Wednesday's clash between Bahcesehir and Cedevita is sure to be a highlight
At a glace: Two unbeaten sides to face off in Round 4
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Round 4 of the BKT EuroCup is headlined by two of the competition’s four unbeaten teams going head-to-head in Istanbul. Here’s your guide to all the action coming up on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Tuesday, October 21
Neptunas Klaipeda vs. Veolia Towers Hamburg
The competition’s only winless teams will battle for their first victory as Neptunas (0-3) welcomes Hamburg (0-3). The German side has particularly struggled to find shooting accuracy, ranking 17th out of 20 from both two (49.6%) and three-point (28.9%) range, while also giving up more points than any other team with 101.3 per game. Neptunas leads the EuroCup in offensive rebounding (16.3 per night), so will hope that big man James Carnik can continue to earn extra possessions for his team. To counter that threat, Hamburg will need another big performance from French center Zaccharie Perrin, who boasts impressive averages of 10.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.
ratiopharm ulm vs. Besiktas Gain Istanbul
A big battle at the top of Group B will see Ulm (3-0) attempt to extend its perfect record with a visit from ambitious Besiktas (2-1). Ulm has the best offensive record in the competition with 99 points per game based on top-ranked three-point shooting accuracy (48.1%), and will also hope for another barrage of points in the paint from Christopher Ledlum after his 26 points helped overcome Lietkabelis last week. Besiktas also has a potent offense, winning its last two games by scoring 99 and 93 points, and guard Berk Ugurlu will again look to provide the orchestration after delivering 12 assists to help down Chemnitz last time out.
Aris Thessaloniki Betsson vs. BAXI Manresa
Two teams aiming to stay strong near the top of Group A go head-to-head as Aris (2-1) welcomes Manresa (2-1). It could be a low-scoring encounter between the competition’s fourth- and third-best defensive units, with Aris allowing just 79 points per game and Manresa 77.3 points. Offensively, Manresa’s fast-paced style generates plenty of scoring opportunities with an average of 21.3 assists per game (second best in the EuroCup) inspired by youngster Hugo Benitez averaging 6.7 helpers. Aris’s offense failed to function in last week’s loss at Cedevita, scoring just 59 points, and the Greek team needs big man Jakob Forester to regain his accuracy after going 1-of-6 from the field in that game.
Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem vs. Slask Wroclaw
Struggling Hapoel (1-2) will attempt to spark its season with a visit from dangerous Slask (2-1). The Polish team boosted its morale and demonstrated its offensive potential with a thrilling win over Cluj last week, partly thanks to big man Stefan Dordevic finding his best form with 19 points and 8 rebounds. The presence of Noah Kirkwood will be another big factor as Slask attempts to again punish a Hapoel defense which allowed 99 and 101 points in its last two losses. Offensively, Justin Smith will be tasked with controlling the paint for Hapoel after going 11-of-16 from two-point range in last week’s loss at Manresa, which also saw backcourt star Khadeen Carrington excel with 21 points.
Wednesday, October 22
U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. Umana Reyer Venice
A second win of the season and a chance to climb the standings is up for grabs as Cluj (1-2) hosts Reyer (1-2). Cluj will lean on the EuroCup’s best performer so far, Fatts Russell, whose spectacular combination of 21 points, 15 assists and 8 rebounds wasn’t quite enough to overcome Slask last time out. Fellow guard Trey Woodbury will attempt to continue his return to form after netting 20 points in that game, so visiting backcourt leader RJ Cole will have to exert the same kind of influence that saw him combine 10 points and 7 assists to mastermind last week’s first win of the season over Neptunas.
Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana
One of the competition’s four unbeaten records will be broken as Bahcesehir (3-0) faces Cedevita (3-0) in an early showdown of title contenders. Cedevita’s latest victory came courtesy of outstanding defense, limiting Aris to just 59 points, while guard Umoja Gibson is red hot offensively with averages of 20 points and 5.5 assists in the last two games. Delivering another defensive clampdown will not be easy against an impressive Bahcesehir which leads the league in scoring (99 points per game), PIR (120.3), assists (23) and steals (13), while backcourt star Malachi Flynn is the EuroCup’s second-rated performer (25 PIR per game) after scoring at least 16 points in each of the first three games.
Buducnost VOLI Podgorica vs. Panionis Athens
A second win of the season is the prize as Buducnost (1-2) faces Panionis (1-2) in the first ever meeting between the teams. Both have lost their last two games and now need offensive improvement after suffering low-scoring defeats last week, with Buducnost hoping that Skylar Mays can lead that process after netting 22 and 21 points in the last two games. A double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds from center Nate Watson was the sole bright spot for Panionis in last week’s home loss to Bourg, and the Greek team desperately needs to improve its three-point shooting after netting just 5 triples on 23 attempts in that loss.
NINERS Chemnitz vs. London Lions
Two of the seven teams tied with a 1-2 record in Group B will battle for a second victory as Chemnitz welcomes London. Chemnitz nearly grabbed a big road win at Besiktas last week thanks to a stunning display from center Kevin Yebo (32 points and 7 rebounds), so London will have to control his influence. The German team can also call upon the backcourt talents of Corey Davis Jr, who averages 18 points and 7.3 assists per game. London will look for more leadership from Tarik Phillip after his 15 points and 7 assists helped secure a first win of the season against Trento last week, while experienced new signing Chasson Randle could make his debut.
Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs. Lietkabelis Panevezys
Perfect Bourg (3-0) will attempt to make it four wins out of four with a visit from Lietkabelis (1-2). The French team has compiled by far the best defensive record in the EuroCup by allowing just 61.3 points per game, remarkably holding its opponents to just 18.5% shooting from three-point range, while guard Darius McGhee has been taking care of business at the other end of the court by netting 20 points per game. Against such a strong defense, Lietkabelis – which has lost two in a row – needs to take better care of the ball after committing 20 turnovers in last week’s narrow loss to Ulm, with playmaker Jamel Morris responsible for 8 of those.
Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. Turk Telekom Ankara
Turk Telekom (1-2) will attempt to gather more momentum by taking a road win from its trip to inconsistent Trento (1-2). The Turkish team grabbed its first victory by downing Buducnost last time out, and guard Kyle Allman will again look to lead the offense after netting 16 points in that triumph. Trento’s unpredictable start continued with a heavy loss at previously winless London, but Bulgarian forward Andrej Jakimovski will hope to continue his strong form after netting 15 points in each of the last two games. The Italian team needs to improve its long-range accuracy after making a competition-low 24.3% of three-point shots so far.