MIES (Switzerland) - The Basketball Champions League Season X, powered by Ameresco SUNEL is in its Round of 16 group phase.
The 16 teams are spread through four groups, but there is one place where they are all in it together.
The Ameresco Power Rankings mix them all together to figure out which teams are in the best form at the moment.
That is why the domestic results are also taken into account when ranking these 16 teams - you'll feel better about a team that's on a five-game winning run in all competitions, than about a team that's potentially at 6-1 in the BCL, but 6-11 in their national championship.
#16 Hapoel Netanel Holon (0)
BCL record: 4-7 Domestic league record: 9-7 Streak in all competitions: L5
Five defeats in a row, no chances of making it to the Quarter-Finals. Well, at least they can now focus on their domestic campaign, that's where the BCL Season XI plans begin.
#15 Karditsa Iaponiki (-1)
BCL record: 4-8 Domestic league record: 4-14 Streak in all competitions: L11
We've all seen stranger things, but eleven is just not good enough. That's 11 defeats in a row, just a surreal number for this team, and they have to fight the relegation battles now in Greece. Karditsa needed this break more than any other team, probably.
#14 Tofas Bursa (-1)
BCL record: 6-7 Domestic league record: 9-11 Streak in all competitions: W1
With AEK and ALBA picking up the two tickets to the Quarter-Finals already, Tofas know their BCL season will end after two more games, no matter what.
Still, those are important 80 minutes, as they give them an international stage to clean up the mistakes they are not allowed to make in the Turkish League anymore, as they are fighting for a Play-Offs ticket over there, sitting at 9-11 ahead of the break.
Oh, and Hugo Besson made the BCL All-Star Game. An imaginary BCL All-Star Game, but still.
#13 Pallacanestro Trieste (-2)
BCL record: 5-8 Domestic league record: 10-8 Streak in all competitions: W1
Let's sum this up with the words from our colleague: "Found myself wanting it to work more than I thought it actually would work."
Israel Gonzalez is no longer the playcaller in Trieste, Francesco Taccetti takes over. The club mentioned that coach Gonzalez achieved the goals set for this season with a solid domestic campaign, a Copa Italia berth and a spot in the Round of 16 of the BCL, but the team did not have the identity necessary to realize its full potential.
Coach Taccetti still has a chance to reach the Quarter-Finals here. But Trieste need to win both of their remaining games, on the road at Nymburk, and at home vs. Tenerife.
#12 ERA Nymburk (-3)
BCL record: 4-8 Domestic league record: 23-1 Streak in all competitions: W1
Same as Trieste, minus the coaching change, obviously. A pair of wins in their last two games, and they could be in the Quarter-Finals. The problem is, they scored a total of 119 points in their last two home games, combined.
Yeah, yeah, we know, "defense wins championships" and all that blah blah blah, but come on. Less than 60 points per game scored won't matter even if you had RC Lens' defense.
#11 Fitness First Wurzburg Baskets (+4)
BCL record: 7-6 Domestic league record: 12-8 Streak in all competitions: W2
See, we told you these guys were better than that losing streak suggested. Not only did they end the slump against Unicaja, yep, the back-to-back two-time champions, they've also backed it up with another win in Germany, holding Heidelberg to 54 points.
Go look at their records up here. Even after that seven game losing streak, they are still above .500 in the BCL, and waaaay above it in the Bundesliga. These guys are better than you think, for real.
#10 Rytas Vilnius (+2)
BCL record: 6-4 Domestic league record: 12-7 Streak in all competitions: W4
Okay, just like that, four straight wins! Rytas Vilnius figured some stuff out, but it's not going to matter if they don't win both of their remaining games in the Round of 16.
Nope, it does not help that between those two do-or-die games with Le Mans Sarthe Basket and Galatasaray MCT Technic they also have to face arch rivals Zalgiris on the road, but this is what they do. Maybe they head into those three games on a six game winning streak and with a trophy in their hands as they play the King Mindaugas Cup over the weekend now.
Hey, check this out, too - the Youth BCL legend is now getting love from the pro team, what a time to be alive!
#9 Elan Chalon (+1)
BCL record: 9-3 Domestic league record: 9-11 Streak in all competitions: L2
Let's not talk about the way they lost the French Cup tie to Hyeres Toulon in overtime, even with a five-point lead with 11.1 seconds left to play in Q4, then fouling a three-pointer and turning the ball over on the inbound play. Yeah, let's not talk about that.
Let's instead talk about them handing Joventut Badalona their first BCL defeat ever. That was, probably, their most important game of the season so far, as it means their Quarter-Finals hopes are are exactly the same as that Pearl Jam or P.O.D. song.
(Alive.)
#8 Unicaja (-5)
BCL record: 8-2 Domestic league record: 13-7 Streak in all competitions: L2
Ehm. What!?
Two straight defeats and they are down to #8 here. Don't worry, their favorite competition is coming up this weekend, they are about to win the Copa del Rey again, you'll see.
(Don't @ us if they don't.)
#7 Dreamland Gran Canaria (0)
BCL record: 9-1 Domestic league record: 7-12 Streak in all competitions: W2
See, there is logic behind this whole thing. Unicaja lost a pair, they drop to eight, but Gran Canaria don't automatically climb because they won a pair of games, because their domestic league record is still looking... Abysmal? Dreadful? Substandard?
To put it in perspective: Gran Canaria are five wins behind the last Play-Offs spot in Liga Endesa right now. Meaning they need a big streak, gargantuan streak to get back in the hunt there, while trying to keep Nymburk and Trieste in the rearview mirror over here.
One more note: Get well soon, champ!
#6 Le Mans Sarthe Basket (-2)
BCL record: 7-5 Domestic league record: 12-8 Streak in all competitions: W2
Out of the top five this week, but they had the perfect response domestically after they had lost to Galatasaray.
First, they blew out Chalon on the road, then they made it back-to-back double digit wins by taking down SIG Strasbourg in the French Cup, and that's all setting the stage for a massive game coming up over the weekend, as they take on Nanterre 92 in the Leaders Cup.
Top scorer in both of those two games up there? Trevor Hudgins, combining for 45 points. Just in case you were wondering if you should be worried about his 16 points combined in the those two games prior to these two.
#5 La Laguna Tenerife (+3)
BCL record: 7-3 Domestic league record: 12-8 Streak in all competitions: W2
Okay, maybe they figured out life without Marcelinho Huertas. Wesley van Beck and Bruno Fitipaldo had 39 of their 69 points against Nymburk, then Bruno went crazy with 23 points and 6 assists in just 27 minutes against Rio Breogan.
That's what happens when everybody knows and respects both the offensive and the defensive systems. You lose a two-time BCL MVP, and you still go on winning big games.
Would it be crazy if they won three more this week and claimed the Copa del Rey? Of course not.
#4 Asisa Joventut (-3)
BCL record: 9-1 Domestic league record: 12-8 Streak in all competitions: W1
Sretan rođendan, Ante! One of the biggest artists among the centers in all of European basketball over the past... what, 20 years? Yeah, anyway, Ante Tomic turned 39 this week.
Their first defeat of the BCL season pushed them out of the top three, because it makes the group wide open again, with Unicaja and Chalon now just a step behind them. But still, these guys are incredible, and the rumors about potential new arrivals are making them even more incredible, just because people are talking about it, that's all.
#3 ALBA BERLIN (+2)
BCL record: 8-2 Domestic league record: 15-6 Streak in all competitions: L1
If the winning run had to end somewhere, well, maybe it's better it ended against Hamburg, as they are still two wins ahead of anybody else in the second spot of the Bundesliga standings, they are through to the Quarter-Finals here, and they've got the German Cup over the weekend.
Their BCL focus will be on March 18. That's when they host AEK in Berlin, battling for home-court advantage in the Quarter-Finals. Big game.
#2 Galatasaray MCT Technic (+4)
BCL record: 8-2 Domestic league record: 12-8 Streak in all competitions: W2
What a win over Juventus that was! That's a big advantage, 5-2 ahead of the return fixture, but don't just think it's over yet, a lot can happen in the second leg.
Yep. We're talking about the other Champions League, because the basketball team is enjoying some time off, heading to the national teams and thinking about continuing that two-game winning streak when they return.
In fact, their only defeat over the last seven games was a two-point loss to Fenerbahce on the road. Meaning, Galatasaray found their rhythm under coach Gianmarco Pozzecco.
Oh, they've got the tiebreaker over Le Mans, meaning potential pole position for potential home-court advantage in potential Quarter-Finals, potentially a sellout arena, too. A lot of potential on this team.
#1 AEK BC (+1)
BCL record: 9-1 Domestic league record: 13-4 Streak in all competitions: L1
Oh no, the 12-game winning streak is over now...
Olympiacos ended it in the Semi-Finals of the Greek Cup, but AEK are actually the team to beat here, quite literally. They are the only unbeaten team left in the Round of 16!
All that with RaiQuan Gray and Frank Bartley leading the way, and James Nunnally catching fire immediately upon arrival, too. They get to enjoy the view from the top of the Power Rankings for a month or so, because everything they've shown this season makes it look like they are a step or two better than last year, when they finished third.
Do the math. One or two steps ahead or third is...?
Exactly.
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The power rankings are entirely subjective and are in no way a true and accurate ranking system. All comments are purely those of the author.
The Basketball Champions League takes no responsibility and gives no guarantees, warranties or representations, implied or otherwise, for the content or accuracy of the content and opinion expressed in the above article.