Anton Ponkrashov

Anton Alexandrovich Ponkraschow (Russian Антон Александрович Понкрашов; born April 23, 1986 in Leningrad, RSFSR ) is a Russian professional basketball player. Ponkraschow starred with clubs in his hometown at the dominant Russian basketball club CSKA PBK from Moscow and the Russian Deputy multiple masters from the Moscow suburb of Khimki. With the Russian national team, he won the European basketball championship in 2007 and a bronze medal at the European Championships 2011. Ponkraschow is a very good presentation of donor and can also play the point guard position, you are also its strengths on the defensive.

Club career

In 2002 Ponkraschow from Pulkovo to the Russian second division club accounts in his hometown of St. Petersburg. According to the U18 European Championships in 2004 he moved to first division side Spartak. With Spartak he could in the season 2004/ 05 do not qualify for the play- offs at the Russian Championship the following season 2005/ 06 was found at the end of the season even at the end of the table again. For the season 2006/ 07 he moved to series champion and reigning Euro League title holder CSKA Moscow, with which he again won the championship and the Russian Cup competition under the Italian coach Ettore Messina as well as the final of the highest European club competition ULEB Euro Cup 2006/ 07 reached in the one defeated defending champion Panathinaikos Athens.

For the 2007 /08 season Ponkraschow was awarded to local rivals BK Khimki, with which he defeated his former club CSKA in the Russian Cup final series. In the Russian Cup final could defeat CSKA and reach the first national title for the club. In the ULEB Cup in 2007 /08 was achieved under the Lithuanian coach Kestutis Kemzūra after two clear victories in the Round of over German club Cologne 99ers the second round, where they lost to the eventual winners Joventut Badalona Spain de clear. Under the new Italian coach Sergio Scariolo, at the same time coach of the Spanish national team, they reached the Eurocup 2008/ 09, the new name of the ULEB Cup, this time the final, after the " Elite Eight " Final tournament in Turin in the quarter and semi-finals could defeat Spanish club teams. In the final, eventually they lost the Lithuanian club Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius. In the Russian championship you failed in the final series again at CSKA.

In the 2009/10 season Ponkraschow again played for CSKA and won the championship finals series now against BK Khimki. In the Russian Cup final and the newly launched Eastern European VTB United League, triumphing over UNICS Kazan. In the ULEB Euro Cup 2009/ 10, it reached again for the eighth time in a row the Final Four Final tournament with the eventual winners FC Barcelona they lost in the semi-finals and eventually placed third. For the season 2010/11 he moved back to his hometown to Spartak. With Spartak defeated as the main round fifth in the championship quarterfinals his former club BK Khimki and occupied one end according to the classification matches to seventh place in the championship. In the Russian Cup competition, which took place at the VTB United League without the participants, you could win the title. In the season 2011/12 Ponkraschow returned to CSKA.

National

For the first time in a final squad was Ponkraschow at the European Basketball Championship in 2005. Apart from a short stint, he was only significant in the final game for seventh place used which was comparatively clearly lost to Croatia with 74:92. Since you had not even qualified by the eighth place for the 2006 World Cup, the next major tournament was the European Championship 2007. Here they suggested very respectable and won all games except for an intermediate round match against hosts Spain, which clearly lost with 22 points difference went. Ponkraschow received only minor use of time or not played as against Spain at the intermediate round defeat. In the finals, where they met again on Spain, sat coach David leaf the defensively strong Ponkraschow suddenly for 18 minutes, so that this was an unexpected "X- factor " in the surprising one-point victory over the favored hosts. For the 2008 Olympic Games Ponkraschow has been deleted as one of the final two players in the final squad.

At the European Championships in 2009 Ponkraschow was represented in the final squad. However, after a quarter-final defeat against Serbia the defending champion only reached seventh place after the final game of the Turkish national basketball team beat, showed against the Ponkraschow with 16 points and 9 assists his strongest tournament performance. However, the Turks as hosts were the only opponent who defeated the Russians at the 2010 World Cup in the first round. In the quarterfinals, the Russian team then lost to eventual champions USA and also reached at this tournament in seventh place. At the 2011 European Championships they won all matches, including a quarter-final against Serbia again, until the semi-final, which was lost against France. In the match for third place is secured against the surprise team of the tournament Macedonia the bronze medal. Coach sheet was Ponkraschow in contrast to the 2010 World Cup at the 2011 European Championships again only reduced play. Ponkraschow belonged to the squad of the Russian national team at the Olympic Games in 2012., Where he was employed as a "second Playmaker " behind Swed. In London, Russia won by a 81:77 victory against Argentina the bronze medal.