U-BT Cluj-Napoca has completed the signing of Gediminas Orelik, the club announced Monday. The length of the contract has not been disclosed.

U-BT Cluj-Napoca adds Gediminas Orelik

[U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/u-bt-cluj-napoca/clu/) has completed the signing of [Gediminas Orelik](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/gediminas-orelik/002012/), the club announced Monday. The length of the contract has not been disclosed.

Orelik (2.00 meters, 34 years old) spent the first part of this season playing for Juventus in his native Lithuania, averaging 11.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists in nine Lithuanian League games.

A veteran of the BKT EuroCup, Orelik returns to the competition where he has played 91 times, posting career averages of 12.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists. His 1,131 points in the EuroCup rank him 19th overall all time.

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The Lithuanian forward spent the last three seasons with 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys and showed that he is still an elite scorer in the EuroCup, averaging 15.4 ppg. in 2021-22, 13.8 ppg. in 2022-23, and 15.5 ppg. in 2023-24. 

Cluj will be Orelik's fifth club in the EuroCup after previously suiting up for Siauliai (2009-10), Rudupis Prienal (2011-13), Rytas Vilnius (2013-16) and then Lietkabelis (2021-24). The 2013-14 campaign also saw him compete in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with Rytas for the first time.

More Cluj News

The Romanian side will be the fifth club he represents in the EuroCup

Cluj adds Gediminas Orelik

Noa Essengue, a 17-year-old who is projected to be a lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, has taken his game to another level in his second year with ratiopharm Ulm and has now been called up to the French national team.

Noa Essengue overflowing with confidence, looking ahead to France debut

Heading into the national team break, [Noa Essengue](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/noa-essengue/011391/) is brimming with confidence after standing out for [ratiopharm Ulm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/ratiopharm-ulm/ulm/) in the BKT EuroCup, and he cannot wait to make his debut for France.

The 17-year-old has taken the next step with Ulm in his second season in Germany and is showing why he is considered one of the top young talents in the world, ranking fourth on the team in scoring (13.1 ppg.), first in index rating (17.0), first in rebounds (5.2 rpg.), tied for first in steals (1.1 spg.), and second in fouls drawn (4.2 per game).

“I'm really good, really confident,” Essengue, who is shooting 63.4% on two pointers and 40% on three-pointers, tells David Hein. “When I'm in a game, I know I can drive, and I know if someone closes out on me, I can pass the ball. I know my teammate goes to make a shot or goes to rebound, so I'm really confident about my team.”

That is a major jump from his first season in the EuroCup last year, when he averaged 2.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in about 6 minutes per game over seven contests.

This season’s EuroCup numbers are also higher than what he is producing in the German League, where he has posted 7.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.8 steals in eight games.

The best plays of ratiopharm Ulm prodigy Noa Essengue through the first eight rounds of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season.

Noa Essengue's top plays this season

Essengue is not surprised at all about his production, even though he will not turn 18 until December 18.

“I worked out all summer. I worked out every day and I played \[for the U18\] national team,” says the Frenchman, who worked out this past summer in Orlando in the United States.. “And already last year, I practiced with the guys in the BBL and EuroCup. So I already knew the team. I'm not surprised.”

This season has seen a major highlight already as Ulm took a trip to the United States to play [an exhibition game against the Portland Trail Blazers](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/ratiopharm-ulm-and-its-basketball-program-attracts-nba-attention/). Essengue led the team in scoring that night with 20 points in a 111-100 loss – though the game was still close midway through the fourth quarter.

“We did a good job. We only lost by 11, so that's a good performance by the whole team,” states Essengue, who also picked up 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. “So I'm just feeling good and proud of my team.

“We played all together. We played our game. We loved playing against an NBA team, because we don't play every day against an NBA team. So everyone was excited.”

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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/p/DBZMPNMq5Hs/?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 Noa Essengue (@noa_esg12)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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Essengue still faces a major disadvantage because of a lack of muscle mass since he is still so young and physically hasn’t developed into an adult’s body – yet. But that has not slowed him down from fighting in the paint at both ends and driving to the basket on offense.

The Orleans native was dominant at youth level, [being named the MVP of the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Dubai tournament](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/ngt/news/herculean-effort-earns-noa-essengue-mvp-for-ulm/) last season. His amazing performance helped Ulm become the first German club to win an ANGE qualifier. That all-around game is starting to translate to the senior level.

“The coach trusts me, my teammates trust me, so I can play my game,” he says. “I'm not stressed about nothing. I know if I make mistakes, that's not wrong. My teammates can cover me, so I just play my game.”

The national team window will have a special meaning for Essengue as he was nominated for the French senior team for the first time for the two games against Cyprus in the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers.

“I just want to say thank you to my coach \[Frederic Fauthoux, head coach at Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse\]. I know that it's my first time. I'm really excited,” Essengue says. “Just playing with some guys I have been watching on TV since I'm young, and to represent my country, that's just amazing. That's my dream since I was a kid. I'm just happy. I'm excited for this moment.”

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Essengue is also looking forward to playing with Nolan Traore, with whom he played at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024 and who also starred at last season’s ANGE for U18 PFBB INSEP Paris.

But of course, it will be great to learn from the likes of [Andrew Albicy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/andrew-albicy/003425/), [Axel Bouteille](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/axel-bouteille/003840/), Paul Lacombe, Nicolas Lang, [Adam Mokoka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/adam-mokoka/012698/) and [Yoan Makoundou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yoan-makoundou/011935/).

“Everyone on the team has had a big career, so I can learn from each of them. They can give me some advice for getting better,” Essengue says.

This will be another big experience that will make the young talent that much better.

More Noa Essengue News

The 17-year-old is projected to be a lottery pick in next year's NBA Draft

Valencia Basket is a great example of the benefits of having a deep roster, but other EuroCup teams are also thriving with their bench units.

Stats review: The value of a strong bench

Round 8 of the BKT EuroCup was highlighted by several key wins as things remain very tight, with a half dozen teams vying for position in the middle of Group A and [Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/pam/) continuing to stand out in Group B. Scoring over 100 points for the fifth time in seven games, the Spanish club featured seven scorers in double figures including three off the bench.

Roster depth matters in the EuroCup; each of the last two teams to win the competition ranked among the top three in the percentage of minutes played by their bench at the end of the season. Despite the recent correlation with winning, the definition of a deep team remains nebulous. For some groups it is rooted in the quality of their sixth and seventh men, for others it’s the feeling that they have seven starters allowing them to mix and match, and some even benefit from being able to play 10 or 11 players. Regardless of the details, it’s the impact of that depth on the floor that is meaningful.

That has been especially true for Valencia through the first months of the season. With a mixture of perhaps the league’s highest talent level from top to bottom and how coach Pedro Martinez has chosen to exploit it, the Spanish club has leveraged its depth as effectively as any team in EuroCup history. Without a single player averaging 23 or more minutes per game but 11 players who have been in the team’s starting five and 14 who have seen game action, no team in the league has used its reserves and mixed up its lineups as liberally as the Group A leaders. The result has been a surprising level of consistency. 

Not only has Valencia scored 100 points five times, but its second-ranked offensive efficiency has been nearly flat quarter to quarter. Its bench has outscored opposing reserves by 19 points per game as the way this roster can maintain a high standard of play for 40 minutes has been an unsolvable puzzle for opposing teams so far this season. No team has used its bench more than its starters for a full season in recent EuroCup history, but early returns suggest it may work in Valencia’s favor to become the first.

[Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cosea-jl-bourg-en-bresse/bou/) has this season’s second-highest bench scoring differential. In contrast to Valencia, Bourg used the same starting lineup in their first four games before some injuries led to some reshuffling. When healthy, the French club has used a platoon system; its two most used lineups this season did not feature any common players until last round. Even as its bench has played some 10% fewer minutes than Valencia’s, the value of those true second-unit minutes has been apparent early on as the bench has outscored opposing reserves by 74 points, explaining most of their fifth-ranked +48 point differential.

The fluidity of Valencia’s rotations and the chemistry of Bourg’s bench have had an obvious impact on the standings, but there are plenty of other nuggets to be found looking across the EuroCup this season. 

[Jordan Ford](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jordan-ford/013270/) may be coming off the bench for [Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dolomiti-energia-trento/trn/), but that has not stopped him from ranking sixth among all players in points per-game. His production has made Trento the only team other than Valencia getting as much scoring from its bench as its starters. 

No team has leaned on its starters more heavily than [Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/turk-telekom-ankara/ttk/), which has played them a league-high 67% of the time through eight games despite using 10 different starters. While some of these numbers will flatten out as the year goes on, it will be interesting to see if that continues to work now that teams have settled into the rhythm of the season.

Let's dive into how important teams' production off the bench has been to winning

Hapoel Tel Aviv BC has confirmed that Dimitris Itoudis, a two-time EuroLeague champion and two-time EuroLeague Coach of the Year, has been appointed as its new head coach.

Hapoel appoints two-time EuroLeague champ Dimitris Itoudis as head coach

[Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) has announced the appointment of Dimitris Itoudis – a two-time Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion and two-time EuroLeague Coach of the Year – as its new head coach. 

The Greek tactician has penned a three-year deal with the Israeli side that includes an option to extend his contract 'for additional seasons'.

Itoudis had been without a club since being let go by [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) in December 2023, and he is now entrusted with guiding an ambitious Hapoel team to the BKT EuroCup and Israeli League championships.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">מועדון הכדורסל הפועל &quot;שלמה&quot; ת&quot;א גאה ומתרגש להודיע על החתמתו של המאמן המעוטר דימטריס איטודיס, שחתם לשלוש שנים עם אופציה להארכה לעונות נוספות. <br><br>סטפנוס דדאס ישאר כעוזרו של איטודיס לצידם של ברק לדרר, גיל סלטר, דניס טימקוב ומאמן הכושר אנדראה קבלארי.<br><br>איטודיס, מגדולי מאמני הכדורסל… <a href="https://t.co/kE0wkw2nTN">pic.twitter.com/kE0wkw2nTN</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1857462377081393450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The 54-year-old certainly has plenty of pedigree after leading CSKA Moscow to the EuroLeague title in 2016 and 2019, while he was an assistant to Zeljko Obradovic at [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) as the Greens won five EuroLeague trophies in 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011.

In the EuroLeague this century, Itoudis has accrued the seventh most wins (218) of any coach; 191 came with CSKA and 27 were with Fenerbahce. Overall, he has a 218-89 record in 307 EuroLeague games.

Beyond the bench: Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA Moscow

This will be the second time that Itoudis has been in charge of a EuroCup club after leading Banvit Bandirma to an 8-8 record in the 2013-14 campaign. That was his first season as a head coach after leaving Panathinaikos.

Between 2014 and 2022, the Greek play-caller was the head coach at CSKA and achieved great success with the Russian club, then he moved to Fenerbahce and guided the Turkish side back to the EuroLeague Playoffs.

Stefanos Dedas, who has led Hapoel this season and was previously Itoudis’s No. 2 at CSKA (2022) and Fenerbahce (2022-23), will remain at the club as an assistant coach.

The team is currently in third place in Group A with a 5-3 record

The BKT EuroCup Round 9 game between Turk Telekom Ankara and Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem will be played at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade, Serbia. The game will be played on Thursday, November 28 at 19:30 local time.

Round 9 matchup between Turk Telekom and Hapoel Jerusalem relocated

The BKT EuroCup Round 9 game between Turk Telekom Ankara and Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem will be played at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade, Serbia. The game will be played on Thursday, November 28 at 19:30 local time.

This decision has been taken considering recommendations from the Turkish and Israeli governments.

Turk Telekom Ankara v Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (2024-11-28T16:30:00.000Z)

Look back at all the action in Round 8 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos from Round 8

Look back at all the action from Round 8 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Against Bourg, Hapoel Jerusalem's Gabriel Chachashvili exploded with a monster double-double of 20 points and 11 boards, going 8 of 12 from two, good for a 29 PIR that shattered all his previous marks.

Chachashvili’s magic night boosted Jerusalem over Bourg

[Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-bank-yahav-jerusalem/jer/) survived [a hard fight against BKT EuroCup runner-up Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/jerusalem-used-big-second-half-to-beat-bourg-86-77/) at Samokov Arena on Wednesday night. Both teams entered the game with 5-2 records, and a win would confirm second place in Group B for one of them.

It seemed Bourg was in good disposition of achieving it, as it dominated 37-41 at halftime, but a fierce reaction after the intermission with a 21-8 run in the 6 first minutes of the third period turned the tables and set the foundations for a valuable and well-deserved victory.

“We elevated our aggressiveness in the third quarter," explained Hapoel head coach Yonatan Alon. “Second quarter was we already better, but we were aggressive defensively and offensively.”

But besides mentioning team effort, Yalon had some words for a couple of players who took turns in the spotlight despite a non-starring role in previous games.

“I think we have a very talented team. People don't understand how talented players like [\[Gabriel\] Chachashvili](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/gabriel-chachashvili/013279/) and [\[Or\] Cornelius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/or-cornelius/013281/) really are.”, he said. “They can give us a lot and I don't want them to look at [Jared Harper](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jared-harper/011970/) and [Khadeen Carrington](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/khadeen-carrington/008912/) and ask them to score for us. No, we have every time on the floor five talented players, and they need to perform and to believe in themselves”

Chachashvili’s magic night boosted Hapoel over Bourg

Speaking specifically about Chachashvili, the truth is that he seemed to believe in himself more than anyone, anytime. The 24-year-old center was among the top talents of his generation in Israel and signed with Jerusalem in the summer of 2023 after a season in Germany with high expectations. However, injuries cost him to miss most of the season and the start of this one. But then, when Jerusalem lost [Austin Wiley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/austin-wiley/013278/) and [Justin Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/justin-smith/013276/) to injuries, the opportunity was there for Chachashvili.

He enjoyed good playing minutes this season, averaging 5.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.6 PIR in 18:21 minutes on the court, but had never scored more than 7 points, grabbed more than 6 boards or recorded more than 8 PIR in any of his 7 games in his debut season.

Against Bourg, Chachashvili exploded with a monster double-double of 20 points and 11 boards, going 8 of 12 from two, good for a 29 PIR that shattered all his previous marks. He first showed up in the second quarter, scoring 8 of Jerusalem's last 10 points before halftime, and played a major role in his team’s reaction early in the third period with 6 more points and key rebounds and steals to construct a double-digit lead, 72-59, that proved definitive.

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“We talked at halftime. We said that we really wanted to pick up the aggressiveness on defense and get more stops, and play a little bit more simple on offense”, Chachashvili said. “And I think we did both of those things. Everybody had a really good game. \[…\] Everybody did their part to beat such a good team."

With Chachashvili looking strong and Derek Ogbeide adding more power with 6 points and 7 rebounds in less than 13 minutes in his second game with the club, Jerusalem has plenty of reasons for optimism.

Game News

The center shattered personal records in points, rebounds and PIR

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem v Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (2024-11-13T18:00:00.000Z)

A record-breaking performance in a winning effort allowed Zavier Simpson of U-BT Cluj-Napoca to earn EuroCup Regular Season Round 8 MVP honors with a PIR of 34.

Round 8 MVP: Zavier Simpson, U-BT Cluj-Napoca

A record-breaking performance in a winning effort allowed [Zavier Simpson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/zavier-simpson/013302/) of [U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/u-bt-cluj-napoca/clu/) to earn BKT EuroCup Regular Season Round 8 MVP honors with a PIR of 34.

Simpson led Cluj to a 100-93 home win over 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys with 32 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. He made 7 of 11 two-pointers, 2 of 4 three-pointers and 12 of 13 free throws and drew 9 fouls to compile a PIR of 34, which was the highest of any player in Round 8. Simpson is the first Cluj player to earn MVP of the Round honors this season and the third in competition history after Karel Guzman and Emanuel Cate.

[Devon Dotson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/devon-durrell-dotson/013285/) of Joventut Badalona had the round's next-highest PIR with a 32 in his team's 78-72 home win over Buducnost VOLI Podgorica. Dotson led Joventut with 26 points on 7-of-10 two-point shooting, 3-of-4 on three-pointers and 3-of-3 on free throws, plus 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 6 fouls drawn. 

[Gabriel Chachashvili](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/gabriel-chachashvili/013279/) helped Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem beat Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse 86-77 with 20 points on 8-of-11 two-point shooting and 4 free throws without a miss, 11 rebounds, 1 steal and 4 fouls drawn for a PIR of 29. 

[Mateusz Ponitka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/mateusz-ponitka/004172/) of Bahcesehir College Istanbul (28 PIR) and [Mantas Rubstavicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/mantas-rubstavicius/009299/) of Lietkabelis (27 PIR) complete the list of top individual performances in Round 8.

### Individual highs: Mfiondu Kabengele, Reyer, 15 rebounds

The Round 8 MVP, Cluj's Zavier Simpson, led all scorers with a club-record 32 points. [Jared Harper](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jared-harper/011970/) of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem is the competition's top scorer with 21.4 points per game.

[Mfiondu Kabengele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/mfiondu-tshimanga-kabengele/012796/) of Umana Reyer Venice pulled down 15 rebounds against Turk Telekom Ankara to lead the weekly standings. He is also this season's top rebounder with 10.4 per game.

Jerusalem point guard Harper dished 9 assists, more than anyone in Round 8. Simpson is the EuroCup's assist leader with 6.9 per game.

Three players had 4 steals apiece this round: [Sehmus Hazer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/sehmus-hazer/011201/) of Bahcesehir, [Gabrielius Maldunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/gabrielius-maldunas/010461/) of Lietkabelis and [Tarik Phillip](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tarik-phillip/009649/) of Trefl Sopot. Phillip and Dreamland Gran Canaria's [Andrew Albicy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/andrew-albicy/003425/) share the lead for the season, each averaging 2.3 steals.

[Kur Kuath](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kur-kuath/013313/) of Veolia Hamburg Towers had 5 blocks in this round, a new EuroCup season high. He also leads the overall standings with 2.2 per night.

Four players had double-doubles in this round: Kabengele (10 points, 15 rebounds), Chachashvili (20 points, 11 rebounds), [Matas Jogela](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/matas-jogela/006853/) of Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (10 points, 12 rebounds) and [Andrija Stipanovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/andrija-stipanovic/005113/) of Lietkabelis (11 points, 12 rebounds).

Congratulations to Matej Karamarko, our eighth winner in the 2024-25 EuroCup Fantasy Challenge! Matej's team, 'm199', posted a score of 225.75.

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge: Round 8 winner

Congratulations to Matej Karamarko, our eighth winner in the 2024-25 [EuroCup Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Matej's team, 'm199', posted a score of 225.75.

Matej had the following lineup: Zavier Simpson of U-BT Cluj-Napoca as team captain, then the rest of his starting five included Anthony Brown of Turk Telekom Ankara, Kur Kuath of Veolia Towers Hamburg, Jared Harper of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem and Tre'Shawn Thurman of Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius. Mantas Rubstavicius of 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys was his sixth man

His team's head coach was Hamburg's Benka Barloschky, while the four bench players were ratiopharm Ulm's Noa Essengue, Maxime Courby of Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse, Tarik Phillip of Trefl Sopot and Gabriel Chachashvili of Jerusalem.

The prize for finishing first in Round 8 is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Matej!

The new leader in the overall standings is Milos Mihajlovic and his squad, 'BallsLife', which has a total of 1,349.15 points after the first eight rounds. Trades are now open for Round 9. Remember, four trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become EuroCup Fantasy Challenge's next winner!

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