Iran
Showing posts with label Iran. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iran. Show all posts

2018 FIBA U18 Asia Group A Preview

August 02, 2018
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The 2018 FIBA U18 Asia Championship is set to tip off in Thailand this coming Sunday, August 5, where sixteen teams will vie for four berths to the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup. 

 This is the first ever FIBA U18 Asia tourney with both Australia and New Zealand joining, and their entry raises the level of competition quite significantly. 

 2016 champion Iran returns to the fray ready to defend its title, while 11-time champion China hopes to regain its place among the elite after finishing outside of the top 4 for the first time since 2008.  Both the Boomers and Tall Blacks, of course, will contend for the World Cup berths, while traditional Asian powerhouses Korea, Japan, Chinese Taipei, and the Philippines are also expected to impress. 

 Let's begin our coverage with a preview of Group A. 

IRAN

FIBA Boys Rank: 26th
Previous U18 Asia: Defending champions; Qualified for 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup (15th place).
Size: Average height is 6'5; Tallest players are Reza Moradi (6'9), Safa Nekooei (6'9), & Matin Aghajanpour (6'8).
Experience: Three players with experience in the 2017/2018 FIBA U16 Asian Championship, one player with experience in the 2016 FIBA U18 Asia Championship.
Projected top players:
Behshad Arabzadeh (PG)
Ehsan Dalirzahan (PG)
Amirhossein Rezaeifar (PF)




Outlook: 
- 1st or 2nd place team in Group A; makes it at least to the Quarter-Finals
- strong contender to qualify for 2019 U19 World Cup

 The defending champions have a tall and deep team here in Nonthaburi, including one holdover from the 2016 championship team - Amirhossein Rezaeifar, who should be this squad's best frontcourt player in this tournament. The guard duo of  Behshad Arabzadeh and Ehsan Dalirzahan should also heavily contribute, though they will be severely tested by the speedy Japanese in group play. Helping our Rezaeifar in the paint will be a bevy of tall trees, most notably 6'9 slotmen Safa Nekkoei and Reza Moradi along with 6'8 U16 superstar Matin Aghajanpour. Still, despite all their size and talent, U18 Team Melli is not assured of topping Group A as the young Japanese should pose a very formidable challenge for an outright Quarter-Finals spot.

JAPAN

FIBA Boys Rank: 27th
Previous U18 Asia: 2nd place; Qualified for 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup (10th place).
Size: Average height is 6'1; Tallest players are Shugo Asai (6'5), Hiroki Matsuzaki, Seishin Yokochi, and Ryuya Kaneda (all 6'4).
Experience: Six players with experience in the 2017/2018 FIBA U16 Asian Championship, and one with experience in previous Asia U16, Asia U18, and World U19 tournaments.
Projected top players:
Shuki Nakata (PG)
Satoshi Yuki (PF)
Seishin Yokochi (SF)

Outlook: 
- 1st or 2nd place team in Group A; makes it at least to the Quarter-Finals
- strong contender to qualify for 2019 U19 World Cup

 Japan were the surprise of the U18 Asia tourney two years ago when they made it all the way to the Final, and don't be shocked if they go far again here and qualify for the U19 World Cup. Playmaker Shuki Nakata is the only holdover from the 2016 U18 side, but he will be flanked by six guys who recently saw action in the U16 Asia Championship in China. Foremost among them will be the trio of Keisei Tominaga, Seishin Yokochi and Keijiro Mitani. Chikara Tanaka's injury will hurt Japan, since he will miss the entire tournament, but other guys like big men Shugo Asai, Satoshi Yuki, and Hiroki Matsuzaki will be expected to step up, especially when they face a taller Iranian side in group play. The U18 Akatsuki Five certainly want some payback against Iran, and if their trademark combination of quickness and shooting will be on point, then the West Asians could be in a world of hurt.

KAZAKHSTAN

FIBA Boys Rank: 52nd
Previous U18 Asia: 10th place.
Size: Average height is 6'3; Tallest players are Anumar Alpamys & Nil Fomichyov (both 6'7) and Mikhail Kanak & Viktor Verzun (both 6'6).
Experience: Two players with experience in the 2016 FIBA U18 Asian Championship.
Projected top players:
Dmitriy Romanenko (PG)
Anuar Shakirov (PG)
Nil Fomichyov (C)

Outlook: 
- 3rd place team in Group A; makes it to Qualification to Quarter-Finals
- not expected to qualify for 2019 U19 World Cup

 2016 U18 Asia veterans Dmitriy Romanenko and Anuar Shakirov are expected to take on leadership roles here for the U18 Steppe Wolves, and if they manage to get hot, then Kazakhstan may have a chance even against Japan and Iran. Much of it is also hinged on the performance of other key players for the team like big men Anumar Alpamys and Nil Fomichyov, who will certainly have their hands full against Iran. They won't be favorites by any stretch of the imagination to top Group A, but they should finish ahead of Indonesia and make it to the Qualification to Quarter-Finals.

INDONESIA

FIBA Boys Rank: 71st
Previous U18 Asia: 12th place.
Size: Average height is 6'2; Tallest players are Kelvin Sanjaya & William Kosasih (both 6'6) and Ali Bagir Alhadar (6'5).
Experience: One player with experience in the 2015 FIBA U16 Asian Championship.
Projected top players:
Aldy Rachman (SF)
Yesaya Michael (PG)
William Kosasih (C)
A post shared by Danny Kosasih (@coachdannykosasih) on

Outlook: 
- 4th place team in Group A; eliminated after group stage
- not expected to qualify for 2019 U19 World Cup

 As the only guy with prior Asia-level experience, Aldy Rachman will be the barometer of Indonesia's fortunes in Nonthaburi. Truth be told, there are not high expectations for Timnas Junior Basket in this competition, but that doesn't mean they will come all the way here just to lie down and fold. Expect Rachman & Co. to put up a good fight against the more experienced and skilled teams in Group A, and they should have a decent shot at pulling the rug from under Kazakhstan to try and advance to the next round through the back door. 
Check out all our #FIBAU18Asia Group Previews by clicking on the following!

 Group B Preview

 Group C Preview

 Group D Preview
Images from FIBA.basketball.
Check out the official coverage of the FIBA U18 Asia Championship from the tournament's official website HERE.

 FOR MORE 2018 FIBA U18 ASIA CHAMPIONSHIP COVERAGE, CHECK OUT THIS LINK! 

 FOLLOW THE AUTHOR ON TWITTER: @hoopnut

 LIKE OUR FAN PAGE ON FACEBOOK, TOO! 


#FIBAAsiaCup2017 Quarter-Finals Roundup

August 18, 2017
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Images from FIBA.basketball.
There were heartbreaks and blowouts in the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup Quarter-Finals, with Iran, Korea, New Zealand, and Australia all prevailing. Check out all the recaps and highlights from FIBA.com below. 

 IRAN over LEBANON, 80-70
Box Scores.

 Iran will advance to play Korea in the FIBA Asia Cup Semi-Finals after an 80-70 victory over Lebanon in their Quarter-Final on Wednesday evening.

 Hamed Haddadi had a monster 20-point, 20-rebound double double; the first 20-20 game of the tournament, Sajjad Mashayekhi had a number of key plays, and Mohammad Jamshidi had 24 points whilst only missing four shots to help Iran to the victory.

 Iran - who shot 50% on the game - almost led from start to finish, though Lebanon did a good job of hanging around. And although it was Iran who did a poor job of looking after the ball, Lebanon were plagued by poor outside shooting and beaten on the glass. A pushback in the third saw them pull to within six, but it would be the closest they would get the rest of the way.

 Wael Arakji had 24 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists and tried to lead a fourth quarter comeback, but Lebanon's defensive lapses allowed Iran to respond and keep their cushion.


KOREA over PHILIPPINES, 118-86
Box Scores.

 Korea put on one of the offensive masterclasses of the FIBA Asia Cup so far with a 118-86 dismantling of the Philippines to book their spot in the Semi-Finals.

 Korea shot over 66% from the field and 76% from beyond the arc, knocking down sixteen triples and registering 34 assists as nothing the Philippines could do would prevent their onslaught.

 Terrence Romeo caught fire in the first half to keep Philippines within striking distance, registering 22 points on six of nine shooting from beyond the arc, but would not score again after the halftime break.

 Korea were led by 22 points from Sekeun Oh, and 21 points from Sunhyung Kim, as he only missed two shot attempts.

 Korea will face the winner of the Lebanon-Iran Quarter-Final, which will be played later this evening. 


NEW ZEALAND over JORDAN, 98-70
Box Scores.

 New Zealand have set the stage for a Semi-Final match up with Australia after defeating Jordan 98-70 in their Quarter-Final on Thursday evening.

 It turned into a blowout in the fourth quarter, and though New Zealand led from start to finish, Jordan did a good job of refusing to go down without a fight.

 New Zealand dominated the glass, whilst shooting almost 50% from the field led by 19 points a-piece from Tohiraukura Smith-Milner and Shea Ili, with the latter adding 13 assists, as Finn Delaney finished with 17 points and 9 rebounds for the young squad.

 The deficit might have been bigger early if it wasn't for Jordan's Mah'd Abdeen being their saving grace, exploding for 20 of his 24 points in the first half whilst missing just one shot.

 One final third quarter rally from Jordan saw them pull within four, that that is as close as they would get the rest of the way.

 Mohammad Hussein joined Abdeen as the only other player in double figures for Jordan, with 14 points.


AUSTRALIA over CHINA, 97-71
Box Scores.

 Australia have booked their place in the FIBA Asia Cup Semi-Finals with a 97-71 drubbing of China.

 A 14-0 run over the final four minutes of the third period, led by Mitchell McCarron, saw Australia take a sixteen point lead into the last quarter where they would cruise for the final 26-point differential.

 The second half saw the Australians tighten the screw defensively, allowing just 29 points.

 Jason Cadee led Australia in scoring with 20 points, McCarron finished with 17, whilst Daniel Kickert and Mitch Creek added 16 points-a-piece.

 Gen Li had 19 points to pace China.

 Australia now await the winner of the New Zealand against Jordan Quarter-Final match up on Thursday evening, and will join Iran and Korea in the Semi-Finals.


FOR MORE 2017 FIBA ASIA CUP COVERAGE, CHECK OUT THIS LINK! 

 FOLLOW THE AUTHOR ON TWITTER: @hoopnut

 LIKE OUR FAN PAGE ON FACEBOOK, TOO! 

#FIBAAsiaCup2017 Roundup Day 6

August 14, 2017
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Images from FIBA.basketball.
The results of Day 6 formalized the Qualification to the Quarter-Finals pairings at the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup, with Gilas Pilipinas's sweep of Group B the highlight of the day. Check out all the recaps and highlights from FIBA.com below. 

 CHINA over IRAQ, 61-60
Box Scores.

 China survived a scare to prevail with a 61-60 victory over Iraq to tip off Sunday's final Group Phase action.

 With Iraq leading by 9 with just over four minutes remaining, the upset of the tournament appeared to be on, but China refused to go down without a fight.

 Ailun Guo caught fire, scoring 10 of his 19 points in the final three minutes to see China through. Han was the only other player in double figures for China with 11.

 Omar Alazawi led Iraq with 22 on 8 of 13 shooting, going six of seven from beyond the arc.


PHILIPPINES over TAIWAN, 80-74
Box Scores.

 The Philippines topped Group B with a 80-74 win to hold off a relentless Qatar on Sunday afternoon.

 Matthew Wright had 11 of his 25 points in the first quarter to get the Philippines off to the start they needed and hit huge baskets throughout, as his squad finished the Group Phase at 3-0.

 The Philippines were hot from beyond the arc, knocking down nine of their fifteen triples in the first half in front of a raucous crowd to remain in control.

 Qatar kept on fighting, led by Mansour Elhadary, and got back within five in the fourth but were unable to get over the hump, thanks in large part to the play of Wright.

 Cruz added 13 points for the Philippines, whilst Elhadary had 23 points and 6 assists for Qatar, and Saad finished with 18.


IRAN over JORDAN, 83-71
Box Scores.

 Iran prevailed 83-71 in the battle of the two undefeated teams in Group A.

 Another near triple-double from Hamed Hadadi (17 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists), and Behnam Yakhchali's 20-point, 10-rebound double-double proved to be enough for Iran, who finish atop of Group A at 3-0.

 Iran took a 43-26 lead into the break, pestering Jordan into 25% shooting, and led by as many as 22, as Jordan were chasing from the early stages.

 Mahmoud Abdeen had 22 points and 9 assists to lead Jordan in the loss.


SYRIA over INDIA, 87-78
Box Scores.

 Syria joined China in narrowly avoiding an upset with a 87-78 win over India in the final game of the Group Phase on Sunday evening.

 Trailing by as many as nineteen early in the third quarter, Ivan Todorovic had 9 of his efficient 23 points in the period as Syria began mounting their comeback. 

 Trailing by 8 to open the fourth, Micheal Madanly took over. He had 10 points in the final period, including six straight to give Syria the lead that they would hold on to for the victory.

 Todorovic added 14 rebounds with his 23 points, and Madanly finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.

 Amritpal Singh did a little bit of everything for India with 17 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Amjyot Singh Gill had 12 points and 8 assists, Annadurai top scored with 20 points.

 India finish up 0-3 at the bottom of Group A, as Syria picked up their first win at 1-2. They will play the Qualifications to Quarter-Finals on Tuesday.

FOR MORE 2017 FIBA ASIA CUP COVERAGE, CHECK OUT THIS LINK! 

 FOLLOW THE AUTHOR ON TWITTER: @hoopnut

 LIKE OUR FAN PAGE ON FACEBOOK, TOO! 

#FIBAAsiaCup2017 Roundup Day 4

August 12, 2017
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Images from FIBA.basketball.

Day 4 at the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup saw the Philippines, Iran, and Jordan remain unbeaten while China bounced back against Qatar. Check out all the recaps and highlights from FIBA.com below.

 CHINA over QATAR, 92-67
Box Scores.

 Ailun Guo had a dominant individual performance to lead China past Qatar 92-67 to open Friday's action.

 Guo knocked down five three-pointers on his way to 30 points, adding 4 rebounds and 4 assists, as China picked up their first win after an opening defeat to the Philippines. It was not until the second half the Chinese pulled away for good, momentarily falling behind midway in the second quarter before regrouping.

 Abdulrahman Saad and Ali Saeed Erfan were the high men for Qatar with 19 and 18 points, respectively. Qatar continue to look for their first win in Group A at the FIBA Asia Cup 2017. 


PHILIPPINES over IRAQ, 84-68
Box Scores.

Philippines recovered from a slow first half to defeat Iraq 84-68 with a dominant third period.

 A 26-7 third quarter run, whilst limiting Kevin Galloway's effectiveness, saw Philippines get the cushion they need to stay perfect atop of Group B at 2-0. 

 Christian Karl Standhardinger had 16 points and 7 rebounds for the Philippines, whilst Terrence Romeo added 17 points and 4 assists.

 Galloway did his best efforts to keep Iraq in it, finishing with 23 points (15 in the first half), 14 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks, but it would not be enough. 


JORDAN over INDIA61-54
Box Scores.

 Jordan improved to 2-0 with a 61-54 victory over a much-improved India side.

 After a mauling at the hands of Iran in their opener, India bounced back and managed to hang with Jordan the entirety of the game, though ultimately were plagued by turnovers, as Jordan registered 12 steals on the game.

 Alawadi had 22 on 9 of 17 shooting and Ahmad Alhamarsheh had 13 rebounds to go with his 8 points for Jordan.

 India were led by 17 points from Amjyot Singh Gill and Aravind Annadurai's 6-point, 10-rebound, 2-block effort. 


IRAN over SYRIA, 87-63
Box Scores.

  Iran registered 29 assists on their way to a 87-63 victory over Syria to stay undefeated in Group A.

 Hamed Hadadi continued to make his case for one of the best passing big men in the game, finishing one assist shy of a triple double with 12 points, 13 rebounds and 9 assists.

 Syria struck first just 15 seconds into the game, but Mohammad Jamshidijafarabadi responded immediately with a three to give Iran a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way, pulling away in the second period to extend their lead to 20 by halftime.

 Jamshidijafarabadi provided additional support on the ball sharing front, adding 9 assists of his own to go with 16 points, whilst Behnam Yakhchali led the scoring with 25 points on 9 of 13 shooting.

 Micheal Madanly led Syria, who dropped to 0-2, with 22 points.


FOR MORE 2017 FIBA ASIA CUP COVERAGE, CHECK OUT THIS LINK! 

 FOLLOW THE AUTHOR ON TWITTER: @hoopnut

 LIKE OUR FAN PAGE ON FACEBOOK, TOO! 

#FIBAAsiaCup2017 Roundup Day 2

August 09, 2017
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Image from FIBA.

The 2017 FIBA Asia Cup saw a couple of upsets on Day 2, highlighted by the Philippines' stirring win over China and Iraq's unexpected victory over undermanned Qatar. Check out all the recaps and highlights from FIBA.com below.

 PHILIPPINES over CHINA, 98-87
Box Scores.

 Two years after their infamous Final loss in Changsha-Hunan, the Philippines dealt sweet vengeance against perennial tormentors China.

 The Philippines have had a painful history facing China at the continental level, and by all indications, today's game was supposed to be another notch in China's favor. Entering this matchup, China had won 6 of their last 9 meetings with the Philippines at the senior men's level.

 The Chinese were bigger, deeper and had significantly longer preparation as they entered the Asia Cup 2017 in Beirut. With 2015 All-Star Five member Guo Ailun leading the way, China were heavily favored against Gilas Pilipinas, who were without prized naturalized player Andray Blatche and who recently lost key center June Mar Fajardo to injury.

 As soon as the opening tip of today's pivotal encounter, though, the Philippines were in overdrive. Coach Chot Reyes's wards looked every bit like the favorites. They were throwing triple-teams at China, forcing turnovers, running in transition and hitting their three-point bombs.

 The Filipinos channelled all the pent up frustration of the past and turned it into energy that they used to the hilt.

 The duo of Jayson Castro and Terrence Romeo proved to be magical again for the Philippines, with Asia Cup newcomers Matthew Wright, Raymond Almazan and Christian Standhardinger also holding their own. Castro had 13 points and 7 assists, while Wright drained 2 triples en route to 12 points. Aguilar, for his part, was a defensive dynamo, recording 5 blocked shots.

 This result pushed the Philippines as favorites to top Group B, and it will be interesting to see how they approach their next matches against the Qatar and Iraq.


IRAN over INDIA, 101-54
Box Scores.

 Take a look back on the highlights as Iran sent a message to the rest of Group A with a dominant 101-54 performance over India.

 Iran jumped out to a 21-point first quarter lead and never looked back, as they faced little resistance from the Indian side.

 Hadadi led the victors with 20 points and 8 assists, whilst India were led by Amjyot Singh Gill's 10 points, as the only player in double figures.


IRAQ over QATAR, 75-66
Box Scores.

 Iraq registered a huge victory, taking down Qatar 75-66 to put them in a strong position to advance to the knockout stages.

 Despite a surge from Qatar in the fourth, Iraq stayed in control from start to finish, led by Kevin Galloway's 18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals,

 Abdulrahman Saad was Qatar's top performer with a game-high 23 points.


JORDAN over SYRIA, 68-66
Box Scores.

 Jordan survived a furious late rally from Syria to prevail 68-66 in the final game of Day 2 at the FIBA Asia Cup.

 Jordan appeared to be in control of the contest, before Syria cut a 20-point lead to single digits, even taking a lead momentarily. However, Jordan made plays when it counted to hold on for the win.

 Sixteen points from Mousa Alawadi led Jordan, with a game-high 25 points from Tarek Aljabi proving not to be enough for Syria.


FOR MORE 2017 FIBA ASIA CUP COVERAGE, CHECK OUT THIS LINK! 

 FOLLOW THE AUTHOR ON TWITTER: @hoopnut

 LIKE OUR FAN PAGE ON FACEBOOK, TOO! 

#FIBAAsia2017: Should Bahrami and Kamrani return to the Iran national team?

March 05, 2017
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Image from FIBA.
*This appeared on my weekly column on FIBA.com.

 Iran did well in 2016, winning the FIBA Asia Challenge that was held on home soil. That was a great way to bounce back from their debacle in the FIBA Asia Championship 2015, where Team Melli missed out on a berth in the Final and had to settle for third place behind the Philippines and eventual champs China.

 Last year, Iran saw a number of rising stars finally take center stage. Foremost among these was Behnam Yakhchali, a combo guard who has good enough handles to spot minutes at point guard while also possessing the size and shooting touch to be a really effective shooting guard. He normed around 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 3 triples per game in the FIBA Asia Challenge. Yakhchali's wing partner, Mohammad Jamshidi, also shone, averaging 10 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists as Iran took home the top prize in the biennial joust. They went unbeaten in eight games, winning by an average of 32.3 points. Needless to say, their big man in the middle, Hamed Haddadi, was also unstoppable, putting up 18.0 points and 13.8 boards per contest while young frontliners Mohammad Hassanzadeh and Arsalan Kazemi also did a lot of damage.
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