20 September, 2018
01 January, 2019
11/07/2018
Press Release
to read

Basketball Champions League Qualification Rounds and Regular Season draw completed


MIES, Switzerland (Basketball Champions League) - The Official Draw Ceremony for the 2018-19 season of the Basketball Champions League took place on Wednesday in Mies, Switzerland.

Here are the results of the draw:

Regular Season (alphabetically)

Group A: Anwil Wloclawek (POL), Banvit (TUR), Le Mans Sarthe Basket (FRA), MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg (GER), Sidigas Avellino (ITA), Ventspils (LAT), Winner of Game 21 (Hapoel Tel Aviv/Spirou Basket/Leicester Riders/Bakken Bears/UCAM Murcia), Winner of Game 23 (FC Porto/Nizhny Novgorod/Dinamo Tbilisi/Aris/JIP Pardubice)

Group B: Hapoel UNET Holon (ISR), Iberostar Tenerife (ESP), Opava (CZE), PAOK (GRE), Telekom Baskets Bonn (GER), Umana Reyer Venezia Mestre (ITA), Winner of Game 19 (Sigal Prishtina/Donar Groningen/Fribourg Olympic/Avtodor Saratov/Sakarya Buyuksehir), Winner of Game 20 (Siauliai/Lukoil Levski/Karhu Basket Kauhajoki/CSM Oradea/Nanterre 92)

Group C: AEK (GRE), Brose Baskets Bamberg (GER), CEZ Nymburk (CZE), Hapoel Jerusalem (ISR), JDA Dijon Basket (FRA), Lietkabelis Panevezys (LTU), Montakit Fuenlabrada (ESP), Winner of Game 13 (Red October Cantù/Szolnoki Olaj/AEK Larnaca/Telenet Giants Antwerp)

Group D: Besiktas Sompo Japan (TUR), Neptunas Klaipeda (LTU), Oostende (BEL), Petrol Olimpija (SLO), Promitheas Patras (GRE), Segafredo Virtus Bologna (ITA), SIG Strasbourg (FRA), Winner of Game 24 (Polski Cukier Torun/Tsmoki-Minsk/Norrköping Dolphins/Movistar Estudiantes/medi Bayreuth)

The Regular Season consists of four (4) groups of eight (8) teams each, with games played on a home and away basis and in a round robin format. The four (4) best ranked teams from each group will advance to the Play-Offs. The action will tip off on 9 October.

The Qualification Rounds have also been drawn:

Qualification Round 1

Game 1: Leicester Riders (GBR) v Bakken Bears (DEN)
Game 2: Fribourg Olympic (SUI) v Avtodor Saratov (RUS)
Game 3: AEK Larnaca (CYP) v Telenet Giants Antwerp (BEL)
Game 4: Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) v Aris (GRE)
Game 5: Norrköping Dolphins (SWE) v Movistar Estudiantes (ESP)
Game 6: Karhu Basket Kauhajoki (FIN) v CSM Oradea (ROU)
Game 7: Red October Cantù (ITA) v Szolnoki Olaj (HUN)
Game 8: Hapoel Tel Aviv (ISR) v Spirou Basket (BEL)
Game 9: Siauliai (LTU) v Lukoil Levski (BUL)
Game 10: Polski Cukier Torun (POL) v Tsmoki-Minsk (BLR)
Game 11: FC Porto (POR) v Nizhny Novgorod (RUS)
Game 12: Sigal Prishtina (KOS) v Donar Groningen (NED)

Games will be played home and away on 20 and 22 September. The teams indicated in second position will play the second leg at home.

Qualification Round 2

Game 13: Winner of Game 7 (Red October Cantù/Szolnoki Olaj) v Winner of Game 3 (AEK Larnaca/Telenet Giants Antwerp) 
Game 14: Winner of Game 10 (Polski Cukier Torun/Tsmoki-Minsk) v Winner of Game 5 (Norrköping Dolphins/Movistar Estudiantes)
Game 15: Winner of Game 9 (Siauliai/Lukoil Levski) v Winner of Game 6 (Karhu Basket Kauhajoki/CSM Oradea)
Game 16: Winner of  Game 8 (Hapoel Tel Aviv/Spirou Basket) v Winner of Game 1 (Leicester Riders/Bakken Bears)
Game 17: Winner of Game 11 (FC Porto/Nizhny Novgorod) v Winner of Game 4 (Dinamo Tbilisi/Aris)
Game 18: Winner of Game 12 (Sigal Prishtina/Donar Groningen) v Winner of Game 2 (Fribourg Olympic/Avtodor Saratov)

Games will be played home and away on 25 and 28 September. The teams indicated in second position (winners of Games 1 to 6) will play the second leg at home.

Qualification Round 3

Game 19: Winner of Game 18 (Sigal Prishtina/Donar Groningen/Fribourg Olympic/Avtodor Saratov) v Sakarya Buyuksehir (TUR)
Game 20: Winner of Game 15 (Siauliai/Lukoil Levski/Karhu Basket Kauhajoki/CSM Oradea) v Nanterre 92 (FRA)
Game 21: Winner of Game 16 (Hapoel Tel Aviv/Spirou Basket/Leicester Riders/Bakken Bears) v UCAM Murcia (ESP)
Game 23: Winner of Game 17 (FC Porto/Nizhny Novgorod/Dinamo Tbilisi/Aris) v JIP Pardubice (CZE)
Game 24:  Winner of Game 14 (Polski Cukier Torun/Tsmoki-Minsk/Norrköping Dolphins/Movistar Estudiantes) v medi Bayreuth (GER)

Games will be played home and away on 1 and 4 October. The teams indicated in second position will play the second leg at home.

All Qualification Rounds games are played in a home and away format with the action getting underway on 20 September 2018. The six (6) winners of Qualification Round 3 qualify for the Regular Season, joining the 26 directly qualified teams in the main draw. The draw was carried out in such a way as to prevent teams from a same country facing each other in the Qualification Rounds and in the Regular Season.

Complete schedule and tip-off times will be determined at a later stage.

Dragan Sakota, winner of the second Basketball Champions League edition with AEK, brought the trophy back from Athens

Distinguished guests, including members of the Basketball Champions League's Board of Directors, Committees Members, Shareholders Leagues and representatives from all 56 participating teams, were in attendance for the special occasion. The ceremony was live-streamed by 48 participating clubs.

The 56 participating teams were invited to an introductory workshop before the draw