Gonzalo García de Vitoria will therefore be able to rely on practically his entire arsenal for this home opener. The coach will have all his players available except Jilson Bango, who continues to recover from his knee injury. The rest of the squad is ready for a highly demanding game after opening the season with a valuable win on the court of La Laguna Tenerife, decided by Justin Jaworski's basket practically on the buzzer.
Now, the challenge will be to carry those positive feelings over to the Príncipe Felipe and begin building the season of this new project at home. The deep overhaul during the summer has shaped an almost entirely new Casademont, but the win in Tenerife already offered the first signs of a team capable of competing with and beating theoretically superior opponents in important games. This Sunday, they will also have the support of the Red Tide, with whom they hope to restore from the outset the connection that was lost last season.
A VERY DIFFERENT VALENCIA
Like Casademont, Valencia Basket also arrive in Zaragoza after undergoing a major rebuild. The ACB champions and last season's EuroLeague semifinalists have lost many of the players who starred in that historic campaign and have added nine new players to shape a new project, including Nikola Mirotic and TJ Shorts. The Taronja side are also entering a new era on the bench, with Xavi Albert as head coach.
Despite the changes, Valencia have already shown in Europe that they retain enormous potential. The Valencian side opened their EuroLeague campaign with a win against Besiktas and on Tuesday thrashed Baskonia 111-88, setting their scoring record in Europe's top competition. In Liga Endesa, however, they are still searching for their first win after suffering a surprising opening-round defeat to newly promoted Lleida.
For Casademont, therefore, this will be a major first test in front of their fans. The Aragonese team want to make the most of home-court advantage at the Príncipe Felipe, the momentum from their win in Tenerife and the availability of practically their entire squad to claim their second victory of the season and begin turning their court into the fortress this new project needs.
