Week Four Preview

Week Four of the regular season opens with Krasny Oktyabr hosting VEF on Saturday and features eight total games from Saturday - Monday.

Saturday, October 17

Krasny Oktyabr (Russia) - VEF (Latvia)
Time: 5:00 PM (5:00 PM MSK)
Place: Alianz-Basket, Volgograd, Russia
TV: NTV+ (Russia), VTB-League.com
Stats: VTB-League.com preview

Krasny Oktyabr: This is Volgograd's first home game and the fans will be expecting a show. Krasny's American stars have been terrific and the home team is 3-0 in its last three games against VEF. In fact, Krasny Oktyabr has never lost at home to the Latvians.

VEF: Riga is struggling early, despite aggressive defense and the excellent play of Swedish star Ludwig Hakanson. After three straight defeats to Russian clubs (Nizhny Novgorod, Enisey and Zenit), VEF hopes to notch a win against Volgograd.

Sunday, October 18

Nymburk (Czech Republic) - Enisey (Russia)
Time: 4:00 PM (5:00 PM MSK)
Place: SC Nymburk, Nymburk, Czech Republic
TV: TV Nova Sport (Czech Republic), NTV+ (Russia), VTB-League.com
Stats: VTB-League.com preview

Nymburk: The Czechs are off to a 2-1 start, led by point guard Michael Dixon. Nymburk can make it 3-1 against Enisey in Sunday's home game.

Enisey: Enisey has never had much luck in the Czech Republic, posting a measly 1-3 record. Oleg Okulov's men, however, will have a lot of motivation on Sunday, coming off a crushing overtime loss to Tsmoki-Minsk. Krasnoyarsk already notched one road win in Riga and hopes to make it two straight in Nymburk. Recently-signed Russian prospect Denis Zakharov should give the team a boost.

Astana (Kazakhstan) - UNICS (Russia)
Time: 4:00 PM (1:00 PM MSK)
Place: SC Velotrek, Astana, Kazakhstan
TV: KAZ Sport (Kazakhstan), VTB-League.com
Stats: VTB-League.com preview

Astana: Astana earned its first ever victory over UNICS last season. Jerry Johnson, Pat Calathes and Nik Caner-Medley sparked the win and are back to lead the club this season. The Kazakhs may not be favored, but they will have a chance, especially at home.

UNICS: Kazan isn't looking like a contender, at least not yet. The teamwork has left something to be desired with Keith Langford and Quino Colom forced to do all the heavy lifting. UNICS's defense is also suspect. The game against Astana should be a good challenge. Perhaps we'll see the UNICS we are more accustomed to seeing.

Vita (Georgia) - Nizhny Novgorod (Russia)
Time: 4:00 PM (3:00 PM MSK)
Place: Tbilisi Sports Palace, Tbilisi, Georgia
TV:  VTB-League.com
Stats: VTB-League.com preview

Vita: The Georgians have faced a gauntlet to start the season, dropping games to CSKA, Khimki and Krasny Oktyabr. While Vita has yet to win, the club is improving, gaining experience and could be dangerous at home on Sunday.

Nizhny Novgorod: Ainars Bagatskis began his coaching career at Georgian club Sukhumi. On Sunday, he will try to help Nizhny Novgorod notch a win in the Caucasus and improve to 3-1.

Tsmoki-Minsk (Belarus) - Zenit (Russia)
Time: 5:30 PM (5:30 PM MSK)
Place: Minsk Arena, Minsk, Belarus
TV: Belarus 2 (Belarus), VTB-League.com
Stats: VTB-League.com preview

Tsmoki-Minsk: The Belarusians have been the biggest surprise in the first two weeks of the season. Minsk's first home game will be special. Expect a big crowd as Tsmoki tries to improve to 3-0 for the first time in club history. Given the way the team is playing, it's entirely possible.

Zenit: Sunday's game will feature two offense-minded squads. Zenit and Tsmoki are both among the league leaders in points scored and enter the weekend with perfect records. Led by sniper Ryan Toolson, Zenit will be favored, though that's no guarantee of a win.

Monday, October 19

Kalev (Estonia) - Bisons (Finland)
Time: 6:30 PM (6:30 PM MSK)
Place: Saku Suurhall, Tallinn, Estonia
TV: Elisa Viihde (Finland), SA Tallinna Televisioon (Estonia), VTB-League.com
Stats: VTB-League.com preview

Kalev: Kalev beat Bisons twice last season. Currently 0-2, the Estonians would love to extend their streak. It won't be easy, but if Rolands Freimanis, Josh Boone and Sten Sokk play at a high level, Kalev has a great chance to get its first win of the season.

Bisons: The Finns are also without a win after losing a heartbreaker in Nizhny Novgorod last weekend. Bisons need a victory sooner rather than later and Martin Zeno will try to keep up his hot play and help the Finns come out on top.

CSKA (Russia) - Khimki (Russia)
Time: 7:00 PM (7:00 PM MSK)
Place: USH CSKA, Moscow, Russia
TV: NTV+ (Russia), Rossiya 2 (Russia), VTB-League.com
Stats: VTB-League.com preview

CSKA: There is no better rivalry in the VTB United League right now than CSKA - Khimki. The two teams have played 14 times with the Army Men enjoying an 8-6 advantage. Expect a competitive, hard-fought game. CSKA is always motivated to play its best against the crosstown rivals.

Khimki: Rimas Kurtinaitis's club is in great shape entering this game. The two teams are evenly matched in the backcourt, but injuries to CSKA's big men will give Paul Davis and James Augustine an advantage in the paint. That could be a big factor in this showdown.

Avtodor (Russia) - Lokomotiv-Kuban (Russia)
Time: 8:00 PM (8:00 PM MSK)
Place: Kristall Sports Palace, Saratov, Russia
TV: NTV+ (Russia), VTB-League.com
Stats: VTB-League.com preview

Avtodor: Avtodor is no longer the new kid on the block. A win over Lokomotiv, while impressive, won't have the same impact it did a year ago. Avtodor is 2-1 with wins over Kalev and Nizhny Novgorod. The only concern entering Monday's home game is the status of point guard Malcolm Armstead. He's nursing an ankle injury and has seen limited time in recent outings.

Lokomotiv-Kuban: Krasnodar suffered a shocking defeat in Nymburk two weeks ago, but has since secured wins against Astana and Panathinaikos. Beating Avtodor on the road won't be easy, but Loko's deep roster should be up to the challenge, especially former Saratov center Kyrylo Fesenko.