TAYLORHOOPS.COM ULM UPDATE
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Ulm Completes Championship Season Saturday!
ratiopharm Ulm hosts 1FC Kaiserslautern Saturday night in the 2005-2006 2.Bundesliga South season finale at Sportszentrum Kuhberg in Ulm. Officially closing the 2.Bundesliga South chapter in Ulm basketball history, Saturday's game completes a championship season that has dawned a new era in Ulm basketball. Earlier in the week, ratiopharm Ulm GM Thomas Stoll received the Bundesliga lisence officially welcoming the team to Germany's top professional basketball league for the 2006-2007 season. Having clinched the league title in the last home game April 15th against USC Frieburg, ratiopharm Ulm went on the road to earn a convincing 81-69 victory over 2nd place Jena last weekend. At 28-1, Ulm aims to cap their championship season in style Saturday night! A special night, Ulm will celebrate the special season with an open air party with fans and sponsors behind Sportszentrum Kuhberg after the game. A special start time of 7:30pm is arranged to allow for the overflow crowd expected to join in the fun!
Ulm closes out 5 seasons of 2.Bundesliga Basketball in Sportszentrum Kuhberg Saturday night as the Ulm crowd can celebrate the "Aufstieg".
Saturday April 29th, 2006
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ratiopharm Ulm celebrated the 2.Bundesliga South league championship Saturday April 15th with a 106-73 home win over USC Freiburg. Rather than rest on their laurels, Ulm brought back a commanding 81-69 road win over erdgas Baskets Jena last weekend. At 28-1, with the league title already wrapped up, what else is there?
Ulm has plenty to play for.
Start with Ulm's homecourt Sportszentrum Kuhberg. Consistently jam packed with rowdy Ulm fans, Sportszentrum Kuhberg has been a tremendous home-court advantage for Mike Taylor and his team over the last three seasons. After dropping two home games in 2003-2004, Ulm went unbeaten at home posting a perfect 15-0 record at Kuhberg last season in 2004-2005. This year, ratiopharm Ulm has remained perfect at home in 2.Bundesliga South play entering Saturday at 14-0. A victory over Kaiserslautern would keep Ulm unbeaten at home for a second consecutive season and would stretch the Ulm home court winning streak to 31 games. Certainly
Move to league statistics. After leading the 2.Bundesliga South in rebounding while playing with Ehingen last season, Ulm power forward Jeff Gibbs aims to claim a back to back rebounding crown this weekend. Currently, 4 rebounds ahead of Stuttgart big man Peter Huber-Saffer, Gibbs averages 11.7 rebounds a game and has been a force i the paint on both ends of the floor all season for ratiopharm Ulm.
ULM forward Jeff Gibbs has his sights set on a second straight 2.Bundesliga South rebounding title!
Possible MVP? While, Jeff Gibbs chases his second straight rebounding crown, many MVP votes will be tallied for Ulm guard Jonathan Levy who was a driving force in Ulm's outstanding season in 2005-2006. The athletic power guard from Los Angeles currently leads Ulm in scoring at 19.9ppg and has been a money player for his team all season. Of many highlights, Levy sank the two game clinching free throws in the important mid-season home win over Jena and continually came up with clutch shots and big plays all season for Ulm. An impact player on both ends of the floor, Levy has made his mark on the 2.Bundesliga South in 2005-2006.
Look at the Bundesliga lisence. Earlier this week, ratiopharm Ulm was officially welcomed into Germany's top professional basketball league when the Bundesliga awarded Ulm with a lisence for the 2006-2007 season. After playing 13 Bundesliga seasons spanning from 1988 to 2001, ratiopharm Ulm opens a new sports era in the city next year. Since being relegated in 2001-2002, Ulm has amassed a 122-29 record over 5 2.Bundesliga South seasons. Since Head Coach Mike Taylor has arrived three years ago, Ulm has recorded 26-4, 24-6 and now 28-1 marks for a total of 78-11.
History can be made. While Ulm already set the 2.Bundesliga South record for best start to a season winning the first 23 games of this season, ratiopharm Ulm can also tie the best 2.Bundesliga South teams in history with a 29-1 final record.
Ulm wing Jan Sprunken celebrates his second "Aufstieg" and joins a select groups of players who have helped teams from both the 2.Bundesliga South and 2.Bundesliga North earn promotion into the Bundesliga.
Most important, consider Ulm's special season. At 28-1, Ulm has enjoyed a memorable year on and off the floor. True team chemistry and real connection among teammates has resulted in a winning "synergy" on the floor. Excellent leadership from captain Emeka Erege and veteran players such as Jan Sprunken, Maksym Shtein and Florian Mobius has helped Ulm rise to every challenge all year. Ulm players have played for one another and worked for one common goal, the league championship. Saturday, Ulm can cap their special championship season with a final team performance and the players are focused to finish the season strong respecting their achievement throughout the year.
Finally, examine Ulm's pride. The Ulm team demonstrated special heart at different times this season. Rewinding back to the first game of the season, ratiopharm Ulm trailed TV Langen all game until guard Christian Grosse sank a transition layup with seconds left to steal the opening game win. Mid-season Ulm edged Jena 74-72 in a critical head to head collision that dictated pole position in the 2.Bundesliga South race. Finally, only 3 weeks ago, 4 players fouled out and it took 2 Maksym Shtein three point bombs in overtime for Ulm to beat BBC Bayreuth in a turning point win. Ulm has shown the heart of a champion this year.
#1!
On the floor, Saturday's opponent 1FC Kaiserslautern is simply not the same team that has earned a 19-10 record and locked up 4th place for the 2nd consecutive season. Injuries to center Stuart Robbins and small forward Michael Skender severly limit the lineup which has been without a second American since late January when scoring wing Keith Triplett was lost for the season to a ruptured disk in his back. Red Devil head coach Stephan Seile has continually found a way to motivate his team and bring out their best effort despite the adversity and injuries facing the team nearly on a weekly basis. Despite a valliant effort, Kaiserslautern fell last weekend to 5th place BBC Bayreuth in a hardfought game. Down to 6 healthy players for the season finale in Ulm, Kaiserslautern will focus their attack around American playmaker LyRyan Russell, veteran wing Paul Howard and physical big man David Arigbabu. After enjoying strong 2.Bundesliga South seasons for both TV Langen Giraffes and BBC Bayreuth, Russell has joined Seile's Red Devils midseason after Tamien Trent was released. Since his return, the crafty ballhandler has averaged 18.8ppg 4.8reb and 4.5ast while shooting 31% from three and 63% from the charity stripe. Howard, a wiley vet who has played in Tubingen and Ehingen in recent seasons, produces 7.6ppg 4.2reb while hitting 30% from three. Finally, big man David Arigbabu scores 15.8ppg with 8.6reb. Assuming a major role, Florian Moysich will be a likely starter in the backcourt after playing much of the season as a dependable bench player. Without Robbins and Skender, Kaiserslautern enters Kuhberg missing two of their key players. In their place, Coach Seile will turn to young players Bjorn Schmidt, Tim Schwartz and Dmitri Kreis for productive minutes. Certainly Ulm will hold a major advantage in experience and depth on Saturday.
Follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm basketball action all season long on Taylorhoops.com!
GO ULM!
MIKE T
SCOUTING REPORTS
Emeka Erege: Ulm Captain has been great leader this year!
Jonathan Levy: possible MVP in league/leads Ulm scoring at 19.9ppg
Jeff Gibbs: seeks 2nd consecutive rebounding title
Maksym Shtein: has been man in middle for Ulm last 4 seasons!
Martin Theusen: has enjoyed strong 2nd half of season!
Christian Grosse: hit big threes in last weeks win over Jena!
Konrad Wysocki: key midseason addition/ Ulm debut in Kaiserslautern!
Florian Mobius: has been solid for Ulm every step of the way!
Jan Sprunken: joins special group to win AUFSTIEG in 2.liga north n south
Antonis Sivorotka: has enjoyed excellent practices over last weeks
LyRyan Russell 6'1 looks 2 score/skilled driver/rebounds n runs team well
Florian Moysich 6' back up PG/smart/worker on D/ 3pt threat/likely starter
Michael Skender 6'6 injured 3 man will miss season finale
Paul Howard 6'5 versatile veteran/3pt threat/rebounds/posts/experienced
David Arigbabu 6'9 strong 4man/physical/inside scorer/strong rebounder
Stuart Robbins 6'10 injured center will miss season finale
Tim Schwartz playing well in limited min/12pt 11reb last week v Bayreuth
Dmitri Kreis limited min/ 5-8 from three this year
Bjorn Schmidt limited minutes/ could see action with short bench
