Many players will be stepping on a 7DAYS EuroCup court for the first time this season. Whether it be well-rounded veterans or up-and-coming players, there are many newcomers who are certain to influence the way things play out. Here's a list of the top EuroCup newcomers for the 2022-23 season.
Signings: EuroCup newcomers
Henry Ellenson, Joventut Badalona
It is club policy; Joventut always looks for players with high basketball IQs and Ellenson fits the bill. He knows how to use his body in the paint, can open the floor with his outside shots and is an unselfish player who rarely makes mistakes. He averaged 11.0 points and 4.9 rebounds in 32 Spanish League games with Monbus Obradoiro last season, his first in Europe. His numbers should go up due to his added experience and playing alongside pass-first center Ante Tomic.
Semih Erden, Turk Telekom Ankara
At age 36, Erden is an unconventional newcomer in the competition. He has played most of his career in Turkey, taking part in 160 EuroLeague games with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul and Partizan NIS Belgrade, and averaging 6.6 points and 4.2 rebounds. Erden remains an aggressive rebounder who can score in many ways around the basket, using his signature shot, the jump hook.
Kosta Koufos, London Lions
This was a somewhat surprising signing that could pay off handsomely as Koufos gives London the experience it needs to be competitive in the EuroCup. A young veteran at age 32, Koufos played in the NBA for 11 consecutive seasons and also suited up for EuroLeague powerhouses CSKA Moscow and Olympiacos Piraeus. He is an old-school center who gets the job done at both ends, intimidating on defense and scoring effectively on offense due to his good hands.
Jeremiah Martin, Slask Wroclaw
Slask needed a scoring guard to keep the same structure as last season and found one in Martin, a 25-year-old scoring machine trying to get better every day. After two years halfway between the NBA and the G League, Martin played for the New Zealand Breakers last season. He finished the 2021-22 campaign with German side Goettingen and averaged 16.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists in nine games. Martin will look to continue filling the baskets, this time in the EuroCup.
Yago Mateus, ratiopharm Ulm
In recent years Ulm has specialized in finding young, interesting talents from all around the world. Mateus fits in that category as a 23-year-old playmaker who is already a star in Brazil. Most recently, he averaged 11.7 points and 4.0 assists in helping Brazil to a silver medal at the FIBA AmeriCup. Mateus can help the team in many ways and will be part of a fun-to-watch backcourt featuring up-and-coming stars Fedor Zugic and Juan Nuñez. What's not to like about Ulm this season?
Kendale McCullum, Veolia Towers Hamburg
McCullum seems to be a perfect fit for Hamburg, an unconventional team that plays at a high rhythm with great intensity and takes a lot of risks on defense. He led the 2021-22 German League in assists (7.4 apg.) and steals (2.4 spg.) while averaging 15.6 points in 29 games. McCullum narrowly missed a triple-double in a game against Hamburg in which he tallied 22 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists and 6 steals. McCullum is now ready to lead Hamburg's run-and-gun offense.
Tai Odiase, Germani Brescia
Back in the competition after a season away, Brescia made sure it fortified its paint to be as competitive as possible. Odiase led the German League in blocks (1.4 bpg.) last season playing for EWE Baskets Oldenburg. After playing in Spain, Greece, the Dominican Republic, Germany and the United States, it is time for Odiase, right at the prime of his career, to showcase his athleticism, timing and winning mentality in the EuroCup.
Zeljko Sakic, 7Bet Lietkabelis Panevezys
It is almost unthinkable, but it's true. Sakic has played for 13 teams in his career and seven of them played the EuroCup at some point. Now, at the age of 34, he is set to make his EuroCup debut with Lietkabelis this season. Sakic is a power forward with unlimited shooting range, great ball-handling skills and a very high basketball IQ, who can read the game and use his experience and court vision to find the best options. He is expected to play a leading role in his second stint with Lietkabelis.
Tyrone Wallace, Paris Basketball
With a solid frontcourt, Paris needed a scoring ace to balance its roster and found one in Wallace, who comes off a strong season in the G League. He averaged 20.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 20 games with Long Island. He has been a really good scorer for all four G League teams he has played for. Wallace may need an adjustment period but his one-on-one skills and great ability to score in many different ways should help him generate offense from day one.
Joseph Young, Promitheas Patras
Over the years, Promitheas had a very good eye for finding guards who can put the ball in the basket. Young is a combo guard with a very solid mid-range game, who can pull the trigger from beyond the arc, too. He led the 2019-20 Chinese League in scoring (38.1 ppg.) playing for Nanjing Tongxi Monkey Kings. Last season, he averaged 18.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 46 G League games with Birmingham.