Round of 16 picture: Besiktas one step away from Galatasaray’s group

MIES (Switzerland) – The Play-In series have started with the new year. After the first five games, we are getting closer to clarity when it comes to looking at the Round of 16 groups, which should bring even more excitement.

Second- and third-placed teams from neighboring groups are in the best-of-three series that have started on January 4. Neighboring groups means that teams from Group A are crossing paths with teams from Group B; teams from Group C are facing teams from Group D; teams from Group E are up against teams from Group F; and the same goes for teams from Group G and Group H.

Second-placed teams are considered seeded teams, meaning they have home-court advantage in the Play-In Series.

Play-In status as of January 5

There is still one question that needs to be answered for the Play-In series. BAXI Manresa and Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem are playing the last Regular Season game on Thursday.

A win for Manresa would mean Lenovo Tenerife have the home court advantage against Jerusalem in the Play-In phase.

A win for Jerusalem would mean they would get home court against Prometey, while Tenerife would play against Pinar Karsiyaka.

A2 Lenovo Tenerife* v B3 Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem
B2 Pinar Karsiyaka v A3 Prometey*

C2 JDA Dijon* v D3 VEF Riga*
D2 Nutribullet Treviso* v C3 Lavrio Megabolt*

E2 Igokea m:tel* v F3 Filou Oostende*
F2 SIG Strasbourg* v E3 PAOK mateco*

G2 Hapoel U-NET Holon* v H3 Besiktas Icrypex*
H2 Hereda San Pablo Burgos* v G3 Darussafaka*

*locked in their current spots

Round of 16 groups as of January 5

With five games already played, five teams are just a step away from their place in the Round of 16 groups. What would the groups look like if Igokea m:tel, JDA Dijon, Hereda San Pablo Burgos, Besiktas Icrypex and SIG Strasbourg held on to their series lead?

Group I

A1 MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg*
E1 Galatasaray Nef*
C2 JDA Dijon (1-0 v VEF Riga)
H3 Besiktas Icrypex (1-0 v Hapoel U-NET Holon)

Group J

B1 BAXI Manresa*
F1 Tofas Bursa*
D2 Nutribullet Treviso v C3 Lavrio Megabolt
H2 Hereda San Pablo Burgos (1-0 v Darussafaka)

Group K

C1 Unicaja*
G1 U-BT Cluj Napoca*
B2 Pinar Karsiyaka v A3 Prometey
E2 Igokea m:tel (1-0 v Filou Oostende)

Group L

D1 Falco Szombathely*
H1 Rytas Vilnius*
A2 Lenovo Tenerife v B3 Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem
F2 SIG Strasbourg (1-0 v PAOK mateco)

*locked as group winners

The Round of 16 phase will be played in round robin, home and away, system from end of January to March. The first two teams in each group will qualify for the Quarter-Finals.

The Quarter-Finals will be played as best-of-3 series over the month of April, with the home advantage to the first-placed teams. The four winners will qualify for the Final Four.

A Final Four tournament will conclude the season. The four qualified teams will play over a weekend in early May, with the Semi-Finals on Friday and the Finals on Sunday.