The Astros de Jalisco closed out their National Professional Basketball League (LNBP) regular season on October 7, achieving their mission of securing a top-four finish and avoiding the “play-in” round.

As the season wrapped, the Astros sat second in the standings with a 20-8 record, ahead of their fiercest rival, Fuerza Regia of Monterrey, and the Panteras de Aguascalientes.

The top four teams advance directly to the zonal semifinals, while the rest enter the play-in tournament from October 11 to 15.

Looming large in the postseason will surely be their bogey team, Fuerza Regia, the reigning champions who have beaten the Astros in two of their three previous LNBP finals, sweeping them 4-0 in 2021 and again taking the title in 2023.

The good news is the Astros demolished Fuerza Regia 83-75 in their most recent encounter on October 5 in Monterrey, a statement win that suggests this year could be different.

Adding to the optimism is the arrival of Barret Benson, a 6-foot,10-inch U.S. center who joins from the Polish league. Benson, 28, brings experience from leagues across Europe and will give the Astros a formidable interior presence for the playoff push.

The zonal semifinals run October 18-26, with the zonal finals from October 29 to November 9 and the Grand Final from November 12-23. And the question on all Astros fans' lips: Can the popular Guadalajara-based franchise finally claim its first LNBP title?