### Carles Duran, Joventut head coach

It's very important to win at home. We are already seeing it makes the difference. We value it a lot, because the team always needs the support of the fans after a loss. And I know what we must do to give people the trust we did not in the opening game. We want to play good basketball again. The Wolves are an opponent that plays good basketball, with a core of good Lithuanian players. They are a very talented team.

Game News

Joventut (1-1) will defend its home court against a Wolves team (0-1) looking for its first-ever win in the competition.

Pre-game quotes: Joventut vs. Wolves

Joventut Badalona v Wolves Vilnius (2023-10-18T18:30:00.000Z)

Vincent King Jr.’s road to the BKT EuroCup has seen some unusual stops along the way. 

VJ King crossed paths with Bogues, LeBron and Tatum en route to Hamburg

But the Veolia Towers Hamburg forward also has crossed paths with some greats in the game including Muggsy Bogues, LeBron James and Jayson Tatum.

[King - who goes by VJ -](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/vincent-king/012581/) is making his debut in pan-European competition this season with the northern German club after playing his first full year in Europe in 2022-23 with Bristol Flyers of England.

"One of the biggest reasons - if not the biggest reason - that I signed to play with Hamburg was the opportunity to play in the EuroCup competition. I am ready for the challenge and it’s very exciting," said the 26-year-old American.

King's time with Bristol was actually his second experience in Europe after he finished the 2021-22 campaign with AB Contern of the Luxembourg League. He decided to give Europe a try after not getting much playing time in the G-League that season.  

"I wasn’t playing a whole lot and I went to Luxembourg and I was playing every second. As a basketball player, you want to be in a situation that you are going to play. Going out there I didn’t know the league was what it was. I was just excited about it," said King, who in seven games over about three months averaged 40.3 minutes as he played the full game six times, including all 50 minutes in a double-overtime game.

King was just happy to play at all in the 2021-22 season. He had missed the previous 18 months of action - including the entire 2020-21 campaign - with surgery to repair a stress fracture to his right tibia, which was very slow to heal.

"Not being able to play, it made me miss the game more than anything. I never had taken off so much time. I was forced to sit out for over a year," he said. "When I was able to play again I was like an 8-year-old kid when I was starting the first time."

King started the game in his native Cleveland and just a couple years later his family moved to Charlotte. There the young King played at United Faith Christian Academy. His coach there was former NBA star Muggsy Bogues - someone King didn’t even know.

"He was a cool guy. I didn't really know who he was. I thought, wow they have this new head coach and he’s really small," King recalled of the 1.60-meter Bogues who played 14 years in the NBA.

Vincent King Top Plays from 10/01/2023 to 10/17/2023

VJ King's top plays in his first BKT EuroCup games

King’s parents eventually told him who Bogues was and the youngster enjoyed his time with the former star.

"He was a guy who liked to instill confidence in his players," King said.

Another boost in confidence came in 2012 when the King family moved back to Ohio but this time to Akron, where King would attend St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. 

By this point, he was a huge Kobe Bryant fan - and still is to this day. And he didn’t even realize that SVSM was the high school that LeBron James attended.

"I visited for the first time and I walked into the gym and I was walking with Coach Dru Joyce and he was talking about the program and where I can fit in. And I look in the rafters and I see LeBron's name up there. I said: 'Did LeBron go here?' I really didn’t know that either," he remembered. "I was only tuned in to what Kobe was doing. I never paid any attention to LeBron."

King would actually end up paying more attention to King James though as the NBA superstar trained at his former high school in the off-season while King was there. 

"He was there for two months working out. Seeing him in person was crazy. We were in the gym and we thought, 'he’s on the floor, let’s get off and give him some space and let him do what he needs to do.' But he encouraged us to work out with him, shoot with him," King said. "He’s an easygoing guy. That was the biggest thing that surprised me besides how big he was in person. Sometimes he would invite some of us to his house to eat with him."

The summer after his first season in Akron, King was introduced to another future star. He was selected to play for the United States at the FIBA U16 Americas Championship in 2013 and his roommate for the tournament in Uruguay was Jayson Tatum.

"We got real tight," King said of Tatum, who would become an NBA All-Star with the Boston Celtics. "Watching him grow and see where he is now I am really happy for him and you saw it coming. How he plays now is not that much different to how he played back then. And that still is a big motivation."

King and Tatum would win the U16 Americas tournament and then take the title at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2014 in Dubai the following summer.

Those trips would give King a taste of what’s to come in the world of basketball - and his intriguing road to the EuroCup.

### Simone Pianigiani, Cedevita Olimpija head coach

Besiktas is one of the top teams, which we already knew. For sure, Besiktas is a little bit different than the teams, we played with until now. Is the most physical team, which plays with a lot of physicality, pressure and intensity defensively. This is the biggest picture, that we can have in front of us. We will face pressure, body to body, pressure on the ball, pressure on every play that we can try to move on offense for 40 minutes. We have to be aware of that. Besiktas can have many options on offense with attacking the miss match. They have many situations to create advantage. Our job is to prepare against this kind of physicality, match up as much as we can, and we have to maintain our flow in this kind of defense.

### Luka Scuka, Cedevita Olimpija player

A tough game against a good opponent is in front of us. We'll do everything we can to record a victory.

A pair of historic clubs meet for the first time since 2014 as high-flying Besiktas (2-0) hosts struggling Cedevita (0-2).

Pre-game quotes: Besiktas vs. Cedevita

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2023-10-18T17:00:00.000Z)

Here comes Round 3 of the BKT EuroCup Regular Season. At this point, all managers have identified their favorite stars in the EuroCup Fantasy Challenge, presented by Ardu Prime. This is why we are going to recommend players worth less than 10 credits. The idea behind it is to give you an extra boost with affordable players that complement your superstars and raise your team's value, all in one. Here are our recommendations:

[Rasheed Sulaimon, Wolves Vilnius (9.8 credits) –](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/rasheed-sulaimon/011150/) Wolves lost star playmaker Arturs Zagars to injury, leaving the team in Sulaimon's hands. He already delivered in the Lithuanian League this weekend, getting 33 points, 7 rebounds and a PIR of 31 in a double-overtime loss against Lietkabelis. Sulaimon should keep his momentum going.

[Vassilis Toliopoulos, Aris Midea Thessaloniki (6.0 credits) –](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/vassilis-toliopoulos/004292/) It took just two games for Aris to figure out that it all starts and ends with Toliopoulos's decisions. He averages 13.5 points, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game in almost 25 minutes per night. Despite coming off the bench, Toliopoulos is making things happen for Aris.

Rasheed Sulaimon, Hugo Benitez, Vassilis Toliopoulos, D.J. Seeley and Quinn Ellis are featured in this week's article.

EuroCup Fantasy Tips: Round 3

[Quinn Ellis, Dolomiti Energia Trento (6.6 credits) –](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/quinn-ellis/012593/) Ellis did not arrive with a big profile but is earning a big role on the court. He had 14 points and 5 rebounds in Round 2 against Bourg, and followed that up with a solid performance (12 points, 5 assists, 16 PIR) in the Italian League against Virtus. All for less than 7 credits!

[Hugo Benitez, Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (8.4 credits) –](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/hugo-benitez/010449/) Benitez rarely makes mistakes and has the numbers to back up that statement. So far, Benitez has dished 14 assists and has 0 turnovers in 50 minutes on the floor. He is averaging 14.5 points and 1.5 steals, too. Benitez always had star potential and is proving it this season.  

[D.J. Seeley, U-BT Cluj-Napoca (9.5 credits) –](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/dennis-seeley/004862/) Cluj is Seeley's sixth EuroCup team and he arrived to play a leading role. He had buried half of his 16 three-point shots until now, averaging 18.0 points and 3.0 steals. Seeley has the experience and clutch instincts to take Cluj to another level. He should be a reliable source of high PIRs.

There's no excuse not to go bargain-hunting in EuroCup Fantasy Challenge this week.

Fantasy tips, Round 3: Less than 10 credits!

### Neven Spahija, Venice head coach

They are a very good team. They have been with the same group for a long time. It's difficult for them to play in the current situation, especially for the Israeli players and coaching staff, but I am sure they will come here to play as hard as they can. On the other hand, we were so close the last two games. We lost both in the last 40 seconds, but our roster is more complete every day and I hope we will play better basketball.

### Barry Brown, Venice player

I expect a win. I expect us to come out and be ready to fight in the EuroCup to get a win. We need energy and effort from defense, for sure. We have to make the shots and be accurate in offense as well. Playing in front of our fans and not getting to a 0-3 will give us more motivation, for sure.

Reyer (0-2) will look to claim its first win of the season as it welcomes Hapoel (1-0), which is returning from a bye week after the postponement of its game against Wolves Vilnius.

Pre-game quotes: Venice vs. Hapoel

Umana Reyer Venice v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2023-10-17T18:00:00.000Z)

London Lions forward Conor Morgan sat down for an interview with EuroCupBasketball.net to discuss his start to life in England, his thoughts on London as an organization and also the team’s EuroCup matchup with Prometey Slobozhanske.

Conor Morgan, London Lions: ‘The club is on an upwards trajectory’

The London Lions have started the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season with two consecutive victories, downing Umana Reyer Venice at home and Veolia Towers Hamburg on the road. London achieved those wins without star forward Sam Dekker, who has been sidelined until now. Several players have stepped up for the Lions during those two games, one of whom is Conor Morgan. 

Morgan is a EuroCup veteran playing in his fifth season in the competition, having previous suited up for MoraBanc Andorra, Joventut Badalona and Slask Wroclaw. Against Hamburg, Morgan had 17 points, 9 rebounds and a PIR of 21. That game in Germany was his 61st appearance in the competition.

Speaking with [EuroCupBasketball.com](http://EuroCupBasketball.com), the 29-year-old discussed – among many other things – how it feels to have a veteran role for the first time in his career. "Personally, my role in the team is kind of to be this more of a veteran player, which has been kind of fun for me," Morgan commented. "I haven't done that anywhere else and actually have something to show for it. I think we're going to have a pretty good chance at doing something fun and making the playoffs as well."

"I'm really, really excited to see what we can do with our team."

**Hello, Conor. Congratulations on such a great start to the season. Back-to-back wins without Sam Dekker, which says a lot. How happy are you about such a great start?**

"Thanks. Yeah, for sure. I think with the level that our EuroCup group has, I think those two wins are really going to go a long way come February due to them making the playoff race a little bit more challenging, with only six teams getting in. So that's our focus kind of as a team, to get off to a really good start. And I think we have done that so far. We'll look to keep that going hopefully in Riga \[against Prometey Slobozhanske in Round 3\]."

**Matt Morgan earned Round 2 MVP honors, yet he had been a little bit under the radar and is surprising a lot of people this year. Can you tell us a little bit about him?**

"I think Matt is a really cool, calm and collected guy. He's a guy that you'll never see get too nervous or too excited about something. He's super, super fast, which is crazy. I tell him that every day in practice – he's got a turbo mode on him. And he is programmed to score. With guys like him and Sam Dekker, it makes the rest of our jobs really easy because they create so much for us and they can draw more than one or two defenders to them. Matt was obviously the MVP of Round 2 and I was happy for him. He's been through a lot in Europe. I think he started his career in the Turkish second division. He was in France last year and it's nice to see good things happening to him."

**The London Lions are fully established in the EuroCup and are getting better and better. How does it feel to be at a club that is growing and heading in the right direction?**

"It's nice. Obviously, there are things that they are working to improve here and as players we are excited about that, but the whole reason for me coming to join London’s project was the direction that it was moving in. And like you and everybody else said, London is on an upwards trajectory. I think that's a fair assessment of it, so it's exciting. We are on this rocket ship and hopefully we can make it blast off a little bit. It's only been two games in the EuroCup, but like I said, hopefully this good start will turn into something bigger and then hopefully it will snowball into something bigger again."

Conor Morgan is averaging 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in 2 EuroCup games last season, getting back-to-back wins against Umana Reyer Venice and Veolia Towers Hamburg.

Conor Morgan helps London remain undefeated

**Head coach Petar Bozic is new at this level but knows everything about the EuroCup as a player. How has it been working for him until now?**

"Petar has been tasked with not the easiest of things. I mean, he joined us around August 20, maybe even later than that. The things he's been able to really do with our team and instill the confidence in our players to go out and play has been a reason for our success as well. I think he is a very cool, calm and collected coach, which is big in the EuroCup and in big moments of games. He's got a very good mind for the game and everybody on our team is really excited to play for him. I think it was a really good move on our organization's part to bring in Petar. Like I said, the guys are super excited to work for him, see him, play for him and come to work every day because of the positive environment that he has instilled. Even in our last game, we had Coach \[Robert\] Youngblood stepping up \[because Bozic was unavailable\]. Youngblood had no problem stepping up into that head coaching role, and I think a lot of that is to do with the groundwork that Petar has laid in only a month and a half, two months here. So I'm really, really excited to see what we can do with our team in the next 6-7 months."

**The club is also making a lot of efforts to bring in new fans, like it did with that rooftop event at the start of the season. How do you evaluate the work London is doing off the court to bring more fans on board?**

"The work that they do off the court here is probably the best I've seen for any team I've played on. Yeah, we did the rooftop event there with \[Toronto Raptors forward\] OG Anunoby, who is a part owner of the team. We also did this other event where we went to one of the parks in the city, just to spread the word about the London Lions and get people excited about it. So, yeah, the off-the-court stuff here is definitely a strong suit of theirs. We are hoping to build the fan base throughout the year and hopefully, come crunch time and come the time we really need the fans, we can have them there supporting us. You go to Hapoel \[Shlomo Tel Aviv\], you went to Partizan \[Mozzart Bet Belgrade\] back when they were in EuroCup, even \[Joventut\] Badalona this year… they're going to have some really good fans at the game. So we kind of want to have this similar advantage here in London, and hopefully we can build that fan base into something that we can rely on for many years to come."

"The way we look at EuroCup games here in London, it's the ultimate test for us."

**Like you said, you will face Prometey in Riga on Wednesday night, a team that made it to last season’s EuroCup Semifinals. How much are you looking forward to testing your strengths against one of the best teams in the competition?**

"The way we look at EuroCup games here in London, it's the ultimate test for us. The domestic league that we play in is not the strongest. It is improving a lot, even from last year, but it is fun \[to play in the EuroCup\] every week; we get to really challenge ourselves against some of the best teams in Europe. The Prometey game is definitely circled on our calendar, and we are really excited to go there and test our togetherness and our talent levels and how well we can bring this thing together. The way we look at EuroCup, it’s just a really, really exciting opportunity for us. We go out and we get really locked in and see how well we can do. Prometey is a very good team. They have a lot of guys returning from last year: \[Ondrej\] Balvin, Caleb Agada, who actually I played against in university, and their role guys are similar. It's a very high-level team, probably one of the higher-level ones that will play this year, and our expectations of ourselves are high as well. So we're excited to go play there, for sure."

**Finally, what would make it a good season for you and also for London?**

"That’s a good question. Obviously, we are comparing our team to last year quite frequently. And I think we want to be more successful than the team last year. I mean, your ultimate goal as a competitor is to win the EuroCup. I'm not sitting here in this interview telling you that our goal is to win the EuroCup, but it is! But if you play the game, your ultimate goal should be to succeed. At the same time, we need to be realistic. This is our second year in the competition and I think we just need to take it game by game at this point. Hopefully, the first and most important thing is to get into the playoffs and then see what happens from there. Like you touched on earlier, we still have some really good players that have to come back to our team – Sam Dekker being one of them. He is the marquee player of the franchise here that people really know and like to watch and are excited to see. But we also have guys like Kareem \[Queeley\], who is an X-factor as well with his defense. He can bring his athleticism to our team as well. So we are excited to see those guys return and have more options and more looks against other teams: the more players we have, the more positive things we can do."

Paris is always a good idea, isn’t it? That’s what both Tuomas Iisalo and T.J. Shorts must have thought entering the 2023-24 season, opening a new chapter of their basketball lives after long and profitable years in Germany. They are already making an impact as Paris Basket has won its first two games in regular season Group A of the BKT EuroCup with Shorts as its go-to star.

The head coach, after his shooting guard career ended in his native Finland, coached in Germany with Crailsheim Merlins from 2016 to 2021. As Iisalo left to take over the bench at Telekom Baskets Bonn, Shorts arrived in Crailsheim after single seasons in Latvia with Ventspils and with Hamburg Towers.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurocup/1566814/tuomas-iisalo-tj-shorts-paris-basketball-bkt-eurocup/)

Moving from Germany to the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, the duo composed of the Finnish head coach and the deadly guard is already making a splash in the EuroCup.

Tuomas Iisalo and T.J Shorts took their loyalty bond to Paris

### Oliver Vidin, Slask head coach

Obviously two of our point guards are injured, but it doesn't matter when we can't rebound the ball or we don't fight in the second half. I hope it will look better when our new player, Frankie Ferrari, will join the team. For now, we have to fight with what we have. 

### Jakub Niziol, Slask player

We have to prove our fans that the image of the team that they have seen in our last game will not be the same for the rest of the season. We are hurt, but injuries can't be our excuse and at the end it doesn't matter for fans, players, coaches and club management. 

After both teams suffered single-possession losses last week, Buducnost (1-1) and Slask (0-2) will look to get back onto the winning path in Tuesday's opening tip-off. Buducnost has relied on its defense so far, allowing just 72.0 points per game – third best in the competition. That strength could spell trouble for Slask, which has struggled to find offensive production with just 70.5 points per game. The Polish team boasts the fourth-best player in the competition in terms of PIR, Dusan Miletic (24.0 PIR), and the Serbian center will need to deliver another big performance to take a road win.

Pre-game quotes: Buducnost vs. Slask

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Slask Wroclaw (2023-10-17T16:00:00.000Z)

JL Bourg-en-Bresse and U-BT Cluj-Napoca come head-to-head in Round 3 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season on Tuesday, October 17.

Unbeaten starts on the line when Bourg, Cluj meet

Both [Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/carousels/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse/?q=%7B%22articleId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22categoryId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22linkedId%22%3A%7B%22sourceSystem%22%3A%22FS_BASKETBALL_TEAM%22%2C%22sourceSystemId%22%3A%22bou%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%22%7D%7D&carouselTitle=Mincidelice%20JL%20Bourg%20en%20Bresse) (2-0) and [U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/carousels/u-bt-cluj-napoca/?q=%7B%22articleId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22categoryId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22linkedId%22%3A%7B%22sourceSystem%22%3A%22FS_BASKETBALL_TEAM%22%2C%22sourceSystemId%22%3A%22clu%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%22%7D%7D&carouselTitle=U-BT%20Cluj-Napoca) (2-0) have got off to the perfect start in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season, with each winning their two opening games. [At Ekinox on Tuesday night (19:30 CET)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-u-bt-cluj-napoca/U2023/26/), one of those 100% records will come to an end.

Come the end of Round 3, either Bourg or Cluj could find itself as the only team in Group B with a winning record, although this depends on how Dreamland Gran Canaria gets on against Dolomiti Energia Trento in Italy.

### A fascinating backcourt matchup

Two of the standout players in the EuroCup this season have been Bourg’s [Hugo Benitez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/hugo-benitez/010449/) and Cluj’s [D.J. Seeley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/dennis-seeley/004862/), who have played important roles in ensuring that their teams are 2-0. Benitez, 22, has taken a big step forward and established himself as Bourg’s go-to guy through the first two rounds, while the 33-year-old Seeley has put his experience to good use by leading Cluj to two wins.

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗨𝗽 - motivational lesson delivered. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/eurocup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#eurocup</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cluj?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cluj</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/haideU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#haideU</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BKTEuroCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BKTEuroCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/ignB2WTcDg">pic.twitter.com/ignB2WTcDg</a></p>&mdash; U-BT Cluj-Napoca (@UBTCluj) <a href="https://twitter.com/UBTCluj/status/1712337621483942384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

To this point, Benitez has posted 14.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.5 steals, while he is yet to commit a turnover. Seeley, meanwhile, is averaging 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 3.0 steals, although he has committed a total of 3 turnovers so far.

Crucially for Cluj, Seeley came up clutch down the final stretch as it defeated Slask Wroclaw 67-70 on the road. For Benitez, he dished a career-high 9 assists as Bourg defeated Dolomiti Energia Trento, also on the road, 72-79. Therefore, one of the keys to the game may end up being which of these two guards has the better night.

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Victoire « al dente » à Trento, ça méritait bien un selfie 😁<br><br>Vous avez la réf ? 😏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeRedy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeRedy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/zHS9WnGVjk">pic.twitter.com/zHS9WnGVjk</a></p>&mdash; JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket/status/1711837770254057744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Bourg has found its groove on offense

Along with Benitez, another Bourg player who is averaging 14.5 points per night is [Bryce Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/bryce-brown/012628/). The EuroCup rookie had 12 points in Bourg’s 90-74 win against Slask on his debut before coming up with 17 points at Trento. Brown has adapted to this level incredibly quickly, and he will be another threat on offense for Tuesday night’s hosts.

The best plays from Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse duo Hugo Benitez and Bryce Brown through the first two rounds of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Top plays from Hugo Benitez, Bryce Brown in Rounds 1 and 2

A further five members of Bourg’s squad are posting 8.0 points per game or more, which goes to show the array of options that head coach Frederic Fauthoux has at his disposal. It always helps when bench players can offer consistent production and Bourg has that in [Maksim Salash](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/maksim-salash/004525/) and [Zaccharie Risacher](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/zaccharie-risacher/010718/), who have combined to average 19.5 points per contest through Rounds 1 and 2.

### Cluj leans on its starters

Unlike Bourg, Cluj has five players netting 8.0 points per night or more – and all of them are starters. In addition to Seeley’s 18.0 points, veteran center [Andrija Stipanovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/andrija-stipanovic/005113/) and guard [Bryce Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/bryce-jones-jr/012621/) are scoring 12.0 points per game to help Cluj’s efforts. Impressively for a guard, Jones is also averaging 6.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists, which are the most by any Cluj player.

The best plays from U-BT Cluj-Napoca duo D.J. Seeley and Bryce Jones through the first two rounds of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Top plays from D.J. Seeley, Bryce Jones in Rounds 1 and 2

Fellow starters [Karel Guzman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/karel-guzman/011797/) (10.5 ppg.) and [Jarell Eddie](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/jarell-eddie/010569/) (8.0 ppg.) are also stepping up on offense, as is [Adam Mokoka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/adam-mokoka/012698/) (7.5 ppg.) off the bench. However, Cluj head coach Mihai Silvasan will be hoping for more production from his reserves, as they are contributing a combined total of just 14.5 points per contest.

Last season, Cluj went a dismal 1-8 on its travels, but coming off a win against Slask in Poland, the Romanian side has the chance to not only go 3-0 but to already better last season’s road record. Bourg also had its ups and downs at Equinox, going 4-5 on its home floor in 2022-23, so advancing to 3-0 – and having two of those wins coming in Bourg – would be a big step in the right direction.

Bourg won both of its meetings against Cluj in the 2022-23 campaign, 88-85 at home and then 79-88 on the road, so perhaps Tuesday's visitors will be hoping to exact a bit of revenge.

Emanuel Cate of U-BT Cluj-Napoca and Kevin Kokila of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse in action during the two teams' matchup in the 2022-23 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Both teams come into this Round 3 matchup flying high.

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2023-10-17T17:30:00.000Z)