Virtus Segafredo Bologna will take on ratiopharm Ulm in the 7DAYS EuroCup Quarterfinals on Tuesday evening. 

Keys to victory: Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. ratiopharm Ulm

### Virtus’s depth could make the difference

The many injuries Virtus has been forced to deal with this season could prove to be a blessing in disguise in the playoffs as Coach Scariolo has a large stable of battle-tested horses to choose from. In the eighthfinals victory over Lietkabelis Panevezys, the team used a 10-man rotation with all 10 players seeing at least 10 minutes of playing time – and no player coming close to 30. In contrast, Ulm was forced to ride its stars hard in its upset win at Joventut Badalona with Semaj Christon, Jaron Blossomgame and Sindarius Thornwell all playing at least 33 minutes. Especially if this game is a close one, having fresher legs down the stretch could make a big difference.

Major matchup: Gran Canaria's Ennis vs. Andorra's Hannah

Ennis played for Andorra in the 2018-19 season, helped the team reach the semifinals and was named to the All-EuroCup Second Team. He has averaged a career-high 14.9 points, 3.6 assists, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 18 games until now. He played against Andorra twice in the Spanish League this season, averaging 14.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Ennis uses his athleticism to get to the basket and thrives in transition, where he can make the most out of his quickness and great decision-making.

Hannah is more of an old-school combo guard, able to pass the ball and pull the trigger from downtown. He played for Gran Canaria during the 2018-19 season, while Ennis was with Andorra. Hannah is averaging 11.6 points on 41.7% three-point shooting and 3.7 assists this season. In two Spanish League games against Gran Canaria in the current campaign, Hannah averaged 8.5 points and 1.0 assist. Controlling the game tempo should be a big key for Andorra and Hannah should play a major role in that due to his experience and high basketball IQ.

Gran Canaria v MoraBanc Andorra (2022-04-26T19:00:00.000Z)

Clevin Hannah - MoraBanc Andorra (photo Martin Imatge - Andorra) - EC21-EF

Virtus Segafredo Bologna will look to return to the 7DAYS EuroCup Semifinals when it hosts ratiopharm Ulm in the quarterfinals on Tuesday night. 

Breakdown: Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. ratiopharm Ulm

### Earlier this season

Virtus and Ulm have played each other twice already in Group B this season and split rather comfortable double-digit home wins. In Round 2, Virtus used a strong second half to beat Ulm 87-76. Virtus dished a season-high 29 assists and had five scorers in double figures led by Mam Jaiteh's 20 points, while Marco Belinelli and Jakarr Sampson scored 15 apiece. Milos Teodosic had 7 assists in 16 minutes off the bench, and Belinelli and Alessandro Pajola each had 5 assists, with Pajola also picking up 6 steals. For Ulm, which had 22 assists itself, Semaj Christon collected 14 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds, but Jaron Blossomgame had arguably his worst game of the season with just 2 points in 20 minutes.

Jaron Blossomgame, Semaj Christon Top 2 Pts, 3 Pts of the 2021-22 Regular Season

Christon and Blossomgame Ulm s one-two punch

Things were very different in Round 11 in late January when Ulm spent a good part of the night with a double-digit lead in an 84-68 win against a depleted Virtus. Ulm dominated the boards (51-34) and had five scorers in double figures, including mid-season signing Sindarius Thornwell, who collected 10 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Blossomgame shined with 19 points plus 11 rebounds, Christon had 14 points and 7 assists and Cristiano Felicio 10 points plus 13 rebounds. Virtus struggled offensively without Teodosic, Kevin Hervey and Nico Mannion and did not yet have Daniel Hackett and Tornike Shengelia, who joined the team in March.

### Virtus relies on moving the ball

No team this season, and only a handful of teams in competition history, have possessed the ball movement that Virtus has. The team is averaging a EuroCup-best 22.4 assists, which is the third-best single-season mark of all time. Teodosic leads the way, ranking first this season with 8.6 assists and five more players are averaging more than 2 assists. Shengelia has made great contributions in this segment in five games with the team (4.2 apg.), while Pajola (3.9 apg.), Belinelli (2.7 apg.), Kyle Weems and Hervey (both 2.3 apg.) all play a great part in sharing the basketball.

This season, Virtus dished more than 23 assists in a game seven times and won each of those games, including the first game against Ulm when it had 29 assists. Virtus is 4-7 in all other games. For comparison, Ulm ranks 15th with 17.4 assists per game, and the team had only five games with more than 19 assists, with three of those ending up in defeats, which is more proof that Virtus's success is far more reliant on good ball movement that Ulm's.

### Ulm road warriors

No team in the quarterfinals has fewer wins than Ulm's eight this season, but the majority of the team's success has come on the road. Ulm has a 5-5 record away from home and two of those wins came against fellow quarterfinalists. Ulm beat Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 96-101 in double overtime in Round 4 and top-seeded Gran Canaria 81-96 in Round 6. Ulm also triumphed at Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 68-89 in Round 10 and booked its place in the playoffs with a 72-85 victory at Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse in Round 16. That win against Bourg was also Ulm's only win in the last seven regular-season games, between its home win over Virtus and last week's stunner in the eighthfinals against Joventut Badalona.

When playing away from home, Christon ups his averages to 18.4 points and 7.5 assists, and Blossomgame scores 17.0 points per game. Christon and Blossomgame scored 21 points apiece last week. It makes Ulm as dangerous a road as any team in the competition and it will want to prove that once again when it takes on Virtus.

Segafredo Virtus Bologna Top Assists of the 2021-22 Regular Season

Virtus thrives sharing the basketball

### Historic opportunities

The eighthfinals win in Badalona was Ulm's milestone win number 50 in competition history. Ulm has played 127 games since its debut in the 2012-13 season. That season was also the only previous time Ulm made the quarterfinals and the only player still on the team from that season is team captain Per Guenther, who has 107 appearances, is playing the final season of his career and would love to go with a bang.

Virtus, which reached the semifinals last season, is 46-20 all-time in the EuroCup and a win in this quarterfinals clash would have Virtus join the rare company of teams with a winning percentage of 70% or better in EuroCup history. The other three teams are Valencia Basket (74.2%), Khimki Moscow Region (74.1%) and Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar (72.2%).

The 7DAYS EuroCup Quarterfinals begin with two Tuesday tussles, including Gran Canaria against its Spanish League rival, MoraBanc Andorra. 

Keys to victory: Gran Canaria vs. MoraBanc Andorra

### Gran Canaria’s guards have key roles

Two areas in which Gran Canaria can separate itself from Andorra are in terms of taking care of the ball and making three-pointers. Gran Canaria ranks third in the competition in steals this season with 8.3 per game and second in turnovers forced with 14.9 per game. Andorra is among the bottom quarter with 13.9 turnovers committed per game. What’s more, Gran Canaria’s 39.5% three-point shooting is second-best in the EuroCup this season and it has made the fourth most threes (9.9 per game). There, however, it will face a mighty challenge as the Andorra defense has held opponents to 33.5% shooting from downtown, which is third-lowest, and 8.2 threes per game. If the Gran Canaria guards can generate turnovers and good looks from deep, it would help the home team’s cause greatly. 

### Cleaning the glass could make the difference for Andorra

These two teams have similar track records when it comes to rebounding; Andorra has outrebounded opponents by 2.7 rebounds per game this season and Gran Canaria by 2.8. Last week, Andorra made rebounding a focus in the eighthfinals against Buducnost VOLI Podgorica and the result was grabbing a season-high 46 boards and outrebounding the opponent by 20. What’s more, it took 14 offensive rebounds and scored 14 second-chance points. Doing such damage on the offensive glass won’t be easy against Gran Canaria’s long and deep frontcourt, however, winning the battle on the boards could make quite a difference for Andorra. 

Dylan Ennis - Gran Canaria (photo Gran Canaria) - EC21-EF

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana hosts Frutti Extra Bursaspor in a do-or-die showdown to reach the EuroCup Semifinals. Former teammates, Jacob Pullen of Cedevita and Derek Needham of Bursaspor, will face each other in a major matchup. 

Major Matchup: Cedevita's Pullen vs. Bursaspor's Needham 

Pullen and Needham played together for Mornar Bar the last two seasons and matched up against each other countless times in practice. Pullen has averaged 13.9 points and 3.6 assists in 19 EuroCup games this season. He played twice against Bursaspor and went above his scoring average. Pullen netted 16 points in his team's road loss in Bursa and needed less than 20 minutes to score 17 in his team's 103-86 home win in Round 12. Pullen should use his experience and outstanding one-on-one skills to either drive to the basket or pull the trigger from downtown off the dribble.

Needham is a well-rounded playmaker and Bursaspor's floor general. He is averaging a career-high 12.9 points on 49.5% three-point shooting, 2.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 19 games until now. He ranks fifth overall in minutes per game at 30:20. He helped Bursaspor beat Cedevita in Round 3, 93-84, with 2 points, 7 assists and 4 steals. Needham had much better numbers in his team's loss in Ljubljana (26 points on 8-of-9 two-point shooting, 3 rebounds, 3 assists for a PIR of 24). Needham fouled out in both games and faces another big battle against his former teammate. 

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Frutti Extra Bursaspor (2022-04-27T18:00:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket welcomes Boulogne Metropolitans in the quarterfinals, giving fans the chance to see two of the best big men in the competition, Bojan Dubljevic and Vince Hunter. 

Major Matchup: Valencia's Dubljevic vs. Metropolitans' Hunter 

Valencia relies on Dubljevic to make the different in the paint. Dubljevic, a two-time EuroCup champion, is the competition's all-time leading scorer (1,595 points) and rebounder (745). He was named to the 2016-17 and 2018-19 All-EuroCup First Team and to the 2011-12 and 2013-14 All-EuroCup Second Team. Dubljevic is also the only player to be chosen EuroCup Rising Star twice, in 2013 and 2014. He is averaging 8.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 20 minutes per game this season. Dubljevic should use his deep shooting range, outstanding post kills and experience in this matchup. 

Hunter was chosen to the 2020-21 All-EuroCup Second Team and was the competition's Top 16 MVP last season. He is playing a star role for Metropolitans this season, averaging 12.8 points and a PIR of 17.6 in 17 games. Hunter ranks sixth in rebounds (7.4 rpg.), is tied for third in steals (1.6 spg.) and ninth in blocks (0.9 bpg.). Only one other player - Kevarrius Hayes of Frutti Extra Bursaspor - ranks among the top 10 in all three categories. Hunter is more mobile and athletic, finishes above the rim and may try to use his quickness and transition game against Dubljevic.

Valencia Basket v Boulogne Metropolitans 92 (2022-04-27T18:30:00.000Z)

Vince Hunter - Boulogne Metropolitans 92 (photo Olivier dAlmeida - Metropolitans) - EC21-RS16

Valencia Basket hosts Boulogne Metropolitans 92 on Wednesday. Valencia looks for its ninth semifinal berth. Metropolitans wants to reach the semifinals for the first time.

Keys to victory: Valencia vs. Metropolitans

### Valencia needs to involve frontcourt 

Valencia leads all quarterfinals teams in scoring with 87.4 points per game. It has made 57.3% of its two-point shots and a lot of that has to do with its deep, versatile frontcourt. Mike Tobey (62.2% 2FG), Bojan Dubljevic (60.7% 2FG), Jasiel Rivero (71.0% 2FG) and Jaime Pradilla (80.5%) combine for 40.6 points on excellent shooting percentages. Neno Dimitrijevic is back, giving head coach Joan Peñarroya more options at guard. If Valencia (20.7 apg.) can circulate the ball well and get its big men involved, it should have a good chance to reach the semifinals. 

### Metropolitans relies on star guard Cummings 

Metropolitans has held opponents to just 34.3% shooting on their three-point shots and needs that kind of defensive effort at La Fonteta, preventing Tobey and Dubljevic from spreading the floor with their shots from beyond the arc. Playmaker Will Cummings is Metropolitans' key player due to his experience, high basketball IQ and character. He needs to control the game tempo against Sam Van Rossom and Dimitrijevic, getting Jordan McRae and Vincent Hunter involved on offense. Metropolitans is 8-2 this season when it outrebounds its opponent, so fighting for every board should be more important than ever this week.

Jasile Rivero - Valencia Basket (photo Miguel Angel Polo - Valencia) - EC21-EF

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana and Frutti Extra Bursapor face each other in the EuroCup Quarterfinals on Wednesday and only one of them will advance.

Keys to victory: Cedevita vs. Bursaspor 

### Cedevita: High rhythm is key 

Cedevita is on a nine-game winning streak, in which it has scored 82 points or better in every game and broke the 100-point mark three times - one of them against Bursaspor in Round 12, 103-86. Cedevita made 30 of 38 two-pointers in that game to set a new club record with 79.0% shooting. It pulled down 29 defensive rebounds, too. Cedevita had similar numbers in its eighthfinals win against Turk Telekom Ankara with 28 defensive rebounds and 65.0% shooting on its two-point shots. If Cedevita gets its transition game going, players like Zoran Dragic, Jaka Blazic and Jacob Pullen should take care of business on offense. 

### Bursaspor looks for Andrews 

Bursaspor relies on Andrew Andrews to make the difference in this game. Andrews has scored in double digits in each of the last nine games and gone over 20 points in seven of those games. He flirted with a triple-double - 24 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists - in his team's eighthfinals win over Partizan NIS Belgrade. Derek Needham should use his experience to stop Jacob Pullen - they played together in Mornar Bar for two years. Bursaspor must power the offensive boards to prevent Cedevita from running the floor and relies on Kevarrius Hayes and Dave Dudzinski to do so, in what should be a big key to this game.

Yogi Ferrell - Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (photo Ales Ferves - Cedevita) - EC21

Here is where you can watch the Quarterfinals game between Valencia Basket and Boulogne Metropolitans 92.

TV Info,  Valencia vs. Metropolitans

**Balcans:** SPORTKLUB 4

**Baltics:** TV3 SPORT

**Bulgaria:** MAX SPORT 4

**France:** MCS

**Georgia:** SILK SPORT 2 HD

**Greece:** NOVASPORTS 6

**In-Flight Vision:** IMG ARENA

**Internet:** [EUROLEAGUE.TV](http://EUROLEAGUE.TV)

**Israel:** SPORT 4

**Italy:** SKY and ELEVEN SPORTS

**Slovenia:** SPORT TV2

**Spain:** DAZN & DAZN3

**Turkey:** S SPORT & S SPORT PLUS

Will Cummings - Boulogne Metropolitans 92 (photo Olivier dAlmeida - Metropolitans) - EC21-RS16