KLAIPEDA, Lithuania (Interstat) — Azzurro Napoli will visit Neptūnas on Wednesday at Svyturys Arena in a basketball game between teams with contrasting early-season records. Azzurro Napoli enters with an 8-1 season record. Neptūnas is 5-6. Azzurro Napoli will be the visiting team, and Neptūnas will be the home team.

Azzurro Napoli’s most recent result was a 92-90 win at Tortona. Markel Brown led the way with 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four blocks. Marco Spissu added 11 points and nine assists, and Guglielmo Caruso scored 13 points. Brown is the player to watch for Azzurro Napoli. He had 12 points, three rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes against Tofas, 17 points, four rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes against Olimpia Milano, and 15 points, five rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes at Slask Wroclaw. He also had 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four blocks in 28 minutes in the Tortona win. Brown played 28 minutes in the Tortona win. Spissu played 20 minutes, and Caruso played 12 minutes.

Neptūnas is coming off a 110-88 home win over Šiauliai. Henri Drell scored 21 points and grabbed six rebounds in that game. Elvar Fridrikson had 18 points and 10 assists, and Yannick Franke scored 20 points. Drell is the player to watch for Neptūnas. He had 17 points, five rebounds, one assist and one block in 25 minutes at Buducnost, 12 points, eight rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes at Jonava, 18 points, five rebounds, three assists and one block in 32 minutes against Bourg-en-Bresse, and 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes against Kedainiai Nevezis. He also had 21 points, six rebounds and two assists against Šiauliai. Drell played 22 minutes in that game. Fridrikson added four rebounds, and Franke had two rebounds and two assists.

Azzurro Napoli has other recent wins over Tofas 105-101 in overtime, Slask Wroclaw 86-82, Cantu 99-80, Buducnost 93-75, Reggiana 99-93, Bourg-en-Bresse 84-76 and Maxima Roma 94-75. Its lone loss came 98-82 to Olimpia Milano. Neptūnas has recent wins over Jonava 84-83, Bourg-en-Bresse 93-89, Kedainiai Nevezis 89-62, Juventus 99-84 and Šiauliai 110-88. Its losses include Buducnost 104-89, Lietuvos rytas 86-77, Chemnitz 93-84, Trento 76-73, Gargzdu Gargzdai 87-78 and Zalgiris 93-69. Azzurro Napoli’s upcoming schedule includes Venezia, Trento, Givova Scafati, Chemnitz, Trieste 2004, Bourg-en-Bresse, Trento, Verona, Buducnost and BC Roma. Neptūnas is set to face Panevezys, Tofas, Taurages, Slask Wroclaw, Zalgiris, Trento, Jonava Jonavos, Šiauliai, Chemnitz and Juventus.

Interstat’s game simulator projects Neptūnas to win 96-94. Azzurro Napoli has been installed as a 4.5-point pregame favorite, and the over/under is 173.5.