U-BT Cluj-Napoca

CS Universitatea Cluj-Napoca is a Romanian professional basketball club based in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The club, for sponsorship reason under the name U-Banca Transilvania Cluj-Napoca, competes in the Liga Națională and Eurocup. As other sports teams that were initially part of the parent sports club, U Cluj, for historical reasons, the club keeps the name U (short form of Universitatea) in its name.

Timeout at a 2021–22 Champions League game.
U-BT Cluj-Napoca
U-BT Cluj-Napoca logo
NicknameȘepcile roșii
(The Red Caps)
Studenții
(The Students)
Alb-Negrii
(The White and Blacks)
LeaguesLiga Națională
EuroCup
Founded1947 (1947)
HistoryCS Universitatea Cluj-Napoca
(1947–present)
ArenaBTarena
Horia Demian
Capacity10,000[1]
2,525
LocationCluj-Napoca, Romania
Team colorsWhite, Black
   
PresidentMarius Bojiță
Vice-president(s)Nicolae Tarcea
Mircea Cristescu
Head coachMihai Silvășan
Championships8 Romanian Leagues
6 Romanian Cup
4 Romanian Supercup
Websitewww.u-bt.ro
Active departments of CS Universitatea Cluj-Napoca
Football Women's
Football		 Men's
Basketball
Women's
Basketball		 Men's
Handball		 Women's
Handball
Men's
Rugby		 Women's
Rugby		 Men's
Volleyball
Women's
Volleyball		 Water polo Athletics
Bodybuilding Boxing Chess
Fencing Figure skating Horse riding
Judo Scrabble Speed skating
Skiing Swimming Tennis
Weightlifting Wrestling

History

Whilst the parent sports club, U Cluj was founded in 1919, the basketball team was founded in 1947 and played for the first time in the Romanian Championship in 1966. Since then, U Cluj was a constant presence in the Romanian First Division, with their best performances being recorded in the 1990s, when they won three Romanian Championships.

During its history, the team had different names. Since 1990, the main sponsor is usually added to the name of the parent sports club, U Cluj. This resulted in a change of name every time the main sponsor was changed. Previous names of the team were U Ştiinţa, Ştiinţa IMF, U Metalul Rosu, U Fimaro, U SM Invest, U Sanex, and U Carbochim.

In the 2012–2013 season, U Mobitelco Cluj Napoca finished on 7th place (20 wins – 10 losses) and qualify for the play-off. Here the team played the first round against CSM Oradea but lost with 3–1. Also the team played the Romanian Cup final but lost against CS Gaz Metan Medias with the score 62–76. At the end of that season the coach and all the foreign players left the team.

The most famous player who played for U Cluj was Gheorghe Mureșan, who signed in 1993 with the Washington Bullets, becoming the tallest player ever in the NBA. He played 6 successful seasons with the Bullets and the New Jersey Nets, averaging a career 9.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 0.5 assists. Mureșan obtained the title of NBA Most Improved Player following the 1995–96 NBA season. He began his career playing two years for Universitatea Cluj-Napoca.

Arena
Sala Polivalentă

U-BT Cluj plays its home games in the main Sports hall from Cluj-Napoca, BT Arena, which accommodates 10,000 spectators[2] or in Horia Demian Sports Hall, with a capacity of 2,525 spectators.

Fans and rivalries
BT Arena hosting a basetball game.
BT Arena (U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs MHP Ludwisburg ; Basketball Champions League quarter finals)

U-BT Cluj has the largest fan base in Romania. It was the first team in Romania to have 10,000 people in the stands at a basketball match (Basketball Champions League quarter finals, April 2022).The main rivalries of "U" are the ones with CSU Sibiu ("The derby of Transylvania"), CSM Oradea and CSA Steaua Bucharest.

Sponsorship names

Due to sponsorship reasons, the team has been known as:

  • CS Universitatea Cluj-Napoca (1947–1996)
  • U Invest Cluj-Napoca (1996–1997)
  • U Sanex Cluj-Napoca (1997–1998)
  • U Carbochim Cluj-Napoca (1998–2002)
  • Policarbochim Cluj-Napoca (2002–2005)
  • U Poli-Mobitelco-Carbochim (2005–2006)
  • U Mobitelco Cluj-Napoca (2006–2014)
  • U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2014–present)

Honours

Domestic competitions
  • Liga Națională
    • Winners (8:) 1992, 1993, 1996, 2011,[3] 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023
    • Runners-up (7): 1959, 1962, 1991, 1994, 2006, 2008, 2010
    • Third place (13): 1960, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1995, 1999, 2007, 2019
  • Romanian Cup
    • Winners (6): 1995, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2023
    • Runners-up (1): 2006

European competitions

Current roster

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

U-Banca Transilvania Cluj-Napoca roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Age
G/F 0 Cuba Guzmán, Karel 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 28 – (1995-02-07)7 February 1995
F/C 5 Latvia Mejeris, Mareks 2.07 m (6 ft 9 in) 32 – (1991-09-02)2 September 1991
PG 8 Romania Lăpuște, David 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) 18 – (2004-11-08)8 November 2004
PF 9 Romania Roschnafsky, Eduard 2.09 m (6 ft 10 in) 20 – (2003-06-20)20 June 2003
G 11 United States Seeley, D. J. 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 33 – (1989-11-28)28 November 1989
SF 12 Romania Petric, Alexis 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 16 – (2007-09-06)6 September 2007
C 13 Bosnia and Herzegovina Stipanović, Andrija 2.09 m (6 ft 10 in) 36 – (1986-12-18)18 December 1986
C 15 Romania Cățe, Emanuel 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 26 – (1997-07-30)30 July 1997
SF 20 Romania Fîntînă, David 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 17 – (2006-06-20)20 June 2006
SF 25 Romania Măciucă, Mihai 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 23 – (2000-05-25)25 May 2000
F 31 United States Eddie, Jarell 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 31 – (1991-10-30)30 October 1991
PG 32 United States Jones, Bryce Tyler 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) 29 – (1994-10-12)12 October 1994
G 35 United States Richard, Patrick (C) 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 33 – (1990-01-25)25 January 1990
G/F 95 France Mokoka, Adam 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 25 – (1998-07-18)18 July 1998
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • Serbia Dean Medan
  • Romania Răzvan Cenean
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Injured Injured
Updated: October 3, 2023

Depth chart
Pos. Starting 5 Bench 1 Bench 2
C Andrija Stipanović Emanuel Cățe
PF Jarell Eddie Mareks Mejeris Eduard Roschnafsky
SF Karel Guzmán Mihai Măciucă David Fîntînă
SG D. J. Seeley Patrick Richard Alexis Petric
PG Bryce Jones Adam Mokoka David Lăpuște

Notable players

Head coaches

References
  1. 10 000 de locuri la Sala Polivalentă în 2017 (in Romanian).
  2. 10 000 de locuri la Sala Polivalentă în 2017 (in Romanian).
  3. "Publicul a invadat Sala Sporturilor, strigând".
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