BC UNICS

BC UNICS (Russian: БК УНИКС) is a professional basketball club in Kazan, Russia, that plays in the VTB United League, and formerly played in the EuroLeague. On February 28, 2022, EuroLeague Basketball suspended the team because of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[1]

BC UNICS
BC UNICS logo
LeaguesVTB United League
Founded1991 (1991)
HistoryBC UNICS
(1991–present)
ArenaBasket-Hall Kazan
Capacity7,482
LocationKazan, Russia
Team colorsGreen, White
   
PresidentYevgeny Bogachev
Team managerValery Kolesnikov
Head coachVelimir Perasović
Championships1 EuroCup
3 Russian Cups
1 North European League
1 EuroChallenge
Websiteunics.ru

Their home arena is Basket-Hall Kazan.

History

1991-1999

UNICS was established in 1991. Though officially the club's men's professional club was founded in 1991 (when it first began to play in the lowest level of the national pro leagues), UNICS traces its origins back to KSU's college team Burevestnik, which participated in the USSR student championships from 1957. Because of this, the name 'UNICS' is an abbreviation – UNIversity, Culture, Sport.

Between 1994 and 1997, UNICS secured a berth in Russia's first division. In 1997, UNICS was promoted to the Russian Basketball Super League A, which was at the time the top-tier level Russian league. A year later, Yevgeny Bogachev, the chairman of the National Bank of the Tatarstan, became the president of the club.

2000-2019

The team placed second to CSKA in the Russian Basketball Super League in 2001 and 2002, a year in which it also reached the Saporta Cup semifinals, losing against the Greek club Maroussi in the semifinals. UNICS' first title was the Russian Cup in March 2003, with an 81–82 overtime victory over CSKA. Kazan hosted the FIBA Europe League final four, which was eventually named the FIBA EuroChallenge, in April 2004. UNICS won its regular season group, and advanced to the final four, where the club was crowned the FIBA Europe League champions. The MVP of the tournament's final four. By the 2005–06 season, UNICS went one level up, and made its ULEB Cup (later named EuroCup) debut. However, things turned south quickly, as UNICS lost at home against Roma in the tournament's eighth finals’ second leg, and crashed out. The team the next season made it to the ULEB Cup semifinals, before losing to the eventual league champs Real Madrid. It also returned to the Russian League finals, losing against CSKA.

In the 2007–08 season, UNICS made it to the ULEB Cup (now called EuroCup) Final Eight, but fell to Akasvayu Girona in the quarterfinals. UNICS finally broke through in the EuroCup in the 2010–11 season, by winning its regular season and Last 16 groups, before sweeping its quarterfinal series against Pepsi Caserta. UNICS beat KK Cedevita 87–66, in the semifinals, behind 27 points from Terrell Lyday, and registered a 92–77 win against Cajasol Sevilla, in the title game. Marko Popović had a EuroCup Finals record of 11 assists, to lead UNICS to the title. In the Russian League, UNICS had a 21–6 record, to finish the regular season atop the standings, but then went out in the playoff semifinals, after a five-game duel against BC Khimki. The club then competed in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague in the following season. It made its EuroLeague debut in the 2011–12 season. In the Russian League it finished first at the end of the regular season, and reached the playoff semifinals.

2020-present

Jarrell Brantley left the team in early 2022 due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[2] The team is suing him for $250,000, and trying to prevent him from signing with a G League team.[2] Similarly, Americans Lorenzo Brown, Isaiah Canaan, John Brown, and John Holland, as well as Italian Marco Spissu, left the team after the invasion.[3]

On February 28, 2022, EuroLeague Basketball suspended the team because of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[1]

Honours

Domestic competitions

Champions (1): 2023
Champions (3): 2003, 2009, 2014

European competitions

Champions (1): 2011
Champions (1): 2004
Champions (1): 2003

Season by season

Season Tier Division Pos. Russian Cup European competitions Other competitions
1997–98 1 Superleague A 7th 3 Korać CupGS
1998–99 1 Superleague A 5th 2 Saporta CupR32
1999–00 1 Superleague A 3rd 3 Korać CupEF
2000–01 1 Superleague A 2nd 2 Saporta CupSF
2001–02 1 Superleague A 2nd 2 Saporta CupQF
2002–03 1 Superleague A 3rd Winner 3 FIBA Champions CupQF NEBLC
2003–04 1 Superleague A 2nd Third place 3 FIBA Europe LeagueC
2004–05 1 Superleague A 3rd Runner-up 3 FIBA Europe LeagueQF
2005–06 1 Superleague A 4th Third place 2 ULEB CupEF
2006–07 1 Superleague A 2nd Runner-up 2 ULEB CupQF
2007–08 1 Superleague A 6th Semifinals 2 ULEB CupQF
2008–09 1 Superleague A 3rd Winner 2 EurocupT16
2009–10 1 Superleague A 3rd Runner-up 2 EurocupT16 United LeagueRU
2010–11 1 PBL 3rd 1 EuroleagueQR2 United League3rd
2 EurocupC
2011–12 1 PBL 5th 1 EuroleagueQF United LeagueRU
2012–13 1 PBL 6th 1 EuroleagueQR2 United LeagueQF
2 EurocupQF
2013–14 1 VTB United League 3rd Winner 2 EurocupRU
2014–15 1 VTB United League 6th Second qualifying 1 EuroleagueRS
2 EurocupSF
2015–16 1 VTB United League 2nd First qualifying 2 EurocupEF
2016–17 1 VTB United League 5th Round of 64 1 EuroLeagueRS
2017–18 1 VTB United League 4th 2 EuroCupQF
2018–19 1 VTB United League 3rd First round 2 EuroCupSF
2019–20 1 VTB United League 4th 2 EuroCupR16
2020–21 1 VTB United League 2nd 2 EuroCupRU
2021–22 1 VTB United League 3rd 1 EuroLeagueSP United League Supercup3rd

Players

Current roster

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

UNICS roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Age
C 3 United States Reynolds, Jalen 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 30 – (1992-12-30)30 December 1992
PF 7 France Labeyrie, Louis 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 31 – (1992-02-11)11 February 1992
PG 8 Russia Zaytsev, Vyacheslav 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 34 – (1989-08-28)28 August 1989
C Belgium Bako, Ismaël 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 28 – (1995-10-10)10 October 1995
G Russia Kolesnikov, Evgeny 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 27 – (1995-12-26)26 December 1995
SG Russia Kulagin, Dmitrii 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) 31 – (1992-07-01)1 July 1992
F Russia Tikhonenko, Mark 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 25 – (1998-03-13)13 March 1998
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • Serbia Djordje Varagic
  • Russia Artur Bigeev
  • Croatia Milan Karakas
Team manager
  • Russia Mikhail Kolesnikov

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Injured Injured

Updated: July 25, 2023

Depth chart

Pos. Starting 5 Bench
C Jalen Reynolds Ismaël Bako
PF Louis Labeyrie
SF
SG
PG Nenad Dimitrijević Vyacheslav Zaytsev

Notable players

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

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time
  • Played at least one official NBA match at any time.
bold – FIBA World and FIBA Europe champions and medalists

Russian

Foreign

bold – former NBA players; Olympics, FIBA World and FIBA Europe champions and medalists

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

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time
  • Played at least one official NBA match at any time.

Serbia Milan Gurović (2004) and Turkey Hüseyin Beşok (2005) shortly were under contract with UNICS Kazan, but never played a single game for the team.

(*) former NBA champions

Head coaches

bold – Olympics, FIBA World and FIBA Europe champions and medalists

References

  1. "EuroLeague suspended Russian teams". basketnews.com.
  2. "Unics Kazan reportedly suing Jarrell Brantley for $250,000". Eurohoops. March 4, 2022.
  3. "More than 50 people. Which of the foreigners left the Russian sports clubs :: Football :: RBC Sport". March 5, 2022. Archived from the original on March 5, 2022. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  4. "Unics Kazan tabs Pedoulakis for bench". Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-11-28.
  5. "Unics releases Pedoulakis, welcomes back Pashutin". Archived from the original on 2014-12-04. Retrieved 2014-11-28.
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