Roster rundown: London Lions

The London Lions enter their debut season in the 7DAYS EuroCup with a lot of anticipation as the first English team to appear in the competition in 16 years. Back then, the Guildford Heat went 0-10 in the regular season and finished bottom of its group. Nobody in London's organization is expecting something like that to happen, following a summer in which it has significantly strengthened its roster and appointed a new head coach, Ryan Schmidt. London looks eager to shake things up in Group B.

### BACKCOURT

London has just two of its guards remaining from the 2021-22 season: Bradley Kaboza and Josh Ward-Hibbert. The 21-year-old Kaboza joined the senior team in March and made an impact at both ends over the final stretch of the season, after which the club locked him up long-term with a four-year deal. Ward-Hibbert, a former professional tennis player, missed much of last season and hopes to have a bigger role this season.  That won't be easy though because there is going to be a lot of competition for minutes this season. New signing Aaron Best, a Canadian international who briefly played under Coach Schmidt with Hamilton of Canada at the end of last season, figures to have a main role in the backcourt. London has made an effort of trying to bring the best English talent back to the country and it did so with the signing of Luke Nelson, a Great Britain international coming off a strong campaign in the French League. Swingman Mo Soluade, who brings EuroLeague experience from his time with Unicaja Malaga, returns home after playing the past few years in Spain. London also signed veteran EuroCup guard Tarik Phillip, but a knee injury has since sidelined him indefinitely. In his stead, the team made a move for point guard Devon Van Oostrum, another Great Britain international with EuroLeague experience. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Frames from the first half 📸<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wearelondon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#wearelondon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/londonlions?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#londonlions</a> <a href="https://t.co/wjKJfwiKLH">pic.twitter.com/wjKJfwiKLH</a></p>&mdash; London Lions (@LondonLions) <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonLions/status/1566090668358901760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### FRONTCOURT

General Manager Brett Burman has rebuilt the frontcourt with a healthy mix of experience, youth and players who are ready to hit the ground running. In particular, the arrivals of Sam Dekker, Ovie Soko and Kosta Koufos have inspired a lot of excitement among London's fanbase. Dekker arrives in the English capital on the back of a solid season in Turkey with Bahcesehir and at 28 years of age, he is someone who will be expected to carry a fair chunk of the load. It is a similar story for Great Britain international Soko. The 31-year-old regularly put up points in the Japanese League last year with Shiga L-Stars and Nagoya DD. Czech forward Vojtech Hruban, who spent the last decade with his homeland's top team and is the all-time leading scorer in the Basketball Champions League, is another frontcourt threat. Two younger players who will be looking to impress and earn minutes at the forward positions are 23-year-old Jonathan Komagum and 21-year-old Kareem Queeley. At center, Koufos brings a wealth of experience with him after spending 11 years in the NBA and playing for CSKA Moscow and Olympiacos Piraeus in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague in recent years. He spent the 2021-22 campaign with the G League Ignite but his role was more like a mentor, so he will no doubt be determined to display his talents in a London uniform next season. Koufous will be joined in the paint by Josh Sharma and Tomislav Zubcic. Sharma's shot-blocking skills and Zubcic's outside shooting should allow for creative lineups used by the Lions. 

#### PLAYER TO WATCH

Given his age, experience and quality, Sam Dekker is likely to play a key role for London in its first campaign in the EuroCup. The 2.04-meter forward is a threat around the rim and can be very dangerous from three-point range, while he is also not afraid to display his shooting stroke from mid-range, so opposition defenses will have a lot to worry about when he is on the court. London may be a newcomer to the EuroCup, but it has high hopes about what it could achieve. Dekker does also after a strong EuroCup debut with Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar and how well he performs with the Lions could go a long way towards determining how the team does in the coming season.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">ARE YOU SEEING WHAT IM SEEING?! 😳 <a href="https://twitter.com/Josharma20?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Josharma20</a> throws the hammer down 🔥<br><br>Down by 1 at the end of Q1!<br>Lions 26 : 27 <a href="https://twitter.com/antwerpgiants?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@antwerpgiants</a> 🇬🇧🇧🇪<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wearelondon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#wearelondon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/londonlions?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#londonlions</a> <a href="https://t.co/FI4nTubfn7">pic.twitter.com/FI4nTubfn7</a></p>&mdash; London Lions (@LondonLions) <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonLions/status/1566418292788629505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### OUTLOOK

It is never easy to come into a new competition and make an instant impact, but that is exactly what London plans to achieve in the 2022-23 EuroCup. This summer has seen the roster turned upside down, yet the enthusiasm caused by the new signings and the team's place in the EuroCup should lead to a great buzz inside Copper Box Arena. The history of English teams in the competition will not fill some people with confidence, but London has a clear plan and – perhaps more importantly – lofty ambitions. Should everything fall into place, a playoff run could be a real possibility.

AS Monaco took another win in the preseason on Thursday night by defeating 7DAYS EuroCup squad ratiopharm Ulm, 72-99, in a friendly scrimmage in Germany. With superstar Mike James resting for this game, Jordan Loyd led the winners with 20 points, Alpha Diallo added 15 on 6 of 8 shooting and Matthew Strazel contributed 11 points and 4 assists. David Fuchs led the Ulm scorers with 21 points plus 9 rebounds, Josh Hawley added 17 and Matt Mobley posted 13. Monaco managed to win the fist quarter, 13-21, but Ulm came back big in the second to win it and make it 41-43 at the break. In the second half, the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague squad meant business and took the court by storm for a 31-56 partal score in the last two quarters that sealed the deal. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">👊 Nouvelle victoire en préparation pour nos Roca Boys qui s’imposent largement 🆚 <a href="https://twitter.com/ratiopharmulm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ratiopharmulm</a> 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/iiMDKxKzNF">pic.twitter.com/iiMDKxKzNF</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1567966762427207680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz had its first win in the preseason also on Thursday by defeating Casademont Zaragoza, 81-77, in a friendly game played in Logrono, Spain. The first half was close throughout despite Baskonia's 12-2 start, and it ended with Zaragoza leading by 2, 37-39, as Enoch and Hommes had 7 points each. In the third quarter, Baskonia turned things around and took the lead quick to make it 57-50 after 30 minutes. The hosts could never run away comfortably, as Zaragoza stayed in the chase until the very last minute. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">Victoria en el primer test de pretemporada<br><br>📎 <a href="https://t.co/D069kXbcQC">https://t.co/D069kXbcQC</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PreseasonBKN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PreseasonBKN</a> <a href="https://t.co/XuO9cNg1LL">pic.twitter.com/XuO9cNg1LL</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1567975225677029377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Check out the latest preseason results for the 18 teams of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, whose opening day is October 6.

Preseason: Monaco downs Ulm, Baskonia outlasts Zaragoza

### Group C: Greece wins group undefeated, Croatia downs Ukraine, Italy rolls in fourth against Britain

Croatia outlasted Ukraine on Thursday, 90-85, and managed to end ahead in the standings as the win also favored it in the tiebreaker. Bojan Bogdanovic led the winners with 27 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Dominik Mavra added 13 and two-time EuroLeague champ Krunoslav Simon contributed 11 including three triples without miss. For Ukraine, Volodymyr Herun led the losing effort with 21 points, while Issuf Sanon of Prometey Slobozhanske added 11. The first quarter was a constant back-and-forth for both sides, and it was only in the second period when Mavra's layup made it 30-21 for Croatia that they found some breathing room, but Ukraine never gave up and was already trailing by just three, 45-42, at the break. Things stayed close and Vyacheslav Bobrov's three with 44 seconds to go in three made it 65-67 for Ukraine. With 81-79 and four minutes to go, Croatia had a 5-0 run as the clock ticked away that would be decisive, when Bogdanovic secured the gap to come out on top in the end. Poland will now play Ukraine in the Round of 16, and Croatia will face Finland.

Greece ended the groups phase undefeated as Group C champ with a new win, this time over Estonia, 69-90. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the winners with 25 points, and Olympiacos Piraeus's Kostas Sloukas chipped in with 11 in a game when all but one of Greece's players scored at least 2 points. Greece will now play the Czech Republic in the Round of 16. For Estonia, Siim-Sander Vene led the way with 19 points. Georgios Papagiannis of Panathinaikos Athens hit hte first basket in the game and Greece never looked back, as there were no lead changes for the rest of the game. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul's Nick Calathes closed the opening 0-8 run for Greece and fter 10 minutes it was 21-27. Greece soared in the second quarter to lift the lead to double digits and beyond, 36-51 at the break. In the third period the scenario persisted, and Greece led by as many as 29 points. For the last quarter, Greece eased up a little and Estonia even managed to win the quarter, but it was all said and done with the final 21-point lead.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">📊 25 PTS 5 REB 4 AST in 20 mins of work for the Greek Freak!<br><br>🇬🇷 Greece finish the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroBasket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroBasket</a> Group Phase with 5 wins in 5 games! <a href="https://t.co/YmtJGJCmLN">pic.twitter.com/YmtJGJCmLN</a></p>&mdash; #EuroBasket 2022 (@EuroBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroBasket/status/1567942095553314819?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In the last game of the group, Italy stormed over winless Great Britain, 56-90, and took is third win to tie with Ukraine (3-2), but losing the tiebreaker due to having lost in their direct duel. Italy will now play Serbia in the Round of 16. Former Baskonia and ALBA player Simone Fontecchio led the winners with 18 points, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan's Luigi Datome added 13 and his teammate Nicolo Melli posted 11. Myles Hesson led Britain with 18 points. Italy dominated the fourth quarters and was 54-67 after 30 minutes, but a complete meltdown of the British team in the final quarter allowed for a 2-23 that saw Italy cruise to the win, making the final score the biggest lead for them in the game.

### Group D: Serbia wins group undefeated, Finland takes second place, Czech Repubic advances

Finland took a 88-67 over the already eliminated Netherlands on Thursday, and earned second place in Group D, which means it will be playing Croatia in the Round of 16. Finland won the first three quarters with authority and only gave up in the last, when the win was already sealed. Lauri Markkanen led the winners with 22 points and Shawn Huff added 14. For the losing side, which ends its EuroBasket participation without a single win, Worthy De Jong had 21 points. At the halftime break the score was already 48-31 and the lead never changed sides from the start. Finland managed to lead by 29 points at one point, 78-49, and stayed in the driver's seat comfortably until the final buzzer.

The Czech Republic managed to qualify for the Round of 16 with a 88-77 decision over Israel in a win-or-go-home game. Vojtech Hruban led the winners with 25 points, FC Barcelona's Jan Vesely added 16 plus 7 rebounds and Tomas Satoransky, also of Barca, contributed a double-double of 14 points and 11 assists. For Israel, Yam Madar of Partizan NIS Belgrade led the way with 16 points and Tomer Ginat of Hapoel Tel Aviv contributed 15 plus 6 rebounds. The game started off to a frantic pace with constant lead changes, but an 11-0 run by the Czechs made it 24-14. At the break the score was 53-37 but Israel reacted in the third quarter with a 0-9 run that allowed the to win the period, 14-25, for a 67-62 situation after 30 minutes. Things stayed close until 6 minutes to go in the game, when Deni Avdija hit a layup for Israel to make it 83-77, but those were the last points Israel would score, and the Czech Republic managed to secure the win with a few free throws for the final 88-77. The Czechs will now play Group C champ Greece in the Round of 16.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔎 When you Google &quot;𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻,&quot; Tomas Satoransky&#39;s photo shows up: 14PTS, 11AST and 8REB to send 🇨🇿 through to Round of 16! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroBasket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroBasket</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BringTheNoise?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BringTheNoise</a> <a href="https://t.co/BYT4oPtBJb">pic.twitter.com/BYT4oPtBJb</a></p>&mdash; #EuroBasket 2022 (@EuroBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroBasket/status/1567937612924477448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In the last game of the group, Serbia thrashed Poland on Thursday, 96-69, and clinched first place in Group D undefeated. Serbia will now play Italy in the Round of 16. Nikola Jokic led the winners with 19 points, Nikola Milutinov added 16 and Fenerbahce's Marko Guduric posted 15. For Poland, Michal Michalak led the lsoing effort with 17 points. Ths first quarter ended 28-14 and it was a clear clue of how the game would go. Serbia ended with an 11 of 20 from beyond the arc, so Poland's job became even more difficult. Serbia's lead escalated to 91-55 in the last period, as the team rolled to the first place in the group. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">💯 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱! Serbia win their last game in Prague before heading to Berlin! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroBasket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroBasket</a></p>&mdash; #EuroBasket 2022 (@EuroBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroBasket/status/1567978394129924096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The group stage came to an end for all of the teams at EuroBasket 2022 on Thursday.

EuroBasket: Greece and Serbia win groups undefeated, Czech Republic advances

7DAYS EuroCup newcomer U-BT Cluj-Napoca defeated Polish side Sponjia Stargard 82-71 in an exhibition game during its training camp in Serbia. It was the team’s first win in its second preseason game. Stefan Bircevic scored 20 to lead Cluj, Emanuel Cațe tallied 13 points and 8 rebounds, Jordan Taylor had 13 points and 5 assists and Andrija Stipanovic added 11 points. Cluj started strong to lead 25-12 after 10 minutes and 42-31 at halftime en route to the win.

 

Valencia Basket improved to 2-0 on the preseason with a 75-61 victory over fellow Spanish League foe and 7DAYS EuroCup contender Joventut Badalona. The game was close for three quarters, after which Valencia led 57-52. Then it silenced Joventut for 5 minutes during which it reeled off 9 straight points to put the game away. Chris Jones led the way with 17 points, Sam Van Rossom scored 15, Jonah Radebaugh 13 and Josep Puerto 10. For Joventut, Simon Birgander scored 13 and Guillem Vives had 11.

### Wednesday results

**Valencia Basket 75-61 Joventut Badalona**, Friendly game, Salou, Spain

**Germani Brescia 71-67 Pallacanestro Cantu**, Trofeo degli Angeli, Palasampietro, Italy

**U-BT Cluj-Napoca 82-72 Spojnia Stargard**, Friendly game, Belgrade, Serbia

Check out the preseason results of 7DAYS EuroCup teams that played on Wednesday, September 7.

Preseason: Cluj wins in Belgrade

### Group A: Spain finishes in first place, Belgium and Montenegro advance

Spain outlasted Turkey 69-72 in Tbilisi, Georgia, to finish atop Group A. It will meet Lithuania in the Round of 16 on Saturday. Willy Hernangomez paced the winners with 15 points and 7 rebounds and Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv point guard Lorenzo Brown tallied 11 points and 7 assists. It was a back-and-forth contest that featured 15 lead changes. Turkey led 65-64 on a Furkan Korkmaz layup with 2 and a half minutes remaining, but Brown and Valencia Basket guard Xabi Lopez-Arostegui combined for the next 5 points as Spain held on. Cedi Osman led Turkey with 20 points and Korkmaz added 16.

Belgium punched its ticket to the Round of 16 with an 80-89 victory over Bulgaria, which ended the latter’s participation in the tournament. Bulgaria was down 11 at halftime and stormed back in the third quarter, but Belgium regained control, 60-66, by the end of the third and held on in the fourth despite the best efforts of the Bulgarians. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne guard Retin Obasohan led the Belgian attack with 25 points and Emmanuel Lecomte contributed 20. All-EuroLeague forward Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos Piraeus produced 26 points and 13 rebounds for Bulgaria in defeat.

Montenegro claimed the fourth and final ticket to Berlin from Group A by beating 73-81 host Georgia 73-81 in the last game of the tournament in Tbilisi. Montenegro, which never trailed in the second half, enjoyed a game-high 22 points from Buducnost VOLI Podgorica guard Igor Drobnjak and 17 points and 9 assists from Kendrick Perry. Thaddus McFadden paced Georgia with 15 points and Sandro Mamukelashvili posted 15 points and 10 rebounds in defeat. Montenegro finished third in the group with a 3-2 record. Georgia was last at 1-4.

### Group B: Slovenia is first, Lithuania qualifies for Round of 16

Lithuania eliminated Bosnia and Herzegovina with an 87-70 victory in their win-or-go-home clash at Cologne Arena, home of the 2021 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. Both teams finished the group stage with 2-3 records, but Lithuania advanced to the Round of 16 by virtue of the head-to-head result. Lithuania will face Spain in the next stage on Saturday. Panathinaikos Athens sharpshooter Marius Grigonis paced the Lithuanian attack with 16 points. Zalgiris Kaunas teammates Arnas Butkevicius and Ignas Brazdeikis added 13 points apiece as did center Jonas Valanciunas, who also collected 15 rebounds. Dzanan Musa of Real Madrid led Bosnia with 22 points. Lithuania led throughout the second half with the margin peaking at 22 midway through the third quarter. Bosnia rallied late, but the outcome was never in danger.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If &quot;don&#39;t celebrate too early&quot; was a basketball video. 😱<br><br>MONSTER POSTER FROM BUTKEVICIUS!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroBasket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroBasket</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BringTheNoise?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BringTheNoise</a> <a href="https://t.co/3Rf0E0w3hD">pic.twitter.com/3Rf0E0w3hD</a></p>&mdash; #EuroBasket 2022 (@EuroBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroBasket/status/1567520769680502784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Slovenia topped Group B after defeating France 82-88 behind a monster game from former EuroLeague MVP Luka Doncic, who racked up 47 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. However, with the game on the line in the closing minutes, it was Goran Dragic who rose up. Dragic made 2 steals for layups that were sandwiched around an assist accounting for all the points in the final 90 seconds, breaking open a game that was tied 82-82. Slovenia improved to 4-1 and France fell to 3-2. Rudy Gobert scored 19 to lead France, Anadolu Efes Istanbul forward Amath M’Baye contributed 13 points and 5 assists and Elie Okobo of AS Monaco added 11 points.

Germany wrapped up action in Group B with a 71-106 triumph over Hungary. Germany outscored its opponents in all four quarters, including by 12 in both the second and fourth quarters. Christian Sengfelder led the winners with 22 points, ALBA Berlin guard Maodo Lo scored 21 and former ALBA captain Niels Giffey added 19, while EA7 Emporio Armani Milan big man Johannes Voigtmann brought down 10 rebounds. Zoltan Perl scored 15 for Hungary, which bowed out of the tournament winless in five games.

The group stage came to an end for half of the teams at EuroBasket 2022 on Wednesday with four teams heading home. 

EuroBasket: Lithuania, Belgium, Montenegro advance

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse refreshed its roster and appointed Frederic Fauthoux as head coach for its third season in the 7DAYS EuroCup. 

Roster rundown: Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse

Bourg won six games in each of first two EuroCup campaigns and hopes to do much better. To that end, the club hired Fauthoux, who has been a player and an assistant coach in the EuroLeague, as head coach and brought in seven new players while keeping some of its stars from last season.  

### BACKCOURT

Opposing playmakers know they will have a tough time when they meet Bourg. Axel Julien enjoyed a strong debut in the EuroCup last season when he ranked among the competition’s top 10 in assists and made 46.1% of his three-pointers. Julien will share playmaking duties with rising star Hugo Benitez, who showed plenty of flashes of brilliance last season and, at age 21, is only getting better. Jordan Floyd is a scorer in a point guard’s body who could be a difference-maker in his first season in the EuroCup. Veteran combo-guard Frantz Massenat gives Fauthoux another ball-handler as well as a reliable shooter. Swingman James Palmer was a volume scorer in college and an all-around contributor in the Polish League last season. He should have a big role with Bourg. Small forward Maxime Courby started in three-quarters of his appearances last season and played an important role as a 3-and-D guy. The club has high hopes for 20-year-old Maxime Galin, who is not expected to have a big role yet this season. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Frantz vous présente le style 2022-2023 ✨<br><br>Une collab&#39; avec <a href="https://twitter.com/Nike?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nike</a> &amp; Ô Sports 🤝 <a href="https://t.co/4CaCGjUnBi">pic.twitter.com/4CaCGjUnBi</a></p>&mdash; JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket/status/1565707393161371648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### FRONTCOURT

Isaiah Mike, who was a teammate of Frantz Massenat last season at German club Chemnitz, will make his EuroCup debut in his third season as a professional. He will share minutes at power forward with Alexandre Chassang and Kevin Kokila. Chassang has three seasons of EuroCup experience and a good outside shot that can stretch defenses. Kokila, 20, comes off a strong season in the French second division and will look to use his rebounding skills to carve out a big role with Bourg. At center Bourg has two distinctly different players to share the bulk of the minutes. James Dickey is a defensive ace and a rim-protector. Pierre Pelos is a smaller player and a great shot-maker as well as a very strong rebounder. The bevvy of players at the 4-5 spots will allow Coach Fauthoux to be very creative at both ends of the floor. 

### PLAYER TO WATCH

Homegrown point guard Hugo Benitez is one of the top young guards in France and showed tremendous strides last season. He improved his shooting and raised his per-minute averages in scoring, rebounds and steals while cutting down on turnovers. His assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.4 was sixth-best in the EuroCup. At age 21, another similar jump is within reason and would place him among the best point guard in the competition. Also working in Benitez’s favor is the fact that he is surrounded by veterans in the backcourt with presumed starting point guard Axel Julien and veteran Frantz Massenat and he is coached by a former point guard. Altogether, it puts young Benitez in position to do something special this season.   

Watch the Game Highlights from JL Bourg en Bresse vs. Segafredo Virtus Bologna, 04/05/2022

Mincidelice JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs Virtus Segafredo Bologna | Highlights | Round 18

### OUTLOOK

Even though Bourg has several of its key players back from last season, the team comes into the 2022-23 campaign with a new head coach and a new look. On paper, the squad looks very promising with lots of young, promising players joining several established stars who remain. Bourg has depth that will cause lots of problems for some teams, too. After advancing to the Top 16 two seasons ago, getting to the eighthfinals and perhaps even more could be very much within reach this season.  

Last season's 7DAYS EuroCup finalist Frutti Extra Bursaspor registered its second preseason win by beating Enisey Krasnoyarsk 79-68 at Gloria Cup in Antalya, Turkey. Bursaspor led 43-31 at the break, and preserved the lead in the second half with Derek Needham leading the way with 19 points and 5 assists. Zach Auguste had 14 points and 7 rebounds while Omer Utku scored 13 with 5 assists.

### Tuesday's games:

Frutti Extra Bursaspor 79-68 Enisey Krasnoyarsk, Turkish Riviera Cup, Antalya, Turkey

Turk Telekom Ankara 71-75 Zenit St. Petersburg, Turkish Riviera Cup, Antalya, Turkey

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">🏀Hazırlık Maçı<br>✅Maç Sonucu<br><br>Frutti Extra Bursasporumuz 79 –68 Enisey Krasnoyarsk<br><br>Derek Needham 19 Sayı, 2 Ribaund, 5 Asist<br>Zach Auguste 14 Sayı, 7 Rb, 1 Asist<br>Ömer Utku Al 13 Sayı, 2 Rb, 5 Asist<br>Dudzinski 12 Sayı, 7 Rb 3 Asist<br>Anthony Clemmons 11 Sayı, 3 Rb, 3 Asist <a href="https://t.co/bxaO1vp6wZ">pic.twitter.com/bxaO1vp6wZ</a></p>&mdash; Frutti Extra Bursaspor (@BsBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/BsBasketbol/status/1567225904417341443?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>

Preseason: Bursaspor registers second victory

The final touches to the London Lions roster are being made ahead of the start of the 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup season, with the team having announced the arrival of [Devon Van Oostrum](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/devon-van-oostrum/001971/). Last season, Van Oostrum (1.93 meters, 29 years old) played in the Spanish second division with Huesca and Melilla. During his time with Huesca, he averaged 12.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 20 games. Then, in the final part of the campaign, Van Oostrum recorded averages of 6.1 points, 1.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 10 games for Melilla. The point guard has one year of experience in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, having suited up for Laboral Kutxa – now known as Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz – in the 2013-14 season, averaging 1.2 points and 1.1 rebounds in a reserve role. Van Oostrum is currently representing Great Britain at the EuroBasket 2022.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">DEVON! ✍️ <a href="https://twitter.com/DevonVanOostrum?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DevonVanOostrum</a> <br>We are thrilled to confirm the signing of GB International Devon Van Oostrum! 🇬🇧 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wearelondon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#wearelondon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/londonlions?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#londonlions</a> <a href="https://t.co/D3tsISziTX">pic.twitter.com/D3tsISziTX</a></p>&mdash; London Lions (@LondonLions) <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonLions/status/1567165436076122113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Van Oostrum has 10 years of experience as a professional, which has seen him play in Spain, Croatia, England, Finland, Greece, North Macedonia, the Netherlands, and Lithuania. He began his career with CB Tarragona of Spain in 2011-12 before going on to represent fellow Spanish sides Caceres and Laboral Kutxa in the following two seasons. The 2014-15 campaign saw Van Oostrum split time between four teams in four different countries, as he played for Cibona of Croatia in the Adriatic League, Penas Huesca of Spain, Leeds Force of England and Kouvot of Finland. He then played a big role for Arkadikos of Greece in 2015-16 before having a largely limited role with MZT Skopje of North Macedonia, Koroivos of Greece, Den Bosch of the Netherlands, Prienai CBet of Lithuania, Zwolle of the Netherlands, Huesca and then Zwolle again. After returning to Huesca in the summer of 2021, he spent the majority of season with the team but then saw out the campaign with Melilla. Van Oostrum has been brought in by London to cover for the long-term knee injury suffered by fellow Great Britain guard Tarik Phillip.

London brings in Great Britain international Van Oostrum

Paris Basketball has secured the arrival of [Killian Malwaya](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/killian-malwaya/010026/) on a three-year contract. Malwaya (1.97 meters, 17 years old) joins from LCLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, with which he played seven games in the Adidas Next Generation Tournament Belgrade and Adidas Next Generation Tournament Belgrade Finals last season, posting averages of 17.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals. As a result of his performances in the ANGT Belgrade in February 2022, when he averaged 20.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals, he was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Malwaya could make his 7DAYS EuroCup debut if he gets on the floor for Paris next season.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Killian est parisien 😈<br><br>Made in 77, la pépite de 17 ans <a href="https://twitter.com/KillianMalwaya?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KillianMalwaya</a> , meilleur joueur du Adidas Next Génération 2022 de Belgrade rejoint l’effectif Parisien pour les 3 prochaines saisons 🔥<br><br>Il disputera son premier match sous nos couleurs ce soir à Evreux 💥<br><br> 🖤❤️💙 <a href="https://t.co/nmdoNYS1RX">pic.twitter.com/nmdoNYS1RX</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1567119549555769346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Malwaya, a France international at under-17 level, has spent his entire career to date developing in the ASVEL youth system. On the European stage, he first appeared in the Adidas Next Generation Tournament Valencia in 2019-20, doing so off the bench, before featuring in the same tournament one year later as a starter. In the Adidas Next Generation Tournament Valencia Finals, Malwaya started all three games, but it was in the 2021-22 season when he took a big step forward. He will now hope to continue his upwards trajectory with Paris, which also has a number of other exciting prospects on its roster.