TAYLORHOOPS.COM ULM UPDATE
VS 
ULM HOSTS BONN SATURDAY IN SEASON FINALE!
ratiopharm Ulm vs Telekom Bonn
Saturday May 10, 2008 7:30pm
Sportszentrum Kuhberg Ulm, Germany
ratiopharm Ulm plays their season finale Saturday night as playoff bound Telekom Baskets Bonn visit Sportszentrum Kuhberg for a 7:30pm tip off. More than simply the last game of the 2007-2008 season, Saturdays game against Bonn also marks the final game in Ulm for tremendous team players Florian Mobius and Jan Sprunken. Retiring from Bundesliga basketball, both Flo and Jan have been instrumental in Ulm success and progress over the last several seasons and the entire Ulm organization and fans will have the chance to recognize and respect these two fan favorites Saturday night. Closure for the season and two careers, Saturdays game will certainly be special.
Florian Mobius (14) and Jan Sprunken have been outstanding team players for ratiopharm Ulm giving much of themselves toward team success. Saturday, their team and fans thank them for their efforts!
With Ulm's last game of the season upon them, both Flo and Jan told management, coaching staff and their teammates of their decision early in the week. Flo even wrote a thank you letter to the Ulm fans which has been posted online on the ratiopharm Ulm team website. After learning of the plans, the entire ratiopharm Ulm organization and fans will now have the chance to give back to two players who have given so much.
ratiopharm Ulm's Florian Mobius takes aim on the baskets at Sportszentrum Kuhberg for the final time Saturday against Bonn.
At the right time in life, a playing career comes to an end. For Florian Mobius and Jan Sprunken that time is now. After earning a university degree in sports management and receiving a new job with SWU in Ulm, Flo plans to commit his energy to his business career. Meanwhile, Jan will move back north to finish his studies and move onto the next step in his life as well. Both players maintain an open invitation to remain with ratiopharm Ulm and return to the team but for Jan and Flo, Saturday night marks the perfect time for them to move onto the next stage in their lives after their successful run with ratiopharm Ulm. In many ways, no player has been more important to Ulm basketball as Florian Mobius. A steady, solid team player, the forward from Boblingen was the first player signed to a contract 7 seasons ago when Thomas Stoll and Andreas Oettel started over with the 2.Bundesliga lisence. A part of Ulm progress every step of the way, Flo has been a tremendous team player who contributed to the rise of ratiopharm Ulm in a variety of roles. Knicknamed "Mr Zuverlaessig" for his consistency and dependability, Mobius averaged 6.7 points and 4 rebounds in his first 2.Bundesliga season. Later, Flo became a starting power forward in the 2.Bundesliga South before becoming a spark from the bench as a 6th man. During Ulm's memorable Aufsteig championship season of 2005-2006, Flo scored 5.6ppg with 2.2reb as a key supporting part of the frontcourt. As a rookie in the Bundesliga last season, Flo made his mark helping Ulm upset powerful Rheinenergie Koln with 8 points 2 rebounds and an assist in 12 minutes prompting Koln head coach Sasa Obradovic to say in the post game pressconference "Number 14, what is his name? Mobius. " Later Flo would score 9 points with 4 rebounds against brose Baskets Bamberg and in a terrific game in Tubingen, Mobius sparked Ulm from the bench with early three point shooting helping to claim the big derby win at Tubingen Arena April 23rd.
Ulm's Jan Sprunken makes the extra pass one final game Saturday night at Sportszentrum Kuhberg.
Like Flo, Jan "the Gun" has been a critical part of Ulm success. After helping to lead Schwelm to the Bundesliga and playing Bundesliga seasons with both Schwelm and Bonn, the Munster native Sprunken joined ratiopharm Ulm for the 2005-2006 season and was a key part of the "Aufsteig" championship season. In Ulm's most important game of the year, a 74-72 home win over rival Jena, Jan's clutch three point shooting and key defensive effort was a huge reason for the tight Ulm win. Always ready to help the team from the perimeter, Jan has been a tremendous team player and popular teammate for the last three seasons in Ulm and helped hold the team together as an unselfish role player. Jan's best game of this season was likely the home win over Giessen in October along with a strong effort on the road in Paderborn Friday April 18th. Last season, Jan's year was cut short after he suffered a broke orbital bone in his face on his birthday November 11th at home against NewYorker Phantoms Braunschweig.
ratiopharm Ulm's Dru Joyce is also excited to play in front of family!
Earlier this season, ratiopharm Ulm dropped a tight 82-77 decision January 26th at Hardtberghalle in Bonn. Playing for the first time since returning from the Bundesliga All Star break, Ulm played without PG Kyle Bailey who was rehabilitating a broken thumb. When Dru Joyce received his second unsportsmanlike foul of the game in a second half scuffle with Bonn's Ronnie Burrell, Ulm struggled down the stretch playing without a true point guard as the hot Bonn team extended their winning streak with the victory. Ulm's strong effort fell short keeping them 0-2 at Bonn's Hardtberghalle since returning to the Bundesliga last season.
click here for link for photos from Christian Schumacher at www.american-sports.info
January 26, 2008 Ulm @ Bonn Game Summary
Jeff Gibbs powers his way to two points at Bonn earlier in the season. Ulm's All Star power forward looks to finish his terrific season as the Bundesliga rebound king.
Last season, Telekom Bonn won the initial meeting between the two teams 87-75 at Hardtberghalle November 17th. In the second meeting, March 31st at Sportszentrum Kuhberg, ratiopharm Ulm topped Bonn 80-68 in a hotly contested game. With both teams protecting home court, this seasons matchups shape up to be very intense. Click the links below for Game Summaries from recent Ulm v Bonn games:
2006-2007 March 31st Game Summary
2006-2007 November 17th Game Summary
Ulm captain Emeka Erege will miss the season finale for the second consecutive year.
In the past Bonn has been a strong Bundesliga organization and routinely makes appearances in the post season. This year, things continue to go as planned. For the last two seasons, Bonn has battled Bamberg nose to nose in what has developed into a fantastic, heated rivalry. And the future looks to be more than bright in Bonn as well. Ground has been broken on the new Telekom Dome, the new homecourt of Bonn basketball in seasons to come. Certainly the exciting future ahead provides momentum and energy for this seasons Bonn team and fans!
ratiopharm Ulm's Konrad Wysocki will complete an outstanding All Star season this Saturday!
2007-2008 has been an excellent season for Bonn. Earning another playoff appearance, Bonn enters Saturdays season finale at Sportszentrum Kuhberg with a 21-12 record even with Deutsche Bank Skyliners and Ewe Baskets Oldenburg. Due to tie breakers, Bonn is currently at 7th place but the last week of the season will determine playoff positioning and Bonn is excited about the post season play. After opening the year 6-5, Bonn reeled off 6 straight wins to improve to 12-5. Recently, Bonn is on a two game win streak topping Trier 75-59 April 23rd at home and beating rival Koln 88-71 April 26th at home. Right now, Bonn head coach Michael Koch, among the best German-born players in history, has his team focused for the playoffs with the priority of staying healthy through their final game.
Ulm's EJ Gallup plays through a hand injury in the season finale.
Telekom Bonn has added to their excellent tradition with another fine season. All Star Jason Conley was injured just after Bonn's first game against Ulm forcing the talented small forward to miss the remainder of the season. Without the former Missouri Tiger scorer, Bonn added former Chicago Bull wing Eddie Basden to the team. Since joining Bonn, Basden has averaged 8.5ppg 3.3reb while shooting 26% from three in 13 games. While Basden has worked his way in, Bonn has geared up for the playoffs with All Star forward Ronnie Burrell as a focal point. The exceptionally athletic Burrell has produced 13.5ppg 5.3reb this season. Powerful John Bowler has missed the last several weeks with an injury but looks to be healthy for the playoffs. The physical inside player, Bowler has averaged 12ppg with 5.6reb while upping his three point shooting to 41% this season. The Bonn backcourt has featured four quality players including starters Winsome Frazier (11.6ppg 4.1reb 28%three) and Miah Davis (7.8ppg 1.8reb 2.5ast). Missing the several midseason games due to injury, Frazier is a one on one wizz and uses his lightning quick skills to create in the halfcourt and in transition. Davis is a solid, intelligent team oriented point guard in his first season with Bonn after a solid start to his career in France. The former Pacific Tiger is an excellent defender and distributes well. A big key for Bonn has been the backcourt play from German guards JJ Strasser (6.7ppg 1.9reb 40% threes) and Artur Kolodziejski (5.4ppg 37%threes). Strasser is a hardworking floor general who has added excellent perimeter accuracy in his first season in Bonn after playing in Koln. Meanwhile, the former Ulm guard Kolodziejski is an excellent defender and has been a terrific threat from three this year. Fans will remember last years meeting in November when Artur buried four threes to help his Bonn squad to the 87-75 win over Ulm. Also providing depth for Bonn is athletic wing Moussa Diagne who has started games in place of the injured Conley. An explosive shotblocker and good athlete, the Senegal native has scored 5.3ppg with 2.4reb this season. On the block, veteran Bernd Kruel (4.5ppg 2reb) provides crafty veteran skills and a soft shooting touch along with tough team defense. Athletic and talented Patrick Flomo has returned from a serious knee injury to contribute to the Bonn frontcourt with 3.2ppg 2.1reb. Combined, the Bonn team plays unselfish, team oriented basketball and have earned their playoff place. Certainly, this seasons performance and the excitement from the groundbreaking of their new gym add up to terrific momentum for the Telekom baskets Bonn!
ratiopharm Ulm will be without the services of rookie Sebastian Betz after he injured his ankle in practice midweek.
While Bonn prepares for the playoffs this year and anticipates their new Arena next season, ratiopharm Ulm has also much to look forward to. Recently, ratiopharm returned as the teams main sponsor and a new agreement was reached with new CEO Oliver Windholz. With the exciting news that ratiopharm will remain as the teams main sponsor, Ulm solidifies its future off the floor and combined with the earlier news of the new arena in Neu-Ulm, basketball in the region took major steps forward in recent months. After moving up into the Bundesliga by winning the 2.Bundesliga South in 2005-2006, Ulm has established themselves well over the last two seasons. However, the news of the new arena and return of ratiopharm opens the door to a bright future for basketball in the city.
Ulm wing Romeo Travis has been an impact player since joining the team in March.
While the future is positive, the present is special for Ulm. Along with the close of career for Florian Mobius and Jan Sprunken, the ratiopharm Ulm team can match their record from last season with their 16th win on Saturday. The sold out Sportszentrum Kuhberg should be alive with energy and excitement at tipoff Saturday night.
Ulm C Sean Finn has been excellent the second half of the season and is focused to finish strong Saturday against Bonn.
But beating Telekom Bonn is always a challenging task. For Ulm, the challenges are greater as the team deals with several significant injuries entering the last week of the season. Captain Emeka Erege remains sidelined as he recovers from a knee injury and will miss the season finale for the second consecutive year. Talented young rookie shooting guard Sebastian Betz twisted his ankle in practice midweek severely enough to keep him out of the last game. But while Erege and Betz will miss the game, Ulm's sharpshooter EJ Gallup will play despite a painfully jammed thumb which occurred in the Tubingen win April 23rd. Along with Gallup, veteran post man Bryan Lucas aims to return from the muscle strain which has kept him sidelined for the last several games. After injuring his leg in the home game against Oldenburg April 12th, Bryan has worked hard to rehab and is likely to play Saturday. Every team deals with bumps and bruises as the season goes on and ratiopharm Ulm is no different. Looking at the situation positively, in their swan-song game, Jan Sprunken and Florian Mobius will receive extended minutes as the Ulm bench will be called upon to help offset the injuries.
Veteran post man Bryan Lucas has worked hard to get healthy after a muscle strain sidelined him for several games. Bryan is expected to play in the season finale against Bonn.
While ratiopharm Ulm celebrates the season and careers of Florian Mobius and Jan Sprunken, Bonn looks forward to the playoffs. For both teams 2007-2008 has been an exciting season filled with excellent basketball. Focused on the present and saluting the past this weekend, both Ulm and Bonn also have much to look forward to in the future. Saturday night at Sportszentrum Kuhberg is more than simply the last game of the season. For ratiopharm Ulm, it becomes a celebration of the careers and contributions of players in their final game for the team. Florian Mobius has made Ulm basketball special for 7 seasons. Jan Sprunken has given his all to the team for 3. Saturday night is Ulm's turn to give back.
ratiopharm Ulm thanks their fans for support in 2007-2008
Thank you for follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm Bundesliga Basketball action this season on Taylorhoops.com!
GO ULM!
MIKE T
TAYLORHOOPS.COM GAME NOTES
ULM CONNECTIONS
As Ulm and Bonn tip off, several friendly faces will be on opposing sides Saturday. First, Artur Kolodziejski played for current Ulm assistant coach Rainer Bauer and along side current Ulm forward Florian Mobius in the 2001-2002 2.Bundesliga South season. In addition, Artur and teammate JJ Strasser are close friends with Ulm's Jan Sprunken. Meanwhile, Ulm power forward Jeff Gibbs and Bonn big man Patrick Flomo hail from the same hometown of Columbus Ohio and often cross paths in summer leagues while at home.
WE HAVE MET
I 2002-2003 ratiopharm Ulm traveled to the USA on a college tour in late November meeting teams like UCSB, Loyola Marymount, Pacific, Pepperdine and Arizona State. During this trip, Pacific topped Ulm in an entertaining game. Starting PG for Pacific? Bonn's current PG Miah Davis.
FAMILY TIME
Ulm point guard Dru Joyce is excited about a family visit this weekend. His father coached both Dru and Romeo in high school and currently runs one of the biggest and best AAU tournaments in the USA "King James Tournament" in Akron Ohio which featured over 500 teams of all ages last month.
Ulm Roster
Emeka Erege: Ulm captain misses finale for second straight season
Romeo Travis: has been impact player since joining team in march
Jeff Gibbs: will close season as Bundesliga rebound leader
Bryan Lucas: healthy and looks to return from leg injury
Konrad Wysocki: closes All Star season this weekend!
Dru Joyce: has made tremendous strides this year as rookie PG
Florian Mobius: team and fans look to thank Flo for 7 great years!
EJ Gallup: sharpshooter battling thumb injury
Sean Finn: aims to finish season strong against tough Bonn big men
Sebastian Betz: will miss game due to ankle injury
Jan Sprunken: team and fans look to thank Jan for his 3 years!!
Head Coach: Mike Taylor
Asst Coach : Rainer Bauer
Location: Bonn, Germany
Main Sponsor: Telekom
Home Court: Hardtberghalle
website: www.telekom-baskets-bonn.de
2006-2007: 21-13 6th place
PLAYOFFS: lost 3-2 to Bamberg in 1st Round
Offense: Despite losing outstanding PG Jason Gardner to Oldenburg this offseason, Telekom Bonn has reloaded their team and looked sharp in the preseason. Experienced players return all over the lineup including hardworking F John Bowler and excellent scoring wing Jason Conley. New wing Winsome Frazier is lightning quick and will prove to be a strong addition and steady PG Miah Davis will run the team. Athletic F Ronnie Burrell (new from Koln) and Moussa Diagne provide talent and depth to the frontcourt. Veterans JJ Strasser and Artur Kolodziejski are fan favorites and terrific team players. Patrick Flomo opens the season on the injured list as he recovers from a knee injury last year. Veteran big man Bernd Kruel is another big man to throw into the mix. With a fundamental offense and a knack for creating offense from defense, look for Bonn to once again finish as a playoff team.
Defense: Although they play most games in Pink uniforms, Bonn plays a tough brand of man to man defensive basketball. Head coach Michael Koch has a good feeling for changing defenses and gets the most out of the teams defensive effort on a nightly basis. Hardworking team defenders like Kolodziejski symbolize the tough mindset of the Bonn team. The teams athletic frontcourt also features depth which allows them to be extra aggressive. Fans should consider Bonn as fundamentally one of the best defensive teams in the Bundesliga.
GM:
Head Coach: Michael Koch
Players:
Miah Davis: steady PG joins Bonn from France
Winsome Frazier: lightning quick one on one scoring wing
Jason Conley: Missouri Tiger back for 3rd yr in Bonn
Bernd Kruel: veteran big man
Artur Kolodziejski: captain/team player/excellent on D
Ronnie Burrell: another super athlete/combo forward
Johannes Strasser: backup PG/hardnosed and skilled
John Bowler: physical and hardnosed/ underrated/ worker
Patrick Flomo: ultra athletic F/ shotblocker and rebounder
Moussa Diagne: athletic 6'8 F from Senegal
Eddie Basden: former Chicago Bull forward helps Bonn into playoff
