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'

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."

**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."

Berk Ugurlu led Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul to a 62-63 road win against Joventut Badalona.

Ugurlu made this happen in Round 1

**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."

The return of Aris Thessaloniki and its fans to the EuroCup has made headlines as the club makes a restart while mourning an iconic figure from its glorious past.

Trademarks: Aris mourns club architect while embarking on new beginning

There's no denying that fans and their tribalism make European basketball special, specifically when the lore of the clubs goes back decades. And sometimes fate plays peculiar games, in this case bringing a unique symbolism to Aris Midea Thessaloniki's return to the EuroCup.

Aris made headlines last week despite its defeat by defending EuroCup champion Dreamland Gran Canaria thanks to the devoted fans who make almost every European game at Alexandreio Melathron arena a unique experience. Last week stood out even more as pride and sorrow went hand in hand on a stroll down memory lane.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurocup/1563787/aris-mourns-club-architect-while-embarking-on-a-new-beginning/)

Last week's fast starters are aiming to maintain their momentum, while 10 other teams will be desperate to gather their first win. This is what we can look forward to in Round 2 of the BKT EuroCup. 

BKT EuroCup, Round 2 at a glance

[Slask Wroclaw vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca
](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/slask-wroclaw-u-bt-cluj-napoca/U2023/20/)After scoring 50 first-half points to propel last week's impressive victory over Turk Telekom, Cluj (1-0) will look for another fast start as it travels to Poland to face Slask (0-1). The rebounding battle could be key: Cluj grabbed 42 boards last week, with eight different players claiming multiple rebounds. Slask wasn't too far behind with 36 boards in its loss at Bourg, including 13 for Dusan Miletic. The Serbian center also scored 19 points, and Cluj's ability to control Miletic could be key to the outcome.

[Dreamland Gran Canaria vs. ratiopharm Ulm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/dreamland-gran-canaria-ratiopharm-ulm/U2023/17/)

Reigning champion Gran Canaria (1-0) produced a strong fourth quarter to start its title defense with victory at Aris and will now aim to stay perfect with a tantalizing visit from an Ulm team (1-0) also looking to stay unbeaten. AJ Slaughter sparked Gran Canaria's potent offense last week with 19 points on 4-of-5 three-point shooting and he will now look to get the better of the backcourt battle with Ulm star Georginho De Paola, who combined 11 points with 6 assists and 3 steals to help secure his team's Round 1 win over Trento.

Aj Slaughter (21 points) Highlights vs. Aris Midea Thessaloniki, 10/04/2023

AJ Slaughter s best plays against Aris Midea Thessaloniki

[Turk Telekom Ankara vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/turk-telekom-ankara-buducnost-voli-podgorica/U2023/19/)

Last season's runner-up Turk Telekom (0-1) will aim to kick-start its campaign with a visit from Buducnost (1-0), which will look to control the game through defense after restricting Lietkabelis to 65 points last week. On that note, the Turkish team needs to exert better ball control after committing 16 turnovers in Round 1; Tyrone Wallace was responsible for 5 of those. Buducnost benefitted from a strong inside game in Round 1 in which it converted 23 of its 36 two-point attempts, with Jacorey Williams sinking 6 of those on 8 attempts as he paired 13 points with a team-high 6 rebounds. 

[Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana-joventut-badalona/U2023/12/)

Two of last week's losers will aim to get on the winning path as Cedevita (0-1) hosts Joventut (0-1). Both teams struggled offensively in Round 1, with Cedevita making only 5 of its 18 three-point attempts as it mustered just 73 points at Hapoel, despite 15 points from team leader Justin Cobbs. Joventut fared even worse, only scoring 62 points to suffer defeat against Besiktas with just 2 triples made. The Spanish team needs the likes of DeShaun Thomas and Andrew Andrews, who combined for 0 three-pointers on 8 attempts, to recover their usual accuracy from deep.

[Veolia Hamburg Towers vs. London Lions](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/veolia-towers-hamburg-london-lions/U2023/15/)

London (1-0) will look to stay perfect as it travels to face a Hamburg team (0-1) desperate to overcome a heavy opening night defeat. The all-round talents of William Christmas, who had 9 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals last week, could propel Hamburg to its first win of the season. But London also has plenty of firepower in the form of impressive competition debutant Donte Grantham, who inspired his team's opening night victory with 23 points and 7 rebounds.

Donte Grantham (23 points) Highlights vs. Umana Reyer Venice, 10/04/2023

Donte Grantham's best plays against Umana Reyer Venice

[Umana Reyer Venice vs. Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/umana-reyer-venice-paris-basketball/U2023/14/)

After starting the season with a thumping victory over Wolves Vilnius, Paris (1-0) hopes to keep on rolling with a trip to face a Reyer team (0-1) that lost last week in London. The ambitious French team had six different players scoring in double digits, and showed great efficiency with 24 assists and just 7 turnovers, consequently netting at least 24 points in every quarter to start its season in style. Reyer will attempt to compete through multi-skilled big man Amedeo Tessitori, who provided 16 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in last week's loss.

[7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys vs. Aris Midea Thessaloniki](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys-aris-midea-thessaloniki/U2023/18/)

Lietkabelis (0-1) seeks its first win of the season as it welcomes an Aris team (0-1) that also suffered defeat in Round 1. The home team knows it can compete physically after grabbing 42 rebounds in its loss at Buducnost, including 14 at the offensive end. Gabrielus Maldunas contributed 4 of those on his way to a team-high 16 points. Roberto Gallinat provided exactly one-third of his team's Round 1 offensive production with 22 of Aris's 66 points, but nobody else scored more than 10 points and the Greek team will need others to also step up to prevail in Lithuania. 

Roberto Tremaine Gallinat (22 points) Highlights vs. Herbalife Gran Canaria, 10/04/2023

Roberto Gallinat's best plays against Dreamland Gran Canaria

[Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul vs. Prometey Slobozhanske](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul-prometey-slobozhanske/U2023/11/)

Two of the opening round’s most contrasting winners go head to head as Besiktas (1-0) hosts Prometey (1-0). The Turkish team leaned on stellar defense to overcome Joventut, allowing only 62 points, whereas Prometey delivered offensive fireworks to pile on 97 points against Hamburg. Outstanding inside efficiency, with 23 of 33 two-point shots converted helping contribute to 19 points for Marcus Keene, was one of the keys to Prometey's smoothly functioning offense. Hamburg will look to maintain its defensive excellence and hope the dangerous Jonah Mathews, who scored 9 points on 3-of-14 field goal shooting last week, can step up his offensive efforts.

[Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/dolomiti-energia-trento-mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse/U2023/16/)

Bourg (1-0) will aim for its second victory with a trip to Trento (0-1), which has the target of getting into the W column. The French team impressed offensively in Round 1, scoring 90 points to overcome Slask. Young French guard Hugo Benitez was the star, scoring a career-high 19 points while adding 5 assists and 3 steals. Trento, conversely, must play with much more offensive control after being dogged by turnovers in its opening-round loss against Ulm, losing the ball a staggering 24 times with seven players committing at least 2 turnovers.

Veolia Towers Hamburg v London Lions (2023-10-10T17:30:00.000Z)

Umana Reyer Venice v Paris Basketball (2023-10-11T18:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Wolves Vilnius (2023-10-11T17:00:00.000Z)

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Joventut Badalona (2023-10-11T16:30:00.000Z)

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul v Prometey Slobozhanske (2023-10-10T17:00:00.000Z)

Slask Wroclaw v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2023-10-11T18:00:00.000Z)

Turk Telekom Ankara v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2023-10-11T17:00:00.000Z)

7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys v Aris Midea Thessaloniki (2023-10-10T16:00:00.000Z)

Dreamland Gran Canaria v ratiopharm Ulm (2023-10-11T19:00:00.000Z)

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (2023-10-10T18:00:00.000Z)

Look back at all the action in the Regular Season Round 1 by checking out the best photos of the week!

EuroCup, The Top 10 photos of the week, Round 1

Many players made an impact in the opening week of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season, but some who stood out over three-days of Round 1 are Marcus Keene of Prometey Slobozhanske, Andrew Albicy of Dreamland Gran Canaria, Davide Alviti of Dolomiti Energia Trento, Hugo Benitez of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse and Dusan Miletic of Slask Wroclaw.

Roll call, Round 1: Season-opening impacts

### Keene got Prometey rolling

Prometey Slobozhanske waltzed to a [97-77 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/prometey-slobozhanske-veolia-towers-hamburg/U2023/1/) over Veolia Towers Hamburg with new point guard [Marcus Keene](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/marcus-keene/011066/) in the driver's seat. Keened hit a pair of triples among 9 points in the game's first 5 minutes as Prometey opened a 21-9 lead and never looked back. Keene would finish with a team-high 19 points, making 4 of 5 two-point shots and 3 of 8 triples. He also dished a career-best 6 assists. Keene has previously played four EuroCup games with Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana in the 2021-22 campaign.

Marcus Keene's top plays vs. Hamburg Towers in Round 1

Marcus Keene's highlights in Round 1

### Albicy started Gran Canaria's title-defense as a silent hero

Dreamland Gran Canaria started its attempt to become the first back-to-back EuroCup champion with a big road victory at Aris Midea Thessaloniki. In the Spanish team's [66-82 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/aris-midea-thessaloniki-dreamland-gran-canaria/U2023/9/#boxscore), veteran guard [Andrew Albicy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/andrew-albicy/003425/) played an instrumental role. In addition to scoring 8 points, Albicy dished 5 assists and tied his career-best with 5 steals. However, nothing says more of how much of an impact Albicy had than the fact that Gran Canaria outscored Aris by 30 points during the 26:17 minutes when Albicy was on the floor.

Andrew Albicy was everywhere for Dreamland Gran Canaria against Aris Midea Thessaloniki in Round 1 of the 2023-24 season.

Albicy was everywhere for Gran Canaria in Thessaloniki

### Trento's Alviti was hot from long-range

[Davide Alviti](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/davide-alviti/005059/) might not have started his first full EuroCup campaign the way he hoped, but that does not take away from the fact he knocked down more three-point shots than any other player in Round 1. Dolomiti Energia Trento lost on the road against ratiopharm Ulm, [80-70](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/ratiopharm-ulm-dolomiti-energia-trento/U2023/10/), but Alviti was Trento's top scored with 15 points, netting 5 triples on 6 attempts. For Alviti, this was his second EuroCup appearance, after he played 46 seconds in the 2014-15 season when he was with Virtus Rome.

Davide Alviti made 5 three-pointers against ratiopharm Ulm in Round 1.

Davide Alviti hit 5 triples vs. Ulm

### Bourg's Benitez opened the season with a career game

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse had a winning start to the 2023-24 campaign with a [90-74](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-slask-wroclaw/U2023/6/) dismissal of Slask Wroclaw in which 22-year old guard [Hugo Benitez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/hugo-benitez/010449/) put all his talents on display. To start his fourth EuroCup season, Benitez scored a career-high 19 points, surpassing his previous best of 16. He made 5 two-point shots for the second time in his career, and hit multiple three-pointers for the fourth time among his 51st career appearance. Benitez also had 5 assists and 3 steals, and finished the game with a performance index rating of 25, smashing his previous career-best of 18.

Hugo Benitez led Bourg past Slask in season opener

Hugo Benitez led Bourg past Slask

### Slask's Miletic had a coming-out performance

In that same clash, Slask had a star of his own in center [Dusan Miletic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/dusan-miletic/009896/), who amassed 19 points and 13 rebounds for a 29 PIR in defeat. Over six previous EuroCup appearances, all with Partizan Belgrade, Miletic had 0 points, 4 rebounds and an accumulated a PIR of 1. In his first appearance in Slask uniform, Miletic made 9 two-point shots on 13 attempts. No player scored more field goals in Round 1 than Miletic. Slask might have ended up on the losing side, but might have a new inside force to be reckoned with.

Dusan Miletic made 9 two-point shots for Slask Wroclaw vs. JL Bourg en Bresse.

Dusan Miletic made 9 two-pointers vs. Bourg

Many players made an impact in the opening week of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season, but here are a few who stood out over three days of Round 1 action..

An outstanding individual performance in a winning effort allowed playmaker [T.J. Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tj-shorts/012608/) of Paris Basketball to be the Round 1 MVP in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season.

Shorts led Paris to [a dominant 105-78 victory over Wolves Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/paris-basketball-wolves-vilnius/U2023/3/). In his EuroCup debut, Shorts needed less than 23 minutes on the floor to amass a PIR of 30, the highest of any player in Round 1. He finished the game with 20 points on 8-for-11 two-point and 4-fof-4 free-throw shooting. Shorts added 9 assists, which leads this week's standings, in addition to adding 3 steals and 5 fouls drawn.

The second-best PIR of in the opening round, 29, belonged to [Dusan Miletic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/dusan-miletic/009896/) of Slask Wroclaw. In [a 90-76 loss against Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-slask-wroclaw/U2023/6/), Miletic amassed 19 points on 9-for-13 two-point shooting and 13 rebounds. He also had 2 steals, a block and an assist.

An outstanding individual perfomance in a winning effort allowed playmaker TJ Shorts of Paris Basketball to be the MVP for the opening round of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season.

TJ Shorts | Round 1 MVP | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

Two Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv players – forward [Jaylen Hoard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/jaylen-hoard/006835/) and combo guard [Xavier Munford](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/xavier-munford/007759/) – were third and fourth, respectively, in this round's MVP race. Hoard had 18 points on 6-of-8 two-pointers and 6-of-8 free throws in [Hapoel's 100-73 home triumph over Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv-cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/U2023/4/). He added 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks and 5 fouls drawn for a PIR of 27. Mumford also excelled against Cedevita, recording 21 points on 4-of-6 three-pointers, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 fouls drawn and a PIR of 26. London Lions forward [Donte Grantham](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/donte-grantham/012586/) and Bourg guard [Hugo Benitez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/hugo-benitez/010449/), who each had a PIR of 25, completed the top individual performances in Round 1. Benitez had 19 points, 5 assists and 3 steals, while Grantham posted 23 points and 7 rebounds in a win over Umana Reyer Venice.

### T.J. Shorts's journey to Paris

Shorts is one of six players, along with head coach Tuomas Iisalo, to have joined Paris from Telekom Baskets Bonn over the summer. All seven of them led Bonn to the 2022-23 Basketball Champions League title, with Shorts earning season MVP and final four MVP honors. He started his professional basketball career with Ventspils of Latvia, and also played for Hamburg Towers and HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim of Germany before joining Bonn. Shorts has also been a member of the North Macedonian national team.

TJ Shorts – EuroCup – Paris Basketball – Round 1 MVP 

The American guard is the first weekly MVP in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season. 

Round 1 MVP: TJ Shorts, Paris Basketball

Paris Basketball v Wolves Vilnius (2023-10-03T18:30:00.000Z)

Trevion Williams grabbed 16 rebounds for ratiopharm Ulm in its 80-70 win against Dolomiti Energia Trento in Round 1 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Round 1 individual highs: Trevion Williams of Ulm, 16 rebounds

[Donte Grantham](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/donte-grantham/012586/) of London Lions was Round 1's top scorer, scoring 23 points to lead his team to a 76-69 home victory against Umana Reyer Venice. It was Grantham's first-ever game in the BKT EuroCup. 

Another EuroCup newcomer, [Trevion Williams](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/trevion-lamon-williams-/012604/) of ratiopharm ulm, pulled down 16 rebounds in an 80-70 winning effort against Dolomiti Energia Trento. It is the second-best mark by an Ulm player in the EuroCup; John Bryant had 17 rebounds in a 91-70 home victory against Galatasaray Medical Park Istanbul on January 30, 2013. 

[T.J. Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tj-shorts/012608/) of Paris Basketball dished 9 assists, more than anybody else in Round 1, in his team’s 105-78 victory over Wolves Vilnius. 

[Andrew Albicy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/andrew-albicy/003425/) of Dreamland Gran Canaria collected 5 steals, matching a club record, in a 66-82 road victory against Aris Midea Thessaloniki. Albicy has collected 5 steals for the second time in his career, having previously done so with Gran Canaria against Veolia Hamburg Towers last season. Albicy has collected 149 steals in his EuroCup career, ranking fourth all-time, and needs two more to go past third-ranked Andre Riddick (150). 

Three players had 3 blocks in Round 1: [Karlo Matkovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/karlo-matkovic/009395/) of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, [Paul Biligha](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/paul-biligha/009903/) of Trento and [James Palmer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/james-palmer-jr-/011834/) of Turk Telekom Ankara. 

Williams, [Berkan Durmaz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/berkan-durmaz/007917/) of Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul and [Dusan Miletic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/dusan-miletic/009896/) of Slask Wroclaw registered a double-double in this season's opening round.

Here are the leaders in the main statistical categories after Round 1 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season. 

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge offers weekly prizes to the top team manager, so get in the game and go for the gold!

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge: Round 1 winner

Congratulations to Gokhan Turan, who is the [EuroCup Fantasy Challenge, powered by Ardu Prime](https://eurocupfantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home) first winner for 2023-24! Andrea's team Primavera posted a score of 228.40.

The team featured the following lineup: team captain T.J. Shorts of Paris Basketball, Jaylen Hoard of Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, Karel Guzman of U-BT Cluj-Napoca, Eigirdas Zukuaskas of the Vilnius Wolves and Karlo Matkovic of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana as starters; Donte Grantham of the London Towers as the sixth man; Maksim Salash of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, Dusan Miletic of Slask Wroclaw, Issuf Sanon of Prometey Slobozhanske and Vassilis Toliopoulos of Aris Midea Thessaloniki as bench players; and Iisalo Tuomas of Paris as head coach. The prize for finishing first in Round 1 is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2023-24 season!

Of course, Gokhan is the first leader atop the overall standings. His team Primavera is ahead of everyone else with 228.40 fantasy points.

Trades are now open for Round 2. Remember, three trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season, and you can also trade your head coach.

The first game in Round 2, 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys vs. Aris Midea Thessaloniki, is scheduled to tip off on Tuesday, October 10 at 18:00 CEST, and thus marks the next round's deadline.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become [EuroCup Fantasy Challenge's](https://eurocupfantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home) next winner!

Zaccharie Risacher of Bourg looks ready to continue the long line of future stars coming through the BKT EuroCup.

 Risacher aced his EuroCup debut with Bourg 

The BKT EuroCup has always been an incubator for future stars, and one name to mark down at the beginning of this season is [Zaccharie Risacher](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/zaccharie-risacher/010718/) of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse.

A smooth, 2.06-meter forward with basketball pedigree courtesy of his father, former EuroLeague star Stephane, Risacher made the move to Bourg from LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne over the summer in search of playing time. 

In his first EuroCup game, he got that, coming off the bench for 20 minutes in which his poise belied the fact that Risacher is still just 18 years old. 

Risacher let the game come to him, completing Bourg's comeback from early deficits with the final 4 points of the first quarter, which supplied the home team's first lead. He was there at the end of the second quarter, too, assisting Mike Isiaha for a 46-42 halftime lead, after which Bourg never trailed again en route to a [90-74 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/bourg-stops-slask-90-74-in-home-opener/).

Zaccharie Risacher (13 points) Highlights vs. Slask Wroclaw, 10/05/2023

Zaccharie Risacher's EuroCup highights vs. Slask Wroclaw

Risacher finished with 13 points on 4-for-5 two-point and 2-for-2 free throw shooting while also posting 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 assist. His 15 PIR was third on the team and his plus/minus of +16 second for the winners.

He mixed up his offense with a three-pointer and a dunk, but most impressive was how Risacher seemed to fit right in, not forcing anything. His most eye-catching play probably came while spinning as he received a lob pass to lose his defender and score fading away inside. 

His physique is still slim, befitting his age, but except for getting pushed away from loose balls a couple of times, Risacher held his own. His footwork along the baseline freed him up for open shots while his ballhandling and passing kept him involved in the offensive action even when he wasn't shooting. On defense, he got one steal and broke up another lob while playing heads-up help defense.

Risacher is no secret, of course. But getting to watch him grow on EuroCup game nights will be a pleasure for more than just Bourg fans this season.

Game News

Game Videos

Zaccharie Risacher of Bourg looks ready to continue the long line of future stars coming through the BKT EuroCup.



Risacher aced his EuroCup debut with Bourg

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v Slask Wroclaw (2023-10-05T19:00:00.000Z)