The 2003–04 ULEB Cup was the second season of the second-tier level European professional club basketball competition, EuroCup Basketball, organized by the Euroleague Basketball Company. The EuroCup is the European-wide league level that is one tier below the EuroLeague level. Thirty-six teams participated in thus expanded edition, including 7 league champions. The final was held on April 13, in Charleroi, Belgium, between Real Madrid and Hapoel Jerusalem, the latter winning it by a score of 83–72.
Team allocation For the first time teams from Israel, Lithuania, Greece, Latvia, Bulgaria, Poland, Austria and England joined the competition which was undisputedly considered now the 2nd tier of European club basketball. Three out of the 36 teams were domestic champions.
Teams
Country Teams Clubs Spain 6 Adecco Estudiantes Auna Gran Canaria DKV Joventut Etosa Alicante Real Madrid Caprabo Lleida Germany 4 Telekom Bonn Energy Braunschweig RheinEnergie Köln Opel Skyliners Serbia & Montenegro 4 Reflex Crvena zvezda Budućnost Atlas Croatia 3 Split CO Zadar Zagreb France 3 Le Mans Gravelines-Dunkerque Cholet Italy 3 Breil Milano Metis Varese Carisbo Virtus Bologna Belgium 2 Spirou Verviers-Pepinster Greece 2 Ionikos Egnatia Bank Makedonikos Netherlands 2 Demon Ricoh Astronauts EiffelTowers Nijmegen Austria 1 Superfund Bulls Bulgaria 1 Lukoil Academic England 1 Brighton Bears Israel 1 Hapoel Jerusalem Latvia 1 Ventspils Lithuania 1 Lietuvos rytas Poland 1 Prokom Trefl Sopot
Format The 2003–04 ULEB Cup featured a total of 36 teams, divided into six groups of six. The round-robin group stage was followed by knock-out stages. The regular season began in November 2003.
Regular season
All 36 teams in 6 groups played a round-robin competition, home and away. Two teams from each group advanced to the knockout stage (eighth-finals). Four teams with best third place records in their respective groups also advanced to the knockout stage.
Eighth-finals
The winners from the eighthfinals advanced to the quarterfinals. The matches were played as two games, home and away. The match winners were determined by point differential.
Quarterfinals
The winners from the quarterfinals advanced to the semifinals. The matches were played as two games, home and away. The match winners were determined by point differential.
Semifinals
The winners from the semifinals advanced to the finals. The matches were played as two games, home and away. The match winners were determined by point differential.
Final
The match was played as one game.
Regular season + Key to colors Top two places in each group, plus highest-ranked third-place team, advance to Top 16
Group A TeamPldWLPFPADiff 1. Breil Milano 10 8 2 787 684 103 2. Real Madrid 10 7 3 804 728 76 3. Lukoil Academic 10 7 3 855 828 27 4. Opel Skyliners 10 6 4 786 715 71 5. Zagreb 10 2 8 776 882 -106 6. Demon Ricoh Astronauts 10 0 10 656 827 -171Group B TeamPldWLPFPADiff 1. Caprabo Lleida 10 8 2 796 729 67 2. Auna Gran Canaria 10 7 3 770 670 100 3. RheinEnergie Köln 10 6 4 740 785 -45 4. Zadar 10 5 5 773 734 39 5. Atlas 10 3 7 748 774 -26 6. Superfund Bulls 10 1 9 710 845 -135
Group C TeamPldWLPFPADiff 1. Metis Varese 10 7 3 844 770 74 2. Ventspils 10 7 3 811 772 39 3. Spirou 10 6 4 756 759 -3 4. Crvena zvezda 10 5 5 819 815 4 5. Etosa Alicante 10 3 7 769 820 -51 6. Gravelines-Dunkerque 10 2 8 705 768 -63Group D TeamPldWLPFPADiff 1. Reflex 10 9 1 806 714 92 2. Hapoel Jerusalem 10 6 4 833 800 33 3. DKV Joventut 10 6 4 801 781 20 4. Go Pass Verviers-Pepinster 10 3 7 755 779 -24 5. Carisbo Virtus Bologna 10 3 7 769 816 -53 6. Telekom Bonn 10 3 7 747 815 -68
Group E TeamPldWLPFPADiff 1. Adecco Estudiantes 10 9 1 833 728 105 2. Makedonikos 10 6 4 778 786 -8 3. Le Mans 10 5 5 791 773 18 4. Budućnost 10 5 5 820 835 -15 5. EiffelTowers Nijmegen 10 3 7 818 832 -14 6. Energy Braunschweig 10 2 8 769 855 -86Group F TeamPldWLPFPADiff 1. Lietuvos rytas 10 8 2 786 660 126 2. Prokom Trefl Sopot 10 7 3 790 696 94 3. Brighton Bears 10 4 6 791 807 -16 4. Split CO 10 4 6 792 868 -76 5. Cholet 10 4 6 762 817 -55 6. Ionikos Egnatia Bank 10 3 7 794 867 -73
Elimination rounds Bracket
Source: ULEB Cup
Top 16
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
April 13, Spiroudome, Charleroi
2003–04 ULEB Cup Champions Hapoel Jerusalem 1st title
Finals MVP Kelly McCarty (Hapoel Jerusalem)
External links 2003-04 results and scoresheets ULEB Cup 2003–04 on Eurocupbasketball.com Eurobasket.com