Round 2: Pregame quotes and injury reports

Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of Round 2 of the 2025-26 EuroCup season, and who might be missing in action.

Tuesday, October 7

Neptunas Klaipeda vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca (18:00 CEST)

Mihai Silvasan, Cluj head coach

"A new EuroCup game that we want to win, even though it’s an away match. We’ll be facing a tough team that had a really strong start in the Lithuanian League, but I truly believe we have the necessary tools to win."

Dusan Miletic, Cluj center

"Even though we lost in the first round, we showed that we can play good basketball that can help us get on the winning track. We’ll be facing a strong opponent, but we’ll do everything we can to get the win."

ratiopharm Ulm vs. Panionios Athens (19:00 CEST)

Luka Pavicevic, Panionios head coach

"Our second round of the EuroCup leads us back to another strong German team, as we're going to be guests at Ulm. We're expecting another very competitive and intense opponent at their court this time. They went through four victories last week and we are hoping for a strong game in their court and against an opponent who has proven its presence in the BBL and in the EuroCup."

Michalis Lountzis, Panionios guard

"We expect a tough game against a very good and quality team that already has four wins in as many games in both the EuroCup and the German League. We know how difficult this game will be, but we want to show improvement and be fully ready to present the image of a good team."

Besiktas GAIN Istanbul vs. London Lions (19:00 CEST)

Wednesday, October 8

Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. Umana Reyer Venice (18:00 CEST)

NINERS Chemnitz vs. Lietkabelis Panevezys (19:00 CEST)

Aris Thessaloniki Betsson vs. Veolia Towers Hamburg (19:00 CEST)

Bogdan Karaicic, Aris head coach

"Hamburg is a good team and has the right philosophy in the way they play. They lost a few games early in the season, but we’re not in our best shape either, given the injuries we’re dealing with. I respect Hamburg, they’re not an easy opponent, and it won’t be an easy game for us."

Bryce Jones, Aris guard

"I’m really excited and looking forward to having our fans in the arena to support us in this big game. We’re ready. It’s in the nature of our job to move forward after every game. We’re dealing with some injuries, but we’ll do our best to keep pushing ahead."

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs. Turk Telekom Ankara (19:30 CEST)

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem vs. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (20:00 CEST)

Zvezdan Mitrovic, Cedevita Olimpija head coach

"We have a series of demanding games ahead of us, so the wins in the opening matchups of the EuroCup and ABA League are extremely important. We are still in the phase of getting to know each other and building team chemistry. Hapoel is among the main favorites to win the EuroCup title. They have added quality reinforcements to last season’s roster, and the club operates with a large budget. Last season, we pulled off a big surprise against them in Bulgaria, which opened the door for us to the playoffs, while in the first part of the season in Ljubljana, they beat us convincingly. This season, they’ve further strengthened their team with several quality players. They are the favorites, but we will try to surprise them again. We’ll use the one day we have in Ljubljana to prepare as best as possible, and on Tuesday we’re already heading to Belgrade, followed by a trip to Podgorica."

Thomas Kennedy, Cedevita Olimpija center

"The game against Hapoel will be an important test for us, as it will show how we can perform in a demanding EuroCup road game. In every competition, wins in such away games carry great weight—alongside those we need to secure on our home court. The team is still building chemistry and getting to know each other, so this game will be an excellent opportunity to continue our process of growth and progress."

David Skara, Cedevita Olimpija center

"We’ve achieved two important victories that have boosted the team’s confidence, helped build the right chemistry, and delighted our fans. Now we face two challenging but very important away games. Both opponents we’ll meet this week are quality teams, but we’re heading into these matches with confidence. Hapoel and Buducnost achieved excellent results in international competitions last season, and both teams have further strengthened their rosters, so we know the task ahead won’t be easy. Nevertheless, we’ll give our best to return to Ljubljana with two wins."

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica vs. Dolomiti Energia Trento (20:00 CEST)

DeVante’ Jones, Trento guard

"In our next EuroCup game we’ll face Buducnost, a very solid team full of veterans. I know their group well because I faced them twice last year in the ABA League: they’re a physical team with a lot of talent in the backcourt, like Yogi Ferrell and Mays, and they have strong big men and very athletic forwards. It’s going to be an important game for us - we’re coming off a great win against Cantu that gave us confidence and good momentum, also thanks to our amazing fans. We’re heading to Podgorica with confidence, knowing that if we bring the same energy and intensity we showed [over the weekend], we can compete and give ourselves a real chance to win."