UKR – Melnychuk points finger at himself in Ukraine blame game

KIEV (EuroBasket Qualifying) - Ukraine had very high expectations heading into this year’s EuroBasket Division A campaign under coach Valentyn Melnychuk – the boss who led Portugal to a surprise appearance in the final round last year in Spain.

But the Melnychuk magic didn’t work in his homeland as the national side slumped to five defeats in six games.

The biggest surprise was Ukraine’s inability to beat Belgium, the team most felt would finish bottom of Group C but instead defeated Melnychuk’s men to come in third and earn a place in next year’s Additional Qualifying Round.

"We had great moments against Turkey and France,” Melnychuk said.

“Unfortunately our worst games came out against our main competitors - Belgium."

During the build-up to the EuroBasket qualifying games, five Ukrainian players – three of them potential starters - were withdrawn from the national side by their clubs in an apparent dispute with the federation which still hasn’t been solved.

Small forwards Victor Kobzistiy and Maxim Kornienko, center Grygori Khizhniak and point guard Maxim Vilkhovetskiy - all Dnipro players – were taken out of the national side by Dnipro while Politekhnika Galychyna Lviv removed their power forward Yaroslav Zubritskky.

Once the competition was underway, other than a come-from-behind win in the fourth quarter against France, Ukraine lost five qualifying games.

Having hoped to reach EuroBasket 2009 before the start of the Division A campaign, Ukraine instead finished bottom of Group C and must now play in next summer’s relegation round.

“The reason for just one win in six games is me, the head coach,” Melnychuk said, refusing to point the finger at the clubs that had robbed him of key personnel.

Instead, he took issue with his own management of the players who did compete.

“I was being way too democratic, which led to anarchy,” he said.

“I should have become the bad guy after our first camp in Italy, but chose not to and it's my fault.”

Melnychuk wasn’t ready to be the “bad guy” after his team’s fate had been sealed.

“I have to thank the players for working with us all summer - for all the travels, for being at home just one day a month,” he said.

In the relegation round, Ukraine will take on the Czech Republic, Hungary and Estonia.

FIBA