Aris BSA 2003 aims to punch its ticket to the Last 16 when it hosts KK Zadar in a Group C contest on Tuesday. Aris sits atop the group standings with a 3-1 record and is undefeated at home, but faces this game with a new-look roster that has had little time together. Last week the team parted ways with leading scorer Juan Dixon and big men Michalis Kakiouzis and Nikos Barlos are out with injuries. In their place guard Ivan Paunic and power forward Dragan Labovic signed. Meanwhile Zadar enters the game with its back to the wall knowing that a loss coupled with a Hapoel Jerusalem win in the week’s other Group C encounter will end the club’s chances of reaching the Last 16. Zadar defeated Jerusalem in its last game before the winter break behind Vladimer Boisa’s 21-point, 14-rebound explosion, but was unable to overcame a big loss to Hapoel the previous week, leaving the tiebreaker in Jerusalem’s pocket. Aris was also a big winner before the break, blasting Siauliai 85-67 as Kakiouzis scored 24. Without him and Barlos, extra responsibility falls on the shoulders of center Andy Betts and forward Demos Dikoudis to fend off Zadar’s deep frontline led by Boisa and Hrvoje Peric at forward and centers Tomislav Ruzic and Trent Plaisted. Aaron Miles guides the Aris attack with Keydren Clark spelling him and they distribute the ball to sharpshooter Nikos Hatzivrettas and scorer Jeremy Richardson. Without Dixon, the possibility of Miles and Clark playing at times together increases. Zadar counters with Rok Stipcevic, Marko Car and Damir Rancic as its top guards and Micah Downs joining Peric at small forward. The pressure will be on the hosts to perform with a new-look roster, while Zadar sits back hoping its depth will give it an advantage in the end. What unrolls figures to be of great excitement and perhaps a thrilling finish as both teams desperately target a win that will greatly impact the tight Group C race.
REFEREES: Juan Carlos Garcia Gonzalez, Robert Vyklicky, Nicola Maestre