Head-to-head: Muric, Cedevita vs. Bitim, Bursaspor

A pair of forwards who know each other quite well and are coming off career-best seasons, Edo Muric of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana and Onuralp Bitim of Frutti Extra Bursaspor, are set to face off against each other once again on Wednesday night when their teams square off in Round 1 of the new 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup season.

The two are former teammates who shared the locker room at Anadolu Efes Istanbul for the first part of the 2017-18 season, when each made his debut in that competition. On Wednesday, they will go against each other in a EuroCup game for the third time in just over eight months.

This week's game is a rematch of last season's quarterfinals at Stozice Arena, in which Bursaspor escaped the Slovenian capital with a dramatic 83-85 win. Both players were among the key protagonists of that thriller. Bitim had 14 points and 6 rebounds in 32 minutes in Bursaspor's win, while Muric had 12 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists as Cedevita's rally from a double-digit deficita came up just short.

It was their second head-to-head game of the season. They had also gone against one another in early February, also in Ljubljana, with Cedevita storming to a 103-86 home win. Muric played more minutes than any of his teammates (32:25) that night, and finished with 8 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks. Bitim played a game-high 35 minutes, and had 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in a loss.

That regular season game came as the start of Bitim's explosion onto the scene. After averaging 6.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in his first five appearances last season, his first in the EuroCup, the 23-year old Bitim went on to score in double figures in 13 of his last 14 appearances. One of the most athletic players in the competition, he finished the season averaging 12.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists, helping Bursaspor reach the EuroCup Finals.

Muric also had his career-best season, which was his sixth in the competition. Muric averaged 10.4 points making a career-best 69.2% of his two-point shots and 39.8% on three-pointers while pulling down a career-high 5.2 rebounds.

Poised to build on a career-best season, the soon-to-be 31-year old Muric will do everything it takes for Cedevita to get its season started on the right foot. Meanwhile, Bitim will want to continue his run of quality performances, ready to embrace a growing role for last year's finalists.

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Frutti Extra Bursaspor (2022-10-12T18:00:00.000Z)

### Danny Franco, Hapoel head coach

"We are all excited for our first game in the EuroCup and the return of Hapoel Tel Aviv to compete in the group stage in Europe. We are preparing for the high level and the challenge that the competition brings. We respect the opponent that comes here and are prepared for the challenges it poses to us. We are playing the first game at home and we would like our audience to see a quality match that will hopefully end in our home victory."

### Tomer Ginat, Hapoel player

"We are very excited. We managed to calm down from the crazy atmosphere that was here in the game last Friday and we did a good preparation for London. We have many players with experience and that is very important at this point of the season, we will do everything to start on the right foot and I am sure that together with the atmosphere that will be here It is possible."

### Ryan Schmidt, London head coach

"It's a great opportunity. I think our preparation leading up to this point has been really good. Thankfully, we have had a tough start in some ways where it's kind of helped us. Domestically in the BBL, we have had four tough games against good opponents that have allowed us to dive into some things and clean up some areas that we know we're going to need to be better tomorrow night. This is history in the making for the organization, for the BBL, for UK basketball and everyone's excited about it. It's hard to just kind of focus on one guy in particular. They have got a couple of guys that really stand out on film from a scoring standpoint. Xavier Mumford, Jordan McRae is with them, he is going to play for the first time, it sounds like tomorrow, J'Cowan Brown... So their guards are very dominant from a scoring standpoint, but at the same time they've got guys on the perimeter that you leave open from a shooting standpoint, they can hurt you. Their bigs are really effective playing out of the short roll. So again, a really good well-coached team. And again, we've got to make sure we do a really good job of kind of just defending by committee. And it can't just be a single player that we're focused on."

### Kostas Koufos, London player

"I am definitely excited. Hapoel is a really good team and we are still improving, gaining confidence. The EuroCup is a great league and I am fortunate to be a part of it. We have to play hard and do the simple things: rebound, play good defense and let everything happen on the court. Most importantly, try to get a win."

Pre-Game quotes: Hapoel vs. London

Hapoel Tel Aviv v London Lions (2022-10-11T17:00:00.000Z)

Game Notes and Facts: Joventut Badalona vs. Germani Brescia

Check out what the protagonists had to say before the game.

### Alessandro Magro, Brescia head coach

"My team and the club are really happy to return to such an important competition as the EuroCup. We will make our debut against one of the best teams in our group, on a very, very difficult court, against a very experienced and physical team, one that will compete for an excellent season. Our goal as a team is to be able to compete. We work hard every day to be able to play our game on the road and at home. So, let's start and have a great season."

### 

### Nicola Akele, Brescia player

"We are really excited to start the EuroCup season. Badalona is a really strong team, really deep. They have reall experienced players. They have played at this level for many years and they are one of the best teams in Spain. So, I think we need to come ready to play, especially because we stay away. We know how going abroad is tough. We need to bring intensity and be real active for 40 minutes. We prepared the game well and we're going to give our maximum."

 

Pre-game quotes: Joventut Badalona vs. Germani Brescia

Joventut Badalona v Germani Brescia (2022-10-11T18:45:00.000Z)

### TUESDAY

**TURK TELEKOM ANKARA vs. PARIS BASKETBALL** - Milivoje Jovcic, Emilio Perez Pizarro, Sebastien Clivaz

**HAPOEL TEL AVIV vs. LONDON LIONS** - Leandro Nicolas Lezcano, Mario Majkic, Vasiliki Tsaroucha

**RATIOPHARM ULM vs. UMANA REYER VENICE** - Tomislav Hordov, Milos Koljensic, Dragan Porobic

**JOVENTUT BADALONA vs. GERMANI BRESCIA** - Emin Mogulkoc, Uros Obrknezevic, Kristaps Konstantinovs

### WEDNESDAY

**PROMETEY SLOBOZHANSKOE vs. LIETKABELIS PANEVEZYS** - Marcin Kowalski, Aare Halliko, Nick Van den broeck

**CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA LJUBLJANA vs. FRUTTI EXTRA BURSASPOR** - Joseph Bissang, Jordi Aliaga, Adar Peer

**MINCIDELICE JL BOURG EN BRESSE vs. U-BT CLUJ-NAPOCA** - Sreten Radovic, Saulius Racys, Alberto Baena

**DOLOMITI ENERGIA TRENTO vs. PROMITHEAS PATRAS** - Robert Vyklicky, Eduard Udyanskyy, Denis Hadzic

**GRAN CANARIA vs. SLASK WROCLAW** - Saso Petek, Guido Giovannetti, Thomas Bissuel

**BUDUCNOST VOLI PODGORICA vs. HAMBURG TOWERS** - Ioannis Foufis, Rain Peerandi, Huseyin Celik

The game officials for Round 1 in the 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season have been announced, as follows:


7DAYS EuroCup, Round 1, game officials

Gran Canaria v Slask Wroclaw (2022-10-12T19:00:00.000Z)

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Promitheas Patras (2022-10-12T18:00:00.000Z)

Turk Telekom Ankara v Paris Basketball (2022-10-11T17:00:00.000Z)

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2022-10-12T17:30:00.000Z)

ratiopharm Ulm v Umana Reyer Venice (2022-10-11T17:15:00.000Z)

Prometey Slobozhanske v 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2022-10-12T16:00:00.000Z)

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2022-10-12T17:00:00.000Z)

With some big names missing from this season’s EuroCup due to the absence of Russian clubs, there might be a sense that the competition is not as strong. This perspective changes quickly, however, by carefully looking at the teams that will compete for a spot in the EuroCup Final and a ticket to next season’s Turkish EuroLeague.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurocup/1402372/7days-eurocup-power-rankings-vol-1-2/)

With the season upon us, Eurohoops presents the first edition of the 7DAYS EuroCup Power Rankings.

7DAYS EuroCup Power Rankings vol.1 by Eurohoops

### Jurica Golemac, Cedevita Olimpija head coach

"Frutti Extra Bursaspor has certainly increased in quality compared to last season. The Turkish team has more experience, Dusan Alimpijevic is also leading the team from the bench for the second season. Frutti Extra Bursaspor is playing excellent basketball, at this moment I would even say that they are a better team than us. I'm not saying that they have better players, but they are certainly a better team that was together throughout the preparation period, even without problems with injuries or players who were part of national team campaigns. In this aspect, we're definitely behind our opponents, at least based on their games we've watched. We'll have to play physical and intense and not allow easy baskets. We'll have to close our hoop and respond to their speed."

### Alen Omic, Cedevita Olimpija player

"We have played two games in the new season and none of the teams we have played against so far can compare to Frutti Extra Bursaspor. We are talking about a team that reached the finals of the 7DAYS EuroCup last season. It is an excellent and serious team that has all playing positions well covered. The core of the team has remained practically the same as last season, the coach is also the same, and Zach August, who was part of our team last season, has joined them during the summer. We know that our rivals will come to Ljubljana with the desire to win. We must all breathe as one, fight to the last and do everything to record a victory in front of the home fans."

### Dusan Alimpijevic, Bursaspor head coach

"The first game in the competition is always difficult for all teams. Both teams have some injuries and I think the main thing for the game will be how we handle it, these missing guys on both sides. And like always, in all games, the small things are most important." 

### Anthony Clemmons, Bursaspor player

"We just want to fight. I'm not sure that we're responsible to kind of impose our will on the first game. The first game is important to show the type of character and what type of team you're going to be coming into the season. So we want to come out and fight and play to the best of our ability."

Pre-Game quotes: Cedevita vs. Bursaspor

### Frederic Fauthoux, Bourg head coach

"We are ready and we can't wait to enter the competition, we worked on Cluj so we are ready. I was there 20 years ago as a player by the way, it will be funny to play this team! If in addition there could be the same atmosphere in the room as in our last Betclic Elite matches, that would be really great!"

### Alexandre Chassang, Bourg player

"Cluj, first game, it's a team with very good players, so it's up to us to be ready for this new competition which is starting. We obviously want to do better than last year by qualifying this time among the top eight and for the next round. The important thing is therefore already to be very consistent by taking our home games and then trying to go and make shots outside as obviously."

### Mihai Silvasan, Cluj-Napoca head coach

"It is a huge moment for us and for our club. It is important for us as coaches, but it is also important for the players. We will play in a very strong competition. We will not have easy games and we know we are not the favorites. This is also the case related to Wednesday’s game, but this is a motivational factor for us. We want to play good and fight until the end for a victory. Our team will take it practice by practice, then possession by possession and game after game. At the end we will know if we are good enough for a competition like this. I believe this is the right mentality and we approached our last European campaign with this way of thinking. We did not make any big plans yet. We just want to train hard and prepare good enough, hoping for good results."

### Patrick Richard, Cluj-Napoca player

"We are excited for sure. It is our first time participating in this competition. We are ready to go and we are going to take it one game at a time, just like we always do. We are going over there, it is going to be difficult there in France. We have been on the road the entire season so far. We want to limit the turnovers, be ourselves and do the small things to come home with a win. Definitely, we want to grow as a team. A big win would show that we belong to this level as a club. It is the first game on the road, against a tough French team. I hope the fans will continue to support us and we got a long journey ahead of us."

Pre-Game quotes: Bourg vs. Cluj-Napoca

Ante Tomic, Joventut: 'From the first day, I felt special here'

One of European basketball’s top centers over the last 15 years, Ante Tomic, will again headline Joventut Badalona as it aims to conquer the 7DAYS EuroCup in the season that starts Tuesday. Tomic, 35, begins his third season in Badalona with his unique skill set of low-post scoring and high-post passing still fully intact.  Joventut had the best record in the 2021-22 EuroCup Regular Season but was ambushed at home in the very next game, a do-or-die eighthfinals showdown with ratiopharm Ulm. Tomic averaged 10.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and a performance index rating of 15.6 in less than 21 minutes per game last season. He and Joventut have learned from that tough loss, he says. "You can have a bad day on offense," Tomic said in an interview with [EuroCupbasketball.com](http://EuroCupbasketball.com). "You can have a bad day in something else, but when it comes to concentration and desire, it always has to be there."

**Ante, how excited are you to start a new 7DAYS EuroCup season?** 

"We are always excited to start the season because the preseason is over, so everyone has lots of energy, lots of expectations. The truth is we didn't start very well in the domestic league, but now, in a few days, the new competition starts, the EuroCup, a very important competition for us. We all know what happened last year in the competition and maybe that's why all of us have extra motivation and extra desire to play and to compete."

**Going into your third season in Badalona, how comfortable do you feel at Joventut?** 

"Well, they ask me that question lots of times. And like I said before, from the first day, I felt special here, and that has not changed until now. From the players to the staff, and all the people in the club, I was welcomed and I felt excited and special to be here. Talking about the team, it changed a lot during the seasons and, of course, new players come in and some have been going, but all of them, they have been great teammates. That's another reason why I'm enjoying myself here in Badalona, because of its great people and great teammates."

"Concentration and desire, it always has to be there."

**Among those new teammates, Joventut found scoring weapons this season in Kyle Guy, William Howard and Henry Ellenson. How much did the team need that extra firepower?** 

"I'll tell you what, it's really difficult to replace Vladimir Brodziansky in a lot of things. Vlady was effective and gave us what we needed every day, and I don't want to say 'OK, the new guys need to replace Vlady' or whatever. They are going to bring something new. In these first games, we have seen some new things from them. We see where we can improve more, and I hope we are going to start doing that because we need to improve. We need to start winning games." 

**You are playing in the high post more often since joining Joventut. Is that your game evolving or something Coach Duran asked you to do?** 

"I have more chances now to pass the ball. I'm not passing better or worse than before. It is a little bit of everything, right? It also depends on the system, of course, what your coach asks from you, but also depends on your teammates. If you have Joel \[Parra\], who likes to cut a lot and play close to the basket, someone needs to go outside of the paint so he can have space, which we saw last year. I had maybe 60% or 70% of my assists to Joel, which is not a coincidence. I try to generate more for my teammates and create some open shots, that is basically it."

**Joventut exited early last season, losing in the EuroCup Eighthfinals at home. How hard was that after such a fantastic regular season?** 

"We had everything in our hands last year. We had the home-court advantage until the possible finals, but we didn't make it. The same thing happened to Partizan and later on, to Valencia. When I think about it, I would say maybe it's better to be third or fourth in your group and then later go even further. But no, we need to start playing good in our group. We need to go for first place because that's what gives you the home-court advantage and then learn from the mistakes from last year, and go even further this year." 

Ante Tomic Top Plays of the 2021-22 Regular Season

2021-22 EuroCup highlights Ante Tomic Joventut Badalona.mp4

**Which is the biggest lesson that you learned from that loss?** 

"It is the same lesson you keep learning every day: even if you play bad, you need to win some games, which means you can have a bad day on offense, you can have a bad day at something else, but when it comes to concentration and desire, it always has to be there."

**At FC Barcelona and now Jovenut, you have spent most of the last few years with Pau Ribas. How is your relationship?**

"He's a great, great teammate, a great friend. We understand each other very well on the court. I guess everyone recognizes that, not only us. We try at least to help the young guys and help the team to improve in any possible way, on and off the court. That's basically it. I mean, when you play with someone so many years, of course, you become friends and good teammates and everything, and that's what happened with me and Pau." 

"I hope I'm going to stay here until the end of my career."

**Looking around, which teams do you see as the main candidates to win the EuroCup this season?** 

"There are a lot of teams. And I think that, like last year, there are going to be a lot of surprises. The first thing I want to say is that the team from London, I think they are going to be a positive surprise. They have a good team. It's a new team in Europe and in the EuroCup, and it's going to be interesting to see them. About the favorites: well, at this moment, I don't know. I would say Bursaspor because of what they did last year. Cedevita also, they always had a good team. They've been playing EuroCup for a lot of years. Gran Canaria, too. These are the toughest teams, at least on paper, because the season didn't start. We will see how it goes during the season." 

**You always find ways to contribute. How much do you enjoy basketball after so many years?**

"I'm 35 and am enjoying playing basketball. I'm not sure if it's because I'm here, in this club, with these teammates, with this staff and everyone.. or it is just because of me. But let's say it's because of the team, the club, the game and everybody else, and that's why I am enjoying it. I hope I'm going to stay here until the end of my career."

A pair of do-it-all small forwards are likely to be at the center of the action all night on Wednesday as Prometey Slobozhanske hosts 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys in Riga, Latvia, for their first game in Group A of the 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season.

Kennedy returns to the EuroCup after eight seasons away still holding career averages of 13.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists. In the interim, he has made a name for himself as a perennial winner and sometimes MVP of The Basketball Tournament. He is not only a scorer, though, having led the FIBA Basketball Champions League in rebounding, with 8.4 per game for one season. Expect him to be involved in plenty of what Prometey does all season.

Another veteran, Lipkevius was a leader for Lietkabelis last season, averaging 9.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals in almost 30 minutes per game. More than his numbers, which were enhanced by 57.1% two-point, 39.1% three-point and 91.5% free-throw accuracy, Lipkevicius was Mr. Hustle at all times for his team. His ability to lead by example will only be more important this year with many of his Lietkabelis teammates needing to learn fast what it takes to win at the EuroCup level.