16/01/2017
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Upsets shake up Power Rankings, lifting Elan Chalon to the top
MUNICH (FIBA Europe Cup) - Last week in the FIBA Europe Cup was full of unexpected results and there were quite drastic shifts in the Power Rankings as well, with Elan Chalon moving to the top spot and three new clubs breaking into the Top 10.
Drastic shifts in the Power Rankings after #FIBAEuropeCup Second Round Game Day 4 was full of unexpected results.
— FIBA Europe Cup (@FIBAEuropeCup) January 16, 2017
📖 https://t.co/HrKQKBUgVV pic.twitter.com/MebyNpEShR
After handing Nanterre 92 their first defeat of the season in the competition, Kormend not only knocked off the French side from pole position, but leaped all the way up to sixth position themselves.
The two remaining new names in the league’s upper echelons are Port of Antwerp Giants and Alba Fehervar, who emerged as the new pace-setters in their respective groups after wins against Demir Insaat and U-BT Cluj-Napoca correspondingly.
| 1. Elan Chalon (4-0) |
Already the third French team to climb to the top of the Power Rankings, Elan Chalon are the last remaining squad with a perfect Second Round record and seem to be well on their way to the Round of 16. |
| 2. Nanterre (3-1) |
Nothing lasts forever, Nanterre. After nine consecutive victories, the squeaky clean FIBA Europe Cup record of the dominant French side got binned in Hungary. In quite spectacular fashion as well. |
| 3. Telekom Baskets (3-1) |
Did the coaching staff forget to inform the players that the trip to Cyprus was NOT just a warm winter getaway? |
| 4. Gaziantep (3-1) | Just casually posted a 42-point victory against Sodertalje Kings, setting the new biggest victory margin in the Second Round. |
| 5. Enisey (3-1) | Like bees shouldn’t be able to fly according to physics, Enisey shouldn’t be able to lose in Krasnoyarsk. However, both of these things do actually happen in real life. |
| 6. Kormend (3-1) | The super trio of Terry Allen, Lenzelle Smith and Parrish Petty and the always loud Kormend crowd did what no one else could – they finally beat Nanterre in the FIBA Europe Cup. |
| 7. Antwerp Giants (3-1) |
That sweet, sweet taste of revenge! A near-perfect second half display saw Antwerp Giants overtake Demir Insaat in the Group L standings. |
| 8. Demir Insaat (3-1) | Read above. This time, with a sad undertone in your voice. |
| 9. Lukoil Academic (3-1) | Lukoil Academic have been flying under the radar in the Second Round, but don’t be surprised if they come away with a positive result against Enisey in Sofia this week. |
| 10. Alba Fehervar (3-1) |
If James Farr continues knocking down clutch three-pointers like he has done so far, Alba Fehervar could go very, very far in the competition. |
| 11. Vytautas (3-1) |
Schadenfreude level: strong. Although a nearly avoided 20-point meltdown in Austria will not be all that inspiring for coach Virginijus Seskus, Telekom Baskets losing in Nicosia made the task of finishing first in Group M a hell of a lot easier. |
| 12. Pau-Lacq-Orthez (2-2) | One is an accident. Two is a trend. Three is a problem. Can Pau-Lacq-Orthez stay away from loss number three? |
| 13. Donar Groningen (2-2) | Impossible is nothing. Having handed Enisey their first home loss of the season, Donar have put their name back into the mix in Group P. Will they be slightly late to the party? |
| 14. U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2-2) |
Opportunity missed is an opportunity lost. A slip up by Pau-Lacq-Orthez in Pardubice had left a vacancy at the top of Group O. However, U-BT Cluj-Napoca couldn’t take the chance even with Aleksandar Rasic making five three-pointers. |
| 15. BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque (1-3) | The French side finally stopped the bleeding, but the Round of 16 remains a distant mirage. What could save BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque is a Usain Bolt-like 100 meter dash… and Prievidza pulling off upsets against Antwerp Giants and Demir Insaat. |
| 16. Pardubice (1-3) | Choosing the culprit of the biggest upset this week is not an easy task, but Pardubice possibly spoiling Pau-Lacq-Orthez’s three month frame of work with an unexpected victory in Czech Republic is definitely the front-runner. |
| 17. Redwell-Gunners (1-3) | Redwell-Gunners were a whisker away from adding to the long list of upsets last week, but the Austrian side couldn’t finish off Vytautas in Oberwart after closing a 20-point gap in the second half. |
| 18. Tsmoki Minsk (1-3) |
This was the third straight loss for Tsmoki in the Second Round. The Dragons, who have ceased to breathe fire, might want to inquire whether a local vet in Minsk would be open to seeing them. |
| 19. APOEL (1-3) | After losing by 38 points in Bonn, APOEL brushed aside Telekom Baskets in Cyprus like it was no big deal. Can we consider the Nicosia club back on track? |
| 20. Bnei Herzliya (1-3) | Too little, too late for Bnei Herzliya. Although two victories against Pau-Lacq-Orthez and Kormend could bring the Israeli club back into the discussion, both of them are away from home, where the Herzliya side have won only once all season. |
| 21. Prievidza (1-3) | That victory in France now seems so long ago that even Prievidza might have forgotten they do have a win in the Second Round. They need a couple more if they want to make some noise. |
| 22. Sodertalje Kings (1-3) | The Sodertalje Kings resurgence lasted a week and was then swept under the carpet by Gaziantep, who hammered the Swedish club by 42 points at the Taljehallen. |
| 23. SL Benfica (0-4) |
One of two winless teams in the competition, SL Benfica have been an afterthought in Group P. Out of the race for a place in the Round of 16, they could still spoil the fun for Donar or Enisey. |
| 24. BC Mures (0-4) |
This FIBA Europe Cup campaign is all but over for Mures, but can they pass their Power Rankings arch-nemesis SL Benfica before the end of the Second Round? |
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