Although the long-time coach Nenad Čanak will continue to lead the team, this summer Panevėžys “Lietkabelis” opened a new chapter in its history.
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The Aukštaitija club retained only two players during the off-season – the veteran Gabriel Maldūnas, who became a symbol of the team, and Nojus Radžius, who missed most of the last season due to injury.
- Guards: Alexander Schumacher (25 years old, 191 cm), Ognjen Jaramaz (30 years old, 193 cm), Marius Valinskas (27 years old, 187 cm), Nojus Radžius (21 years old, 184 cm), Žygimantas Šimonis (31 years old, 194 cm);
- Forwards: Keondre Kennedy (26 years old, 198 cm), Daniel Baslykas (25 years old, 198 cm), Ivan Fevrier (27 years old, 204 cm), Gytis Nemeikša (24 years old, 204 cm);
- Centers: Gabriel Maldūnas (33 years old, 204 cm), Miloš Iličius (24 years old, 210 cm), Veljko Iličius (24 years old, 208 cm);
- Head coach: Nenad Čanak (50 years old).
“We emphasized renewal, rejuvenation, and that players should not have a history of injuries,” 15min said Jonas Mačiulis, head of “Lietkabelis,” about the direction of the roster formation. “We assembled the roster according to Čanak’s game idea and the tactics he promotes.”
If the Panevėžys club extended its KMT medal count to ten in a row last summer in Šiauliai, the six-year streak of LKL medals that had lasted since 2020 ended in June in the 1-3 series against Klaipėda “Neptūnas”.
Meanwhile, “Lietkabelis,” which signed a long-term contract with the European Cup tournament, will aim to break into the top four teams in Group D, which also includes “Monaco,” Istanbul “Bahçeşehir,” Botevgrad “Balkan,” Manresa “Kids&Us,” Thessaloniki PAOK, Ulm “Ratiopharm,” and Rome “Basketball” clubs.
“Everyone talks about medals, but Utena, Klaipėda, and Šiauliai have also joined the fight for them in Lithuania. These clubs have similar budgets for players. Everyone talks about ‘Lietkabelis’ third place, but understand that achieving this is not so easy,” 15min said J. Mačiulis. “Yes, our goal and desire is at least third place in LKL and KMT, and with good teamwork and luck, it is possible to reach the final, as Utena showed this year. Anything can happen. Our desire is to be competitive; we understand that many teams have improved, so we all must understand that the level of LKL teams, except for Kaunas Žalgiris and Vilnius Rytas, has equalized. Small details at the end of the season will determine the final positions in the standings.
I think we have real hopes to fight for a place in the next stage of the European Cup. A bit of luck and we will have real chances to reach the top four in the group.”
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