|
|
ULEBCup.com interview: Yahor Meshcharakou, Azovmash Mariupol
|
On the verge of setting the record most career ULEB Cup appearances, Azovmash Mariupol forward Yahor Meshcharakou knows a thing or two about the ULEB Cup elimination rounds. This season, Meshcharakou helped Azovmash reached the Last 32 in its debut ULEB Cup season, marking his fifth consecutive year of post-season play. And after a narrow 82-80 win over Zadar in the first leg of the Last 32 on Tuesday, his talent and experience are certain to be key references for Azovmash and it looks to hold its slim lead and climb one more step in the competition. With the unique outlook of a basketball globetrotter who played college hoops in America and has since suited up in Italy, Turkey, Greece, Russia and now Ukraine, the Belarusian, Meshcharakou knows to appreciate what the ULEB Cup, where he is also ranked among the top 10 all-time scorers and rebounders. In this ULEBcup.com interview, Meshcharakou talks about his team, patriotism, the elimination rounds and what the ULEB Cup has done for the game of basketball in Europe. "The ULEB Cup has always been very competitive and this season, with 54 teams, it's been overwhelming... But it's great, the more teams involved, it gives basketball the exposure it needs in places in Europe" Meshcharakou told ULEBcup.com. "It was very important to me this summer to [play in the ULEB Cup] again and it was one of the reasons I decided to sign for Azovmash."
Hello, Yahor. First of all, congratulations for the win against Zadar. How has the ULEB Cup season been for you and for Azovmash Mariupol?
"It's been quite a difficult season, especially as far as coaches are concerned. We've had four head coaches already. Also many, many injuries. It's a good accomplishment that we qualified for the Last 32, but of course we don't want to be satisfied with that. Azovmmash is a team with great aspirations and we're hoping to put up a great fight in Zadar in Croatia and to advance further."
What is the spirit in the team after the Tuesday's Last 32, first leg win at home?
"I think that our team is stronger than ever now. The addition of Gerrod Henderson is very good for us. Unfortunately Tyus Edney is not playing right now, but we will manage somehow. Finally I think we're at the point where we have a good coach and things must come into a good future for us. The cup is something you don't ever want to miss out on and we got healthy and played a very good game against Kyiv, which also advanced in the ULEB Cup, to win the Ukrainian Cup. We've worked hard under our new coach and I think our offense and defense are coming together."
Being a very experienced player in the elimination rounds, how important is it to play the second leg at home?
"Well from what I've seen, it's a pretty big advantage. But as the other team, which we are now, you've got to stay composed and stay very focused. It's also a lot of pressure on the home team, because if the crowd gets into it and sometimes commits a foul or something and the crowd might go crazy. So it's never easy, really. But there's nothing like the playoffs. I've been in situations like with Makedonikos when I played in Greece, where he won by 27 at home and went on the road and lost by 32 or 33 points. It's a great  competition and you can never tell which club is going to advance."
Is there any special way to play the two-way series, knowing that every single point counts?
"You know, when you sit on the couch, watching the game again, it's easy to make calculations. And of course, after the game, you reminisce and think about what you didn't do right. But in the game, you can only have so much responsibility to a game and it's very hard to calculate. It's not chess. Of course we try to make more shots and make the opponent score less, but it's a difficult task. We managed three quarters of the game pretty well against Zadar, but the last quarter wasn't so great for us."
You are a veteran of the ULEB Cup, having played in the competition with four different teams and reaching the elimination rounds with each of them. How do you see the evolution of the competition in terms of coverage, importance and playing level since you first played it in 2003?
"The ULEB Cup has always been very competitive. It's always been difficult to advance a stage and then this season, with 54 teams, it's been overwhelming, you can't even follow everyone. But it's great, the more teams involved, it gives basketball the exposure it needs in places in Europe. I know there are many teams that really want to participate in the ULEB cup and take pride in the competitions. Here the fans love the ULEB Cup and we sell out every game. People came from far away in other cities to Mariupol just to watch the game against Zadar."
Your biggest ULEB Cup season came last year when you reached the semifinals with Unics Kazan, losing against Real Madrid. How important would it be for you to win a ULEB Cup title after so many years in the competition?
"Even though I have played already four seasons in the ULEB Cup, I am not such an old veteran with gray hair. I am only 31 years old and I feel I still have many years to keep playing. Of course it is great goal to win the ULEB Cup. After playing in the competition so many times, it was very important to me this summer to do so again and it was one of the reasons I decided to sign for Azovmash. But for now our goals are to get past Zadar and then to try and get to the Final Eight in Torino."
You are also the only Belarusian elite player in European basketball - in a country of 10,000,000 people. Do you feel like you are representing Belarus and its basketball in Europe?
"I definitely do and even more so, I am always asked 'Are you from Russia, are you from Russia?' And I recently received a Russian passport also. I have dual citizenship, but I always feel like a Belarusian. A few years back I even made a tattoo of a white knight riding a horse on my right arm representing Belarus."
Next week, you will tie the all-time ULEB Cup record for most games played in the competition with 61. If Azovmash advances, you will have the new record. What has the ULEB Cup meant for your career and how did it help you to become a better player?
"I didn't get to the ULEB Cup until I was 27. Even though I always wanted to play for big clubs in European competition, I played a few years in the second division in Italy because I had some problems with agents. The ULEB Cup has been great for my career and great for basketball in Europe. I hope to keep playing and getting better, and my goals are to keep improving and to get a chance to play in the Euroleague too!"
|
|
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Frankie Sachs, ULEBCup.com
|
|