Triple threat: Benfica, Bakken Bears and Nevezis out to stop Avtodor in Group B

MUNICH (FIBA Europe Cup) - Four very different teams come together to form Group B in the FIBA Europe Cup, with last year's Basketball Champions League darlings Avtodor Saratov headlining the lineup.

They are joined by Portuguese powerhouse SL Benfica, who are coming off a domestic treble, Danish champions Bakken Bears and an unknown quantity in Lithuanian newcomers Nevezis.

The roster turnaround has left Avtodor and Nevezis unrecognizable after the off-season. Will their performances hold against the relative continuity of their opponents from Lisbon and Aarhus?

AVTODOR SARATOV

There were a lot of positives to take away from Avtodor Saratov's season in Europe last year, but there will be only one player from that team to build that positivity around in the FIBA Europe Cup.

Branden Frazier is the only returning face in a brand new squad assembled by the club's incoming 51-year-old Italian playcaller Andrea Mazzon, who replaced Vladimir Antsiferov.

Avtodor had plenty of slots to fill over the summer, with the trio of Coty Clark, Ian Hummer and Micah Downs becoming the team's most prized acquisitions and will have to carry the grunt of the load offensively.

Last year's Nick Minnerath-led team that flourished in the Basketball Champions League would have undoubtedly been a title contender in the FIBA Europe Cup, but the new group of players will have some proving to do first.

Branden Frazier is the only returning member of last year's cast

Star Player: Coty Clark
Top Prospects: Egor Kurkin, Nikita Mikhailovskii
Path to the Regular Season: Defeated Keravnos in BCL QR1 (+7); defeated Mornar Bar in BCL QR2 (+26); lost to SikeliArchivi Capo d'Orlando in BCL QR3 (-32)
European Record in 2016-17: 8-8 in the Basketball Champions League, Play-Offs Qualifiers
Domestic Performance in 2016-17: 10th in the VTB League Regular Season

SL BENFICA

Portuguese champions SL Benfica are the only team in Group B to play in the FIBA Europe Cup last year, displaying some solid play in the Regular Season before flaming out in the Second Round.

In spite of winning the domestic treble, the Lisbon club appointed Jose Ricardo Rodrigues in place of club legend Carlos Lisboa, seeing them head in a different direction coaching-wise.

However, the new coach will have most of the same pieces to work with, thanks to only two major changes taking place – Pau-Lacq-Orthez standout Antywane Robinson replacing Damian Hollis and Jesse Sanders arriving instead of Derek Raivio.

Having already triumphed in the Portuguese Super Cup, Benfica are destined for another strong season on the home front, but can they make their success international?

Antywane Robinson arrives to Lisbon after a solid season in France

Star Player: Antywane Robinson
Top Prospects: Neemias Queta, Ricardo Monteiro
Path to the Regular Season: Defeated Kapfenberg Bulls in BCL QR1 (+8); lost to Lukoil Academic in BCL QR2 (-25)
European Record in 2016-17: 3-9 in the FIBA Europe Cup, Second Round
Domestic Performance in 2016-17: Portuguese Basketball League runners-up — 2nd in the Regular Season; defeated FC Porto 3-0 in the Finals — and Portuguese Cup and League Cup winners.

BC NEVEZIS 

In spite of a largely disappointing season in the LKL last year, Nevezis felt they are ready for their first international challenge outside of the Baltic States, applying for a place in the FIBA Europe Cup.

The club enters the new campaign with much higher aspirations and the team building process and the signings of players such as Valerii Likhodei, Vladislav Koreniuk and Malcolm Grant is a fair reflection of this.

Offensive ace Grant may be the early frontrunner to lead the team in scoring at the end of the season, but it is the versatile 30-year-old former Russia international Likhodei who should be considered the biggest coup in the summer market.

Nevezis were highly inconsistent in the Qualification Rounds with a pair of 30-point wins and losses in the other two games, but got the job done nevertheless against two experienced FIBA Europe Cup sides Rilski Sportist and Petrolina AEK.

Nevezis adding Valerii Likhodei caught everyone by surprise

Star Player: Valerii Likhodei
Top Prospect: Justas Tamulis
Path to the Regular Season: Defeated Rilski Sportist in FIBA Europe Cup QR1 (+24); defeated Petrolina AEK in FIBA Europe Cup QR2 (+11)
European Record in 2016-17: N/A
Domestic Performance in 2016-17: 9th in the Lithuanian Basketball League Regular Season

BAKKEN BEARS

Bakken Bears are back in the FIBA Europe Cup after a one-year break they spent in the Basketball Champions League, often times struggling to keep their head above water.

The Danish club picked up valuable lessons along the way, but finished the Regular Season with an uninspiring 1-13 mark, a league-worst. Interestingly, their only win came against the 2015-16 FIBA Europe Cup champions Fraport Skyliners.

DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell was among the competition's top scorers last season and was once again the brightest-shining star for the Danes in the Basketball Champions League qualifiers against Donar Groningen.

The last time the Bears played in the FIBA Europe Cup, they went undefeated in the Group Phase, which then featured 56 teams, before bowing out in the Round of 32 with a 1-5 record.

DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell averaged 26.5 points in the BCL qualifiers

Star Player: DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell
Top Prospects: David Kristensen, Sylvester Pedersen
Path to the Regular Season: Lost to Donar Groningen in BCL QR2 (-6)
European Record in 2016-17: 1-13 in Basketball Champions League, Regular Season
Domestic Performance in 2016-17: Danish Basketligaen champions — 1st in the Regular Season; defeated Horsens IC 4-1 in the Finals

FIBA