On Wednesday, U-BT Cluj-Napoca will make history when it welcomes Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana to BTArena for the first 7DAYS EuroCup home game in club history. The two-time reigning Romanian League champions will be led onto the floor by team captain Nandor Kuti, who hopes to see a full house. After all, the Cluj faithful have already filled the arena to the brim for big games before and, after last week's agonizingly narrow road loss in France in Round 1, the home fans could make plenty of difference.

Kuti knows the club in the city of about 300,000 residents in northwestern Romania like no other player on the team. Despite being 25 years old, this is his 11th season with the "U" - as the club is affectionately known.

"Cluj is a city where people love sports and the fans expect us to win and to give everything on the court. The symbol of 'U' is a lifestyle for the majority of the people. Their love for the club is tremendous," Kuti said. "Fans will always be by our side, but I think the good results in the BCL helped us build a bigger fanbase and we will continue to build more to try to sell out the arena more often."

With Cluj being a sports city, Kuti said he is confident the club's fans will come out in strong numbers for EuroCup games: "I think if we will play quality basketball and have good results, people will come to support us in big numbers. Hopefully, we will sell out the arena again. That would help us a lot for sure. Fans are the sixth player on the court for us, we love them," he added.

"This club is like my family, I spent half of my life here. I have the 'U' symbol in my heart. I think it's so much different when you play for the club that you have loved since you were a child," said Kuti, a native of Sfantu Gheorghe. "We have come a long way. I love to see how the team is getting better and better every year."

"The symbol of 'U' is a lifestyle for the majority of the people. Their love for the club is tremendous."

Cluj reached the Round of 16 of the FIBA Europe Cup in 2018-19 and followed that by advancing to the FIBA Europe Cup Quarterfinals in 2019-20. And then came the run to the Basketball Champions League quarterfinals last season.

Kuti will not soon forget April 5 and April 19, 2022. Not only was his childhood and beloved U-BT Cluj-Napoca playing in the BCL quarterfinals, but a capacity crowd of 10,000 fans came out for both home games - an atmosphere he hopes the club and its spectators can replicate in the EuroCup.

Kuti and Cluj captured the first game of the best-of-three series against MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg 76-73 fired on by the sold-out crowd at BTArena. After losing Game 2 on the road, the Cluj faithful came out and gave their all for Game 3, which the home side ended up losing 73-79 to end its run.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="art" dir="ltr">😍😍😍 <a href="https://t.co/a3yU7TbGxx">https://t.co/a3yU7TbGxx</a></p>&mdash; U-BT Cluj-Napoca (@UBTCluj) <a href="https://twitter.com/UBTCluj/status/1580276060926590976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“Being a decisive game, it put more pressure on us and the fans also understood how important it would have been for us to qualify. It was a mind-blowing atmosphere. Even now I get goosebumps when I think about it," recalled Kuti. "It was phenomenal. Playing in a sold-out arena, in front of our fans, was very special and it was a pleasure. Our crowd was loud and very supportive even though we didn't get to qualify for the final four. But still, it was a great experience and I will remember it all my life."

Kuti said the club's stronger showings on the international stage have helped bring in more fans. In fact, they even showed their devotion with several traveling to last week's season-opener in France against Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse. Now that the team has stepped up in quality to the EuroCup and showed in Round 1 that it is not to be taken lightly, the stage is set for the fans in Cluj-Napoca to pack the arena and watch Kuti and co. put on a show.

Nandor Kuti, Cluj: 'I have the 'U' symbol in my heart'

### Mihai Silvasan, Cluj-Napoca head coach

"It will be our first game at home this season. We are very excited to play in front of our fans. We will face a competitive team and they have chances to go really far this season, even to win the 7DAYS EuroCup. For sure Olimpija is a top team, but we want the first victory in the group and we will do our best to win the game. Our fans are an important factor, so we hope they will help us accomplish some great results."

 

### Andrija Stipanovic, Cluj-Napoca player

"It will be our first game at home and we are very excited. We hope to have a full gym because we will play against a very good team. They have tradition in EuroCup, being trained by a very good coach. Also, they have talented domestic players and really good foreigners. It will be a hard game, but we will do our best to win."

### Jurica Golemac, Cedevita Olimpija head coach 

"We'll give everything we can in the game against Cluj, to get the victory. We have health problems, but we're not travelling to Romania with a white flas. It's going to be a tough match. Our opponents play smart basketball, and they're very dangerous on the home court. We'll do everything to be competitive in Wednesday's game, and to return to Ljubljana with a victory."

### Amar Alibegovic, Cedevita Olimpija player

"We have a tough game ahead. Cluj has a great team with a lot of energy. It's important that we step on the court with the right attitude, especially because of the fact, that we're playing an away game. We need to have the right energy from the first until the last minute of the match."

Game Videos

Game News

Pre-Game quotes: Cluj vs. Olimpija

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2022-10-19T17:30:00.000Z)

### Matteo Cotelli, Brescia head coach

"We are very excited to play our first EuroCup home game. Prometey is an athletic and talented team. It will be a tough game. In the first game against Lietkabelis, they showed everybody how they are dangerous and aggressive on the fastbreak and to play off the ball. So, we want to play a solid game, starting from serious and physical defense. On offense, we have to trust in our system, bring our game face and sharing the ball as quickly as possible in order to build open shots." 

#### C.J. Massinburg, Brescia player

"Our first EuroCup game in Badalonna, we felt we played good for the first three quarters, but had a meltdown in the fourth quarter. Badalona was a good team, but they were able to push more than us and come out with the win. But our first game was good. We see the level of physicality and of intensity that we're going to have to bring to be successful. Our first EuroCup home game, we are very excited about it. We're going to give the fans a good show, execute our basketball, and come out to seal our first home EuroCup win."

### Ronen Ginzburg, Prometey head coach

"We have now one or two days to take a little time for recovery. But that’s our schedule. Well, it is not easy. I hope we will be okay in Italy. You know, until now, in the domestic league, the only game was really hard for us was VEF Riga, and it helped us to prepare for the EuroCup. The other two games were not too tough, but, you know, it’s better to play than not to play. Italian teams are good teams with a lot of tradition. They lost to Milan by one point, but they should have won. Milan is a EuroLeague team. Joventut is in our group, it’s a really great team, but Brescia is one of the top candidates in our group, one of the strongest teams."

### Dustin Hogue, Prometey player

"It's always hard to play back-to-back ganes, but we understand the EuroCup challenge and I am sure me and my teammates will be ready for this next game. In Italy they love defense, the atmosphere will be strong with loud fans. We will kind of play against six people. It's a beautiful place where I liked to play." 

Pre-Game quotes: Brescia vs. Prometey

Germani Brescia v Prometey Slobozhanske (2022-10-19T18:30:00.000Z)

Ziga Samar, Hamburg: 'A lot of great young players in the EuroCup'

Veolia Towers Hamburg had a stellar start to the 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup, downing host Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 66-73 in the Montenegrin capital. A great team effort saw six of Hamburg's players score 8 points or more, including 21-year-old point guard Ziga Samar, who looked like a well-rounded veteran while making his EuroCup debut in Podgorica. It took just one EuroCup game for Samar, who is to Hamburg from ALBA Berlin, to show his great potential. He came off the bench to collect 11 points on 3-for-4 three-point shooting, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals for a performance index rating of 16. In an interview with [EuroCupBasketball.com](http://EuroCupBasketball.com), Samar gave more importance to his team's win than to his good individual performance. "This is what I always try to do: help the team win," Samar said. "I am the kind of player that does a little bit of everything. That's who I am!"

**Congratulations on Hamburg's first win in a tough arena. What made it happen?**

"Thanks. We went to this game with an underdog mentality but wanted to win it. We knew it was going to be a very difficult game. Buducnost is a good team; everyone knows it. As the game went on, we saw we had a chance to win. We played as a team and that allowed us to win in Podgorica."

**You guys allowed just 66 points on the road. With so many new faces, how did the defense get so strong so soon?**

"Truth to be told, we give defense a lot of importance in practice. We got ready for the game in Podgorica, but also Buducnost made a lot of roster changes. They are not fully adjusted as a team, but I am sure they will do better and better in the next games."

"We need to play, take decisions, sometimes make mistakes...In a way, there is a competition between us."

**It was your first EuroCup game, but you looked very comfortable doing a little bit of everything for your team How did you feel out there?**

"I felt good, yes. In the end, it is important that we won because this is what I always try to do: help the team win. Like you said, I am the kind of player that does a little bit of everything. That's who I am!"

**How excited are you to play the EuroCup this season with Hamburg?**

"I am very excited, no question about it. The EuroCup is a great competition, the second-best European competition. It is a pleasure to be a part of this competition."

**You helped Real Madrid reach the 2018 ANGT Finals and win the 2019 ANGT title. Which are your favorite memories of those two weekends?**

"In Belgrade 2018, we felt bad for not winning the ANGT title. We worked all season to do it but we had just finished the Spanish junior championship, playing many games the previous week. But in the decisive game against Rytas, they were better than us and deserved to win. In Vitoria 2019, it was our first goal when we saw each other in Madrid after the off-season. We only changed two or three players from one year to another. We managed to win the tournament, which is the most difficult junior title to get in Europe. We were really happy. In 2018, we saw the Real Madrid \[senior team\] win the EuroLeague title and came back with them in the same plane. We were very happy, all of us. It was a privilege to be there, with them, traveling back from Belgrade. It was something special."

Ziga Samar Top Plays of the 2022-23 Regular Season

Ziga Samar: a stellar 7DAYS EuroCup debut!

**There are lots of young talents in the EuroCup this season. How exciting is that, to see players of your generation and younger doing so well already?**

"It is special. There are a lot of great young players and, in a way, there is a competition between us. All of us want to do as well as we can, but also help our teams to do really well. We need to play, take decisions, sometimes make mistakes, to do better in the next game. That way, we will grow as players, and playing twice a week, in that sense, is a privilege."

**Which young players, in particular, do you expect to have a big impact in the EuroCup?**

"I played with Matteo Spagnolo \[of Dolomiti Energia Trento\] in Real. I didn't have that much contact with Juan Nunez \[of ratiopharm Ulm\], but without a doubt, these are two great talents and will surely be successful. There are three great talents in Gran Canaria: Aleksander Balcerowski, Khalifa Diop and Jovan Kljajic. Fedor Zugic is a great player, too. And I haven't mentioned a lot of other great players. Like I said, it is important to play a lot of games, because that can take you to the next level."

**From Union Olimpija to Real Madrid... sounds familiar. How much of an influence is Doncic in your career? How is your relationship?**

"We didn't talk to each other too much when we were in Madrid, but he helped me when I arrived to the city in my first year. Now, when you see him in practice with the national team and see what he does, you can learn a lot from Luka: his court vision, mentality, his magic. You can try to imitate what he does, too. No one can compare to him. He is at another level. We stay in touch, but not very often."

**Your next game is at home against Turk Telekom Ankara. What needs to be done to stop them?**

"Turk Telekom is a good team. I watched them a lot when they played EuroCup last season. Axel Bouteille is a very good player; I faced him in Spain. I don't know any other player as much as I know him, but it is only a matter of time. Winning at home is very important to be able to do something extra in the EuroCup. It will be an important game for us, no question about it."

**What would you consider a good season for you, personally, and for Veolia Towers Hamburg?** 

"For me, it would be a good season if I grow my game as much as I can, improve my game. This should make it a good season, but only if the team plays well. We need to qualify to the playoffs in both the EuroCup and the German League. If we make it to the EuroCup playoffs, anything can happen after that."

Paris Basketball has inked power forward [Jeremy Evans](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jeremy-evans/007432/) to a one-month contract, the club announced on Monday. Evans (2.06 meters, 34 years old) most recently played for Panathinaikos Athens, where he averaged 5.5 points on 62.5% two-point shooting and 3.0 rebounds in 32 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games last season.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Welcome <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyEvans40?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JeremyEvans40</a> 👋<br><br>Suite à la blessure de <a href="https://twitter.com/EarlShmitty_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EarlShmitty_</a> , Jeremy Evans débarque dans la capitale en tant que pigiste médical jusqu’au 15 novembre 💥<br><br>Avec plus de 200 matches NBA dans ses bagages, Jeremy Evans apportera sa précieuse expérience dans l’effectif parisien 💪 <a href="https://t.co/G8x2IA0qCD">pic.twitter.com/G8x2IA0qCD</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1582023877458558977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

He started his professional career with Utah of the NBA, winning the Slam Dunk Contest at the 2012 All-Star Game. Evans also played for Dallas and Atlanta of the NBA, Texas and Erie Bay of the G League, Khimki Moscow Region of Russia, Darussafaka Istanbul of Turkey and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan of Italy.

In 91 EuroLeague games with Darussafaka, Khimki, Milan and Panathinaikos, Evans averaged 7.1 points and 4.2 rebounds. He played two EuroCup games with Khimki in the 2016-17 campaign, averaging 8.0 points and 4.0 rebounds. Six years later, Evans has another chance to showcase his outstanding athletic skills in the competition.

Paris adds Evans on short-term deal

### Carles Duran, Joventut head coach

"They are one of the teams that are competing for the EuroCup. They have an excellent coach and we will find a hot atmosphere in their arena. We hope to see the best version of Bursaspor with their fans, and we hope to be able to match that level."

### Kyle Guy, Joventut player

"It's very important to get a new win. The nice thing about playing two competitions is that you play twice a week. We have to focus now on the EuroCup and the game in Turkey. Bursaspor is a complicated team and it will be demanding on us."

Pre-Game quotes: Bursaspor vs. Joventut

Frutti Extra Bursaspor v Joventut Badalona (2022-10-19T17:00:00.000Z)

### Ryan Schmidt, London head coach

"We are excited. It is a good chance for our organization and British basketball, a tough team from Italy, Trento, is coming over and we know we have a tough task. Hopefully we'll get a good turnout and good support. It's a great opportunity. It's been 15 years since a team from this country had a chance like this."

### Aaron Best, London player

"It's very exciting. It's big to have an English team in the EuroCup and representing the UK. This is such a big league, and seeing as it's been so long since this last happened, I think I am excited to be a part of that together with this great group of guys we have, to compete at the highest level in Europe."

### Fabio Bongi, Trento assistant coach

"We are happy with the performance we put on the court in the Italian League game against Varese on Sunday, we have shown toughness and 'die-hard mentality' despite the absences. Now we must try to recover some energy, as much as possible, and focus on our next opponent: here in London there is great anticipation, a team from the English capital returns to EuroCup after many years and there is great excitement about this event. The team we face is an expert team, made up of players who have performed in big leagues and first-tier cups: it is a group with physical tonnage and size, which moves the ball very well. We'll see if \[Sam\] Dekker will be out there, but beyond their star, the Londoners have a good roster. We will try to put the best version of ourselves back on the field to try to get the win."

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Pre-Game quotes: London vs. Trento

London Lions v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2022-10-18T18:30:00.000Z)

### Raoul Korner, Hamburg head coach

"Ankara is a completely new team that started much better than last season. So you can't draw any comparison to the games from last year's competition. They have a lot of quality in the roster, their key positions have very good individual qualities. In Tony Taylor one of their leaders came back from injury last weekend. They also have a lot of quality in the other guard positions and as well under the basket. But they are not that deep, they rotate with eight, a maximum of nine palyers. The main thing we have to pay attention to when rebounding is boxing out. It's not necessarily the size, but the athleticism of the centers that brings a lot of work for us to do."

### Lukas Meisner, Hamburg player

"We don't have time to think about the game from the weekend. We've analyzed the game, but now we're fully focused on Ankara. Our focus is only on tomorrow's game. We have to concentrate on our basics, especially in rebounding. We need a good position to get the ball back. We can only initiate our fast pace if we get the rebounds. We have to get used to the fact that we don't have much time between the two games. It will be like that for the entire season, tiredness shouldn’t be a problem."

Pre-Game quotes: Hamburg vs. Turk Telekom

Veolia Towers Hamburg v Turk Telekom Ankara (2022-10-18T17:30:00.000Z)

### Will Weaver, Paris head coach

"We're looking forward to hosting our first Eurocup game in Paris against an extremely deep & experienced team. I've been fortunate to coach and compete against several of their players & their talent will present a great challenged for our defense. I'm also excited for Paris to welcome Jeremy Evans to Halle Georges Carpentier."

### Dustin Sleva, Paris player

"We go into each game expecting to win. Hapoel Tel Aviv has a lot of talent, and so do we. It’s all about executing the game plan that the coaching staff gives us."

### Danny Franco, Hapoel head coach

"This will be the first away game of the season in any European competition for Hapoel Tel Aviv after an absence of many years. Definitely an exciting event for our club and fans. The opponent sets a very challenging standard of quality for us, We will learn a lot about ourselves in the upcoming game. We will bring our teamwork and determination. All of us, together - will do anything necessary to succeed in the challenge in the best possible way."

### Bar Timor, Hapoel player

"We are coming after an important win in the Israeli league, which especially emphasized our spirit. The schedule is tight and there is no time to think about the game that ended, the focus is already on the next game. Paris Basketball is a very good and talented team. They didn't start the French league well, but in the EuroCup they beat Ankara in Turkey - it just shows how different each game is in a season like this. Word about The fans? I get excited every time to see them and I know that some of them are already waiting for us in Paris and in the next two days more fans will join them. We will give everything so that the flight back home will be with a smile."

Pre-Game quotes: Paris vs. Hapoel

Paris Basketball v Hapoel Tel Aviv (2022-10-19T18:30:00.000Z)