First all, let us remind our dear readers that we’ve already published:
– an analysis of the areas where Loko needs to step up following the first two games;
– a close look on how the key players from both teams have fared against one another since the start of the season.
In this preview, we will focus on those who haven’t received enough attention before.
Who will have to play more for Zenit now?
If Rostislav Vergun’s post-Game 3 assessment proves correct and Georgy Zhbanov plays no more in this series, our opponent will face a tough dilemma: who should replace the Defensive Player of the Year-2025/26?
To begin with, the St. Petersburg team will simply need a 12th man on the roster for Game 4. Most likely, that player will be Pavel Zemsky, who is currently in Krasnodar with the rest of the Zenit delegation. Since returning from his loan at Avtodor, the forward has played 7 games: one against CSKA at the end of the regular season (5 points and 2 rebounds in 21 minutes) and 6 across the first 2 rounds of the playoffs, where he totaled 7 minutes and 41 seconds of playing time, 6 points, and—once again—2 rebounds. Under Vergun, Zemsky has not yet taken the court during the third-place series.
Following the coaching change, Sergey Karasev saw a sharp increase in playing time. While Dejan Radonjić played the forward for an average of just 2 minutes per game in the series against UNICS, Vergun gives him nearly 17 minutes now, along with the starter status.
In the first 3 games of the bronze-medal series, the player averaged 3 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1 steal, and 0.3 blocks. More importantly, the team outscored its opponents while he was on the court. Across all 7 games against Loko this season, Karasev posted the 2nd-best cumulative plus-minus (+15) on the team.
Ismaël Bako boasts the best cumulative plus-minus rating for Zenit against us—and by a wide margin, at +39. He is certainly the player who can currently be hailed as the St. Petersburg team’s key “wild card” in the bronze-medal series. The center got off to a strong start in the playoffs, recording 17 points and 10 rebounds; however, Uralmash pulled off a shock victory in that game, and Bako suffered an injury that kept him sidelined for nearly a month. He returned for just 5 minutes—scoring 0 points—in Game 5 against UNICS before being relegated to the bench for the remainder of the semifinals.
In the bronze-medal series, however, the Belgian has played every game not only with a consistently positive plus-minus rating but also with steadily increasing efficiency (a KPI of 8 in Game 1, 9 in Game 2, and a massive 22 in Game 3). On Sunday, Ismaël nearly recorded a double-double in just 12 and a half minutes, finishing with 10 points and 8 rebounds. His series averages stand at 6.3 points, 91.7% free-throw shooting, 6.3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 0.7 blocks.
Alexander Shcherbenev did not see a single minute of playing time during the first two rounds of the playoffs. However, with Vergun taking the helm at Zenit, Loko’s alumnus is back in action: in the series against Loko, he is averaging 8.5 minutes of play, 3 points (albeit exclusively from free throws), 1.7 assists, and 0.7 steals, and hasn’t finished a single game with a negative plus-minus rating—bringing his total so far to +6.
Another Zenit player whose playing time increased drastically following the coaching change is Dmitry Uzinsky: he went from averaging 6 minutes in playoff games under Radonjić to 18 minutes under Vergun. In the third-place series, the forward is averaging 6 points, shooting 50% from three-point range and 100% from the free-throw line, while also recording 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.7 steals. In the series opener, Uzinsky was the key catalyst behind the St. Petersburg team’s early run—Loko’s former captain scored 9 points without missing a single shot.
Loko's secret weapons
Our team also has players who managed to make a splash during the bronze-medal series, even though they weren’t really considered team leaders.
First and foremost, there is Ivan Samoilenko, whose 13 points made a significant contribution to our victory on Sunday. However, the 22-year-old guard had already made his mark earlier; in Game 1, he stepped onto the court for just six minutes at the very end, yet during that stretch, Loko went on a 17:3 run and nearly salvaged a game that had seemed lost—Samoilenko’s defensive work against Zenit leader Trent Frazier that evening was truly impressive. It comes as no surprise, then, that Ivan has now the best plus-minus rating in the season series between Loko and Zenit, boasting a cumulative +35 against this opponent (compared to +18 for Mike Moore and +17 for Vsevolod Ishchenko).
In Game 2, Lokomotiv also had a player who significantly outperformed his season averages: Makar Konovalov recorded 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He also started Game 3 well, hitting a n important three-pointer. Hopefully, Makar’s confidence will continue to grow throughout the remainder of the series and translate into successful, game-changing plays.
Zakhar Vedishchev took the court on Sunday for the first time since late March. After a long recovery, it can be challenging to step into a series where teams are fiercely battling for medals, and in his 3 minutes of play, Zakhar recorded only 2 rebounds. But we know this guard is capable of good surprises, so let’s hope he finds his game rhythm soon.
While on loan at Avtodor, Daniil Kasko logged significant minutes against the league’s top teams and played quite decently. But since returning to Loko, he seems to be falling just short of stepping up. During the current playoffs, the coach has regularly given the forward opportunities, typically early in games. So far, the player has totaled 11 minutes, 1 point, and 1 rebound across 6 games. Kasko’s potential suggests he is capable of much more, and it would be great to see him show that against Zenit.
The same can be said for Danil Sheyanov—a highly promising player who is ready to take the next step in his development. So far, the forward has played 4 games in the 2025/26 playoffs. He is logging slightly more minutes than Kasko (11.5) but has yet to put points on the board (though he does have 1 rebound). Sheyanov’s freshness could prove to be a major advantage compared to Zenit’s leaders, who have already played 14 playoff games. We saw what Danil is capable of last season when he captained the ORSS-Loko team in the Superliga; now, he just needs to believe in himself.
Game 4 of the semifinal series will take place at Basket Hall on June 9 at 8:00 PM. See you at the arena!
Let’s go, Loko!