By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
The first five rounds of the 2020-21 7DAYS EuroCup season are in the books and it’s time to evaluate all 20 teams again to see where they stand in comparison to Vol. 1 of the Power Rankings.
To do so, we will take into account their respective progress, current standings, and their overall dynamic in the games which have been played.
#20 Slask Wroclaw
Previous ranking: #20 (-)
Record: 0-5
Home: 0-2
Away: 0-3
Offense – Defense: 70.4 – 82.4
After five rounds, the Polish team remains the only winless team in the competition, despite putting up a fight against some of the strongest teams. The most characteristic example of their resilience was their game against Boulogne on the road, in which they led in the second half, though they couldn’t resist the French team’s comeback.
#19 Dolomiti Energia Trento
Previous ranking: #13 (-6)
Record: 1-4
Home: 1-2
Away: 0-2
Offense – Defense: 67.8 – 82
Trento was faced with four consecutive defeats though managed to turn over a new page before the break, as they got away with an overtime victory against Slask at home. Defensive struggles have been plaguing the Italians so far and they have a very packed schedule ahead.
#18 JL Bourg
Previous ranking: #17 (-1)
Record: 1-4
Home: 1-1
Away: 0-3
Offense – Defense: 75.4- 80.4
Bourg nearly “stole” a W against Valencia in Round 5, but Sam Van Rossom’s experience prevented another upset. The French team’s brightest night so far has been a 30-point win over Promitheas in Round 3, though they collapsed in Round 4 against Gran Canaria, where they scored just 49 points. This inconsistent outlook is showing in their results, although they have proved to be a significant opponent.
#17 Hamburg Towers
Previous ranking: #17 (+1)
Record: 1-4
Home: 0-3
Away: 1-1
Offense – Defense: 85.2 – 93.2
The debutants set the mood since Round 1, when they poured in 97 points against Partizan. Although they couldn’t come away with an upset, they are one of the most dangerous underdogs in EuroCup this season, with a noteworthy offensive-defensive rating. Their sole win came once again after a shootout, as they edged Lietkabelis 100-96 on the road in Round 4.
#16 Promitheas Patras
Previous ranking: #14 (-2)
Record: 2-3
Home: 1-1
Away: 1-2
Offense – Defense: 72.8 – 80.4
Promitheas had a far from the ideal start to the new season, which resulted in a quick head coach change, with Luis Casimiro replaced by Elias Zouros on the team’s bench. So far, this seems to be working in their favor, as they have won their last two games, bouncing back from three consecutive defeats.
#15 ratiopharm Ulm
Previous ranking: #16 (+1)
Record: 2-3
Home: 1-3
Away: 1-1
Offense – Defense: 73.4 – 78.2
Ulm had a rough start into the new season with back-to-back defeats to Buducnost and Virtus Bologna, though the tide turned and the German team won two straight, both at home and on the road. Their sole road win came after a rare and epic double-overtime battle against Cedevita, paced by Jaron Blossomgame’s heroics, which earned him the Round 4 MVP honor.
#14 Cedevita Olimpija Ljulbljana
Previous ranking: #9 (-5)
Record: 2-3
Home: 1-1
Away: 1-2
Offense – Defense: 77 – 82.2
So far, Cedevita is a team of opposite speeds. After delivering an upset to Gran Canaria on the road and outlasting JL Bourg at home, it all went downhill. The latest example of this inconsistency was their derby against fellow ABA League competitors Buducnost, in which they were completely overpowered.
#13 Lietkabelis Panavezys
Previous ranking: #19 (+6)
Record: 2-3
Home: 0-2
Away: 2-1
Offense – Defense: 80.8 – 77.8
Perhaps the team that has exceeded expectations the most this season, though that’s not quite visible yet in their current record. Lietkabelis put up a fight against two strong suitors for the title, Lokomotiv and Partizan. They only lost by one point against the Russians and by seven against Zeljko Obradovic’s squad on the road. Gediminas Orelik showed that he can be a real threat from the three-point line and so can Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, who is on the rise this season with
#12 Frutti Extra Bursaspor
Previous ranking: #15 (+3)
Record: 2-3
Home: 1-2
Away: 1-1
Offense – Defense: 77.6 – 80
Allerik Freeman has given Bursaspor the needed boost to compete in a challenging Group B, and so far the results are convincing, bearing in mind the depth and strength of their opponents. After a tough defeat to Virtus Bologna in the opener, Bursaspor emerged with back-to-back wins, though lost its last two games with a margin of three and nine points respectively against Promitheas and Gran Canaria. They will face JL Bourg when action returns in December, and they have a good chance to stand out in the 2-3 pack of Group B if they hold it together in France.
#11 Umana Reyer Venice
Previous ranking: #10 (-1)
Record: 2-3
Home: 1-1
Away: 1-2
Offense – Defense: 73.4 – 73
Reyer was the first team to stop the furious Buducnost squad, an upset that helped them rise up to the middle of Group B. Their offense and defense are pretty balanced that this point, with a slight edge to the former. Mitchell Watt and Austin Daye serve as the top-scoring duo for the Italians, and long-term Venezia resident Stefano Tonut provides for his team when needed.