MIES (Switzerland) - A symphony is usually made up of four sections, or movements. Each movement follows its own structure.
The first one uses a quick tempo and follows what's called sonata-allegro form, i.e. the Group Phase.
The second one is slower and more lyrical, exactly like the twisting, closely contested Play-Ins, which saw 17 of 20 games finish by margins of 10 points or less, seven of those being one-possession games, and one a double overtime game.
The third part of the symphony is where we're at now. It's called a minuet, a scherzo, a quick dance usually in 3/4 or 6/8 time, but in the Ninth Symphony season of the BCL, we'll write it as 8/16, since this is how many teams will keep dancing towards the fourth part of the symphony, the final sonata-allegro movement.
Since the minuet, the third part, is a dance for two people, we'll prepare you for the dance with two words per team.
Group I
FIT/One Wurzburg Baskets: Grow mullets.
This one is simple, they've lost three of their last four games in the German League, struggling to find happiness as Zac Seljaas went down with an injury. Instead of forcing his comeback before he's ready, maybe the rest of the team should all grow mullets and find their inner Vokuhila confidence to bounce back.
AEK Betsson BC: Find consistency.
While the 2018 champions have had numerous exciting teams over the past years, their biggest problem was keeping the same kind of pace throughout the campaign. Look no further than last season - comfy 5-1 in the Regular Season, easily winning their group, only to go 0-6 in the Round of 16. Consistency is key for the Queen.
Promitheas Patras BC Vikos Cola: Embrace underdogs.
It's all clear, this is a team that was down at 1-4 and -35 ahead of the final Gameday of the Group Phase. Not a lot of people expected them in the Play-Ins. Not a lot of people expected them to sweep Karsiyaka there, either. Not a lot of people expect them to be in the Quarter-Finals now. Just embrace that underdog role and continue the path along the Upset Boulevard.
Bertram Derthona Basket: Make history.
This is their chance to shine. Bertram Derthona Basket finally made the Round of 16 of the BCL, after losing out to Galatasaray in the Play-Ins last season, despite going 5-1 and owning homecourt advantage in the tie. Now that they've put those ghosts to bed, they can relax, play their best basketball and wave the Italian flag in the Quarter-Finals. Or at the Final Four, why not!?
Group J
Unicaja: Dynasty time.
They won the BCL last season, and are looking even stronger this season. Hence, dynasty time. Win it again, and again, and again, until you go down in history as the strongest lineup that has ever played this competition.
Rytas Vilnius: Crowd energy.
In a group loaded with talent such as this one, the Lithuanian champions will need any kind of an edge against the remaining three teams. That edge is easily found in Vilnius, because the crowd energy is unlike anything else in the BCL. Protect your home court, go 3-0 in Vilnius, in a group like this that could be your Quarter-Finals ticket.
Galatasaray: MVP missing.
Talk about bad luck. Just as Will Cummings had his best BCL game ever with 24 points to save Galatasaray against Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball in Game 3 of the Play-Ins, he suffered an injury and will be sidelined for what appears to be at least three BCL games. Just bad luck.
Manisa Basket: Feed Saben.
You got the best scorer of the BCL? Great. Just give Saben Lee the ball, let him take 20 shots per game, let him do his thing because you know he'll get others involved too, and this could be Manisa's way of being the exact opposite of everybody else in the group. This is the time for the MVPs to step up, you know Saben will look forward to the Round of 16 challenge.
Group K
La Laguna Tenerife: Stay hungry.
When most of your team is in their 30s, when you've had a core together for so long, when you've made winning such a habit, complacency can sneak into the locker room. The best way to avoid it is to stay hungry, to want more success, more wins, more milestones, more records. Becoming the first triple BCL champion sounds exactly like something that gets your appetite going, right? Right.
BAXI Manresa: Reload 2022.
While a lot of focus is elsewhere, Manresa are enjoying rock solid campaigns both in the BCL and the Liga Endesa. While others are showing flashes of brilliance, Manresa have got their own forward as a potential MVP of the Season. So much of this run reminds us of 2022 when they reached the Final. Maybe 2025 Derrick Alston Jr could be what Chima Moneke was in 2022.
Aliaga Petkimspor: Breein breeze.
Newcomers to the BCL, newcomers to the Round of 16. The Turkish team has a lot of players capable of winning games by themselves, but one name stands out. Breein Tyree is one of the coldest players in the BCL, and if his button switches from off to ON, he can torch any opponent with 20 points in a blink of an eye. Open the windows, let the world feel the Breein breeze in the Round of 16.
Pallacanestro Reggiana: Maximum Manimal.
There were question marks about a 35-year-old Kenneth Faried joining the Italian club, but with his Manimal force, he took the question mark, used all of his shoulder power and straightened them into exclamation marks, mostly used after just saying: KENNETH FARIED! It's up to Reggiana to use his strength, talents and experience to the maximum and fight for the Quarter-Finals.
Group L
ERA Nymburk: Gigantic opportunity.
Don't look now, but you guys are group favorites here. That's what happens when you're 30-3 for the season. Avoiding the traditional powerhouses presents a big opportunity to reach the Quarter-Finals for the third time.
UCAM Murcia: Breaking point.
The tennis reference is in there, as Murcia's proudest sporting son is Carlos Alcaraz right now. This is it for Murcia, make or break, because they probably feel like they should win this group. They've been to Final Fours before, but this is the time to put the wheels in motion to be a genuine contender in May.
Nanterre 92: French solitude.
AS Monaco played a couple of Final Fours, JDA Bourgogne Dijon and SIG Strasbourg have been to the Semi-Finals too, but the French book is down to a single club in 2025. Do French people enjoy solitude? More than others, at least? Nanterre will tell you there's only one thing better than being the only French team in the Round of 16: Being the only French team in the Quarter-Finals.
Falco-Vulcano Szombathely: Perl Jam.
There are plenty of Pearl Jam songs which could describe Zoltan Perl: Better Man; Given To Fly; Alive; Man Of The Hour; and State Of Love And Trust is probably the anthem of the whole Perl-Szombathely relationship. Well, let the man play his music all over the continent now. Let him jam. After all, this whole season is about music in the BCL, so maybe a Perl Jam tour is what we all need in 2025.