Le Mans has the chance to clinch a Last 16 spot in Group B when it hosts Power Electronics Valencia on Tuesday. Power VLC is already the Group B champion. Meanwhile, Le Mans advances to the Last 16 with a win and goes home if it loses. Power VLC already sat out some of its best players last week. With Marko Marinovic and Rafa Martinez sidelined due to respective injuries, it is hard to predict coach Neven Spahija's rotation against Le Mans. Jose Simeon is set to see most minutes at point guard, with Nando De Colo backing him up. Simeon has an interesting test against a physical point guard in Zach Wright. With Martinez not expected to play, Thomas Kelati and Victor Claver will see most minutes at both wing spots, with little-used forwards Ivan
Garcia and Toko Shengheila coming off the bench. Kelati will test his scoring skills against sharp shooter Dee Spencer. Claver may make the difference due to his athleticism, but Le Mans counts on Maleye Ndoye to stop him and pull the trigger
from downtown. Antoine Diot will see minutes at both guard spots, with Guillaume Yango offering intensity off the bench. The battle in the paint will be interesting. Last week, Matt Nielsen and Kosta Perovic were sat out against Hemofarm Stada, and
coach Spahija may opt to do the same against Le Mans. If so, Florent Pietrus and Serhiy Lishchuk will see most minutes around the baskets, with Claver and Garcia being used at power forward and youngster Giorgi Sharabidze as backup center. Pietrus is
the right man to guard former Alphonso Ford Trophy winner Marc Salyers due to his mobility and intensity. Meanwhile, Lishchuk is set to have a tough battle against JP Batista and veteran big man Thierry Rupert. Le Mans must get Spencer and Salyers involved, so Wright must put the ball in the right hands at all time. Power VLC needs a big game from Claver and Kelati to stay unbeaten in the competition. Expect a big game in Le Mans on Tuesday.
REFEREES: Guerrino Cerebuch, Carmelo Paternico, Oliver Krause