Preview: Stretch run for Maroussi

Maroussi wins Saporta Cup (now Eurocup) 2001

So, Maroussi has three more opportunities to get another victory before being relegated to a lower division next season. Since its historic win over Peristeri two weeks ago, Maroussi lost to Panathinaikos and Colossus, but they basically amounted to preparation for the final three games (against sub-.500 clubs).

And may I suggest Maroussi (1-20), which hosts Aris (9-12) tomorrow evening, learned quite a bit in the losses. First, young Dimitrios Agravanis is emerging as a legitimate offensive threat. The 6-foot-10 teenager — he turned 17 in December — averaged 12 points and 8 rebounds per game. Second, poor 3-point shooting is killing them.

Maroussi went 8 of 46 from 3-point range the past two games. That’s 17 percent. Prodromos Nikolaidis is their go-to guy from downtown but he’s just 3 of 17 in the two losses. The problem is, with Nestoras Kommatos and three other starters gone, teams key on Nikolaidis. Still, he led Maroussi with 22 points (7 of 11 inside the arc) against Colossus on Wednesday.

Aris would make the playoffs if the season ended today and is riding a three-game winning streak. Christos Tapoutos is the team’s leading scorer (14.8 ppg, 6 rpg). Ronald Davis, an alum of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, averages 10 points per game.

Aris has young scorers, as well. Sergio Kerusch (Western Kentucky) averages 7.5 ppg and 4 rpg, while Sam Muldrow (South Carolina) is at 6.5 ppg and 5 rpg. Princeton’s Dan Mavraides has been getting more minutes lately, too. Kerusch scored 24 points in a 79-71 victory over Maroussi on Jan. 4.

Preview: Maroussi goes island hopping

Marcus Hatten (www.esake.gr photo)

Maroussi plays Colossus tomorrow on the island of Rhodes. Strictly business. Coach Nikos Linardos ignored my team-bonding idea of shell collecting at the beach. There’s “no time” for that, apparently. The team is scheduled to board a morning flight tomorrow, play at 4 p.m. local time, then return to Athens later in the evening. Normally, a team would arrive the night before and sleep at a hotel. But cash-strapped Maroussi can’t afford it.

Awaiting young Maroussi (1-19) is Colossus (14-6), which has lost three of its last four games but wants to maintain its third-place spot going into the playoffs. With four games remaining, it’s not going catch Olympiakos (20-1) or Panathinaikos (18-2) but Rethymno and Panionios, both 13-7, are close behind. If the season ended now, Colossus would open the playoffs against Kavala (11-10).

The top four finishers in the playoffs qualify for European championships; the top two teams play in the elite Euroleague while the other two go to the qualifying round of the next-best tournament, the Eurocup.

Marcus “Mo” Hatten and fellow guard Angelos Tsamis are the top scorers, averaging 12.4 ppg. Hatten played briefly with the Denver Nuggets in the 2004-05 season. The Baltimore native was undrafted in 2003 out of St. John’s, where he was coached by Mike Jarvis (of the great city of Cambridge, Massachusetts).

Scotty Hopson averages 9 points and 3 rebounds per game. The 22-year-old left Tennessee one year ago, after his junior year. Hopson, a gifted shooting guard with highlight-reel finishing ability, was not drafted. This is his first stint overseas. Another USA American, Ruben Boykin, is averaging 11 points and 6 rebounds.

Last week, Maroussi took a beating, as expected, from Panathinaikos. But the takeaway? Backup center Dimitrios Agravanis finished with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Agravanis and fellow 17-year-old center Lampros Tsontzos have been gaining valuable experience since four of five Maroussi starters left the financially troubled team earlier this year.

To stay competitive, however, Maroussi’s shooting needs to improve. It’s been deplorable recently. They hit 5 of 25 three-point attempts last week, and went 11 of 39 inside the arc.

Panathinaikos wins; Maroussi teen scores 15 points (Videos)

Dimitrios Agravanis

This was a slightly more interesting game than I expected. For the record, Panathinaikos easily defeated Maroussi, 96-56, in a game that was pretty much over in the first quarter.

But no one was playing for today. Panathinaikos (18-2) was tuning up for Saturday’s Greek Cup final against bitter rival Olympiakos — think Celtics and Lakers, but add hooligans. Maroussi (1-19) was gaining experience in hopes of pulling off another victory this season.

For Maroussi, backup center Dimitrios Agravanis had a breakout game. He came off the bench and led Maroussi with 15 points and 7 rebounds. He was 3 of 11 from the field but sank 9 of 11 free throws. Not bad for a kid who turned 17 years old in December.

Fellow 17-year-old Lampros Tsontzos picked up his third foul just seven minutes into the first quarter, forcing Agravanis to eat up more minutes. He was aggressive on the offensive end (see video), which helped him get to the foul line.

Panathinaikos, the defending Euroleague champion, wasn’t going easy on Maroussi, pressing guards Lefteris Akepsimaidis and Giannis Demertzis the whole game.

In case anyone thought Panathinaikos wasn’t taking the game seriously, coach Zeljko Obradovic cleared things up just 39 seconds into the first quarter when he benched guard Nick Calathes. The 23-year-old had decided to ad-lib for a split second instead of methodically running the offense. Tsontzos stole the ball from Calathes at the foul line as he tried to drive.

Obradovic gave Calathes a talking to before the Florida alum sat on the bench. He returned after the first quarter, and led the team with 13 points. He also recorded 4 assists and 4 steals.

Obradovic, a Serb who is considered one of the greatest European coaches ever, also gave the business to Alexis Kiritsis after a turnover. He wasn’t pleased by much of anything (see video), even as the Greens shot 60 percent from the field and out-rebounded Maroussi 55 to 23.

Aleks Maric, 6-foot-11 and 275 pounds, had 9 points and 11 rebounds for Panathinaikos. Kostas Kaimakoglou, who played for Maroussi from 2004 to 2010, scored 8 points and added 5 rebounds. Sarunas Jasikevicius chipped in with 12 points.

Maroussi connected on just 5 of 25 3-point attempts and shot 28 percent inside the arc. Three-point specialist Prodromos Nikolaidis was 2 of 10 from downtown.

DIMITRIOS AGRAVANIS FINISHES:

 

COACH ZELJKO OBRADOVIC: