By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The sixth season of the Basketball Champions League extends the proud tradition of mostly unnoticed players succeeding in moving up in the basketball world.
Breakout players emerging all around Europe have been among the main themes for FIBA’s top European club competition resurfacing plenty of teams from minor leagues of the continent. The NBA was one of the destinations on multiple occasions over the years, both for young upstarts and more experienced players.
With two rounds left in the double-legged round-robin schedule in all eight Regular Season groups, Eurohoops picked out the top five under-the-radar single game showings through the first four rounds of the 2021-22 season.
SILAS MELSON (KALEV/CRAMO)
Since coming out of Gonzaga in 2018, Silas Melson went from Greece to Israel, Finland, and Belgium. As a rookie, he logged a couple of FIBA Europe Cup Qualifiers games player at Lavrio. Three years later, he helped his current side, Kalev/Cramo, advance through the BCL Qualifiers. So far, he has made the most of his opportunities in the Regular Season.
Melson, 25, set his season-best at 24 points in the away win against Tofas Bursa coming off the bench on October 12. He is the top bench scorer of the 2021-22 field packing 18 points per contest. His side sitting at 1-3 is fourth in Group F but still hopes for a ticket to the next round or make the Play-Ins with the two remaining games at home.
MAX HEIDEGGER (EWE BASKETS OLDENBURG)
On loan from Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, Max Heidegger still fits on our list as a rookie in European club competitions. After completing his NCAA run at UC Santa Barbara, he was picked up by the Israel powerhouse and was loaned to Bnei Rav-Bariach Herzliya early in 2020-21. His second loan assignment landed him at EWE Baskets Oldenburg.
Heidegger, 24, poured 26 points in his BCL debut getting the job done down the stretch in the win against Rytas Vilnius. He was the German team’s leading scorer until being sidelined due to Achilles tendon pain and missing Round 4. Following the international break, Oldenburg will need all possible help on the road against both Rytas and Besiktas Icrypex aiming to overcome the 1-3 start in Group H.