By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Nikos Chougkaz has inked a four-year contract with Panathinaikos OPAP, the team announced Tuesday. He will join Ionikos HNC Revolution on loan for the next season, as noted in the press release.
Chougkaz, 20, returned to Greece last summer after a one-year NCAA stint at Northwestern State. He averaged 10.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per Basket League appearance for Ionikos in a breakout season.
Per paobc.gr: “Panathinaikos OPAP has signed Nikos Chougkaz (21, 2.08 meters) for the next four years. In 2021-2022 season, he will continue to play for Ionikos on loan.
Nikos Chougkaz is a basketball player born on born on October 4, 2000, in Athens, Greece. He is a power forward who last played for Ionikos.
He played three seasons of youth system basketball with the Greek club Peristeri Athens. Chougkaz played at a fully professional level of competition in the 2018–19 season. However, he was still able to retain his personal amateur status for the NCAA DI.
Nikos Chougaz started his career with Panionios Athens of the Greek Basket League in 2018. In his first season playing at a pro club level (2018–19), he averaged 3.4 points, 1.1 rebounds, 0.1 assists, 0.2 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game, while shooting 42.9% overall from the field, 41.2% from 2-point range, 50.0% from 3-point range, and 87.5% from the free-throw line.
He moved to the USA, in order to play college basketball at Northwestern State University. He played with the Northwestern State Demons, during the 2019–20 season. During his freshman season, he averaged 9.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game, while shooting 40.7% overall from the field, 28.0% from three-point range, and 70.1% from the free-throw line.
After spending the 2019–20 season with the college basketball team Northwestern State, he joined the Greek League club Ionikos. He averaged 10.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game, while shooting 42.9% overall from the field, 45.2% from 2-point range, 39.2% from 3-point range, and 74.7% from the free-throw line. He has been named Young Player of the Year in Basket League 2020-2021.
Chougkaz was a member of the junior national teams of Greece. With Greece’s under-18 junior national team, he played at the 2018 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. He averaged 2.8 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.2 assists, and 0.6 steals per game at the tournament. With Greece’s under-19 junior national team, he played at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup. He averaged 5.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.1 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game at the tournament.
He first played with the senior Greek national team on 20 February 2021, when he played at the 2022 EuroBasket qualifiers. In his first game with the men’s national team, he had 3 points and 1 rebound in Greece’s 84–69 loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Overall, in two games played, he averaged 4.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks per game during the qualifiers.”
He was reported as a target for the Greens alongside Alpha Diallo. The incoming American forward will be loaned as well.
Other summer additions are Jehyve Floyd, Okaro White, Daryl Macon Jr., and Kendrick Perry, while Ioannis Papapetrou and Nemanja Nedovic have re-signed.