Team Focus: Partizan Igokea
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Dusko Vujosevic, Head Coach
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Coach, tell us about your team's roster for the next Euroleague season, what changes you made and what improvements you expect to gain from those decisions?
"Just as in past seasons, several Partizan stars moved abroad over the summer. It is going to be extremely difficult to replace Nikola Pekovic, Dusan Kecman and Milton Palacio. They were starters last season and the backbone of the team. But this is the stone that we have been pushing uphill for years. There are now eight new players on our roster. We choose guys not only for their basketball skills, but first and foremost for their personalities. A team’s style of play can’t be decided by theories or a coach’s wishes. Our roster went through many changes and we have had to change our game plan to fit the players we have at the moment."
How much can you learn from the preseason about your team? What signs do you look for now that will help when the Euroleague starts?
"I spent some of our preseason coaching the Montenegro national team in the Euro 2009 qualification games. My assistant coach, Vlada Jovanovic, was with the team, but we were missing Uros Tripkovic, Milenko Tepic and Novica Velickovic. They spent more than 80 days with the Serbian national team that played EuroBasket qualification games too. Jovanovic did an excellent job during that preparation time and we should be ready for the season shortly."
Now that all the other teams have mostly completed their rosters, how does the competition in the Euroleague this season look like to you?
"The change in the competition system has made each regular season group a lot tougher. A lot of big names crossed the ocean this summer and our opponents are stronger than ever. In our Group D, there are three former Euroleague champs. Efes Pilsen spent lot of money to build a great team, Real Madrid, CSKA, Milano and Panionios too. But money does not play basketball. In the Euroleague, the differences are in nuances. Of course there are teams with dominant budgets, but there is no weak team at all."
What are your goals going into the new Euroleague season?
"Our goal is to reach the Top 16 again. Last season was a kind of miracle. That happens, but not so often. Nobody expects it to be happen again."
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 Coming off one of the club’s best seasons in recent history, Partizan Igokea remains steadfast in its recipe for success. Last season head coach Dusko Vujosevic’s squad was among the youngest in the Euroleague, but still supplied nonstop excitement, eliminated the defending champs in the Top 16 and came within one win of a spot in the Final Four for the first time in a decade. One year later and Partizan is looking to max out on its winning strategy of riding homegrown talents to success. Accordingly, the club brings back five players that started a combined 61 Euroleague games last season – guards Milenko Tepic and Uros Tripkovic, forwards Cedomir Vitkovac and Novica Velickovic and center Slavko Vranes. On top of that it has added budding local stars Aleksandar Rasic, Vukasin Aleksic and Zarko Rakocevic and from overseas comes shot-blocker extraordinaire Stephane Lasme. That group plus the next generation of prospects from the Partizan youth setup will lead the Serbian champs in the Euroleague this season as they earn respect, gain experience and build themselves into playoff contenders once more.
| Name |
Pos.
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Height
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| Aleksandar Rasic |
G
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1.95
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| Vukasin Aleksic |
G
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1.85
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| Petar Bozic |
G
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197
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| Joao Soares |
F
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1.96
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| Marko Djurkovic |
F
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2.06
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| Strahinja Milosevic |
F
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2.03
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| Milenko Tepic |
G
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2.02
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| Uros Tripkovic |
G
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1.97
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| Novica Velickovic |
F
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2.05
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| Ian Veselv |
C
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2.10
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| Cedomir Vitkovac |
F
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2.01
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| Slavko Vranes |
C
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2.28
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| Zarko Rakocevic |
F
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2.04
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| Stephane Lasme |
F
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2.03
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| Head Coach: Dusko Vujosevic |
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Rasic will play a pivotal part in the team’s success as a Euroleague rookie playing point guard. His combination of speed, court vision and deep shooting range will be important to the Partizan attack. Aleksic will also see time at point guard bringing aggressive play and solid ball-handling off the bench. Tripkovic is an elite marksman with more than 70 Euroleague appearances under his belt and over 100 three-pointers made despite being only 22 years old. His continued progress is key to the team’s growth. With a year of Euroleague experience under his belt, Tepic will be asked to display more leadership skills as an all-around player. He can play all three perimeter positions and is lethal with the ball due to his passing and driving skills. The rugged Petar Bozic is the team’s oldest player. His excellent defense and ability to bury open jumpers always help steady the team. Portuguese star Joao Soares is a teenager who will look to gain experience in is first season at the famed club.
Vitkovac and Velickovic form a strong partnership at the forward spots.  Velickovic is a strong player and excellent rebounder with a very good mid-range jumper, while Vitkovac is a tad smaller, but possesses a great understanding of the game that helps him and his team in all aspects on the court. Lasme’s athleticism brings a new aspect to the Partizan frontcourt on both ends of the floor. He can team with the 2.28-meter Vranes in a super-intimidating lineup or play with Velickovic when the team wants speed. Rakocevic is a big body who will make his presence felt on the glass. Strahinja Milosevic and Marko Djurkovic will hope to see their roles increase from the limited minutes they saw last year, while teenager Ian Veselv will provide depth as he studies the older players waiting for his turn to arrive.
Partizan may be the most unpredictable team to predict in that it is so tough to know which of its young stars-in-the-making are ready to break out. What’s certain though is that of the cast of talents, several will be ready and will take fans in the Serbian capital on a wild ride. As coach Vujosevic’s men proved last year, nothing is out of the question for the Serbian champs, who’ll start the season with modest expectations that will grow as the season progresses.
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Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Euroleague.net
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