Career: Academic Sofia (Bulgaria-Pro A, 1997-2004), MBC Odessa (Ukraine-Superleague, 2004-…).

Tencho Banev is a physical force inside, a big body (2.10 m and 115 kg) with rebounding skills who likes to fight under the boards. After growing up with Academic Sofia, the club with which he won two national titles in a row, he left Bulgaria in the summer of  2004 to join Ukraine. Last season, he played the FIBA Europe Cup with MBC Odessa, averaging 7.6 points (54.7% from the field) and 5.8 rebounds per game. In the domestic competition, he helped his team reach the semi-finals of the playoffs, where they were swept (3-0) by eventual champions, BC Kyiv. "This year was good for me. I think it was quite successful, because I played more minutes than last season", Banev stated when he joined the national team.