Defending champion Burgos kicks off season against Besiktas

The Basketball Champions League is set to kick off its highly anticipated sixth season with a Group H game between defending champions Hereda San Pablo Burgos and Besiktas Icrypex.

Both teams will look to start the 2021-22 season off on the right foot with a win.

Where: Burgos, Spain (Pabellon Multiusos Coliseum Burgos)

When: 20:30 CET

Burgos

Not only is Burgos the defending champion, but they have won the last two BCL titles.

Burgos only has six returning players from last season (Alex Renfroe, Vitor Benite, Xavi Rabaseda, Dejan Kravic, Maksim Salash and Kareem Queeley), but they signed multiple players who will be key contributors this season.

Those newcomers include Kristian Kullamae, Aleksej Nikolic, Tyrus McGee, Dani Diez, Marc Garcia, Steve Zack and Suleiman Braimoh.

Here is what each new player is averaging so far in the Liga ACB:

Kullamae: 3.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game (11.7 minutes per game in three games)
Nikolic: 8.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game (28.0 minutes per game in three games)
McGee: 8.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game (18.3 minutes per game in three games)
Diez: 6.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game (17.7 minutes per game in three games)
Garcia: 3.0 points per game (14.0 minutes per game in one game)
Zack: 4.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game (16.7 minutes per game in three games)
Braimoh: 8.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game (20.0 minutes per game in three games)

Zan Tabak will also make his debut as the head coach of Burgos.

View video on the website

Besiktas

Besiktas, meanwhile, is making their return to the BCL after spending last season in the FIBA Europe Cup.

They were a member of the BCL in its first four seasons.

Like Burgos, Besiktas also has several new faces on the team, including multiple notable players with NBA experience.

Forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson signed with the team on Sept. 28.

The 26-year-old spent four seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, one season with the Toronto Raptors and part of last season with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Guard Trevon Bluiett signed on Sept. 20.

The 26-year-old previously spent some time in the NBA G League with the Westchester Knicks and Salt Lake City Stars.

Another newcomer to the team is Josh Reaves.

The American-Bolivian guard played with the Dallas Mavericks in 2019-20 and with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League last season.

The 24-year-old will become the first Bolivian player in the BCL.

Rounding out the group is guard Jordan Bone who played with the Detroit Pistons in 2019-20 and the Orlando Magic last season.

The 23-year-old also spent some time with those teams’ G League affiliates.

All of these players will be making their anticipated debut playing in Europe.