A depleted Kids&Us Manresa awaits Unicaja at the Nou Congost

Trip to Catalonia. Unicaja kicks off a mini-road trip of up to three consecutive games away from Carpena, starting this Saturday, October 17, at Nou Congost against Kids&Us Manresa (6:00 p.m., broadcast live on DAZN, Movistar Plus+, and Unicaja Baloncesto Radio from El Quinto Quarto). It will be a matchup against a team that’s always tough to beat on its home court, with the added incentive of trying to secure its first win of the season in the Liga Endesa.

 

After three games, the Bages squad led by Diego Ocampo sits at the bottom of the standings, having lost to Surne Bilbao (107–92), Río Breogán (95–101), and Real Madrid (120–83) in three games in which they allowed more than 100 points. It is also the only team, along with MoraBanc Andorra, that has yet to win a game. Things are going a little better in the EuroCup, although the team lost 100–88 on Tuesday in its away game against Bahcesehir College Istanbul of Turkey, leaving it with a 1–2 record and out of playoff contention in Group D.

 

A nearly vomplete roster overhaul
This season’s Kids&Us Manresa roster bears little resemblance to last season’s. Only three players remain from last season (veterans Ferran Bassas and Pierre Oriola, and Frenchman Hugo Benitez), while 10 new players have joined the team, including a familiar face from Unicaja: Pablo Tamba, a small forward from Córdoba who came up through the club’s youth ranks and arrives in Manresa after playing in the NCAA.

 

At point guard, Ferran Bassas (1.7 points, 3.7 assists) is joined by Rafael Villar (from Kosner Baskonia, averaging 7 points, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 rebounds) and Frenchman Lucas Beaufort (from Saint-Chamond). Hugo Benitez will also be available; he suffered a pneumothorax after a hard blow on opening night, underwent surgery, and missed two games as a result, though he made his return this past Tuesday in the EuroCup.

 

On the perimeter, shooting guards JD Notae (from Trapani Shark; 13 points, 1.7 assists) and Lukasz Kolenda (from the Rostock Seawolves; 10.3 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.3 rebounds) have been reliably contributing points early in the season, a contribution also bolstered by small forwards Chibuzo Agbo (from Cholet Basket; 11 points, 1.7 rebounds) and the aforementioned Pablo Tamba (5 points, 3 rebounds).

 

On the court, power forward Timmy Allen has been one of the standout players in the Liga Endesa so far this season, averaging 20.5 points (leading the league), 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and one steal for a performance rating of 22 in the two games he has played. In Round 2, in which he made his debut, the former PAOK Thessaloniki player racked up 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists for a rating of 35. Alongside him, Yordan Minchev (from the Chemnitz Niners; 8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists) and Eric Vila (from Dreamland Gran Canaria; 1.5 points, 3.5 rebounds) round out the power forward position. At center, Nick Ongenda (formerly of Hapoel Haemek; 11.3 points, 1 rebound, 1 block) and veteran Pierre Oriola, who made his return last game against Real Madrid with 6 points and 5 rebounds after missing the first two games.

 

The Nou Congost fortress
If there’s one arena in the Liga Endesa where Unicaja has struggled, it’s the Nou Congost. The Manresa arena, with a capacity of 5,000 spectators, puts immense pressure on visiting teams. Of the last eight regular-season games Unicaja has played there, it has managed to win four—half of them—while one of those victories came in overtime (94–98, in January 2023). On top of that, the team also played a BCL quarterfinal game there in 2022, which ended in a loss.

 

However, the record for the last 10 games between the two teams stands at nine wins for Unicaja and just one loss—which, incidentally, came at the Nou Congost. That said, it was a particularly painful one (109–69 in November 2024). In their most recent matchup, which took place last season, the team stormed the Manresa home court with a 92–98 victory—a result they hope to repeat this Saturday.

 

Reunions
Aside from Pablo Tamba—whose matchup will mark the first time both the player and Unicaja have faced off since the homegrown player left the club in 2021—the  team will see several reunions with Kids&Us Manresa. David Kravish played for the Bages team during the 2019–20 season; Melwin Pantzar made a brief appearance on the final day of the 2020–21 season; and Cameron Hunt played there at a high level during the 2024–25 season. Tyson Pérez also played for the Catalan team; he is currently sidelined due to injury but was part of the then-BAXI Manresa for a few months at the start of the 2022–23 season.

 

Unicaja will face Kids&Us Manresa this Saturday, October 17, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Nou Congost. The game, part of Round 4 of the Liga Endesa, will be broadcast live on DAZN, Movistar Plus+, and Unicaja Baloncesto Radio from El Quinto Quarto.