After an intense preseason, the Aragonese side comes into this matchup following four friendlies in which it has produced and conveyed positive signs despite the numerous changes made over the summer. Wins over Tenerife and Lleida, along with defeats against Valencia Basket and Pau-Orthez, have allowed Gonzalo García de Vitoria to begin putting together an almost entirely new team, assess the performance of the new arrivals and identify the areas that still require work before competitive action begins.
Now, UCAM Murcia, which reached the ACB final in the 2023-2024 season and returned to the semifinals last campaign, will raise the bar once again in a game that will allow the red-clad coach to continue testing players and sharing minutes within a team that will have all its pieces available, except for Jilson Bango, who is still working on his knee recovery. The objective will be to continue shaping a squad that has gradually integrated all its components, with every player showing that they can make their contribution.
But beyond the purely sporting aspect, the red-clad team will, for the first time this season, share the court with its fans in a game setting at the Príncipe Felipe. It is an opportunity, as both the coaching staff and the Zaragoza club’s squad have made clear, to begin rebuilding a bond between supporters and team that was badly damaged after a difficult last season in which only a miracle saved Casademont from relegation.
THE REUNION WITH THE MAREA ROJA
That is why, if there is one aspect that makes Sunday’s game different and even more special, it is the presence of the Marea Roja. The Aragonese club wants to restore its bond with a fan base that, despite the distance created last season, has expressed throughout the summer its desire to see the revamped Aragonese team in action. In fact, García de Vitoria has acknowledged on several occasions that one of the club’s goals for the new season is to reconnect with the Marea Roja and turn the Príncipe Felipe into a fortress.
It will therefore be the first opportunity for the red-clad supporters to get a close look at Casademont’s new players and watch live a team that will aim to make a strong first impression, with the goal of engaging a Marea Roja eager to share the excitement with its players from day one. All of this will come before the real action begins next Sunday, September 27, at 1:00 p.m., when Casademont visit La Laguna Tenerife on the opening day of the ACB season.
