Virtus Bologna announced that it has signed center Ante Zizic through the summer of 2026.

Virtus inks Ante Zizic from Efes

Virtus Segafredo Bologna bolstered its frontline by signing center [Ante Zizic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/ante-zizic/004554/) from Anadolu Efes Istanbul. Zizic (2.10 meters, 26 years old) averaged 6.5 points on 71.4% shooting and 2.8 rebounds in 13 EuroLeague appearances for Efes this season, though his role decreased drastically in recent weeks after his return from injury.  With Virtus, Zizic is expected to immediately fill the void created at center by Devontae Cacok's knee injury.

This season was Zizic's second with Efes and fifth in the EuroLeague. He boasts career averages of 9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 129 games with Darussafaka Istanbul, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and Efes.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">🔊 𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄 𝐙𝐈𝐙𝐈𝐂 𝐄’ 𝐁𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐎<br>Welcome to Bologna Ante ⚪️⚫️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmarsiAncora?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmarsiAncora</a> <a href="https://t.co/z77bodV6K4">pic.twitter.com/z77bodV6K4</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1741391191327797599?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Zizic, whose older brother Andrija was a EuroLeague champion with Maccabi in 2014, started his career in his native Croatia, playing for Split, Ribola Kastela, Cakovec and Cibona Zagreb before joining Darussafaka in November 2016. He made his EuroLeague debut with Darussafaka and averaged 9.0 points in 20 games in helping his team reach the playoffs. 

Zizic has also played for Cleveland in the NBA and Canton in the G League. He helped Maccabi win the Israeli League and Cup double in 2021, won the Turkish championship with Efes last season and reached the NBA finals with Cleveland in 2018. He is a member of the Croatian national team.

The best highlights of Anadolu Efes Istanbul center Ante Zizic through the first 10 rounds of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The top plays of Ante Zizic this season

More on Ante Zizic

The center signed a deal a two-and-a-half-season deal with Virtus 

ALBA Berlin v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2024-01-05T18:00:00.000Z)

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v FC Bayern Munich (2024-01-03T19:30:00.000Z)

Look back at all the action from Round 17 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week!

The Top 10 photos of the week, Round 17

Donta Hall of Monaco dunks against Barcelona.

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot of ASVEL shoots over Real Madrid's Alberto Abalde.

Dan Oturu of Efes and Fenerbahce's Georgios Papagiannis battle for a rebound. 

Vladimir Lucic of FC Bayern Munich shoots against Valencia.

Maccabi's Josh Nebo emotes as he dunks in Kaunas against Zalgiris. 

Chima Moneke of Baskonia and Milan's Kyle Hines in action in Round 17.

Mathias Lessort of Panathinaikos and Crvena Zvezda's Joel Bolomboy tussle for the ball. 

Dan Oturu of Efes dunks in the derby against Fenerbahce. 

Isaia Cordinier of Virtus and Partizan's Zach LeDay compete for the ball. 

Chima Moneke of Baskonia dunks on Milan's Kyle Hines. 

Kevin Pangos has secured his long-awaited exit from Olimpia Milano, with the guard joining fellow EuroLeague club Valencia Basket Club.

Kevin Pangos seals move from Olimpia Milano to Valencia Basket

Valencia Basket has confirmed the signing of [Kevin Pangos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-pangos/006433/) on a deal until the end of the 2023-24 season, with an option for a further year. Pangos (1.86 meters, 30 years old) joins Valencia from EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, where he averaged 7.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists in five Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games this season. The Canadian-born point guard is in his sixth EuroLeague season.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🎬🎅 Es la mejor película navideña de siempre y lo sabes <a href="https://t.co/XQJYuxgDAR">pic.twitter.com/XQJYuxgDAR</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket/status/1741189490360611311?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

### A difficult couple of years in Milan

There was a lot of fanfare following the announcement that Pangos would be joining Milan in the summer of 2022, but his time in the fashion capital did not quite go to plan. Pangos arrived as the replacement for Sergio Rodriguez, who had returned to Real Madrid, yet his first season failed to live up to expectation as he lacked consistency and also dealt with injuries.

Despite Milan head coach Ettore Messina stating in the offseason that Pangos could return to the level he showed during his time at Zenit St. Petersburg, where he was named to the All-EuroLeague First Team in the 2020-21 season, the Italian tactician soon changed his tune. As such, he took the decision to freeze Pangos after Round 5, with Milan staring at a 1-4 record.

The best plays of Kevin Pangos for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

Kevin Pangos's top plays for Milan

### Reuniting with Brandon Davies

Another player who had a similar experience in Milan and now plays for Valencia is Brandon Davies. Pangos now gets to join forces with his ex-teammate for the fourth time in their EuroLeague careers, as they played together for one year at Zalgiris Kaunas (2017-18), one year at FC Barcelona (2019-20) and one year at Milan (2022-23). Their chemistry on the court could become a weapon for Valencia head coach Alex Mumbru as we enter the second half of the season.

Pangos will have to battle with Chris Jones, Valencia’s star point guard, for minutes in the rotation, but after a period in which he has been cast aside in Milan, the 30-year-old will surely just be glad to be playing again.  

### Pangos’s journey to Valencia

Having begun his European adventure with Dreamland Gran Canaria in the 2015-16 season, which saw him named to the All-EuroCup Second Team, Valencia will be Pangos’s third team in Spain having also spent two years at Barcelona between 2018 and 2020.

Pangos’s EuroLeague career began in the 2016-17 campaign as he joined Zalgiris, and the following season he was named to the All-EuroLeague Second Team due to his play for the Lithuanian side. Then came his two years in Barcelona, one season at Zenit and his last year and a half at Milan. He also spent one year in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Top 5 All-EuroLeague First Team: Kevin Pangos

Now 30, Pangos will be keen for Valencia to become the home he has been looking for. Coach Mumbru’s troops have a 9-8 record so far and find themselves in ninth place, which would be good enough for a play-in spot if the season ended today. Valencia will be hoping that Pangos’s arrival can help solidify the club’s playoff push.

More Valencia News

New Valencia Basket signing Kevin Pangos in action for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The 30-year-old will be able to make his debut in Round 18.

Kevin Pangos seals move from Milan to Valencia

In the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague roll call, we take a look at five players that had a big impact on their respective games in Round 17: Shane Larkin, Nigel-Hayes Davis, Leandro Bolmaro, Ognjen Jaramaz, Diego Flaccadori.

Roll call, Round 17: Putting it all on the line for your team

### Hayes-Davis provided the foundation for Fenerbahce’s win

Nick Calathes earned plenty of plaudits for his late-game heroics for Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on the road at Anadolu Efes Istanbul, but one player who perhaps went slightly under the radar in the closing stages was [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/). Yet, if it wasn’t for the Fenerbahce forward’s contribution, there’s almost no way his side would have come away with an [84-89](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/anadolu-efes-istanbul-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/E2023/145/) victory at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall. In what was an offense-filled first quarter, Hayes-Davis played all but 5 seconds of the opening period and contributed 12 of Fenerbahce’s 29 points. He was limited to just 3 points in the second quarter, but he went stride for stride with an on-fire Shane Larkin in the third period by netting 10 points and playing for the entire 10 minutes. Everybody is well aware of Hayes-Davis’s durability, but his final stat line of a season-high 24 points, 6 rebounds and a +5 in the plus/minus column in 36:18 minutes on the floor shows just how vital he is to Fenerbahce and head coach Saras Jasikevicius.

Nigel Hayes-Davis had 24 points, 6 rebounds and a +5 in the plus/minus column as Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul beat Anadolu Efes Istanbul 84-89 in Round 17 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Hayes-Davis's scoring plays vs. Efes

### Larkin’s eruption wasn’t enough for Efes

With Efes leading 52-47 at halftime against Fenerbahce, it needed a good third quarter if it was to come away with the win. Well, [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/) answered the call with 15 points in the third period alone, as the Fenerbahce players were pulled from pillar to post. It looked like Fenerbahce had no answer for Larkin, who was playing at a level reminiscent of his EuroLeague record 49-point night against FC Bayern Munich in November 2019, but unfortunately the cavalry didn’t offer much support. In fact, Efes scored just 16 points in the third quarter, meaning that Larkin scored all but 1 of his team’s points in the period. Fenerbahce, meanwhile, netted 22 points and went on to win the game 84-89.

Shane Larkin netted 15 of Anadolu Efes Istanbul's 16 points in the third quarter against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Round 17 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Larkin's third-quarter explosion

### Bolmaro was instrumental in Bayern's win

[Leandro Bolmaro](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/leandro-bolmaro/008985/) did a bit of everything for FC Bayern Munich during its [85-84](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/fc-bayern-munich-valencia-basket/E2023/147/) win over Valencia Basket. Bolmaro was tied for a team-high 13 points, he led the team with 5 assists and he also pulled down 4 rebounds, finishing with a team-best PIR of 19 in 24 minutes of work. Bolmaro shot 5-of-9 from the field and made both of his foul shots. Bolmaro came back into the game in the fourth quarter with 5:42 left and Valencia up 68-71, but he soon scored back-to-back baskets to put the hosts ahead. Before the end of the game, the Argentine dished 2 more assists to help Bayern protect its home floor in its final game of 2023.

Leandro Bolmaro did a bit of everything for FC Bayern Munich during its 85-84 win over Valencia Basket. Bolmaro was tied for a team-high 13 points, he led the team with 5 assists and he also pulled down 4 rebounds, finishing with a team-best PIR of 19 in 24 minutes of work.

Bolmaro was instrumental in Bayern's win

### Jaramaz stepped up against Virtus

In a thriller that went down to the last shot, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade registered a [75-77](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade-virtus-segafredo-bologna/E2023/153/) home loss against Virtus Segafredo Bologna. Partizan rallied from a double-digit deficit twice during the game, despite starter P.J. Dozier battling foul trouble all night long. [Ognjen Jaramaz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/ognjen-jaramaz/004058/) made the most of his extended playing time, finishing the game with 12 points on 2-of-2 two-pointers and 2-of-2 three-pointers, in addition to adding a career-high 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 5 fouls drawn for a season-best PIR of 20. Jaramaz averages 3.2 points, 1.3 rebounds and a PIR of 3.2, but when playing more than 25 minutes, those numbers improve to 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and a PIR of 15.5.

Ognjen Jaramaz made the most out of his extended playing time, finishing the game with 12 points on 2 of 2 two-pointers and 2 of 2 three-pointers, also adding a career-high 6 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and 5 fouls drawn for a season-best PIR of 20.

Jaramaz has solid game in Round 17

### Flaccadori did it all against Baskonia

[Diego Flaccadori](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/diego-flaccadori/005670/) had a stunning performance to lead EA7 Emporio Armani Milan to a [76-67](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/ea7-emporio-armani-milan-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/E2023/146/) home victory over Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. He had 11 of his 14 points before halftime, helping Milan build a 46-31 margin. He finished the game with new career highs in steals (4) and rebounds (4), while he also dished 5 assists for a PIR of 14. Since Maodo Lo got injured, Flaccadori has taken a significant a step forward, particularly with regard to his production. He averaged 3.7 points, 0.3 rebounds and a PIR of 0.9 in his first 10 games of the season. However, in Milan's last four outings, Flaccadori has posted 11.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and a PIR of 11.0, leading his team to a 3-1 record.

He had 11 of his 14 points before halftime, helping Milan build a 46-31 margin. He finished the game with new career-highs in steals (4) and rebounds (4), also dishing 5 assists for a PIR of 14.

Flaccadori does it all against Baskonia

In the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague roll call, we take a look at five players that had a big impact on their respective games in Round 17.

Olimpia Milano continued its upwards trajectory with a win against Saski Baskonia in Round 17 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season, which saw the hosts lean on a new Big Three of Nicolo Melli, Johannes Voigtmann and Diego Flaccadori.

Injury-plagued Olimpia Milano leaned on a new Big Three in Baskonia win

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan finished the first half of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season in style, [downing Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 76-67](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-olimpia-milano-vs-saski-baskonia/) despite being without five players who are either injured or unavailable. But the good news is that reinforcements are on the way.

[Shavon Shields](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shavon-shields/007831/) was a last-minute scratch in Round 17, joining [Maodo Lo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/maodo-lo/007032/), [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/) and [Giampaolo Ricc](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/giampaolo-ricci/001518/)i on the team's injury list. Milan also found itself without new signing Shabazz Napier following his move from another EuroLeague team, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade. However, the American guard, who shined so brightly at Mediolanum Forum last season, will be available to play from Round 18. Or, in other words, next week.

"I think the whole team played a fantastic game," said Milan head coach Ettore Messina after the game. "I have no words. In this situation, if you look at the five players sitting in the stands in this game, you think it is probably a playoff team."

### Voigtmann, Melli stepped up for Milan

If you took a glance at Milan's available players, the ones with the most experience were in the frontcourt positions: [Kyle Hines](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kyle-hines/002812/), [Johannes Voigtmann](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/johannes-voigtmann/007201/) and [Nicolo Melli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nicolo-melli/002849/). As such, it was only natural for Milan to get its big men involved as often as possible against Baskonia, and that plan worked to perfection.

Melli had 12 in the second quarter alone, a period in which Milan took off. Voigtmann completed a double-double with 8 minutes left in the third quarter. At halftime, Melli and Voigtmann combined for 25 points and a PIR of 35. As a team, Baskonia combined for a PIR of 30.

Johannes Voigtmann, Nicolo Melli and Diego Flaccadori led EA7 Emporio Armani Milan past Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in Round 17.

Milan's big three delivers against Baskonia

In order to find a balance on offense, Milan needed a third wheel, a backcourt player that could be a threat at all times. 

"I am very proud of the guys that came in and didn't play a lot of minutes in the last couple of weeks. They made a great effort," Voigtmann said. "Everybody who came in gave us something. It was not the perfect game, but we are very happy with the win." 

### Flaccadori also made his presence felt

Voigtmann didn't mention him, but he was definitely talking about [Diego Flaccadori](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/diego-flaccadori/005670/), who stepped up big at both ends of the floor. Flaccadori scored 11 points before the break, before finishing the game with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. He also helped Milan limit Baskonia's top scorer Markus Howard to just 7 points and a PIR of -7. 

Melli led the way with 21 points and 3 blocks and Voigtmann added 19 points and 12 rebounds, meaning Milan's new Big Three – for one night only, at least – combined for 54 points.

"It was an important game for us, mostly after Shavon's injury. We had to stick together and try to win this game," Melli said. "I think that everybody made a step forward and we came home with a win. 

“Everybody is very focused and ready. We knew the task at hand and knew it wasn't easy, because we had a lot of absences and Baskonia is a very good team. But everybody was focused and came ready, and we showed it on the court." 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Don&#39;t ever underestimate the heart of a Captain ⚪️🔥🔴<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/insieme?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#insieme</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/olimpiamilano?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#olimpiamilano</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForzaOlimpia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForzaOlimpia</a> <a href="https://t.co/PEmCSCpJET">pic.twitter.com/PEmCSCpJET</a></p>&mdash; Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936/status/1740495765091541459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Milan's next game is on the road at Olympiacos Piraeus and it will be the first time Napier can play since his move, or so Melli expects.

"Hopefully with Shabazz! We are halfway through the season, so the way is still long."

The road is long, indeed, but if Napier is able to provide Milan with the same boost he did last season, there could be many happy days ahead for fans of The Little Red Shoes.

More Milan News

Diego Flaccadori of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan looks to get up a shot against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in Round 17 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Without the likes of Shields, Lo and Mirotic, the Italian side still managed to record an important victory in Round 17.

Injury-plagued Milan leaned on a new Big Three in Baskonia win

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2023-12-28T19:30:00.000Z)

Big man Johannes Voigtmann put EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on his back and carried it to a 76-67 win over Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz with one of the best performances of his career in Round 17 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. Following his efforts, he has earned his first-ever MVP of the Round honor.

Round 17 MVP: Johannes Voigtmann, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan

Big man Johannes Voigtmann put EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on his back and carried it to a 76-67 win over Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz with one of the best performances of his career in Round 17 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. Following his efforts, he has earned his first-ever MVP of the Round honor.

Voigtmann scored 19 points, making 4-of-6 two-point shots and 4-of-6 triples, while also pulling down 12 rebounds and dishing 3 assists. He had 1 steal and 3 drawn fouls, too. Voigtmann's 14th career double-double, and first since April 2021, helped him accumulate a PIR of 29, the highest among winning players in Round 17. That performance has seen the eight-year veteran record his first MVP of the Round honor in his 232nd career game.

Johannes Voigtmann | RS Round 17 MVP | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Round 17's highest PIR, 37, belongs to Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes Istanbul as he had 28 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals in an 84-87 loss against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. Josh Nebo of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, Nigel Hayes-Davis of Fenerbahce and Alec Peters of Olympiacos Piraeus each had a PIR of 27 in this round. Nebo posted 22 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block in a 70-78 road win over Zalgiris Kaunas, Hayes-Davis finished with 24 points and 6 rebounds in a triumph over Efes, while Peters had 23 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 0 turnovers in Olympiacos’s 67-94 victory at ALBA Berlin. Rounding out the list of this round's top performers is Real Madrid center Walter Tavares, who collected 16 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks for a 26 PIR in *Los Blancos*’ 76-77 win at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.

A performance in a win over Baskonia has seen Milan forward record his first MVP of the Round honor in his 232nd career game.

Round 15 brought a lot of great individual performances and players who stepped up big. These were the leaders in the main statistical categories.

Round 15 individual highs: Dan Oturu, Efes, 5 blocks

[Points](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=score)

[Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/) of Anadolu Efes Istanbul led all scorers this week with 28 points. AS Monaco star [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) still leads the league with 19.8 points per game.

[Rebounds](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=totalRebounds)

Two big men managed to pull 12 rebounds apiece in respective victories for their teams: [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) of Real Madrid and [Johannes Voigtmann](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/johannes-voigtmann/007201/) of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. Midway through the regular season, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz team captain [Tadas Sedekerskis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tadas-sedekerskis/007230/) remains the league’s best rebounder with his average of 8.3 boards per contest.

[Assists](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=assistances)

[Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/) of Olympiacos Piraeus dished 9 assists in this round. Real playmaker [Facundo Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) is still the best assists provider in the league with 7.0 dimes per game.

[Steals](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=steals)

Walkup and [Diego Flaccadori](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/diego-flaccadori/005670/) of Milan collected 4 steals apiece in Round 17. [Paris Lee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/paris-lee/011225/) of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne still dominates this category with 2.1 steals per night.

[Blocks](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=blocksFavour)

[Nicolo Melli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nicolo-melli/002849/) of Milan and [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/) of Olympiacos both made a round-high 3 blocks this week. Tavares is still atop the charts for blocks, averaging 1.4 rejections per game.

[Double-doubles](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=miscellaneous&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=accumulated&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=doubleDoubles)

Two players – Voigtmann (19 points, 12 rebounds) and Tavares (16 points, 12 rebounds) – had a double-double in Round 17.

Round 17 brought a lot of great individual performances and players who stepped up big. These were the leaders in the main statistical categories.

Round 17 individual highs: Shane Larkin, Efes, 28 points

Zalgiris Kaunas announced on Saturday morning that Andrea Trinchieri is its new head coach, replacing in that role Kazys Maksvytis, who parted ways with the club by mutual agreement.

Zalgiris appoints Andrea Trinchieri as new head coach

Zalgiris Kaunas announced on Saturday morning that Andrea Trinchieri is its new head coach, replacing in that role Kazys Maksvytis, who parted ways with the club by mutual agreement.

At the halfway point of the regular season, Zalgiris is sitting with a 5-12 record in 16th place, and currently has a six-game losing streak. Maksvytis guided the team to a seventh-place finish and a place in the playoffs last season.

"The decision was not an easy one, but both sides came to it", said Zalgiris director Paulius Jankunas. "Although a couple of weeks ago we showed public confidence in the coach, lately the team’s play and results have not satisfied the coaching staff, the club’s management or the team’s fans. Maksvytis joined Zalgiris at a difficult time and last season helped the team get back to where we want to be. We are grateful to him for his work here."

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">New Zalgiris Head Coach - Andrea Trinchieri! 🇮🇹 <a href="https://t.co/a1TqSQOnxY">pic.twitter.com/a1TqSQOnxY</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1741004365471924474?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </center>

Trinchieri, 55, spent the last three seasons coaching FC Bayern Munich, which he led to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2021 and 2022, the only two by a German club in the EuroLeague history. In both seasons, Trinchieri's Bayern was ousted in the playoffs in five games.

Trinchieri started his head coaching career with Vanoli Soresina of his native Italy. He has also coached Pepsi Caserta, Primo Veroli and Pallacanestro Cantu in Italy, UNICS Kazan in Russia, Brose Bamberg in Germany, Partizan NIS Belgrade in Serbia, as well as the Greek national team.

He helped UNICS win the Russian Cup and reach the EuroCup Finals in 2014. That season he was also named EuroCup Coach of the Year. Trinchieri led Bamberg to three consecutive German championships from 2015 to 2017 plus the German Cup in 2017. He won Serbian Cups with Partizan in 2019 and 2020. During his time with Bayern, he also guided it to German Cup titles in 2021 and 2023.

Zalgiris has made a coaching change at the halfway point of the regular season.

Weekly prizes are on offer for the top team manager in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge, so don't miss out!

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Round 17 winner

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 17th winner in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge! Pavlos Panagiotou beat everyone else in Round 17 with his team Thrylos26, which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 247.15.

Pavlos had the following lineup: team captain Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Alec Peters of Olympiacos Piraeus, Walter Tavares of Real Madrid, Diego Flaccadori of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and Konstantinos Mitoglou of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens as starters. <br>
His sixth man was Milan's Johannes Voigtmann, while the rest of the bench was made up of Johannes Thiemann of ALBA Berlin, Rolands Smits of Zalgiris Kaunas, Nigel Williams-Goss of Olympiacos and Kassius Robertson of Valencia Basket. His head coach was Georgios Bartzokas of Olympiacos. 

The prize for finishing first in Round 17 is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2024-25 season, so congratulations, Pavlos! 

Giorgios Antonopoulos is the leader of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge overall standings with 3,079.90 points. 

Trades are now open for Round 18. Remember, it's back to three trades per round until the end of Round 19! 

The first game in Round 18, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, tips off on Tuesday, January 2, at 18:45 CET. This contest marks the deadline to get trades done, so don’t leave it too late! 

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become our next round winner in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge!