By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
CSKA guard Nando De Colo has been named the 2015-16 VTB United League Regular Season MVP.
The prize for the Most Valuable Player is awarded jointly by the VTB United League and Sport-Express. Several factors go into determining the winner: monthly MVP and All-League selections, input from the league’s expert panel and Sport-Express, efficiency rating and online fan vote. The league’s expert panel features 12 basketball legends from across Eastern Europe: Gundars Vetra (Latvia), Ivan Edeshko (Russia), Sergei Elevich (Russia), Jiri Zidek (Czech Republic), Andrei Kirilenko (Russia), Ilona Korstin (Russia), Nikita Morgunov (Russia), Hanno Mottola (Finland), Martin Muursepp (Estonia), Egor Meshcheryakov (Belarus), Sergei Tarakanov (Russia) and Valery Tikhonenko (Kazakhstan/Russia).
For the 2nd year in a row, the Regular Season MVP goes to CSKA’s Nando De Colo, who earned 9 points. UNICS guard Keith Langford (7 points) and Zenit guard Ryan Toolson (6 points) joined De Colo in the top three.
Nando De Colo played in 26 games during the regular season, averaging 17.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 steals and an efficiency rating of 18.7. Led by De Colo, the Army Men finished in 1st place during the regular season, recording a 28-2 record. He was a terrific leader throughout the year and one of the league’s most efficient players. Not surprisingly, the league’s expert panel nearly unanimously selected the Frenchman as MVP (11 of 12 votes).
Joining De Colo on the 2016 All-VTB United League squad, as selected by the league’s expert panel and Sport-Express, are CSKA center Kyle Hines, Lokomotiv-Kuban forward Anthony Randolph, UNICS guard Keith Langford and Zenit guard Ryan Toolson.
– It’s a big honor to receive this award, – De Colo told VTB-League.com. – I want to mention my teammates, who helped me throughout the year and gave me opportunities to shoot. But even though I’m happy to get this honor, I’m very focused on the finals. Our goal is to win the VTB United League and no individual prizes can replace that.
Source: VTB – League.com