By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
A familiar scene in Malaga with Unicaja readying to make more noise all around Europe. A 4-0 start in the Group G of the Basketball Champions League Regular Season clinched a berth in the Round of 16.
Far from a usual situation at the top of the new season, tipping off the 2022-23 campaign merely three days after the Spain senior national team captured gold in the 2022 EuroBasket. Two players, Dario Brizuela and Alberto Diaz went straight from Berlin to Malaga, from the national triumph to helping the team coached by Ibon Navarro reach the BCL Regular Season. Routing both Heroes Den Bosch and Patrioti Levice, was a walk in the park, required to complete the participating field of Group G.
But that was not it. Besides being the first team to punch in a ticket to the Round of 16, Unicaja is the only unscratched Basketball Champions League side. Four wins in as many outings, actually six adding the Qualifiers. Visiting PAOK mateco and hosting Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari will simply wrap up the double-legged round-robin schedule of the Regular Season. The next real challenges come later in the season, after the best-of-three Play Ins dominate the January schedule, by shifting into a fresh new four-team battle in Group K of the Round of 16.
Rewinding to the BCL debut in 2021-22 shaped last year’s experience in the Round of 16. Unicaja made it through but was swept, 2-0, by ACB rival Baxi Manresa in the Quarterfinals. Certainly too early to tell, but potentially qualifying for the Quarterfinals for the second year in a row would be considered a big step toward the Final Four, but not the endgame. Adding on European club continental competitions silverware is what the entire Andalusian organization from players and coaches to the passionate fans all desire.
Capturing the Korac Cup in 2001 and EuroCup in 2017 mark the history of the Malaga outfit, also ACB champions in 2006 and Copa del Rey winners in 2005. A legendary team hungry for more success.
Pretty promising so far with Brizuela averaging a team-high 15.0 points per Champions League game, and Dylan Osetwkoski, David Kravish, and Tyler Kalinoski also scoring in double-digits. Explosive guard Tyson Carter and Kendrick Perry, combined with the experience of Nihad Djedovic, Melvin Ejim, Augusto Lima, and Will Thomas beyond the wing. Captain Diaz and BCL expert Jonathan Barreiro are on board as well.
In good and bad days, Unicaja has outscored its opponents in 18 of their 20 fourth quarters throughout BCL ventures, including in all four wins of the ongoing Regular Season. This season’s highlights are allowing a league-low 6.0 offensive rebounds per contest and pulling down a league-high 81.3% of the available defensive rebounds.
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League