Hapoel Holon Opens FIBA Champions League Season Against Cholet in Bulgaria
Hapoel Holon opens its FIBA Champions League campaign against Cholet in Bulgaria, dealing with a severely depleted roster due to injuries to key foreign players.
For the tenth consecutive time, Hapoel Holon will open its FIBA Champions League campaign tomorrow (Tuesday, 18:45) with a "home" match against French side Cholet. The Purples are hosting their home games in Samokov, Bulgaria, following several years in Hungary.
The squad flew to Bulgaria today with a slight flight delay after completing their final training session in Holon. During Sunday's practice, Brandon Jones Jr. sprained his ankle and will miss tomorrow's game, as well as Sunday's upcoming clash against Hapoel Jerusalem. The team is left with only four foreign players, as Jones joins Drew Pember and Greg Lee, who were previously injured and will be sidelined in the near future.
Lester Medford Jr., who landed in Israel over the weekend, completed several practices and will travel and play with the team. On the other hand, naturalized player Skylar Mays, who also signed last week, will not play as he still needs to complete several medical clearances.
Despite the short rotation consisting of only eight senior players, Holon hopes to start the season on the right foot, with upcoming matchups against Spartak Subotica from Serbia and Rasta Vechta from Germany. The Purples' main objective is to advance to the Top 16.
"We are looking forward to the start of the BCL season," said head coach Predrag Krunić before departure. "We worked hard and we want to come and do our best. Our first opponent, Cholet, is a very talented and athletic team, we need to be ready for a physical game, play aggressively, control the rebound and be consistent in the basics of our defense and offense."
Among Cholet's leading players are Bosnian interior player Miralem Halilović, American center Lynn Kidd, 17-year-old French point guard Aaron Towo-Nansi, local forward Mohamed Diarra, and Mongolian national team player Siterka Rahrimentuanina.
