Coach Pascal Meurs

BELGIAN CATS 2026 — QUICK PLAY

Floppy into a quick backdoor action, with Emma Meesseman operating as the playmaker at the four.

A simple way to use her basketball IQ and passing ability—not only her scoring.

Summer programs with EuroProBasket

Watching Valencia live again on Friday against Gran Canaria, one thing immediately stood out.

Six easy points in the opening minutes.
Three times the same punishment: the rimrunner.

If you want to play against Valencia, you better be prepared for it.

Defensive transition is obviously about communication and roles.
But it starts even earlier: how do you attack the offensive rebound?

Because if your balance is wrong, Valencia does not forgive you.
The game immediately starts flowing in one direction.

This clip is exactly about that:

One of the biggest secrets behind Valencia’s success this season is the mobility of their bigs.

Matt Costello is a perfect example.

This sequence shows multiple high-level efforts that will never appear in the boxscore.

After a missed corner three at the buzzer, many players would jog back in transition. Costello sprints back immediately and becomes the key to Valencia’s defensive transition.

Seconds later, he outruns everybody down the floor, arrives first at the rim and creates the spacing for a wide open transition three.

Invisible impact.
Huge value.

ESPN published an excellent piece on the 'Foul up 3' dilemma.
Must-read for coaches:
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/48582233/nba-playoffs-2026-foul-3-san-antonio-spurs-portland-trail-blazers-impact

"Splitter said he prefers to foul because he was "raised in EU bball, where I'd say 98% of the coaches over there foul up 3"

Splitter doesn't follow the BNXT though 👇🏻

In the Belgian-Dutch BNXT league, last week simultaneously in two games the team being up 3 decided not to foul. Both under 10'' to play.

Both games went to overtime…

The natural fear of fouling on a three-point shot can sometimes give the offense exactly what it needs: a clean look.

Fouling keeps you in control — provided you trust your players to foul early, and the referees to see it that way.

Nothing is ever guaranteed in this game.

But some decisions tilt the odds in your favor. And data help you take those decisions.

Especially under 10 seconds, this is one of them.

Office day at in the Fonteta