By Stefan Djordjevic/ info@eurohoops.net
The wait is finally over as the Basketball Champions League 2018/2019 season is about to start. We are only one day away from the first games of the season. There will be smiles, there will be tears, there will be up and downs, there will be monster plays and that is what makes the Basketball Champions League so exciting.
The competitions system remains the same. A total of 32 teams is divided into four groups in the regular season. The regular season will tip off on October 9, 2018, and conclude on February 6, 2019.
The best four teams from each group will book their tickets for the playoffs. Sixteen (16) teams advance to the playoffs phase, consisting of the Round of 16 and the Quarterfinals.
The Round of 16 will tip off on March 5, 2019, and conclude on March 13, 2019. The 16 teams will play home and away and the 8 winners will advance to the Quarterfinals.
The Quarterfinals will start on March 26, 2019, and conclude on April 3, 2019. The 8 teams will play home-and-away and the four winners will advance to the Final Four.
The crown of the season will be the Final Four which will take place on 3-5 May 2019. The location will be determined after completion of the Quarterfinals.
Day 1 Preview
Group A
1. MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg
2. Nizhny Novgorod
3. UCAM Murcia CB
4. Ventspils
5. Anwil
6. Le Mans
7. Sidigas Avellino
8. Banvit
The game between Nizhny Novgorod and Sidigas Avellino in Russia will be the one that opens the season in group A. It will take place on Tuesday at 19:00 CET while the other three games in this group will be played on Wednesday night.
At 19:00 CET on Wednesday, Ventspils will try to defend their home against Anwil. This will be the third season in the BCL for the Latvian team while Anwil is the newcomer. Will Ventspils show some hospitality to the Polish side?
At the exact same time in Turkey, Banvit will play against MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg. Both teams had a great campaign last season and were both eliminated by AS Monaco. Banvit fell short in the quarterfinals while the German team lost in the semifinals despite winning the first quarter 20-11.
The game between UCAM Murcia and Le Mans will conclude Day 1 in group A.
Group B
1. PAOK
2. Iberostar Tenerife
3. Fribourg Olympic
4. Opava
5. Nanterre 92
6. UNET Holon
7. Telekom Baskets Bonn
8. Umana Reyer Venezia
In group B the games are equally divided between two days. There will be two games on Tuesday and two games on Wednesday as well.
The champion from the 2016-17 season, Iberostar Tenerife, will host Telekom Baskets Bonn. The game will start at 19:30 CET and there is no doubt that Spanish fans will pack the arena. The German side will have to be ready for it.
The second game on Tuesday night will be held in Italy. Umana Reyer Venezia will host the Greek side PAOK. The Italian team had some very intense games last year. On Day 1 in the 2017-18 season, they played against Banvit at home in a game which they won after triple overtime. Could we see something similar at the opening of the new season?
On Wednesday, another newcomer will try to start the season on the right foot. Opava will host the French side Nanterre 92 while the game in Israel between UNET Holon and Fribourg Olympic will conclude Day 1 in group B.