VALENCIA (Jeff Taylor's Eurovision) - Spain international Alex Abrines told me something a few years ago that I'll never forget.

A rising star on a Barcelona team that had a Spanish great in Juan Carlos Navarro, it was an American on the team that really made an impact on Abrines, a rising star that had traded guaranteed minutes at Unicaja Malaga before the season for a giant club and a chance to compete alongside some of the best in Europe.

Which Barcelona players, I wanted to know, had he been learning the most from?

"I need to learn the talent of Navarro," he said, "and the attitude of Pete Mickeal. "Every practice, Pete gives like 200%. It's great to see."

Mickael was a great player in his time in Spain's Liga Endesa, at Baskonia and Barcelona. He was also just one of many Americans that have lived the dream of playing professional basketball overseas and not in the bright lights of the NBA.

Three weeks into the Basketball Champions League season and it seems to me there are a lot of Pete Mickaels, players that love having a chance to compete in Europe and give as Abrines described it "200%".

They're making the level of competition better. I've watched 12 games and in all 12, at least one of my compatriots has stood out with great effort first and foremost, but also excellence.

SIG Strasbourg got their first win at home against Telenet Oostende on Tuesday after former Florida Gator Erving Walker almost got a triple-double! He rose to the occasion with 17 points - most of them in the second half - 9 assists and 8 rebounds.

The 1.73m Strasbourg guard Erving Walker has a huge heart

Fraport Skyliners might not have been allowed to return to Frankfurt had Kwame Vaughn not carried the team to victory at Helios Suns in Slovenia on Wednesday. The former Cal State Fullerton guard erupted for 27 points, many of which were scored in spectacular fashion.

My favorite performance of all, though, was turned in by Earl Clark of Besiktas at AEK Athens, a game between Basketball Champions League heavyweights. That was also a Tuesday game, and it was in OAKA - the venue for the knockout stage of the 2004 Olympics.

A former player with the Louisville Cardinals, the 28-year-old Clark had 24 points and 8 rebounds. And he stood out on a very good team that also has standouts Michael Thompson, Michael Roll and DJ Strawberry.

Clark, who is 2.08m in height, has a lot of guard in him. He scored on drives in traffic and 4 of 6 shots from 3-point range. Every time down the floor it seemed like he was making a big play.

Clark, in fact, did play in the NBA. He spent several years in the league after being taken with the 14th overall pick by Phoenix but his career never took off in the U.S. and now he finds himself in Europe.

What it all adds up to is that there is some very real talent in the Basketball Champions League and you need to watch it.

Jeff Taylor

FIBA

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