By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
King Wilki Morskie Szczecin reunited with 34-year-old Mateusz Kostrzewski, one year after his departure. Last season at Anwil Wloclawek, he averaged 5.6 points per game in Poland’s Orlen Basket Liga. Bouncing back in the Basketball Champions League following 12 appearances with Anwil during the 2018-19 season, Kostrzewski meets Kacper Borowski, Chad Brown, Filip Matczak, Andrzej Mazurczak, Tony Meier, Kassim Nicholson, Szymon Wojcik, James Woodard, and Przemyslaw Zolnierewicz.
Retaining Peteris Pinnis, VEF Riga added another player to the squad for the next season. The 19-year-old center was featured in four Champions League contests over the last two seasons. Dairis Bertans, Rodrigo Bumeisters, and Marius Gulbius are also returning. Vyacheslav Bobrov, Harrison Cleary, Gage Davis, Jaquan Lawrence, Issuf Sanon, and Kristaps Soldatenoks are newcomers to the team coached by Martins Gulbius.
Coming out of Louisiana State with 15.1 points per game as a senior in the NCAA, Jordan Wright will start his professional career at Aliaga Petkimspor. Heading to the Qualification Rounds, the Turkish club entered Peyton Aldridge, Jaime Echenique, Yigit Gokay Kaba, Yavuz Gultekin, Mustafa Kurtuldum, DeWayne Russell, Tory Selim Sav, Kilicarslan Senkahya, Breein Tyree, Wesley Van Beck, and Bryson Williams.
Completing the 2024-25 roster, fellow Qualifiers outfit Uniclub Casino – Juventus picked up 26-year-old Arnaldo Toro, a veteran of five BCL games with VEF Riga. Laurynas Beliauskas, Sarunas Beniusis, Joe Chealey, Titas Didzgalvis, Dominic Green, Karolis Lukosiunas, Gediminas Orelik, Justinas Ramanauskas, Ernestas Sederevicius, Zygimantas Skucas, LJ Thorpe, and Justas Vinikas are the remaining players.
Photo Credit: FIBA