By Stefanos Tatsios/ info@eurohoops.net
The first stage of this season in the Basketball Champions League is one step, or, more specifically, one game before its completion.
The competition’s four groups gave the fans of the teams and of basketball in general some big moments, with a lot of records, rich spectacle and old and new protagonists emerging on the court.
With 13 rounds of the group stage of the Basketball Champions League already behind us, 14 of the 16 playoff positions have already been filled.
Eurohoops presents in detail the teams that have qualified from each group, shortly before the completion of the regular season, where the interest lies not only with which teams will cover the 2 open spots for the competition’s Round of 16, but also the placement of the rest, since that is what will largely determine the opponent they will come up against in the knockout stage.
Group A
The first group of the competition is one of two that, as of the end of Gameday 13, still haven’t booked all four tickets that offer a place in the playoffs.
So far, three teams have secured their qualification and those are: Turk Telekom, of the impressive Kyle Wiltjer; Dinamo Sassari, who look like they’re one of the favorites to make the Final Four; and Filou Oostende, who are the surprise of this group.
Three teams will play for their qualification to the playoffs, and those are UNET Holon, Lietkabelis and BAXI Manresa, with the rest of the contenders having been disqualified mathematically as well.
Group B
In the second group of the BCL, things are more or less straightforward, as after AEK’s win in Germany one spot remains open for an entry into the Round of 16.
James Feldeine’s Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem has qualified for the knockout stage from early on and has also sealed the No.1 spot, while the Greek team, with their big win on German soil, have qualified for the playoffs for yet another season, in fact taking the Turkish Teksut Bandirma along with them.
Now, the last spot of the group, like the final ranking of the teams, will be played for on Gameday 14, with San Pablo Burgos hosting RASTA Vechta in Spain. For the Germans to qualify, a win is not enough. They have to do it by 6 or more points. In case of any other outcome, the Spanish team will qualify for the playoffs.
Groups C and D
Let’s take a look at the last two groups in the Basketball Champions League for the 2019-20 season, the only groups in which, as of the end of Gameday 13, all the positions that lead to the playoffs have been filled and where only the final rankings remain to be decided.
In Group C, Peristeri winmasters will be in the knockout stage together with the strong Iberostar Tenerife, the impressive ERA Nymburk, and Nizhny Novgorod.
In the Group D, the teams that have secured their presence in the Round of 16 are JDA Dijon, Telekom Baskets Bonn, Casademont Zaragoza and Besiktas Sompo Sigorta, who were excellent in the second phase and who will deservedly be present in the next one.
From here on out…
Now, after the completion of Gameday 13 in the group stage of the Basketball Champions League, 14 positions for the Round of 16 are reserved and only two tickets are still available.
In Groups C and D, the teams have secured their qualification, while in A and B, there is only one position that can provide a ticket to the first knockout stage of the competition, and all this will be decided on the 14th and final Gameday of the regular season.
In detail, the teams that have qualified from each group and the candidates for the remaining tickets:
Group A
| Position | Team |
| 1. | Turk Telekom |
| 2. | Dinamo Sassari |
| 3. | Filou Oostende |
| 4. | BAXI Manresa or UNET Holon or Lietkabelis |
Group B
| Position | Team |
| 1. | Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem |
| 2. | AEK |
| 3. | Teksut Bandirma |
| 4. | San Pablo Burgos or RASTA Vechta |
Group C
| Position | Team |
| 1. | Iberostar Tenerife |
| 2. | ERA Nymburk |
| 3. | Nizhny Novgorod |
| 4. | Peristeri winmasters |
Group D
| Position | Team |
| 1. | Casademont Zaragoza |
| 2. | Telekom Baskets Bonn |
| 3. | JDA Dijon |
| 4. | Besiktas Sompo Sigorta |
*The teams in bold will play for their qualification on the final Gameday.
**The final rankings of the teams that have qualified for the playoffs will be decided after the results of Gameday 14.