Sunday, May 27, 2007

SBL Finals: Taiwan Beer one win away from first SBL title


(Lin Chih-jay, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

For the second straight game, Taiwan Beer opened up a big lead in the first half and held off Dacin's rally in the second. TB beat Dacin 78-70 in Game 5 of the 2007 SBL Finals Sunday and took a 3-2 lead after winning Game 4 and 5.

TB is one win away from its first title in SBL history and can clinch the title if it wins the Game 6 on June 2.

The Beermen stepped up their defense and limiting Dacin's outside shooting to open up a 26-9 lead in the end of the first quarter. The lopsided score was up to 33-9 after a 7-0 TB run to open the second quarter.

Just as the game seemed out of reach, Tien Lei came to work. Tien helped Dacin cut the deficit to five points in mid-third quarter. Although TB increased the margin back to double-digit, Dacin once again made the game interesting when Tien Lei hit consecutive threes to make the score 74-70 with 1:12 to go.

Chang Chi-feng missed an easy layup on the ensuing play however. Dacin was forced to foul afterwards as TB point guard Chen Shih-nian made 4 straight free-throws to ensure the win.

Lin Chih-jay had 28 points to pace the Beermen while Chen Shih-nian, whose starting position has been taken by Hsu Hao-cheng, bounced back with 9 points and 6 rebounds. Lo Shin-liang, the missing link in the first four games, scored 10 points while forward Shan Wei-fan turned in an all around play of 7 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists.

Dacin received 26 points from Tien Lei, who was 5-of-11 from three and tried to single-handedly save the game, but little from anyone else. Lin Yi-huei had 14 points and Chen Tse-wei had 11. Starters Chang Chi-feng only had 2 points and Wang Chih-chun failed to score.

Rumors I heard...

I have been hearing some flying rumors since the conclusion of the regular season:


Yang Chin-min is going to TB?


Rumor said Yua Ying-li will sign with Videoland.

1. Yang Chin-min and Yua Ying-li, Bank of Taiwan's only players on the national team roster, are both expected to leave the team. Yang even wrote in his blog as soon as the regular season ended saying that he is going to Taiwan Beer. And sources told me that Videoland has been contacting Yua, who joined BOT two years ago.


Yang Che-yi is considering leaving Videoland.


Lee Chi-yi was one of VL players who have not been getting along well with the head coach.

2. There will probably be a lot of changes in Videoland. I heard that head coach Liu Chih-wei wil be axed and return to his managerial role because of his below-average human relationship skills. In other words, he did not get along with players.

Word is that Yang Che-yi and Lee Chi-yi, two of VL's core players, are both contemplating leaving. However, I wonder which team will be able to take them. If Yang goes to TB as one of my sources said, his role and playing time will drop drastically due to TB's overloaded roster. It's not a good team for him to go if he wants to take his game to another level and be a leader.


Hsu Hao-cheng has been playing superb in the playoffs.

3. It's believed Videoland is contacting Hsu Hao-cheng, who has been particularly well in the playoffs and one of the key players for Taiwan Beer's title quest.

VL contacted Hsu prior to the start of the last season but TB wouldn't let him go. With starting point guard Chen Shih-nian often playing out of control, TB needs a stablizing force like Hsu in its backcourt.


Will Jonathan Sanders stay in Taiwan and put on a different uniform next season?

4. Sources told me that Azio Eagles is contacting Jonathan Sanders, who will not be back with Videoland under current SBL regulation because VL made the playoffs this year. Currently, only non-playoff teams are allowed to hire import players under the height of 6-7. Until furthur notice, the regulation still stands.


ETSN is not expected to re-sign Delvin Thomas next season.

5. Delvin Thomas is one of the most unselfish imports I've seen in a while, along with VL's Sanders. Thomas does everything his coach asked and his teammates need whether it's defense, an offensive rebound or a basket. However, I heard that ETSN does not plan to re-sign him next season. What a pity.

Thomas suffered a knee injury in his first game of the season and before his return, ETSN has dug themselves a big hole that Thomas alone couldn't help much.

(All photos courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

VL closes out Yulon 3-1 ; TB evens Finals at 2-2


(Led by Lin Chih-jay, TB evened the series at 2-2, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

Taiwan Beer's second unit rose to the occassion and helped the team avoid dropping to a 3-1 hole in the 2007 SBL Finals. Hsu Hao-cheng and Lin Kwan-lun filled in the starting lineup nicely, leading the Beermen to a 79-66 win over Dacin Tigers and evened the series 2-2 Saturday.

TB head coach Yen Jia-hua decided to insert hsu and Lin in the starting lineup to replace Chen Shih-nian and Lo Shin-liang, who haven't played well in the first three games, and his decision paid dividends. Point guard Hsu Hao-cheng, who had 6 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists, directed a perfect TB offense while Lin Kwan-lun scored 13 points as an off guard.

The game was almost the replay of the Game 3 last night, which Dacin routed TB. As Dacin failed to find baskets all game long, TB pulled away with a 23-6 run in the first half en route to a 13-point halftime lead and never looked back.

TB forward Lin Chih-jay was still brilliant in scoring 19 points, but the play of its second unit was the key. In addition to Hsu and Lin, backup forward Wang Jian-wei had 11 points and defended Tien Lei well. Veteran forward Shan Wei-fan had 10 points and 6 rebounds.

Dacin, which only scored 9 points in the second quarter, was led by Tien Lei's 12 points and 6 boards. Chen Tse-wei's 12 points all came in the second half, when the game has turned into a garbage time. Chang Chi-feng and Lin Yi-huei scored 11 points each.

Game 5 will be played Sunday.


(Videoland beat Yulon 3-1 for the third-place, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

It is official. Three-time defending champ Yulon Dinos ended the most disappointing season in its SBL history by losing to Videoland 3-1 in the third-place series Saturday. The Hunters closed out the series with a 94-85 win.

VL import Jonathan Sanders turned in 23 points, 19 rebounds and 4 assists in his last game with the team as current SBL regulation does not allow playoff teams hiring imports the next season.

Yang Che-yi had 23 points, 5 boards and 3 assists. Chen Huei had 14 points. Lin Shin-hwa and Lee Chi-yi scored 11 each.

Yulon hasn't been playing like a three-time defending champ in the playoffs this year. Maybe they took opponents lightly and their heads were never in the game. And maybe they were simply tired of winning all those titles. One thing is sure: they will have a long summer before coming back next year.

Yulon was led by Chen Chih-chun's 15 points.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

SBL Finals: Tien Lei's 32 powered Dacin to 2-1 lead


(Tien Lei, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)


(Chen Tse-wei, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

Tien Lei had 32 points and Chen Tse-wei had 18 as Dacin routed Taiwan Beer 89-71 Friday in Game 3 of the 2007 SBL Finals and took a 2-1 lead in the series.

Tien also pulled down 8 rebounds and made all 11 of his free-throws while Chen Tse-wei once again became the assassin, making four of his first five three-point attempts coming off the bench and help Dacin to a 17-point firsthalf lead after a 19-2 run in the second quarter.

Chang Chi-feng also scored 19 for Dacin, which dropped the Finals opener before winning two straight.

TB cut the deficit to five at one point in the third quarter but couldn't to make the extra push. Lin Chih-jay led TB with 23 points and 11 boards. Ho Sho-jen had 12 and Lin Kwan-lun had 11.


(Jonathan Sanders, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

In the thrid-place series, Jonathan Sanders had 17 points and 13 rebounds and Videoland Hunters beat Yulon 79-65 to take a 2-1 lead and look to close out the series Saturday in Game 4.

Yulon didn't play like a three-time champion at all Friday, digging themselves a big hole by scoring only 6 points in the first quarter. For a stretch spanning between the third and final quarter, Yulon failed to put any point on the scoreboard in more than six minutes.

Deng An-cheng had 11 points for the winner. Yang Che-yi and and Lin Shin-hwa had 10 points each.

Yulon was led by Chen Chih-chun's 15 points. Liu Sheng-yao had 13.

Monday, May 21, 2007

SBL Finals: Chen Tse-wei comes to Dacin's rescue


(Chen Tse-wei had 27 points in Game 2, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

Dacin forward Chen Tse-wei scored 17 of his career playoff-high 27 points in the 4th quarter and outdueled TB star forward Lin Chih-jay, who had 14 in the period, as Dacin beat TB 84-78 in Game 2 of the 2007 SBL Finals and tied the series at 1-1.

Chen, who has been playing the best ball of his career in the playoffs, made all nine of his two-point attempts and was 2-of-4 from three and 3-of-4 at the free-throw line in the game. The last of his three-pointers came at 1:55 remaining and increased Dacin's lead to 77-70. Chen then made three of four free-throws to keep the score out of reach.

Dacin, which trailed 44-39 at the half, rode on Chen and Tien Lei's shoulders in the second half when they outscored TB 45-34. Tien Lei had 22 points and 9 boards for the Tigers. Chang Chi-feng added 10.

TB was led by Lin Chih-jay's 33 points. However, no one scored more than 10 points except for Shan Wei-fan, who had 13. Ho Sho-jen scored only 7 points before fouling out of the game with 4:51 to go.

Chen Tse-wei has been used as the primary substitute for several seasons. Mainly a three-point shooter during the regular season, Chen came out of nowhere and became the most reliable and fearless scorers -- other than Tien -- for Dacin in the post season. He had 18 and 12 points in Dacin's first two playoff games this year and helped Dacin upset Yulon in the first two games of first round series to a 2-0 lead. He also scored 15 in Game 4.

The biggest change for Chen was he started to take the ball strong to the basket instead of only looking for three-point shots. The inside-outside mix made him hard to stop for TB defenders.


(Jonathan Sanders's 21 points were not enough, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

Jonathan Sanders finally broke out of a slump and played his best game in this post season by scoring 21 points and pulled down 15 rebounds, including 13 points in the third quarter, but that wasn't enough to stop Yulon from winning Game 2 of the third-place series 77-72. Both teams are now tied 1-1 in the best-of-five series.

Chen Hsin-an led five Yulon double-digit scoreres with 18 points. Tsun Wen-din and Chen Chih-chun had 15 points apiece. Lu Cheng-ju and Lee Hsueh-lin both had 10 points.

Yang Che-yi had 18 points for the Hunters.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Lin, Ho power Taiwan Beer to SBL Finals Game 1 win


(Tien Lei alone couldn't take Dacin to the Game 1 win, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)


(Taiwan Beer continued its regular season dominance over Dacin in Game 1, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

The forward tandem of Lin Chih-jay and Ho Sho-jen scored 43 points as Taiwan Beer continued its regular season dominance over Dacin Tigers, winning the 2007 SBL Finals Game 1 83-70 to take a 1-0 lead.

After a rusty first half, TB bounced back with a strong second half and outscored Dacin 48-31 en route to the 13-point victory. The Beermen finally controlled the game after a 12-3 run in the 4th quarter and took a 69-60 lead.

Lin Chih-jay had 21 points, 10 boards and 5 assists while Ho Sho-jen had a team-high 22 points. Chen Shih-nian scored 14 points.

Dacin was led by Tien Lei's 22 points and 13 rebounds. Lin Yi-huei had 13 points while Wang Chih-chun had 12 points and Chang Chi-feng 11 points.


(Yang Che-yi had 21 points in Game 1 win of the third-place series, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

In Game 1 of the third-place series, Yang Che-yi scored 6 straight points as Videoland held off Yulon's rally and pulled out with a 95-86 win.

Yang led the Hunters with 21 points. Lee Chi-yi had 19 points to go with 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Wu Yong-jen scored 17 points for the winner, which also had 10 points from veteran Lai Kuo-hong. Import Jonathan Sanders had 9 points and 7 rebounds.

Yulon trailed 40-27 at halftime but cut the deficit down to three points, 85-82, in the final period. Chen Chih-chun led the Dinos with 22 points. Lee Hsueh-lin followed with 19 points. Center Tsun Wen-din had 15 points, 7 boards and 6 assists.

Chen Hsin-an, who not long ago was dubbed Taiwan's best player, once again turned in a disappointing performance, scoring 6 points in 31 minutes.

Honestly, I can't think of any sensible reason to play the best-of-five third-place series except trying to fill up the seats and sell more tickets. Even so, it's still a meaningless series just like NCAA's consolation game, which is not being held anymore.

Friday, May 18, 2007

Dacin knocked Yulon out of the SBL playoffs


(Tien Lei, left, scored 38 points in the clincher, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)


(Dacin beat Yulon 3-2 in the first round series and will meet Taiwan Beer in the finals, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

Two weeks after NBA's top seed Dallas Mavericks was eliminated in the first round by the No. 8 seed Golden State Warriors, the SBL presented its own shocker.

Tien Lei had 38 points and 13 rebounds in the Game 5 of the first round series as Dacin Tigers beat Yulon Dinos 3-2 after a 77-75 win Thursday night and advanced to the SBL Finals for the second time in team history.

Dacin was swept by Yulon 3-0 in the 2004-05 SBL Finals. It will meet Taiwan Beer, who also upset No. 2 seed Videoland in the first round series, 3-1, in a best-of-seven Finals.

The hero of the game was Tien Lei, who made a series-winning reverse layup with 13.1 seconds remaining and scored 32 of his 38 points in the second half. Tien took the game on his shoulder and was the main reason Dacin was able to recover from a 15-point halftime deficit.

Trailing 39-24 at the half, Dacin took the lead, 53-51, after a 29-12 rally in the third quarter. Tien Lei scored 17 points in the period, including three three-pointers.

Dacin led by as many as seven in the final period. But Yulon refused to back down. Tsun Wen-din's steal and fastbreak layup tied the score at 75 all with under a minute to go. After Tien's layup, Yulon still has time for a final shot. But Chen Hsin-an missed and Lu Cheng-ju failed to convert the follow-up at the final buzzer.


(For the first time, Yulon is out of the SBL finals, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

Which means, there would be no four-peat for Yulon Dinos. This time, Yulon players have to watch the SBL finals on TV.


(Lee Fong-yong saved his best game of the season for Thursday night, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

Dacin: Tien Lei 38p+13rb, Lee Fong-yong 20p
Yulon: Tsun Wen-din 27p+9rb+5blk, Chen Chih-chun 17p+8rb, Chou Shih-yuan 13p, Chen Hsin-an 12p+7rb

Thursday, May 17, 2007

TB eliminated VL 3-1, advanced to finals


(Hsu Hao-cheng, left, made a three to send TB to the SBL finals, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

Hsu Hao-cheng made a game-winning three-pointer with 4.1 seconds left as Taiwan Beer edged Videoland 86-84 in Game 4 of the first round series to close out the series 3-1 and advanced to the SBL finals for the second straight year.

Taiwan Beer, which will wait for the winner of the Yulon-Dacin series, lost to Yulon 4-1 in the 2006 SBL finals.

For TB and VL, the game was a must-win. The score was tied at 63 all in the end of the third quarter as VL led by four with four minutes left. TB missed four straight free-throws in the last 2:30 and gave VL another chance.

After a Yang Che-yi three, VL led by one, 84-83, as TB had one last possession to win the game. Shan Wei-fan received the ball at the top of the key and found Hsu Hao-cheng at the left baseline. Hsu, who scored a playoff career-high 19 points, let it fly as soon as he caught the pass.

"I kept telling my teammates I'm ready [for the playoffs]. And I appreciate their confidence in me, " Hsu said after the game.

VL still had time to tie or win the game, but Jonathan Sanders missed a layup as the final buzzer sounded. Sanders has not been able to dominate the game in the series like he did during the regular season because TB's defense was primarily focused on him.

VL enjoyed a 4-1 advantage over TB in the regular season, but obviously the playoffs was another story. For the Hunters, being knocked out of the postseason in the first round as a No. 2 seed will be something they want to forget.

TB: Lin Chih-jay 34p+10rb+4s, Hsu Hao-cheng 19p
VL: Yang Che-yi 33p+6rb, Deng An-cheng 12p, J. Sanders 12p


(Tien Lei, left, and Yulon's Tsun Wen-din fought for a rebound, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

Yulon made seven threes in a 38-point third quarter explosion and Lee Hsueh-lin made two free-throws with 8.1 seconds to clinch a 77-74 victory over Dacin and tied the series at 2-2. Three-time defending champ Yulon had won two in a row after dropping the first two games.

Led by Chen Tse-wei, who has been playing surprisingly well in the series, Dacin cut the 12-point deficit down to one late in the fourth quarter. Chen scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth before missing a game-tying three in the end.

Yulon: Tsun Wen-din 25p+8rb, Chen Hsin-an 19p+5TO, Chen Chih-chun 22p
Dacin: Tien Lei 14p+14rb, Chang Chi-feng 18p, Chen Tse-wei 15p, Lee Fong-yong 10p

Sunday, May 13, 2007

SBL playoffs: TB, Dacin grabbed 2-1 lead


(Lin Chih-jay scored 30-plus points for the second straight game, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

Taiwan Beer forward Lin Chih-jay had 33 points, including two three-point plays in the fourth quarter, as TB held off Videoland in a 80-73 win Sunday night to take a 2-1 lead in the first round playoff series.

Three-time defending champion Yulon, which was coming off the first losing streak in its SBL playoffs history and trailed 2-0, used a 30-16 third quarter to beat Dacin 111-93 in the elimination game to stay alive.

May 13
Yulon 111-93 Dacin (Dacin 2-1)

(Yulon F Lu Cheng-ju, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

Yulon: Lu Cheng-ju 31p(12-17 FG)+9rb, Tsun Wen-din 28p+6rb+5a, Chen Hsin-an 18p, Chou Shih-yuan 10p, Chen Chih-chun 10p
Dacin: Tien Lei 30p+11rb, Wang Chih-chun 15p, Chen Ching-wen 11p

TB 80-73 Videoland (TB 2-1)
TB: Lin Chih-jay 33p+7rb, Hsu Hao-cheng 11p, Ho Sho-jen 10p
VL: Yang Che-yi 20p, Jonathan Sanders 11p+12rb, Wu Yong-jen 14p, Lai Kuo-hong 11p

May 12
Dacin 81-80 Yulon (Dacin 2-0)


(Dacin took a surprising 2-0 lead, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

Dacin beat Yulon by a one-point margin for the second time in as many nights to take 2-0 lead and pushed the defending champ to the brink of elimination.

Trailing 79-75 with two minutes to go, Dacin never panicked. The Tigers scored six straight points on three consecutive back-door cuts to turned a four-point deficit to a two-point lead, 81-79. Chang Chi-feng failed to increased the lead by missing four straight free-throws but Yulon didn't take advantage of the opportunity as well.

Chen Hsin-an only made one out of three free-throws and missed a last shot that could've tied the score.

Dacin forward Tien Lei almost turned in a triple-double performance by having 20 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists. Chen Tse-wei played well for the second straight game, scoring 10 of his 15 points in the 4th quarter.

Dacin: Tien Lei 20p+11rb+9a, Chang Chi-feng 20p, Chen Tse-wei 15p, Chen Ching-wen 12p
Yulon: Tsun Wen-din 29p+9rb, Chen Hsin-an 15p+11rb, Chou Shih-yuan 15p, Lu Cheng-ju 11p

VL 94-88 TB (1-1)


(VL forward Jonathan Sanders, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

The Hunters took turn dominating the game as Videoland beat TB to tie the series 1-1 after a 94-88 victory.

Yang Che-yi had 14 of his team-leading 25 points in the first half for VL, which received 13 points in the third quarter from Lee Wei-min and 13 points in the final period from point guard Chen Huei.

VL: Yang Che-yi 25p, Lee Wei-min 18p, Chen Huei 19p, Jonathan Sanders 15p+11rb, Lai Kuo-hong 11p
TB: Lin Chih-jay 36p(7 3PT), Hsu Hao-cheng 13p

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Dacin, TB embrace day of underdogs


(Dacin upset defending champ Yulon in Game 1, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

The opening day of the 2006-07 SBL postseason proved to be a day for the underdogs, as fourth-seeded Dacin Tigers upset top seed Yulon 89-88 in overtime and third-seeded Taiwan Beer beat No. 2 seed Videoland 86-81. Dacin and TB both took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

Taiwan Beer 86-81 Videoland (TB 1-0)

(TB forward Ho Sho-jen, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

TB contained VL forward Jonathan Sanders with a tenacious defense and used a 13-3 run early in the 4th quarter to pull out the win. Sanders, who averaged 23.5 points and 16.3 rebounds in the regular season, was limited to 14 and 11 in the game by the main defender Ho Sho-jen.

VL was 4-1 in the regular season vs. Taiwan Beer.

TB: Lin Chih-jay 21p+10rb+5a, Ho Sho-jen 16p+10rb, Lo Shin-liang 13p, Shan Wei-fan 12p
VL: Yang Che-yi 24p, Lee Chi-yi 19p+10rb, Jonathan Sanders 14p+11rb

Dacin 89-88(OT) Yulon (Dacin 1-0)

(Dacin forward Chen Tse-wei, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

Yulon pulled ahead 82-80 by Chou Shih-yuan's layup with 2.8 seconds left in regulation before Chang Chi-feng tied the score with two free-throws and brought the game into overtime.

With Tsun Wen-din, Chen Hsin-an and Chen Chih-chun fouled out of the game in the extra session, Chang Chi-feng made two free-throws with 45.3 seconds remaining, when Dacin led 89-85. Wei Yong-tai's three pulled Yulon within one but Yulon failed to get the shot off in its last possession.

Dacin: Chen Tse-wei 18p(4 3PT), Chang Chi-feng 17p, Tien Lei 16p(6-18 FG)+19rb, Wang Chih-chun 11p, Yao Jun-jay 10p
Yulon: Tsun Wen-din 15p+10rb, Chen Hsin-an 14p+12rb, Chen Chih-chun 19p(4 3PT), Lu Cheng-ju 17p(5 3PT)

Friday, May 11, 2007

Taiwan women's NT ready for Asian Championship


(Taiwan Women's NT, photo courtesy of Nike Taiwan)

Taiwan women's NT was ready for the upcoming 22nd Asian Women's Championship, which will be held in Inchon, Korea from June 3 - 10 as the team unveiled their new Nike uniform Thursday.

Asian Women's Championship
Level I: China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia
Level II: Uzbekistan, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam

Taiwan women's NT preliminary round schedule:
June 3: Malaysia
June 4: Korea
June 5: Japan
June 6: China
June 7: Thailand

Top four teams in the prelim will advance to the cross-over semifinals, which will take place on June 9, as winners meet in the championship game on June 10.

Sanders named SBL April/May MVP


(Jonathan Sander, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

Videoland forward Jonathan Sanders was named SBL Monthly MVP for April/May Thursday. The U.S. import led Hunters to a 7-2 record in the last four weeks of the regular season and the second place finish (21-9) in the overall standing, averaging 25.1 points, 18.2 rebounds and 3 assists in nine games.

Sanders received 42 points in the media voting. Dacin forward Tien Lei ranked second with 16 points while Yulon forward Chen Hsin-an was third with 14 points.

As SBL playoffs tip-off Friday, Sanders said VL is ready for its first round opponents Taiwan Beer but would never take anything for granted, although VL enjoyed a 4-1 record vs. TB in the regular season.

VL head coach Liu Chih-wei described Sanders as Hunters' "last piece of the puzzle" in its quest for the SBL crown.

Monthly MVP:
April/May: Jonathan Sanders(VL)
March: Tien Lei(Dacin)
February: Lee Hsueh-lin(Yulon)
January: Jonathan Sanders(VL)

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

German-Taiwanese center Juefan Geiger



According to an Asia-basket.com report posted May 7, a 205cm German-Taiwanese center Juefan Geiger is playing for German Division III. The report said Geiger has a Taiwanese mother and is interested in playing in Taiwan.

Konstanz & Geiger lost final game in play-offs
by Kristian Santiago - May 7, 2007

German-Taiwanese center Juefan Geiger (205-C-81) and his team TV Konstanz lost at home 72-75 (31-34) to BIS Speyer in a thrilling final last weekend and almost certainly wont be promoted to the professional Second Division next year.
The powerful post player , who recorded 259 points in 22 games for Konstanz in the regular season (11,8 points per game) had another strong finish under baskets by recording 19 points for his team , but Konstanz needed a win in order to get promotion to the German "Pro B".
Geiger, who has a Taiwanese mother, was fundamental in Konstanz' winnigest season ever and with professional experience under his belt (played for Tubingen in the Bundesliga) would make a good addition to the Taiwanese League as well.
Right now, he is interested in playing and working there after finishing his studies in the next months, and we are hopeful to see him in a dress of a team in Taiwan in the next season.
http://www.asia-basket.com/TAI/TAI.asp


Juefan Geiger Bio:

JUEFAN GEIGER
Height: 205cm
Born: Feb.12, 1981
Position: Center
Nationality: Taiwanese-German
Previous teams: Kirchheim (Germany), Tuebingen (Germany)
Career:
2003-2004: SV Tubingen (2.Bundesliga): 22 games: 2.7ppg, 2.2rpg, 12ast
2004-2005: Walter Tigers Tuebingen (1.Bundesliga): 5 games: 1.4ppg, 1.0bpg
2005-2006: Walter Tigers Tuebingen (1.Bundesliga): 7 games: 0.1ppg
2006-2007: Kirchheim Knights (2.Bundesliga), left before the season started and joined TV Konstanz (Regionalliga,1T)
Awards/Achievements: German 2.Bundesliga (Group South) Champion -04

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

2006-07 SBL final stats leader

Scoring
1. Tien Lei(Dacin) 27.0
2. Jonathan Sanders(VL) 22.8
3. Lin CHih-jay(TB) 21.6
4. Chien Jia-hong(Azio) 20.0
5. Ho Sho-jen(TB) 19.2

Rebounding
1. Jonathan Sanders(VL) 16.1
2. Tien Lei(Dacin) 10.9
3. Delvin Thomas(ETSN) 9.6
4. Tsun Wen-din(Yulon) 7.9
5. Chien Jia-hong(Azio) 7.8

Assists
1. Su Yi-chieh(Dacin) 5.68
2. Lee Hsueh-lin(Yulon) 4.80
3. Chen Shih-nian(TB) 4.60
4. Chou Jun-san(TB) 3.80
5. Lin Chih-jay(TB) 3.67

Steals
1. Wang Chih-chun(Dacin) 1.90
2. Chou Shih-yuan(Yulon) 1.70
3. Lee Wei-min(VL) 1.69
4. Lee Hseuh-lin(Yulon) 1.68
5. Delvin Thomas(ETSN) 1.67

Blocks
1. Tsun Wen-din(Yulon) 2.10
2. Delvin Thomas(ETSN) 2.00
3. Tien Lei(Dacin) 1.39
4. Yua Ying-li(BOT) 1.34
5. Jonathan Sanders(VL) 1.28

SBL Week 14 MVP: Chen Hsin-an

Yulon forward Chen Hsin-an was named SBL Week 14 MVP for his dominant performances in two of the team's last three games of the regular season.

Chen averaged for 20 points, 7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in three games last week. He had 18 points and 14 points respectively in Yulon's voctories over tough rivals Taiwan Beer and Videoland and ensured the Dinos for its fourth consecutive regular season crown.

SBL Weekly MVP:
Week 14: Chen Hsin-an(Yulon)
Week 13: Lin Chih-jay(TB)
Week 12: Delvin Thomas(ETSN)
Week 11: Delvin Thomas(ETSN)
Week 10: Chien Jia-hong(Azio)
Week 9: Wang Chih-chun(Dacin)
Week 8: Chang Chih-feng(Dacin)
Week 7: Wang Chih-chun(Dacin)
Week 6: Shin Jin-jan(ETSN)
Week 5: Yang Yu-min(ETSN)
Week 4: Chen Hsin-an(Yulon)
Week 3: Lo Shin-liang(TB)
Week 2: Jonathan Sanders(VL)
Week 1: Lin Chih-jay(TB)

Monday, May 07, 2007

Yulon beat VL in 3OT to win regular season champ


(Chen Hsin-an comes to the rescue, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

Chen Hsin-an had 7 points in the last 1:12 of the regulation and Tsun Wen-din had a career-high 48 points as Yulon beat Videoland 116-111 in 3OT to finish atop the regular season for the fourth season in a row and win the No.1 seed in the playoffs.

Yulon (22-8) will meet No. 4 Dacin Tigers (17-13) in the best-of-five first round playoffs which starts May 11. Regular season runner-up Videoland Hunters (22-8) will meet No. 3 Taiwan Beer (19-11) in the other first round matchup.

The season finale was a game Yulon and VL loved to take, since it would determine the regular season title and a chance to avoid meeting tough Taiwan Beer in the first round series. Yulon would like to keep its title as "the only SBL regular season winner" while Videoland was desperately to win its first regular season title in team history.

VL led by as many as 14 points in the first half. But anyone knew an experienced team like Yulon would make a rally in the second half, which it did. Chen Hsin-an scored 14 of his 26 points in the fourth period to lead Yulon back in to the game. Chen scored 7 points in the last 1:12, including two power layups, and could've been the hero of the game before he missed four consecutive free-throws to give VL a breathing room as the game went into overtime.

Yulon was able to prevail after three overtime periods as Videoland players kept missing potential winners down the stretch. Jonathan Sanders' layup in the first OT rimmed out. Yang Che-yi's potential game-tying layup rimmed out in the third overtime.

The officiating didn't favor the Hunters as well. Four Hunters fouled out of the game, including Sanders who received two technicals in the game and at one point punched the courtside advertisement board to release his anger for missing calls.

Give Sanders credit though. He played his heart out by scoring 43 points and pulliing down 24 rebounds, trying to deliver his team a regular season title. In my opinion, Sanders will probably named as the regular season MVP for his consistent performance throughout the season and his leadership to transfrom Videoland from a non-playoff team into a title contender.

VL forward Lee Chi-yi missed both games this week for personal reasons. His mother passed away last week.

In other games today, Bank of Taiwan finished the season losing 18 straight. It was hard to imagine this is the same team that pushed Yulon to its limit in last year's first round playoff series. At the same time, Taiwan Beer tanked another game and Azio Eagles took advantage for its 7th win of the season, surpassing its 6-win goal before the season.

Azio 95-78 TB
Azio: James Mao 20p+7rb+3a+4s, Chien Jia-hong 20p+7rb, Hsu Shi-ching 16p, Hong Chih-shan 12p
TB: Lin Chih-jay 24p+6rb+4a(23 min), Lin Kwan-lun 12p, Pan Jen-der 10p

Dacin 77-63 BOT
Dacin: Tsai Jun-min 16p+10rb, Lo Yu-chun 12p
BOT: Ju Yong-hong 17p+10rb, Chang Bo-shen 12p, Chang Jun-hsuan 14p+8rb, Chen Shun-hsiang 12p

Yulon 116-111(3OT) Videoland
Yulon: Tsun Wen-din 48p+10rb, Chen Hsin-an 26p, Chou Shih-yuan 14p
VL: J. Sanders 43p+24rb, Yang Che-yi 18p, Wu Yong-jen 14p, Hu Yu-wei 13p

Saturday, May 05, 2007

2007 SBL playoffs schedule


(SBL playoffs starts on May 11, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

Date: May 11 - June 3
Venue: Taipei Physical Education College Gymnasium

Semifinals
========

#1 vs. #4
Game 1: May 11, 20:30
Game 2: May 12, 17:00
Game 3: May 13, 17:00
Game 4: May 16, 18:30
Game 5: May 17, 18:30

#2 vs. #3
Game 1: May 11, 18:30
Game 2: May 12, 19:00
Game 3: May 13, 19:00
Game 4: May 16, 20:30
Game 5: May 17, 20:30

Third-place series
=============
Game 1: May 19, 17:00
Game 2: May 20, 17:00
Game 3: May 25, 18:30
Game 4: May 26, 17:00
Game 5: May 27, 17:00

Final
====
Game 1: May 19, 17:00
Game 2: May 20, 19:00
Game 3: May 25, 20:30
Game 4: May 26, 19:00
Game 5: May 27, 19:00
Game 6: June 2, 19:00
Game 7: June 3, 19:00

Top seed to be determined on last day of season


(Jon Sanders, left, vs. Delvin Thomas, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

On the scond to last day of the regular season, Yulon and Videoland both won and still tied with an identical 21-8 record as two teams that have been battling for the best record all season will meet on the last day and determine the top playoff seed Sunday.

At the same time, Azio routed Dacin to get its sixth win of the season and matched head coach Hsu Jin-tse's goal when the rookie coach took over the team prior to this season. Dacin obviously tanked the game after clinching for the playoff yesterday by resting Tien Lei and Chang Chi-feng, top two scorers on the team.

Azio 85-66 Dacin
Azio: Chien Jia-hong 25p+8rb, Zuo Tsun-kai 20p, Wu Jian-long 9p+9rb
Dacin: Lin Yi-huei 20p+6rb, Chen Ching-wen 17p, Tien Lei DNP, Chang Chi-feng DNP

Yulon 101-91 TB
Yulon: Chen Hsin-an 22p+8rb, Tsun Wen-din 21p+15rb, Chen Chih-chun 19p, Lu Cheng-ju 13p, Wei Yong-tai 12p
TB: Lin Chih-jay 25p, Ho Sho-jen 23p, Chen Shih-nian 12p, Lo Shin-liang 11p

VL 84-64 ETSN

Friday, May 04, 2007

Tigers clinch last playoff seed on Tien's career-high 49


(Tien Lei had 49 points, photo courtesy of ESPN Taiwan)

Tien Lei scored his career-high 49 points in Dacin's 93-92 overtime victory over ETSN and help the Tigers clinch the last playoff seed Friday in the southern city of Tainan.

With the win, Dacin (16-12) knocked ETSN (15-14) out of the playoffs. Even if both teams tied with 16-14, Dacin will advance to the postseason by a 3-2 head-to-head advantage. The Antelopes also became the only SBL team without a postseason appearance in the league's four-year history.

In the must-win game for both teams, Tien Lei shot 17-of-35 from the field and made a tying three-pointer with 13.3 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. Before Tien's three, ETSN squandered a seven-point lead with a minute left in the regulation. PG Huang Bao-tse missed four consecutive free-throws in the span to give Dacin a final chance.

BOT lost to Yulon and dropped its 17th straight game.

Dacin 93-92(OT) ETSN
Dacin: Tien Lei 49p(17-35 FG)+9rb, Yao Jun-jay 20p+6rb, Chang Chi-feng 18p+9rb+5a
ETSN: Wu Dai-hao 27p(10-14 FG)+2blk, D. Thomas 18p(8-12 FG)+10rb+3blk, O-Yang Jin-hen 13p+6rb, Yang Yu-min 12p

Yulon 84-68 BOT
Yulon: Wu Chih-wei 21p+8rb, Lu Cheng-ju 14p, Chen Hsin-an 12p+5rb+4a
BOT: Yang Chin-min 13p+6rb+7s, Chang Jung-hsuan 13p, Chang Bo-shen 12p