The Nationale 2 regular season is over for about 10 days and it is time to recap this extraordinary thrilling 14 days of action. Without a real favorite, two Diekirch League relegated teams that lost their main players and two enthusiastic new comers, everything was open before the start of the games. And as expected, all the teams finished very close to each other and some decisions came only on the last game day. So let’s check the season of all the participating teams and take a look forward what will expect them during the playoffs.

BBC Nitia Bettembourg (Record: 9-5)
Who expected the team from Bettembourg to finish the regular season at the first place, please stand up. Not many saw them as high in the ranking as the team lost several important players this summer. But a small but interesting recruiting, the integration of some younger players and the best foreign import (Billy Arre) of the division were the factors that in the end gave them the 1st place. Additionally, Bettembourg won the games they had to win and took all the important direct results. Now, Serge Logelin and his players want to find the way back to the Diekirch League and they look like one of the favorites of the playoffs.

Avanti Mondorf (9-5)
What a season for the veteran stacked team from the Casino City. After starting with two losses, Guy Konsbrück brought back Devin Peal (the only change on the import spot this season) and Avanti started a 7 game winning streak until the Christmas break. However in 2011, Yves Braun and his team mates could only win two games so far and lost three. The absence of Jean de Marchi or Steve Streveler in some games is an explication as the rotation is small and the team is not in the best physical shape. With their experience, they might find the way back to win the games in the Playoffs and access the Diekirch League for the first time in the team’s history.

US Heffingen (8-6)
Had the team of Bill Paterno already their highlight of the season with the Cup semi-final or will the Yellow boys play great in the next weeks and reach the Diekirch League? At least, that is the goal set by the coaching staff and the will of the players. With a good mixture of locals and transfers, Heffingen had some major wins (in Bettembourg or Racing) but also came up with some devastating losses like the defeat against the Red Miners on the last game day. However, the talent level of the team is good enough to dispute one of the two first places in the Play-offs. To do so, there needs to be more regularity in their performances though.

BC Mess (8-6)
BC Mess finally reached the playoffs on the last day by losing with only six points to Grengewald. With several of their main players out because of injuries (Steffen, Hoeser), the question is what can Jérome Alff and his boys do over the next six games. The team clearly looks like the underdog in this group of four but with their effort and hustle, they will certainly try to put the other three in trouble. The goal to reach the Play-offs has been successfully managed, the team can now prepare next season by going for six more games against stronger competition.

Grengewald Hostert (8-6)
Grengewald lost some games too high (-18 in Bettembourg, -16 vs Heffingen) which were the reasons why the final ranking has them 5th and not in the Top4. But the fact to be in the race for the Play-offs was already a good accomplishment for a team that regularly went up and down between N2 and N3. The great integration of several transfers or loans (Binna, Müller, Nittler) and the stability in the paint were the factors for this positive season in Hostert. Normally, one win should be enough to secure the Nationale 2 spot in the Play-downs so that there is not much of a danger that Grengewald won’t play next season in the second highest division of Luxembourgish Basketball.

Racing Luxembourg (7-7)
If there is one team that can be considered as a disappointment this season, then it is Racing Luxembourg. Missing the Play-offs already two game days before the end of the regular season must have been frustrating for Eric Grand and his players. Despite the excellent individual season of the young PG Andy Schammo, the rotation of the Capitals was probably too small as there was not really anything coming from the bench. The choice of the import player might also be criticized now as a more scoring forward would probably have been the better fit instead of the physical but uni-dimensional Brett Spiker.

Red Miners Kayldall (5-9)
The team from the South came with high ambitions to the Nationale 2 as they brought back EU-player Arpad Buzasi and extended the contract of their top-scorer John Grotberg. With 5 wins, they did what they could and put some favorites in trouble. The goal is now to avoid the relegation and try to improve the team for next season. Roger Hayard and his players should be able to do so as there will only be one team relegated this season as the Nationale 2 will be extended to 10 teams next season. Red Miners Kayl will most likely be among them.

Arantia Larochette (2-12)
Only two wins is the result for Keith Lambkin this season in the Nationale 2. The player-coach stepped down after the regular season as a player and a new import player (Mike Jones, ex-Heffingen) has been signed in order to do the impossible. But impossible is nothing for Arantia as the team is only 1.5pts behind a non-relegation spot and one or two victories in the beginning might open the fights again for the relegation. The opening game of the Play-downs against Racing is already crucial as they can put pressure on the rest of the pack by winning this one. However, the chances to stay in the league are slim as the team has only limited talent and survives mainly by their incredible fighting spirit and the toughness of their Filano Gym.

Tomorrow, we will take a look at the Nationale 2 Scoring List of the regular season and hand out some individual trophies.

Source www.basketnews.lu

Ce week-wend, un seul match à l'affiche pour le BC Mess, nos Minis accueillent ce samedi 12 février à 15h00  l'équipe de Soleuvre (Mondercange) en match en retard du tour final division 2.   

Mardi 15/02  -  17h30  -  Mondercange
Demi-Finale Coupe du Mini-Basket

BC MESS  -  SPARTA

Venez nombreux les soutenir, une place en finale à la Coque est en jeu 

Suite aux excellents résultats sportifs enregistrés la saison dernière,
5 équipes du BC Mess (Minis , Scolaires, Cadets, Espoirs et Hommes B) seront reçus par le Conseil Echevinal et la Commission des Sports de la commune de Mondercange, au titre de sportifs méritants pour l'année 2010.

La cérémonie aura lieu le vendredi 11 février 2011 à 19h00 au Centre Arthur Thinnes à Mondercange.

Den BBC Avanti Mondorf organiséiert e Freideg 11. Februar um 20h00 den All Star Game 2011 vu der Nationale II.
Le BBC Avanti Mondorf organise cette année encore le traditionnel All Star Game 2011 pour la Nationale II, le vendredi 11 février.

Le BC Mess fera partie de l'équipe du Sud (avec Nitia, Kayl et Mondorf) qui rencontrera l'équipe du Nord représentée par les joueurs d'Heffingen, Larochette, Racing et Grengewald.

Notre club sera bien représenté à cette manifestation, en effet du côté joueurs, Chris Dentzer, Yann Fux et Eric Breland seront présents, et notre entraîneur Jérôme Alff coachera l'équipe du Sud

Le match débutera à 20h00 au Hall Roll Delles à Mondorf et sera précédé à 18h30 d'un
mini tournoi Poussins

La FLBB vient de communiquer le calendrier des Play-offs Nationale 2 Hommes, Play-down Nationale 2 Dames et du tour Final Espoirs et Dames B.

La date des matchs est encore à fixer, et l'ordre des matchs peut encore changer.

Vous trouverez le programme complet Nationale 2 (Hommes/Dames), Espoirs et Dames B dans le fichier ci-joint.

Despite a six point loss at home against Grengewald, BC Mess reached the Play-offs of the Nationale 2 as US Heffingen lost its game in Kayl.
As there will now be at least a three-team tie (Mess, Grengewald, Heffingen), with BBC Nitia still up playing tonight, the internal ranking for these teams shows that Grengewald has the worst scoring differencial of the concerned clubs. Therefore, what ever happens tonight between Arantia Larochette and BBC Nitia, the four teams that will play for the 2 Diekirch League spots are: Avanti Mondorf, BBC Nitia, US Heffingen and BC Mess. And these play-offs will be highly entertaining as all 4 teams will start in just a 0.5pt margin between them.

Source www.basketnews.lu