Starting from the beginning of this week the Army Men practices intensity raised up. First, the coaching staff got the full roster, second, Dimitris Itoudis paid special attention to Victor Khryapa and Andrey Kirilenko who did not play in official games this season.
“We start the second leg of Top 16 with the game against an excellent team, Fenerbahce-Ulker,” CSKA head coach Dimitris Itoudis said. “It is very talented offensively, they play better and better on defense and they are coached by my close friend Zeljko Obradovic, one of the best coaches in the world. They won last 4 games in Euroleague including some very difficult away games against Unicaja, Efes and Milan so we have to remember about it. We have to play with full motivation and concentration. We expect all the remaining games of Top 16 to be difficult and we approach all of them as the final game of the tournament.”
“Relativity” connections
Dimitris Itoudis spent 13 seasons as an assistant coach to current Fenerbahce Ulker boss Zeljko Obradovic at Panathinaikos Athens (1999-2013). Together they led the Greens to 5 Euroleague crowns.
Kyle Hines and Ricky Hickman teamed up for the UNC Greensboro from 2004 till 2007.
Fener’s newcomer Nikos Zisis played for CSKA from 2007 to 2009.
Past matchups
Win/loss record: 19-6
1995-96 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Semifinal Round. Ulker – CSKA: 71-81 (+10)
1995-96 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Semifinal Round. CSKA – Ulker: 80-71 (+9)
1996-97 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round. CSKA – Ulker: 71-76 (-5)
1996-97 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round. Ulker – CSKA: 73-76 (+3)
1998-99 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round. CSKA – Ulker: 82-76 (+6)
1998-99 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round. Ulker – CSKA: 64-91 (+27)
2000-01 – FIBA Suproleague. Qualification Round. CSKA – Ulker: 83-88 (-5)
2000-01 – FIBA Suproleague. Qualification Round. Ulker – CSKA: 93-91 (-2)
2001-02 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Ulker: 86-80 (+6)
2001-02 – Euroleague. Top 16. Ulker – CSKA: 96-91 (-5)
2002-03 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Ulker – CSKA: 63-66 (+3)
2002-03 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Ulker: 78-62 (+16)
2004-05 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Ulker – CSKA: 82-87 (+5)
2004-05 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Ulker: 90-77 (+13)
2004-05 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. CSKA – Ulker: 88-74 (+14)
2004-05 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. Ulker – CSKA: 64-82 (+18)
2005-06 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Ulker – CSKA: 49-82 (+33)
2005-06 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Ulker: 74-51 (+23)
2006-07 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Fenerbahce-Ulker – CSKA: 64-74 (+10)
2006-07 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Fenerbahce-Ulker: 85-66 (+19)
2008-09 – Euroleague. Top 16. Fenerbahce-Ulker – CSKA: 48-66 (+18)
2008-09 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Fenerbahce-Ulker: 77-60 (+17)
2013-14 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Fenerbahce-Ulker – CSKA: 86-60 (-26)
2013-14 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Fenerbahce-Ulker: 74-78 (-4)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Top 16. Fenerbahce-Ulker – CSKA: 81-84 OT (+3)
Important numbers
Milos Teodosic leads the league this season in assists with an average of 7.2 per game.
Teodosic has scored in double figures and made at least 1 three-pointer in 12 consecutive Euroleague games.
Nando De Colo is tied with Rudy Fernandez of Real Madrid for the most steals in the Top 16 with an average of 2.3 per game.
De Colo has recorded at least 1 steal in 12 straight Euroleague games.
De Colo has scored in double figures in seven straight and 12 of his last 13 Euroleague games.
Andrey Vorontsevich needs 3 more three-pointers to reach the century mark for his Euroleague career, Manuchar Markoishvili – 7.
Short dossier
Fenerbahce-Ulker Istanbul, Turkey
Founded: 1913
Colors: yellow, dark-blue
Homecourt: Ulker Sports Arena (13800)
President: Azim Yildirim
Head coach: Zelimir Obradovic
Website: www.fenerbahce.org/fbulker/
Trophy case: Turkish champions (1991, 2007, 08, 10, 11, 14), Turkish Cup winners (1967, 2010, 11, 13), President’s Cup winners (1990, 91, 94, 2007, 13)
