Fits like a glove: Levi Randolph is the perfect player for Katash’s Maccabi Tel Aviv

Oct 14, 2024 | Holyland Hoops

There’s a reason why Maccabi Tel Aviv snatched Levi Randolph from Hapoel Jerusalem during the offseason.

He can score.

He can defend.

He makes his teammates better.

He’s consummate professional.

He’s a winner.

He checks off all of the boxes that Maccabi Tel Aviv and their Head Coach Oded Katash would ever want in a one of his players.

All of that and more was on full display against Nes Ziona down in Beer Sheva as the yellow-and-blue won their season opener 85-81 as well in the first two Euroleague games as well.

Levi Randolph- Photo credit: Yehuda Halickman


The Alabama product set the tone early against Nes Ziona as he got the ball down low to the left of the basket just off the baseline, pushed hard off of Bryce Brown and used the backboard to drop in his first 2-points of the game. That simple move by Randolph definitely upset the Nes Ziona defender and helped Maccabi to an 11-2 run to begin the game as he went on his way to scoring 17 points overall just ahead of the first Euroleague double week where they will “host” Anadolu EFES and Partizan Belgrade in their home away from home in Belgrade.

Maccabi will be short handed as Katash will have a very short bench after the departure of Jordan Loyd due to the security situation, Rokas Jokubaitis going on the shelf for a few weeks after breaking his thumb and Wenyen Gabriel who is close to returning to practice but is not there yet.

Saben Lee landed in Belgrade on Sunday and will join Katash’s squad from Manisa after signing a 2-year deal with Maccabi but his availability for the first game is still in question as the club will arrive in Serbia on Monday.

With that, Katash will need to get the most out of his players in the upcoming pair of games and one that is clearly already a favorite in Levi Randolph.

Levi Randolph- Photo credit: Yehuda Halickman


Randolph is a fantastic player how no doubt knows how to put the ball in the basket and when he arrived in Jerusalem from Oostende back in 2022-23 he was the reigning BCL scoring champion. But the forward didn’t sit on his laurels and under the Reds coach that season, Aleksandar Dzikic as Randolph developed into a lockdown defender as well when he sacrificed some of his offensive output for the betterment of the team.

In his second season with Jerusalem which began under Dzikic who eventually left due to the war, Randolph was named captain and when one is named captain as an import you know exactly what type of player and more importantly what type of person he is.

Randolph, who had never made it a secret that he wanted to play at the highest of levels, was given the chance to move to the Euroleague by the yellow-and-blue and swiftly joined Maccabi to see how he will match up with the continent’s best of the best.

Sure it must have been a bit strange for him to put on a different color jersey, that of the “enemy” over the past two seasons, but he got used to it quickly as did Katash who now had Randolph on his team and didn’t have to find ways to stop him as he did in the past. In fact, Katash realized in no time that Randolph was a player that not only fit his style and team like a glove but also reminded him of players that graced the court under his tutelage in the past.

Levi Randolph- Photo credit: Yehuda Halickman


“Every coach will say that Levi Randolph is the type of player that they want on their team,” Katash proclaimed. Everyone will like him, he is a professional and very positive. We need to find a way for me to get to know him better, how to use his abilities for the team. The qualities that he brings to the table are crystal clear, he hit some great baskets, we know what he has done in the past and I am really enjoying having him with us so far. I am convinced that we will know how to get more out of him in time. He is very reminiscent of a lot of players who played for me and that I have coached in the past.”

The professional qualities ooze out of Randolph and like Katash said, every single coach would want a player like him on their team because of what he brings to the table and readily admits that he is not even near the potential that Maccabi can reap the benefits from.

Randolph has not only impressed his coach but also his teammates including captain John Dibartolomeo who is beginning his 8th season with the club. Dibartolomeo has seen quite a few players walk through the Yad Eliyahu doors and donned the yellow-and-blue, but he sees how special the former Jerusalem captain is.

“I’m not surprised Levi fits so well. When we were preparing for games against Jerusalem, Oded would always talk about what Levi brings to the game, how he controls things. I always knew what he brings to the court but now I see how he is off of the court. He’s a team first guy and he is always picking players up and we need this voice in the locker room as we have a brand new team that is taking shape and we have some tough games and tough weeks ahead of us. The character of the team is above all else and that is the most important thing. From the jump you see how he feels comfortable getting to his spots and doing what Levi does.”

Levi Randolph- Photo credit: Yehuda Halickman


Pretty strong and convincing words from the captain and those are no doubt the same that one would hear from every single player on the team; because this is who Levi Randolph is.

Randolph who scored 8 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in the Euroleague win over ASVEL and dropped 10 points and took 5 boards in the loss to Monaco so far has silenced his critics that said he wouldn’t be able to adjust and thrive in the continent’s top competition. There should be absolutely no doubt that Randolph will not only meet expectations but exceed them and exceed them by far because this is who he is.

He can score.

He can defend.

He makes his teammates better.

He’s consummate professional.

He’s a winner.

Sign up for our newsletter

0 Comments

You may also like…

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates. 

You have Successfully Subscribed!