Team Focus: Galatasaray Cafe Crown
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2007-2008 Games
Regular Season
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vs Akasvayu Girona
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Nov. 06
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at Hanzevast Capitals
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Nov. 13
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vs Spirou Charleroi
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Nov. 20
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at CSU Asesoft
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Nov. 27
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vs KK Hemofarm
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Dec. 04
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at Akasvayu Girona
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Dec. 11
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vs Hanzevast Capitals
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Dec. 18
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at Spirou Charleroi
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Jan. 08
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vs CSU Asesoft
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Jan. 15
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at KK Hemofarm
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Jan. 22
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One Turkey's top sports clubs will make its ULEB Cup debut this season, as Galatasaray Cafe Crown enters the competition with a deep, competitive roster, ready to show it is not an average newcomer. Galatasaray has rounded a deep frontcourt with the arrival of Huseyin Besok and Charles Gaines, two rebounding specialists with ULEB Cup experience, while playmaker Will Avery brings the type of confidence and leadership needed to win big games. Besok brings his legendary defensive skills back to his native land for the first time in six years, looking to use his post skils to play a major role on the other end too. Gaines can easily be his ideal complement at the power forward spot due to his aggressive play, offensive rebounding skills and work ethic. Experienced big man Fatih Solak will come off the bench to offer intensity on both end sof the floor. Avery is a well-rounded veteran who knows the competition well, as this is is fifth ULEB Cup team in as many years. Avery, an accomplished floor general, will get some help from guard Darrel Mitchell, a good scorer who returns this season to keep filling the baskets all around the continent. Assist and three-point specialist Cuneyt Erden and small forward Erdem Turetkem will try to help Galatasaray reach high this season.
 2006-07 | TURKEY | | Season | (18-12) | | Playoffs | Semifinal |
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As one of the oldest sports clubs in the world, Galatasaray Sports Club is best known as a successful football club. But its basketball section is coming off its best season in many years and is ready to shine in the ULEB Cup this season. It took its name from Galatasaray Lisesi, a local high school founded in 1482, and the club was created by Ali Sami Yen in 1905. He decided to put together a football club during a literature lesson. Its basketball section was founded in the early 1930s and found instant success, winning three consecutive Istanbul League titles from 1933 to 1936. Once World War II was over, Galatasaray continued dominating Turkish basketball, winning 16 Istanbul League titles and lifting 11 Turkish championship trophies between 1940 and 1966. Galatasaray also started to find European success, reaching the Euroleague eighthfinals in 1961 and 1964. The club would add a Turkish League title in 1969 and a Turkish Cup in 1970, but no more trophies would come after that for 15 years. Galatasaray had a great season in 1985, winning yet another Turkish League title and adding the Turkish President's Cup. That allowed the club to return to the Euroleague in 1986, although it lost in the preliminary round against eventual champion Cibona. Galatasaray would defend its Turkish League title in 1986 and return to the Euroleague in 1987, but it lost this time to another traditional power, Zalgiris Kaunas in the last preliminary round. Its last league title came in 1990 and another cup title arrived in 1995 behind David Henderson and Levent Topsakal. Galatasaray remained competitive, becoming a perennial playoff team and making eight consecutive Korac Cup appearances from 1993 and 2001 – reaching the eighthfinals in 2000. Galatasaray missed the Turkish playoffs in 2004 and 2005, but Malik Dixon and Serhat Cetin helped the team to return to the playoffs. Last season, Gerald Fitch, Fatih Solak and Jeff Graves fueled the charge as Galatasaray finished fourth in the regular season and swept rival Besiktas Cola Turka in the quarterfinals before losing to Fenerbahce in the semis. Galatasaray will now try to keep filling its trophy case, as the club faces a big challenge in its debut ULEB Cup season.
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Friday, September 21, 2007
ULEBCup.com
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