TalTech Basketball

Last updated
TalTech/OPTIBET
Taltechbasketball.png
Leagues Korvpalli Meistriliiga
Latvian–Estonian Basketball League
European North Basketball League
Founded1948;75 years ago (1948)
History
List
    • TPI
      (1948–1989)
    • TTÜ
      (1989–2018)
    • TalTech
      (2018–present)
Arena TalTech Sports Hall
Capacity1,050
Location Tallinn, Estonia
Team colorsBlack, White, Magenta
   
Head coach Alar Varrak
Team captain Erik Keedus
Championships8 Estonian Championships
8 Estonian Cups
Website taltech.ee/spordiklubi/korvpall

TalTech Basketball, also known as TalTech/OPTIBET 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.

Contents

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

History

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

Home arenas

Players

Current roster

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

TalTech/OPTIBET roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Wt.Age
SF 0 Flag of Estonia.svg Keedus, Erik 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in)90 kg (198 lb)33 – (1990-04-27)27 April 1990
SF 6 Flag of Estonia.svg Metsalu, Oliver 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)95 kg (209 lb)29 – (1993-12-04)4 December 1993
C 12 Flag of Estonia.svg Raadik, Toomas 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)103 kg (227 lb)33 – (1990-08-15)15 August 1990
SG 11 Flag of Latvia.svg Gludītis, Kristaps 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)87 kg (192 lb)27 – (1995-11-06)6 November 1995
C 13 Flag of Estonia.svg Matute Perner, Karl Andres 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in)105 kg (231 lb)22 – (2001-03-06)6 March 2001
PG 14 Flag of Estonia.svg Ilves, Gregor 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)77 kg (170 lb)24 – (1999-01-13)13 January 1999
PG 15 Flag of Estonia.svg Pehka, Ran Andre 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)82 kg (181 lb)22 – (2001-06-15)15 June 2001
SG 31 Flag of Estonia.svg Aniste, Janar 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)77 kg (170 lb)23 – (2000-05-11)11 May 2000
PF 32 Flag of Estonia.svg Heinla, Joosep 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)95 kg (209 lb)21 – (2002-05-29)29 May 2002
SF 33 Flag of Estonia.svg Reinart, Ken-Martti 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)90 kg (198 lb)20 – (2003-02-10)10 February 2003
SG 35 Flag of Estonia.svg Küttis, Ralf 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in)79 kg (174 lb)21 – (2002-05-11)11 May 2002
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured
Updated: 21 April 2023

Depth chart

Pos.Starting 5Bench 1Bench 2
C Toomas Raadik Karl Matute Perner
PF Oliver Metsalu Indrek Kajupank Joosep Heinla
SF Ralf Küttis Erik Keedus
SG Gregor Ilves Ken-Martti Reinart Janar Aniste
PG Ran Andre Pehka Jaan Erik Lepp

Coaches

Season by season

SeasonTierDivisionPos. Estonian Cup Baltic competitionsRegional competitions
2006–07 1 KML 9thFirst round
2007–08 1 KML 10thFirst round
2008–09 1 KML 3rdRunner-up BBL Challenge Cup QF
2009–10 1 KML 4thThird place BBL Challenge Cup 4th
2010–11 1 KML 3rdFourth place Baltic Basketball League 13th
2011–12 1 KML 5thFourth place BBL Challenge Cup QF
2012–13 1 KML 5thQuarterfinalist Baltic Basketball League RS
2013–14 1 KML 5thQuarterfinalist
2014–15 1 KML 7thFourth place Baltic Basketball League RS
2015–16 1 KML 7thFourth place Baltic Basketball League RS
2016–17 1 KML 5thQuarterfinalist 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 [lower-alpha 1] Estonian-Latvian Basketball League – [lower-alpha 1]
2020–21 1 KML 5thQuarterfinalist Estonian-Latvian Basketball League RS
2021–22 1 KML 4thThird place Estonian-Latvian Basketball League 7th
2022–23 1 KML 6thFourth place Estonian-Latvian Basketball League 9th European North Basketball League RS
  1. 1 2 The season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trophies and awards

Trophies

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
Winners (3): 2012–13, 2015–16, 2016–17

Individual awards

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "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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