By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Basketball Champions League consistently promises exciting action and shining stars, continually expanding its reach to more countries. However, expect these trademark qualities to increase, possibly tenfold, in Season X, powered by Ameresco SUNEL.
Incoming NBA Europe, a new European league formed through a partnership between FIBA and the NBA, is in the air regarding the BCL. Several participating clubs will be looking to strengthen their respective potential entries in the project. More likely than not, there is no better place for such aspirations.
Eurohoops previews the 2025-26 edition of the Champions League, closely examining championship contenders, experienced stars, and promising upstarts.
Contenders
A long season, with multiple dangerous turns, predicting a champion in October is next to impossible. However, it is equally extremely difficult to ignore Unicaja. The Malaga outfit is coming off back-to-back titles, and also won the FIBA Intercontinental Cup over the last two years, besides huge domestic success, including the Copa del Rey 2025 title. Ibon Navarro’s side must be considered the early-season favorite, at least.
Key players in Dylan Osetkowski, Kameron Taylor, Tyson Carter moved their talents elsewhere during the offseason, alongside Yankuba Sima, Melvin Ejim, and Mario Saint-Supery, but the MVP of last season’s Final Four, Kendrick Perry is back, Alberto Diaz, Tyler Kalinoski, Tyson Perez, Killian Tillie, among others, as well, and Chris Duarte, Xavier Castaneda, and James Webb III were added to the roster.
La Laguna Tenerife is the second ACB participant seeking to become the first club with three BCL titles. Entering experienced forward Rokas Giedraitis alongside back-to-back season Most Valuable Player Marcelinho Huertas, Giorgi Shermadini, and the rest of the gang, that is scary. Here we go again with the most successful team in league history, with eight of nine seasons so far reaching the Quarterfinals or even further.
To Turkiye, Galatasaray MCT Technic wants to pick up from where it left off and then some, namely from runner-up to champion. In their sixth straight appearance in the league, the Lions are the biggest threat to multiple Spanish contenders, stretching from Unicaja and Tenerife to new entries, Dreamland Gran Canaria and Joventut Badalona.
Referring to rookies, ALBA Berlin moved to the BCL during the offseason. A fast-paced, energetic squad is hoping to combine youth with a championship, following the example of fellow easyCredit BBL club, Telekom Baskets Bonn, from 2023.
Meanwhile, AEK had a busy summer with the list of signings headlined by Lukas Lekavicius. With Mindaugas Kuzminskas and RaiQuan Gray among the returning players for the team coached by Dragan Sakota, lifting the trophy at the end of the season is a realistic goal.
Superstars
Win or lose on the floor, the biggest winner is Ricky Rubio. At 34, he returns to action once more. Focusing on mental health in recent years, since ending his NBA career, he is back with his childhood club, Badalona. Beyond an inspiring story, the Spanish floor general is undoubtedly the most successful and recognizable player across the rosters of all 32 teams.
He will be nearing 43 at the championship-crowning stage of the 2025-26 season, but Huertas has no intentions to slow down. He would rather add to his silverware. A champion in 2022 and runner-up in 2024, the six previous years with Tenerife extended from the Final Four MVP in Bilbao to season MVP nods in 2024 and 2025.
Rytas is among the strongest dark horses, outside the aforementioned teams. Failing to exceed the Round of 16 over the first five attempts, this year can be better, especially taking into account the arrival of prolific Jordan Walker. From a record-breaking 54-point showing with Promitheas Vikos Cola last season, the 26-year-old combo guard switched to the Vilnius outfit.
After 257 appearances in the NBA, Ryan Arcidiacono decided to connect with his roots, using overseas options to join ambitious Trapani Shark. With explosive combo guards expected to dominate the field once more, the former NCAA champion and MVP with Villanova in 2016 can be a brilliant addition to Jasmin Repesa’s squad.
Resurfacing after three BCL seasons and 30 games with Pinar Karsiyaka, Errick McCollum is on a mission with Galatasaray. Fresh off a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague championship with Fenerbahce Beko, the native of Ohio wants to turn back the clock to 2016, when he lifted Galata to a EuroCup championship as season MVP.
Prospects
The two most recent Basketball Champions League Best Young Player winners, Nolan Traore and Tidjane Salaun, moved directly to the NBA, adding to the prestigious award. A different route would be the case for 19-year-old Jack Kayil, since he committed to Gonzaga for the 2026-27 season, to follow a one-year reunion with ALBA. Alongside numerous youngsters at the disposal of head coach Pedro Calles, he returned to his hometown club after spending the last two years with RASTA Vechta II and Mega Superbet, while also adding more medals in junior international tournaments with Germany.
Returning after an NCAA spell with UC Irvine, 20-year-old Berk Akin pushed Bursaspor to the Regular Season with 12.3 points per game in a recent Qualification Tournament. More of the same is expected, diving into upcoming matchups versus Badalona, Cholet, and Hapoel Netanel Holon in Group C.
A two-time champion and MVP in the Youth Basketball Champions League with Rytas, 17-year-old Ignas Urbonas is the next big thing from Lithuania. He is facing a crowded backcourt, but is expected to make an impact on the senior squad as well, sooner rather than later.
Staying in the Baltic region and moving to Latvia, 18-year-old Adrians Andzevs is a promising prospect of VEF Riga. A former youth player of Real Madrid, he is expected to make some noise with the Vefins this season.
A promising upstart from Italy, 19-year-old Pietro Iannuzzi left Umana Reyer Venice to join Trieste shortly after winning gold in the FIBA U20 EuroBasket. Momentum is certainly favorable.
Originals and newcomers
A decade of BCL marks the upcoming edition, Season X. Three teams — AEK, Tenerife, and Filou Oostende — have been there for the entire ride, returning for a tenth campaign in the top-tier club continental competition of FIBA Europe. Especially the Greek and Spanish sides have been regulars in extended runs, having won it all once in 2018 and twice in 2017 and 2022, respectively.
Nevertheless, several new teams enter the field, adding to a growing list of championship contenders. From ALBA, Gran Canaria, and Badalona, as noted above, Trapani Shark and Trieste will be introducing themselves from Italy, Mersin Spor from Turkiye, Karditsa Iaponiki from Greece, Spartak Office Shoes from Serbia, Patrioti Levice from Slovakia, and Sabah from Azerbaijan.
Format
With 32 teams split into eight equal groups and an initial six-game schedule lasting from Tuesday until December 17, the top seeds will advance directly to the Round of 16, with the second and third seeds moving to a best-of-three Play-In series to be held in January.
With four new groups in place for the Round of 16 and a new six-game schedule between January and March, the top two seeds will qualify for the Quarterfinals. From there, a best-of-three series will separate the four finalists from the other four teams, stopping at the penultimate stage of the season in April. And finally, a champion will be crowned in the Final Four.