Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C. sent a strong message to the rest of the BKT EuroCup with a dominant 100-73 win against KK Cedevita Olimpija at Shlomo Group Arena.

Hapoel Tel Aviv records statement win against Cedevita Olimpija

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv started its 2023-24 BKT EuroCup campaign on the right foot by dominating Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 100-73 in front of a packed-out crowd at Shlomo Group Arena. After boasting the joint second-best home record in last year's regular season, Hapoel seems set to be a big threat on its home court once again.

Xavier Munford led the way in scoring for the hosts with 21 points, followed by Tomer Ginat and Jaylen Hoard with 18 points apiece, J'Covan Brown with 15 and Braian Angola with 11. Hapoel center Idan Zalmanson also grabbed 10 rebounds to go with 4 points. For Cedevita, Justin Cobbs scored a team-high 15 points, while Jaka Blazic recorded 13. DJ Stewart and Karlo Matkovic had 11 points each, too.

### How the game played out

One of the keys to the win was the fast start that Hapoel enjoyed, with the Israeli side making the most of Cedevita's turnovers. Head coach Danny Franco saw his team take an early 10-point lead, 21-11, with 3:53 minutes left in the first quarter, before closing the opening period 28-21 ahead.

It was more of the same in the second quarter, with Hapoel capitalizing on every turnover committed by Cedevita. The hosts were enjoying plenty of joy on the fastbreak, too, which allowed Hapoel to open a game-high 44-30 lead with 2:37 to go before halftime. Heading into the break, Hapoel led 48-36.

Cedevita came out with a lot more energy, but Hapoel was able to match the visitors every step of the way. In fact, with just under five minutes remaining in the third, Angola recorded his fourth steal of the game – and Hapoel's 11th at that point – before scoring an easy layup to make it a 60-45 ballgame. Soon after, a big alley-oop slam by Hoard from a Brown assist took the roof off Shlomo Group Arena. That advantage extended to 16 points, 71-55, after Hoard tipped the ball in with the last score of the quarter.

The final quarter proved to be a celebration of basketball for the Hapoel fans, who saw their team score the first seven points of the last period to make it 78-55. Munford scored back-to-back triples to further stress Hapoel's dominance, 84-60, before Hoard wowed the fans with a reverse slam to open a game-high 25-point difference, 90-65. In the end, a triple by Bar Timor ensured that Hapoel reached 100 points, with the Israeli side sending a strong message to the rest of the EuroCup. Cedevita, meanwhile, will hope to use this game as a tough learning experience.

Game Videos

Game News

New Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv signing Braian Angola drives to the rim on his BKT EuroCup debut against Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana.

The Israeli side thoroughly impressed in a dominant home victory.

Hapoel records statement win against Cedevita, 100-73

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2023-10-03T17:00:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona playmaker Andres Feliz route from  Guachupita, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods the Dominican Republic capital of Santo Domingo, was lined with obstacles, but his parents and basketball guided him to greatness as he seeks to become a BKT EuroCup champion.



Joventut's Andres Feliz: A grateful man

[Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/joventut-badalona/roster/jov/?season=2023-24) playmaker [Andres Feliz ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/andres-feliz/011247/)is one of the biggest names in the BKT EuroCup this season. 

Feliz grew up in Guachupita, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic's capital. Basketball kept him away from crime and violence, as did his parents, who Feliz credits for raising him the right way. 

At age 16, given the chance to play high school basketball in the United States, he left without speaking a word of English. He ended up meeting his wife Lisa at college and getting his degree. 

A late bloomer in basketball, Feliz joined El Prat in the Spanish third division and soon moved to Joventut, where his role has increased each and every season. Over the summer, Feliz played a starring role with the Dominican Republic at the 2023 World Cup. 

Now, the sky seems to be the limit for the 26-year-old Feliz, who hopes to lead Joventut to its second EuroCup title, and first since 2008, at the end of the season that starts this week.

 Joventut Badalona playmaker Andres Feliz route from Guachupita, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods the Dominican Republic capital of Santo Domingo, was lined with obstacles, but his parents and basketball guided him to greatness as he seeks to become a BKT EuroCup champion.


BKT EuroCup Interview: Andres Feliz, Joventut Badalona

The 2023-24 season is here with a fresh format that lets just 12 teams out of 20 make it to the knockout stage, making the BKT EuroCup more competitive already by definition.

BKT EuroCup Power Rankings Vol. 1 – The champs are back

The 2023-24 season is here with a fresh format that lets just 12 teams out of 20 make it to the knockout stage, making the BKT EuroCup more competitive already by definition.

This time around, 40% of the teams will not make it past the group stage and that makes each game even more interesting.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1560800/eurocup-power-rankings-volume-1/)

As the BKT EuroCup season starts, Eurohoops ranks the twenty contenders



Euroleague Basketball has reached an agreement with TV3, the public television platform of Catalonia, that will exclusively bring all Joventut Badalona's BKT EuroCup games to the Spanish territory in the 2023-24 season. TV3 digital platform Esport3cat and the new transmedia and interactive OTT platform that will be launched soon 3cat, will broadcast all Joventut Badalona games to the Spanish territory, while all Catalonia fans will also have the chance to watch selected Joventut games on the dedicated sports linear channel Esport3.

TV3 to broadcast Joventut Badalona's 2023-24 BKT EuroCup fixtures

Euroleague Basketball has reached an agreement with 3Cat, the new public audiovisual platform of Catalonia, that will exclusively bring all of Joventut Badalona's BKT EuroCup games to the Spanish territory in the 2023-24 season. The digital platform [Esport3cat](https://www.ccma.cat/tv3/directe/esport3/) will broadcast Joventut games until the official launch of the new transmedia and interactive OTT platform 3Cat, which will broadcast all Joventut Badalona games to the Spanish territory. Fans in Catalonia will also have the chance to watch select Joventut games on the dedicated free-to-air sports linear channel Esport3. 

The 2023-24 edition of the BKT EuroCup has implemented significant changes to the competition format that will bring more drama than ever before, with the top six teams making the playoffs. The top two seeds in each regular-season group advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the other eight teams battle it out in the eighthfinals. After a single-game elimination format in the eighthfinals and quarterfinals, the playoff series will be played in a best-of-three format in the semifinals and finals.

Joventut Badalona, the EuroLeague champion in 1993-94 and EuroCup winner in 2007-08, has been placed in Group A ahead of the 18-game regular season. The other teams in Joventut Badalona's group are: Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, the London Lions, Paris Basketball, Prometey Slobozhanske, Umana Reyer Venice, Veolia Towers Hamburg and Wolves Vilnius.

Esport3 will begin its broadcasts with the Round 1 showdown between Joventut Badalona and Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul, which will be played at Palau Olimpic de Badalona on Wednesday, October 4 and will have extensive coverage of the entire BKT EuroCup competition.

The EuroCup Fantasy Challenge, powered by Ardu Prime, returns for another season and Round 1 is here! The 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season opens this week with 10 games. There are plenty of new players, which gives managers a lot of new options. Today, however, let's look at players returning for another season in the competition who, therefore, may have an advantage over some EuroCup newcomers. Here they are.

Fantasy Challenge tips, Round 1: Here we go!

Alpha Kaba, A.J. Slaughter, Pep Busquets, Sam Dekker and Karim Jallow are featured in this week's article.

EuroCup Fantasy tips, Round 1

**Sam Dekker, London Lions (16.0 credits) –** He was this page's main recommendation at the start of the game last season and Dekker remains a go-to guy. It is no surprise that Dekker is the most expensive player in the game, as he guarantees points, rebounds and leadership. Dekker should be an MVP candidate this season.

**Pep Busquets, Joventut Badalona (4.9 credits) –** He played a lot for Joventut in pre-season and has averaged more than 15 minutes on the court in Joventut's first two Spanish League games. Right now, Busquets looks like the best option for less than 5 credits and you know how it goes: in order to afford stars, you need good backups like him.

**A.J. Slaughter, Dreamland Gran Canaria (9.6 credits) –** We are including Slaughter based on the fact that he can become the EuroCup's all-time leading scorer. He ranks third with 1,418 points and needs 196 to pass Bojan Dubljevic. It should be good motivation for Slaughter to play well and lead the standings.

**Karlo Matkovic, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (8.4 credits) –** Rock-solid centers are the key to success in Fantasy, and you cannot get a much better signing than Matkovic. Last season, he averaged 9.3 points on 63.1% two-pointers and 5.2 rebounds. At age 22, Matkovic is ready for bigger challenges. Expect good things from him. 

**Karim Jallow, ratiopharm Ulm (9.5 credits) –** Jallow took a really important step forward last season and, at age 26, he is a young veteran on a fun-to-watch Ulm squad. He helps on the boards, is a solid shooter and his role should be even bigger this season. All for less than 10 credits!

ratiopharm Ulm v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2023-10-03T17:30:00.000Z)

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2023-10-04T17:00:00.000Z)

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2023-10-04T17:00:00.000Z)

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Turk Telekom Ankara (2023-10-04T16:00:00.000Z)

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v Slask Wroclaw (2023-10-05T19:00:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona v Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul (2023-10-04T18:15:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball v Wolves Vilnius (2023-10-03T18:30:00.000Z)

London Lions v Umana Reyer Venice (2023-10-04T18:30:00.000Z)

Prometey Slobozhanske v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2023-10-04T16:00:00.000Z)

Hello again! This is Ondrej Balvin of Prometey Slobozhanske, back for another BKT EuroCup season after reaching the semifinals six months ago. Does that make us one of the favorite teams this season? Well, I'm not sure if I'm the one to judge if we are favorites or not, but obviously we would like to continue the way we played last year and we definitely want to fight for the highest spot, so let's see what the season brings. 

We want to build on last season. To begin with, I think we are a better three-point shooting team this season. Last year, I think three-point shooting was kind of one of our weaknesses. Right now, we have a lot of new players that are great shooters, so hopefully this is going to be one aspect where we are going to improve compared to last season.

It was a long summer for me, as Prometey was one of the first team to finish the 2022-23 season. Personally, it was a kind of interesting summer. I resigned with Prometey but asked for permission to play elsewhere because otherwise I would have a really long break, basically four months, before we started the pre-season. I never had this much free time in my life! I always went with the national team or something, and maybe had two or three weeks off each summer, that's enough for me. 

This time, I had four months off for the first time in my life, and I didn't know what to do with myself, so my agent came up with this interesting idea. He said: "Hey, there is a summer league in China and they are playing for two months, you can make some money and it will be a new, interesting experience." Obviously, when I resigned with Prometey, I asked them if it would be okay with them for me to go there, and they said "yeah, no problem", so I spent the summer playing basketball in China.

<center><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuRO6afRFd7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuRO6afRFd7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuRO6afRFd7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Ondřej Balvín (@ondrejbalvin)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></center>

I had the experience of playing in Japan, so it was not such a cultural shock for me. Still, there were some funny moments. One of the funniest things is that I lived in a city with an eight-million population. I was asking about the city and they were like "oh, this is a small city". And I looked at him and replied "hey, my whole country have like 10.5 million people, and you want to tell me that an eight-million city is small?" That was kind of funny. 

Being white and tall in there was also interesting: everyone was staring at me. I am really used to it, people usually stare at me because of my height, but it was funnier in China. I almost caused this guy an accident, because even people who drive a motorbike, they would slow down and look at me, because they don't see many guys in China looking like me. It was raining a little but and this one guy slipped on the motorbike, so I almost caused an accident!

Last season I did not tell you that I have a dog; his name is Charlie and he is a big part of my life. I even have a tattoo on my forearm! It's actually funny and I think he is enjoying this basketball life, too. It's not easy but I always find ways to take care of him. It has been an experience for me, especially in the beginning. But I think it's something that I'm really always excited about. 

<center><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVNVirnBoNJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVNVirnBoNJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"&gt;&lt;g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVNVirnBoNJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Ondřej Balvín (@ondrejbalvin)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></center>

You can have a bad game, a good game, whatever, but when I come home, he doesn't care about how I played. He just always come to me and brings me some toy he wants to play with and it is something that completely takes my mind away from basketball. It's really nice to have him around. I got him in my fourth year in Sevilla, so we have been together for nine years.

Charlie is a flat-coated retriever, more or less similar to the golden retriever. Traveling with him is kind of fun because he has taken me to places I would never expect to visit. For example, when I lived in Gran Canaria, after my first season there, I actually had my car on the island, one of my friends brought it for me. So I had to take a ferry from Gran Canaria to Cadiz and then drive like 20-25 hours back to the Czech Republic. It was an interesting experience. I could have taken a flight but if there is a possibility to drive to that place, I prefer to drive because it is less stressful for him.

Balvin helped Prometey reach the BKT EuroCup semifinals.

2022-23 EuroCup highlights: Ondrej Balvin, Prometey

Speaking of traveling, we are going to some nice cities this season, even though our first game is at home against Hamburg. It is better than last year. I am not saying that we travelled to bad cities, but other than Barcelona (close to Badalona), we didn't really go to any major city and this year, we will go to a lot of big ones: Paris, London, Vilnius, Ljubljana, Venice, Istanbul, Barcelona. There will be good traveling connections, too. Last season, I remember when we went to Brescia. First of all, we got our asses kicked, and we had to travel for 15-16 hours to play the game. So I am definitely enjoying playing in bigger cities, definitely better connections. 

Personally, I think I have been to all these cities. I was in London with my school when I was a kid, so I don't remember that much. I won't have that much time but I can see it with different eyes now. I have been to Paris a few times with my ex-girlfriend. It is a romantic city and you should visit it with your significant other. I am really excited to see these cities again. It's going to be a nice experience and in a different time, because you usually go to these cities during the summer.

It is a new EuroCup season but my personal goals remain the same. Right now, I am not a young fellow chasing good numbers so that I can find a better team or anything like that. I am in a really great spot, on a great team with a lot of potential so for me, more than anything, it is about team play and continuing to build on what we did last season. This means more than any personal goal and more than anything, I hope we can play in the EuroCup Finals. 

I am sure more and more people will come to see us. Last season, our club tried a lot of things to bring the fans to the arena and towards the end of the season, it started to pay off. Our president also did an amazing job, bringing buses full of fans from Ukraine, so we had support. It just shows that Prometey is trying to do something special not just for sports, but also for Ukrainian fans. If we keep working in the right direction, all of us, good things will happen!

Ondrej Balvin is back for the 2023-24 season and so is his EuroCup blog! Follow everything going on in Riga with Ondrej and his faithful dog Charlie as Prometey Slobozhanske tries to go all the way and become the first Ukrainian team to win the EuroCup! 

Ondrej Balvin, Prometey: 'Let's see what the season brings'

As part of the ongoing enhancement of the Euroleague Basketball rulebook to ensure that games in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and BKT EuroCup are both fair to participants and clear to fans, Euroleague Basketball has added and modified several rules ahead of the 2023-24 season. 

2023-24 Euroleague Basketball rule changes

As part of the ongoing enhancement of the Euroleague Basketball rulebook to ensure that games in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and BKT EuroCup are both fair to participants and clear to fans, Euroleague Basketball has added and modified several rules ahead of the 2023-24 season. 

These include an additional coach's challenge for every game, new situations that referees can review during games, and a change in the disqualification rules for players or staff members on the bench during an on-court altercation. 

Head coaches will now get two challenges to use during each game, but must use one of them in the game's first 38 minutes or lose it. In order to help speed up games, referees will now be able to initiate a foul review only in the final 2 minutes of a game or the final 2 minutes in overtime. Coaches may still use a challenge to initiate a foul review at any time.

Two new types of calls will now be open to review: one, whether or not a player was fouled in the act of shooting; and two, whether the shot clock requires resetting or not in situations when there is a review to determine if the ball touched the rim. In both cases, a coach may use a challenge for these calls. The referees may only initiate such reviews in the final 2 minutes of a game or the final 2 minutes in overtime.

Going forward, any player or team staff leaving the bench during an on-court altercation who does not become actively involved in the disturbance will not be disqualified. This assumes that the referees will be able to review footage and confirm that the bench player was not involved. 

Finally, all jump ball situations will now see the ball put into play at the circle (either foul free-throw line or center court) that is nearest to the position where the previous action occurred.

In Round 1 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season, Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C. hosts KK Cedevita Olimpija in a mouth-watering contest at Shlomo Group Arena.

Hapoel Tel Aviv vs. Cedevita Olimpija preview: The EuroCup returns with a bang!

Exactly five months after last season's BKT EuroCup Final took place, the competition returns for the 2023-24 campaign. What a way for it to get underway, too, with an opening-night matchup between Group A teams [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/carousels/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/?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%22hta%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%22%7D%7D&carouselTitle=Hapoel%20Shlomo%20Tel%20Aviv) and [Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/carousels/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/?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%22lju%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%22%7D%7D&carouselTitle=Cedevita%20Olimpija%20Ljubljana).

Both teams enter the new EuroCup season with goals of making the playoffs, so this Round 1 contest should be a good indicator of which team looks the stronger ahead of the remaining 17 fixtures in the regular season. This is also the first time that Hapoel and Cedevita will face off, which adds a sense of intrigue to the occasion.

### Hapoel: Building on last year's achievements

It is difficult to enter the EuroCup as a first-year team and make an immediate impact, but that's exactly what Hapoel did last season. After securing the joint third-best regular-season record at 13-5, the Israeli side made it to the quarterfinals before losing to Joventut Badalona.

The top plays of Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv quartet J'Covan Brown, Xavier Munford, Jaylen Hoard and Tomer Ginat in the 2022-23 BKT EuroCup season.

Best plays of Hapoel's returning star quartet

The 2022-23 iteration of Hapoel was led by [Xavier Munford](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/xavier-munford/007759/) and [J'Covan Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/j-covan-brown/011991/), while [Jaylen Hoard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/jaylen-hoard/006835/) and [Tomer Ginat](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tomer-ginat/010550/) were also key contributors. The team did lose two important players in Jordan McRae and Chinanu Onuaku over the summer, but it has retooled by adding center [Kyle Alexander](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/hapoel-adds-size-with-alexander/), impressive swingman [Braian Angola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/hapoel-brings-swingman-braian-angola-aboard/) and a leader for this pack of dogs, [John Holland](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/hapoel-tel-aviv-tabs-veteran-small-forward-john-holland/).

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Exactly one year ago, in a <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> game between <a href="https://twitter.com/KKCedOL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KKCedOL</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/BsBasketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BsBasketbol</a>, John Holland (<a href="https://twitter.com/Jholland_23?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jholland_23</a>) delivered the best halftime interview in world sports history. <br><br>Absolutely legendary. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wesomedogs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#wesomedogs</a> <a href="https://t.co/nloAbRpq2z">pic.twitter.com/nloAbRpq2z</a></p>&mdash; Javier Gancedo (@ganchetto) <a href="https://twitter.com/ganchetto/status/1651126464316862465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Perhaps most importantly, the team will once again be led by head coach Danny Franco. Under the Israeli's guidance, Hapoel had a very impressive home record, going 8-1 in the regular season before beating Umana Reyer Venice at Shlomo Group Arena in the eighthfinals. Coach Franco will hope for a similar record in the 2023-24 season, starting with Thursday's contest at home to Cedevita.

### Cedevita: Starting all over again

Last season could not have gone much worse for Cedevita in the EuroCup. There was a lot of optimism surrounding the Slovenian side entering the 2022-23 campaign, but it ended up with the second-worst record in the competition at 3-15. As such, it was decided that there was a need to turn the page.

Nine new players joined the club over the summer, including the arrival of star combo-guard [Justin Cobbs](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/justin-cobbs-returns-to-the-eurocup-with-cedevita-olimpija/) and the returns of [Jaka Klobucar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/jaka-klobucar-seals-return-to-cedevita-olimpija/) and [Jaka Blazic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/jaka-blazic-returns-to-cedevita-olimpija/). Importantly, one player who remains on the team is [Karlo Matkovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/karlo-matkovic/009395/), who is primed for a breakout season in 2023-24. There is a new head coach in place, too, with [Simone Pianigiani](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/cedevita-names-simone-pianigiani-as-its-new-head-coach/) having replaced Jurica Golemac, so he will be determined to get his new era off to a winning start on the road at Hapoel in Round 1.

2021-22 MVP candidate: Justin Cobbs, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica

It's fair to say that Cedevita struggled on its travels in the EuroCup last season, going 1-8 through its nine road games, but perhaps it could catch Hapoel off guard in this season curtain raiser. The team should arrive in Israel in confident fashion, too, after starting the ABA League season with a dramatic win over Mega Basket.

Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C. vs. KK Cedevita Olimpija preview: The EuroCup returns with a bang!

These two teams will face off for the first-ever time on Tuesday night.

Hapoel vs. Cedevita preview: The EuroCup returns with a bang!

The new-look BKT EuroCup gets underway with the 20 competing clubs all in action between Tuesday and Thursday. Here's your quick guide to this week's 10 games.

This week: The new BKT EuroCup starts rolling!

[Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv vs Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv-cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/U2023/4/)

After reaching the quarter-finals last season, Hapoel will aim to kickstart another deep run into the competition against a Cedevita team desperate to bounce back from regular season elimination with a 3-15 record. New Cedevita coach Simone Pianigiani has restocked with several summer signings, including a return for dependable veteran Jaka Blazic. Hapoel’s third-year sidelines chief Danny Franco can also call upon reinforcements, and the experience of John Holland, Jeff Withey and Kyle Alexander should help make the Israeli team competitive again.

[ratiopharm Ulm vs Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/ratiopharm-ulm-dolomiti-energia-trento/U2023/10/)

Ambitious Ulm will aim to maintain the momentum of last season’s quarter-finals berth – after a strong 11-7 regular season - by downing a Trento team with playoffs ambitions after falling short last time out. Versatile Brazilian Georginho – last season’s Finals MVP in his native country – promises to be one of the most exciting new additions to the competition, and Trento will hope for a similar kind of impact from new signing Prentiss Hubb, who made waves during his first season in Europe with Ludwigsburg and is now stepping up to continental competition.

[Paris Basketball vs Wolves Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/paris-basketball-wolves-vilnius/U2023/3/)

Fast-rising Paris sets out on the latest step in its bid to become a European powerhouse with a visit from another ambitious upstart, Wolves. The Lithuanian team makes its EuroCup debut with a powerful roster made stronger by the arrival of players like Arturs Zagars and Vaidis Kariniauskas, while new Paris coach Tuomas Iisalo also boasts exciting new talent in the form of his former player at Bonn, scoring guard TJ Shorts – crowned MVP in both the German league and Basketball Champions League last season.

[U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/u-bt-cluj-napoca-turk-telekom-ankara/U2023/7/)

These two teams endured contrasting fortunes last season, with Cluj failing to advance from the regular season while Ankara went all the way to the title decider. The Turkish team is now led by Nenad Canak, following the departure of Erdem Can to Anadolu Efes, and has several new players including Jalen Adams, Tyrone Wallace and Steven Enoch. Long-serving Cluj coach Mihal Silvasan has also recruited talent with EuroLeague experience in the form of DJ Seeley and Jarrell Eddie, and can give its confidence a big boost with a prestigious home win to tip off.

[Prometey Slobozhanske vs Veolia Hamburg Towers](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/prometey-slobozhanske-veolia-towers-hamburg/U2023/1/)

Prometey will again consider itself among serious title contenders after making it to last season’s semi-finals, and the arrival of players like scoring threat Ronald March and defensive specialist Jehyve Floyd will make this a daunting trip for Hamburg. The German team only has three players returning from last season and young coach Benka Barloschky will hope that his large collection of new recruits - with hopes particularly high for versatile forward William Christmas – can immediately adapt to their new surroundings.

[Aris Midea Thessaloniki vs Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/aris-midea-thessaloniki-dreamland-gran-canaria/U2023/9/)

Reigning EuroCup champion Gran Canaria tips off its title defence with a tough trip to Greece, with Aris eager to make a fast impression as it returns to the competition following seven years away. Gran Canaria coach Jaka Lakovic has a new-look frontcourt with the arrival of Ben Lammers, Ethan Happ and Roko Prkacin, who will look to establish inside dominance against a totally revamped Aris roster featuring professional rookie center Manny Bates and another promising young big man, Silvio de Sousa.

[Buducnost VOLI Podgorica vs 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/buducnost-voli-podgorica-7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/U2023/8/)

Buducnost returns for its fifth consecutive EuroCup season with the aim of advancing past the quarter-finals for the first time ever, while visiting Lietkabelis will also look to cement its recent rise after two consecutive playoffs qualifications. The acquisition of last season’s Italian league MVP Colbey Ross has prompted high expectations from Buducnost fans, and the visiting team will look to control him through new signing Donatas Sabeckis – the Lithuanian league’s assist leader back in 2017.

[Joventut Badalona vs Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/joventut-badalona-besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/U2023/5/)

A high-profile matchup between two ambitious teams gets the season rolling in style at Palau Olimpic as Joventut – a semi-finalist last season - goes up against a Besiktas team competing in the EuroCup for the first time since 2015-16. A key match-up will be inside the paint between Joventut’s timeless veteran Ante Tomic and one of his newest rivals for the competition’s best center, Angel Delgado, who powered Pinar Karsiyaka’s march to the Turkish league finals last season.

[London Lions vs Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/london-lions-umana-reyer-venice/U2023/2/)

Two teams eliminated in last season’s eighth-finals meet in England as fast-rising London welcomes Reyer. New Lions coach Petar Bozic has retained the core of last season’s squad with a handful of promising new arrivals led by Gabe Olaseni, who will look to become his new team’s main man in the paint after a strong spell in Turkey with Darussafaka. 

[Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse vs Slask Wroclaw](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-slask-wroclaw/U2023/6/)

On Thursday, Bourg will look to start building on last season’s playoffs qualification by defending its home court against a Slask team desperate to shed its status as the competition’s worst team, winning only one game out of 18 last time around. The Polish club’s attempted revival is being led by new coach Oliver Vidin, who has returned for his second spell in charge and has high hopes for new backcourt signing Jawun Evans. Bourg will match him up against another promising summer signing, JeQuan Lewis.