Besiktas Emlakjet Istambul point guard Berk Ugurlu spoke to Javier Gancedo after his team's road victory against Joventut Badalona.
Berk Ugurlu: 'We want to win the trophy this year'
Interviews
7 Mins read
Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul is playing in the BKT EuroCup for the first time since the 2015-16 campaign and it made sure that it was noticed right away by downing Joventut Badalona, one of last season's semifinalists, on the road in Round 1. Besiktas fought through adversity, as the injured Egehan Arna did not travel to Spain, Matt Mitchell was not able to play either and floor general Derek Needham was lost to a broken nose in the second quarter. Several players stepped up, including playmaker Berk Ugurlu, who finished the game with 9 points, 7 assists and 0 turnovers for a PIR of 14. A product of the Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul youth system, he trained under coaching legend Zeljko Obadovic and already played the EuroCup with Tofas Bursa during the 2019-20 season. Ugurlu is back as a more mature player and embraces the challenge of facing great point guards in the EuroCup game, as he told Javier Gancedo in this exclusive interview. "In every game, you play against one of the best in Europe," Ugurlu said. "It will be competitive and I'm very excited about it because I want to prove myself at this high level, so it is going to be a huge test for me this year."
Hello, Berk. Congratulations on the win over Joventut in Badalona. How important is it for the club to get this important win on such a difficult court?
"Thank you. Joventut is one of the best teams in the EuroCup this season, so we knew that it was going to be a tough game for the team and for our coach. We wanted to start well because it's a new organization and there is big investment from the club, so we wanted to start the EuroCup in a good situation, and we managed to win the game."
Can you take us back to the game-winning play? You started it, inbounding the ball with 6.9 seconds left...
"We didn't expect they would play zone because during the whole game, they didn't play zone. But Coach [Alimpijevic] told us that after one pick, Berkan [Durmaz] would be alone, then Berkan would seal in inside and probably, he would shoot. But they came to help and Leyton [Hammonds] was wide open. So he found Leyton and he made the shot. I think it was one of our coach's smartest decisions at the end of the game."
'There is big investment from the club'
It is Besiktas's first EuroCup season since 2016. How ambitious is this team now that it is back in the EuroCup?
"I think the club is very ambitious. They are very hungry because in the last years, especially last year, they fought for relegation [to the Turkish second division]. This year, the club signed a coach that was in Bursaspor and has big experience in the EuroCup. They were second in the EuroCup [in 2022], so he is also hungry. He also wants to win with this organization. He wants to play for the highest goal, and I think every player in the team, Turkish or foreign, was hungry to come here and very ambitious to make the team proud, make the fans proud, because as a fan base, Besiktas has a 20-million fan base. Everybody is hungry and we want to win the trophy this year."
Some Turkish players like you, Yigir Arslan and Berkan Durmaz had good performances in Badalona. How great is it that Besiktas is strong and its domestic players make it even stronger?
"Every player has a big role in the team, foreigners and Turkish. But this year, I think from my side, Turkish players are very important also for the local games and for EuroCup games because when we come off the bench, we can give energy and change the game. We had one injured player, Ege, a very good player who was with Efes. And in this game, we had three injuries so we had to give more to the team. And we were so comfortable because Coach was giving us confidence. After every timeout, after every play, he told us to be aggressive, to go to the rim, to play free and feel the freedom. So it was an honor to play like that."
You mentioned that there are 20 million Besiktas fans in the world. How excited are the fans, the basketball fans, to be back in the EuroCup?
"I think they are very excited because they also saw that we have a very good team. I think we will have a packed gym this year in EuroCup games because the club made a high investment and has high goals. Fans are really interested in coming to the games. I think that there will be one of the best atmospheres in our home games in Istanbul, the gym will be packed, so I think everybody will be excited about it."
We will see right away because Besiktas plays five of its next six games at home, starting with Prometey. How much are you looking forward to that home opener?
"I think every game will be difficult, but the home-court advantage is one of the most important things. And if we have a schedule like this, with five or six games at home right away, we have to win. As you know, this year, the first two teams in each group are going to qualify directly to the quarterfinals, so it will be really important for us to win these five games and take an advantage."
At age 27, you are no longer a prospect. Is it a personal challenge for you to do well in the EuroCup, to be one of the best point guards in the competition?
"In the EuroCup, at this level, there is a lot of competition and a lot of good players. In the last game, I faced Feliz and Vives, players with experience, high-quality players. So in every game, you play against one of the best in Europe. It will be competitive and I'm very excited about it because I want to prove myself at this high level, so it is going to be a huge test for me this year."
'I want to prove myself at this high level'
I wanted to ask you about Coach Obradovic, as you played for him for five seasons. What is the biggest lesson you learned from a coaching genius like Obradovic?
"It made me more mature because I played for him as a kid and I was learning the game. But he taught me very well because I understand how I have to read the game after a pick-and-roll, to read the defense, to attack, to be aggressive in every circumstance. So he made me more mature. And he is also one of the best coaches because he has nine [EuroLeague] trophies. He has unbelievable experience and can read the game unbelievably. He was one of the best coaches that I ever worked with. It was an honor for me to play for him."
How do you compare him to Coach Alimpijevic? They come from the same coaching school, the Serbian coaching school, after all.
"I think Coach Alimpijevic has big similarities with him, being Serbian coaches. They are very aggressive towards the players. Alimpijevic is that kind of coach but also has a different style. I think that communication-wise, he is one of the best coaches in Europe because you can talk with him after a bad game. With some coaches, you cannot talk with them after a bad game or after a bad loss, but Alimpijevic will understand your situation. If you have a bad game, you can talk with him. You can discuss with him how I can improve, how I can be better in the next game."
What does Besiktas need to have a great EuroCup season?
"I think chemistry-wise, friendship will be very special this year. In this group of guys, everybody respects each other and everybody fights for the club, for the jersey, for themselves. So we will put our hearts on the court to be successful because Coach Alimpijevic has this kind of approach for the games, you have to give your 100% in every single game. So chemistry and staying together even after bad days will be very crucial this year."