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 The Eurocup first qualifying round starts next Tuesday and all 16 teams are getting ready to fight their way to reach the Eurocup regular season. Two of the teams that reached the Final Eight last season - Galatasaray Cafe Crown and Unics Kazan - have to work their way through both qualifying round to make it to the Eurocup. Both teams have reloaded right in time for their respective two-way series against Siauliai and Energa Czarni Slupsk. If there is a Unics player that knows the competition inside out, that has to be star forward Tariq Kirksay. He was the second top rebounder and ranked third in index ranking last season. As he is about to enter his third season in the competition, Kirksay ranks 12th in rebounds and 15th steals in the all-time boards. Kirksay is well aware of the challenge Unics is facing against Czarni, as he told us in this Eurocupbasketball.com interview. "We cannot expect to go out there thinking that we can make up the difference at home. We have to go to their gym to win the game," Kirksay said. "After all, this is a two-way series. Nobody has an advantage."
Hello, Tariq. First and foremost, Unics Kazan is facing the Eurocup Qualifying Rounds. You play against Energa Czarni Slupsk in the first round, with Hapoel Jerusalem waiting for the winner in the next round. What do you think about the Draw and how many chances does Unics have to reach the regular season?
"Honestly, I don't know too much about Czarni Slupsk but we have time to study them before the game on Tuesday. I am pretty sure it will be a good team, of course, and I am expecting a tough series against them. We have big goals this season and it all starts in Poland for us."
You are already a veteran in the Eurocup, the former ULEB Cup. The competition changed its system to make it even more attractive. How do you see this change and which benefits could it have for fans all around the continent?
"Of course it is different, because a lot of teams are trying to qualify, and this is a new thing in the competition. We have to adjust to this, too. I can't say right now if I like it or not, because I don't know how it will work for us. If we lose the qualifying round, we will play in the EuroChallenge and of course we want to win and play the best competition possible. It is interesting and something new. Nobody wants to get knocked out in the qualifying rounds."
 Can you tell us what it’s like to prepare for the qualifying rounds? Is there more pressure on the squad to peak early in order to advance into the regular season? And how might that affect the team in the long run?
"Well, we are pretty used to pressure since I have been here, playing for a team like Unics. The whole situation involves a lot of pressure, but I think we can handle it pretty well. We have talented, experienced guys in our roster that know what it takes to get the work done. Pressure is just a word, you know what I mean? When you go on court, you just play hard, we are professional players. Everybody overuses the word 'pressure', and the only pressure you have is the one you put on yourself."
Your first opponent, Energa Czarni, is a newcomer to the competition with a relatively young squad with a number of rookies. What do you know about this team and what impact do you think your experience and/or their youth could have on the series?
"Well, over the series, yes, but we have to play in their gym first. If they win by a nice margin we have to return the favour. The first game is not going to be an easy one, of course. I don't know Czarni well, but we cannot expect to go out there thinking that we can make up the difference at home. We have to go to their gym to win the game. After all, this is a two-way series. Nobody has an advantage, nobody plays two games at home. In a three-game series you have the home court advantage. The two-way series never favours the strongest team. That's dangerous but also pretty interesting."
This is your second season in Kazan. Last year, you were all over the place, playing in four different positions, even as backup point guard. Where does that versatility come from?
"I would say it is just determination! I am eager to play, I want to be on the court, like every player. If you play more positions, you spend more time on court. I don't try to play in a certain position, or in two positions, but try to do everything, whatever your teams need from you. Not just try to rebound or steal, shoot, play defense, pass... everything is important to me."
Unics has reloaded with good players in each position. Your team inked Marko Popovic, Marc Jackson, Terrell Lyday or Vladimir Veremeenko. How do you like the signings and how can these players help Unics this season?
"I think that the club did a great job. This is a whole new team, it is only me, Sergei Chikalkin and Dmitri Sokolov from last season. We have like 7-8 new guys, so it is a whole new team and a whole new start. Everything came in with the right work ethic. It is interesting how everybody connected already. I think we are set to a good start this season."
 Unics Kazan reached the Final Eight last season. It's a long shot at this point, since your team still has to qualify for the regular season, but which is the goal for Unics Kazan in European club competitions this season?
"Our goal is to win the championship. Play the best European competition possible and win the title. Unics has always been ambitious. Last season we made it to the Final Eight, as you said, and also lost by one point against CSKA in the Russian Cup semifinals. Two years ago we lost against Madrid in the ULEB Cup semifinals and against CSKA in the Russian League finals. We are always right there. Hopefully we will be able to win a championship this season."
Already qualified to the regular season are teams like Aris, Lietuvos Rytas, Pamesa Valencia, Khimki or Dynamo Moscow. Do you think that the Eurocup gets better and better every season?
"Definitely. We are a lot of talented teams out there this season, with good budgets. Playing against some of these teams is going to be interesting, if we qualify to the regular season. Compared to last season, I think that it all should be more equal. There was a lot of difference because of the top budgets teams and the low budget ones. If you see the Euroleague teams that are at the bottom of the pack, they are not better than the best Eurocup teams. The top 6-8 teams in this competitions have Euroleague level. It only gets better."
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Friday, October 10, 2008
Javier Gancedo, Eurocupbasketball.com
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