By Cesare Milanti / info@Eurohoops.net
How do you respond to a defeat in Game 2 of a best-of-three Quarter-Finals series which could potentially bring you to your first-ever Basketball Champions League Final Four? Well, Hapoel Jerusalem decided that the answer was “By crushing our opponents with a 40-point margin”. And just like that, the Israeli team took down AEK, advancing to the Final Four in Malaga.
Next to big-time players like Levi Randolph, Speedy Smith, and a lot more, Zach Hankins has been the most consistent throughout the whole season with the red-and-black team coached by Aleksandar Dzikic, and he’s now focused on the big goal, scheduled on 12-14 May. “I’m very excited about the trip to Malaga for the Final Four. It’s a big accomplishment for us to be this far along, but we have our eyes set on winning it all”, he said in an interview with Eurohoops.
The American center, who moved to Israel in the summer of 2022, has been one of the most valuable centers in all of Europe, averaging 13.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per night, shooting 69.1% from the field, and being valued the third most impactful player of the Basketball Champions League with a percentage rate of 11.96%, only behind TJ Shorts and Akil Mitchell. By becoming the first player in the competition’s history to pick up 10 or more rebounds in five straight games, he contributed to Hapoel Jerusalem’s 3-0 run in March, earning the MVP of the Month Award.
In the Quarter-Finals against AEK, he had to face one of the toughest matchups in the whole competition, going up against February’s MVP Akil Mitchell, who dragged the yellow-and-black all the way there. “The Quarter-Finals series was a tough one. Akil is one of the most physical and talented matchups I’ve had to face, their team plays together exceptionally well with a lot of experience, and playing away in a… chaotic environment was a challenge. But that third game our fans showed out in an unbelievable way, and every member of our team locked in together and produced one of our best games of the season so far. I had to really focus on physicality and defense but winning with those guys in that way was amazing”, Zach Hankins commented on Mitchell and AEK’s players.
🍿 𝗣𝗢𝗣𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 🍿
MVP of March v MVP of February in front of 10,000 fans 🤤#BasketballCL I @JerusalemBasket pic.twitter.com/l1IWHLujsB— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) April 4, 2023
Despite shining on a personal note, he doesn’t take for granted the effort and support of his teammates during the whole run in the Basketball Champions League so far. “I’ve really enjoyed playing with experienced, smart players and with a coach that pushes us to be our best. The mixture of intensity and basketball IQ both from the coach and the players all the way down the bench makes every practice competitive and fun, and games even more so. We fight together every night”, the 26-year-old said.
That “chaotic experience” Hankins talks about recalled the accident that occurred in Athens during Game 2 when Hapoel Jerusalem fans were hit by fireworks and objects. In the decisive do-or-die Game 3 with the series on the line, the Israeli supporters replied in the best way possible, pushing their team to the first Final Four in the team’s history.
“Our fans have been spectacular this season, and I don’t expect any less from them at the Final Four. We’ve already heard a lot about them making arrangements to show out, so it’s going to be a great atmosphere for us. We as players need to be able to dig in and bring energy on our own wherever we go, but having a fan base like Hapoel behind you makes it a lot easier”, the former Nymburk player commented on the fans in Jerusalem, who have been featured in the latest “Humans of BCL” episode.
Hapoel Jerusalem beat AEK 91-51 in Game 3, and it surely was one of the most exciting performances of the year, with Zach Hankins contributing with 8 points and 6 rebounds. He had a similar stat line in the most meaningful encounter of the year, winning the Israeli State Cup against the EuroLeague side Maccabi Tel Aviv, an Israeli powerhouse and way favorite on paper on the eve of the competition.
“Winning the State Cup was a great experience. Our group really pulled together and dug into doing what we do best in order to win. Beating Maccabi on our home court in front of our amazing fans was a huge highlight of the season so far”, the American player recalled that game, where he had 10 points and 4 rebounds before highlighting what made the team so special since this group was put together. “If you’ve looked at how we’ve played and won both in the Basketball Champions League and our domestic league, I think it’s easy to conclude that our defensive game and intensity on the floor are absolutely our ticket here, and hopefully to a trophy”, Zach Hankins added.
Heading to the final part of the season, the Xavier product could put another trophy in his cabinet. The same thing can be said about one of his college teammates, which will face Gran Canaria in the EuroCup final with Turk Telekom Ankara. After being named to the All-EuroCup Second Team, Tyrique Jones could be ready to make the jump into the EuroLeague, either with the blue-and-white team or elsewhere. “I have been keeping up with Tyrique this year and it’s been awesome watching him succeed. EuroLeague is a great place to play and is usually a goal for a lot of Americans. I think he and I are some of the best centers out there and it’d be awesome to match up against him in any competition”, Hapoel Jerusalem’s center spoke about Tyrique Jones.
In the 2023 Final Four, Hapoel Jerusalem will go up against the reigning champions of Lenovo Tenerife, with the winner of the semifinal facing the winner of the clash between Unicaja Malaga and Telekom Baskets Bonn. Despite facing the team from the Canary Islands could be a dangerous situation for Hapoel Jerusalem in terms of experience and quality-wise, Zach Hankins is happy with the results of the draw. “I think some great teams and players have made it to this point. Each team having different styles and combinations on the floor makes the matchups very interesting to look at. I’m happy we got Tenerife because having a challenge like Shermadini in the post and Huertas off the pick-and-roll is why I play. To go against some of the best and win. I’ve played them in my rookie year and I’m excited to play them again”, he finally commented on his team’s first opponents in Malaga.
Eyeing his first-ever Basketball Champions League Final Four, Zach Hankins is ready to make a statement and give his team another trophy after the Israeli State Cup won against Maccabi Tel Aviv. With thousands of fans coming from Jerusalem and an experienced and high-IQ basketball roster, that could be more than a possibility. Fighting together every night, with Malaga surely not being an exception.
Great battle🙌🏻 y’all tough for sure. Things could be handled better both ways but the competition on the floor was elite https://t.co/Iy0TeRPHWF
— Zach Hankins (@hankymckspanky) April 20, 2023
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League