The Shiga Lakestars sit three games behind the first-place Ryukyu Golden Kings in the Western Conference standings, and the 17-9 club has demonstrated it has a legitimate shot at reaching the Final Four for the first time.

Led by veteran Julius Ashby, Ray Nixon, Josh Peppers, Dionisio Gomez, Takamichi Fujiwara, Yu Okada and Shinya Ogawa, the Lakestars have assembled a strong collection of talent in the frontcourt and the backcourt. The team is built to win now.

Alan Westover, a title-winning coach in Australia's National Basketball League, has been a good fit for the franchise in his first season in charge.