TAYLORHOOPS.COM ULM UPDATE
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STOP THE STREAK OR HISTORY REPEAT?
Since ratiopharm Ulm was relegated to the 2.Bundesliga, the team has never won in Heidelberg.
As the old saying goes: Those that fail to study the past are doomed to repeat it.
Friday November 9th, 2001 Heidelberg 108 Ulm 94.
Sunday November 10th, 2002 Heidelberg 93 Ulm 85.
Sunday December 7th, 2003 Heidelberg 93 Ulm 63.
Clearly, Heidelberg is a difficult place to win.
If December 7th, 1941 is a Day that will live in Imfamy after the Pearl Harbor bombing, memories of December 7th 2003 will not rest easily after Heidelberg hammered Ulm at Olympia A hot shooting Heidelberg team blew Ulm out of the gym last season and this years lineup looks for more of the same.
Despite what tendencies the history books may reveal, ratiopharm Ulm is focused on reversing the recent trend of struggles in Heidelberg. Without question, winning in Heidelberg will take a tremendous team effort.
Kenny Price's clutch three point shooting helped Ulm beat Heidelberg at home in November. Sunday, Price's perimeter shooting will again be important for Ulm.
Earlier this season, Ulm outlasted a hungry Heidelberg team at home 81-75 on Saturday November 6th. Far from the prettiest performance, ratiopharm Ulm trailed for the majority of minutes, failed to find easy scores and resorted to a defensive lineup to break the game open in the fourth quarter. Center Maksym Shtein top scored with 22 points and 8 boards including a handful of key baskets down the stretch. Peter Heizer, who filled in at the point in the final minutes, added 18 points while Emeka Erege and Kenny Price produced 14 points apiece. Ronnie Taylor was in top form for visiting Heidelberg finishing a strong night with 21 points while sweet shooting Erik Dordal added 14 points hitting 4 of 5 threes. Jurgen Maassmann and Brett Buscher added 12 points in the loss. Although Ulm won, it was not easy and Heidelberg left Sportzentrum Kuhberg with confidence and calculating for revenge.
photo from www.usc-hd.de/foto
Heidelberg point man Ronnie Taylor has had a tremendous season. Currently, he ranks 2nd in the league in scoring at 23ppg
Injuries have hit both teams hard this season causing lineup changes. For Ulm, center Michael Niebling remains in rehab with an injured ankle hoping for a return within a few weeks. Antoine Sinclair will miss the remainder of the season with a major knee injury. Meanwhile, for Heidelberg, center Jurgen Maassmann, a former Ulm big man, has been sidelined for the majority of the season with a shoulder injury. Last seasons surprise player, Stefan Selle (who exploded to shoot Heidelberg to the win) has been hampered by problems all year.
Key additions have been made by both teams as well. Big man Fannar Olafsson has joined ratiopharm Ulm and immediately proven his worth as a physical, energetic post presence. On the other bench, former Tubingen standout Nicolai Iversen has recently signed with Heidelberg. A strong forward with excellent three point touch, Iversen is a face familiar to Ulm fans after his key role in helping Tubingen stretch past Ulm in two classic games last season. A teammate of Big Mike Niebling on the Danish National team, Iversen brings bonified star quality to the Heidelberg team and allows the Markus Jochum to add perimeter firepower.
Since the early November meeting, Ulm has added firepower of their own. Playmaking point guard, Shaheen Holloway, has signed for the remaing games this year and through next season. Sha's game completely changes the Ulm attack adding a penetrator and perimeter threat with excellent experience.
Key matchups in the game could be at the point (where Shaheen Holloway goes head to head against Ronnie Taylor) and on the wings (where Ulm's Kenny Price, Peter Heizer and Emeka Erege lock horns with Erik Dordal, Nicolai Iversen and Simon Cassel). Heidelberg currently plays a 6 man rotation for the majority of minutes giving Ulm an advantage with depth. Both teams will be well prepared and a sell out crowd is expected in Heidelberg.
photo from www.usc-hd.de/fotos
Two key two guards: Heidelberg's Erik Dordal and Ulm's Peter Heizer in November's meeting.
A classic rivalry, much exchange has already taken place across message boards and press releases. Certainly, Heidelberg looks to remain hot the tail of Ulm in the race for second place in the 2.Bundesliga South. Ulm enters Sunday's game at 16-4 while Heidelberg and Bayreuth bring 15-5 marks the the weekend's action.
At 6-4 on the road this season, Ulm's performance away from home has been up and down. Last week, the team seemed to make major strides with a hardfought 102-97 win at Bayern Munich. In what was a very physical game, Ulm broke the game open starting the third quarter with an 11-0 run before seizing a 70-47 lead. Staving off a furious Munich comeback, Ulm's Shaheen Holloway and Peter Heizer sank key free throws to seal the win. Ulm will need another strong, tough, clutch performance in Heidelberg to break their history there.
When the game tips off Sunday only one question will remain: will the streak stop or will history repeat?
Follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm basketball action all season long on Taylorhoops.com !
GO ULM!
MIKE T
6 SHAHEEN HOLLOWAY big time player looks to have big game
8 KENNY PRICE 5-9 from three in Munich/ key vs Heidelberg zone
10 EMEKA EREGE played well against Heidelberg for two years
14 FLORIAN MOBIUS excellent game in Munich/ 19pts
15 MAKSYM SHTEIN is key to Ulm's post scoring presence and game plan
5 FANNAR OLAFSSON physical and intense, will be boost in front court
11 PETER HEIZER focused and primed for tough D assignments
7 CHRISTIAN GROSSE sharpshooting recently/ leads team at 48% 3pt%
13 TOBI WAITZINGER hardworker helping team daily
18 BENNI GULDE youth prospect plays with Neu Ulm Sunday
9 ANTOINE SINCLAIR will miss season with knee injury
12 MICHAEL NIEBLING out with severe ankle sprain/return TBA
5 RONNIE TAYLOR excellent scoring point 23ppg 4.5ast
4 ERIK DORDAL terriffic 3pt shooter (43%) and smart team player 12ppg
NICOLAI IVERSEN key pickup/big part of Tubingen last yr 13.8ppg 6.8r
12 SIMON CASSEL lefty/experienced wing/ 7.7ppg 3r
15 ARMIN LEBER active,athletic post/ 12.7ppg 4.4r (streaky)
8 BRETT BUSCHER athletic dunker/nice touch on J/18.5ppg 6.4r/rebounds
9 KESTUTIS RIMAS guard sub/3pt shooter/
7 JANIS HEINDEL young prospect
