By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
BELGRADE, Serbia – It must be a bittersweet morning for Howard Sant-Ross. Coming up short in yesterday’s Semi-Finals against Unicaja Malaga, he won’t add another trophy to his cabinet, but he still has some hardware to bring home to Murcia from Belgrade.
The 33-year-old Cuban forward was named the 2023-24 Basketball Champions League Defensive Player of the Year and stopped by at the mixed zone in Belgrade Arena. “It feels amazing. Coming from where I’m coming and starting from where I started, I’m just grateful to be here, to be part of this. To have the career I’m having so far it’s just amazing”, he first commented.
In yesterday’s post-game press conference following the defeat to Ibon Navarro’s team, Sito Alonso said that “this is not enough”, and that they “need and want to win”. When Howard Sant-Ross was asked about his position, he agreed. “Glad he said that. I have the same mentality, I’m a terrible loser. I felt awful yesterday, it was a bitter taste of loss after such an amazing season and amazing game”, he said.
The former Panathinaikos player looked ahead to the future. “I want to win as well, I told him straight up. I’m 33 years old, I really don’t have much time to lose. I don’t come to teams to pass by, I really wanna leave something behind. I feel like this time can give me a Cup, a [Basketball] Champions League, or an ACB. It’s wonderful when you dream so high because only the sky is the limit. With this team, I want to achieve it all, and I think they’re on the right path to do that”, he also added.
Fighting for the third place game for UCAM Murcia tomorrow against the other Semi-Finals loser Peristeri, Howard Sant-Ross has been averaging 6.8 points, 3,9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game in his first Basketball Champions League campaign with the Spanish club.
🔒 Defense on lockdown, it’s almost criminal: Howard Sant-Roos is your 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫! #BasketballCL pic.twitter.com/og3C3N8rHQ
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) April 27, 2024
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League