ULEB Cup draw profile: Benetton Tamoil
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At the start of December, after one month of its debut ULEB Cup season, venerable Benetton Tamoil was tied for last place in regular season Group H and looking at disaster. Six games later - all of them victories - Benetton not only won its group, but goes into the elimination rounds as a team that any opponent will be unlucky to draw. Benetton won a total of seven out of eight games under new head coach Oktay Mahmuty, its only loss by by 5 points on the road way back in November. Benetton has star power without a star system. True, point guard Lionel Chalmers and Mario Austin combined for 31.2 points and plenty of shots each game, but an ensemble from the team's bench was counted upon to make up the rest of the team's 83.3 points on average. Team leader Matteo Soragna and instant offense Reece Gaines are the other regular starters, bringing equal parts defensive tenacity and points from the perimeter. Big men Pops Mensah-Bonsu, the competition's eighth-best  rebounder in the regular season, and Angelo Gigli help Austin control the boards. Marco Mordente, Engin Atsur and newcomer John Lucas fill out a backcourt that offers speed, shooting and passing in equally good measures. Altogether, the Benetton offense was the competition's best three-point shooting threat - combining made shots from the arc (100) and accuracy (46%) - during the first regular season. It is also true that with one of the most solid set of big men around, Benetton doesn't need to rely on the long ball. And with Mahmuti, a recognized defensive brain, on the bench, this team can meet the necessity of making stops in pressure situations. The mix of ingredients that Benetton brings to the table - experience, one-on-one skills, shooting and defense - is enough to make it a team to watch out for going into the elimination rounds.
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POST-DRAW REACTIONS | Benetton Tamoil Treviso general manager Marco Atripaldi:"It is a tough group because facing Red Star is always complicated, especially in Belgrade due to its tradition and the atmosphere in Pionir Arena. The other Italian team, Beghelli Bologna, lost by 30 points in Belgrade already. This is what we got and we cannot change it. The Final Eight will be in Italy and we think we can make it there. If we advance to the next round, we may play Besiktas, the only undefeated team in the ULEB Cup so far. It will not be easy either. We are the only Italian team left in the competition and this is important for us because we are representing Italian basketball in the ULEB Cup right now. Add the Benetton tradition and the fact that the ULEB Cup Final Eight will be played in Italy and all we have do is being competitive. We will not be an easy team to face and we hope to make it to Torino." | Benetton Tamoil Treviso head coach, Oktay Mahmuti:"It is going to bet a really tough matchup for Benetton because Red Star is a talented team that represents one of the most charming basketball styles. It is going to be tough to play in Belgrade and the fact that we play the second game in Treviso could be a little advantage, but not a key factor on this matchup. We have to play focused for 80 minutes if we want to advance to the Last 16. It is going to be difficult. I know we may face Besiktas and coach Engin Ataman in the next round, but nobody is thinking about it right now. I want to focus in the matchup against Red Star. We have to take one game at the time, go step by step and avoid thinking about the future." |
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