Basketball Champions League MVP Race: Season Seven, third checkpoint

MIES (Switzerland) - Done with the Regular Season, done with the Play-Ins, we're down to sweet 16 in the Basketball Champions League. Not only do we know the hottest teams, but we also know the contenders in the MVP Race.

Now, if you've ever read the Help-Side Column, you probably know that this is complete madness. It was never meant to be serious, it was always here to rotate on the defensive end once all the results and stats start beating you off the dribble, that's where you've got this kind of article to provide you help defense and guide you towards clarity.

In this case, with so many games going on, you probably have a hard time figuring out who are the main candidates to win the MVP award at the end of the season.

Jordan Theodore won it in Season One, Manny Harris picked up the trophy a year later, Tyrese Rice claimed it in 2019, Keith Langford in 2020 and Bonzie Colson in 2021. Last season, it was Chima Moneke.

Here are some important reminders about the MVP Race process:

It's not an official race. It is an actual update to see who's doing fine and who could end up winning the award at the end of the season. First four questions are for real. Fifth one is just random to lead you towards the leader of the MVP Race. It usually has nothing to do with basketball. It's just a hint on who's number one that week. I avoid using my compatriots in the piece because I don't want to sound biased. But both you and I know that Miro Bilan is the real MVP. [/unordered]

Okay. Time to talk MVP stuff. All of our previous MVPs had some stuff in common. They were on teams that got far in the competition, they were the reasons why their teams got that far, they were the ones hitting the dagger shots and game winners, and their numbers were impressive all season long.

That's why the four serious questions are formed the way they are:

(1) Does his team have a winning record?
(2) Is he the reason they have a winning record?
(3) If his team needs a game-winning shot to make the Final Four, is he the one taking it?
(4) Does he have the numbers to be the MVP?
(5) If he wasn't a player, could he star in that TV show Law & Order?

(See? Number five is just random. Completely irrelevant. But that's how we roll around here.)

#10 Jerry Boutsiele (Bahcesehir College)

(1) Does his team have a winning record?
Nope. They are 0-2 in the Round of 16, 5-6 all season long.
(1.5) ...then why are we here?
Because Jerry's playing an awesome season, averaging 15.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. Oh, and he tied the all-time BCL record with 7 blocks in a single game, so there's that.
(1.75) ...but he's not the leader of the MVP Race?
Nope.

#9 David Holston (JDA Bourgogne Dijon)

(1) Does his team have a winning record?
Yep, 6-5 overall, including 1-1 in the Round of 16.
(2) Is he the reason they have a winning record?
Well... Technically, no. Because Markis McDuffie and Gavin Ware have been JDA Bourgogne Dijon's best players from October to January.
(2.5) But he's here because he took over in January?
Exactly. He dished out 51 assists in five games in the Play-In Series and the Round of 16. And while he had only one double digit game in the Regular Season, he scored 10+ in four of the five January games.
(2.75) Fair. If he keeps this up the rest of the way, he could win the MVP award. But he's not the leader of the MVP Race right now?
Nope.

#8 Zach Hankins (Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem)

(1) Does his team have a winning record?
Yep, 6-2 this season in the BCL.
(2) Is he the reason they have a winning record?
Yep, one of the most efficient players of the entire League, 15.1 points, 8.0 rebounds per game on 74 percent shooting from the field.
(3) If his team needs a game-winning shot to make the Final Four, is he the one taking it?
Not really. Khadeen Carrington just made a game-winning shot v Hapoel Atsmon Holon, and Mareks Mejeris also had a game-winning dunk in the Regular Season.
(3.5) Not the leader of the MVP Race?
Nope.

#7 Dario Brizuela (Unicaja)

(1) Does his team have a winning record?
Yep, 7-1, including 2-0 in the Round of 16.
(2) Is he the reason they have a winning record?
They really have a strong team-first mentality, so it's hard to say.
(2.5) So he's here because...
Because of the best-player-on-best-team rule. If Unicaja go all the way, one could imagine Dario Brizuela being the MVP, because even though they have seven players averaging between 7 and 13 points, Dario has that charisma of being the leader.
(2.75) Fair. Moving on?
Moving on, searching for the MVP Race leader.

#6 Marcelinho Huertas (Lenovo Tenerife)

(1) Does his team have a winning record?
Yep, 6-2, including 2-0 in the Round of 16.
(2) Is he the reason they have a winning record?
Of course. Tenerife are +105 in Marcelinho's 166 minutes played this season. Yep.
(3) If his team needs a game-winning shot to make the Final Four, is he the one taking it?
Call Tofas Bursa and ask them what happened TWICE last season.
(4) Does he have the numbers to be the MVP?
13.6 points, 7.0 assists, 57-55-92 percent shooting splits across eight games so far... Yep.
(5) If he wasn't a player, could he star in that TV show Law & Order?
Not really. He could be one of the extras, though.

#5 TJ Shorts (Telekom Baskets Bonn)



(1) Does his team have a winning record?
Yep, 7-1 all season long, including seven in a row, including 2-0 in the Round of 16.
(2) Is he the reason they have a winning record?
Oh yes.
(3) If his team needs a game-winning shot to make the Final Four, is he the one taking it?
Oh yes.
(4) Does he have the numbers to be the MVP?
Here's where it gets tricky. Because even though he was clearly the best player of the Regular Season, he's only scored 17 points on 6-of-20 shooting in the first two Round of 16 games. Just because of that drop, he's not at #1 here anymore. But he's still a top five player of the season, no doubt.

#4 DeAndre Lansdowne (SIG Strasbourg)



(1) Does his team have a winning record?
Yep, 6-2, including 2-0 in the Round of 16.
(2) Is he the reason they have a winning record?
Oh yes. He had the game-winning layup and the game-winning block against Hapoel Atsmon Holon in that double overtime game, so consider him a winner.
(3) If his team needs a game-winning shot to make the Final Four, is he the one taking it?
Marcus Keene would be the other candidate, but yes, sure, Dre could be taking (and making) that clutch shot in the future, why not.
(4) Does he have the numbers to be the MVP?
14.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.6 steals. But 21.0 ppg in the Round of 16, with just two turnovers in two games, and SIG being +18 in his time on the floor, compared to being +15 as a team in the Round of 16. He's their heart and soul, that's all.
(5) If he wasn't a player, could he star in that TV show Law & Order?
Not really. Because his degree says Exercise Science-Exercise Specialist Option. What's he gonna do on Law & Order with it? Cameo of a gym owner or a witness is best the writers could do for him, but that's not "starring" per se.

#3 Joe Ragland (Hapoel Atsmon Holon)



(1) Does his team have a winning record?
Yep, 6-4, but...
(1.5) ...but?
0-2 in the Round of 16.
(2) Is he the reason they have a winning record?
Yes, because he's the first two-time MVP of the Month winner in the same BCL season, ever. But...
(2.5) ...but?
His miss on a potential game-winning three in Strasbourg turned into a long rebound, which then turned into a fastbreak, which then turned into Strasbourg winning, Holon losing.
(3) If his team needs a game-winning shot to make the Final Four, is he the one taking it?
Yes. But...
(3.5) ...but?
CJ Harris took some big shots late in the games against both Strasbourg and Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem.
(4) That's a lot of "buts." Does he have the numbers to be the MVP?
Easily yes. MVP of October, MVP of January for a reason. 16.4 points, BCL leading 10.5 assists per game, all done while shooting 45-47-92 percent.
(5) If he wasn't a player, could he star in that TV show Law & Order?
He majored in sociology. Expert witness is best they could do for him.

#2 Akil Mitchell (AEK)



(1) Does his team have a winning record?
Yep, 6-4.
(2) Is he the reason they have a winning record?
Yep, double figures in all ten games, four double-doubles, two more games with 9 boards, he does everything.
(3) If his team needs a game-winning shot to make the Final Four, is he the one taking it?
Even if they don't, he's got the offensive rebound and the putback for sure.
(4) Does he have the numbers to be the MVP?
17.0 points, BCL leading 9.5 rebounds per game, four games of five or more offensive rebounds. This is a yes.
(5) If he wasn't a player, could he star in that TV show Law & Order?
Same as Joe, expert witness. BA in Sociology, Global Culture and Commerce.

#1 Marcus Foster (Rytas Vilnius)



(1) Does his team have a winning record?
Yep, 6-5 all season long.
(2) Is he the reason they have a winning record?
He's the top scorer of the BCL right now, so yes.
(3) If his team needs a game-winning shot to make the Final Four, is he the one taking it?
He's the top scorer of the BCL right now, so yes.
(4) Does he have the numbers to be the MVP?
22.4 points per game, while shooting a 49-41-81 split, with 3.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Double figures in all 11 games so far, two games with 30+ points in January alone, 19 three-pointers made in last five games, compared to 12 threes in first six games. Long story short, yes, he's got the numbers. Feels like a dumb question for a top scorer of any league while his team is winning.
(5) If he wasn't a player, could he star in that TV show Law & Order?
YES!!! Marcus got a degree in Criminal Justice and hoped to become a juvenile probation officer, someone who could help them turn their lives around. With his energy, he'd be perfect in Dick Wolf's world, next to Jesse L. Martin and Sam Waterston. Luckily for us, he's already perfect in Giedrius Zibenas' world, next to Martynas Echodas, Elvar Fridriksson and Margiris Normantas.

There you have it, Marcus Foster is the current leader of the MVP Race.

Stay in school, kids!

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