Prometheus in the most open event in recent years at the EuroCup

On the evening of October 11th, the EuroCup, the last European competition, begins its activities. Prometheus of Patras is the country’s only representative at the event for another season.

Makis Giatras’ team strengthened significantly during the off-season, investing a not inconsiderable amount to attract foreigners with very good CVs such as Joe Young, while keeping its Greek core strong with the acquisition of Vassilis Mouratou by Dimitris, among others Kaklamanakis and Michalis Tsairelis.

The level of competition remains very high despite the promotion of Virtus Bologna, Partizan and Valencia to the EuroLeague. It could even be said that the absence of last season’s three favorites creates a longer road for teams looking to reach the end of the road and lift the trophy.

The use and the second chance

The regular season features two groups of ten teams, playing home and away. The top eight of each group qualify for the postseason, which includes knockout matches through to the tournament finals.

The division of the teams corresponds to the position achieved in their group, with 1A facing 8B first, 2A 7B and so on.

The big stake is winning the prestigious trophy, which also gives you the ticket to the EuroLeague 2023/24. Even the loser of the final hopes for a corresponding promotion anyway, as long as the team that won the cup last year (2021/22 – Virtus Bologna) or the team that accompanied him (see Partizan and Valencia) does not reach the eighth EuroLeague. So you realize that whatever the outcome of the May 3, 2023 finals, the appetite may remain open.

The favorites and the UK reopening

In the absence of last season’s three big purses, picking a clear favorite to win the trophy isn’t easy. The organization seems very balanced, the distance between the teams seems very small. That means high competition, open games and difficulties in clearing the favorite in the knockout rounds.

Gran Canaria, Buduchnost, Badalona, ​​​​Cedevita, Venezia and Ulm seem to be dreaming of reaching the final, but they are certainly not the only ones.

By the way, the EuroCup has a team from Great Britain as a guest again this summer. That’s because of the London Lions, who are EuroLeague Basketball’s gateway into the country’s market, which, however, hasn’t proved particularly lucrative for the top-flight competition in recent history.

The players who stand out

If we could single out the most interesting cases of players who will step onto the EuroCup floor, then we would undoubtedly pick Kostas Koufos as #1. The international center made the decision to return to Europe to play in London after two years with few games. The event’s newcomer didn’t stop there, however, as he managed to convince another player with previous experience in the NBA. The reason for Sam Dekker, who has settled in Europe in recent years, competes in Russia (Lokomotiv Kuban) and Turkey (Turk Telecom, Bahcesehir).

In addition, Prometheus’ Joe Young is one of the most famous (sic) players of the event, as is Jason Granger (Venezia) with Aaron White (Buduchnost) and Aaron Harrison (Cedevita).

There are also: Edin Atić (Buduchnost), Yogi Ferrell and Josh Adams (Cedevita), Matteo Spagnolo (Trento), Jacques August and Ahmet Duverioglu (Bursaspor), Kenny Gabriel (Brescia), Axel Toupan (Paris), Issuf Shannon and DJ Stephens (Prometheus), Mike Brahms (Venice) and Ziga Samar (Hamburg).

Of particular note, however, is Kyle Guy, the 25-year-old Badalona guard who decided to put his NBA dream aside and try his hand at Europe. The Virginia graduate made a big name for himself in the NCAA (he was the 2019 Final Four MVP) but didn’t have the NBA career he hoped for. Liga Endesa received him with a lot of fanfare, knowing he is one of Spain’s regional top players.

Prometheus’ regular season schedule in detail:

1. Trent – Prometheus
2. Prometheus – Gran Canaria
3. Buduchnost – Prometheus
4. Prometheus – Towers of Hamburg
5. Slask Breslau – Prometheus
6. Prometheus-Turk Telecom
7. Prometheus – London Lions
8. Paris – Prometheus
9. Prometheus – Hapoel Tel Aviv
10. Prometheus – Trent
11. Gran Canaria – Prometheus
12. Prometheus- Buduchnost
13. Hamburg Towers – Prometheus
14. Prometheus-Slaks Breslau
15. Turk Telecom – Prometheus
16. London Lions – Prometheus
17. Prometheus-Paris
18. Hapoel Tel Aviv – Prometheus