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.
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. TPI Spordiklubi (Tallinn Polytechnic Institute Sports Club) was formed in 1948. 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. 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. 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. They returned to the league for the 2006–07 season. In 2010, TTÜ Korvpalliklubi merged operations with Tallinna Kalev and became TTÜ/Kalev. 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. In 2018, the university adopted TalTech as its official abbreviation.
Sponsorship naming
TTÜ/A. Le Coq: 2001–2005
TalTech/OPTIBET: 2021–present
Home arenas
TalTech Sports Hall (1975–present)
Players
Current roster
Depth chart
Coaches
Jaroslav Dudkin 1950–1982
August Sokk 1982–1986
Andres Liinat 1987
Märt Kermon 1987–1989
Alar Sõnajalg 1989–1992, 1993–1994
Mihkel Reinsalu 1992–1993
Heino Lill 2004–2005, 2011–2012, 2014–2015
Priit Vene 2005–2007
Aivar Kuusmaa 2007–2010
Üllar Kerde 2010–2011
Tiit Sokk 2012–2014
Rait Käbin 2015–2019
Gert Kullamäe 2019
Kris Killing 2019–2021
Alar Varrak 2021–present
Season by season
Trophies and awards
Trophies
Estonian League
Winners (8): 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1983–84, 1984–1985
Estonian Cup
Winners (8): 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1970, 2003
International Students Basketball League
Winners (3): 2012–13, 2015–16, 2016–17
Individual awards
KML Best Young Player
Matthias Tass – 2018
Ralf Küttis – 2022
All-KML Team
Bambale Osby – 2011
Kristjan Kitsing – 2016
Toomas Raadik – 2019
References
External links
Basketball teams in Estonia
Basketball teams established in 1948
1948 establishments in Estonia