By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
At the halfway point of the 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season, it’s time to revisit the Power Rankings. A lot of things have changed.
The Spanish and the French teams proved to be better than expected while Buducnost VOLI is delivering and Dolomiti Energia Trento is the new trend from Italy.
With the rule being that the biggest jump permitted in the standings forward or backward is six positions, here are the upcoming rankings which include quite a few surprises.
1. Segafredo Virtus Bologna (5-0)
The Italians are the team to beat and they are proving it on the court, being the only perfect team in very competitive Group C. The numbers are in this team’s favor. Virtus has won three games on the road already and is clearly aiming for the trophy and a spot in the EuroLeague.
2. Unicaja Malaga (4-1)
Despite its share of injury woes and COVID-related issues, Unicaja is back for good and may end up being the main obstacle that Virtus will have to overcome in order to get the trophy. Its only defeat came on the road to Mornar Bar, so the Spaniards are still in full control of the Group B standings.
3. Lokomotiv Kuban (4-1) +2
Can this be the year of Loko after all? They lost only to Virtus by six points on the road and Alan Williams is making a case for being the best big man in the competition. That’s why they have climbed two spots in the Power Rankings and they are aiming for higher ground if they can beat the Italians at home.
4. Herbalife Gran Canaria (3-1) +5
This is the first big jump in the rankings as Gran Canaria is emerging as a solid contender despite parting ways with Amedeo Della Valle. However, sometimes less is more and so far they have proven that by getting two road wins in three games, losing only to Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana.
5. AS Monaco (3-2) -1
Monaco lost one position and two games so far, but in their defense, they are part of Group C, which includes Virtus and Lokomotiv, the number one and number three teams of the rankings. Those are the two teams that have defeated the French side and especially that home defeat by Loko hurt them a lot, practically pushing them down to number 5, instead of elevating them to number 3.
6. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (3-2) +4
That’s also a big jump in the standings and very well deserved. Despite losing to Unicaja and Mornar Bar on the road (the latter by 3 in overtime), the talent of the roster is delivering and we will probably see them in the playoffs. Number six in the standings may be a little bit high, but the six-position-jump prohibition is pushing them higher since it prevents the perfect team below from taking their spot…
7. Joventut Badalona (5-0) +6
Yes, you guessed right. The perfect team that could be even higher – and should probably be in the next edition of the power rankings – is Joventut Badalona, who has taken the competition by storm. They have won all their games, including against UNICS Kazan on the road without their two most experienced players, Pau Ribas and Ante Tomic. They are already a lock for the playoffs and who knows what else they might do?
8. UNICS Kazan (2-2) -5
The flipside of Badalona is UNICS, which currently has played one game less (on the road against Bourg) and so far they are not performing on the level they would like to. To be exact they have just two home wins against Partizan and Bahcesehir and they will continue to drop if they don’t turn things around.
9. Mornar Bar (3-2) +6
That’s the second six-position jump after the one made by Joventut – and for a good reason. Despite losing to Ulm in the first game, they have won all the contests in their gym, including the games against Unicaja Malaga and Buducnost. They are still kind of a mixed bag, but they seem bound for the Top16.
10. Dolomiti Energia Trento (4-0) +6
Yes, they also advanced six positions in the standings and they deserve it arguably even more than Mornar Bar. They haven’t lost a game yet, they are leading the Group D standings and they made the jump from being a marginal Top 16 team to a solid unit that has beaten everyone with the exception of fourth-ranked Gran Canaria. Their game was postponed, but if they can do that too, then Trento’s rise will continue.