Aris Midea Thessaloniki grabbed its first BKT EuroCup win of the season on Wednesday by defeating Turk Telekom Ankara 68-66 at home in Round 3. It was a physical contest in which neither team scored in the last 3 minutes. Playmaker Vassilis Toliopoulos was a difference-maker for the winners with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 8 fouls drawn for a PIR of 19.
Vassilis Toliopoulos, Aris: 'We are going to give 150%'
Interviews
6 Mins read
He made the go-ahead free throws, too. Toliopoulos grew up with Olympiacos Piraeus and is in his second stint with Aris, in which he has found the playing time and role he needed to be the player he is now. In three EuroCup games, Toliopoulos is averaging 16.3 points and 3.3 assists for a PIR of 15.7. "I want to continue to help my team, to be as good as I can for my team to win," Toliopoulos said. "I think it will be a great year for all of us."
Hello, Vassilis. Congratulations on your first win of the EuroCup season. What allowed you to win the game?
"Thank you. For sure, it was our defense. It is our main focus, our defense. This is what our coach wants the most, us to fight for every possession, to be very physical and not to let the opponent feel comfortable and do the stuff that they want to do."
There is a great atmosphere at the Palais de Sports. How important is that support and to see so many Aris fans in the stands in EuroCup games?
"Aris fans wanted the team to be back in a European competition because this is a big team. It is a club with a big history, and the team did not play in European competitions for too many years, so it is a celebration for them. They really enjoy them and really support us, and we are blessed that we have these fans in our gym."
"The EuroCup is a totally different level of speed than I am used to."
As you said, this is a club with tradition. It hadn't played the EuroCup since 2016. How much of an honor is it to bring Aris back to the EuroCup?
"As I said, it is very nice to have the team back in the EuroCup. I would even say it is like a dream come true for all of us, to be back with Aris in European competitions and in such a big tournament as the EuroCup. And we are very happy to compete in it because the teams are very good, the players are very good, and we are going to give 150% of ourselves to be better and better and compete."
This is your first EuroCup season. It is a bit early, but how have you found the EuroCup so far?
"The EuroCup is a totally different level of speed than I am used to in the Greek League in the last years. It's very nice to compete and play here in the EuroCup. As I said, the teams are very good, the players are very good, and you always have to be ready, always have to be concentrated because if you don't do that, then the other team will punish. I really like it."
Coach Kastritis is also new at this level. You have played for him for two years. What's the best thing about him as a coach?
"I think he's really supportive. He's a great guy on and off the court. He will look after you. He will always ask you, how are you, how you feel, what are your thoughts... And that's the most important thing with him. He is a guy that you can talk to, and everybody on the team has a good relationship with him. He really supports everybody."
You have taken a significant step forward in your career since you returned to Aris, playing a bigger role. How important has it been for you to be back?
"I really wanted to stay in the team. I had a great season last year and I knew that the team would try to play in Europe. I wanted to stay because of the coach and our fans. I liked it last year and I also played really well, so it was my priority to stay here. And when we knew we would play the EuroCup, I had everything I needed to have another very nice season. I will work hard so that everything is good."
You grew up with Olympiacos. What did you learn in the club in general and playing with Vassilis Spanoulis in particular?
"Playing with Vassilis was one of my dreams from a young age. He was my idol and I had a great time being over there watching him play and compete. As I said before, it was a great thing for me because I saw how he was as a character on and off the court and how determined he was to win, even if it was practice, even if it was, I don't know, an easy game. He was always there with 'the eye of the tiger' to win, and I learned a lot from that."
How important is it for Greek basketball that teams other than Olympiacos and Panathinaikos keep improving and getting better?
"We saw that Olympiacos made it to the Final Four in the last two years and Panathinaikos is getting better this season, and we have five [Greek] teams playing in Europe. It is really important for the country to be better in European competitions, to have teams in the EuroLeague and the EuroCup and compete against all these very good teams, trying to win. I think it is very good because they will bring young kids to the gym to start playing basketball, and that will also be good for our national team. We want new players to come in, join basketball teams and participate."
"It was my priority to stay here."
Your next game is against Slask in Poland. How important is it to keep winning, get that first road victory, and be even more confident going forward?
"It was already very important to beat Turk Telekom. We proved to ourselves that we can win big games and we want to continue like this in the Greek League and in the EuroCup. We want to take our first road win in the EuroCup because it would be very important going forward in this competition. We want to be better and better."
What would make it a good season for Aris in general and for you in particular?
"I want to continue to help my team, to be as good as I can for my team to win. I think it will be a great year for all of us. Our goal is to be one of the top-level teams in Greece and try to be one of the first six teams in our EuroCup group to reach the playoffs, and see where we will be at the end of the season."