“We have tremendous respect for Efes,” CSKA head coach Demetris Itoudis said. “First of all, I really like the way the team plays defense – with dedication and passion. Second, I think they have very smartly collected roster this year. They have great merge of young talent and experience. They have a number of players who know what it means to play on the highest level. Like Krstic, who played in NBA, won medals with National Team, participated in the Final Fours with CSKA. Like Draper who also was on a Final Four team previously and now playing probably the best basketball of his career. Like Perperoglou who won the Euroleague title with two different teams, I know Stratos from Panathinaikos times and he is a tremendous player with great work ethic. They have Lasme who also played for PAO, Heurtel, the French National Team player, biggest Turkish talents Osman, Balbay, Korkmaz. Finally they are coached by Dusan Ivkovic, my good friend and a teacher for many modern European coaches. He did great job of building the team this year. Efes had some ups and downs this season but we will be very attentive. We know we come to Istanbul for a big fight. Still we are playing and practicing well and we will be ready.”
5-day trip on OrenAir charter will be made by 13 players. Victor Khryapa remains out as he recovers from ankle surgery.
“Relativity” connections
Dusan Ivkovic coached CSKA from 2002 to 2005.
Ivkovic also coached Milos Teodosic in Olympiacos in 2010-11 season.
Nenad Krstic played the last three seasons with CSKA and was teammates there with Sasha Kaun, Andrey Vorontsevich, Milos Teodosic, Sonny Weems, Aaron Jackson, Vitaly Fridzon and Kyle Hines.
Stratos Perperoglu played for Panathinaikos from 2007 to 2012, Dimitris Itoudis and Andreas Pistiolis were on team’s coaching staff during this period. The Army Men coaches also worked there with Stephane Lasme in 2012-13 season.
Perperoglou and Kyle Hines of CSKA won the Euroleague title together with Olympiacos Piraeus in 2013.
Important numbers
Milos Teodosic needs 5 more three-pointers to crack the competition’s career top 10 in that category. The 2010 Euroleague MVP enters this week’s game ranked 13th overall with 272 career triples. Igor Rakocevic (277) sits in 10th place. Next for Teodosic to pass is Louis Bullock (275).
Teodosic has scored in double figures in seven consecutive Euroleague games; he has made at least 2 three-pointers in all seven of those games.
Kaun needs 1 more blocked shots to reach the century mark for his Euroleague career, and will become just the 19th player to do so. Kaun has blocked at least 1 shot in each of the last six Euroleague games.
Aaron Jackson has made 15 consecutive free throws in Euroleague games.
Sonny Weems has made at least 1 three-pointer in 11 straight Euroleague games.
Nando De Colo has recorded at least 1 steal in seven straight Euroleague games.
Andrey Vorontsevich has made 10 consecutive free throws in Euroleague games.
Vorontsevich has scored in double figures and made at last 1 three-pointer in each of the past six games.
Past matchups
Wins/losses: 10-9
1992-93 – European Cup. Group stage: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 85-82 (-3)
1992-93 – European Cup. Group stage: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 87-96 (-9)
1997-98 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 77-73 (+4)
1997-98 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 71-63 (-8)
1998-99 – Euroleague. 1/8 finals: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 73-58 (-15)
1998-99 – Euroleague. 1/8 finals: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 98-105 2ÎÒ (-7)
2000-01 – Suproleague. Third place game: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 91-85 (-6)
2002-03 – Euroleague. Top 16: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 71-69 (-2)
2002-03 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 66-54 (+12)
2005-06 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 66-57 (+9)
2005-06 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 71-75 (+4)
2008-09 – Euroleague. Regular season: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 90-68 (+22)
2008-09 – Euroleague. Regular season: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 55-74 (+19)
2010-11 – Euroleague. Regular season: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 86-72 (-14)
2010-11 – Euroleague. Regular season: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 78-69 (+9)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Regular season: CSKA – Anadolu Efes: 96-68 (+28)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Regular season: Anadolu Efes – CSKA: 65-82 (+17)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – Anadolu Efes: 90-71 (+19)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Top 16: Anadolu Efes – CSKA: 63-60 (-3)
Short dossier
Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Turkey
Founded: 1976
Colors: white, blue
Home Court: Abdi Ipekci Arena (12.270 çðèòåëåé)
President: Tuncay Ozilhan
Head Coach: Dusan Ivkovic
Website: www.efesbasket.org
Trophy case:
- Korac Cup winner (1996);
- 13-time Turkish champion (1978/79, 82/83, 83/84, 91/92, 92/93, 93/94, 95/96, 96/97, 2001/02, 02/03, 03/04, 04/05, 08/09);
- 9-time Turkish Cup winner (1994, 96, 97, 98, 2001, 02, 06, 07, 09);
- 9-time Turkish President Cup winner (1986, 92, 93, 96, 98, 2000, 06, 09, 10)
