2002–03 FIBA Europe Champions Cup

2002–03 FIBA Europe Champions Cup
League	FIBA Europe Champions Cup
Sport	Basketball
Finals
Champions	Aris
Runners-up	Prokom Trefl Sopot
Finals MVP	Will Solomon (Aris)

The 2002–03 FIBA Europe Champions Cup was the 1st edition of Europe's 4th-tier level transnational competition for men's professional basketball clubs.^[1] This season, 64 teams participated in the competition. The Greek team Aris won the title, beating Prokom Trefl Sopot in the Final conducted in Alexandreio Melathron in Thessaloniki.

Teams of the 2002-03 FIBA Europe Champions Cup

Country Teams Clubs Greece 5 Aris Maroussi Telestet Panionios PAOK Peristeri Portugal 5 Madeira Oliveirense Ovarense Aerosoles Porto Ferpinta Portugal Telecom Poland 4 Gipsar Stal Ostrów Polonia Warszawa Prokom Trefl Sopot Anwil Włocławek Russia 4 Avtodor Saratov Khimki EvrAz UNICS Belgium 3 Dexia Mons-Hainaut Euphony Liège Quatro Bree Bulgaria 3 Lukoil Academic Levski Sofia Yambolgaz-92 France 3 Dijon Strasbourg Nancy Israel 3 Bnei HaSharon Hapoel Migdal Hapoel Tel Aviv Israel 3 Alytus Lietuvos rytas Šiauliai Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 Feal Široki Sloboda Dita Tuzla Croatia 2 Split CO Zagreb Cyprus 2 APOEL Keravnos Keo Czech Republic 2 Mlékárna Kunín Opava Estonia 2 Kalev Tartu ÜSK Rock Latvia 2 Skonto Ventspils Serbia and Montenegro 2 Hemofarm NIS Vojvodina Spain 2 Ourense Tenerife Turkey 2 Pinar Karşıyaka Türk Telekom Ukraine 2 Kyiv Odessa Austria 1 Montan Bears Kapfenberg Belarus 1 Grodno-93 Denmark 1 Copenhagen England 1 Birmingham Bullets Macedonia 1 Feršped Rabotnički Hungary 1 Atomerőmű Italy 1 Bipop Carire Reggio Emilia Netherlands 1 EiffelTowers Nijmegen Slovenia 1 Geoplin Slovan Sweden 1 Plannja Switzerland 1 Benetton Fribourg

Competition system

• 64 teams from countries affiliated to FIBA Europe enter a Regional Qualifying Round (RQR), distributed in three major conferences (North, South and West) according to their geographical location. Within easch conference, the teams are further divided into groups and play a Round-robin. The final standing is based on individual wins and defeats. In case of a tie between two or more teams after this group stage, the following criteria is used to decide the final classification: 1) number of winsin one-to-one games between the teams; 2) basket average between the teams; 3) general basket average within the group.
• The RQR group winners and runners-up, together with the best third-placed teams, advance to Pan-European Phase (PEP). Before the PEP phase, the group champions of the RQR Northern and Southern conferences participate in a final round to contest for the symbolic title of Conference Champion- in the case of the Northern conference, the final four doubles as NEBL championship (North European Basketball League).
• The 24 teams qualified for the PEP are divided into six groups of four teams each playing a Round-robin. The group winners, together with the two best runners-up, qualify for a quartefinal play-off (x-pairings, home and away games).
• The four winners of the quartefinal play-off qualify for the final stage (Final Four), played at a predetermined venue. The winner gets a wild card to participate in 2003–04 FIBA Europe League.

Conference North

The season ran from October 1, 2002 to November 5, 2002.

Key to colors

	Top two places in each group advance to PEP
	Eliminated

Group A Team Pld W L PF PA Diff Tie-break 1. UNICS 10 9 1 896 724 +172 2. Ventspils 10 7 3 914 797 +117 3. Šiauliai 10 4 6 821 886 −65 3–1 (+28) 4. Gipsar Stal Ostrów 10 4 6 805 837 −32 2–2 (+6) 5. Opava 10 4 6 829 874 −45 1–3 (+24) 6. Plannja 10 2 8 767 914 −147

Group B Team Pld W L PF PA Diff Tie-break 1. Anwil Włocławek 8 8 0 666 537 +129 2. Odessa 8 4 4 655 686 -31 3. Copenhagen 8 3 5 586 579 +7 2–0 (+8) 4. EvrAz 8 3 5 567 589 −22 0–2 (-8) 5. Tartu ÜSK Rock 8 2 6 589 672 −45

Group C Team Pld W L PF PA Diff Tie-break 1. Prokom Trefl Sopot 10 10 0 951 718 +233 2. Skonto 10 7 3 975 882 +93 3. Avtodor Saratov 10 6 4 881 903 −22 4. Mlékárna Kunín 10 3 7 895 985 −90 5. Grodno-93 10 2 8 764 876 −112 1–1 (+5) 6. Alytus 10 2 8 819 921 −102 1–1 (-5)

Group D Team Pld W L PF PA Diff Tie-break 1. Lietuvos rytas 10 10 0 938 670 +268 2. Khimki 10 6 4 875 830 +45 3. Polonia Warszawa 10 5 5 830 847 −17 4. Kyiv 10 4 6 859 901 −42 5. Atomerőmű 10 3 7 770 883 −113 6. Kalev 10 2 8 706 847 −141

Before the PEP phase, the group champions of the RQR Northern conference participate in a final round to contest for the symbolic title of Conference Champion

Semifinals

January 14, Vilnius Palace of Sports, Vilnius

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Prokom Trefl Sopot	80–114	UNICS
Lietuvos rytas	94–63	Anwil Włocławek

3rd place game

January 15, Vilnius Palace of Sports, Vilnius

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Anwil Włocławek	78–65	Prokom Trefl Sopot

Final

January 15, Vilnius Palace of Sports, Vilnius

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Lietuvos rytas	90–93	UNICS

Conference South

The season ran from October 1, 2002 to November 5, 2002.

Key to colors

	Top two places (and the best 3rd) in each group advance to PEP
	Eliminated

Group A Team Pld W L PF PA Diff Tie-break 1. Peristeri 10 9 1 844 718 +126 2. Hapoel Migdal 10 7 3 878 826 +52 3. Yambolgaz-92 10 5 5 771 790 −19 4. NIS Vojvodina 10 4 6 850 862 −12 1–1 (+16) 5. Pinar Karşıyaka 10 4 6 792 815 −23 1–1 (-16) 6. Feršped Rabotnički 10 1 9 747 871 −147

Group B Team Pld W L PF PA Diff Tie-break 1. Türk Telekom 10 8 2 801 749 +52 2. Hemofarm 10 7 3 825 726 +99 1–1 (+14) 3. Hapoel Tel Aviv 10 7 3 806 742 +64 1–1 (-14) 4. Panionios 10 6 4 820 799 +21 5. Levski Sofia 10 1 9 793 872 −79 1–1 (+1) 6. Sloboda Dita Tuzla 10 1 9 684 841 −157 1–1 (-1)

Group C Team Pld W L PF PA Diff Tie-break 1. Aris 8 6 2 701 633 +68 2. Bnei HaSharon 8 5 3 668 632 +36 1–1 (+12) 3. Maroussi Telestet 8 5 3 731 694 +37 1–1 (-12) 4. Split CO 8 2 6 679 752 −73 1–1 (+16) 5. Keravnos Keo 8 2 6 567 635 −68 1–1 (-16)

Group D Team Pld W L PF PA Diff Tie-break 1. Lukoil Academic 10 8 2 878 720 +158 2. PAOK 10 7 3 858 778 +80 3. Geoplin Slovan 10 6 4 753 705 +48 4. Zagreb 10 4 6 783 790 −7 1–1 (+9) 5. Feal Široki 10 4 6 772 848 −76 1–1 (-9) 6. APOEL 10 1 9 644 847 −203

Before the PEP phase, the group champions of the RQR Southern conference participate in a final round to contest for the symbolic title of Conference Champion

Semifinals

January 16, Universiada Hall, Sofia

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Peristeri	84–86	Aris
Lukoil Academic	99–83	Türk Telekom

3rd place game

January 17, Universiada Hall, Sofia

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Türk Telekom	86–70	Peristeri

Final

January 17, Universiada Hall, Sofia

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Lukoil Academic	81–80	Aris

Conference West

The season ran from October 1, 2002 to November 5, 2002.

Key to colors

	Top two places (and the best 3rd) in each group advance to PEP
	Eliminated

Group A Team Pld W L PF PA Diff Tie-break 1. Tenerife 10 9 1 804 732 +72 2. Dijon 10 6 4 829 776 +53 2–0 (+14) 3. Birmingham Bullets 10 6 4 746 764 −18 0–2 (-14) 4. Dexia Mons-Hainaut 10 5 5 806 791 +15 5. Benetton Fribourg 10 2 8 690 776 −86 2–0 (+10) 6. Oliveirense 10 2 8 797 833 −36 0–2 (-10)

Group B Team Pld W L PF PA Diff Tie-break 1. Strasbourg 10 7 3 865 818 +47 2. Ourense 10 6 4 910 861 +49 3. Ovarense Aerosoles 10 5 5 878 851 +27 1–1 (+13) 4. Portugal Telecom 10 5 5 819 827 −8 1–1 (-13) 5. Montan Bears Kapfenberg 10 4 6 871 906 −35 6. Euphony Liège 10 3 7 799 879 −80

Group C

	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	Diff	Tie-break
1.	EiffelTowers Nijmegen	10	8	2	856	794	+62
2.	Bipop Carire Reggio Emilia	10	7	3	858	838	+20
3.	Porto Ferpinta	10	5	5	858	830	−18	2–0 (+14)
4.	Nancy	10	5	5	814	764	+50	0–2 (-14)
5.	Quatro Bree	10	3	7	770	848	−78
6.	Madeira	10	2	8	812	894	−82

Pan-European phase

The phase ran from February 2, 2003 to March 25, 2003.

Key to colors

	Advance to Quarterfinals
	Eliminated

Group A Team Pld W L PF PA Diff Tie-break 1. UNICS 6 6 0 544 428 +116 2. Odessa 6 3 3 522 557 −35 3. Hapoel Migdal 6 2 4 511 525 −14 4. Türk Telekom 6 1 5 478 545 −67

Group B Team Pld W L PF PA Diff Tie-break 1. Hemofarm 6 5 1 533 457 +76 2. Lietuvos rytas 6 3 3 494 468 +26 3. Skonto 6 2 4 530 567 −37 1–1 (+25) 4. PAOK 6 2 4 470 535 −65 1–1 (-25)

Group C Team Pld W L PF PA Diff Tie-break 1. Prokom Trefl Sopot 6 5 1 499 463 +36 2. Ventspils 6 3 3 531 480 +51 3. EiffelTowers Nijmegen 6 2 4 527 544 −17 1–1 (0) 4. Ourense 6 2 4 450 520 −70 1–1 (0)

Group D Team Pld W L PF PA Diff Tie-break 1. Dijon 4 3 1 326 305 +21 2. Porto Ferpinta 4 2 2 300 317 −17 3. Anwil Włocławek 4 1 3 295 299 −4

Group E Team Pld W L PF PA Diff Tie-break 1. Aris 6 4 2 505 504 +1 1–1 (+8) 2. Hapoel Tel Aviv 6 4 2 439 429 +10 1–1 (-8) 3. Khimki 6 2 4 528 517 +11 1–1 (+14) 4. Strasbourg 6 2 4 459 481 −22 1–1 (-14)

Group F Team Pld W L PF PA Diff Tie-break 1. Lukoil Academic 6 5 1 550 483 +67 2. Unelco Tenerife* 6 3 3 487 467 +20 3. Bipop Carire Reggio Emilia 6 2 4 391 445 −54 2–0 (+27) 4. Bnei HaSharon 6 2 4 418 451 −33 0–2 (-27) ^*In 2003, Tenerife CB signed a sponsorship contract with Unelco and adopted the commercial name "Unelco Tenerife CB".

Quarterfinals

The quarterfinals were two-legged ties determined on aggregate score. The first legs was played on April 8. All return legs were played on April 15.

Team 1	Agg.	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Aris	158–150	Lukoil Academic	91–73	67–77
Hapoel Tel Aviv	127–138	Hemofarm	52–56	75–82
Dijon	157–177	Prokom Trefl Sopot	70–74	87–103
Ventspils	164–158	UNICS	88–79	76–79

Final four

Semifinals

May 2, Alexandreio Melathron, Thessaloniki

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Ventspils	57–79	Prokom Trefl Sopot
Hemofarm	66–73	Aris

3rd place game

May 4, Alexandreio Melathron, Thessaloniki

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Ventspils	91–90	Hemofarm

Final

May 4, Alexandreio Melathron, Thessaloniki

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Aris	84–83	Prokom Trefl Sopot

2002–03 FIBA Europe Champions Cup
Aris 1st title

Final standings

	Team
	Aris
	Prokom Trefl Sopot
	Ventspils
	Hemofarm

References