New game, new opportunity to get a win in EuroCup!

The senior team of Cedevita Olimpija will play on Wednesday at 19:00 Slovenian time, away in Thessaloniki against Aris, in the fifth round of the BKT EuroCup regular season. They will aim for their fourth European victory while also trying to return to winning ways.

Cedevita Olimpija faces a new away game, this time in Thessaloniki, where the Dragons will meet Aris in the fifth round of the BKT EuroCup. After their loss to Igokea m:tel in Laktaši, the team from Ljubljana will try to get back on the winning track and secure their fourth win of the season in the EuroCup. Their opponent, Aris, has an opposite record of wins and losses compared to the Slovenian champions after four games and currently sits in seventh place in Group B.

Head coach Zvezdan Mitrović returned to Ljubljana on Thursday and was present at the senior team’s training on Monday, but he will miss the trip to Thessaloniki as a precaution. After a long absence due to health issues, Lovro Gnjidić rejoined team training on Sunday and will travel to Greece with the team. Brynton Lemar continues to recover from a foot injury.

PRE-GAME STATEMENTS:

“We are eagerly awaiting the game against Aris. I believe the away game in Thessaloniki is one of the most intense in all competitions, especially in the EuroCup. This will be a new experience for us this season. Aris is a well-constructed team, but they’ve had some difficulties early in the season. Our opponents have a very strong guard line, and their big men are extremely athletic. We must first and foremost defend their guard duo, Vassilis Toliopoulos and David De Julius, complemented by Eleftherios Bochoridis, who has played at the EuroLeague level for many years. We must also watch out for their big men due to their specific style of play, which includes a deep roll and offensive rebounds. Defensively, they play very aggressively, which we’ve already experienced this season, but we need to be even more focused and control our game under pressure,” said Cedevita Olimpija’s coach Đorđe Adžić ahead of the game against Aris.

“We are expecting a very tough game in Greece. Everyone knows that Aris always plays well on their home court. With the support of their home fans, they are always extremely aggressive on both sides of the court. We are preparing thoroughly for our opponents and traveling to Thessaloniki with one goal in mind: to win,” said Rok Radović, who scored seven points against Lietkabelis last week and 12 against Igokea, along with six rebounds. “We are satisfied with our start to the EuroCup season, but we must not be content with our current number of wins. We know we can win more, and we aim for victory in every game.”

TV BROADCAST:

You can watch the game live on Šport TV 1, with the studio portion of the broadcast starting at 18:15.

WATCH THE GAME AT UNION PUB:

This time, we will organize a Beer Pong tournament at Union Pub, starting at 18:00. At 19:00, we will gather in front of the screens to cheer for our Dragons as they face Aris in Thessaloniki! The gathering at Union Pub is at 17:45!

How will the Beer Pong tournament proceed? To participate in the Beer Pong tournament, you must be at least 18 years old. Competitors: 16 teams of two people each Game system: Playoff bracket Playing time: Limited to 10 minutes Victory in a round: When the opposing team runs out of cups, or the team with more hits after time runs out.

The tournament winners will receive two tickets to the game against Budućnost VOLI, which will take place on Sunday, October 27, at 18:00 in Stožice. They will watch this regional league derby from a courtside couch!

To register your team, you must fill out a form. Since the number of spots is limited to 32 participants (16 teams), please only register if you genuinely intend to participate in the event (Beer Pong tournament). Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

*In case several teams register simultaneously and exceed the maximum number, while the form is still available to fill out, we will notify you. We kindly ask for your understanding in this matter.

GAME PREVIEW:

Thessaloniki’s Aris is competing in the EuroCup for the second consecutive season. After reaching the round of 16 last season, the Greek club aims to make the playoffs again this year. They started the 2024/25 season with losses to Umana Reyer and Türk Telekom, followed by a win against Lietkabelis. In the fourth round, they lost at home to Hapoel from Jerusalem (68:78).

Two players stand out statistically for Aris after four games in the EuroCup: David De Julius, who averages 16.2 points per game, and Vassilis Toliopoulos, who averages 15.0 points. Toliopoulos scored 26 points against Lietkabelis, while De Julius recorded 30 points in the recent match against Hapoel.

In the Greek national championship, Aris has one win and two losses after three games. They lost to AEK at the season’s start, followed by another loss to Olympiacos, but last Saturday, they defeated Promitheas from Patras 86:75 on their home court. Four Aris players scored in double digits, with Landers Nolley leading the way with 21 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds.

Cedevita Olimpija heads to Thessaloniki after playing three games between Saturday and Friday of the past week: two in the regional league and one in the EuroCup. The Dragons won against Split and Lietkabelis at home, but lost to Igokea in Laktaši. After four EuroCup games, they have three wins and only one loss, marking their best start to the season since 2019, when Cedevita and Olimpija merged into Cedevita Olimpija. It’s worth noting that the Ljubljana club, then known as Union Olimpija, began the 2014/15 EuroCup season with four wins in the first five games.

The team from the Slovenian capital travels to Greece after a somewhat poor performance and a loss in Laktaši against Igokea, which defeated the Dragons 91:78 last Friday. Cedevita Olimpija entered the game tentatively, allowing the home team to take the initiative on the court. Igokea led by double digits multiple times, with Cedevita Olimpija twice reducing the gap to just four points, but a 19:3 run proved decisive, extending Igokea’s lead to 72:52, and the home team comfortably saw out the game.

The top scorer for the Dragons was Devin Robinson with 19 points and five rebounds. He was followed by Gregor Glas with 13 points, Rok Radović with 12 points and six rebounds, and Aleksej Nikolić with 10 points. Captain Jaka Blažič finished the game with seven points, and Žiga Daneu added five points and five rebounds.

The Ljubljana players put on a much better performance last Tuesday in the EuroCup clash against Lietkabelis. By halftime, Cedevita Olimpija led by 20 points. Although the guests from Panevėžys came closer after the break, the Dragons’ victory was never seriously threatened. Robinson was again the most effective scorer with 17 points, Blažič scored 14, and both DJ Stewart and DeVante Jones added 10.

BKT EUROCUP, ROUND 5

Palais De Sports (Thessaloniki, Greece), Wednesday, October 23, at 20:00 (19:00 SLO):
ARIS MIDEA THESSALONIKI – CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA (Live broadcast on Šport TV 1)

LOOKING AHEAD:

After the game in Thessaloniki, the team will return to Ljubljana, where they will host Budućnost VOLI on Sunday, October 27, at 18:00 in Stožice. Then, on Wednesday, October 30, at 18:30, Hapoel from Jerusalem will visit Stožice. Tickets for both games are already available at vstopnice.olimpija.com.