TAYLORHOOPS.COM ULM UPDATE
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PLAYOFF FEVER!
ULM VS BONN GAME 1 SUNDAY!
Bundesliga Playoffs 2009
Game 1
ratiopharm Ulm @ Telekom Baskets Bonn
Sunday May 17, 2009 5pm
Telekom Dome Bonn, Germany
ratiopharm Ulm tips off the 2009 Bundesliga Playoffs with a challenging road game against 4th seed Telekom Baskets Bonn Sunday evening at Telekom Dome in Bonn. Earning their first playoff spot since returning to the Bundesliga three seasons ago, Ulm will make their first appearance in the post season since 1998, a ten year span. With 'Playoff Fever' throughout the city, ratiopharm Ulm is excited for the five game quarterfinal series against an excellent Bonn team.
'Playoff Fever' hits the city as ratiopharm Ulm meets an excellent Telekom Baskets Bonn team in their five game first round Bundesliga playoff series tipping off Sunday in Bonn.
click here for regio-tv Playoff game 1 preview!
A winning tradition in German basketball, Telekom Baskets Bonn have advanced to the Bundesliga championship series finishing second in 1997, 1999, 2001 and last season 2008. Bonn has also finished second in the German Cup in 2005 and this year 2008. Their winning tradition and enthusiastic fan support make Bonn, the former capital of West Germany before the unification, a fantastic place for basketball in Germany.
Over the last several seasons, Ulm and Bonn have split 6 games with each team winning three times at home. Both Ulm and Bonn enjoy rich basketball traditions and the two teams have played some entertaining and competitive games against each other over the last three years. Bonn has made the playoffs in all three seasons highlighted by last years terrific post-season run. Head Coach Michael Koch and his team, well-known for their unique pink uniforms representing main sponsor Telekom, are always among the most talented and athletic in the Bundesliga.
After the 34 game regular season, ratiopharm Ulm and Telekom Baskets Bonn can be compared statistically as displayed below.
ratiopharm Ulm Bonn
Points per game 2,678 78.8(#3) 2,564 75.4 (#10)
Rebounds per game 1,185 34.9(#5) 1,112 32.7 (#12)
Defensive rebounds 793 23.3(#9T) 793 23.3 (#9T)
Offensive rebounds 392 11.5(#3) 319 9.4 (#11T)
Assists per game 442 13.0(#5) 351 10.3 (#14)
Steals per game 208 6.1(#9) 207 6.1 (#10)
Turnovers per game 504 14.8(#6) 438 12.9(#17)
Blocks per game 82 2.4(#8) 179 5.3(#1)
Free Throw % 507-768 66%(#17) 510-732 69.7% (#8)
3pt % 267-725 36.8% (#3) 226-679 33% (#10)
FG % 46.6% (#5) 46.9% (#4)
ratiopharm Ulm floor general Dru Joyce muscles Bonn point guard EJ Rowland in action from the November meeting between the two teams.
ratiopharm Ulm vs Telekom Baskets Bonn Best of Five Series Schedule
Game 1
Sunday May 17th, 2009
ratiopharm Ulm @ Telekom Baskets Bonn 5pm tip Telekom Dome
Game 2
Thursday May 21st, 2009
Telekom Baskets Bonn @ ratiopharm Ulm 5pm tip Sportszentrum Kuhberg
Game 3
Sunday May 24th, 2009
ratiopharm Ulm @ Telekom Baskets Bonn 5pm tip Telekom Dome
BBL.TV (www.sportdigital.tv)
Game 4 (if necessary)
Tuesday May 26th, 2009
Telekom Baskets Bonn @ ratiopharm Ulm 7pm tip Sportszentrum Kuhberg
Game 5 (if necessary)
Thursday May 28th, 2009
ratiopharm Ulm @ Telekom Baskets Bonn 7:30pm tip Telekom Dome
Below are the complete Bundesliga Playoff Brackets 2009 from www.eurobasket.com . Please notice Quarterfinal Game Days in May listed in red.
ratiopharm Ulm All Star Power forward Jeff Gibbs makes a strong play in the lane earlier this season as Bonn's Brandon Bowman (15) and Ken Johnson defend.
Bonn's 2008-2009 roster is loaded with excellent players. This year several have stood out and enjoyed outstanding seasons. Leading the talented lineup, point guard EJ Rowland has produced 13.9ppg 3.3reb 3.7ast while shooting 36% from three. After playing well in the backup role with Artland, Rowland has stepped up his game stepping into the Bonn starting lineup enjoying a terrific year leading Bonn's attack. Lightning quick scoring guard Winsome Frazier also enjoyed an excellent season. The former Mississippi State guard is scoring 11.5ppg with 3.7reb while shooting 36% from three point land. Excellent scoring forward Brandon Bowman leads Bonn in scoring with an average of 14.3ppg 5.2reb and 33% from three. Former Denver Nugget and University of Tennessee star Vincent Yarbrough who missed part of the season due to injury is ready for another excellent playoff run after being a key part of Bamberg's 2006-2007 Bundesliga championship team. Yarbrough has produced 7.1ppg 4.7reb while hitting 29% from three. All Star big man Ken Johnson has been a defensive force in the paint all season long leading the Bundesliga in shot blocking at 2.5 blocks per game. Johnson scores 8.2ppg grabs 3.6 boards. Underrated and talented forwards Moussa Diagne (5.9ppg) has missed the last several games with injury but can be an important factor on both ends of the floor for Bonn. Patrick Flomo (4.2ppg 2.7reb) adds quality, depth and athleticism to the Bonn frontcourt. Popular post player John Bowler recovered from injury and returned to the lineup midseason and has contributed 7.1ppg 2.5reb this season. Rookie big man Tim Clifford helped to offset the injured John Bowler earlier in the season. Hardworking German players also play key roles. JJ Strasser (5.2ppg 30%threes), Artur Kolodziejski (3.3ppg 36%threes) and Alex King (3.2ppg) bring alot to the Bonn team. Strasser is an excellent perimeter shooting point guard with experience. Kolodziejski, a former Ulm player, is the Bonn captain providing excellent defense and three point shooting. King, a young and talented forward, adds an athletic wing with versatility after joining Bonn following several seasons in Frankfurt. Overall, Telekom Baskets Bonn are one of the most talented and athletic teams in the Bundesliga and provide their fans with exciting basketball. Their 2008-2009 season has been an excellent run and with their high-level roster, Bonn fans are excited about another deep playoff run. The teams playoff experience and drive to the Bundesliga Top 4 championship game provide Bonn with a strong base for post season success.
ratiopharm Ulm's Romeo Travis drives past Bonn's Vincent Yarbrough earlier this season.
This season, Bonn immediately established themselves as one of the top teams in the Bundesliga. Athletic and deep, Bonn raced to a 22-12 record earning home court advantage in the post season and advanced to the German Cup Finals losing to ALBA Berlin at Colorline Arena in Hamburg in the BBL Top 4. With an excellent season under their belt to this point, Bonn now sets their sight on another outstanding playoff run similar to last seasons march into the Bundesliga Finals.
ratiopharm Ulm rookie point guard Per Gunther finishes past Bonn's EJ Rowland earlier this year.
Along with their top play in Germany, Telekom Baskets Bonn have played a terrific season internationally as well advancing into the quarterfinals of the highly competitive EuroChallenge competition. Head Coach Michael Koch and his team have represented the Bundesliga well against excellent competition in Europe. Throughout the season, Bonn has competed against teams from Russia, Italy, France, Holland, Belgium and Cyprus. Opening their EuroChallenge campaign competing in Group B, Telekom Bonn beat Cyprus representative Kervanos Strovolou 78-55 at Telekom Dome November 26th, 2008. December 2nd, Bonn traveled to Russia to play Ural Great where they lost 82-54. December 10th, Bonn bounced back with a 71-61 home win over French team Hyeres-Toulon Var Basket. December 16th, Bonn traveled to Cyprus and dropped a 73-64 decision to Kervanos Strovolou, but took the critical head to head tie breaker of point differential. January 7th, Ural Great made their appearance at Telekom Dome and the powerful Russian team too a hardfought 70-64 road win over Bonn. And finally, January 13th, Bonn topped Hyeres-Toulon in France winning 86-72 to finish 3-3. With their solid play, Bonn advanced to the next stage of the international basketball competition, the Top 16 of the EuroChallenge. In the Top 16 round of the EuroChallenge, Bonn started slow. January 28th Bonn lost to French team Cholet 71-68 at Telekom Dome. On Febuary 3rd, Telekom Bonn dropped an 83-63 road decision at Dutch team Eiffel Towers Den Bosch. Febuary 11th Bonn picked up their first Top 16 win with a 79-64 home win over Belgium squad Liege at Telekom Dome in Bonn. Febuary 24th, Bonn fell to 1-3 in the Top 16 losing 71-54 in France to Cholet. But Bonn bounced back strong taking an important 84-77 home win over Eiffel Towers Den Bosch on March 4th and following that victory with a big 67-59 road win over Liege in Belgium to even at 3-3. Advancing to a quarterfinals series with Italian team La Fortezza, Telekom Bonn battled the talented Italian team well eventually came up short in their opening two games. La Fortezza beat Bonn 106-91 Thursday March 19th in Italy and tipped off their quarterfinals series with an 86-76 victory over Bonn at Telekom Dome Tuesday night March 17th. The international experience from the Eurochallenge helped push Bonn to the next level this season and provided the team with excellent experience to draw from for the playoffs.
Earlier this season at Telekom Dome in Bonn, ratiopharm Ulm was snuffed out by the suffocating athletic defensive of Telekom Baskets Bonn in the convincing 94-66 Ulm loss.
Earlier this season, Ulm and Bonn split two games with each team winning on their home floor. Most recently, ratiopharm Ulm protected their home court with an important late season win over the men in Magenta. Sunday March 22nd at Sportszentrum Kuhberg turned into a good evening for ratiopharm Ulm. A terrific team effort with excellent focus and defensive energy combined with Dan Fitzgerald's three point shooting and Sean Finn's hardwork in the paint drove ratiopharm Ulm to a 79-63 home win over an outstanding Telekom Baskets Bonn team. Ulm took control of the game with a third quarter run triggered by Dan Fitzgerald three point shooting and Sean Finn inside finishes which stretched their advantage to 72-50 with five minutes to play. Sean Finn's 21 point 10 rebound double double paced Ulm production while Dan Fitzgerald drilled 5 of 10 threes to add 15 points and floor general Dru Joyce was excellent with 13 points 9 assists in the win. Earning their 5th win in 6 games, ratiopharm Ulm improved to 17-8 on the season.
click here for March 22, 2009 Ulm v Bonn Game Summary!
ratiopharm Ulm rookie forward Dan Fitzgerald drilled 5 of 10 threes finishing with 15 points including three decisive three pointers that helped Ulm take control of the game.
Click here for Ulm vs Bonn March 22, 2009 Box Score
Click here for Ulm vs Bonn March 22, 2009 photo gallery
click here for regio-tv report
In the first meeting of the season, Telekom Baskets Bonn beat ratiopharm Ulm convincingly at the Telekom Dome on Saturday night November 8, 2008. ratiopharm Ulm fell behind early for the first time this season and Telekom Baskets Bonn intense team defense and fast-breaking team offense did the rest in their November 8th 94-66 Bonn win before an energized Telekom Dome. While Ulm struggled through a sub-par performance, the story of the game was Bonn's suffocating team defense which blocked 9 Ulm shots and limited Ulm to 38% floor shooting. Jeff Gibbs posted a 15 point 11 rebound double double for Ulm in the loss.
Click here for 9-8-08 Ulm @ Bonn Game Summary!
Last season, ratiopharm Ulm and Telekom Baskets Bonn split two meetings with each team protecting their home court. May 10th, 2008, Ulm celebrated the final game of the 2007-2008 Bundesliga season by earning an exciting 93-83 home win over Telekom Baskets Bonn before a sold out Sportszentrum Kuhberg.
click here for complete Ulm vs Bonn May 10th, 2008 Game Summary!
ratiopharm Ulm Dru Joyce attacking Bonn defenders EJ Rowland and Patrick Flomo (13).
Earlier last year, ratiopharm Ulm dropped a tight 82-77 decision January 26th 2008 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
In the 2006-2007 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. 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
ratiopharm Ulm guard Lee Humphrey feeds the post against Bonn defender Winsome Frazier in action between Ulm and Bonn from earlier this season.
For ratiopharm Ulm, Sundays home game against Telekom Bonn shapes up as a challenge at the right time. Winning 4 of their last 5 games and 7 of their last 10, ratiopharm Ulm has their sights set on their first playoff spot since returning to the Bundesliga in 2006-2007. Respecting Telekom Bonn as a proven playoff team with experienced battle-tested players, ratiopharm Ulm will rely on the strength of Sportszentrum Kuhberg's home-court advantage along with the outstanding fan support as they aim for their 10th home win of the season. Looking back to the November matchup between Ulm and Bonn, winning Sunday's game is no small task. But the challenge to face top teams in the Bundesliga is coming at the perfect time for Ulm.
Ulm center Sean Finn working inside against Bonn center Ken Johnson.
Tipping off Game 1 against Bonn Sunday, ratiopharm Ulm faces a daunting challenge as underdogs against one of the most athletic teams in the Bundesliga --- Ulm has yet to win in Bonn since returning to the Bundesliga three seasons ago. With a team at full strength and an excellent week of practice, Ulm hops aboard their team bus with playoff fever!
Sunday evening at Telekom Dome in Bonn all of the excitement unfolds at Game 1 between Ulm and Bonn tips off. Follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm Bundesliga Basketball action all season long 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 in the 2001-2002 2.Bundesliga South season. In addition, 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.
NBA EXPERIENCE
Bonn forward Vincent Yarbrough and center Ken Johnson bring NBA experience to their team after Yarbrough spent time with the Denver Nuggets and Johnson played with the Miami Heat.
Ulm Roster
Emeka Erege: Ulm captain a great leader
Romeo Travis: versatile forward ready for intensity of playoffs!
Jeff Gibbs: Ulm go-to Guy ready for challenge against Bonn!
Keith Triplett : defensive stopper will be a key to stop Bonn
Lee Humphrey: three point sharpshooter taking aim on Bonn
Dru Joyce: floor general ready for challenge against top Bonn guards
Per Gunther: talented young PG looks forward to challenge v Bonn
Dan Fitzgerald: key for Ulm attack coming from bench
Sean Finn: ready for challenging matchup in lane against Bonn's KJ
Sebastian Betz: energy from bench plays important role v Bonn wings
Michael Schroeder: physical inside presence ready to bang on the block!
Head Coach: Mike Taylor
Asst Coach : Rainer Bauer
Location: Bonn, Germany
Main Sponsor: Telekom
Home Court: Telekom Dome
website: www.telekom-baskets-bonn.de
2007-2008: 21-13 7th place
PLAYOFFS: lost ALBA Berlin 3-1 in Bundesliga Finals; beat Frankfurt 3-2 in Bundesliga Semifinals; Beat Artland 3-1 in Bundesliga quarterfinals.
Offense: Bonn is a fantastic transition team with excellent one on one scoring ability and many offensive weapons. Bowman and Frazier will be their primary scoring threats but Rowland is an underrated scorer and experienced players such as Yarbrough can be factors. After their fantastic post season run last playoffs, this Bonn team has potentially more offensive firepower despite losing key big man John Bowler.
Defense: A aggressive team defense with long and athletic players, Bonn plays mostly man to man defense but mixes in halfcourt trapping and different zones. This season Bonn has shown more aggressive full court presses looking to capitalize on their athleticism. With size and shot-blocking at several positions, Bonn is an exciting defensive team which can create opportunities for their offense with steals and blocks.
GM:
Head Coach: Michael Koch
Players:
EJ Rowland : enjoying outstanding season leading Bonn attack!
Winsome Frazier: lightning quick one on one scoring wing
Brandon Bowman : talented scorer is a go-to guy in Bonn
Vincent Yarbrough : veteran wing is experienced and skilled
Artur Kolodziejski: captain/team player/excellent on D
John Bowler: recently returned from injury to boost lineup
Ken Johnson: outstanding shot blocking C making impact on offense!
Johannes Strasser: backup PG/hardnosed and skilled
Patrick Flomo: ultra athletic F/ shotblocker and rebounder
Moussa Diagne: athletic 6'8 F from Senegal
Tim Clifford: skilled post from Holy Cross
Alex King: athletic, versatile wing, adds depth in Bonn
