FINAL EIGHT 2009: Lietuvos Rytas
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 A modern classic among European clubs, Lietuvos Rytas comes to Turin searching to reproduce its earlier title this decade in the continent's second competition. L. Rytas lifted the ULEB Cup trophy in 2005, returned for another title game in 2007 and now faces its first Final Eight. L. Rytas has based success on its strength at home in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, where the team is virtually unbeatable. Over four Eurocup and ULEB Cup seasons this decade, L. Rytas has a 25-1 home record, including a 23-game home win streak stretching back to January 13, 2004. If its previous continental finals appearances are any indication, the extraordinary fans who helped L. Rytas forge that home record will be a vocal presence in Turin. Since midseason, the team can count on a legend, head coach Rimas Kurtinaitis, at the controls, too. Kurtinaitis has built the team around Chuck Eidson, who as this season's Eurocup MVP was the most versatile player in the competition, filling the unique position of point forward throughout the Last 16. Eidson led the entire Eurocup in average index rating and assists. He and big man Milko Bjelica are surrounded by three generations of multi-talented Lithuanian players. Mindaugas Lukauskis, Marijonas Petravicius and Donatas Zavackas lead the way as veterans while talents like Steponas Babrauskas, Arturas Jomantas and Michailis Anisimovas are entering their prime and a string youngsters wait in the wings. Making it through tough groups in each Eurocup round was far from easy for L. Rytas. A 3-3 regular season required a do-or-die home victory in the last game to advance. In the Last 16, four wins were just good enough to qualify from second place. Nonetheless, no opponent should underestimate what is one of the most successful young clubs in Europe. Founded in 1997, L. Rytas has been competing for - and winning - titles since the turn of the century, when its first Lithuanian League crown broke a decade of domination by arch-rival Zalgiris Kaunas. More trophies came in 2002, when L. Rytas won the Northern Europe Basketball League (NEBL) and added another Lithuanian League crown. L. Rytas joined the ULEB Cup for the first time in the 2003-04 season, reaching the quarterfinals, then waited only one season more to go all way, beating Makedonikos for the 2005 title and a ticket to the next season’s Euroleague. In the continent’s top competition, L. Rytas advanced as far as the Top 16, then rallied at home to lift both the Baltic League and the Lithuanian League trophies. L. Rytas returned to the ULEB Cup Final the next season, losing against Real Madrid in the 2007 title game, but received a ticket to the Euroleague again. Last season, L. Rytas again made the Top 16 and repeated as Baltic League champs. Now, with another trophy in sight, its combination of talent, experience, depth and fan base turn Lietuvos Rytas into a solid contender for the Eurocup title in Turin!
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Eurocupbasketball.com
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