Making the jump between countries is rare among Polish players, but Hamburg's new big man has been everything the team wanted.

Hamburg big man Dziewa is thriving in first stop outside of Poland

[Aleksander Dziewa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/aleksander-dziewa/011168/) was ready last summer to make a move. The Polish center had accomplished just about all he could in his homeland, and he was looking forward to heading abroad. Landing in neighboring Germany with Veolia Hamburg Towers, the 26-year-old has thrived in his first taste of club ball outside of Poland.

With Hamburg's BKT EuroCup season coming to a close, Dziewa looks back positively on what he was able to do with his new club, one that he had come to know – and had come to know him – as an opponent in the EuroCup. 

Dziewa spent the last seven seasons with Slask Wroclaw, helping the club jump from the third division to its EuroCup return in the 2021-22 season. The 2.07-meter center faced Hamburg in both of his two EuroCup campaigns with Slask.

In the first, he picked up 18 points and 10 rebounds in one game against Hamburg and posted 21 points and 7 rebounds in the second. Last season, Dziewa dropped 17 points and 15 rebounds in the first game versus the northern Germans before being limited to 8 points in their fourth game in two seasons. Despite Dziewa's strong performances, Slask was only able to win one of those games, a Round 6 home encounter in 2021-22. 

"It's always my goal to give my best performance, but as an athlete it hits your ego when at the end of the day you go home with a loss," said Dziewa, who signed on a one-year deal with Hamburg. "I also vividly remember the crowd energy in Hamburg and I get to experience it as a part of Towers family this season."

### Producing in Hamburg

Those games against Hamburg were not the only highlights of his EuroCup career, which consists now of 50 games total. He has impressive EuroCup career averages of 11.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 13.5 PIR. Those averages rank in the top 20 in the league for players since Dziewa made his EuroCup debut.

Wearing Hamburg's uniform this season, he poured in 28 points against London Lions in Round 2 on the road and also scored 23 points versus Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv in Round 13, as well as 21 points versus Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul in Round 6. All three opponents have since clinched playoff berths in Group A.

Aleksander Dziewa Top Plays from 09/30/2023 to 02/02/2024

Aleksander Dziewa's best plays in the BKT EuroCup 2023-24

"It feels rewarding to see the hard work I put in everyday paying off on the higher level," said Dziewa, who is averaging 13.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 16 games this season, "But it's always a bittersweet experience when in the end your team loses the game."

Moving to a team like Hamburg in a league like Germany seemed a natural step after Dziewa had helped Slask to top-three finishes in Poland over the last three seasons. 

### Abroad but close to home

Heading abroad "was always on my goals list in terms of planning my professional steps, especially after those last three seasons," he said. "It gave me the confidence so that, when I got the offer from Towers, I knew it was the right time to try myself abroad. I didn't hesitate to sign."

On why he chose Hamburg, Dziewa said: "I found their game style appealing. After a few talks with Coach Benka (Barloschky), he reassured me that I would get a leader role and potential to develop as a player even more. Hamburg is also within a car drive from Poland so it makes it easier to travel here with our two pugs for my wife."

Wroclaw is located about a two-hour drive from the German border and Dziewa says he actually took German lessons in school.

"I'm not too proud to admit that I learned German for six years back in school times, but it was a pretty long time ago, and since then I had no opportunities to use it, it sadly vanished from my brain," said Dziewa, who gets by a lot with Danke and Bitte – thank you and you're welcome.  "Germans speak English at an impressive level. The rest I feel taken care of by the club, which I appreciate a lot."

### Focus on improvement

Dziewa hasn't been able to take too much of an advantage of the cosmopolitan Hamburg as he lives more in the suburbs. Instead it's spending his free time on dog walks in parks or woods. He also has taken a trip to the local seaside. Dziewa has naturally been more concentrated on his job with Towers, and it was an adjustment going from the Polish to the German League.

"It's much more physical here. The game also happens much faster, so that forced me to put extra work in condition training to keep up with it. I still got some things to focus on, but I think I'm starting to adapt to that tempo," he said. 

Hamburg is currently on the edge of the play-ins for the German League playoffs, so the postseason is his number one goal. 

"My goal is to get better and better as a player, so I get to stay consistent on a higher level, test myself in European action and hopefully get some good results there," he said.

Hamburg big man Dziewa is thriving in first stop outside of Poland 

Look back at all the action in the Regular Season Round 17 by checking out the best photos of the week!

Top 10 photos of Round 17

Here are five players who impressed in Round 17 of the BKT EuroCup Regular Season and deserve special mentions in the weekly roll call.

Roll Call, Round 17: Nelson, Harrell, Eddie, Tanaskovic, Heidegger 

### Luke Nelson has career night off the bench

Luke Nelson had one of his best nights in the BKT EuroCup in London Lions' win against Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana by 85-92. Nelson scored 19 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, dished 3 assists and collected 2 steals to tie for the highest PIR on the team with Matt Morgan at 28. And he did all that in just 21 minutes off the bench. Nelson's numbers in points, rebounds and PIR were also career highs for him. His appearance when other London mainstays were not as hot this week showed that the Lions will have even more firepower available for the playoffs in a few weeks.

Luke Nelson (19 points) Highlights vs. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, 01/31/2024

Luke Nelson 19 points Highlights vs Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana_16520943.mp4

### Ronnie Harrell soars to get Aris into the playoffs

Aris Midea Thessaloniki had a chance to punch a playoffs ticket this week and Ronnie Harrell made sure that his team would do just that. Harrell had one of the best individual performances of the week and set new personal best marks in assists (7) and steals (6) and tied his career-high in rebounds (8). He also scored 19 points for a great all-around performance that gave him a PIR of 36, the second-best of the week. Harrell had been stopped at single scoring digits in the previous four games, but he came around when he was needed the most.

Ronnie Harrell (19 points) Highlights vs. ratiopharm Ulm, 01/31/2024

Ronnie Harrell 19 points Highlights vs ratiopharm Ulm_16520939.mp4

### Jarell Eddie proves he can be a valuable asset for Cluj

Jarell Eddie was going through a tought period. Sure enough, UB-T Cluj Napoca had already qualified for the EuroCup Playoffs for the first time in the club's history, but he was kind of riding in the passenger seat. However, Eddie decided he had had enough and exploded precisely at one of the most difficult arenas in the competition. He contributed 24 points in 39 minutes in Cluj's huge 111-113 overtime win at Dreamland Gran Canaria. In the previous six games, Eddie had averaged just over 20 minutes on court for 7.2 points. It was a statement performance for the Cluj forward, just in time for the postseason.

Jarell Eddie (24 points) Highlights vs. Herbalife Gran Canaria, 01/31/2024

Jarell Eddie 24 points Highlights vs Herbalife Gran Canaria_16520940.mp4

### Nikola Tanaskovic shows what he can bring to the table

Nikola Tanaskovic joined Buducnost VOLI Podgorica right in time for Round 13. The Montenegrin team was struggling and still fighting for a playoff spot, and it has been trying different things to turn around its season. When Tanaskovic landed, his numbers were discreet... until this week. Against Dolomiti Energia Trento, the big man soared with 19 points - on 9-of-19 two-point shooting - and 8 rebounds for a PIR of 27. What's more, Tanaskovic amassed those numbers in the game in which he spent the least time on the floor: 19 minutes and 24 seconds, 3 seconds less than in his EuroCup debut this season. Buducnost is not out of the woods just yet, but if Tanaskovic manages to put together more efficient performances like this one in the two remaining games, count the Montenegrin team as a candidate to advance from Group B.

Nikola Tanaskovic (10 points) Highlights vs. Dolomiti Energia Trento, 01/31/2024

Nikola Tanaskovic 10 points Highlights vs Dolomiti Energia Trento_16520942.mp4

### Heidegger steps up again for Reyer

Umana Reyer Venice fans are surely wishing the team had Max Heidegger for the start of the season. Even though the club was eliminated from EuroCup Playoff contention, Heidegger showed off his skills with his finest game yet to lead Reyer to a 108-92 drubbing of playoff bound Prometey Slobozhanske. The combo-guard scored 18 points – which was 1 less than his career-high the week before, but he did so in 7 fewer minutes. Heidegger also dished 5 assists, which were 4 more than he had in Round 16. He was efficient by making 4 of 7 threes in amassing a PIR of 19. Reyer is 2-1 with Heidegger in uniform and his sparkling play, including 52.9% shooting from deep (10 for 19), have shown that he is worthy of a longer run in the competition in the future.

Heidegger had the hot hand against Prometey

Emanuel Cate became the hero for U-BT Cluj-Napoca, earning MVP of the Round honors in the process, as his tip-in with 2 seconds to go in overtime allowed his team to defeat Dreamland Gran Canaria 111-113. His career-best 38 PIR set a club record and was the highest of any player in Round 17.

BKT EuroCup Round 17 MVP: Emanuel Cate, U-BT Cluj-Napoca

On a night that will live long in the memory for Cluj fans, [Emanuel Cate](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/emanuel-cate/005373/) had a personal-best 23 points after shooting a perfect 9-of-9 from the field, going 8-of-8 on two-pointers and 1-of-1 from behind the arc, as well as making 4-of-5 free throws. Cate also grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds, dished 3 assists, made 3 steals, blocked 2 shots and drew 4 fouls. This is his first MVP of the Round honor the second ever by a Cluj player, with [Karel Guzman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/karel-guzman/011797/) having received this award back in Round 7.

Emanuel Cate | Round 17 MVP | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

In second spot is Aris Midea Thessaloniki’s [Ronnie Harrell](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/ronnie-harrell/012716/), who had a career-high 36 PIR in a 66-86 win at ratiopharm Ulm. Harrell did a bit of everything on the night, amassing 19 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, a personal-best 6 steals and 2 blocks, while he also had 1 drawn foul. [T.J. Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tj-shorts/012608/) of Paris Basketball came third with a 34 PIR, which came in his team’s 72-95 victory at Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul. The diminutive guard posted 23 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 7 fouls drawn as he got a PIR of 30 or more for the fourth time this season. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana big man [Karlo Matkovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/karlo-matkovic/009395/) had a near-perfect night against the London Lions, but it came in defeat. He recorded a season-high 33 PIR, having had 21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 blocks, 5 drawn fouls and, notably, 0 turnovers. Rounding out the list of best performers in Round 17 is [Nicolas Brussino](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/nicolas-brussino/008121/) of Gran Canaria, as his personal-best 30 PIR came after he finished with career-high 30 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 assist and 8 fouls drawn.

Round 17 MVP: Emanuel Cate, U-BT Cluj-Napoca

Dreamland Gran Canaria v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2024-01-31T20:00:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona and young prospect Michael Ruzic reached an agreement on Thursday for the next five seasons, which means the young Croatian talent will remain in Badalona until June of 2029 with his first pro contract.

Joventut, young Michael Ruzic agree until 2029

[Michael Ruzic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/michael-ruzic/012349/) (2.06 meters, 17 years old) has played a total 13 games in the BKT EuroCup this season and has even started in 5. He averages 6.2 points and 2.7 rebounds and has become a key player this early in his career. He arrived to Badalona during the summer of 2023 from KK Zadar of Croatia. 

Against Paris Basketball, Ruzic scored 21 points and racked up a PIR of 17. He also shined at the ANGT with Zadar averaging 19.3 points and 5.7 rebounds.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">💎 Michael Ruzic: la perla croata que brillarà a Badalona fins al 2029<br><br>🤝 El Joventut i l’aler pivot arriben a un acord per ampliar el vincle cinc temporades més<br><br>🔗 La notícia: <a href="https://t.co/a0RUDJYfMX">https://t.co/a0RUDJYfMX</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Badalona%C3%89sFutur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BadalonaÉsFutur</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SomElBressol?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SomElBressol</a> <a href="https://t.co/0W8PHa3V16">pic.twitter.com/0W8PHa3V16</a></p>&mdash; Club Joventut Badalona (@Penya1930) <a href="https://twitter.com/Penya1930/status/1753010312717254885?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Joventut, young Ruzic agree until 2029

Here are the leaders in the main statistical categories for Round 17 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season. 

Individual highs: Karlo Matkovic, Cedevita, 5 blocks

[Points](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=1000&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=score)

Nico Brussino of Dreamlanda Gran Canaria led all players in Round 17 with 30 points. 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys’s Deividas Sirvydis leads the EuroCup in scoring with 18.7 points per game.

[Rebounds](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=1000&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=totalRebounds)

Amedeo Tessitori of UMANA Reyer Venice topped the rebounding charts in this round with 12 boards. Ulm’s Trevion Williams is the EuroCup top rebounder with 10.9 per contest.

[Assists](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=1000&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=assistances)

Prentiss Hubb of Dolomiti Energia Trento had 10 dimes in Round 17. T.J. Shorts of Paris averages a competition-best 7.4 assists per night.

[Steals](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=1000&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=steals)

Ronnie Harrell of Aris Midea Thessaloniki had 6 steals, the most of any player in this round. Karel Guzman of Cluj tops the steals charts with 2.3 per game.

[Blocks](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=1000&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=blocksFavour)

Karlo Matkovic of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana delivered 5 blocks in Round 17. He is also this season's top shot blocker with 2.1 rejections per game.

[Double-doubles](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=1000&viewType=miscellaneous&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=accumulated&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=doubleDoubles)

Emanuel Cate of UB-T Cluj Napoca (23 points, 10 rebounds), Tessitori (18 points, 12 rebounds) and Hubb (11 points, 10 assists) were the only players who had a double-double in this round.

The Romanian side has a top-two finish in Group B in its sights for the BKT EuroCup regular season.

Cluj Napoca took ‘another step’ towards a quarterfinal spot 

U-BT Cluj-Napoca has been surprising basketball fans all season long, having gone from missing the BKT EuroCup Playoffs in 2022-23 to now being in the driver’s seat to secure an automatic place in the quarterfinals. 

On Wednesday night, the Romanian side remained calm and cool-headed following [its thrilling 111-113 overtime win at Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/dreamland-gran-canaria-u-bt-cluj-napoca/U2023/168/), saying nothing has been accomplished yet. 

Cluj fought back from 19 points down and knocked off the reigning EuroCup champio to jump into second place with one game to go in Group B. Mihai Silvasan’s team has its fate in its own hands ahead of a pivotal Round 18 trip to 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on February 7. 

“It was a great game, but we still have one more game to try to finish as high as we can. At the end of the day, it’s just another step,” said Cluj’s 26-year-old center Emanuel Cate, who set career highs of 23 points and a 38 PIR to go with 10 rebounds.

“We need to keep calm and keep working hard. It’s still a long season. We didn’t finish the season \[today\]. We need to stay focused,” added Cate after deciding the wild game with a tip-in with 2 seconds left on the clock. 

Second place in Group B could be decided by a thrilling showdown between direct rivals as Gran Canaria welcomes Cluj, Both are fresh from vital wins, with the all-around efforts of Patrick Richard helping Cluj beat Trento while Miquel Salvo did a similar job to help Gran Canaria dismantle Slask.

Dreamland Gran Canaria-U-BT Cluj-Napoca | Round 17 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

### An impressive leap this season

Cluj has improved to a 13-4 record, with its four losses being acceptable ones. It twice lost to group leader Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse in Rounds 3 and 12, as well as falling by 22 points at home to Gran Canaria in Round 8 and by 11 points at Turk Telekom Ankara in Round 10, which was the start of the Turkish club’s turnaround.

All this comes just one season after Cluj debuted in the EuroCup with a 5-13 record, as it missed the playoffs by three games having lost nine of its last 11 games. 

Cluj also went 1-8 on the road in 2022-23. This season’s team – with leaders such as Patrick Richard, Karel Guzman, Andrija Stipanovic and Emanuel Cate all returning – has put together a 6-2 record away from home.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">That great VICTORY feeling! 🖤🤍 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/eurocup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#eurocup</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cluj?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cluj</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/haideU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#haideU</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BKTEuroCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BKTEuroCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/RMHmVYV5L0">pic.twitter.com/RMHmVYV5L0</a></p>&mdash; U-BT Cluj-Napoca (@UBTCluj) <a href="https://twitter.com/UBTCluj/status/1752834828796366920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"I told them in the locker room: it’s amazing what happened. But it’s amazing if we continue to build on this,” Salvasan said after the big win at Gran Canaria. “We have one more game to win in order to be second. The fight for second place is not over yet. But for our confidence this is huge step forward for us.”

Salvasan assured everyone that his team is not thinking about who it might face in the quarterfinals or even that it has already reached that stage. 

“We have the mentality to think game by game and possession by possession. That mentality brought us to this place.”  

The Romanian side has a top-two finish in Group B in its sights.

Cluj took ‘another step’ towards a quarterfinal spot 

Congratulations to Mahmoud Khalaileh, the Round 17 winner in EuroCup Fantasy Challenge! Mahmoud's team, Nuaimeh 1, posted a score of 250.5 fantasy points.

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge: Round 17 winner

Congratulations to Mahmoud Khalaileh, the Round 17 winner in EuroCup Fantasy Challenge! Mahmoud's team, Nuaimeh 1, posted a score of 250.5 fantasy points.

 

The team featured the following lineup: team captain T.J. Shorts of Paris Basketball, Andres Feliz of Joventut Badalona, Tre'Shawn Thurman of Wolves Vilnius, Deividas Sirvydis of 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys, and Karlo Matkovic of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana as starters; Vassilis Toliopoulos of Aris Midea Thessaloniki as sixth man; Oleksandr Lypovyy of Prometey Slobozhanske, Luke Nelson of the London Lions, Michal Sitnik of Slask Wroclaw and Ethan Happ of Dreamland Gran Canaria on his bench; and Nenad Canal of Lietkabelis as head coach.

 

The prize for finishing first in Round 17 is a free subscription to EuroLeague TV for the 2024-25 season!

 

The overall leader after 17 rounds is Uros Kostic, whose GargamelFalkao team is ahead of everyone with 3,128.45 fantasy points.

 

Trades are now open for Round 18. Remember, three trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season, and you can also trade your head coach.

 

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become EuroCup Fantasy Challenge's next winner!

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge offers weekly prizes to the top team manager, so get in the game and go for the gold!

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica came into [its Round 17 game against Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/buducnost-voli-conquers-aquila-basket-trento-78-97/) in real need of a win. A loss would have eliminated it from the playoff race, and even a win could become worthless in case it won by less than 3 points in regulation and both Aris Midea Thessaloniki and Turk Telekom Ankara won.

None of those things happened in the end as even though Aris prevailed at ratiopharm Ulm, Turk Telekom lost at home against Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse and, most importantly, Buducnost pulled off an impressive 78-97 victory on the road to end a two-game losing streak that had put the Montenegrin side on the ropes.

“We needed the win and we won,” celebrated Buducnost head coach Andrezj Zakelj right after the final buzzer. “That's the most important \[thing\]. I think the game was tough for both teams. But I think that in the first quarter and the third quarter, we played at the level I want. And this gave us the win.”

Two of the four teams separated by just one win on the edge of Group B's playoff places collide. Trento needs a win to claim head-to-head advantage after earlier showdown, in which Yoan Moukoundou powered Buducnost with 23 points and 8 rebounds and he'll have to prepare for a battle with Paul Biligha.

Dolomiti Energia Trento-Buducnost VOLI Podgorica | Round 17 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

It was not surprising that Zakelj felt so good about the good display of his team in the odd-numbered periods, as his team outscored Trento 31-56 across both the first and the third, in addition to recording a team PIR of 77 against Trento’s 25 during those 20 minutes. Buducnost shot 10-of-13 (76.9%) from the field in the first period, while going for 13-of-17 (76.4%) in the third, including hitting 6 three-pointers out of 7 attempts (85.7%).

One of those who led Buducnost during that time span was Nikola Tanaskovic, who shattered his previous career highs in PIR and points thanks to an all-around performance of 19 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 5 fouls drawn, while missing just one shot in the entire game.

He finished with a PIR of 27 in just 19:24, with most of his production coming during the first and the third periods. He scored 8 points in the first 10 minutes and another 8 in the third quarter, which seems more than a coincidence when it comes to explaining Buducnost’s explosion in those moments.

“I am proud \[of my performance\], of course," he recognized. “\[I have to give\] thanks to my guys who assisted me. We did really a great job here. We came with a lot of energy, we went for every rebound, we played team defense and team offense."

More Buducnost News

Yogi Ferrell of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica looks to score Dolomiti Energia Trento in Round 17 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

A 17-39 partial score in the first 11 minutes after the intermission boosted the Montenegrin side to a life-saving win in Italy.

Buducnost used its offensive firepower to destroy Trento

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2024-01-31T19:00:00.000Z)