Been a while since I've posted, so hi again to everyone. I was planning to write up a Final Four preview, but things got in the way and I was unable to. Sorry for that. (My personal picks were on the money, though. More on that later.)

Spartak Moscow, UMMC Ekaterinburg, Wisla Can-Pack and Ros Casares all made the Euroleague Final Four after the elimination rounds. Due to a Euroleague rule that does not allow two teams from the same country to meet in the finals, Spartak played UMMC in the first semi game, and Ros played Wisla in the second.

The results? Spartak beat UMMC thanks to an otherworldly performance by Diana Taurasi, and Ros manhandled Wisla for an easy win.

Spartak Moscow 87 -79 UMMC Ekaterinburg

Ros Casares 87-57 Wisla Can-Pack

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First off, I'm sorry for disappearing on you guys last week. Exams took over RL and I still haven't gotten over it. But I'm back, and Week 6 had no overly surprising upsets. Neither did Week 7. So, yes, undefeated teams Wisla Can-Pack, Rivas Ecopolis and Spartak Moscow are still undefeated. Also, TEO Vilnus has yet to win a game.

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I only predicted one game wrong this week. Which is kind of surprising because the Euroleague is so predictable with its unpredictability and bipolar teams.

Whoever guesses which game I predicted wrong wins a cookie! Well, not really. But it's a nice thought.

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First things first, I'm sorry for the late update. Internet was down for a few days and when I get back online, I find out my Suns lost to the Paul-less Hornets and the Monarchs have just folded/will move to somewhere in the Bay Area. Crazy things happening. The lesson there? I should never be without internet.

Okay, back to the topic at hand.

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I decided to do both days in one, as not to flood the place with posts. Hi.

Group A

TTT Riga (59-70) Cras Basket Taranto

Cras: Brunson, R. (17 points, 17 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block, 29 minutes.)

Ros Casares (87-68) UMMC Ekaterinburg

Ros: Milton-Jones, D. (19 points, 4 rebounds, 31 minutes); De Souza, E. (13 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, 3 blocks, 34 minutes); Hammon, R. (8 points, 2 rebounds, 14 minutes); Snell, B. (3 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 28 minutes)

UMMC: Wauters, A. (16 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 24 minutes); Pondexter, C. (12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 28 minutes); Gruda, S. (9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 31 minutes); Nolan, D. (8 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 35 minutes); Jones, A. (5 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 19 minutes)

Galatasaray (82-55) TEO Vilnus

Gala: Perkins, J. (23 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, 1 block, 23 minutes); Young, S. (17 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, 33 minutes)

TEO: Montgomery, R. (21 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 40 minutes); Hollingsworth, Q. (12 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 40 minutes)

Group B

ESB Lille Metropole (71-77) Wisla Can-Pack

Wisla: Burse, J. (15 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 32 minutes); Castro Marquez, I. (2 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 26 minutes)

MiZo Pecs (60-69) Halcon Avenida

Pecs: Ohlde, N. (12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 35 minutes); Quigley, A. (3 points, 1 rebounds, 7 minutes); Mazzante, K. (2 points, 13 minutes)

Avenida: Willingham, L. (17 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 40 minutes); Lyttle, S. (7 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 15 minutes)

Beretta-Famila Schio (91-76) Gospic Croatia

Famila: Coleman, M. (7 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 20 minutes)

Group C

ZVVZ USK Prague (96-79) KSSE Gorzow

Prague: Kraayeveld, C. (18 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 32 minutes); Whalen, L. (7 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 35 minutes)

Gorzow: Spencer, S. (11 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 29 minutes)

Bourges Basket (82-56) MKB Euroleasing

Bourges: Carson, E. (10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 29 minutes)

Rivas Ecopolis (74-58) Good Angels Kosice

Rivas: Langhorne, C. (3 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal, 20 minutes)

Kosice: McCoughtry, A. (19 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 38 minutes); Dupree, C. (17 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 40 minutes)

Group D

Fenerbache (74-88) Spartak Moscow Region

Fener: Taylor, P. (21 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 34 minutes); Powell, N. (19 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 36 minutes)

Spartak: Taurasi, D. (29 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 37 minutes); Jekabsone-Zogota, A. (18 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 27 minutes); Fowles, S. (13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 29 minutes); McCarville, J. (12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 24 minutes); Lawson-Wade, E. (10 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 32 minutes); Miller, K. (0 points, 1 rebound, 8 minutes)

Tarbes GB (62-70) Frisco Sika Brno

Tarbes: Houston, C. (12 points, 3 rebounds, 27 minutes)

Brno: McWilliams-Franklin, T. (12 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 32 minutes); Bonner, D. (9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 1 block, 36 minutes)

Lotos Gdynia (74-61) Szeviep

Lotos: Christon, S. (17 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 33 minutes); Phillips, E. (9 pints, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 24 minutes); Beard, A. (2 points, 1 rebound, 5 minutes)

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I forgot to make predictions about these games. Whoops.

Wasn't like I was going to bet against UMMC anyway

Group A

Cras Basket Taranto (72-79) UMMC Ekaterinburg

Cras: Brunson, R. (14 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 36 minutes)

UMMC: Gruda, S. (16 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 34 minutes); Wauters, A. (14 points, 6 rebounds, 21 minutes); Nolan, D. (11 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 35 minutes)

Group B

Beretta-Famila (92-70) ESB Lille Metropole

Famila: Coleman, M. (11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 18 minutes)

Group D

Lotos Gdynia (73-68) Tarbes GB

Lotos: Christon, S. (19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 37 minutes); Phillips, E. (14 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 32 minutes)

Tarbes: Houston, C. (19 points, 10 rebounds, 38 minutes)

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Scoreboard:

Group A

TEO Vilnus (48-78) Ros Casares

TEO: Hollingsworth, Q. (12 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals, 33 minutes); Montgomery, R. (10 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 3 steals, 33 minutes)

Ros: Milton-Jones, D. (23 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 24 minutes); De Souza, E. (14 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals); Snell, B. (7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 26 minutes)

TT Riga (60-66) Galatasaray

Gala: Young, S. (30 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 36 minutes); Perkins, J. (8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 6 steals, 36 minutes)

Group B

Gospic Croatia (52-75) Halcon Avenida

Avenida: Lyttle, S. (17 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals, 27 minutes); Willingham, L. (10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 30 minutes)

Wisla Can-Pack (85-78) MiZo Pecs

Wisla: Burse, J. (18 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 37 minutes); Castro-Marquez, I. (22 points, 2 rebounds, 24 minutes)

Pecs: Ohlde, N. (17 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 32 minutes); Mazzante, K. (14 points, 4 rebounds, 24 minutes)

Group C

ZVVZ USK Prague (76-83) Rivas Ecopolis

Prague: Kraayeveld, C. (17 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 37 minutes); Whalen, L. (16 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 25 minutes)

Rivas: Langhorne, C. (32 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, 37 minutes)

Good Angels Kosice (53-64) Bourges Basket

Kosice: Dupree, C. (16 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 36 minutes)

Bourges: Carson, E. (13 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, 1 block, 32 minutes)

MKB Euroleasing (78-64) KSSSE Gorzow

Gorzow: Spencer, S. (7 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 3 steals, 19 minutes)

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So what I said last time? I was wrong. And I quote: Fener over Brno by ten, at minimum.

Absolutely wrong.

Frisco Sika Brno (74-66) Fenerbache

Brno: Bonner, D. (17 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal, 38 minutes); McWilliams-Franklin, T. (13 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 40 minutes)

Fenerbache: Taylor, P. (16 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 35 minutes); Powell, N. (16 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 32 minutes); Sutton-Brown, T. (0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 19 minutes)

So I'm now 0-1 in predicting scores. Oops.

I also think Brno is secretly trying to kill DeWanna Bonner. That is a ton of minutes for someone who just finished her rookie year in the WNBA.

The Szeviép-Spartak Moscow game has been postponed indefinitely, due to the sudden death of Spartak owner Shabtai von Kalmanovic. I still can't get over that.

Becky Hammon, without a Euroleague team since CSKA Moscow folded, has now signed with Spanish giant Ros Casares. Ros also has Spanish players Amaya Valdemoro and Anna Montanana, as well as WNBA players Belinda Snell, Delisha Milton-Jones and Erika de Souza. If you remember. That should make Ros a lot scarier.

Only two games on the 29th.

MiZo Pécs (55-58) Beretta-Famila

Famila: Coleman, M. (2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 12 minutes)

Pécs: Ohlde, N. (3 points, 3 rebounds,14 minutes); Mazzante, K. (5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 19 minutes); Quigley, A. (2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 8 minutes)

Rivas Ecópolis (85-60) KSSSE Gorzow

Gorzow: Spencer, S. (7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 27 minutes)

Mazzante shot 1-6 from three. Spencer shot 1-5. Three-point specialists that both made teams in the '09 season. Discuss.

A look a the upcoming games here. You guys can just ignore the rest of my non-Euroleague rambling.

The new season of Euroleage Women opened today, without much fanfare elsewhere. It's rather difficult to follow WNBA players overseas unless you have a broken body clock or serious video ripping software. I have neither. But the internet is a fantastic place, so you could always check the Euroleague Women site for live stats or game recaps, and the occasional article. WNBA.com also follows the players overseas. Here's an updated list, for anyone wondering.

The stacked Russian teams, UMMC Ekaterinburg and Spartak Moscow Region (still without both Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson), remain favorites for the title, along with Spanish superpower Ros Casares. In my opinion, at least.

For Spartak, they're relying on former CSKA Moscow teammates Janel McCarville and Edwige Lawson-Wade to pick up the slack for Lauren and Sue. Good luck, guys. Spartak still has Diana Taurasi, of course, who played brilliantly in their first game, and Anete Jekabsone-Zogota ('09 rookie on the Connecticut Sun), former CKSA Moscow player Ilona Korstin, Irina Osipova and Sylvia Fowles. A while back, there was a picture that circulated as photographic evidence that Rutgers guard Epiphany Prince had signed with Spartak, but she isn't on their current roster. No further news on that just yet.

UMMC Ekaterinburg adds length in former CSKA Moscow player Ann Wauters, but loses Penny Taylor to Fenerbache (Turkey). Taylor joins Nicole Powell and Tammy Sutton-Brown on Fener. Cappie Pondexter (formerly from Fener), who plays the point for UMMC, will report after fully recovering from post-Finals eye surgery. Other UMMC players include Deanna Nolan, Sandrine Gruda, former San Antonio Silver Star Agnieszka Bibrzycka, Russian national Maria Stepanova, Svetlana Abrosimova and Asjha Jones.

Ros Casares retains local products Amaya Valdemoro (DNP for opening day) and Anna Montañana, with Belinda Snell and Erika De Souza from the WNBA.

As I've already written a long, nerdy post about opening day, I don't have much else to add. So I'll go hunt for games online now.