SAMOKOV (Bulgaria) - From September 19-25, our eyes will be focused on Samokov, Bulgaria, where the Basketball Champions League Qualification Round Tournaments will take place.
Three tournaments will be played in single-game elimination formats, from the Quarter-Finals to the Final, and the three tournament winners will join the 29 teams already in the Regular Season.
Who is there?
PAOK mateco enjoyed sold-out crowds at home last year in the FIBA Europe Cup, finishing as runner-ups in the competition. They'd like to continue witnessing European nights in the BCL in Season X.
Pallacanestro Reggiana went all the way to the BCL Quarter-Finals, losing only to back-to-back champs Unicaja. SC Derby reached Montenegrin League Finals, while Pelister Bitola couldn't compete for the title in North Macedonia.
Finally, while Bursaspor Basketbol, Lowen Braunschweig, and Windrose Giants Antwerp didn't reach any final stage in Türkiye, Germany, or Belgium, CSM CSU Raiffeisen Oradea were runners-up in Romania.
Have they played BCL before?
Except for AEK BC, which have competed in all ten BCL Regular Seasons, PAOK are the team from Greece with the most appearances in the competition, aiming to qualify for the eighth time.
Windrose Antwerp Giants and Pallacanestro Reggiana follow with two campaigns each, while CSM CSU Oradea and Bursaspor Basketbol have counted one presence each, respectively in 2016-17 and 2023-24.
Potential Cinderella story
While the team's owner, Dennis Schroder, continues to add achievements and accolades to his résumé, Lowen Braunschweig are starting to make noise in German basketball as well.
They have never played in the BCL Regular Season before, but they are coming off a strong domestic league campaign, standing 3rd in the table. Don't count out their promising core.
One to watch
ERA Nymburk were one of the most enjoyable teams to watch in 2024-25, also thanks to Francesco Tabellini's trust in Stephen Brown. Now at PAOK, he was among the best passers last season with 5.1 assists per game.
If that wasn't enough, he proved to be a proficient scorer too. He finished 10 games in double-digits, including a 25-point showdown in Nymburk's convincing home win against RASTA Vechta.
When, where?
All games will be played in Samokov, Bulgaria, live on BCL's broadcast partners, and on YouTube (georestrictions may apply). You can find the full schedule here.
The winner of QRT2 will join Joventut Badalona (ESP), Hapoel Netanel Holon (ISR) and Cholet Basket (FRA) in Group C of the Regular Season.