Kosta Perovic, Power Electronics Valenica
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 There is no mistaking the big man in the middle when you see Power Electronics Valencia play. Kosta Perovic, all 2.17 meters of him, has been making noise on courts throughout Europe since he was a promising teenage center with Partizan Belgrade. Now he looks to take his game to the next level with the addition of a Eurocup title for his trophy case. Since his arrival in Valencia last season, Perovic has felt at home and been a steady contributor to the club's success. In fact, the more involved he has been, the more Valencia has won. Power Electronics won the game every time Perovic went to the foul line more than two times this season. And it's 12-1 over the past two Eurocup seasons when he shoots more than 2 foul shots. With numbers like those, expect Valencia guards to get Perovic the ball early and often while opposing centers concentrate on stopping him this weekend at the Eurocup Finals in Vitoria. "Not just for me, but for each player on the team, it would be a great success to go back to the Euroleague," Perovic told Eurocupbasketball.com. "I was playing there five years, and of course I want to go back, to be in the company of the best."
Hello, Kosta. This weekend, you and Power Electronics Valencia will make your second consecutive Eurocup title try together. What differences are there this time?
"I think we are more experienced and we have a better team. Right now, the chemistry is different and better. I feel better and have a better feeling about it this year than last. It's better because we've had a full season under our coach, Neven Spahija, this time, a full year to play in his system together. And besides, the second year is always easier than the first."
It has been a long, tough road for Power Electronics since you began the Qualifying Rounds losing by a lot to Dexia Mons-Hainaut in Belgium. Did you expect the Eurocup to be this tough?
"If we look back to Dexia-Mons and losing by 15 in Belgium, it shows how difficult it could have been for us. In the second game, we were able to beat them by more points. That was the game of the season, really. If we lost, it would have been the end of our goals and our planning for this season, because every year Valencia makes a team to compete and try to win the Eurocup. After that game, we knew it wasn't going to be easy and that we had to be focused 100 percent in each game. We changed our approach, which wasn't good that night. But it was never going to be easy to get here. There were a lot of good teams. But we made it and have a great opportunity now."
Valencia needed some unbelievable comebacks in the regular season, especially at home against Le Mans and Hemofarm. Did needing to come back worry you at all?
"Sometimes what happened to us is that we gave a chance to our opponents to get a lead on us, and then we chased them. That was during the early months of play this season. I think we are playing much better now, but those kinds of things help you understand how you need to be focused."
Perhaps the toughest moment of all was at home to Hapoel Jerusalem to start the Last 16 - Valencia's only home loss in Eurocup history. How did you guys react so well to that letdown?
"That game came after our win against Barcelona here in the Spanish League. I think we were a little bit too relaxed about that. We had a lead, everything was going OK, and we just stopped. As you said, it was the first loss at home in many years of Eurocup games here. I think the loss helped us to understand al lot of things: how import every game is and the fact that there are no easy opponents. From that point, our approach has been strong and we proved we are ready to do something big this year."
 Next, you had a difficult opponent in Aris, but Valencia was the only team to sweep the Quarterfinals. Was it as easy as it looked?
"Really, it wasn't easy. Just going there is difficult, to play there in front of those fans. It's a really loud crowd, to begin with, and the to adapt to David Blatt's defenses always changing is difficult. Plus they are a good team. That was tough, but we had the strength and we deserved it."
What advantage does Valencia have with Neven Spahija, whose coaching experience so deep in these types of events?
"It's a pleasure to play for Neven. He's a good coach and he has been proving it all his career; winning with Tau, Maccabi, Lietuvos Rytas. Valencia was looking for a coach to bring us to the title of this competition, and he has us in a good spot now. Everything's looking good and we are satisfied."
You spent five years in the Euroleague with Partizan. How much would you like to go back to that competition by winning the Eurocup?
"Not just for me, but for each player on the team, it would be a great success to go back to the Euroleague. I was playing there five years, and of course I want to go back, to be in the company of the best."
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Thursday, April 15, 2010
Eurocupbasketball.com
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