Crucial Home Matchup Against Elan Chalon on Tuesday

Unicaja hosts Elan Chalon on Tuesday at the Carpena in Round of 16 action of the BCL (8:30 p.m., broadcast on Teledeporte and Unicaja Baloncesto Radio). The Málaga side will look for a victory to distance themselves from a tough rival with whom they are tied in the standings. New signing Justin Cobbs could make his debut in this game.

A key matchup at the Carpena. Unicaja will receive French side Elan Chalon on Tuesday, February 3rd at home, a Matchday 3 encounter in the Round of 16 of the BCL (8:30 p.m., broadcast on Teledeporte and ⇒Unicaja Baloncesto Radio). This is no ordinary game, as both the Málaga team and the French side arrive tied in the Group K standings, with one win and one loss each, so a victory will be crucial in the fight for qualification to the quarterfinals of the competition.

The main news for this matchup is the presence of Justin Cobbs, Unicaja's recent signing who could make his debut with the team.

Tomorrow's game will not be an easy one, as Elan Chalon arrives having established itself as one of the most solid teams in the competition this season. The French side began their journey in the Qualification Round, where they defeated Fribourg Olympic in the quarterfinals (80-107), Porto in the semifinals against familiar face Axel Toupane (79-100), and UCAM Murcia in the final (88-96), a victory that secured their place in the BCL regular season.

Once there, they continued to display their good form by finishing second in Group B with a record of five wins and just one loss to the group leaders, ALBA Berlin. Precisely, that unfavorable result against the German side, whom they beat on the road 76-81 but lost to 91-100, losing the head-to-head tiebreaker, is what caused them to finish behind the German squad with the same record, making Elan Chalon the best second-place finisher in the entire regular season.

By finishing second in the Regular Season, they faced Greek side Promitheas Patras in the Play-in prior to the Round of 16. They resolved this series quickly, winning 2-0 (93-76 and 82-92).

In the Round of 16, after falling in the first matchday against Joventut Badalona away (107-75), they bounced back last week by defeating German side Fitness First Würzburg (86-75).

In the French league, Elan Chalon sits in ninth place with a balanced record of nine wins and nine losses, one victory away from playoff positions. In their last game, played last Saturday, they lost to Nanterre 88-82.

Intensity as a Trademark

Elan Chalon plays a very intense style of basketball that has statistical implications. The French side ranks third in the entire BCL in steals (9.3); fourth in assists (22.7); and sixth in points (88.5, tied with Le Mans Sarthe Basket) and rebounds (38.8, tied with Cholet Basket).

As for the roster directed by Elric Delord, the main outside reference is Jeremiah Hill. The American combo guard, who has experience in Liga Endesa after playing for Real Betis (2022) and Bàsquet Girona (2023), puts up (15.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists), being a key player in clutch moments for the French side. Alongside him, Nate Darling (16 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists) is another strength of the visiting perimeter, which also benefits from the contributions of Justyn Mutts (9.4 points, 5 rebounds, 2.2 assists) and Zac Cuthbertson (12.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists).

In the backcourt, Matheo Leray (6.5 points, 6.4 assists) and Clarence Nadolny (8.3 points, 3.7 assists) are responsible for establishing order in Elan Chalon's schemes.

In the paint, recently acquired Grant Golden, who began the season with BAXI Manresa, has become one of their main references in his few weeks with the French squad (16 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2 assists), well supported by Lionel Gaudoux (10.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists) and Obinna Anochili-Killen (5.6 points, 3.7 rebounds).

A Familiar Foe

This will not be the first time both teams have faced each other in European competitions. To date, there are only two precedents, when Unicaja and Elan Chalon faced off in the EuroLeague regular season in the 2012-13 season. In those matchups the Málaga side prevailed 78-88 and then, at the Carpena, 86-62. Now, more than 13 years later, they meet again.

Unicaja Málaga press release