Sasa Ocokoljic novo base do Benfica

[white_eagle]

Sasa Ocokoljic - The EuroCup's Iron Man
20.11.2006
by Yarone Arbel

I'd guess most of you haven't noticed that for one single minute history took place in last week's EuroCup.

Want to take a wild guess what was the occasion?

Those of you who wave the ASK Riga flag, and wish to tell all that the Latvian club celebrated its first home game in a European competition  since 1997 are correct, but that's not what I'm talking about.

I recently revealed in a fibaeurope.com article that Nikos Galis was not only a great scorer and winner, but also as an amazing Iron-man.

Now it's time to tell the story of the current European Iron-man. It is a little less impressive than the unstoppable Galis, but still one that is worth a 650-word spotlight.

Asesoft Ploiesti point guard Sasa Ocokoljic is a 184-cm point guard from Montenegro. Last month he celebrated his 30th birthday, but not too many basketball fans know of him. Even less know what makes him so special.

He grew up in Borac Cacak, and tried three times to start a career outside of his home country.

In 2001/02 he went to play in FYROM but quickly came back to the Serbian club OKK Beograd.

The following season he started with the Dutch club Ricoh Astronauts, but once again he was quickly released and went back to OKK.

After one more full season with OKK it was time for the Turkish side Banvit to land him, but already in November 2004 he was back in his home club – Borac Cacak. This time not for long.

In January 2005 came an offer from Asesoft Ploiesti of the Romanian league. He took it, and since then he's been there.

His first experience in international competition came in the 2005 EuroCup  Challenge.

He logged to just two minutes of playing time and saw action in just one game.

That didn't stop Ploiesti from becoming the first Romanian club ever to win a European title and last season they started their EuroCup journey.

Ploiesti played in the same first round group with Cholet, Azovmash and defending champion (at the time) Dynamo St. Petersburg.

In their first EuroCup night, they rolled to a 75-66 win over Cholet but the rest were all losses. They were never demolished, as some would expect in games between a Romanian club and some of Europe's top teams.

This still doesn't make our dear friend Ocokoljic very special. Not until you check his EuroCup page from the last season.

In those six games against Cholet, Azovmash and Dynamo he didn't rest at all. He played 40 minutes, not a second less, in each of the games, on the way to a great season.

He averaged 20.2 ppg and showed what consistency is all about. In all six games he never scored less than 18 and never more than 22.

In the first week of the 2007 EuroCup, still with Ploiesti, our friend spent another 40 minutes on court in a 97-89 home loss to powerhouse Estudiantes.

He was the top scorer of the competition in the first week with 32 points, and to that he added six assists and five rebounds.

Last Wednesday the club traveled to Nahariya, Israel.

A shocking 27-11 run in the first quarter made it look like Ploiesti were on the edge of an upset, but Nahariya recovered in time to win 98-71.

Ocokoljic? Another great night with 21 points, but after seven games in a row averaging a perfect 40.0 mpg, the numbers have changed. This time he only played only 39 minutes.

Keep an eye on Iron-man Ocokoljic, who will begin a new streak for minutes played when Ploiesti host Dijon in the third week of the EuroCup.

No entanto como podem ver por este artigo apenas a aventura romena foi bem sucedida já que teve várias tentativas "frustradas" de sair do seu país! Se vier para o Benfica espero que se sinta bem!

[Razzmatazz]

Preferia um americano...e com características de bom atirador e rápido se possível!!!!Mas vamos ver....pode ser que este SASA tenha essas características!

[Ibrahim]

Porque é que preferias um americano ? ???

[GGG]

A escola jugoslava sempre deu excelentes executantes.

[pedroslb78]

Espero que demonstre as boas referencias que apresenta e que nos dê muitas alegrias!!

[Nuno_SLB]

Ver se despacham porque os playoff's estão a chegar....

[Amigo das modalidades]

o ano passado foi um base da ex-jugoslávia que arrumou com o Benfica, lembram-se do pequeno Zdarkovic ou coisa co valha, do Ginásio?

[VALEBEM]

 Infelizmente lembro-me desse gajo do Ginásio...
Mas este Sasa vem mesmo, ou é só especulação?

[Amigo das modalidades]

Infelizmente lembro-me desse gajo do Ginásio...
Mas este Sasa vem mesmo, ou é só especulação?

o site do agente do jogador anunciou o negócio. logo só deve faltar o "pormaior", que é, visto tratar-se de um atleta fora da União Europeia, precisa de um visto para entrar em Portugal...

[Manuel Costa]

o que é estão a fazer os benfiquistas do Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras ?


È importante que o Sasa já possa jogar, é que  temos as equipas de juniores A, equipa B e equipa profissional todas a jogar no sábado, não foi possível trocar as datas dos jogos como anteriormente, no caso do CNB1 porque é a última jornada.

[alex_diabólico]

manuel ele sempre vem ou não?!? Já se sabe alguma coisa?

[Manuel Costa]

está pendente das burocracias de obtenção do visto, como explicou o Amigo das Modalidades

[fmb]

esperemos que cnfirme as percentagens que ostenta!!

e o poste?? esta dificil???

[GGG]

Segundo palavras do nosso treinador no jornal a Bola de hoje, a vinda deste base está tremida...

Por isso é provavel vir outro jogador. Não se fala é em reforçar o jogo interior com mais um jogador, que faz falta também.

[benfo]

Segundo palavras do nosso treinador no jornal a Bola de hoje, a vinda deste base está tremida...

Por isso é provavel vir outro jogador. Não se fala é em reforçar o jogo interior com mais um jogador, que faz falta também.

De facto a contrataçao sta dificil...e se fósemos buscar o antonio pires?...se o barreirense ficar em último claro...