Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv will face FC Barcelona Regal, Bennet Cantu, and Zalgiris Kaunas in the Euroleague Top 16, which gets underway on January 19, 2012.
By Amy Samin
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv will face FC Barcelona Regal, Bennet Cantu, and Zalgiris Kaunas in the Euroleague Top 16, which gets underway on January 19, 2012.
Game Schedule:
Zalgiris – January 19, 2012 (away)
Barcelona – January 26, 2012 (home)
Cantu – February 2, 2012 (away)
Cantu – February 9, 2012 (home)
Zalgiris – February 23, 2012 (home)
Barcelona – March 1, 2012 (away)
After the draw, Maccabi’s head coach David Blatt said, “The most important thing is to qualify for the quarterfinals; it’s less important what place we’re in when we get there. I want to remind you that last year we finished in second place and we made it to the Final Four, while two years ago Maccabi finished in first place and unfortunately it didn’t help when it came to the quarterfinals. We’re in good shape, we keep improving, and we need to come to the first week of the Top 16 on January 19 sharp and in even better condition. The group we’ve drawn to is a reasonable one, not too easy and not too hard. I think we’re in pretty good shape.”
“Barcelona, along with CSKA, has the deepest bench in the Euroleague. They’re an experienced and super-high quality team, but we can find a way to beat them, certainly at home in Nokia Arena.”
“Cantu is an excellent team; not too many people realize that. They’re one of the biggest surprises of the Euroleague this season. Cantu has obtained a few outstanding results; they’re uncompromising and they’re dangerous, and they know how to beat teams that are bigger than they are.”
“Zalgiris has a lot of Euroleague experience and is always dangerous, especially on their home court. They have Sonny Weems, who is possibly the best small forward in Europe, and they’re also expected to sign a few more players before the Top 16, so it’s impossible to know exactly what the team will look like in January.”
“The group we’ve drawn to is relatively comfortable for us, but of course that doesn’t guarantee us anything. We’re going to have to be very focused, because in the Top 16 there’s almost no room for mistakes.”
| Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H |
| CSKA Moscow | Real Madrid | Fenerbahce Ulker | FC Barcelona Regal |
| Olympiacos Piraeus | Montepaschi Siena | Panathinaikos Athens | Maccabi Electra T.A. |
| Anadolu Efes Istanbul | Unicaja | Unics Kazan | Bennet Cantu |
| Galatasaray MP | Gescrap BB Bilbao | EA7 Emporio Armani Milano | Zalgiris Kaunas |
