Both semifinals get underway on Tuesday night
At a glance: Who is ready for Game 1 of the semifinals?
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The BKT EuroCup Semifinals begin on Tuesday, with the regular-season group winners hosting the openers of a three-game series. This is what we can look forward to.
Tuesday, March 25
Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. Dreamland Gran Canaria (18:00 CET)
The first semifinal presents a rematch from the regular season as Group A winner Bahcesehir (14-4) attempts to extend its 100% home record with a visit from Gran Canaria (12-6), which finished third and has a strong 7-3 record on the road.
Both meetings earlier this season were low-scoring defensive battles won by the home team, with Bahcesehir prevailing 73-65 in Istanbul in December. Dejan Radonjic’s men will attempt to repeat the physical dominance they enjoyed in that contest through big men Tai Odiase and Tyler Cavanaugh, who combined for 26 points and 15 rebounds. But they face a tough battle for supremacy against Gran Canaria’s Mike Tobey, who also showed his all-round class in that contest by combining 16 points with 6 boards and 5 assists.
In the backcourt, a key confrontation will see visiting defensive ace Andrew Albicy attempt to limit the influence of Jaleen Smith, who may feel he has a point to prove after only making 1 of his 10 field-goal attempts when the teams last met.
Smith is one of several players on both teams offering a threat from three-point territory, with Bahcesehir also hoping Axel Bouteille will fire after averaging nearly two triples per game at 43.2%. For Gran Canaria, Joe Thomasson showed his scoring potential with a trio of triples in the quarterfinal victory at Hapoel Jerusalem, while guard Mehdy Ngouama – a EuroCup winner last season with Paris – is becoming increasingly important after arriving mid-season to replace the injured Carlos Alocen.
But ultimately the key will be defense. These two teams have allowed fewer points than anyone else, with Gran Canaria’s average of 76.7 points conceded per game only bettered by Bahcesehir (75.1), and which team better nullifies the opposition will take this series opener.
Valencia Basket vs. Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (20:30 CET)
Group B winner and four-time EuroCup champion Valencia (16-2) will attempt to make home-court advantage count with a visit from dangerous Group A runner-up Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (12-6), which is searching for its first major honor since lifting the Israeli Cup in 1993.
Valencia has been the competition's dominant team throughout the season, boasting the best regular season record and again showing its power with a comprehensive 98-74 quarterfinal victory over U-BT Cluj-Napoca. That game saw eight different Valencia players register double digits in PIR to underline the Spanish team's depth, so Dimitris Itoudis's men will need to produce their very best as a collective unit to take a road win.
Perhaps the most important player for Hapoel to play the game its own way is center Johnathan Motley (16.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game), who will attempt to dominate the paint against home team powerhouse Matt Costello (9.7 points and 4.2 boards per night). The visiting team will also need the offensive output of Marcus Foster, who has scored in double digits in four consecutive games.
Hapoel showed its defensive strength with a hard-fought 67-61 win over Turk Telekom Ankara in the quarterfinals, and it will need a similar performance against a Valencia team orchestrated by the youthful brilliance of playmaker Jean Montero, who has averaged 14.0 points and 4.5 assists in the last four games. He will have plenty of support from Chris Jones, with Valencia’s weapons also coming from the wings through dangerous shooters Xabi Lopez-Arostegui and Semi Ojeleye.
Valencia has won six straight, netting at least 96 points in five of those, and easily leads the competition in scoring with an average of 96.5 points per night. But with the expertise of Itoudis on the bench and a talented roster including the multiple talents of Yam Madar, Bruno Caboclo and Joe Ragland, Hapoel has every chance of causing an upset.