MIAMI (United States) – Group A of Basketball Champions League Americas 2024-25 tips off with games on January 16-18. This zone didn’t play games in December, so this will be their first slate of the season. Nicaraguan champions Real Estelí will host the games at Polideportivo Alexis Argüello in Managua against a pair of Colombian squads making their debuts in the competition: Toros del Valle and Paisas Basketball Club. Estelí has been a regular fixture in the competition, and due to their experience they’re expected to be the favorites. In theory, the Colombian clubs will fight each other for the other ticket to the Quarterfinals. This is how each team arrives at BCL Americas:
Real Estelí (NCA)
The Central American titans recovered their domestic crown after losing it the previous year. They’ll now try to make inroads at the international level where they always enjoy good success. Puerto Rican head coach David Rosario remains at the helm and has the full confidence of the club as they try to reach their first continental final. Appearances (including 2024-25): 6 They remain, alongside Quimsa and Flamengo, the only team to have participated in every edition of BCL Americas. They always got through the Group Stage but only reached the Semifinals once (2021-22). Players to watch Real Estelí always fields strong rosters. This time it won’t be any different, as they’ll once again feature Puerto Rican point guard Jezreel De Jesús. Their other foreign players are big man Will Daniels and Mexican veteran Gabriel Girón. Those players will be complemented by Nicaraguan National Team mainstays like Jared Ruiz, Francisco Garth and Josmel Martínez.
Outlook Given their BCL Americas track record, they’re expected not to just to advance, but to win the group. One of their biggest strengths is chemistry, since the head coach, the team star and the supporting cast have been playing together for several years.
Toros del Valle (COL)
The club from Cali is coming off a Semifinal appearance at the Colombian domestic league, where they were eliminated in 5 games. Before that, they finished second with a 14-10 record. Raúl Pabón is the team’s head coach and will share the bench with Colombian National Team front man, Tomás Díaz.
Appearances (including 2024-25): 1 This will be their inaugural participation at the event. The only other Colombian team to take part in BCLA was Titantes de Barranquilla in 2021-22. Players to watch Their top local players are Colombian National Team regulars Michael Wright, Soren De Luque and Luis Almanza. They provide a lot of firepower on the inside and are very capable on offense. They’ll be joined by Josimar Ayarza (Panama) and Puerto Ricans Benito Santiago Jr. and Christian Pizarro. Outlook Thanks to the experience of their domestic players, they’re more than capable of grabbing the second ticket out of the group and into the playoffs. They’ll have to get past Paisas to get there.
Paisas Basketball Club (COL)
In Medellín and across all of Antioquia they’re ecstatic about seeing their squad at the highest continental level after witnessing Indeportes Antioquia win consecutive Women’s Basketball League Americas titles. It will certainly be a taller task for Paisas, but the experience will surely help them going forward. In the most recent Colombian domestic league, the team coached by Venezuelan Daniel Seoane finished 5th – a game short of qualifying for the Semifinals. Appearances (including 2024-25): 1 Just like Toros de El Valle they’ll be making their debut. Paisas will become only the third team out of Colombia to participate in BCL Americas. Players to watch Dominican center Eloy Vargas is their leader on and off the court. The 36-year-old is a known quantity near the rim, and he’ll have a key role on both ends of the floor. Fellow Dominican Juan Rosario, the most recent Colombian domestic league MVP after averaging 19.6 points and 11.0 rebounds with Motilones del Norte, is also expected to carry a big load. Their other foreign players include Glenn Cosey, EJ Crawford and Mascio McCadney, while the local group of guys features Juan Cárdenas, Octavio Muñoz, Cristian Arboleda, Yustin Llerena and Andrés Carmona.
Outlook Their chances will depend on the performance of their foreign stars due to the lack of experience of their domestic players. In the Colombian league, they’ve lost their 4 games against Toros, but both teams have made several roster moves since then. FIBA