By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Lenovo Tenerife is a constant in the Basketball Champions League. Except for the 2018-19 season and being eliminated by UCAM Murcia in the Round of 16, the team based in the Canary Islands qualified for the season-ending tournament of all seven remaining seasons, including winning the championship in 2017 and 2022. Looking to lift the trophy in Belgrade and becoming the first three-time champion emerges as the next challenge.
Experienced players following the guidelines of head coach Txus Vidorreta to the letter. Tenerife is certainly the most prominent example of growth in the welcoming environment of the Champions League. Expanding to more areas of Europe, often undervalued, has helped multiple teams improve their fortunes over the last eight years. However, Tenerife going from mid-table finishes in Spain’s Liga Endesa to a force to be reckoned with at the domestic and continental levels overshadows the rest.
The path to the Final Four
The eighth BCL campaign for the lasting originals of FIBA Europe’s top-tier club continental competition started with a lopsided home win against Cholet on October 17. The record-breaking winning streak in Santiago Martin was extended to 22 games on the way to the Final Four. But getting the job done requires success away from home.
Topping Group C of the Regular Season behind a 4-2 record secured a direct ticket to the Round of 16. Four wins and two losses in Group K clinched homecourt advantage in the Quarterfinals. Extending the winning streak at home countered a loss in Bursa to Tofas in the Quarterfinals and completed the path to the Final Four.
The team guided by Vidorreta will play in the Semifinals of the Champions League for a fifth time. No other team has reached this stage more than twice.
Expected to win
Taking on Peristeri bwin in the Semifinals of the Final Four will be the seventh meeting with the Greek club in the Champions League. Four wins and two losses so far, including splitting home and away games versus the team coached by Vassilis Spanoulis in the Round of 16. The pressure to beat Peristeri once more, expected to advance to the championship game and face an ACB rival in the form of Unicaja or UCAM Murcia, needs to be addressed with a confident showing on the court.
Injuries to key players late in the 2023-24 campaign do not help. Jaime Fernandez (right knee surgery) is sidelined and two-time champion Aaron Doornekamp (left foot) is expected to miss the Final Four as well. Squad depth and experience are certainly useful weapons to use opposite the underdogs of the Final Four and the only remaining contender not based in Spain.
The battle of Huertas and Ragland
Marcelinho Huertas and Joe Ragland are set for yet another BCL matchup, running point for their respective sides. The players with the most double-doubles in league history at 11 and 16, respectively. Previous encounters include the Semifinal of the 2022 Final Four in Bilbao. The ageless Brazilian point guard prevailed. Two days later, Huertas was also crowned champion and Final Four MVP. Overpowering the team coached by Spanoulis would unlock another championship game.
“Spanoulis is a legend of European basketball, and he means a lot to me. The respect is mutual,” Huertas confirmed a great relationship with the head coach of Peristeri, previewing the Final Four Semifinals contest on Tuesday.
The 40-year-old Brazilian guard is a former BCL champion as his main option for a pass in the paint, Giorgi Shermadini. Joan Sastre, Bruno Fitipaldo, Sasu Salin, and Fran Guerra were also part of the 2022 championship team. A member of the 2017 championship team, Tim Abromaitis is on the verge of becoming the first player with 100 games played in the Champions League.
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League