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 last season's finalist in BAXI Manresa, who are forming the acronym Group F alongside VEF, CSP and SLB.

		GAMES				STREAK	GAME POINTS					POINTS
#	Team	P	W	L	%	Last 5	For	Agt	+/-	FA	AA
1	BAXI Manresa MANR	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0	0
2	VEF Riga VEF	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Limoges CSP CSP	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0	0
4	S.L. Benfica SLB	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0	0

BAXI Manresa

Who are they?

The biggest small club in the world, Manresa were able to sneak in and win the 1998 Spanish championship, storming through Estudiantes, Real Madrid and Baskonia in the Play-Offs, while not having home court advantage in any of those series. They also have one Spanish Cup to their name, won in 1996.

Coached by last season's BCL Coach of the Year Pedro Martinez, they went through a lot of changes over the summer, losing their entire frontcourt led by BCL MVP Chima Moneke. They could be backcourt oriented this season, with Jerrick Harding and Giordano Bortolani as their biggest arrivals.

Their biggest BCL success?

They reached the Final last season, losing to Lenovo Tenerife in one of the best games ever played in this competition.

Why should I watch them?

Because their home crowd is amazing, they have one of the best young players in all of Europe in Bortolani, they brought in one of the best scorers of the BCL in Harding, and Pedro Martinez's coaching always offers something extra on the side.

VEF Riga

Who are they?

Nine-time Latvian champions, all nine of those arriving in the last 11 years. They also won the Latvian Cup last season, the first one organized in the country since 1994, and to add to their amazing season, they also added the Latvian-Estonian League championship to their collection in 2022.

Coached by Janis Gailitis for the last six years, they are used to international success, too, escaping the group stage of the BCL in each of the last two seasons. The modus operandi remains the same, Latvian core stays intact, young and hungry international prospects are given an opportunity to lead this team.

Their biggest BCL success?

They played the Round of 16 two seasons ago, and were eliminated in two close games against JDA Dijon in the Play-In Series last season.

Why should I watch them?

Because Gerry Blakes and Daniel Hamilton could lead the BCL in scoring, because Kristers Zoriks is reaching his prime at 24 and drawing a lot of attention from around the continent, and because Artis Ate hasn't missed a floater in his career. Or so it seems.

Limoges CSP

Who are they?

A historical club, still the only French outfit to win the EuroLeague, back in 1992-93. They also have 11 League titles in France, they won the FIBA Saporta Cup in 1988, and the FIBA Korac Cup in 1982, 1983 and 2000.

Coached by Massimo Cancellieri, their tradition will push them to search for more international success this season. The team went 20-14 to earn fourth spot in France last season, but were eliminated in the Quarter-Finals in two games vs JDA Dijon.

Their biggest BCL success?

They played the Regular Season back in 2020-21, failing to reach the Round of 16.

Why should I watch them?

Because they have a beautiful arena, impressive crowd, and a unique experience of history calling from all corners. Javontae Hawkins seems to be back to his best, he averaged 16 points per game in two seasons in Germany before arriving in Limoges.

S.L. Benfica

Who are they?

The first ever Portuguese club in the Regular Season. It's only fitting they were the ones making the leap, since Benfica are the record holders for most championships (28, including last season), most Cups (22), most League Cups (12) and most Super Cups (14) in Portugal.

Coached by Norberto Alves, Portuguese champs stormed through the Qualifying Rounds while eliminating a juggernaut like Brose Bamberg in the Final in Lisbon, in front of a raucous crowd in their arena. They were close once before, losing by a last second foot-on-the-line shot in their Qualifiers tie with Varese back in 2016-17.

Their biggest BCL success?

They are about to play their first BCL season.

Why should I watch them?

Because they could be the upset masters of this season. Benfica know what they are doing, with players like Ivan Almeida, Betinho Gomes, Tomas Barroso and Jose Silva, they have their Portuguese speaking base, and they've added loads of international experience with Toney Douglas, James Ellisor, Maik Zirbes and Makrem Ben Romdhane.