USC Heidelberg

USC Heidelberg, for sponsorship reasons named MLP Academics Heidelberg, is a professional basketball club from Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The club's men's senior team currently plays in the German first division Basketball Bundesliga since its promotion in 2021.[1] The team has won thirteen German championships in its history, the last being in 1977.

MLP Academics Heidelberg
MLP Academics Heidelberg logo
LeagueBasketball Bundesliga
Founded1952 (1952)
HistoryTB Heidelberg
(1947–1953)
USC Heidelberg
(1953–2012)
MLP Academics Heidelberg
(2012–present)
ArenaSNP Dome
Capacity5,000
LocationHeidelberg, Germany
Team colorsNavy, White, Gold
     
Head coachJoonas Iisalo
Championships13 German Championships
2 German Cups
1 ProA
Websitemlp-academics-heidelberg.de

History

A Triumphant Legacy

The team was dominant in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as in the West German Basketball League, winning a total of 9 German championships (1957–1962, 1966, 1973, 1977).

In the 2020–21 season, Heidelberg won its first-ever ProA championship and gained promotion to the first level Basketball Bundesliga (BBL).[1]

Return to the Basketball Bundesliga (2021–present)

Heidelberg finished the 2021–22 Basketball Bundesliga season with 11 wins and 23 losses in 15th place out of 18, after surprisingly winning their first three Bundesliga games. With that cushion, the underdog was always able to stay out of the relegation spots despite the losing streak that followed.

Despite the success in 2021–22, Heidelberg changed its head coach for the 2022/23 season and brought in six new players.

Branislav Ignjatovic had served as head coach for eight years. In 2022, the Finish head coach Joonas Iisalo then took over.[2] He came from Telekom Baskets Bonn, where he assisted his brother Tuomas as an assistant coach. The brothers' team had taken Bonn from a medium power to second place and qualified for the playoff semifinals. The Iisalos' tactics were known for a lot of passing.

As in the promotion season, the goal for the second year was to stay in the league, according to general manager Matthias Lautenschläger.[2]

Brekkott Chapman joined the Japanese team Koshigaya Alphas. Robert Lowery and Kelvin Martin left Heidelberg without a new team. Albert Kuppe, Phillipp Heyden and Courtney Stockard ended their professional careers. Kuppe cited mental and physical reasons for his decision.[3] Kuppe's departure was a surprise, which is why Leon Friederici, who was actually scheduled to leave,[2] returned to the team.

For the 2022/23 season, Tim Coleman (32), who last played for the Crailsheim Merlins in 2021, joined Heidelberg.[2]

Huddle in January 2023.

Eric Washington came from Niners Chemnitz as Heidelberg's new floor general. As playmaker he would "create opportunities, especially in transition, after blocks and from isolation" and "play defensively with commitment and passion," said new Heidelberg head coach Joonas Iisalo.

Further, Lukas Herzog joined Heidelberg from MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg. In Ludwigsburg, the youngster had been known for his work ethic and defense. Both qualities let him accumulate many minutes there.

With Akeem Vargas, Heidelberg acquired the former captain of BG Göttingen. Vargas returned to play in his hometown of Heidelberg.

The new recruit Elias Lasisi had already played with the then assistant coach Joonas Iisalo for Crailsheim.

Another recruit was Power forward De'jon Davis (24). Niklas Würzner's contract was extended until 2024.[2]

In July 2023, Shyron "Shy" Ely left the team at age 36. He had played his first game for the Academics in 2013. Overall, he had played a total of 215 games for the club. His jersey number 5 would not be issued in the next five years, the club announced. "It's fair to say that a special era is coming to an end. Shy has shaped this club like no other in recent club history," said managing director Matthias Lautenschläger.[4]

Names
  • TB Heidelberg (1947–1953)
  • USC Heidelberg (1953–present)
  • MLP Academics Heidelberg (2012–present)

Arenas
Outside view of the SNP Dome

During the majority of the club's existence, Heidelberg played at the Olympiastützpunkt Rhein-Neckar, where it was based from 1972. In 2021, the club entered the newly built SNP Dome, which has a capacity of 5,000 spectators. On 25 March 2021, the inaugural game in the arena was played against the Eisbären Bremerhaven.

In late December 2022, Heidelberg played against FC Bayern Munich in the nearby SAP Arena (Mannheim), where the team drew a record crow of 10,454 visitors. For each ticket sold, a donation was made to the Courage Foundation for the support of chronically ill children.[5]

Players

Current roster

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

MLP Academics Heidelberg roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Wt.Age
SF 0 United States Coleman, Tim 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 95 kg (209 lb) 28 – (1995-01-04)4 January 1995
C 1 United States Whaley, Isaiah 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 102 kg (225 lb) 25 – (1998-03-26)26 March 1998
PG 2 Germany Würzner, Niklas 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 85 kg (187 lb) 29 – (1994-02-02)2 February 1994
SG 6 Belgium Lasisi, Elias 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 80 kg (176 lb) 31 – (1992-01-09)9 January 1992
SF 7 France Rietsch, Evan 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 18 – (2005-01-14)14 January 2005
SG 8 Germany Schally, Samuel 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 85 kg (187 lb) 19 – (2004-05-27)27 May 2004
F 9 Germany Zipser, Paul 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 105 kg (231 lb) 29 – (1994-02-18)18 February 1994
SF 10 Belgium Kesteloot, Vincent 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 95 kg (209 lb) 28 – (1995-03-23)23 March 1995
SG 11 Germany Vargas, Akeem (C) 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 33 – (1990-04-29)29 April 1990
C 15 Germany Keßen, Marcel 2.07 m (6 ft 9 in) 109 kg (240 lb) 26 – (1997-01-02)2 January 1997
SF 30 United States Carroll, Jeffrey 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 99 kg (218 lb) 28 – (1994-11-06)6 November 1994
PG 32 United States McGuirl, Mike 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) 91 kg (201 lb) 24 – (1998-12-04)4 December 1998
PG 44 Germany Hundt, Bennet 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) 73 kg (161 lb) 25 – (1998-08-20)20 August 1998
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • Netherlands Hylke van der Zweep
  • United States Serena Benavente
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Injured Injured
Updated: August 5, 2023

Depth chart
Pos. Starting 5 Bench 1 Bench 2 Bench 3
C Isaiah Whaley Marcel Keßen
PF Vincent Kesteloot
SF Jeffrey Carroll Paul Zipser Tim Coleman
SG Elias Lasisi Akeem Vargas
PG Mike McGuirl Bennet Hundt Niklas Würzner

Retired numbers
MLP Academics Heidelberg retired numbers
No Nat. Player Position Tenure Date retired Ref
5United StatesShyron ElySG2013–2014, 2015–202329 July 2023[4]

Notable players
To appear in this section a player must have played at least two seasons for the club AND either:

– Set a club record or won an individual award as a professional player.
– Played at least one official international match for his senior national team at any time.

Trophies
Champions (9): 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1965–66, 1972–73, 1976–77
Runners-up (7): 1950, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1974, 1975, 1978
Winners (2): 1977, 1978
Runners-up (1): 1975
Champions (2): 1981, 1983
Champions (1): 2020–21

Season by season
Season Tier League Pos. German Cup European competitions
2021–22 1 Bundesliga 15th
2022–23 1 Bundesliga 12th Quarterfinals
2023–24 1 Bundesliga Round of 16

Head coaches
Iisalo in March 2023.
  • Germany Anton Kartak (1956–1960) (National Champion 1957–60)
  • Germany Kurt Siebenhaar (1960–1961) (National Champion 1961)
  • Germany Oskar Roth (1961–1963) (National Champion 1962)
  • Germany Theodor Schober (1964)
  • Germany Kurt Siebenhaar (1965–1968) (National Champion 1966)
  • Germany Hannes Neumann (1968–1971)
  • Germany Volker Heindel (1972)
  • United States Dick Stewart (1972–1973) (National Champion 1973)
  • Germany Hans Leciejewski (1973–1974)
  • United States Dick Stewart (1974)
  • Germany Hans Leciejewski (1975–1977) (National Champion 1977)
  • Germany Roland Geggus (1977–1980)
  • Germany Hans Leciejewski (1980–1985)
  • Germany Dietrich Keller (1985–1987)
  • United States Thomas Benson (1987–1988)
  • Germany Thomas Riedel (1988–1990)
  • Czechoslovak Socialist Republic Eugen Tallo (1990–1991)
  • Germany Thomas Riedel (1991–1994)
  • Germany Thomas Dröll (1994–1995)
  • Germany Jochen Knell (1995–1999)
  • Germany Achim Waßong (1999–2000)
  • Germany Harald Rupp (2000)
  • Germany Markus Jochum (2000–2007)
  • Germany Torsten Daume (2008–2011)
  • Germany Uwe Sauer (2011–2012)
  • United Kingdom Anthony Garbelotto (2012–2014)
  • Serbia Branislav Ignjatovic (2014–2022)
  • Finland Joonas Iisalo (2022–present)

References
  1. "Heidelberg – MLP Academics sind ProA-Meister der Saison 2020/21! – /// METROPOLREGION RHEIN-NECKAR NEWS & EVENTS" (in German). Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  2. Ziel: Heidelberger Basketballer wollen nicht absteigen Die Zeit, 8 August 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2023.(in German)
  3. "Heidelberger Basketballer künftig ohne Kuppe und Stockard". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). 15 August 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  4. Shyron Ely verlässt die Heidelberger Basketballer live.vodafone.de, 28 July 2023. Accessed 28 July 2023.(in German)
  5. Michael Sonnick (28 December 2022). "Die Heidelberger-Basketballer begeistern vor der Rekordkulisse in der SAP Arena". Wochenblatt (in German). Retrieved 15 March 2023.
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