A fortress against the Liga U leader

This Friday, the 23rd, at 8:30 p.m., the Blas Infante will host another Liga U game—and remember, it’s free! Unicaja Alhaurín de la Torre will host UCAM Murcia CAR, the leader of Group B after winning all four of its opening games. The Murcia team has had one of the best starts to the season, a record shared only by Barça Atlètic. For the Málaga team, the game represents another opportunity to solidify their dominance at home and secure a second consecutive win in front of their fans.

 

Before the bye week, Mikel Ereño’s squad will put its progress to the test against one of the most heavily reinforced teams in the league. The university team retains Nino Solana as head coach and has added seven new players for this season—reinforcements that have significantly raised the team’s competitive level early in the season.

 

High-Impact Signings

Among the new additions, Daniel González and Gaye Khalifa stand out in particular. Both are very familiar with the Liga U after competing last season for Barça Atlètic and Stellantis & You Granada, respectively. The point guard from León—who also played eight games in the Liga Endesa with the Azulgrana team—leads the Murcia-based squad in efficiency rating with an average of 18 points and is the league’s leading assist provider with 8.3 assists per game.

 

 

For his part, Khalifa continues to demonstrate the potential he already showed last season in Granada. The Senegalese center put on an outstanding performance against Amara Lleida with 19 points and 11 rebounds, though he is still far from his Liga U record, set last March with 35 points, 11 rebounds, and a 44 efficiency rating against his current teammates.

 

In addition to these two standout players, UCAM Murcia CAR has bolstered its roster with players who have experience in professional leagues, such as French center Mohamed Cissoko and small forward Alan García. The forward, who came up through the FC Barcelona youth system, is putting up strong numbers early in the season, averaging 10 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

 

Another notable addition is Gildas Giménez. After spending a season in the United States, the player—who made his debut with Real Madrid under Chus Mateo—has become a key part of Nino Solana’s rotation. Over the first three games, he’s averaged 9 points and 4 rebounds per game.

 

 

As if the impact of the new signings weren’t enough, UCAM Murcia CAR’s leading scorer is Joao Neves. The Brazilian small forward, now in his second year with the team, has started the season on a high note, scoring in double digits in all three games played. His average of 16.7 points per game places him among the league’s top scorers, backed by a 40% shooting percentage from the three-point line. His standout performance came in the victory over Amara Lleida, where he recorded 26 points and 6 rebounds.

 

Alongside the Rio de Janeiro native, Samuel Nohel has also stood out. The Czech player has taken a step forward compared to last season and is averaging 10 points and 6.3 rebounds, establishing himself as one of the most important pieces of the university’s interior game.

 

The Murcia team enters this matchup after defeating Obradoiro U22 84–76. In that game, as many as five players scored in double digits, and all eleven players in the rotation managed to score. Daniel González was once again decisive with a well-rounded performance: 9 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, and an efficiency rating of 26.

 

Previously, UCAM Murcia CAR had defeated Euskaltax Bilbao Basket (95-66) and Amara Lleida (86-73), demonstrating great consistency on both ends of the court. Their defensive performance has been one of the keys to their perfect record. None of their opponents has managed to break the 80-point mark, and the university team is allowing an average of just 71.6 points per game—one of the best in the entire Liga U. This defensive solidity, combined with their offensive prowess, has allowed them to lead the league in point differential with a cumulative total of +50.
 

That’s the situation as Unicaja Alhaurín de la Torre’s next opponent heads to Blas Infante. It’s a game you won’t want to miss this Friday at 8:30 p.m.—admission is free, and you can also watch it on the Liga U YouTube channel.