Presenting the 2022/23 AdmiralBet ABA League teams – SC Derby
After a very successful first season in AdmiralBet ABA League, the boys from Podgorica will try to make a step forward and make their first ever Playoffs participation.
After a very successful first season in AdmiralBet ABA League, the boys from Podgorica will try to make a step forward and make their first ever Playoffs participation.
No one really knew what to expect from SC Derby last season when they won the promotion to AdmiralBet ABA League for the first time in club’s history. They had a young and talented team, but most of those players faced the AdmiralBet ABA League challenge for the first time in their careers.
Still, SC Derby turned out to be one of the most positive surprises of the past season.
The Podgorica side finished the regular season at the 7th place, just outside the Playoffs zone and pretty far away from the relegation battle. SC Derby also promoted some new young stars like Kenan Kamenjaš who was eventually selected into the league’s 2021/22 Ideal Starting Five. When we take everything into concern, we can say that SC Derby surpassed everyone’s expectations in the previous season as they really showed that they deserve to be part of the best basketball league in the region.
And now, this club is in front of their second consecutive season in top tier of the regional basketball in which they want to leave an even better impression.
Andrej Žakelj is still the first team head coach, while he will have most of the last-season roster in the 2022/23 team. Fletcher Magee, Nikola Pavlićević, Andrija Slavković, Emir Hadžibegović, Vasilije Baćović, Boris Tišma and three super talented players Danilo Ivanović, Tomislav Ivišić and Zvonimir Ivišić have all remained in the team and they will be part of the blue-and-white troops in the following season.
SC Derby did lose some of the star players from the 2021/22 campaign, like Kenan Kamenjaš and Erick Neal, but they made some very interesting transfers over the summer and these new players might really shine in the upcoming season.
SC Derby signed Mateo Drežnjak from Cibona, then they penned deal with former FMP Meridian star player Danilo Tasić, while they also brought in point guard Loren Jackson who’s been team’s top scorer during the preseason. SC Derby also completed the transfers of Demir Dogan from MZT Skopje Uni Banka and Ilija Goranović from Sutjeska.
Considering the fact that in the next season 8 best teams will qualify for the Playoffs and that SC Derby have once again formed a very good team, the boys from Podgorica can start dreaming of their first ever Playoffs participation. Will they fulfill that dream? We will find out soon enough.
Check out SC Derby’s ROSTER for the 2022/23 season.
