‘We are made of the same stuff as Spanoulis, you understand that he has been a leader for years’

There is no doubt that Vassilis Spanoulis has been an absolute superstar of Peristeri bwin since he took over the reins of the team. But it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Joe Ragland is somewhat of an extension of himself on the court this season.

And that’s because the 34-year-old American guard carries the biggest burden of organizing the offensive operation of the western suburbs team. A project that serves with great success. Besides, Ragland counts 14.8 points (53.1% two-pointers, 32.9% three-pointers, 76.9% shots), 3.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists per 31’20” of participation in 17 appearances in the Basketball Champions League and is one of the main reasons that Peristeri bwin advanced to the Final Four (April 26-28).

Shortly before departure for Belgrade and the semi-final with Tenerife (26/4, 19:00) the experienced guard spoke to SPORT24 about his team’s progress to the Final Four, the duel that awaits them with the team of Chus Vidoreta, as well as, of course, about his coach, Vassilis Spanoulis, whom he considers an intellect and explains why. He also referred to the resilience that characterizes the West Bank Princes, but also to his own constant thirst for learning.

This season had many ups and downs, but Peristeri bwin managed to get a historic qualification to the BCL Final Four. How has this whole experience been for you so far?

“It’s amazing that we qualified, because that’s how we completed a goal that we had set from the beginning of the season. I believe that we managed to get here because we were able to handle all the difficulties that were presented to us from the beginning of the year and we never stopped fighting . It’s definitely a blessing.”

Is the word “resilience” the one that best describes your team? Because no matter how many times you found yourself with your back against the wall, you found a way to get out of that situation.

“Definitely. And the credit for that has to go to coach Spanoulis, who guided us and made sure we were always aggressive, always had the energy to be successful. He taught us to go out there and fight, no matter what happen”.

In the semi-final you will find before you Tenerife, who have won the BCL twice and count five appearances in the Final Four of the competition in eight years. Does this thought scare you at all?

“No, I wouldn’t say that. I’ve personally played against them one of the times they’ve lifted the trophy. It’s nothing new to me. It is what it is.

All Final Four teams are good teams. So whoever we were playing we would need to put in a lot of effort and have energy and aggression. Whatever will be, will be”.

You have already faced Tenerife this year. Will this experience help you get another positive result or do you think it will make your opponents even more suspicious?

“The games between us were like a kind of sparring (pp. so-called training with an opponent in simulated combat). But when a trophy is involved, everything is different. We’ll see what happens this time.

What is certain is that we must continue to do what we are doing. Tenerife will have energy and have great chemistry as a team. We have to be ready to match their effort, be competitive and see how the game develops.”

You are just the second player in BCL history with 500+ assists and have the most double-doubles, tallying 16 in 64 games. How do you manage to always be as efficient in creating as you are in scoring?

“Honestly, the most important thing is to be able to read the opposing defense. I watch a lot of video, both myself and the team to understand how we can find some easy baskets.

It is an individual process. I always want to evolve. I am never completely satisfied.

But I must also congratulate my teammates, who make use of my passes and turn them into baskets. I’m obsessed with getting better. And the result is what you see now.”

By the way, Marcelinho Huertas holds the record for most assists in a BCL Final Four match, having dished out 14 in the 2022 final. Will you try to break that in Belgrade?

“No, that’s not my goal. I’m going there to win. The stats mean nothing if you don’t win. So Huertas can keep his record as long as we get the title.”

You have a long career behind you and you have been to the Final Four of the BCL again. Would you say maybe that makes you more motivated than your teammates?

“I think we all have strong motivation. We have a great leader (Sr. Vassilis Spanoulis) guiding us, who makes sure to motivate us. We are all in this together and trying to find a way to win.”

Do you see elements of yourself in Vassilis Spanoulis? Would you say you look like the racing style?

“100%. The coach has a great feel for the game. I played against him when I was young and I love looking back, everything he’s done. I’m a student of the game, so I try to take cues from him, but also various other players that I like.

We are definitely made of the same stuff. It is a great honor for me to be around him every day and learn his mentality, through which he has become so successful. Attrition, that mentality is passed on to us.”

Is he stricter as a coach than you would expect coming to Peristeri?

“No. He’s honestly just like I expected him to be. He always holds us accountable, but at the same time he wants us to be aggressive and make mistakes. Because it’s through mistakes that you learn.

To be completely honest with you, Spanoulis is a genius. The way he reads the game. The way it keeps us all motivated. The way he picks you up when you’re down.

He has a tremendous sense of managing personalities and it’s easy to tell that he’s been a leader for many years.”