12/12/2016
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FIBA Europe Cup: French sides top Power Rankings
MUNICH (FIBA Europe Cup) - With the FIBA Europe Cup Second Round set to get under way, Nanterre 92 and Pau-Lacq-Orthez stand out from the field as the only undefeated teams in the competition.
In our new feature, the weekly power rankings, we will examine the ups and downs of all 24 teams throughout the second stage of the competition, as they vie for only eight available places in the Round of 16.
| 1. Nanterre 92 (6-0) | The only team in the competition with six wins, Group D winners Nanterre have earned the privilege of starting the Second Round of the competition atop the Power Rankings. Although there were a couple of teams with better Regular Season point differentials than Pascal Donnadieu's side, at the end of the day, it's the number of wins that counts. |
| 2. Pau-Lacq-Orthez (4-0) | The historic Elan Bearnais side showed no mercy in Group E and established itself as one of the front-runners for the FIBA Europe Cup trophy by finishing the Regular Season undefeated and beating their opponents by an impressive average margin of nearly 19 points. |
| 3. Vytautas (3-1) | The number one offence in the competition, Vytautas cruised through the Regular Season with their bench unit, easily topping the Group I standings. Things will not be as easy in the Second Round, but coach Virginijus Seskus has a handful of tricks down his sleeve he has not yet shown in the competition. |
| 4. Gaziantep (5-1) | After losing to U-BT Cluj-Napoca early in the season, Gaziantep have bounced back with ferocity and claimed the Group G crown after going without a defeat the rest of the way. The addition of big man Davon Jefferson has given coach Stefanos Dedas even more options on an already packed roster. |
| 5. Tsmoki (5-1) |
While Igor Griszczuk's side did not have any major big-margin statement victories in the Regular Season, the 5-1 record in Group J speaks for itself. As they say, slow and steady wins the race and the Dragons have been one of the most consistent teams in the competition. |
| 6. Telekom Baskets (3-1) |
Telekom Baskets have had a rock-solid FIBA Europe Cup campaign and finished the Regular Season atop Group C with only one loss. Were it not for the second-half collapse against Sodertalje Kings, they could possibly be even higher up on the list. |
| 7. Demir Insaat (4-2) | Having finished the Regular Season as Group H winners, Buyukcekmece have shown glimpses of how good they can be, but have had a couple of rather poor performances as well. On paper, they definitely have what it takes to make it to the Round of 16. |
| 8. Enisey (4-2) |
Although Enisey finished second in Group H behind Demir Insaat, they were arguably the better team in the Regular Season. The two losses the Russian side picked up were without a number of key players who were given an opportunity to rest. Going forward, the main concern for coach Oleg Okulov is the health of his star big man Frank Elegar, who led the Regular Season in efficiency, rebounds and blocks. |
| 9. Lukoil Academic (4-2) |
The Bulgarian team quietly yet surely wrapped up the top spot in Group F and qualified to the Second Round without any drama. After a disappointing Basketball Champions League (BCL) qualifying campaign, Danny Gibson has stepped up and been the go-to guy for Lukoil Academic, scoring in double figures in each of their six games, averaging 16.0 points and 4.8 assists per game. |
| 10. U-BT Cluj-Napoca (5-1) |
Solid and trustworthy defensively, U-BT Cluj-Napoca will need to improve on offence in the Second Round. After a handful of close escapes, the Romanian club finished second in Group G with a 5-1 record, despite ranking only 25th among all FIBA Europe Cup teams in scoring. |
| 11. Elan Chalon (4-2) |
There were some very good moments for Jean-Denys Choulet's side in the Regular Season, but there were quite a few the French side would rather just forget. One of the better ones was a massive 106-77 victory against Alba Fehervar that allowed Elan Chalon to leapfrog all of their Group A opponents and finish atop the standings. And the ones to forget? Losing to the Hungarian side by 20 points on the road in the first place... |
| 12. BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque (4-2) | After starting the Regular Season with four wins in a row, BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque took their foot of the gas pedal and finished with two consecutive defeats. It has to be said that they had already booked a ticket to the Second Round, but such wastefulness will definitely not have added any extra confidence for the Group B winners. |
| 13. Bnei Herzliya (4-2) |
Bnei Herzliya advanced to the Second Round as the second-placed team of Group F, but only a couple of points separated them from finishing higher. The incredible all-around play of Karam Mashour has been a nice revelation for coach Mickey Gorka, who also has time-tested players like Taurean Green, Jeff Adrien and Stephen Dennis on his roster. |
| 14. Donar Groningen (4-2) | The Lance Jeter-led Groningen side provided FIBA Europe Cup fans with one of the most exciting games of the Regular Season, as they handed Kormend its very first home defeat of the season in the final game day to clinch second place in Group B and qualify for the Second Round. With plenty of dangerous pieces on the roster, their Group P opponents better watch out. |
| 15. Antwerp Giants (4-2) |
The only team to finish higher than Antwerp Giants in Group D standings? Nanterre 92. Yes, the same Nanterre that tops the Power Rankings. The Belgian side gave their French opponents a close run on both occasions, but had to settle for second place in the group after coming winless in both of the meetings. |
| 16. Alba Fehervar (4-2) |
We could be talking about Alba Fehervar in an entirely different light had they not lost the final game of the Regular Season to Elan Chalon by 29 points. The ceiling for Branislav Dzunic's side, who ended up finishing second in Group A, is very high, as they rank 6th among all teams in scoring with an average of 86.3 points per game. |
| 17. Pardubice (4-2) | Having finished the Regular Season with clutch victories against Tsmoki and Siauliai, Pardubice claimed second place in Group J and come into the Second Round on a roll. Their excellent play carried over into the domestic championship as well, where they handed CEZ Nymburk the first loss of the season in the Czech NBL league standings. |
| 18. BC Mures (3-1) | Three wins and a 38-point loss. That's a short summary of the Regular Season that BC Mures had in Group I, where they finished second. The Romanian team can be dangerous to anyone on a good shooting night, but the level of competition will undoubtedly be a lot higher in the Second Round. |
| 19. Kormend (3-3) | Having finished third in Group B, Kormend advanced to the Second Round from the lucky loser pool. Despite the lower seed, they will be a tough nut to crack for anyone, especially playing at home in Hungary, where they have been formidable. Only Groningen have been able to come out of Kormend's fortress victorious. |
| 20. SL Benfica (3-3) |
Despite finishing third in Group A, SL Benfica have already shown they can compete against batter-rated teams, as they split wins against group winners Elan Chalon and runners-up Alba Fehervar. |
| 21. Sodertalje Kings (2-2) | The league's leading scorer Toni Bizaca has been the number one reason why Sodertalje Kings managed to finish second in Group C. And if there's anyone doubting the Swedish side's strength, just ask Telekom Baskets. The Kings booked a ticket to the Second Round by erasing a 25-point deficit against the German team in the second half of their last game of the Regular Season. |
| 22. APOEL (3-3) | APOEL were overtaken by Pardubice in the race for the second place in Group J in the final game day of the Regular Season, but the Cypriot side qualified to the Second Round as one of the best third-placed teams. |
| 23. Prievidza (3-3) | Prievidza defied the odds and made it through to the Second Round by winning all three games at home in Slovak Republic and consequently snatching up third place in Group F. Wins against both of the top teams in the group, Lukoil Academic and Bnei Herzliya, was what allowed Prievidza to become one of four third-placed teams to qualify. |
| 24. Redwell-Gunners (2-2) |
Due to the lack of experience on the roster, one could label Redwell-Gunners as an underdog heading into the Second Round. While there is not much the Oberwart team can do about being the youngest in the competition, they could lose the underdog status pretty quickly with a couple of strong performances in the Second Round. |
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