Games Notes UNICS KAZAN NIZHNY NOVGOROD

Games Notes
UNICS KAZAN
vs.
NIZHNY NOVGOROD
Date: 06 January, 2016
Last 32
Kazan
Round #1
CONTENTS
Part I
UNICS Kazan
Team focus
3
Roster
5
Statistics
7
Part II
BC NIZHNY NOVGOROD
Team focus
8
Roster
10
Statistics
11
Part III
Useful tips
Eurocup/format
12
Regulations for Media
15
Venue press facilities
18
News column
22
Team’s relationships
29
2
Part I
UNICS Kazan
Russia
3
Club info
Address
Postal address:
Basket-hall, Spartakovskaya Street, 1
Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia, 420107
Tel./Fax: (843) 292-15-00
E-mail: club@unics.ru
Media contacts
Olga Kamardina
Mob./What’s up +79377729272
E-mail: unics.kazan@bk.ru
History & achievements:
UNICS Kazan
Unics Kazan comes
off a great season that
Eurocup: 2010-11 NEBL: 2002-03
saw the team come
FIBA Europe League: 2003-04
within one result the
Russian National Cup: 2003,
Eurocup crown.
2009, 2014
This season the club
has a chance to do even more as it begins its campaign in
the Turkish Airlines Euroleague qualifying rounds. Unics
reached the Eurocup Finals sporting a 20-2 record, which
helped Andrew Goudelock earn Eurocup MVP honors and
Andrea Trinchieri to be chosen as the Eurocup Coach of the
Year. Valencia Basket Club stopped Unics’s march to the
title, but Unics bounced back by lifting the Russian Cup
trophy and reaching the VTB League semifinals. Founded in
1991, Unics soon became the perfect ambassador for the
sports-crazy Republic of Tatarstan in the Russian
Federation and within a decade was challenging for titles.
The club reached the Russian League finals in 2001
and 2002, the year in which it also made it to the Saporta
Cup semifinals. Its hard work paid off in 2003, when Unics
downed CSKA in overtime to lift the Russian Cup. In 2004,
Kazan was home to the FIBA Europe League final four and
Unics made the most of it by downing Maroussi to win its
first continental title. Unics made its ULEB Cup debut in the
2005-06 season and already reached the semifinals the
following year, before losing against Real Madrid. Unics also
reached the 2008 ULEB Cup Final Eight. Everything clicked
in the 2010-11 Eurocup as Unics won its regular season and
Last 16 groups and swept its quarterfinal series. Once in
the Finals, Unics thrashed Cedevita Zagreb in the semifinals
and bested Cajasol Sevilla in the championship game.
Marko Popovic amassed 18 points and 11 assists to
earn Finals MVP honors. Unics made its Euroleague debut a
successful one in 2011-12 season by going all the way to
the playoffs. No longer satisfied with being near the top,
expect Unics Kazan to challenge for plenty of silverware
this season and try to reach the Euroleague through the
qualifying rounds.
TROPHY CASE
4
Top managers
President
Evgeniy Bogachev
1st Vice-President
Robert
Minnegaliev
Vice-President
Supervisory
Board
Chair
Olga Askhanova
5
Vice-President Deputy
Victoria Eremeeva
Team roster:
#
UNICS Kazan
Player
Position Height
5
Langford Keith
Guard
7
Ponkrashov Anton
Forward 2.00
9
Parakhouski Artem
Center
2.11
10
Colom Quino
Guard
1.88
11
Likhodey Valeriy
Forward 2.04
13
Banic Marko
Forward 2.05
15
Gubanov Petr
Forward 2.06
20
Panin Vadim
Guard
21
Kaimakoglou Kostas
Forward 2.04
22
Latavious Williams
Forward 2.03
24
Milaknis Arturas
Guard
1.95
33
Khabirov Ruslan
Guard
1.92
55
Jerrells Curtis
Guard
1.85
70
Evstafiev Vladislav
Forward 2.02
99
Nezvankin Dmitriy
Guard
Head coach: Evgeny Pashutin
1.93
2.03
1.86
6
Statistics:
UNICS KAZAN
7
Part II
BC NIZHNY NOVGOROD
8
Club info
Address: 21 Karl Marx,
603159 Nizhny Novgorod – Russian Federation
E-mail: basket@nn-basket.ru
Tel. +7(831) 281 40 60
Arena: CEC Nagorny
29 Gagarin Avenue,
Nizhny Novgorod – Russian Federation
Contact person for Media
Mr.Vladimir Spivak
Tel.: +7 (950) 340-23-31
E-mail: spivak@nn-basket.ru
History & achievements:
BC NIZHNY NOVGOROD
Nizhny Novgorod returns to the Eurocup eager to
keep its great run going. Last season, Nizhny went all the
way to the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Top 16 and defeated
Unics Kazan in a do-or-die showdown to reach that round.
Taylor Rochestie was the 2014-15 Alphonso Ford Trophy
winner as the Euroleague’s top scorer and Trey Thompkins,
Tarence Kinsey and Art Parakhouski had great seasons,
too. Nizhny also reached the VTB League semifinals.
Founded in 2000 by acquiring the rights from Volzhsky
Engineer-Pedagogical Institute, the club started to compete
in the Russian third division. Its founder was Alexander
Khairetdinov, who is arguably the most important figure in
club history. He was the club's general director, head coach
and team doctor. Nizhny managed to reach the second
division and from 2006 to 2009 the team finished fifth,
sixth and seventh, respectively, at that level. In October of
2008, significant changes took place at the club, with
former Olympic gold medalist Dmitri Svatkovskiy coming
aboard as its president and Euroleague winner Sergey
Panov joining as general manager.
In May of 2010, Nizhny won the Russian second
division and a year later, the club reached the Russian Cup
final for the first time. A fifth place finish in its Russian
League debut paved the way for Zoran Lukic to win the
Coach of the Year award in Russia. Nizhny kept growing
and reached the VTB League playoffs by the 2012-13
season. Everything clicked for Nizhny in the 2013-14
season, in which the team went all the way to the VTB
League finals and the Eurocup semifinals before losing to
CSKA Moscow and Valencia Basket, respectively.
The club made the most of its first Euroleague
campaign last season and now is ready to challenge for its
first European trophy in the 2015-16 Eurocup.
9
Team roster:
BC NIZHNY NOVGOROD
#
Player
Position
Height
2
Rudd Victor
Forward
2.05
3
Grigoryev Maxim
Guard
1.95
4
Baburin Evgeny
Guard
1.90
5
Marikhin Sergei
Guard
1.93
6
Maynor Eric
Guard
1.91
7
Viktorov Ivan
Forward
1.96
9
Zaryazhko Victor
Guard
1.94
10
Ivlev Vladimir
Forward
2.07
11
Antonov Semen
Forward
2.02
12
Mahalbasic Rasid
Center
2.11
13
Khvostov Dimitriy
Guard
1.90
14
Berzins Kaspars
Forward
2.13
19
Strebkov Ivan
Forward
1.90
20
Popov Ilya
Center
2.07
47
Kirdiachkin Andrei
Forward
2.08
Head coach: Ainars Bagatskis
10
Statistics:
BC NIZHNY NOVGOROD
11
Part III
EUROCUP FORMAT
12
13
14
Regulations for Media
Article 70. Access to Team Locker Rooms for the
Media and Post-Game Press Conference
70.1. Five minutes after the final buzzer, the head
coach or media director will announce to the accredited
media that their team locker room is open. The team
manager, media director or other official from each club will
tell the players when the media are about to enter the
locker room, and also if any women are among the
accredited media. Then the locker room must be opened to
properly accredited media, with local security thoroughly
briefed to conform with the regulation and ensure
accreditation enforcement.
70.2. The locker room will remain open to the
accredited media for a minimum of 15 minutes, and the
players will have to attend to them during this entire period
at least.
70.3. If space allows, all accredited media – and only
accredited media – will be allowed to enter both locker
rooms. Due to, and only to, potential space problems, each
club may decide before the season on a minimum number
of accredited media – never less than 15 per locker room –
to be given special locker room accreditations for each
game. If the number does not meet the demand (16 or
more accredited media want to enter locker rooms), the
access will be awarded on a rotating game-to-game basis.
Those not in the rotation for the locker room of the home
team should be given accreditation to enter the locker room
of the visiting team.
Locker room accreditations will be distributed equally
to all media types, with at least the host broadcaster, the
international rights holder, one major daily newspaper, and
one radio station allowed in the locker rooms of the
home and visiting team after each game. The
Eurocupbasketball.com correspondent of each club will
15
always be included in the rotation. The Company will
reserve the right to raise the minimum of 15 accredited
media per locker room for certain games.
All visiting media approved by the media director of
the visiting club will be given accreditation at least to the
locker room of the visiting team, and also to that of the
home team, if space allows.
70.4. The press conference room will be located in
proximity to the locker rooms and the media work room. A
press conference with the head coach of the visiting team
will begin within a maximum of 20 minutes following the
final buzzer.
Immediately following the conclusion of this a press
conference with the head coach of the home team will start
(the head coaches will attend to the media separately). The
press conference times will not affect the opening of the
team locker rooms.
70.5. Without prejudice to the head coaches’ and
players’ obligation to meet the media in the press
conference room and locker rooms, the head coaches and
players must also be available to talk to the rights holders
on the playing court, for flash interviews, immediately after
each game.
70.6. The coordination work for the correct
functioning of the press conference and locker room policy
will fall upon the media director of the home club.
70.7. The media director or a staff member of each
club will accompany their head coach and players to the
press
conference and will be responsible for the translation
from/into English of all questions and statements.
70.8. The media director of the home club will be
responsible for the translation of all questions and
statements from/into English and the official language of
the home club’s country.
16
70.9. It is recommended that the post-game press
conferences are broadcast live on YouTube and on any
other platform that the club may decide. If the post-game
press conference is broadcast, the URL address of the press
conference will be sent to the Company’s Communication
Department no later than two days before the game. The
Company reserves the right to embed the press
conferences on eurocupbasketball.com and on the website
of the Company’s premium media partner from each
territory.
70.10. A statement of post-game media access rules
as provided by the Company will be posted, in English, on
locker room doors and in the media work room of each
arena before, during and after all games.
17
Venue Press facilities
Basket-hall
Kazan, Russian Federation
Date of foundation: 2002
Capacity: Main venue: 7.000 spectators, small venue:
1500 spectators
"Basket-hall" is the home venue for all UNICS Kazan
games. It is the largest specialized basketball sport venue
in Russia, able to conduct team sport competitions as well
as individual sports tournaments. The President and the
Government of the Republic of Tatarstan contributed
greatly to the "Basket-hall" construction. It was Evgeny B.
Bogachev - the Chairman of the National Bank of the
Republic of Tatarstan, the President of the BC "UNICS",
who initiated the construction started.
Alongside basketball and volleyball Russian and
European competitions “Basket-hall” served as the venue
for the XXVII World Summer Universiade tournament in
basketball in 2013. It also hosted World and European
championships on fencing, boxing, chess and weightlifting.
Contact information & Address:
Russia, 420111, Kazan, Spartakovskaya St.1
Tel/fax: + 7 843 291-15-00
18
Media entrance
Useful tips: Entrance#4 (Вход 4)
FOP Photo-positions
19
Elevated photo-positions
Press tribune
Useful tips: Leaving the Media Entrance go straight, enter
the hall, go downstairs, go straight, go upstairs, sector 1Г
- 50 tabled + 50 non-tabled seats
- LAN ports for photographers
- ISND lines can be organized upon request
20
Media Workroom
Useful tips: leaving mixed-zone, turn to the left, go to the
elevator, 3rd floor), room #611
21
Press Conference Room
Useful tips: leaving mixed-zone, turn to the left, go to the
elevator, 3rd floor), room #605
News column
Keith Langford: I Love Taking Charge
Source: www.sport-express.ru
November MVP and UNICS guard Keith Langford spoke
with VTB-League.com and Sport-Express.
Reigning champs CSKA recently took over 1st place in
the standings, knocking off previously undefeated Zenit on
November 29. The Red-Blues also took care of business
against a surging UNICS team by neutralizing the league's
top scorer Keith Langford. But none of Kazan's other
November opponents--Bisons, Vita, Khimki and Nizhny
Novgorod--had the same success.
Evgeny Pashutin's men posted a 4-1 record last
month, led by 32-year-old guard Keith Langford, who
averaged 26.8 points in Kazan's four wins. His most
memorable performance came against Khimki, when he
scored 14 points in the decisive 4th quarter. During
November, UNICS improved from 6th to 3rd in the
standings. Langford doesn't deny his role in the team's
success, but emphasizes that better communication on the
court has been the biggest factor:
- UNICS made the right adjustments from the loss to
CSKA, - says Langford. - After we got embarrassed in
Moscow, we held a team meeting and cleared the air with
each other. I think that helped everyone out. I just do what
I know how to do. I love to take charge and I'm happy that
I've been able to reward my coaches and teammates for
their trust.
- In other words, UNICS was lacking team chemistry
to start the season?
- Not entirely. The team came together right away. We all
get along and, overall, there's a positive atmosphere in the
locker room. It wasn't so much a problem with chemistry.
At the same time, we had trouble sometimes
communicating on the court, which led to lots of mistakes
on defense.
- Do you think you may have gelled more quickly if
Evgeny Pashutin had been with the team for the
22
entire preseason (Pashutin coached the Russian national
team at EuroBasket)?
- It's not just Pashutin. Kostas Kaimakoglou and Arturas
Milaknis arrived even later because of EuroBasket. In any
case, it's not so much about the coach, but rather the
execution on the court. To me, it didn't seem like everyone
understood their role on the team. But after our meeting,
guys accepted their roles and we became more effective as
a squad.
- You were under a lot of pressure in November. If a game
was close, Kazan's offense ran almost exclusively through
you. Physically, that can't be easy. What was it like for
you from a mental standpoint?
- It really was tough physically. After all, our opponents
usually have an entire strategy prepared and might throw
five different guys at me during a game. As a result, they
stay fresh and play with a ton of energy. That's why it's
really important to conserve your strength. From a
psychological standpoint, I love it. I work hard at practice
for moments like those, when the team is struggling and
your teammates can count on you to deliver.
At the same time, there's more to it than taking the
shot. You also need to be able to deal with the
consequences. If you make the shot, that's great. But if you
miss, you'll get a lot of criticism and people will question
you. That's when it's important to stay confident, keep your
head down and work hard for the next opportunity to make
an impact. It's easier for me now since I don't read the
Russian press at all (smiles).
- After the win over Khimki, you responded on Twitter to
something Rimas Kurtinaitis said in his press conference.
So,
you
must
read
the
news
a
little?
- Here's what happened. At our next practice, all the guys
started congratulating on playing my best game in 10
years. I was confused, but it turns out that's what
Kurtinaitis said about my game. No, of course, I
understand. He needed to explain his team's loss somehow,
but that was going too far (laughs). I had to say
something.
23
- How would you describe team president Evgeny
Bogachev? In the basketball world, he's known for being
very outspoken.
- I like him for being so direct. In America, we'd say he
"shoots from the hip." Bogachev will always tell you what's
on his mind. You can also tell right away that he's smart.
For example, when he's upset with you, he can be very
critical. But he always ends the conversation on a positive
note. In other words, he knows how to keep a balance and
properly motivate people.
- This is your 2nd year playing for Pashutin. How do
the two of you get along?
- We were on the same page from the very first day.
Pashutin arrived at UNICS with a good reputation. He'd won
the Eurocup twice and led CSKA to the Final Four. Of
course, the players knew that. He's also a former point
guard, so he understands how to communicate with the
team. I like working with him.
- Some people say that he's too reliant on his foreign
players and doesn't trust the Russians on the team. Would
you say that's true?
- I don't think that Pashutin cares one way or the other.
Regardless, I don't see anything strange about it. In my
opinion, the reasons are simple. If a team signs a foreign
player, it most likely means that they couldn't find a local
player of that ability. Plus, the salaries for foreign players
are higher, which also raises the level of responsibility. The
coaches probably feel that. You could say the same about
other coaches. As for our coach, his teams have won titles
by relying on foreign players. That means his system
worked. Why change it? If you were in his place at CSKA,
for example, would you keep Holden and Langdon on the
bench? For some reason, I don't think so.
- At the end of last season, Pashutin gave an interview
where he blamed Sergey Bykov for creating a divide in the
locker room between the Russians and foreign players.
Bykov refuted the accusation, saying that he tried to bring
his teammates together and organized team outings in the
city. Where's the truth?
- It's hard for me to comment on stuff like that. 70-80% of
what's said in Russian locker rooms is in Russian. So, if
24
Bykov did set anyone against the foreign players, I
wouldn't know about it. There's just one thing I can say. At
first, Bykov seemed reserved and kind of moody and we
didn't talk much. But once, during the second half of the
season, the two of us were alone in the locker room after a
game. The team was going through a tough time and we
talked for about an hour about how to fix the situation. It
was a really honest conversation. After that, my perception
of Bykov completely changed. I could tell how much he
wanted to help the team.
- You played for Maccabi during the 2011-12 season. You
didn't get off to a great start, but by spring you were the
team leader. What were you thinking at first when you
had to watch close games from the bench?
- Jordan Farmar was playing at my position then. He came
over during the NBA lockout. At first, David Blatt trusted
him down the stretch. I didn't worry about it. I saw what
Jordan was doing and thought to myself: "I could do at
least as well."
- Does it bother you when someone else gets to take
a big shot?
- I'm not jealous at all, if that's what you're hinting at. I
won't deny that I'd shoot the ball 99% of the time in big
moments if it was up to me. But I understand that it's not
always to the team's advantage. Of course, I'm never going
to pass up an opportunity to attack. But I don't have to
have the ball if a teammate has a good look and feels
confident. Or, if I've got the ball and I see an open
teammate, I kick the ball out to them. During that early
stretch at Maccabi, I was hardly on the court in big
moments...But I survived. I love to make the big plays, but
the team's success is always my first priority.
- Did you enjoy playing for Blatt?
- David is a phenomenal coach. He's a gifted psychologist
and very quickly knows how to relate to every player. And
he doesn't just know how to get you to play well. He
understands you deeper than that. Looking back, I'm
amazed at how well he understood my situation when I
came to Maccabi. If he had thrown me in right away and
not done it gradually, it's possible I would have burned out.
25
- You also got to work with another legendary coach, Gregg
Popovich. Do they have anything in common?
- First of all, they both love to be ironic. They like to tease
you, but at the same time they're telling the truth. And
both of them are great communicators. Popovich, like Blatt,
understands people extremely well. When I was at San
Antonio,
I
wasn't
just
the
last
guy
on
the
bench...sometimes I didn't even make the roster. But, at
the same time, I had the feeling that Popovich knew
everything about me. At the least, everything he needed to
know so that I would be feel as comfortable as possible on
the team.
- Before moving to Europe, you spent time in America's
minor leagues. What do you remember about that time
in your life?
- With time, I've started to look at it as part of the process
that got me to where I am now. If not for those
experiences, I may never have won the Alphonso Ford
trophy (Langford was the Euroleague's top scorer during
the 2013-14 season). In addition, those memories help me
appreciate more what I have now. I didn't just play in the
D-League. I was also in the now-defunct USBL, where I got
paid just $6000 for two months. That was true basketball
purgatory.
- Is it true that you got offers from Europe after not
being selected in the 2005 NBA Draft?
- Yes, there were some decent options. But I didn't
understand that at the time. I was ignorant back then and
didn't know anything about basketball outside of the USA. I
graduated from college as one of the top scorers in NCAA
history. I thought Europe would be a step backwards. And
that if I didn't make the NBA, I was a failure. That's why I
wanted to stay in the USA and believed that I'd get a
chance sooner or later.
- Have you stopped dreaming about the NBA? There
are always rumors on the internet about NBA interest.
- At a certain point, I stopped thinking about it. You can't
imagine how much of a relief that was. When I scored 25
points, I didn't have to wonder anymore if an NBA scout
was in the stands. Now I can simply enjoy the present and
26
live without those distractions, which also prevent me from
focusing on my current goals.
I'm just a regular NBA fan. I bought League Pass and
enjoy watching the games like a fan. For example, I love
how James Harden plays and sometimes pay attention to
the moves I'd like to steal (smiles).
- You played for Khimki from 2009-2011. What do you
remember from that time?
- I often tell my friends about my first trip to Russia as a
Khimki player. I made the decision to sign the contract with
my agent in America. He made it sound like Khimki was
practically Moscow. I was imagining that I'd spend the next
two years surrounded by skyscrapers, avenues and the
bright lights. When I arrived, I was met by two surly
men...I couldn't even tell if they were speaking English. We
got in a car and all I could see out of the window were trees
and factories. I thought to myself: "What have you done?"
(laughs). It's good that my first impression turned out to be
very deceptive.
- Do you miss those days?
- I miss my youth (smiles). When I think about my years at
Khimki, the first thing I think of are the missed
opportunities. Now I understand that we had a chance to
be a special team, but couldn't take advantage.
- A few years ago, you were close to getting Turkish
citizenship. Why did you decide not to do it in the end?
- Everything was great at first. The Turks made me an offer
to join their national team. We'd more or less decided on
everything, but at the last moment they added new
conditions, which I couldn't agree to.
In the end, I'm happy that it fell through. This
summer, I got to play at the Pan-American games.
Obviously, people joked that we were just a parody of the
regular American team. But putting on a USA jersey was an
unforgettable experience for me. Like I said before, I want
to experience everything I can in basketball. I'm really
happy that I had that opportunity.
- Your family lives in Austin. Did you ever think about
moving them to Russia?
- They visit me a lot and will stay for a couple weeks. But
I'm more comfortable living alone. It's easier for me to
27
focus on basketball. Of course, I want to be close to my
family. But, at the same time, I know very well that I don't
have much more time to play and I'm trying to get as much
from basketball as I can right now. Focusing on my work is
easier when I'm alone. With my family, I'm always tempted
to relax. That's why I'm very grateful to my relatives for
allowing me to focus on what I love.
28
VTB League stats
UNICS Kazan schedule in the VTB League
http://www.vtb-league.com/en/widget/schedule.htm
Standings in the VTB League
http://www.vtbleague.com/en/standings/standings.htm
Players stats in the VTB League
http://www.vtb-league.com/en/widget/playersstatistics.htm
TEAMS RELATIONSHIPS
Date & place
Competition
Overall
Result
UNICS Kazan
vs.
BC Nizhny Novgorod
13
7
2010/2011
Overall
UNICS Kazan
vs.
BC Nizhny Novgorod
4
1
2011/2012
Overall
UNICS Kazan
vs.
BC Nizhny Novgorod
3
1
2012/2013
Overall
UNICS Kazan
vs.
BC Nizhny Novgorod
0
2
20 games
29
2013/2014
Overall
UNICS Kazan
vs.
BC Nizhny Novgorod
2
0
2014/2015
Overall
UNICS Kazan
vs.
BC Nizhny Novgorod
3
1
2015/2016
Overall
UNICS Kazan
vs.
BC Nizhny Novgorod
1
0
28.11.2015
Kazan
102
68
VTB United League
Regular Season