop 10 Diouf 8 Sarr 7 Diagne 5/9r Diop 5 Sene 5 Diarra 4/8r Wane 0 Niang 0 Fall 0 CIV Kouyate 9/6r Fofana 7 Diawara 6 Kolga 6 Kouyate 4 Kouakou 2/6r Amani 2 Bognini 0 Gnanou 0 Yomy 0 Berte 0 Djedjemel 0

2019 All Star Break Team Stats Comparison

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As the season has gone past the midway point, let’s take a look at home teams are stacking up in various statistical categories.

Net Rating:

The blue bar represents points scored per 100 possessions and the red bar represents points given up per 100 possessions.  The difference is the team’s net rating.  While three teams enter the break tied in the loss column at the top of the standings, there is a clear winner in offense so far this season.  The Washington Mystics are scoring nearly 9 points more per 100 possessions than any other team.  Connecticut is the next best offensive team and also tied with them in the standings while having the second best defense.  Las Vegas, on the other hand, joins these teams in the standings with a different focus, having the toughest defense by more than 3.5 points per 100 possessions.

Overall, the teams currently in playoff places are the ones with positive net ratings.  Indiana may be tied for last place in the loss column, but they have the least negative net rating among teams currently on the outside looking in as their third best offense is offset by their worst defense.  The other teams in their predicament struggle in both categories with the next three worst defenses and the three worst offenses.

Change from 2018:

The blue bar represents the change in offensive rating between the whole season last year and this season to date with a positive number meaning an improvement this season.  The red bar represents the change in defensive rating between the whole season last year and this season to date with a negative number meaning an improvement this season. The green bar represents the change in net rating between the whole season last year and this season to date with a positive number meaning an improvement this season.

Much has been made about the decrease in scoring this season and this chart clearly shows the difference as Indiana made a solid improvement to their offense and Washington is seeing an incremental improvement, but the rest of the league has seen drops of more than 2.5 points per 100 possessions.  Attlanta is the only team with a worse defense, compounding their issues in a season where their offensive output has declined by more than 11 points per 100 possessions, giving them the worst decrease in net rating among all teams.  Star absences may also help to explain some of the other teams that had precipitous drops in offensive output.  Chicago still has a below average defense, but their improvement in that category from the worst in the league last season helps explain their rise in the standings.  Like the Sky, Las Vegas did not have an increase in offense, but their defensive improvement by more than 15 points per 100 possessions to the best in the league gave them the best net rating improvement.  Indiana improved in both categories like Washington, but they are still outside the playoff picture and New York’s overall improvement still leaves them short of their postseason aspirations for now.

Rebounding:

The y-axis represents the percentage of opponent misses that a team grabs and the x-axis represents percentage of a team’s own misses that it grabs.  Teams further to the right are proficient at offensive rebounding and teams higher up are proficient at defensive rebounding.  Using rebounding percentage as a measure of rebounding is more useful because it is independent of the number of missed shots.  Separating offensive and defensive rebounding helps as well because while defensive rebounding is important for all teams, offensive rebounding is often based on strategic choices by a team.

Connecticut takes care of the boards on both ends of the floor, grabbing the highest percentage of their own misses, a category they were league leaders in last year, and having the second best defensive rebounding percentage.  Las Vegas makes it easier on their defense by corralling their opponents’ misses better than any other team.  Dallas may grab the second highest percentage of offensive rebounds, but all the extra opportunities have not helped their offensive efficiency.  Phoenix rebounds the lowest percentage of their own misses by more than three percentage points, two percentage points lower than their league low from last year.  Atlanta is struggling with defensive rebounding despite being above average on the other end of the floor.

Home vs. Road:

Homecourt advantage has been a known effect in basketball for a long time so it should come as no surprise that every team has a better net rating at home than on the road so far this season.  The blue bars represent the difference in points per 100 possessions scored at home.  The red bars represent the difference in points per 100 possessions give up at home with a negative number meaning a better defense at home.  The green bar is the difference in net rating at home and teams are listed in order of how much more efficient they are overall at home.  Atlanta is the only team with worse offense at home, but only by a slim margin while Phoenix is the only team to play worse defense at home.  The disparity is so strong that only Washington and Las Vegas have positive net ratings on the road.  Given the teams different performances depending on venue, there could be insights to be gained in the playoff chase by how many games teams have left at home.

Los Angeles could be poised for a strong rest of the season, having battled through a schedule with more road games than anyone else.  With twice as many home games left as road games, they should be in good shape even though their homecourt advantage is only about average and they will continue to not have their full roster for a number of games.  Chicago has the most road games left of any team and while their offense has been about the same everywhere, their defense is worse on the road by a wider margin than any team.  Unlike the other two top teams so far, Connecticut plays poorly on the road, sitting in the middle of the pack in net rating away from home.  At home, they have the second best offensive and defensive ratings, only behind Washington on offense and Las Vegas on defense, thus giving them the biggest overall homecourt advantage.  While they look to be outside of the playoffs, Dallas will still be on the hunt for their first road win, but their struggles are clear as they have a positive net rating at home, which explains their 5-5 record there, but the play worse on the road by the second biggest margin.

2019-20 EuroLeague and EuroCup Draws

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Both draws were conducted on Tuesday:

Video

EuroLeague:

Draw

One set of qualifiers was already determined with Botas playing Arka Gdynia and the other two were drawn with Lattes Montpellier playing Olympiacos and Reyer Venezia playing DVTK.  After that, both groups were drawn.

A: Braine (Belgium), USK Praha (Czech Republic), Cukurova (Turkey), winner Reyer Venezia (Italy) vs. DVTK (Hungary), Bourges (France), Nadezhda Orenburg (Russia), TTT Riga (Latvia), Ekaterinburg (Russia)
B: Lyon (France), Fenerbahce (Turkey), winner Botas (Turkey) vs. Arka Gdynia (Poland), winner Lattes Montpellier (France) vs. Olympiacos (Greece), Sopron (Hungary), Schio (Italy), Girona (Spain), Dynamo Kursk (Russia)

Ekaterinburg looks likely to avoid too many difficult challenges early in Group A play, but there will be plenty of interest competing for the other places with USK Praha looking to return to the final stage.  TTT Riga is less likely to sneak up on anyone this year and Nadezhda will be looking to stay in this competition rather than fighting for other trophies.  Bourges had to battle their way back into this competition and should be tough when the season rolls around while roster strength will be the key factor for Cukurova and Braine as a qualifying round winner will complete the group.

The final strength of the group may rest on the qualifying round winners, but Group B looks to have a lot of teams with realistic playoff aspirations, especially with significant roster turnover for the big name teams.  Dynamo Kursk and Sopron will certainly feel like they should go back to final four, but Fenerbahce has gone with more drastic changes to get back to that level.  Lyon is ambitious and Girona will be trying to carry some of the momentum from their domestic triumph while Schio may be flying under the radar now, but will be worth watching when the games begin.

EuroCup:

Draw

East Conference:

A: Gorzow (Poland), loser Botas (Turkey) vs. Arka Gdynia (Poland), Elitzur Ramla (Israel), KP Brno (Czech Republic)
B: Spartak Moscow (Russia), MBA Moscow (Russia), Prishtina (Kosovo), Besiktas (Turkey)
C: Umea (Sweden), Polkowice (Poland), winner Kayseri (Turkey) vs. Spartak Noginsk (Russia), Orman (Turkey)
D: Enisey Krasnoyarsk (Russia), Hatay (Turkey), Tsmoki-Minsk (Belarus), Ruzomberok (Slovakia)
E: Bydgoszcz (Poland), Galatasaray (Turkey), Lulea (Sweden), Sepsi (Romania)

The story of the draw is the large number of Turkish teams possible here after they were spread out among the groups.  The EuroLeague qualifier will drop into Group A, which could be a wide open affair as Elitzur Ramla brings Israeli representation back to the competition.  Prishtina is happy to be a part of proceedings, but unless they can pull out big name signings, they will definitely struggle in Group B, which features the Moscow teams and a tough Besiktas club.  The lone qualifying matchup will send its winner to Group C, where all eyes will be on Polkowice to see how they compare to last year’s team.  Teams in Group D should be ready for extra long trips around the continent as Tsmoki and Ruzomberok will be looking to surprise Enisey or Hatay.  Galatasaray figures to start as the favorites in Group E, but the other teams will have a chance to make their case.

West Conference:

F: Avenida (Spain), Gyor (Hungary), Olivais (Portugal), Gernika (Spain)
G: loser Lattes Montpellier (France) vs. Olympiakos (Greece), Cegled (Hungary), Valencia (Spain), Namur (Belgium)
H: loser Reyer Venezia (Italy) vs. DVTK (Hungary), Landes (France), Sedis (Spain), PEAC (Hungary)
I: Szekszard (Hungary), Keltern (Germany), Herner (Germany), Sint-Katelijne-Waver (Belgium)
J: Carolo (France), Fribourg (Switzerland), Roche (France), Liege (Belgium)

Teams in Group F will be wary of the threat of newcomers Olivais, but Gyor will be focused on breaking in to the battle of Spain between Avenida and Gernika.  In Group G, Valencia is in a strong position to advance its ambitions even with a EuroLeague qualifier dropping down into the group.  Group H is a bit more open for now unless one of the teams makes a key signing to give them the advantage.  The German teams were both drawn into Group I, where Szekszard will start as the favorite, but both will think that they can advance.  France is the story in Group J where Roche will be looking for a strong start against a team with more experience in this format like Fribourg.  Carolo figures to be the overwhelming favorite and it remains to be seen whether Liege and the other Belgian teams will be fielding young teams or if they can bolster their roster with more known players.

EuroBasket 2021 Qualifiers Draw

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After the announcement last that Valencia, Spain and Lyon, France would host the group stages and quarterfinals and Paris would host the last four teams in the 2021 continental championship, the qualifying draw was conducted today.

Video

The 33 remaining teams were drawn into 9 groups of 3 or 4 teams.  After the double round-robin, each group winner will qualify.  The second place teams in four teams groups will have their games against the last place team removed and then the top five among them will be awarded the final spots.  Due to the Olympic qualifying process in February, these games will be played in November in both 2019 and 2020 and then finished in February of 2021.

Groups B, D, E, F, and G are the ones with two teams that qualified for the last edition of the tournament and there figure to be some real battles forthcoming for the group lead and the automatic qualification.  Group B in particular will have all of the teams entering the games with the expectation of qualifying.  After there were even groups for the last set of qualifiers, Denmark has finally decided to return to competition, getting drawn into Group D.