Top > Sport > 2006 > April > 2006-04-04

Maceo Baston Makes Euroleague MVP of March

Maceo Baston of Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv is named as The Euroleague MVP of March. Baston has only two Euroleague seasons so far, but both ended with a title. The winner is named by Euroleague Basketball based on his and his team`s performance during the previous month. The award for March was based on the five Top 16 games that fell during the month, and Baston was awarded for the great performance he gave Maccabi at the last games.

He was all over the floor as Maccabi went 5-0 in March - with pairs of victories against both Ulker and Climamio, plus one over Real Madrid - to win its Top 16 group and claim home court advantage in the Quarterfinal Playoffs. Indeed, once things got tough for Maccabi with a loss to open the Top 16, Baston got better. He finished the month averaging 15.6 points, 6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while making 68% of his two-point shots and 86.4% of his free throws. By the time March was over, Baston could say something else quite unique: since he joined the team, Maccabi has won every Euroleague group, series, semifinal and final in which it has played. That`s one more reason why Maceo Baston makes a great choice as Euroleague Basketball`s MVP for March.

Its Top 16 race finished with Maccabi having posted a perfect 5-0 record in March and having landed, once again, in first place in its group, after having been on shaky ground to start the month. Maceo Baston did something of everything to spark the turnaround and make sure that Maccabi ended March in its customary role as the team to beat in the Euroleague. The new trophy awarded to the Euroleague`s monthly MVP at the first Quarterfinal Playoffs game in Tel Aviv, Maccabi vs. Olympiacos, Taking place today, April 4.