By Alex Molina / info@eurohoops.net
Unicaja has once again reached the Basketball Champions League Final Four with the ambition of lifting another European trophy, a challenge in which the Andalusian side believes its experience could play an important role, as head coach Ibon Navarro explained.
“To compete in a Final Four, controlling emotions is very important. For young players it’s complicated, and that’s why those who already played three or four Final Fours can explain things in basketball terms. That’s why I think they have to transmit that experience to the rest of the team.”
The Final Four comes after a somewhat inconsistent stretch of results, but Unicaja believes it has managed to reset mentally ahead of the decisive weekend while chasing a third consecutive BCL title.
“The most important thing is to be able to switch the mentality. To stop for a moment, leave behind what happened in recent days and clear your head. The three-peat still feels far away… We have a very difficult semifinal against AEK and that’s the only thing we are thinking about. Thinking further ahead makes you lose focus.”
Once again, the Basque coach emphasized the importance of experienced players in tournaments like this.
“It’s important to have players who have already been in this situation before. They are capable of transmitting mentality and excitement. Some of them already played four Final Fours and for the new guys it’s an extra point. Also calmness and composure to play a game with the level of demand that the match against AEK will have.”
One of the veterans expected to lead the team is captain Alberto Díaz.
“We are coming from a good season, with new players, but we still have the same mentality and philosophy. That is the base that allowed us to be here again, with the same excitement and strength to continue moving forward.”
Díaz also predicted an extremely demanding semifinal against AEK Athens.
“Everybody already knows that AEK is very athletic and very talented. They also have a great coach. We know there will be many Greek fans and it will be a battle. We have to maintain energy and concentration for all 40 minutes — that’s our challenge. If we maintain the physical level for the entire game, we will have our chances.”
Despite several roster changes compared to previous seasons, Unicaja’s ambition remains intact.
“There is a lot of excitement. This year we don’t have that much pressure. We are a new project, with new players… Maybe we removed some pressure from ourselves. We managed to change the mentality after not having the best month. The new players have the excitement of experiencing this for the first time, while the older ones want to fight for another title. But everybody is on the same page.”