By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Zaccharie Risacher’s name is already well-known but for different reasons in different parts of the world.
For the United States, he is one of the top prospects in the upcoming NBA draft.
For many parts of Europe, he is the son of Stephane Risacher, one of the best French players of his generation, who has played in the EuroLeague with Olympiacos and Unicaja and was a member of the silver medal-winning national team at the 2000 Olympics.
His talent and the buzz created around him have already made Zaccharie stand out and escape the shadow of his father, with his reputation in the U.S. already cemented.
However, on Wednesday a real test awaits Risacher, and after his relatively tame presence in the BKT EuroCup postseason, he will have one more chance to shine in what can be a historic night for his club.
JL Bourg will host Besiktas in Game 3 of the semifinal series, which amounts to a single-elimination game with sky-high stakes.
Paris Basketball has already qualified for the finals and if JL Bourg makes it, a landmark all-French final will occur for the first time in the history of European basketball.
A win against Besiktas will be Bourg’s biggest achievement yet and Risacher junior will have the chance to leave a legacy behind him at just 18 years of age before moving on to new challenges at the end of the season.
So far, he has averaged 11.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in the EuroCup season, numbers more than respectable considering his age at this level of basketball. In the first two semifinals, his average was just 6.0 points. For sure, he can and should do better.
And while a direct comparison can’t be made, since Luka Doncic was already the most important piece of Real Madrid‘s roster in their championship run back in 2018, Risacher will have the chance to contribute to the second level of the European continental competitions, making a similar achievement on the same stage.
It will not be easy and it’s not expected from a player at this age to be a factor in such an important game, which is why the challenge is huge.
But this is exactly what makes Zaccharie Risacher special and can make headlines in a few hours all over the basketball world.
The stage is set and everyone will be watching.
Photo credit: EuroCup