MIES (Switzerland) - Season Seven of the Basketball Champions League is starting next week. Lenovo Tenerife are the defending champions, meaning they have the biggest target on their backs ahead of the Regular Season start.

Time for us to introduce all the 32 teams, group by group, continuing with the arrival of the FIBA Europe Cup 2022 winners Bahcesehir College. They will join Group D with ERA Nymburk, Igokea m:tel and Surne Bilbao.

 

		GAMES				STREAK	GAME POINTS					POINTS
#	Team	P	W	L	%	Last 5	For	Agt	+/-	FA	AA
1	ERA Nymburk NBK	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Igokea m:tel IGOK	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Surne Bilbao BILB	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Bahcesehir College BKSK	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0	0

ERA Nymburk

Who are they?

The most dominant force in Czech basketball. ERA Nymburk won the national championship 19 straight times, not allowing anybody to come close from 2003 to 2022. Their score in the 18 Finals series played across those 19 years is unreal at 60 wins and just nine defeats.

Coached by Roberts Stelmahers who created a force in Kalev/Cramo over the last three years and took over in Nymburk this summer, the Czech champs have gone through a number of changes in their roster, but still have loads of BCL experience.

Their biggest BCL success?

They reached back-to-back Final Eight tournaments in 2020 and 2021, but fell to AEK and Pinar Karsiyaka, respectively.

Why should I watch them?

Because they have their Czech core intact, Petr Benda, Lukas Palyza, Jakub Tuma, Lubos Kovar, two Frantiseks, Rylich and Vana, and Martin Kriz would be a rock solid roster even without international help. Sterling Gibbs is returning to the squad, Eric Lockett, Kamau Stokes and Gerel Simmons are looking for the next step in their careers, and Nate Watson could be one of the most interesting rookies in all of Europe.

Igokea m:tel

Who are they?

They are the club that won eight BIH championships, seven of them coming in the last nine years. They also claimed the Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup nine times, and also finished first in the Regular Season of Adriatic League in 2012-13, creating one of the biggest upsets in that part of Europe.

Coached by Dragan Bajic, Igokea m:tel are a nightmare matchup for most of the teams in the Adriatic League and the BCL. They are big and strong, their physicality is off the charts, and they always have a go-to guy who can win close games for them.

Their biggest BCL success?

They reached the Round of 16 in 2020-21, falling just one game short of a spot in the Quarter-Finals with a 3-3 record. Lenovo Tenerife and Hereda San Pablo Burgos were the two teams finishing ahead of them in Group J.

Why should I watch them?

With Kendrick Ray, they found their leader for the season. With De'Shawn Stephens, they will have their plays above the rim, and Antabia Waller is there for the outside shooting. Watch closely as their homegrown players are developing with each passing season, guys like Marko Josilo, Stefan Djordjevic and Nikola Tanaskovic could be a part of any other BCL team.

Surne Bilbao

Who are they?

A team that shocked the world back in 2011, when they reached the Final of the Spanish League, and followed it up with a Quarter-Finals appearance in the EuroLeague in 2012 and the Final of EuroCup in 2013.

Coached by Jaume Ponsarnau, Bilbao are turning a new page in their history books, having a new coach on their bench for the first time in four years, ending the reign of Alex Mumbru as their playcaller.

Their biggest BCL success?

They only played it once, back in 2020-21, and were eliminated in the Regular Season with a 2-4 record.

Why should I watch them?

They have their BCL experience with guys like Michale Kyser, Denzel Andersson, Xavi Rabaseda, Adam Smith, Francis Alonso and Emir Sulejmanovic, and they have their own crowd favorites in Jeff Withey and Ludvig Hakanson. If you like team-first approach, Bilbao are the club for you.

Bahcesehir College

Who are they?

The 2022 FIBA Europe Cup champions, they have been in the elite division of Turkish basketball for the past four years. And already, they are showing they want more than just participating. They were already in the Semi-Finals in the FIBA Europe Cup on their debut in 2019-20, now they are coming in after picking up that trophy and finishing sixth in Turkey.

Coached by Erhan Ernak, they will not see themselves as an outsider in this group. Even though they are a young club, their players have seen the biggest of stages and could deliver the damage already in their inaugural BCL season.

Their biggest BCL success?

This is their first BCL season.

Why should I watch them?

Because Jamar Smith, Langston Hall, Vladimir Brodziansky, Jaka Blazic and Jerry Boutsiele have won big games all over the world in their careers. Yigit Arslan, Muhammed Baygul, Ogus Savas and Kartal Ozmizrak are giving them a guarantee that even the homegrown kids can win multiple games for Bahcesehir College.