Jeff Taylor has been covering European basketball since 1997, when he first worked on the television program SLAM. He has been a basketball writer and broadcaster since that time, traveling the continent and covering the game in depth for FIBA Europe since its launch in 2003.

Estudiantes are almost home and dry.

In one of the most thrilling conclusions to a season experienced by the famous Madrid side, Estu's fans are willing the club to ACB survival.

On April 20, Estu, lost at home to Fuenlabrada and looked dead and buried.

They needed to win three straight games to finish the season.

Estudiantes travelled to relegation rivals Granada and won 83-69 and on Wednesday back in Madrid, 10,300 fans turned out to watch them edge Vivemenorca 80-78.

Now, the club's situation looks even brighter.

Granada crashed to a big defeat to DKV Joventut on Thursday to fall to 11-22 - the same record as Estudiantes.

Estu own the tie-breaker against them and have risen to 15^th, above Grupo Capitol Valladolid (16^th) and Granada (17^th).

Fan favorite Hernan Jasen of Argentina had a game-high 22 points for Estu in their win over Vivemenorca and afterward gave credit where credit is due.

"We dedicate this victory to our fans once again because they are the best supporters in Spain," Jasen said.

"At difficult times during the game, and there were many, the court would shake when people jumped and shouted. It's a motivation and a feeling that I cannot describe."

Amigos, that is spine-tingling stuff!

I remember last year at the EuroCup Final Four.

Akasvayu Girona won the event, beating Estu in the semi-finals before overcoming an excellent Azovmash Mariupol in the championship.

Akasvayu left quite an impression on the Final Four, as you'd expect since they were the home team.

But the Estudiantes fans were like nothing I'd ever seen. Even in the defeat to Akasvayu they were  at times the loudest, and certainly the group with the best sense of humor.

It was almost as if Duke University's `Cameron Crazies' had crossed the Atlantic to support Estu.

Estu's fans had been in Girona to party, and to back their team no matter what.

Estudiantes know a victory at Leon next week is a must. The good news for Estu is that Leon are bottom of the ACB and already relegated.

"I ask the fans to be calm that we will go to Leon as we went to Granada, knowing that it's a final and we must win so that Estudiantes can be in the ACB for many years to come," Jasen said.

There will be Estudiantes fans who make the trip to Leon and if they win, well, there's going to be a fiesta the likes of which has never been seen by the club that was formed back in 1948.

The Real Madrids, Unicaja Malagas, DKV Joventuts and Tau Ceramicas of the world are fighting for titles, while Estudiantes are battling for survival.

And I hope they make it.