TalTech Basketball

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.

TalTech/OPTIBET
TalTech/OPTIBET logo
LeaguesKorvpalli Meistriliiga
Latvian–Estonian Basketball League
European North Basketball League
Founded1948 (1948)
History
List
    • TPI
      (1948–1989)
    • TTÜ
      (1989–2018)
    • TalTech
      (2018–present)
ArenaTalTech Sports Hall
Capacity1,050
LocationTallinn, Estonia
Team colorsBlack, White, Magenta
     
Head coachAlar Varrak
Team captainErik Keedus
Championships8 Estonian Championships
8 Estonian Cups
Websitetaltech.ee/spordiklubi/korvpall

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
  • TTÜ/A. Le Coq: 2001–2005
  • TalTech/OPTIBET: 2021–present

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
PF 2 Estonia Jurkatamm, Taavi 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 26 – (1997-10-10)10 October 1997
SG 3 Estonia Malm, Patrick 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) 86 kg (190 lb) 19 – (2004-05-10)10 May 2004
PG 5 Estonia Välb, Kaarel 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 81 kg (179 lb) 19 – (2004-09-12)12 September 2004
F 6 Estonia Metsalu, Oliver 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 95 kg (209 lb) 29 – (1993-12-04)4 December 1993
SG 9 Estonia Kastein, Julius-Erik 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 86 kg (190 lb) 20 – (2003-05-07)7 May 2003
F 11 Estonia Suurorg, Kasper 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 86 kg (190 lb) 21 – (2002-05-27)27 May 2002
SG 13 Estonia Küttis, Ralf 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) 79 kg (174 lb) 21 – (2002-05-11)11 May 2002
PG 14 Estonia Ilves, Gregor 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 77 kg (170 lb) 24 – (1999-01-13)13 January 1999
PG 15 Estonia Pehka, Ran Andre 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 82 kg (181 lb) 22 – (2001-06-15)15 June 2001
SF 16 Estonia Andre, Rasmus 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 91 kg (201 lb) 19 – (2004-05-26)26 May 2004
SF 17 Estonia Sunelik, Indrek 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 23 – (2000-02-09)9 February 2000
SG 23 Estonia Kõrvel, Jarko 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 84 kg (185 lb) 19 – (2004-07-18)18 July 2004
PF 32 Estonia Heinla, Joosep 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 95 kg (209 lb) 21 – (2002-05-29)29 May 2002
PF 33 Estonia Saal, Patrik 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 98 kg (216 lb) 23 – (2000-06-16)16 June 2000
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • Estonia Kris Killing
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Injured Injured
Updated: 17 October 2023

Depth chart
Pos. Starting 5 Bench 1 Bench 2
C Taavi Jurkatamm Patrik Saal
PF Oliver Metsalu Joosep Heinla
SF Indrek Sunelik Rasmus Andre Jarko Kõrvel
SG Kasper Suurorg Kaarel Välb Julius-Erik Kastein
PG Gregor Ilves Ran Andre Pehka

Coaches

Season by season
Season Tier Division Pos. Estonian Cup Baltic competitions Regional competitions
2006–07 1KML 9th First round
2007–08 1KML 10th First round
2008–09 1KML 3rd Runner-up BBL Challenge CupQF
2009–10 1KML 4th Third place BBL Challenge Cup4th
2010–11 1KML 3rd Fourth place Baltic Basketball League13th
2011–12 1KML 5th Fourth place BBL Challenge CupQF
2012–13 1KML 5th Quarterfinalist Baltic Basketball LeagueRS
2013–14 1KML 5th Quarterfinalist
2014–15 1KML 7th Fourth place Baltic Basketball LeagueRS
2015–16 1KML 7th Fourth place Baltic Basketball LeagueRS
2016–17 1KML 5th Quarterfinalist Baltic Basketball LeagueEF
2017–18 1KML 7th Baltic Basketball LeagueRS
2018–19 1KML 4th Estonian-Latvian Basketball League5th
2019–20 1KML 7th[lower-alpha 1] Estonian-Latvian Basketball League–[lower-alpha 1]
2020–21 1KML 5th Quarterfinalist Estonian-Latvian Basketball LeagueRS
2021–22 1KML 4th Third place Estonian-Latvian Basketball League7th
2022–23 1KML 6th Fourth place Estonian-Latvian Basketball League9th European North Basketball LeagueRS
  1. 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
  • International Students Basketball League
Winners (3): 2012–13, 2015–16, 2016–17

Individual awards

References
  1. "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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