Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of the BKT EuroCup Round 3, and who might be missing in action.
Round 3: Pre-game quotes and injury reports
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8 Mins read
Tuesday, October 8
7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys vs. Aris Midea Thessaloniki (18:00 CEST)
Ioannis Kastritis, Aris Midea Thessaloniki head coach
"We have a very demanding mission, facing Lietkabelis on the road. Both teams are looking for their first win in the competition and I believe it’s going to be a very tough game. We need to be very focused and decisive in both ends, controlling the tempo of the game, a factor that will be crucial for the final result."
Lefteris Bochoridis, Aris Midea Thessaloniki guard
"We are looking for our first win in the EuroCup and we have a difficult game ahead. Lietkabelis has 0-2 like us, but it is a very good team. In order to get the win, we have to be very concentrated, avoid turnovers and be much more effective in our offense. If we do those things in the biggest part of the game, we can get our first victory for this season."
Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius vs. ratiopharm Ulm (18:00 CEST)
Alessandro Magro, Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius head coach:
"It will be a very tough game. Ulm is a team that has won all five games from the start of the season in both the domestic league and the BKT EuroCup. This will be our second home game, and we’ve elevated our level of play in recent games. Even in our last game against Hapoel, we did a lot of good things throughout the game. We are confident that we have the will to try to have the first win, especially in front of our fans here in Vilnius."
Matas Jogela, Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius forward:
"The Ulm team is very dangerous. They have a lot of good shooters and share the ball well in possession. We expect a very competitive game, but we need to focus on ourselves first. We’ve conceded too many points in the last few games, and that’s the main issue we need to fix. So, our big focus should be on defense. After the victory in the national league, we will try to carry that positive energy into this game."
Turk Telekom Ankara vs. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (18:30 CEST)
Djordje Adzic, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana assistant coach:
"Turk Telekom is a team built to achieve the highest goals in the EuroCup. Two seasons ago, they reached the final of the competition, and this season, they also have big ambitions, being considered favorites to take first place in our group. Tuesday's game will be specific for both teams; after two games, both teams have two wins, and both have one important player injured in their rotation - Brynton Lemar for us, and Vasilis Charalampopoulos for the Turkish team, who also got injured in the previous round of the EuroCup. Turk Telekom is a good team with good players, especially in guard positions. Our opponents are dangerous on both sides of the court, and our task is to take advantage of the opportunities that will arise in the game."
Bine Prepelic, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana forward:
"Both teams have started the new EuroCup season with two wins in their first two games. We know that Tuesday's away game will be difficult in a hall with loud fans. Turk Telekom plays extremely aggressively both on offense and defense. We have an evening practice in Ankara to prepare thoroughly, but I believe that with team play and the style of play we’ve shown in the opening games of the EuroCup season, we can hope for a good outcome. We’ve started the EuroCup season excellently, just as we quietly hoped. With two wins, we’ve already improved on last season’s result, but that doesn’t satisfy us. We need to maintain this rhythm and continue racking up more wins."
Injury report: head coach Zvezdan Mitrovic will be unable to attend the game due to illness; Brynton Lemar is OUT according to the club
Besiktas Fibabank Istanbul vs. Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (20:00 CEST)
Stefanos Dedas, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv head coach
"We have one more tough game ahead of us against one of the best teams in the competition that has the same players and coaching staff as they did last year. They hurt our team last year and we want to take basketball revenge and double our wins in the competition. There will be up and downs during the game but we have to show character and get this win."
Tomer Ginat, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv forward
"We learned last season that every game matters and the game against Besiktas is very important for us. We come with confidence after our first victory last week. We will do what we can to get the win and make our fans and community happy in this difficult time."
Umana Reyer Venice vs. Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (20:00 CEST)
Neven Spahija, Umana Reyer Venice head coach
"In our conditions, every opponent is really difficult to face. In particular, Bourg, a team that is playing great basketball, both offensively and defensively, with a lot of talent. We need to focus on ourselves and on what we are called to do. Our main focus right now is defense; we have to do much better, and the main goal of this game for us is to take a step forward in our half of the court. In [the Italian League game in] Trento, we lost the game due to defensive details, also caused by a lack of concentration.
Davide Moretti, Umana Reyer Venice guard
"It will be a tough game because they are a solid team and in good form; unfortunately, we know our situation. But we are playing at home, and we will try to leverage this factor, imposing our game and giving our all for forty minutes. We need to build on the mentality we had in Trento, without giving an inch and fighting for every possession. There are things we cannot control, like injuries, but getting through this moment will help us for the rest of the season. In any case, we go onto the court to win.
Frederic Fauthoux, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse head coach
"The season is underway, we're playing one match after another. It's never easy to play away and against this Reyer team. Currently, we have two victories, and we want to continue in this direction, to position ourselves well in the championship."
Adrian Nelson, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse forward
"Reyer is a very solid team and has been playing good so far in EuroCup and at home. As a team, we know that we have to be great on the defense. We have to stay true to ourselves, play together, and be confident."
Injury report:
Xavier Munford is OUT: following a severe contusion sustained in the game against Treviso, has suffered a cartilage injury to his right knee. The player will be reevaluated in 15 days.
Tyler Ennis is a game-time decision: Ennis has sustained a sprain to his right knee during the game against Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana. The player is working with the technical and physiotherapy staff for a swift recovery.
Jordan Parks is OUT: During Thursday's practice, Parks experienced a muscle strain in his right thigh. Medical examinations revealed a muscle injury in the right groin area, which will be clinically reevaluated in two weeks.
Amedeo Tessitori is OUT: Tessitori sustained a sprain to his right ankle during the Trento - Reyer game in the Italian League. The player is undergoing diagnostic tests and will be out vs. Bourg.
Wednesday, October 9
U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. Valencia Basket (18:00 CEST)
Mihai Silvasan, U-BT Cluj-Napoca head coach
"Everybody knows who Valencia is in the world of basketball. They are an extremely strong team. They want to compete in the Euroleague and they have great players. They started the season strong, but we cannot wait for this game. I am glad we will finally have our full roster. I hope we will play good quality basketball and we want the victory, especially that we will play at home, with many fans cheering for us."
Sasu Salin, U-BT Cluj-Napoca guard
"Valencia is one of the toughest teams in the competition, one of the favorites. I have played many times against them, I know their level. They are well coached, they play fast. They take many offensive rebounds. I think we have very good chances here, at home. We will go there and enjoy the game. We have better confidence and we will play with much energy. The fans are very supportive, even though we lost the first two home games. We want to show a different type of basketball for our fans and give them wins."
Juan Maroto, Valencia Basket head coach
“These two home games, we have noticed the crowd. And the other game we played away in the EuroCup was in Bulgaria. So now we go to an important atmosphere, so imposing, cheering as much as we saw in their first game in Romania against Cedevita. We must keep our style, try to put our philosophy on every game, without caring too much if the opponent plays one way or another or if the atmosphere is more or less hostile. They already have a certain history in the EuroCup, they have very good Americans, especially in the point guard position with Simpson, he is a top player in assists right now and very important in scoring. Mokoka seems to me another totally essential player. Two inside players also with a certain level, the truth is that it is a team with great players, who play at a good pace and with a good style, the truth is that I liked them a lot”.
Nate Reuvers, Valencia Basket forward
“We definitely want to stay strong like we have been, and go there and try to get another win. We want to stay involved, playing at 100% all the time. And if you can't play at 100% anymore, the teammate that comes in has to go out there and give it their all. I think the team's style suits me. Obviously I want to keep improving, I think there's more I can give and I want to keep going.”
Injury report: Chris Jones out (finger), Goran Filipovic (not called up).
Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem vs. Veolia Towers Hamburg (19:00 CEST)
Yonatan Alon, Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem head coach:
"We want to maintain the positive momentum we built in the last EuroCup game and in our league debut. We feel like we're getting into a good rhythm and starting to discover who we are as a team. We'll be facing a tough opponent, one we have great respect for, and we must not underestimate any rival in the EuroCup. As always, we'll enter the game aiming to win and to bring a bit of joy to our fans during this challenging and complex time."
Gabi Chachashvili, Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem center:
"It's important for us to keep moving in the positive direction we're on, show quality basketball and, of course, continue our winning streak. We feel that Hamburg is a better team than their results suggest, and we will need to come in very focused and play our style of basketball. It's very important for us to make our fans happy, they are, supporting us from afar – we feel their love and support all the time."
Jerusalem injury Report: Nimrod Levi OUT (ankle injury), Khadeen Carrington OUT (personal matters)
Hamburg injury report: Zsombor Maronka OUT (ankle joint injury), Keondre Kennedy OUT (temporary muscular hip injury), Niklas Wimberg OUT (recovering from a broken leg), Kur Kuath OUT (temporary knee problems)
Trefl Sopot vs. Joventut Badalona (19:00 CEST)
Geoffrey Groselle, Trefl Sopot center:
They are a very talented team, all really good players. We are ready to fight, give our best effort. I can promise we are going to fight. We have to focus on the thing the coach is preaching to us every day, like 50-50 balls, playing hard, being in the right position.
Injury report: All of Trefl's players are available for Round 3.
Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (20:00 CEST)
Fabio Bongi, Dolomiti Energia Trento assistant coach
“We go into the challenge against Podgorica with great confidence and charge, despite some absences due to some injuries. They have a high-level roster, full of experienced players, and an extremely competitive group of big men. In the first games of the season they have shown that they are a close-knit group, who like to share the ball and help each other a lot on defense.”
Myles Cale, Dolomiti Energia Trento guard
“Yesterday we started preparing for the challenge against Buducnost and we know that they will definitely come determined after two losses in the EuroCup. They have many interesting players and we have to stay focused to prepare as best we can, bringing with us the enthusiasm of the last games. I hope many fans will come to support us, because the atmosphere on Saturday, when everyone started jumping, was wonderful.”
Injury report: Eigirdas Zukauskas out (ankle).
Dreamland Gran Canaria vs. Bahcesehir College Istanbul (21:00 CEST)
Dejan Radonjic, Bahcesehir College Istanbul head coach
"We all know how good of a team Gran Canaria is. Every year they form a solid team and they have been working with the same coach for the third straight year who is doing a great job with the team. They started the season really well too, we are expecting a very tough game. They are the best team in steals and best transition team in our league. We have to be aware to play all 40 minutes with maximum focus."
Furkan Haltali, Bahcesehir College Istanbul center
"This is going to be a very important and hard game for us. We know that every game matters and we will give everything to get the win. We started the season well and we aim to keep it that way, but we can not take it for granted."