The 2020–21 ABA League First Division was the 20th season of the ABA League with 14 teams from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia participating in it. The season has started on 2 October 2020.
The season is the first to be played after the previous season was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ABA League Assembly ruled that the 12 teams from the previous season stays in the league and the first two clubs from Second Division were awarded two wild cards.
The Slovenian club Koper Primorska was disqualified from the competition in December 2020 and forfeited 0–20 for all games. Defending champions Crvena zvezda mts won its fifth title following a 3–2 win over Budućnost VOLI in the 2021 Finals.
Teams Promotion and relegation A total of 14 teams will contest the league, including all 12 sides from the previous season and two clubs with wild cards from the 2019–20 Second Division season. Two wild cards were awarded to Borac Čačak and Split, two highest-placed teams.
In season disqualification The Slovenian club Koper Primorska was disqualified from the competition on 17 December 2020. Following this disqualification the league remain with 13 clubs for the rest of season.
Disqualified
Venues and locations
Team Home city Arena Capacity Borac ČačakČačakBorac Hall Budućnost VOLI Podgorica Morača Sports Center Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana Arena Stožice Cibona Zagreb Dražen Petrović Hall Crvena zvezda mts Belgrade Aleksandar Nikolić Hall FMP Belgrade Železnik Hall Igokea Aleksandrovac Laktaši Sports Hall Koper PrimorskaKoperArena Bonifika Krka Novo Mesto Leon Štukelj Hall Mega Soccerbet Belgrade Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall Mornar Bar Topolica Sport Hall Partizan NIS Belgrade Štark Arena SplitSplitArena Gripe Zadar Zadar Krešimir Ćosić Hall
Personnel and sponsorship Team Head coach Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Borac Čačak Marko Marinović Uroš Čarapić — P.S. Fashion Budućnost VOLI Dejan Milojević Suad Šehović Spalding VOLI Cedevita Olimpija Jurica Golemac Jaka Blažič Adidas Cedevita Cibona Vladimir Jovanović Roko Prkačin GBT Erste Bank Crvena zvezda mts Dejan Radonjić Branko LazićAdidas mts FMP Vanja Guša Radoš Šešlija FMP Igokea Dragan Bajić Marko Jošilo GBT m:tel Koper Primorska Andrej Žakelj Luka Vončina Erreà Vehicle rent Krka Dalibor Damjanović Luka Lapornik — Krka Mega Soccerbet Vlada Jovanović Milenko Tepić Adidas Soccerbet / Tehnomanija Mornar Mihailo Pavićević Marko Mijović DaCapo Bar Municipality / Barsko zlato Partizan NIS Aleksandar Matović Novica Veličković Under Armour NIS / mts Split Mile Karakaš Mateo KedžoMacron Jugoplastika Zadar Veljko Mršić Dominik Mavra OTP Bank
Coaching changes Team Outgoing manager Date of vacancy Position in table Replaced with Date of appointment Ref. Mega Soccerbet Dejan Milojević 1 June 2020 Off-season Vlada Jovanović 1 June 2020 Crvena zvezda mts Dragan Šakota 8 June 2020 Saša Obradović 10 June 2020 Zadar Danijel Jusup 24 June 2020 Veljko Mršić 25 June 2020 Partizan NIS Andrea Trinchieri 2 July 2020 Vlado Šćepanović 9 July 2020 Vlado Šćepanović 30 October 2020 6th (2–2) Milivoje Lazić (interim) 30 October 2020 Milivoje Lazić (interim) 5 November 2020 7th (2–3) Sašo Filipovski 5 November 2020 FMP Vladimir Jovanović 14 December 2020 12th (2–6) Bojan Đerić (interim) 14 December 2020 Crvena zvezda mts Saša Obradović 24 December 2020 1st (9–1) Dejan Radonjić 25 December 2020 Budućnost VOLI Petar Mijović 27 January 2021 5th (11–3) Dejan Milojević 28 January 2021 Cibona Ivan Velić 31 January 2021 11th (5–10) Vladimir Jovanović 2 February 2021 FMP Bojan Đerić (interim) 13 February 2021 11th (5–10) Vanja Guša 13 February 2021 Split Ivica Skelin 17 February 2021 8th (5–13) Mile Karakaš 21 February 2021 Partizan NIS Sašo Filipovski 9 March 2021 7th (7–12) Aleksandar Matović 9 March 2021 Krka Vladimir Anzulović 17 March 2021 11th (6–14) Dalibor Damjanović 17 March 2021
Regular season The regular season began on 2 October 2020.
On 17 December 2020, the Slovenian club Koper Primorska was disqualified from the competition after failing to play two consecutive games due to financial problems. All of the Koper Primorska results were registered with the scores of 20–0 for their opponents and were not awarded a point for the defeat.
League table
Positions by round The Slovenaian club Koper Primorska was disqualified from the competition on 17 December 2020.
Results The Slovenaian club Koper Primorska was disqualified from the competition on 17 December 2020 and forfeited 0–20 for all matches before and following ejection. The club played nine games before ejection. They have not appeared in rounds 10 and 11. The club was disqualified from the further competition due to unjustified non-appearance in two consecutive games.
Results by round The table lists the results of teams in each round. The Slovenaian club Koper Primorska was disqualified from the competition on 17 December 2020 and forfeited 0–20 for all matches before and following ejection.
Playoffs
The semi-finals will be played in a best-of-three format, while the Finals were played in a best-of-five format.
Semifinals
Finals
Relegation 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
Statistical leaders
All players statistics from the nine games with Koper Primorska were annulled following their disqualification from the competition.
PIR
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Points
Rebounds
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Assists
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Awards PlayerTeam MVP F/C Filip Petrušev Mega Soccerbet Finals MVP C Landry Nnoko Crvena zvezda mts Top Scorer F/C Filip Petrušev Mega Soccerbet Best Defensive PlayerG/F Branko Lazić Crvena zvezda mts Top Prospect F/C Filip Petrušev Mega Soccerbet Coach of the Season HC Dragan Bajić Igokea The Ideal Starting FivePG Jordan Loyd Crvena zvezda mts SG Nikola Ivanović Budućnost VOLI SF Jaka Blažič Cedevita Olimpija PF Marko Simonović Mega Soccerbet C Filip Petrušev Mega Soccerbet
MVP List MVP of the Round
Round Player Team 1 Marko Simonović Mega Soccerbet 33 2 Justin Cobbs Budućnost VOLI 30 3 Nikola Ivanović Budućnost VOLI 32 4 Jordan Loyd Crvena zvezda mts 22 5 Jaka Blažič Cedevita Olimpija 31 6 Marko Radovanović FMP 39 7 Jaka Blažič (2) Cedevita Olimpija 29 8 Jacob Pullen Mornar 38 9 Filip Petrušev Mega Soccerbet 37 10 Ognjen Dobrić Crvena zvezda mts 25 11 Filip Petrušev (2) Mega Soccerbet 36 12 Dominik Mavra Zadar 47 13 Ognjen Jaramaz Partizan NIS 33 14 Mikael Hopkins Cedevita Olimpija 39 15 Filip Petrušev (3) Mega Soccerbet 41 16 Chinanu Onuaku Zadar 33 17 Nemanja Gordić Mornar 30 18 Chinanu Onuaku (2) Zadar 41 19 Marko Simonović (2) Mega Soccerbet 37 20 Toni Nakić Cibona 28 21 Nemanja Nenadić FMP 25 22 Nikola Jovanović Igokea 31 23 Jacob Pullen (2) Mornar 30 24 Filip Čović FMP 32 25 Justin Cobbs (2) Budućnost VOLI 24 26 Jaka Blažič (3) Cedevita Olimpija 38 SF1 Justin Cobbs (3) Budućnost VOLI 34 SF2 Justin Cobbs (4) Budućnost VOLI 28 SF3 Dejan Davidovac Crvena zvezda mts 33 F1 Jordan Loyd (2) Crvena zvezda mts 23 F2 Ognjen Dobrić (2) Crvena zvezda mts 27 F3 Nikola Ivanović (2) Budućnost VOLI 19 F4 Justin Cobbs (5) Budućnost VOLI 29 F5 Landry Nnoko Crvena zvezda mts 28 Source: ABA League
MVP of the Month Month Player Team 2020October Filip Petrušev Mega Soccerbet November Jaka Blažič Cedevita Olimpija December Filip Petrušev (2) Mega Soccerbet 2021January Jaka Blažič (2) Cedevita Olimpija February Chinanu Onuaku Zadar March Nikola Ivanović Budućnost VOLI April Rashawn Thomas Partizan NIS
Clubs in European competitions
Competition Team Progress Result EuroLeague Crvena zvezda mts Regular season 17th (10–24) EuroCup Budućnost VOLI Quarterfinals (2) 1–2 vs Monaco Partizan NIS Top 16 Group F (1) 4th (2–4) Cedevita Olimpija Top 16 Group G (1) 3rd (3–3) Mornar Top 16 Group H (1) 4th (1–5) Champions League Igokea Playoffs Group J (1) 3rd (3–3)
See also List of current ABA League First Division team rosters 2020–21 ABA League Second Division 2020–21 Junior ABA League 2020–21 WABA League
2020–21 domestic competitions 2020–21 Basketball Championship of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2020–21 HT Premijer liga 2020–21 Prva A liga 2020–21 Basketball League of Serbia 2020–21 Slovenian Basketball League
Teams 2020–21 KK Cedevita Olimpija season 2020–21 KK Crvena zvezda season 2020–21 KK Partizan season
Notes
References