Hapoel Jerusalem Opens EuroCup Campaign Against Rostock in Belgrade
Hapoel Jerusalem opens its EuroCup campaign in Belgrade against Rostock on Tuesday. Sasa Obradovic's squad looks to start strong amid roster adjustments and new format rules.
Half a year after being eliminated in the quarterfinals last season, Hapoel Jerusalem will open its European campaign on Tuesday at 20:00 (live on Sport 3) by hosting Rostock in Belgrade for the opening round of the EuroCup.
Preparation and Roster Updates
Sasa Obradovic's Reds arrived in Belgrade on Sunday evening and will hold their final training session at the Hala Sportska Ranko Zeravica, the arena hosting them for the second consecutive year. Jerusalem may soon bid farewell to the city, as the club closely evaluates the possibility of moving to Cyprus, much like the Tel Aviv teams, should games not return to Israel.
Lorenzo Brown landed in Israel on Saturday, and Jerusalem management will decide prior to the match whether to field him or grant him another week to acclimate. Brown arrived to replace Jared Harper, who is expected to miss the entire first round of the EuroCup. In his absence, primary ball handler Jalen Smith and Eitan Burg will step into leading roles.
Scouting Rostock
The club maintains deep respect for Rostock. Although theoretically not considered among the elite tier of the EuroCup, the German side demonstrated in two very respectable EuroCup campaigns over recent years that they can compete fiercely against high-quality opponents.
German squad Rostock will face an Israeli team for the first time in history. The team is coached by Polish tactician Przemyslaw Frasunkiewicz for the third consecutive season. Their standout players include Estonian center Artur Konontsuk, who frequently steps out to shoot three-pointers rather than relying on two-point attempts, and American guard T.J. Crockett. Two Israeli Premier League alumni also feature prominently: Todd Withers, who played last season for Hapoel Holon, and Jonathan Stove, a former Hapoel Galil Elion player.
Rostock, which has lost two of its first three domestic matches, presents an unusual statistical anomaly in the German League so far: they have launched 122 three-pointers (averaging 40.6 per game) and converted 41 of them (13.6). Meanwhile, from two-point range, they have attempted 91 shots and made 48.
EuroCup Format Changes
The EuroCup underwent a significant structural change this year. Instead of two groups of ten teams, the competition now features 32 teams divided into eight groups. The top four teams from each group after two rounds will advance to the round of 16, which will be played in a best-of-three series format all the way to the final.
