Alexander Porotnikov: "The stronger the opponent, the stronger I become"

Zenit U21 guard Alexander Porotnikov has been named to the symbolic five of February in the VTB United Youth League.

Over the past month, he participated in all six of his team's matches, five of which ended in victories for the blue-whites. On average, the guard recorded 11.2 points per game, along with 5.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals.

Zenit's press service spoke with Alexander about his emotions upon being named among the top five, the team's current form, and his goals for the decisive part of the season.

— What does it mean for you to be included in the symbolic five of February?

— Of course, it's nice to receive individual awards, but without the contribution of my teammates, the trust of the coaching staff, and the involvement of the entire staff in training and game preparations, this wouldn't have happened. So I just want to say that while it's a great feeling, I owe this to everyone who contributed.

— Zenit U21 won five out of six games in February. What were the key factors behind this success, both for the team and for you personally?

— We had a pretty good February, though not as great as we would have liked. The key factors were the dedication of each player, focus, excellent communication and team chemistry, as well as high-quality preparation and scouting from the coaching staff. Personally, my key factor was trust. I wasn’t afraid to take risks and make bold decisions. As Roman Olegovich says, "It's better to make a mistake, try, and learn from it in the future than to not try at all out of fear".

— In the second game against Enisey-2, you recorded 11 points and 11 assists. How did you achieve such a result, and how does it reflect your role in the team?

— I managed to get a double-double thanks to my teammates' understanding. They anticipated my actions and executed them well. I think this highlights my role as one of the team's primary playmakers.

— Recently, the team has shown inconsistent results. What do you think is the reason for that?

— We've been struggling with inconsistency for most of the season. We're analyzing the situation and working to fix it, but I’d rather not disclose the reasons.

— This is your debut season in the VTB United Youth League. What does this mean to you, and what personal goals have you set for the rest of the season?

— My debut season in the VTB United Youth League is the biggest opportunity to improve. The stronger the opponent, the stronger I become. It's a great chance to gain experience. The main goal is, of course, to become champions. I think that's the primary goal for all of us.