It has not been the preseason that UCAM would have liked, which has only been able to play four friendly preparation matches (a fifth scheduled in Puertollano was canceled due to the step back of the rival, Zaragoza) and, in all of them, with notable casualties. McFadden and Radovic, World Cup winners with Georgia and Montenegro, were barely able to play a few minutes in the last duel against Gran Canaria (defeat, 76-90), and Kurucs, who went further with Latvia, arrived in Murcia this Wednesday and will share for the first time time on the court with his teammates this Saturday in the semi-final at 9:30 p.m. against Unicaja.
Sito Alonso was also a sensitive casualty, who had to be absent for a few days from the small Monzón concentration due to the death of his mother, while his team played its first two games, both of which ended in defeat. With his morale recovered, the coach with the most games in the history of UCAM in the Endesa League sees his team as “very good, the mentality before an event of this magnitude always has to be very good”, although he recognized the “different levels » physical condition of your staff. At ‘media day’, Birgander and Sant-Roos themselves admitted that they were not at 100%. Kurucs, in his presentation, accused a certain “mental rest.”
The coach is one of those who sees in Unicaja a potential equal to that of Madrid and Barça. “For me he is the favorite because what they did last year has a very big impact,” pointing to the renewal “of 95% of their squad, with the same coach and the same style.” This Friday, Sito acknowledged his rival’s “superior tactical background” before the media, a factor that he intends to counteract “with a very high level of competitiveness and enthusiasm.” “And because we play in Murcia,” he did not forget to highlight.
The status of host is what a team that needs to “believe that it is possible” clings to the most, a factor in which a renovated Sports Palace that is guaranteed to be full will have a lot to say, since tickets were sold out in just a few minutes. But, before dedication and enthusiasm come into play, you must first play well. “We are going to have a smaller baggage than usual, but with the style of play that is recognizable with the one we want to have during the year,” Sito revealed, taking the Super Cup to a certain extent as part of the preseason for a team without nothing to lose.
The Fan Zone, from 11:00 a.m.
This Saturday, before the semifinals are played, the Plaza Circular de Murcia will host a Fan Zone. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., all basketball fans and those who wish will be able to have their photo taken with the Super Cup trophy. In addition, two sports fields with baskets will be installed, where there will be games for all audiences.
The Fan Zone of the Plaza Circular will have other activities such as music and DJs, the distribution of the official Super Cup poster designed by Salva Espín and a gastronomic area. On Saturday morning, Vulpi, the UCAM Murcia CB mascot, will be present.
Likewise, there will also be the official exhibition of the Endesa Super Cup 2023, with photographs of these more than 20 years of the competition, and the UCAM eSport will be installed, a video game space where there will be several Play Stations with games related to basketball and glasses virtual reality with interactive basketball games.
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