Five things to expect from the Basketball Champions League in 2017

With 2017 upon us, we take a look at five things to keep an eye out for from the Basketball Champions League in the New Year.

1) Talent Development

Through the early stages of the Basketball Champions league season we have already seen a number of younger players take the stage. Strasbourg’s Frank Nkilitina, Ante Zizic at Cibona (who unfortunately has just signed with Darüşşafaka Doğuş so will not appear in the Basketball Champions League in 2017), Alpha Kaba and Kostja Mushidi of Mega Leks, and many more have all shown their talent that has scouts drooling, and with Basketball Champions League teams such as Banvit investing in their youth programmes, the number of prospects suiting up should only increase over time.

2) Playoffs & Final Four

2017 will also see the first ever Basketball Champions League post-season, as 24 teams (the four top teams from each group and four best ranked fifth-placed temas) will battle it out in the play-offs for a place in the Final Four to be played 28-30 April in a to be announced location. With the regular season already providing plenty of exciting action, there is no doubt the Final Four will put the best of the best on display and be a must-attend event on the basketball calendar.

3) More Drama

Ten weeks in and we have seen enough tight finishes and incredible performances to last a season already. Whether it be Tekele Cotton’s game winning three at the buzzer, Jimmy Baron knocking down ten threes on his way to 42 points, or most recently, Adin Vrabac’s winner in overtime, if the first half of the season is a preview for what is to come in 2017, we have a wild ride ahead!

4) Better Content

As the season goes on the Basketball Champions League content staff are continuing to test and tweak outputs, working out what fans are responding to the most. As part of this, we have recently started working with Coach Nick from Bball Breakdown producing regular analysis of Basketball Champions League games, are expanding our editorial content, and continue to grow and experiment with varied video content, including highlights, player packages and more.

5) Reduced Size

It won't be until the tail end of 2017, but for the 2017-18 season the Basketball Champions League will be going back to its originally intended size of 32 teams (from 40 this season). The more streamlined focus with a reduced number of teams will allow better profiling of players and programmes, and should make it easier for fans and media to follow the league.

Of course, these are only a few of the many things to keep tabs on, as we continue to look to grow and expand the reach of the competition in the years to come. Stay tuned.