Vote for the best All-EuroCup First Team in history: 2015 vs. 2012

We are now in the quarterfinals on our journey to crown the greatest All-EuroCup First Team of all time!

Each season, five standout players earn their place among the competition’s elite as members of the All-EuroCup First Team. Over the years, these selections have featured rising stars, future EuroLeague legends, and unforgettable EuroCup heroes who left their mark on the competition.

Now, it's time to see which lineup stands above the rest.

Our expert panel has seeded the All-EuroCup First Teams into a bracket, and each matchup will be decided by you, the fans! Several times a week, we’ll reveal a new battle on the official EuroCup Instagram account, where you can vote for the team that you believe deserves to advance.

Here on EuroCupBasketball.com, we’ll break down each matchup, compare the rosters, and offer our take on who has the edge.

We are already in the quarterfinals with these two squads having already ended another's shot at winning. Now it's time to break down 2015 vs. 2012.

Let the debate begin – and let's see which side gets to the semis!

2015

Tyrese Rice, Khimki
Petteri Koponen, Khimki
Sammy Mejia, Banvit
Derrick Brown, Lokomotiv
Walter Tavares, Gran Canaria

2012

This is as good as a matchup as one could ask for – especially in the quarterfinals! Goodness gracious is there talent here. The key to analyzing these teams is remembering them for what they were in their respective seasons – and not what they would become or were like earlier in their careers.

Point guard: Rice vs. Beverley. Rice was the superior offensive player, with the ball in his hands more to post 17.0 points and 5.5 assists. Beverley was the superior defensive player, which still filling the stat sheet. I think Beverley’s defense would be worth more than whatever advantage Rice has on offense. Edge: Beverley

Shooting guard: Koponen vs. Seibutis. These are two outstanding shooters at the top of their respective games. Koponen made 45.4% of his threes en route to 13.5 points per game in 2015. Seibutis made 52% of his threes and scored 14.8 points per game. However, Koponen made more threes overall and contributed more rebounds and assists. Edge: Koponen

Small forward: Mejia vs. Planinic. This surprised me a bit. Mejia was outstanding for Banvit, making 48.1% of his threes and scoring 13.7 points. He also contributed on the glass (5.4 rpg.) and in the passing game (3.3 apg.) for a PIR of 18.2. Planinic, in his lone EuroCup season, was more of a tall, third guard and an absolute difference maker, but his clear advantage in passing (4.9 apg.) do not make up for his poor outside shooting (27.3% 3FG). Planinic had the better career, but Mejia had the better season. Edge: Mejia

Power forward: Brown vs. Caner-Medley. I don’t want to do anything to diminish what a remarkable season Caner-Medley has in 2011-12 for Valencia, capped by double-double – with a PIR of 38! – in the championship game. That said, Brown had an unreal season for Lokomotiv where he was an offensive dynamo and contributed across the board. Edge: Brown

Center: Tavares vs. Valanciunas. For both of these at-the-time young centers, this was their only EuroCup season. Neither was at their peak, but both were monsters. Tavares shot less, but made 70.7% of his shots, collected 7.7 rebounds and blocked 1.9 shots. Valanciunas almost matched him with 7.6 points and 1.6 rejections, while scoring 10.8 points per game. Edge: flip a coin

Even as we account for all sorts of variables, the 2012 team is – in my opinion – only clearly better at one position. And thus the 2015 team has my vote for the semifinals! Who has yours?