By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Jordan Loyd, Alex Poythress, Billy Baron, Tyson Carter, and Mateusz Ponitka are all back for Zenit Saint Petersburg, the team announced Monday. The five players returned after a short break, as noted.
The four players from the USA and Polish Ponitka departed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The ongoing war in Eastern Europe has resulted in Euroleague Basketball suspending all games involving Russian teams, including Zenit’s, until further notice.
The team based in Saint Petersburg has resumed action in the VTB United League though. Defeating Parma Perm improved the W-L tally to 11-3 last week. An away fixture opposite CSKA Moscow follows today, (18:00 CET).
Loyd, 28, had 13.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.0 steals per Turkish Airlines EuroLeague contest, and 11.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per VTB game this season.
Baron, 31, logged 11.2 points, 2.2 assists, and 1.7 rebounds per EuroLeague contest, and 13.8 points, 2.3 assists, and 1.8 rebounds per VTB game, before temporarily leaving the team.
Poythress, 28, put in 7.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.6 blocks per appearance in his second EuroLeague season at Zenit, and 12.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.7 blocks per VTB contest.
Ponitka, 28, was up to 4.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per appearance in EuroLeague, and 5.2 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per VTB game.
Carter, 24, squeezed in 1.0 points and 1.3 assists per EuroLeague contest, and 7.3 points, 5.0 assists, and 1.3 rebounds per VTB appearance since joining Zenit in December.
Photo Credit: EuroLeagueBasketball.net