EASL’s group stage came to a close in February, with six teams advancing from the original field of 12 to the EASL Finals. The final two gamedays delivered six total matchups, highlighted by a perfect month from all three B.LEAGUE clubs on Feb. 4 and Feb. 16.

Here’s who stood out this month, along with a look at the final Power Rankings for the 2025-26 group stage.

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PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Makoto Hiejima

Makoto Hiejima has made history as the first Brex player — and the first B.LEAGUE player — to earn EASL Player of the Month honors, capping off a standout February that saw Utsunomiya close the group stage on a three-game win streak, top Group A, and secure their place at the EASL Finals. He is also the first local player to claim the award this season.

The guard was nothing short of electric across two February appearances, averaging 21 points and 4.5 assists while shooting 53.8% from the field. He knocked down seven three-pointers on the month, five of which came in a pivotal win-or-go-home showdown against the Taipei Fubon Braves on February 11 — a performance that punched Utsunomiya's ticket to Macau in the team's first full regular season in the league.

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TEAM OF THE MONTH: 

G: Barsbold Baatar-Erdene (Xac Broncos) 

G: Ryuichi Kishimoto (Ryukyu Golden Kings) 

F: Makoto Hiejima (Utsunomiya Brex) 

F: Jack Cooley (Ryukyu Golden Kings) 

C: Sebastian Saiz (Alvark Tokyo) 

February's Team of the Month tells a largely B.LEAGUE story, with four of the five selections coming from Japan's top flight.

In the frontcourt, Player of the Month Hiejima is joined by Ryukyu Golden Kings big man Jack Cooley and Alvark Tokyo's Sebastian Saiz. Cooley delivered a team-high 16 points against the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots before following up with a double-double in a must-win final group stage game against the Meralco Bolts. Saiz, meanwhile, was simply unstoppable on February 11, erupting for 38 points on a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line to clinch the No. 1 overall seed for Alvark Tokyo and send them directly to the postseason semifinals.

In the backcourt, Barsbold Baatar-Erdene earns his spot despite his Xac Broncos missing out on the EASL Finals. The Mongolian guard came agonizingly close to a triple-double with 16 points, nine rebounds, and a season-high 12 assists — the most dimes anyone has dropped in a single game all season. Joining him is Ryukyu's Ryuichi Kishimoto, who kept his foot on the gas in the Golden Kings' final two games with consecutive double-digit scoring performances, helping Ryukyu finish with a league-best 5-1 record for the second year running and book their place in the semifinals alongside Alvark.

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POWER RANKINGS:

Alvark Tokyo (5-1)

Ryukyu Golden Kings (5-1)

Utsunomiya Brex (4-2)

Seoul SK Knights (4-2)

Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (4-2)

New Taipei Kings (4-2)

Xac Broncos (3-3)

Meralco Bolts (3-3)

Taipei Fubon Braves (2-4)

Hong Kong Eastern (2-4)

Changwon LG Sakers (1-5)

Macau Black Bears (0-6)

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Quick Breakdown 

The final power rankings of the regular season are headlined by an all-B.LEAGUE top three, with all three Japanese clubs topping their respective groups. Alvark Tokyo and the Ryukyu Golden Kings lead the way as the No. 1 and No. 2 overall seeds, both earning a bye straight to the semifinals.

The remaining four EASL Finals qualifiers slot in at positions four through six. The Seoul SK Knights come in at No. 4, having been the first team in the entire 12-team field to clinch their spot back in January. The Taoyuan Pauian Pilots sit at No. 5 despite a tough loss to close the group stage, holding on through points difference, while the New Taipei Kings scrape in at No. 6 after needing Alvark Tokyo to do them a favor, which the top seeds duly delivered with a win over the Xac Broncos.

Just outside the Finals picture, the Xac Broncos land at No. 7 despite holding the No. 1 seed in their group for much of the season, while the Meralco Bolts close out at No. 8 off the back of a 3-3 record — the franchise's most successful EASL campaign to date.

The Taipei Fubon Braves and Hong Kong Eastern both finish 2-4, with the Braves edging Eastern into ninth on points difference within Group A. Changwon LG and Macau bring up the rear at No. 11 and No. 12, having been the first two teams eliminated from contention back in January.