Who said that Israeli basketball isn’t alive and well? It certainly was on full display on Thursday night with Yovel Zoosman starring in Maccabi Tel Aviv’s 45th Israel State Cup victory. Zoosman who has had a rough go over the past year with injuries that kept his 2020/21 season a bit tempered proved to everyone that he is back and better than ever for the Yellow & Blue as he earned the games most valuable player award. The only question that remains is how much longer will he be playing with Israel’s premier basketball club.

Zoos, as he is passionately called my teammates and fans alike shook off a rusty first half from deep to pace Ioannis Sfairopoulos’s squad over the course of the final twenty minutes with a trio of triples in the third quarter to secure their first cup title since 2017.

“I shot 1/6 from 3 over the course of the first two quarters and they were open shots,” the MVP began. “I believed in my shot and I kept shooting and they went in during the second half. The game didn’t begin well and not as to how we expected. Rishon surprised us but we adjusted. It’s great to win a cup and to be an integral part of the team.”

The surprise in which he referred to was Maccabi Rishon Le’Zion starting the game with three of their youth players in protest to not having the game postponed in order to have some of their foreigners return to the country after having left due to the security situation that took place over the past month. However, with a starting 5 of Blue & White, Guy Goodes’s team raced out to a 7-0 lead and they were subbed out midway through the first frame holding a 7-6 advantage.

“The young guys were great and they inspired us,” veteran guard Nimrod Tishman explained. “The way they stood toe to toe with Maccabi was terrific and they deserve a ton of credit.”

Zoosman also credited the youngsters for setting the tone early for Rishon, “I think it’s great and they came to fight. The young guys have done exceptional work. As an Israeli I take it personally.”

“To begin the game with three youth players in Tal Peled, Yogev Ovadia and Omer Hamama was management’s call and it was great to see the blue and white on the floor,” Goodes stated.

Maccabi star Scottie Wilbekin also noted Rishon’s young guys including Tal Peled who stripped the guard early in the game, “They played hard, Peled looks like he has a bright future in the league. They put their hearts out and it was nice to see.”

And yes, it was nice to see so many local products grace the court, no question. But the young guys are the future while Zoosman is the present.

The Maccabi swingman also had earned the MVP award at the 2018 Under-20 European Championships in Germany helping lead Israel to its first youth championship which was repeated the following year in Tel Aviv.

It’s no secret that with Israeli bench boss Oded Katash at Panathinaikos in Greece, is very interested in bringing the rising star over to Athens. That could also be something that Zoosman would want to experience as well. Play abroad under a coach that he knows very well which could launch a European career under some of the best circumstances possible.

But right now is is focussed on one thing and that is helping Maccabi Tel Aviv win another league title, a title that he was unable to play a significant factor after getting hurt before the Final Four which kept him on the shelf.

“I’ll think about that when I have to. Right now I’m at Maccabi Tel Aviv and when the time comes I’ll talk about it, but we are in the middle of the playoffs right now. I’m just at the start of my career. I’m only 23 years old and the time is flying. I’m not looking too far ahead but I am taking it step by step. I want to stay healthy and see how far I can go.”

Zoosman will have a very big chance as the playoffs begin on Monday night against ether Nes Ziona or Hapoel Beer Sheva. with the departure of Elijah Bryant to the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and Tyler Dorsey who departed due to the security situation, it’s clear that the Israeli will be taking center stage and a big bulk of the minutes and offense that used to be theirs.

Sfairopoulos took credit for helping Zoosman mature and grow over the last few years while noting some of his recent challenges, “When I came to Maccabi I changed Yovel’s role and I put him into the starting lineup in the Euroleague. Unfortunately, he was injured last year and he didn’t have a normal season this year and had another injury to his knee and it didn’t allow him to play the way he can. He’s back physically and mentally and I expect him to work even harder. This gives him extra responsibility and he can continue to improve.”

It’s clear that Sfairopoulos is going to rely on Zoosman and give him his fair share of minutes to maximize his talent and potential averaging over 24 minutes per game since the retain to play this month. Zoosman in turn will need to show what he can do with his expanded role and prove that he really an integral part of Israeli basketball.

“Elijah and Tyler are great players and were in our rotation,” big man Ante Zizic who scored 16 points began. “It’s too bad they didn’t finish the season with us but tonight it was Zoosman’s turn. I believe that when I player leaves another has to fill that void and basketball is a game of opportunities. He did great work and finally he is ready and he is a big part of this club. I hope that from game to game he will continue to improve because we need him for the upcoming games.”

“I’m extremely happy for him,” Wilbekin said. “I’ve been telling him the last couple games to shoot every time he is a little bit open. I’m just happy to see him get into a rhythm like he was before the injures, so I’m hoping he can continue this for the rest of the playoffs.”