Astana has headed to Yekaterinburg for the next match in the VTB United League. This time, our opponent is once again Uralmash. Read on for details about our preparations for the match.
In our previous game on November 4 in Yekaterinburg, we managed to compete and lost by only 10 points (72:62). There’s every reason to believe we can fight hard in the upcoming match too, though we’ll need to account for several new factors that our opponent has faced.
New Roster Experiments?
Head coach Rostislav Vergun and his squad are still dealing with injury issues. In their January game against Pari NN, one of Uralmash’s key scorers, Jeremiah Martin, suffered a calf injury—expected to keep him out for several weeks. That wasn’t the only setback; in the same game, Uralmash’s point guard, Stanley Whittaker, injured his hamstring and is expected to miss about four weeks.
Moreover, there’s a chance we might not see their point guard in the orange jersey any longer. Today, Uralmash President Viktor Vladimirovich Ganiyenko confirmed in an interview with Match TV that the club is parting ways with forward Nikita Balashov and Stanley Whittaker. They will be replaced by Anton Kardanakhishvili from Samara (averaging 10.7 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds) and Ivan Pynko, who is returning to the club (averaging 4.9 points and 3.6 rebounds).
Uralmash’s last five games have been very challenging. Recently, they played a tight game against Enisey, which they won (86:90). They lost the local derby to Parma (88:84), suffered a nerve-wracking defeat against CSKA (67:94), lost to Pari NN (74:79), and then secured a predictable victory over Avtodor (67:76).
It’s clear that Hayden Dalton has integrated well into the team; in recent games, he’s been averaging 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, earning him a spot in the VTB United League’s Team of the Week. In contrast, Octavius Ellis, who recently recovered from an injury, has been performing rather modestly—he managed just 2 points in Uralmash’s previous game against Enisey.
Head-to-Head History
In the VTB United League, these teams have met 6 times, with Uralmash winning 5 of those encounters and Astana winning once (an 80:72 victory, which was the first matchup between the two teams last season).
Comment from Acting Head Coach Gleb Plotnikov:
“We’re set to face a tough team that, according to recent news, has bolstered its backcourt with two Russian players. Due to certain circumstances, we didn’t have enough time to prepare with our optimal lineup, but despite that, we’ll do everything we can to challenge our opponents from Ural.”
Match Details:
Fixture: Uralmash vs. Astana
Date & Time: February 6, 20:00
Venue: Yekaterinburg, DIVS
Broadcast: On the club’s website and the VTB United League website
