Basketball Champions League – Day 12 Preview

By John Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net Basketball Champions Regular Season Gameday 12 is right ahead for 32 teams set to compete in 16 different venues across Europe on Tuesday and Wednesday. Four clubs have already punched in their playoffs tickets, but the holders of the other 12 are pending. Turk Telekom clinched via Group A, Dinamo Sassari and BAXI Manresa seem likely to follow. Group B still does not contain a Round of 16 participant, but Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem and AEK are in prime position. In Group C, Iberostar Tenerife and ERA Nymburk are in, but two more spots are available. As for Group D, JDA Dijon only has the home-court advantage to worry about with a wilder finish setting up for the rest of the field. Below the Basketball Champions League Regular Season Gameday 12 preview: Group A 1. y-Turk Telekom 19 (8-3) 2. Dinamo Sassari 19 (8-3) 3. BAXI Manresa 18 (7-4) 4. Filou Oostende 17 (6-5) 5. UNET Holon 16 (5-6) 6. Lietkabelis 15 (4-7) 7. SIG Strasbourg 15 (4-7) 8. x-Polski Cukier Torun 13 (2-9) y-advanced to the playoffs x-eliminated from the playoffs Plenty of crucial games in Group A, among them Filou Oostende hosting Turk Telekom at the Versluys Dome. Improving to 5-1 at home is the goal for Dario Gjergja’s side as it would mean to get to 7-5 overall. The visitors have clinched at 8-3, but still seek home-court advantage for the playoffs. The weekend saw Oostende jump to 10-3 in the EuroMillions Basketball League with the “W” over the Telenet Giants Antwerp and the Turkish outlet rest at 7-9 in Super Ligi. BAXI Manresa will take on UNET Holon aiming to extend its undefeated run at the Pavello Nou Congost. Sitting at 7-5 will collide with the Israeli club carrying a 5-6 W-L tally and looking for a playoffs spot. The team coached by Pedro Martinez is 8-10 in ACB. Stefanos Dedas’ side is 8-7 in the Super League. Coming off three straight defeats, SIG Strasbourg really needs to jump to 5-7 with Dinamo Sassari at 8-3 coming to visit. Another losing streak in Jeep Elite Pro A has Vincent Collet’s side at 8-11. Gianmarco Pozzecco’s team is 15-3 in LBA Serie A. Another 4-7 team, Lietkabelis will face already-eliminated Polski Cukier Torun. Before the Poland trip fell to 12-7 in the LKL. The hosts are 12-4 in the PLK. Gameday 12 schedule: Tuesday Polski Cukier Torun – Lietkabelis BAXI Manresa – UNET Holon Wednesday Filou Oostende – Turk Telekom SIG Strasbourg – Dinamo Sassari Group B 1. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 19 (8-3) 2. AEK 18 (7-4) 3. San Pablo Burgos 17 (6-5) 4. RASTA Vechta 17 (6-5) 5. Anwil Wloclawek 16 (5-6) 6. Teksut Bandirma 16 (5-6) 7. EB Pau-Lacq-Orthez 15 (4-7) 8. x-Telenet Giants Antwerp 14 (3-8) x-eliminated from the playoffs Group B leader Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem is 8-3 with EB Pau-Lacq-Orthez and Justin Dentmon hoping to prevail at the Pais Arena to improve to 5-7 and extend their playoffs bid into Round 13. Oded Kattash’s team is also 13-2 in Israel’s Super League. Upcoming rivals carry an 8-11 record in Jeep Elite Pro A. San Pablo Burgos and AEK will collide in Spain. The home side is currently 6-5 and the Queen 7-4. Big game here with playoffs and home-court advantage implications. Domestically, Joan Penarroya’s team is 10-8 in ACB and Ilias Papatheodorou’s side 12-4 in Greece’s Basket League. Teksut Bandirma at 5-6 will host RASTA Vechta at 6-5 looking to complete its two-game sweep over the German outlet. Hakan Demir has additionally guided his squad to 9-7 in Super Ligi. Pedro Calles’ team is 9-6 in easyCredit BBL. Also, Anwil Wloclawek will face eliminated Telenet Giants Antwerp at the Lotto Arena. The visitors hope to even their W-L tally at 6-6 after upping their PLK record to 13-4. The other side is 9-4 in the Belgian League. Gameday 12 schedule: Tuesday Teksut Bandirma – RASTA Vechta Telenet Giants Antwerp – Anwil Wloclawek Wednesday Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem – EB Pau-Lacq-Orthez San Pablo Burgos - AEK Group C 1. y-Iberostar Tenerife 20 (9-2) 2. y-ERA Nymburk 20 (9-2) 3. Nizhny Novgorod 18 (7-4) 4. Peristeri winmasters 17 (6-5) 5. Brose Bamberg 16 (5-6) 6. Mornar Bar 15 (4-7) 7. x-Gaziantep 14 (3-8) 8. x-VEF Riga 12 (1-10) y-advanced to the playoffs x-eliminated from the playoffs Brose Bamberg at 5-6 is really counting on a win against VEF Riga. After RASTA Vechta dropped Roel Moors’ squad to 8-7 in easyCredit BBL, the German club needs to get back on track in order to keep its Round of 16 hopes alive. The Latvian side is out of contention at 1-10, but is 18-1 in the Latvia-Estonian League. Advancing ERA Nymburk wants to add on its spectacular run with Nizhny Novgorod set to travel to the Czech Republic. Oren Amiel’s squad is tied for first place at 9-2 and Zoran Lukic’s side rides a 7-4 record. The Czech champions are also 21-0 in the NBL, while their upcoming opponents are 5-8 in the VTB United League. Iberostar Tenerife holds a 9-2 tally and the tiebreaker for first place in Group C as well. Up next already-eliminated Gaziantep in Turkey. Txus Vidorreta’s side is coming off another ACB win and the jump to 12-6. The Turkish outlet is 6-10 in Super Ligi. Peristeri winmasters is fourth with its 6-5 W-L tally. Mornar Bar at 4-7 needs the “W” in Greece to survive another day. Domestically, Nikos Papanikolopoulos’ squad is 11-5 in the Basket League, while the Montenegrin club is 9-7 in the ABA League. Gameday 12 schedule: Tuesday Peristeri winmasters – Mornar Bar ERA Nymburk – Nizhny Novgorod Brose Bamberg – VEF Riga Wednesday Gaziantep – Iberostar Tenerife Group D 1. y-JDA Dijon 19 (8-3) 2. Telekom Baskets Bonn 18 (7-4) 3. Casademont Zaragoza 18 (7-4) 4. Besikas Sompo Sigorta 16 (5-6) 5. Falco Szombathely 16 (5-6) 6. Neptunas Klaipeda 15 (4-7) 7. PAOK 15 (4-7) 8. Happy Casa Brindisi 15 (4-7) y-advanced to the playoffs JDA Dijon clinched by improving to 8-3, but Casademont Zaragoza remains a threat for first place in Group D coming to France at 7-4. Porfirio Fisac’s team won the first game between the two sides and desires to improve its BCL fortunes after getting to 13-5 in ACB. Laurent Legnam’s squad was also victorious over the weekend banking a 16-3 W-L tally in Jeep Elite Pro A. Slumping Neptunas Klaipeda is no longer on its playoffs track, but can get back in business with a home win versus Telekom Baskets Bonn. The team coached by Tomas Rinkevicius is 4-7 in the Champions League and 10-9 in LKL. The German outlet currently holds second place in the group with its 7-4 record, but is only 3-12 in easyCredit BBL. Besiktas Sompo Sigorta is making a strong run for the Round of 16 with three wins in its last four games. Goes to Hungary and the Savaria Arena at 5-6 to face Falco Szombathely that is 5-6 as well. At the national level, the Turkish club is 7-9 in Super Ligi and Gasper Okorn’s side 15-1 in NB I/A. Two teams at 4-7 but still in the playoffs hunt, Happy Casa Brindisi and PAOK will collide in Italy. Francesco Vitucci’s club recently improved to 11-7 in LBA Serie A and the Greek side to 5-11 in Basket League. Gameday 12 schedule: Tuesday Falco Szombathely – Besiktas Sompo Sigorta Happy Casa Brindisi – PAOK JDA Dijon – Casademont Zaragoza Wednesday Neptunas Klaipeda – Telekom Baskets Bonn Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League