The Buducnost Volija basketball team has successfully secured most of the wins required in the Eurocup. Had they maintained composure and been luckier in their matches against the two top teams in their group, the playoffs might already be within reach.

With four rounds remaining, they find themselves still below the playoff qualification line. However, they remain in control of their destiny, and whether they advance beyond the group stage could hinge on the final match.

Only six out of the ten teams in group A will make it to the playoffs (the top two proceed to the quarterfinals, while the others compete in a preliminary round). Currently, Andrej Žakelj and his team sit in seventh place with six victories and eight losses. Positioned just above them are the Wolves and Besiktas, making it clear who the “blue and white” will be vying against until the end of the group stage.

Looking at the upcoming schedule, Buducnost has the potential to surpass both rivals, but it appears more feasible against the Lithuanian “wolves”.

Two factors contribute to this: First, they will face the Wolves in the final round in Vilnius (Buducnost convincingly defeated them 104:77 in their previous encounter at “Morača”). Secondly, they have lost to the Turkish side in both previous matchups this season.

The clash in Lithuania might prove pivotal, but there is a possibility that decisions could be made before that.

Buducnost has demonstrated its ability to compete with the top teams in the group, while the Wolves have shown vulnerability, as seen when Trefl Sopot secured their first victory of the season against them just two nights ago.

Nonetheless, the Montenegrin champions will be seeking a playoff berth before the matchup in the Baltic, through encounters with Hapoel and Juventud at home, as well as an away game against Ulm. The Israeli and German teams currently hold a record of 9-5, while the Spanish representative has one fewer win than Buducnost.

WHO IS PLAYING WHO TO THE END?

BUDUCNOST (6-8): Hapoel (H), Ulm (A), Juventud (H), Wolves (A).

WOLVES (7-7): Besiktas (A), Gran Canaria (H), Trento (A), Buducnost (H).

BESIKTAS (7-7): Wolves (H), Trefl Sopot (H), Gran Canaria (A), Trento (H)

Since they won’t be facing the two strongest teams in the group, Bahceşehir and Gran Canaria, it appears that Podgorica has a relatively favorable schedule.

Furthermore, if Buducnost is able to triumph over Hapoel in “Morača”, it could level the playing field with one of their closest competitors, as that round also features a head-to-head match between Beşiktaş and Wolves in Istanbul.

In addition to Buducnost, the Vilnius team will host Gran Canaria, while they are also set to visit Trento.

On the other hand, Besiktas has a challenging away match against Gran Canaria, but they will have three home games against favored teams – Wolves, Trefl Sopot, and Trento.

While navigating through various scenarios is necessary, the immediate priority for Buducnost is to secure a win against Hapoel on Wednesday and make their way into the playoff zone.

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