Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana: 2023-24 games to watch

After a disappointing BKT EuroCup campaign last season, having missed the playoffs with a 3-15 record, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana is determined to bounce back right away. The arrival of a big name as head coach with the appointment of Simone Pianigiani shows the serious ambitions of a club which was just seconds away from making it to the semifinals in 2022. However, nothing will come easy for Cedevita in a tough Group A, but there are a handful of games that for one reason or the other might stand out.

Check out Cedevita's full schedule

Round 2 vs Joventut Badalona

In the past couple of seasons, Cedevita has been bothered by very slow starts that the team was then forced to overcome. And while the team would certainly like to change that and not dig itself a hole to climb out of early in the season, Coach Pianigiani would certainly love to get a win in his side's home opener. It's hard to find a better opportunity for a resounding start than against a formidable opponent like Joventut, last year's semifinalist and the best team in the entire 2021-22 regular season. It will be an early-season game to watch for any Cedevita fan.

Round 8 at London Lions

For the first time in more than 20 years, London will play host to the team from the Slovenian capital. Cedevita has only played in the English capital just once in its decades-long history, doing so in the 2001-02 EuroLeague season against the London Towers. Now, Cedevita will travel to face the up-and-coming Lions, who love to put on a show on their home floor. But more than just a trip to a desirable destination, it could be one of the key clashes when it comes to the playoff picture. London is on the rise and this could be a perfect mid-season measuring stick of where Cedevita will be heading.

Round 15 vs Umana Reyer Venice

Cedevita and Reyer, rivals separated by only a 240-kilometer drive, have played each other four times since December 2021, and the home team has won each one of those clashes, including Cedevita's 77-73 win this past February. Amazingly, in the two games between these two rivals last season, Cedevita center Alen Omic, the EuroCup's all-time rebounding leader, pulled down a combined 40 rebounds. Yes, you read that right. He had a career-high 21 rebounds in Venice, then 19 rebounds in the return fixture in Ljubljana. Add in the fact that this will be Cedevita's penultimate regular-season home game, with two veteran coaches Simone Pianigiani and Neven Spahija on respective benches, and this makes for a must-see showdown.