By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Elite scoring, transition dominance, and clutch playmaking pushed Iverson Molinar to the Most Valuable Player award for the Eighthfinals of the 2025-26 BKT EuroCup season.
Following a masterclass in offensive efficiency, Euroleague Basketball confirmed the 26-year-old combo guard of U-BT Cluj-Napoca as the latest recipient of the weekly MVP honors on Thursday.
Per the press release: “Iverson Molinar stepped up when U-BT Cluj-Napoca needed him most, delivering a career-best performance in the BKT EuroCup Eighthfinals to earn MVP of the Round honors. Molinar led Cluj to an 82-100 road win over Buducnost VOLI Podgorica to send his team into the quarterfinals for a date with Bahcesehir College Istanbul.
Molinar shined in the Montenegrin capital with a career-high 34 points, making 8-of-12 two-pointers, 3-of-3 threes and all 9 of his free-throw attempts. He also had 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and drew 7 fouls for a PIR 39, also a career-best.
DeVante’ Jones of Dolomiti Energia Trento had a 38 PIR in a 90-94 overtime win over Umana Reyer Venice. Jones netted 38 points on 6-of-12 two-pointers, 5-of-6 three-pointers and 11-of-13 free throws, while dishing 9 assists and drawing 9 fouls.
The next best PIR, 23, belonged to his Trento teammate, Matas Jogela, who collected 15 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists. Rounding out the list of top performers in the eighthfinals were Cluj’s Fatts Russell and Michael Devoe of Turk Telekom Ankara, each with a 22 PIR. Russell had 20 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals in a win over Buducnost, while Devoe posted 16 points, 7 assists and 2 rebounds in a 98-81 victory over BAXI Manresa.
DeVante’ Jones, Trento, 38 points
Jones led all players in the eighthfinals with 38 points. Cluj’s Russell remains the EuroCup’s top scorer with 19.7 points per game.
Jogela had 12 rebounds, the most in the eighthfinal games. Fardaws Aimaq of Lietkabelis Panevezys is this season’s top rebounder with 9.6 boards per game.
Devoe and Russell each dished 7 assists, an eighthfinals best. Neptunas Klaipeda’s Arnas Velicka is the assists king with 7.7 dimes per game.
Dogus Ozdemiroglu of Turk Telekom Ankara had 3 steals, more than any other player in the eighthfinal games. Ozdemiroglu leads the steals charts with 2.1 per contest.
Matthew Hurt of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana led all players with 3 blocks. Manresa’s Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu has 1.6 blocks per game to top the standings.
The one double-double across the four eighthfinal games belonged to Jogela, who had 15 points and 12 rebounds.”
Quarterfinals
With the first knockout stage in the books, the road to the title intensifies as the competition shifts to the single-elimination Quarterfinals next week.
The schedule kicks off on Tuesday with two matchups. JL Bourg is set to host Cedevita Olimpija, while Molinar and Cluj-Napoca travel to Turkiye to face Bahcesehir Koleji. The action continues on Wednesday as Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem meets Turk Telekom, and Besiktas Gain hosts Dolomiti Energia Trento.