Ahead of their home debut in Serie A SisalClub, scheduled for Sunday, October 4 at 4:00 PM at the Palazzetto dello Sport (PalaTiziano) against Bertram Derthona Tortona, BC Roma are preparing for another first in their season: their BKT EuroCup debut.
Coach Alessandro Magro’s team will take the court on Wednesday, September 30 at 6:00 PM at the Sinan Erdem Sports Hall in Istanbul, where they will face Bahcesehir College Istanbul, their first opponent in Group D.
After the defeat in Treviso, the goal is to build on the indications that emerged from the team’s first official game of the season and take another step forward in its development. Six players, for example, scored in double figures in the opening league game. Simonovic recorded 20 points and 8 rebounds, Ayayi had 17 points, while Watson scored 13, one more than Strautins. Stevenson and Mannion added 11 points apiece, with Mannion also dishing out 7 assists.
COACH MAGRO’S COMMENTS: “We have certainly trained well after Treviso, starting again from what we were missing on Saturday. The game in Istanbul will be another debut that goes down in the history of the club, in one of the most important competitions in Europe. We will immediately have to understand the level of physicality at which EuroCup games are played. Even after just one practice, we expect to take some steps forward. We are playing against a team built to win, with experience, talent and physicality. We have to go there with great humility, as underdogs, trying to have our say every time we take the court and wear the Roma jersey. We will need a reaction in terms of energy and pride, while knowing that this will certainly be a difficult game.”
CAPTAIN MANNION’S COMMENTS: “We are doing well. Obviously, we all have high expectations. Starting with a defeat was not what we wanted, but above all, we did not play the way we would have liked. So we have to get back to work. We know that the season has just started and that we are still at the beginning of the process of building this project and this team. We understand that it is early, but also that there is a lot of work to do. We have to learn game after game. We do not have many practices available, so the main thing is to know how to deal with whatever comes our way, learn quickly and continue to grow as a group.”
INJURY REPORT: The only unavailable player for Coach Alessandro Magro is Trentyn Flowers, following the injury he suffered in the season opener against NutriBullet Treviso. Instrumental tests on his right ankle ruled out any significant injuries. The player will be monitored closely and will undergo further examination in the coming days. In the meantime, he has already begun his recovery treatment.
FORMER PLAYER FACING HIS OLD TEAM: MARKO SIMONOVIC
The only former player facing his old team in this game is Marko Simonovic. The Montenegrin played for Bahcesehir during the 2024-25 season, after previously wearing the Besiktas jersey, also in Turkey. In the BKT EuroCup playoffs, he averaged 12.8 points over four games, shooting 61.5% from the field and 90% from the free-throw line. In the 85-81 win over Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, Simonovic scored 20 points and was also named MVP of the quarterfinals.
THE OPPONENTS: A semifinalist in the previous edition of the EuroCup, Bahcesehir Koleji Spor Kulubu is coached by a familiar face from Italian basketball, Aleksandar Djordjevic.
There are several interesting matchups, starting with the one between Nico Mannion and Malachi Flynn, who was selected to the first All-EuroCup Team last season. The American-born player, who became a naturalized Turkish citizen and has NBA experience with the Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets, was Bahcesehir’s leading scorer with 17 points in their latest win over Fenerbahce (98-83).
The 1998-born guard has scored at least 16 points in eight consecutive EuroCup games and in 11 of his last 12 EuroCup appearances.
While Flynn represents one of the main threats on the perimeter, Trevion Williams is one of Bahcesehir’s key players in the paint. The American center, born in 2000, ranks 20th all-time in BKT EuroCup history in offensive rebounds, with 139, tied with Sitapha Savané.
GAME INFORMATION:
Bahcesehir College Istanbul – BC Roma
Competition: BKT EuroCup 2026/27 – Round 1 – Group D
Date: Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM
Venue: Sinan Erdem Sports Hall, Istanbul
Coverage: Live on Sky Sport and NOW.
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