Another big game in a European competition has us taking notice this week. Rashawn Thomas had a huge double-double for Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari (Italy) in the FIBA Europe Cup, dropping 40 points to go along with 16 rebounds in his team's 94-68 stomping of Zorg en Zekerheid Leiden (Netherlands) which put Sassari into the quarterfinals of the competition. The power forward hit 15 of his 22 shots from the floor, including shooting 4-of-6 from three-point range, while also grabbing four of his 16 rebounds on the offensive end. The second-year pro out of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi nearly quadrupled his season scoring average of 11.0 points per game, but has seen his best moments in Europe Cup play, where he is averaging 15.4 points per game. Thomas' success in such a big game for the team made him an easy choice for Baller of the Week.
Devondrick Walker could be out the rest of the season after suffering a foot injury over the weekend. The 6'5 guard out of Texas A&M-Commerce played in seven games for Happy Casa Brindisi before suffering his injury in Sunday's game against Fiat Torino. After a slow start to the season with Alma Trieste, another team in Lega Basket SerieA, Walker's season got a boost when he moved to fellow Italian team Brindisi. The fifth-year pro was averaging 11.4 points and 3.0 rebounds per game before the injury, the most consistent numbers of his career. While Brindisi may have to say goodbye to Walker, they may be welcoming another American back into the fold, as it was also announced that Wes Clark could be returning from injury soon. Clark played 10 games before going down with an injury in December. Brindisi currently sits in fifth place in the Serie A standings with a 13-8 record.
The world of international basketball can get pretty messy. If you think that playing abroad is just like playing in the NBA but for a different country, you couldn't be more wrong. Teams can be cutthroat, and not every team is known for treating their players well. International veteran Julian Wright went through this experience as he talked about why he did not finish the season with French team Levallois Metropolitans.
Kasey Shepherd has returned to Kaposvari KK in Hungary after signing with the team over the weekend. Shepherd rejoins a Kaposvari team that he played for earlier during the 2018-2019 season, coming to the team from the country of Georgia where he played for BC Batumi. In four games for Batumi, Shepherd averaged 20.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. The Louisiana-Lafayette product also played in four games in November for Kaposvari, where he averaged a more modest 11.8 points per game. He also played his first game with Kaposvari over the weekend as well, scoring 13 points and grabbing six rebounds in his team's 103-79 victory over DEAC. This is Shepherd's second season as a pro after spending his rookie season playing in Montenegro.
In a corresponding roster move, Thad McFadden has signed with Divina Seguro Joventut in Spain's Liga Endesa. McFadden's signing is an apparent replacement for the departing Dakota Mathias, who left the team earlier this week. McFadden will be changing teams in Spain after starting the season with Iberostar Tenerife, another team in Liga Endesa. McFadden continues to rise in the European game after being named an All-Star in Greece during the 2017-2018 season. For Tenerife this season, he averaged 11.0 points and 2.7 assists per game, which included competing in the regional Basketball Champions League. Though he is leaving a Tenerife team bound for the playoffs, he joins a Joventut side that has similar playoff aspirations as the currently sit in sixth place in the Liga Endesa standings with a 12-8 record - one spot ahead of Tenerife.
It's been a long time since we were in Belgium for Baller of the Week, but a big performance in the EuroMillions Basketball League made us take notice. Hugh Robertson has only played seven games for the Stella Artois Leuven Bears, and he had his best game to date when dropping 30 points to go along with nine rebounds and seven assists in the Bears' 88-79 victory over Hubo Limburg United. The South Florida grad had season-highs in minutes, points, rebounds and assists, and propelled his team to within one game of a playoff spot. If Robertson can keep up these dazzling performances, he will help salvage an otherwise forgettable season for the Leuven Bears. The performance in such an important game made him an easy choice for Baller of the Week.
Dakota Mathias has reportedly parted ways with Divina Seguro Joventut in Spain's Liga Endesa. The league announced the news early March 5:
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