MBA-MAI vs Zenit. Preview
On the eve of the matchup, it was announced that by decision of the Zenit Basketball Club Board of Directors, head coach Aleksander Sekulic has been relieved of his duties.
The team’s preparation for the game against MBA-MAI has continued under the guidance of Maxim Uchaykin, who will serve as interim head coach. He will be assisted during tomorrow’s game by Zenit-2 head coach Oliver Popovic, who will join Zenit’s main squad after the FONBET Super League game against Khimki.
Opponent
MBA-MAI, who surprised many at the start of the season and spent quite some time among the league leaders, have now dropped to the middle of the standings and sit in 6th place. Vasiliy Karasev’s team has recorded 10 wins in 21 games. Zenit, currently 5th, has 13 victories to its name.
In January, the Moscow side has already played five games. After opening the year with a home win over Uralmash, MBA-MAI then suffered consecutive losses to BETСITY PARMA, Lokomotiv Kuban, and UNICS. That losing streak began with a Russian Cup quarterfinal matchup against Khimki, where MBA fell 71:80.
One of the hosts’ main problems is shooting efficiency. Along with Saratov’s Avtodor, MBA has the lowest field-goal percentage in the VTB League at 41.2%. At the same time, the team’s leading scorer Andrey Zubkov has missed the last two games due to health issues. In an average of 29 minutes on the court, the veteran forward puts up 14.5 points and grabs 6.3 rebounds.
Head-to-head
This season, the teams have met only once. The previous game took place in Saint Petersburg and ended in an 83:69 victory for the Blue-White-Sky Blues. The overall head-to-head history also favors the St. Petersburg club — 13–2.
Direct speech
Zenit interim head coach Maxim Uchaykin — ahead of tomorrow’s game:
MBA-MAI are a very serious opponent, and games against them require full responsibility. A blend of experience and youth among Russian players, a coaching staff that knows how to achieve results, and a team that always plays aggressively on its home court. In the current situation, we will try to regroup, carry out our preparation within the limited time available, and show high-quality basketball.
Who. Where. When.
Opponent: MBA-MAI
Location: Basket Hall, Moscow
Date: January 21, 19:00 (St. Petersburg time)
Broadcast: Okko Sport, VTB United League website, VK Video, Start
