TAYLORHOOPS.COM ULM UPDATE
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ULM TRAVELS TO NORDLINGEN!
Certain German cities, big or small, have it. Berlin and Frankfurt have it. So does Bamberg and Cologne. You can find it in Ulm too. What these cities have is a tradition and passion for basketball. In a country on a continent obcessed with soccer's beautiful game, basketball has found its niche and places like Nordlingen Germany make the game great.
A small south-central historical town still surrounded by medival walls, Nordlingen seems to take visitors back in time.
For ratiopharm Ulm head coach Mike Taylor, every trip to the small basketball-crazed burg brings back happy memories of a regionaliga South-East rivalry with Nordlingen from 2001-2002. Thankfully, in back to back seasons, both sides moved up into 2.Bundesliga South basketball and while players, places and names may change, no one can remove the one thing that drives the city of Nordlingen --- passion for the game of basketball.
If Nordlingen was the last team Mike T coached against in a championship season with Chemnitz, Nordlingen was also the first team for Taylor coaching at Ulm --- in an interesting twist, the two familiar foes met again in the German Cup Friday night September 26th, 2003.
Wins have been much tougher to come by over the last 2 seasons in the 2.League. In 2003-2004, Nordlingen's first campaign through 2.Bundesliga South battles, the team went 9-21 and felt great about staying in the league. Head Coach Zoltan Nagy fielded a competitive hardworking team that Nordlingen was proud of. The small town showed fantastic support for their team, routinely drawing 2000 or more for home games. Interest in boys and girls basketball continued to grow and Nordlingen continued to make their basketball special.
This season, with 4 games to go, Nordlingen has already matched their win total for all of last year as they enter Saturday's matchup with Ulm at 9-17. Still playing to stay in the league, Nordlingen will surely bring a tremendous effort to the floor against Ulm. Last weekend in Kronberg, the veteran Nordlingen team dominated struggling, young MTV Kronberg winning 100-80 in a meaningful game for both teams as they compete to earn a spot in the league next season. Right now, Nordlingen is closing in on a safe position in the standings.
Ulm travels to Nordlingen for Saturday night's 7:30pm tip
An interesting blend of players on their roster, Nordlingen features good size and experience along with excellent perimeter and post skills. An American backcourt of point man Mark Brown and scoring guard Caleb Gervin start things off for Nordlingen. Brown, a heady point guard who is active on both ends of the floor, has averaged 14ppg and shot 44% from three while directing the Nordlingen attack. Gervin, finally healthy after a mid-season thumb injury, ranks among the league scoring leaders at 22ppg. While Brown and Gervin spearhead the perimeter play, shooting guard Jurica Puljic adds another weapon to the wing. An excellent three point shooter who moves well without the ball, Puljic looks to score and has enjoyed some big games this season. In the first meeting against Ulm at Sportszentrum Kuhberg December 12th, Puljic drilled 5 three pointers on his way to 19 points. Last weekend in Kronberg, Puljic paced Nordlingen point producers with 26 in the win. Along with Puljic, shooting small forward Milan Ostojic also adds outside firepower to the team. Another aggressive wing, Ostojic added 15 points 5 assists in the December 12th game against Ulm and looks to score.
Balancing out the perimeter weapons, the inside combination of former first league players Burkhardt Steinbach and Micahel Buse give Nordlingen solid scoring and rebounding in the post. Steinbach, a widebody with limited mobility, loves his right handed hook shots and physically is a force in the paint. A big 17 point 11 rebound double-double in Ulm showed the veteran big man still has plenty left in his tank. Buse, an athletic matchup probelm for opponents, can bang, post up, rebound and run the floor. The two together, provide Nordlingen a good inside-outside combination. Athletic combo forward Keli Ekoemeye defends, runs, rebounds and plays team basketball doing many little things overlooked by many observers. The perimeter and post players in Nordlingen must be respected as quality talents with experience.
from www.onlinepics24.de
BIG Burgy Steinbach mans the middle
from www.onlinepics24.de
Point guard Mark Brown is active on D
Meanwhile, 21-5 Ulm enters the game hoping to be completely healthy. Center Maksym Shtein, the teams top scorer for 6 straight games before last Saturday's big win over Chemnitz, has been hobbled by a foot injury that has kept him out of practice for the first three days of the week. With rehab and rest, Ulm hoped Shtein will be ready for an important matchup with Burgy Steinbach in the middle in Nordlingen. Inside, Nordlingen's size also is a concern for Ulm --- especially if Max does not play.
On the December 12th meeting, a 104-88 victory for Ulm at Sportszentrum Kuhberg in the teams last game before Christmas, Kenny Price caught fire continuing his focused weekend with 6 three point makes on his way to a game high 26 points. A fast paced, uptempo game, Nordlingen started fast but Ulm finished strong. Both teams enjoyed excellent offensive afternoons in the first meeting.
With a strong focus, Ulm won on the road in their last away game Easter Sunday in Freiburg. Despite some inconsistencies in their road form, Ulm hopes to build on the win at Freiburg and last Saturday's home win over Chemnitz. Small forward Emeka Erege's recent play has been high level and guard Peter Heizer has contibuted with outstanding defense. Point guard Shaheen Holloway also seems to be finding his rhythm after a good game against Chemnitz and good weeks of practice.
As the 2004-2005 season winds down, passionate basketball fans in tradition rich towns such as Ulm and Nordlingen will soak up their final hoops fix before another offseason begins. And will be nights like Saturday night in Nordlingen, that make German basketball great.
Follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm basketball action all season long on Taylorhoops.com !
GO ULM!
MIKE T
6 SHAHEEN HOLLOWAY solid game vs Chemnitz 19pt 7 ast
8 KENNY PRICE 25pt 6 threes in December win over Nordlingen
10 EMEKA EREGE outstanding game vs Chemnitz/ competitor!
14 FLORIAN MOBIUS foul trouble vs Chemnitz/ key vs Nordlingen
15 MAKSYM SHTEIN slowed by foot injury/ important matchup at C
5 FANNAR OLAFSSON will be important against big front line
11 PETER HEIZER playing excellent D recently/drew 2 charges Sat.
7 CHRISTIAN GROSSE key perimeter sub vs Nordlingen
13 TOBI WAITZINGER hardworker helping team daily
18 BENNI GULDE playing well for Neu Ulm/working hard for Ulm
9 ANTOINE SINCLAIR successful rehab... 'toine on long road back
12 MICHAEL NIEBLING loaned to Ehingen, C playing well
16 MARK BROWN skilled point/44%3pt J/ 14ppg/ 18pt7ast vs Ulm
14 CALEB GERVIN scoring guard/slasher/3range/ 22ppg 36%3pt J
13 JURICA PULJIC shootinger/ 10ppg 39% 3pt /19pt 5three vs Ulm
5 BURGY STEINBACH big center/9.7ppg 8.3rpg/ 17pt 11reb vs Ulm
7 MICHAEL BUSE skilled PF/ 16ppg 7rpg/ tough matchup for Ulm
4 MILAN OSTOJIC shooting small forward/ looks to score
10 KELUBIA EKOEYMEYE athletic/ defensive minded combo forward
9 ROBERT APELT physical banger off bench
8 DANIEL WANJAMA athletic small forward good in transition
6 OLIVER LANGE hardworking perimeter/ 14% 3pt shooter
11 JOCHEN BISCHOFF T recently signed from Wurzburg area
