All around Europe, it's the time for a little break in the domestic leagues, which will be filled by the local cups, and Copa del Rey Basketball or simply the Spanish Basketball Cup is no exception.
UCAM Murcia / Schedule
In just a few days, teams will fight for the first domestic title of the season. The tension and the excitement that the domestic cups generate are something that can't usually be found during the regular season of the local leagues.
If you're missing some info or details about these competitions, there's no need to worry because we've got you covered.
In this article, we will focus on the Copa del Rey Basketball, where the tournament will be played in Granada from February 17 to February 20.
Located in Andalusia, it is one of the most historical cities in Spain. The Islamic period had a huge influence on its current streets and architecture, especially the Moorish one. The Alhambra is a must if you travel there.
Granada will host the Copa del Rey Basketball for the first time since 1995. In 1992, it also organized the first Copa del Rey Basketball with the current format (8 teams). Estudiantes became the champion winning the final against Zaragoza. John Pinone was the MVP of that Cup.
Format & Teams
The Spanish Cup is like a Final 8 tournament with 8 teams distributed in a bracket, followed by a knock-out elimination: quarterfinals, semifinals and the final will be played in a single-game format. Each winner advances into the next round.
Teams
- Real Madrid (no. 1 seed)
- FC Barcelona (no. 2)
- Valencia Basket (no. 3)
- Joventut de Badalona (no. 4)
- BAXI Manresa (no. 5)
- UCAM Murcia (no. 6)
- Rio Breogan (no. 7)
- Lenovo Tenerife (no. 8)
Schedule
Quarterfinals
- February 17: Joventut de Badalona vs Lenovo Tenerife (62-64)
- February 17: Real Madrid vs Rio Breogan (73-67)
- February 18: Valencia Basket vs UCAM Murcia (83-86)
- February 18: FC Barcelona vs BAXI Manresa (107-70)
Semifinals
- February 19: Real Madrid vs Lenovo Tenerife (94-74)
- February 19: UCAM Murcia vs FC Barcelona (90-103)
Final
- February 20: 18:30 CET
Interesting facts
- How FC Barcelona will face the tournament without Cory Higgins, the main factor in the last Cup (being named MVP) and in the Final Four. Mirotic's time?
- Dzanan Musa will make his debut in a big event being the key player.
- Would Real Madrid bounce back from its bump? The Blancos have lost 5 games in the last 19 days.
- BAXI Manresa defeated Barcelona twice this season. Will they do it for the third time?
- Joventut is seeking their first title since 2008. Pau Ribas was part of that unforgettable team.
- When Valencia won its only Spanish Cup back in 1998, Jaime Pradilla was not even born (he was born in 2001). They were runners-up in 2017.
Historical stats
- There won't be a host team, as Granada's basketball club plays in the Spanish Second Division (last year they lost the final against Rio Breogan).
- Real Madrid and FC Barcelona have distributed the last 12 Cups. Bitci Baskonia was the last team apart from the two Spanish powerhouses to achieve it in 2009.
- BAXI Manresa will play the Spanish Cup for the first time since 2004.
- Bitci Baskonia will not play in the tournament. They missed two of the last three editions.
- Did you know... Nico Laprovittola has the best PIR record in Cup's history? He made 50 in 2019 with Joventut.
- Rudy Fernandez has been named 3 times MVP of the Spanish Cup (2004, 2008, and 2015).
- Pablo Laso is the most successful coach in the competition. 6 titles, one more than Aito Garcia Reneses.
Throwback to last year
- In last year's final, Barcelona beat Real Madrid 88-73 as Cory Higgins was named the MVP of the tournament.