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.
The season was the first to be played after the previous season was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In accordance with the COVID-19 situation, it has been determined that the season will be played in new competition format and new calendar.
Teams 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. On 29 June 2020, the ABA League Assembly confirmed the final list of the 2020–21 season participants.
Team allocation
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
Regular season Sutjeska (Abd-1st) Široki (Abd-2nd) Sloboda Užice (2nd) MZT Skopje (Abd-1st) Lovćen 1947 (Abd-2nd) Spars (Abd-3rd) Zlatibor (3rd) Rabotnički (Abd-2nd) Studentski centar (WC) Borac Banja Luka (WC) Mladost Zemun (WC) Podgorica (WC) Gorica (Abd-4th) Helios Suns (Abd-4th)
In early June 2020, seven clubs contested for four wild cards. Later that month, Serbian club Novi Pazar withdrew its bid following failure to meet financial requirements. 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). 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. On 13 October, the League officially confirmed Borac Banja Luka as the final participant in the 2020–21 season.
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 SunsDomžale Dejan Jakara Aljaž Bratec Spalding Helios, Triglav Lovćen 1947Cetinje Petar Jovanović Nikola Borilović Macron — Mladost MaxBet Belgrade Dragan Jakovljević Marko Milenković Champion MaxBet MZT Skopje AerodromSkopje 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 SparsSarajevo Miodrag Kadija No1 Number 1 Studentski centar Podgorica Nenad Trajković Spalding VOLI, Moj Lab SutjeskaNikšić Velimir Gašić Boris Lalović EP CG ŠirokiŠiroki Brijeg Damir Vujanović Jure ZubacArdu 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 Sutjeska Zoran Glomazić 17 July 2020 Velimir Gašić 17 July 2020 Lovćen 1947 Zoran Kašćelan May 2020 Petar Jovanović 3 August 2020 Široki Hrvoje Vlašić August 2020 Damir Vujanović 6 August 2020 Sloboda Vladimir Lučić 1 November 2020 Oliver Popović 1 November 2020 Borac Banja Luka Marko Šćekić 3 December 2020 6th (2–2) Dragan Nikolić 3 December 2020 Spars Nedim Džemić 31 December 2020 7th (2–2) Miodrag Kadija 2 January 2021 MZT Skopje Aerodrom Gjorgji Kočov 14 March 2021 4th (6–4) Darko Radulović (interim) 14 March 2021
Venues The Regular season was divided in four tournaments. The first tournament was held in Čajetina, Serbia. The second tournament was held in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The third tournament was held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina while the fourth was held in Čajetina. The playoffs will be held in Podgorica, Montenegro.
Zlatibor, Čajetina Sarajevo STC Zlatibor – Wai Tai Arena Hills Sports Hall Capacity: 2,500 Capacity: N/A Banja Luka Podgorica Borik Sports Hall Morača Sports CenterCapacity: 3,060 Capacity: 6,000
Regular season 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.
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. The second tournament of three rounds took place between 18 January and 24 January 2021 in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Macedonian club Rabotnički missed the second tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic situation and the restrictions.
The third tournament of three rounds was held from 1–7 March 2021 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
League table
Positions by round
Results
Playoffs
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.
The playoff tournament will be held in Podgorica, Montenegro between 19 April and 6 May 2021.
Playout 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. On 3 April 2021, the playout tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Four clubs, Lovćen 1947, Rabotnički, Sutjeska, and Helios Suns, were qualified for the tournament.
Promotion playoffs 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.
+ Qualified clubs Leagues Clubs First Division Split Second Division Spars
Results
MVP List MVP of the Round
Round Player Team 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
See also List of current ABA League Second Division team rosters 2020–21 ABA League First Division
2020–21 domestic competitions 2020–21 Basketball Championship of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2020–21 HT Premijer liga 2020–21 Prva A liga 2020–21 Macedonian First League 2020–21 Basketball League of Serbia 2020–21 Slovenian Basketball League
References
External links Official website ABA League at Eurobasket.com