After an excellent season with Virtus Bologna, Matt Morgan decided to leave the Euroleague for the EuroCup and continue his career with Aris. The move surprised many, but the American guard had clear reasons for heading to Thessaloniki. He wanted to rediscover his game, and the opportunity to work with Vassilis Spanoulis played an important role in his decision.
Morgan discussed his move following Aris’ 84-73 loss to Hapoel Jerusalem at Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall in New Belgrade, in a Group A EuroCup showdown. The game featured intense physical play, injuries and ejections, with the former Virtus guard among those unable to finish. Despite leaving the game early with an injury, Morgan stopped afterward to speak with Serbian reporters.
One of the first topics was his decision to leave Bologna and accept Aris’ offer, despite coming off an excellent season in the Euroleague.
“I think one of the reasons was that I wanted to get back to myself and my game in a way. Of course, there’s Spanoulis, who is one of the best coaches in Europe. Then there are the guys on this team. We have a great group, great chemistry and a lot of talent. That’s why I think this was the best decision for me,” Morgan said before adding:
“Of course, I wish Virtus all the best. I’m still in touch with people at Virtus. Those are my guys. Still, I felt that joining Aris was the best decision for me and my family”.
Spanoulis Was a Major Part of the Decision
Vassilis Spanoulis was a particularly important factor in that decision. The former European basketball star is now Morgan’s coach, and the American guard believes his understanding of the game is one of the greatest strengths he brings to Aris.
“He’s one of the greats of European basketball, and that’s no accident. He understands basketball, and I think that’s his biggest strength. He also understands that the season is long and that this is all a process. A few days ago, we had a big win. Tonight, we took a tough loss, but we still have a lot of games ahead of us”.
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As for the game against Hapoel, Morgan felt Aris managed to compete with its opponent for most of the night despite its personnel problems. However, the Israeli team was stronger down the stretch and secured the victory.
“It was a good game. Hapoel did what they needed to do and protected their home court. Unfortunately, we were missing a few guys, but I think we played well for almost the entire game, right up until the final stretch. In any case, we’ll see them again”.
Asked what ultimately made the difference and allowed Hapoel to take control, Morgan pointed to the problems Aris faced during the game, while also highlighting the opponent’s physicality and offensive rebounding.
“I think we lost a few players during the game. I got hurt, you know what happened with Neno, and Toliopoulos didn’t play at all. But there are no excuses. I think Hapoel did a really good job on the offensive glass and played with a lot of physicality. They played with a lot of energy. Still, like I said, we’ll play them again in January”.
The Tension Stayed on the Court
The second half brought plenty of tension, unsportsmanlike fouls and heated exchanges between players. Still, Morgan does not believe those incidents signal the beginning of any particular rivalry between Aris and Hapoel.
“No, no. I think these are just two really good teams that want to win. When two teams are competing for the same goals, sometimes there’s more tension and the game gets more physical. But we all know that everything stays on the basketball court. There’s nothing more to it than that”.
Despite the loss, Aris’ players appeared to have a strong connection with one another, while the team also received considerable support from its fans. Morgan believes one defeat will not disrupt the atmosphere within the group or change how his teammates approach the rest of the season.
“I think everyone on our team understands that this is just one game. One loss isn’t going to ruin our season, just like one win isn’t going to give us a championship. It’s a long process. Like I said, Hapoel played really well tonight and deserved to win. We’ll go back to Thessaloniki, or wherever our next stop is, and keep working to get better”.
Vildoza and Pajola Are Still “His Guys”
The conversation then turned to Morgan’s former Virtus teammates, Luka Vildoza and Alessandro Pajola, who are now playing together for Partizan Mozzart Bet. The American revealed that he has been following their performances, including the Belgrade derby, and emphasized how much both players meant to him during their season together in Bologna.
“Those are my guys. Of course I’ve been following them. I watched the Belgrade derby. Pajola hit one of the biggest shots of his career. I wouldn’t say it was the biggest, but definitely one of the biggest. They’re playing really well, and Partizan has a talented team. I try to follow them as much as I can. Both of them meant a lot to me last season, especially in terms of my development as a player. I think they’re going to have a really good season. More than anything, I want them to stay healthy, and I believe they’ll keep playing at a high level. I’m really proud to see all of us who were together last year doing good things now”, Morgan said.
It’s only November, and @PartizanBC guard Luca Vildoza has already knocked down TWO half-court shots! 🤯🎯
What’s next?! 🔥
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— AdmiralBet ABA League (@ABA_League) November 3, 2026
Interestingly, both Vildoza and Pajola have made shots from extraordinary distances this season. The Argentine has done it twice, while the Italian international connected on a full-court shot against Bosna. Morgan was therefore asked whether such attempts had been part of their practice routine during their time together at Virtus.
“Yeah, yeah. Although I wouldn’t really say we practiced those shots. You know how it is, before and after practice we’d just grab a ball and throw it toward the basket. Sometimes it goes in. But nothing those two do can surprise me. They’re magicians with the ball. So Pajola’s shot doesn’t surprise me at all, and Luka’s even less”.
Morgan Has Made Those Shots Before Too
Could Aris fans expect something similar from Morgan himself?
“I’ve done it before. I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it again, but I’ve made those kinds of shots before, and it’s a really exciting moment. Whether something like that will happen again this season, I honestly don’t know. We’ll see”, Morgan concluded.