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The home team wants to start their path to the title with a win

Gravelines wants to avoid the previous two seasons' scenario when they were first in regular season and went out in the playoffs. Roanne last year had the toughest defense in the league, and this season that philosophy should stay the same

Gravelines is again entering the new season as one of the most serious contenders for the title. Last two seasons they were on the top of the table before the playoffs, but did not manage to pass the first step and so are still waiting for their first title. The management hopes it'll be this year, although there are plenty of candidates.

- We hope tho avoid the same scenario this season. Last season we were defeated by the later champion Nantes, who had a very good team - said executive manager Herve Beddeleem and added:

- The title is our ultimate goal, but everybody wants to be the champions. This season the candidates are numerous, Strasbourg might be a bit above us, Nancy is also very strong, Limoges brought excellent reinforcements...

In the Gravelines ranks there were plenty of changes during the summer. The team led ny coach Monschau enters the season without Dwight Buycks, who went overseas to play for Toronto Raptors. The roster is also missing two other best scorers from the last season, but the management did a great job. Quality reinforcements were brought in, and Gravelines will this season have two very strong five-men rosters which will be an important issue in chasing the aims they set for themselves.

Despite the numerous changes, the preseason games have shown that Gravelines soon established a good chemistry in the team. After two early losses, the preseason ended with a nine-win streak, and defense has shown itself to be highly functioning (in the last five games just Le Havre scored more than 70 points).

- We won 11 of 13 preseason games, the atmosphere is good. Both Americans (Lewis and McGhee) are very hardworking and humble and fit in quickly in the team. Rouselle is already familiar with the club, and M`Baye, Diawara and Diabate are friends from before, having played together in Dijon - commented Beddeleem the integration of newcomers into the team.

The first round brings a match against Roanne. The desire of players to prove themselves is great and they all waited impatiently for the beginning of the season, to show what they did during the summer. The same situation is there in the ranks of the guests, which is confirmed by the experienced Sangare:

- We can't wait for the start! Preseason was very long, lots of games, travel, we all want to start the season as soon as possible.

Roanne has changed much less before the season, and the stay of Luka Pavicevic as coach is a guarantee of a similar basketball philosophy. The defense will be the foundation of success.

Pavicevic had an unsuccessful summer coaching the Montenegrin national team, but he returned to Roanna fully ready for the upcoming challenges. Last season his task was much harder, the team was completely new and it was not easy to fit all the pieces of the puzzle at short notice. Now the backbone has stayed together, except for playmaker Collins and the important paint duo, Collins and Howard. The departure of those last two has undoubtedly weakened the  inner line, which was talked about in the season preview and their replacements will have the most important job in the team.

Roanne has last year allowed least points in the regular season, but the offense was not good enough for anything more. In preseason games it was shown taht it might be a problem this season too, since the only true game was played against Orleans, with Roanne winning 97:81. In other games against the league competition, they scored more than 70 points just against offense-oriented Limoges.

- There were a lot of injuries, and the coach arrived late. But nevertheless it's better than last season, since we don't have ten new players. The core of the team that knows the system is still here, the integration of new players went well, especially since the coach joined. We have worked hard, I'm not worried, I'm full of confidence - added Sangare.

The challenge at the start couldn't be harder, an away game at Gravelines.

- We know it's going to be complicated. Gravelines is a very good team, last three or four seasons they got used to being at the top of the table. Still, in the first round the teams aren't yet at 100 %, so it's good for us to play them now. First rounds often bear surprises, it was seen the last season, when we were favorites against Poitiers but lost - believes Sangare.

For a win, the defense will have to be at the top level to stop the main Gravelines players. The home team did not allow much points in preseason games and Roanne won't have it easy. Gravelines having the quality they have, it's no wonder that Roanne did not win there in last four matches, but it should be pointed out that in three of those four defeats they scored less than 60 points.

After two gaffes at the beginning of the play-offs in seasons past, Gravelines is this time more determined than ever to go to the very end. Although they changed their prime players, in the preparation games they've shown great skill and with nine consecutive wins they are starting the season in a good mood. What's most prominent is their great defense. They are hosting Roanne who are, next to Dijon, the toughest team of last season. The game style is the result of the fact that Luka Pavicevic is sitting on the bench, and this season no thing should be any different. Roanne have shown great offensive problems during the preparation period, and have very rarely scored more than 70 points against more serious teams. They are entering this away game with four consecutive defeats, but keep in mind that in three out of those four matches they didn't surpass 60 points. There has been a change at the point guard station - they've brought in Mark Lyons, who has proven himself on the university level, but now he has to confirm that quality among "the big boys". Besides that, Roanne was weakened in the frontcourt and because of all that I expect big offense issues in first matches.