MUNICH (FIBA Europe Cup) - There will be regional pride on the line in Group E of the FIBA Europe Cup, with four countries from around the Black Sea represented.

Testing international waters for the first time, Turkish side Istanbul BBSK have put together a mean-looking roster, but they will have a tough group of teams to deal with in Lukoil Academic, U-BT Cluj-Napoca and Dinamo Tbilisi - three national champions in Bulgaria, Romania and Georgia, respectively.

It would be premature to predict smooth sailing for the Istanbul side, but they should be the team to beat heading into the Regular Season in this well-rounded four-team bloc.

LUKOIL ACADEMIC

Lukoil Academic have been staple participants of the FIBA Europe Cup and are entering their third campaign in the competition, having made it out of the Regular Season on both previous occasions.

The powerhouse from Sofia managed to defend their domestic title in Bulgaria last season, but that did not save the hot seat of coach Toni Dechev, who was replaced by Israeli specialist Sharon Drucker during the summer.

There were quite a lot of changes on the roster as well, with the loss of last season's standouts Danny Gibson and Maksym Kornienko clearly the biggest obstacles to overcome.

It is understandable that a newly-constructed core was not playing their best basketball during the Basketball Champions League Qualification Rounds, but Keith Clanton, Dalton Pepper, Hristo Nikolov and other newcomers showed signs of promise and potential against SL Benfica and Juventus Utena.

Lukoil Academic newcomer Keith Clanton averaged close to a double-double for PAOK in the Basketball Champions League last season

Star Player: Keith Clanton
Top Prospect: Tsvetomir Chernokozhev
Path to the Regular Season: Defeated SL Benfica in the BCL QR2 (+25); lost to Juventus Utena in the BCL QR3 (-8)
European Record in 2016-17: 7-5 in the FIBA Europe Cup, Second Round
Domestic Performance in 2016-17: Bulgarian NBL champions – 1st place in the Regular Season; defeated Beroe 3-1 in the Finals – and Bulgarian Cup runners-up
European Trophies: Euroleague runners-up (1958; 1959); FIBA Europe Conference South winners (2003)

U-BT CLUJ-NAPOCA

Having hosted the Group Phase of the FIBA EuroBasket 2017, Cluj-Napoca will continue its basketball craze by getting behind their local team in the FIBA Europe Cup, which they did with great passion last season.

U-BT Cluj-Napoca enjoyed a hugely successful season on the home front, winning both of the major trophies in Romania, while also reaching the Second Round on the international stage.

The team were forced to reshuffle their cards following the departures of Kyndall Dykes, Vlad Moldoveanu, Filip Adamovic and Maksym Pustozvonov, but the management has found worthy replacements in the market in Lasan Kromah, Giordan Watson, Zeljko Sakic and Justin Gray.

Re-signing big man Ousmanne Barro and guard Aleksandar Rasic was also high on coach Mihai Silvasan's to-do list for the summer, which was swiftly accomplished already at the beginning of June. The question now is – how will U-BT Cluj-Napoca look on the court without Rasic, who will still be sidelined for a considerable period of time and could miss the Regular Season entirely.

Zeljko Sakic has already made new fans in Cluj

Star Player: Aleksandar Rasic
Top Prospect: Nandor Kuti
Path to the Regular Season: Lost to MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg in the BCL QR2 (-17)
European Record in 2016-17: 7-5 in the FIBA Europe Cup, Second Round
Domestic Performance in 2016-17: Romanian Liga Nationala champions – 1st place in the Regular Season; defeated Steaua Bucuresti 3-0 in the Finals – and Romanian Cup winners

ISTANBUL BBSK

Having had to overcome s.Oliver Wuerzburg and Khimik in the Qualification Rounds, Istanbul BBSK has possibly the hardest imaginable route to the Regular Season out of all teams in the FIBA Europe Cup.

In the club's first international campaign, the Turkish team dealt with both of the challenges extremely well, especially as a team constructed from scratch over the summer.

On paper, coach Ertugrul Erdogan's squad is built to challenge for the title with FIBA EuroBasket 2017 silver medalist Stefan Bircevic and other current or former international players such as Ivan Buva, Jaka Klobucar, Deividas Dulkys and Ilkan Karaman on the roster.

Having made steady improvement in the domestic championship since earning promotion to the Turkish Basketball Super League in 2014, they finished their third campaign in 10th place last season.

Stefan Bircevic snatched up a medal at the FIBA EuroBasket 2017

Star Player: Stefan Bircevic
Top Prospects: Ayberk Olmaz; Mert Cevik
Path to the Regular Season: Defeated s.Oliver Wuerzburg in the FIBA Europe Cup QR1 (+2); defeated Khimik in the FIBA Europe Cup QR2 (+7)
European Record in 2016-17: N/A
Domestic Performance in 2016-17: 10th place in the Turkish Basketball Super League Regular Season

DINAMO TBILISI

The name of Dinamo Tbilisi might not put fear in opponents eyes now, but it surely did half a century ago after the historic Georgian club defeated Real Madrid in the Final to claim their one and only Euroleague title in 1962.

Their most recent encounter with Spanish opposition, however, was not so pleasant, with the Tbilisi side ending up in the FIBA Europe Cup after Divina Seguros Joventut came out on top in the Basketball Champions League Qualification Round 1 match-up.

Headed by the legendary Georgian big man Nikoloz Tsikitshvili, Nikola Gecesa from Serbia and a couple of American imports, Dinamo should be competetive in spite of landing in a very tough company.

Two of the team's players -- Ilia Londaridze and Mikhail Berishvili – represented Georgia in the FIBA EuroBasket 2017, but both had just minimal roles on the Ilias Zouros-coached national team.

34-year-old Nikoloz Tsikitshvili will suit up for Dinamo Tbilisi

Star Player: Nikoloz Tsikitshvili
Top Prospects: N/A
Path to the Regular Season: Lost to Divina Seguros Joventut in the BCL QR1 (-32)
European Record in 2016-17: N/A
Domestic Performance in 2016-17: Georgian Superliga champions – 1st place in the Regular Season; defeated Kutaisi 3-0 in the Finals
European Trophies: Euroleague champions (1962); Euroleague runners-up (1960); FIBA Saporta Cup runners-up (1969)

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