TalTech Basketball

Last updated
TalTech/ALEXELA
Taltechbasketball.png
Leagues Korvpalli 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)
Arena TalTech Sports Hall
Capacity1,050
Location Tallinn, Estonia
Team colorsBlack, White, Magenta
   
Head coach Alar Varrak
Championships8 Estonian Championships
8 Estonian Cups
Website taltech.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.

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 nationalities not displayed.

TalTech/ALEXELA roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Wt.Age
PG 1 Flag of Estonia.svg Post, Siim-Markus 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)90 kg (198 lb)27 – (1997-02-13)13 February 1997
PF 2 Flag of Estonia.svg Jurkatamm, Taavi 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in)90 kg (198 lb)27 – (1997-10-10)10 October 1997
PG 3 Flag of Estonia.svg Lindeberg, Meiko 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)19 – (2005-08-31)31 August 2005
C 4 Flag of Estonia.svg Arop, Birk Birger 2.09 m (6 ft 10 in)87 kg (192 lb)19 – (2005-03-24)24 March 2005
PG 5 Flag of Estonia.svg Välb, Kaarel 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)81 kg (179 lb)20 – (2004-09-12)12 September 2004
PF 6 Flag of Estonia.svg Metsalu, Oliver  (C)1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)90 kg (198 lb)30 – (1993-12-04)4 December 1993
PG 9 Flag of Estonia.svg Tamm, Herman 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)19 – (2005-11-08)8 November 2005
PF 11 Flag of Estonia.svg Kitsing, Kristjan 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in)105 kg (231 lb)33 – (1990-12-11)11 December 1990
SG 14 Flag of Estonia.svg Tassa, Aleksander 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)91 kg (201 lb)20 – (2004-02-12)12 February 2004
PG 15 Flag of Estonia.svg Pehka, Ran Andre 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)85 kg (187 lb)23 – (2001-06-15)15 June 2001
SF 16 Flag of Estonia.svg Andre, Rasmus 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)91 kg (201 lb)20 – (2004-05-26)26 May 2004
SF 17 Flag of Estonia.svg Sunelik, Indrek 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)90 kg (198 lb)24 – (2000-02-09)9 February 2000
SF 27 Flag of Estonia.svg Mägi, Espen 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in)19 – (2005-03-19)19 March 2005
PF 33 Flag of Estonia.svg Saal, Patrik 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in)98 kg (216 lb)24 – (2000-06-16)16 June 2000
SG 41 Flag of Estonia.svg Jürgens, Carlos 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)90 kg (198 lb)26 – (1998-10-27)27 October 1998
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • Flag of Estonia.svg Kris Killing
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured
Updated: 28 November 2024

Depth chart

Pos.Starting 5Bench 1Bench 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

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 [a] Estonian-Latvian Basketball League – [a]
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
2023–24 1 KML 5thQuarterfinalist Estonian-Latvian Basketball League 9th

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

Notes

  1. 1 2 The season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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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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