Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv was the first team to win a BKT EuroCup game in 2024 and hopes to be the last to get a victory in the 2023-24 season. Hapoel ranks second in Group A with an 11-2 record and hosts London Lions (9-4), Paris Basketball (12-1) and Prometey Slobozhanske (7-6) in the next three rounds. Hapoel has averaged a PIR of 118.0, which is unprecedented in EuroCup history. It all starts with combo guard Xavier Munford, who is in his second EuroCup season with Hapoel.
Xavier Munford, Hapoel: 'We have unfinished business in the EuroCup'
Interviews
7 Mins read
Xavier Munford is averaging 16.2 points, 4.4 assists and a PIR of 17.5 and has started in all 13 games this season. He ranks 13th in three-point shooting (48.5%) despite taking 5.2 attempts from downtown this season. Mumford led Hapoel to the EuroCup Quarterfinals last season and hopes to rank much higher this time around, with the same core of players and coaches. If Hapoel goes all the way, Munford knows his team will make history, as he told Javier Gancedo in this interview. "I think if we are able to win the EuroCup, it would be great for sports, great for the country, great for our fans, for our coaching staff, everything," Munford said. "That's our main goal, and it will be an amazing thing if we can accomplish it."
Hello, Xavier. Congratulations on beating the Wolves. It was your 11th win in 13 games and you made things happen with a couple of assists and a big basket down the stretch. What allowed you to stop their comeback and win the game?
"Thanks. Some of those games are like that. It turned into one of those dirty, physical games. So I just wanted to do the things on the court to help my team get the win, like playing hard defense. I think that's what really sparked the run, just being more physical on defense and grabbing rebounds, getting out and running."
You have the same core of players and the same coach as last season. How has that helped Hapoel this season?
"It helps a lot. Having the same coaches gives us a lot of confidence. It makes us more cohesive, having the same group of guys. And we are learning. We are learning each other each and every day even more. But having this same coaching staff and the same core group of guys makes it a lot easier on the court and gives me a lot of confidence as well, because I know my coaching staff and the players believe in me and I believe in them as well."
"We are learning each other each and every day even more."
Hapoel is on track for an all-time record with an average PIR of 118.0. The best mark ever in 21 EuroCup seasons is a team PIR of 108.5. What allows you to play so efficiently?
"I think our coaches are definitely putting us in the right spots to go out there and succeed. And I think just sharing the ball and playing that team type of aspect, it just helps everybody flow and helps us play well and get wins. But our assist numbers and getting out and running is very important for us. And we know that without moving the ball and sharing the ball, it's going to be tough for us, so our goal is to get a high number of assists, team assists throughout the games."
This is your second season in the team. What makes you feel so comfortable in this team, in this environment?
"Just like I told you before, it was a no-brainer for me. This is a very family-oriented team. They take care of me on and off the court and that just also translates to things on the court. When you are comfortable, you feel confident to go out there and do your job. So my team and the organization put me in a great position to go out there and be my best self. Whether I'm good or bad, they're still going to love me the same way and still believe in me no matter what."
You just signed EuroCup veteran Will Cummings. What does he bring to the table?
"Will definitely brings a different aspect to the team. He gives us a different type of threat. He is a very fast guard, experienced as well. He can get to the basket at any time he wants and I think that's what really changed a little bit the dynamic of the team, but for the better, especially having J'Covan [Brown] out for some time now. I think Will is a great guy to come in and fill the void."
Your next three games are in Belgrade, against London, Paris and Prometey. How much are you looking forward to the most exciting part of the season?
"Right now, it's not an ideal time for us, playing in Belgrade away from our home fans, who bring a lot to the game. Our fans are amazing and it's tough for teams to come to Tel Aviv and win, but putting that aside, we know we have three big games coming up, very important games, and we know we are going to prepare the right way to go out there and try to get those wins. It's very important for us. We lost to Paris, we lost to Prometey and we got another tough game against London. We are just going to go out there and do what we have to do, play our style of play, make sure we lock in on scouting and play our game."
You mentioned your fans. We have seen thousands of them in road games, which is unbelievable. How would you explain the team's connection with your fans?
"Our fans are amazing. They are there when we were doing good, and they were there when we were doing bad. They bring a lot of energy. They bring energy throughout the whole game. It's never a quiet moment in the game, and it gives us a lot of motivation, a lot of drive to go out there and make them proud. And it's also tough for opponents to come and play in front of those fans. It's a hostile environment, and it is good for us when we compete. I think it's also good for the sport, you know? It's good for the competition."
"When you are comfortable, you feel confident to go out there and do your job."
This is also your second EuroCup season after a brief EuroLeague stint with FC Barcelona. How do you like the EuroCup and how fun has it been to play it in the last two years?
"It's definitely fun competing against those teams. And we also have unfinished business in the EuroCup. That was the main focus throughout the summer, and coming back was just to handle our business that we had last year. It was tough, a tough loss to [Joventut] Badalona in Spain. We all still have that taste in our mouths. We thought we could have played better or a couple of things would have went our way, we would have won. But that was just the motivation coming into this season, just unfinished business and knowing we have to do it."
Has any player surprised you in the EuroCup this season?
"I love the guard Nadir Hifi. He is exciting to watch, especially being at a young age, being 21 years old, you know, shooting 50-40-90, leading the EuroCup in scoring. That's very impressive for me, so he is one of the guys that really stood out to me. I love his game."
Hapoel Jerusalem won the EuroCup in 2004, 20 years ago. How great would it be for Hapoel Tel Aviv and for Israeli basketball if you lifted the trophy this spring?
"I think if we are able to win the EuroCup, it would be great for sports, great for the country, great for our fans, for our coaching staff, everything. That's our main goal, and it will be an amazing thing if we can accomplish it."