By Jean Malanum
MANILA – Utsunomiya Brex, Ryukyu Golden Kings, and Alvark Tokyo have qualified for the East Asia Super League (EASL) 2025-2026 season.
For the first time in EASL history, the league will feature three teams from Japan’s B.League.
Earlier this month, the winner of the 2025 Emperor’s Cup was introduced as a new qualification pathway for the upcoming season to uplift the quality of play and increase competitiveness.
Although Ryukyu won the Emperor’s Cup in March, they qualified through the original B.League Finals route, alongside Utsunomiya.
As a result, the Emperor’s Cup berth went to runners up Alvark Tokyo, who lost 60-49 in the final.
Utsunomiya is returning to the EASL for the first time since 2023. It joined the Terrific 12 in 2019, prior to the league’s shift to its current home-and-away format.
The Brex ruled the 2024-2025 B.League season, finishing with a 48-12 win-loss record to secure the No. 1 overall seed in the East Division. In the postseason, they swept the Mikawa Seahorses with an average winning margin of 13 points, then defeated the Chiba Jets, led by EASL 2023-2024 season MVP Yuki Togashi, 2-1, to reach the Finals.
The Ryukyu Golden Kings qualified after beating the San En Neophoenix in three games.
Ryukyu reached the B.League Finals for the fourth straight time, eyeing a second domestic title in three seasons after winning in 2023.
The Golden Kings debuted in the EASL 2023-2024 season and finished with a 3-3 slate in the group stage. The following year, they had a 5-1 record in the regular season, reached the Final Four in Macau and eventually placed fourth.
The EASL is one of the world’s top professional basketball leagues, aimed at elevating the sport across the Asia-Pacific region. (PNA)
