Zan Tabak, the head coach of Trefl Sopot, spoke with David Hein about his past experiences, his return to Trefl and the future of Polish basketball.

Trefl head coach Zan Tabak: 'Polish basketball has huge potential'

Trefl Sopot is back in the BKT EuroCup for the first time since the 2012-13 season and Zan Tabak, the club’s head coach, is excited about the future of basketball in Poland.

Tabak was head coach for Trefl the last time it was in the EuroCup and the 54-year-old is in year three back with the club, having guided Trelf to its first Polish League championship last season.

“We are really excited to be back in the EuroCup because this was our main goal when I signed the long-term deal with Trefl,” Tabak, who returned to Trefl in 2022, tells David Hein. “One of the objectives was to put the team back in Europe, where it was many years ago.”

Tabak knows about elite basketball. He was a member of the famous Jugoplastika Split team that won the EuroLeague title three years on the trot, from 1988 to 1991, and he won an Olympic silver medal in 1992 while playing for Croatia against the USA’s famous Dream Team in Barcelona. He also won the 1995 NBA championship alongside Hakeem Olajuwon with the Houston Rockets.

Zan Tabak during his days playing in the EuroCup for Joventut Badalona.

After retiring in 2005, he was an assistant coach for Real Madrid, where together they won the EuroCup in 2007 and the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague in 2015. Tabak has been a head coach in Europe’s premier club basketball competition, too, having led Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv.

Most of his success as a play-caller has come in Poland, where he guided Trefl to the 2012 Polish Super Cup and then led Zielona Gora to the 2020 Polish Super Cup and Polish League title, in addition to the 2021 Polish National Cup.

Tabak left Trefl back in November 2012 and took over as Baskonia head coach after the Spanish club fired Dusko Ivanovic, yet he knew his departure from the Polish side was going to be a matter of when, not if.

“Trefl was in a really tough financial situation. My contract was a burden for the team,” Tabak recalls. “The objectives of the team changed because of the sudden problems in the financial situation. We came to mutual agreement.”

“That season was a big learning experience for me, and I believe the best teaching lessons are learned from your own mistakes. I think what I learned most at that time was about group leadership and the group energy,” he says of his season with Baskonia, which he led to the team making the EuroLeague Playoffs before losing the series 3-1 to CSKA Moscow.

Zan Tabak dishes out instructions as Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv head coach in the 2015-16 EuroLeague season.

Tabak stayed in contact with the bosses at Trefl and talked to them again in the spring of 2022 after being fired from Spanish outfit San Pablo Burgos in November 2021. He was apprehensive that the team would not be playing in a European competition in 2022-23, but the long-term vision appealed to him.

He then guided Trefl back to the Polish League playoffs in his first year. Then, last season, the team finished second in the regular-season standings but came back from a 3-1 deficit in the finals against King Szczecin to secure the club’s first league crown.

“I believe it was not expected because we didn't have the most talented group of players, but we had the best team,” Tabak states. “We had the best connection, the best chemistry between the players, and each one of them gave their maximum at every moment. Me being the one who could bring that to Sopot, it's a great feeling.”

Jaroslaw Zyskowski and Zan Tabak during Trefl's EuroCup media day.

Over the course of his career, Tabak has seen basketball take big steps in Poland. The country reached the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 semifinals for the first time since 1969, and it finished eighth at the 2019 FIBA World Cup on its first appearance since 1967.

Tabak, however, believes the national team’s performance is not a true indicator of a country’s strength but rather how many of its teams are playing in European club competitions.

Poland has a representative in the EuroCup for the fourth straight season and sixth in the last seven years. King Szczecin and Slask Wroclaw are both playing this season in the Basketball Champions League, PGE Spojnia Stargard and Anwil Wloclawek are competing in the FIBA Europe Cup, and Legia Warsaw and Dziki Warsaw are playing in the European North Basketball League (ENBL).

“I believe the infrastructure and clubs’ organization have gone up since I was here the first time. I see the country with huge potential,” he proclaims, particularly given Poland’s population of 38 million people.

"It's a really big country. Its economy is doing really good. And I believe Polish people, genetically, have a really good predisposition to play basketball. I think Polish basketball has, in the last 10 years, definitely gone way up.”

Tabak now thinks those at the top of Polish basketball need to work on making the game more popular and also increase the money in the sport in order to keep the country’s best players in Poland.

“I believe that Polish basketball needs to get to the level where all Polish players, the best Polish players, are staying in Poland,” he says. “This needs to come through a longer period of lifting all of Polish basketball to the next level.

“Polish clubs need to financially be stronger and play a bigger role in Europe so that they are attractive for the best Polish players to stay in Poland.”

Olek Balcerowski, for example, is on the books at Unicaja Malaga this season after helping Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens win the EuroLeague title last May. Mateusz Ponitka is with Bahcesehir College Istanbul in the EuroCup after spending five seasons in the EuroLeague, Michal Sokolowski is with Dinamo Sassari in his fifth season abroad, while Jeremy Sochan is in the NBA. Young prospect Igor Milicic is in his fourth season in college in the United States and Jakub Niziol played in the EuroCup last season with Slask Wroclaw, but he now plays in France for State Rochelais.

If they were all playing for Polish clubs, things would look a lot different. Just like Zan Tabak believes.

The Croatian play-caller spoke with David Hein about his past experiences, his return to Trefl and how he sees the future of basketball in Poland

Look back at all the action in Round 2 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos from Round 2

Gran Canaria moved to 2-0 in this year's EuroCup by beating Buducnost, and it showed a level of spirit that usually comes with champions.

Gran Canaria showed in Podgorica why it is a EuroCup contender

If it wasn’t for the first-half heroics of Caleb Homesley, Dreamland Gran Canaria would have been in serious trouble on the road at Buducnost VOLI Podgorica on Wednesday night. The 27-year-old American ended up scoring 10 points in the first quarter before adding a further 5 in the second, taking his total to 15, yet Jaka Lakovic’s men trailed 25-20 and then 44-38. Not an unassailable margin, but a deficit nonetheless.

Homesley kept charging in the third and added a further 5 points, but he appeared to twist his ankle after bumping into a referee, meaning his scoring output of 20 points had to be put on hold. For Gran Canaria, which trailed 52-49 with 4:41 minutes to go in the third when Homesley went out, it was a matter of sink or swim.

Game Videos

Ultimately, Gran Canaria’s players chose to swim. The likes of George Conditt, Andrew Albicy, Nico Brussino and Joe Thomasson all stepped up in Homesley’s absence, helping their team take a 58-62 advantage into the final frame of regulation. The first half of the fourth quarter couldn’t have gone better for Coach Lakovic and his troops, either, as back-to-back three-pointers by Carlos Alocen and Brussino opened a game-high 12-point lead (63-75).

From there, though, Buducnost regrouped and went on to force overtime after some heroics by Fletcher Magee and three made free throws by Yogi Ferrell with two seconds remaining. That must have been a big frustration for the visiting team, yet Homesley moved to 23 points with a wing three as Gran Canaria struck first, then Mike Tobey made the most of a mismatch before scoring off the glass (81-86). Buducnost made Gran Canaria sweat when Ferrell hit a corner three (86-86) with 41.3 seconds left, but John Shurna – the 2023 EuroCup Finals MVP – appeared with a timely three-pointer in the corner, his first points of the game, in what proved to be the final score of the night.

Game News

Watching Gran Canaria, it is clear that Lakovic is still working the new players into the rotation, but the signs are good. After all, managing to win a game in which the team suffered at various points is the sign of a group that can go far. Gran Canaria now finds itself with a perfect 2-0 record, and it knows it has more levels to reach.

Last year’s eighthfinals exit to Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul was a big blow, especially after winning the whole thing in 2023, but this squad has what it takes to lift the trophy once again. If the only way is up for Gran Canaria, it should spell bad news for the rest of the teams in Group B.

An array of players came to the fore in an impressive Round 2 win

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2024-10-02T17:00:00.000Z)

In Hapoel Jerusalem's first EuroCup win in nearly seven years, playmaker Jared Harper led the efforts and earned his first MVP of the Round honor in just his second appearances in the competition. 

Round 2 MVP: Jared Harper, Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem

In Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem's first BKT EuroCup win in nearly seven years, playmaker [Jared Harper](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/jared-harper/011970/) led the efforts and earned his first MVP of the Round honor in just his second appearances in the competition. In a 74-94 road win over 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys, Harper scored 23 points, making 2-of-7 two-point shots, 1-of-6 three-pointers and 16-of-17 free throws, which are the most free throws made in a single game in more than a decade. He also had 5 assists, a block, a rebound and a steal, while drawing 10 fouls and accumulating a PIR of 27, the highest among players on winning teams.

In Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem's first BKT EuroCup win in nearly seven years, playmaker Jared Harper led the efforts and earned his first MVP of the Round honor in just his second appearances in the competition.

Jared Harper | Round 2 MVP | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

This round's best PIR, 28, belongs to three players on losing teams: [Kassius Robertson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kassius-robertson/012740/) of Joventut Badalona, [Tyler Ennis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tyler-ennis/008858/) of Umana Reyer Venice and [Tre'shawn Thurman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tre-shawn-thurman/012577/) of Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius. Robertson had 17 points, 8 assists and 2 rebounds in an 87-83 loss at ratiopharm Ulm; Ennis collected 23 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in an 87-82 loss at Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana; and Thurman scored 29 points with 2 rebounds in an 89-84 loss at Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv. Rounding out the list of top performers are two players with a PIR of 26: [Caleb Homesley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/caleb-homesley/011251/) of Dreamland Gran Canaria and Jerusalem's [Yovel Zoosman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/yovel-zoosman/006625/). Homesley had 23 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in an 86-89 overtime win over Buducnost VOLI Pogorica, while Zoosman had 20 points, 5 assists, 2 assists and 2 steals against Lietkabelis.

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge offers weekly prizes to the top team manager, so get in the game and go for the gold!

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge: Round 2 winner

Congratulations to Eman Haskic, our second winner in the 2024-25 [EuroCup Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Eman's team, lindon, posted a score of 196.05.

The team featured the following lineup: Jared Harper of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem as team captain, then Tyler Ennis of Umana Reyer Venice, Devin Robinson of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, Kyle Alexander of Turk Telekom Ankara and Reyer center Mfiondu Kabengele as the other starters. Kassius Robertson of Joventut Badalona was his sixth man, while Noa Essengue of ratiopharm Ulm, Vassilis Toliopoulos of Aris Midea Thessaloniki, Giga Janelidze of Reyer and Kaan Tarla of Turk Telekom made up the rest of the bench. Dejan of Bahcesehir College Istanbul was the head coach.

The prize for finishing first in Round 2 is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2025-26 season!

We have a new leader in the overall standings, too, as Mali Olja's squad has a total of 375.30 points after the first two rounds. Trades are now open for Round 3. Remember, four trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become EuroCup Fantasy Challenge's next winner!

Former chess star Jordan Ford impressed once again on his second EuroCup appearance as Trento beat Trefl Sopot in Round 2.

Grandmaster Jordan Ford delivered in crunch time for Trento

Having outwitted the bulk of his opponents in the ancient game of chess at a very young age, Jordan Ford went on to become just as lethal on the basketball court, serving up scintillating displays in his first two outings for Dolomiti Energia Trento in the BKT EuroCup.

Ford’s explosive debut in the competition, when he dropped 32 points on 14-of-15 shooting from the floor, went unrewarded as Trento suffered an 84-81 loss at 2023 champion Dreamland Gran Canaria in Round 1.

It looked he would be brought crashing down to earth after a subdued first half of Trento’s opening home game against Trefl Sopot, as he was held to just 2 points in the wake of aggressive half-court pressure by his markers, who stifled out the livewire guard.

However, Ford showed the makings of a champion in the second period, rekindling his childhood days when he was already a two-time California State chess champion and ranked in the top 10 nationally for his age group.

With Trento throwing away a 44-36 halftime lead and trailing 50-61 midway through the third quarter, Ford stepped up to the plate in a manner reminiscent of his more acclaimed lookalike Stephen Curry, draining one audacious three-pointer after another to turn the tide and finish on a game-high 20 points. 

Trento prevailed 84-78 and Ford, who joined the Italian team from G League outfit the Stockton Kings, which is an affiliate of the Sacramento Kings, capped his outstanding performance with a crunch defensive play with 14 seconds left on the clock, when he pickpocketed rival Jakub Schenk of the ball.

Four-time NBA champion Curry might be out of Ford’s league, but then again the Golden State Warriors guard is out of everyone’s league when it comes to playing in a backcourt.

Still, there is an uncanny resemblance to Curry in the way Ford sinks step-back three-pointers off the dribble in a defender’s face, which he did with devastating effect against Trefl when the chips were down.

In his post-game comments, the native of Citrus Heights, California, was as humble as ever. “It’s a super important win, it’s our first EuroCup win \[of the season\] and our first home game,” Ford said in a courtside interview. “It was a dogfight against a really scrappy team. Every good team is going to go on a run so it’s a good one,” he added.  

Head coach Paolo Galbiati deservedly singled out Trento’s captain Toto Forray, one of the team’s unsung heroes who left it all out there on the court when Trefl looked the more likely winner.

“It was really tough,” Galbiati said. “We stopped playing together but then Toto stepped up and showed the way to everybody, he played like a real captain. He gave the energy and everybody followed, we were able to come back in like three minutes. I expect many fans to come and watch us because we try to do our best every time.”

With Anthony Lamb delivering early on, Trento also thrived on workmanlike performances from Saliou Niang and Selom Mawuge, while Quinn Ellis chipped in with 13 points – including a crunch late triple – which gave the hosts the lead for good, 75-72.

But it was Ford who stole the show and Trento can now look forward to its Round 3 home game against Buducnost VOLI Podgorica, which should be just as enthralling as the rip-roaring matchup with Trefl.  

Once a middle school chess talent, the 26-year-old guard lit up the EuroCup’s opening two rounds with a pair of stunning displays 

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Trefl Sopot (2024-10-02T18:00:00.000Z)

Although the most exciting piece of recruitment for Valencia fans during the summer might have been the return of Pedro Martinez, the head coach was outshone by a trio of his new signings on the court during Wednesday’s 105-78 victory over Veolia Towers Hamburg.

Martinez led *Las Taronjas* to its first-ever Spanish League title in 2017 and now, returning to the club after seven years away, has been entrusted with the task of challenging for a fifth BKT EuroCup crown.

His quest has been aided by the arrival of some talented new players, who took the opportunity to shine in their home debuts on Wednesday.

First and foremost was Matt Costello, who was signed from Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz largely due to his physical ability to dominate the paint. But Costello, instead, used the win over Hamburg to showcase his long-range shooting abilities, leading all scorers with 23 points in just 14 minutes on the floor, doing the damage from deep by converting 4 of his 6 three-point attempts.

Costello was no stranger to the Fonteta floor thanks to his long spell with Baskonia, and referenced the vibrant atmosphere routinely created by Valencia fans as he joked after the game: “It was nice to have \[the fans\] cheering for me instead of against me!

“I’ve been coming here for five years and everyone was whistling me, so now it’s nice to hear them clapping!”

The fans were certainly in a celebratory mood after watching their team run riot in the final 15 minutes, turning a tight 65-63 scoreline into an eventual rout. And Costello believes the manner of performance over that final stretch should act as a template to follow over the coming weeks.

“We’re a team that likes to get out and run,” he explained. “We have a bunch of athletic guys, and Pedro’s system is to get up and down the court. Once we started getting stops, it opened up the game for us and that’s what we hope to do.”

Another impressive performance came from new backcourt orchestrator Jean Montero, who took advantage of Chris Jones’s absence through injury to lead the offense superbly.

At first, 21-year-old Montero focused on distribution as he dished 6 assists in the first quarter, including a beautiful behind the back feed to Jaime Pradilla which had the fans purring in admiration.

Montero later showed his scoring skills by advancing to 11 points, and continued to dish dimes by completing a double-double with 11 assists – the biggest contribution to an excellent overall team total of 28.

The third and final new signing to shine was Brancou Badio, who followed his coach Martinez from Manresa to Valencia this summer.

The 25-year-old guard, who made one appearance of just 22 seconds in the EuroLeague during his younger days with FC Barcelona, was a fairly quiet presence during the opening three quarters but exploded into life as Valencia ran away with the game in the fourth.

Draining a trio of three-pointers in just 46 seconds, Badio finished with 14 points on perfect 4-of-4 shooting from long-range, showing that he also has the talent to play his part.

And with Martinez back at the helm, a strong existing roster and the new signings making an instant impact, Valencia has already demonstrated that it will be tough to beat this season.

Jean Montero and Brancou Badio were also among those who impressed for the hosts

Matt Costello and fellow new faces soaking up the applause at Valencia

Valencia Basket v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2024-10-02T18:30:00.000Z)

JL Bourg is proving itself to be one of the best defensive teams in this year's EuroCup, as it displayed against U-BT Cluj-Napoca in Round 2.

Bourg’s defensive pressure wreaked havoc early on against Cluj

The BKT EuroCup season is only two rounds old, but let this be a warning to Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse’s opponents: last year’s finalist will not make it easy for your playmakers and its defense will be hungry for turnovers.

Bourg forced U-BT Cluj-Napoca into 22 turnovers in putting together an 84-71 victory to improve to 2-0 on the young season. The French team snatched 19 steals, setting a new club record, eclipsing the 16 steals it had against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys in Round 15 at home last season.

“I thought we fought hard. A win is a win. We’ll take it,” said Bourg’s Xavier Castaneda, who scored a team-high 18 points and had 2 steals.

Nine Bourg players picked up a steal, with Hugo Benitez, Joel Ayayi and Kevin Kokila all collecting three of them.

Bourg dominated the third quarter 26-10 and that momentum spilled over into the final period as Frederic Fauthoux’s team built a 74-46 lead. The French coach, however, watched his troops relax most of the rest of the game and allowed Cluj to get back within 11 points with a minute to go.

Even though the result was never in doubt, Fauthoux was not satisfied with his team’s showing.

“It’s a victory, but it’s not a good victory,” he said. “We played well for about 20 of the 40 minutes, but the last 5-6 minutes were not good. Of course, we are happy to win every time. But we must improve a lot when you look at the last six minutes.”

This was still the second straight game that Bourg’s defense wreaked havoc on its opponent’s offense. In the season-opening 80-100 Round 1 win at Veolia Towers Hamburg, Bourg forced 23 turnovers and turned them into 24 points off turnovers - compared to Hamburg’s 13 points off Bourg’s 12 turnovers.

Bourg ended up with 14 turnovers against Cluj but had only committed 4 turnovers through the first 30 minutes. Fauthoux’s team turned those miscues into 19 points and it really helped to get the easy points against Cluj as Bourg did struggle from long range, hitting only 27 percent on three-pointers. The French side buried 46 percent of its three-pointers against Hamburg.

Sure, it is early in the season and Fauthoux can correctly be concerned about his team’s lackluster 16-27 fourth quarter against Cluj. But the defensive pressure on the ball has certainly been working and getting points off turnovers. May future Bourg opponents be forewarned.

Coach Fauthoux's side put in another impressive display

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2024-10-02T17:30:00.000Z)

Turk Telekom showed great fighting spirit as it beat Aris BC on the road.

Turk Telekom matched Aris’s fighting spirit to grab crucial road win

When Anthony Brown went 3 for 3 on buckets from inside the arc to take his tally to 9 points and extend Turk Telekom Ankara’s lead to 13-30 midway through the second quarter, a second thrashing in a row - after losing 95-74 at Umana Reyer Venice last week – looked increasingly possible for Aris Midea Thessaloniki.

Yet, Aris fought back in the second half, tightened its defense and took its first lead of the game thanks to two free throws from Eleftherios Bochoridis, who put the hosts 46-45 ahead in the closing stages of the third quarter.

In his pre-game interview on EuroLeague TV, head coach Erdem Can stressed that the key to a potential win would be Turk Telekom matching Aris’s “aggressiveness” on the court, and that’s precisely what the guests did in the closing quarter. The hosts had managed to turn the game around and fans in the stands were buzzing in their bid to push Aris in what could be a morale-boosting comeback victory in Thessaloniki, but Turk Telekom unlocked its potential on defense to clinch the victory.

“In the last quarter we came back with our defense, we played smart offensively and we closed the game with a win,” Can said in the post-game press conference.

After conceding 21 points and scoring just 11 in a poor third quarter, the Turkish side kept Aris to 16 points and netted 21 in the fourth to clinch a narrow victory.

“We were rushing a bit on offense, but when we got our composure, we knew what we wanted to do and figured it out,” Kyle Alexander, who recorded 12 points and 14 rebounds – including a career-high 10 offensive boards – admitted in the post-game interview on EuroLeague TV.

Ismet Akpinar and Anthony Brown played a crucial role offensively, scoring 7 and 5 points, respectively, in the last quarter. A James Banks bucket from inside got Aris within 59-60 with 2:16 left on the clock, but Akpinar and Brown sliced through a rigid Aris defense on two occasions in crunch time to net a couple of hard-fought layups and sealed the road victory.

Turk Telekom will host Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana in Round 3 next week, but it has already proven that its defense, which has conceded 66 and 63 points, respectively, in the first two games of the season, provides them with the confidence and energy they need to crash any opponent either at home or on the road.

Kyle Alexander was a monster on the glass, grabbing 10 offensive boards – the second most in EuroCup history

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v Turk Telekom Ankara (2024-10-02T17:00:00.000Z)