MUNICH (Germany) – We are down to the last eight of the FIBA Europe Cup as the competition takes a break before the Quarter-Finals.
The lineup sees four exciting games that will be played over two legs in March.
Let's check out how the remaining eight teams are faring right now with the updated Power Rankings reflecting the previous edition, Second Round results and prospects of lifting the title.
1 - MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg (+3)
Season record: 11-1
It seems like a lifetime ago that MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg lost to the Caledonia Gladiators in the Regular Season. That result back in October awoke the beast within the German side.
They have since won their last eight games by an average winning margin of 17 points, showcasing dazzling basketball that led to them finishing the Second Round with a flawless 6-0 record, led by Ezra Manjon-Van Ewyk in tremendous form - averaging 16 points in the Second Round and 13.4 points overall.
They will square off against JDA Bourgogne Dijon in the Quarter-Finals - a team they played in the Regular Season, with the Germans edging their way to two wins, so they have history on their side. However, it will be the present day that Ludwigsburg will be focused on.
2 - Bilbao Basket (-)
Season record: 13-1
Bilbao Basket is aiming to go one better this time, having had their campaign halted at the Semi-Finals stage last season. It's been a little longer this time, having had to get through the Qualifiers, but the Spanish outfit are back in the last eight.
Advancing to the Second Round with a perfect 6-0, they looked set to maintain that mark until they narrowly lost to Cholet Basket in their penultimate game. Still, they head to the Quarter-Finals in blistering form and a plethora of attacking options with no less than nine players averaging 7 points or more - showcasing their unselfishness.
And with all their experience and talent, it's a future star that leads the scoring, with 22-year-old Thijs De Ridder leading Bilbao’s scoring with 11.4 points a game and 5.4 rebounds. This strong side is determined to forget last season and make it good again this term. Tofas Bursa will be a tough challenge and a mouthwatering tie.
3 - Cholet Basket (+2)
Season record: 11-1
Former runners-up Cholet Basket are finding form at the right time with only one defeat in the competition so far.
The one loss was at the hands of Bilbao Basket, but they have mixed their offensive firepower with consistency, whilst conceding an average of 75 points in the Second Round.
The energetic duo of Stefan Smith and Bastien Vautier will be a handful for any team on their day - both averaging 13 points per game - with Smith deadly from three-point land, hitting 42.1 percent of his attempts and Vautier shooting 63.7 percent from the field.
Cholet square off against Casademont Zaragoza in the Quarter-Finals, with momentum off the back of four straight wins.
4 - PAOK mateco (-1)
Season record: 10-2
PAOK mateco were the second team to qualify for the Quarter-Finals, and their early progression into the last eight was a testament to their opening performances in the Second Round.
They inflicted a first home loss of the FIBA Europe Cup season on BC Kalev/Cramo and followed that with a key home win over CSM CSU Oradea to hand them the platform to advance.
They took advantage of that, sealing an early qualification path led by Shavar Reynolds' 14.2 points and 4.9 assists per game, along with key components in Frank Bartley and Jackson Kreuser, who will fancy their chances against Fribourg Olympic in the quarter-finals.
5 - Tofas Bursa (-4)
Season record: 10-2
Going into the Second Round, Tofas Bursa was the hottest team - unbeaten in Regular Season play, ranked first in points per game at 97.5, shooting 57.3 percent, and dishing out 26.8 assists a contest after their first six games.
However, Tofas ended up needing a game-winning lay-up on the buzzer by Alex Perez against Casademont Zaragoza in the final game to slither their way into the Quarter-Finals - coming through a tough group after two home defeats threatened to derail their strong start.
No question, Tofas will look to recreate their top form against Bilbao and lean on free-scoring Marcquise Reed and playmaker Perez to see them past the Spanish outfit. They lead the FIBA Europe Cup in scoring with 92.6 points an outing, so offense shouldn't be an issue, but they need to ramp up their defense when the last eight begins.
6 - Casademont Zaragoza (-)
Season record: 9-3
Having quietly gone about their business in the Regular Season and in the first portion of the Second Round to see out 2024, Casademont Zaragoza decided to make their own noise in their first game of the year by convincingly beating Tofas Bursa 97-83 on their home floor.
From there, Zaragoza continued to get better and heads back to the Quarter-Finals, with the belief of going further. than last season's exploits. They have also lost Jilson Bango, though, with his departure to Fenerbahce.
Cholet Basket will be stiff opposition, but Zaragoza boasts a side that has a well-balanced scoring threat, led by Canadian international Trae Bell-Haynes, who is averaging 14.4 points per game. They are a match for anybody and will look to set the tone at home in the first leg.
7 - JDA Bourgogne Dijon (+3)
Season record: 10-4
Having eased into the Regular Season via the Qualifiers, JDA Bourgogne Dijon has been a slightly mixed bag throughout the FIBA Europe Cup campaign; blending convincing statement victories with subpar performances, leading to defeats. Fortunately, the victories outweighed the losses, and Dijon is in the Quarter-Finals.
Playing without question the best team from the last phase in MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg will be a challenge, and recent history hasn’t gone their way with two losses in the Regular Season.
The French side ranks third in points by putting up over 90 points per game, and features the exciting Joshua Obiesie and ever-reliable Christian Sengfelder on their roster. What happened against the German side is in the past, and they will look to the present moment and right their wrongs to get to the Semi-Finals.
8 - Fribourg Olympic (+4)
Season record: 7-5
As a franchise, Fribourg Olympic are used to domestic silverware, but its fans can now look forward to competing at this stage of FIBA Europe Cup for the first time, but they have been a tough team to assess appropriately this season.
Simply put, you don't know what Fribourg team will show up on the night. In their 12 games this season, they have won their seven games by an average winning margin of 19.7 points - which is thoroughly impressive - with only two of those wins being in single digits.
But conversely, they have lost their other five games by a losing margin of 10.8 points. There has been inconsistency in their performances, but they have made it to the Quarter-Finals where they meet PAOK mateco. The question is: which Fribourg team will we see?
*The power rankings are put together by our expert panel. They are entirely subjective and are in no way a true and accurate ranking system. All comments are purely those of the author.
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