TalTech Basketball

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

TalTech/ALEXELA
TalTech/ALEXELA logo
LeaguesKorvpalli Meistriliiga
Latvian–Estonian Basketball League
European North Basketball League
Founded1948; 76 years ago (1948)
History
List
    • TPI
      (1948–1989)
    • TTÜ
      (1989–2018)
    • TalTech
      (2018–present)
ArenaTalTech Sports Hall
Capacity1,050
LocationTallinn, Estonia
Team colorsBlack, White, Magenta
     
Head coachAlar Varrak
Championships8 Estonian Championships
8 Estonian Cups
Websitetaltech.ee/spordiklubi/korvpall

TalTech Basketball, also known as TalTech/ALEXELA for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball team based in Tallinn, Estonia. They are a part of the Tallinn University of Technology Sports Club. The team plays in the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League and the Korvpalli Meistriliiga (KML). Their home arena is the TalTech Sports Hall.

Tallinn University of Technology teams have won eight Estonian League championships and eight Estonian Cup titles.

History

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Basketball was first played at Tallinn Tehnikum, the predecessor of the Tallinn University of Technology, on 4 February 1928, when the Tallinn Tehnikum team defeated the visiting University of Tartu 21–19.[1] TPI Spordiklubi (Tallinn Polytechnic Institute Sports Club) was formed in 1948.[1] TPI made their debut in the Estonian Championship in 1951 under coach Jaroslav Dudkin, who would stay with the team for the next 32 seasons. They established themselves as a major force in Estonian basketball in the 1960s, when Tõnno Lepmets and Priit Tomson led the team to six consecutive league titles from 1961 to 1966. August Sokk took over as head coach in 1982 and guided the team, led by his son Tiit Sokk and Margus Metstak, to two more championships in 1984 and 1985.[1] In 1989, TPI changed its name back to TTÜ. The team began to struggle in the early 1990s as more professional basketball clubs joined the top division, and after the 1993–94 season, they withdrew from the league.

In 1999, TTÜ became affiliated with Tallinna Ülikoolid-A. Le Coq (formerly BC Tallinn). In 2001, the team moved to the newly renovated TTÜ Sports Hall and changed their name to TTÜ-A. Le Coq. After the 2001–02 season concluded, TTÜ and A. Le Coq shifted their sponsorship to BC Hotronic, who changed their name to TTÜ/A. Le Coq.[2] Coached by Heino Enden and led by veterans Aivar Kuusmaa and Rauno Pehka, the team won the Estonian Cup in 2003.

On 6 September 2005, TTÜ announced that they will withdraw from the forthcoming KML season.[3] They returned to the league for the 2006–07 season. In 2010, TTÜ Korvpalliklubi merged operations with Tallinna Kalev and became TTÜ/Kalev.[4] However, the partnership ended after just one season, and TTÜ Korvpalliklubi continued independently. They have won the International Students Basketball League (ISBL) three times, in 2013, 2016 and 2017.[5] In 2018, the university adopted TalTech as its official abbreviation.

Sponsorship naming

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  • TTÜ/A. Le Coq: 2001–2005
  • TalTech/OPTIBET: 2021–2024
  • TalTech/ALEXELA: 2024–present

Home arenas

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Players

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Current roster

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Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

TalTech/ALEXELA roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht. Wt. Age
PG 1 Estonia Post, Siim-Markus 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 27 – (1997-02-13)13 February 1997
PF 2 Estonia Jurkatamm, Taavi 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 27 – (1997-10-10)10 October 1997
PG 3 Estonia Lindeberg, Meiko 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 19 – (2005-08-31)31 August 2005
C 4 Estonia Arop, Birk Birger 2.09 m (6 ft 10 in) 87 kg (192 lb) 19 – (2005-03-24)24 March 2005
PG 5 Estonia Välb, Kaarel 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 81 kg (179 lb) 20 – (2004-09-12)12 September 2004
PF 6 Estonia Metsalu, Oliver (C) 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 30 – (1993-12-04)4 December 1993
PG 9 Estonia Tamm, Herman 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 18 – (2005-11-08)8 November 2005
PF 11 Estonia Kitsing, Kristjan 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 105 kg (231 lb) 33 – (1990-12-11)11 December 1990
SG 14 Estonia Tassa, Aleksander 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 91 kg (201 lb) 20 – (2004-02-12)12 February 2004
PG 15 Estonia Pehka, Ran Andre 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 85 kg (187 lb) 23 – (2001-06-15)15 June 2001
SF 16 Estonia Andre, Rasmus 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 91 kg (201 lb) 20 – (2004-05-26)26 May 2004
SF 17 Estonia Sunelik, Indrek 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 24 – (2000-02-09)9 February 2000
SF 27 Estonia Mägi, Espen 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) 19 – (2005-03-19)19 March 2005
PF 33 Estonia Saal, Patrik 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 98 kg (216 lb) 24 – (2000-06-16)16 June 2000
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • Estonia Kris Killing

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Injured Injured

Updated: 20 September 2024

Depth chart

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Pos. Starting 5 Bench 1 Bench 2
C Birk Birger Arop Patrik Saal
PF Oliver Metsalu Kristjan Kitsing Patrik Saal
SF Rasmus Andre Espen Mägi
SG Aleksander Tassa
PG Siim-Markus Post Kaarel Välb Meiko Lindeberg

Coaches

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Season by season

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Season Tier Division Pos. Estonian Cup Baltic competitions Regional competitions
2006–07 1 KML 9th First round
2007–08 1 KML 10th First round
2008–09 1 KML 3rd Runner-up BBL Challenge Cup QF
2009–10 1 KML 4th Third place BBL Challenge Cup 4th
2010–11 1 KML 3rd Fourth place Baltic Basketball League 13th
2011–12 1 KML 5th Fourth place BBL Challenge Cup QF
2012–13 1 KML 5th Quarterfinalist Baltic Basketball League RS
2013–14 1 KML 5th Quarterfinalist
2014–15 1 KML 7th Fourth place Baltic Basketball League RS
2015–16 1 KML 7th Fourth place Baltic Basketball League RS
2016–17 1 KML 5th Quarterfinalist Baltic Basketball League EF
2017–18 1 KML 7th Baltic Basketball League RS
2018–19 1 KML 4th Estonian-Latvian Basketball League 5th
2019–20 1 KML 7th[a] Estonian-Latvian Basketball League [a]
2020–21 1 KML 5th Quarterfinalist Estonian-Latvian Basketball League RS
2021–22 1 KML 4th Third place Estonian-Latvian Basketball League 7th
2022–23 1 KML 6th Fourth place Estonian-Latvian Basketball League 9th European North Basketball League RS
2023–24 1 KML 5th Quarterfinalist Estonian-Latvian Basketball League 9th

Trophies and awards

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Trophies

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Winners (8): 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1983–84, 1984–1985
Winners (8): 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1970, 2003
  • International Students Basketball League
Winners (3): 2012–13, 2015–16, 2016–17

Individual awards

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b The season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Lühipilk ajalukku". TTU.ee (in Estonian). Archived from the original on 9 October 2018.
  2. ^ "A.Le Coq, TTÜ ja Hotronic: toetajad liitusid, tiimid mitte". Õhtuleht (in Estonian). 28 May 2002. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  3. ^ "TTÜ loobus korvpalli Meistriliigast". Delfi Sport (in Estonian). 7 September 2005. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  4. ^ "FOTOD: uus korvpalliklubi Tallinna Kalev/TTÜ on loodud!". Delfi Sport (in Estonian). 13 July 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  5. ^ "TTÜ korvpalliklubi krooniti kolmandat korda üliõpilasliiga ISBL võitjaks". Delfi Sport (in Estonian). 5 May 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Spordiklubi". TalTech.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Tallinna Tehnikaülikooli spordihoone". spordiregister.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 1 March 2023.
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