Combo-guards Thomas Klepeisz of ratiopharm Ulm and AJ Slaughter of Gran Canaria could have big roles when their teams lock horns on Tuesday. 

Major matchup: Klepeisz, Ulm vs. Slaughter, Gran Canaria

Klepeisz has averaged 9.3 points, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game for Ulm this season. Much of his offense comes from downtown and he has shot 45.8% on three-pointers this season. When these teams last met, Klepeisz’s biggest contribution came as a playmaker; he dished a career-high 8 assists to lead his team to an 81-96 road win. His ability to impact the game whenever he has the ball opens the Ulm offense and puts pressure on Gran Canaria’s defenders. 

Major matchup: LeDay, Partizan vs. Halilovic, Metropolitans

LeDay is in his first EuroCup season after playing for three teams in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. He is averaging 12.3 points on 43.9% three-point shooting and 84.4% on free throws plus 4.9 rebounds and 4.4 fouls drawn for a PIR average of 15.3 in 14 games this season. LeDay had a strong contribution in his team’s 82-89 road victory against Metropolitans in Round 6 with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 7 fouls drawn for a PIR of 21 in almost 38 minutes on the floor. LeDay is a key player for Partizan at both ends.

Halilovic is less athletic but can be deadly around the basket due to his smooth post skills and mid-range game. He is averaging 9.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and a PIR of 9.8 as a part-time starter this season. Halilovic, however, had a season-low PIR of 0 against Partizan in Round 6, finishing that game with 2 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists before fouling out. Halilovic can play alongside Vince Hunter or Tomer Ginat, giving Metropolitans head coach Vincent Collet much-needed versatility for his team's visit to Aleksandar Nikolic Hall.

Partizan NIS Belgrade v Boulogne Metropolitans 92 (2022-03-16T19:30:00.000Z)

Miralem Halilovic - Boulogne Metropolitans 92 (photo Wojciech Cebula - Slask) - EC21

Two very different guards will test themselves against one another when DJ Seeley of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica goes against Nikolaos Gkikas of Promitheas Patras. 

Major matchup: Seeley, Buducnost vs. Gkikas, Promitheas

Seeley is an experienced guard with unlimited shooting range, who is able to make the difference with his all-around scoring skills. He is averaging 12.1 points, 2.3 assists and a PIR of 11.1 in 14 games until now. Seeley had 7DAYS EuroCup career-highs of 29 points and 30 PIR in Round 6 against Promitheas when he led Buducnost to a 60-89 victory. He came off the bench to make 3 of 5 two-pointers, 5 of 8 three-pointers and all 8 of his free throw attempts - in less than 24 minutes. Seeley hopes to make the difference again in the Montenegrin capital. 

Gkikas is a pass-first playmaker who organizes his team's offense. He has averaged 4.8 points and 4.2 assists in 12 games, mainly coming off the bench - he only started in Round 7 against Virtus Segafredo Bologna. Gkikas ranks fifth overall in assists per 40 minutes (8.8), which speaks wonders about his high basketball IQ. In Round 6 against Buducnost, Gkikas had 5 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists for a PIR of 4. Promitheas head coach Ilias Zouros will rely on Gkikas’s passing skills to challenge for a much-needed win. 

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Promitheas Patras (2022-03-16T18:00:00.000Z)

Dennis Seeley - Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (photo Patras) - EC21

Point guard play could prove decisive when Turk Telekom Ankara hosts MoraBanc Andorra with Can Ogut and Clevin Hannah at the center of it all. 

Major matchup: Ogut, Turk Telekom vs. Hannah, Andorra

Ogut, 30, is playing his first EuroCup season and is the only player on the team to play in every game this far. He has averaged 3.4 points and 3.1 assists per game and had a key role with 6 assists the last time these teams met. Ogut has come off the bench in most games and brings great energy at both ends in addition to his playmaking, all of which will be needed against Andorra.

Hannah enters this game on the cusp of some milestones; he needs 3 assists to tie Tomas Bellas for 25th place all-time in EuroCup assists and 3 three-pointers to crack the top 25 in that stat, too. Hannah has averaged 11.5 points on 42.3% three-point shooting and 3.4 assists this season. He has averaged 15.7 points over his last three games and is one of Andorra’s prime weapons for this game. 

Turk Telekom Ankara v MoraBanc Andorra (2022-03-16T17:00:00.000Z)

Clevin Hannah - MoraBanc Andorra (photo Martin Imatge - Andorra) - EC21

It will be an interesting and entertaining matchup in Round 15 when Alessandro Pajola of Virtus Segafredo Bologna and Yogi Ferrell of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana meet.

Major matchup: Pajola, Virtus vs. Ferrell, Cedevita

Pajola has started in all 13 games he has taken part in, averaging 6.2 points, 2.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.3 steals for a PIR of 9.1. He is Virtus's main defensive guard, putting pressure on the ball and reading passing lanes to get steals due to his great anticipation - Pajola has had at least 4 steals five times in his EuroCup career. He had 5 points, 4 assists, 2 steals and a PIR of 7 in his team's 101-104 victory over Cedevita in the Slovenian capital in Round 6. Virtus needs Pajola to disrupt Cedevita's game flow on offense.

Ferrell made his EuroCup debut against Virtus in Round 6, and it was a truly stellar one. He finished that game with 24 points on 5-of-9 shooting from downtown plus 3 rebounds, 11 assists, 7 fouls drawn and a PIR of 38. Ferrell has been a big contributor since he arrived at Cedevita, averaging 16.2 points on 51.0% three-point shooting, which is sixth in the competition, and 4.4 assists in nine games. Ferrell ranks 13th in PIR average (17.7), too. Cedevita needs his one-on-one skills and great determination in a tough road game against Virtus.

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2022-03-16T19:30:00.000Z)

Alessandro Pajola - Virtus Segafredo Bologna (photo Matteo Marchi - Virtus) - EC21

Two of the best and most effective centers in the competition face each other in Round 15: Mike Tobey of Valencia Basket and Mitchell Watt of Umana Reyer Venice. 

Major matchup: Tobey, Valencia vs. Watt, Reyer

Watt is in his fifth consecutive season with Reyer and keeps posting strong numbers as the team's starting center. He is averaging 11.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.0 steal and a PIR of 13.0 in 12 games. Watt did not have his best night against Valencia in Round 6, finishing the game with 8 points on 3 of 7 two-point shooting, 3 rebounds and 8 fouls drawn for a PIR of 7 in a 67-81 losing effort. Watt needs to bring out his best version to give Reyer more chances to beat Valencia in the ever-difficult La Fonteta.

Tobey is in his second stint with Valencia and his fourth season with the club, which he helped win the EuroCup in 2019. He is averaging 10.4 points on 56.9% two-point shooting and a PIR of 12.8. Tobey is tied for seventh in rebounds (7.1 rpg.) and leads the league on a per-40-minute basis (15.1). He made his season debut against Reyer in Round 6 and had a strong contribution in his team's victory: 16 points on 5-of-6 two-point shooting and 2-of-3 on three-pointers, 8 rebounds and a PIR of 19. He must use his size and mobility in this interesting matchup. 

Valencia Basket v Umana Reyer Venice (2022-03-16T19:30:00.000Z)

Mitchell Watt - Umana Reyer Venice - EC21

When Hamburg Towers faces Slask Wroclaw in Round 15, Lukas Meisner of Hamburg will face Slask’s Kerem Kanter. 

Hamburg vs Slask: Meisner vs. Kanter

Meisner leads Hamburg's second unit, coming off the bench in all 12 games he has played to average 6.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and a PIR of 5.3. He didn't play well against Slask in Round 6; Meisner was held scoreless in 8-plus minutes on the floor, committed a turnover and a couple of fouls to finish the game with a career-low PIR of minus-4. Most importantly, Hamburg suffered an 87-71 defeat at Hala Orbita. Meisner should be more motivated than anyone on the floor to play a good game and lead Hamburg to an important victory.

Kanter is one of Slask's main pillars this season due to his experience, rebounding skills and overall energy. He is averaging 10.3 points through 12 games, leading the competition in rebounds (8.7 rpg.) and ranking second on his team in PIR (14.3), only trailing Travis Trice (15.6). Kanter narrowly missed a double-double in Round 6 against Hamburg, finishing that game with 9 points, 11 rebounds and a PIR of 15. He had a double-double in Slask's most recent home wins against Turk Telekom Ankara and Dolomiti Energia Trento, too.

Major matchup: Hamburg vs Slask: Meisner vs. Kanter

Lukas Meisner - Hamburg Towers (photo Dawid Podsiadlo - Slask) - EC21

Point guards Pau Ribas of Joventut Badalona and Krstupas Zemaitis of Lietkabelis Panevezys are sure to play big roles on Tuesday when their teams square off.

Major matchup: Ribas, Joventut vs. Zemaitis, Lietkabelis

Ribas, 35, is one of the most experienced players in the competition and has played a big role for Joventut this season with 11.3 points and 4.3 assists per game. He has made 46.5% of his threes, too. Ribas has made multiple three-pointers in eight of his 11 appearances so far this season, including when he scored 15 points against Lietkabelis in Round 6. He figures to have a key role again this week.

Zemaitis has been one of Lietkabelis’s most consistent players this season with at least 7 points scored in all but one game. He has averaged 9.3 points on 39.0% three-point shooting and 3.5 assists so far this season. Zemaitis has taken on a greater role as the season has progressed; he has averaged 11.2 points and 5.8 assists over his last five games, during which the team has gone 4-1. How well he does against Ribas and Joventut will have a big say in this game.

Joventut Badalona v Lietkabelis Panevezys (2022-03-15T20:00:00.000Z)

Pau Ribas - Joventut Badalona (photo Karolio Kavolelio - Lietkabelis) EC21

Sixth men Metin Turen of Frutti Extra Bursaspor and Maxime Roos of Mindicelice JL Bourg en Bresse could have important roles when their teams meet on Tuesday. 

Major matchup: Turen, Bursaspor vs. Roos, Bourg 

Turen has taken on a larger role lately and has totaled 24 points in his last three appearances after scoring 33 combined points in his first eight games. The big man is in his third EuroCup season and has two previous campaigns in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. His combination of size, experience and outside shooting is valuable for Bursaspor and could be a difference-maker against Bourg. 

The athletic Roos has been a fixture in highlight reels this season, though he has been quieter recently. Roos grabbed 5 rebounds in just 16 minutes when these teams last met and the energy he brings off the bench can change a game. Though he gives away size in his matchup with Turen, Roos makes up for that with speed and athleticism. The impact that these players can make as reserves on Tuesday could sway this game.

Frutti Extra Bursaspor v Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (2022-03-15T17:00:00.000Z)

Metin Turen- Frutti Extra Bursaspor (photo Bursaspor) - EC21-RS13