By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
Buducnost VOLI Podgorica remains the only undefeated team in a strong Group B of 7DAYS EuroCup after three rounds. Aleksandar Dzikic’s squad has emerged from a middle-tier according to initial projections to currently rank among the leaders of the competition next to Partizan and Lokomotiv of Group A.
It was a surprise to many, Coach Dzikic included, as he admitted after Buducnost picked up an 86-82 home victory over Virtus Segafredo Bologna in Round 3.
“We won, and it’s a kind of surprise for everybody, including me, honestly,” the Buducnost boss said. “They [Virtus] are a super team, from top to bottom, with a legendary coach. We know they are ambitious this season… so it’s important for us that we were even in a position to compete against them”
What makes this Buducnost team so strong, though? From a statistical point of view, they are not a typical superpower. In fact, they rank 11th overall in points scored per game (81.0) and have the worst three-point shooting percentage in the league (32.65%).
Yet this is the team that took down favorites Valencia Basket and Virtus Segafredo Bologna in back-to-back games at home. In both games, Buducnost initiated a fourth-quarter rally despite facing at least a double-digit deficit. What they seem to lack from the three-point line is replaced by their mid-range shooting, which holds up a 53% accuracy rate after three games.
Added to that, Buducnost is taking full advantage of the schedule, keeping its homecourt record perfect despite two dangerous visitors. Even though the margins of those last two wins were not big, every point counts in the long run for potential tie-breakers, especially in a strong Group B.
Dzikic has a leader in veteran Justin Cobbs, who currently ranks eighth among EuroCup scorers with 17 points per game. Cobbs is playing his sixth EuroCup campaign and his third with the Podgorica side, and he’s well aware that sticking together can go a long way.
“The whole thing was that we just fought,” he said after the win against Virtus. “We know they come with a lot of energy, they are very aggressive, they got a lot of good players, so we just went there to play aggressively. I’m proud of my team, I’m proud of our coaching staff. We prepared it well and we got it done.”
Cobbs was the deciding factor in a tense game against Valencia – the most-crowned team in EuroCup history – scoring the winning basket in the final seconds. He showed up again last week to pour in 23 points and create 8 assists for his teammates against Virtus.
But Buducnost has other players offering solutions, too. Edin Atic had a strong performance in the comeback victory over Valencia, picking up 17 points and three steals. Petar Popovic came off the bench for 12 points and career highs of 5 assists and 3 steals against Virtus. And Willie Reed has shown up in all three games, both scoring and defending, and posted his season-high so far with 21 points against Virtus.
The “surprise element” is how the entire team reacts and the mentality Dzikic has brought to Podgorica. Buducnost may not be classified as “underdogs”, given an experienced core unit which has been together for years, but they have not been esteemed as a superpower, either. After three rounds, though, they are changing this tune.
What’s next for a team that has set the bar so high? For starters, Buducnost travels to Venice this week to face victory-starved Umana Reyer, another veteran team that presents a strong challenge. The rest is yet to be seen, as Dzikic unfolds more aces up his sleeve.
Photo: EuroCup