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Group J promises plenty of fireworks and exciting battles. The perennial German champions, Brose Baskets Bamberg, return to the Eurocup after four years in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague, featuring stars like D'or Fischer, Novica Velickovic and Casey Jacobsen. BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque has a blend of veterans like Cyril Akpomedah and Yakhouba Diawara mixed with young talent of Jonathan Rousselle and Ousmane Camara. Newcomer Aykon TED Ankara Kolejliler relies heavily on center Vladimir Golubovic, the only player in the competition averaging a double-double, and experienced scorer Clay Tucker. And long-distance lovers Dinamo Banca di Sardegna Sassari attempts on average 33 triples per game, with Drake Diener, Caleb Green and Omar Thomas leading the onslaught.
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THREE-POINT FIREWORKS
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Casey Jacobsen
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Expect some three-point fireworks during the months of January and February in Group J. Sassari has six players with at least 10 three-point shots made. Drake Diener jumps out with 33 made triples, doing it with astounding 53% accuracy, leading the bunch that also includes Caleb Green and Marques Green. Gravelines has unbelievable 11 different players who have scored from behind the arc this season, the most deadly ones being Juby Johnson and Jonathan Rousselle, who have combined to hit 46 triples between them. Ankara’s aces from long range are Clay Tucker with 25 three-pointers and Kristaps Valters with 19 in the regular season. Despite coming from the Euroleague, Bamberg fits nicely into this company, with Jamar Smith, Anton Gavel and Casey Jacobsen bringing heat from long range.
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Drake Diener |
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VETERAN 30+ FORCE
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Clay Tucker |
All four teams put a heavy load on the shoulders of seasoned veterans who are all in their 30s. None does it more than Sassari, with 33-year old center Linton Johnson, who is a year younger than shooting guard Drake Diener. Travis Diener, Marques Green and Omar Thomas are all 31, while forward Manuel Vanuzzo is among competition’s oldest players, at 38 years of age. Bamberg is not far behind, with a pair of 32-year olds – center D’Or Fischer and swingman Casey Jacobsen – while power forward Sharrod Ford and point guard John Goldsberry both turned 31. Ankara features a trio of 30+ perimeter threats - guards Tucker and Valters, along with forward Vanja Plisnic - while Gravelines puts a lot of faith in Akpomedah (34), Johnson (32) and Diawara (31).
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Cyril Akpomedah |
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THE LOWDOWN
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It will be a clash of two styles in Group J. On one side, a pair of undersized, fast-paced teams – Sassari and Gravelines – love to run the floor and launch it from the three-point range. Led by the Dieners and the Greens, more than 46% of Sassari’s shots come from behind the arc, while athletic Gravelines, among the best three-point shooting teams, is also among the best defensive rebounding teams, which allows them to run often. On the other stand Bamberg and Ankara, teams with considerable size and the strong inside presences. Big man Golubovic is not only the centerpiece of Ankara’s offense, but the most productive player in all of the Eurocup during the regular season, while Bamberg plans to put one of the deepest frontlines - with Fischer, Ford and Maik Zirbes – to its advantage.
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