### Neven Spahija, Venice head coach

They are a very good team. They have been with the same group for a long time. It's difficult for them to play in the current situation, especially for the Israeli players and coaching staff, but I am sure they will come here to play as hard as they can. On the other hand, we were so close the last two games. We lost both in the last 40 seconds, but our roster is more complete every day and I hope we will play better basketball.

### Barry Brown, Venice player

I expect a win. I expect us to come out and be ready to fight in the EuroCup to get a win. We need energy and effort from defense, for sure. We have to make the shots and be accurate in offense as well. Playing in front of our fans and not getting to a 0-3 will give us more motivation, for sure.

Game News

Reyer (0-2) will look to claim its first win of the season as it welcomes Hapoel (1-0), which is returning from a bye week after the postponement of its game against Wolves Vilnius.

Pre-game quotes: Venice vs. Hapoel

Umana Reyer Venice v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2023-10-17T18:00:00.000Z)

London Lions forward Conor Morgan sat down for an interview with EuroCupBasketball.net to discuss his start to life in England, his thoughts on London as an organization and also the team’s EuroCup matchup with Prometey Slobozhanske.

Conor Morgan, London Lions: ‘The club is on an upwards trajectory’

The London Lions have started the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season with two consecutive victories, downing Umana Reyer Venice at home and Veolia Towers Hamburg on the road. London achieved those wins without star forward Sam Dekker, who has been sidelined until now. Several players have stepped up for the Lions during those two games, one of whom is Conor Morgan. 

Morgan is a EuroCup veteran playing in his fifth season in the competition, having previous suited up for MoraBanc Andorra, Joventut Badalona and Slask Wroclaw. Against Hamburg, Morgan had 17 points, 9 rebounds and a PIR of 21. That game in Germany was his 61st appearance in the competition.

Speaking with [EuroCupBasketball.com](http://EuroCupBasketball.com), the 29-year-old discussed – among many other things – how it feels to have a veteran role for the first time in his career. "Personally, my role in the team is kind of to be this more of a veteran player, which has been kind of fun for me," Morgan commented. "I haven't done that anywhere else and actually have something to show for it. I think we're going to have a pretty good chance at doing something fun and making the playoffs as well."

"I'm really, really excited to see what we can do with our team."

**Hello, Conor. Congratulations on such a great start to the season. Back-to-back wins without Sam Dekker, which says a lot. How happy are you about such a great start?**

"Thanks. Yeah, for sure. I think with the level that our EuroCup group has, I think those two wins are really going to go a long way come February due to them making the playoff race a little bit more challenging, with only six teams getting in. So that's our focus kind of as a team, to get off to a really good start. And I think we have done that so far. We'll look to keep that going hopefully in Riga \[against Prometey Slobozhanske in Round 3\]."

**Matt Morgan earned Round 2 MVP honors, yet he had been a little bit under the radar and is surprising a lot of people this year. Can you tell us a little bit about him?**

"I think Matt is a really cool, calm and collected guy. He's a guy that you'll never see get too nervous or too excited about something. He's super, super fast, which is crazy. I tell him that every day in practice – he's got a turbo mode on him. And he is programmed to score. With guys like him and Sam Dekker, it makes the rest of our jobs really easy because they create so much for us and they can draw more than one or two defenders to them. Matt was obviously the MVP of Round 2 and I was happy for him. He's been through a lot in Europe. I think he started his career in the Turkish second division. He was in France last year and it's nice to see good things happening to him."

**The London Lions are fully established in the EuroCup and are getting better and better. How does it feel to be at a club that is growing and heading in the right direction?**

"It's nice. Obviously, there are things that they are working to improve here and as players we are excited about that, but the whole reason for me coming to join London’s project was the direction that it was moving in. And like you and everybody else said, London is on an upwards trajectory. I think that's a fair assessment of it, so it's exciting. We are on this rocket ship and hopefully we can make it blast off a little bit. It's only been two games in the EuroCup, but like I said, hopefully this good start will turn into something bigger and then hopefully it will snowball into something bigger again."

Conor Morgan is averaging 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in 2 EuroCup games last season, getting back-to-back wins against Umana Reyer Venice and Veolia Towers Hamburg.

Conor Morgan helps London remain undefeated

**Head coach Petar Bozic is new at this level but knows everything about the EuroCup as a player. How has it been working for him until now?**

"Petar has been tasked with not the easiest of things. I mean, he joined us around August 20, maybe even later than that. The things he's been able to really do with our team and instill the confidence in our players to go out and play has been a reason for our success as well. I think he is a very cool, calm and collected coach, which is big in the EuroCup and in big moments of games. He's got a very good mind for the game and everybody on our team is really excited to play for him. I think it was a really good move on our organization's part to bring in Petar. Like I said, the guys are super excited to work for him, see him, play for him and come to work every day because of the positive environment that he has instilled. Even in our last game, we had Coach \[Robert\] Youngblood stepping up \[because Bozic was unavailable\]. Youngblood had no problem stepping up into that head coaching role, and I think a lot of that is to do with the groundwork that Petar has laid in only a month and a half, two months here. So I'm really, really excited to see what we can do with our team in the next 6-7 months."

**The club is also making a lot of efforts to bring in new fans, like it did with that rooftop event at the start of the season. How do you evaluate the work London is doing off the court to bring more fans on board?**

"The work that they do off the court here is probably the best I've seen for any team I've played on. Yeah, we did the rooftop event there with \[Toronto Raptors forward\] OG Anunoby, who is a part owner of the team. We also did this other event where we went to one of the parks in the city, just to spread the word about the London Lions and get people excited about it. So, yeah, the off-the-court stuff here is definitely a strong suit of theirs. We are hoping to build the fan base throughout the year and hopefully, come crunch time and come the time we really need the fans, we can have them there supporting us. You go to Hapoel \[Shlomo Tel Aviv\], you went to Partizan \[Mozzart Bet Belgrade\] back when they were in EuroCup, even \[Joventut\] Badalona this year… they're going to have some really good fans at the game. So we kind of want to have this similar advantage here in London, and hopefully we can build that fan base into something that we can rely on for many years to come."

"The way we look at EuroCup games here in London, it's the ultimate test for us."

**Like you said, you will face Prometey in Riga on Wednesday night, a team that made it to last season’s EuroCup Semifinals. How much are you looking forward to testing your strengths against one of the best teams in the competition?**

"The way we look at EuroCup games here in London, it's the ultimate test for us. The domestic league that we play in is not the strongest. It is improving a lot, even from last year, but it is fun \[to play in the EuroCup\] every week; we get to really challenge ourselves against some of the best teams in Europe. The Prometey game is definitely circled on our calendar, and we are really excited to go there and test our togetherness and our talent levels and how well we can bring this thing together. The way we look at EuroCup, it’s just a really, really exciting opportunity for us. We go out and we get really locked in and see how well we can do. Prometey is a very good team. They have a lot of guys returning from last year: \[Ondrej\] Balvin, Caleb Agada, who actually I played against in university, and their role guys are similar. It's a very high-level team, probably one of the higher-level ones that will play this year, and our expectations of ourselves are high as well. So we're excited to go play there, for sure."

**Finally, what would make it a good season for you and also for London?**

"That’s a good question. Obviously, we are comparing our team to last year quite frequently. And I think we want to be more successful than the team last year. I mean, your ultimate goal as a competitor is to win the EuroCup. I'm not sitting here in this interview telling you that our goal is to win the EuroCup, but it is! But if you play the game, your ultimate goal should be to succeed. At the same time, we need to be realistic. This is our second year in the competition and I think we just need to take it game by game at this point. Hopefully, the first and most important thing is to get into the playoffs and then see what happens from there. Like you touched on earlier, we still have some really good players that have to come back to our team – Sam Dekker being one of them. He is the marquee player of the franchise here that people really know and like to watch and are excited to see. But we also have guys like Kareem \[Queeley\], who is an X-factor as well with his defense. He can bring his athleticism to our team as well. So we are excited to see those guys return and have more options and more looks against other teams: the more players we have, the more positive things we can do."

Paris is always a good idea, isn’t it? That’s what both Tuomas Iisalo and T.J. Shorts must have thought entering the 2023-24 season, opening a new chapter of their basketball lives after long and profitable years in Germany. They are already making an impact as Paris Basket has won its first two games in regular season Group A of the BKT EuroCup with Shorts as its go-to star.

The head coach, after his shooting guard career ended in his native Finland, coached in Germany with Crailsheim Merlins from 2016 to 2021. As Iisalo left to take over the bench at Telekom Baskets Bonn, Shorts arrived in Crailsheim after single seasons in Latvia with Ventspils and with Hamburg Towers.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurocup/1566814/tuomas-iisalo-tj-shorts-paris-basketball-bkt-eurocup/)

Moving from Germany to the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, the duo composed of the Finnish head coach and the deadly guard is already making a splash in the EuroCup.

Tuomas Iisalo and T.J Shorts took their loyalty bond to Paris

### Oliver Vidin, Slask head coach

Obviously two of our point guards are injured, but it doesn't matter when we can't rebound the ball or we don't fight in the second half. I hope it will look better when our new player, Frankie Ferrari, will join the team. For now, we have to fight with what we have. 

### Jakub Niziol, Slask player

We have to prove our fans that the image of the team that they have seen in our last game will not be the same for the rest of the season. We are hurt, but injuries can't be our excuse and at the end it doesn't matter for fans, players, coaches and club management. 

After both teams suffered single-possession losses last week, Buducnost (1-1) and Slask (0-2) will look to get back onto the winning path in Tuesday's opening tip-off. Buducnost has relied on its defense so far, allowing just 72.0 points per game – third best in the competition. That strength could spell trouble for Slask, which has struggled to find offensive production with just 70.5 points per game. The Polish team boasts the fourth-best player in the competition in terms of PIR, Dusan Miletic (24.0 PIR), and the Serbian center will need to deliver another big performance to take a road win.

Pre-game quotes: Buducnost vs. Slask

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Slask Wroclaw (2023-10-17T16:00:00.000Z)

JL Bourg-en-Bresse and U-BT Cluj-Napoca come head-to-head in Round 3 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season on Tuesday, October 17.

Unbeaten starts on the line when Bourg, Cluj meet

Both [Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/carousels/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse/?q=%7B%22articleId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22categoryId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22linkedId%22%3A%7B%22sourceSystem%22%3A%22FS_BASKETBALL_TEAM%22%2C%22sourceSystemId%22%3A%22bou%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%22%7D%7D&carouselTitle=Mincidelice%20JL%20Bourg%20en%20Bresse) (2-0) and [U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/carousels/u-bt-cluj-napoca/?q=%7B%22articleId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22categoryId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22linkedId%22%3A%7B%22sourceSystem%22%3A%22FS_BASKETBALL_TEAM%22%2C%22sourceSystemId%22%3A%22clu%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%22%7D%7D&carouselTitle=U-BT%20Cluj-Napoca) (2-0) have got off to the perfect start in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season, with each winning their two opening games. [At Ekinox on Tuesday night (19:30 CET)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-u-bt-cluj-napoca/U2023/26/), one of those 100% records will come to an end.

Come the end of Round 3, either Bourg or Cluj could find itself as the only team in Group B with a winning record, although this depends on how Dreamland Gran Canaria gets on against Dolomiti Energia Trento in Italy.

### A fascinating backcourt matchup

Two of the standout players in the EuroCup this season have been Bourg’s [Hugo Benitez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/hugo-benitez/010449/) and Cluj’s [D.J. Seeley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/dennis-seeley/004862/), who have played important roles in ensuring that their teams are 2-0. Benitez, 22, has taken a big step forward and established himself as Bourg’s go-to guy through the first two rounds, while the 33-year-old Seeley has put his experience to good use by leading Cluj to two wins.

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗨𝗽 - motivational lesson delivered. <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/ignB2WTcDg">pic.twitter.com/ignB2WTcDg</a></p>&mdash; U-BT Cluj-Napoca (@UBTCluj) <a href="https://twitter.com/UBTCluj/status/1712337621483942384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

To this point, Benitez has posted 14.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.5 steals, while he is yet to commit a turnover. Seeley, meanwhile, is averaging 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 3.0 steals, although he has committed a total of 3 turnovers so far.

Crucially for Cluj, Seeley came up clutch down the final stretch as it defeated Slask Wroclaw 67-70 on the road. For Benitez, he dished a career-high 9 assists as Bourg defeated Dolomiti Energia Trento, also on the road, 72-79. Therefore, one of the keys to the game may end up being which of these two guards has the better night.

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Victoire « al dente » à Trento, ça méritait bien un selfie 😁<br><br>Vous avez la réf ? 😏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeRedy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeRedy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/zHS9WnGVjk">pic.twitter.com/zHS9WnGVjk</a></p>&mdash; JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket/status/1711837770254057744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Bourg has found its groove on offense

Along with Benitez, another Bourg player who is averaging 14.5 points per night is [Bryce Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/bryce-brown/012628/). The EuroCup rookie had 12 points in Bourg’s 90-74 win against Slask on his debut before coming up with 17 points at Trento. Brown has adapted to this level incredibly quickly, and he will be another threat on offense for Tuesday night’s hosts.

The best plays from Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse duo Hugo Benitez and Bryce Brown through the first two rounds of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Top plays from Hugo Benitez, Bryce Brown in Rounds 1 and 2

A further five members of Bourg’s squad are posting 8.0 points per game or more, which goes to show the array of options that head coach Frederic Fauthoux has at his disposal. It always helps when bench players can offer consistent production and Bourg has that in [Maksim Salash](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/maksim-salash/004525/) and [Zaccharie Risacher](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/zaccharie-risacher/010718/), who have combined to average 19.5 points per contest through Rounds 1 and 2.

### Cluj leans on its starters

Unlike Bourg, Cluj has five players netting 8.0 points per night or more – and all of them are starters. In addition to Seeley’s 18.0 points, veteran center [Andrija Stipanovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/andrija-stipanovic/005113/) and guard [Bryce Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/bryce-jones-jr/012621/) are scoring 12.0 points per game to help Cluj’s efforts. Impressively for a guard, Jones is also averaging 6.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists, which are the most by any Cluj player.

The best plays from U-BT Cluj-Napoca duo D.J. Seeley and Bryce Jones through the first two rounds of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Top plays from D.J. Seeley, Bryce Jones in Rounds 1 and 2

Fellow starters [Karel Guzman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/karel-guzman/011797/) (10.5 ppg.) and [Jarell Eddie](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/jarell-eddie/010569/) (8.0 ppg.) are also stepping up on offense, as is [Adam Mokoka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/adam-mokoka/012698/) (7.5 ppg.) off the bench. However, Cluj head coach Mihai Silvasan will be hoping for more production from his reserves, as they are contributing a combined total of just 14.5 points per contest.

Last season, Cluj went a dismal 1-8 on its travels, but coming off a win against Slask in Poland, the Romanian side has the chance to not only go 3-0 but to already better last season’s road record. Bourg also had its ups and downs at Equinox, going 4-5 on its home floor in 2022-23, so advancing to 3-0 – and having two of those wins coming in Bourg – would be a big step in the right direction.

Bourg won both of its meetings against Cluj in the 2022-23 campaign, 88-85 at home and then 79-88 on the road, so perhaps Tuesday's visitors will be hoping to exact a bit of revenge.

Emanuel Cate of U-BT Cluj-Napoca and Kevin Kokila of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse in action during the two teams' matchup in the 2022-23 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Both teams come into this Round 3 matchup flying high.

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2023-10-17T17:30:00.000Z)

Slask puts Frankie Ferrari in its backcourt

Slask Wroclaw added depth to its backcourt by signing point guard [Frankie Ferrari](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/franco-ferrari/010442/) until the end of the season, the club announced Monday. Ferrari (1.85 meters, 27 years old) split last season between two Spanish clubs, Casademont Zaragoza and BAXI Manresa.

He started the campaign with Zaragoza, where he posted 5.0 points and 2.0 assists in seven Spanish League games. With Manresa, Ferrari averaged 7.2 points and 3.9 assists in 22 Spanish League appearances, as well as 4.6 points and 3.5 assists in 11 Basketball Champions League contests.

### Returning to the EuroCup

Ferrari now returns to the BKT EuroCup after last appearing in the competition in the 2020-21 season, his only EuroCup campaign to date. That season, he started with Dreamland Gran Canaria, playing nine games there, before moving to Unicaja Malaga, where he made two appearances. Ferrarri averaged 6.2 points on 35.7% three-point shooting and 4.0 assists.

The new Slask point guard started his professional career at Manresa in 2019 and has moved around quite a lot since. After his stints with Gran Canaria and Unicaja in 2020-21, he finished that season with Manresa. The following campaign saw him briefly play with Brose Bamberg in Germany, then moved to the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League before finishing the season with Basket Zaragoza. He is now set to play in Poland for the first time, as he looks to help a Slask side that has gone 0-2 through its first two games of the season in Group B. 

The action is heating up in the BKT EuroCup with six teams aiming to stay perfect in Round 3. Here's your rundown of this week's action. 

Round 3 brings early focus to group races

### Tuesday, October 17

[Buducnost VOLI Podgorica vs. Slask Wroclaw](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/buducnost-voli-podgorica-slask-wroclaw/U2023/27/)

After both teams suffered single-possession losses last week, Buducnost (1-1) and Slask (0-2) will look to get back onto the winning path in Tuesday's opening tip-off. Buducnost has relied on its defense so far, allowing just 72.0 points per game – third best in the competition. That strength could spell trouble for Slask, which has struggled to find offensive production with just 70.5 points per game. The Polish team boasts the fourth-best player in the competition in terms of PIR, Dusan Miletic (24.0 PIR), and the Serbian center will need to deliver another big performance to take a road win. 

Slask Wroclaw - Buducnost VOLI Podgorica| Round 2 Highlights | 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup

[ratiopharm Ulm vs. Lietkabelis Panevezys](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/ratiopharm-ulm-7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/U2023/29/)

A pair of teams tied in the middle of Group B go head to head as Ulm (1-1) hosts Lietkabelis (1-1). Ulm needs to step up its defensive efforts after allowing 111 points in last week's thrashing at Gran Canaria, while the visitors will be confident after 21 points from Deividas Sirvydis inspired a solid home win over Aris Midea Thessaloniki. Lietkabelis leads the competition in rebounding (44.0 per game), so German champ Ulm will hope to have rebounding ace Trevion Williams back in action after he missed the loss in Gran Canaria. 

[Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-u-bt-cluj-napoca/U2023/26/)

Something has to give as unbeaten teams Bourg (2-0) and Cluj (2-0) meet in a big battle at the top of Group B. Cluj will look to control the game through rebounding after leading the league in offensive boards (17.0), with Emanuel Cate (3.0 per game) leading five players averaging at least 2 offensive rebounds. Bourg can counter that with a pair of centers in good form: Kevin Kokila (11 points, 8 rebounds) and Maksim Salash (13 points, 4 rebounds) both contributed well to last week's win at Trento, so this looks like a potentially bruising encounter in the paint

[Umana Reyer Venics vs. Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/umana-reyer-venice-hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/U2023/23/)

Reyer (0-2) will look to claim its first win of the season as it welcomes Hapoel (1-0), which is returning from a bye week after the postponement of its game against Wolves Vilnius. Reyer will need to find better efficiency close to the basket after making just 44.9% of its two-point attempts so far, worst in the competition. Hapoel will seek to repeat its superb performance from the season opener, a 100-73 thrashing of Cedevita, but will be wary of Reyer forward Aamir Simms after his huge double-double of 28 points and 10 rebounds against Paris last week. 

Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv - Umana Reyer Venice | Eighthfinals Highlights | 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup

### Wednesday, October 18

[Prometey Slobozhanske vs. London Lions](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/prometey-slobozhanske-london-lions/U2023/21/)

Wednesday's opening tip-off will see Round 2 MVP Matthew Morgan try to help London (2-0) stay perfect with a tough trip to Prometey (1-1), which is aiming to bounce back from a heavy defeat at Besiktas. In this first-ever meeting we can expect a high-scoring encounter between two offensively potent squads. In particular, London ranks second in the league in two-point shooting conversion (60%) while Prometey is just behind (58.8%), so dominating the paint could prove crucial. Ondrey Balvin (15.5 points per game) and Gabe Olaseni (14.0) will have big roles in that battle. 

[Aris Midea Thessaloniki vs. Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/aris-midea-thessaloniki-turk-telekom-ankara/U2023/28/)

Aris (0-2) will be looking for its first win of the season when it hosts Turk Telekom (1-1), which got its season up and running by edging out Buducnost last week. The Greek team has the EuroCup's worst offense through two games, averaging just 70.0 points per contest, and needs to find greater offensive rhythm after averaging just 12.5 assists, the second-worst figure in the competition. The Turkish side relies on greater interior defense, leading the league in blocked shots (4.0 per game) and allowing just 47.4% of two-point shots to be converted, so this could be a low-scoring grind. 

[Besiktas Emlajket Istanbul vs. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul-cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/U2023/25/)

A pair of historic clubs meet for the first time since 2014 as high-flying Besiktas (2-0) hosts struggling Cedevita (0-2). It's a clear clash of styles: Besiktas boasts the league's best defense, allowing just 66.0 points per game, while Cedevita ranks third-last in that category with an average of 94.0 points conceded in its first two games. The chief task for Besiktas is containing the driving threat of visiting guard and league leading scorer Justin Cobbs, who blasted 28 points in last week's heartbreaking last-second loss to Joventut on the back of 10-of-11 two-pointers. 

Veolia Towers Hamburg - Paris Basketball | Round 15 Highlights | 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup

[Veolia Towers Hamburg vs. Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/veolia-towers-hamburg-paris-basketball/U2023/22/)

Unbeaten Paris (2-0) takes its show on the road to Hamburg (0-2), which is looking for its first win after a disappointing start to the campaign. Against a leaky Hamburg defense which has allowed 98.5 points per game, the French team will be powered by dynamic competition debutant TJ Shorts, who leads the league in assists (7.0 per game) and ranks second in points (19.0). The hosts, which won 91-74 when the teams met in March, will try to counter Shorts's threat through another competition newcomer in Aljami Durham, who boasts solid averages of 14 points, 4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game so far.  

[Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/dolomiti-energia-trento-dreamland-gran-canaria/U2023/30/)

Red-hot reigning champ Gran Canaria (2-0) will look to make it three wins out of three when it travels to Trento (0-2), which remains in search of its first victory. The Italian team will have to find a way of slowing down a Gran Canaria offense which erupted for 111 points in Round 2's thrashing of Ulm, with six players scoring a double-digit number of points, led by Ferran Bassas (21 points on 6-of-8 three-pointers). Trento, in contrast, has suffered from irregular backcourt play so far and needs to take better care of the basketball after averaging more turnovers (19.0) than assists (18.0).  

[Joventut Badalona vs. Wolves Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/joventut-badalona-wolves-vilnius/U2023/24/)

Joventut (1-1) will defend its home court against a Wolves team (0-1) looking for its first-ever win in the competition. The Lithuanian competition debutant was unable to play its scheduled game against Hapoel last week and will hope its extra freshness can allow do-it-all forward Rasheed Sulaimon (15 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists in Round 1) to inspire a road win. Joventut will look to build on last week's narrow win at Cedevita through the leadership of guard Andres Feliz, who had 12 points (including the dramatic buzzer-beating winning basket), 5 assists and 5 steals in that Round 2 victory. 

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2023-10-18T18:00:00.000Z)

ratiopharm Ulm v 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2023-10-17T17:30:00.000Z)

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v Turk Telekom Ankara (2023-10-18T17:00:00.000Z)

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2023-10-18T17:00:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona v Wolves Vilnius (2023-10-18T18:30:00.000Z)

Veolia Towers Hamburg v Paris Basketball (2023-10-18T17:30:00.000Z)

Prometey Slobozhanske v London Lions (2023-10-18T16:00:00.000Z)

Paris Basket, unbeaten through two games in BKT EuroCup's Group A, is nonetheless reinforcing its backcourt with a well-traveled veteran, Mehdy Ngouama.

 Paris boosts backcourt with Mehdy Ngouama 

Already sharing the Group A lead in the BKT EuroCup, Paris Basketball has added veteran backcourt help by signing [Mehdy Ngouama](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/mehdy-ngouama/009556/) for the rest of the season. Ngouama (1.88 meters, 28 years old) arrives from Fuenlabrada in the Spanish League, where he averaged 8.1 points, 2.1 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 11 games at 18 minutes per last season. He had started last season with Gravelines Dunkerque of France with 7.2 points and 2.6 assists over 12 games. 

Ngouma made his first-division debut in his native France with nanterre in the 2019-20 season. He played in four EuroCup games then, putting up 3.8 points and 1.0 rebound in less than 10 minutes on average.

“I am very happy to get involved with Paris Basketball. The little boy that I was and who previously wore this jersey, would be very proud to see how far we have come," Ngouma said. "I can't wait to start the competition alongside my new teammates."

Paris Basket, unbeaten through two games in BKT EuroCup's Group A, is nonetheless reinforcing its backcourt with a well-traveled veteran.

Paris boosts backcourt with Mehdy Ngouama

Back in 2017, 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys forward Gabas Maldunas quit his pro career to work at a bank but soon realized that "basketball is my life".

9-to-5 bank job gave Gabas Maldunas of Lietkabelis a new perspective 

Basketball players can have plenty of reasons – such as a serious injury or a new-born child – to get a new perspective on the game. 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys forward [Gabas Maldunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/gabrielius-maldunas/010461/) got his new outlook from a day job at a bank.

Maldunas, playing in his fourth BKT EuroCup season with his hometown club, is fulfilling a childhood dream. But it almost never happened.

In the summer of 2017, Maldunas finished his second season in the Spanish second division having averaged 5.2 points and 3.7 rebounds with Palencia. His first two pro seasons had not gone quite as he had planned.

"I had a big decision to make. Since I graduated from Dartmouth College in 2015 I gave myself a couple of years to see how professional basketball plays out. I had two decent years in the Spanish second division. But they weren't great or anything like that," said Maldunas, who spent four years at Dartmouth after three years in U.S. high schools.

Having graduated from Dartmouth with a degree in economics, Maldunas now thought it was time to switch careers.

"I decided that in order to have a good life, I wanted to change something. I decided to quit basketball. I didn't think I would make enough money to keep playing so I thought I should start my other career," he said.

Maldunas received an offer to work at the Nordea Bank in Vilnius, and he took it.

"Another factor was that I had been nine years away from home, and I really wanted to get back to Lithuania," he explained. "I thought I wouldn't be able to get a contract in the \[Lithuanian League\], so I decided to take the offer from the bank."

Maldunas, who had been an intern with the same bank a year before, transitioned comfortably to his 9-to-5 bank job, wearing a suit and using his degree.

Gabrielius Maldunas Top Plays from 10/01/2022 to 10/11/2023

Top plays of Gabrielius Maldunas, Lietkabelis

"The job was a normal job, nothing special. But it was nice for me because I had an economics degree from Dartmouth. So it was right up my alley," he said. "It was in the economics department so it wasn't anything new to me. I was doing research about some companies and see if it was good for the bank to invest in them. It was nice but it was a lot different than basketball."

Maldunas still worked out at the gym – but not doing basketball activities. And he didn't even think about returning to the game until his agent called him to say a top-flight Lithuanian team – Nevezis Kedainiai – was interested in him. 

"It was my childhood dream to play in the \[Lithuanian League\] and I never got to experience that and then I really wanted to do it. And the salary was better than in a bank. So I thought maybe I should try it," said Maldunas, who was 24 years old at the time.

He talked to the bank manager, who understood Maldunas's feelings and allowed him to leave without any trouble after five weeks on the job.

"I really don't regret making that decision to quit basketball for a bit and go to work in a bank because it gave me a different perspective on life and what I really want," he said. "Sometimes it is very good to let something go to see if you really miss it. That means you gotta get it back. That was the case for me. I learned that basketball is my life and I would like to stay in basketball. I definitely don't have any regrets."

Maldunas' first season at Nevezis saw the team play in the FIBA Europe Cup and it showed him he could at least hold his own on the international stage. 

After another season there, Lietkabelis came calling and that meant truly coming home – and seeing a dream come true.

"I signed with Lietkabelis, which was my childhood dream. Me and my friends used to go to the games at the arena. Of course, this Lietkabelis team is a lot better than it was when we were kids. So it's even more special now," he said. "It's also been my childhood dream to play with this team in European competitions." 

And that may have never happened had Maldunas not decided to temporarily quit the game to work at a bank.