The "Elemér Tordai Memorial" Tournament

Elemér Tordai's No. 9 jersey was retired by the club

Today starts in Sibiu the 7th edition of the "Elemér Tordai Memorial" Tournament. The three day event which features four teams, wants to be a tribute to one of the best players who ever played for CSU Sibiu. With him on the court the club had it's most glorious period which culminated with winning their only two championships.

Elemér Tordai was born in Mediaș in 1971 and played during his career for Gaz Metan Medias, West Petrom Arad, Dinamo Bucuresti and CSU Sibiu. Wherever he played he was a true professional and an example to be followed by the young players. For this and for his loyalty to CSU Sibiu for which he played in his last seasons, the fans keep him in their hearts even today. He unfortunately passed away in 2007 after a long battle with cancer at only 36 years of age. CSU Sibiu organizes a friendly tournament every year since then, in his memory, a tournament which opens unofficially the new basketball season in Romania.

This year's participants are SCM U Craiova, Universitatea Cluj Napoca, BC Mures Tirgu Mures and the hosts CSU Sibiu. Every team will meet all the others during this three day event, and the winner will be pronounced the one with the most victories. 

The full schedule of games:

Thursday, 28th of August

17:00 CSU Sibiu - Universitatea Cluj-Napoca 90-53
Top achievements:
CSU Sibiu: Bojovic 24 points, Calota 18 points. Pascu Norbert played 12 minutes for Sibiu without scoring.
Universitatea Cluj: Pintea 11 points, Ionescu 9 points, Foalea 8 points. Steff Norbert played for Cluj and scored 4 points.

Complete stats.

19:00 BC Mures Tirgu Mures - SCM U Craiova 97-98 (after OT)

Top achievements:
BC Mures: Ivanovic 24 points, Sinadinovic 19 points, Peciukas 16 points, Barro 15 points.
SCM U Craiova: Krstanovic 21 points, Velickovic 20 points, Vucurovic 17 points, Santa 10 points.

Complete stats: BC Mures, SCM Craiova.

Friday, 29th of August

17:00 Universitatea Cluj-Napoca - BC Mures Tirgu Mures 46-103
Top achievements:
Universitatea Cluj: Foalea 14 points, Pintea 11 points, Steff 4 points
BC Mures: Lazar 24 points, Corpodean 19 points, Capusan 16 points, 10 rebounds.

Complete stats.

19:00 CSU Sibiu - SCM U Craiova 102-95

Top achievements:
CSU Sibiu: Bojovic 30 points, 6 rebounds, Calota 27 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists
SCM U Craiova: Krstanovic 38points, 13 rebounds, Vucurovic 18 points, Bureau 16 points, 8 rebounds, Santa 6 points.

Complete stats.

Saturday, 30th of August

10:30 Universitatea Cluj-Napoca - SCM U Craiova 61-89
Unfortunately I couldn't get the statistics for this game.

12:30 CSU Sibiu - BC Mures Tirgu Mures 51-91
Top achievements:
CSU Sibiu: Bojovic 19 points, 7 rebounds, Lapuste 13 points, Paun 8 points
BC Mures: Ivanovic 18 points, 10 rebounds, Barro 14 points, 12 rebounds, Sinadinovic 12 points, 7 assists

Complete stats: CSU Sibiu, BC Mures.

With these results BC Mures won the 7th edition of the Elemér Tordai Memorial Tournament. 

BC Mures Centers: Lucian Țibîrnă

Lucian Tibirna is the younger brother of CSM Oradea center Bogdan Tibirna. The 18 years old center comes from Focsani where he played out his junior years so far. But that team, although it made it to the U20 final tournament, wasn't competitive enough for Lucian, thus he made the decision to transfer to a team that can assure him a better environment to maximize his talents and develop his inside game. On top of that he can have the chance to debut in the Romanian first division LNBM.

Growing up in the shadow of his brother, who made it at top level at an early age, Lucian strives to at least equal that performance and hopefully surpass it. Having experienced players around him and a top quality coaching staff, he has every chance to achieve his goals, everything depends on his hard work and ambition. He will play mostly for the Liga 1 (second division) team, beside Dimitris Rasty, Boloni Tamas, Barabasi Csongor and other players who played in the past for the Romanian National Team. Depending on his work and achievements at practice and in games, he could have the chance to make the roster of the first team. And even if it is not going to happen this season, he has time on his side and a good possibility to build a basketball career at Tirgu Mures.

No. 11 Lucian Tibirna

Below you can read an interview with Lucian Tibirna.

1. Why did you choose BC Mures?
I chose BC Mures because I wanted to play in a united team, with a competent staff, which I can understand and which understands me. I think that this club can offer me this possibility.

2. Your older brother has already made the first team at Oradea. Do you hope to follow his path in the BC Mures jersey?

I am proud of my brother and in my eyes he will always be the best, but my character, my will and my devotion can help me to pass him and reach my own dreams.

3. You will have the opportunity to work at practice with three experienced centers: Barro, Lazar and Jakab. What does this mean to you?
For me this is a special opportunity, to be able to train with Ousmane Barro, because he is a very experienced player, who played all over the world. I also think that Lazar Laszlo can teach me a lot of his experience as a young player. About Cristian jakab I don't know a lot but I think we will get along well. I want to steal pieces of each of their experience and to learn as much as I can from them to become a better player.

4. A few words for the fans.
For me the fans are the sixth player of the team. They are always beside the team, no matter of the results, they give you the strength to continue and they are the main reason to win the game. I chose to fight for BC Mures and I hope I won't disappoint anybody.

BC Mures Shooting Guards: No. 25 Matija Ceskovic

Matija Ceskovic could prove to be the returning prodigal son for BC Mures. In his first season with the club he was either angel or demon. He reeks of talent, lots of it, and has the spark of genius. When he is in "the zone" no one can stop him. He scores from downtown, mid range or with two defenders hanging from his neck. But there are moments when he can lose a game all by himself, by forcing difficult shots in key moments, with open teammates on the court.

Last year he left, or maybe he was forced to leave by the signing of Goran Martinic. Coach Sekulovic knew, there is no room for two soloists in the same orchestra and he chose Martinic. So Ceskovic signed with CSU Sibiu.

With Sibiu he made it to the playoffs from 3rd place in the regular season, one better than BC Mures. There this team lost after a thrilling five game series against 6th seeded U-Mobitelco Cluj Napoca.

In the regular season he averaged 17 points, 4.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 34:20 minutes per game. In the playoffs he had 14.6 points, 2 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 37:45 minutes per game.

This season with BC Mures he is looking ahead to many minutes on the court, because he is the only pure shooting guard in the team. Of course Sinadinovic, Polyák and even Emile can play 2 if needed, but to Ceskovic, the shooting guard position fits like a glove.

In defense he can guard any outside player. He is well built and quick on his feet, hard to loose by the offensive player. When in mismatch with a taller player he knows when to foul to prevent an easy basket.

His return to BC Mures could prove the spark of genius missing from last year's team, the binding material between the warrior attitude and talent of the other players.

Below you can read an interview with Matija Ceskovic.

1. You are coming back to Mures after playing last year in Sibiu. What made you choose Mures again?

Hey, I can say that I am coming back home. I missed the Jungle, and beside that, I know some players and the coach, and I think that we have a combination of young and experienced players, so these are the reasons why I have decided to come back.

2. With Sinadinovic and Polyak playing point guard, you will mainly play shooting guard. Is this an advantage for you?

My natural position is 2, but I will be there to help them on position 1 if needed. My goal is for the team to play good together and personal statistics will come by themselves.

3. Knowing the coach and the team, do you think you can at least repeat last year's performance?

This season the Romanian league will be much stronger than before, so we will also need to be lucky in some games and we can make good results.

4. A few words for the fans. 

Hui hui haira!

Some Matija Ceskovic highlights from 2011-2012

BC Mures Forwards: No. 12 Adrian Oprea

Adrian Oprea is a promising young player. Originating from Miercurea Ciuc, he came to Tirgu Mures at a tender age to play at a top youth club. His coaches have been Szászgáspár Barnabás, George Trif and Steff Zakariás. After proving his talent at junior level, coach Sekulovic decided to promote him to the extended first division roster and give him some minutes in easier games, to get the feel of high level basketball.

He made the National Team both at U18 and U20 levels and took part in two European Championship campaigns. This summer at the Division B U20 EC in Bosnia, coached by Hristu Șapera, his team finished in 9th place. He averaged 5.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.9 steals in 13.3 minutes per game.

Playing at the U20 EC

With BC Mures U20 he finished in 4th place in last year's National Championships being one of the determining players of the team. This year the club entered a team consisting of only U20 players in the second division (Liga 1). With teammates like National Team players Dimitris Rasty, Barabási Csongor, Lucian Țibîrnă, Engi Dávid, Bölöni Tamás, Mădălin Potcoavă chances are that the results will come and a nice nucleus of young talent will form, to take over from the veterans in the near future.

With plenty of talent to use and an athletic body, Oprea has everything he needs to make it at top level, it only depends on his will and determination. He needs to develop his court vision and increase his decision making in order to match up to players like Peciukas or Ceskovic. One thing is sure: time is still on his side.

No. 21 Adrian Oprea

Below you can read a short interview with Adrian Oprea.

1. You have been at BC Mures for many years now, most of the time at youth level, but you have already made your appearance in the first team. What are your expectations for this season both at youth and senior levels?

This season I expect the team to be among the top teams both at U20 and senior level.

2. Which are your basketball skills and qualities that can help you make it at top level?

My best quality and chance to play is defense. It is not the best possible yet but I am trying to make progress as much as I can.

3. Which is your favorite position on the court?

My favorite position is shooting guard but I can also play small forward.

4. A few words for the fans.

We thank you for being there at the games every time and cheering for us even at away games.

BC Mures Forwards: No. 11 Sammy Lee Emile

Sammy Emile playing for Mars Hill University

Sammy Emile is the biggest gamble of BC Mures this season. Most of the other players have already played for the club in previous seasons, or played in the Romanian National League, so everybody knows what to expect from them. Only Polyák László is somewhat different, but he was seen by coach Sekulovic in live games before. Emile has never played in Europe before. He comes from Mars Hill University, a Division II NCAA team. During his career he also played in Canada, Brasil, Irak and in the ABA League in the USA.
Watching his highlight videos we can see that he has good coils in his legs, a hot hand from behind the ark and a half decent drive to the basket. He can finish with a dunk, a layup or a jump-shot making him hard to guard.
If last year's team missed something, it was an explosive all around player, who can make the play when set pieces don't work anymore. If he can do that, the fans will love him and stay behind him, like they do with all players who put their heart out on the court.

Below you can read a short interview with Sammy Lee Emile.

1. It is your first time in Europe as a player. Why did you choose BC Mures?
Yes, it is my first time in Europe. I chose BC Mures because of the coach and the winning tradition.

2. You are the only American in the team. How is the team chemistry with players from so many countries?
The chemistry is coming together fast because it's a team full of veterans that understand the game of basketball.

3. What position do you like to play on the court?
My position is 3/2 and some time the point if the coach needs me.

4. A few words for the fans.
My main goal is to help bring a championship to BC Mures.

Sammy Lee Emile Highlights

BC Mures Forwards: Dimitris Rasty

Playing for the U20 National Team

Dimitris Rasty is one of the young talents of Romanian basketball. He was born in Grece but learned basketball in Romania, mostly at Colegiul National Aurel Vlaicu. At 200 cm height he plays small and power forward, but he is hard to guard by tall players because he can shoot with a decent percentage from outside the arc. Rasty also has good penetration to the basket, playing well the mismatch situations.

Last season he played for Concordia Chiajna in the National League, finishing in 13th place with only 2 victories. He also played for the U20 National Team at the Division B European Championships, finishing in 9th place.

At Chiajna he played 25 games, having 3.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.4 assist in 16 minutes per game. At the European Championships he had a statistical line of 2.9 points, 2 rebounds and 0.4 steals in 11.6 minutes per game.

At BC Mures he will have to fight for a place on the court with veteran players like Peciukas, Ivanovic, Emile or Capusan so he has a lot on his hands, but his youth and fighting spirit can make him a useful role player in the team. He will have the opportunity to play in the club's second division team with other young talent like Barabási Csongor, Lucian Țibîrnă, Adrian Oprea, etc. There he will have the chance to strengthen his game and, given the opportunity, to make the step to the senior team.

Below you can read an interview with Dimitris Rasty.

1. Why did you choose BC Mures?

 I chose BC Mures because it is a top team both at senior and youth levels. The young players have total support from the club and also  from the fans, which is important to me as a player at the beginning of my career.

2. For a relatively tall player you have hot hands from outside the three point line. Which are your favorite positions on the court?

Because of my height I can play either positions 3 or 4, so I have to master both forward and center moves. My favorite position is of power forward because there I can play pick  and pop with my teammates from positions 1-2-3. This way I can create an open three point shot more easily, just like Ivanovic.

Playing for Chiajna in the National League

3. Which are your strengths with which you can make it at BC Mures?

I like to give 100% in everything I do, at practice and on the court. I always listen, never give up and I am always behind my team, no matter what, because in basketball the final result can always be changed.

4. A few words for the fans.

Thank you for the welcome messages and the support. Because of you my accommodation and work as a player will be much easier! 

BC Mures Point Guards: No. 6 Polyák László

In my opinion one of the best signings of BC Mures, in the preseason, was Polyák László. The young Hungarian guard comes with several advantages. First of all he has Romanian citizenship, his parents originating from Romania, which is very important because of the 6 foreign players rule of the Romanian Basketball Federation. He was an important part of the Hungarian youth squads between 2009 and 2013 taking part in five European Championship campaigns and qualified to Divison A in 2013 with the U20 team.

Last season he played  for Hungarian outfit Marso Nyíregyháza finishing in last place in the first league with a 5-17 win-loss ratio.

Playing for Nyíregyháza

He can play positions 1 and 2 in offense which is a great help for coach Srecko Sekulovic because he can substitute either Edi Sinadinovic or Matija Ceskovic in the rotation. He has good court vision and a decent three point shot. In defense he can guard any opponent due to his size and muscular build, qualities which don't hinder his speed. He follows the ball actively and has many rebounds due to his good positioning and intelligence. 

His statistics at he U20 EC in 2013 included 6.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 24 minutes per game. For his club he averaged 4.7 points, 2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 19.4 minutes per game.

Polyák László (second from left) at the 2013 EC victory ceremony in Pitesti (Rou)

Below you can read a short interview with Polyák László.

1. What made you choose Tirgu Mures as your next team?

Coach Sekulovic saw me at a friendly tournament, he liked my playing style and mentality, and he wanted me to be part of his team for this season. I know that this is a very competitive league and I know Srecko to be a heavy handed and good coach and I can progress under his hands. Mainly this is why I made this choice.

2. You were an important part of the Hungarian youth National Team. Now that you are playing in Romania, what are your hopes to be selected in the senior National Squad?
Yes, I took part in five youth European Championships (U16,  U18, U20) and I mostly had an important part in the team. For the senior team there is much work to be done but I am hopeful that I am on the right track.

3. What is your favorite position on the court, point guard or shooting guard?

I like to play point guard, but I don't have a problem if I have to play shooting guard.

4. What are your strong points on the court?

In my opinion my strength is that I am physically strong and still athletic given my height, and I can also be useful in defense.

5. A few words for the fans.

 I hope that we will have many fans at our games and they will help us as a sixth player to achieve a good result this season.

BC Mures Point Guards: No. 5 Edi Sinadinovic

Edi Sinadinovic
(foto Totalbschet)

Edi Sinadinovic has been brought to BC Mures to substitute for the departure of Goran Martinic. This will be a tough act to follow, because Martinic was one of the best point guards of the league and without doubt the best scoring point guard. Edi wont play like Martinic because he is a different profile point guard. He is a good shooter and has a half decent  drive to the basket, but he is a much better defender than his predecessor due to his 191 cm height. 

He only played the latter half of last season for BCM U Pitesti, but contributed fully to his team's performance of making it to the playoffs. He played backup point guard for Ken Tutt and shooting guard, but his favorite position is point guard, running the plays. He can draw two defenders and pass the ball to the open teammate or can play mismatch against smaller point guards.

His last year's statistics show him as a team player. His 13.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game came in 31:35 minutes per game, the highest average playtime in the team. He also had 2.6 turnovers. His shooting percentages were decent: 41.9% from 2 points and 37.9% from 3 point range.

Below you can find a short interview with Edi.

1. You had a solid half season at Pitesti playing point guard and shooting guard. Which one is your favorite position on the court?

My favourite position is to play point guard.

2. You come to Tirgu Mures to substitute Goran Martinic, one of the best scoring point guards in the league. Is that a problem for you?

I came to TÎrgu Mureș to be first point guard, also that's coach decision who will be the first and I will respect his decision because I am a professional.

3. You know most of your teammates from last year's games and probably got to know the rest of them also. What's your opinion, can this team repeat or exceed last season's bronze medal run?

I think that we have good a team and if we play like a team we can make a good result this season.

4. A few words for the fans, please.

Fans, we will have a big fun this season!

And finally some Edi Sinadinovic highlights. 

BC Mures Point Guards: No. 4 Barabási Csongor

Barabási Csongor
(foto: Kádár Csongor)

Barabási Csongi is one of the best players of his generation and a 100% product of the Tîrgu Mureș basketball school. He played for three teams during his career at junior level and in every team he had played for, he was a leader.

Born on the 13th of November 1996, he played for Labradors Tîrgu Mureș, Gladius Tîrgu Mureș and BC Mureș-LPS Tîrgu Mureș. Last season he played for the club's U18 team averaging 11 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists a game in the final stages of the competition. His team finished in an honorable 4th place in a very strong field.

On National Team level he played for the U16 and U18 teams. This year at the Division B European Championships he played in 7 games averaging 1.6 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 9.4 minutes per game. His team finished in a disappointing 18th place.

The 188 cm tall point guard will play this season for the club's Liga 1 team but he is also training with the National League team, hoping to get a place from time to time on the game roster.

Here is a short interview with the young BC Mures prospect.

Starting this season you were nominated into the BC Mures National League roster. How hard is the change from the youth team to the seniors?

The change is huge, it is much harder to play for the senior team because they are physically stronger and they have experience, they feel the game, but in my opinion the biggest difference is in strength. This is good for me because I have the opportunity to learn from them.

You were a part of the U18 Romanian National Team which had a disappointing run at the European Championships. What was missing in order to get a better performance?

The psychological fitness. The Romanian mentality is such that everything is over after the first lost game. This is exactly what happened to us, we thought we were already through the group stage after beating Sweden (who eventually finished 4th) and we didn't give it all against the other opponents thinking that it would be easy. Otherwise everything was great, the team selection was the best possible one with no important player missing from the squad.

What are your future plans in basketball?

I have big plans for the future. First of all I want to make the National League team. I am training with them. After that if I could get into a European or United States university I would like to play there. Following that I would like to continue playing in Europe, Euroleaguea maybe, or who knows, maybe the NBA. I know that this takes a lot of work but my motto is: WORK HARD, DREAM BIG!

No. 7 Barabási Csongor

BC Mures Roster 2014-15

After a long cucumber season filled with suspense and secrecy, BC Mures announced the roster for the new season. The management, with the approval of coach Srecko Sekulovic, opted for players who either played for the team before or had solid performances at other Romanian outfits. 

The first step was the strengthening of the Romanian player contingent. For this purpose the club signed domestic talents like veteran power forward Andrei Căpușan, 210 cm center Lázár László and young but ambitious short forward Vlad Corpodean. But in my humble opinion the best catch of the transfer period was young Hungarian guard with Romanian citizenship, Polyák László.

Vaidotas Peciukas

With the hard part over the, management started to focus on signing the maximum number of foreign players allowed by the rules of the Romanian Basketball Federation. After proposing extensions to almost all of last season's players, the club managed to re-sign veterans Vaidotas Peciukas (picture) and Ivan Ivanovic who had a big role in last year's bronze medal run. Matija Ceskovic and Ousmane Barro are also returning after having solid seasons with Sibiu and Pitesti respectively. The new kids on the block are dynamic point guard Edi Sinadinovic who also played for Pitesti last season and relatively unknown forward Sammy Emile who never played in Europe before.

Forever young at heart Jakab Cristian and youngsters Barabási Csongor and Adrian Oprea from the U20 team will make up the roster. Young talents like Dimitris Rasty and Lucian Țibîrnă who will also play for the U20 team will have their chance to learn and develop their game and show coach Srecko Sekulovic that they deserve minutes in the National League also.

Coach Srecko Sekulovic will begin his third season with the Tigers, seconded by Szászgáspár Barnabás and fitness coach Bogdan Călin. Their job is to bring out the best of these players, because the potential for another medal winning season is in the cards.

Cucumber Season

It's cucumber season. You know, the season of cucumbers, the delicious, 5-12 cm long, green vegetable we all like in its many forms: salad, pickles, sauce, etc. Some people even use it for skin treatment with good results. In the summer it's one of the cheapest vegetables and due to its many uses it's very sought out in all the markets.

Pickles made by me

Us Hungarians have another meaning for this word and surprise, surprise - drumroll, please - it's related to sports. The period between the end of one season and the beginning of the next, when passionate fans have nothing to do except to talk about transfer gossip, tactics, plans for the next season and allegedly increasing ticket prices, is called between sports maniacs the Cucumber Season. In this time frame of 2-3 months, when there are no games to see, no team to root for, no referees to boo out and no after game pubbing, every fan sits in front of the computer, tablet, smartphone, newspaper and tries to find out every bit and scrap of information available about their team. When they do find the tiniest bit of information, they are eager to share it with all the others, hoping to get other intel in return.
In Romanian basketball the cucumber season extends from late June to early September, when the first friendly games are scheduled. And although basketball fans are not as numerous as football (soccer for my American friends) fans - we have 18 million football coaches -, every single fan knows what's best for their team, who the coach should be, what players the management should sign, and what tactics the coach should apply to win the championship.
Fortunately cucumber season is almost over this year and we are in for a very contested 2014-2015 season. When the regular season starts, the harmless, cucumber eating fans begin to sense fresh blood and then we start the Hunting Season where every mistake is hunted down, dissected and analyzed. But that's another story.

PS. For my Romanian friends a little something about cucumbers by the great actor Florin Piersic.

Summer. It's the season for fun, games and parties. Everybody goes on vacation somewhere nice, preferably exotic, depending on the budget. Some like it hot, wet and loud so they go to the seaside, others prefer it chill, mellow and quiet so they go to the mountains, a few just go on the tour and see some of this and some of that. We all need this, don't we, just to get away, to be somewhere else, to break away from the daily, weekly, monthly routine. We plan all year, save all year, work all year, just for these few days, couple of weeks of fun and relaxation.
And then the Big Day comes and we are ready and packed to leave. I don't know about you, but I am more of a traveler than a tourist, I like the trip more than being at the destination. Sure, seeing nice places, swimming day after day after day in the blue sea, staying in a folding chair in front of a cabin and looking at the mountains and the trees, listening to birds is pretty nice, going to museums, fairs and historical locations can feed your soul and mind, but let's face it: getting there is the climax of the whole thing. This is why we, OK lets make it I, usually stop on the way there, take minor detours or just go slower and enjoy the ride. All in all this is like life, we are all going somewhere, we (mostly) like the getting there, but wish we never did.
Are you ready to go?