The youngest player on the roster, Yaacov came up big when needed for Hapoel
Tribute to the Champs: Noam Yaacov
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It was an eventful first season in the BKT EuroCup for Noam Yaacov. One of the top young guards on the continent, Yaacov joined Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv over the summer from LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, where made his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut – and played in 26 games – the season before.
The expectations were for Yaacov to take on a major role with Hapoel, but the unexpected signing of Patrick Beverley changed the rotation. Then Yam Madar signed in November and then a quadriceps muscle injury in December sidelined Yaacov. He did not play at all in the EuroCup from Round 9 until the semifinals, though he returned to fitness in the Israeli League after the injury.
By the EuroCup Semifinals, things had changed. Beverley was long gone and Joe Ragland was dealing with a back injury. Yaacov was called into duty and did not disappoint. He dished 4 assists in less than 10 minutes in Game 1 of the series against Valencia Basket and tallied 3 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in 8 minutes in Game 3, running the offense effectively and giving Yam Madar just enough time to rest.
Yaacov again stepped in again to spell Madar when needed in Game 2 of the EuroCup Finals against Gran Canaria and delivered with a dish to Marcus Bingham for a slam and then a side-step three-pointer to establish a double-digit margin in the second quarter. In the end, it was a season of ups and downs for Yaacov where he gained valuable experience, came up big when needed, and finished as a EuroCup champion.