By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Sixteen games scattered all around Europe, Monday through Wednesday.
Did you not get the hints? The Basketball Champions League is here. The seventh season started with the Qualifiers earning a spot in the Regular Season for the four standout teams. The 32 teams are split into eight groups. All Round 1 contests will be held this week.
The five lasting originals, AEK, ERA Nymburk, Filou Oostende, Lenovo Tenerife and SIG Strasbourg, are back for the seventh season. Hapoel Holon is gearing up for a sixth campaign. On the opposite end, SL Benfica will be the first regular-season participant from Portugal, the 24th team represented in the BCL.
Following the six-game double-legged round-robin schedule, the top seed of each group will progress directly to the Round of 16. The second and third seeds will instead compete in a best-of-three Play-In series for the remaining eight spots to the next round. Teams finishing at the bottom of each group will be eliminated.
The schedule of the Regular Season stretches to late December. The Play-Ins will follow in January setting up the Round of 16 to be held from late January to late March. From there to the Playoffs best-of-three series in April to form the Final Four and the season-ending tournament to crown the champion in May.
It all starts from Round 1 with all parties looking for a solid opener and getting closer to the next round.
Basketball Champions League Regular Season Round 1 schedule:
Group A
Tuesday
UCAM Murcia – Tofas Bursa (20:30 CET)
Wednesday
SIG Strasbourg – Falco Vulcano Szombathely (20:00 CET)
Group B
Tuesday
Pinar Karsiyaka – AEK (18:30 CET)
Wednesday
Telekom Baskets Bonn – UNAHOTELS Reggio Emilia (20:00 CET)
Group C
Monday
Legia Warszawa – Hapoel Holon (17:30 CET)
Wednesday
Filou Oostende – Galatasaray Nef (20:00 CET)
Group D
Tuesday
ERA Nymburk – Surne Bilbao (18:30 CET)
Wednesday
Bahcesehir Koleji – Igokea m:tel (18:00 CET)
Group E
Monday
Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem – Darussafaka (20:00 CET)
Tuesday
MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg – Bakken Bears (20:00 CET)
Group F
Tuesday
VEF Riga – SL Benfica (18:00 CET)
Limoges CSP – Baxi Manresa (20:30 CET)
Group G
Wednesday
PAOK mateco – JDA Dijon (18:30 CET)
Dinamo BDS Sassari – Unicaja (20:30 CET)
Group H
Monday
Peristeri bwin – Bnei Ofek Dist Herzliya (18:30 CET)
Wednesday
Lenovo Tenerife – Rytas Vilnius (20:30 CET)
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League