Star Turn: Romain Sato, Valencia Basket

As a man used to fighting for titles on basketball courtx across the continent, former Euroleague champion Romain Sato finds himself in a familiar territory with Valencia Basket. It's safe to say that his road to the Eurocup Finals was anything but a conventional one. Born in Bimbo, Central African Republic, Sato played four years of college basketball at Xavier University in the United States before starting his professional career in 2005 with Sicc Cucine Jesi in Italy's second league. After dominating his debut season with 25.6 points and 7.5 rebounds, Sato made a giant leap by signing with FC Barcelona for the final stretch of the 2005-06 season. The following summer Sato returned to Italy, joined Montepaschi Siena and became a pillar of the team's success. In four years there, Sato won four Italian Championships. He made his ULEB Cup debut and with the ability to hit three-pointers on one end, and defend multiple positions on the other, soon left a significant mark in the Euroleague, too. In his maiden Euroleague season, Sato helped Siena to the 2008 Final Four. He then led his team to at least the Top 16 in the next two years. In 2010, Sato made a move to Panathinaikos Athens where he became Euroleague champion. Sato played a crucial role with 13 points and 7 rebounds in a 78-70 victory over Maccabi Electra in the title game in Barcelona. After reaching his third career Final Four in his second campaign with the Greens, Sato’s next stop was Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul, before he moved to Valencia last summer. At age 33, Sato embraced a vital do-it-all role with his new team, and now aims to join a select group of players with both Euroleague and Eurocup titles.

Valencia's leader in minutes played, Sato was a Mr. Consistency as the team's top defender and second-best rebounder this season. In five of the six Last 32 games, Sato tallied double figures in scoring. He averaged 11.8 per night with 6.2 rebounds in that stage. Sato again delivered in the eighthfinals classics against Khimki Moscow Region with 15 points plus 7 rebounds in Game 1 and 13 points plus 8 rebounds in Game 2 to help Valencia advance on a one-point aggregate margin. In the quarterfinals, Sato delivered on the defensive end in Game 1 to lead Valencia to one of its best defensive performances in an 86-54 crushing of Alba Berlin. Sato was one of only two players to start every game this campaign for Coach Velimir Perasovic. Sato also grabbed an offensive board in all but three of those 22 games. A mismatch on offense, Sato's experience and stellar defense could be a difference-maker in the two-game finals.