SAN JUAN (William Rosario's Somewhere in the Americas) - It's that semifinals time of the year for the South American League and this 2014 edition has brought some interesting storylines to the table and established some tendencies about basketball in the region.

The first group, played in Sao Paulo, was dominated by club Malvin in a performance that confirmed what Aguada already made clear last season: Uruguayan basketball is a definite player in the international club competition landscape.

The Montevideo team opened up the group with an upset over Libertad Sunchales from Argentina and proceeded to beat La Salle from Bolivia and host Mogi das Cruzes, to advance to the semis with an undefeated record. They were impressive and their patience offensively makes them a team to watch for the rest of the competition. They are clearly not as talented as the Brazilian teams in the competition, but their execution is enough to move them through to the end of the tournament.

The true surprise of the tournament has been Comunikt from Ecuador and their first place undefeated qualification to the semis. Ecuador has finally done it. After hosting and continually participating in every international club competition in the last three years, they have figured out their formula to being a presence in this stage.

With huge performances from their foreign signees Ernesto Oglivie, Rasheed Barrett and Scott Rodgers, who averaged a combined 61 points of the 85 the team averaged in group play, the Ambato club accomplished their goal and became the first Ecuadorian team to move on undefeated. Their work, along with Mavort and Importadora Alvarado will pay off in the end. We will look back to point out their importance in the development of basketball in the country.

The sad news in this 2014 edition is that Aguada got knocked off in the first round. After one of the most magical years in the history of international club competitions, with a second place in the 2013 South American League and a third place in this year's Liga de las Americas, the Uruguayan squad was eliminated in an overtime thriller against Winner/Limeira from Brazil.

But they did not go away quietly. The signature moment of the 2014 South American League happened in their stadium, when the President of Uruguay, Mr Jose "Pepe" Mujica came to watch one of their games. He signed autographs, took pictures with the fans and praised what the club had done for sports in the country last year. It was a great moment. Aguada has been the gift that keeps on giving for the South American League.

Uniceub/BRB from Brasilia has been there too. The Brazilian club looked to be out of it after losing to Defensor Sporting from Uruguay in the Group D opener, but survived in the last day of the first round. Guilherme Giovannoni, MVP of the 2013 season, was incredible in the three days of competition. He averaged 25 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, adding to an already all-time great career.

So Uniceub/BRB went through along with Bauru, who looked like the favorites to win it all. Bauru saw what Flamengo was able to do last season and stood up to the challenge. The team from Sao Paulo went into free agency with a plan to become a powerhouse Brazilian team and came up with Alex Garcia, Rafael Hettsheimeir, Jefferson Andrade and Robert Day as additions to an already offensively potent roster.

Their performances did not disappoint and, with an average margin of victory of 16 points per game, they advanced undefeated to the semis. This looks to be their year. Not only in this South American League, but anywhere they end up playing. Even in the high caliber Liga de las Americas.

All in all this first round has served as a microcosm for South American basketball at the moment with the most important tectonic shift being the fact that Argentina is no longer king.

Brazil has taken over international basketball at the club level (and at the national team level too, if you look to Spain 2014). In this first round, the four Brazilian participating teams advanced to the semis and quite frankly looked better doing it.

Meanwhile, Argentinean representatives were shaky. In the first round, Libertad Sunchales was eliminated by Malvin, and then both Boca Juniors and Argentino de Junin squeaked by to the semifinals. This is a new era for the once dominant Argentina National League. They are under construction, reforming everything.

And the Brazilian National League stepped up to the plate and delivered. In the last three years they have won the 2013 and 2014 Liga de las Americas (Pinheiros and Flamengo) and last year's South American League (Uniceub).
 
This 2014 edition has so far reaffirmed this new day in South American League basketball. This new day has Brazil at the top, Uruguay as a protagonist and Ecuador in the picture. For a League that used to have just Argentineans and Brazilians in the semifinals, this means growth.

William Rosario

FIBA

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