The only one in February
A month to reboot
Across the continent, February is a time to take a break from national leagues. Many countries are dedicating these days to cup tournaments, plus qualifying games for the 2025 Eurobasket will be held at the end of the month. In the VTB League, after the completion of the first stage, there will be time to hold the first round of the second stage (CSKA will play in Perm next weekend) and the All-Star Game on February 18. Then there will be a pause until March.
Therefore, the upcoming meeting at Megasport takes on special value. It remains the only one that the red-blues will have in Moscow in February. In addition, the opponent will be one of the strongest teams this season.
There will be something to remember
“This is the last game of the first stage but its result is still important for the final standings in the end of the regular season,” said CSKA head coach Emil Rajkovic. “We played well in Kazan and we will try hard to play even better in front of our fans. CSKA – UNICS games are always fun to watch and I believe we will provide another spectacle and at the same time a hard-fought battle for everyone to enjoy.”
The Muscovites really looked great in the November away game. CSKA “big trio” did its best: Tonye Jekiri (14 points and 6 rebounds), Amath M’Baye (17 points and 6 rebounds) and Livio Jean-Charles (12 points and 5 rebounds) outplayed the hosts’ frontline, which is considered stellar.
This week our team trained in Krylatskoye with almost its entire team. Ivan Ukhov returned to duty after an illness, but newcomer Will Barton, who is busy at home with paperwork for moving to Moscow, has not yet joined the team.
Past matchups
Wins-losses: 86-24
CSKA biggest margin of victory: 102-54 (+48) (1997-98 Russian Championship. Quarterfinal)
UNICS biggest margin of victory: 113-77 (-36) (2000-01 Russian Superleague. Regular season. 2nd stage)
Game of 2023-24 VTB League Season:
23-Nov-2023. UNICS – CSKA: 66-79 (+13)
Brief dossier
UNICS Kazan
Founded: 1991
Color: green, black, white
Home court: Basket Hall (7,500)
President: Evgeny Bogachev
Head coach: Velimir Perasovic
Website: www.unics.ru
Trophy case:
- EuroCup winner (2011);
- FIBA Europe League winner (2004);
- VTB League and Russian champion (2023);
- 8-time Russian League runner-up (2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2021),
- 7-time Russian League bronze winner (2000, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2022),
- NEBL champion (2003),
- 3-time Russian Cup winner (2003, 2009, 2014),
- 3-Russian Cup runner-up (2005, 2007, 2010),
- 3-time VTB United League runner-up (2010, 2012, 2016, 2021)
