BC Rytas Vilnius drawn into Basketball Champions League Season 11 groups – who awaits in Group A?
BC Rytas Vilnius now knows its opponents for Basketball Champions League Season 11. The draw for the qualification rounds and regular season took place at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland. The Lithuanian side was placed in Group A alongside Nanterre 92 (France), Sabah BC (Azerbaijan) and Trabzonspor (Turkey).
Who is waiting for Rytas in Group A?
Group A features some of the toughest competition in the league. Nanterre 92 are former BCL champions, while Sabah BC and Trabzonspor are proven teams from Azerbaijan and Turkey. The regular season tips off in October, with the group winners advancing directly to the Round of 16. The second and third-placed teams will compete in the best-of-three Play-In series in January.
Qualification round – the path to the BCL regular season
The qualification round runs from September 14 to 20 in a single-elimination format. The winners of the two qualifying tournaments will advance to the regular season. Qualifying Tournament 1 includes Patrioti Levice (Slovakia), Salon Vilpas (Finland), Bakken Bears Aarhus (Denmark), Landstede Hammers (Netherlands), Fribourg Olympic Basket (Switzerland), BC Batumi 2010 (Georgia), CSM CSU Raiffeisen Oradea (Romania) and Petrolina AEK Larnaca (Cyprus).
Qualifying Tournament 2 features VEF Riga (Latvia), Landau Lions (Azerbaijan), BK Opava (Czech Republic), Dziki Warszawa (Poland), FIT/One Würzburg Baskets (Germany), Manchester Basketball (Great Britain), Río Breogán (Spain), Rilski Sportist (Bulgaria), Promitheas Patras BC (Greece), BC Vienna (Austria), Manisa Basket (Turkey), Kolossos H Hotels (Greece), SL Benfica (Portugal), Lions de Genève (Switzerland), RASTA Vechta (Germany) and Yukatel Denizli Basket (Turkey).
How can Rytas reach the playoffs?
The regular season tips off in October, with each group playing a double round-robin format. The group winner advances directly to the Round of 16, while the second and third-placed teams will face off in the best-of-three Play-In series in January. The Play-In matchups pit adjacent groups against each other: A2 vs B3, B2 vs A3, C2 vs D3, D2 vs C3, E2 vs F3, F2 vs E3, G2 vs H3 and H2 vs G3.
The Round of 16 groups have already been set. If Rytas advances, it could end up in Group I with A1, E1, the winner of C2/D3 or G2/H3. That means the Vilnius side will need to be ready for a tough fight against Europe’s best teams.
When does Basketball Champions League Season 11 begin?
The qualification round runs from September 14 to 20, with the regular season tipping off on October 10. The Play-In series take place in January, the Round of 16 in February and March, and the Final is scheduled for April. This marks the 11th season of the competition, with Ameresco SUNEL remaining the main sponsor.