09/10/2018
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Everything you need to know before Wednesday's games
MIES, Switzerland (Basketball Champions League) - The third Basketball Champions League season is on! Let's have a look at some key facts before Wednesday's games.
Banvit (TUR) v MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg (GER)
- These two teams have played the first two seasons of the Basketball Champions League, Banvit finishing second in 2016/17 and Ludwigsburg finishing 4th last season.
- Ludwigsburg have played the most BCL games among the teams that will take part in the 2018/19 season (40 games). Banvit are just behind with 38 games played.
- Banvit allowed their opponents to make only 1.3 blocks per game last season in the BCL, less than any other team.
- Ludwigsburg have scored the most points in BCL history among the current teams (3197).
- Banvit's Devin Oliver, arrived this Summer from Petrol Olimpija, made on average 2 steals per game in the BCL 2017/18, more than any other forward.
Ventspils (LAT) v Anwil Wloclawek (POL)
- Ventspils will take part in their third BCL season, their best result being a Play-Offs Qualifier round in 2016/17.
- Anwil will make their debut in BCL and are the third Polish team to appear in the competition after Zielona Gora and Rosa Radom.
- Ventspils have won their two games against a Polish opposition in BCL, both against Rosa Radom in 2016/17.
- Ventspils made fewer fouls per game (18.1) than any other team during the Regular Season of the BCL 2017/18.
- Anwil's new guard Vladimir Mihailovic will take part in his third BCL season, with a third different team, after Oldenburg in 2016/17 and Oostende in 2017/18.
Opava (CZE) v Nanterre 92 (FRA)
- Opava will make their debut in BCL. They are only the second Czech team to appear in the competition after CEZ Nymburk.
- Nanterre 92 will take part in their second season in a row in BCL. They were knocked out in the Round of 16 by Banvit in the 2017/18 edition.
- Nanterre 92 already faced a Czech team on Gameday 1 last season: they won 81-72 on CEZ Nymburk's court.
- Nanterre 92 made on average 11.4 3-pointers per game in the BCL 2017/18, more than any other team.
- Only one forward with more than 70 attempts from behind the arc last season had a best 3P% than Nanterre's Hugo Invernizzi (38/83 - 45.8%).
AEK (GRE) v Hapoel Jerusalem (ISR)
- AEK, the current BCL champion, will take part in their third campaign in the competition.
- Hapoel Jerusalem will make their debut in BCL. They are the fourth team from Israel to appear in the competition.
- AEK is one of the three teams to have scored more than 3000 points in BCL history (3084).
- AEK made 19.1 free-throws per game last season in BCL, more than any other team.
- AEK's Dusan Sakota has scored 482 points in the BCL, second best tally and the most among the players who will take part in the 2018/19 campaign.
UNET Holon (ISR) v Fribourg Olympic (SUI)
- UNET Holon will take part in their second consecutive BCL season. They are the first team from Israel to appear in two different editions of the BCL.
- Fribourg Olympic are the first Swiss team to take part in BCL. Switzerland are now the 23rd country to have had a team appearing in BCL.
- UNET Holon have won only three of their 14 BCL games, but all these three wins came at home.
- UNET Holon conceded 88.9 points on average per game last season in BCL, more than any other team.
- UNET Holon's new man Shawn Jones grabbed the most rebounds per game for Dinamo Sassari last season in BCL (5.7 per game).
Brose Bamberg (GER) v Montakit Fuenlabrada (ESP)
- Brose Bamberg will make their debut in BCL this season and will be the 6th German team to appear in the competition.
- Montakit Fuenlabrada will also make their debut in BCL and will be the 4th Spanish team to appear in the competition.
- The Spanish teams have won five of their seven encounters against German sides in BCL.
- Brose Bamberg's Arnoldas Kulboka was the youngest player (20y) with more than one double-double last season in BCL (2 double-doubles) during his loan at Capo d'Orlando. He won the BCL Best Young Player of the Year in 2017/18.
- Fuenlabrada's Christian Eyenga was the best point scorer for Varese (186) in the BCL 2016/17.
UCAM Murcia (ESP) v Le Mans (FRA)
- UCAM Murcia will appear for the second season in a row in BCL. They won the bronze medal for their BCL debut last season.
- Le Mans took part in the first edition of the BCL, knocked out in the Round of 16 by Dinamo Sassari.
- UCAM Murcia attempted (25.3) and made (19.1) the most free-throws during the Regular Season of the BCL 2017/18.
- Murcia's Ovie Soko grabbed on average 7.4 rebounds per game in the BCL 2017/18, more than any other forward.
- Among the current squad, only Wilfried Yeguete and Petr Cornelie already took part in the BCL 2016/17 with Le Mans.
Segafredo Virtus Bologna (ITA) v Neptunas Klaipeda (LTU)
- Segafredo Virtus Bologna will make their debut in BCL and will be the 5th Italian team to appear in the competition.
- Neptunas Klaipeda will take part in their third season in BCL, reaching the Round of 16 in both their two previous seasons in the league.
- The Italian teams have won three of their eight games against Lithuanian sides in BCL.
- Neptunas Klaipeda allowed their opponents to score an average of 17.4 free throws per game in the BCL last season, more than any other team.
- Neptunas' center Simas Galdikas made on average 3.9 fouls per game last season in the BCL, more than any other player. He was fouled out eight times in the BCL 2017/18.
Filou Oostende (BEL) v Promitheas (GRE)
- Filou Oostende will take part in their third BCL campaign but never managed to go through the Group Phase in their two previous seasons.
- Promitheas will make their debut in BCL and will be the 4th Greek team to take part in a BCL season.
- Filou Oostende have won their two BCL games played against a Greek side, it was last season against Aris.
- Filou Oostende attempted 55.1 field goals per game in the BCL 2017/18, the fewest among all teams in the competition last season.
- Oostende's new forward Nemanja Djurisic grabbed on average 6.6 rebounds per game last season in the BCL with Telekom Baskets Bonn, more than any of his former teammates.