There were only 2 rounds played so far and it's still very beginning of the Second Stage in Superleague.
First defeat of league's leader Naft Abadan (1-1) against Arak (2-0) 69-61 was the most important game of the last round. Naft Abadan trailed by 13 points at halftime and as many as 14 after three quarters before a 19-13 last quarter charge cut the deficit to 61-69 at the end of the game. Arak forced 19 Naft Abadan turnovers. American-Georgian forward Quinton Hosley (201-84, college: Fresno St.) orchestrated the victory by scoring 20 points and 6 rebounds. International center Asghar Kardoust (212-86) contributed with 14 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. American-Ivorian guard Doron Perkins (189-83, college: Santa Clara) replied with a double-double by scoring 23 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals for Naft Abadan. Naft Abadan will play next round against Army trying to make it back to the top of the standings. Arak will try to continue on its current victory against Tabriz at home. Azad edged Petrochimi in Tehran 70-67. International Adnan Doraghi (190-89) scored 23 points and 8 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and Sina Hadizadeh chipped in 9 points and 7 rebounds during the contest. International Behnam Yakhchali (196-95) responded with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Petrochimi's coach Mehran Shahintab rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Petrochimi will have a break next week, which should allow them to rest in order to get back on the winning path. Azad will try to continue on its current victory against Petrochimi at Bandar Imam. Shahrdari Gorgan (0-1) recorded a loss at the home court on Monday night. Hosts were edged by Chemidor (1-1) 76-74. Daequan Cook notched 36 points (!!!) to lead the effort. Chemidor's coach Javad Rahmatipour used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Even a double-double of 15 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists by Mahdi Moradinasab did not help to save the game for Shahrdari Gorgan. Chemidor will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Shahrdari Gorgan will play again against Chemidor in Tehran and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Shahrdari Gorgan (0-1) recorded a loss at the home court on Monday night. Hosts were edged by Chemidor (1-1) 76-74. The guests took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Shahrdari Gorgan won third quarter 20-19. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. American guard Daequan Cook (195-87, college: Ohio St.) notched 36 points (!!!) to lead the effort and K Riaie supported him with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks (perfect from the field making all seven shots !!!). Chemidor's coach Javad Rahmatipour used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Even a double-double of 15 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists by center Mahdi Moradinasab (202-92) did not help to save the game for Shahrdari Gorgan. The former international center Mohammad Shahsavand (210-77) added 17 points for the hosts. Chemidor will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Shahrdari Gorgan will play again against Chemidor in Tehran and it may be a tough game between close rivals. Top scorers: Gorgan: M.Shahsavand 17+2reb+1ast, M.Moradinasab 15+10reb+4ast, M.Hoseinpour 14+4reb, M.Shirjang 8+1reb+2ast, S.Abramian 6+6reb+1ast, K.Ahmadian 6+4reb+1ast Chemidor: D.Cook 36+4reb+2ast, I.Zandi 15+6reb, K. Riaie 14+12reb+1ast, P.Kiani 4+1reb, A.Amini 4+6reb+4ast, P.Cukinas 2+1reb
First defeat of league's leader Naft Abadan (1-1) against Arak (2-0) 69-61 was the most important game of the last round. Naft Abadan trailed by 13 points at halftime and as many as 14 after three quarters before a 19-13 last quarter charge cut the deficit to 61-69 at the end of the game. Arak forced 19 Naft Abadan turnovers. American-Georgian forward Quinton Hosley (201-84, college: Fresno St.) orchestrated the victory by scoring 20 points and 6 rebounds. International center Asghar Kardoust (212-86) contributed with a double-double by scoring 14 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. Four Arak players scored in double figures. American-Ivorian guard Doron Perkins (189-83, college: Santa Clara) replied with a double-double by scoring 23 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals and the former international center Meisam Mirzaei (210-92) added 10 points and 7 rebounds in the effort for Naft Abadan. Naft Abadan will play next round against Army trying to make it back to the top of the standings. Arak will try to continue on its current victory against Tabriz at home. Top scorers: Naft Abadan: D.Perkins 23+10reb+5ast, M.Mirzaei 10+7reb, S.Davarpanah 8+1reb+4ast, E.Salmani 8+3reb, M.Hassanzadeh 7+2reb, M.Reza Akbari 3+1reb Arak: Q.Hosley 20+6reb+2ast, D.Williams 15+3reb+3ast, A.Kardoust 14+12reb+1ast, A.Davoudi 10+6reb+3ast, H.Afagh 6+4reb, M.Heydari 2
Azad edged Petrochimi in Tehran 70-67. Petrochimi was ahead by 6 points at the halftime before a 25-10 third quarter run of Azad. Strangely Petrochimi outrebounded Azad 45-33 including 31 on the defensive glass. Petrochimi was plagued by 25 personal fouls down the stretch. International Adnan Doraghi (190-89) scored 23 points and 8 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and Sina Hadizadeh chipped in 9 points and 7 rebounds during the contest. International Behnam Yakhchali (196-95) responded with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists and American swingman James White (201-82, college: Cincinnati, agency: Three Eye Sports) scored 14 points and 6 rebounds. Petrochimi's coach Mehran Shahintab rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Petrochimi will have a break next week, which should allow them to rest in order to get back on the winning path. Azad will try to continue on its current victory against Petrochimi at Bandar Imam. Top scorers: Petrochimi: B.Yakhchali 17+9reb+5ast, J.White 14+6reb, M.Jamshidi 10+1reb+1ast, G.Robinson 8+4reb+1ast, O.Sahakian 7+10reb, R.Lotfi 5+3reb Azad: A.Doraghi 23+8reb, F.Sabouri 10+6reb, B.Koochoie 10+3reb+3ast, S.Hadizadeh 9+7reb+2ast, A.Baheran 8+3reb+2ast, M.Yousofvand 3+4reb
TEHRAN (FIBA Asia Cup 2017) - Iran may have to do battle at the FIBA Asia Cup 2017 without their most dominant player, Hamed Haddadi (218-C-85). This comes after the hulking 2.18m center revealed his plans to rest an injury he sustained last year in preparation for the Asia Qualifiers to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in November. "After the FIBA Asia Challenge last year, I had an injury and had to rest, but I still needed to play with Sichuan in China," he shared. "My injury got wo... [read more]
TEHRAN (FIBA Asia Cup 2017) - Iran may have to do battle at the FIBA Asia Cup 2017 without their most dominant player, Hamed Haddadi (218-C-85).
This comes after the hulking 2.18m center revealed his plans to rest an injury he sustained last year in preparation for the Asia Qualifiers to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in November.
"After the FIBA Asia Challenge last year, I had an injury and had to rest, but I still needed to play with Sichuan in China," he shared. "My injury got worse after, and now I need to rest this summer and be ready for the Asia Qualifiers." This is a big development for Iran, of course, as Haddadi is not only the team's best big man, he is also a valuable veteran presence on a squad now dominated by up-and-coming players. Haddadi would have been able to not only anchor Team Melli's interior play but also help guide some of the young guys on the national team.
"They are young and need to be in the camp and practice," he said. "If we want the national team to improve and be stronger, we should trust the young players and give them more time."
Among the young players expected to see action for Iran at the Asia Cup are hotshots Behnam Yakhchali, Sajjad Mashayekhi and Vahid Dalirzahan - all of whom played for Iran at the WABA Championship 2017. With these players making an impact for Iran, Haddadi is confident they will be a force to reckon with at the Asia Cup.
"Our national team is doing the best because we have good preparation with the young players for the FIBA Asia Cup," he explained. "I see the motivation in players' faces, and I know everybody will do the best for the national team."
One stumbling block for Iran will be the inclusion of Australia and New Zealand in the Asia Cup this year. Both the Boomers and Tall Blacks are elite national sides, and having them may dampen the odds of Iran returning to the top of the podium. Haddadi, however, welcomes this development. He knows that for the level of play in Asia to further improve, teams will need to play much better competition. "I believe New Zealand and Australia will improve Asian basketball," he said. "If we want to play at the world quality, then we should play with more great teams, and these teams can help us."
Haddadi has been included in Iran's 24-man pool, but should he, indeed, miss the Asia Cup, new coach Erman Kunter will still have some rising stars who can carry the scoring, rebounding and shot-blocking cudgels. These include Rouzbeh Arghavan, Arsalan Kazemi and perhaps even Mohammad Torabi. Still, there is something to be said about having Asia's most dominant center of the past decade playing for your team, and Team Melli will most certainly still prefer having Haddadi on board for the Asia Cup.
TEHRAN (FIBA Asia Cup 2017) - Behnam Yakhchali (196-SG-95) is expected to be one of the big stars for Iran in the coming FIBA Asia Cup 2017, and that does not seem to faze the young man one bit. At just 21 years of age, the 1.95m wingman is already projected to be Iran's ace for the foreseeable future, and though that may place undue pressure on others, Yakhchali seems to have embraced it. He debuted for Team Melli's senior team as a wide-eyed 19-year-old back in 2014, already impressing... [read more]
TEHRAN (FIBA Asia Cup 2017) - Behnam Yakhchali (196-SG-95) is expected to be one of the big stars for Iran in the coming FIBA Asia Cup 2017, and that does not seem to faze the young man one bit.
At just 21 years of age, the 1.95m wingman is already projected to be Iran's ace for the foreseeable future, and though that may place undue pressure on others, Yakhchali seems to have embraced it. He debuted for Team Melli's senior team as a wide-eyed 19-year-old back in 2014, already impressing friend and foe with his instincts and, more importantly, his explosive outside shooting. He was part of the team in their 2015 campaign in Changsha-Hunan, where the Iranians were dethroned and placed 3rd overall. In that tournament, Yakhchali still played second fiddle to household name Samad Nikkhah Bahrami, but with the veteran forward not in the pool this year, the onus is on Yakhchali to carry a bigger responsibility and a heavier scoring load.
By all intents and purposes, though, the Shahrekord native looks ready. He put up 16.6 points per game at the WABA Championship 2017 earlier this year, scoring in double-figures in every game as Iran placed 2nd behind bitter rivals Lebanon. Can he continue to do that in Beirut for the FIBA Asia Cup in August?
Only time will tell, but he sure sounded confident in a recent interview with FIBA.com, where he talked about their level of preparation and a couple of their other key players. How are Iran's preparations so far for the FIBA Asia Cup? We started our practice immediately after our season, then we played preparation games versus China. We are looking for some other games to be ready for the FIBA Asia Cup. What can you say about having Jordan, Syria and India in your group? All those teams are really tough, but we are confident we will go there so focused and ready. Of course, we will give our best against every opponent.
What can you say about having French-Iranian Navid Niktash in the Iran national pool? It was his first time playing in Iran. He is a really good player, and he can help us during our games in the FIBA Asia Cup.
Which players do you think will step up for Iran, especially with veterans like Samad Nikkhah Bahrami and Mahdi Kamrani no longer around? Bahrami and Kamrani were really good players, but we have other good players with us this time also. Right now, everyone is trying to do his best for the national team.
Do you think your legendary center, Hamed Haddadi, will still be dominant? I think Haddadi is so good and will still be dominant in the next 4-5 years. He is the perfect leader for our team as we play for the gold medal in FIBA Asia.
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