It was another strong performance for the EuroCup rookie.
Kris Bankston set the early tone for Aris
Article
3 Mins read
Aris Midea Thessaloniki ended 2023 in style by cruising to a comfortable home win over Slask Wroclaw on Wednesday night, 93-71, and the tone was set in the opening minutes by a dominant phase of play from big man Kris Bankston.
Ensuring his team made a fast start, Bankston scored three of Aris’s first five baskets and delivered the assists for the other two, allowing Vassilis Toliopoulos and Roberto Gallinat to sink the first pair of a new club record 17 three-pointers. And that wasn’t all because he completed his stellar start to the action by grabbing 4 offensive rebounds and a steal, giving him a PIR of 11 in just five minutes.
Bankston didn’t continue that level of dominance but continued to be a regular contributor to his team’s easy win, ending with 9 points, a team-high 7 rebounds – including 5 at the offensive end – 3 assists and 2 steals for a PIR of 19, the second-highest of all Aris players behind Vassilis Toliopoulos (25 PIR).
And that marked a welcome return to form for a player who hasn’t shined in recent weeks, with Bankston – who is enjoying his first season in European basketball after coming through Norfolk State University – failing to reach double digits PIR in the previous five games and recording a minus tally in two of those.
Aris’s leading scorer on the night was Toliopoulos, who combined 25 points with 6 rebounds and 5 assists, and after the game, he asserted that his team’s strong start – powered by Bankston – was the key to the outcome. “We were very serious from the beginning, offensively and defensively,” he said. “We never let the opponent believe they could win.”
Indeed, after Aris’s powerful early surge there was never any real doubt about the outcome, which gave the Greek team its third consecutive victory – and second straight with 90+ points on the scoreboard – and keeps it right in the fight to progress from a very tight Group B.
Aris is one of four teams separated by just one win between fifth and eighth place, and if Bankston maintains his return to form it could prove crucial heading into the decisive final weeks of the regular season.
Game Videos
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Woodbury drives baseline for poster slam! Magic Moment of the Night
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Woodbury’s fastbreak slam! Magic Moment
- 00:13
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/f0fcf968-4842-4d13-ab6f-3abbd2ea4a9a.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A99%3A117]()
Woodbury drives baseline for poster slam! Magic Moment
- 00:27
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/01/29/VwiYerO6eMSF5XTf40pE2gJHLIWYglyN-1738187145494.jpg]()
Figueroa rejects from behind! Magic Moment of the Night
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Figueroa rejects from behind! Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/c221ebde-ce89-4560-9d2c-5ade2109832b.jpg]()
Valencia Basket-Aris Midea Thessaloniki | Round 16 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
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Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana-Aris Thessaloniki | Round 14 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
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An impossible three from Toliopoulos! Magic Moment
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Umana Reyer Venice-Valencia Basket | Round 13 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
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Parks with a two-handed block! Magic Moment
- 00:09
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De Larrea to Brimah alley-oop! Magic Moment
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Clyburn banks in the improbable shot! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:11
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Hall rises for spectacular swat! Motorola Magic Moment,
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![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/7b61257e-b9ee-44d2-91d4-46d0e1c150a4.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A135%3A80]()
Hall says give me that! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/zzJ9Vgml_zw/maxresdefault.jpg]()
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Banks bangs one home! Magic Moment
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Banks' double block! Magic Moment
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![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/62b50e7b-f5f2-48e8-8a33-9c20ad86dc4d.jpg?crop=1180%3A664%3Anowe%3A0%3A89]()
Laszewski’s big dunk! Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/db77921a-307c-41e8-b92f-20ebb6555f4a.jpg]()
Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse-Aris Midea Thessaloniki | Round 6 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:13
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/cfd994c7-06d3-4c66-a369-b29bbdb48cda.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A33%3A43]()
Banks rejects Kokila! Magic Moment
- 00:24
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/10/23/QaQmrH7Avj00NslIcFOrJUPvLscrT3sx-1729715788713.png]()
Banks with a put-back slam! Magic Moment of the Night
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/35f4178a-9a77-4da8-894a-b4ffe8d984fc.jpg]()
Aris Midea Thessaloniki-Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana | Round 5 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:13
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/7bd4000d-edda-494e-8396-e21481697ea2.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A106%3A78]()
Bochoridis to Roberts for a powerful slam! Magic Moment
- 00:18
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/cfd994c7-06d3-4c66-a369-b29bbdb48cda.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A161%3A54]()
Banks with a put-back slam! Magic Moment
- 00:20
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/10/16/oFgWI02eEWSv4wiKjeOC1unlbuOAEEtf-1729110777567.jpg]()
Nolley goes coast-to-coast! Magic Moment of the Night
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/PKBVdALTm9k/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Aris Midea Thessaloniki-Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem | Round 4 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/f52d4c3c-ff2d-4b78-97d5-66a43f12d3f4.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A83%3A37]()
Nolley goes coast-to-coast! Magic Moment
- 03:38
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/10/08/d5DVhRAtEydTSR4lQfpFVLL8fOWqZwLY-1728414002180.jpg]()
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- 00:18
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/de0d1b30-2e49-4a03-aab3-406b15958d61.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A77%3A116]()
Banks's big dunk! Magic Moment
- 00:16
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/9f9c0982-6463-4e58-a2dc-50a42d6ca21e.png?crop=750%3A422%3Anowe%3A0%3A76]()
Alkins throws it down! Magic Moment
- 03:55
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/10/02/sl4zeVcxlU2vh9cUdNDv54VhGxV5AeBd-1727898382695.jpg]()
Aris Midea Thessaloniki-Turk Telekom Ankara | Round 2 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 03:40
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/09/25/E8qY6ugj0GcIx0dKD52gZfOeW3n2vYS4-1727298025577.jpg]()
Umana Reyer Venice-Aris Midea Thessaloniki | Round 1 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/7393a20b-b3ad-40f6-83d7-d862e68d82ca.png?crop=750%3A422%3Anowe%3A0%3A99]()
Magic Moment: Banks hammers it home!
- 03:51
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/03/06/EMvXmRAsDmWieM1MFALgi7NbPW6ps0oj-1709753176807.jpg]()
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- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/5424f187-7f4f-4039-b085-7c517578a45c.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A193%3A53]()
Magic Moment: Rejected by Bankston!
- 03:47
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/02/07/Arj3LbqRm9nbJLXPFRp5of9H9dwUDwio-1707337199683.jpg]()
Aris Midea Thessaloniki-Dolomiti Energia Trento | Round 18 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup
- 00:08
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Magic Moment: Sanogo stops Biligha!
