Team on Focus: Rilski Sportist

Rilski Sportist will start its fifth season in EUROHOLD BIBL. The team from Samokov is the first champion of the League winning the title back in 2009 during the first Final Four. From then on Rilski is a participant in every single season in the league and reached twice the quarterfinals and once the final.
 
This season the team changed a lot of its roster and will look different. There are already three Americans in the team and most probably some of the local players will also get a lot of playing time.
 
Terry Smith is the new point guard of the team who was signed this summer. He and Branko Mirkovic will be responsible for the organization of the game of the team as they will divide minutes on that position. Most of the time though they will play together as well and it is expected that youngster Darin Ivanov will also have some chances on certain games.
 
Hristo Zahariev is going to be an important part of Rilski′s offense this season. The wing player has to step up and prove he has what it takes to be one of the leaders of the team. Stanislav Slaveykov is a new signing from this summer and his experience will be valuable to the team. Lubomir Kirov is getting a lot of minutes in the friendly games and he will have an increased role this season. Finally he is going to have enough playing time and will be able to show his qualities.

In the frontcourt Rilski Sportist will rely on three players. They are the local boy Stanislav Vaklinov who signed a new contract and the two new Americans in the team - Braxton Dupree and Tony Gugino. Those players will share the minutes at 4 and 5 spots but are still trying to find their rhythm with the team.

In genereal Rilski has a younger squad than the one from last season but this doesn′t mean the team is not as strong. The most experienced player is Branko Mirkovic who is a proven match winner and for every team will be difficult to play in Samokov. Rosen Barchovski is still the head coach of the team but he has a new assistant in Ludmil Hadjisotirov. Rilski will be an interesting team to watch and surely will be looking to reach at least the second group stage of EUROHOLD Balkan League. Rilski Sportist is in group B with the teams of OKK Beograd, KK Kozuv, BC Kavala and KK Teodo.

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FULL ROSTER OF RILSKI SPORTIST FOR SEASON 2012/2013