Besiktas Istanbul guard Derek Needham is determined to lead his club to EuroCup glory, with the 34-year-old having come close on several occasions in the past.

Derek Needham, Besiktas have some unfinished business to take care off

[Derek Needham](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/derek-needham/008945/) has been close multiple times before. Now he wants to finally reach the mountaintop.

“Winning the BKT EuroCup is the dream,” Needham tells Eurohoops. “That would be the kind of closure to the EuroCup runs we’ve been on.”

When he joined [Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/besiktas-fibabanka-istanbul/bes/) in 2023, Needham had established himself as one of the most prominent guards in the EuroCup. He was named to the competition’s All-EuroCup Second Team in 2022, having helped Bursaspor make a shock run to the EuroCup Final, and then took his talents to Istanbul and the Black Eagles.

“I’ve been to the final four two times now,” Needham adds. “Once, I made the final. Last year we were really close. To hold that trophy will mean everything. I won’t stop until I get it. I’ve been hunting for it.”

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1734810/derek-needham-and-besiktas-have-some-unfinished-business-to-take-care-off/).

More Besiktas News

The veteran guard has big expectations for his squad this season

The EuroCup's top rebounder Mfiondu Kabengele of Umana Reyer Venice sat down for a one-on-one interview with Javier Gancedo

Mfiondu Kabengele, Reyer: 'I'm definitely grateful to be out here'

Umana Reyer Venice has been battling injuries since the start of the season. The team is 2-3 in Group B and plays four of its next five games on the road. Its main pillar this far has been center Mfiondu Kabengele, who leads the 2024-25 EuroCup in rebounding with 10.2 per game and already has three double-doubles this season. He is also posting 13.6 points on 63.6% two-point shooting and 1.6 assists for a PIR of 22.0, which is fourth overall in the competition.

Kabengele's uncle was the late African basketball legend Dikembe Mutombo, who passed away recently. In this week's [EuroCupBasketball.com](http://EuroCupBasketball.com) interview with Javier Gancedo, Kabengele spoke about architecture, food, basketball and how to turn injuries into something positive for the team.

"I'm excited for other guys to really shine and perform because we are going to need it," Kabengele said. "I feel like every team is scouted, our top guys, and this is a good opportunity for other guys to step up, open the game for everybody."

**Congratulations on beating Hamburg. A great first half paved the way to the win. What allowed you to overcome injuries and get that important win?**

"Thanks. It was just a team effort. Guys had to step up and sacrifice even more. Sometimes it's not just about guys having to shoot more or do more. Some guys have to do less than what they are accustomed to because of the new guys coming in and their playing style. So I feel like guys did a good job of just being adaptable, adjusting to the injuries and just staying the course. Guys recognized we were not at full strength, so it's good to see the fight in some of the guys during the game."

"My favorite part [of Venice], other than the food, is definitely the architecture, seeing how the city is built on water"

**Rodney McGruder joined the backcourt and had a great game. How can he help you right away, given your injury circumstances?**

"Another ball handler. Another great defender, that's probably one of the main things. We have Tyler \[Ennis\] and JP \[Jordan Parks\], who are also great leaders on this team. Both are great defenders and Rodney can fill that role. He is a great on-ball defender and a good ball screen defender, as well as making good reads in the pick-and-roll. So obviously his shot is a given, but the things that I'm looking forward to that can help other guys the most is his ability to read ball screens, make plays off the dribble, and obviously, get defensive stops."

**This is your second season in Reyer. How do you like playing for such a historic team and the privilege of living near Venice?**

"It's been great! My agent at the time, when I was coming from Greece, we were looking at potential teams and I didn't know much about Reyer. I knew about Venice, but I didn't know much about the team, and he just told me about the coaching staff, the players there, and it sounded too good to be true. And now that I came here, I'm seeing it. Great coaching staff, great players, the city is fantastic, the fans are great, so I'm definitely grateful to be out here."

**Have you been to the old arena \[Misericordia di Venezia\]?**

"Yeah! We went there! We did a video promo there for our introduction for the games, and they had some pictures of what it looked like before. It's a museum now, so it was nice to see that. And just to visualize how players would get to the games and stuff, that was cool."

Umana Reyer Venice center Mfiondu Kabengle leads the 2024-25 EuroCup in rebounds at 10.2 per game. He is also averaging 13.6 points on 63.6% two-point shooting, 1.6 rebounds and a PIR of 22.0, ranking fourth overall.

2024-25 highlights: Mfioundu Kabengele, Reyer

**We mentioned Venice. Have you seen every corner already and tried the amazing local food?**

"For sure, the city is great. My favorite part, other than the food, is definitely the architecture, seeing how the city is built on water. I read about the way it was built. They put these stakes into the ground and packed it with mud and dirt to keep it solid. And then through that, it insulated it from the water from eroding. It's just high-tech architecture. And then obviously the food is amazing. Pasta, the seafood... so it's really, really, really nice. I really enjoy it."

**Back to basketball. You lead the EuroCup in rebounds and already have three double-doubles in five EuroCup games. You grabbed 21 in an Italian League game, too. What makes you such a great rebounder?**

"I would just say energy and heart. I'm not going to sit here and lie to you, be like, 'I watch all the film and see how guys shoot'. I just try to position myself and give myself a chance. It's all about giving myself a chance. If you stay in shape, you've got a chance to have energy in the fourth quarter. If you work on your jump shot, you will be able to make shots when you are tired. If you go hard in practice, you will be able to perform in games. You will always have a chance when you do certain things. So I feel like if I continue, if I keep working out, making sure I'm in shape, strong, mobile... I feel like all those things give me a chance, the best chance when the shot goes up. And obviously, the God-given abilities, my arm length, the motor, my heart, my size, those things definitely help a lot. So I feel like the accumulation of all those things is why I'm rebounding the way I am."

"The EuroCup does a good job of reminding me and others if I am who I say I am"

**This is your second EuroCup season. What do you like the most about it?**

"It's great. A lot of great imports, great domestic players. It's nice to get out of Italy sometimes and see other countries, see their fans and players and some things along the way. I have met players who I played against previously, and you get to ask them how their time is there in this city and this town and with this team, and you get their perspective and stuff like that. So it's really great. And the competition, I would say there's definitely more guys of my size and strength, so it's good. It's good to see where I stand sometimes... how I size up with these guys because sometimes you can get lost and think too much of yourself until you meet the real deal. And the EuroCup does a good job of reminding me and others if I am who I say I am, so it's been cool.

**You will play four of the next five games on the road. How much of a test is that for Reyer, and how good can it be for the team's chemistry if this tour is successful?**  

"It will be great. It will be a lot of confidence for the other guys because I know for a fact when all the other guys come back, it will be an adjustment period for all of us, and it's going to be important for guys to have those moments of confidence, those moments of production to reassure themselves when their name is called again and they get back to the flow of things, that they still have that ability. So I'm excited for other guys to really shine and perform because we are going to need it. I feel like every team is scouting our top guys and this is a good opportunity for other guys to step up, open the game for everybody. So I'm excited to see where these guys come from."

**You seem to be very comfortable playing for Coach Neven Spahija, one of the best EuroCup coaches of aall time What's the best thing about him as a coach?**

"He's cool, just always challenging guys, always making sure to bring guys back to the team concept. Every guy has high aspirations for themselves and for others and Coach does a good job of trying to bring it back to the team. So that's the one thing I really appreciate about him because sometimes you can get lost, even myself, I can get lost in my own success and think big of myself. But Coach does a good job of bringing me back and just telling me 'you know, this is all about us, us, us'. And that just relieves the pressure, the stress. He does a really good job of bringing everybody back to the team concept."

**Finally, you will face U-BT Cluj-Napoca in front of 10,000 fans next week. As a competitor, how do you like strong atmospheres like this? Does it make you play even better?**

"I always like those kinds of things because I always learn something new about myself and others. In practices, you can perform but there's no one there. But in road games, are you still able to make the same read or still have the same effort? Are you still to hit the same shots? So it's going to be very revealing. We are going to step up or fold, myself included. I'm excited to see what the game reveals about ourselves."

The EuroCup's top rebounder sat down for a one-on-one interview with Javier Gancedo

U-BT Cluj-Napoca playmaker Patrick Richard is set to be sidelined for four months due to a broken forearm


Cluj's Richard out for four months 

Richard got injured midway through its team's BKT EuroCup showdown against Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem. He left the game late in the first quarter. Richard immediately arrived at a hospital in Sofia, Bulgaria for a medical research, which confirmed a forearm fracture. He underwent surgery and is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season. In his sixth season with Cluj, Richard averaged 2.8 points and 1.8 assists in 4 EuroCup games. In order to show  support for the team's captain, all Cluj players are set to wear Richard’s warm-up T-shirt during the team presentation before this week's EuroCup game against Umana Reyer Venezia. 

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Several teams have leaned on pick-and-roll play as the engine of their offense this season in the BKT EuroCup.

Stats review: The EuroCup’s best at the pick-and-roll game

Round 5 of the BKT EuroCup featured an all-time offensive performance by Dreamland Gran Canaria as it exploded for a record 125 points in regulation to punish a shorthanded ratiopharm Ulm team.  While there is no shortage of superlatives to throw around about the performance Coach Jaka Lakovic’s team put together, their efficiency in the pick-and-roll stood out.

Generating 49 points over 36 possessions created out of ball screens – including 17 over eight possessions used by their roll men, Gran Canaria punished the defense repeatedly in the two-man game as it scored 1.41 points per possession in the half court overall.  Given a possession against a set defense has been worth around 0.94 points this season, Gran Canaria played almost exactly 50% more efficiently than average on its way to its fourth win of the season.

While that game was an extreme example, there are several teams who have been able to lean on pick-and-roll play as the engine of their offense through the early part of the season. The table above lists the teams who have found the most success in terms of points per possession created out of ball screens through Round 5.  For reference, the average pick-and-roll possession has been converted for 0.97 points per possession this season with the shots created for a team’s shooters and roll men proving more valuable than those used by ball handlers themselves.

Striking a balance there can be tricky, but in the early going, U-BT Cluj Napoca, Valencia Basket, and Bahcesehir College Istanbul have been able to set themselves apart from the rest of the field in what they have produced when they have played pick-and-roll.  That’s been especially notable for Valencia, which is one of 11 teams creating right around half of its scoring opportunities in the half-court with ball screens.

Cluj has gotten back on track in recent weeks after starting the season 0-3 against what may wind up being the top three teams in Group B by the end of the season.  The team's ability to generate quality looks with pick-and-rolls has been key to its strong start offensively against a grueling slate and Zavier Simpson has led that charge. In his first season in Europe, the true floor general is making the game easy for his teammates by creating almost 15 points per game with his passes out of pick-and-rolls.

His combination of vision and creativity shines when the game slows down and, despite his preference for getting teammates involved, he has been effective looking for his own shot too.  With Simpson leading the EuroCup in points created out of pick-and-rolls, Adam Mokoka, Patrick Richard, and Dennis Seeley have all been effective as secondary ball handlers to give Cluj something to build on offensively despite the tough start.

Jean Montero has been just as productive as Simpson on a per-minute basis and the 21-year-old is a big reason Valencia has leaned so heavily on pick-and-roll play this season.  With Brancou Badio and swingman Xabi Lopez-Arostegui finding some success looking for their own offense, Stefan Jovic providing a veteran presence with his passing, and Matt Costello proving to be by far the EuroCup’s most productive roll man early on, pick-and-roll play has contributed to Valencia’s dominant start to the season.

Unlike Cluj and Valencia, Bahcesehir College Istanbul spreads the ball around a bit more liberally with Jaleen Smith and CJ Massinburg splitting time on the ball and both Sehmus Hazer and Mateusz Ponitka both getting involved regularly off the bench as well.

Though each of these teams has scored the ball at a high level in pick-and-rolls, they have taken different paths to get there with Valencia getting their screeners involved most often, Bahcesehir’s ball handlers scoring at a tremendous rate looking for their own shots, and Cluj committing few turnovers despite their efforts to put pressure on the rim.

Umana Reyer Venice warrants mention for its efficiency as well with Gran Canaria jumping into this conversation based largely on last week’s outburst.  At this point, an effective EuroCup offense starts in pick-and-rolls and these teams have put themselves in a position to rank among the best overall with their efficiency in the early going.

Several teams have leaned on pick-and-roll play as the engine of their offense this season

The BKT EuroCup Regular Season gets closer and closer to its halfway mark. Round 6 starts with just one team undefeated, Valencia Basket. It is being a good season for EuroCup Fantasy Challenge managers, with a lot of players showing great consistency throughout the season.

EuroCup Fantasy tips, Round 6: Loads of opportunities

The BKT EuroCup Regular Season gets closer to its halfway mark. Round 6 starts with just one team undefeated, Valencia Basket. It's been a good season for EuroCup Fantasy Challenge managers with a lot of players showing great consistency throughout the season.

I have a few ideas of who might do well in Round 6, of course. Here are my fantasy challenge recommendations ahead of this round.

Braian Angola, Adam Mokoka, Jaka Blazic, David De Julius and Axel Bouteille are featured in this week's article.

EuroCup Fantasy tips: Round 6

### Axel Bouteille, Bahcesehir College Istanbul (12.9 credits)

Bouteille comes off his first-ever double-double in the competition with 21 points and 12 rebounds in his team's win over Buducnost. Bahcesehir is 4-1 with Bouteille as one of the team's leaders. He is averaging 13.6 points on solid shooting (65.4% 2FG. 45.5% 3FG) and 6.6 rebounds for a PIR of 17.2. At less than 13 credits, he is still undervalued.

### Braian Angola, Turk Telekom Ankara (12.1 credits)

Angola switched teams and instantly had a bigger role in Turk Telekom. In his first game with his new club, Angola came off the bench to get 23 points, 3 assists, 12 fouls drawn and a PIR of 26. Turk Telekom is a very talented team with good scorers everywhere and that should give Angola plenty of space to play one-on-one. Keep an eye on him.

### Jaka Blazic, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (14.6 credits)

Cedevita is off to an excellent start, losing only once thus far. Blazic has taken center stage and is a stable leader night in and night out. He has been simply sensational in the last couple of games, averaging 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 8.0 fouls drawn for a PIR of 26.5. Blazic is in good shape as Cedevita faces high-scoring Jerusalem.

<center><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DBetPdIs_9k/?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/DBetPdIs_9k/?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; 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### Adam Mokoka, U-BT Cluj-Napoca (8.2 credits)

Mokoka has great value, especially now that Cluj bounced back from a 0-3 start and is building a winning streak. He has played a stellar role in both wins, getting 13 points and a PIR of 14 in just 16 minutes against Hamburg. He followed that up with 14 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks for a career-high PIR of 27 against Jerusalem.

### David De Julius, Aris Midea Thessaloniki (9.8 credits)

De Julius has adjusted very well to the competition and become one of Aris's leaders. He's averaged 15.0 points on 50.0% three-point shooting and 3.0 assists for a PIR of 15.2. In Round 4, he scored 30 points against Jerusalem. De Julius is a steal at 9.8 credits as his overall performance should improve as the season goes on.

Javier Gancedo has a few choices for players to add to your EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Squads ahead of Round 6's games

Round 6 of the BKT EuroCup features a Spanish derby and several meetings between direct rivals in the race for the playoffs. Here's your quick guide to this week's action.

At a glance: Big showdowns in both groups

Round 6 of the BKT EuroCup features a Spanish derby and several meetings between direct rivals in the race for the playoffs. Here's your quick guide to this week's action.

## Tuesday, October 29

### Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius vs. Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul (18:00 CEST)

Two teams in good form go head to head as Wolves (2-3) welcome Besiktas (3-2). The Lithuanian team has won two in a row, both on the road, and is hoping that big man Garrison Brooks will stay hot after scoring 14 points without a miss, plus 9 rebounds and 2 blocked shots, in the Round 5 win at Trefl. Besiktas is also on a roll with two straight wins, and will now look for its first road win of the campaign behind powerful guard Kyle Allmann, who has led from the backcourt with 16 points in both the last two games.

2024-25 BKT EuroCup | Round 6 Head-to-Head: Brooks vs. Morgan

### Veolia Towers Hamburg vs. Turk Telekom Ankara (19:30 CEST)

Winless Hamburg (0-5) will hope to end that statistic as it welcomes a Turk Telekom (3-2) team fighting to protect its position in the top six. Turk Telekom has lost two in a row but will believe its offense can get restarted against a Hamburg team which has allowed the second-most points (95.4 per game). In a game between the EuroCup’s two lowest scorers (73.4 vs 73.6 points per game), a key could be the effectiveness of leading scorers Jaizec Lottie for Hamburg (11 points per game) and Turk Telekom’s consistent forward Anthony Brown, who averages more than 35 minutes on the floor as well as 15.6 points.

### Joventut Badalona vs. Dreamland Gran Canaria (20:30 CEST)

An all-Spanish showdown will see Joventut (2-3) attempt to return to winning ways with a visit from second-placed Gran Canaria (4-1). An inefficient offense has condemned Joventut to consecutive losses, and the host will have to find more than just the size of big men Ante Tomic and Art Pustovyi, who respectively scored 17 and 16 points in last week’s loss at Besiktas. Gran Canaria definitely hasn’t struggled for offensive production, setting a competition scoring record with last week’s stunning 125-78 win over Ulm, and will hope that Miquel Salvo enjoys another good week after pouring in 20 points – plus 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals – during that game.

2024-25 BKT EuroCup | Round 6 Head-to-Head:Tomic vs.Tobey

## Wednesday, October 30

### Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. Trefl Sopot (17:00 CEST)

After climbing to the top of Group A with two straight wins, Bahcesehir (4-1) will aim to maintain that position with a visit from rock-bottom Trefl (0-5). The Turkish team boasts the competition’s best defense, allowing just 69.2 points per game, and has also found scoring easy in recent weeks with Axel Bouteille and Jamar Smith respectively recording 21 and 20 points to down Buducnost last week. Trefl needs more than just another big game from Marcus Weathers (25 points in the Round 5 loss to Wolves) and needs to take better care of the ball after committing 16.4 turnovers per night.

### U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. Umana Reyer Venice (18:00 CEST)

A showdown between direct rivals on the edge of the Group B playoff positions will see Cluj (2-3) confront Reyer (2-3). The Romanian team is on a roll with two straight victories, boasting the second-most potent offense in the league with 87.8 points per game. One of the many weapons is Karel Guzman, who hit 4 triples in his 20 points to help overcome Hapoel Jerusalem last week. Reyer is also coming off a morale-boosting win, comfortably beating Hamburg on the back of 28 points in a remarkable debut from ex-NBA veteran Rodney McGruder, who will now aim to maintain that form in a key matchup on the road.

2024-25 BKT EuroCup | Round 6 Head-to-Head: Guzman vs. McGruder

### Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (18:30 CEST)

A crucial Group B showdown will see high-flying Cedevita (4-1) welcome direct rival Hapoel Jerusalem (3-2). Cedevita triumphed on the road at Aris in Round 5 thanks to a stellar fourth-quarter comeback propelled by Jaka Blazic (19 points) and Devin Robinson (18) and is now looking to make it three wins out of three at home. Hapoel Jerusalem, in direct contrast, suffered a defeat to Cluj last week after only scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter, so will have learned the lesson to play for 40 minutes behind the leadership of playmaker Kenneth "Speedy" Smith, who averages 5.8 assists per game.

2024-25 BKT EuroCup | Round 6 Head-to-Head: Jones vs. Harper

### ratiopharm Ulm vs. Dolomiti Energia Trento (19:00 CEST)

Struggling Ulm (3-2) will look to bounce back from two big losses with a visit from Trento (2-3), which is hoping to climb into the all-important top six. After allowing 107 and 125 points in the last two games, it’s clear that Ulm’s priority will be to significantly improve its defense. The scoring skills of young forward Noa Essengue, who had 19 and 20 points in those two losses, will also be important against a Trento team that used strong defense to overcome Hapoel Tel Aviv last week, also boosted by the ever-reliable Anthony Lamb’s fourth consecutive game of scoring in double digits.

### Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (19:00 CEST)

Hapoel Tel Aviv (3-2) is seeking a return to winning ways as it hosts a Buducnost (2-3) team that also needs to bounce back from defeat. Hapoel Tel Aviv is the league’s second-most accurate two-point shooting team (61.8%) – partly thanks to the power of Johnathan Motley, who has scored at least 16 points in three of the last four games. Buducnost is stronger from long-range, with guard Fletcher McGhee making at least 3 triples in three straight games, converting 11 of his 16 attempts (68.8%) during that run. But the visitors need to improve close to the basket after only making 10 two-pointers in last week’s loss to Bahcesehir.

2024-25 BKT EuroCup | Round 6 Head-to-Head: Ginat vs. Morgan

### Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs. Aris Midea Thessaloniki (19:30 CEST)

After losing its 100% record with last week's shock loss to Lietkabelis, Bourg (4-1) will look to quickly recover the winning feeling with a visit from struggling Aris (1-4). The Greek team has lost two in a row and has struggled for offensive production this season, averaging only 74.6 points per game – fourth-worst in the league – despite the consistency of Vassilis Toliopoulos, who averages 19.7 points in the last three games. Bourg will not be an easy opponent to find offensive improvement, with the French team allowing only 73.2 points per game (second-best in the EuroCup), partly thanks to Mehdy Ngouma harrying his opponents to the tune of 2 steals per game.

### Valencia Basket vs. 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (20:45 CEST)

Red-hot Valencia (5-0) will look to remain the only perfect team in the competition with a visit from a Lietkabelis (1-4) aiming to build on last week's first win and cause a major upset. Every Valencia player scored at least 4 points in the big Round 5 victory at Turk Telekom, where Xabi Lopez-Arostegui again showed his versatility with 8 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Lietkabelis will need outstanding defense to stop a Valencia team that has passed 100 points in four straight games and would love another big night from Dovis Bickauskis after he made 4 of his 6 shots from beyond the arc to help down Bourg last week.

There is only one unbeaten team, while a pair of winless teams remain

Valencia Basket v 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2024-10-30T19:45:00.000Z)

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse v Aris Midea Thessaloniki (2024-10-30T18:30:00.000Z)

ratiopharm Ulm v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2024-10-30T18:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2024-10-30T18:00:00.000Z)

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (2024-10-30T17:30:00.000Z)

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Umana Reyer Venice (2024-10-30T17:00:00.000Z)

Bahcesehir College Istanbul v Trefl Sopot (2024-10-30T16:00:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2024-10-29T19:30:00.000Z)

Veolia Towers Hamburg v Turk Telekom Ankara (2024-10-29T18:30:00.000Z)

Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius v Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul (2024-10-29T17:00:00.000Z)

Cluj’s animal-loving big man Zach Hankins dreams of own safari park

Many players in the BKT EuroCup own a pet – maybe a dog or a cat they go back to after a game. And while [Zach Hankins](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/zach-hankins/013304/) is one of those players as well, living with his wife and dog, the [U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/carousels/u-bt-cluj-napoca/?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%22clu%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%22%7D%7D&carouselTitle=U-BT%20Cluj-Napoca) big man’s love of animals goes much, much deeper than most. In fact, Hankins’ post-playing career dream is to own a safari park.

The 28-year-old admits that he has put a lot of thought into his big plan, which is basically a zoo without fences.

“That's a huge motivation for me,” Hankins tells David Hein. “I have studied a lot and gotten much more knowledgeable of the different animals that I would like to have: how to get them, how to fence them, how to care for them properly, how to give them a good life and make something really, really natural and beautiful. I've done a lot of work in understanding that.”

Hankins’ hometown of Charlevoix in northern Michigan has 2,500 people and the Cluj center grew up with horses, chicken and sheep, while he would explore the woods. He went on to receive a degree in environmental biology from Ferris State University in Big Rapids, central Michigan.

While there, Hankins not only helped the Ferris State Bulldogs win the NCAA Division II title in 2018, but he also studied hawks and looked at butterflies and bear hair snare – the latter being a barbed-wire corral around trees with a bait in the center to help study bears’ behavior.

His professional basketball career took him to Czechia and Israel in 2019-20 and then after missing the 2020-21 season due to a torn ACL, he played in the NBA G League and Puerto Rico in 2021-22.

The 2022-23 season was by far Hankins’ most successful, helping Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem reach the final of the Basketball Champions League and guiding the team to the Israeli Cup, with Jerusalem beating Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in the final. He also was named the 2022-23 Israeli League’s MVP.

The best plays of U-BT Cluj-Napoca center Zach Hankins through the first five rounds of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season.

Zach Hankins' top plays in 2024-25

Despite all that success, maybe the thing that Hankins will remember most long term about his nearly two seasons with Jerusalem was last season, when he spent his off days volunteering at the Biblical Zoo in the city. 

“That was one of the greatest experiences of my life,” Hankins says. “I'm still in their group chat on WhatsApp. I get updates from the guys. I got to see they just got their second rhino. They brought in one rhino while I was there and I got to work with him. They just brought in their second one. So now they're figuring out how to have two rhinos together, along with having these rhinos in a mixed exhibit with giraffes and other antelope species and ostriches. And it's a really, really unique zoo.”

Since his wife had returned to the United States due to the Israel-Hamas war last season, Hankins had free time on his own. He visited the zoo and started talking to the head keeper for the grass eaters.

“I was just asking him a bunch of questions, like really, really in-depth questions about these animals,” Hankins continues. “And he's like, ‘Do you want to come and volunteer with us?’ I was like, ‘Yes, absolutely.’ So from then on, I spent almost all of my off days dressing up like a zookeeper and going there and learning how to take care of these animals and work with them and also develop some really, really great relationships with the keepers there as well.”

During his time there, Hankins was training a rhino and working with giraffes and studying zebras.

“The number one thing would be working with a rhino,” Hankins recalls. “Rhinos are like dogs. They are really like dogs. He loves getting scratched. He comes when you call him and you give him some food. He gets scared of loud noises and jogs away from you. But having an animal that large, that close to you, like just petting him on his face and his horn, it's a really surreal experience.”

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Hankins also talked about the zookeepers asking him what animal he would be and he came up with an oryx, which is a really unique antelope species – very strong body, very agile and has some deadly horns when you get too close to them.

“It's a very underestimated animal. It's a very deadly animal. They actually named one after me, which is really cool,” he says of an oryx named Zachy.

All that experience in the Biblical Zoo also helped him deal with the emotional burden of the political situation in Israel and everything involved with it.

“I definitely had to use it as a tool last year to allow myself to decompress away from the situations that were around me,” he comments. “It was a very difficult year in Israel, very difficult travel, very difficult playing. It was tough. And so to have that as a tool that I could use to separate myself from basketball was important. The guys I worked with didn't care too much about basketball. They cared more about me as a person and having great conversations. So that was great.”

That experience also gave him a lot of information and motivation to pursue his big dream.

“Some of the understanding was basically my little internship at the zoo, actually getting hands-on work with some of these animals that I want to own someday,” he adds. “And that was one of the coolest things I've gotten to do. And I really want to do that a lot more in my life. So definitely is still a number one goal for me.”

Hankins also has a location for that – in Oklahoma, where his wife is from.

“I’m now an Oklahoman. Love it there,” he says. “They got beautiful spaces, beautiful land. Yeah, it's a great place.”

Hankins’ future dream will have to be put on hold as he is trying to lead Cluj to big things in the EuroCup.

“When we play the right way, man, we're a really, really good team and we can do a lot of things later on in the season,” Hankins says.

Until then, Hankins will have more time to think about his future safari park.

The EuroCup rookie has big goals, on and off the court

What a difference a week makes. Paolo Galbiati knows that just about better than anybody else as, in the space of a couple of weeks, the Dolomiti Energia Trento head coach went from being a disheartened and apologizing play-caller to the man of the night after his team pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the early BKT EuroCup season.

Trento goes from massive disappoint to overjoy after upsetting Hapoel 

What a difference a week makes. Paolo Galbiati knows that just about better than anybody else as, in the space of a couple of weeks, the Dolomiti Energia Trento head coach went from being a disheartened and apologizing play-caller to the man of the night after his team pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the early BKT EuroCup season.

Galbiati was full of joy after his team [surprised title contender Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv 79-73](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/trento-shocks-hapoel-with-fourth-quarter-comeback-79-73/) to snap a two-game losing skid.

“It’s a sweet win. (Hapoel) are unbelievable, the talent they have. But we played with a great heart and a great desire,” Galbiati recognized after the game. “I’m happy for the players. We have to keep pushing. The key was the desire we put on the floor with everybody, no matter the mistakes.”

Those statements came just seven days after Trento fans saw a completely different Galbiati following his team’s 110-70 loss at Bahcesehir College Istanbul in Round 4. Bahcesehir set a number of club records in that win: most points in a game (110), most points in a quarter (37), most points in a half (63), biggest winning margin (40) and most offensive rebounds (17). 

The 40-year-old Galbiati said after the loss to Bahcesehir: “We were awful. It happens, we are young without a lot of experience at this level. We have to grow to stay in this competition and prove that we are not this. I want to apologize to our management, our club, our fans, everybody. We played awful. I’m so sad because I am responsible for this.”

The spirits in Trento were much higher after the win over Hapoel.

“This was a great night for us. A great bounce back after the very bad loss we had last week. I think it will be a sweet night for the players because it was a huge win over an unbelievable roster with incredible players,” Galbiati noted.

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Stats junkies probably didn’t see this win coming. Not only was Hapoel a much more talented team, but Trento had been playing poorly most of the season.

The team ranked 18th of 20 teams in the league in opposition PIR at 106.8 and 17th in opposition scoring at 89.3 points. Trento ranked 19th in offensive rebounds allowed at 13.3 and created only 11.3 turnovers a game for 18th place.

But Trento held Hapoel to a season-low 73 points, as well as a PIR of 78, just 8 offensive rebounds and 16 turnovers. Hapoel also was second in the league in two-point shooting at 63.0 percent but made just 56.8 percent against Trento’s defense.

The hosts’ offense also showed a better side than usual with 4.2 points more than its scoring average while also shooting 36.8 percent on three-pointers – better than the fourth-worst three-point shooting of 28.6 percent.

“We won this game on defense because we were almost perfect. We will celebrate a little bit and then get back to work,” the Italian coach said.

It really is funny how much difference a week can make.

More Trento News

The Italian side responded in style after a couple of difficult weeks

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2024-10-23T18:00:00.000Z)

Look back at all the action in Round 5 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos from Round 5

Look back at all the action from Round 5 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 