100 days later, end of the Jacob Grandison saga at Boulazac: BBD draws a line under the player
Jan 11, 2026
Dimitri VOITURIN
No Replacement for Jacob Grandison at Boulazac
Betclic ELITE - Boulazac Basket Dordogne has closed the Jacob Grandison case and will not sign a replacement. A decision assumed by the club from Périgord, which travels to face ASVEL this Tuesday with a reduced roster, but with certainty.
Photo Credit : Julie Dumélié
The Jacob Grandison (6’6″, 27 years old) saga is definitively closed at Boulazac. After an amicable separation from the American-Finnish forward following the World Anti-Doping Agency’s decision, Boulazac Basket Dordogne has chosen not to recruit to compensate for this departure. An option dictated as much by economic constraints as by sports coherence, as BBD prepares to face ASVEL this Tuesday evening.
A Separation That Became Inevitable
The suspension of Jacob Grandison, whose length remains unknown, precipitated the decision. After several months of waiting and total support provided to the player, the club from Périgord and the Finnish forward reached an agreement to end their collaboration.
« It’s heartbreaking. He was really the last piece of the puzzle that fit perfectly with the group, both on a basketball level and on a human level, » confides Alexandre Ménard, in comments reported by Sud-Ouest.
The coach recalls the investment made by BBD during the entire period of uncertainty: salary maintained, accommodation, vehicle, and daily monitoring to allow the player to stay in condition. « We moved heaven and earth going through the federation and the league. We tried everything until the end, » he adds.
Position(s): Guard / Forward
Height: 198 cm
Age: 27 years old (04/02/1998)
Nationalities:
Stats 2025-2026 / Betclic ELITE
PTS
11
#45
REB
6
#16
AST
2
#71
No Recruitment, a Deliberate Choice
The question of a replacement naturally arose. But the answer is clear: there will be none. « We have neither the means nor the competitions that go with it, » says Alexandre Ménard. Unlike last season in Pro B, the lighter Betclic ELITE schedule and early elimination from the French Cup do not justify the arrival of an eleventh professional player.
The club will therefore rely on the versatility of its current roster. « Tony Snell can fill this role wonderfully at the 3 position, even as an interior player in a pinch, » specifies the coach, while recalling that Antoine Eïto’s extension until the end of the season also weighed in the balance.
Boulazac Wants to Look Ahead
Despite this setback, BBD intends to move forward. « We won games without him, » reminds Alexandre Ménard, with four victories gained in thirteen matches without Grandison. The objective remains unchanged: secure survival.
Starting this Tuesday, Boulazac will attempt to create a surprise at ASVEL’s court, in a particular context for the Villeurbanne club which lost after double overtime on Sunday against Paris. A perilous trip, but one that the team from Périgord approaches without looking for excuses, convinced they can compete with their current strengths.
Gabriel Pantel-Jouve est le fondateur et rédacteur en chef de BeBasket, qu’il anime depuis 2010 (sous le nom de Catch & Shoot). Passé par l’Ecole Publique de Journaliste de Tours, puis deux universités en Amérique du Nord, il a pu développer son expertise sur le basket français, de la Ligue Nationale aux divisions amateurs, durant ces 20 dernières années. En parallèle, il est aussi engagé dans le développement de clubs du côté de Montpellier.
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