Avtodor vs Zenit. Preview
Context
At the start of the regular season, the Saratov team faced some lineup challenges: in October, Artem Klimenko and Bryant Crawford were sidelined due to injuries, while team leader Caleb Agada joined only for the third game, watching the match against Zenit from the bench.
However, the Volga squad is currently in almost peak form. In Klimenko's absence, Turkish center Kerem Kanter stepped in, quickly adapting to Avtodor's playing style. In the most recent game against Samara, Bryant Crawford made a triumphant return from injury, becoming one of the heroes of the match with 25 points, 15 of which were decisive in the final quarter. With an average of 18.1 points per game, Crawford is now the second-highest scorer in the tournament.
Caleb Agada, meanwhile, is dominating the VTB United League, averaging 15 points per game. The Canadian-Nigerian guard currently leads the league in assists (7.4) and steals (2.4). His efficiency rating places him third in the league at 21.1, just behind Zenit's Xavier Moon (21.5) and Astana's Markell Johnson (28.6).
When looking at the overall stats, one standout aspect is that Avtodor is the most foul-prone team in the league, averaging 22.9 fouls per game. Zenit, by comparison, ranks third from last with 19.4 fouls per game.
Two recent victories have lifted the black-whites to 8th place in the standings, opening up possibilities for them to break into the top five.
Connections
Before the game in St. Petersburg, we recalled some connections between our teams: Artem Klimenko returned to his hometown club after leaving the blue-whites in the summer, while Avtodor's strength and conditioning coach Vyacheslav Arkhipov worked with the Russian U16 cadet team alongside Zenit U21 coach Roman Knyazev during the offseason. Another center in the opponent's lineup, Dmitry Khaldeev, played for the second St. Petersburg team in the 2022/23 season.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that Zenit’s center Vince Hunter began his Russian career with the Volga-based club. He wore the black-white colors in the 2016/17 season. Several years later, Hunter returned to the VTB United League, joining Xavi Pascual’s team in 2023 after a period in Kazan.
Head-to-head
The history of encounters between Zenit and Avtodor includes 26 games. The last match in St. Petersburg brought blue-whites total wins to 20, while Saratov has only won 6 times.
Quotes
Zenit head coach Xavi Pascual about the game against Avtodor:
Avtodor is in a good moment. It is a team that I love very much because I like very much their coach and he's making amazing job. He plays very good in defense and very good in offense, Avtodor is well organized in everything. We know that it's one game away that we need to play extremely well if we want to win.
Who. Where. When.
Opponent: Avtodor
Location: Kristall Sports Palace, Saratov
Date: November 10, 15:00 (St. Petersburg time)
Broadcast: Match! Igra, VTB United League website
