Russia - Russia turns to US-style college game
A new college basketball league has been set up in Russia with the hope that it will one day become a feeder of players to future national teams. Recently, an all-star game was played featuring the country's top student ballers, with one very special guest invited along - former NBA great and Michael Jordan sidekick, Scottie Pippen. Pippen himself entered the NBA having played collage basketball for Arkansas, and he's a great fan of what the collage system has to offer.
From www.russiatoday.com
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A new college basketball league has been set up in Russia with the hope that it will one day become a feeder of players to future national teams.
Recently, an all-star game was played featuring the country's top student ballers, with one very special guest invited along - former NBA great and Michael Jordan sidekick, Scottie Pippen.
Pippen himself entered the NBA having played collage basketball for Arkansas, and he's a great fan of what the collage system has to offer.
"They're still a little bit behind, but they're coming on. You just have to sit back and let the process take its toll, start trying to develop the kids a little longer, it helps," said Pippen.
Russia aims to follow the American way of developing junior talent in order to ensure Russia stays competitive as a major basketball power.
"I think they have done a great job of grassrooting, working with players at a younger age and building from that," Pippen said.
Aleksandr Konovalov, president of the Student Basketball Association, says the American system serves as a good guide for the Russians.
"We take quite a lot from the American NCAA system. Of course, it's our situation and we can adopt our experience to our country and situation, but we still use quite a lot of the American system," Konovalov said.
On the surface, Russian basketball would appear to be in good health.
CSKA Moscow has been Europe's most dominant side since the turn of the millenium, while the national team were crowned European champions in 2007.
However, dig a little deeper, and problems start to emerge.
CSKA's recent success has been built largely on foreign talent, while the Russian team faired badly at the recent Olympics in Beijing.
Russia's head coach David Blatt has pointed out the lack of players he has to choose from on a number of occasions, but things could be about to change, with a new collage league being set up in Russia.
"We are only at the beginning. I think in three to five years we can see guys on the professional and national teams," Konovalov said.
And it would appear Russia's new Collage League shouldn't have too many problems in drumming up support.
Some of the country's top politician's, like Sergey Ivanov, who's an avid basketball fan, were out in force to support Russian student basketball.
As Russian basketball enters a transitional period, and players of the caliber of an Andrei Kirilenko are not coming out of Russia, the creation of a new college basketball league is just what the sport needs.