DYNAMO MOSCOW vs. HEMOFARM STADA

Two of the most successful teams all decade in Europe's second competition will square off in this promising quarterfinal. Dynamo Moscow of Russia won the 2006 ULEB Cup and placed third last season, while Hemofarm Stada of Serbia is a two-time semifinalist at this level. Their roads to Turin were quite different, but both overcame obstacles to reach the Final Eight. Dynamo underwent roster changes prior to and during the Last 16, but followed leaders like Bostjan Nachbar and Travis Hansen to finish as the Last 16's only undefeated team. Hemofarm lost one of its signature players early in the season, but got behind young stars like Milan Macvan and Stefan Markovic to survive do-or-die battles at the end of both the regular season and the Last 16. Although age separates their rosters from each other, Dynamo's veteran lineup and Hemofarm's youngsters share the same ambition going to the Final Eight in Turin — the Eurocup trophy.


BENETTON BASKET vs. LIETUVOS RYTAS

Two clubs whose names have been on the lips of basketball fans for years, Benetton Basket of Italy and Lietuvos Rytas of Lithuania, clash in the quarterfinals of a Final Eight that each hopes to finish with an addition to its trophy case. Benetton has not won a continental trophy in a decade, while L. Rytas lifted the ULEB Cup in 2005. Both teams feature deep and talented squads mixed with experience and youth. The Rtyas leader is point forward Chuck Eidson, who is backed by a wealth of home-grown talent like Mindaugas Lukauskis and Marijonas Petravicius. Benetton features scoring star Gary Neal, big veteran Sandro Nicevic and rebound ace C.J. Wallace. Both won four games in a row during the Last 16, and if Benetton enjoys the status of being the only Final Eight team playing in its home country, L. Rytas fans travel everywhere. Their marque matchup promises fireworks — not to mention a winner emboldened to go as far as possible in the Final Eight.


PAMESA VALENCIA vs. BC KHIMKI

One team that has previously won Europe's second competition and another looking to match that accomplishment meet in the quarterfinals to decide which of them keeps playing in the Final Eight. Pamesa Valencia of Spain, the ULEB Cup champion back in 2003, returns to the Final Eight for a second consecutive year. After knocking for years at the door of continental success, BC Khimki of Russia plans to knock it down in Turin. Both teams overcame coaching changes to succeed this season. Pamesa matching the Eurocup's best overall record, 10-2, while Khimki survive the Last 16 despite major injuries. Scoring guard Shammond Williams and all-purpose forward Matt Nielsen headline Pamesa's lineup, which expects young star Victor Claver back from injury. Khimki hopes to have both Maciej Lampe and Carlos Delfino healthy to join stars Kelly McCarty and Jorge Garbajosa. These deep, experienced, multi-talented and well-coached teams almost guarantee a quarterfinal thriller.


IURBENTIA BILBAO vs. KK ZADAR

One is a first-timer in European club competition, the other brought basketball to its country almost 80 years ago. Just the same, quarterfinal opponents Iurbentia Bilbao of Spain and KK Zadar of Croatia will be shooting for their first continental trophies at the Final Eight. In recent years, Bilbao has revived the basketball tradition in one of Spain's biggest cities to the point where it holds the domestic league's single-game attendance record. Zadar has been synonymous with Croatian basketball for so long that its own family of fans covers multiple generations. Bilbao has exploded onto the scene by tying for the Eurocup's best record overall, 10-2, with a deep ensemble anchored by big man Marko Banic — a Zadar native — and point guard Renaldas Seibutis. Zadar fought every step of the way to Turin behind the inside-outside duo of veteran Todor Gecevski and youngster Rok Stipcevic. Their unpredictable quarterfinal matchup will produce a surely confident winner going forward into the semifinals.