2020–21_ABA_League_Second_Division
The 2020–21 ABA League Second Division was the 4th season of the ABA Second Division with 14 teams from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia participating in it. The season has started on 9 November 2020.
| ABA League Second Division | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | 2020–21 | ||||||||||||
| Duration | 9 November 2020 – 6 May 2021 | ||||||||||||
| Number of teams | 14 | ||||||||||||
| TV partner(s) | Arena Sport | ||||||||||||
| Regular season | |||||||||||||
| Top seed |  Studentski centar | ||||||||||||
| Finals | |||||||||||||
| Champions | Studentski centar (1st title) | ||||||||||||
| Runners-up |  Spars | ||||||||||||
| Semifinalists |  Mladost Podgorica | ||||||||||||
| Finals MVP | Marko Tejić | ||||||||||||
| Statistical leaders | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| Records | |||||||||||||
| Highest scoring | Mladost 101–107 Zlatibor (4 March 2021) | ||||||||||||
| Winning streak | 9 games Studentski centar | ||||||||||||
| Losing streak | 10 games Helios Suns | ||||||||||||
← 2019–20 2021–22 →
All statistics correct as of March 28, 2020. | |||||||||||||
The season was the first to be played after the previous season was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] In accordance with the COVID-19 situation, it has been determined that the season will be played in new competition format and new calendar.
A total of 14 teams contested the league, including two representatives from all six ABA League countries. In cases where a club from an individual country does not apply for the 2020–21 season, the empty spot will be filled by awarding wild cards. The first two teams from the previous season, Borac Čačak and Split, were awarded wild cards to compete in the 2020–21 ABA League First Division.[1] On 29 June 2020, the ABA League Assembly confirmed the final list of the 2020–21 season participants.[2]
Team allocation
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The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.: National League position
- WC: Wild card
- Abd-: League positions of abandoned season due to the COVID-19 pandemic as determined by the leagues
In early June 2020, seven clubs contested for four wild cards.[3][4] Later that month, Serbian club Novi Pazar withdrew its bid following failure to meet financial requirements.[5] On 29 June, the ABA League Assembly announced four wild cards recipients, including Sloboda Tuzla (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Studentski centar (Montenegro), Podgorica Bemax (Montenegro) and Mladost Zemun (Serbia).[2] Teams Borac Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Gostivar (North Macedonia) did not receive the wild card.
Reportedly, Borac Banja Luka received an invitation on 6 October 2020, after Sloboda Tuzla withdrawal.[6][7] On 13 October, the League officially confirmed Borac Banja Luka as the final participant in the 2020–21 season.[8]
Personnel and sponsorship
| Team | Home city | Head coach | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borac | Banja Luka | Dragan Nikolić |
 |
Kelme | MMS Code |
| Gorica | Velika Gorica |  Josip Sesar |
Ivan Majcunić |
— | |
| Helios Suns | Domžale |  Dejan Jakara |
Aljaž Bratec |
Spalding | Helios, Triglav |
| Lovćen 1947 | Cetinje | Petar Jovanović |
Nikola Borilović |
Macron | — |
| Mladost MaxBet | Belgrade | Dragan Jakovljević |
Marko Milenković |
Champion | MaxBet |
| MZT Skopje Aerodrom | Skopje |  Darko Radulović |
Damjan Stojanovski |
Givova | UNIBanka |
| Podgorica | Podgorica | Zoran Kašćelan |
|
— | Master, Bemax |
| Rabotnički | Skopje | Dimitar Mirakovski |
Kiril Nikolovski |
— | |
| Sloboda | Užice | Oliver Popović |
Stefan Simić |
Ardu Sport | mts |
| Spars | Sarajevo | Miodrag Kadija |
|
No1 | Number 1 |
| Studentski centar | Podgorica | Nenad Trajković |
|
Spalding | VOLI, Moj Lab |
| Sutjeska | Nikšić | Velimir Gašić |
Boris Lalović |
EP CG | |
| Široki | Široki Brijeg | Damir Vujanović |
Jure Zubac |
Ardu Sport | Kandit |
| Zlatibor | Čajetina | Strajin Nedović |
Bogdan Riznić |
Boje i fasade Maxima | |
Coaching changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Replaced with | Date of appointment | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Podgorica | Vladan Radović | May 2020 | Off-season | Zoran Kašćelan | May 2020 | [9] |
| Sutjeska | Zoran Glomazić | 17 July 2020 | Velimir Gašić | 17 July 2020 | [10] | |
| Lovćen 1947 | Zoran Kašćelan | May 2020 | Petar Jovanović | 3 August 2020 | [9][11] | |
| Široki | Hrvoje Vlašić | August 2020 | Damir Vujanović | 6 August 2020 | [12] | |
| Sloboda | Vladimir Lučić | 1 November 2020 | Oliver Popović | 1 November 2020 | [13] | |
| Borac Banja Luka | Marko Šćekić | 3 December 2020 | 6th (2–2) | Dragan Nikolić | 3 December 2020 | [14][15] |
| Spars | Nedim Džemić | 31 December 2020 | 7th (2–2) | Miodrag Kadija | 2 January 2021 | [16][17] |
| MZT Skopje Aerodrom | Gjorgji Kočov | 14 March 2021 | 4th (6–4) | Darko Radulović (interim) | 14 March 2021 | [18] |
The Regular season was divided in four tournaments. The first tournament was held in Čajetina, Serbia.[19] The second tournament was held in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina.[20] The third tournament was held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina while the fourth was held in Čajetina.[21] The playoffs will be held in Podgorica, Montenegro.[22]
| Zlatibor, Čajetina | 2020–21 ABA League Second Division (Yugoslavia) |
Sarajevo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| STC Zlatibor – Wai Tai | Arena Hills Sports Hall | ||
| Capacity: 2,500[23] | Capacity: N/A | ||
| Banja Luka | Podgorica | ||
| Borik Sports Hall | Morača Sports Center | ||
| Capacity: 3,060[24] | Capacity: 6,000 | ||
The Regular season was split in four tournaments with two tournaments featuring four rounds and the last one five rounds. It will be played in a round-robin system and after 13 rounds there will be Playoffs with eight teams and Play-out with four teams.[19]
The first tournament of four rounds took place between 9 November and 18 November 2020 in Čajetina, Serbia. The Croatian club Gorica missed the first tournament due to records of several COVID-19 positive players within their team.[25] The second tournament of three rounds took place between 18 January and 24 January 2021 in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina.[20] The Macedonian club Rabotnički missed the second tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic situation and the restrictions.[26]
The third tournament of three rounds was held from 1–7 March 2021 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.[21]
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Studentski centar |
13 | 12 | 1 | 1119 | 966 | +153 | 25 | Advance to the Playoffs |
| 2 | Spars |
13 | 10 | 3 | 1013 | 934 | +79 | 23 | |
| 3 | Borac Banja Luka |
13 | 9 | 4 | 1051 | 980 | +71 | 22 | |
| 4 | Mladost MaxBet |
13 | 8 | 5 | 1077 | 1030 | +47 | 21 | |
| 5 | MZT Skopje Aerodrom |
13 | 8 | 5 | 1048 | 986 | +62 | 21 | |
| 6 | Podgorica |
13 | 7 | 6 | 991 | 1023 | −32 | 20 | |
| 7 | Zlatibor |
13 | 6 | 7 | 960 | 1002 | −42 | 19 | |
| 8 | Sloboda Užice |
13 | 6 | 7 | 988 | 1002 | −14 | 19 | |
| 9 | Široki |
13 | 5 | 8 | 959 | 986 | −27 | 18 | |
| 10 | Gorica |
13 | 5 | 8 | 619 | 658 | −39 | 18 | |
| 11 | Rabotnički |
13 | 5 | 8 | 774 | 871 | −97 | 18 | Advance to the Playout |
| 12 | Lovćen 1947 |
13 | 5 | 8 | 990 | 1072 | −82 | 18 | |
| 13 | Sutjeska |
13 | 4 | 9 | 1037 | 1064 | −27 | 17 | |
| 14 | Helios Suns |
13 | 1 | 12 | 900 | 952 | −52 | 14 |
Positions by round
| First place & advance to the playoffs | |
| Advance to the playoffs | |
| Advance to the playout |
| Team ╲ Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studentski centar | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Spars | 7 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Borac Banja Luka | 8 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Mladost Maxbet | 5 | 7 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| MZT Skopje Aerodrom | 9 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Podgorica | 6 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| Zlatibor | 3 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| Sloboda Užice | 11 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Široki | 2 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Gorica | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| Rabotnički | 14 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
| Lovćen 1947 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Sutjeska | 12 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 13 |
| Helios Suns | 10 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Results
| Home \ Away | BOR | GOR | HEL | LOV | MLA | MZT | POD | RAB | SLO | SPA | STC | SUT | ŠIR | ZLA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borac | — | — | 79–74 | 90–71 | — | — | 98–78 | — | — | 88–90 | 87–79 | 100–93 | — | 93–70 |
| Gorica | 0–20 | — | — | — | 69–76 | — | — | 20–0 | 0–20 | — | — | 92–82 | — | 72–57 |
| Helios Suns | — | 20–0 | — | — | 77–80 | 69–70 | 85–87 | 66–67 | 75–84 | — | — | — | 72–77 | — |
| Lovćen 1947 Bemax | — | 78–80 | 78–71 | — | 80–78 | 55–96 | — | — | — | — | 64–83 | — | 75–66 | — |
| Mladost Maxbet | 91–83 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 89–73 | 87–89 | 92–77 | — | 80–90 | — | 101–107 |
| MZT Skopje Aerodrom | 99–75 | 77–73 | — | — | 75–82 | — | 72–74 | 84–82 | 70–81 | — | — | 92–73 | — | — |
| Podgorica | — | 65–72 | — | 83–76 | 71–79 | — | — | 70–76 | — | 75–80 | — | — | — | 79–76 |
| Rabotnički | 77–82 | — | — | 82–77 | — | — | — | — | 87–77 | 0–20 | — | 84–62 | — | 0–20 |
| Sloboda | 83–89 | — | — | 92–95 | — | — | 51–63 | — | — | 92–90 | 86–94 | 81–78 | — | 67–79 |
| Spars | — | 85–84 | 90–73 | 82–76 | — | 76–68 | — | — | — | — | 77–78 | — | 93–80 | — |
| Studentski centar | — | 61–59 | 83–78 | — | 65–59 | 92–75 | 100–82 | 98–69 | — | — | — | — | 98–62 | — |
| Sutjeska | — | — | 77–67 | — | — | — | 75–80 | 79–69 | — | 62–71 | 94–100 | — | 84–66 | 78–82 |
| Široki | 75–67 | 20–0 | — | — | 76–83 | 73–80 | 83–84 | 75–82 | 95–85 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Zlatibor | — | — | 80–73 | 90–99 | — | 71–90 | — | — | — | 66–82 | 74–88 | — | 88–80 | — |
Legend: Blue = home team win; Red = away team win.
Matches with lighter background shading were decided after overtime.
Based on the results and position of the clubs in the standings after the regular season, Playoffs will take place with teams from 1st to 8th position. The Quarterfinals will be played in knockout pairs 1–8, 2–7, 3–6, 4–5. The winners of the Quarterfinals will qualify to the Semifinals and the winners of the Semifinals will play the Final.[19]
The playoff tournament will be held in Podgorica, Montenegro between 19 April and 6 May 2021.[22]
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||||||||
| 19–21 April | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 Borac Banja Luka | 90 | 65 | 155 | |||||||||||||
| 23–25 April | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 Podgorica | 86 | 77 | 163 | |||||||||||||
| 6 Podgorica | 64 | 59 | 123 | |||||||||||||
| 19–21 April | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 Spars | 72 | 74 | 146 | |||||||||||||
| 2 Spars | 79 | 82 | 161 | |||||||||||||
| 4–6 May | ||||||||||||||||
| 7 Zlatibor | 82 | 74 | 156 | |||||||||||||
| 2 Spars | 89 | 72 | 161 | |||||||||||||
| 20–22 April | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 Studentski centar | 99 | 71 | 170 | |||||||||||||
| 4 Mladost MaxBet | 95 | 86 | 181 | |||||||||||||
| 24–26 April | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 MZT Skopje Aerodrom | 75 | 92 | 167 | |||||||||||||
| 4 Mladost MaxBet | 85 | 66 | 151 | |||||||||||||
| 20–22 April | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 Studentski centar | 86 | 76 | 162 | |||||||||||||
| 1 Studentski centar | 96 | 90 | 186 | |||||||||||||
| 8 Sloboda Užice | 92 | 80 | 172 | |||||||||||||
Based on the results and position of the clubs in the standings after the regular season, Playout would take place with teams from 11th to 14th position. The Playout would be played in knockout pairs 11–14, 12–13. The defeated teams would play for the final 13th and 14th places in the standings.[19] On 3 April 2021, the playout tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[22]
Four clubs, Lovćen 1947, Rabotnički, Sutjeska, and Helios Suns, were qualified for the tournament.
The 13th placed team of the First Division season and the runners-up of the Second Division season will play in the Qualifiers for a spot in the next First Division season.[27]
| Leagues | Clubs |
|---|---|
| First Division | Split |
| Second Division | Spars |
Results
MVP of the Round
| Round | Player | Team | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miloš Popović | Lovćen 1947 | 33 |
| 2 | Kenan Kamenjaš | Spars | 33 |
| 3 |  Femi Olujobi | MZT Skopje Aerodrom | 33 |
| 4 | Trey Drechsel | Mladost Zemun | 46 |
| 5 | Nikola Tanasković | Borac Banja Luka | 29 |
| 6 | Đorđe Milošević | Sutjeska | 32 |
| 7 | Trey Drechsel | Mladost Zemun | 43 |
| 8 | Dario Drežnjak | Široki | 50 |
| 9 | Amar Gegić | Spars | 40 |
| 10 | Aaron Thomas | Široki | 27 |
| 11 | Miloš Popović | Lovćen 1947 | 35 |
| 12 | Filip Bundović | Rabotnički | 37 |
| 13 | Amar Gegić | Spars | 30 |
| QF1 | Dušan Tanasković | Mladost Zemun | 31 |
| QF2 | Novak Musić | Podgorica | 38 |
| SF1 | Kenan Kamenjaš | Spars | 26 |
| SF2 | Kenan Kamenjaš | Spars | 35 |
| F1 | Marko Tejić | Studentski centar | 27 |
| F2 | Kenan Kamenjaš | Spars | 26 |
Source: ABA 2 League
- 2020–21 domestic competitions
- "Conclusions of the ABA League j.t.d. Assembly". aba-liga.com. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
- "Conclusions of the ABA League j.t.d. Assembly - 29 June 2020". druga.aba-liga.com. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- "Još dva bh. kluba traže mjesto u novoj sezoni ABA 2 lige". sport.novi.ba. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- "Kako se popunjavaju ABA lige i kome ide "wild card"?". MONDOBA. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
- "Novi Pazar odustao od Aba lige 2". bhbasket.ba. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- "ZVANIČNO U Borac došla pozivnica za drugu ABA ligu". Srpskainfo (in Serbian). Retrieved 2020-10-06.
- "ZVANIČNO: Banjaluka dobila predstavnika na Jadranu! Borac će igrati Drugu ABA ligu!". mondo.ba. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
- "Borac Banja Luka enters ABA League 2". druga.aba-liga.com. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- "Zoran Kašćelan: Više nisam trener Lovćena". bhbasket.ba. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- "Velimir Gašić preuzeo Sutjesku". mozzartsport.com. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
- "PETAR JOVANOVIĆ NOVI TRENER LOVĆENA, VRBICA I POPOVIĆ PRODUŽILI UGOVORE". cetinjskilist.com. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- "Damir Vujanović is the new head coach of Široki". druga.aba-liga.com. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
- "Popović preuzeo Slobodu, Lučić se iz Užica seli na klupu Vršca". mozzartsport.com. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
- "Banjalučki Borac smijenio trenera, već poznato i ime njegovog nasljednika". sport1.oslobodjenje.ba. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
- "Nikolić zamijenio Šćekića". glassrpske.com. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
- "Posljednjeg dana 2020. godine rastali se Sparsi i Realway!". sportsport.ba. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- "Kadija replaces Džemić on Spars bench". druga.aba-liga.com. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- "MZT Skopje Aerodrom and head coach Đorđi Kočov part ways". druga.aba-liga.com. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- "Announcement on the ABA League 2 2020/21 season competition format". druga.aba-liga.com. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
- "Second Regular Season Tournament to take place in Banja Luka". druga.aba-liga.com. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
- "Third regular season tournament to take place in Sarajevo". druga.aba-liga.com. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
- "The 2021 ABA League 2 Playoffs to take place in Podgorica". druga.aba-liga.com. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
- "Sportska ponuda u STC Zlatibor". stczlatibor.rs. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- "Спортска дворана "Борик"". scborik.com. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
- "Gorica unable to attend Zlatibor tournament". aba-liga.com. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- "Rabotnički unable to attend the start of the Banja Luka tournament". druga.aba-liga.com. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- "It's time for ABA 2!". aba-liga.com. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- Official website
- ABA League at Eurobasket.com