By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
With just eight games left for the end of the BKT EuroCup regular season and one more volume of the Power Rankings left, things are already settling down in a very interesting way.
On one hand, there’s Turk Telekom Ankara still dropping and Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana disappointing once more as teams coming from countries where basketball has an established place in the sports landscape.
On the other, after Paris – which is a bonified title contender – London Lions and U-BT Cluj-Napoca are making huge steps forward and having impressive seasons so far.
Can they make it all the way? This question is why you should not lose a minute of EuroCup action, especially this season.
20. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 0-10 (-2)
No win for Cedevita Olimpija yet. Considering their 8-3 record in the ABA League, this seems crazy, but it is what it is.
19. Veolia Towers Hamburg 1-9 (-)
They finally got their first win, but they have a total of -186 points on their back and are not showing any sign of progress.
18. Slask Wroclaw 1-9 (+2)
Slask got a first victory, and that is no small feat. They also lost a lot of games by very small margins – hence, their overall point difference is just -67 – so they are improving.
17. Aris Midea Thessaloniki 3-7 (-1)
They lost a spot because of their record, but on the other hand, they should be ranked a bit better and also had a justified complaint about a key non-call in the home defeat against Ulm. Still, they are in the mix for the quarterfinals.
16. Dolomiti Energia Trento 4-6 (+1)
They gained one spot and at the moment are on the verge of making it to the next phase just because they edged Aris at home by two points (69-67)
15. Umana Reyer Venice 4-6 (-)
Their improvement has been formidable, as the Italian club boasts a 3-2 record since the previous edition of the Power Rankings. But they still have a lot of ground to cover if they want to deliver on their ambitions.
14. Turk Telekom Ankara 2-8 (-6)
For the second straight edition of the Power Rankings, last season’s finalists dropped by six positions, according to our rule for the biggest jump forward or backward. The only good thing for them is that they can still catch up with eight games left and on paper they have the personnel to do it.
13. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 4-6 (-)
They are stabilized near the playoffs line but it’s a close race and they should continue like this or do even better to make it.
12. Wolves Vilnius 4-5 (-1)
They still have one fewer game played than the rest of the league and a negative record on the last five games (2-3), but they are right on the mix to make it to the next phase despite being newcomers.
11. 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys 4-6 (+3)
After a six-position drop, the return of the coach Nenad Canak to a team he knows very well put the Lithuanians back on track to make it to the next phase. The improvement is visible in the standings with a 3-2 record in the last five rounds.
10. Prometey Slobozhanske 5-5 (-)
Another team that has stabilized its position in the standings and also in the Power Rankings. The upcoming game against Besiktas is a great test for them.
9. Joventut Badalona 5-5 (-2)
Something is not clicking yet for Badalona. They had their injury woes to worry about, but they are not – or at least yet – the team they used to be.
8. Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul 6-4 (-2)
After a great start to the season, Besiktas hit a bump with two straight losses, one at home to Badalona. That’s why the road game against Prometey is more than crucial right now.
7. ratiopharm Ulm 7-3 (-3)
After an electric start, they continue on the same pace, however, other teams are simply doing better.
6. U-BT Cluj-Napoca 7-3 (+6)
The only team that made a six-position jump forward in this edition has already gained the title of this season’s Cinderella. They are for real and seem already a lock for the quarterfinals.
5. Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse 8-2 (-)
After their great start, they seem ready this year to stay on course for the remainder of the regular season, unlike what happened last season.
4. London Lions 8-2 (+5)
Are the London Lions capable of winning the EuroCup? At this point, that’s a real possibility that can’t be considered far-fetched at all.
3. Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv 7-2 (-)
They lost two games, and they have one fewer than the rest of the league, however, they have a huge advantage coming up. Six of their nine remaining games are at “home”, which at this point is Belgrade, due to the changes made in the schedule because of the situation in Israel.
2. Paris Basketball 9-1 (-)
Yes, they lost a game but they are still the team to beat in Group A, dreaming EuroLeague dreams.
1. Dreamland Gran Canaria 10-0 (-)
Gran Canaria is having a dreamland-like season (pun intended).