Joventut Badalona comes off a bittersweet 2021-22 7DAYS EuroCup campaign in which it did great things but fell short in the playoffs. Joventut had a great regular season, finishing with the best record overall, but it registered its first home loss of the season at the worst moment – in the eighthfinals against ratiopharm Ulm. Back for a fourth consecutive EuroCup season, here are some of Joventut's key dates as it seeks EuroCup glory in 2023.
2022-23 Games to Watch: Joventut Badalona
Round 2: Tough first road game
Joventut opens the 2022-23 regular season with a home showdown against Germany Brescia before hitting the road to face last season's EuroCup finalist, Frutti Extra Bursaspor. The two teams will cross paths for the first time, which adds more anticipation to this showdown. It should be a strong test for Joventut against one of the toughest opponents in Group A, with thousands of noisy fans expected to be in attendance.
Round 8: Willis returns
This should be a special game for Derek Willis, who returns to Badalona for the first time since leaving Joventut to join Umana Reyer Venice. Last season, Willis averaged 9.0 points on 41.7% three-point shooting, 5.6 rebounds and a PIR of 12.9 in 17 EuroCup games with Joventut, thrilling fans with his high-flying alley-oop dunks and overall energy. This time, he will be on the other side of the court as one of Reyer's main pillars.
Round 12: A pivotal showdown
Two of the favorites from Group A will battle it out at Palau Olimpic de Badalona on January 25. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana made it to the quarterfinals last season and was one shot away – which went in, but after the buzzer – from reaching the semifinals. This game is a good chance to see two of the best old-school centers in competition history go head-to-head: Ante Tomic of Joventut vs. Alen Omic of Cedevita. With six games left after this one, this showdown could turn out to be decisive.
Round 14: Exacting some revenge
Joventut fans marked this date – February 7 , 2023 – in red when they first looked at the 2022-23 EuroCup calendar. That's when ratiopharm Ulm will return to Palau Olimpic de Badalona for the first time since knocking Joventut out of the competition last season. Ulm arrives with a different coach and a different core of players. It should come up against a Joventut side at its best, fully focused on pleasing its fans with what would be a special victory.