Javier Gancedo is joined by Ismet Akpinar of Turk Telekom for this week’s EuroCup interview

Ismet Akpinar, Turk Telekom: 'We set the goal very, very high'

Turk Telekom Ankara is deep in the fight to reach the BKT EuroCup Eighthfinals from Group B, ranking sixth with a 6-5 record. It comes off a tough home win against Aris Midea Thessaloniki without one of its leaders, Braian Angola. When the team needed a boost, it found [Ismet Akpinar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ismet-akpinar/004056/), who stepped up big time with 19 points on 4-of-6 two-point shooting and 7-of-8 on free throws plus 4 assists for a PIR of 26. Akpinar is in his seventh EuroCup season after previous experiences with ALBA Berlin, ratiopharm Ulm and Bahcesehir College Istanbul. At age 29, he is right at the prime of his career and playing for a basketball mastermind, Erdem Can, the 2022-23 EuroCup Coach of the Year. 

Akpinar has found a new home in Ankara and loves his new team, as he told Javier Gancedo in this [EuroCupBasketball.com](http://EuroCupBasketball.com) interview. "This is one of the most professional clubs I have worked in. We have from a sports psychologist to a nutritionist to a yoga teacher. We have great facilities. We have two weightlifting coaches. We have different masseuses, physiotherapists..." Akpinar said. "So in order for us to perform on the highest level, the club, the president, the coach, the management does everything. So I really have to say this is a high, high level team, a great basketball organization."

**Hello, Ismet. Well, let's begin with the victory against Aris. You were without Braian Angola, who got injured right before the game, but you and Olivier Hanlan really stepped up. What allowed you to win this game and what was important to do it?** 

"Thanks. First of all, the biggest problems we had in the first half were offensive rebounds and turnovers. I don't have the exact numbers, but I know that they had way more possessions than we did and this is just a numbers game. It's not easy to win that way and we controlled that a lot better in the second half. This was our main focus: to control the offensive rebounds from the opponent and not to turn over the ball so much, and this allowed us to win the games. And like you said, people stepped up. This shows the quality of the team we have. We have a great, professional team, and we secured a very important win at home."

**You are back in the EuroCup after three seasons. How do you find the competition with an improved format?** 

"I like the new system with the two groups, to be honest. And I also like the quality of the EuroCup. I like it a lot. Of course, after the Euroleague, the EuroCup is the second-best competition in Europe, in my opinion, for sure." 

"After the Euroleague, the EuroCup is the second-best competition in Europe in my opinion." 

**Turk Telekom has Erden Can as head coach. He was the EuroCup Coach of the Year two years ago. How do you like the way he sees basketball and his coaching style?** 

"He is a very, very good coach. I mean, he didn't win that Coach of the Year trophy two years ago by accident. His basketball knowledge is top-level, he worked with great coaches. He worked with Obradovic for many years and was in the NBA. You can see the influence of these two, let's say, very high basketball IQs, also in his way of teaching basketball. The best thing about him is the way he communicates. When you have a game plan, you know exactly what he wants. You know exactly how he wants to attack and you know exactly how he wants to defend, so there are no question marks or gray areas. This is something he does exceptionally well."

**Over the years, you have played for Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, so you probably know more than anybody about basketball rivalries in Istanbul. How would you describe the basketball vibe in Istanbul with so many good teams out there, including two in the EuroCup now, Besiktas and Bahcesehir?** 

"Like you said, Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray are the three biggest sport clubs by names, but there is also a huge basketball powerhouse like Anadolu Efes. You can also add to show how crazy this city is. Everybody who has ever been to Istanbul knows what's going on there and this also reflects in basketball or sports in general. Turkish people are very euphoric about their clubs, so the rivalries are always special. These are special games." 

Ismet Akpinar in in his first season with Turk Telekom Ankara. This is his seventh BKT EuroCup campaign.

2024-25 highlights, Rounds 1-11: Ismet Akpinar, Turk Telekom

**I also wanted to ask you about one of your former clubs, ratiopharm Ulm. Their program has been really interesting for years, developing young talents but also signing good players. How do you like what they are doing and the big turnaround in this club?**

"They are doing an exceptional job. I think this it's maybe the best program in Europe for young players or let's say, NBA superstar talents. I am still very close to the management. I spend time in Ulm every summer because they have a crazy \[practice\] facility. I don't know if you have been there, but this is a crazy gym with multiple practice courts, with a three-floor weightlifting area and top-notch equipment. They did everything for young talents to develop if they want to work. And they have shown in the last years that they not only develop people, but they are also very successful. They won the German championship, beating ALBA and Bayern in the playoffs and knocking out the BCL champions, Telekom Bonn with TJ Shorts, in the finals. So they are doing an exceptional job in the last few years. If I were a young prospect who was dreaming about the NBA, I would go to Ulm."

**You are a young veteran at age 29 with a lot of experience. Is that experience paying off right now, at the prime of your career?** 

"Yes, it's paying off. I realized a lot that things don't bother me that much. What do I mean? That when you are younger and you have a bad start in a game, you think 'Today is not my game'. You get frustrated, but with age, you think 'Okay, if you got 30 more minutes, 20 more minutes, this is so much time to turn around the game or your individual performance'. My experience allows me to talk with my teammates more. This is my first year as a captain at this kind of level, so this is also a new experience for me. You just know what you can do, and you have proven it to yourself so many times that you can turn around a bad game into a new game. And that gives you a lot of calmness and self-confidence. This is, I think, the biggest difference over the years."

"This is my first year as a captain at this kind of level, so this is also a new experience for me."

**Turk Telekom faces Cedevita Olimpija this week. You managed to beat them in Ankara and limit them to a season-low 70 points. Is that the key, strong defense against a really solid team?** 

"Definitely. I think this is our biggest strength, which we have to emphasize because we have such an athletic and tall team. This has to be our focus, I think when we are very focused on defense, this affects also on offense. We have to continue to play like we did in the last game, control the offensive rebounds, don't turn over the ball, defend hard. All this will give us a lot of chances to win the game."

**After many years in Istanbul, this is your first year with Turk Telekom and living in Ankara. After a few months already, how is life in your new club and your new city?** 

"I have to say I am extremely positive about the club. This is one of the most professional clubs I have worked in. We have from a sports psychologist to a nutritionist to a yoga teacher. We have great facilities. We have two weightlifting coaches. We have different masseuses, physiotherapists... So in order for us to perform on the highest level, the club, the president, the coach, the management does everything. So I really have to say this is a high, high level team, a great basketball organization. From that point of view, I am very, very happy to be here. I didn't expect it to be on that high of a level, I have to admit. It is great to experience it, to play here. And of course, it is hard to beat Istanbul. For me, it is one of the craziest cities, most fun cities with a crazy history. So Istanbul has a different place in my heart. But Ankara is also a very beautiful city. It's a huge city with over 5 million people living here. So you have everything you want, from restaurants to bars to nice parks. I would say it's a better place for a family type of player, which I am also looking forward to having here."

**This is your seventh EuroCup season and you never had a big post-season run. How much are you looking forward to challenging for the EuroCup title for the first time in your career?** 

"I'm really looking forward to that and this is our goal. We set the goal very, very high but in order to reach that, we have to play more consistent on that level. We show phases where we really play amazing, let's say three quarters, three and a half quarters. We play amazing at our highest level, but this is, like I said, the second-best league in Europe. You got to play 40 minutes at your highest level. And we are still a very new team. This is pretty much a 100% new roster. We are still learning how to play with each other to adjust to coach's game plans. But like I said, we have an extremely talented roster which can go very, very far, and I'm really looking forward to reaching that goal." 

**Last but not least, how was that homecoming game in Hamburg? There was a pre-game ceremony to honor you. How much did it mean to you?** 

"Unfortunately, this was a terrible game for us and also for me. It was my worst game. But for me, this was a very emotional game. Even though, like you said, I'm a young veteran and I'm not so nervous anymore before games, this was still very special in my heart because I never played before against Veolia Towers Hamburg. When I joined ALBA Berlin, they played in the second division, then I left to Turkiye 5-6 years ago and then they went up to the German first division. So this was my very first game against the club where everything started for me as a young kid, so to see all my people where my journey started, at the EuroCup level, was something very emotional. My friends and family were also there. This game was special and I will never forget it."

More on Turk Telekom

Fantasy Challenge guru Javier Gancedo shares some tips for the week ahead

EuroCup Fantasy tips, Round 12: There are still some steals out there!

It is not even the end of 2024 and we've reached Round 12 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup Regular Season. At this point, all teams know each other well and it looks like there is less room for EuroCup Fantasy Challenge managers in this year's game. Well, think again, as players keep stepping up and delivering great performances. And of course, I am here to help. Here are my five recommendations this week.

 

[Anthony Cowan, Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (14.5 credits)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/anthony-cowan-jr/012003/)

When you are hot, you are hot. Cowan has everything to be a EuroCup superstar: experience in the competition, talent and playing in a friendly, high-scoring environment. He's been delivering lately, averaging 23.0 points on 12-of-20 three-point shooting, 5.3 assists and 6.3 fouls drawn for a PIR of 28.0. Wow!

 

[Yam Madar, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (12.6 credits)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/)

Madar had one of those performances that cannot be ignored. In Round 11, Madar had 28 points, missing just three shots, 7 assists, 3 steals and 7 fouls drawn for a PIR of 41. It looks like Madar is just getting started, too, as he arrived in Tel Aviv to have a stellar role. Expect a lot more from him. 

Oleksandr Kovliar, Juwan Morgan, Chris Johnson, Yam Madar and Anthony Cowan are featured in this week's article.

EuroCup Fantasy tips: Round 12

[Chris Johnson, Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (10.9 credits)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/chris-johnson/013277/)

A relatively cheap option that could give an edge, as Johnson is owned by just 1.5% of fantasy managers out there. He has been doing really well lately, averaging 14.0 points on 10-of-13 two-point shooting and 9.5 rebounds for a PIR of 22.0 in the last couple of games. Johnson can be your X-factor in Round 12!

 

[Juwan Morgan, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (12.3 credits)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/juwan-morgan/013256/)

Slowly but steadily, Morgan has improved his numbers and numbers-wise, is one of the best players in the competition right now. He is shooting 23-of-24 from two-point range this season (95.8%). Over the last three games, Morgan has averaged 11.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals for a PIR of 20.7.

 

[Oleksandr Kovliar, 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (8.7 credits)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/oleksandr-kovliar/013247/)

I like everything about Kovliar: his looks, his flashy passes, his fearless game. He has been playing really well lately, too, getting a double-digit PIR in his last five games. Kovliar boosted his numbers to 17.5 points and 5.5 assists fora PIR of 19.5 in the last two games. At 8.7 credits, what's not to like?

An exciting top-two clash highlights the action in Round 12 of the BKT EuroCup. Here’s your overview of this week’s games. 

At a glance: Key games with playoff implications this week

### Tuesday, December 17

Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. Dreamland Gran Canaria

The round starts in style with a big battle of Group A co-leaders as Bahcesehir (9-2) seeks a return to winning ways with a visit from red-hot Gran Canaria (9-2). The Spanish team has won four games in a row to take a share of first place and also triumphed 66-63 when the teams met in October. With the league’s best defense, Gran Canaria has not allowed any opponent to score 80 since Round 2, led by the competition’s top ball thief Andrew Albicy (2.1 steals per game). Bahcesehir has the second-best defense in the competition, allowing just 73.5 points per game, but needs to recover its usual toughness after losing 89-82 to Besiktas last week despite 20 points from Tai Odiase.

Round 12 Head-to-Head: Massinburg vs. Homesley

Aris Midea Thessaloniki vs. 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys

Boosted by a big win over Hapoel Jerusalem last week, Lietkabelis (3-7) will look to keep climbing with a trip to lowly Aris (2-9). The architect of the Lithuanian’s key victory in Round 11 was young guard Mantas Rubstavicius, who continued his strong season by netting 19 points on 3-of-6 shooting from long-range. Aris has lost five games straight with the least productive offense in the league averaging just 74.7 points and 12.7 assists per night, both EuroCup lows. However, the Greek team did find the right formula in Round 3 when it destroyed Lietkabelis 74-92 on the back of 26 points from Vassilis Toliopoulos, who has received help from Landers Nolley in recent weeks with five consecutive double-digit scoring nights.

Veolia Towers Hamburg vs. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem

Group B’s second-placed Hapoel Jerusalem (7-4) will look to bounce back from a two-game losing slump by triumphing on the road at rock-bottom Hamburg (2-9). The host will look to repeat the dominance that led to an 89-74 victory when the teams met in October and can try to control the game off the glass after averaging 37.6 rebounds per night – second-best in the competition. That includes 6.4 boards from forward Chris Johnson, who has also found good scoring form with 15 and 13 points in the last two games. Hamburg will look for leadership from recent signing Johnathan Stove, who has averaged 17 points in his first three games for the team.

### Wednesday, December 18

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Turk Telekom Ankara

It’s joint-second against joint-third as Cedevita hosts Turk Telekom for a crucial contest in the Group B playoff race. Both teams are in good form, with Cedevita winning three in a row while Turk Telekom has taken two straight. Brynton Lemar has been the key offensive presence for the Slovenian team since returning from injury, netting 23 points in the last two games, and he could provide an X-factor after missing the Round 3 meeting between the teams which Turk Telekom took, 78-70. The visiting team will look for leading scorer Anthony Brown to stay hot from long-range, with the forward netting 8 triples in the last two games to maintain his streak of scoring in double-digits every game this season.

Round 12 Head-to-Head: Lamar vs. Akpinar

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica vs. Dolomiti Energia Trento

Wednesday’s opening tip-off will see either Buducnost (4-7) or Trento (4-7) boost their playoffs ambitions by breaking their current tie for seventh place in Group A. Trento has confidence renewed by last week’s vital victory over Trefl, powered by 19 points from backcourt star Jordan Ford. He was held to just 7 points when Buducnost claimed a resounding road win in Italy, 64-85, when the teams met in Round 3, so the hosts will look to repeat that defensive formula. At the other end of the court, Yogi Ferrell top-scored in October’s victory with a season-high 21 points, and he has confidence restored after returning to form with 16 points in last week’s narrow loss to Gran Canaria.

ratiopharm Ulm vs. Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius

Another key battle between direct rivals in Group A will see Ulm (7-4) attempt to establish a two-game margin over visiting Wolves (6-5). The German team is in flying form with three straight wins, last week producing its best offensive performance of the season to triumph 88-102 at Joventut. The three-point shooting of Justinian Jessup was again important with 16 points on 4-of-6 from deep and he ranks third in the league with 2.6 triples per game. Wolves, which lost by 18 at home when the teams met in October, returned to winning ways with a vital victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv, and will again rely on Anthony Cowan after he netted 28 points to become last week’s MVP.

Round 12 Head-to-Head: Saraf vs. Cowan

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv vs. Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul

In another highly significant game for the playoff picture, Hapoel (6-5) will look to get back to winning ways with a crunch clash against in-form Besiktas (7-4). The Turkish team has won three straight, most recently downing group leader Bahcesehir in last week’s Istanbul derby behind 17 points from big man Conor Morgan. This week he faces a big battle in the paint with Hapoel’s Johnathan Motley, who will aim to regain his best form after returning to action last week. Besiktas knows all about Motley’s potential: he was the key presence as Hapoel won easily, 87-101, when the teams met in Round 3, combining 24 points with 4 assists and 2 blocked shots.

Round 12 Head-to-Head: Foster vs. Allman

Valencia Basket vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca

Group B leader Valencia (10-0) will look to take another step towards securing homecourt advantage in the playoffs by downing dangerous Cluj (6-5). The Romanian team has won three of the last four behind a potent offense that averages 88.8 points per game – bettered only by Valencia’s 95.7, so we can hope for a high-scoring shootout. Cluj will test the host defense with the league’s most accurate two-point shooting game (62.5%), and big man De’Shawn Stephens will be confident after netting all 7 of his two-point attempts in last week’s win over Bourg. Valencia also has plenty of power in the paint, with Matt Costello (12.8 points per game) converting 65% of his attempts inside the arc this season.

Round 12 Head-to-Head: Jones vs. Guzman

Joventut Badalona vs. Trefl Sopot

Two teams with fast fading hopes of pushing for the playoffs will look for a boost as Joventut (3-8) hosts winless Trefl (0-11). The Spanish team has lost three games straight and Trefl will look to inflict further punishment on a leaky home defense that allowed 102 points against Ulm last week. A key for the Polish team will be forward Marcus Weathers, who has hit his best form of the season with 16 and 14 points in the last two games. Joventut can take confidence from the form of Kassius Robertson, who has scored 21 and 23 points over the last two games and has converted 41.5% of his attempts from long-range.

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs. Umana Reyer Venice

Faltering Bourg (6-5) will look to recover from three losses in four games and protect its place in the playoff positions by downing Reyer (5-6), which needs a massive win of 23 points or more to overtake the French team. Bourg’s 66-88 Round 3 victory in Venice was powered by dominating the rebounding battle, grabbing a whopping 48 boards including 15 at the offensive end. Center Kevin Kokila (8.5 points and 4.6 rebounds) will be one of the main factors in the physical battle, while Reyer will again rely on the phenomenal Mfiondu Kabengele, who averages a double-double and ranks second in the league in PIR (22.1 per game). But Reyer must take better care of the ball after committing 21 turnovers in last week’s loss to Cedevita.

An exciting top-two clash highlights the action in Round 12 of the BKT EuroCup. Here’s your overview of this week’s games.

Valencia Basket v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2024-12-18T19:30:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona v Trefl Sopot (2024-12-18T19:30:00.000Z)

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse v Umana Reyer Venice (2024-12-18T19:30:00.000Z)

ratiopharm Ulm v Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (2024-12-18T18:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul (2024-12-18T18:00:00.000Z)

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Turk Telekom Ankara (2024-12-18T17:30:00.000Z)

Veolia Towers Hamburg v Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (2024-12-17T18:30:00.000Z)

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2024-12-17T18:00:00.000Z)

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2024-12-18T17:30:00.000Z)

Bahcesehir College Istanbul v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2024-12-17T16:00:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket v 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2024-12-20T19:30:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona added size and athleticism to its backcourt by inking swingman Miye Oni until the end of this season

Joventut adds swingman Miye Oni

Joventut Badalona added size and athleticism to its backcourt by inking swingman [Miye Oni](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/miye-oni/012079/) until the end of this season, the club announced Monday. 

Oni (1.98 meters, 27 years old) arrives from Osceola of the G League, where he averaged 8.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.1 steals in 49 games last season. He played with Joventut forward Sam Dekker at the London Lions in the 2022-23 season, when he averaged 11.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 9 EuroCup games.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">💥 Miye Oni: potència i versatilitat pel joc exterior de la Penya<br><br>🤝 El Joventut arriba a un acord fins a final de temporada amb l’escorta nord-americà amb passaport nigerià<br><br>🔗 La notícia: <a href="https://t.co/46hor8Bfv6">https://t.co/46hor8Bfv6</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Badalona%C3%89sFutur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BadalonaÉsFutur</a> <a href="https://t.co/VzFDH24ApE">pic.twitter.com/VzFDH24ApE</a></p>&mdash; Club Joventut Badalona (@Penya1930) <a href="https://twitter.com/Penya1930/status/1868591580829151671?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Oni helped London win the British League championship in 2023. After three years of college basketball with Yale University, Oni started his professional career with Utah in the NBA and also played for Salt Lake City of the G League before joining London in 2022. He is also a member of the Nigerian national team and took part in the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan in 2021. 

Miye Oni made his BKT EuroCup debut with the London Lions in the 2022-23 season.

2022-23 EuroCup highlught Miye Oni

Stats review: Examining the value in perimeter scoring

The stakes went up in Round 11 of the BKT EuroCup as one game now separates a team from the back of the playoff picture and a bye in Group B and Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul’s win over Bahcesehir College Istanbul has set up one of the most important games of the season in Group A.  While Bahcesehir’s impending clash with Dreamland Gran Canaria in Round 12 will decide who takes control of the top seed in that group, Besiktas kept itself within striking distance of that duo, assuming third place two games back. 

It has been an interesting season for the Turkish club which has set an intriguing course over the last month and a half after struggling to find their consistency as they started the season 3-3.  Some adjustments on the interior defensively have been key to the team’s turnaround, but their win over Bahcesehir and upside looking forward is rooted in the one thing they have done all season: score from the perimeter.

That has meant something a little different for Besiktas than one might expect.  The table above displays the top-eight teams in points scored per jump shot this season with a couple of key details that often play an important role in a team’s efficiency: the proportion of a team’s attempts away from the basket that are catch-and-shoot jumpers and the percentage that come from beyond the three-point line.  While Besiktas leads the EuroCup in jump shooting efficiency by a decent margin thus far, it has done so while attempting as many pull-ups and midrange shots as nearly any team in the competition. 

It is no secret that teams have gone away from the midrange in recent seasons.  The math is not hard to understand, a team only needs to shoot 33% from beyond the arc to match what they would produce shooting 50% from the midrange.  In the EuroCup this season, teams are scoring 0.81 points per midrange attempt and 1.02 points per 3-point attempt.   However, that has not stopped Besiktas, who has made a sparkling 47% of their midrange jump shots on the league’s highest volume of attempts—only Dolomiti Energia Trento has shot better on just over half as many attempts.

That stands a sharp contrast to undefeated Valencia Basket which has relied heavily on high-percentage spot-up jumpers and made a concerted effort to avoid long-twos on the way to the second spot on this list.  With Buducnost VOLI Podgorica sitting a few makes off Valencia’s pace with a shot selection on the other side of the spectrum, it is worth noting that, even if teams are not settling for as many twos as they did even five years ago, shot-making talent has often seemed to set the pace from the perimeter this season over shot selection.

With a variety of players from Kyle Allman and Derek Needham on the ball, Kelan Martin and Dustin Sleva at forward spots, and Jonah Matthews on the wing among a host of others contributing to Besiktas’s consistency in midrange spots and from beyond the arc, they presents some matchup problems for opposing defenses.  Outscoring Bahcesehir 47-9 from the perimeter, they shot the ball at a high level from the wings in Round 11 after giving Buducunost some issues from a step inside the arc a week ago.  Their collective shot-making versatility is a big reason Besiktas ranks third in overall offensive efficiency and finds itself looking like perhaps the most likely candidate to trend up towards the teams at the top of Group A.

In his rookie EuroCup season, Joventut Badalona's Devon Dotson is learning a lot from his veteran teammates.

Devon Dotson inspired by longevity of vets like Tomic and Ribas 

[Devon Dotson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/devon-durrell-dotson/013285/) is still very early in his basketball career, but the 25-year-old [Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/joventut-badalona/jov/) guard only has to look at some of his veteran teammates to realize just how long he can play this game – something he does in inspiring fashion.

Dotson works out and plays with seven players who are 30 years old or older. [Ante Tomic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ante-tomic/002507/) and [Pau Ribas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/pau-ribas/jug/) are both 37, [Adam Hanga](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/adam-hanga/005099/) is 35, [Artem Pustovyi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/artem-pustovyi/004834/) 32, [Guillem Vives](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/guillem-vives/002361/) 31, and [Kassius Robertson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kassius-robertson/012740/) and [Sam Dekker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/sam-dekker/009672/) are both 30 years old.

“It's funny because I talk about it with [Kaiser Gates](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kaiser-evan-bray-gates/013287/) almost every day, just seeing they're 37 and seeing them give 100 percent effort in practice. It's motivation – if those guys can do it at their age, we definitely can give way more,” said Dotson, who joined Joventut this offseason after playing the last two months of last season with Obradoiro.

“Seeing how much they take care of their bodies and the matureness of how to handle things is why they had a long career. So just talking with them and really gaining knowledge from their long careers it's really motivation – just seeing them go at it every day.”

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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCZyD8losSs/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCZyD8losSs/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCZyD8losSs/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Devon Dotson † (@ddotson_1)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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Being a guard like Ribas, it’s hard not to see how the 18-year professional takes care of his body.

“He's had a long career. I feel like every basketball player wants that long longevity and seeing how long they last is special,” said Dotson.

The Chicago native joined Obradoiro in March 2024 after three and a half years trying to establish himself in the NBA. He jumped back and forth between the G League and the NBA, appearing in 11 NBA games in both 2020-21 and 2021-22 and six games in 2022-23, playing for the Chicago Bulls the first two years and then the Washington Wizards in 2022-23.

“It's definitely a journey,” said Dotson, who went undrafted in the COVID-affected 2020 NBA Draft. "Every day was a fight to try to prove that you can belong on the NBA court… Sometimes it works out and sometimes it happens where you never really get the opportunity. You just got to keep going and keep having the faith and staying confident in your abilities.”

After games with 14 and 15 assists in his final two weeks in the G League last season but still not getting a call from the NBA, Dotson figured a change of scenery would help. He jumped at a chance to play in Spain and also got a good taste of the level as he faced teams like FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Zaragoza and Joventut.

<center>
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border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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Now wearing Joventut's jersey, playing alongside the likes of Tomic and Ribas helps Dotson remember even better one of his favorite quotes.

Listed on his Instagram is Galatians 6:9 – a Bible verse which says: 'Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.'

“That's my quote. That's my Bible verse. I wake up and hang my hat on that every day," said Dotson. "That's just the testimonies of this profession and just life. You can't just look at the next guy or the next situation and say why isn't that me. Everybody has their own story. Everybody has their own trials and their own path. This really just locks me in and makes me keep that faith and make sure I'm laying down the bricks, laying down the foundation every day. My time will come and it'll pay off."

Another of his life mottos he has on social media is #lfof.

“Live free of fear – in life, if you want anything, you have to be fearless. You got to be confident and nobody's just going to give it to you,” he said. “That helped me just having a mindset of fearlessness. Just not being tentative, timid. You always just got to go out there and give 100 percent and just compete. That's my mindset, just be a competitor.”

And if he takes care of his body like Tomic and Ribas, Devon Dotson could be a threat in the competition for a long time.

More Joventut News

The Joventut guard has seven teammates who are 30+ to serve as inspiration 

Look back at all the action in Round 11 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos from Round 11

Look back at all the action from Round 11 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

BC Wolves won a shootout against Hapoel Tel Aviv BC 104-100 to keep their hopes alive in the race to make the EuroCup Playoffs.

Wolves made a statement to stay in the thick of top-four race 

Even with still nearly two months of the regular season remaining, [Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/wolves-twinsbet-vilnius/wol/)’s [104-100 comeback win over Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/wolves-bounce-back-to-down-hapoel-104-100/) on Wednesday night feels like it could become a pivotal moment in the BKT EuroCup season.

After starting the campaign with three straight losses and then bouncing back with five consecutive victories, the Lithuanian team appeared to be continuing its cold-hot-cold sequence by losing in both Rounds 9 and 10, and headed into Wednesday’s meeting with Hapoel in danger of being cut adrift in the race for a Group A top four finish.

Indeed, another loss against Hapoel would have left Wolves two games behind three teams tied for third place, and nervously looking over its shoulder at both Buducnost VOLI Podgorica and Dolomiti Energia Trento, just one game further back.

So when the meeting with [Dimitris Itoudis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/itoudis-dimitris/?season=U2024)’s men saw the visitors string together a series of double-digit leads in the first half, it was a massive test of character for Wolves. The kind of moment that can make or break a team, and end up defining a season.

In the end, the challenge was met, the hurdle was cleared, and a thrilling high-scoring victory leaves Wolves in a batch of four teams – alongside Hapoel, Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul and ratiopharm Ulm – separated by just one win between third and sixth place.

As Wolves coach [Alessandro Magro](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/wolves-twinsbet-vilnius/wol/magro-alessandro/?season=U2024) acknowledged after the game, finishing in the top six to secure postseason action is a defined objective for his team.

“It was an important win for us, for sure, for the standings, to try to keep the run and try to achieve our goals,” said the Italian play-caller. “For sure, one of our goals is to have the EuroCup Playoffs.”

But the format of the competition means that top six is the minimum requirement, and a bigger prize is finishing third or fourth to secure home-court advantage in the eighth-finals when the playoffs begin.

Wednesday’s win over Hapoel means that ambition is very much still alive for Wolves, and Magro is well aware of the schedule that will see his team play four of its remaining seven games in Vilnius – including visits from three of the bottom four.

“In the second round \[of the regular season\] we have many home games and that’s really important, trying to have this kind of performance in our arena, beating a very, very talented team like Hapoel,” he said.

The one negative of the night for Wolves was an inability to clinch the head-to-head advantage over Hapoel. The Israeli team won by 5 points, 89-84, in the Round 2 meeting between the teams, and with a couple of minutes remaining it looked likely that Wolves would overhaul that margin to seal a perfect evening.

But the relentless [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/) – who ended up with a personal best 28 points – scored 7 points in the last 90 seconds to turn a 9-point deficit into a 4-point defeat, good enough by the narrowest possible margin to keep the head-to-head advantage for Hapoel.

In such a tight race, that could prove vital when the regular season ends in February. But although Magro admitted he was disappointed to let that prize slip away, he was perfectly happy to focus on the positives and look forward to a special celebration.

“Christmas dinner is coming,” he concluded with a smile. “So the joys of Christmas dinner after such a win like this are different!”

And the rest of the EuroCup season could be different, too.

Wednesday’s vital victory over Hapoel has tightened up the Group A playoff picture


Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2024-12-11T16:30:00.000Z)

A stellar performance in a memorable victory has seen BC Wolves guard Anthony Cowan Jr. finish as the MVP of the Round for Round 11, the second time he has earned this accolade this season.

Round 11 MVP: Anthony Cowan Jr., Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius

A stellar performance in a memorable victory has seen [Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/wolves-twinsbet-vilnius/wol/) guard [Anthony Cowan Jr.](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/anthony-cowan-jr/012003/) finish as the MVP of the Round for Round 11, the second time he has earned this accolade this season.

Cowan led the Wolves to an emphatic 104-100 win over the visiting Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, scoring 28 points on 3-of-7 two-point and 5-of-8 three-point shooting, while making 7-of-9 free throws. Cowan also dished 10 assists, had 4 rebounds and 2 steals, while drawing 10 fouls. As such, he finished the night with a 37 PIR, the highest among all players on winning teams. This is also his highest PIR of the season, and Cowan has become the second player to earn multiple MVP of the Round honors in this BKT EuroCup campaign.

Round 11's highest PIR, 41, belongs to Hapoel point guard [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/). In just his second game in a Hapoel jersey, Madar had 28 points on 5-of-8 two-point shooting, 3-of-3 three-pointers and 9-of-9 free throws. He also posted 7 assists, 3 steals, 2 rebounds and 7 drawn fouls. [Zavier Simpson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/zavier-simpson/013302/) of U-BT Cluj-Napoca had a 35 PIR in his team's 89-86 win over Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse. Simpson scored 27 points, dished a club-record 11 assists and also drew 10 personal fouls. The next best PIR, 30, belongs to Trefl Sopot’s [Marcus Weathers](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marcus-weathers/013297/), who collected 14 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals in his team's 70-82 loss against Dolomiti Energia Trento. Rounding out the list of top performers is Bourg's [Xavier Castaneda](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/xavier-castaneda/013266/), as he recorded 17 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals and 11 drawn fouls for a PIR of 28.

 

### Individual highs: Amida Brimah, Valencia Basket, 4 blocks

Madar and Cowan each scored 28 points to take the honor as Round 11's top scorers. [Jared Harper](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jared-harper/011970/) of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem leads the EuroCup in scoring with 22.5 points per game.

Weathers and [Kur Kuath](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kur-kuath/013313/) of Veolia Towers Hamburg each had 12 rebounds, the most this round. Umana Reyer Venice's [Mfiondu Kabengele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mfiondu-kabengele/012796/) is the EuroCup’s leading rebounder with 10.1 rebounds per night.

Simpson and Bahcesehir College Istanbul guard [Jaleen Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jaleen-smith/011192/) dished 11 assists apiece in Round 11. Simpson is the league leader with 7.3 dimes per contest.

[Kevin Kokila](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kevin-kokila/011837/) of Bourg, and [Gabrielius Maldunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/gabrielius-maldunas/010461/) of 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys each had 5 steals, more than any other player this week. [Andrew Albicy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/andrew-albicy/003425/) of Dreamland Gran Canaria tops the steals charts with 2.1 per game.

[Amida Brimah](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/amida-brimah/012075/) of Valencia Basket led all players in Round 11 with 4 blocks. Kuath is EuroCup's top shot blocker with 1.9 rejections per game.

This Round's MVP Cowan (28 points, 11 assists), Simpson (27 points, 11 assists), Jaleen Smith (11 points, 11 assists), [Jordan Parks](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jordan-parks/011909/) of Umana Reyer Venice (20 points, 10 rebounds), Kuath (12 points, 12 rebounds) and Weathers (14 points, 12 rebounds) all had a double-double in Round 11.