Valencia Basket and UCAM Murcia, challenge against cup logic
A quarterfinal matchup with two contenders to change the modern history of the tournament
GRANADA, Feb. 17 (from the EUROPA PRESS special envoy, Rodrigo Trascasa) –
Valencia Basket and UCAM Murcia begin this Friday (18:30/#Vamos) their cup-bearing dream in Granada with a quarter-final duel without a favourite, in search of feeding their options, well positioned for a first round with note, of a big week.
Both teams are part of the contingent to avoid the reality of Real Madrid and Barça in the recent winners of the Copa del Rey. Nailing three games in three days and breaking the logic established in the ko tournament, with six white titles and as many for Barça in the last 12 years, is the challenge.
The ‘taronja’ team adapted their game to the demands of the arrival of Joan Peñarroya to pick up a run in recent weeks and reach their tenth Cup in a row, even as top seed. After making history with Burgos, the Catalan coach is squeezing the orange and it remains to be seen what they are capable of.
After winning the League in 2017 and suffering in recent years trying to earn a place in the Euroleague, Valencia Basket is showing its level to once again wage war on that prevailing logic in national basketball. In fact, Peñarroya’s men beat Madrid a month ago and also beat Barça at the Palau a little while ago.
Recovered from a long Víctor Claver injury, the ‘taronja’ team arrives with all its troops to assault a Cup that they won in their debut in 1998, but that has since eluded them in four finals. Captain Dubljevic, Xabi López-Arostegui and Jasiel Rivero stand out among their resources to touch the sky.
At UCAM Murcia, the Cup comes at a time of more uncertainty, although with time to get out of a last outbreak of coronavirus. The contagions in fact forced him to suspend his game last weekend against Barça, with which those of Sito Alonso, who in the previous one had not yet passed the quarantine, appear in Granada without having played in 12 days.
Isaiah Taylor is the main culprit of the best attack in the League, while Augusto Lima, Sadiel Rojas and James Webb, January’s ‘MVP’ and who has recovered from an injury in time, give character to a Murcia that is not enough with its historic presence in the Nasrid capital. After a Cup as host, in 1996, in the second he can also feel at home, a comfortable trip for his fans, to try to make his candidacy the one that defies logic.
DATASHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
VALENCIA BASKET: Hermannsson, López-Arostegui, Claver, Pradilla and Dubljevic –possible starting quintet–; Puerto, Prepelic, Rivero, Dimitrijevic, Labeyrie, Ferrando, Van Rossom, Tobey, Jiménez.
UCAM MURCIA: Taylor, McFadden, Rojas, Webb and Cate –possible starting quintet–; Davis, Lima, Bellas, Malmanis, Radovic, Czerapowicz, Vasileiadis.
–PABILLION: Granada Sports Palace.
–TIME: 18:30/#Let’s go.