Unicaja aims for victory in Jiri Welsch’s hometown

The Czech Republic is Unicaja’s new destination. The team from Málaga will travel to the Central European country for the first time in its history to face BK KVIS Pardubice this Tuesday, October 20 (6:00 p.m., broadcast on Teledeporte, Courtside 1891 on DAZN, and Unicaja Baloncesto Radio, live from El Quinto Quarto), a game corresponding to Matchday 2 of the BCL regular season.

 

Following their impressive debut in the competition—a 69–105 victory over Juventus Utena—Unicaja will aim to secure another win to solidify its lead in Group B, where it is currently tied with Pallacanestro Reggiana, which defeated the Czech team 82–65. To do so, the team will travel with 13 players: the 12 who were part of the squad that traveled to Manresa last weekend, plus Alberto Díaz, who will be listed on the roster as a development player despite remaining sidelined due to injury.

 

BK KVIS Pardubice, a team the Malaga squad has never faced before, comes into the game after losing at home last Saturday to BK Decín 79–82. Despite this loss, they sit in third place in the Czech league with a record of six wins and two losses—the same number of wins as the co-leaders of the competition (Slavia Praha and SLUNETA Ústí nad Labem)—though they have played one more game.

 

The Czechs, one of their country’s historic clubs—founded in 1956—have a long tradition in the top national division and are facing one of the greatest challenges in their history this season: their first appearance in the BCL regular season. Their list of achievements includes one league title (1984) and two Czech Republic Cups (1994 and 2014). Last season, BK KVIS Pardubice finished as league runner-up after losing to Nymburk in a final that went the distance to a seventh and decisive game (4-3). In the Cup, they also finished as runners-up against Nymburk (87-81).

 

A stable roster
The roster led by Jan Sotnar features American point guard Joe Bryant Jr., last season’s MVP of the Czech league’s regular season and one of the team’s key players (13 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds in his BCL debut). Fellow point guard Jakub Tuma (6 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists), shooting guard Trey Bonham (11 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists), small forwards Ryan Moffatt (13 points, 5 rebounds) and Nick Stampley (6 points, 4 rebounds), and big men Zed Key (4 points, 4 rebounds), Lubos Kovar (12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists), and Kamil Svrdlik (5 rebounds) are among the other standout players on the Central European team, whose roster has remained largely unchanged from last season’s successful campaign.

 

Jiri Welsch Connection
Although this is the first time Unicaja and BK KVIS Pardubice have faced off, both teams share a common link: Jiri Welsch. The Czech small forward, who spent four seasons in Málaga (2006–2010)—during which he averaged 7.9 points, 3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 steals in the 227 games he played (19th in club history)—is a native of Pardubice. He developed as a player there with the then-BHC SKP Pardubice until, in 1998, he made the leap to Sparta Prague and later played for Olimpija Ljubljana in Slovenia and in the NBA after his stint in Málaga.

 

Years later, toward the end of his career, he returned to his roots to play his final professional season with BK JIP Pardubice during the 2017–18 season. Now, seeing Jiri Welsch in the stands at the Enteria Arena—the Czech team’s home arena—is another highlight of the game, a reminder of a player who connects Pardubice with Málaga.

 

Unicaja will face BK KVIS Pardubice this Tuesday, October 20, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Enteria Arena. The game, part of Round 2 of the BCL regular season, will be broadcasted live on Teledeporte, Courtside 1891 on DAZN, and Unicaja Baloncesto Radio, live from El Quinto Quarto.