Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of Round 11 of the BKT EuroCup, and who might be missing in action.
Round 11: Pregame quotes and injury reports
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Wednesday, December 11
Turk Telekom Ankara vs. Aris Midea Thessaloniki (17:30 CET)
Ioannis Kastritis, Aris Midea Thessaloniki head coach
"We play against Turk Telekom, a solid and tough team that knows what they want on the floor in both ends. For us it is one more challenging game and unfortunately once again we have to deal with many absences. We need to be ready mentally and physically and play smart in order to be competitive."
Georgios Fillios, Aris Midea Thessaloniki guard
"First of all, I want to express my satisfaction for rejoining Aris. I will give by best to help the team fulfil its goals. We have a very difficult game ahead of us. Our opponent is a very good team, with great quality. We have significant absences to handle, but we will give our best to be competitive and get the win that we need to keep our hopes alive for the qualification in the next round."
Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius vs. Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (17:30 CET)
Alessandro Magro, Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius head coach
"It's very challenging for us to meet such a good team. They changed a bit with regard the first game. They appointed an amazing coach like Dimitris Itoudis, they signed new players because the expectations for them to compete are high. We want to be able to try to embrace the challenge and try to show which kind of potential we can have even against a team like Hapoel Tel Aviv."
Garrison Brooks, Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius center
"It's a very big game for us, a huge opportunity to keep climbing the EuroCup getting better. I think this would be a very physical game, a very detailed game. There's no comedown, it’s all in a very small thing – our scout reports and the way we prepare for that."
Dimitris Itoudis, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv head coach
"We’re playing against a very athletic and energetic team that generates a lot of points through their athleticism, desire, and aggressiveness. They play very good and organized basketball, including in their transition game. We’re at a stage where we’re trying to implement and apply new things while still needing to deliver results. Unfortunately, we’re dealing with Pat Beverley’s injury, but we are motivated and focused enough to fight."
Oz Blayzer, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv forward
"We are facing Wolves after some challenging days, but we are determined to push forward and maintain the positive momentum in the EuroCup. Everyone knows exactly what they need to do, and we will fight to come back with a win."
U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (18:00 CET)
Mihai Silvasan, U-BT Cluj-Napoca head coach
"We will play against a really strong team. This is the third season in a row when we face them. Still, we have not won against them, but we want to make this possible on Wednesday. We want a victory and we will fight for it. We had some tough days, with two losses in a row and some injuries. Our team is motivated and we hope to have Adam Mokoka in our roster. The competition is tough and every game matters!"
Mareks Mejeris, U-BT Cluj-Napoca forward
"This game is important for us from the standing point of view. JL Bourg is an athletic team and we did not do such a great job against them when we met them. Now I am looking forward to the match, to get rehabilitation. We want to protect our home court and we are hungry for some wins!"
Frederic Fauthoux, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse head coach
"Cluj is a good team and is performing well at home. This second return game will be difficult, but the objective is to play with ambition to stay in the race."
Maksim Salash, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse forward
"It will be a very important game for both teams to fight for the top spots in our group. We expect a tough game, they play good at home."
Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul vs. Bahcesehir College Istanbul (19:00 CET)
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Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem vs. 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (19:30 CET)
Yonatan Alon, Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem head coach
"We’re playing against a team whose quality is not yet reflected in the EuroCup standings — a team with many tools and talent. We want to continue playing our style of basketball and establish ourselves at the top of the group. Our goal is to show toughness from the first moment, control the game’s pace, and return home with a victory. Unfortunately, this will be another game played in front of empty stands and we’re eagerly looking forward to playing in front of our fans again."
Gabriel Chachashvili, Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem center
"It’s very important for us to get back on the winning track in the EuroCup and continue solidifying our position at the top of the group. We anticipate a tough game against a quality opponent and our goal is to come back home with a victory that will lift the spirits of our fans watching from afar."
Umana Reyer Venice vs. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (20:00 CET)
Neven Spahija, Umana Reyer Venice head coach
"We managed to win the last EuroCup games even with short rotations and we want to keep it that way. Ljubljana is a very strong team; they’ve been playing great basketball lately, scoring a lot of points. They play at a very high pace and score a lot in the paint. They don’t rely much on three-pointers, which makes them similar to us. It will be a very tough game, but we can win with the help of our fans. We want to keep imposing our defense and play the best basketball we can. Getting some players back would help us a lot."
Tyler Ennis, Umana Reyer Venice guard
"We want to win. We are working to eliminate the ups and downs and improve our consistency. We’ll grow game by game, improving our chemistry and confidence. Once we have our injured players back, stay united, and continue working like this, we’ll be even better."
Zvezdan Mitrović, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana head coach
"At the start of the competition, Venezia was considered one of the favorites for the top spots. They faced injury challenges during the season, but those are resolved, and they have strengthened their squad. This home game is crucial for them in their playoff pursuit, as they are very close to those positions. Their team is top-tier and well-composed. For us, there are no easy games right now. We will face an athletic and strong team with well-covered positions. They won their last two away games, proving their improvement. Despite Venezia’s recent domestic league loss, this will be a tough match. We’ll need to counter their athletic play, stop their offensive rebounds, and stay focused. We expect a challenging and intense game."
DeVante Jones, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana guard
"This will undoubtedly be a tough and tight match. We defeated Venezia in Stožice last time, so they will be motivated. Some of their players have returned from injuries, and they’ve added reinforcements. They will play with intensity and energy, and we must respond. After the international break, we’re in a good rhythm, playing with intensity. Although we started poorly in our last game, we finished strong. Having our coach back at full strength helps a lot. We’re all focused, and our defensive game has improved, which we need to build on."
Joventut Badalona vs. ratiopharm Ulm (20:30 CET)
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Dreamland Gran Canaria vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (21:00 CET
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Tuesday, December 10
Trefl Sopot vs. Dolomiti Energia Trento (19:00 CET)
Andrea Pecchia, Dolomiti Energia Trento guard
"We are definitely facing a very difficult game, playing away is always complicated. Sopot is a team that gave us a hard time in the first leg and has changed many players. We will have to be good to be ready, we come from a good win in Scafati, we are charged up and we want to take some satisfaction also in Europe to keep dreaming about the playoffs."
Veolia Towers Hamburg vs. Valencia Basket (19:30 CET)
Benka Barloschky, Veolia Towers Hamburg head coach
"Valencia is very, very good in all statistical categories. Individually, they are definitely the deepest team in our group. And, in my opinion, they also have one of the best coaches in Europe. In every game so far, the team has managed to go on a run at some point, usually in the second half, and leave their opponents behind. And then it's incredibly difficult for any opponent to come back due to their individual quality. The question is whether we can be focused enough throughout the game to produce high-quality shots, not lose the ball too often and stop their transition offense. If we play our best basketball, we're good enough to beat Valencia."
