Oostende set out for their sixth title in a row, as FIBA Europe Cup teams fill Play-Off field in Belgium

MUNICH (Belgium EuroMillions Basketball League) - There will be a lot of familiar faces in the Belgian EuroMillions Basketball League Play-Offs for fans of the FIBA Europe Cup, with all six teams from Belgium that played internationally getting a taste of post-season action.

Defending champions Telenet Oostende, who have won the national title five times in a row, will once again be the big favorites to capture the trophy after topping the Regular Season with a 30-6 record.

The Dario Gjergja-coached team from Ostend were also the ones to get furthest in Europe this season, reaching the Semi-Finals of the FIBA Europe Cup before bowing out to Elan Chalon.

They will be facing eight-placed Kangoroes Basket Willebroek in the first round of the EuroMillions Basketball League Play-Offs, set to begin on May 17.

Meanwhile, other Quarter-Final pairs include second-placed Port of Antwerp Giants taking on Belfius Mons-Hainaut, third-placed Brussels Basketball playing Hubo Limburg United and Crelan Okapi Aalstar entertaining Proximus Spirou Charleroi in the match-up between the fourth and fifth seeds.

Proximus Spirou, like Oostende, transferred to the FIBA Europe Cup from the Basketball Champions League, but couldn't get over the hump against eventual champions Nanterre 92 in the Round of 16.

The four other Belgian teams began their FIBA Europe Cup journey at the start of the competition, but only the Giants managed to reach the Second Round of the competition, while Mons-Hainaut, Brussels Basketball and Limburg United were all eliminated after the Regular Season.

Individual Awards

Before the start of the Belgian EuroMillions Basketball League Play-Offs, the Regular Season individual award winners were also announced, with Antwerp Giants guard Jason Clark reeling in the most prestigious MVP award.

The 27-year-old American playmaker averaged 17.1 points, 4.5 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game for the Antwerp club, topping the Oostende center Rasko Katic, who finished second in the voting.

Okapi Aalstar swingman Olivier Tresfountaines received the Belgian Player of the Year award, while 21-year-old Ismael Bako of Stella Artois Leuven Bears finished first in the Young Player of the Year voting.

The coach of the Regular Season winners Telenet Oostende, Dario Gjergja, was named Coach of the Year. It was the second such award for the 41-year-old Croatian specialist, who also triumphed in the voting, organized by the Belgian Basketball Coaches Association, in 2013.

The Belgian EuroMillions Basketball League coaches, in turn, selected Limburg United leader Seth Tuttle as the Star of the Coaches. The 24-year-old forward impressed the playcallers with an impressive all-around production of 14.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

FIBA