We bring you last week's top performances from Ivorians who are playing abroad and who all have had prior experience of national team duties at youth or senior level.
#1. This week's number one is former international power forward
Matt Costello (208-1993, college:
Michigan St., currently plays in Euroleague). Costello led his Spanish team
Baskonia to a 3-point victory against the closely-ranked ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne Basket (7-16)
72-69 in the Euroleague last Thursday.
He scored 13 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, passed 3 assists and added 3 blocks.
TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (10-15) is placed tenth in the Euroleague.
It was his team's third consecutive victory in a row.
This season Costello averages: 9.3ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.3apg, 3FGP: 35.1% and FT: 77.3%.
He has a dual citizenship: Ivorian and American.
Costello played for the Ivorian senior national team year ago.
#2. Second place goes to former international point guard
Assemian Moulare (183-2003, currently plays in EuroCup). He contributed to an easy victory against the seventh-ranked Hamburg Towers (6-8) crushing them
85-62 in the Eurocup on Wednesday night.
Moulare scored 8 points and blocked 2 shots in 18 minutes.
Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans (9-6) is placed third in the Eurocup.
It was his team's fifth consecutive victory in a row.
There are only three games left until the end of the Eurocup Regular Season. So now every game will be critical.
This year Moulare averages only 2.7ppg, 2FGP: 66.7% and FT: 25.0% in three games he played so far.
He played for the Ivorian national team in 21.
#3. The Ivorian player who performed third best last week abroad was an experienced former international center
Deon Thompson (204-1988, agency:
BeoBasket, college:
UNC, currently plays in Spain). Thompson could not help
Zaragoza (1-2) in their last game on Saturday. Despite his good performance Zaragoza was defeated
77-62 at home by the lower-ranked Tenerife (#5).
Thompson scored 11 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.
Thompson's overall stats this season are: 9.6ppg, 4.1rpg, 1.3apg, 1.1spg, 2FGP: 55.4%(46-83), 3FGP: 24.0% and FT: 54.5%.
He is another player who holds two passports: Ivorian and American.
Despite Thompson played previously for the USA university national team, he played also for the Ivorian national team in 21.
#4. Point guard
Mouloukou Diabate (183-1987, agency:
Interperformances, currently plays in Basketball Africa League) led his Tunisian team
US Monastir to a victory against the closely-ranked AS Sale (3-2)
96-90 in the Basketball Africa League last Friday.
Diabate scored 11 points and added 6 assists in 31 minutes.
U.S. Monastir (4-1) is placed second in group A.
It was his team's fourth consecutive victory in a row.
The Regular Season already ended in the Basketball Africa League.
This year Diabate's overall stats are: 8.7ppg, 2.0rpg, 4.3apg and 1.3spg in three games.
He used to play for the Ivorian national team
back in 21.
#5. Former international swingman
Vafessa Fofana (198-1992, currently plays in France) was not able to help
Gravelines-Dunkerque in their game against Le Mans (14-7) in the French Betclic ELITE ProA.
Fofana recorded 7 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
Gravelines-Dunkerque was defeated
98-87 on the road by the lower-ranked Le Mans (#4).
Fofana's total stats this season are: 5.3ppg, 3.9rpg and 1.7apg.
He used to play for the Ivorian national team
years ago.
#6. Center
Seydou Aboubacar (207-1994, currently plays in Spain) contributed to
Ourense's victory against the 15th-ranked Burgos (7-15)
76-71 in the Spanish LEB Silver (third division) in Wednesday night's game.
Aboubacar scored 7 points, had 9 rebounds and made 3 blocks in 26 minutes.
Club Ourense Baloncesto (15-5) is placed first in West group.
This year Aboubacar's total stats are: 7.0ppg and 4.4rpg in nine games.
He is a former international player as he played for the Ivorian senior team year ago.
#7. Former U18 international guard
Aboubacar Traore (196-2001, currently plays college basketball in the States) contributed to a 3-point
LBSU's victory against the University of California Santa Barbara (8-5)
67-64 in the NCAA last Friday.
Traore scored 12 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.
The Long Beach State University has a very good 12-3 conference record this season.
The Regular Season already ended in the NCAA.
Traore has averaged so far 8.3ppg, 8.1rpg, 1.3apg and 1.3bpg.
He used to play for the Ivorian U18 national team
years ago.
#8. Swingman
Charles Abouo (196-1989, college:
BYU, currently plays in France) was not able to secure a victory for
Le Portel (3-3) in their game against Limoges CSP Elite (12-10) in the French Betclic ELITE ProA.
Abouo recorded 6 points in 17 minutes.
Le Portel lost
59-73 on their home court in Le Portel to the lower-ranked (#9) Limoges CSP Elite.
Abouo has averaged so far 8.9ppg, 3.4rpg, 1.3apg and 1.1spg in 21 games.
He has both American and Ivorian nationalities.
Abouo used to play for the Ivorian national team
back in 21.
#9. Former international point guard
Jean-Francois Kebe (185-1994, currently plays in France) managed to help Hermine Nantes Atlantique in a victory against the closely-ranked JA Vichy (11-8) crushing them
91-71 in the French ProB (second division) last Friday.
He scored only 3 points, grabbed 6 boards, passed 5 assists and added 3 steals in 24 minutes.
Hermine Nantes Atlantique (6-4) is placed fifth in the ProB.
Kebe has averaged so far 4.7ppg, 2.7rpg, 3.3apg and 1.3spg in three games.
He used to play for the Ivorian national team
years ago.
#10. Forward
Tiegbe Bamba (204-1991, college:
Portland St., currently plays in France) led
Kaysersberg to a victory over the fifth-ranked Union Rennes (2-3)
74-63 in the French NM1 (third division) on Friday night.
Bamba was MVP of the game. He recorded 21 points and grabbed 9 rebounds; not bad, considering it's only Bamba's first season in pro basketball. AS Kaysersberg Ammerschwihr BCA (6-1) is placed first in Group C.
Bamba has relatively good stats this season: 11.8ppg, 5.6rpg, 1.6apg and 2.1spg.
He is a former international player as years ago he still played for the Ivorian senior national team.
#11. Former international power forward
Cedric Bah (198-1994, currently plays in France) faced previously mentioned Jean-Francois Kebe in the French ProB last game.
Bah couldn't help
JA Vichy in their game against Nantes.
He scored 6 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 21 minutes.
His team was badly defeated by 20 points
91-71.
Bah has averaged so far 7.2ppg, 5.5rpg and 1.3apg in 19 games.
He used to play for the Ivorian national team
years ago.
#12. Former international center
Mohamed Kone (210-1981, college:
Valpo, currently plays in France) contributed to a 2-point
Pontoise's victory against the ninth-ranked Besancon
75-73 in the French NM1 (third division) last Saturday.
Kone recorded only 4 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Kone has averaged so far 8.5ppg, 7.5rpg and 1.3apg.
He used to play for the Ivorian national team
back in 19.
#13. Former international power forward
Amadou Sidibe (203-1994, agency:
Players Group, college:
Fairfield, currently plays in France) contributed to an easy victory against the league outsider SPO Rouen
93-74 in the French ProB (second division) on Saturday night.
Sidibe scored 15 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 28 minutes.
Sidibe has averaged so far 9.9ppg, 8.1rpg and 1.1apg in 14 games.
He also holds two passports: Ivorian and American.
Sidibe used to play for the Ivorian national team
years ago.
#14. Former international forward
Moussa Kone (203-1993, college:
Hofstra, currently plays in Spain) couldn't help
Cantabria in their game against Burgos in the Spanish LEB Silver (third division).
He recorded 6 points in only 13 minutes.
His team lost
73-86.
Kone has averaged so far 5.1ppg and 2.9rpg in 15 games.
He holds both American and Ivorian passports.
Kone used to play for the Ivorian national team
back in 15.
#15. Former international center
Bali Coulibaly (199-1995, agency:
Octagon Europe, currently plays in France) couldn't help
Lorient in their game against STB Le Havre in the French NM1 (third division).
He recorded 6 points.
His team was defeated
89-79.
This season Coulibaly has relatively solid stats: 10.3ppg, 5.6rpg and 1.3apg.
He used to play for the Ivorian national team
years ago.
The list of other players, who all have Ivorian passport but never been selected to any of Ivorian national teams: #1. Mohamed Bamba (211-C-1998, college:
Texas, currently plays in NBA) led
Orlando Magic to a surprising victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves (41-30)
118-110 in the NBA in Friday night's game.
He was MVP of the game. Bamba had a double-double by scoring 27 points and getting 12 rebounds. He also added 2 blocks in 32 minutes; quite an impressive performance considering it's only Bamba's first season in pro basketball. The Orlando Magic has rather weak 18-52 record this season.
Bamba has relatively good stats this year: 10.3ppg, 7.9rpg, 1.1apg and 1.7bpg in 59 games he played so far.
He has a dual citizenship: Ivorian and American.
Despite Bamba's Ivorian passport, he previously played for the USA U18 national team and is probably not eligible to play for the Ivorian team.
#2. Ladji Meite (203-F/C-2000, currently plays in France). He could not help
SO Maritime Boulogne (6-4) to beat Vitre (7-3). Meite cannot count Tuesday's game as one of the best ones.
He scored only 2 points and grabbed 5 rebounds.
The third-placed SO Maritime Boulogne (6-4) was defeated
72-66 on the road by the leading Vitre in the Group B.
Meite has averaged so far 2.8ppg and 2.8rpg.
#3. Ousmane Doumbia (200-SF-2001, currently plays in Spain) was not able to help
Pas Pielagos in their game against Solares (9-13) in the Spanish EBA (fourth division).
He scored 9 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.
But the 15th-placed Pas Pielagos (5-18) was edged
77-74 on the opponent's court by the higher-ranked Solares (#11) in the Group A-A.
Doumbia has averaged so far 6.2ppg, 4.8rpg, 1.8apg and 1.4spg.
