The university student Bellas, with the ball, tries to overcome the defense of Hommes in the Baskonia-UCAM of the first round. /
The people from Vitoria, rivals of UCAM today, have had to overcome Henry’s controversial departure this week, but they come from defeating Efes
If there is a team that plays basketball more fun than Baskonia’s, they will have to discuss it with the Basque team. After a more than dubious previous season, the ‘Baskonia character’, perhaps the most timeless motto associated with a team in our basketball, is back. In a year of few surprises in the Endesa League and the Euroleague, the return of the most competitive and successful Baskonia, displaying signature basketball and with great results, is excellent news for basketball fans, one who respects and admires that the of the basket is the king sport in the capital of Euskadi.
And it is that club and coach seemed to be made for each other. Joan Peñarroya is largely responsible for having Baskonia back in the Cup as the top seed and in ‘playoff’ positions in the Euroleague after 21 games.
Team with the highest scorer and three-pointer in the Endesa League and the Euroleague, the roller that the blaugrana passed over UCAM in the visit of those from Sito to Vitoria (102-73) is still fresh in memory. At that time, Baskonia was surfing its highest peak of form in the season, one in which they became leaders of the highest continental competition. However, Peñarroya’s deep team, full of players who are going through an exceptional moment in their careers (Howard, Thompson, Costello, Giedraitis, etc.) is not going through a state of complete happiness.
The Palace bid farewell to José Luis Mendoza today in a sold-out match in which tributes will follow one another
This same week he confirmed the temporary suspension of the charismatic Pierriá Henry, a case with many edges around an anti-doping control with procedural irregularities and the withdrawal of his player license by FIBA. Resolution arrived after a defeat last week in the Endesa League and four in a row in the Euroleague, where they won again this Friday against Efes, current champion and rival for the playoff, in a game with extra time (114-111).
For what will be the first match of the second round, and the first match in Murcia after the death of José Luis Mendoza, the Palacio anticipates a full house on an afternoon in which tributes to the founder of the UCAM will follow one another, and for an appointment in which Sito Alonso will continue without being able to count on Jordan Sakho.
