Karhu Basket didn’t arrive in Antalya until around 9:00 PM on Monday evening before the basketball Champions League qualifying tournament match against Ironi Ness Ziona BC starting at 4:30 PM on Tuesday.
– We wanted to train properly in Finland on Sunday and we still got a training time for Tuesday morning at nine o’clock. When you come to Turkey, stomach issues are always possible. That’s why the decision was made to only come here the night before the game, head coach Janne Koskimies explained an extraordinary plan to Urheilu.
If Karhu Basket wins against the Israeli club, the next stage will be either Lassi Tuovin ex-club, French SIG Strasbourg or Lithuanian BC Jonava. The winner of this pair of matches will advance to the final of the qualifying tournament, which decides the place in the group. So the resistance gets tougher every round.
Karhu Basket’s coach pointed out that the team has all the balls in Tuesday’s fight, from which it is looking for a win without any other reason. Only after that, if necessary, we look at things further.
– You always have to believe in the possibilities of your own team. A few years ago, we were one ghost’s throw away from the group stage. However, these are apart of one game. When it’s not about a series of matches, then the underdog’s setup also improves.
A grueling qualifying round – only three places in the group stage
Of the 24 high-quality teams participating in the Champions League qualifiers, only the top three clear their way to the group stage. The task is almost impossible for the Finnish club, especially when the qualifying tournament is played in September well before the start of the series.
– It is a very tough road to reach the group stage through the qualifying route. The quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals of the qualification are also always played in the one-loss-go-home style.
However, the fact that the teams participating in the qualifiers get a place in the FIBA Europe Cup, where Karhu Basket played itself sensationally all the way to the semi-finals last season, warms the heart of Koskimmie in the format.
– The important thing is that we get to play European games in any case. Karhu Basket’s goal has been to develop into a club that participates in European games every year.
Koskimies reminded that when Karhu Basket participated in the FIBA Europe Cup for the first time last year, no one initially expected that the Finnish team would go all the way to the semi-finals.
– This gave us a good impression that the things we have tried to build even in terms of games, we can use those same things to compete on the European courts, as long as we develop in those things.
Good memories of the Israeli teams
Opposing club Ironi Ness Ziona BC has quite an experienced crew. Karhu Basket has good memories of Israeli teams, as Hapoel Haifa fell twice on the Eurocourts last season.
– Last season, I felt that certain aspects of our game came as a bit of a surprise to the Israeli team, because there is hardly any team like us in their league. Let’s hope that the same things will bite again, Koskimies stated.
The main focus of Kauhajokkinen’s reformed team has naturally been on their own work during the season. However, something about the opponent is known in advance.
– The opponent has 195-centimeter and strongly built defenders. The two drive quite strongly under the basket. In terms of physicality, we must at least manage. They have a well-built team with expertise in different areas – also in terms of throwing power, Koskimies instructed.
Looking for a palette – only two rotation players left
Karhu Basket’s crew turnover has been high, as there are only two rotation players left from last season’s team; pier Joona Hakamaa and the rear man Leave Innamaa.
– There have been many changes in the team and it has become much younger. Surely this team is still looking for that palette, especially when Henri Kantonen left the team less than a week ago and moved to Lithuania to play. Not everything has gone according to the script, there have been a lot of changes during the season, Koskimies admitted.
The coach reminds that Karhu Basket has not won anything with this team yet. However, he considers the starting situation very inspiring for everyone.
– You have to be realistic about the fact that the team game cannot be in the shape that you would like as a coach at this stage. The coach always continues in his own head from where he left off last spring. With the new team, it doesn’t go quite like that. Then you have to go back to the basics and start building again.
The back man department is now on the shoulders of Eaddy and Palmi
From last season’s Karhu Basket’s leading back trio Cameron Jones stopped. Kantonen and Severi Kaukiainen have moved abroad and left a big gap in the team’s backfield.
– Three of our backfield “support players” have left. Certainly, the key thing in our attacking game now is where we find players who are able to create scoring opportunities for others. Here we have to succeed and at the same time take care of the ball, said Koskimies and referred to the ball losses, which occurred too much in practice games.
All eyes are focused on the American, who now primarily plays first and second place in Karhu Basket’s group Tahj to Eaddy and Susijeng Topias Palmi.
With the surprising transfer of Kantonen, Kauhajoki’s sports pride is looking for one more back to the team. Some basketball romantic could dream of being without a club Edon Maxhunin recruiting.
– There have been no discussions about Edon Maxhun coming to Kauhajoki. If you ask the Korisliiga team if you would take a back man who plays in Susijeng to your team, I don’t think any coach would say no, Koskimies decided.