Basketball in Spain

Next Season

2007-08-06T10:29:00.001-05:00

I saw that there was a comment on the blog, so I thought I would give a little update. I also wassn't aware that anyone checks this anymore. Anyways, I don't have a team for next year and no options at the moment. Hopefully my agent is working hard to find me a good situation where I can show my skills better than the previous season. I believe a good offer will come because my dedication to improving my game and skills are superior to most players, most of which have played at a level higher than the LEB2.

Basketball Training

2007-06-15T12:02:00.001-05:00

As you all know, the season has been over for us for just about a month now. We got swept (3-0) out of the playoffs by La Laguna. Now, I am focused on working out and looking for a team to play on next year.

I am currently running a shooting/offensive skills camp, which I have started with another Division 1 coach. We are called Pro3 Training. We emphasize the shooting technique and do drills that I have learned at the collegiate and professional levels, both in the States and overseas.

To see the flier in more detail, click on it.

No Fun in the Sun

2007-05-09T11:31:00.000-05:00

As tropical and relaxing a place like the Canary Islands can be, it wasn't that much fun. Over the last five days we lost two straight games to go 0-2 in the five-game series against La Laguna in the Canary Islands.

Both games were very similar with us losing 88-80 in game one and 88-79 in game two. The crowd was fantastic and very loud throughout both games. Some key factors were La Laguna's ability to get to the free throw line, rebound on the offensive side and great play by Jakim Donaldson. We had way too many fould calls against us, which was very questionable at times.

To get back to La Laguna for a game five, we have to win Wednesday and Friday night at home. As difficult as that may be, it is definitely a possibility because of the way we are capable of playing at home. The game tonight is at 8:30.

Playoffs, Round 1

2007-05-03T07:11:00.000-05:00

So how does the eight seed beat the number one team in the league in a five-game series? Besides being mentally prepared to win some games, I believe there are some things they we do well that we need to take advantage of. For example, we play close to ten guys a game. This can become an advantage only if we utilize the fast break whenever possible. On a side note; I think we should have ran everygame for the whole year because of our athleticism, but we didn't. This is when we are at our best anyways. Effectively running every chance we get can potentially hurt a team that plays around six or seven guys.

Second key, defense rotation. La Laguna is great at sharing the ball and finding the gaps in the lanes to pass out to the perimeter players for open shots. But good defense is nothing new to winning big games.

One other factor is a little luck. It is apparent that to win away at La Laguna we need to play well and have some things go our way. I only say this because no one has yet to post a victory on their home court. Coming back to Lliria for games three and four while split at 1-1 would be great.

*We leave tomorrow for the first game. I hope to use the interent at athe hotel to make frequent updates while I am there.

Loss vs. Canarias

2007-04-28T11:10:00.000-05:00

Last night we lost a close one against Canarias, 81-86. Good news is we know we can beat this team if we play as consistent as we did in the first half. Bad news is we have to go there to do it for the first two crucial games of a five-game series.

The playoffs that decide who wins the league and ascends to the LEB league will begin next Friday, May 4th. The following matchups and rankings are as follows. The top four seeds host the first two games in the 2-2-1 format.

(#1) Canarias vs. (#8) Lliria
(#2) Rosalia vs. (#7) Palencia
(#3) Ourense vs. (#6) Caja Rioja
(#4) Vic vs. (#5) Muro

Vic and Rioja are both the hottest teams, winning the last five and four games, respectively. Rosalia on the other hand is riding a four game losing streak going into the playoffs. After Friday's game one, game two will be that Sunday, the 6th before a few days intermission to change locations.

Game vs. La Laguna

2007-04-26T14:54:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow in Lliria, we conclude the regular season against the best team in the league, La Laguna (Canarias). They are coming into the game with a great season and a ridiculous record of 28-5. The five loses all came on the road, which isn't good for whichever team matches up with them in the first round of the playoffs.

As I have said before, if we lose we will be headed to play Canarias for the first two games of the five-game series. We will consider that option if it presents itself. We won't know what day we start the playoffs until all of Friday's games are over.

Canarias is led mainly by starters as they don't go deep into the bench. This usually hurts teams, but this hasn't been the case with this team this year. They also have three of the top ten scorers in the league, Levi Rost (#3), Jakim Donaldson (#8) and Javier Roman (#9). Donaldson is also the top rebounder in the league at 11.3 rpg.

Playoffs

2007-04-25T10:18:00.000-05:00

After last win in Plasencia, 76-63, we were fortunate enough to clinch a playoff spot. This is because the two other teams with competing records, Sevilla and Palencia, both lost at the same time.

Current standings have us in the seventh playoff spot out of eight possible positions. Our final placement though will depend on the last week of play. It is possible with a win we could either end up sixth or seventh. It is certain that with a loss we will end eighth and play the team from the Canary Islands. This would be interesting because that is who we play in the final game of the regular season this friday, April 27th.

There are many scenaros for the playoffs, and they get quite confusing. Here is an article about what can happen. Good luck figuring it out. All I know is that we will be in the playoffs no matter the outcomes of the final games.

Winning Streak

2007-04-02T10:32:00.000-05:00

We have won the last two games, against Cornella and Muro, extending our current winning streak to four games. It is easy to remain in the playoff race when you are winning, but the four games left on the schedule can do enough damage to erase all hopeful thoughts. Don't believe it, check out the standings yourself.

Next game: Wednesday at Sevilla. Sevilla is another hot team. They are also on another winning streak of four games. It is worthwhile to note that Sevilla recently beat a top three team, Ourense, by a score of 70-36. Can't really explain that one.

Highlight of last game: Down one point and 30 seconds left, Sidao missed two free throws when he was fouled on purpose. We caused Muro to turn the ball over on the ensuing play. Sidao then grabbed an offensive rebound in the closing seconds, same score, only to be fouled again. After a time out, he calmly sank two free throws to put us up one with one second to go, which eventually gave us the win. This is the same Muro team that beat us by 45 the first time around. Can't really explain that one either.

Las Fallas

2007-03-21T17:07:00.000-05:00

Las Fallas is a huge five-day party that culminates and ultimately celebrates St. Joseph's day (March 19th). This five-day Valencian party is well-known thoughout the world. During the week it is very common for thousands to gather in the town squares or even on the streets to party, drink, listen to music and throw and watch fireworks. Kinda like the 4th of July for five days.

"Las Falles" (Valencian) or Fallas (Spanish) is literally translated to "the fires." A big part of the celebration is the creation of a falla, which is a piece of artwork made out of cardboard and like materials. The falla usual depicts something or someone, often satirical. I saw one in Valencia that was a giant Michael Jackson about 10 meters high. On St. Joseph's day, or more like the next day at one in the morning, the falla is burnt to the ground.

Because it was difficult to actually get into the city of Valencia this week, I saw the falla burn down in Lliria. Below are two videos. The first is the beginning with fireworks and the second is the falla burning down. Fireman are obviously needed and usual spray neighboring buildings with water to prevent fires.

Down the Stretch

2007-03-20T07:50:00.000-05:00

With six games to go in the regular season, we sit currently in the middle of the playoff race in sixth place. Here are some facts about the remainding games.

- We have three away and three homes games left, including two matchups against top 5 teams, Canarias and Muro. Both of which are at home.
- None of the last six games will come easy as we had a 1-5 record against the upcoming teams during the previous games.
- The sole win was against Plasencia, which this time around will be on the road.
- The playoff race includes most of the league. Fifth place has a 16-12 record, 15th has a 16-12 record. Meaning a couple game swing can drop a team to the bottom half of the league.

Tonight vs. Vic

2007-03-07T10:03:00.000-06:00

Tonight in Lliria, we play Vic for the second time on a rare Wednesday night game. In our last outing, we actually destroyed Vic at their place, 77-56. Vic has been playing well since that game, as they sit in the number five spot with a 14-11 record.

On other LEB2 news, Vigo has met and agreed to a deal with American, Robert "Tractor" Trailer. Yep, that is right, straight out of the NBA two seasons ago to Vigo (assuming the paperwork processes). Apparently Vigo is doing everything possible to stay in the league. They are currently in last and by not bettering their record over the next month and a half, they will descend leagues.

Malaga

2007-03-04T03:10:00.000-06:00

Last Friday in Malaga, we lost to Rincon Axarquia, 84-68. The loss has bumped us down a few spots in the rankings (9). Next up, we play at home against Vic, whom has done a 180 since the last time we played them. They are currently ranked in the number five spot.

The Weekly Update

2007-02-24T06:12:00.000-06:00

Well there hasn't been an entry for a long time now, but I do have good reasons. My parents arrived last Saturday and we have been exploring Valencia and some neighboring towns while trying to eat as much paella as possible.

Also, last Saturday we beat Huesca for the second time. Tonight, another home game, we play La Rioja. La Rioja defeated us last time at their place in a close two-point game. This game can help us (12-11) a lot in the playoff standings because it would put us two games ahead of La Rioja (11-12). With a win, we would become the sixth team to have 13 wins.

Here is an article about today's game. Translate here if needed.

Ourense Loss

2007-02-13T06:02:00.000-06:00

We are back to an even .500 record, 11-11, after a 13-point loss to Ourense. Next up are two consecutive home games, starting with Huesca this Saturday.

These home games could be a good stretch for us, as we are 8-2 at home. We have basically an opposite record while on the road with 3 wins 9 losses.

Game vs. Ourense, Round 2.

2007-02-09T07:30:00.000-06:00

Today we will be traveling 12 hours by bus to Ourense. When we arrive, we will have a short practice before we get some much needed rest after a long day of travel. Then on Saturday night, we will resume playing the second half of the season by taking on Ourense. They are clearly the hottest team in the league right now after winning the "Cup" last week. They defeated Rosalia by 12 in the semifinal and then beat Laguna by 10 in the championship game. To our credit, we beat Ourense way back in October, 99-85. And like last game, this would a very good win for us.

Amsterdam, Part 2.

2007-02-08T08:05:00.000-06:00

On the second day I was in Amsterdam, I was able to do a lot. Not only did I get to see the city, but I managed to make it to the Van Gogh Museum and the Heineken Brewerey Tour.

The Van Gogh Museum is home to the most paintings by Vincent Van Gogh in the whole world. It has his paintings separated through a timeline format, where it shows his works done in the different cities he lived in. The museum also shows his influence through other artists of the 19th century. On the left is a typcial self-portrait painting down by Van Gogh.

The Heineken Tour was also interesting to check out. It was a self guided tour that showed the making of the beer and its bottling. Though the brewery no longer brews the beer, they did serve three heinekens throughout the tour.

Amsterdam

2007-02-07T05:54:00.000-06:00

Due to the long break in between games, we had three days off from basketball. With enough time to do something, I scheduled a last minute flight with a friend to the the capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam. Upon arrival on Friday night, we decided to take a walk and check out the sites, including the city center and the neighboring Red Light District.

The city center, which can also includes the historic Dam Square, has either a restaurant or bar every ten feet. Even though it isn't technically tourist season, there were people everywhere at all times as well.

The Red Light District's main street is split by one of the many canals that make up the city. And also surprisingly, the area isn't as sleazy and unsafe and many people imagine it to be. There were many people walking up and down the area all day and night.

Chicago Bears

2007-01-31T06:06:00.000-06:00

We all know that the Bears will be playing and winning the superbowl this Sunday. Not that anyone needs to get pumped up from Chicago, but just in case, here is a pretty good youtube video that was sent to me. Check it out.

Win vs. Rosalia

2007-01-28T11:58:00.000-06:00

Lliria wins! Last night at home we won a great close game against second place Rosalia, 89-86. We held the lead most of the game without much comfort, until Carles took over in the late fourth quarter.

We now have two weeks until our next official league game. The break is because of the "Cup" tournament towards the end of the next week. It is a two game tournament between the top four teams from the first half of the season. I'm not sure the games mean anything besides bragging rights. More to come.

Game vs. Rosalia, Round 2

2007-01-26T10:03:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow in Lliria we play a very good team from Rosalia. Rosalia has the second best record in the LEB2 at 15-5 and also holds the longest current winning streak, 5 games. In our first encounter we lost 89-82.

Without a long winning streak in the process, it is never too early to talk about the playoffs and being on the bubble. This would be a very credible win for us and could propel us forward. A win will also keep our heads up for two weeks because our next game isn't until Feb. 10.

The Alhambra

2007-01-24T07:07:00.000-06:00

If I only had time to see one more tourist attraction, I would go to Granada to see the Alhambra. The Alhambra, being one of the greatest beauties in all of Europe, is an ancient Mosque, fortress and palace with Moorish influence. Its orginal purpose was for defense, but later it became the residence of royalty and the court of Granada during the middle of the thirteenth century.

I have heard that only looking at pictures of the outside doesn't do the architecture and other aspects of what lies within the castle walls any justice. Also, the Alhambra (2) is one of the 21 finalists in the worldwide vote for the "New 7 Wonders of the World" campaign that concludes this summer.

Vigo

2007-01-23T04:22:00.000-06:00

Friday in Vigo, we dropped our record to 10-10 after a 83-75 loss. Vigo played well and outrebounded us by a margin of 44-25. They also made 20 more free throws than we did.

Next game vs. Rosalia in Lliria on Saturday.

At Vigo, Round 2

2007-01-18T10:45:00.000-06:00

VS.

Tomorrow morning we will fly to Vigo, Spain to play them for the second time. Vigo is the largest Northeastern city in Spain and is located on the coast, right above Portugal.

In our last meeting with Vigo, we won by the score of 91-66. This is a big game for us. We need to start distinguishing ourselves among the middle of the pack teams and this is a team that we should beat. Though Vigo has a 4-15 record, the game will still be tough because it is a road game. Now is definitely not the time to overlook an opponent.

Interview

2007-01-17T11:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I did a little interview with Rafa M. Gorgues. Rafa is a Lliria fan and also the webmaster of a site dedicated to all basketball in Lliria. It can be found here, along with the full interview. The website also includes information about what is going on in the league, Lliria's history and has some interviews and such.

Win vs. Sabadell

2007-01-15T11:26:00.000-06:00

On Saturday we beat Sabadell in a hard fought overtime game, 87-79. The first three quarters were controlled by Sabadell. We had a great offensive and defensive fourth quarter in which we tied the game despite being down by 12 at one point. We proceeded to score 15 points in overtime to their seven.

On Friday we fly to play Vigo.

Gameday. Sabadell, Round 2

2007-01-13T09:15:00.000-06:00

Tonight in Lliria we play Sabadell for the second time. After beating us during the first game, Sabadell is entering tonight with a 7-11 record. They have one of the best players in the league, Brett Beeson. Beeson is averaging 18.22 ppg, good enough for the second highest in the league.

This would be a really good win for us because of the current rankings. There are still a number of teams within one and two losses of each other. It will also put us above .500 for the first time in a while.

Basketball Highlights

2007-01-11T17:34:00.000-06:00

Here are some more clips from the first half of the season. Check it out.

Last Game vs. Prat

2007-01-08T09:57:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday we beat Prat for the second time, 90-78. Guilherme Gitterer (week MVP) had 23 points and 12 rebounds while Carles Bivia had 24 points. It was a good win not only because it was on the road, but Prat has a similar record. This would most likely give us advantage in a tie breaker situation though I'm not sure of those rules. So, don't quote me on that one.

Game Stats

Game Highlights and Game vs. Prat

2007-01-03T11:20:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow, January 4th, we start the second half of the season by traveling to Barcelona to play Prat. We will play each team again in the same order that we played each other during the first half.

Back on September 22, 2006 we defeated Prat in the first game of the season 78-60. I would give a prediction, but considering the game was so long ago and many things could have changed, as in our case, I don't have any idea. Instead, here are some clips of me vs. Sevilla. I plan on putting together more clips to share on this blog and youtube.com.

Happy New Year

2007-01-01T10:36:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year. After a good dinner with some teammates we took part in a Spanish tradition as the final seconds of 2006 ticked away. It is traditional to eat 12 grapes with each last chime of the clock (also a Mexican tradition). As quoted from wikipedia.com, the grape idea started in "1909, when grape growers in Alicante thought of it as a way to cut down on the large production surplus they had had that year. Nowadays, the tradition is followed by almost every Spaniard, and the 12 grapes have become synonymous with the New Year."

The picture above is the Casa de Correos buliding in the Puerta del Sol square in Madrid. This is the location of the primary clock where I and many spaniards watch the final countdown.

Feliz Navidad

2006-12-30T15:33:00.000-06:00

Feliz Navidad. Prospero ano y felicidad! Merry Christmas to all. I was able to go home for about five days. It was a good break to spend time with my friends and family even though the travel was terrible. On the way home I went from Valencia to Barcelona to London to Chicago. My flight from Barcelona was delayed which caused me to miss my connecting flight in London. After that I had to wait in line at London to go through security again, which made me miss the next flight to Chicago. I was finally able to fly standby on the next one.The delay was about 2.5 hours, but once I boarded the plane, we sat there for 2 hours before takeoff. Then, fast forward about 8.5 hours and I was finally in Chicago. Still, worth it.

Now, I am back in Spain and ready to go for the second half of the season. We have about a week to get in some quality practices and to get our conditioning back. Our first game is on January 4th. Below are some pictures of my friends during a night in Chicago.

(Left to Right: Adam, John, Brian, Jim, Me, Brice)

(L to R: Dave, Anthony, Me, Bobby, Mike)

(Mi novia)

New Blog

2006-12-29T11:14:00.000-06:00

Titan Tidbits is a new blog covering Illinois Wesleyan Univerity basketball, my alma mater. The blog covers up to date info on the men's basketball team and may contain other random info on Division III sports. The blogger is IWU '93 graduate, Bob Quillman. Quillman also has the following website: IWUhoops.com. The two links can be found on the right.

Game #17 at Las Canarias

2006-12-19T10:54:00.000-06:00

Our last game before the holiday break will be in Tenerife, Canary Islands to play the first place team. Las Canarias leads the league in scoring as a team. Their two main scorers are Javier Roman Maseda and American Jakim Donaldson at 15.3 ppg and 14.63 ppg, respectively. Donaldson was an All-American at DII Edinboro University in Pittsburgh. Las Canarias also has Amerian Levi Rost from Western Michigan.

First Half Evaluation

2006-12-18T08:45:00.000-06:00

With one game left in the first half of the season, it is time to reflect on the last 16 games. We started the season off great with a 7-3 record and then things turned sour. We had two injuries to two starters who played heavy minutes, which apparently disrupted our offensive and defensive flow. The next fives games were losses to both good and bad teams. But, with our last game and its win, we have proven we can still beat good teams if we play well. What do we do when we play well? We defend and run. With athleticism from positions 1-5, we are able to get up and down the court and score points in a flurry. But, when we don't defend well, we have shown to struggle in the half court.

That currently leaves us with a 8-8 record and a current tie for 8th place. It really couldn't be much worse considering the losing streak we had, but the top eight teams make the playoffs (which is still a long ways away). Below are the records of the LEB2 teams. The majority of teams are within distant of each other. Red denotes a loss, black a win and blue a did not play.

1. CIUDAD DE LA LAGUNA CANARIAS 14-2
2. CLUB OURENSE BALONCESTO 11-5
3. BEIRASAR ROSALIA 11-5
4. GRUPOTEL.COM MURO 10-6
5. PROVINCIA DE PALENCIA 9-7
6. CAJA RIOJA 9-7
7. AKASVAYU C.B. VIC 9-7
8. CLUB BASQUET PRAT 8-8
9. CIBO LLIRIA 8-8
10. PLASENCIA-GALCO 8-8
11. CLÍNICAS RINCÓN AXARQUIA 8-8
12. WTC CORNELLA 7-9
13. C.B. QALAT-CAJA SAN FERNANDO 7-9
14. IMAJE SABADELL GAPSA 7-9
15. CALPE-AGUAS DE CALPE 6-10
16. CAI HUESCA LA MAGIA 6-10
17. GESTIBERICA VIGO 4-12
18. REAL MADRID 2-14

Game #16 Results

2006-12-17T07:15:00.000-06:00

Friday night in Lliria we were able to finally snap our five game losing streak with a 89-73 victory over Plasencia-Galco. We started the game hot and never looked back from 25 point halftime lead. Carles Bivia led our offensive attack with 18 points and 8 assists.

Our next game is Wednesday in the Canary Islands, the first place team.

- photo courtesy of the team website

Game #16 vs. Plasencia-Galco

2006-12-15T08:23:00.000-06:00

With two games left until the midseason break, we host Plasencia-Galco tonight at 8:30. Plasencia, from the Extremadura region of Spain, has a 8-7 record and is currently on a game winning streak. It is clear that Plasenica can play at a high level because on November 5 of this season, Plasencia became the only team to beat top place team from the Canary Islands (14-1).

Plasencia has two American players this year, Nigel Wyatt and Tony Tate. Wyatt, a post player from Wagner College in Staton Island, New York, is the team's leading scorer at 14 ppg and leading rebounder with 8 rpg. More importantly, my friend John Pugliese, is one of the current men's basketball coaches at Wagner.

More information on Plasencia can be found at their website.

Game #15 Results

2006-12-10T06:10:00.000-06:00

We dropped our fifth straight Friday night against Calpe, 85-62. Calpe had a very balanced attack with five players scoring in double figures. Our next chance to start a new winning streak begins this Friday at home against Plasencia-Galco.

Game #15 at Calpe

2006-12-08T06:53:00.000-06:00

Tonight, we travel just south of Valencia along the coast to play Calpe-Aguas de Calpe. Calpe is entering tonights game with a 5-9 record and four game losing streak. Each team knows each other fairly well because we played each other twice in the preseason. Calpe won both games.

Calpe has two American post players, Ontario Devon Lett and MC Mazique. Lett, a Florida native, played basektball at the University of Pittsburgh from 2001-2003. Mazique, from Brooklyn, played his college ball at Alabama from 1995-1999.

Game #14 Results

2006-12-05T08:53:00.000-06:00

On Sunday we dropped our fourth straight against Caja San Fernando from Sevilla. We played a good first half, but our poor second half defense resulted in easy baskets and open 3s. To take a look at the game stats, search on the right sidebar.

Next game is Friday at Calpe.

Game #14 vs. Caja San Fernando (Sevilla)

2006-12-03T09:05:00.000-06:00

VS.

Tonight in Lliria we play Caja San Fernando from Sevilla. Sevilla is entering tonight's game with a 5-8 record and a recent win over Huesca. Sevilla is led in scoring and assists by point guard Antonio Bustamante. Their lone American is Damien Griffin. Griffin played his college ball in the NAIA at Mountain State University in West Virgnia.

More information on club from Sevilla can be found here.

Serving up a Beatdown

2006-12-01T09:48:00.000-06:00

The title accurately summarizes our lost against Muro on Wednesday only leaving out the word "embarrassment." The game was never close except it was tied before the tip was thrown. We need to somehow turn things around otherwise the first half of the season will be a disappointment.

Next game is this Sunday at home against Sevilla.

Game #13 vs. Grupotel.com Muro

2006-11-28T00:05:00.000-06:00

VS.

Tomorrow we fly to the Balearic Island of Mallorca to take on Grupotel.com Muro. Muro is having a good season thus far with a 8-4 record with a current win over 2nd place team, Rosalia. Muro is led in scoring my American Jason Blair at 17.7 ppg. Blair, a power forward from Phoenix, hails from the University of San Diego where he played three seasons.

Due to previous mentioned injuries, we signed Brazilian Jefferson Sobral, which will give us depth at the post position. Sobral recently had a short stint at the training camp with the Denver Nuggets. The previous season, he was with the Harlem Globetrotters.

Madrid, Museo de Reina Sofia

2006-11-27T10:55:00.000-06:00

While in Madrid a couple weekends ago with my friend we decided to check out some artwork. It was a Monday, so the Prado wasn't open. Next best thing is the Reina Sofia Museum, which holds many world-famous paintings.

The main purpose for the visit was to see one of the most famous paintings in the world, Guernica by Picasso (above). Guernica is a giant black and white mural, about 11.5' tall and 26' wide, that is a depiction of the horrors of the German bombing of Gernika, Spain during the Spanish Civil War in 1937. It's original purpose was to decorate the Spanish Pavilion at the Paris World Fair in 1937. More Guernica Info

The museum is also home to many other Picasso paintings and sculptures as well as works done by Salvador Dali. To see how weird some of these paintings are, check out the link to the museum. Reina Sofia

Game #12 Results

2006-11-26T09:07:00.000-06:00

Friday, we lost in overtime to WTC Cornella dropping our record to 7-5. Our next game is Wednesday as we fly to Muro (Balearic Islands) to take on Groupotel.com.

Game stats can now be found on the sidebar under the previous results.

Game #12

2006-11-24T07:50:00.000-06:00

VS.

Tonight in Lliria we take on WTC Cornellá in the 12th game of the regular season. Cornellá is a 3-8 team on four game skid with their last lost coming by two points against Huesca. We need to get back on track and start a new winning streak by defending our home court. We will have to play with two players short as Rafa Huertas is out with a broken hand and Iker Lopez is out for the season with a torn knee ligament.

Cornellá's sole American is forward Sullivan Sykes. Sykes played his last two seasons with University of St. Joseph's (NCAA2) while averaging 19.4 ppg and 5.8 rpg.

Barcelona, Part 2

2006-11-22T07:55:00.000-06:00

Ok, back to my trip to Barcelona a couple weeks ago. Here are the two main highlights of the trip. The day Jim, Jake and I got there, FC Barcelona had a soccer game that night. Without anything to do on a Sunday, we figured we could go buy tickets at the stadium a couple hours before gametime. Fortunately for us, Barcelona was playing Real Zaragoza which was probably the only reason we were able to get three tickets. Being in a soccer stadium that fits 99,000 was amazing and Ronaldinho, one of the best players in the world, even scored two goals that game.

The next day we visited much of the city and even jumped in the sea. It wasn't as cold as I thought it would be in the middle of November. Also, we were fortunate enough to visit the Segrada Familia, a Roman Catholic Basilica inspired by architect Antoni Gaudi. Building started in the late 1800s and was interupted by the Spanish Civil War. More pictures and info on the Segrada Familia will be on the "Que Interesante" page.

Game #11 Results

2006-11-21T17:10:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday, we lost a tough one against Real Madrid. Unfortunately the bad luck struck more than just a lost. Rafa broke his hand and will most likely be out for three months. Iker banged his knee and the diagnosis is currently unknown. Though we are shorthanded, I believe that our team is good enough to continue on winning. Our next game is Friday against WTC Cornella in Lliria.

Game #11 vs. Real Madrid

2006-11-18T04:48:00.000-06:00

Today we will make the short four hour trip to Madrid in preparation for Sunday's 12:00 p.m. contest with Real Madrid. Madrid is on a three game losing streak with a last place record in the LEB2. Another win will increase our current streak to four games.

Real Madrid, with its familiar name, is part of the big-time club that has one of the best soccer teams in the world. They also have a very talented ACB team that usually does well every year.

One of Madrid's starters is first year player Dominic Benjamin Martin, a post player from Yale University.

Barcelona

2006-11-16T06:27:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, I had enough time to take a short trip to Barcelona with my two friends here on vacation, Jim Lehan and Jake Sheley. Though Barcelona cannot be seen in a day and a half, we did manage to see a lot of the attractions. One of the things we saw, pictured above, is the Barcelona Cathedral. Below you can see a panoramic video on top of the cathedral.

The official name of the cathedral is "Cathedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulalia," after Barcelona's patron saint Eulalia. Construction began in 1298 and the church had continual construction until completed in 1913. It is located in the Gothic District.

Game #10 Results

2006-11-14T11:16:00.000-06:00

Saturday night in Lliria, we won our third straight game against Provinica de Palencia, 73-70. The game was close the entire time until we made some clutch shots and even more clutch defensive plays, two by Rafa Huertas in the final minutes. This win bumps our record up to 7-3, along with three other teams.

Another player to note on Palencia, is 6'10" center Tim Frost. Frost played at the University of Utah under Rick Majerus and along side Andrew Bogut.

Next up, Real Madrid on Sunday.

Game Stats

Game #10

2006-11-11T08:15:00.000-06:00

Tonight in Lliria, we will take on Provinica de Palencia. Palencia is a 6-3 team that is coming off a big win against the number one team in the LEB2, Laguna. We enter the game with a two-game winning streak as we look to win our seventh game and defend home court.

Palencia is a very solid team with a good point guard. They also have Kerry Blackshear, whom was a 17-point scorer last year for Lliria. Blackshear is a veteran player from Stetson University, where he holds the university record for scoring at 1,826 points and 3-point field goals made at 170. Also, Palencia is led in scoring by American Nigel Wyatt, from Wagner University in New York.

Valencian Paella

2006-11-10T12:00:00.000-06:00

Spain and good food are synomous to many people throughout the world. There are special varieties throughout all of Spain due to the different climates and lifestyles that change with each region. In Valencia, the region is well known for its paella dishes. There are many types of paella dishes, but the two most popular include either meat or seafood. For example, one dish would be a combination of rice, chicken, rabbit, tomato, green beans and saffron. A seafood paella dish could normally include a combination of rice, sepia, calamar, mussles, shrimp, cigalas, langosta, and clams, with garlic, olive oil, tomato, sweet red peppers and saffron. The ingredients are plentiful, but when mixed all together it is amazing.

Paella is cooked in a wide flat pan ranging in many sizes. For example, large parties attract a very large pan that would be able to feed more than 20 people. I have seen and had some good home-cookiing of paella over an open fire. I would say that this is very comparable to a backyard BBQ.

Toronto Raptors

2006-11-07T11:43:00.000-06:00

After a disastrous 27-55 record last year, the Raptors could only pray for the #1 pick in this year's NBA draft. That's exactly what they got and by drafting Andrea Bargnani from Italy, he became the first international player to go #1. Good idea? It is possible, but he isn't going to help the team that much early on. Some may say that the Canadian aura influenced a bad pick leading to another bad year. But, I believe the Raptors have molded a solid team with role players from teams overseas. Including second year NBAer Jose Calderon (Spain), the Raptors have signed Jorge Garbajosa (Spain), Uros Slokar (Slovenia), Anthony Parker (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel) and Bargnani (Italy. Time will tell how the success from other countries will translate in the NBA.

Anthony Parker was a huge success in Israel, being named the Euroleague MVP twice and winning league championships, but he is an American. He played his college ball at Bradley and high school in Naperville, IL. In 1997 he went #20 in the NBA draft to Sixers (via Nets) and played three years in the NBA while struggling with injuries. He then traveled to Israel for the 2000-01 season. To help pursuade the Raptors even more, he played a great preseason game last year against Toronto. After that, who wouldn't want to draft him...again? Watch below.

Game #9 and Results

2006-11-05T06:27:00.000-06:00

VS.

Last night we hit the road to visit Vic. We had an interesting start, not to the game, but our pre-game rituals. After leaving Lliria, we realized that we didn't have our game licenses to play. Combining this delay with some directional problems when we reached Vic, we had to dress and have our pre-game talk while on the bus. Most teams would have a slow start after arriving from six hours on the bus and only 25 minutes to gametime. Not us though. We managed to start off strong with some steals and easy baskets, giving us a first quarter lead. We steadily increased the lead en route to a 21 point victory behind some quality defense.

Game #8 Results

2006-11-02T05:24:00.000-06:00

Last night we were able to come back from a lackluster first half and six point deficit to secure our fifth win of the season. The story of the game was the third quarter in which we held Axarquia to nine points. Our home crowd was a great advantage because of their intensity throughout the game. We were lead in scoring by Carles Bivia with 18 points and Sidao gathered a team-high nine rebounds.

Game #8

2006-11-01T07:43:00.000-06:00

VS.

Tonight in Llíria we play Axarquía in the eighth game of the regular season. Axarquía, coming off a last week win against Huesca, enters the game with a 5-2 record. Their current win loss record is good enough for a second place tie in the league. We, on the other hand, are looking to come back strong after a tough two point loss last game against Rioja.

Axarquía has one American player this year, Trello Galloway. Galloway, a 6'7" G/F, bounced around during his college days in the states. His freshman year he started for Tulane University, helping the team to a respectful 20-11 record. After the season, Coach Perry Clark left Tulane resulting in some transfers. One of them was Galloway as he went to Allegany Juco for the following season. His junior and senior seasons were played as a Panther for Georgia State (D1).

Georgia State Website
Galloway Bio

Halloween in Spain?

2006-10-31T05:51:00.000-06:00

Halloween is celebrated in Spain, but in a different form. It is know as the "Day of the Dead," or "El Dia de los Muertos." It is a three day event beginning on the night of October 31 and ending on November 2, in which family members commemorate their loved ones whom have passed. It is believed that the dead return home to be with their families. Families sometimes make an alter at home as a way to reminisce. It is also common to visit the grave sites and both picnic and decorate.

Game #7 and Results

2006-10-28T08:35:00.000-05:00

Last night we traveled six hours by bus to play against Caja Rioja. The game was close until Rioja pulled away with a nine point lead with a little over two minutes to play. We made a late comeback behind a couple steals and three point plays, but wasn't enough as we fell to a 4-3 record. The win by Rioja improved their record to a standing of 4-3.

Rioja has two Americans, Lamont Boozer and Stevie Johnson. Boozer was a 1997 graduate from James Madison University. Johnson was an Iowa State Cyclone who finished his career in 2000.

Santa Barbara Castle

2006-10-25T07:53:00.000-05:00

Atop the mountain in Alicante rests the Castillo de Santa Barbara. I would have to say that this is the coolest thing that I have seen so far. It is a 10th-century old castle built originally by the Moors that overlooks the city and the sea. The following centuries resulted in continual improvement to the castle, leaving it with three main areas, all with different time periods.

The top was accessible by paths and an elevator. Obviously, I took the elevator. You have to be crazy to walk those paths.

How's that for a view?

Miguelete Tower

2006-10-23T10:35:00.000-05:00

As mentioned before, I went to the famous cathedral in Valencia a few weeks ago. Here are some more pictures of the attached tower. The tower is Gothic is gothic in style and stands at 47m (155 ft.). I was able to climb the winding stairs to reach the top and also for a much needed rest. Atop the tower is a giant bell that went off while we were up there. The sound was defeaning as it scared the crap out of everybody up there. The view was worth the climb because of the great panoramic view with the sea in the distance.

The pictures don't justify the view, but they are still cool. (Top) Overlooking the Plaza de Reina. (Middle) View of the cathedral. You can notice the cross shape as well. (Bottom) View of Valencia.

Game #6 and Results

2006-10-21T06:15:00.000-05:00

VS.

Last night, we traveled to Huesca to play our sixth game of the season. After a six hour bus ride, which is very short compared to the last, we managed to play a really good game with a lot of energy. We won 89-84. The story of the game was the defense and shooting in the second quarter that put us up by 20 points by haftime. During the second half, Huesca went on a fourth quarter tear behind the shooting of Antonio Gomez, finishing with a game high 31 points. It wasn't nearly enough because of the margin they needed to overcome.

Huesca has two Americans this year, Adrian Tigert and Donald Wilson. Tigert is a 2006 graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Wilson is a 2006 grad from Portland University, home of the Pilots. Tigert was a second-team All-Horizon league honeree and was also the Horizon league tournament MVP last year. Wilson was a four year starter as a Pilot and ended his career as a 1,000 point scorer.

Elche, Spain

2006-10-19T09:04:00.000-05:00

During my last day off, Ashley and I took an excursion a couple hours south to the Costa Blanca. We visited the towns of Alicante (another post), Calpe and Elche. Elche is situated about 12 miles off the cost, but the town has some interesting attractions. It is the home of one of the largest palm tree forests in the world. The town is built in and around over 200,000 palm trees that are believed to be planted by the Moors. It was a really different site to see. The best view was atop the St. Mary's Basilica as you can see from the pic.

This is one of the well preserved palms and the most famous in town. The "Imperial Palm" has seven branches and has to be tied up to prevent it from losing its unique feature. (Below) Inside St. Mary's.

Game #5 Results

2006-10-18T07:36:00.000-05:00

In a high scoring bout with Ourense, we came out victorius for our third win of the season. The story of the game wasn't the defense, but the 38 point fourth quarter behind a very hot streak of shooting. Next game we go on the road in attempt to win our first away game.

Game #5

2006-10-15T07:43:00.000-05:00

Tonight at 6:30 we play Club Ourense Baloncesto, whom has a 2-2 record entering the game. There last victory came against Cai Huesca La Magia with a 91-82 margin. Ourense has one American player this season, Ronnie LeMelle. LeMelle played last season for Auburn University and was the team's leading scorer at 13 ppg. They also have a very talented post player with an inside and outside game by the name of Diego Guaita (Argentina). Guaita helped his previous team, Burgos, to a 24-6 record last year in the LEB2.

Holy Grail

2006-10-14T13:37:00.000-05:00

As mentioned in the last post, the Catedral Seu has claimed to possess the Holy Grail for the last 500 years. It is also interesting to note that other churches claim to have the Grail as well, the other whereabouts I don't know. I believe the Valencian church is one of the most popular possesors of the Grail, as wikipedia.com only mentions this location. Today, we managed to get inside the museum and witness it first hand. The Grail in this Valencian church is a gold chalice with handles on both sides, which are said to have an Asian influence.

The Grail is a much disputed Christian icon as different groups have different dispictions. For example, some believe that the Holy Grail is not a cup at all, but either a plate or dish. Or, as from Dan Brown's, The Da Vinci Code, the Grail is suggested to be the actual bloodline of Mary Magdalene.

The dark lighting made it difficult to take a good picture. This one I zoomed in close. You can make out the chalice and handles.

Catedral Seu

2006-10-13T10:23:00.000-05:00

Last week, my girlfriend and I visited the Catedral Seu in the middle of Valencia. The church itself has been around since 1262 and represents three main styles including, Romanesque, Baroque and Gothic. Only a couple arches have needed restoration. For 500 years, this church has claimed to possess the Holy Grail, which of course is the chalice Jesus used at the Last Supper. We didn't get to see it that day because the museum part of the church was closed. As you can see by the pictures, the church is a beautiful sight.

Game #4 and Results

2006-10-12T17:43:00.000-05:00

Things have been a little bit slow regarding the blog due to the cross country travel of our last game. On Wednesday, we took on the team from Santiago and lost 89-82. We played a sluggish game and didn't defend very well.

On the previous Tuesday we traveled by bus starting at 7:45 in the morning. We arrived 13 hours later, which is my current record for farthest travel of the season. We didn't have time to practice that day, which unfortunately was the day before the game. Instead we managed an hour practice on the morning of gameday. I think I have to get accustomed to this because there are two other teams near Santiago. After the game, we immediately got on the bus and traveled back through the night to arrive in home a little before noon. We have a quick tournaround because our next game is this Sunday at home.

Game Results

2006-10-08T16:16:00.001-05:00

Last Friday, we defeated the team from Vigo, Spain by 25 points. The story of the game was our first half defense behind Carles Bivia who started our run with a couple of steals. The first half ended with a 20 point lead and good defense all around. We never looked back from there as we held a strong lead throughout the game. I scored my professional career high, 22 points. More game information can be found here.

Game #3

2006-10-06T07:43:00.000-05:00

VS.

Tonight at 8:30 we host Gestiberica Vigo in the third game of the regular season. Vigo played in the EBA division the previous year and has moved up to play the 2006-07 season in the LEB2. Virtually a whole new team, like many of the LEB2 teams, Vigo has three Americans, all of which have their foreign passports. Because of Spanish rules, these Americans play as foreigners. Therefore, Vigo can have two "actual" Americans if they choose. Vigo enters the game with a 1-1 record as they defeated Huesca 90-78 last game.

One of the Americans, Terrence Shannon, played his basketball at Elgin Community College. In the 2004-05 season he was a member of the Asheville Altitude NBDL team and played in Venezuela last year. The other two Americans are Rod Nealy and Roderick Smith. Rod Nealy played his senior season (2002-03) at Houston Baptist University.

Spanish Siesta

2006-10-04T07:50:00.000-05:00

In my Spanish classes in high school and college I was taught that many Spaniards take a midday siesta. I always thought that this was a myth, but after living here, I can see it is the truth. Anywhere between 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. most people go home to have a big meal, think our dinner for their lunch, and take a "siesta." The word siesta is Spanish, coming from the Latin-Hora Sexto, or the "sixth hour." The sixth hour represents midday when counting from dawn. A majority of the businesses in town have hours for the morning and afternoon. For example, places are closed from about 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. I have heard that bigger business in the larger cities have broke a way from this long midday break and have conformed towards the typical 9-5 workday.

Actually a study done by the College of Psychology in the south Andulcia region of Spain concluded that a midday nap can be very beneficial. They discovered that a 10 to 40 minute nap gives the brain and muscles time to rest and basically recharge. This in turn leads to reduced stress, increased productivity and reduces mental saturation. The study warns that a longer than 40 minute nap can possibly alter sleeping patterns and have other mood effects. Unfortunately for me, my siesta, if I take one, lasts upwards to double this time. It doesn't bother my sleep considering the physical activity I go through each day.

The Euro

2006-10-03T07:58:00.000-05:00

The official currency of Spain is the Euro, which was officially put into circulation fairly recently on January 1, 2002. It was first introduced though in 1999 as an accounting currency to the financial markets. A year later the exchage rate reached an all-time low at 1€=$.8228. Since then, the U.S. has weakened considerbly to today's rate of 1€=$1.2735. The Euro took the place of the Spanish Peseta, which lost its status as legal tender on March 1, 2002.

Like the U.S. dollar, the Euro is denoted in both notes and coins. There are seven different denominations of the Euro banknote that range from 5€ to the 500€ note. The coins are marked between 1 cent to the 2€ coin. The notes are designed with windows and gateways on the front and bridges on the back from different periods in Europe's architectural history. Other that Spain, the Euro is the official currecny of 11 European Union members, including Italy, Germany and France. More countries are planning on the conversion.

Game Results

2006-10-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

In our second game against Imaje Sabadell Gapsa, we were defeated 83-75. The game wavered between a 2 point margin most of the game until the stretch run. In the final quarter, we had a few consecutive and costly turnovers as American Brett Beeson of Sabadell took over the game. He scored a game high 25 points keeping Sabadell undefeated at 2-0. More game information can be found here: LEB2 Results

Game #2

2006-09-30T12:30:00.000-05:00

vs.

Our next game is tomorrow against Imaje Sabadell Gapsa in Barcelona. We will be leaving today by bus and will be heading about 4 hours to the north. Sabadell, a semi-finalist in the 2005-06 LEB2 season, is entering the contest with a 1-0 record. They defeated Cai Huesca La Magia by a one point margin (79-78). Sabadell features one of the primier guards in the league, Brett Beeson. Beeson was the LEB2 MVP last season as he scored 19.5 ppg. He is a 1996 graduate from Minnesota State University-Moorhead and is currently entering his 10th season as a professional basketball player. A well traveled player, he has played on teams from Spain, France, Switzerland and Israel.

The Transition

2006-09-29T10:16:00.000-05:00

Due to the 50 pound per bag rule airlines have adopted, I wasn't able to bring everthing that I would have liked. This has caused a little rougher transition that I imagined. Though there are some equal subsitutes, some things are just not the same. Here is a partial list of some of things that I want, but can't have...

- American cable - after a month without cable, I finally received my satelllite. Sounds great right? Well, not exactly. I have about six channels in English, with the best ones being, CNBC, Fox News and Fox. And of course all of the Spanish sports channels are soccer, handball and some rugby. It is just not the same without baseball at night and football on the weekends.

- American food - the food here is good, but there is a zero percent chance of finding a good cheeseburger, pizza or fast-food. Someone please send me a deep-dish pizza. There is a McDonalds and Burger King, but they taste nothing like what I know. Also, McDonalds doesn't have the dollar menu, which I think is ridiculous. I also miss some of the other college essentials, such as peanut butter and mac and cheese. I haven't been able to find any equivalents as of now. I did hear a rumor of a walmart like store not far from here.

- George Foreman - who doesn't want a Foreman grill? It is so easy.

- Getting Directions - asking for directions to anywhere could possibly be the hardest thing ever. So, I stopped asking and just started to guess. Also, I don't understand how the traffic "roundabouts" are effective. A roundabout is an accident waiting to happen. At least they drive on the right side of the road.

My Apartment

2006-09-26T08:50:00.000-05:00

I live in a 3-bedroom, 1.5 bath apartment that is both very ugly and old. The walls are either gold, white or blue with an interesting tile floor. Other things unusual to me, but pretty typical in Spain, are the gas pilots for warm water and the stove and the clothes line instead of the dryer. Though this doesn't sound like much of a problem, it has been. The warm water pilot has difficulty in starting and it rains pretty much every time I hang up my clothes. I would enjoy a little more technology, but it is hard to complain. Here are some pictures...

This is where I spend most of my time seated below the beautiful chandelier. And yes, the tv you see is really that small. But, at least I have some movie channels that I can switch to English. I also get some NFL games, but I haven't decided what is worse, the Spanish commentators or Daunte Culpepper.

My bedroom. Notice the eloquent color of my room. Really, notice all the colors in these pictures.

(Right) Need some help here. Any takers?

Housing Market

The housing market here and around most of Spain has shown a negative trend over the last decade. This has been causing a serious problem for the younger working generations. The lack of affordable housing and the related jobs people take contribute to the difficulty in investing in a condo or house. It is common for young adults into their late 20s to still be living with their parents. Though this may save the individuals money, it is unfavorable for the labor market due to the lack of mobility, among other aspects. Being unable to move freely disallows a potential employee to actively seek a job out of town. Furthermore, this inability to be mobile has recently had a negative affect on the uemployment rate here in Spain.

Basketball Dictionary

2006-09-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Following are some common basketball terms that I have learned.

Court - campo, pista
Ball - balón, pelota, bola
Basket - canasta
Three point shot - triple
Three point arc - línea de triple
Free throws - tiros libres
Time-out - tiempo muerto
Foul - falta
Offensive foul - falta de ataque
Traveling - pasos
Steal - robo
Rebound - rebote
Turnover - pérdida
Block - tapón, pincho
Shoot - tiro
Team - equipo
Corner - esquina
Fast-break - contraataque
To stretch - estirar
Cut - corta
Backcut - corta atras, puerta atras
Pass - pasa
Pick - bloqueo
Defense - defensa
Offense - ofensa
Run - corre
Baseline - fondo
Top - arriba
Bottom - abajo
Transition - transición, "trans"
Point Guard - base
Guard - escorta
Forward - aler
Power Forward - ala-pivot
Center - pivot
Coach - entrenador

First Win!

2006-09-24T07:43:00.000-05:00

On Friday night we won convincingly over C.B. Prat by 18 points. We started the game off with a 12-2 run and never looked back from there. The game came within five points every now and then until we opened it up in the 3rd quarter. From this point on we held around a 20 point lead allowing us to start the season 1-0.

I would say that we didn't have an attendence over 1,000, but the noise level indicated we had twice that much. The crowd was loud and booed the refs every chance they had. Some kids in the crowd had actual drums that they banged on constantly. It was also suprising that I didn't hear any air horns, which seems like a constant at European sporting events. Next game will be Sunday, Ocotber 1 in Barcelona. The previous game results and upcoming games will be posted in the sidebar to the right.

Game Day #1

2006-09-22T13:40:00.000-05:00

Today is my professional basketball debut. It is a home game against C.B. Prat, one of the teams from Barcelona. In the 2005-06 season, C.B. Prat played in the EBA league, which is one league lower than the LEB2. They won the EBA last year and because of the ascending rules, will play the 2006-07 season in the LEB2.

After a good week of practice behind us and a quick film and shooting session this morning, I can tell everyone is ready to start the actual season. It is a much anticipated game for both our team and the town. Tonight before the game, we will be retiring #11 in honor of José Ignacio "Nacho" Rodilla, whom is 32 years old. Early in Rodilla's career, he played point guard for Llíria in the 1993-94 season. After that year, he played the majority of his career for Pamesa Valencia in which he helped the young club develop into an ACB force. After a long stint with Pamesa, he rounded out his career while playing two years in Italy. During his final year in Italy, he constantly suffered some back problems, making him end his basketball career short. He has also had the honor of playing with the Spanish National Team and winning a number of awards.

Lost in Translation

2006-09-20T10:30:00.000-05:00

You are probably saying, "They just speak Spanish right? You just need to know hola, cómo estás, gracias and cerveza." I wish it was that easy. The main language I hear happens to be Spanish, especially between my teammates. Unfortunately though, this area of Spain happens to have a couple dialects that float around, which obviously complicates things. The two dialects are Valenciano and Catalan. It is somewhat typical to hear these dialects from the older generations. Luckily for the younger guys, we don't converse in these dialects because they are so different. Even the Spanish players on the team struggle and cannot comprehend the other dialects occasionally. Also, it is basically impossible to read anything that is posted around town because it is in one of these dialects, which I believe for it to be Valenciano. Furthermore, the link I have to right titled, "Cibo Lliria," happens to be other than Spanish. And don't ask me to translate because I can't. But at least it will show some related links and will contain some pictures.

Ok, now back to the Spanish that I hear. The official language of Spain and the one that anyone from the states would take a class in is called Castilian, or Castellano, or linguistially known as "Spanish." This is spoken pretty much everywhere, but as I have said, there are dialects that are prominent in certain locations. I have learned a lot about the Castilian language and the grammar so far, but I need to go a long way. It is spoken so fast though that it is very difficult to understand. So, I am currently looking for a class to enroll in, which would makes it a little easier both on and off the court.

During practice, I have to pick up most drills and concepts on the fly. When the coach, whom speaks some English, is talking longer than a few words I usually stand next to one of two guys on the team that speak very good English. I have been picking up most of the basketball terminology, but when the coach speaks fast, I don't have a chance in understanding. The other coaches do speak some English and they will occassionally translate something if it is important. This is one of the tougher parts about the whole experience. I am not able to ask questions or provide some input without a struggle. Yet, it could be way worse. At least I had a base in Spanish before I arrived.

How We Practice

2006-09-19T09:35:00.000-05:00

So I play basketball for a living. Should anyone really expect only one practice a day? Absolutely not. But practicing multiple times consistently isn't bad because the time in between doesn't include sitting behind a desk, whether in class or at work. My work day usually begins around 10:00 am. The first practice is usually weightlifting, running, shooting or a combination of the three. When we first started practice in the middle of August, we usually ran distances and did some sort of anerobic or resistence training. For example, we would run about four or five miles and then do some resistence training. The resistence training that we have done has been very traditional. Traditional in the sense that we use a partner to create the resistence for sprinting or backpedaling. With the official games approaching soon, the morning practices have turned more into a combination of lifting weights and then doing shooting and offensive skill drills for a half an hour to 45 minutes. When we practice off the court or without the whole team together, it is called "físico." The direct translation is "physical." There isn't much of an emphasis on the weight lifting, which I expected before I came here.

The second practice of the day has been around 6:30 or 7:00 pm. This practice is team drills and strategy which is appropriately titled "táctico." Again, the direct translation is tactical. Recently, we have been doing a lot of 3v3, 4v4 and 5v5. Oddly enough, we haven't done one shell defensive drill. It's crazy because all the teams that I have been a part of usually has had numerous defensive drills.

Before each session, we have a trainer named Julian (left) that gets us warmed up by stretching and doing ab work. Though the routine is tedious at times, it is really helpful because it allows everyone to constantly stretch, preparation that is necessary for the workout. Julian does a ton of running and abs. Even randomly during practice, I look over in the corner and he is doing more abs by himself! It is pretty funny actually.

The Facilities

2006-09-18T09:49:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of our Arena, Pavello Pla de l'Arc. It seats 5,000 people and it is pretty nice. The gyms that I have seen so far seat considerably less than ours and some less than a high school gym. I don't know the exact date of our arena, but I believe it was built when the team used to play in the ACB. I plan on periodically posting pictures from the opposing teams.

The weight room is underneath the bleachers and isn't worth talking about. The equipment has to be from the 70s...it just has to be. It is hard to accept this coming from fitness centers like the Shirk and Lifetime Fitness. The arena is additionally used for junior team practices, rhythmic gymnastics and handball. The junior teams are younger kids up through age 18 that are part of the Cibo Llíria club.

The Team

2006-09-17T09:15:00.000-05:00

My team currently consists of 11 players with rumors of adding one more big man. Everyone on the team is from Spain, excluding myself and two Brazilians (#14 and #12). With the oldest member of the team being 27 years of age, we are considered one of the younger teams in the league. I would give a guess to where we stand preseason, but I have only seen one other team in the league play.

Most of the guys on the team have been playing professional basketball since high school. Without high school and college sports, the good players can climb through clubs faster by focusing on the professional game. That means that those players who are good are able to practice and log some minutes with professional teams at a young age. I believe that this is one of the reasons why a lot of the Europeans have advanced skills, especially on offense. They are able to concentrate on practicing two times a day without a heavy emphasis on academics. Compare this to the states. In this U.S. academics have a strong presence and coexist more fluently with athletics. While in high school and college, the practice schedule is narrowed and contains rules, such as the number of practices and hours per week. One important topic to note is this...in Europe, the difference between the good and bad player are weeded out earlier than in the states because of the lack of college sports.

Though academics appear to take a back seat, some of the guys on the team are "attending" school. By "attending," I mean they read the texts and then show up to take the tests. This is a normal situation for these players and explains something of the style of living. It is part of the reason why European players play for lessor money. Basketball is what they are good at and without a good college degree, they are able to make a comparable amount as with a regular job. This leaves them to focus on one thing, like the professional athletes in the U.S. but without similar pay. In my opinion, this is a unique lifestyle for the younger players because of the lack of adequate options other than finding new teams.

The Leagues of Spain

2006-09-15T16:30:00.000-05:00

Now you know a little bit about the area of Spain I am dealing with, so how about the basketball leagues? There are three main pro leagues for basketball descending in the order of ACB, LEB, LEB2. The talent is uniquely dispersed throughout the leagues, but most of the best and highest paid players can be found in the ACB. A typical schedule for the three leagues will begin in late September and the regular season will conclude around the middle of May. Though longer than a NCAA season, the amount of games are about the same. Each team has about a 30 game schedule (one game a week) with the top teams participating in a final league tournament within respective leagues. One unique fact about the leagues in Spain is what happens to the top and bottom teams of each league. The top two teams in the LEB and LEB2 get promoted to the higher league. On the other hand, the bottom two teams are relegated to a lower league.

The LEB2 consists of 18 teams this year and also holds the 30-game regular season schedule. The league was created in 2000 as the lower league for the LEB. Don't be fooled by the third league status of the LEB2. With the ACB most likely being the best league in Europe, the LEB2 is comparable to second leagues throughout Europe. Also, the LEB2 attracts many D1 players from the U.S. and even ex-NBA guys. For example, Todd Fuller, whom was drafted to Golden State in 1996 with the 11th pick, played in this league last year. The teams are scattered throughout the country of Spain. Two teams locations to point out are in The Canary Islands, SW of Spain, and Balearic Islands, which are off the Valencian coast. One typical characteristic of the LEB and LEB2 leagues is the high turnover. It is common to sign one year contracts, like I did. My team is basically a whole new team with only one player that played for Llíria last year. It is also common to see teams sign and drop players at any point in the season.

The LEB league is a very good league, making it challenge many level one leagues in other countries. One current player to note is Zach Morley, a Wisconsin University graduate two years ago. He is playing for Gandia this year. Usually, players who play well in the LEB2 can get signed by LEB teams the following year.

The ACB is obviously the league that everyone wants to play in, but even tougher for Americans. What makes getting into Spain, in general, so difficult for American players is the fact that each team can have a maximum of only two Americans. This only makes attaining a higher league more difficult. Other European countries have different rules for the number of Americans per team. Anyways, the ACB consists of 18 teams and has many of the Spanish national players on different teams. The top teams from the ACB participate in Europe-wide tournaments, such as the popular Euroleague. This is the big tournament that you would have heard of if you follow basketball closely. This tournament would also occur after the ACB has their own league championship.

The Town of Llíria (Valencia)

2006-09-13T23:00:00.000-05:00

Llíria (pronounced Yeeria or Lyeeria), is a smaller town located about 15 miles NW of Valencia. The city of Valencia is conveniently located on the SE coast of Spain and is really a beautiful city with nice beaches. Llíria, the musical capital of the Valencian province, includes over 20,000 people and hosts a Mediterranean climate. This means that the average lows are around 50 degrees. Not bad at all, considering the sub-zero temperature that Chicago boasts in the winter. It is difficult to specifically describe the Valencian area because Spain cannot be generalized. Spain has 50 provinces, each with its own geography, culture and history. The language spoken here is Spanish and Valencian. Valencian is essentially the Catalan dialect, which I will discuss in a later post.

A little more Llíria history for ya...

The earlier history of Llíria was consumed by a very important Iberian city in Spain, know as Edeta. Currently, atop the hill that Edeta used to stand, lies a large mosque (that I plan on getting some pictures of soon). Contemporary Llíria appears to be known for it's music. Over the last month, their has been a musical celebration that occurred pretty much every night and recently concluded last weekend. It consisted of musical performances, fireworks, parades with dress inspired by African and the Roman culture and even their own versions of running of bulls. Notice the keyword here, "versions." That's right. They have released bulls on a number of occasions so crazy people can dodge and taunt them until they get so tired that they calm down.

Downtown Llíria (Top) and a gathering in streets at night (middle). On the bottom is a one of the bulls they let go through the streets. Its horns are "on fire." They do this by tieing the bull to a post and then manually placing the torches on them. Then they break the rope and the bull goes crazy down the street. It takes quite a few people to strap the bull to light the horns!

My Recent Sports History

2006-09-11T09:35:00.000-05:00

Well, how did I make it to Spain? Here is the cliff note version of my route...

- Played baseball and basketball for four years at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, IL
- Recruited to play baseball and basketball at both the D1 and D3 levels for both sports
- Decided to avoid the Juco route for baseball. MLB agents sometimes push for that route because of the draft eligibility after each year. D1 players either can get drafted after high school or they have to wait until after junior year of college.
- Chose to seek colleges to play basketball even with interest from the Florida Marlins
- Avoided some very good prospects as a walk-on to land a gem in Illinois Wesleyan University
- 3 year All-American, 3 pt. career and season records and 3rd place national finish my senior year ('05-06)
- Signed with an agent out of Madrid, Spain.
- Pre-draft workout with the Milwaukee Bucks on May 15, 2006
- Signed with Cibo Lliria in early July, which brings me up to date

Welcome to Spain!

2006-09-10T16:49:00.000-05:00

In these first few posts I will explain some basic details covering location, league information and why the heck I'm over 4,000 miles away from Chicago. Subsequent to these posts, the topic variety will expand and I can field some questions or requests. If anyone has anything useful to make this blog better, I would appreciate an email with the information. Enjoy.