Giampaolo Ricci, a newcomer to the AX Armani Exchange Milan, takes a tour of his team’s Media Day in preparation for the start of the season on September 30 with a home game against CSKA Moscow in a replay of their third-place game at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four last spring.

Media Day Vlog, Giampaolo Ricci, Milan

UNICS Kazan bolstered its frontcourt by inking power forward Jarrell Brantley to a one-year deal, the club announced Monday. Brantley (2.01 meters, 25 years old) arrives from Utah of the NBA, where he averagecd 2.2 points in 30 games last season. He has also played for Salt Lake City of the G League. Before that, Brantley played for College of Charleston, averaging 19.4 points and 8.4 rebounds in 33 NCAA games in the 2018-19 season. He is set to make his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut with UNICS in the upcoming 2021-22 season.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ru" dir="ltr">🔥Джаррелл Брэнтли в УНИКСе!<br> <br>УНИКС заключил соглашение до конца сезона-2021/22 с 25-летним американским форвардом <a href="https://twitter.com/jstuntbrantley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jstuntbrantley</a> (201 см, 113 кг). <a href="https://t.co/GAcnzqutz5">pic.twitter.com/GAcnzqutz5</a></p>&mdash; BC UNICS Kazan (@unicsbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/unicsbasket/status/1439950842187104265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

UNICS adds size with Brantley

It was an unusually busy summer market for the tallest men on Turkish Airlines EuroLeague courts, with some big players with big names changing teams in attempts to alter the balance of power in the paint. Here are some of the major centers and power forwards who will be wearing new EuroLeague jerseys this season.

### Devin Booker, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

Despite having an injury-troubled season, Devin Booker posted great numbers with Khimki Moscow Region. He shot the ball well from all distances (58.7% 2FG, 37.5% 3FG) and averaged 13.1 points and 5.7 rebounds in 15 EuroLeague games. Booker is a great athlete who often finishes above the rim as well as a great offensive rebounder (2.1 orpg. last season). He is set to start his fourth EuroLeague season and is used to playing with a lot of talented players around him. He looks like a great fit for Fenerbahce.

### Moustapha Fall, Olympiacos Piraeus

His combination of size, quick hands and determination is rarely seen at any level. Moustapha Fall shocked fans and experts alike in his first EuroLeague season with LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. Fall ended up averaging 8.8 points on 70.1% two-point shooting (fifth overall), 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He has learned to use his size in the paint to generate advantages, not just for him, but also for his brand new Olympiacos Piraeus teammates.

### Othello Hunter, FC Bayern Munich

FC Bayern Munich needed size and experience in the paint and found the perfect player in Othello Hunter, who is still going strong at age 35. Hunter posted good numbers for Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in his eighth EuroLeague season with 8.0 points and 5.3 rebounds in 27 games. Hunter was third in offensive rebounds (2.4 per game), only trailing Nikola Milutinov and Edy Tavares. A EuroLeague champion with CSKA Moscow in 2019, Hunter has the know-how and intensity required to lead Bayern's frontcourt.

### Tonye Jekiri, UNICS Kazan

Tonye Jekiri has established himself as a formidable force in the paint over the past two seasons with LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne and Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, which led to UNICS Kazan signing him as a frontcourt anchor. He has been a top-five rebounder over the past two seasons both in accumulated boards (350) and by minute (11.6 per 40 minutes) and has averaged a double-double every seven games. He should remain among the league’s best rebounders in his first season with UNICS.

### Jordan Mickey, Zenit St Petersburg

Even though Khimki Moscow Region did not have its best season, Jordan Mickey stood tall as the team's silent leader. He averaged 15.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and was third in the league with 1.5 blocks per game in 28 EuroLeague appearances last season. Mickey runs the floor well for a center and arrives in Zenit St Petersburg with three years of EuroLeague experience. Zenit head coach Xavi Pascual puts defense first and, in that sense, Mickey is an excellent fit.

### Dinos Mitoglou, AX Armani Exchange Milan

Getting out of your comfort zone is often key to improving as a player and Dinos Mitoglou knows that better than most. Mitoglou played three years of college basketball at Wake Forest University before joining Panathinaikos OPAP Athens in 2017. He comes off a breakout season in which he averaged 9.3 points and 5.4 rebounds in 34 EuroLeague games. Mitoglou, who was the ninth-best per-minute rebounder (10.7 per 40 minutes) in the 2020-21 EuroLeague, joins AX Armani Exchange Milan to keep growing in a new environment.

### Achille Polonara, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

No other player showed more improvement than power forward Achille Polonara last season. In 2019-20, Polonara averaged 3.1 points on 22.5% three-point shooting and 2.8 rebounds in 27 EuroLeague games with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. A year later, Polonara was worth 12.2 points on 44.3% three-point shooting, 6.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and a PIR of 16.5. That's almost four times his 2019-20 PIR average, 4.2. Fully established as a EuroLeague star, Polonara will look to carve out a similar role with Fenerbahce.

### Jalen Reynolds, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

Jalen Reynolds already played for Maccabi late in the 2019-20 EuroLeague season and averaged 5.7 points and 5.3 rebounds. When he left to FC Bayern Munich, nobody expected Reynolds to be back, but he surprised everybody with a career-defining campaign. Reynolds averaged 13.6 points on excellent shooting percentages (59.8% 2FG, 87.2% FT) and 5.8 rebounds in 39 games to help Bayern make the playoffs. He is back in Tel Aviv to offer his trademark intensity, hustle and winning mentality.

### Sertac Sanli, FC Barcelona

Sertac Sanli was critical to Anadolu Efes Istanbul's success. Sanli showcased his elite pick-and-roll skills as a mobile center with three-point range, great hands and outstanding determination. He averaged 7.8 points in 34 games and only Tibor Pleiss and EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micic had a better PIR average per 40 minutes (22.0) for the champs last season. Sanli arrives in Barcelona with confidence as he heads abroad for the first time.

### Guerschon Yabusele, Real Madrid

Real Madrid added versatility and presence in the paint by signing power forward Guerschon Yabusele, who comes off a strong season with LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. Yabusele averaged 11.0 points on 38.4% three-point shooting (taking 3.7 per game) and 4.2 rebounds in 30 EuroLeague games with ASVEL. He had one of his best games – with 21 points and 7 rebounds – against Real in the Spanish capital. At age 25, Yabusele is ready for bigger challenges, like playing for the winningest team in European basketball history.

EuroLeague signings: Inside moves

UNICS Kazan added some firepower to its roster by signing shooting guard O.J. Mayo for the season, the club announced Monday. Mayo (1.96 meters, 33 years old) arrives from Liaoning Flying Leopards, where he averaged 19.6 points on 44.1% three-point shooting, 4.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 56 Chinese League games last season. He helped the team reach the Chinese League finals in 2020 and 2021. Mayo started his professional career in the NBA with Memphis, Dallas and Milwaukee. He has also played for Atleticos de San German of Puerto Rico, Hunan Jinjian Miye of China and both Dacin Tigers Taipei and Fubon Braves of Taiwan. Mayo is set to make his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut with UNICS this season.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ru" dir="ltr">О Джей Мэйо – новичок УНИКСа!🤝<br> <br>УНИКС подписал однолетний контракт с 33-летним американским атакующим защитником О Джей Мэйо (196 см, 95 кг), за плечами которого 8 сезонов в Национальной Баскетбольной Ассоциации✅ <a href="https://t.co/9i6ecI0FTZ">pic.twitter.com/9i6ecI0FTZ</a></p>&mdash; BC UNICS Kazan (@unicsbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/unicsbasket/status/1439853093039001601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

UNICS adds scoring guard Mayo



LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne forward Raymar Morgan is set to be sidelined for three weeks due to a back injury. Morgan, who is set to make his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut in the upcoming 2021-22 season, has a recurring back pain and is expected to be away from the court until mid-October, when a new medical appointment should be taken to evaluate his status. Morgan joined ASVEL from Turkish side Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir. He brings plenty of 7DAYS EuroCup experience, as he averaged 12.9 points in 68 career games with ratiopharm Ulm, Tofas Bursa and UNICS Kazan.


ASVEL: Morgan, three weeks out

Zenit St Petersburg guard Shabazz Napier is set to miss the start of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season due to an ankle injury. Napier went down in the VTB League Supercup final against CSKA Moscow and left the game with an ankle injury. "Shabazz Napier underwent a comprehensive examination. He has a rather serious injury to the ligaments of the right ankle joint," general manager Alexander Tserkovny said. On the positive side, I can say that there is no fracture and, therefore, there is no need for surgery, of the minuses, the recovery time is still unknown. We have all the necessary conditions to get him back on the floor quickly. All is needed is the support of the fans,” he added. As such, Napier is out indefinitely and should wait for his EuroLeague debut. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🙌🏾 BC Zenit <a href="https://twitter.com/alekschurchill?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@alekschurchill</a>: &quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/ShabazzNapier?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShabazzNapier</a> underwent a comprehensive examination. He has a rather serious injury to the ligaments of the right ankle joint. <a href="https://t.co/IpnG7jutf1">pic.twitter.com/IpnG7jutf1</a></p>&mdash; Basketball club Zenit (@zenitbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/zenitbasket/status/1439901456728051713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

Zenit St Petersburg guard Shabazz Napier is set to miss the start of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season due to an ankle injury.

Zenit: Napier, out indefinitely 

FC Bayern Munich enters this Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season coming off its best performance ever in 2020-21 when it became the first German team to reach the playoffs. Many of its main assets from last season have moved elsewhere, but Bayern is back strong to try to, at least, match its success.

### BACKCOURT

While Nick Weiler-Babb, Nihad Dedovic and Zan Sisko remain in the backcourt, Bayern made a few moves over the summer to bring in some scoring power. Corey Walden reunites with Coach Andrea Trinchieri after a strong season with Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade. Ognjen Jaramaz also played under Trinchieri in Belgrade a couple of seasons ago and has come to Munich to strengthen the guard position. Sharpshooter Andreas Obst arrives from ratiopharm Ulm after averaging 11.0 points in the 7DAYS EuroCup last season, while Darrun Hilliard landed from CSKA Moscow, which he helped reach the Final Four. Young guns Joshua Obiesie and Jason George will provide depth in the backcourt for Bayern. The German team also brought in more experience at small forward with DeShaun Thomas, who will be playing his seventh EuroLeague season.

### FRONTCOURT

All-EuroLeague First Team selection Vladimir Lucic will remain the main threat for Bayern in the frontcourt and he will be backed by Paul Zipser, who also had his best season in 2020-21 before he suffered a brain hemorrhage in June during the German League playoffs. He should be back and ready to battle. Augustine Rubit is back in Germany for his third EuroLeague season after averaging 8.1 points with Zalgiris Kaunas in 2020-21. Marvin Ogunsipe returns from two years on loan at Hamburg Towers, ready to contribute from the start, as will be Gavin Schilling, a rebounding ace who shined in Germany last season. At center, Bayern has brought in valuable EuroLeague experience with Othello Hunter, who will play his ninth season on the top European stage. The team has also retained Leon Radosevic, an 11-season EuroLeague veteran who will play his fourth straight season in Munich after signing a new contract over the summer.

### PLAYER TO WATCH

Corey Walden comes to Munich with a difficult task: making the fans forget about Wade Baldwin IV, who moved to Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz during the summer. Walden knows how to play under Coach Trinchieri and he had a solid EuroLeague debut season with Crvena Zvezda averaging 10.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 30 appearances in 2020-21. He averaged 39% from beyond the arc and 9.9 PIR in his 30 games, which makes him a reliable option for Coach Trinchieri on the offensive end. Walden also has the built-in advantage of playing alongside his old Partizan Belgrade teammate Ognjen Jaramaz Bayern has operated as a unit when it has been more successful and there's no denying that Walden will be expected to be an important piece in that unit.

### OUTLOOK

Bayern comes off its most successful EuroLeague season ever, so matching the outcome in 2021-22 will be hard, at the very least. Coach Trinchieri will have to rebuild the team chemistry that worked so well last season, but there are more than enough players remaining from last year to have kept most of that. Bayern will have four of its first five games on the road, so if the team wants to have the momentum from the very beginning, it will have to snag road wins at places like Tel Aviv, Kazan, St Petersburg and Kaunas.

Roster rundown: FC Bayern Munich

After finishing last season as runner-up following a fine campaign, FC Barcelona will be back with even more motivation to go one better and claim the title. Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius has restocked his roster and another season among the leading contenders is the target.

### BACKCOURT

Nick Calathes will continue to be Barça's leader on the floor, embodying the philosophy of his coach's team-first mentality. Calathes set a new club record for assists last season and his smooth orchestration of play, along with his underrated defensive skills, will give the team its heartbeat. Another key component is the relentlessly consistent Cory Higgins, who once again demonstrated his nerveless ability to come up with big plays at clutch moments by scoring the game-winning basket in the dying seconds of May's semifinal against AX Armani Exchange Milan. Calathes and Higgins will have two new backcourt teammates this season following the recruitment of Nicolas Laprovittola and Rokas Jokubaitis. Laprovittola is a creative passer who has gotten better and better every year since first appearing in the competition with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz five years ago Young Jokubaitis can be counted upon to rapidly develop after being reunited with his mentor Jasikevicius. Swingmen Alex Abrines and Kyle Kuric - who led the league in three-point shooting accuracy last season - add energy and scoring range.

### FRONTCOURT

Barça can again count on Nikola Mirotic to lead from the front. Mirotic ranked third in the league in rebounding and eighth in scoring last season; his combination of pure physical power with great dexterity and a smooth shooting stroke make him a nightmare match-up for any opponent. The same can be said for Brandon Davies, whose endless variety of highlight-reel dunks is matched by great athleticism and an insatiable work ethic. A new face in the frontcourt is summer signing Sertac Sanli, who will look to maintain his rapid recent rise towards becoming one of Europe's top centers and claim a second successive championship. Captain Pierre Oriola brings determined defense and a deceptive shooting range, while Rolands Smits and Sergi Martinez are both big bodies and selfless performers who maintain Barça's intensity when Mirotic needs a rest. Another new signing is Nigel Hayes, whose gutsy rebounding and three-point shooting threat are well known to Jasikevicius following their time together in Kaunas a couple of seasons ago.

### PLAYER TO WATCH

Many observers would claim that Nikola Mirotic is the best power forward in European basketball and his consistently productive performances over the last two seasons certainly back up that argument. Nobody has a higher average performance index rating than Mirotic (20.9, followed by Shane Larkin with 20.7) since he returned to the league a couple of years ago, and he ranks second in rebounding and third in scoring during that timeframe. For everything he has achieved, though, Mirotic is perfectly well aware that the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title has so far eluded him and, as he approaches his 31st birthday, time might be starting to run out. Nobody will be more determined than Mirotic to take Barça all the way and he will surely continue to be one of the most decisive players in the competition. When Mirotic plays well, Barça plays well. And fortunately for the Blaugrana, that is pretty much always.

### OUTLOOK

With the core of last season's highly successful team still in place, the motivation of narrowly missing out in last season's title decider and the addition of some exciting new talents, all the ingredients are in place for Jasikevicius to lead his team on another serious challenge for the EuroLeague crown. If Barça can hit its best form when it matters the most next spring, the Catalan club will take some stopping.

Roster rundown: FC Barcelona

players-fc-barcelona-media-day-2021-eb21.jpg

AS Monaco added firepower to its lineup by signing former Ford Trophy winner Mike James, the club announced Friday. James (1.85 meters, 31 years old) arrives after being released from CSKA Moscow, where the guard had spent the past two seasons. In 2020-21, James poured in 19.3 points per game to go along with 5.7 assists for an index rating of 19.7 over 27 games. He was the second-best scorer in the EuroLeague last season, led the league in PIR and ranked sixth in assists. James finished the season with Brooklyn of the NBA where he was worth 7.7 points and 4.2 assists in 13 games. He won the Alphonso Ford Trophy in 2018-19 as the EuroLeague’s top scorer with 19.8 ppg with AX Armani Exchange Milan - gaining him a spot on the 2018-19 All-EuroLeague Second Team.

After playing college basketball at Eastern Arizona JC and Lamar, James began his European career with KK Zagreb in Croatia. He also played in Israel, Italy and Greece before making his EuroLeague debut with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in 2014. He played one season with Panathinaikos Athens before a brief stint in the NBA with Phoenix and New Orleans, after which he returned to Panathinaikos.

“I was really looking for a different and exciting challenge,” James said. “I wanted to start on something new compared to what I have already experienced during my career. It's a real opportunity for me to start a new adventure and to prove what I'm worth as a player in this beautiful place. My goal is to win as many games as possible and to be very competitive in EuroLeague. I am very happy to join Monaco, and I can't wait to do what I love in France, in a great atmosphere. I can't wait to join the guys and discover the team, hoping to do great things for Monegasque basketball. We are outsiders, but I come here to have ambitions and to take the team to the highest possible level."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">✍️ 𝗠𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 a choisi l’AS Monaco Basket ! 💣 Le meneur 🇺🇸 (1,85 m, 31 ans), un des tous meilleurs joueurs et scoreurs de l&#39;<a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> de ces dernières années, sort d’une pige <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBA</a> réussie au printemps dernier avec <a href="https://twitter.com/BrooklynNets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrooklynNets</a> ✔️<br>👋 𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNatural_05?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheNatural_05</a> 🇲🇨 <a href="https://t.co/4dfvh8MA5U">pic.twitter.com/4dfvh8MA5U</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1438788791939080192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>