BEIRUT (Lebanon) - To say that NS Matrix are hungry for another run at the Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia) may be an understatement.
It could be recalled that the Deers pulled off a spirited rally in last year's BCL Asia Qualifiers to secure their place to the continent's most prestigious club competition, but ultimately suffered a disappointing campaign and left Dubai empty-handed.
But this 2025, the Major Basketball League outfit has an opportunity to return to the tournament through the BCL Asia-East 2025 that opens shop this March.
Needless to say, they want to accomplish as much, a mission which can only be carried out successfully by finishing as one of the top two teams by tilt's end.
Doing so should no longer be nothing new for this team. They did just that last year when they clinched the second and last ticket from the Qualifiers to make their way into the event proper, big thanks to a major turnaround in Round 2 in Indonesia.
Can they get it done again?
History
Owned by Matrix Holding Concept Behad, the The Negeri Sembilan (NS) Matrix basketball team was established in 2015 and has grown synonymous to winning.
With a team featuring Malaysia men's national team standouts, the club has won the Agong Cup multiple times and completed a 'three-peat' in the MBL.
They copped their third straight crown in the country's top-flight domestic league in 2024, sweeping the Johor Southern Tigers in dominant fashion in the best-of-3 Finals. And that proved to be their ticket to the BCL Asia East 2025.
Among the other trophies in NS Matrix's collection include the Tan See Seng Cup which they won in 2023 after besting visiting teams from other countries.
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Players to watch
As mentioned above, NS Matrix feature key cogs from the Harimau and that hasn't changed, and they're about to field familiar faces once more in the upcoming meet.
Veteran internationalists Wong Yi Hou and Ting Chun Hong are once again expected to spearhead a crew that also features guys such as Heng Yee Tong, Ong Wei Yong, and Mak Lok Seng, most of which were there during the BCL Asia Qualifiers.
Coach Felton Sealy is calling the shots once more and the kind of familiarity they have not just with themselves but with the tournament itself should make the Deers one of the more anticipated teams of the BCL Asia-East 2025.
NS Matrix will be hosting Window 1 of the competition from March 25-27 at the MABA Stadium. To see their complete schedule, click here.
FIBA