Pro B (18th day). Quimper – Saint-Vallier, this Tuesday (8 p.m.)
Lucas, you are shooting this season at 33% at three points (41 out of 110) while you finished the previous one at almost 46% (154 out of 338). It’s not what you hoped for by signing in Quimper this summer, right?
Yes, that’s for sure and that’s not what I want. I didn’t necessarily have the opportunity to show my qualities as a shooter. I spoke about it with the coach and the leaders. I hope that the second part of the season will be better in this sector.
You’re less efficient and you also take fewer shots behind the three-point line. Why ?
I had more of the ball and the systems were more for me last season in Rouen. However, to shoot well, I need to shoot a lot, which is not the case. Changing teams, I began to hesitate about my shot, when I simply have to continue to play my game, to take the shots that I know how to take, to make the passes that I know how to do, to be aggressive towards the circle to release my partners. I need to stop asking myself 10,000 questions. Today, it’s better than at the start of the season, even if I’m only at 50% of what I can produce, whether in terms of shots or the game in general.
Do you feel too targeted by opposing defenses compared to your exploits last season?
This was already the case at the end of last season and I still had shooting positions.
These difficulties are also part of your learning as a young player, right?
Yes, I will no longer discuss future seasons like this year. I will stay as I am without trying to change my game, doing things that are not really like me. Maybe I thought too much about the team and not enough about myself. For me to be able to give to the team, I also need to focus more on myself.
Is the assigned objective of the play-offs still relevant?
There are matches that we should have taken like the one against Aix at home or others away that we were unable to kill due to a relaxation. But I’m not worried. There is still half a season left and we are not that far off. By chaining two or three victories, you can quickly find yourself in the Top 8.
You receive Saint-Vallier this Tuesday for a match at the bottom of the table under tension…
It’s a match not to be lost like all those we play at home, whether against a team at the top or bottom of the table. There is no pressure to have. We have to reproduce our Saint-Chamond match. If we stay in what we know how to do and in the game plan, we must be able to take this match.
The teams
QUIMPER. Leaders: 4. Théo Léon (1.80m), 5. Alioune Bruno (1.82m), 90. Lucas Bourhis (1.75m). Wing-backs: 0. Briag Guéguan-Royan (1.96m), 6. Digué Diawara (2.06m), 8. Paul-Lou Duwiquet (1.93m), 24. Jessie Begarin (1.90m ). Inside: 1. Quentin Ruel (2.02m), 3. Ivan Vranes (2.03m, CRO), 7. Antoine Wallez (2.03m), 19. Izan le Meut (2.15m), 99 Ashley Hamilton (2.01m, GRB). Trainer: Laurent Foirest.
SAINT-VALLIER. Leaders: 9. Xavi Forcada (1.93m, ESP), 32. Nadyr Labouize (1.88m). Wing-backs: 3. JazzMarr Ferguson (1.85m, EU), 8. Florent Tortosa (1.97m), 11. Vincent Ateba (1.96m), 23. Fabien Ateba (1.92m). Inside: 4. Kentan Facey (2.06m, JAM), 7. Dwight Coleby (2.06m, BAH), 14. Fabien Paschal (2.08m), 22. Alexis Thomas (2.08m). Trainer: Philippe Namyst.
