By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The 2022-23 Basketball Champions League Regular Season has ended after 10 weeks of exciting action displayed all over the Old Continent. Eight teams (SIG Strasbourg, Hapoel Jerusalem, Telekom Baskets Bonn, BAXI Manresa, Unicaja Malaga, Galatasaray NEF, Surne Bilbao, and Lenovo Tenerife) already booked their tickets for the Round of 16, but the four groups (I, J, K, L) need to take full shape. In order to do so, the Play-Ins between the 2nd and 3rd forces will determine the next qualified teams in the best-of-three series.
On Tuesday 03/12, Rytas Vilnius will open the Gameday at home against PAOK. Marcus Foster and Elvar Fridriksson are barely favorites to come out victorious, but the backcourt formed by Jalen Riley and Jaylen Hands will be tough to face. Later on, Ludwigsburg will face Limoges, while the other French team JDA Dijon will host Vassilis Spanoulis and Sylvain Francisco’s Peristeri. Finally, UCAM Murcia and Pinar Karsiyaka will square off the in the fiercest of matchups.
On the following day, the 2022 FIBA Europe Cup winner Bahcesehir will host Filou Oostende at 18:00 CET. Then, Rob Gray and Tim Frazier will face up in AEK’s exciting game against Tofas Bursa. Hapoel Holon, with Joe Ragland and Chris Johnson leading the way, will be hosting Igokea and Bryant Crawford. Thirty minutes later, the best surprise of the Regular Season, the newcomer SL Benfica, will face Darussafaka in its first-ever Basketball Champions League Play-In game.
Basketball Champions League Play-Ins Week 1 schedule:
Tuesday 03/12:
- G1, Rytas Vilnius – PAOK (18:30 CET) (8)
- G1, MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg – Limoges CSP (20:00 CET) (5)
- G1, JDA Bourgogne Dijon – Peristeri (20:00 CET) (7)
- G1, UCAM Murcia – Pinar Karsiyaka (20:30 CET) (1)
Wednesday 04/12:
- G1, Bahcesehir – Filou Oostende (18:00 CET) (4)
- G1, AEK – Tofas Bursa (18:30 CET) (2)
- G1, Hapoel Holon – Igokea (20:00 CET) (3)
- G1, SL Benfica – Darussafaka (20:30 CET) (6)
Basketball Champions League Round of 16 Groups:
Group I
SIG Strasbourg
Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem
Play-In 3 winner
Play-In 7 winner
Group J
Telekom Baskets Bonn
Baxi Manresa
Play-In 4 winner
Play-In 8 winner
Group K
Unicaja
Galatasaray Nef
Play-In 2 winner
Play-In 5 winner
Group L
Surne Bilbao
Lenovo Tenerife
Play-In 1 winner
Play-In 6 winner
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League