Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of Round 14 of the 2025-26 EuroCup season
Round 14: Pregame quotes
Article
7 Mins read
Wednesday, January 14
Turk Telekom Ankara vs. London Lions (17:00 CET)
Tautvydas Sabonis, London head coach
"A tough game. Tough match up, very good team, playing good basketball. Very varied team, with a lot of experience, we gotta be ready to be mentally tough and ready to do what we’re supposed to do. They got [Jaleen] Smith, [Kyle] Allman, [Dogus] Ozdemiroglu, both bigs are good, we’ve gotta be prepared for a physical game and most importantly, box out.”
Shavar Reynolds, London guard
“Big game. Good team, a lot of experience, a lot of vets, hopefully we can fix the mistakes we made first game; they killed us on the offensive glass. So hopefully we can fix that and honestly, just go out and play hard. We’ve got to box out, they’re very good at rebounding, thinking they’re top at free throws in both attempts and makes so we gotta be cautious with our fouls and just play London basketball.”
ratiopharm ulm vs. NINERS Chemnitz (19:00 CET)
--
Buducnost VOLI Podgorica vs. Lietkabelis Panevezys (19:00 CET)
Andrej Zakelj, Buducnost head coach
"I think Lietkabelis is playing better than in the first part of the season. They have added two new players, so we can definitely expect a tough game. They are currently in good form - they beat Ulm on the road and played a strong game against Bourg. Like every EuroCup match, this one is also a battle for a better position in the group. We are playing at home, we know our opponent, and it’s up to us to show much more desire, toughness, and focus than in the previous game. Only by doing that can we secure the win."
Nikola Tanaskovic, Buducnost center
"We are facing a tough game against a physically strong and very solid team. We need to protect our rim and control their offensive rebounds, as they cause a lot of problems there. They have excellent shooters, so it’s important for us to play with energy, stay aggressive, and deliver a strong performance. I invite all the fans to come and support us so we can bring it home."
Aris Thessaloniki Betsson vs. Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem (19:00 CET)
Igor Milicic, Aris head coach
"Hapoel is definitely one of the strongest teams in the competition. A week ago they beat Hapoel Tel Aviv by 15 points, a team that is first in the EuroLeague. They play very solid basketball, and they demolished Manresa and Slask Wroclaw in Poland. We know we are facing a very good team. We have our own game plan, and we want to improve our game. Most importantly, we want to keep the tempo low. To do that, one of the keys will be not allowing second-chance points and not sending them to the free-throw line. We have to be smart in these areas of the game."
Kostas Antetokounmpo, Aris center
"Hapoel is definitely a very good team, so it will be a tough game. However, I believe we will give our best and step onto the court determined to get the win. Sometimes you have to dive straight into the deep end. It’s something that will help me, and I’m truly ready for the opportunity that lies ahead."
Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs. Besiktas GAIN Istanbul (19:30 CET)
Frederic Fauthoux, Bourg head coach
“Besiktas is a team that plays with a lot of intensity. We learned a lot in the first game against them; the level of play was very high. This game will be a real contest against the competition favorites. For us, the stakes are clear: either confirm our first place or be overtaken by this team. That’s how I see this game... It will be a very tough game, that’s for sure, but also a very interesting one to play. We’re facing one of the best offenses in the competition, with a huge amount of talent in every position. We’ll have to be very solid, relying on our defense, which has been our strength since the start of the season. But that won’t be enough. We’ll also have to be more effective at both ends of the floor. That’s how we can win.”
Kevin Kokila, Bourg center
“The games following the defeat against Besiktas allowed us to gain experience and better manage this type of opponent and the pressure of the game. We are better prepared now; we know their strengths and we know what to expect. It will be a very tough game against a team aiming for the title, with great players at every position. If we want to go as far as possible in this competition, we have to beat this kind of team. There will also be a big battle inside. We will have to fight for rebounds, for every ball, and stay focused and determined to get the win.”
Umana Reyer Venice vs. Slask Wroclaw (20:00 CET)
Neven Spahija, Reyer head coach
"After a bitter loss, the team returned to the court to work and prepare for the game against Slask. They are a good team that runs, scores a lot of points, and is very dangerous. However, we want to continue our path, forget the last 2 or 3 minutes played against Virtus, and continue to compete at the maximum level, together with our fans."
RJ Cole, Reyer guard
"We need to react and be mentally stronger, continuing to play the way we have been lately. In my opinion, we are playing very well. We are playing as a team on both offense and defense. We want to continue our journey by learning from our mistakes and following the game plan with focus, from start to finish."
Tuesday, January 13
Neptunas Kleipeda vs. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (18:00 CET)
Zvezdan Mitrovic, Cedevita Olimpija head coach
"Every game in the EuroCup is important for us. We remember that Neptunas beat us relatively convincingly in Ljubljana in the first game. We expect a very tough game against a team that is extremely effective on its home court. Our opponents do not stand out defensively, but they are very efficient offensively, averaging over 90 points per game. This will be a big challenge for us. We can’t seem to get fully healthy, but despite that we must show good defensive play, because our opponents are very high quality offensively, as they proved in Stožice, where they scored 34 points already in the first quarter. Tough defense and better, smarter offensive play – we will try to do everything in our power to put in a good performance."
DJ Stewart, Cedevita Olimpija guard
"We are aware of the importance of the game, and at the same time we know that the matchup against Neptunas will be demanding. In the first head-to-head game we dug ourselves a hole early, and then tried to climb out of it for the entire game. Our goal is to step onto the court more aggressive, with more energy, and to play better defense in order to record a win."
U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. Veolia Towers Hamburg (18:00 CET)
Mihai Silvasan, Cluj head coach
"This is a game where we are big favorites on paper, but Hamburg has caused problems for many teams, not everyone has had an easy time against them. They've also changed some players recently, they seem to be performing better, and they’ve managed to win a few games in Germany. The main point is that we cannot afford to be relaxed or treat this game as a guaranteed victory. We must play good basketball, bring the necessary intensity, and win it on the court, because that’s where games are won, not through talk or because of the standings."
Iverson Molinar, Cluj guard
"The atmosphere is great and we have a team with a lot of character. We know exactly what we need to do in these next few games. Tomorrow’s match is crucial, so we’re coming in with the right attitude, to play as hard as we can and get the win. Playing on the road is tough, it’s my first season in EuroCup and I’m learning just how difficult it is to win away games. I feel we were a bit sloppy in the last game, but now it’s time to regroup and give it our all. I love the fans here in Cluj, for me, they are among the best in the EuroCup."
Benka Barloschky, Hamburg head coach
"I like the EuroCup and I also enjoy traveling to other European cities to play against the best teams on the continent. That’s why I’m a little sad that this is our last EuroCup trip of the season. Because of the weather, we first canceled Friday’s practice, then used the weekend time for ourselves. It’s also good for us to have a few consecutive days to train with full focus. The personnel situation is slowly improving. Niklas [Wimberg] is fully back, Osaro [Rich] will also make the trip. Zsombor [Maronka] is making slight progress, but he will stay in Hamburg."
LJ Thorpe, Hamburg guard
"It’s our last EuroCup trip, so we can play freely. That’s a good opportunity to show that we can win, too. I’m really looking forward to the last trip, even though I know we’re facing a strong opponent. I have great respect for Russell and Creek; we all do on the team. We have to defend them collectively; just one of us won’t be able to stop them. I hope we can give them a tough fight."
Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. Panionios Cosmorama Travel Athens (20:00 CET)
Fabio Bongi, Trento assistant coach
"We are facing Panionios, a team that, despite the recent coaching change, is going through a good run of form, as shown by their two consecutive wins in the EuroCup and in the league. Compared to the first leg, they have changed a lot and are finding good team chemistry. On our side, we want to be ready for this intense period, which will see us involved both in the league and in the cup, and we are approaching the game with great motivation. Panionios can rely on an extremely strong and well-balanced backcourt, with players who have different characteristics: some capable of creating off the dribble and others with great scoring ability, such as [Joe] Thomasson, who joined recently but has already been very impactful. In the frontcourt, they have a versatile and physical group of big men, with players like [Rocky] Kreuser and [Georgios] Tsalmpouris, who can be effective both near the basket and from outside. In addition, they are playing very aggressive and energetic defense, especially on the perimeter, and we will need to maintain a very high level of focus throughout the entire game."
Selom Mawugbe, Trento center
"We are facing a tough and very important challenge in our journey against Panionios Athens, who come into the game on the back of two consecutive wins. The first game was very balanced and we managed to come out on top, but since then their team has changed a lot and we know they will take the court with great hunger. We need to set the tone from the opening tip and sustain it for all 40 minutes, playing together, in order to earn a win that would be crucial for us. We are fully involved in the playoff race, which is one of our goals, and we must be ready to do whatever it takes to win. We can’t look at the standings: in a competition like the EuroCup every team is strong and always plays to get the best possible result."