In an interesting showdown in Group B, Slask Wroclaw (0-4) takes on Promitheas Patras (3-1) at Hala Orbita on Wednesday. Slask seeks its first victory after back-to-back 4-point losses against Veolia Towers Hamburg and Turk Telekom Ankara. Promitheas looks for its second road win of the season. It is also the first Greek team to face Slask in Wroclaw since Panionios Athens recorded a 92-94 victory in a EuroCup Regular Season game on December 18, 2007. 

Slask has struggled in front of its fans so far this season, averaging just 64.5 points in home games. That's 10 points lower than any other team in home games. Slask is shooting the ball really poorly at home (45.4% 2FG, 28.6% 3FG) and is last overall in three-point shooting percentage, having made 18 of 64 shots from downtown (28.1% 3FG). Lukasz Kolenda (14.2 ppg.), Jeremiah Martin (16.5 ppg.) and Jakub Niziol (11.5 ppg.) are its main perimeter players and should keep leading the team as Slask tries to find answers on offense. 

Game News

Speaking of putting the ball in the basket, Promitheas is tied for the competition lead in scoring (87.5 ppg.) until now, finding good options inside and outside the paint. Combo guard Joe Young (24.3 ppg.) is the EuroCup's top scorer and Promitheas should keep finding him on offense. Three-point threat Arnoldas Kubolka (12.0 ppg., 7.8 rpg.) and rock-solid big man George Conditt (10.2 ppg., 60.7% 2FG) give coach Makis Giatras more options on offense. If Promitheas boxes out well and plays in transition, it should have a better chance to win.

Slask looks for first win against Promitheas 

Slask Wroclaw v Promitheas Patras (2022-11-23T19:00:00.000Z)

ratiopharm Ulm (2-2) will welcome Joventut Badalona (3-1) on Wednesday in a Group A showdown that will be the second duel ever in the 7DAYS EuroCup between these two teams. In their first and only previous encounter, last season, Ulm upset Joventut in the single-game elimination eighthfinals round 73-79. Ulm comes from a huge road win in Round 4 at Frutti Extra Bursaspor, 86-90, in which Yago Dos Santos led the way with 17 points and 5 rebounds. Joventut comes off a home win over Prometey Slobozhanske, 82-77, in which Henry Ellenson scored 13 points.

Ulm and Joventut rank seventh (84.3 ppg.) and eighth (83.5 ppg.), respectively, in points per game, so one could expect a close encounter. The visitors are fourth best in the league in average PIR (99.8) and are also the best team in shooting from beyond the arc (46.5%). Ulm has the upper hand in offensive rebounds going into the game.

The hosts will have to push hard in defense, as Joventut is the second-worst team in the league in turnovers (16.8) but also the second-best in assists (20.3), so the work put in by the hosts behind will have a huge impact in the final outcome. Joventut shoots better from all ranges, but will have to watch for Ulm's athleticism under the boards (2.8 bpg.). It will all come down to small details, as both teams come from respective wins and will want to stay that way. Ulm has morale through the roof after defeating the last season's runners-up on the road, but Joventut is looking to establish dominion early and avenge last season's sour upset.

Ulm, Joventut meet in rematch of last season's eighthfinals

ratiopharm Ulm v Joventut Badalona (2022-11-23T18:30:00.000Z)

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (3-1) will try to extend its winning run to four games as it welcomes Paris Basketball (2-2) when both teams return to action in Group B on Wednesday. After dropping its season opener at home, Buducnost put together three straight wins before the break. Meanwhile, Paris has a streak of its own, as it is still undefeated on the road in its first season in the competition, with both of its wins so far coming away from home.

Buducnost comes into the tilt as the best rebounding team in the competition; it leads the EuroCup in both offensive (14.3 orpg.) and defensive (30.0 drpg.) rebounding. Buducnost has all players contributing on the offensive glass and four players averaging more than 1.0 per game – Alpha Kaba (3.8 opg.), Aaron White (1.8 opg.), Kenan Kamenjas (1.5 opg.) and Igor Drobnjak (1.2 opg.). Paris does not attack the offensive boards that well (9.3 orpg.) and needs to make sure that offensive rebounding does not turn into a difference-maker for Buducnost in this clash.

Both teams have excelled offensively in a similar way so far this season, with Paris entering this round ranked third in scoring (87.0 ppg.) and Buducnost fourth (86.5 ppg.). Defensively, however, Paris has allowed 86 or more points in each of the last three games, while Buducnost has held opponents to 74.5 points, the second-fewest this season, albeit that number does go up to 83.5 points in the last two games.

Buducnost, Paris aiming to keep streaks alive in Podgorica

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Paris Basketball (2022-11-23T18:00:00.000Z)

The final game in Round 5 will take place in the Canary Islands where local side Gran Canaria hosts Hapoel Tel Aviv. The two teams are among the five that enter the round tied for the top spot in Group B with 3-1 records. They are two of the top offenses in the league with Gran Canaria's 87.5 points ranked second and Hapoel’s 86.5 fourth.

Gran Canaria has won back-to-back games and is 2-0 at home this season. A.J Slaughter runs the team’s attack with averages of 17.8 points per game and John Shurna (10.5 ppg., 5.5 rpg.) and Aleksander Balcerowski (9.8 ppg.) have anchored the frontcourt.

Hapoel is 1-1 on the road with a 14-point victory in Paris and a 12-point loss in Ankara. J’Covan Brown (12.0 ppg., 7.8 apg.) leads the EuroCup in assists and has been feeding a balanced attack featuring Jaylen Hoard (13.2 ppg., 7.2 rpg.), Tomer Ginat (11.2 ppg.) and new signing Chinanu Onuaku in the paint and Jordan McRae (13.8 ppg.) and Xavier Munford (13.3 ppg.) on the perimeter. 

Statistically very little separates these teams on offense with Hapoel committing fewer turnovers and Gran Canaria the superior three-point shooting team. Hapoel has been the stronger team on defense, however, and how will it plays against Gran Canaria’s high-powered attack could be what decides this game.  

High-powered offenses  Gran Canaria and Hapoel set to duel

Gran Canaria v Hapoel Tel Aviv (2022-11-23T20:00:00.000Z)

Turk Telekom Ankara (3-1) and Dolomiti Energia Trento (0-4) face off against one another at Ankara Spor Salonu on Wednesday evening, as the 7DAYS EuroCup returns after a three-week break. 

In the last round before the break, Turk Telekom continued its fine form under first-year head coach Erdem Can, beating Slask Wroclaw 71-75 on the road to record its third win in a row. After falling to a 75-90 defeat on its home floor to Paris Basketball in Round 1, Turk Telekom bounced back by grabbing wins against Veolia Towers Hamburg, Hapoel Tel Aviv and then Slask. In the last two games, Jerian Grant became a more integral player for the team, finishing with a team-high PIR of 26 and 22, respectively. Center Tyrique Jones has impressed, too, as he is averaging a PIR of 20.0 across his last three games. Coach Can's team is currently the best team in the EuroCup from two-point range, shooting 61.2%, and it also has a 4-0 record against Trento all-time, so everything is pointing towards a fourth straight victory for Turk Telekom.

However, Trento will hope that it can kickstart its season with a surprise triumph on the road. Trento is winless so far in 2022-23 and its last victory in the EuroCup came back on November 17, 2021, against Slask. Therefore, with a year now having passed since it last tasted victory, the desire to bring that run to an end should be even greater. The problem for Trento is that it has struggled somewhat on both ends of the floor so far this season, as it has the fourth-worst average for points per game scored and the worst average for points per game given up. The break in the EuroCup calendar came at a good time for Trento, as two successive 5-point defeats in Rounds 2 and 3 were followed by a 30-point drubbing at Hapoel. After going away and licking its wounds, expect a response from Trento in Round 5.

Turk Telekom, Trento bring contrasting fortunes into matchup

Turk Telekom Ankara v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2022-11-23T16:45:00.000Z)

Wednesday’s EuroCup slate opens in Romania where U-BT Cluj-Napoca hosts Germani Brescia. Cluj (1-3) lost its last two games before the break by a combined 9 points. The recent addition of veteran point guard Nemanja Grodic should help Cluj in those close finishes. Brescia (2-2) had won two in a row before losing 69-71 to Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, the only remaining undefeated team in the competition, in Round 4.

Cluj has found success this season closer to the basket; it is second in the EuroCup in offensive rebounds (14.0 per game) and two-point shooting (61.1%) and third-from-bottom in three-point accuracy (29.3%). Leonardo Meindl (19.2 ppg., 7.5 rpg.) and Andrija Stipanovic (12.2 ppg., 5.8 rpg.) have been its main weapons in the front court with Jordan Taylor (14.2 ppg., 4.5 apg.) playing the lead guard role.

Although Brescia’s top performers have been guards Amedeo Della Valle (15.8 ppg., 4.8 apg.) and Troy Caupain (14.5 ppg., 4.0 apg.), the team collectively has excelled in the paint. It has held opponents to a EuroCup-low 46.7% shooting on two-pointers and has outrebounded teams by 4.2 rebounds per game.

Accordingly, the matchups inside with Tai Odiase and Kenny Gabriel against Meindl and Stipanovic could be decisive this week.

Wednesday’s action opens in Romania with Cluj vs. Brescia

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Germani Brescia (2022-11-23T17:30:00.000Z)

### Opposites collide in Bourg and Ulm

JL Mincidelice Bourg en Bresse (4-0) is the only undefeated team in the competition and its perfect record will be put to the test [when it hosts Frutti Extra Bursaspor](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-frutti-extra-bursaspor/U2022/43/) (2-2) in the Round 5 opener on Tuesday. Neither team has jumped out in any of statistical categories, which is especially interesting for first-place Bourg which ranks only 12th in scoring (81.0 ppg.), though it does shoot the second-best from three-point range (40.2%) while playing solid defense that ranks fourth in points allowed (75.0 ppg.). Bourg is a team with tremendous balance where no player plays more than 24 minutes per game and it has only three double-digit scorers, with the bright spot being Jordan Floyd averaging 17.0 points off the bench. It's quite different for last season's finalist Bursaspor, which has five players averaging more minutes than that, including three starters – Onuralp Bitim, Derek Needham and Anthony Clemmons – playing 30 or minutes per game.

Bursaspor has lost its last two games, including in Round 4 at home against ratiopharm Ulm. That young Ulm (2-2) side, which has an 18-year-old Juan Nunez (5.0 apg.) and 23-year-old Yago dos Santos (10.8 ppg., 3.5 apg.) running its offense, [will face Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/ratiopharm-ulm-joventut-badalona/U2022/42/) (3-1), one of the most experienced sides in the competition. The 35-year-old Ante Tomic (11.8 ppg., 5.2 rpg., 3.0apg.) and Pau Ribas (7.2 ppg. 4.8 apg.), as well as the 29-year-old Guillem Vives (4.5 ppg., 4.0 apg.) fuel a Joventut offense that has dished 20.3 assists per game, which is tied for the second-most this season.

### Canary pass extravaganza

When it comes to assists, only one team does it better than Joventut and only one other team is on-par with it and those two collide on Wednesday when [Gran Canaria (3-1) takes on newcomer Hapoel Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/gran-canaria-hapoel-tel-aviv/U2022/47/) (3-1) in Group B. Gran Canaria leads the league with 20.8 assists and Hapoel is tied for second with 20.3 on average. No player has dished more than Hapoel's J'Covan Brown who leads the EuroCup with 7.8 per game, while Gran Canaria's Ferran Bassas is tied for third with 5.8 per game, Andrew Albicy follows with 4.0 and AJ Slaughter, Nico Brussino and Dan Duscak are each posting 2.0 assists or better through four rounds. Expect some sweet passes and a nice flow to the game between two potent offenses on Wednesday night.

### Group B home-court advantage

In Group B, heading into Round 5, home and road teams this season have an equal amount of victories, 10 apiece. Two of the three teams that do not have a road win yet this season, Dolomiti Energia Trento (0-4) and London Lions (1-3) are playing away from home. [The Lions travel to play Veolia Hamburg Towers](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/veolia-towers-hamburg-london-lions/U2022/49/) (2-2) on Tuesday, while a day later [Trento visits Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/turk-telekom-ankara-dolomiti-energia-trento/U2022/46/) (3-1), which is on a three-game winning streak. Trento is on a 16-game losing streak dating back to last season, but it is not the only winless team in Group B. Slask Wroclaw (0-4) will also be in search of its first win of the season [when it welcomes Promitheas Patras](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/slask-wroclaw-promitheas-patras/U2022/50/) (3-1) and the EuroCup's top scorer Joe Young (24.2 ppg.). The EuroCup's second-best scorer, Kyle Allman (22.5 ppg.) of Paris Basketball (2-2) will also be on the road, [visiting Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/buducnost-voli-podgorica-paris-basketball/U2022/48/) (3-1), another winner of three straight games.

### Roster changes and signing impacts

During the recent two-week break from action, a few teams made significant additions to their rosters. Among them, [Hapoel added last season's Israeli League MVP](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/hapoel-lands-israeli-league-mvp-onuaku/), center Chinanu Onuaku who is set to make his debut against Gran Canaria. Meanwhile, [U-BT Cluj-Napoca put veteran playmaker Nemanja Gordic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/cluj-signs-veteran-playmaker-gordic/) into its backcourt. The 34-year-old guard, who has nine EuroCup seasons under his belt, will have a chance to play for his sixth different club in the competition [when Cluj faces Brescia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/u-bt-cluj-napoca-germani-brescia/U2022/44/).

The team that arguably had the biggest number of high-profile signings during the summer, Umana Reyer Venice (2-2) has won its last two games and will [hope to make it three in a row](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/umana-reyer-venice-7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/U2022/45/) against 7-BET Lietkabelis Panevezys (2-2) at home on Tuesday. Those summer signings have been making a huge impact for Reyer with point guards Marco Spissu (11.0 ppg., 4.5 apg., 3.2 rpg.) and Jayson Granger (8.8 ppg., 4.5 apg.) running the offense, forward Derek Willis leading the team in scoring (12.5 ppg.) and Allerik Freeman also scoring in double figures (10.5 ppg.).

On the other hand, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (0-4) will be in search of its first win [when it hosts Prometey Slobozhanske](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana-prometey-slobozhanske/U2022/41/) (2-2). Cedevita hopes to get help from veteran swingman Zoran Dragic who is yet to play this season after suffering a leg muscle injury during the EuroBasket. Cedevita has already made a roster change when it parted ways with veteran sharpshooter Aaron Harrison.

Round 5 at a glance

Veolia Towers Hamburg v London Lions (2022-11-22T18:30:00.000Z)

Umana Reyer Venice v 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2022-11-22T19:00:00.000Z)

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v Frutti Extra Bursaspor (2022-11-22T18:00:00.000Z)

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Prometey Slobozhanske (2022-11-22T19:00:00.000Z)

Among the oldest and most decorated clubs in Israeli basketball, Hapoel Tel Aviv can trace its history to before the state’s creation and in its 87 years of existence has seen a number of superstars wear its traditional red and white uniforms. 

The Club Scene: Hapoel Tel Aviv

Among the oldest and most decorated clubs in Israeli basketball, Hapoel Tel Aviv can trace its history to before the state’s creation and in its 87 years of existence has seen a number of superstars wear its traditional red and white uniforms. 

Hapoel’s first game on record was a 6-2 victory against neighboring Hapoel Ramat Gan on January 26, 1935. The first Tel Aviv derby took place the following year and saw Maccabi emerge victorious 5-37. Hapoel did not triumph over Maccabi until 1950.

Since there was no organized league in the years of the British Mandate, nearly all of Hapoel’s games in that period were exhibitions, including many against visiting army teams. The Israeli League came into play in 1954 and Hapoel defeated Hapoel Geva in its debut appearance, 45-30. Hapoel placed third in that first season and fourth the year after. It reached the Israeli Cup final in 1956 and lost to cross-town rival Maccabi. Quickly growing in stature, Hapoel was the league runner-up in each of the next three seasons. 

The 1960s would be Hapoel’s greatest decade. Under the guidance of Coach Shimon Shelah, Hapoel captured league championships in 1960, ’61, ’65, ’66 and ’69 plus Israeli Cups in ’62 and 69. The stars of those teams were playmaker Haim Hazan and team captain Erez Lustig. 

Hapoel debuted in European competitions in 1961 and defeated Galatasaray Istanbul in a two-game, total-points playoff series in the EuroLeague eighthfinals before falling to three-time defending champion ASK Riga in the quarterfinals. 

The core of Barry Leibowitz, Ivan Leshinsky, Mark Tornstein and Alan Zuckerman carried Hapoel to new heights when it won the league and cup double in 1969. Leibowitz was temporarily banned from playing because he was not an amateur – he played one season in the American Basketball Association for Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Oakland – and instead became the team’s player/coach.

The rivalry between Maccabi and Hapoel continued to grow and in an Israeli basketball first, referees from Greece and Turkey were invited to officiate the derby on December 30, 1969. Hapoel lost that game in a controversial manner after the winning basket was disallowed and finished second to Maccabi at the end of the season. Maccabi became the team to beat and in the early 1970s, even after Leibowitz returned to play, Hapoel fell further back in the standings. 

Hapoel returned to European action in the mid-to-late 1970s. In 1976, Leibowitz scored 51 points in a Korac Cup game against FC Barcelona, though Hapoel lost 117-126. In 1979, Fran Costello was signed as the first foreign player in club history. That year the club made waves by reaching the Korac Cup semifinals where it was eliminated by Cibona Zagreb. 

1980 marked a new chapter as the club’s new home arena, Ussishkin Hall, was opened. In 1984, with Yehoshua Rozin on the sidelines and a young backcourt led by Willie Sims and Amos Frishman captured the Israeli Cup. The late 1980s saw a number of big names pass through, including Earl Williams, Lavan Mercer and a young Pini Gershon as head coach, but Hapoel was unable to consistently challenge for the top spots in the league. 

Hapoel made another deep run in the Korac Cup in 1988 when, after victories over Cantu and Jugoplastika Split, it reached the semifinals. This time Drazen Petrovic scored 59 points in the first game and 37 in the second to lead Cibona to a sweep. 

In the early 1990s, Coach Ralph Klein built a strong team with Tomer Steinhauer and Shimon Amsalem in the paint and David Thirdkill and Purvis Short on the perimeter. Hapoel reached the league finals in 1992. That summer, Radenko Dobras replaced Short and Hapoel finished the regular season in first place and eliminated Maccabi in the playoff semifinals, but lost to Gershon and Hapoel Galil Elyon in the finals. Tzvika Sherf replaced Klein, but the result was similar and Hapoel lost to Maccabi in the playoff finals. 

Financial hardships soon fell on Hapoel and, despite the efforts of a young Meir Tapiro and Miki Berkowitz, who played his final season with Hapoel, the club began slipping further in the standings from year to year. In 1997, Hapoel was relegated to the second division for the first time. It bounced right back, but in 1999 it was again relegated. After three years in the second division, Hapoel climbed up again, but in 2006 it was again in the second division.

In between, there was a brief period of success, thanks to the backing of Russian media tycoon Vladimir Gusinsky. Hapoel reached the playoff finals in both 2004 and ’05 and, led by Michael Wright, Yaniv Green and Virginjus Praskevicius, finished third in the 2004 FIBA Europe League. 

Ussishkin was demolished in the summer of 2007, despite protests from the fans, and already the two seasons before that the club played its home games at Maccabi’s home, Yad Eliyahu. Fans refused to support the team at Yad Eliyahu and the rift between the fans and the then-owner all but destroyed the club.

Already for the 2006-07 campaign, management registered Hapoel for the second division due to budget constraints and then finished last in the standings and was demoted again. The fans founded a new club, called Hapoel Ussishkin, in June 2007. It began to play in Israel’s fifth tier, was undefeated in its first season, and achieved promotion in each of its first three campaigns. 

The old Hapoel Tel Aviv folded in December 2009 and the rights to the name were purchased by a fan who gifted it to Hapoel Ussishkin. For the 2010-10 season, Hapoel Tel Aviv was back. It reached the Israeli Cup semifinals, but an injury to star player Matan Naor just before the playoffs saw it fall in its bid to reach the top flight. 

Erez Edelstein took over as head coach for the 2011-12 campaign and led the club back to the top level of Israeli basketball.  Success was not quick to come as the club did not get past the semifinals in any competition over the next nine seasons. 

That changed in February of last season when J’Covan Brown authored a magnificent game with 30 points and 9 assists to upset Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in the Israeli Cup semifinals at Maccabi’s Menora Mivtachim Arena. Three days later, Bnei Hertzliya got 30 points and 17 rebounds from Chinanu Onuaku, who signed for Hapoel this week, to win the cup 87-82. 

This season the club takes on a new challenge in the 7DAYS EuroCup and it could not have started any better. It routed the London Lions in its first game in front of a passionate crowd at its new home, Shlomo Group Arena, and then rallied past Paris Basketball in the French capital in Round 2. 

With sound and ambitious management, a core of players who have been with the club for many years, a loyal fan base and a rich tradition, Hapoel has everything needed to reestablish itself as a continental force and a perennial challenger for titles in Israel. 

Paris Basketball has added another weapon to its roster by inking Alfonso Plummer, who plays at the shooting guard position. Plummer (1.85 meters, 25 years old) arrives from Capitanes of the G League, where he averaged 10.0 points (75.0% 2FG, 43.8% 3FG) and 2.0 rebounds in 3 games this season. He will make his 7DAYS EuroCup debut when he first takes to the floor for Paris.

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">‼️Welcome <a href="https://twitter.com/AlfonsoPlummer9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AlfonsoPlummer9</a> 👋<br><br>Nouveau renfort dans l’effectif avec le recrutement d’Alfonso Plummer, arrière Portoricain qui nous vient de la NBA G League 💥<br><br>👀Alerte shooteur d’élite, plus de 40% de moyenne à 3 points en carrière ☄️<br><br>🖤❤️💙 <a href="https://t.co/iikZ0wA4dS">pic.twitter.com/iikZ0wA4dS</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1593303237167382528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Plummer spent five years at college, split between Arizona Western College, the University of Utah and the University of Illinois, before beginning his professional career this season with Capitanes. Now, the Puerto Rico international embarks upon his first experience in Europe with Paris.