Four years after its first appearance in the ULEB Cup during the competition's inaugural season, Snaidero Udine came back and proved itself a worthy competitor. Snaidero was a streaky side, as its three-game winning streak was sandwiched by back-to-back defeats. A 5-5 record saw Udine place fourth in Group B, but with Jerome Allen bolstering the backcourt for the elimination rounds, Snaidero will be looking to enter uncharted waters. Coach Cesare Pancotto's side started the season with a loss at Strasbourg before scoring consecutive wins against Besiktas and Anwil Wloclawek. However losses at Ventspils and against FMP saw Udine reach the halfway point at 2-3. At that point the team decided to make a change, inking Allen for the player's third candidacy with the club in place of Andrew Wisniewski. The catch was that Allen, who began the season with PAOK Thessaloniki in Greece, would not be eligible to suit up in the ULEB Cup until the elimination rounds. So Udine rolled the dice and put its future in the hands of Kristaps Valters and the Latvian guard did not disappoint. The team won its next three games as Valters put up big numbers – including weekly MVP honors in Week 8 – and Snaidero secured a berth in the next stage. Although the team has undergone a complete overhaul since its first appearance in the ULEB Cup – only Joel Zacchetti and Michele Antonutti remain from that squad – it will use that performance as a barometer for success. That team was eliminated in the eighth-finals by domestic rival Metis Varese, despite winning the first-leg game. Now Snaidero will look to not only win a game, but to advance to at least the quarterfinals for the first time. And with a healthy roster boosted by Allen, there's nothing stopping this team from challenging anyone that the draw throws its way for that quarterfinals ticket.