MIES (Switzerland) - Season 9 of the Basketball Champions League reached its midway point, as the Group Phase ended and the teams are getting ready for the Play-Ins and the Round of 16.
We've seen plenty of great individual performances, and these five players were named to the Team of the Group Phase: Errick McCollum (Karsiyaka), Gytis Radzevicius (Rytas Vilnius), Zac Seljaas (FIT/One Wurzburg Baskets), Derrick Alston Jr (BAXI Manresa) and Ismael Kamagate (Bertram Derthona Basket).
Errick McCollum is the biggest reason why Karsiyaka earned homecourt advantage in the Play-Ins, tying an all-time record along the way. The 36-year-old had five straight games with 20+ points, becoming only the second player to do so in the BCL, after TJ Shorts II pulled it off in 2022-23.
McCollum averaged 22.0 points, while shooting 46 percent from the field, 38 percent from beyond the arc on seven attempts per game, and knocking down 89 percent of his free throws. He also had 3.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
Rytas Vilnius have been playing their best basketball in a long time, storming towards the Round of 16 with an inspirational all-round effort by their hometown hero. Gytis Radzevicius is also approaching the record books, as he now has nine games with 10+ rebounds in BCL history, just one short of all-time leader Keith Clanton.
The 29-year-old averaged 13.5 points, shooting 59 percent from the field and 44 percent from three-point range, while also grabbing 7.7 rebounds, with 1.8 assists and an efficiency rating of 19.0 per game during the Group Phase.
FIT/One Wurzburg Baskets have been one of the feel-good teams of the season, and Zac Seljaas is their star forward. The 27-year-old has had at least 15 points and 5 rebounds in all six games so far, sending Wurzburg to the top of their group and through to the Round of 16.
Seljaas is putting up 20.5 points while shooting 53 percent, including 42 percent from beyond the arc on seven attempts per game, and he also grabs 7.0 rebounds with 1.3 steals per game, giving him an average efficiency rating of 23.2, and he also leads the BCL in Player Impact Estimate (PIE).
BAXI Manresa had one of the best comebacks of the season so far, stealing the top spot in Group G on the final possession of the final Gameday. Derrick Alston Jr has been their best player, as Manresa were a 5-0 team in the five games when he scored 16+ points.
Alston is another 27-year-old, and his season numbers put him at 19.0 points, 49 percent from the field, 48 percent from three-point range, with 4.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and an efficiency rating of 18.3 per game. Manresa are a +109 team in his 138 minutes this season.
Bertram Derthona Basket were the unlucky ones in that Manresa comeback, but their big man's defense has been so impressive, it earned him a spot on the Team of the Group Phase. Ismael Kamagate became the first player in BCL history to get three games with at least five blocks in a single season.
The 23-year-old finished the Group Phase with 10.7 points, 64 percent shooting, 6.7 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, 1.8 assists and an efficiency rating of 18.0 per game. Kamagate leads the BCL in blocks, while also being third in offensive rebounds per game (3.2).
The Most Valuable Player of the Group Phase will be announced on Saturday.