Even though he's part of Fenerbahce Ulker's kiddy corps in the paint - a quartet of power forwards and centers all 21 or younger - there no mistaking Oguz Savas as the big boy of that bunch. A widebody who stands 2.13, Savas fills some serious space as a part-time starter and still-growing contributor. Having started his Euroleague career at age 17, Savas isn't so young in terms of experience either, a point he makes while analyzing his team's upcoming playoff series with Montepaschi Siena.
"It's really an exciting moment for both Fenerbahce Ulker and Turkish basketball history to be in the Euroleague quarterfinal playoffs. At the beginning of the season, moving to the quarterfinals was not in our plans. But when we found ourselves in the Top 16, we thought we could go forward. Our self-confidence rose to the point that we thought that by challenging well enough, we can do something special. We saw the light when we had road wins in the first round, and that's how we are here."
"Montepaschi Siena is a great team which plays great basketball. But we also played very good games in most of the group matches in both phases. I think that if we can keep the game under control, especially in the first road game, we can get a win there. This is the kind of series which has no favorites at all. Both teams can go through to the Final Four. But of course, Montepaschi Siena has the advantage of home court in two games. But we also have proven that we can snatch a win on the road if we play well enough. I always say that if we are able to put what we can on the court, if we are able to make what we have be see, we can have a great chance of winning the game away."
"Everybody says that we are a young team, and that's true. But at the same time, nobody considers that those young guys have been playing at the top national and international level for many years. For example, me, Omer Asik, Emir Preldzic, Gasper Vidmar, Semih Erden and Hakan Demirel are all national team or under-21 national team players, and have been for many years. The thing that is important on that level is what we do on the court. I think we proved that we are experienced enough to handle the pressure of the Euroleague due to the advantage we have of playing regularly for our club and national teams. We put the positive side of youthfulness on the court."
"We are a successfull team despite having a couple of our veteran stars, Ibrahim Kutluay and Mirsad Turkcan, out of the roster due to different reasons. If we are standing strong despite the absence of those great stars, it is because we were able to find the counterparts for those exprienced players in our own team. We kept our rotation at the same level by challenging very well and working harder. Now we are going to have Mirsad Turkcan back in the roster. And I'm sure we will add more power to our current position by having him back."
"The first game in Siena will be harder than any other for us this season. They are more than a team and their team game is as impressive as their defensive toughness. They are like a machine on offense, as they play with great patience. If we are able to slow down their motion and manage to break their balance on the floor, we can have a chance to win."