US Monastir (basketball)

Union Sportive Monastirienne (Arabic: الاتحاد الرياضي المنستيري‎), commonly known as US Monastir, is a Tunisian professional basketball club based in Monastir.[1] Established in 1959, the team plays in the Pro A the first division league in Tunisia and has won seven national championships. Monastir also plays in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) since the inaugural season in 2021.

US Monastir
2022–23 US Monastir basketball season
US Monastir logo
NicknameBlue Empire
USMO
LeaguesPro A
BAL
Founded1923 (1923)
HistoryUS Monastir
1923–present
ArenaMohamed-Mzali Sports Hall
Capacity5,000
LocationMonastir, Tunisia
Team colorsBlue and white
   
PresidentAhmed Belli
Head coachLinos Gavriel
Team captainRadhouane Slimane
Championships1 BAL
8 Tunisian League
5 Tunisian Cup
1 Tunisian Federation Cup
1 Maghreb Championship
Websiteusmonastir.org.tn

Home games are played in the Mohamed-Mzali Sports Hall.

US Monastir is one of the most decorated clubs in Tunisian basketball history, as the club has experienced recent success including winning 8 Tunisian Leagues and 4 Tunisian Cups. Monastir won the BAL championship in 2022, becoming the first Tunisian team to win the competition.

History

The club was established in 1959 and won its first Tunisian League title in 1998 after defeating Ezzahra Sports in the league finals. As the national champions, Monastir played in the Arab Club Basketball Championship where it lost all three group stage games.[2]

In the 1999–2000 season, Monastir won its first-ever double after winning both the league and cup title. Monastir beat Club Africain in the league final and Ezzahra in the cup final (66–61).

In 2005, Monastir won its third Tunisian championship, defeating Stade Nabeulien 66–51.

The first international title for Monastir arrived in 2012, when they won the Maghreb Basketball Championship after defeating ES Radès in the final.[3]

In 2014, Monastir made its debut in the FIBA Africa Club Championship, Africa's top continental league, for the first time.[1] In 2017, the club ended at third place in the continental league.[4]

In 2019 , Monastir won its fourth Tunisian championship defeating ES Rades. again in 2020 US Monastir won its fifth Tunisian championship and the second in row defeating the same ES Rades. In 2021, Monastir defeated Ezzahra Sports in the Tunisian finals and won its sixth championship, and the third in a row.[5]

In 2021, Monastir was one of the twelve teams to play in the new Basketball Africa League (BAL) as they qualified as Tunisian national champions. In the inaugural season of the league, Monastir reached the Finals where it lost to Zamalek despite being favourites in the competition. Three players of Monastir (Omar Abada, Makrem Ben Romdhane and Wael Arakji) were named to the All-BAL First Team.[6]

In the following season, the 2021–22 season, Monastir won the national double after capturing the CNA and Tunisian Cup titles.[7] On 28 May 2022, Monastir won its first-ever BAL and African championship after defeating Petro de Luanda in the 2022 BAL Finals,[8] becoming the first Tunisian team to win the BAL. Point guard Michael Dixon was named the league's MVP; Ater Majok and Radhouane Slimane were named to the All-BAL First Team.[9] Representing the African continent, Monastir played in the 2023 edition of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, where it finished in fourth place after losing to the Spanish team CB Canarias and the American team Rio Grande Valley Vipers.[10]

In the 2023 BAL season, Monastir brought back coach Perišić three days before the tournament.[11] However, Monastir was unable to qualify for the playoffs as the team ended with a 3–2 record and was ranked fifth based on a tiebreaker.[12]

Arenas
The exterior of the Mohamed-Mzali Sports Hall

Since its opening in 2006, Monastir plays its home games in the Mohamed-Mzali Sports Hall, which has a capacity of 4,075–5,000 people.[13]

Players

Current roster
As of 8 February 2023.

Note: Flags indicate national team, as has been defined under FIBA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIBA nationality.

No. Position Player
2 Ukraine UKR G Jerome Randle
4 Tunisia TUN F Ziyed Chennoufi
6 Tunisia TUN F Firas Lahyani
11 Tunisia TUN PG Houssem Mahemli
13 Tunisia TUN SG Michael Roll
14 Tunisia TUN G Amrou Bouallegue
21 Tunisia TUN SG Oussama Marnaoui
23 Tunisia TUN SG Lassaad Chouaya
24 Tunisia TUN F Mohamed Abbassi
28 Tunisia TUN C Mokhtar Ghyaza
41 Tunisia TUN F Ahmed Addami
45 Tunisia TUN F Radhouane Slimane (captain)

Past rosters

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.

Individual awards
Tunisian Cup MVP

All-BAL First Team

BAL Defensive Player of the Year

BAL All-Defensive Team

BAL Sportsmanship Award

Honours

Leagues
Champions (8): 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2004–05, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23
Runner-up (1): 2017–18

Cups
Champions (5): 2000, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Runner-up (9): 1992, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019
  • Tunisian Supercup
Runner-up (1): 2005
Champion (1): 2012

International competitions
Champion (1): 2022
Runner-up (1): 2021
Third place (1): 2017
Third place (1): 2019
  • Maghreb Championship
Champion (1): 2012
Fourth Place (1): 2023[10]

Season by season
Season Tier League Regular season Playoffs Tunisian Cup International competitions Head coach
Finish Played Wins Losses Win% League Result
US Monastir
2018–19 1 CNA 2nd 14 10 4 .714 Champions Finalist DNQ Said El Bouzidi
2019–20 1 CNA 1st 19 18 1 .947 Champions Winner N/A Miodrag Perišić
2020–21 1 CNA 1st 14 12 2 .857 Champions Winner BAL Runner-up Safouane Ferjani
Mounir Ben Slimane
2021–22 1 CNA 2nd 18 13 5 .722 Champions Winner BAL Champions Toni Vujanic
Miodrag Perišić
2022–23 1 CNA 1st 19 18 1 .947 Champions Winner BAL Regular Season Marouan Kechrid
Linos Gavriel

Head coaches

The following people have been head coach of US Monastir (since 2009):

References
  1. "U.S. Monastir Team Profile". Eurobasket.com. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  2. "Arab Club Championships 1999 Basketball". asia-basket.com. Retrieved 5 May 2019..
  3. "L'US Monastirienne remporte le championnat maghrébin". news.gnet.tn (in French). 5 December 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2020..
  4. Africa Champions Cup
  5. "Basket: Et de six pour l'US Monastir". RadioMosaiqueFM (in French). Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  6. "All-Basketball Africa League Awards 2021". afrobasket.com. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  7. "Basket: L'US Monastir remporte le 7e sacre de son histoire". RadioMosaiqueFM (in French). Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  8. "US Monastir are the 2022 Basketball Africa League Champions". The BAL. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  9. Philémon (30 May 2022). "BAL: All the awards of this 2022 edition". Sport News Africa. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  10. "Rio Grande Valley Vipers finish third as Culver goes for 34". FIBA.basketball. 12 February 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  11. "Miodrag Perisic returns to US Monastir, sets playoff target". OJB SPORT. 14 March 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  12. "Boissy, Crawford end US Monastir's title defense". The BAL. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  13. "Handzone - LMSL Déménagement pour le Trophée des Champions mercredi 12 mars 2014 : Stats et infos". handzone.net (in French). Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  14. "U.S. Monastir History". Eurobasket.com. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
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