TAYLORHOOPS.COM ULM UPDATE
@ 
ULM RETURNS TO CHEMNITZ FOR REMATCH
Coaching the Chemnitz 99ers to a Regionaliga South East Championship in 2001-2002, Ulm head coach Mike Taylor knows the 270,000 industrial east German city well. For one season, Taylor guided the Niners with pride and passion leading them to promotion into the 2.Bundesliga. During that year, the crazy Chemnitz fans supported their team with tremendous spirit and gave their 99ers a strong home court advantage.
Ulm and Chemnitz tip off for the second time this season Friday night
Friday night, those same loyal Chemnitz fans will pack the beautiful 3 year old Richard Hartmann Halle for an important 2.Bundesliga South basketball game as their 99ers host ratiopharm Ulm for an 8pm tip. Ulm already felt the wrath of the Chemnitz home court when the Niners knocked them out of the German Cup with a 96-93 loss Wednesday October 10th. Ulm held several double digit leads in the game, but the scrappy Chemnitz team fought their way back and made plays down the stretch to steal an upset win. This time, ratiopharm Ulm looks for a winning result in the rematch.
2 months have passed since that German Cup game and both Ulm and Chemnitz have seen their ups and downs making Friday's meeting that much more important. Ulm enters the game at 8-2 while Chemnitz brings a 7-3 mark. Interestingly, Chemnitz and last seasons league champion SV03 Tubingen are the only 2.Bundesliga South teams to beat Ulm twice in the two seasons under Mike T.
Roster changes proved excellent additions for the 99ers this offseason as forward Lars Buss and center Avi Kazarnovski have helped Chemnitz establish one of the best post combinations in the league. American Jaivon Harris has been strong and the re-signing of wing Kenric Brooks also deepened the Niners roster while adding another 3 point threat. Igor Pletnev played a major role in the Cup win over Ulm with clutch 3pt shooting. Point guard Serge Charikov has been slowed by a shoulder injury, but remains one of the best transition guards in the league. Last weekend, Chemnitz won in Kronberg 87-72 moving into a tie for third place in the league with Heidelberg, Jena and Freiburg at 7-3.
Ulm played their best game of the season in a 109-73 blowout of USC Freiburg last Saturday night at Sportszentrum Kuhberg. A unique player rotation has sparked production from several players and helped the team find their rhythm. The healthy return of Antoine Sinclair allowed the rotation system to take full effect and energized the Ulmers. Sinclair gave Ulm 14 pts and 4 rebounds in his best game of the season while Kenny Price top scored for the 3rd straight game (Price was named Player of the Month for November by the Ulm fan club before the game).
Friday's game will be broadcast on live regional television in the east German area. Certainly, Chemnitz will be excited for the big game.
Ulm returns home for a Sunday afternoon tipoff against Nordlingen at 4pm. Family Day, several special events will take place before and during the Nordlingen game which is Ulm's last before Christmas break.
Follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm basketball action all season long on Taylorhoops.com !
GO ULM!
MIKE T
4 MICHAEL BREE thriving with his new unit in Ulm's rotation
8 KENNY PRICE Ulm Nov. Player of Month topscorer last 3 games.
10 EMEKA EREGE most efficient Ulm player going by league stats
14 FLORIAN MOBIUS played well in Chemnitz during Cup
15 MAKSYM SHTEIN Ulm center looks to meet friend Pletnev
5 NIKI ARINZE key inside scorer with Ulm's black unit
11 PETER HEIZER excellent game in Cup/ key D on 99er wings
12MICHAEL NIEBLING team best 11reb vs Freiburg
7 CHRISTIAN GROSSE hardnosed Ulm point/ playing great ball
9 ANTOINE SINCLAIR sparked Ulm with 14pt 4reb off bench
6 DENNIS WOOLFOLK veteran helping as player and coach
13 TOBI WAITZINGER hardworking Ulmer ready
5 SERGE CHARIKOV outstanding playmaker/ slowed by shoulder injury
7 JAIVON HARRIS 15.1ppg 5.6rpg 44% 3pt shooting lefty wing
8 KENRIC BROOKS vet wing scores 17.3 and reb 5.6
9 LARS BUSS lefty post/inside scorer 19.7ppg 7.3rpg
15 AVI KAZARNOVSKI athletic lefty post/ runs and shoots J/14ppg
14 CHRISTIAN KLINK lefty post/ 3pt shooter/ improving post game
10 MARTIN SCHUSTER pass first/ veteran guard
13 IGOR PLETNEV 3pt shooter/ had big game in Chemnitz Cup win
12 ANDREAS ENDIG great team guy/ slowed by knee injury
4 SOREN SCHACHT great team guy/
