ULEB Cup draw profile: Artland Dragons
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As the final team to qualify for the elimination rounds, the Artland Dragons of Germany are the classic team with nothing to lose and everything to gain when it enters the Last 32 against what is sure to be a favored opponent. That opponent should know that when playing at home, Artland was as good as any team in Group H, winning four out of five, its only loss preventing it from finishing third. What success it had can be attributed to Artland's defense, since it ranked lower than any other qualified team in scoring, with just 72.3 points per game. Artland uses an ensemble system in which 10 players average between 12 and 30 minutes per game. Two of them - big man Adam Chubb and combo guard Lamont McIntosh - score in double-figures. The other full-time starter is point guard John Goldsberry,  whose 4.6 assists per game ranked him 10th in the regular season. Late-season pickup Leon Rodgers, one of the best performers in last season's ULEB Cup, is already helping the team with intensity on the boards. Rebounding, where Artland finished fifth-worst among 54 teams in the regular season, might be a linchpin to this team playing better, because all its other statistics right there in the middle of the pack among qualified teams. After those main men, opponents need to be wary of any number of potential threats off the always-busy Artland bench, like Earl Rowland, Darius Hall, Matt Freije and Jan Rohdewald. Artland, meanwhile, has to concentrate first on winning at home and then consider a task that has been its most difficult all season - competing all game on the road. Several double-digit losses away show that something more will be required if Artland aspires to upsets from this point forward.
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POST-DRAW REACTIONS | Artland Dragons head coach Chris Fleming :"None of the teams are easy that we could have gotten. We are obviously the underdog in any game we play. But that is good. We can go into the game without any pressure. But I couldn't tell you if it was a good or bad draw. I have been to their place before as coach of the German under-20 national team. Our last victory over the group winner (BC Kyiv) really helped us with our confidence. After a good start we had a tough phase where we had a couple injuries and were trying to implement new players. Plus we were playing some good teams at some inopportune times. But the Kyiv win was a step in the right direction. As far as playing the first game at home, I think it's good for us. We will have a chance to build some confidence. We have played a lot better at home than on the road. And if I had had my choice, the first game at home would have been my choice." | Artland Dragons general manager, Marko Beens:"It is being a great experience for a ULEB Cup newcomer like us and it is helping our team to develop into a better one. We made it to the German League finals last season, then reached the ULEB Cup elimination rounds this season. Maybe one of our biggest advantages is that nobody knows us, who we are or how we play. It is always easy from that backgroup to win a couple of games here and there. This should change in the future, because as soon as we are on the radar everything will be much harder." |
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