Year II in hell. Or, what is the same, second season in the LEB Gold of Movistar Studentswhich this Friday presented its male and female staff for this special course: 75 years have passed since the Latin teacher Don Antonio Magariños founded with students from the Ramiro de Maeztu Institute in April 1948 a club that currently has more than 2,200 players and more than 100 coaches in the 181 academy teams of both sexes. And with 181 players and 33 coaches in the six inclusive basketball teams.
The objective of the boys is clear, by history and institution, promotion, return to the elite of Spanish basketball… although from the offices that word is taboo after Fontajau’s Final Four slap against Marc Gasol’s Bàsquet Girona and has been replaced by fight. Effort, grit, sweat in each game without looking any further in a category that has become wild with the arrival of two nobles in recent seasons in the Endesa League such as Hereda San Pablo Burgos and MoraBanc Andorra, to which must be added the Força Lleida (first rival next Friday, October 7 at Barris Nord), UEMC Valladolid, Leyma Coruña, Zunder Palencia…
“I hope that the group transmits my way of being: fight, fight… that’s how I was as a player. He had a desire to excel. And that’s my goal as a coach”, underlined Javier Rodríguez, who debuts on the bench with seven new faces compared to the first round in the LEB, four homegrown players (captain Adams Sola, U-20 champions Rubén Domínguez and Héctor Alderete and the Bulgarian international Emil Stoilov) and Kevin Larsen, one of the best centers in Segunda. A young squad (24.8 years of average age) with a fast style of play, aggressive in defense and quick in transitions. “I have a young, ambitious and hungry group. I want the fans to feel proud and identify with the team”, concluded the 43-year-old Galician.
The Women in Black
The Women in Blackwith also seven new and three youth squads (the captain María Espín and the medalists Begoña de Santiago and Paula Saravia, U-20 gold and U-18 bronze in 3×3, respectively) will enjoy the fruits harvested in recent seasons with their second historic participation in the women’s Eurocup with David Gallego on the bench as a substitute for Alberto Ortego.
Future
And while the ball bounces again, uncertainty reigns in the offices. The fourth capital increase since 2018 for five million euros is intended for a change in the leadership. Carlos Avenza is the most interested in taking over the majority reins of Estudiantes, which must face between November and December a payment of almost 3 million euros. Without the entry of the businessman and the 10 million he has promised to invest, the club’s survival is in serious danger. His landing, in any case, would not become official (if he finally buys the shares in the second tranche of the increase to have more than 50% of the institution) until December.
Seven internationals and five medals this summer
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The men’s and women’s squads of the Estu had seven internationals this summer with Spain in different categories and five medals: Javier Cabrerizo (delegate and European U-18 gold), Adams Sola (U-22), Begoña de Santiago (European U-20 gold), Rubén Domínguez and Héctor Alderete (European U-20 gold), Paula Saravia (bronze 3×3 U-18 World Cup) and Laura Méndez (U-23). Alderete was on Scariolo’s list of 22 for the Eurobasket.
