By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Experiencing pain, Scottie Wilbekin was labeled as a game-time decision by Fenerbahce Beko for the meeting with LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in Ulker Sports Arena on Thursday.
Returning to action after suffering a complete tear of his right anterior cruciate ligament early in his 2024-25 journey with Fener, the 32-year-old guard averaged 9.2 points, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.8 rebounds over five EuroLeague appearances, including three starts.
In better news for the Istanbul outfit, Brandon Boston Jr. resumed team practices after spraining his left ankle in early October and was cleared for Round 9 of the 2025-26 Regular Season. However, Arturs Zagars remains sidelined due to a hamstring issue.
The rest of the players remain available for head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius in a bid to improve to 4-5 in Europe’s premier club competition.
“We need to perform better than we have so far against ASVEL,” explained the 49-year-old Lithuanian play-caller, “More importantly, we need to get back on track after our losses.”
“ASVEL is a very athletic team, one of the league’s best rebounding teams, and they have physical players. Therefore, moving the ball well against their size and improving both individually and as a team will be key,” added Jasikevicius.
“We are playing a very important and must-win game. We are excited to be back with our fans. We need to apply the lessons learned from our previous games on the floor to win and get back on our feet,” said 25-year-old center Armando Bacot.