For his third season under the colors of Nanterre and almost 30 years old (May 13), Benjamin Sene (1.84 m) shines in this first part of the exercise (11.5 points at 46.9% shooting success). , 2.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 26 minutes on average). The French leader/back looks back on the ambitions and good results of the JSF for Pascal Donnadieu’s last season on the bench. Interview.
Nanterre is fifth in Betclic ELITE after 23 days (15v-8d). What assessment do you draw from this first half of the season?
We are in our goals. We wanted to qualify for the Leaders Cup, it’s done. We wanted to go as far as possible in the Coupe de France, we are still in the race. And of course, we have the ambition to qualify for the playoffs at the end of the season, and there too, we are in the transition times. Now there are a lot of matches left, so we have to keep this dynamic.
After a complicated 2022-2023 financial year (13th in 2022-2023), how do you explain the good results this season?
It’s incomparable with what we experienced last year, where the team was affected very early by injuries, like Bastien Pinault who fractured his hand in the first preparation match. We spent our time integrating players and adapting our systems. And for me, as a leader, it wasn’t always easy. The first defeats arrived and we went into a negative spiral. We had a bad season, but given the context, we did the bare minimum by managing to maintain ourselves. When I see what we are achieving this year with a structure similar to that of last year, it leaves me with regrets. We are fortunate not to have any injuries this season, which allows us to create more chemistry. We also have a good mix between young players with great potential, who bring us their freshness, and veterans from Betclic ELITE. The mayonnaise set well from the start and everyone gets along very well. There are 8 JFL (Locally Trained Players) this year and our Americans already know the championship. For creating automation, this is a big plus.
“Better management of weak times”
Hamady Ndiaye recently told us the importance of playing better outside to stay on course. Is this also your analysis? What do you think are the team’s areas of progress?
From an accounting standpoint, this is undeniable. We have only won four away games so far. But the problem is the same whether we are at home or away. We too often tend to find ourselves behind. At home, we generally find the resources to step up the pace and win, but on the road, it’s a different story. Paradoxically, we managed to do it at Portel (victory 84-72 on January 27), where we took a 10-point lead in the third quarter, before winning. So we may already be on the right track. But we have to be able to control the matches, and, above all, we have to have much better management of weak times. We must also try to find collective solutions when we are in difficulty, rather than looking for individual exploits. Because when we respect the game plan, we produce good basketball.
You face Monaco on February 28 at La Defense Arena, where you fell heavily against Asvel last year. Is this a date you have checked off in your calendar?
Sene, Begarin and Nanterre are having fun this year (photo: Julie Dumélié)
For the family and the fans, we can say that it is a special match. For me as a player, it remains a championship match. So yes, it will be in another room, with a special atmosphere, but we will have to approach it like a simple Betclic ELITE match. You shouldn’t imagine that this will be a match different from the others. It’s a great event for the club and for French basketball, it puts our sport and the JSF in the spotlight. But for it to be successful, we will have to show a beautiful face. And for that you have to concentrate on the meeting itself.
Click here to watch the meeting between Nanterre 92 and AS Monaco at the Paris La Défense Arena
Nanterre qualified for the Leaders Cup (February 16 to 18) and will face Asvel in the quarter-finals. What are your chances in this match?
We are happy to be there and we will do our best. It’s a big draw, that’s for sure, but being in the second hat (places 5 to 8), it couldn’t be otherwise. We are going to play our chances bravely. We beat them this season, but we know the team has changed since then. It’s going to be a very big match.
“Pascal Donnadieu reminded us that the Leaders Cup was the only competition he had not won”
Can the format of the tournament allow an outsider like Nanterre to create a surprise?
It is a format that can recall the Coupe de France, with decisive matches. And in basketball, anything can happen. The address can be on one side and not the other, there can be several factors that make the difference in favor of a team. There is a very random side to this type of encounter. In a playoff series, it’s a different story, but in a match, who knows what could happen?
This Leaders Cup is missing from Pascal Donnadieu’s record. Is there any additional desire to win this trophy for his last season on the bench?
Benjamin Sene and Pascal Donnadieu on the way to the Leaders Cup (photo: Laurent Staskiewicz)
Pascal reminded us that it was the only competition he had not won (laughs). We told him that we were going to do our best, but the eight teams will be there to win. We will have to string together big matches in a competition where the matches are very close. But we will have to take the matches one after the other, without doing any calculations.
Is the post-Pascal Donnadieu already being prepared within the club?
The only change compared to previous years is the reversal of roles in the Coupe de France. Philippe Da Silva took charge of the team against Limoges, with Pascal Donnadieu as assistant. A priori, the experience should be extended for the next matches. It looks like a passing of the baton.
“I took advantage of every day spent with the French team”
For your third season at the club, you seem more successful than ever. Do you consider that you are playing your best basketball this season?
Yes and no. Let’s say that the current ranking of the team gives more emphasis to my performances, but I have already evolved at this level in the past. The collective results did not necessarily follow so the impression was not the same. Afterwards, I tend not to be satisfied with my performances and want to do better. Particularly in terms of consistency, where I still need to improve.
READ ALSO. ITW Frédéric Donnadieu appreciates the season of renewal in Nanterre: “It’s just fun”
Like Nanterre ultimately?
That’s a bit like it (laughs). Pascal also pointed out to me that, like the team, I produced my best matches at home. I was entitled to reflection (laughs).
You participated in the world qualifying matches with the Blues last year. Did you hope to be selected by Vincent Collet for the next Euro 2025 qualification window (February 23 to 26)? Are you disappointed not to have been selected?
In November 2023, the evening of Wembanyama’s first selection for the French team, Sene was also there in the blue jersey (photo: FIBA)
Knowing that EuroLeague players could be retained, I had no illusions. So I’m not disappointed. I play basketball thinking only about the next game, not to aim for the All-Star Game or the French team. My only goal is to win for my club. And if that allows me to be selected for the windows, so much the better. But it’s not necessarily something I’m looking for at all costs. Afterwards, I must say that the qualification window for the World Cup at the end of 2022 was a real breath of fresh air. We were going through a complicated season with Nanterre and at the same time I had some personal problems so this week in Blue did me a lot of good. I really enjoyed every minute spent with the France team. I was even able to experience Wembamania (laughs).
“I feel very good in Nanterre”
You trained at SLUC Nancy, where you played your first four professional seasons, and you extended your contract with the JSF last summer until 2026. Have you found a new home here in Nanterre?
Yes, we can say that like that. I’m 29 years old, have a family life, and we all feel very good here. It’s not necessarily easy for everyone to understand but generally it goes better on the pitch when everything is moving along the same lines. And I feel really good in Nanterre, in the city and in the club. It helps me focus on basketball. And then we are lucky to have golden supporters, who support us everywhere and in all circumstances. They follow us to Monaco to encourage us! Some even come to the bus to greet us when we leave. They are always behind us. Even when we lose. The best example is the match at Paris La Defense Arena last year, where we filled the room despite a complicated season. That counts too.
Like Boris Diaw, you are originally from Girondin and played at Mont-de-Marsan. What does his experience with Biscarrosse inspire you?
How far away Benjamin Sene’s first years in Nancy seem… (photo: Sébastien Grasset)
It suprised me ! I didn’t know he was planning to wear sneakers again! Doing this with friends is a great story! I remember my finals in Pomarez (arenas historically hosting the Coupe des Landes final) as a youth, and the enthusiasm for this competition. This is exceptional. It’s obvious that when you come from the South-West, it’s something you want to experience. We’ll see if they make it to the end, but it’s really cool.
Can we imagine you doing the same thing one day?
Never say never ! Why not… Who knows? (laughs)
2024-02-13 21:08:46
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