By Stefan Djordjevic/ info@eurohoops.net
The Basketball Champions League quarterfinals will kick off tomorrow (27/3) as eight teams fight to reach the Final Four and make history.
All four matchups will be played the same day and the rematches will follow up after a week of rest. The teams with a better aggregate score after two games will advance.
Here is a closer look at the matchups:
Nizhny Novgorod – Telenet Giants Antwerp
The quarterfinals will kick off in Russia at 17:00 CET as Nizhny hosts Antwerp. Both squads started the season in the BCL qualifiers and have already made history with this being their first time in the BCL quarterfinals as well as being the first clubs from their respective countries to make it this far.
Nizhny had to get past Umana Reyer Venezia in the Round of 16 and Kendrick Perry made it happen. He banked 34 points to give his team a 23-points advantage in front of the rematch which they lost but were up by five points in the aggregate score. A lot will depend on Perry who has been one of the best two-way players and when he is in the groove, the Russians are very hard to beat.
Standing against them is the youngest BCL squad ever in Antwerp led by the 23-year-old Paris Lee, their playmaker and go-to guy. The Belgian team has had many ups and downs this season which is expected from an inexperienced squad but they’ve pulled through with enormous energy and stepped up when most-needed against UCAM Murcia in the Round of 16. They had eight points of advantage from Game 1 but in were down by nine near the end of Game 2, however, they managed to bounce back and pull through to the quarterfinals.
Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem – Iberostar Tenerife
At 19:30 CET, Tenerife will go on the road for the clash against Hapoel. Both teams finished the group stage with 12-2 records and were among the most dominant.
The Israeli squad is one of the most athletic this season in BCL and it’s not a surprise they lead BCL in rebounds. James Feldeine leads them with his scoring touch while Amar’e Stoudemire takes over the paint with his experience in the limited time he spends on the court. The contender for the best young player Tamir Blatt has shown great promise recently taking over a more prominent role. He dished ten assists in each Round of 16 games against Neptunas cruising his team to quarterfinals.
Tenerife was the champion of the first BCL season and they are looking to do it again. They started off the season strong but it seems that parting ways with the leading scorer Thaddus McFadden messed with their sync. It almost cost them the quarterfinals since Promitheas was ahead by 12 points after the first game. True enough, the Spaniards shined in Game 2 for a 22-point victory but it’s also true that it’s their only win in the last seven games in all competitions. A lot will depend on whether they can rise and bring their ‘A’ game to the floor.
Brose Bamberg – AEK
Next up, at 20:00 CET in Germany, are Bamberg and the reigning champion AEK which both come from Group C. The teams arrive in perhaps the best form out of all quarterfinalists as Bamberg has lost only one game out of last 15 in all competitions while AEK lost two.
The Germans have been unstoppable recently winning 11 games straight. They got past Banvit in the Round of 16 led by Tyrese Rice who nailed 50 points in total (20+32). Rice also stepped up for the German squad in the crunch time whole season long earning the ‘King in the Fourth’ nickname. He has averaged over six points in crunch time and scored a total of 95 points in the fourth quarter. No need to say that AEK will have to find a way to stop him or they might be in trouble.
But the reigning champs have got a weapon of their own in Vince Hunter who has been averaging 18.3 points and eight rebounds in 26.2 minutes putting himself at the front of the MVP race. AEK came out on top in the Greek clash against PAOK in the Round of 16 and were first in the Group C but one of their two losses in the regular season was against none other than Bamberg, although, they won the first clash.
Nanterre 92 – Segafredo Virtus Bologna
Last but not least Nanterre will host Bologna at 20:30 CET in a clash of what seems like the total opposites as far as tradition goes. The French side has ‘turned pro’ in 2006 but won five trophies already while Bologna has 15 titles in their trophy case.
Nanterre is one of the quarterfinal teams that had to pull through the qualifiers but that doesn’t seem to take a toll on their ‘3-and-D’ playstyle. The French have been one of the best shooting teams this season even tying the BCL record of 19 triples in a single game. But their defense isn’t to be underestimated as they’ve held Besiktas 59 and 60 points in the two Round of 16 games which they won.
Bologna had the best start for a team in its first BCL season but as the season progressed, the things became harder and harder. They still finished the group stage at the first spot but they were in trouble in the domestic league and played a tie in Round of 16 Game 1 against Le Mans. The club decided it’s time for a change of coach and Aleksandar Djordjevic took over. The squad reacted the best way possible dominating Le Mans in Game 2 and winning two games in the Italian League as well. It seems Bologna is back on the right track and on their way to the top.
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League