By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Per the official announcement posted on BCL’s website:
The 2018-19 Basketball Champions League competition will consist of 32 teams. Twenty-six (26) teams are directly qualified for the Regular Season, with the last six (6) teams set to qualify through three Qualification Rounds.
During all stages of the draws, the country protection principle will apply, safeguarding that no teams from the same country face each other, either in the Qualification Rounds or in the Regular Season.
The competition starts on 20 September 2018 with the first of the three Qualification Rounds.
Qualification Round 1 (QR1)
Twenty-four (24) teams will be split into four pots (A, B, C and D) according to the Basketball Champions League club and country rankings, and will be drawn into twelve (12) pairs.
- Teams in Pot A will be the following (alphabetically):
Aris (GRE), Avtodor Saratov (RUS), Bakken Bears (DEN), CSM Oradea (ROM), Movistar Estudiantes (ESP), Telenet Giants Antwerp (BEL) - Teams in Pot B will be the following (alphabetically):
Donar Groningen (NED), Lukoil Levski (BUL), Nizhny Novgorod (RUS), Spirou Basket (BEL), Szolnoki Olaj (HUN), Tsmoki-Minsk (BLR) - Teams in Pot C will be the following (alphabetically):
FC Porto (POR), Hapoel Tel Aviv (ISR), Polski Cukier Torun (POL), Red October Cantù (ITA), Siauliai (LTU), Sigal Prishtina (KOS) - Teams in Pot D will be the following (alphabetically):
AEK Larnaca (CYP), Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO), Fribourg Olympic (SUI), Karhu Basket Kauhajoki (FIN), Leicester Riders (GBR), Norrköping Dolphins (SWE)
Teams from pot A and B will be seeded and will play the second leg at home. Teams from pot C and D will be unseeded and will play the first leg at home.
All teams from pot D will be drawn against teams from pot A (Games 1 to 6), and then all teams from pot C will be drawn against teams from pot B (Games 7 to 12). Games will be played home and away on 20 and 22 September. The 12 winners will then qualify for the 2nd Qualification Round (QR2).
Qualification Round 2 (QR2)
The winners of Games 1 to 6 will be drawn against the winners of Games 7 to 12 from QR1. The teams from Games 1 to 6 will be seeded and play the second leg at home. The teams from Games 7 to 12 will be unseeded and play the first leg at home.
Games will be played home and away on 25 and 28 September. The 6 winners will then qualify for the 3rd Qualification Round (QR3).
Qualification Round 3 (QR3)
As indicated in the above graphic, the following six (6) teams are seeded (alphabetically): JIP Pardubice (CZE), Lietkabelis Panevezys (LTU), medi Bayreuth (GER), Nanterre 92 (FRA), Sakarya Buyuksehir (TUR), UCAM Murcia (ESP).
They are qualified directly for the third and last Qualification Round (1 and 4 October). They will face home and away the six (6) winners from QR2 (unseeded teams). These directly qualified teams will play the return leg at home.
The six (6) winners of Qualification Round 3 will qualify for the 2018-19 Basketball Champions League competition and join the 26 directly qualified teams in the main draw.
Regular Season
The following twenty-six (26) clubs have qualified directly for the 2018-19 Basketball Champions League Groups. They will be split into 12 seeded and 14 unseeded teams, based on the Basketball Champions League club and country rankings.
- The 12 seeded teams are (alphabetically):
AEK (GRE), Banvit (TUR), Besiktas Sompo Japan (TUR), Brose Baskets Bamberg (GER)*, CEZ Nymburk (CZE), Iberostar Tenerife (ESP), MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg (GER), Neptunas Klaipeda (LTU), PAOK (GRE), Sidigas Avellino (ITA), SIG Strasbourg (FRA), Umana Reyer Venezia Mestre (ITA) - The 14 unseeded teams are (alphabetically):
Anwil Wloclawek (POL), Eskisehir Basket (TUR), Hapoel Jerusalem (ISR), Hapoel UNET Holon (ISR), JDA Dijon Basket (FRA), Le Mans Sarthe Basket (FRA), Montakit Fuenlabrada (ESP), Oostende (BEL), Opava (CZE), Petrol Olimpija (SLO), Promitheas Patras (GRE), Segafredo Virtus Bologna (ITA), Telekom Baskets Bonn (GER), Ventspils (LAT)
*Although Brose Bamberg has not participated in the Basketball Champions League, a decision has been taken whereby clubs that have in the previous season participated in the EuroLeague would be seeded.
They will be joined by the six (6) winners of QR3. The thirty-two (32) teams will be placed into four groups of eight (8) teams.
The 26 teams will be drawn in the four groups respecting country protection. The draw for the 2018-19 Basketball Champions League Regular Season will be completed once all teams have been drawn. The Regular Season will tip off on 9 October.
The Official Draw Ceremony will be streamed live on www.championsleague.basketball from 11.00 CET
Photo credits: Basketball Champions League