BBL Cup, BBL Trophy Pairings Set

The pairings for the BBL Cup and BBL Trophy has been set after the draw on Monday night.

BBL Cup defending champions Newcastle Eagles received a bye in the opening round along with Leicester Riders and Worcester Wolves, who finished second and third, respectively.

Glasgow Rocks will be taking on the new team on the block, Manchester Giants, while the Mersey Tigers was drawn against Guildford Heat.

Sheffield Sharks, on the other hand, will collide with the Cheshire Jets, MK Lions against Durham Wildcats, while the Plymouth Raiders will go up against another new squad, the East London Royals.

The first-round action will take place on October 12 to 14. The quarterfinal round will still follow a knockout format, while the semifinals will follow the two-legged home and away format.

The aggregate winners in the semifinals will advance to the finals that will be held on January 13 at the National Indoor Stadium in Birmingham.

BBL Cup First Round Matches

• Glasgow Rocks vs Manchester Giants
• Mersey Tigers vs Guildford Heat
• Sheffield Sharks vs Cheshire Jets
• MK Lions vs Durham Wildcats
• Plymouth Raiders vs East London Royals
• Newcastle Eagles (Bye)
• Leicester Riders (Bye)
• Worcester Wolves (Bye)

Meanwhile, the BBL Trophy pairings has also been set and will follow a new format this season.

Unlike last season, this year’s BBL Trophy action will be more exciting as it follows the same single-knockout format like the BBL Cup.

The first round of the BBL Trophy, in which the Newcastle Eagles are also the defending champions, will take place from December 28 to January 6.

BBL Trophy First Round Matches

• Edinburgh Kings vs Glasgow Rocks
• Durham Wildcats vs Newcastle Eagles
• East London Royals vs Mersey Tigers
• London Leopards vs Leicester Riders
• Manchester Giants vs Sheffield Sharks
• MK Lions vs Cheshire Jets
• Reading Rockets vs Guildford Heat
• Worcester Wolves vs Plymouth Raiders