Hapoel Herzliya Opens European Season Aiming to Surprise Top Team Badalona

Hapoel Herzliya is set to begin its European campaign in the FIBA Champions League (BCL) on Tuesday with an away game against Joventut Badalona. This marks Herzliya's third appearance in the BCL and second consecutive season in the tournament. The team is grouped with Spanish side Badalona, Germany's Bonn, and Portugal's Porto.

In the BCL format, the top team in each group advances directly to the Top 16, while the second and third-place teams compete in a best-of-three playoff series for a spot in the next round. In their previous two BCL seasons, Herzliya finished with a 2-4 record in the group stage, failing to advance. This upcoming game will be Herzliya's third on Spanish soil in the BCL, having lost the previous two.

The Herzliya roster includes four returning foreign players: captain Deshaun Francis, Noah Carter, D.J. Barnes, and Zach Bryant. Barnes and Bryant joined during last season and will be making their BCL debuts. Bruton will also debut in the competition.

Among the Israeli players, Amit Gershon returns for his second BCL season, and Dusty Hannahs will make his debut. Amit Menachem is injured and will not play, while Sohem Gat will be available. The team also features Emri Kagan, and homegrown players Roey Solomon, Emri Bilt, Kai Obziler, and Nitai Shalom. Head coach Yehou Orland is entering his third season with the team and is one of two Israeli coaches in the BCL, alongside Oren Amiel of Nymburk.

Badalona is considered a favorite to win the tournament and boasts a strong roster including Ricky Rubio, Nicolás Laprovíttola, Ante Tomić, and Bogi Ellis. Badalona recently won the Spanish Supercup, with Laprovíttola scoring 31 points in the final. The team remains undefeated at home in the BCL and previously defeated Hapoel Holon twice in the group stage last season before being eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Coach Orland expressed excitement for the new season, highlighting the BCL's high level and the team's increased experience. He stated the goal is to be competitive and advance at least one step further than last season. Captain Deshaun Francis added that the team is motivated and prepared to surprise Badalona, one of the tournament's top teams.