The changes begin near the top in this week’s edition of the BallinEurope Top 100 Teams list, as Montepaschi’s third consecutive Euroleague loss dumps the Italian side down to no. 3, passed by their most recent vanquisher, Real Madrid. The top 20 stays fairly stable thereafter, with some jostling of position but no seismic shifts.
A handful of teams were added into the mix, expanding the pool of contention from 165 to 170 squads in the running for immortality – or what passes for it in the interweb age, which is to say about seven days of niche-level notoriety – though only one such team managed to crack the big 100.
As always, the first number represents the given team’s position this week, while the number in parentheses represents last week’s spot on this chart. And once again in support of Britain’s fledgling national program in the runup to the 2012 Olympics, the no. 100 position is held by the current alpha dogs of British Basketball League. (Sorry, Szolnoki Olaj fans — and yes, that is the highest-ranking Hungarian team at present…)
1. (1) FC Barcelona (ESP), 498.38
2. (3) Real Madrid (ESP), 485.08
3. (2) Montepaschi Siena (ITA), 476.67
4. (4) Panathinaikos (GRE), 475.31
5. (5) Olympiacos (GRE), 467.81
6. (6) Fenerbahçe Ülker (TUR), 460.80
7. (7) Union Olimpija (SLO), 439.24
8 (tie). (8) Caja Laboral Baskonia (ESP), 429.43
8 (tie). (9) Power Electronics Valencia (ESP), 429.43
10. (10) Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR), 428.10
11. (12) Efes Pilsen (TUR), 418.90
12. (11) Partizan Belgrade (SER), 412.63 – Efes Pilsen leapfrogged their Group G mates with its squeaker of a victory at Pionir; at 20-9 overall, the Turkish side may well count the 79-76 win as its most impressive victory of the season.
13. (13) Zalgiris Kaunas (LTU), 403.33
14. (14) Unicaja Malaga (ESP), 394.35
15. (16) Lietuvos Rytas (LTU), 388.10 – Speaking of impressive, how about the Lithuanian giants, who not only battle bigger-budgeted bigger-city squads but also their own bombastic front offices? And how seriously should we take Lietuvos Rytas after the stunner they pulled off in Baskonia?
16. (15) AJ Milano (ITA), 374.14
17. (17) Lottomatica Roma (ITA), 369.76
18. (18) CSKA Moscow (RUS), 340.03
19. (19) BC Khimki Moscow region (RUS), 337.13
20. (20) Cholet Basket (FRA), 325.80
21. (21) Brose Baskets Bamberg (GER), 317.84
22. (22) Asseco Prokom (POL), 311.42
23. (23) Unics Kazan (RUS), 288.92
24. (24) Galatsaray Café Crown (TUR), 266.92
25. (25) Spirou Charleroi (BEL), 227.60
26. (26) Valladolid (ESP), 212.02 – Don’t look now, but even after losing to Asefa Estudiantes this weekend, Los Blancos de Rueda are tied for third place in ACB play with powerhouses Baskonia and Valencia. Surely they’ll be playing at least Eurocup ball next season at this pace, right? Right?
27. (34) Cajasol Sevilla (ESP), 211.77
28. (30) Gran Canaria 2014 (ESP), 209.27
29. (29) Tartu Rock (EST), 207.89
30. (39) Asefa Estudiantes (ESP), 206.22
31. (33) BC Azovmash (UKR), 203.27
32. (28) Cibona Zagreb (CRO), 202.48
33. (35) Benetton Bwin Basket (ITA), 201.36
34. (44) Norrkoping Dolphins (SWE), 201.09 – Gracefully leaping upward 10 spots are the Dolphins, this week’s big gainer. The ‘Fins are 29-19 overall in 2010-11, including a 7-3 mark in three phases of Eurochallenge play and last Tuesday notched an impressive 77-75 win over Ventspils.
35 (tie). (27) Bizkaia Bilbao Baskets (ESP), 200.18
35 (tie). (31) DKV Joventut (ESP), 200.18
35 (tie). (32) Fuenlabrada (ESP), 200.18 – Then again, would you really take Norrkoping over any of these three sides? To be fair, the BiE rankings have the Dolphins at just 0.91 points better, a margin of less than 0.5%
38. (38) Cedevita Zagreb (CRO), 199.74
39. (37) Aris BSA (GRE), 198.48
40. (43) Pepsi Caserta (ITA), 192.96
41. (48) BK Ventspils (LAT), 192.63
42. (40) KK Krka (SLO), 191.77
43. (50) Budivelnik (UKR), 191.26
44. (45) CEZ Nymburk (CZE), 189.74
45. (42) Banvit BK (TUR), 188.05
46. (41) Buducnost (MNT), 184.04
47. (47) VEF Riga (LAT), 182.82 – Here’s what you gotta love about the European multi-league format: Riga has yet to play a game in Latvian domestic ball, washed out of the 2010-11 Eurocup in six games, at 3-5 is clearly outclassed in the VTB United League, and yet … their torching of the Baltic Basketball League at an incredible 13-2 pace will still allow management (and fans, to some extent) to call this season an unequivocal success.
48. (46) Hemofarm Stada (SER), 182.73
59. (49) Siauliai (LTU), 179.82
50. (54) Alba Berlin (GER), 173.92
51. (52) Pinar Karsiyaka (TUR), 172.36
52. (53) PAOK BC (GRE), 170.29
53. (51) Beşiktaş Cola Turka (TUR), 165.44 – Sunday’s score: Banvit 82, Beşiktaş 68. Eagles’ current standing in the TBL: Tied for fifth at 10-7. Think they’re missing Mr. Answer yet? BiE is. Also, a few folks in the ‘States.
54. (58) Le Mans (FRA), 161.96
55. (n/a) Bennet Cantu (ITA), 160.78 – On an 8-2 run since December started, the surprise of Serie A sits in third place at 12-5: Just one game back of second-place AJ Milano. This week, they’ll be hosting Lottomatica Roma.
56. (55) Panellinios BC (GRE), 158.91
57. (56) Rudupis (LTU), 157.96
58. (57) KK Zagreb Croatia Osiguranje (CRO), 153.96
59. (60) Gravelines Dunkerque (FRA), 149.25
60 (tie). (65) KK Zadar (CRO), 147.51
60 (tie). (59) BG Goettingen (GER), 147.51
62. (62) SLUC Nancy (FRA), 144.46
63. (63) Asvel Basket (FRA), 144.00
64. (66) Dnipro (UKR), 141.10
65. (61) Chorale Roanne (FRA), 141.05
66 (tie). (68) KK Igokea (BIH), 138.01
66 (tie). (69) KK Radnicki (SER), 138.01
68. (70) Turk Telecom Ankara (TUR), 136.74
69. (67) Hapoel Jerusalem (ISR), 136.73
70. (64) Maroussi BC (GRE 135.96
71. (76) Perlas (LTU), 130.99
72. (72) TTU/Kalev (EST), 130.80
73. (75) Spartak St. Petersburg (RUS), 128.90
74. (71) Nevezis (LTU), 128.07
75. (73) Khimik Yuzhny (UKR), 127.39
76. (79) Liepaja Lauvas (LAT), 126.02
77. (80) BC Donetsk (UKR), 125.41
78. (78) Deutsche Bank Skyliners (GER), 124.65
79. (74) KK Siroki TT Kabeli (BIH), 123.80
80. (77) BC Lokomotiv Kuban (RUS), 121.13
81. (83) Lukoil Academic Sofia (BUL), 120.36
82. (88) Hapoel Gilboa/Galil (ISR), 116.28
83. (91) BC Minsk 2006 (BLR), 115.46
84. (82) EWE Baskets (GER), 115.42
85. (81) Honka Espoo Playboys (FIN), 113.96
86. (90) Hoverla (UKR), 111.61
87. (85) Gasterra Flames (NED), 110.71
88. (87) Anwil Wloclawek (POL), 110.29
89. (89) BK Prostejov (CZE), 110.16
90. (84) KK Crvena zvezda (SER), 109.59
91. (86) Orleanaise Loiret (FRA), 107.41
92. (93) Valmiera (LAT), 105.24
93. (96) Barak Netanya (ISR), 101.75
94. (97) Ferro-ZNTU (UKR), 100.58
95. (92) Telekom Baskets Bonn (GER), 100.56
96. (98) Pyrinto (FIN), 100.35
97. (95) Kryvbasbasket (UKR), 99.82
98. (104) Maccabi Haifa (ISR), 99.78 – And BiE welcomes the artists formerly known as the Haifa Heat back into the fold thanks to an impressive run of three wins in four days.
99. Krasnye Krylia Samara (RUS), 93.83.
100. (100) Mersey Tigers (GBR), n/a
Bubbling under: Szolnoki Olaj (HUN), 93.21 points; KTP Basket KOTKA (FIN), 90.96; BC Oostende (BEL), 90.22; Dexia Mons-Hainaut (BEL), 87.83; PGE Turow (POL), 86.96; Energa Czarni (POL), 86.96; Kalev/Cramo (EST), 83.96; New Yorker Phantoms (GER), 79.58; Paris Levallois (FRA), 75.08; Trefl Sopot (POL), 71.96; Antwerp Giants (BEL), 71.50; Apoel Nicosia (CYP), 71.13; Artland Dragons (GER), 70.64; BC Kyiv (UKR), 69.74; Helsinn Lugano Tigers (SUI), 69.46; Enterprise Dynamo Moscow (RUS), 68.83; Lisboa e Benfica (POR), 67.67; ETHA Encomi (CYP), 65.64; LF Basket (SWE), 65.16; FMP (SER), 63.07.
