These two teams have met four times in just over two years, but never with the stakes this high
Turk Telekom, history-seeking Buducnost clash in the eighthfinals
Game Preview
3 Минутное чтение
The one-and-done BKT EuroCup Eighthfinals are upon us and Wednesday’s three-game slate starts by pitting Turk Telekom Ankara against Buducnost VOLI Podgorica. These two teams have met in the recent past, but their head-to-head history might not be of much importance in this one.
Turk Telekom has won all four of its previous games against Buducnost, dating back to December 2022, but the only thing that Turk Telekom team has in common with this season’s team is head coach Erdem Can. Buducnost brings back head coach Andrej Zakelj on the bench and three important players from last season ago – the backcourt trio of Yogi Ferrell, McKinley Wright and Fletcher Magee - while big man Yoan Makoundou is now in Turk Telekom colors.
And while those four Turk Telekom wins could be irrelevant when the ball is tipped off for this contest on Wednesday, what might matter is the location where this game is played – the Ankara Spor Salonu – where Turk Telekom will certainly try to capitalize on its home-floor advantage.
Only three teams had better home records during the regular season than the team from the Turkish capital, which has won seven of nine home games, including each of the last four. Meanwhile, Buducnost has won only three times away from home this season and averaged 79.7 points per game on the road, way below its fantastic home-court average of 94.6 ppg. Turk Telekom averages 84.3 points on home court, exactly 9 points more than it has averaged on the road.
To use the position Turk Telekom earned by placing third in Group B, the home fans will certainly hope to see big games from their favorite team’s biggest stars. First and foremost, Anthony Brown who is Turk Telekom’s top scorer with 18.3 points per game on 46.7% three-point shooting, along with Braian Angola who is posting 16.8 points. The two also combine for 7.3 boards per game, a department where high-flying big men Kyle Alexander and the aforementioned Makoundou star.
Alexander has averaged 7.1 boards, including 2.6 on the offensive glass, along with 8.9 points per game, while Makoundou is worth 11.4 points and 5.0 rebounds.
On the other end, Buducnost's centers are far less athletic, but equally productive with Kenan Kamenjas averaging 10.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists, while veteran Alen Omic grabs 4.3 boards per contest. Meanwhile, Buducnost’s backcourt features three double-digit scorers in Rasheed Sulaimon (13.6 ppg.), Ferrell (12.4 ppg.) and one of the EuroCup’s most dangerous sharpshooters in Magee (11.2 ppg., 45.6% 3FG).
All of them will have to show up if Buducnost wants to pull off an upset and win its first time against Turk Telekom. It would be a historic success, marking the first time Buducnost advances in a EuroCup elimination game, as it has failed the previous six times it reached the playoffs.
Turk Telekom and Coach Can, on the other hand, will try to use both the experience of reaching the EuroCup Finals in 2023, and a home-court advantage, to extend their EuroCup journey this season. It certainly sets the stage for a memorable night in Ankara.