By John Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The fourth season of the Basketball Champions League is upon us. Tuesday and Wednesday will feature the Regular Season Round 1 games with plenty of strong sides scattered across Europe making the 32-team field.
Following the qualifying rounds, the four groups of eight clubs each were set. The top four teams after 14 weeks of action will advance to the playoffs and will need to overcome two more obstacles for a spot in the Final Four. Playoffs will be contested in best-of-three series for the first time, but that discussion can wait until March.
The Regular Season, which will conclude in the first week of February, is previewed by Eurohoops. We will keep you informed on all Group A, Group B, Group C and Group D results, potential additions for all participants and other interesting developments throughout the season up to the Final Four set to take place between May 1st and May 3rd.
Group A
BAXI Manresa
Dinamo Sassari
Filou Oostende
Lietkabelis
Polski Cukier Torun
SIG Strasbourg
Turk Telekom
UNET Holon
Three BCL Regular Season newcomers in this group with BAXI Manresa set for European club competition action for the first time in a couple of decades. Turk Telekom will debut in FIBA’s premier club competition while Polski Cukier Torun made it past the qualifiers into the Regular Season for the first time.
In full contrast, Dinamo Sassari, Filou Oostende, Lietkabelis, SIG Strasbourg and UNET Holon have been around, but only Sassari and Strasbourg have previously advanced through to the playoffs. New opportunities emerge.
An open group with a variety of stars in each team will keep us company in the upcoming months starting off with interesting matchups across the field.
Basketball Champions League’s take on Group A.
Round 1
Tuesday
UNET Holon – Turk Telekom
SIG Strasbourg – Filou Oostende
Wednesday
BAXI Manresa – Polski Cukier Torun
Dinamo Sassari – Lietkabelis
Group B
AEK
Anwil Wloclawek
EB Pau-Lacq-Orthez
Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem
RASTA Vechta
San Pablo Burgos
Teksut Bandirma
Telenet Giants Antwerp
The 2018 champion, AEK, stands out in this group, but will face various challenges to make it to the playoffs for the fourth straight Champions League season. Anwil Wloclawek, Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem, Teksut Bandirma and Telenet Giants Antwerp have also been acquainted with the BCL playoffs.
German team RASTA Vechta and San Pablo Burgos from Spain will make their first European club competition following impressive runs in the previous season of their country’s strong leagues. Rounding up the eight-team field is EB Pau-Lacq-Orthez, the 1984 FIBA Korac Cup winner that hopes to relive past European glory days.
Basketball Champions League’s take on Group B.
Round 1
Tuesday
RASTA Vechta – Anwil Wloclawek
Wednesday
AEK – EB Pau-Lacq-Orthez
Teksut Bandirma – Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem
San Pablo Burgos – Telenet Giants Antwerp
Group C
Brose Bamberg
ERA Nymburk
Gaziantep
Iberostar Tenerife
Mornar Bar
Nizhny Novgorod
Peristeri winmasters
VEF Riga
The first-ever Basketball Champions League triumphant Iberostar Tenerife is back to make another run for the trophy. Went all the way in the 2017 inaugural competition, stopped in the Round of 16 in the 2017-18 season and was held to second place in last May’s Final Four.
Brose Bamberg is set for its second BCL campaign. Other teams of this group, ERA Nymburk, Gaziantep, Mornar Bar Nizhny Novgorod, also have previous Champions League experiences.
The other couple of sides Peristeri winmasters and VEF Riga will debut in the Champions League returning at the European club competition level. The Greek side’s last run was back in 2004, while the team from Latvia has been absent the past four years.
Basketball Champions League’s take on Group C.
Round 1
Tuesday
Gaziantep – Peristeri winmasters
VEF Riga – Mornar Bar
Iberostar Tenerife – Nizhny Novgorod
Wednesday
ERA Nymburk – Brose Bamberg