Round 11 of the BKT EuroCup Regular Season will deliver 10 more games loaded with significance for the playoff race. Here’s your guide to Tuesday and Wednesday’s action across the continent.
Round 11: Pregame quotes
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Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem (18:30 CET)
Zvezdan Mitrovic, Cedevita Olimpija head coach
“Already at the beginning of the season, I mentioned that Hapoel, together with Bahcesehir and Besiktas, are among the three best teams in the EuroCup. I expect a very tough game. Our opponents are in a good rhythm and very good form. Hapoel is excellently covered at all positions. At the start of the season, we took advantage of the opportunity to surprise them and turn the game in our favor after trailing. The game in Ljubljana will certainly be much more difficult than the one in Belgrade. They have all players available for the game and have also strengthened the ‘4’ position. One of the best teams in the competition is definitely coming to us, so a very tough game awaits us.”
Joseph Girard, Cedevita Olimpija guard
“Hapoel are among the best teams in the EuroCup, so a demanding challenge is ahead of us. In the first head-to-head game, we played very well and recorded a win. We are aware that all teams improve over the course of the season, and that applies to them as well. We will have to put in a very good performance, as a tough test awaits us, and all of us want to record another victory.”
Yonatan Alon, Jerusalem head coach
“It’s a very, very important game for us. First of all, we’re making sure the injured players recover so that each one can get the maximum out of his body. And we’re making the best preparation we can. We’re coming to win… It’s too early to have an impression (of Isaiah Mobley), he’s not supposed to play, but it could be that we’ll reach a situation where we’ll need to use him already here. So he’s joining in with us, we’ll bring him into things slowly, the way it should be, and he’ll give us his contribution.”
Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (20:00 CET)
Fabio Bongi, Trento assistant coach
“We are about to face Buducnost, a team built to go all the way in this competition. We come into this game on a positive run, with good results and a strong feeling with our style of play, despite the absence of Selom Mawugbe, who is a key pillar of the way we play and compete. We move forward trying to create our own opportunities and approach this matchup with the memory of the first leg, which was very positive from a mental standpoint, as we did a good job of staying in the game for all 40 minutes. We need to build from that performance and confirm the good things we showed, knowing that it will take a solid effort from the entire team to compete against an opponent that will come in highly motivated and determined to earn the win, which is crucial for their push toward the top two spots in the group and a direct qualification to the next stage.
"Sulaimon is Buducnost’s most important player in the backcourt, and we will need to pay close attention to his scoring ability, while being aware that they have many other weapons: Boutsiele inside the paint, and Bouteille, a very experienced EuroCup player who can score both from beyond the arc and around the basket. Mays is another key option, as is Yogi Ferrell — both are important playmakers within Buducnost’s system.”
Khalif Battle, Trento guard
“We are coming off a great win against Venice and now we will soon face Podgorica. The crowd on Saturday was incredible: I would love for it to be like that every game, because it gives us tremendous energy, helps us move in the right direction, and pushes us to play even harder for our community. In the first game against Podgorica I wasn’t able to play due to injury, so I’m highly motivated to do well this time. We want to keep this positive run going, and to do that we need to continue building on this good moment by playing the right way and with great energy. With the support of our home crowd, we’ll try to go out there and get the win.”
Andrej Zakelj, Buducnost head coach
"We’re facing a very demanding road game, and we know exactly the kind of opponent we’re playing against. They outplayed us in the first game in Podgorica. Trento is a team that plays at a high pace, relies heavily on one-on-one situations, and scores a lot of easy points in transition, which makes this a serious challenge away from home. We need to be well prepared for their fast-paced style and execute all the basic things of the game with a high level of focus — getting back quickly, protecting the paint, handling one-on-one situations and playing the pick-and-roll effectively. Those details will be decisive. Heading into this game with positive energy after strong performances in both the EuroCup and the ABA League, we are fully aware that we are facing a very athletic team with excellent shooting quality."
Jerry Boutsiele, Buducnost center
"I think we learned a lot from the first game. We played, in my opinion, our worst game of the season. Trento is in very good shape right now, so we know it’s going to be a tough game. We want to approach this match the same way we did against Ilirija in the ABA League and try to get a win there."
Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Turk Telekom Ankara vs. Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (17:00 CET)
Frederic Fauthoux, Bourg head coach
“This is a very important game. The victory allows us to stay as high as possible in the standings. We won the first leg, but they are a strong team. Their squad has changed since then: it's larger, with a lot of talent and athleticism, especially some strong defenders. It will be a big challenge for us. We will have to fight hard and, above all, be focused to perform well.”
Tre Mitchell, Bourg center
“They’re a good and skilled team. We have to control the tempo and limit their actions. Our connectivity on defense will be the most important. We have to create our own energy being on the road. In order for us to remain on the trajectory we’re on, it’s a big game for us as the second ranking and them as the third. They’re going to come to win on their home court, and we must do the same on enemy territory.”
U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. Neptunas Kleipeda (17:00 CET)
Mihai Silvașan, Cluj head coach
"It is certainly an extremely important game for the final configuration of the standings. From our experience in recent EuroCup seasons, at this point no game is decisive, but it can weigh heavily in a potential finish within the top six. We really need the support of our fans; we need them to support us and push us forward if we go through difficult moments, because, once again, this is a tough game against a team that scores a lot of points. In the last four games they have played, they scored over 100 points. They have very good shooters and rely heavily on this aspect, so overall they are a very good team. Our goal is to lower their efficiency, and for that we need to defend very aggressively. We saw in the game against Bahcesehir what can happen if they are allowed to play their game and shoot freely, when they made 18 three-pointers and won in a dominant manner. The idea is to place a very strong emphasis on defense, make their efficiency drop, secure the rebounds, and run in transition, where we have an advantage."
Iverson Molinar, Cluj guard
"Our expectations are to come in and play hard, playing as a team. We know Neptunas is a great offensive team, they scored a lot of points in their last games. We come after a tough loss in Istanbul, but we are professional players. We know when it’s a bad game, we just gotta regroup and keep going. We watched the game, we learned, we regrouped, and we are ready for the next game. We’ll be playing six games in front of our fans, so it’s important to win tomorrow. We gotta protect our home court."
Veolia Towers Hamburg vs. Aris Thessaloniki Betsson (19:30 CET)
Igor Milicic, Aris head coach
"We compete against a team that hasn’t won in EuroCup so far, but is very dangerous, as it showed last Sunday, beating Alba Berlin. There are no easy games in the EuroCup and we have to be very focused and determined from the start, to get the result we want. We have to control the pace of the game and not allow Hamburg to run and score easy points. From our side, we are getting better as times goes by, but every game is a different situation and we have to be serious to continue with our development."
Jake Forrester, Aris center
"After two important wins last week, in BKT EuroCup and the Greek League, we have a crucial game ahead of us. Many people might see that Hamburg has zero wins this season, but is a good team that will cause damage if you don’t respect them. We have to follow out coach’s plan and be focused for 40 minutes, to get the win we need so much, so that we climb to the standings, in a group that is very open and competitive."
Umana Reyer Venice vs. Bahcesehir College Istanbul (20:00 CET)
Neven Spahija, Reye head coach
"After the Trento game, where our effort wasn't enough, we sent a clear message to the team: We must always play at our maximum, regardless of the final result. This mentality must be part of our DNA. We are facing one of the best teams in the EuroCup: they play high-level basketball and beat us convincingly in the first leg. Together with our fans, we want to put on a better performance and get back to winning ways. They have an extraordinary offense: to win, we'll need to be effective in limiting their many offensive weapons."
Carl Wheatle, Reyer forward
"We know how important this game is. We are playing at home and want to get back to playing our brand of basketball for the full 40 minutes, bouncing back from the last two defeats. We are facing one of the strongest teams in the EuroCup, so we will need a complete performance and a contribution from everyone to get the win. We have to take away their strengths: their guards have a lot of points in their hands, and they can rely on a big man like Williams, who is having a great season. Lately, we've been giving up too many offensive rebounds: we need to control the boards because that allows us to dictate the tempo. The key will be a great defensive performance."
London Lions vs. Besiktas GAIN Istanbul (20:30 CET)
Tautvydas Sabonis, London head coach
“Besiktas is the number one team in Europe probably - they are 11–0 in Turkey and 8–2 in EuroCup - so we’ve got to be prepared. We’ve got to be mentally tough. If we come like this (how we did against Surrey)…no chance. I think the guys will understand the task, and they will be ready for the physicality and the mental toughness that’ll be required more this game, and be ready to play a solid game in front of our crowd, which I’m hoping there will be more people.”