The group stages of the Leaders Cup PROB are now underway! During this second day, the last teams will enter the competition. Several derbies are on the program, particularly in the West of France.
Angers, outgoing winner of the PROB Leaders Cup, got off to a perfect start to its reconquest campaign. During the first day, Ali Bouziane’s men won on the floor of the CO’Met Arena in Orléans (81-88). They will continue with the reception in Nantes. If Hermine is entering the competition, it nevertheless gained confidence by winning its 1/64th final of the Coupe de France at the start of the week.
Still in the West, Poitiers hosts a team from La Rochelle which wants to be ambitious this season. Stade Rochelais Basket, with its return to PROB, will try to bring its little additional experience to bear against one of this season’s promotions. But the PB86 has already proven its worth just by winning on the floor of Élan Béarnais (76-83) during the opening of the Leaders Cup.
However, the beginnings were much more complex for this season’s other promotion, Rouen Métropole Basket. The National 1 champion had a delicate start in PROB against its Norman neighbor, ALM Evreux (89-64). In its Kindarena, the Rouennais hope to bounce back against Châlons-Reims. Which will not be easy against the finalist coming out of the accession playoffs, who has retained his basic elements like Lamine Sambe, Marquis Jackson and David Skara.
A territorial confrontation will also take place in the South of France between Antibes and Fos-sur-Mer. Two teams with largely renewed squads, but with experienced men, particularly on the back lines (Jamar Diggs and Terry Smith for the BYers, Gédéon Pitard and Benjamin Monclar on the Sharks side). In this group F, Antibes has already fallen against Aix-Maurienne (80-78).
Denain and his trainer Rémy Valin, back after a first stint from 2017 to 2022, welcome Gries-Souffel. The Dragons will be able to count on the experienced Jonathan Augustin-Fairell, winner of the PROB Leaders Cup with Angers last year, to lead a young group in his wake. Alliance Sport Alsace will try to bounce back after its inaugural defeat at home (74-81) against the other northern team in group A, Lille.
Finally, at the end of this second day of Leaders Cup PROB, Vichy-Clermont welcomes Saint-Chamond this Saturday. The youth of JAVCM (Ilias Karmadine in particular) has already distinguished itself despite the initial defeat against Boulazac (87-77). The Couramiauds can still count on the historic Mathieu Guichard and Jonathan Hoyaux, but not on Ilari Seppala, injured until the end of the calendar year at least.
The program for this second day of Leaders Cup PROB:
Poitiers vs La Rochelle at 8 p.m. this Friday September 22 (group D)
Angers vs Nantes at 8 p.m. this Friday September 22 (group C)
Rouen vs Châlons-Reims at 8 p.m. this Friday September 22 (group B)
Denain vs Gries-Souffel at 8 p.m. this Friday September 22 (group A)
Antibes vs Fos-sur-Mer at 8:30 p.m. this Friday September 22 (group F)
Vichy-Clermont vs Saint-Chamond at 8:30 p.m. this Saturday September 23 (group E)
#D02 #derbies #West #South #PROB
