By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Just after Friday’s midnight Zalgiris Kaunas announced two new signings. Darjus Lavrinovic who played for CSKA Moscow last season will return to Lithuania and also American Tremmell Darden, last season at Unicaja Malaga, will follow him.
The hour of the announcement seems a little strange, but there is a logic behind it. Zalgiris main-rival, Lietuvos Rytas of Vilnius, belongs to the country’s media mogul, who has also a newspaper with the same name (Lietuvos Rytas translates as Lithuanian dawn). So, Zalgiris’ owner Vladimir Romanov likes to officially announce his signings as late at nigh as possible, because he wants the next day edition of Lietuvos Rytas to miss the news.
Both Lithuanian teams will compete next season at Euroleague’s group phase and Italian club Cantu that will host the qualifying round of the competition, announced also on Saturday the renewal of 37 years old team captain Nicolas Mazzarino.