Baskonia looks to boost its spirits at the Astroballe
MADRID, 27 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Cazoo Baskonia will try to maintain their current good mood by adding their fourth victory in the 2022-2023 Euroleague Regular Phase and continue to be installed at the top of the table in their visit this Friday (8:00 p.m.) to the French ASVEL Villeurbanne.
The Baskonia team has radically changed its face from last season, at least in a promising start to its new project that has led it to have a positive balance both in the highest continental competition and in the Endesa League.
In Europe, the start has been even better, although it slowed down last week when it failed to stop a Greek Olympiacos at the Fernando Buesa Arena, who won the duel of undefeated and left Joan Peñarroya’s men with a still satisfactory 3- 1 who hopes to improve in his second start in this Regular Phase of the Euroleague.
But despite the setback against Georgios Bartzokas’s team, Baskonia showed their greater competitiveness and reliability with an always very valuable win two days later against Real Madrid (88-82). Good news that came accompanied by almost better news, the return of French base Pierriá Henry, a signing that should raise the quality of the team from Vitoria.
The game director was already a key player during his previous stage and now he hopes to further strengthen Joan Peñarroya’s rotation in a position where he already has two good additions in Marcus Howard and Darius Thompson.
The first, the team’s top scorer (21.5 points) and third overall in the competition, injured his left knee against Olympiacos and did not play against Real Madrid, but he has traveled to Lyon and could be in the game. In any case, Baskonia have shown they have alternatives and his loss against the Madridistas was made up for by Daulton Hommes. Steven Enoch is still unable to join the team.
The Basque team will start as favorites in the Astroballe where they hope to impose their powerful offensive basketball that has permeated Peñarroya against ASVEL Villeurbanne at a bad time after conceding three consecutive defeats between the Euroleague and their domestic championship.
In European competition he is one of the worst attacks, despite the efforts of Nando de Colo, his best scorer, although far from his most usual numbers (14.8 points) of yesteryear. The French team has lost Joffrey Lauvergne due to a long-term injury and has been reinforced by the American Alex Tyus.
ASVEL VILLEURBANNE: Obasohan, De Colo, Lighty, Noua and Fall –possible starting five– Diot, Kahudi, Tyus, Lacombe, Matthews, Pons and Polite.
BASCON CAZOO: Thompson, Marinkovic, Giedraitis, Hommes and Kotsar –possible starting quintet–; Costello, Sedekerskis, Henry, Kurucs, Raieste, Ten and Howard.
–REFEREES: Ryzhyk, Shemmesh and Foufis.
–PAVILLION: Astroball.
–TIME: 20.00/DAZN.
