Montepaschi signs Sanikidze to multi-year deal

Italian champion Montepaschi Siena continued its rebuilding effort Wednesday with the signing of Georgian forward Viktor Sanikidze to a multi-year deal. The contract is for two seasons with an option for the 2014-15 campaign. Sanikidze (2.03 meters, 26 years old) is a high-flying forward that has spent the past three seasons with fellow Italian side Canadian Solar Bologna. Last season he led the Italian League in rebounding with 10.9 per game, was third in performance index rating (19.8 per game) and sixth in shots blocked (0.9 bpg.) in addition to averaging 12 points. He actually improved his numbers against Siena, leading Bologna to two wins last seaosn in as many games by averaging 13 points, 17 boards and 1.5 blocks and an index of 32.

A native of Tbilisi, Sanikidze has spent little time in his home country over the past decade. In 2001 he went to the United States to play at Globe Tech Junior College. He returned home after one season to Academy Tbilisi. But in 2003, at age 17, he moved to JDA Dijon in France, where Sanikidze played three seasons. He played a season each at Estudiantes in Spain, Dinamo Tibilisi in Georgia and Tartu/Rock in Estonia before settling in with Bologna. Sanikidze is also a regular with the Georgian national team.