By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The final lineup was validated and confirmed by the Board of Basketball Champions League meeting at the House of Basketball today.
Eight national finalists and six semi-finalists will also take part of the second season of the Basketball Champions League which will feature clubs coming from 32 different European countries.
This year 32 teams will contest the Regular Season with eight qualifiers joining 24 directly qualified clubs. They will play in four groups of 8 teams each with the top four in each group going through to a home and away Round of 16 ahead of the Quarter-Finals which will determine the Final Four.
Clubs from across the continent will challenge defending champions Iberostar Tenerife for the title won in April. The full line-up is as follows:
Regular Season (alphabetically)
AEK (GRE), Aris (GRE), AS Monaco Basket (FRA), Banvit (TUR), Besiktas Sompo Japan (TUR), ČEZ Basketball Nymburk (CZE), Dinamo Sassari (ITA), Elan Chalon (FRA), Enisey Krasnoyarsk (RUS), EWE Baskets Oldenburg (GER), Gaziantep (TUR), Hapoel Holon (ISR), Iberostar Tenerife (ESP), medi Bayreuth (GER), Neptunas Klaipeda (LTU), Olimpija Ljubljana (SLO), PAOK (GRE), Sidigas Avellino (ITA), SIG Strasbourg (FRA), Stelmet Zielona Gora (POL), Telenet Oostende (BEL), Umana Reyer Venezia (ITA), Ventspils (LAT), UCAM Murcia (ESP)
Qualification Rounds (alphabetically)
Directly qualified for 3rd round (the 8 winners will qualify for the Regular Season):
Basic-Fit Brussels (BEL), Juventus Utena (LTU), Movistar Estudiantes (ESP), Nanterre 92 (FRA), Orlandina Basket (ITA), Pinar Karsiyaka (TUR), Rosa Radom (POL), Telekom Baskets Bonn (GER)
Directly qualified for 2nd round (the 8 winners will qualify for the 3rd round):
Alba Fehervar (HUN), Bakken Bears (DEN), Budivelnyk (UKR), Kataja Basket (FIN), Mornar Bar (MNE), Nizhny Novgorod (RUS), PBC Lukoil Academic (BUL), U-BT Cluj Napoca (ROM)
1st round (the 8 winners will qualify for the 2nd round):
Avtodor Saratov (RUS), Benfica (POR), Bosna Royal Sarajevo (BIH), Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO), Divina Seguros Joventut (ESP), Donar Groningen (NED), Kalev Kramo (EST), Kapfenberg Bulls (AUT), Karposh Sokoli (MKD), Keravnos (CYP), Lulea (SWE), MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg (GER), Sigal Pristina (KOS), Telenet Antwerp Giants (BEL), Tsmoki Minsk (BLR), Vytautas (LTU)
Basketball Champions League CEO Patrick Comninos said the 2017-18 lineup is evidence that the competition is strengthening and growing based on all measures. It remains true to its goal of delivering a competitive European competition which reflects basketball right across the continent and is open to all clubs which qualify on merit through their domestic league performances.
“The first season of the competition was an outstanding success and the strength of this year’s field suggests that it will get even tougher on the court and even more fascinating for hundreds of thousands of fans across Europe who follow at arenas, through great TV coverage and via social media where we have built over 600,000 Facebook followers in a single season,” he said.
An initial draw sorting the Qualification Rounds and the Regular Season phase will take place at the House of Basketball on Tuesday 11 July.