Quarter-Finals preview: Rivalry renewed for Unicaja and ALBA

MALAGA (Spain) - They've had their fair share of battles in the past, including a dramatic 2019 EuroCup Quarter-Finals where Unicaja won Game 1 on the road, only for ALBA BERLIN to bounce back, win two straight and reach the Semi-Finals.

Those were the last of their 13 head-to-head games. Seven years later, we are all set for games 14 and 15, possibly even 16, as Unicaja own home-court advantage in the Quarter-Finals of Season X of the Basketball Champions League, powered by Ameresco SUNEL.

How did they get here?

Perfect at 6-0 in the Group Phase in Group G, Unicaja had a couple of road setbacks in the BCL Round of 16, losing to Fitness First Wurzburg Baskets (80-71) and Asisa Joventut (71-66).

However, one can never underestimate the heart of a (back-to-back) champion. Their final 86-74 success against Joventut at home was the reason why they're entering the Quarter-Finals with the home-court advantage.

ALBA's campaign didn't start perfectly, as they were surprised by Elan Chalon in the season-opener at home. From then on, they took the Group Phase by storm, winning five straight games and finishing 1st in Group B.

Once they reached Group J of the Round of 16, they swept both Tofas Bursa and Karditsa Iaponiki, losing only to AEK, which went unbeaten on the road to the Quarter-Finals. They proved they can be competitive.

Have they been here before?

Since the 2021-22 season, Unicaja have always managed to qualify for the Quarter-Finals, being able to overcome this stage and reach the BCL Final Four in the last four seasons. They are back-to-back champions, after all.

Similar to what was said about Asisa Joventut in the preview of their Quarter-Final series, this will be the first time ALBA make it to the Quarter-Finals, as this is their inaugural season in the competition.

What worked well?

Unicaja are the best team among the Round of 16 participants when it comes to Offensive Efficiency (123.29 per game), and they are 2nd in Defensive Efficiency (101.93), only behind AEK BC (101.76).

This makes Ibon Navarro's side the best team in the whole competition for Net Rating (21.36), by far. AEK (15.79) and Joventut (12.59) are behind with quite a large gap.

What else? Well, they're basically perfect when they play in front of their fans in the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena, having won their last 20 home games in the BCL.

On the other side, ALBA have entered the BCL effectively in several aspects: they lead the BCL grabbing 37.8 percent of all available offensive rebounds, while they are also top-ranked in steals per game (9.8), and assisted points (73.4%).

Key matchup

Certified bucket, certified leader. You can't think of Unicaja without Kendrick Perry, who has embraced the spirit and passion of playing basketball in Andalucia for the people in Malaga.

He has done it all for Ibon Navarro's team since joining back in 2022, and this season, he has capitalized on the leadership the team needed from him.

Whether he's the go-to-guy of the night, like against Wurzburg (19 points) or Chalon (17 points over 7-of-8 from the field), or whether he's dishing out assists and team plays, he's still Unicaja's difference maker.

So far in Season X, he's putting up 10.1 points and 4.6 assists per game, shooting 67.5 percent from two.

In this upcoming Quarter-Final series, he will have to go up against what could be described as a younger version of himself: fearless, talented, explosive, and already a leader.

Will Jack Kayil become Best Young Player of the Season?

After emerging as one of the most interesting young European guards with Mega Basket in Serbia and at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup with the German national team, Jack Kayil has imposed himself in Berlin.

Over the course of the season, the 20-year-old playmaker has started to be mentioned among the candidates for Best Young Player of the Season, averaging 10.3 points and 4.2 assists per game.

X Factors

Everybody was pretty much expecting Unicaja to come back at least to the BCL Quarter-Finals after two straight winning appearances in the BCL Final Fours played in Belgrade and Athens.

One of the reasons related to this is the continuity Ibon Navarro's roster has expressed over the course of the years, and guys like Tyler Kalinoski are part of it. You can always count on his sharpshooting abilities when needed.

Moreover, if he manages to come back in time from his four-week injury, Tyson Perez can also turn into an important X-Factor against ALBA's frontcourt players. He's averaging 9.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

Another player who's worth mentioning for Unicaja's golden ambition is definitely Chris Duarte, who joined the team in the summer of 2025 and has immediately contributed as a prolific scoring asset.

Moving to the German side, Justin Bean has been the two-way forward Pedro Calles has needed since the start of the season. He's the one bringing energy and intensity to the floor, as well as 12.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game.

Make sure to consider Malte Delow, 9.6 points per encounter, combined with a great sense for rebounding at 5.3 boards per game, and Norris Agbakoko, 9.1 points with 5.1 rebounds per game, as well.

How are they doing recently?