Two Virtus players highlight the All-EuroCup First Team / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: ZUMAPRESS.com-Scanpix Credit ZUMAPRESS.com-Scanpix

With the EuroCup nearing its end and only one match to go, the league has announced the All-EuroCup First Team.

Mam Jaiteh

MIN:21.98PTS:12.8 (67.27%)REB:7.5As:0.95ST:0.5BL:0.7TO:1.75GM:20ProfileEuroCup2021/2022

Jaron Blossomgame, ratiopharm Ulm

Blossomgame led ratiopharm Ulm to the quarterfinals before bowing out against Virtus Segafredo Bologna. The electric forward made 6 of 10 three-pointers on his way to 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

He ranked fourth in PIR this season with 19.8 per game. Blossomgame was the sixth-best scorer in the competition (16.2 ppg.) thanks to excellent shooting accuracy from all angles (55.8% 2FG, 41.9% 3FG). He also helped on the boards, ranking second overall in defensive boards (6.1) and third in total rebounds (7.6).

Blossomgame was the regular season Round 4 MVP after posting 26 points, 11 rebounds, and a PIR of 35 in a road victory against eventual quarterfinalist Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana.

Will Cummings, Boulogne Metropolitans 92

Cummings came to play every night, posting PIRs of at least 14 in all except two of his 20 games played. He ranked second in average PIR (21.1) and was also the second-best scorer in the competition with 17.9 points per night.

The guard buried 41.1% of his three-point shots and made 87.2% of his free throw attempts. Cummings was among the top 10 in average steals (1.4, ninth) and fouls drawn (6.0, second) while also posting 3.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists for true all-around performance.

Mouhammadou Jaiteh, Virtus Segafredo Bologna

In his fifth season in the EuroCup – and first outside his native France – Jaiteh has dominated like never before. The 27-year-old center set career highs in nearly every major statistical category while serving as an unstoppable force in the middle who does maximum damage in minimum time.

Mam Jaiteh

Team:Virtus BolognaPosition:CAge:27Height:208 cmWeight:113 kgBirth place:FranceProfileNewsStatistics

Jaiteh ranks fifth this season in PIR with 18.6 per game and leads the competition in that stat on a per-minute basis with 33.6 prorated over 40 minutes of action. His 7.6 rebounds per game are fourth-best in the EuroCup, he is fifth in two-point shooting (70.9%) and his 13.2 points lead Virtus's high-octane offense.

Jaiteh is the only player on a playoff team to post two of the top 10 games in performance index rating this season; he went for 38 against Ulm in the quarterfinals and 41 against Umana Reyer Venice in Round 14.

Derek Needham, Frutti Extra Bursaspor

At age 31, Needham posted his finest numbers yet in the competition while guiding a Cinderella to the EuroCup Final.

Needham posted EuroCup career highs across the board, too, including averaging 13.2 points and a 10th-ranked 5.0 assists. He tied for sixth in the league in steals (1.4) and ranked eighth in three-point shooting accuracy (49.1%).

Needham has been rock-solid in the most important games of the season, as well. He combined 14 points with 5 assists in Bursaspor's eighthfinals upset of host Partizan NIS Belgrade; collected 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in a quarterfinal win at Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana; and registered 13 points and 7 assists during a third consecutive road win, against MoraBanc Andorra in the semifinals.

Milos Teodosic, Virtus Segafredo Bologna

Despite injuries costing him several games, Teodosic remained the motor of the powerful Virtus attack and led the EuroCup in assists with one of the highest averages in competition history. He has been worth 8.5 assists per game and his per-minute average of 13.9 assists prorated over 40 minutes is a EuroCup single-season record.

Teodosic tied for the most assists in a single game this season with 13, a feat he accomplished three times, including in back-to-back wins over playoff-bound Umana Reyer Venice and Frutti Extra Bursaspor.

Teodosic's greatness is not limited to passing. He has also averaged 10.8 points and posted double-figure performance index ratings in all but three games for an average of 15.8. This is his second straight selection to the All-EuroCup Team.

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