MVP of the Week: Alpha Kaba, Nanterre 92

Feb 04, 2021 by Eurocupbasketball.com Print

Center Alpha Kaba put on the best performance of his 7DAYS EuroCup career to boost Nanterre 92 to a come-from-behind 80-74 home win over Unicaja Malaga that has earned the 25-year-old his first MVP of the Week honor. Kaba posted a career-high 21 points and tied his previous best with 15 total rebounds while his 7 offensive boards set Nanterre's club record. He made 6 pf 9 two-point shots for a career-high performance index rating of 33, which also tied Nanterre's club record. This week's second-best PIR was 32 and belonged to AS Monaco playmaker Dee Bost, who had 17 points, a career-high 11 assists and 4 rebounds in a win over visiting Joventut Badalona. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica center Willie Reed had a PIR of 30 after collecting 16 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks in a home loss to unbeaten Virtus Segafredo Bologna. In that same game, Virtus point guard Milos Teodosic combined 26 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists for a PIR of 26. Rounding out the list of this week's top performers, all with PIRs of 24, were Rashawn Thomas of Partizan NIS Belgrade, John Shurna of Herbalife Gran Canaria and Tomasz Gielo of MoraBanc Andorra.

Individual highs: Stefan Markovic, Virtus, 13 assists

Teodosic's 26 points were more than any other player scored this week. Jaka Blazic of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana and Rob Gray of Monaco are the Top 16 scoring co-leaders, each averaging 20.0 points. Kaba's 15 rebounds were the most this week. Jordan Morgan of UNICS Kazan leads the Top 16 with 9.0 rebounds per game. Virtus playmaker and EuroCup all-time assists leader Stefan Markovic dished 13 assists, one shy of his career-high. Markovic is the Top 16 leader with 8.3 assists per game. UNICS forward John Brown led all players with 4 steals this week. Nanterre's Marcquise Reed leads the Top 16 with 2.5 steals on average. Two players had 3 blocks this week, Johnny Hamilton of Mornar Bar and Pierre Pelos of JL Bourg en Bresse. Maxim Roos of Boulogne Metropolitans 92 leads the Top 16 with 3.0 blocks per game.