This Is Basketball

Thijs De Ridder put together his sharpest night in an NCAA uniform, posting 24 points, 9 rebounds and a flawless 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in Virginia's 89–60 win over Drexel. He shot 9 of 15 from the field and 2 of 4 from three, with zero turnovers across 27 minutes. For a Belgian navigating Division I college basketball, a game of that efficiency — especially the ball security and rebounding work — signals real progress in his development at that level.

Oskar Giltay put together his best performance of the season in December, posting 15 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals in 21 minutes off a perfect 5-for-5 from the field. Stanford rolled past Portland 94–72 in NCAA Division I play, the Belgian leaving the court with zero turnovers in a dominant team showing. For a player operating at college basketball's highest level, this kind of efficiency—especially over a full half or more of action—signals Giltay is finding his footing in the American game.

Xander Pintelon lit up in December, posting 20 points on efficient shooting — 7-for-11 from the field and 4-for-8 from three — to mark his best game of the season for Florida Atlantic. He added 4 rebounds, a steal and 2 blocks while committing no turnovers in 25 minutes. The effort was not enough: Florida Atlantic fell 80–85 to UCF in NCAA Division I play. A 20-point outing on that kind of accuracy shows the Belgian can compete at this level. Whether he can build on it will matter more than this single result.

Tom Mark's best game of the 2025-26 season came in January: 19 points and 11 rebounds on 7-of-9 shooting, plus 5 blocks in 31 minutes. The result went the other way, as Cal State Bakersfield lost 62–83 to UC San Diego. A double-double with five blocks shows what a Belgian can do at NCAA Division I level, even on a losing night.

Thijs De Ridder's best game of the 2025-26 season came in December, in Virginia's 95–51 rout of American: 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting (3-for-4 from three), 8 rebounds and 2 steals in 24 minutes. A scoring night like that shows what a Belgian can produce at NCAA Division I level, and his touch from range stood out.

After the month of October 2026 — based on games played so far, with a minimum two-thirds participation threshold — here's who leads the Italian Lega Basket in rebounding average. Mike Tobey sits atop the board at 11.3 RPG for Verona, a commanding margin over Lajae Jones of Trieste, who averages 10.3. The gap from second to third widens considerably: Brekkott Chapman (Treviso) and Ze'Rik Onyema (Scafati) are tied at 8.5 apiece, while Mouhamet Diouf rounds out the top five for Virtus Bologna at 7.5 RPG. Tobey's rebound rate reflects sustained interior dominance through the month. The Italian league's rebounding leaders through October paint a picture shaped by team needs: four different clubs represented in the top five, each leaning on their anchor in the paint.

Amine Noua finished with 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 5-of-7 from three, to steer Unicaja Málaga past Pallacanestro Reggiana 99–94 in Group E play. The forward's efficiency — 4-of-5 at the line and just one turnover across 28 minutes — proved decisive in a five-point margin that could have tightened in the final stretch. Reggiana stayed close throughout, but Noua's shooting consistency, particularly his three-point accuracy, gave Unicaja the cushion they needed. In a competition where road trips to Italy test depth and composure, home-court performances like this one matter.

Nicolas Laprovittola turned Porto's home court into a shooting gallery. The DKV Joventut guard torched the hosts for 23 points on just 24 minutes—an 8-of-11 display from the field that included 6 threes on 9 attempts—as the Spanish side dismantled FC Porto 81–64 in Group H play. Laprovittola's efficiency defined a one-sided contest. He needed barely a half's worth of minutes to dismantle Porto's defence, mixing pull-ups with catch-and-shoot looks in a rhythm that never allowed the home team to settle. The 1-of-2 free-throw line his only blemish on an otherwise clinical outing; five turnovers the trade-off for aggressive shot-making. The 17-point road victory leaves little doubt about the gap on the night. Laprovittola's hot hand was the principal reason Joventut never needed to sweat it out.

⭐ Player of the Game: Neftali Difuidi — 23 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK. SIG Strasbourg take it, 95–70.

Tyler Cavanaugh trug Bahcesehir Koleji Istanbul mit einer effizienten Leistung zum 96:82-Sieg gegen ratiopharm ulm in der EuroCup-Gruppenphase. Der Guard kam auf 16 Punkte, 9 Rebounds und 3 Assists bei perfekter Freiwurfquote — 5/5 vom Punkt — und half damit maßgeblich mit, die Partie in der Auswärtsrolle unter Kontrolle zu halten. Cavanaughs Bilanz zeigt Ruhe in der Ballbehandlung: null Turnover bei 31 Einsatzminuten. Das 5/9 Feldwurfquote verdeutlicht einen zielstrebigen Auftritt, auch wenn die Dreierquote (1/4) nicht aufging. Auf dem Bretter war der Amerikaner präsent und setzte damit früh einen Rhythmus, den die Istanbuler über die gesamte Spielzeit aufrechterhalten konnten. Für ratiopharm ulm reichte die Antwort nicht aus. Der 14-Punkte-Vorsprung beim Schlussstand unterstreicht, dass Bahcesehir diese Reise dominierte — und Cavanaugh war dabei ein Stabilitätsfaktor.

Tevian Jones finished with 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting—including 4-of-6 from three—to lead Juventus Utenos past Pardubice 98–95 in Group E play. The guard added 4 assists and 4 rebounds across 32 minutes, anchoring a home win that came down to the final moments. Jones's efficiency from deep and overall accuracy proved decisive in a tight contest that hinged on execution down the stretch.

Axel Bouteille war der Antrieb von Buducnost Voli Podgorica beim 96:84-Erfolg gegen NINERS Chemnitz. Der Flügelspieler erzielte 16 Punkte, verteilte vier Assists und schnappte sich vier Rebounds in nur 22 Minuten — eine effiziente Bilanz, die seine Bedeutung für den Sieg unterstreicht. Bouteille traf 5 von 11 Feldzügen (2/6 von draußen) und verwandelte 4 von 6 Freiwürfen. Er hielt die Offense am Laufen, während Podgorica zu Hause ein klinisches Spiel zeigte und den deutschen Gast über weite Strecken kontrollierte. Mit nur zwei Ballverlust bewies er auch Ballsicherheit in einem Match, das die Montenegriner um zwölf Punkte entschieden.

Bahcesehir Koleji Istanbul setzt sich dominant durch und bleibt in der EuroCup ungeschlagen im oberen Drittel. Die Türken dominierten vor allem in der zweiten Phase und bauten ihre Führung methodisch aus. Das erste Viertel endete ausgeglichen bei 19:19. Im zweiten Abschnitt aber zeigte Bahcesehir Koleji Istanbul ihre Klasse: Sie outscorten Ulm 35:17 und gingen mit 54:36 in die Kabine. Ratiopharm Ulm kämpfte sich im dritten Viertel zurück — sie gewannen diesen Abschnitt 24:14 und verkürzten auf 60:68 nach drei Spielen. Im vierten Viertel reichte es aber nicht: Bahcesehir Koleji Istanbul sicherten sich den Schlussabschnitt 28:22 und kontrollierten das Spiel zum 96:82. Mateusz Ponitka (18 Punkte auf 6/9 FG, 2/5 Dreier, 4 Steals) führte Istanbul an, unterstützt von Tyler Cavanaugh (16 Punkte, 9 Rebounds). Bei Ulm war Michael Rataj (18 Punkte auf 6/12 FG, 5/5 Freiwürfe) der Anführer neben Jaylen Sims (17 Punkte, 7 Rebounds). Für Bahcesehir Koleji Istanbul (jetzt 5-1) bestätigt sich der starke Saisonverlauf. Ratiopharm Ulm (3-3) muss sich schnell stabilisieren vor dem Auswärtsspiel bei Roma Basketball am Mittwoch.

Jarred Godfrey orchestrated Salon Vilpas's Group C win over Windrose Giants Antwerp with precision and control. The guard finished with 21 points and 9 assists across 35 minutes, shooting 8 of 17 from the field and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line, while adding 3 steals in a performance that tilted the pace and decision-making in Vilpas's favor. The eight-point margin masks how much Godfrey's playmaking shaped the outcome. Nine assists from a guard who was also scoring made Antwerp's defense choose between collapse and containment—neither worked consistently. His efficiency from three-point range (2 of 6) left room for improvement, yet his shot creation and ball movement dictated Vilpas's rhythm in the second half. A quiet night on the boards and just one block limit this to a controlled rather than dominant display, but in a Champions League Group C contest decided by steady pressure rather than explosion, that control was the difference.

Buducnost Voli Podgorica zog sich in einem kontrollierten EuroCup-Duell mit 96:84 gegen NINERS Chemnitz durch und beendete damit eine vierteilige Siegesserie des deutschen Clubs. Das Spiel blieb von Anfang an eng: Nach dem ersten Viertel führte Buducnost nur knapp mit 23:22. Über die zweite und dritte Phase bauten die Montenegriner ihren Vorsprung methodisch aus – zur Halbzeit lagen sie 49:44 vorn, nach drei Vierteln betrug der Abstand 73:66. Im vierten Viertel setzten sie sich mit einem 23:18-Lauf endgültig ab. Nighael Ceaser war der Treiber für Chemnitz mit 18 Punkten auf starken 8/13 Würfen, unterstützt von Ben Burnham (16 PTS, 5/7 FG, 3/4 Dreier) und Mateo Seric (13 PTS, 5/7 FG). Die Offensive funktionierte, aber es reichte gegen eine Buducnost-Mannschaft, die defensiv präsent und in den engen Phasen präzise war. Axel Bouteille führte die Gastgeber mit 16 Punkten, 4 Rebounds und 4 Assists an; Justin Smith steuerte 11 Punkte und 6 Rebounds bei. Buducnost verbessert sich auf 3:3, während Chemnitz mit 4:2 trotz der Niederlage gut im Rennen bleibt. Buducnost empfängt am Dienstag Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse; Chemnitz tritt Mittwoch gegen Napoli Basketball an.

Through October 2026, here's who leads the Top Division Women 1 scoring chart — these averages are drawn from games played that month, with each player appearing in at least two thirds of their team's fixtures. Sam Van Buggenhout (Phantoms Basket Boom DSE) sits clear at the top, averaging 20.0 PPG. Laure Résimont and Grace Sullivan, both of Kangoeroes Basket Mechelen DSE, occupy second and third — 17.5 and 17.3 PPG respectively — with Khiana Johnson (Liège Panthers DSE) at 17.2 and Jitte Baelen (Amon Jeugd Gentson DSE) rounding out the top five at 17.0. #TopDivisionWomen1 #BeCourtwatch #Belgian Basketball #October2026 #Scorers #TIB

After the month of October 2026, here are the Top Division Men 2's leading scorers — based on games played so far, with a minimum of two games and at least two thirds of each player's team fixture list that month. J'Nathan Bullock tops the list at 22.5 PPG for Basket Sijsele, ahead of Siel Dedoelder of KBGO Finexa Basket@Sea, who sits at 21.8 PPG. Senne Geukens (St-Niklase Condors, 19.8 PPG), Wannes Tomlow (Gembo Borgerhout, 19.3 PPG) and Jan Goyens (BC Asse-Ternat, 18.6 PPG) round out the top five — a narrow spread that reflects how competitive scoring has been across the division this month.

The month of October 2026 -- averages over the games played that month, at least two thirds of his team's games that month and minimum 2, the top 5: 1. Andrej Cuyvers (BC Guco Lier) — 28.3 PPG 2. Samuel Schadeck (Neufchâteau) — 25.3 PPG 3. Landon Unruh (AB0 LDP Donza) — 21.8 PPG 4. Domien Loubry (Kontich Wolves) — 19.3 PPG 5. Yannick Desiron (Kontich Wolves) — 18.8 PPG

The month of October 2026 -- averages over the games played that month, at least two thirds of his team's games that month and minimum 2, the top 5: 1. Malik Thomas (Partena Professional Okapi Aalst) — 24.2 PPG 2. Max Klesmit (Kangoeroes Basket Mechelen) — 22.8 PPG 3. Douglas Konieczny Jr. (Val-Dieu Spirou Basket) — 19.0 PPG 4. Sebastian Thomas (AB InBev Leuven Bears) — 19.0 PPG 5. Aleksandre Merkviladze (Donar Groningen) — 18.8 PPG

With each team 5–8 games into group play, here's who leads our TIB Efficiency ranking across Top Division Men 2. Pierrick Van Den Brule sits clear at the summit: 52.1 TIB EFF for BC Sprimont (5-1). J'Nathan Bullock trails at 44.5 for Basket Sijsele (6-1), while Wannes Tomlow's 43.9 mark keeps Gembo Borgerhout unbeaten at 7-0. Senne Geukens (St-Niklase Condors, 3-5) lands fourth at 42.4, with Thomas Creppy (Royal Waterloo Basket, 3-2) rounding the top five at 36.9. For full transparency, this is our TIB Efficiency Rating — the same idea as the standard FIBA/NBA efficiency, with our own weightings and a competition-strength adjustment: ✅ Positive: (2×PTS)+(2×REB)+(3.5×AST)+(4×STL)+(5×BLK)+(3×2FGM)+(4×3FGM)+(2×FTM)+(5×WIN) ❎ Negative: (4×TO)+(3×PF)+(3×(2FGA−2FGM))+(2×(3FGA−3FGM))+(4×(FTA−FTM))+(5×LOSS) 👉 TIB EFF = (Positive − Negative) ÷ Games Played #TIBEff #TopDivisionMen2 #BelgianBasketball #2026-27 #DomesticLeague