MIES (Switzerland) – Two months after the colorful ending to Season 7 in Malaga, the stage is set for Season 8 after the official draw held in the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland on Wednesday morning.
Reigning champion Michael Kessens of Telekom Baskets Bonn and former captain of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem Lior Eliyahu helped the CEO of the BCL Patrick Comninos on stage, placing the 29 Regular Season teams in their respective groups, and further 24 teams across three tournaments in the Qualification Rounds.
The qualifiers tip off on September 25. All three tournaments will see eight teams start the competition in a single game elimination bracket from the Quarter-Finals. Only the three tournament winners will advance to the Regular Season.
Qualification Round tournament #1
Quarter-Finals
Bakken Bears Aarhus (DEN) v KB Peja (KOS)
Kalev/Cramo (EST) v Norrköping Dolphins (SWE)
SL Benfica (POR) v TSU Tbilisi (GEO)
Patrioti Levice (SVK) v Petrolina AEK Larnaca (CYP)
Qualification Round tournament #2
Quarter-Finals
Cholet Basket (FRA) v Telenet Giants Antwerp (BEL)
FMP Soccerbet (SRB) v Pallacanestro Varese (ITA)
Happy Casa Brindisi (ITA) v CSM CSU Oradea (ROU)
Heroes Den Bosch (NED) v BG Gottingen (GER)
Qualification Round tournament #3
Quarter-Finals
SIG Strasbourg (FRA) v Jonava CBet (LTU)
Karhu Basket Kauhajoki (FIN) v Ironi Hay Motors Ness Ziona (ISR)
Legia Warszawa (POL) v Winner Pre-Qualifier (Caledonia Gladiators v Fribourg Olympic)
Mornar Barsko Zlato (MNE) v Monbus Obradoiro (ESP)
Once we learn the names of the three Qualification Round winners, the eighth edition of the Basketball Champions League Group Stage will start on October 17. All 32 teams will be in action for the first Gameday of the Regular Season, before getting every other week off from Gameday 2 to Gameday 5.
All eight groups will then be in action together once more for the final Gameday of the Regular Season.
| Regular SeasonGroup AUnicaja (ESP) Falco Vulcano Szombathely (HUN) Peristeri bwin (GRE) Le Mans Sarthe (FRA)Group BJDA Bourgogne Dijon (FRA) Rytas Vilnius (LTU) Promitheas Patras (GRE) BK Opava (CZE)Group CLenovo Tenerife (ESP) Darussafaka Lassa (TUR) VEF Riga (LAT) Winner QRT 2Group DAEK (GRE) MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg (GER) Dinamo BdS Sassari (ITA) King Szczecin (POL)Group EPinar Karsiyaka (TUR) Filou Oostende (BEL) EWE Baskets Oldenburg (GER) Winner QRT 3Group FHapoel Holon (ISR) Telekom Baskets Bonn (GER) Bursaspor (TUR) Rio Breogan (ESP)Group GHapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (ISR) Galatasaray nef (TUR) PAOK mateco (GRE) Winner QRT 1Group HTofas Bursa (TUR) Igokea m:tel (BIH) UCAM Murcia (ESP) Bertram Yachts Derthona (ITA) |
| Group winners will move straight to the Round of 16, while second- and third-placed teams are advancing to the Play-In Series, to be played in January 2024. The pairings are predetermined by the draw, with teams going up against their neighboring group, and the second-placed teams having the home court advantage in best-of-three series. Play-In SeriesTeam A2 v Team B3 Team B2 v Team A3 Team C2 v Team D3 Team D2 v Team C3 Team E2 v Team F3 Team F2 v Team E3 Team G2 v Team H3 Team H2 v Team G3 Round of 16The eight Play-In winners will join the eight Regular Season group winners to form the four groups in the Round of 16 phase. Top two from each group move on to the best-of-three Quarter-Finals series, and the season concludes with a Final Four event scheduled in May 2024.Group ITeam A1 Team E1 Winner C2/D3 Winner G2/H3Group JTeam B1 Team F1 Winner D2/C3 Winner H2/G3Group KTeam C1 Team G1 Winner B2/A3 Winner E2/F3Group LTeam D1 Team H1 Winner A2/B3 Winner F2/E3Over the past seven seasons, Lenovo Tenerife and Hereda San Pablo Burgos have won the BCL crown twice, while Telekom Baskets Bonn, Segafredo Virtus Bologna and AEK have one title each. |
