BBL (Baltic Basketball League) Official Thread 2007/2008

[Joško Poljak Fan]

I see there are 4LIT and 4LAT teams in 1st bbl right now, how do these get determined? is it the best from BBL chalenge cup getting into BBL elite, or is the number of teams per country determined in some other way? (as far as I remember Lithuania had more clubs than Latvia some time ago)
We've got huge issues about that in adriatic league, that's why I am asking

[rusher]

At the start of the season probably mediocre Lithuanian clubs will be superior to other clubs from Latvia or Estonia because their championship has already started but big clubs could struggle like last year when at the start of the season Zalgiris won Kalev in close game and ASK menaged to beat Lietuvos Rytas at home. Zalgiris doesn't look convincing at the moment because it's still the start of the season. Their first game is against Barons, club which also is still searching for it's game after buying 7 new players this year so i don't think they could pull up a surprise already in Arena Riga on 3rd October. Valmiera will most probably be crushed by LR and I think of them (and Neptunas who play terrible in LKL) as the 9th and 10th team of the Elite League.

As for Challenge Cup, I think of Alytus, Suduva, Bumerangs and one or both Estonian clubs as outsiders. Nevezis will probably win it, though two young and fresh teams VEF Riga and Aisciai Atletas could for the 1st place and LBL 4th place winners Liepajas "Lauvas" has strenghten it's roster too.

[rusher]

So, there are couple of days left so I decided to continue the tradition and to create new BBL thread.

BBL Elite League:

Vilniaus Lietuvos Rytas (LTU)
Kaunas Zalgiris (LTU)
KK Siauliai (LTU)
Klaipedos Neptunas (LTU)
ASK Riga (LAT)
BK Ventspils (LAT)
Riga Barons/LMT (LAT)
Valmiera/Lāčplēša Alus (LAT)
Tartu Rock (EST)
Tallin Kalev/Cramo (EST)

BBL Challenge Cup:

Techasas Panevezys (LTU)
Kedainiu Nevezis (LTU)
Vilniaus Sakalai (LTU)
Suduva-Arvi (LTU)
Kaunas Aisciai-Atletas (LTU)
Alytus (LTU)
Liepajas Lauvas (LAT)
VEF Riga (LAT)
Bumerangs/ASK (LAT)
Triobet/Dalkia (EST)
Fausto Tartu (EST)


Teams will play each other two times during the regular season and two best Elite league's clubs will advance straight to the final four, meanwhile 3-8 places are going to show off for quarterfinals. 9'th place team of the Elite division will have play-offs consisting of two games (at home and away) against lower league's vice-champion. The winner advances to the quarterfinal.

The last place team of the Elite league will be eliminated, while the Challenge Cup's winner substitutes it on condition that it meets the SEB BBL requirements.

Quarterfinals system

Pair A: SEB BBL Elite league's team 3 - Challenge Cup's team 1
Pair B: SEB BBL Elite league's team 4 - Play-off winner
Pair C: SEB BBL Elite league's team 5 - SEB BBL Elite league's team 8
Pair D: SEB BBL Elite league's team 6 - SEB BBL Elite league's team 7

In quarterfinals clubs will play 2 games. The lower-seeded team plays first game at home. Second match will be held on higher-seeded team's court. Winners advance to the semifinals.

Semifinals system

Pair E: Pair A winner - Pair D winner
Pair F: Pair B winner - Pair C winner
Semifinals have the same priciple as the quarterfinals.

Championship's prize fund - 75 000 euros.


First games:

Elite Division (all times GMT+02:00)

2007-10-02 Lietuvos Rytas vs Siauliai 19:45
2007-10-03 Barons/LMT vs Zalgiris 19:40
2007-10-04 Valmiera vs Lietuvos Rytas 18:30
2007-10-05 Rock vs Zalgiris 19:00
Neptunas vs Siauliai 18:00
2007-10-06 Valmiera vs Zalgiris 17:00
Lietuvos Rytas vs Kalev/Cramo 16:10

Challenge Cup

2007-10-02 Nevezis vs Liepajas Lauvas 18:00
Aisciai/Atletas vs Bumerangs/ASK 18:30
Techasas vs Alytus 18:00
Sakalai vs Suduva/Arvi 18:30
2007-10-04 VEF Riga vs Fausto 19:30
2007-10-06 Nevezis vs VEF Riga 17:00
Alytus vs Sakalai 17:00
Bumerangs/ASK vs Techasas 17:00
Liepajas Lauvas vs Aisciai/Atletas 17:00