TalTech Basketball

TalTech Basketball, known as TalTech/OPTIBET for sponsorship reasons, is the men's basketball team that represents Tallinn University of Technology based in Tallinn, Estonia. The team competes in the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League. 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
Capacity1,000[1]
LocationTallinn, Estonia
Team colorsBlack, White, Magenta
     
Head coachAlar Varrak
Team captainErik Keedus
Championships8 Estonian Championships
7 Estonian Cups
Websitetaltech.ee/korvpall

The team has won eight Estonian Championships and seven Estonian Cups.

History

The game of basketball was first introduced to the Tallinn Tehnikum (predecessor of the Tallinn University of Technology) in 1928. The team's first game was played on 4 February 1928, in the NMKÜ Sports Hall, with Tallinn Tehnikum beating the visiting University of Tartu team 21–19.[2] The team first played in the Estonian League in 1951. Coached by Jaroslav Dudkin, the team emerged as a major force in Estonian basketball in the 1960s. Led by Tõnno Lepmets and Priit Tomson, the team won six consecutive Estonian League titles from 1961 to 1966. In 1982, Dudkin retired and was replaced as head coach by August Sokk. In 1984 and 1985, the team led by Tiit Sokk and Margus Metstak won two more Estonian League titles.[2] The university team began to struggle in the early 1990s as new professional basketball clubs joined the league and following the 1993–94 season, the team was relegated from the KML.

From 1999 to 2002, TTÜ sponsored the KML team TTÜ-A. Le Coq (former BC Tallinn) and from 2002 to 2004, TTÜ/A. Le Coq (former BC Hotronic).[3] TTÜ/A. Le Coq won the Estonian Cup in 2003. In 2004, TTÜ/A. Le Coq folded and TTÜ continued in the second tier I liiga.[4]

TTÜ returned to the KML in 2006. In 2008, TTÜ reached the Estonian Cup final, but were defeated by BC Kalev/Cramo 90–61. The team finished the 2008–09 regular season in third place. In the playoffs, TTÜ swept BC Rakvere Tarvas in the quarterfinals and faced BC Kalev/Cramo in the semifinals, losing the series 0–3. TTÜ defeated KK Valga in the third place games. In 2010, the team merged with Tallinna Kalev and became TTÜ/Kalev. TTÜ/Kalev finished the 2010–11 season in third place, being eliminated by TÜ/Rock in the semifinals and beating BC Rakvere Tarvas in the third place games. The unified team dissolved after the 2010–11 season and both clubs continued separately.[5] TTÜ have won the International Students Basketball League three times, in 2013, 2016 and 2017. In 2018, the university team adopted TalTech as its official abbreviation.

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
SF 0 Estonia Keedus, Erik 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 33 – (1990-04-27)27 April 1990
SF 6 Estonia Metsalu, Oliver 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 95 kg (209 lb) 29 – (1993-12-04)4 December 1993
C 12 Estonia Raadik, Toomas 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 103 kg (227 lb) 32 – (1990-08-15)15 August 1990
SG 11 Latvia Gludītis, Kristaps 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 87 kg (192 lb) 27 – (1995-11-06)6 November 1995
C 13 Estonia Matute Perner, Karl Andres 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 105 kg (231 lb) 22 – (2001-03-06)6 March 2001
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) 21 – (2001-06-15)15 June 2001
SG 31 Estonia Aniste, Janar 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) 77 kg (170 lb) 22 – (2000-05-11)11 May 2000
PF 32 Estonia Heinla, Joosep 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 95 kg (209 lb) 20 – (2002-05-29)29 May 2002
SF 33 Estonia Reinart, Ken-Martti 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 20 – (2003-02-10)10 February 2003
SG 35 Estonia Küttis, Ralf 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) 79 kg (174 lb) 20 – (2002-05-11)11 May 2002
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • Estonia Kris Killing
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Injured Injured
Updated: 21 April 2023

Depth chart
Pos. Starting 5 Bench 1 Bench 2
C Toomas Raadik Karl Matute Perner
PF Oliver Metsalu Indrek Kajupank Joosep Heinla
SF Ralf Küttis Erik Keedus
SG Gregor Ilves Ken-Martti Reinart Janar Aniste
PG Ran Andre Pehka Jaan Erik Lepp

Coaches

Season by season
Season Tier Division Pos. Estonian Cup Regional competitions
2006–07 1Korvpalli Meistriliiga 9th First round
2007–08 1Korvpalli Meistriliiga 10th First round
2008–09 1Korvpalli Meistriliiga 3rd Runner-up BBL Challenge CupQF
2009–10 1Korvpalli Meistriliiga 4th Third place BBL Challenge Cup4th
2010–11 1Korvpalli Meistriliiga 3rd Fourth place Baltic Basketball LeagueRS
2011–12 1Korvpalli Meistriliiga 5th Fourth place BBL Challenge CupQF
2012–13 1Korvpalli Meistriliiga 5th Quarterfinalist Baltic Basketball LeagueRS
2013–14 1Korvpalli Meistriliiga 5th Quarterfinalist
2014–15 1Korvpalli Meistriliiga 7th Fourth place Baltic Basketball LeagueRS
2015–16 1Korvpalli Meistriliiga 7th Fourth place Baltic Basketball LeagueRS
2016–17 1Korvpalli Meistriliiga 5th Quarterfinalist Baltic Basketball LeagueT16
2017–18 1Korvpalli Meistriliiga 7th Baltic Basketball LeagueRS
2018–19 1Korvpalli Meistriliiga 4th Estonian-Latvian Basketball League5th
2019–20 1Korvpalli Meistriliiga 7th[lower-alpha 1] Estonian-Latvian Basketball League–[lower-alpha 1]
2020–21 1Korvpalli Meistriliiga 5th Quarterfinalist Estonian-Latvian Basketball LeagueRS
2021–22 1Korvpalli Meistriliiga 4th Third place Estonian-Latvian Basketball League7th
2022–23 1Korvpalli Meistriliiga Fourth place Estonian-Latvian Basketball League9th

Trophies and awards

Trophies

Estonian League

  • Winners (8): 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1983–84, 1984–85

Estonian Cup

  • Winners (7): 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1970

Individual awards

Notes
  1. The season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    References
    1. "Tallinna Tehnikaülikooli spordihoone". spordiregister.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 1 March 2022.
    2. "Lühipilk ajalukku" (in Estonian). Tallinn University of Technology.
    3. "A.Le Coq, TTÜ ja Hotronic: toetajad liitusid, tiimid mitte" (in Estonian). Õhtuleht. 28 May 2002. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
    4. "Hüvasti, TTÜ/A.Le Coq" (in Estonian). Õhtuleht. 7 May 2004. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
    5. "Ajalugu" (in Estonian). Tallinn Kalev.
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