This is how BAXI Manresa's rivals are in the second phase of the Basketball Champions League
The team from Bages will face the Lithuanian Rytas Vilnius, the German Telekom Baskets Bonn and the Turkish Bahcesehir College
BAXI Manresa already knows its three rivals in the second phase of the Basketball Champions League: the Lithuanian Rytas Vilnius, the German Telekom Baskets Bonn and the Turkish Bahcesehir College. All four teams will fight for the top two positions in Group J of the competition, which will give access to the quarter-finals.
The Bages team will debut on Tuesday, January 24 at 21:00 at the Nou Congost, with Rytas Vilnius as the opponent. The Lithuanians finished second in Group H with a record of 3 wins and 3 losses, behind Lenovo Tenerife (4-2) and ahead of Greek Peristeri (3-3) and Israeli Bnei Herzliya (2-4). In the play-in they prevailed over the Greek PAOK in three games. Their most outstanding player is point guard Marcus Foster, the third leading scorer in the BCL with an average of 21.2 points. Other important men are Martynas Echodas, Gytis Radzevicius, Elvar Fridriksson and Margiris Normantas.
On the second day, Pedro Martínez's team will play at home again, on Wednesday, February 1 at 20:45 against Telekom Baskets Bonn. The Germans were the champions of Group B, with 5 wins and only 1 loss, beating Greece's AEK (3-3), Turkey's Pinar Karsiyaka (2-4) and Italy's Reggio Emilia (2-4). Bonn has one of the most fit men in the competition in their ranks, a T.J. Shorts who is the second most valued player, with 26 credits, the second highest scorer, with 24.2 points, and the seventh highest assistant, with 6.7 assists. Apart from the guard, Jeremy Morgan, Leon Kratzer and Finn Delany also stand out in the German team.
Finally, on Wednesday February 8 at 18:00, BAXI Manresa will play its first game as a visitor, and will do so on the court of Bahcesehir College. The Turks finished second in Group D with a record of 3 wins and 3 losses, just below Surne Bilbao (4-2) and above Bosnian Igokea (3-3) and Czech Nymburk (2-4). In the play-in they beat Belgian Oostende in the third and final match. Their most important man is the French center Jerry Boutsiele, the third leading rebounder in the BCL with 8.4 catches per game. Also important to the team are Jamar Smith and Yigit Arslan.