2014–15 Baltic Basketball League

2014–15 Baltic Basketball League
Season2014–15
DurationOctober 14, 2014 – April 2, 2015
Games played124
Teams22
TV partner(s)Viasat Sport Baltic
Regular season
Top seedŠiauliai
Finals
ChampionsLithuania Šiauliai (2nd title)
  Runners-upLatvia Ventspils
Third placeLithuania Juventus
Fourth placeEstonia Tartu Ülikool/Rock
Finals MVPLithuania Gintaras Leonavičius
Statistical leaders
Points United States Brandis Raley-Ross 21.2
Rebounds Lithuania Ronaldas Rutkauskas 10.4
Assists Greece Nikos Gkikas 5.9
All statistics correct as of April 3, 2015.

The 2014–15 Baltic Basketball League was the 11th season of the Baltic Basketball League.

This season’s competition included 8 teams from Estonia, 6 each from Latvia and Lithuania, and one team apiece representing Finland and Russia.[1] For the regular season the teams were divided into three groups and competed in a round-robin competition system, with each team facing their opponent twice. Top four teams of each group and the best fifth placed team qualified for the eight-finals. The three teams who participated in FIBA EuroChallenge and Eurocup competitions – Šiauliai, Tartu Ülikool/Rock and Ventspils – begin their journey at the start of the play-offs, seeded respectively first, second and third based on last season’s results. All play-off games were played in home-and-away series.

In the Finals Lithuanian team Šiauliai defended their title by beating Latvian side Ventspils 156–150 on aggregate score. Third place belonged to Lithuanian side Juventus who beat Estonian team Tartu Ülikool/Rock with aggregate score of 125–123.

Teams

[edit]
Key to colors
Champion Runner-up Third place Fourth place Quarterfinalist Top 16 Regular season
Country (League) Teams Teams (ranking in 2013–14 national championship)
Estonia Estonia (KML) 8 Kalev/Cramo (1) TÜ/Rock (2) Rakvere Tarvas (3) TLÜ/Kalev (4) TTÜ (5) Pärnu (6) TYCO Rapla (7) Valga/Maks & Moorits (8)
Latvia Latvia (LBL) 6 Ventspils (1) Jēkabpils (3) Jūrmala/Fēnikss (4) Valmiera (5) Liepāja/Triobet (6) Barons/LDz (7)
Lithuania Lithuania (LKL) 6 Prienai (4) Pieno žvaigždės (5) Šiauliai (6) Juventus (7) Nevėžis (8) Lietkabelis (9)
Finland Finland (Korisliiga) 1 Pyrintö (1)
Russia Russia (BSL) 1 Dynamo Moscow (7)

Team information

[edit]
Group Team Location Arena Head coach
Group A Barons/LDz Latvia Rīga, Latvia Mārupe Sports Centre Latvia Edgars Teteris
Jūrmala/Fēnikss Latvia Jūrmala, Latvia Lapmežciema Sports Centre Latvia Arnis Vecvagars
Kalev/Cramo Estonia Tallinn, Estonia Tallinn Arena Estonia Alar Varrak
Pärnu Estonia Pärnu, Estonia Pärnu Sports Hall Estonia Mait Käbin
Pieno žvaigždės Lithuania Pasvalys, Lithuania Pieno žvaigždės Arena Lithuania Mantas Šernius
Pyrintö Finland Tampere, Finland Pyynikin Palloiluhalli Finland Pieti Poikola
Group B Jēkabpils Latvia Jēkabpils, Latvia Jēkabpils Sporta Nams Latvia Edmunds Valeiko
Valmiera Latvia Valmiera, Latvia Vidzeme Olympic Centre Latvia Gatis Melderis
TLÜ/Kalev Estonia Tallinn, Estonia Kalev Sports Hall Estonia Kalle Klandorf
Valga/Maks & Moorits Estonia Valga, Estonia Valga Sports Hall Latvia Varis Krūmiņš
Lietkabelis Lithuania Panevėžys, Lithuania Cido Arena Lithuania Mindaugas Budzinauskas
Prienai Lithuania Prienai, Lithuania Prienai Arena Lithuania Tadas Stankevičius
TTÜ Estonia Tallinn, Estonia TTÜ Sports Hall Estonia Heino Lill
Group C Liepāja/Triobet Latvia Liepāja, Latvia Liepāja Olympic Centre Latvia Uvis Helmanis
Rakvere Tarvas Estonia Rakvere, Estonia Rakvere Spordihall Estonia Andres Sõber
TYCO Rapla Estonia Rapla, Estonia Sadolin Sports Hall Estonia Aivar Kuusmaa
Juventus Lithuania Utena, Lithuania Utena Arena Lithuania Dainius Adomaitis
Nevėžis Lithuania Kėdainiai, Lithuania Kėdainiai Arena Lithuania Virginijus Sirvydis
Dynamo Moscow Russia Moscow, Russia Krylatskoe Sport Palace Russia Mikhail Solovyov
Starting from playoffs Šiauliai Lithuania Šiauliai, Lithuania Šiauliai Arena Lithuania Gediminas Petrauskas
TÜ/Rock Estonia Tartu, Estonia University of Tartu Sports Hall Estonia Gert Kullamäe
Ventspils Latvia Ventspils, Latvia Ventspils Olympic Centre Latvia Roberts Štelmahers

Regular season

[edit]

The four best teams in each group and the best 5th placed team, which will be determined by place in the group; higher goal difference of all games in the group; higher number of goals in all games in the group, not accounting the games against the team placed 7th, will qualify for the 8th-finals.
Source: Changes in the BBL Regulations concerning the qualification for the Eighth-Finals

On 5 January 2015, Dynamo Moscow released an official statement announcing that the team will withdraw from the Baltic Basketball League, citing complicated economic situations and a tight match schedule. Results of all games played by Dynamo Moscow were nullified.
Source: Dynamo Moscow pull out from BBL

Group A

[edit]
Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1. Lithuania Pieno žvaigždės 10 8 2 880 763 +117 18 Playoffs
2. Estonia Kalev/Cramo 10 7 3 820 740 +80 17
3. Finland Pyrintö 10 5 5 794 757 +37 15
4. Latvia Barons/LDz 10 4 6 772 847 –75 14
5. Estonia Pärnu 10 3 7 755 796 –41 13
6. Latvia Jūrmala/Fēnikss 10 3 7 689 807 –118 13 Eliminated

Group B

[edit]
Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1. Latvia Valmiera 12 10 2 952 848 +104 22 Playoffs
2. Lithuania Lietkabelis 12 9 3 1059 875 +184 21
3. Latvia Jēkabpils 12 9 3 905 836 +69 21
4. Lithuania Prienai 12 5 7 917 898 +19 17
5. Estonia TTÜ 12 4 8 830 964 –134 16 Eliminated
6. Estonia Valga/Maks & Moorits 12 4 8 902 962 –60 16
7. Estonia TLÜ/Kalev 12 1 11 808 990 –182 13

Group C

[edit]
Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1. Lithuania Juventus 8 7 1 679 552 +127 15 Playoffs
2. Latvia Liepāja/Triobet 8 6 2 659 610 +49 14
3. Estonia Rakvere Tarvas 8 4 4 630 634 –4 12
4. Estonia TYCO Rapla 8 3 5 575 634 –59 11
5. Lithuania Nevėžis 8 0 8 556 669 –113 8 Eliminated
6. Russia Dynamo Moscow Withdrew[2]

Playoffs

[edit]

Bracket

[edit]
Eightfinals
January 29, 2015 – February 12, 2015
Quarterfinals
February 25, 2015 – March 5, 2015
Semifinals
March 11, 2015 – March 22, 2015
Finals
March 25, 2015 – April 1, 2015
                    
1 Lithuania Šiauliai 108 82 190
16 Estonia Pärnu 71 70 141
1 Lithuania Šiauliai 103 78 181
8 Lithuania Lietkabelis 81 66 147
8 Lithuania Lietkabelis 64 96 160
9 Estonia Kalev/Cramo 78 75 153
1 Lithuania Šiauliai 73 60 133
4 Lithuania Juventus 69 60 129
4 Lithuania Juventus 58 84 142
13 Latvia Barons/LDz 82 58 140
4 Lithuania Juventus 65 85 150
5 Lithuania Pieno žvaigždės 76 65 141
5 Lithuania Pieno žvaigždės 94 89 183
12 Estonia Rakvere Tarvas 87 68 155
1 Lithuania Šiauliai 68 88 156
3 Latvia Ventspils 70 80 150
2 Estonia TÜ/Rock 100 73 173
15 Lithuania Prienai 68 67 135
2 Estonia TÜ/Rock 59 71 130
7 Latvia Liepāja/Triobet 49 71 120
7 Latvia Liepāja/Triobet 67 105 172
10 Latvia Jēkabpils 62 83 145
2 Estonia TÜ/Rock 49 72 121
3 Latvia Ventspils 74 76 150
3 Latvia Ventspils 105 70 175
14 Estonia TYCO Rapla 75 55 130
3 Latvia Ventspils 70 78 148
11 Finland Pyrintö 64 59 123
6 Latvia Valmiera 73 84 157
11 Finland Pyrintö 107 78 185

Player statistics

[edit]

Players qualify to this category by having at least 50% games played.
Source: Baltic Basketball League player statistics (2014–15)

Points

[edit]
Rank Player Team Games Points Average
1. United States Brandis Raley-Ross Estonia Rakvere Tarvas 11 233 21.18
2. United States Justin Hurt Latvia Valmiera 8 155 19.38
3. Lithuania Ronaldas Rutkauskas Estonia Pärnu 9 168 18.67
4. Latvia Jurijs Aleksejevs Estonia Valga/Maks & Moorits 12 212 17.67
5. Estonia Joonas Järveläinen Estonia TTÜ 10 169 16.90

Assists

[edit]
Rank Player Team Games Assists Average
1. Greece Nikos Gkikas Latvia Ventspils 8 47 5.88
2. Lithuania Paulius Ivanauskas Lithuania Prienai 14 74 5.29
3. Lithuania Vytenis Čižauskas Latvia Valmiera 12 61 5.08
4. United States Kyle Lamonte Lithuania Pieno žvaigždės 7 35 5.00
5. Lithuania Andrius Mažutis Latvia Liepāja/Triobet 14 69 4.93

Rebounds

[edit]
Rank Player Team Games Rebounds Average
1. Lithuania Ronaldas Rutkauskas Estonia Pärnu 9 94 10.44
2. Latvia Jurijs Aleksejevs Estonia Valga/Maks & Moorits 12 125 10.42
3. Latvia Kaspars Cipruss Latvia Barons/LDz 7 68 9.71
4. United States Damon Williams Finland Pyrintö 14 127 9.07
5. Lithuania Robertas Grabauskas Estonia TLÜ/Kalev 12 105 8.75

Efficiency

[edit]
Rank Name Team Games Efficiency Average
1. Lithuania Ronaldas Rutkauskas Estonia Pärnu 9 202 22.44
2. Latvia Jurijs Aleksejevs Estonia Valga/Maks & Moorits 12 234 19.50
3. Estonia Janar Talts Estonia TÜ/Rock 8 152 19.00
4. United States Brandis Raley-Ross Estonia Rakvere Tarvas 11 209 19.00
5. United States Damon Williams Finland Pyrintö 14 252 18.00

Awards

[edit]

MVP of the Month

[edit]
Month Player Team Ref.
October 2014 Latvia Kristers Zeidaks Estonia TYCO Rapla [1]
November 2014 Latvia Rolands Freimanis Estonia Kalev/Cramo [2]
December 2014 Lithuania Ronaldas Rutkauskas Estonia Pärnu [3]
January 2015 Lithuania Laimonas Kisielius Lithuania Pieno žvaigždės [4]
February 2015 Lithuania Evaldas Kairys Lithuania Pieno žvaigždės [5]

Last updated: March 3, 2015.
Source: BBL Homepage

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "BBL Season 11 starting soon". bbl.net. 10 September 2014.
  2. ^ Dynamo Moscow pull out from BBL; BBL, 5 January 2015
[edit]