On to the BKT EuroCup Quarterfinals! The four eighthfinals survivors meet those squads that qualified directly for the quarterfinals. Some of these teams played against each other in the regular season: Paris Basketball and Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv beat Joventut Badalona and Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul, respectively, twice this season. U-BT Cluj-Napoca and the London Lions face each other for the first time, just like Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse and Prometey Slobozhanske. Unlike last week, we are taking some risks to help your EuroCup Fantasy Challenge team surprise your potential opponents.

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge tips for the quarterfinals

On to the BKT EuroCup Quarterfinals! The four eighthfinals survivors meet those squads that qualified directly for the quarterfinals. Some of these teams played against each other in the regular season: Paris Basketball and Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv beat Joventut Badalona and Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul, respectively, twice this season. U-BT Cluj-Napoca and the London Lions face each other for the first time, just like Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse and Prometey Slobozhanske. Unlike last week, we are taking some risks to help your [EuroCup Fantasy Challenge](https://eurocupfantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home) team surprise your potential opponents.

[D.J. Seeley, U-BT Cluj-Napoca (10.0 credits)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/dennis-seeley/004862/)

Cluj plays its first-ever EuroCup Playoff game at home in front of 10,000 diehard fans. It must rely on its most experienced players to make the difference against London. Seeley will play his 101st EuroCup game and is also his team's leading scorer (13.9 ppg.). Expect him to play a big role in this crucial game.

[Bar Timor, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (8.0 credits)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/bar-timor/004846/)

 Timor played 23 minutes in the Israeli League this weekend, getting 7 points and a PIR of 10. He had a double-digit PIR in five of the last six games in which he played more than 20 minutes. At his current price, Timor is a big bargain.

Andres Feliz, Bar Timor, T.J. Shorts, Zaccharie Risacher and D.J. Seeley are featured in this week's article.

EuroCup Fantasy tips: Quarterfinals

[Andres Feliz, Joventut Badalona (14.4 credits)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/andres-feliz/011247/)

The man of the moment! Feliz led Joventut to a road win in Ulm with a fantastic individual performance: 28 points on 9 of 11 two-point shooting, 6 rebounds and 6 assists for a PIR of 36. Joventut lost twice against Paris and should be more motivated than ever to knock off the top regular season team. If it does, Feliz will have a lot to do with it.

[T.J Shorts, Paris Basketball (19.5 credits)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tj-shorts/012608/)

Shorts led Paris to a 17-1 record and is the top candidate to earn season MVP honors. He leads the 2023-24 EuroCup in two-point shots made (5.8), assists (7.6) and PIR (22.6). MVP-caliber players, however, show their best version in the playoffs, and Shorts will be very much looking forward to doing that against Joventut.

[Zaccharie Risacher, Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (11.2 credits)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/zaccharie-risacher/010718/)

There are fewer and fewer options in the market, particularly at forward. Risacher has done a great job of ignoring the hype around him to put together a great season (13.1 ppg., 56.1% 3FG, 3.6 rpg., 12.1 PIR). Prometey plays up-tempo, which matches Risacher's abilities. Expect him to have a strong game in front of his team's fans.

This season there will be a new BKT EuroCup champion thanks to Besiktas Emjakjet Istanbul, which dethroned Dreamland Gran Canaria 78-80 in the eighthfinals. Veteran playmaker Derek Needham again played a big role in this victory, getting 9 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 fouls drawn and a PIR of 9. Needham knows what it takes to get playoff road wins in the competition. Two years ago, he led Frutti Extra Bursaspor to the 2022 EuroCup Finals with three straight victories in do-or-die games on the road. Besiktas also plays on the road in the quarterfinals, facing Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv in Vilnius, Lithuania. 

Derek Needham, Besiktas: 'Playoffs are always different'

Besiktas bounced back from three consecutive losses at the right time and worked hard during the break to be ready. "We had a couple meetings to see what was going on," [Derek Needham](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/derek-needham/008945/) said. "I think it was our effort, honestly. We are a defensive team and we weren't as hungry on defense like we usually were. We had to get back to it, get back to our rules on defense, which is huge for us. I think we showed that a little bit in the Gran Canaria game."

**Hello, Derek, and congratulations on beating Gran Canaria. It's never easy to win at Gran Canaria Arena. What allowed you to compete until the final minute and get the victory?** 

"Thanks. I think it was great preparation from the coaching staff. Our coaching staff has played them two or three times. They were in our group my first year in Bursa, and then last year we played them in the playoffs as well. So we are kind of familiar with the core team of Gran Canaria, so we kind of knew what their weaknesses and what their strengths were to that team. But it's always difficult with that travel to go play there, so we went a day early just to get acclimated because it's three hours, I believe, behind Istanbul. That's a big time difference, to sleep and everything. 

"I think one of the things we saw with them was they are used to having super athletic bigs and that really helped us out that this year they kind of have more like hustle bigs, not above-the-rim type of bigs. You know what I mean? Last season, they had Diop, who is now with Baskonia, and Balcerowski, who is with Panathinaikos. They helped Gran Canaria a lot the past couple years. And we felt like this year we could connect, get in the paint a little bit more, even though they still have those fantastic guards on the outside. But we had a great game plan though. The game plan was perfect. We won, so I would say it was perfect, of course."

**How great was it not just to dethrone the champions, but to beat a team you have lost against throughout most of your EuroCup career?** 

"I actually was nervous going there just because that road travel was always bad. But like you said, I just hate losing there. I played them probably four or five times in EuroCup, so I was kind of familiar. But repeating as champions is probably the hardest thing to do that next season. So that kind of gave me like a little hope, like, 'all right, this could be our time' because it's just hard to repeat as champions in any sport."

**You also finished the regular season with three ugly losses, by 19 points or more. How did you work during the break to put together such a great game like you did against Gran Canaria?**

"We worked like crazy during the break. We had a couple days off and were right back to it. We had a couple meetings to see what was going on, because usually if we lose, we lose by 5-6 or at the buzzer or something like that. And we had had three 20-point losses in the EuroCup. And then we got destroyed in the Turkish Cup by 30, I believe. So we were trying to figure out what the difference was, and I think it was our effort, honestly. We are a defensive team and we weren't as hungry on defense like we usually were. And giving that 1,000 percent effort on defense, which is our calling card. So we had to get back to it, get back to our rules on defense, which is huge for us. I think we showed that a little bit in the Gran Canaria game."

**You are by far the most experienced player in this team. How much of a vocal leader are you on the court being the point guard and the most experienced player?**

"I'm very vocal. Against Gran Canaria, I was just trying to make sure they understood the intensity and everything of playoff basketball. Some guys have played against Spanish teams, and I was also giving them, as well as coach, the breakdown of how Spanish teams like to play and how if you are not physical, they can run you over like they did against Baskonia, like they did against Real Madrid last month, like. So we had a heightened awareness and I was screaming the whole week like, we have to get back to our defense and being physical in order just to have a chance in this game."

**Two years ago, you were chosen to the All-EuroCup First Team. Did it change anything in your career, proving that you belong to the EuroCup's elite level?** 

"I don't think it changed anything. I think it gave me mental validation that I needed to know, like I'm on the right track of work ethic, taking care of my body, sleep, all that stuff. But each year you still have to go out there and prove it again and again, no matter what you did the two years before. So if anything, you just gave me validation and more motivation and confidence to continue doing what I'm doing."

Derek Needham in his first season with Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul.

2023-24 EuroCup highlights: Derek Needham, Besiktas

**Let's talk about Coach Alimpijevic. Of course, you worked together in Bursaspor and now he brought you to Besiktas. How's your relationship with him? It's always important that a head coach and his starting point guard understand each other.** 

"Yes, that's super important, especially for Coach Alimpijevic. He calls us the extended version of him on the court, like the third coach. We have a clear understanding. We have similar playing and coaching styles. Like if I was a coach, I would coach similar to him. If he was a player, he would play similar to me. So it was kind of like two peas in a pod almost. So there's a great respect there and there's a great understanding. And being together three years... it is rare for players to be with coaches that long, even if you switch teams."

**Two years ago, you and Coach Alimpijevic led Bursaspor to an unbelievable playoff run, with road wins against Partizan, Cedevita and Andorra to get to the finals against Virtus. What are your favorite memories from that amazing run?**

"Partizan, for sure, was the best memory. I would say just their fans were incredible. I still haven't seen anything like it. We came very close when we played Fenerbahce and Sinan Erdem had 15,000 fans screaming for us. But that Partizan game was amazing, especially just looking over a couple of times and seeing \[Partizan coach Zeljko\] Obradovic on the sidelines and thinking 'whoa, you are doing something right, you are in an amazing spot'. That was probably one of the best group of guys I have had, because it's rare you get on a team and every guy from the 12th to 13th to the first guy on the team has one goal. Like, there's no individual goals, there's nothing. There's one goal, and it's to win the game that you are on the floor, and they give everything for your teammates. That's rare to have. And I even tell my teammates to this day, that's a rare occasion to happen. If you can get everybody on that page you can have that type of historic run. So I still talk to guys from that championship run to this day, that finals run."

**One of them is John Holland, who plays for Hapoel now. It's been two years since his famous halftime interview, the pitbulls and all that. How much of the same mentality do you need against Holland and Hapoel this time?** 

"John Holland. I literally just talked to him two days ago. He was the boost we needed. We had mental confidence, but John was our vocal confidence. He literally brought our words to everything that we would speak in practice and stuff.  He is just undeniably a great teammate, man. And as you can see, wherever he goes, those teams win. What he was doing right now has been amazing. And I'm pretty sure he is a main cog in that."

"If we get to the semifinals and play again at home, for us, it would be Partizan-esque."

**How fun was the whole thing when it happened? It was a halftime interview, so I am sure you didn't see it until the game was over.** 

"Yeah, I saw that. So we get on the bus and guys are on their phones and they are like, 'did you see it?' I'm like, 'I didn't see anything. I haven't checked my phone'. And they showed it to me. I thought it was fake at first. I'm like, 'when did this happen? Was this after the game?'. 'No, this is halftime'. And then I start thinking like, how we won the game. We won the game because Jacob Pullen took a shot 0.1 seconds after the buzzer. I'm like, 'yo, thank God we won that game'. Because if he did that interview and we lose that game, we look crazy. But he had the whole bus cracking up. I told him, as soon as I saw it, I said, 'John, this is legendary. This will live forever. This might be your calling every time someone sees you, they might start getting like a dog or talking about underdogs and pit bulls'. So now that was legendary. It was a classic. Immediately. That was the best."

**You will play Hapoel in Vilnius. It's not really a neutral arena but it's not exactly Tel Aviv. Will you have some sort of advantage playing there?** 

"I don't know because they beat us twice already, maybe it was about 20 points the last time they played us, so I don't know about the advantage. Playoffs are always different as well. Those games are totally different. I would say the slight advantage, if any, is we are both on a neutral court that we haven't played on before. So they did make a home in Belgrade and now we will be playing in Lithuania, in Vilnius, so it's a double neutral court almost, but they will have the fans also."

**If Besiktas wins, it will reach the EuroCup Semifinals for the first time. It will also earn the right to play at least one home game in the semifinal. How great would it be to make history and give Besiktas fans the chance to see their team back in its arena in the EuroCup this season?** 

"Coach calls it writing our name in the history books, Besiktas, in gold letters. He likes to repeat that to us now for playoffs. But I can't describe to you the atmosphere. If we get to the semifinals and play again at home, for us, it would be Partizan-esque, it would be up there. That's the type of fans we have, and I think they deserve it. We kind of dropped the ball in the regular season. Our goal was to have a home game to finish in the \[regular season\] top four. We know we have a huge task to get there, though. Hapoel is a really great team, so we know we really have to earn giving our fans a home game in the playoffs."

Group B winner JL Bourg en Bresse welcomes a Prometey Slobozhanske team that advanced to the last eight by impressively thrashing Aris Midea Thessaloniki 95-67 last week. 

Bourg flies Group A flag against surging Prometey

[Rosters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-prometey-slobozhanske/U2023/187/#roster) | [Notes and Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/ec2324-qf-c-game-notes-facts-bou-pmt/) | [Breawdown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/quarterfinals-breakdown-mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-vs-prometey-slobozhanske/) |[ TV](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/tv-listings-ec/)

The main man in that win was center Ondrey Balvin and the hosts will have to try to limit the effectiveness of the player who averaged 10.7 points and 9.1 rebounds this season. Bourg, which has only lost once at home all season, will base its game on an excellent defense that allowed just 76.4 points during the regular season, second-best in the league. Offensively, the host will look for three-point shooting from Zaccharie Risacher (56.1% for triples) and Hugo Benitez (42.9%), while Prometey's chief long-range weapon Issuf Sanan (40.4% from deep) may struggle against a Bourg perimeter defense that has allowed opponents to convert a league-low 29.2% of three-pointers.

[Bourg Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse/statistics/bou/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases) | [Prometey Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/prometey-slobozhanske/statistics/pmt/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases)

Zaccharie Risacher vs. Ronald March: A Rising Star favorite will duel with a natural-born scorer in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

Prometey Slobozhanske - Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse | Round 16 Highlights | 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v Prometey Slobozhanske (2024-03-12T18:30:00.000Z)

Fresh from last week's thumping home win over Turk Telekom, offensive powerhouse London will have plenty of confidence as it travels to face Cluj for the first-ever meeting between the teams.

Preview: U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. London Lions

[Rosters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/u-bt-cluj-napoca-london-lions/U2023/186/) | [Notes and Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/u-bt-cluj-napoca-london-lions/U2023/186/#roster) | [Breawdown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/quarterfinals-breakdown-u-bt-cluj-napoca-vs-london-lions/) |[ TV](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/tv-listings-ec/)

The English side will look for the usual dominance from big man Gabe Olaseni, who had 18 points and 8 rebounds last week, but he will face plenty of resistance from Emanuel Cate and Andrija Stipanovic. Cluj's most explosive player is DJ Seeley, who averaged 13.9 points in the regular season. But London also boasts plenty of backcourt power, with Matthew Morgan posting averages of 17.2 points and 4.1 assists per game. That helped the Lions become the third-highest scoring team in the competition during the regular season, with 90.8 points per game, and Cluj needs to prevent conceding extra possessions by improving its average of 15.3 turnovers per game.

[Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/u-bt-cluj-napoca/statistics/clu/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases) | [London Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/london-lions/statistics/lli/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases)

Dennis Seeley vs. Matthew Morgan: Expect a perimeter battle between Cluj's long-time EuroCup ace and London's prolific newcomer.

Fresh from last week's thumping home win over Turk Telekom, offensive powerhouse London Lions will have plenty of confidence as it travels to face U-BT Cluj-Napoca for the first-ever meeting between the teams.

Cluj counts home dominance for quarterfinals challenge from London

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v London Lions (2024-03-13T17:00:00.000Z)

There will be a clash of styles as offensive powerhouse Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv takes on defensive specialist Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul. 

It's offense vs. defense as Hapoel faces Besiktas

[Rosters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv-besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/U2023/188/#roster) | [Notes and Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/ec2324-qf-d-game-notes-facts-hta-bes/) | [Breawdown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/quarterfinals-breakdown-hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv-vs-besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/) |[ TV](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/tv-listings-ec/)

The teams met twice in the regular season, with Hapoel winning both en route to a second-place 13-5 record, while Besiktas finished sixth at 9-9. The most recent meeting was a thumping 73-94 win for Hapoel just one month ago, with 16 points from Will Cummings leading six players who scored at least 9 points, helping to show why the Israeli team boasted the competition's second-most potent offense with 96.1 points per game. Besiktas has earned its success this season through defense, allowing just 80.3 points per game, fourth-best in the EuroCup. And that strength was evident again last week when 14 points from Jonah Mathews helped pave the way to a 78-80 road win at deposed champion Gran Canaria, and the Turkish team will be looking to create another shock of similar proportions this week.

[Hapoel Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/statistics/hta/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases) | [Besiktas Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/statistics/bes/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases)

Kyle Alexander vs. Angel Delgado: This power matchup in the pain could go a long way to settling their quarterfinal on Wednesday.

Hapoel kept its top-two fate in its own hands by breaking a three-game losing streak at Joventut with 19 points from recently signed Will Cummings, whereas Turkish-giants Besiktas have fallen in three of their previous four outing but are armed with the talents of Derek Needham to excel in the backcourt.

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul-Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv | Round 18 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul (2024-03-13T17:30:00.000Z)

Regular season standings leader Paris Basketball (17-1) will look to keep on rolling against a Joventut Badalona side that stumbled into the postseason with three losses but righted itself in the eighthfinals. 

Paris to see its dominance tested again by Joventut

[Rosters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/paris-basketball-joventut-badalona/U2023/185/#roster) | [Notes and Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/ec2324-qf-a-game-notes-facts-prs-jov/) | [Breawdown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/quarterfinals-breakdown-paris-basketball-vs-joventut-badalona/) |[ TV](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/tv-listings-ec/)

The Spanish team then regained its usual high level by advancing past Ulm with a 79-88 victory last week, powered by 28 points and 6 assists from dynamic guard Andres Feliz. A major highlight of this tussle will be the backcourt battle between Feliz and TJ Shorts, who ranked as the regular season's top performer with an average PIR of 22.6. The French team won both Group A meetings between the teams, most recently taking an 89-82 home win in January as 17 points from Nadir Hifi helped overcome 20 from Feliz. Joventut knows it faces a very tough task in matching an opposing offense that averages a competition-high 99.3 points per game, and will look to experienced stars like Ante Tomic and Pau Ribas to rise to the pressure of the occasion.

[Paris Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/paris-basketball/statistics/prs/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases) | [Joventut Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/joventut-badalona/statistics/jov/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases)

TJ Shorts vs. Andres Feliz: Two positively electric guards will be a major focus of the last quarterfinal on Thursday.

Two genuine title-contenders collide. Both are enjoying impressive seven-game winning streaks, with the Spanish outfit keeping alive its hopes of a top-two finish by overcoming London, whilst the Parisians reaffirmed their credentials by hitting over a century of points at the expense of Hapoel.

Paris Basketball-Joventut Badalona | Round 16 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

Paris Basketball v Joventut Badalona (2024-03-14T19:45:00.000Z)

Glory is getting closer as we enter the BKT EuroCup Quarterfinals, with the four seeded teams hoping their extra week of rest and homecourt advantage pay off. Here's your guide to the games.

This week: The race for EuroCup glory continues

[JL Bourg en Bresse vs. Prometey Slobozhanske](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-prometey-slobozhanske/U2023/187/)

[Group B winner Bourg welcomes a Prometey team](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/quarterfinals-breakdown-mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-vs-prometey-slobozhanske/) that advanced to the last eight by impressively thrashing Aris Midea Thessaloniki 95-67 last week. The main man in that win was center Ondrey Balvin and the hosts will have to try to limit the effectiveness of the player who averaged 10.7 points and 9.1 rebounds this season. Bourg, which has only lost once at home all season, will base its game on an excellent defense that allowed just 76.4 points during the regular season, second-best in the league. Offensively, the host will look for three-point shooting from Zaccharie Risacher (56.1% for triples) and Hugo Benitez (42.9%), while Prometey's chief long-range weapon Issuf Sanan (40.4% from deep) may struggle against a Bourg perimeter defense that has allowed opponents to convert a league-low 29.2% of three-pointers.

Both clubs should be high in confidence and are to battle for a quarterfinal berth as Prometey welcomes Aris. The hosts won three of its last four regular season games to finish with a 10-8 account, while Aris squeezed into the postseason by winning its last two games for a 9-9 finish.

Prometey Slobozhanske-Aris Midea Thessaloniki | Eighthfinals Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

[U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. London Lions](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/u-bt-cluj-napoca-london-lions/U2023/186/)

Fresh from last week's thumping home win over Turk Telekom, offensive powerhouse [London will have plenty of confidence as it travels to face Cluj](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/quarterfinals-breakdown-u-bt-cluj-napoca-vs-london-lions/) for the first-ever meeting between the teams. The English side will look for the usual dominance from big man Gabe Olaseni, who had 18 points and 8 rebounds last week, but he will face plenty of resistance from Emanuel Cate and Andrija Stipanovic. Cluj's most explosive player is DJ Seeley, who averaged 13.9 points in the regular season. But London also boasts plenty of backcourt power, with Matthew Morgan posting averages of 17.2 points and 4.1 assists per game. That helped the Lions become the third-highest scoring team in the competition during the regular season, with 90.8 points per game, and Cluj needs to prevent conceding extra possessions by improving its average of 15.3 turnovers per game.

Two teams who stuttered towards the end of the regular season, both ending with 10-8 records, look to recover their form as Ulm faces Joventut. The Spanish side lost three straight to slide to fifth, while Ulm suffered three consecutive home losses to sow seeds of doubt ahead of this knockout showdown.

London Lions-Turk Telekom Ankara | Eighthfinals Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

[Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv vs. Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv-besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/U2023/188/)

There will be a clash of styles as offensive powerhouse [Hapoel takes on defensive specialist Besiktas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/quarterfinals-breakdown-hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv-vs-besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/). The teams met twice in the regular season, with Hapoel winning both en route to a second-place 13-5 record, while Besiktas finished sixth at 9-9. The most recent meeting was a thumping 73-94 win for Hapoel just one month ago, with 16 points from Will Cummings leading six players who scored at least 9 points, helping to show why the Israeli team boasted the competition's second-most potent offense with 96.1 points per game. Besiktas has earned its success this season through defense, allowing just 80.3 points per game, fourth-best in the EuroCup. And that strength was evident again last week when 14 points from Jonah Mathews helped pave the way to a 78-80 road win at deposed champion Gran Canaria, and the Turkish team will be looking to create another shock of similar proportions this week.

These sides have been longing for form, with the Spaniards losing three of its last four EuroCup encounters, while the visitors concluded with three straight defeats. Besiktas are leaders in offensive rebounding with 13.3 ppg, while Gran Canaria ranks fourth-worst in protecting its backboard.

Dreamland Gran Canaria-Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul | Eighthfinals Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

[Paris Basketball vs. Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/paris-basketball-joventut-badalona/U2023/185/)

Regular season standings leader [Paris (17-1) will look to keep on rolling against a Joventut](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/quarterfinals-breakdown-paris-basketball-vs-joventut-badalona/) that stumbled into the postseason by losing its last three games to finish at 10-8. The Spanish team then regained its usual high level by advancing past Ulm with a 79-88 victory last week, powered by 28 points and 6 assists from dynamic guard Andres Feliz. A major highlight of this tussle will be the backcourt battle between Feliz and TJ Shorts, who ranked as the regular season's top performer with an average PIR of 22.6. The French team won both Group A meetings between the teams, most recently taking an 89-82 home win in January as 17 points from Nadir Hifi helped overcome 20 from Feliz. Joventut knows it faces a very tough task in matching an opposing offense that averages a competition-high 99.3 points per game, and will look to experienced stars like Ante Tomic and Pau Ribas to rise to the pressure of the occasion.

ratiopharm Ulm-Joventut Badalona | Eighthfinals Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

Adjusting for factors such as strength of schedule, Synergy rates the quarterfinalists according to per-possession efficiency on offense and defense.

Stats review: Synergy's net rating for quarterfinalists

The BKT EuroCup Quarterfinals are here after all four teams from Group A won in the eighthfinals last week. The siloed nature of the regular season leaves some interesting questions to be answered in the postseason, and the early returns suggest that teams coming out of Group A may be more battle-tested than those in Group B. 

That puts an interesting spin on what Paris Basketball accomplished during the regular season. The table above, produced by Synergy's actionable analytics team, looks at new adjusted team metrics by taking into account strength of schedule, venue, rest, hot streaks, and how teams often pile on points in garbage time. The resulting adjusted offensive and defensive points per possession and Synergy Net Rating (SNR) paint a clearer picture of the league landscape than conventional efficiency measures. 

### Paris's pre-eminence

It also really hammers home just how well Paris has played this season. After losing to Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul back in Round 8, Paris won its remaining 10 games by an average of 24.5 points. Interestingly, an 89-82 home win over [Joventut Badalona, now Paris's quarterfinal opponent](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/paris-basketball-joventut-badalona/U2023/185/), was by far its closest game in that span. Even including that game, Paris has a historically dominant SNR, with an expected margin of victory of 19.4 points per 100 possessions over an average team in neutral conditions, which trumps all recent EuroCup champions. It will be fascinating to see how Paris deals with the only team that played it tough in both of their games this year.

Despite an SNR would sit near the top of the heap most seasons, [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv will face a unique test from a Besiktas team](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv-besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/U2023/188/) that already took down last year's champion, Dreamland Gran Canaria, in the eighthfinals. It was not a pretty win, but Besiktas was disruptive enough on defense to earn a hard-fought victory against Gran Canaria, which was the lone team in the SNR top-nine that did not reach the quarterfinals. That poses some interesting questions about what they might be capable of against a better opponent, Hapoel, that has beaten Besiktas twice this season. 

[Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse vs. Prometey Slobozhanske](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-prometey-slobozhanske/U2023/187/) and [U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. London Lions](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/u-bt-cluj-napoca-london-lions/U2023/186/) feature opponents who found similar success on paper, according to SNR, in opposite regular-season groups. Those games could go a long way to confirming or offering a rebuttal to Group A's dominant showing in the eighthfinals. There's a contrast of styles and strength in both games. Bourg has done its best work offensively on the perimeter this season while Prometey has been more effective inside. London has scored steadily in transition while Cluj is the best offensive rebounding team remaining in the bracket.

Building on the success of Off-Court, an event that merges basketball and urban culture, Euroleague Basketball and Turkish Airlines introduce Hoop District, a brand-new competition that will see content creators from all around Europe compete to be crowned European champions on and off the court and fight for a €10,000 cash prize!

Euroleague Basketball launches 3x3 content creators tournament 'Hoop District'

**Paris and Berlin to host inaugural season.**

[**The tournament will be hosted within Euroleague's Off Court urban culture events**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-off-court-event-returns-with-a-bigger-splash-in-paris-and-berlin/)

Building on the success of Off-Court, an event that merges basketball and urban culture, Euroleague Basketball and Turkish Airlines introduce Hoop District, a brand-new competition that will see content creators from all around Europe compete to be crowned European champions on and off the court and fight for a €10,000 cash prize!

Hoop District is not your average basketball tournament; it's a disruptive celebration of talent, culture, and the dynamic intersection of sports and social media. Embracing the spirit of the modern era, Hoop District is poised to captivate a young and diverse audience, bringing together basketball enthusiasts and social media followers for an unforgettable experience.

Hoop district is an innovative, one-day 3x3 tournament where six top Influencers – [Marco D'Uva](https://www.instagram.com/marcoduva/) (Italy), [Dimitris Kyrsanidis](https://www.instagram.com/dimitris_dk_kyrsanidis/) (Greece), [Reda Ouahbi](https://www.instagram.com/rookicks_) (France), [SBB](https://www.instagram.com/sbb_uk/) (UK), [Tresco](https://www.instagram.com/tresco_ball/) (Spain) and [Valentina Vignali](https://www.instagram.com/valentinavignali/) (Italy) – will jump from the screen to become team captains. These influential figures, supported by their vast social media reach, will not only lead their respective teams but also hand-pick the most promising male and female players, injecting a fresh and dynamic energy into the competition. . Hoop District also sees the introduction of special and exciting game rules – including "Buckle-Up" substitution requirements and four innovative "Power-Up" play options, of which two can be invoked by each team in every game – that will make this new competition truly entertaining.

Hoop District Paris will tip off on March 30 at the brand-new Adidas Arena with six participating teams divided into two groups. The best two teams of the Paris Hoop District edition will qualify for the Berlin edition. Hoop District Berlin will be part of the Final Four celebrations in the German capital and be played on May 23 with four participating teams: the two winners of the Paris edition, a local Berlin team, and an all-star team. The winner of Hoops District will earn a cash prize of €10,000, while engagement will also be rewarded with a €5,000 bonus prize for the team achieving the biggest social media impact.

Hoop District is designed for the digital age. From live highlights of the thrilling matches to behind-the-scenes glimpses of player interactions, fans can expect a constant flow of engaging content. Social media platforms will serve as a virtual court where the excitement of the event extends far beyond the physical arena.

With Paris and Berlin as the chosen battlegrounds, Hoop District effortlessly blends the cosmopolitan charm of these cities with the raw energy of urban basketball culture. The event promises a visual spectacle, both on and off the court, as players showcase their skills against the backdrop of these iconic European cities.

Hoop District is tailor-made for dynamic and trend-conscious youth. By infusing elements of pop culture, music and street style, the event aims to resonate with the younger demographic, making basketball not just a sport but a lifestyle.

Join us as we redefine the game. Hoop District is where sports and culture collide.

What do you get when you cross a surprise-filled 3x3 format with the top basketball influencers in Europe battling for a 10.000 EUR cash prize? And then you unleash them in Paris and Berlin? Here's the lowdown on how Hoop District is poised to drop a street-ball extravaganza on two iconic capitals starting soon.