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2023-24 Roster Rundown: Buducnost VOLI Podgorica

2023-24 Roster Rundown: Buducnost VOLI Podgorica

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12 September 20235 Mins read

2023-24 Roster Rundown: Buducnost VOLI Podgorica

After a 2022-23 season that ended in disappointment and another elimination in the EuroCup Eighthfinals, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica thoroughly re-shaped its roster over the summer. Buducnost kept its head coach Petar Mijovic, who took over late last season, along with only four players from a season ago, while adding nine new faces that the club hopes will help the perennial Montenegrin champion go, at least, a step further in the EuroCup. Here's a look at the new Buducnost roster.

BACKCOURT

Buducnost will have a brand new backcourt run by a pair of young and explosive point guards, Colbey Ross and McKinley Wright, who are poised to make immediate impacts in their respective EuroCup debuts. While Wright arrives from the NBA, where he spent part of last season playing alongside Luka Doncic, Ross is coming off a fantastic season in which he was named Italian League MVP. The two players should make Buducnost fun to watch and will also have plenty of dangerous weapons around them.

The most prolific scorer on the squad is certainly Allerik Freeman, who has career averages of 14.0 points and 2.2 triples made on 42.2% three-point shooting in the EuroCup. The only backcourt player who returns from last season is 27-year-old shooting guard Petar Popovic who will be entering his eighth season with the team.

Popovic will also be joined on the perimeter by Vladimir Mihailovic, another proven scoring guard and a Montenegrin national team player who comes back to the club after a decade away. Rounding out this bunch is Fletcher Magee, a pure shooter who until recently held the NCAA career record with 509 three-pointers made, providing Buducnost with tremendous perimeter range and depth.

FRONTCOURT

The most prominent new piece for Buducnost in the paint is big man JaCorey Williams, who uses his muscle and athleticism to make his presence felt inside. Williams could be a great beneficiary of passes coming from Ross and Wright. New center Marvin Jones is another newcomer with previous EuroCup experience, although a brief one three years ago. He is a good rebounder and a rim protector.

Buducnost will have plenty of size next to these two. Marko Jagodic-Kuridza is reliable at crashing the glass, a returnee to the team who brings a much-needed veteran presence and smarts. Small forward Cameron Reynolds is another solid rebounder and a man who can score in bunches, having knocked down at least 35 three-pointers in each of his two previous seasons in the competition, good for 2.2 triples made on average.

Alongside them, Buducnost has three athletic forwards who are all capable of contributing, the 24-year-old Andrija Slavkovic, teenager Andrija Grbovic, as well as Aleksa Ilic, a veteran of five EuroCup seasons and 40 appearances under his belt.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Coming into the competition with the pedigree of an Italian League MVP automatically draws attention, and point guard Colbey Ross will surely be in the spotlight all season. In only his second professional season, Ross had a fantastic campaign with Pallacanestro Varese, where he averaged 17.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.1 steals. Ross has a knack for scoring the basketball and especially thrives attacking the basket, but also has deep shooting range; he knocked down 38.8% of his shots from behind the three-point arc a season ago. Now, this 1.85-meter danger is poised to drive opposing defenses crazy at the next level in his premier EuroCup season.

OUTLOOK

Many things might have not worked as planned for Buducnost last season, so the team enters 2023-24 with a revamped roster. Buducnost has playmakers, shooters, rebounding aces and athletic dunkers on its roster. With a mix of veterans and fresh faces eager to prove themselves at this level, Buducnost has an intriguing roster, which might be its deepest in several years. For such a squad, it might take time for all things to click, but it is no secret that the bar is set high in the Montenegrin capital, and the three-time EuroCup quarterfinalist is aiming for a long run.