### Turk Telekom Ankara head coach Erdem Can:

"First of all, I would like to thank Promitheas's organization, honestly. They had great hospitality and we are really honored to be over here and I think they are giving a great example for EuroCup how to host opponents' teams, I really appreciate that. Secondly, this was the leader of our group and that was a really important game. There is a long, long way to go but the only target that we have, we just say that every day, we try to get better, and this is one of the days that we tried to get better."

### Promitheas Patras head coach Makis Giatras:

"First of all, I want to talk about the game. We made an effort, playing against a good team. When you accept 99 points on defense, you don't have too many chances to win the game. They punished every weakness we had on defense. They read the game very well, especially in the fourth quarter. Congratulations to Turk Telekom for the victory. I believe that the team will continue being in the high rankings of the EuroCup and with the support of our fans, our team can go as high as it can in the rankings."

Game News

### Turk Telekom Ankara guard Jerian Grant:

"They are a really good team, we were playing on the road and this puts us on top of the division \[group\]."

Coach Can: 'We try to get better'

Promitheas Patras v Turk Telekom Ankara (2022-11-29T17:30:00.000Z)

### Buducnost VOLI Podgorica head coach Vlada Jovanovic:

"We opened the game very well with excellent three-point \[shooting\] percentages. I expected their reaction in the second half and we could tell we had a problem on the offensive rebounds for almost 15 minutes. When we fixed that problem, we took control of the game. We have a lot of games in front of us."

### Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv head coach Danny Franco:

"We didn’t play good enough to beat a team like Buducnost. We had the feeling that we were always close; we had to pick up the level of our game, decision-making, creating shots a little better, be a little smarter on defense leading guys to where we know. Paying attention more to details. We didn’t do it good enough and unfortunately we were punished for that."

### Buducnost VOLI Podgorica center Alpha Kaba:

"We lost the previous game against Paris, a game we should have won, so we had to react today. We know the way they play here – a lot of intensity, an amazing crowd, so we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We just got the W and we’re happy. We just tried our best. Some days we’ll play good, some days we’ll play bad. Today Reynolds just did his thing. I’m really happy for him. He’s a great shooter and we need him at this level every game."

Kaba, Buducnost: 'We had to react today'

Hapoel Tel Aviv v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2022-11-29T18:00:00.000Z)

U-BT Cluj-Napoca is currently enjoying its debut season in the 7DAYS EuroCup, and one player who has already announced himself to the competition is Brazilian small forward Leo Meindl. Despite having never played in the EuroCup prior to this season, Meindl has made an immediate impact, ranking fourth in scoring (18.4 ppg.), 12th in rebounds (7.2 rpg.) and seventh in PIR (19.2). He has been hitting 44.4% of his shots from downtown, too. Cluj has a 2-3 record in Group A, yet Meindl has been remarkably consistent for the Romanian team.

After growing up in his native Brazil, Meindl spent two seasons in Spain with Fuenlabrada before joining Cluj in the offseason. Once Cluj's offer arrived, and with the possibility of playing in the EuroCup, Meindl did not hesitate about saying yes, as he told us in this [EuroCupBasketball.com](http://EuroCupBasketball.com) interview. "Cluj proposed a very good offer from a sporting point of view, as I got here to be one of the main players in the team and play in the EuroCup, which is what I wanted," Meindl explained. "This is a step forward in my career and it's going well so far; the people like me here and this is a very good team."

**Hello, Leo. Congratulations for beating Brescia. How great was it to win at home, knowing that you have such a big crowd behind you?**

"Yes, the people here really love basketball and, for us, this is incredible. We play in front of 10,000 fans in each EuroCup game, and the home-court advantage makes things different for us. Our fans get us into it, shout a lot and do their best to motivate the team, which help us a lot. We are having a lot of close games, played point to point, and our fans often make the difference."

**Brescia hit 12 three-pointers before the break and only 3 after that. What did you change at halftime that worked so well?** 

"Well, we knew that Brescia is an offensive-minded team with good three-point shooters. We were making mistakes on small details, which allowed them to take open shots. Not all of their shots were contested and, at this level, if you take an open shot, the percentage is much higher. This is what we talked about. If we made a mistake on defense, we had to recover as fast as possible and contest their shots. That way, they would have a smaller chance to hit the shot. That is what we did: being more aggressive on defense and contesting the shots without making that many mistakes. We did well in the second half and managed to stop them." 

**It is your first season in Cluj. Was playing in the EuroCup one of your main goals?** 

"Yes, for sure. I have the dream of playing in the \[Turkish Airlines\] EuroLeague. I had been in Spain for two years and proved that I can play in the Spanish League. I had two very good seasons, and I wanted to play the EuroCup. Cluj proposed a very good offer from a sporting point of view, as I got here to be one of the main players in the team and play in the EuroCup, which is what I wanted. This is a step forward in my career and it's going well so far; the people like me here and this is a very good team. Everybody on the roster trusts me. I didn't know much about the team when I arrived, but I knew that they are professionals and wanted to compete well in the EuroCup, not just play it. I wanted to be in a winning team in which I could play a leading role, and it's all worked out \[so far\]." 

**Now that you are in the EuroCup, what do you think about the competition level and the organization?**

"It's amazing. I like the rules on and off the court. In the EuroCup, you need to have a good structure to play in the competition. So, when you join a EuroCup team, you know that the club's structure will be very good. Moreover, there are very good teams in the competition, and that makes you a better player. I like everything about it – I love playing in the EuroCup, and I am very happy, to be honest." 

Leo Meindl is in his first 7DAYS EuroCup season with U-BT Cluj-Napoca, and is playing a leading role.

2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup highlights: Leo Meindl, Cluj

**Your next two games are against Frutti Extra Bursaspor and Joventut Badalona, two of the favorites to win the competition. Will those results be a good indicator of where Cluj stands right now?** 

"Well, we don't have to think much about our opponents' level. We need a good game plan and to follow it. In the end, \[we need to\] leave it all out on the floor and let the results speak for themselves. We don't need to think much about our opponents. We know these are two very tough teams, but we are here to compete. We will practice, have a game plan, play our game and see how it turns out in the end. If we win both games, these are not the wins of the season, and if we lose, we will not be that bad. We have to follow our plan, be focused, do what we have to do with a lot of heart and \[then\] see what happens." 

**You are a Brazilian player in Romania, which is rather unconventional. How is your daily life in Cluj?** 

"At first, I didn't know much about the country. Truth be told, you don't hear much about Romania in Brazil, so I was a little bit scared. I started to make some calls and contacted people who played here. I called Emanuel Cate, who is Romanian, played for Murcia \[in Spain\] last season and ended up in Cluj, too. Everybody gave me good feedback about the club and the country. I am used to playing in Europe after two years in Spain, and life in Europe is very good. There are a lot of things in Romania that are very similar to Spain, like Mediterranean food. It is a bit colder here, but the seasons are similar, too. I like it here. I knew that it is not very conventional to have Brazilian players over here, but maybe I am opening the way for other Brazilians in the future. I love being here, I like Romania a lot. I hope we will win a lot of games this season." 

**The World Cup is underway. Are you following Brazil's games?** 

"Yes, of course. I miss my friends and family, but I would miss that if I were in any other place in the world apart from Brazil. We have a wonderful tradition in Brazil to watch football together, especially during the World Cup, but I am alone right now. My family is coming for Christmas, so it is not an easy thing, because I will have to watch the games on my own. My family is there and I am here, but I have my goals. I came here to become a better player and a better person, and things like this are part of being a professional basketball player. I am not thinking too much about all this stuff, I just try to enjoy my life and keep moving forward. I am sticking to my goals, becoming a better player and better person \[in the process\]."  

"I want to win as many titles as possible"

**Back to basketball, everyone is crazy about the team in Cluj-Napoca. The club represents the city at the highest level. How cool is that?** 

"The club is really important in this city. The players are recognized on the streets, in markets, everywhere. All of the players are really appreciated here. There are two football clubs in Cluj, but there is a bigger basketball tradition. People know basketball and love to be there, watching games, supporting us, making the players feel like \[they're at\] home. Basketball is big here, and I like it a lot. Cluj is not a big city, but it is big enough and people love basketball. I love being here." 

**Are you in touch with any of the other Brazilians in the competition, such as Yago Dos Santos of ratiopharm Ulm and Vitor Benite of Gran Canaria?** 

"Yes, of course. We were together two weeks ago, with the national team. We talked a lot. Benite is in the other regular-season group, \[but\] Yago and I are in the same group. Many times, we need to know which player can do what. We were all in different leagues and different teams last season, too. We don't know all of the EuroCup players, so we get in touch with each other to say which player does what, what players are good at \[certain things\]. That way, we know our opponents' strengths and weaknesses – it helps a lot. Yago is out of Brazil for the first time and always has a lot of questions about how things are in Europe. We are always in touch, not just us three but all the Brazilian players in Europe." 

**What would make a good season for you, personally, and for Cluj?** 

"As a team, I want to win as many titles as possible in all competitions I play in. I want to win the EuroCup, the Romanian League and the Romanian Cup. I would only be 100% happy if we won everything. Personally, it is obvious that I am working really hard and doing all I can to be the best player in the competition. If I don't make it, it's OK, but my main goal is to help the team win titles. I know it is not easy, but this is the only way I would be 100% happy: winning the \[EuroCup\] title. It is every player's dream: winning all titles and being the best player in the competition." 

Leo Meindl, Cluj: 'I wanted to play in the EuroCup'

Frutti Extra Bursaspor has confirmed that head coach Dusan Alimpijevic has signed a new contract extension that will keep him with the club until the summer of 2025. The 2021-22 7DAYS EuroCup Coach of the Year is in his third season in charge of Bursaspor, having been appointed back in November 2020. Coach Alimpijevic has a record of 17-19 across his time with Bursaspor in the EuroCup, including 3-2 so far this season.

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Hep birlikte yeni hikayeler yazmaya! <br><br>Dusan Alimpijevic, 2025 ✍️ <a href="https://t.co/n63rAXQWNb">pic.twitter.com/n63rAXQWNb</a></p>&mdash; Frutti Extra Bursaspor (@BsBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/BsBasketbol/status/1597574738817482757?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Last season, Coach Alimpijevic was the mastermind behind Bursaspor's fairytale run to the EuroCup Final, but it came up short, losing 80-67 to Virtus Segafredo Bologna. Despite losing some of its key players, including Andrew Andrews, Kevarrius Hayes and John Holland, to Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clubs over the summer, Bursaspor has remained competitive in this year's EuroCup and has aspirations of making another deep run in the competition.

Bursaspor extends Coach Alimpijevic until 2025

Fantasy Challenge tips: Some solid choices

Round 6 is the last one in November, and with less than two months of competition, there are no undefeated teams left in the 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup. That means that the EuroCup Fantasy Challenge, powered by Ardu Prime, is arguably less predictable than ever. We have done our weekly analysis to recommend five players, not just superstars, but cheaper options that should help your team right away. Here they are: 

**Kyle Allman, Paris Basketball (12.9 credits) –** Paris features many players with good numbers but Allman plays a leading role due to his outstanding scoring skills. Allman is averaging 20.6 points and reached 30, with a PIR of 42, in Round 4 against Gran Canaria. He adds 3.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and a PIR average of 21.2. A really solid choice, anytime. 

**Alpha Kaba, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (13.8 credits) –** Right in the prime of his career, Kaba has been Buducnost's main frontcourt pillar. He averages 14.0 points, 10.8 rebounds and a PIR of 20.6 despite struggling from the foul line (10-of-21, 47.6%). Even with that, he had a PIR of 21 of higher in each of his team's last four games. What's not to like?

Kyle Allman, Alpha Kaba, Yoeli Childs, Nemanja Gordic, and Aleksander Balcerowski are featured in this week's article.

Fantasy tips: Regular Season Round 6

**Yoeli Childs, Veolia Towers Hamburg (11.8 credits) –** Childs needed some time to adjust to a new level of competition but once he did that, he has been rock solid. In the last three games, Childs averages 16.7 points on 24-for-33 two-point shooting (72.7% 2FG), 11.3 rebounds and a PIR of 22.7. He should play even better as the season goes on, becoming Hamburg's leader. 

**Nemanja Gordic, U-BT Cluj-Napoca (8.8 credits) –** Gordic needed just one game to become the team's new floor general. He helped Cluj beat Brescia 91-86 with 13 points, 4 assists, a 16 PIR and clutch free throws. Gordic was signed with a very specific role: provide his court sense and experience to his new team. At 8.8 credits, Gordic looks like a great pick.  

**Aleksander Balcerowski, Gran Canaria (7.1 credits) –** Fantasy-wise, Balcerowski is the kind of player who can stay on the bench or be used as a cheap starter. He has been playing better as the season went on, averaging 10.3 points on 13-for-15 two-pointers (86.7% 2FG), 5.7 rebounds and a PIR of 16.3. His PIR was 25 in Round 3 against London. Balcerowski is a rising value.

With the 7DAYS EuroCup back in action, it’s time for another look at the dynamics at work and the power balance at present among the 20 teams.

With two different groups and 13 rounds to go, it’s time to rank again the 7DAYS EuroCup clubs, not only using their spots in the standings so far but also by taking a look at what they have done after the first five games of the season.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1426309/7days-eurocup-power-rankings-vol-2-3/)

7DAYS EuroCup Power Rankings Vol.2

Kyle Guy can drive to the lane and finish around the basket when his team needs a score. But the American is most widely known as a sniper. Still, the Joventut Badalona guard is not your average great shooter. While many top shooters have pregame warmups that border on obsessive, the 25-year-old works more on just shot-making.

Joventut’s Guy is not your average great shooter

[Kyle Guy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/kyle-guy/011826/) can drive to the lane and finish around the basket when his team needs a score. But the American is most widely known as a sniper. Still, the Joventut Badalona guard is not your average great shooter. While many top shooters have pregame warmups that border on obsessive, the 25-year-old works more on just shot-making.

"I'm a big visualization guy, so I really don’t go to the corner and make five shots and do form shooting and all that stuff. I kind of just go with the flow and just visualize making shots more than kind of going right in front of the rim and shooting up,” said Guy, who has made 9-of-19 three-pointers (47.4%) through five EuroCup games.

"Around high school, I would get double-teamed or face-guarded and I didn't want that to stop me from being able to score and contribute. So one summer I just practiced if my feet are not set, I still need to get my shot off. If there are 6 seconds on the clock, I need to fade away to get it off. I just need to be comfortable making this shot. You never know what situation you’re going to be in."

But Guy is not someone who has been shooting lights out his entire life. His father was an American football coach and Guy concentrated more on American football until eighth grade when he stopped growing. He did play some basketball - which is something almost everyone in the state of Indiana does growing up.

Kyle Guy highlights

"I actually was a terrible shooter until high school. I shot with two hands. I wasn't that good. I was like a pass-first, slasher type of player,” said Guy, who grew up with ace shooters Indiana Pacers star Reggie Miller and former Indiana University standout Steve Alford as role models. "But I always had a love for basketball. Indiana was kind of my ‘basketball dad,' if you will and my dad and family helped me with whatever I wanted to do. So we started taking basketball more seriously."

Guy worked with a shooting coach and he said his sweet stroke came pretty quickly.

"I was just kind of a natural because as soon as I got my form right I was able to shoot the ball pretty well,” he said.

Guy admitted that he's not somebody who worries about any kind of slump or shooting out of it: "I dont really subscribe to the slump ideology. I just kind of I go with the flow. It's gonna go in when it's supposed to go in. I've been shooting 40% \[on three-pointers\] my entire career since high school. And I just really believe in my abilities and the work that I put in to be able to shoot.

"You're not gonna make every shot. So there's no point in obsessing over it. And I like to think that I bring a lot more to the game than just shooting."

Indeed, Guy also brings a winning mentality - even after suffering a disappointing loss.

He was one of the leaders on the University of Virginia team in 2018 when the Cavaliers made negative history by becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament - falling to the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC). The following season, Guy was named the Most Outstanding Player in leading Virginia to the school’s first NCAA title.

"When we lost to UMBC, that whole next year, that's what drove me. But once we won the NCAA title, everything was taken off my shoulders. So now I get to play free and just play for my family, play for myself and for my teammates."

And play freely he does by not worrying about missing shots because he knows that, eventually, they will fall.

### Two sets of in-form teams come head-to-head

On Tuesday night in the 7DAYS EuroCup, four teams with a 4-1 record in the competition face off. First, Promitheas Patras hosts Turk Telekom Ankara at 18:30 CET in Group B, and then at 20:15 CET in Group A, Joventut Badalona welcomes Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse to Palau Olimpic de Badalona. Victory for either team in each of the two games would make them the outright leader at the top of the standings; only Gran Canaria could usurp either Promitheas or Turk Telekom with a sizeable victory over Dolomiti Energia Trento on Wednesday night.

Promitheas managed to steal 76-78 a victory on the road at Slask Wroclaw in Round 5 after Anthony Cowan saw his contested three-pointer drop with 1.2 seconds remaining. It had not been the best of games for Promitheas, having only led for a total of one minute and 22 seconds prior to Cowan's successful triple, but that win meant that it advanced to 4-1 and moved to the top of Group B. A very different game is in store for Promitheas in Round 6, though, as Turk Telekom has gone on a four-game winning run after stumbling in its season opener against Paris Basketball. Turk Telekom head coach Erdem Can has got his players playing with a lot of confidence right now, which could spell bad news for Promitheas. In Round 5, Turk Telekom enjoyed a fairly comfortable 81-66 triumph at home to Trento. During that victory, three of the team's key players – Axel Bouteille, Jerian Grant and Tony Taylor – all came to the fore, and they will need to do so again up against Promitheas in this top-of-the-standings meeting at Dimitris Tofalos Arena.

Switching across to Group A, Joventut put the clamps on ratiopharm Ulm in its 54-68 win in Germany last week. After halftime, with Ulm leading 35-30 at the break, the visitors allowed the hosts to score just 6 points over the next 14 minutes of play. That level of execution on the defensive end is what allowed Joventut to take control of the game. Simon Birgander was the player who stepped up most for Joventut in Round 5, recording an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double while also finishing with 5 blocks. For Bourg, it is coming off its first defeat of the season after falling 80-89 at home to Frutti Extra Bursaspor. Bourg had been one of the biggest surprises in the 2022-23 EuroCup, being the only team to race out to a 4-0 record, but now it will need to respond after being met with adversity for the first time this season. James Palmer, Pierre Pelos and Jordan Floyd all scored a double-digit number of points for Bourg in its defeat to Bursaspor, but Isiaha Mike – one of the team's stars to this point – had a quiet night by his standards. Going to Palau Olimpic de Badalona is always a tricky proposition for any team, but Bourg will hope to respond in positive way against Joventut.

### An Italian derby 

In the late tipoff on Tuesday night, two of the three Italian teams in the EuroCup will go out to battle when Germani Brescia comes up against Umana Reyer Venice at PalaLeonessa A2A at 20:30 CET. The form book indicates that Reyer is the favorite after winning its last three games, having begun the season with back-to-back defeats, while Brescia started off 2-1 in its first three fixtures but has since gone on a two-game losing run. It should be a fascinating encounter between two of Italy's best teams, as Brescia has the EuroCup's seventh-best offense with an average of 84.0 points per game, whereas Reyer has the third-best defense, giving up an average of 75.8 points per night. 

### Can Cedevita get back on track?

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana came into the season as one of the early favorites to go far in this year's EuroCup, but after five games, it currently has a record of 0-5. It has been a tricky start to the campaign for Cedevita, having already played some of the competition's powerhouses in Bursaspor, Joventut and Reyer, but losses to U-BT Cluj-Napoca and Prometey Slobozhanske were not part of the script. The big problem for Cedevita is that it is struggling on both ends of the floor, as it has the second-worst offensive numbers in the EuroCup, averaging 76.8 points per game, and also the worst defensive rating, giving up 89.0 points per night; without a significant improvement in these two areas, it is hard to see the team coming close to reaching its potential. In Round 6, Cedevita travels to Lithuania to take on the 2-5 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys, and anything but a win could see the team's playoff chances take a serious hit. 

Round 6 at a glance

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Gran Canaria (2022-11-30T19:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2022-11-29T18:00:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2022-11-30T19:30:00.000Z)

London Lions v Slask Wroclaw (2022-11-30T19:30:00.000Z)

Prometey Slobozhanske v ratiopharm Ulm (2022-11-30T17:00:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona v Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (2022-11-29T19:15:00.000Z)

Frutti Extra Bursaspor v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2022-11-30T17:00:00.000Z)

Germani Brescia v Umana Reyer Venice (2022-11-29T19:30:00.000Z)

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2022-11-30T17:00:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball will go for its first home win ever in the EuroCup when it hosts Veolia Towers Hamburg on Wednesday. Paris (3-2) is perfect on the road this season, but has lost both of its home games. Hamburg (2-3) has split its two road games this season. 

Paris comes off a 74-77 victory at Buducnost VOLI Podgorica in which players scored in double figures. Kyle Allman has been the team’s top scorer with 20.6 points per game, which is second-most in the competition. Ismael Kamagate (10.2 ppg., 7.6 rpg., 2.2 bpg.) has been an anchor inside; he leads the EuroCup in blocks and is 10th in rebounds. 

Hamburg comes off its worst game of the season, a 75-103 home loss against London Lions, and will look to bounce back right away. Big man Yoeli Childs (13.4 ppg., 66.7 FG%, 8.6 rpg.), who is tied for fourth in the competition in rebounds, has been Hamburg’s chief inside and Kendale McCullum (11.8 ppg., 5.8 apg., 2.2 spg.), who is tied for fourth in assists and fifth in steals, runs the show.

The pressure that the Paris guards put on their counterparts could play a big role as Paris is third in the EuroCup in steals (8.6 spg.) and Hamburg has committed the most turnovers in the competition (18.2 per game). However, Hamburg also forces a lot of turnovers (16.2), so it could go either way. 