French basketball has a strong history in Europe, with the top showings including Limoges CSP winning the 1993 EuroLeague and SIG Strasbourg finishing second in the 2015-16 7DAYS EuroCup. In this, its first season of international play, JL Bourg en Bresse has already opened a lot of eyes, too. Just four years removed from France's second division, the team from east-central France between Geneva and Lyon has made up for a lack of experience by using togetherness and savvy to become a rare EuroCup debutant to walk tall into the Top 16.

Bourg was founded in 1910 and its basketball section in 1947 with the first local Ain department championship coming in 1956. Bourg jumped to what is now the fifth division in 1963 and earned promotion in 1969. The club began producing better young French talent such as Jean-Luc Roediger and Thierry Maitejean and the first American players came to the club in 1973. Bourg was relegated back and forth between the fourth and fifth divisions for the next couple of decades, but made a big jump in 1994 by winning the fourth-division title with top names such as Jerome Monnet and Jean-Luc Tissot.

Tissot, the then-21-year-old captain, was just starting a legacy at the club that would later see him become its head coach. Also in 1994, a five-year-old Bourg-en-Bresse native by the name of Antoine Diot would join the club's youth ranks, where he would remain until 2004 when he left for the INSEP/CFBB academy. In just its second season in the third division, Bourg captured that title and entered the second division in 1996, thanks in part to future French international and Olympic silver medallist Crawford Palmer.

The club reached the top French League in 2000 by winning the second division title and stayed there for seven seasons, highlighted by a trip to the French Leaders Cup final in 2006. Among the players who were with Bourg in the top flight were future All-EuroCup selection Tariq Kirksay in his European first-division debut, Victor Samnick, Branko Sindelic, Jerome Schmitt, Ludovic Chelle, Andre Owens and DeRon Hayes – the father of future NBA lottery pick Killian Hayes.

After finishing 10th in its first French League season, Bourg dropped to last place in 2001-02 but was not relegated. The team finished 11th in 2005 and 12th in 2006, though just one win below the last playoff team. Current sports director Frederic Sarre was head coach from 2004 to 2006. When his successor, Francois Peronnet, was let go in December 2006, his replacement was Nedeljko Asceric, father of current player Luka Asceric. Nonetheless, the club finished 17th and was dropped to the second division, where it stayed seven seasons before earning promotion again in 2014, with Sarre having returned as coach in 2012. His 2013-14 team included Philippe Braud, Kevin Corre, Jerome Sanchez and future EuroLeague standout Devin Booker, who was named the MVP of the 2014 playoffs.

It was a short-lived stay in the first division, though, as Bourg was relegated after the 2014-15 season. Sarre stepped down in January 2015 and was replaced by Tissot until the end of the season. The club underwent a major shift in the summer of 2015 that can still be felt today. Management brought in two key players: Maxime Courby, a U20 European Championship winner in 2010 who had played for new coach Christophe Denis at Rouen the previous season; and big man Zachery Peacock. Both have remained with Bourg ever since. Together with mainstay Braud, they won the French ProB Leaders Cup crown in 2016.

The next major cornerstone was laid that summer with the choice of Savo Vucevic as head coach. The Montenegrin play-caller had guided Spirou Charleroi to a pair of Belgian League crowns and the EuroCup quarterfinals in 2005 and also had helped AS Monaco climb out of the lower ranks to the second division in 2014. In the first season under Vucevic, Bourg claimed the second-division title thanks also to the additions of Garrett Sim and Youssou Ndoye. Peacock was named the season MVP.

Back in the French first division, Bourg beefed up the roster with Chase Simon and Lance Jeter, showing right away that it was ready for the challenge. The team missed the post-season by one victory, finishing in ninth place in 2018. Peacock led the league in scoring and index rating and was named MVP. For 2018-19, Vucevic added a third key player for its future in 33-year-old veteran Zack Wright. Bourg finished ninth again in the French League, but also reached the 2019 French Leaders Cup final, losing to Strasbourg. For the 2019-20 season, Vucevic brought in a fourth pillar of the current team as veteran Danilo Andjusic brought with him five seasons' worth of EuroLeague and EuroCup experience. Meanwhile, Pierre Pelos rejoined Bourg, with whom he had played during the 2016-17 promotion season, but had remained in the second division to help Provence make the jump to the top flight in 2018-19. Last season, Bourg was on its way to finally reaching the playoffs, holding fifth place in the French League standings with a 16-9 record, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused the season to end prematurely.

For this, its debut EuroCup season, Bourg sought strong leaders, led by former EuroCup champion and All-EuroCup First Team selection Alen Omic, who also has five years of EuroLeague experience. Also new to the team were Thomas Scrubb and Luka Asceric, while Croatian national team big man Ivan Buva was added during the season. Armed with a long-time core and new blood, Bourg showed its mettle right away, finishing the regular season with a 6-4 record, including sweeps of Partizan NIS Belgrade and Umana Reyer Venice, to reach the Top 16. The showing also resulted in Bourg being named as the Most Surprising Team in the EuroCup's mid-season general managers' survey. Not many true debutants to the EuroCup reach the Top 16 right away, but Bourg has already made history and plans to establish itself as a continental force for years to come.

The Club Scene: JL Bourg en Bresse

At this level, every game is a war, especially now for us. It's part of our team culture, how we want to approach every game, how we want to play defense. I think we really try to embrace the fact that it’s a war and that we have to be willing to go out there and fight on that court, die on that court. That’s the mindset that I feel we're starting to take on and that's our identity.

If you look at our team, I feel like we have everything that it takes to win. I'm not backing down from that. I feel like we have a great chance to be successful. We have to go out every night and prove it and play like that. That's my mindset when I go into these games, to show everybody – and show ourselves – what we are as a team and what we can become. 

"I'm enjoying the experience of playing on a team that has a chance to be so good." 

I love this team and I love playing with my teammates. It’s a pleasure. Everybody on the team, we're so close as a team. I enjoy going out there and playing with my brothers. That's unique. You only have so many seasons in your career and this one I think has a chance to be really special. So I am embracing it. I am loving the opportunity every night. I’m enjoying the experience of going out and playing on a team that has a chance to be so good. It’s fun!

Jamar Smith is our captain. He has been here forever and everybody kind of looks to him for guidance on and off the court. He's been so important to me and everybody to learn Kazan, to learn, UNICS and just maneuver and navigate everything. I don’t know where I'd be without him. That's why he's our leader!

My first time in the EuroCup was in the 2012-13 season with Seville. That was a fun time! We had a bunch of guys. We had Tomas Satoransky, Kristaps Porzingis, Nikola Radisevic, Ondrej Balvin. We just played Gran Canaria and they have another guy from that team, Beka Burjanadze. It's fun to see a lot of the guys you used to play with and see how their careers progressed, to see where they are and see what they're doing with their careers. It was a fun time.

Aito was our coach, so we learned a lot of basketball. It was challenging, but I was new to Europe. That was only my second year professionally, my first year in the EuroCup. It was a challenge, but definitely a great learning experience. I grew as a player and all my other EuroCup seasons were good, too. They helped me grow and learn basketball. But right now, I feel like I'm in the best position I’ve been in to win the EuroCup and I'm happy about that. I'm looking forward to taking that next step in the EuroCup, advancing and seeing where we can go this season. 

"I don't really focus too much on the other team, I really just focus on us." 

The break coming up kinda sucks, because we're really rolling right now. We've been winning, we haven’t lost a game this year. It is what it is. We have to take a break and then strap in and get ready for the last home stretch. There's still going to be time to recover and get back in a groove. I’m excited. Hopefully this week we can qualify for the quarterfinals and see what happens after that.

I think this game against Mornar is going to have a different look, especially with Johnny Hamilton on the inside. He's a force; he can block shots, rebound and do a lot of things. But when it comes to this game, I don't really focus too much on the other team, I really just focus on us. If we come with the right energy and the right mindset, it doesn’t matter what anybody else does. I feel like it’s all about what we have to do. Yeah, it's gonna be a different look, but for us, it’s the same challenge. We only really play against ourselves. That’s my philosophy. If we bring our level of intensity to the defensive end, move the ball and do everything that we’re supposed to do, it’ll be a different look, but hopefully, we’ll get the same result.

That's what we strive for as a team – to be able to reach that level where it's all about what we're doing as a team. Obviously, we are going to face all different kinds of teams. The only constant is you. 

Veteran guard John Holland delivers his first blog post for EuroCupBasketabll.com in which he discusses how much he enjoys playing for UNICS Kazan this season.

John Holland, UNICS: 'I love this team'

We first heard from Mantas Kalnietis at the 2003 EuroLeague Basketball Junior Tournament in Barcelona and a lot has happened in the last 18 years, but he is still around. This season, he leads the EuroCup in assists with 7.3 per night. Kalnietis played seven EuroLeague seasons with Zalgiris Kaunas before joining Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar at the start of the 2012-13 campaign. In the first of his six EuroCup seasons, Kalnietis helped Lokomotiv win the EuroCup with 10 points in the championship game against Bilbao Basket. He ranks 12th in competition history in assists (306) and should reach the top 10 soon; Yotam Halperin is 10th at 316. Kalnietis has amassed 582 points in 63 career games (9.2 ppg.) and is shooting better than ever, too, making 43.8% of his shots from downtown in his 16 consecutive seasons in either the EuroLeague, EuroCup or both. Lokomotiv is 1-2 in the Top 16, but Kalnietis is not thinking about the quarterfinals, as he explained in this EuroCupBasketball.com interview. "When you look too far ahead into the future, you can be punished in the present time. Like I said, we are trying to go game by game and don't think too much about the future and what is going to happen."

**Hello, Mantas. Congratulations on your first Top 16 win this season. You allowed only 67 points against Partizan. What did you change to improve your defense?**

"Thank you. Generally, we didn't change a lot or anything like that. It seems that when we do what we are supposed to do, it works. It was a question of mentality and effort and after those two games, especially in Trento, we understood we were in a dangerous situation. Our mentality changed and it helped us."

**You had an 8-2 regular-season record, losing only against Virtus, and went 0-2 in the Top 16. What happened?**

"I cannot say we were overconfident. Alan [Williams] was the main player in our team, covering all the situations in the paint, and we got used to playing with him. And when we lost him, there was a huge gap in his position. We couldn't hide that and in our roster, with some young guys without experience, it wasn't easy to replace him." 

"Our mentality changed and it helped us." 

**You will now play against Partizan in Belgrade. How important are adjustments in back-to-back games against the same opponent?**

"It is important, of course. We need to learn from our mistakes, all the ones we made, even when we won at home. Of course, to be honest, I am really happy that we will play in Belgrade without fans! It is not the same! The key for us, I hope, is the signing of Drew Gordon, who can help us cover the '5' position. We will have more power under the baskets."

**This is your second stint with Lokomotiv. In the first one, you helped Loko win the EuroCup in 2013. What do you remember about it?**

"The memories are still great. Every title you get remains in your head all your life. No matter which competition it was or which title you won, you remember those moments as some of the best. And of course, I remember everything, especially because it was the first big title for me. We had a great team with Calathes, Hendrix, Jasaitis, Derrick Brown... I only have great memories about it."

**You are scoring less and passing the ball more - and better - every season. Has experience helped you change your playing style?**

"I cannot really say, you know? We have so many scorers on this team and my job is to organize the game. It is not like I am going to the game with the idea to make a number of passes or something. You just react to the situation and when you have such great scorers on the team, you just try to find them. Of course, if the situation allows me to shoot the ball, I will try to do that."

**There is a Lithuanian connection in Krasnodar with Mindaugas Kuzminskas and you. How great is it for you to have each other on this team?**

"It is very important. We are not a big country and especially when you play abroad, there is not a big chance to have a teammate from your same country. Of course, we go everywhere together and spend a lot of time together. I would say we are both happy to have each other."

**Not only has Lokomotiv signed Gordon, but also Nigel Williams-Goss. How can they help you for the remainder of the season?**

"For sure, we are going to become stronger because like I said, we have talented young guys, but sometimes, especially in those difficult moments, in important games, it is not easy for them without experience to play those minutes. Our rotation needed to be bigger and with those names, we are going to be successful." 

**This is your sixth EuroCup season and your fourth with Lokomotiv. How has the competition grown over the years?**

"You know, generally, the EuroLeague organization keeps improving every year. I cannot say that it changed a lot in terms of basketball, there were great teams eight years ago and there are great teams now. Basketball is the same, but you can feel that the organization improves every year and is going forward. Some small details keep getting better, but basketball-wise, there is not a big difference between now and eight years ago." 

**Other than Lokomotiv, which teams do you see as the biggest contenders to the EuroCup title?**

"It is not a big secret that Virtus is one of them. They signed Belinelli and are the main favorites to win the title, but you never know. I hope we will be there, too, even though we are now in a tough situation. I watched Joventut Badalona and UNICS Kazan are they are strong teams. You never know what it is going to happen. Now, the situation in basketball changes so fast that one month you are in good shape, but injuries and other things can completely change the situation. Right now, Virtus is probably the biggest favorite, but you never know. It is a long way to the final and the title."

**Lokomotiv didn't make it to the Top 16 last season. What's the goal this time around?**

"Right now, I cannot say that it is in our heads to win the title, you know? We are trying to go game by game. When you look too far ahead into the future, you can be punished in the present time. Like I said, we are trying to go game by game and don't think too much about the future and what is going to happen." 

Former EuroCup champion Mantas Kalnietis is a driving force for Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar and the EuroCup leader in assists this season. In this interview, he recalls winning the crown in 2013 and talks about what his team must do to challenge for it again.

Mantas Kalnietis, Lokomotiv: 'We are going to become stronger'

**One of Joventut Badalona's top players over the last two seasons has been forward Conor Morgan. Morgan grew up in Canada and played college basketball there before starting his professional basketball career in New Zealand. Since he joined Joventut, Morgan has continued to develop as a player on one of the most exciting clubs in Europe due to its unique basketball philosophy and focus on young talents. In this EuroCupBasketball.com blog, Morgan is going to keep fans updated about Joventut's progress in the competition as the club tries to conquer its second EuroCup title as well as about his life in Badalona.**

Hello, I am Conor Morgan and play for Joventut Badalona. I was born in Victoria, Canada, and played college basketball in Vancouver. Canadian basketball, as a whole, is definitely on the rise. In the last couple of years, we have had a lot more NBA success, but alongside that, we've had a lot of European success as well, with a lot of Canadians playing in some of the top leagues in Europe - in Germany, France and Spain, even Russia. We have a lot of guys everywhere. So it's been great and personally, I've definitely had an interesting path to where I am now.

When I came out of high school, I was pretty light, I was pretty skinny. I was not really a highly touted recruit out of high school. The way I would describe myself coming out of high school, I was still kind of waiting to grow into my body. I had a lot of potential and I ended up going to a Canadian college, UBC - the University of British Columbia. I committed to work on myself, my body, and get as good a basketball as I could. I didn't know where it would lead me or anything, but I hoped that I had a bright future from what people were telling me. And I hoped that I could work as hard as I could to get to the best situation. 

"The philosophy of Joventut is developing players and they are quite literally a basketball factory." 

I couldn't have told you that I would have ended up coming straight from Canada to the ACB in the next year and I'm very grateful for Joventut taking a chance on me. Jordi Marti and Carles Duran took a chance on me and I think I was able to capitalize on that opportunity in my first year here. I don't think another Canadian player from that league has come directly to the ACB, so I'm very proud of that accomplishment. I think overall, it was the work of Jordi and Carles and I'm forever grateful to them for taking a chance on a kid that they probably saw on film maybe five or six times and they thought "wow, this kid's got potential". I'd like to think it's worked out on both sides. I love it here and I think they definitely like having me on the team.

I played in New Zealand before joining Joventut. What happened there was I was down at the Commonwealth Games with Team Canada in college. It was in Australia. It was like more of a summer league. I think it was two and a half months or so and it was the summer in between the European season. It allowed me to play against pros and get a little bit accustomed to professional basketball. And it was a great part of the world, I have some great memories and good friends down there. It was a great little stopover for me before I came to Europe. That was always the end goal: to get over here. But it was a great stopover I had down there for a couple of months.

We have been really solid at home in the EuroCup, losing only once at Palau Olimpic in the last two seasons. Of course, if you don't win on the road, you cannot really win more than half of your games. We did that last season; we lost all of our road games and won our home games. I think the biggest improvement we made this year as a team, and it's just kind of our cohesiveness from last year, bringing in guys like Ante Tomic, then Ferran Bassas and Pau Ribas coming back, and even Vlady Brodzianskiy. They are all great guys and just to have those guys in and out every day, it is very easy to be a good player on a good team when everybody gets along and the coaching staff really enjoys coaching us. So I think, all in all, it's just a very positive environment that we have going right now and we've got to keep that going through the highs and lows of the season.

This is a very special club, too. The philosophy of Joventut is developing players and they are quite literally a basketball factory. There are some kids who come to practice who are 17, 18, 19 years old and are light years ahead of where I was at that age. It's just amazing that this kind of basketball, this kind of club exists. I try to tell people back in Canada how talented some of these young kids are over here, but you don't really understand it until you come and see it. But that's definitely a thing that Penya and Joventut really pride themselves on, developing the younger guys. 

"It is a very physical, very talented Top 16 group." 

I think, honestly, that's another reason we've had such great success, too. So many of the young guys have been in the system and they play the Penya style of basketball. They really know they get developed and nurtured throughout this process of growing older. And I think a lot of the guys like Xabi, Neno, Arturs Zagars and Parra, for example, are growing into the roles. As they grow in a positive environment, there's more success in the team as guys get older - and me, for example, as well. I came here when I was 24 and that's relatively young and I had coaching every day. They really helped me get through the psychological things, helped me get through the skill-based things, the physical things with the strength coach... I really couldn't be in a better situation coming out of university as a 24-year-old kid coming to this country and this city, just developing into the player that I am today for sure. It has helped me a lot. 

We have played against every opponent in our Top 16 group. At this point, you are not going to have a bad team, and I think Unicaja, at the beginning, they were in a little bit of a drought. They were in a little bit of a changeover. They even changed coaches last week. They are a very good, very talented team, but I think they are just kind of figuring out how to play together. And then we got Monaco and Nanterre, two very physical teams. Nanterre has really good guards, long, very good athletes. And Monaco is not the tallest team, but they are very, very physical on the glass. They love to get offensive rebounds. On and on, I would say it is a very physical, very talented Top 16 group. We have a lot of respect for all three of our opponents. And I think going into every game, if we keep that respect level there and we play hard, I think we can be very successful in the second half of the Top 16.

We qualify for the playoffs with a win in Monaco. Obviously, we all want to win that game, but at the same time, even if we lose that game, we can win the next two and be first and that would be good as well. I mean, we're just really focused on doing our things, as a team, and trying to do them at the right moment of the season. At the same time, we want to be dominant. We want to be one of the best teams in the group, that's our motivation: to win the group. And all in all, we like our chances of trying to take a run at the EuroCup trophy as well. So obviously, we would love to win that game. However, if for some reason we don't, we are just going to move forward and try to focus on things that we can control, like our defense. Our defense right now is one of our main focuses. So if we can just work on those things and do our things well, that's something that we really pride ourselves on as a team.

Visca la Penya!

Conor Morgan of Joventut Badalona introduces himself to fans and discusses his team's season in his first EuroCupBasketball.com blog post.

Conor Morgan, Joventut: 'We like our chances'

Hello EuroCup fans, this is Edo Muric of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana. Let me start by saying this is a unique season and you have to be ready to adopt. We've had a few postponed games at the last moments, which threw us off a little bit, but we had a few mini training-camps instead and now as the games are coming our way I feel we are playing better and better. But, the rhythm is tough. For instance, this past week we had three games between Tuesday and Sunday and there will be more weeks like that. It is a hell of a rhythm for European basketball, but we are glad that we can even play. The situation is what it is, but we are ready for it and I think that the other teams are also more prepared because all you have these days is being at home and practicing in the gym. The world has stopped, so we are all happy to have a bunch of games and we can't wait to prove ourselves. 

So far, our season is going super. We are playing well and the new year has also started well for us. We have one defeat in all competitions in 2021, against Virtus in Bologna. We quietly wanted to create an upset there. We started the game great, but the second quarter ruined us. They flew around the court and hit a bunch of shots, which gave them confidence. When players of such caliber feel they can play well, then it is impossible to stop them. It is my opinion that Virtus has a team that would battle for the EuroLeague Playoffs and they are surely the main contenders to win the EuroCup. 

"There is a lot of work and sweat ahead to make it through our group." 

We were so happy to beat Buducnost last week in Round 2. That is another team built to make a long run in the EuroCup. For sure, that is a game that got our confidence level up. The Buducnost game was very important for us and very, very tough. We are happy that we beat them, but we know we have not accomplished anything yet. The next two games, both against Bourg, are equally important and I expect them to be equally tough. There is a lot of work and sweat ahead to make it through our group.

We actually beat Buducnost twice last week. First, we won our EuroCup game and then two days later beat them again in our Adriatic League match. We made 15 three-point shots in the EuroCup game and 18 threes two days later. That was good, but our team is made of a bunch of guys who can shoot, so I would not say this was by accident and these were not the first games that we hit bunched of triples. We have good shooting percentages and I think when teams prepare for us, they prepare knowing we are good shooters.

Buducnost is a very good team and so is Bourg. They both displayed quality this season and I think it will be the three of us battling for one place to make the quarterfinals along with Virtus, which, obviously, I think is the favorite to go through. Bourg had great games this season and they had a bad game against Buducnost. We should not judge them by that one game, but by all their other games and I think they have legitimate quality to make the quarterfinals, too.

This Top 16 format where we play the same teams in back-to-back weeks is always interesting, but we got very used to it this season. This will be the fourth time we play the same teams within few days. During the regular season, we first had two games in three days on the road against Bursaspor. Then we had two games in six days against Promitheas, one at home and the other away. Last week we had two home games in 48 hours against Buducnost – one of them in the Adriatic League. And when I think of it, we actually won all six of those games. 

"Jaka has shown what he can do. I am glad he is our captain and you cannot ask for a better teammate." 

Those situations are specific. There are no bad teams in the EuroCup, so you really have to give your best effort for every win. Then, a couple of days later you play the same team again after revealing everything you have, all your plays, all your defenses, in the first game. However, for the second game, even though you are tired and they know your game plan, you are also ready because you got to know your opponent. And I actually think it is easier to play the same team twice in a few days than to play two different opponents within 48 hours, where you would have to scout and prepare for another team, learn what they do well, how their best players play. 

So, we will face Bourg twice in seven days and we enter that game knowing they have an excellent team. I have been following them the entire season because my good friends, Danilo Andjusic and Alen Omic, play there. They were probably the most pleasant surprise of the regular season for me. I know it will be tough and we have no room for mistakes.

I go way back with Andjusic and Omic. I played together with Andjusic at Partizan Belgrade and I know what kind of a shooter he is. For him, it really does not matter if his feet are set or if he is shooting it from one leg. His shooting mechanics are great, he has a quick release and you cannot leave him open, not for a second. But he also finds his teammates; he is not selfish, he has many weapons and he will be Bourg's biggest threat for us. They have other players who are experienced and will use every chance you give them to score, rebound, or draw a foul. It means we have to be 100% in it for every second of the game and will have to be ready for a big fight against them. I am sure our head coach Jurica Golemac will develop another great plan and it is on us to follow it and never give up. 

"To play at this level, with players of this caliber, basically in my neighborhood, it is a true privilege." 

Everyone sees that Jaka Blazic is playing an excellent season for us. I've known Jaka for a very long time, since our days as youngsters, and I don't find the way he is playing strange. I know what kind of a talent he has in him and what kind of a worker Jaka is. His performances really don't surprise me much at all. I think he could have displayed that even earlier, but I believe that in the past he fell victim to being tagged as a defensive specialist in the EuroLeague and that his role on offense was limited to cuts or spot-up shots. I knew he had a lot bigger qualities, but that was how he was used and teams needed him to play those defensive specialist roles. 

I am very happy he came back to Olimpija. Jaka has shown what he can do. I am glad he is our captain and you cannot ask for a better teammate. His work ethic can be an example for every young player, how much he works and how dedicated to basketball he is. And with him growing up with Olimpija, there is no better person to be the team captain here. He deserved it.

For me, this might not be a team where I grew up, but Ljubljana is my hometown and it is a privilege to play at home for an ambitious club like Cedevita Olimpija. And to play at this level, with players of this caliber, basically in my neighborhood, is a true privilege. Players look for ambitious teams and I have that in my hometown. I cannot explain how much I enjoy it. And I grew up watching Olimpija, I've known about them since I was born, so this situation is like winning the lottery. I am so happy this team has been put together and that we can play basketball at this level in Ljubljana.

That's it for this blog. Until the next one, greetings from Ljubljana! 

The newest EuroCupBasketball.com blogger is Edo Muric from Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana. Join him as Muric shares his thoughts on this unique season and his team's journey through it.

Edo Muric, Olimpija: This is like winning the lottery'

We needed a response after a big loss in Belgrade and played a very good game against Lokomotiv. We were not playing well in the Italian League either, so we needed a good game, no matter what. We started the game really well and our first and second quarters were probably the best of the season. We knew that they would come back a little bit. We actually talked about it in the locker room, that it may happen. We were focused throughout their comeback, too. We sometimes get lost when the opponent rallies, but not this time. We scored 43 points in 40 minutes in Belgrade and this time, we had 61 points in 20 minutes! When you are focused and really want to win, things are easier, no question about it.

We led by 28 points in the first half and Lokomotiv managed to get within 3 at the end of the third quarter. We needed a go-to guy and found Luke Maye, who had a great fourth quarter. Let's say that if would have been better, we wouldn't have lost almost all of our lead, but we knew it could happen. Luke is a strong, talented player and he's proved it a lot of times in practice and games. We looked for him in the final minutes and he answered pretty well, so we kept running our offense through him. It was a bit strange that he hadn't had a monster game until now. I am happy for him because he played his best game this season. I hope he keeps playing at this level. 

One of our youngest players, Maximilian Ladurner, also had a strong game. He has a lot of potential. He has been playing basketball for a long time and is learning fast. He practices hard and has a great mentality. I hope he keeps listening to the more experienced players and practicing. It is not so easy to be young and play well at the center position. In general, all the big men that he is facing are more experienced than him. He can have a great career. He has a clear goal in mind - to practice hard and be focused on the minutes he is on the court. Sometimes there are games in which he does not play so well, but he's always trying to get better.

I hope everyone is safe out there. Our social life is practically canceled, I am talking about me and my family. We don't do much, having little kids. It is hard at times, but my wife is great with them and every time she has a little free time, she takes them to the mountain or to places where there is no one else. The situation is not dramatic in Trento, but we decided to be isolated, away from social life. It is not easy to take all of the precautions when you have kids. If I catch the virus through them and take it to the team, it wouldn't be a nice thing. We prefer to take extra caution even though the overall situation is a bit better in Trento. Still, we are in a high-risk position. 

"It will be a nice battle - two nice battles!" 

Our next two games are against Boulogne Metropolitans. We have to focus on the next game, all the time. It is strange to play back-to-back games against the same team, but that may help you prepare a bit better. We are aware that if we win one of these games, we will be okay in the standings. We know it is difficult, but it would be a nice step forward to make it to the next round. The next two games will tell us where we stand: if you lose twice against the same team, you will be almost out, and the other way around, if you win both, you are almost in the playoffs. And if it is 1-1, you have to try to get the tiebreaker. We will do all we can to win. I am sure there will be a lot of scouting reports and tape in between games. I expect these two games to be very tactical. It will be a nice battle - two nice battles!

Playing basketball is a way to help people distract themselves a little bit. We are trying to give them a little bit of fun. So far, our fans are watching on TV and I hope we will have people back in the stands soon, even if it is a small number of them like at the beginning of the season. We really miss our fans. If everything goes well, our fans will be back soon and I hope we will still be playing EuroCup games when they are allowed to come back to our arena!

Veteran point guard Toto Forray of Dolomiti Energia Trento checks in with his third blog post of the season on the heels of his team's impressive victory over Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar.

Toto Forray, Trento: 'We really miss our fans'

Boulougne Metropolitans 92 sits atop Top 16 Group F with a 2-0 record after victories against squads with much bigger names, Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar and Partizan NIS Belgrade. Despite being without two key players, point guard Brandon Brown and big man Tomer Ginat, Metropolitans has been rock-solid recently, in large part because of those players who have stepped up. Playmaker David Michineau is one of them. Michineau, who averaged 6.4 points on 15.4% three-point shooting and 3.7 assists in the regular season, has boosted his numbers to 17.5 points on 55.6% three-point shooting and 5.0 assists in the Top 16, making the most of his extended playing time. He is the perfect example of what Metropolitans is all about, a group of team-oriented players who fight and hustle against every opponent. Michineau believes his team must focus on the next two games against Dolomiti Energia Trento, but can now afford to look ahead, as he said in this EuroCupBasketball.com interview. "At first, our goal was to make it to the Top 16, and now that we are here, the next goal is to go to the next round," Michineau told EuroCupBasketball.com. "For sure, we have to stay focused on the bigger picture but at the same time, we have to stay focused on every game and go step by step."

**Hello, David. Congratulations on a great season - nine wins in the last 10 games. Did you expect to be so strong all season long?**

"Thank you. We were confident about every game, but to be honest, we didn't know. I mean, I played in the EuroCup a long time ago but I think a lot of players in this team didn't play in the EuroCup in one or two years. We didn't know what to expect, but we were really confident about our team and what we could do."

**You have stepped up in the Top 16, covering for Brandon Brown's absence and making the most out of the opportunity. Did you approach these games differently?**

"No. I approached them the same way, for sure. Brandon Brown was injured, so I knew I would have to play more minutes, so I really had to be smart on defense and offense. I knew that the team would need me for 40 minutes, almost, so that is the only change I really did, mentally." 

**You opened the Top 16 with a win against Lokomotiv, in which you rallied in the fourth quarter. How important was that win, in terms of confidence?**

"It was a really great win. First of all, every road win is great, because it is always tough to do it. And it was the first game in the Top 16 against a really good team, so it was really good to start the Top 16 like that. That win pushed us, gave us confidence and helped us to keep working and play the next game against Partizan. We are focused on ourselves and don't underestimate anybody. We are focused to fight, work and win as many games as possible."

**Metropolitans signed Paul Stoll to help you with the point guard duties. What does Paul bring to the team?**

"The way he plays goes well with the way we play. He can play really good defense and can really pass. That's what we need to keep playing great."

**Your team does not have superstars, but a lot of players can score on any given night. Is that your main advantage as a team - playing together?**

"Yes, I think so. It is part of it. Nobody is selfish in this team. We move the ball really well and like to play with each other. So yes, I think that is one of our qualities as a team and we are trying to prove it in every game."

**Coach Zdovc was an elite point guard back in the days. For a playmaker like you, how great is it to play for someone who played the same position as you?**

"It is really great. At first, when we started the season, I really had to adapt because he taught me a lot of things I didn't know. It was hard at first because I wanted to perform in games, but it took me some time to adapt and get what he was trying to make me do, you know what I mean? So at first, it was hard, but now, I am really happy with what he has done, what he has taught me. Knowing the type of point guard he was, how good he was and everything he did, I really have a big chance to play well and learn from him." 

"We are focused on ourselves and don't underestimate anybody" 

**Your next two games are against Dolomiti Energia Trento, another defensive-minded team with a lot of weapons on offense. How much are you looking forward to playing against them?**

"I think it is going to be a big game because beating Trento is really important for us. Trento has a good team, but I think we are going to approach this game the way we did in previous games. We have to stay focused and keep our identity and fight, play physical for 40 minutes."

**You will play against Trento in consecutive weeks, too. How different is it to play the same twice in as many weeks for the first time this season?**

"I think it is a good thing, but it can be a bad one, too, because not only we can make adjustments, they can do that, too. So yes, I think the big thing is going to be to fight. For sure, we will adapt to how they play, study their systems and everything, but at the end of the day, it is down to who is going to fight for 40 minutes and give his heart to the game." 

**You played the EuroCup seven years ago with Chalon. How has the competition changed over the years? How are you enjoying being back?**

"It is really different because when I played with Chalon, I was young and had a different role. I was playing just a little bit, I don't even remember how many minutes, but I didn't play a lot. So yes, I am really happy to be back in the EuroCup with another role, a big role in this team. I think the EuroCup is a great level to compete with some great teams. It is a great experience."

**Metropolitans is having a great run and I am sure the goals are now different than at the beginning of the season. What can we expect from your team from now on?**

"I think we have to go step by step. At first, our goal was to make it to the Top 16, and now that we are here, the next goal is to go to the next round. I think we have to be focused. For sure, we have to stay focused on the bigger picture, but at the same time, we have to stay focused on every game and go step by step."

Thrust into a larger role for Boulougne Metropolitans 92 when injuries struck, veteran guard David Michineau has shined to help his team to a 2-0 start to the Top 16. He spoke about Metropolitans' success and what's next in this week's interview.

David Michineau, Metropolitans: 'We have to keep our identity'

Fedor Zugic grabbed his spot in European basketball history when he became the youngster player to debut in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, a milestone that continues motivating the Buducnost VOLI Podgorica talent to do great things – next up, in the 7DAYS EuroCup.

The Kotor native entered EuroLeague's record books on February 22, 2019, when he came onto the court of Buducnost's game against Zalgiris Kaunas for the final 41.2 seconds. By doing so, he set the new mark for the youngest player in the history of the competition at 15 years and 157 days old.

"It was amazing, the first time, playing in a huge Zalgirio Arena that was packed with fans all around," said Zugic, who overtook the previous mark, by Partizan Belgrade's Srdjan Zivkovic, by 45 days. "I was a little bit scared, but overall it was one of the best moments in my life."

Etching his name into EuroLeague's record books at such an early age definitely meant a lot to Zugic, who began his EuroLeague career at just a bit younger age than the likes of Manu Markioshvili, Ricky Rubio, Uros Tripkovic, Dzanan Musa, Enes Kanter, Marco Belinelli and Luka Doncic.

"I am really proud of that. To be able to write history like that and be mentioned among the youngest players in the EuroLeague with some of them in NBA is amazing. It just motivates me to work harder," he said. 

"It was amazing, the first time, playing in a huge Zalgirio Arena that was packed with fans all around,"

Well before he stepped onto the court in Kaunas in February 2019, Zugic was starring for Montenegro at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2018. He torched Israel for 29 points and then poured in 30 points against Georgia and ended up averaging 18.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.9 steals. He was the second-leading scorer in the tournament behind Italian Sasha Grant, who has already played 11 EuroLeague games for FC Bayern Munich. But Zugic was a generation younger than the tournament's 2002-born players and was still a month shy of his 15th birthday when the event ended. 

"I am really competitive, and that's what I really expect of myself: to perform well every time, to give my best and be one of the best. That is what is keeping me motivated all the time," Zugic explained.

His strong performance did not come without disappointment, though, as Montenegro ended up finishing 14th in the competition and was relegated to the U16 European Championship Division B for the following summer.

"It was a tough tournament for us. We really gave our best at the moment, but it wasn't enough. But I think that is only one reason more to perform even better next time," he said.

Zugic's maiden EuroLeague game was actually his first professional game for Buducnost as he was playing the 2018-19 with Studenski Centar Podgorica in the Montenegro League until late April 2019. He ended up averaging 7.3 points and 0.9 rebounds in 15 games for Studensk Centar and 5.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in nine games for Buducnost.

For the 2019-20 season, Buducnost let Zugic focus on improving with Studensk Centar, with whom he averaged 11.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 13 games. He did appear in three Adriatic League games for Buducnost, compiling 2 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist in 15 minutes.

"I was part of the both teams but was mostly playing with Studenstk Centar. That really helped me get the experience I needed and really helped me enter pro basketball in a proper way and for that I am most thankful to my coach, Nenad Trajkovic," Zugic said. 

"I am really competitive, and that's what I really expect of myself: to perform well every time, to give my best and be one of the best. That is what is keeping me motivated all the time,"

One of the biggest highlights last season for Zugic took place in southern Germany as Buducnost loaned the talented guard to U18 Stellazzurra Rome to play at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Munich. Despite being new to the team, he collected 18.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists and helped Stellazzurra reach the first-place game. But his 26 points including 6 three-pointers were not enough in a 104-88 loss to U18 Real Madrid.

"It was one of the best things that happened to me last year: a lot of good basketball, memories and friends. I am thankful that Stellaazzura gave me the chance to compete in such a big tournament, but most of all I am thankful to coach Germano D'Arcangeli, who accepted me as one of his own and really helped me perform the way I did and help the team reach the first-place game."

Zugic's season ended in late February with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. He spent the summer trying to stay as close to the game as possible.

"I just continued practicing as usual, at home and in open gyms that I could find at the time. It was a tough period for everybody, but it helped me work on myself. So I think I made the most of it," he said.

Zugic came into the new season knowing he would be playing for Buducnost exclusively, which also meant his debut in the EuroCup. Now 17, he has played 10 minutes or more in four EuroCup games, including the last two of the regular season, with 18 and 23 minutes. He produced with 9 points against Boulogne Metropolitians 92 and picked up 14 points versus Mornar Bar.

"I still have so much to learn from games and practices, and what better way to learn than to play against tough opponents?" he says. "This is my first season and to be able to really help my team out and to experience the EuroCup in a very competitive way for me is amazing."

All told, Zugic has averaged 4.6 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.5 assists in nearly 13 minutes per game of EuroCup action. In the Adriatic League, Zugic nailed 6 three-pointers in scoring 20 points against Cibona in November, becoming only the seventh player under 18 years old to score 20 or more points in a game in that league. The others are Dzanan Musa, Roko Leni Ukic, Nikola Ivanovic, Roko Prkacin, Nemanja Aleksandrov, Nihad Dedovic, Vanja Marinkovic. 

"I always dreamt about being a part of our first national team. It was a huge honor for me,"

"It means a huge deal to me to be in there with those names for sure, but that is something that I have worked for and that's something I expect of myself every time," Zugic, who is averaging 3.9 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.4 assists in the ABA League this season.

November 2020 also saw Zugic selected to the Montenegro national team for the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 Qualifiers.

"I always dreamt about being a part of our first national team. It was a huge honor for me," said Zugic, who did not manage to get into either of the games against Germany or Great Britain.

"I got to meet a lot of great new people there, make some new friends and learn more about basketball. The next step is to be able to help my team both on and off the court."

Zugic's 2020 also saw his performance help Buducnost reach the Top 16, another major step for him.

"It means a lot. It's just my first season with the pro team and to be able to be part of that is just amazing. I hope we continue in the same direction," he said.

Things in Group G will not be easy with the opponents being Virtus Segafredo Bologna, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana and JL Bourg en Breese. "It's a tough group with tough teams and a lot of good players. We have Virtus which is undefeated until now, and every other team was performing good this season and it resulted in them being here.We are looking forward to new challenges and we are not going to back down from anybody," he said.

While Zugic may not back down from anybody, there was something that has kept him from playing in the Top 16 so far. He contracted COVID-19 and was in quarantined for 15 days and had just returned to practice when the phase starated.

"It was a tough time being away from the court and not being able to do anything. But I really used that time to reflect on my past games, to look where I need to improve and how to be better. I used that time also to rest, and now I am ready to continue the season where I left off."

As motivated as ever.

Fedor Zugic grabbed his spot in European basketball history when he became the youngster player to debut in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, a milestone that continues motivating the Buducnost VOLI Podgorica talent to do great things – next up, in the 7DAYS EuroCup.

Spotlight: Milestone motivates Buducnost's Zugic

Mornar Bar is back rolling. After closing out the regular season with back-to-back wins to reach the Top 16 for the first time, it held off a late Herbalife Gran Canaria charge for a 100-102 road triumph in the first game of the new stage. Veteran guard Jacob Pullen came through yet again for Mornar in that game with the game-winning free throws in that game. It hasn't all been smooth sailing for the club, which struggled with COVID-19 cases on the team and on the support staff during the regular season. Pullen has shined for Mornar all season with a team-best 17.3 points per game on 40.3% three-point shooting, countless big baskets and veteran leadership. In this interview with EuroCupBasketball.com, Pullen talked abut what Mornar has been through to date and looked ahead, too. "We've got guys on our roster who really can play basketball at the highest level and play against some of the top teams," Pullen said. "It's in our hands. We just have to play and play well."

**Congratulations on starting the Top 16 with a win. A road win at Gran Canaria is never easy, but you guys made it tough on yourselves at the end.**

"It was a learning experience for us. We made bad choices at the end of that game, but at the same time, it's something we need to understand that playing in the Top 16, no team is going to quit. Regardless if we’re up 10 with a minute to go or if we're up 12 with 2 minutes to go. Every team is going to play till that final buzzer because they're playing for something. It's all good teams. So we have to do better at that. But at the same time, a win is a win. They don't care if you win by 1 or if you win by 12. As long as that W is on the stat sheet at the end of the game."

**What was going through your mind after they tied it and how much pressure did you feel on your shoulders when you went to the foul line with 4.4 seconds remaining?**

"I was as calm as could be. I had told 'Pajo' before we got the ball that we would win the game. He was upset at that last possession, where I made a questionable decision. But at the same time, I told him, 'it's our ball with 9 seconds left. We're gonna win the game. Don't worry.' And we walked up there, we executed, I got to the free-throw line and we were able to get a stop at the end of the game and win. My teammates did a great job." 

"I'm a junkie. I'll watch basketball all day and all night." 

**It seems that Coach Pavicevic gives you a fair amount of freedom. What do you like most about playing for him?**

"I've played in a lot of places in Europe and he doesn't act like a normal European coach as far as putting pressure on guys, or if you're having a bad night, him changing his attitude or his outlook of how things are supposed to go. He believes in us. Plus he's been here before. Me and Needham have played for him before. Isaiah played here last year at the end of the season. So he believes in us. He believes in the guys he brought in. He doesn’t think that us having a bad night is the end of the world. He really gives us a lot of leeway and freedom to play our game. He trusts the shots that we take. He tries to put us in a position to be as effective as we can and as free as we can. So that's one of the plusses in playing for 'Pajo'. He's a guard coach. He really lets us do our thing and it shows as well as we've been playing in the EuroCup."

**Mornar is 4-1 at home in the EuroCup this season and you play your next two games in Bar. Have you had a chance to see MoraBanc Andorra or UNICS Kazan play yet this season?**

"For sure. I'm a junkie. I'll watch basketball all day and all night. I've watched them both play numerous games and I’m a fan of Kazan, I’m a fan of Andorra. I think Kazan is really tough with Canaan, Smith, Holland, Brown, Morgan. They have a lot over there. Kazan is always a top team in the EuroCup. They are always fighting to get to the final four and the championship of the EuroCup because they want to win and get back to the EuroLeague. So I expect a tough game out of Kazan. Andorra has been fighting injuries and they haven't been as strong this year, but they're still a Spanish team and Spanish teams play at the top level in Europe. All Spanish teams because that league is just a tough league. The bottom of the Spanish League teams can beat most of the top teams in leagues in different countries just because of the way they play. So we can't look at it as, you know, Andorra hasn't been playing well. We have to go in and we have to take care of home court, which is our main goal. It's something that I expressed to the team after we won in Gran Canaria. Now all we have to do is win these next games at home and we put ourselves in a position to reach the top eight."

**Like many other teams, Mornar's season was greatly impacted by COVID-19, both on and off the court. In what ways did those difficulties and tragedies make your team stronger?**

"We went through a tough stretch in the regular season in the EuroCup where we only had about seven or eight guys for a couple of games. So that put a lot of pressure on me and Isaiah; we were playing about 37 minutes a game. We had no Needham. Nemanja [Gordic] wasn't here yet. Bjelica was out. So it really was down to me, Isaiah and Jeremic for a good stretch of two or three weeks. And I believe that's why we lost to Ulm at home after just playing against Paris on the road and Buducnost at home. We had a tough stretch, so it affected us a lot. But at the same time, we were rolling before COVID hit our team and we were playing really good. We had beaten Brescia by 30. We had beat Malaga at home. So it took us a second to get back into our rhythm. So I think that's what showed when we lost at Malaga and we lost at Brescia. It took us a second to get back to playing the type of basketball that we were, but going into the end of that round when we beat Paris at home and Buducnost on the road, I think we were getting back to ourselves and now we're back clicking, so it could be really good for us that we already beat our COVID stint and some teams are still going through it. So I think that we can focus for the rest of this season and stay healthy." 

"We're not just a pretend team or a Cinderella or something like that." 

**The roster doesn't really have any young players and most of the players are around your age. Has all of that cumulative experience helped you guys become a more dangerous opponent?**

"100 percent. You've gotta think about it. Kenny Gabriel is a EuroLeague-level player. He's played at the top level of basketball in Europe. And Taylor Smith has been in the EuroCup before with Nanterre. Milko Bjelica has played at the top level of basketball in Europe. We've got a lot of guys with top-level experience. Jeremic has played in Europe before. We have a lot of guys with experience. So, like I said, it's not about overdoing it with us and I think 'Pajo' has done a great job with that. We don't have to over-practice. We don't have to do things that most teams would do at this point in the season. We’re more hands-on where we can walk into a gym, take us an hour, focus on the other team, focus on our selves and we can get out of there and be focused and prepared for the game and I think that that's been showing for us."

**You’ve been to the EuroCup Quarterfinals before with Khimki, but I would imagine there was more pressure on that team than there is in Bar, where making the Top 16 is already seen as a historic achievement. What would it mean to the club and city to advance to the quarterfinals?**

"It would mean a lot. You've gotta think about it. A team in a town like this that has been in the shadows of Buducnost for a while and we're really trying to make our own name and show that we can compete at the highest level. It would mean a lot to show the Adriatic League, the EuroLeague and EuroCup that we're a real team. We're not just a pretend team or a Cinderella or something like that. We've got guys on our roster who really can play basketball at the highest level and play against some of the top teams. So making the quarterfinals would be completely different than at Khimki. At Khimki, it was expected and if we wouldn't have made it it would have been a bad season. Losing to Valencia that year was looked upon as a bad season because we had a lot of talent that year. But this year I think it's completely different and it's in our hands. We just have to play and play well." 

After making the game-winning free throws to lift Mornar Bar to victory in its first ever Top 16 game, veteran guard Jacob Pullen discussed his and his team's season – and what's next – in this interview.