The votes are in and Spain and DKV Joventut star Ricky Rubio has been named the FIBA Europe Young Men’s Player of the Year.
Rubio won handily in a vote of both fans and an expert panel of basketball journalists, players and coaches. Milos Teodosic of Serbia and Olympiacos finished second while Marco Belinelli of Italy and the NBA’s Golden State Warriors won a close battle for third with fellow Italian Danilo Gallinari and Konstantinos Koufos of Greece.
Rubio led Spain to a fifth place finish at the Under-18 European Championship Men in August, where he averaged 19.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists per contest while shooting nearly 50% from behind the three-point line.
He has been playing a bigger part for club side DKV Joventut as well, averaging 12.5 points per contest, second only to last year’s Young Men’s Player of the Year Rudy Fernandez, while dishing out 3.5 assists per game.
“It’s been clear in the last few seasons that Ricard Rubio is one of the most exciting young players in Europe or any part of the world for that matter.” Said FIBA Europe President George Vassilakopoulos.
“His exploits for both country and club make him a very deserving winner.”
“I still remember his performance at the Under-16 European Championship Men two years ago (51 points, 24 rebounds and 12 assists),” commented FIBA Europe Secretary General Nar Zanolin. “I think we all knew then and there that we were watching someone special.”
The second place finisher Teodosic also had an impressive year leading Serbia to gold at the Under-20 European Championship Men and playing a significant role in the senior team’s efforts at EuroBasket 2007 in Spain.
EXACT ORDER OF FINISH:
1. Ricky Rubio, Spain
2. Milos Teodosic, Serbia
3. Marco Belinelli, Italy
4. Konstantinos Koufos, Greece
5. Danilo Gallinari, Italy
6. Milan Macvan, Serbia
7. Nicolas Batum, France
8. Alexey Shved, Russia
9. Vladimir Dasic, Montenegro
10. Mladen Jeremic, Serbia
