By Stefan Djordjevic / sdjordjevic@eurohoops.net
After a couple of years out of the Basketball Champions League, Pinar Karsiyaka has returned and they didn’t disappoint.
On the last Gameday of the regular season, the team managed to secure a spot in the Round of 16 by beating RETAbet Bilbao and it was in no small part thanks to Raymar Morgan who’s been playing perhaps his best basketball so far.
“I feel really good about myself, and my confidence is high. I know I have a lot of great basketball left in my career,” Morgan told Eurohoops.
The 32-year-old American big scored 20 points in the deciding game and he did it in under 20 minutes, one of the three players to do so this season. He showed defensive prowess as well, logging three steals and one block.
That was also his fourth 20+ points performance, joining Daryl Macon, Bonzie Colson and D’Angelo Harrison as the only players to do so.
He’s been averaging 19.5 points and he’s been doing it on almost 70% from the field, both fourth-best in the competition. An MVP-caliber run.
All of it in his debut season in BCL which impressed him with its quality on the court but also outside of it when it comes to handling the challenges caused by the pandemic.
“I think that the Basketball Champions League is a very respectable league. They have a lot of familiar faces from the Eurocup competition I played in last year. I applaud BCL’s efforts and how they have handled each team amongst the pandemic. For me, playing during the pandemic hasn’t been that bad. I try to be as professional as possible, go to work and return home to my family.”
The next step for Morgan and Pinar Karsiyaka will be the Round of 16 which will be played in a group format this year instead of a knockout phase. A draw will decide the matchups but, to Morgan, it doesn’t matter who stands in their path. Although, traveling to warmer destinations certainly won’t hurt.
“I don’t prefer to play one team more than another, but if we could play all the warmer climate countries that would be great. I like our chances to advance from whichever group we’re in. We have a lot of talent on this team, and we continue to improve,” he said and explained what makes him and his teammates a respectable force.
“So at this point, it’s all about staying healthy. I think our team has the most success when we share the ball and multiple players score in double figures. We have a lot of versatility on this team, which allows us to play in a variety of ways.”
If fate decides so, playing in warmer climates will also be an extra reason for Morgan to bring back an accessory that he believes has taken a back seat recently. The headband.
“Maybe I will surprise you all and bring out the headband one game, you just have to stay tuned.”
We’ll be watching…
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League