SIG Strasbourg launches its preliminary round of the Basketball Champions League this Tuesday, September 26 with a quarter-final against the Lithuanians BC Jonava. A match to follow live on Courtside 1891 from 1 p.m.
THE CONTEXT
For the first time in its history, SIG Strasbourg must go through the “preliminary round” box to try to play the Basketball Champions League. Present since the creation of the competition, the club will have to battle this year in a tournament that is oh so long and perilous. Joining the BCL: it’s worth it.
On the starting line: 24 teams. At the finish: 3 qualified. In Antalya, Turkey, this preliminary round takes place in the form of three tournaments with a simple and clear format: quarter-final, semi-final and final. The objective for all teams is therefore the same: win three times in 5 days to snatch one of the three tickets for the 2023/24 BCL regular season.
Opponent #1: BC Jonava
Opponent of SIG Strasbourg in the quarter-final, BC Jonava is not the best-known club in Lithuania. Founded in 1969, the Lithuanian club has been on the rise since its historic rise to the first division during the 2021/22 season. Novice on the European scene with his only official match being a quarter-final in the preliminary round of the Fiba Europe Cup last year, Jonava is coming off an excellent 2022/23 season with a Playoff semi-final and a Lithuanian Cup final .
Authors of a good start to the season with 2 victories and 2 matches, Jonava’s players are clearly not to be taken down. Led by the Puerto Rican sniper leader Ivan Gandia Rosa and an American duo from the University of Duquesne with, still in the lead, Mike Lewis as a certified scorer and Michael Hughes as a solid pivot, this team is clearly not easy to play . Seriousness and above all maximum intensity from the first to the last second of the match will be necessary against a team armed with tough Lithuanians, all capable of shooting from the parking lot if given the opportunity and who will give everything to defend their colors.
THE COACH’S SAY
SIG: What is the team’s state of mind following last weekend?
M. C : « The group’s state of mind remains positive. The defeat against Limoges is a disappointment for us and do we have a feeling of revenge after this match? Yes, but it is not revenge against the adversary. We are vengeful towards ourselves in order to show that we are stronger and that we play with more energy. In preseason this group always knew how to bounce back and have a reaction after a defeat. There I wait for him ».
SIG: What lever was activated at the dawn of this preliminary round?
M.C : « We all spoke together on Sunday during training. I did not criticize, I mainly alerted. I alerted them to the points we need to improve to be a team. I repeat, but we are outsiders and I know that it is sometimes difficult to accept for the public and also for the players. However, you have to have this state of mind. The objective is to enter a new cycle with the status of outsiders who want it ».
SIG: A club appears before you that is unknown to many people, but which nonetheless remains very dangerous…
M.C : « We know what place basketball has in countries like Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. It’s the number 1 sport. Faced with these countries, it is important to have a very aggressive approach. You have to be ready against players who are capable of reading each game situation very well during the match. Having a tough and warlike approach is really important. We know we only have one day to work on certain aspects, but it’s the European Cup. It’s like the Playoffs and all these events that mean a lot. For all these competitions, one of the most important things is the ability to react and adapt. This is what will make the difference ».
SIG: A word about Nakye Sanders. He tried on Saturday, but the pain remains…
M.C : « I hope Nakye will be a little more ready after a few days of rest. When we play with our inside 4, we have a different impact in the racket. We have good hopes of seeing him better from Tuesday’s match. Anyway, there is no point in starting to hide behind excuses, we must go to Antalya with a warrior soul, no matter who is on the field ».
THE SIG STRASBOURG TABLE
2023-09-25 19:53:21
#dawn #Marathon #GIS #Strasbourg
