TAYLORHOOPS.COM ULM UPDATE
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ULM ROLLS INTO BAYREUTH FOR MIDWEEK TIP!
ratiopharm Ulm rolls into Bayreuth with momentum Wednesday night for a midweek road game against third place BBC Bayreuth team at Oberfrankenhalle.
With back to back big wins, 18-4 ratiopharm Ulm has found its rhythm heading into the stretch run of the season taking two wins over two top teams over the last two weeks. Certainly a surprise team to this point in the season, 16-6 Bayreuth has enjoyed an excellent year and have themselves in a position to finish among the top teams in the 2.Bundesliga South.
Action from Ulm's 90-59 win over Bayreuth 11-20-04
An organization with strong basketball tradition, BBC Bayreuth played for many years in the German Bundesliga before being relegated into the 2.Bundesliga South. Since moving down into the second division, Bayreuth has routinely been among the top teams and shows signs of upward momentum this season. Head Coach Marco Amelow has molded a quality team out of solid players whose sum is exceeding preseason expectations.
Key players in the Bayreuth game plan include Americans LyRyan Russell and Brandon Griffin. Russell, a skilled, scoring combo guard, signed with Bayreuth after a strong season in Langen last year. Russell excells in transition and is a quick penetrator in the halfcourt. A strong defender and above average rebounder for his size, LyRyan is a unique player who has triple-double capability because of his versatility. While Russell makes it happen on the outside, big man Brandon Griffin gets it done inside. A physical power forward with a nose for the ball, Griffin averages a double double of 16points and 10 rebounds a game as a first year player in the league. The leading offensive rebounder in the 2.Bundesliga South (4.6orpg), Griffin has shown steady improvement throughout the season and has been a major reason for the success in Bayreuth. Together, Russell and Griffin give Bayreuth an effective inside outside combination which has been the base of their attack this year.
Several German players produce for Bayreuth as well. Athletic perimeter players Sebastian Schoch, Sebastian Hanel and Christoph Tetzner give Bayreuth depth, athleticism and talent on the wing. Schoch, an aggressive driver who rebounds well and plays hard, averages 10.6ppg along with 5.2rpg and provides experience and energy to the team. Hanel, a lanky wing with versatility, is at his best in transition and rebounds well. Tetzner brings an active cutter and skilled post up scorer to the floor. All three can be streaky but are capable of very big games.
Balancing the lineup, center Mario Matic and point guard Dominic Zimmerman play major roles for Bayreuth. Matic, who signed from Kaiserslautern in the offseason, is a physical inside scorer who defends and rebounds physically in the paint. Meanwhile, Zimmerman is a classic team first point guard who defends tenaciously all over the floor.
Finally, Johannes Schlamminger and Bastian Kneuse are almost carbon copy players statistically. While Schlamminger averages 7.6ppg compared to Kneuse's 5.1ppg, both shooting guards bring 1.1rpg and 0.7assists nightly. Schlamminger defends better but Kneuse shoots 35% from three just bettering Schlamminger's 30%.
Putting all those pieces together has resulted in a strong sesaon for Bayreuth. One major reason for their success has been the teams excellent ability to rebound. Currently ranked 4th in the league in team rebounding, Bayreuth is the number one offensive rebounding team in the league.
Ulm's Shaheen Holloway is getting healthy
Returning the focus back to ratiopharm Ulm, the team received good news from their medical staff. Shaheen Holloway, Ulm's star point guard who sat out Saturday's big win over Nurnberg with severe flu symptoms, has shown improvement and could be back in action Wednesday. Holloway played a fantastic game while very sick leading Ulm to their big road win in Heidelberg two weeks ago on Sunday Febuary 27th, but the remarkable performance took its toll --- Sha was sidelined all week with a sinus infection and a severe flu. Taking part in Ulm's morning weight training and shooting, Holloway attended evening practice but did not participate. He will be examined Tuesday by Ulm medical staff hoping for a green light for his return to action.
Without Holloway, Ulm relied on a shorthanded lineup to record their big win over Nurnberg. The team will need another strong performance on the boards in the meeting Wednesday night in Bayreuth. Although the Ulm roster has undergone significant changes since the first meeting between the two teams (a 90-59 Ulm win on November 20th, 2004), key players such as Emeka Erege, Maksym Shtein, Florian Mobius and Peter Heizer remain as a nucleus to rally the team. Guard Christian Grosse has been in top form over the last few weeks emerging as an important part of Ulm's success while sharpshooting guard Kenny Price has fully recovered from an ankle injury to resume his amazing perimeter marksmaship. Chemistry, once an issue with the Ulmer squad, seems to be mixing right over the last month.
Ulm introduced the "hockey substitution" rotation for the first time in the first meeting with Bayreuth on November 20th. Ironically, after working through injuries, dealing with illness and moving players from the roster, Ulm will be lucky to have ten players dressed and activated Wednesday in Bayreuth. More important, Ulm's back to back hard-earned road wins at Bayern Munich Febuary 20th and at Heidelberg Febuary 27th clearly demonstrate determination and heart.
Follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm basketball action all season long on Taylorhoops.com !
GO ULM!
MIKE T
6 SHAHEEN HOLLOWAY improving health/game time decision
8 KENNY PRICE hit BIG shots against tough Nurnberg D
10 EMEKA EREGE outstanding 18pt 7reb in win over Nurnberg
14 FLORIAN MOBIUS stayed aggressive entire game and produced
15 MAKSYM SHTEIN stepped up in paint for 20pt7reb vs Nurnberg
5 FANNAR OLAFSSON played good minutes adding physical body
11 PETER HEIZER working hard on adjustments to help the team
7 CHRISTIAN GROSSE asserting himself well against good teams
13 TOBI WAITZINGER hardworker helping team daily
18 BENNI GULDE playing well for Neu Ulm/working hard for Ulm
9 ANTOINE SINCLAIR will have knee surgery Thursday 3-10-05
12 MICHAEL NIEBLING injured C loaned to Ehingen for rest of year
11 LYRYAN RUSSELL ballskilled versatile guard 14.4ppg 4.9rpg 3ast
15 BRANDON GRIFFIN #1 Oreb in league/ 16ppg 10rpg/ physical
7 SEBASTIAN SCHOCH 10ppg 5rpg/ aggressive driver/worker
5 SEBASTIAN HANEL 10ppg 5rpg/excels in transition/slasher/lanky
13 CHRISTOPH TETZNER 7.6ppg 4.1rpg/capable of big games
4 DOMINIC ZIMMERMAN team first point man/ defends well
10 MARIO MATIC hardworking post/physical/ 8ppg 5rpg
6 JOHANNES SCHLAMMINGER works on D/ 7.6ppg
9 BASTIEN KNEUSE spot up three point shooter 5ppg
8 TOBIAS HERMANSDORFER
