TAYLORHOOPS.COM ULM UPDATE
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ULM visits MTV Stuttgart Saturday!
ratiopharm Ulm survived a scare in Sportszentrum Kuhberg way back in Game Day 4 as Jeff Gibbs and Emeka Erege spearheaded an intense rally helping Ulm come from behind and escape their first ever meeting against MTV Stuttgart with a 76-71 win. Now 18-0, Ulm prepares to board the team bus and travel west along the autobahn 8 to the beautiful city of Suttgart for Saturday night's rematch, a 7:30pm tip off in Game Day 19 of the 2005-2006 2.Bundesliga South season. Experienced Stuttgart players like Radi Tomasevic, Kresimir Miksa, Peter Huber-Saffer, Andreas Bloch, Radiza Zdravkovic and Tom Klemm give Head Coach Takis Genikomsidis the potential to beat every team in the league. More than simply a meaningful 2.Bundesliga South contest, Saturday's game in Stuttgart also takes on special feeling for Ulm center Maksym Shtein and Florian Mobius who grew up in the area.
Ulm's Jeff Gibbs hung 14 points and 20 boards on Stuttgart earlier this year.
Saturday Febuary 11th, 2006
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ratiopharm Ulm visits MTV Stuttgart Saturday in Game Day 19 of 2.Bundesliga South basketall action and both teams are looking to set things right. Despite emerging from the first meeting with a hardearned 76-71 victory, ratiopharm Ulm feels they have a point to prove against the experienced-first year Stuttgart team. Although they won, Ulm shot 41% from the field including a season low 18% from three point range. Only three Ulm players reached double figures paced by the tenacious effort of Jeff Gibbs who recorded 14 points and 20 rebounds in the physical win. Power guard Jonathan Levy was limited to a mere 8 points on 4-12 shooting in the win and Maksym Shtein managed only 9 points with 6 rebounds. Certainly, the Stuttgart defense must be given credit for the Ulm struggles from that first meeting on October 15th. On the other side, skillful Radi Tomasevic dropped 29 points and 4 three pointers on Ulm and Andreas Bloch added 20 points 10 rebounds in his Stuttgart debut. Ulm defense allowed a 10-1 second half run as Stuttgart surged past the favored Ulmer hosts with upset on their mind. In Crunch time, Ulm turned to the powerful Gibbs, versatile Emeka Erege and experienced Jan Sprunken to salvage the win.
Since that mid-October game, much has changed. Ulm has reeled off 18 straight wins while Stuttgart has been up and down in establishing a 6-12 mark. While Saturday's game has championship meaning for Ulm, Stuttgart needs wins to remain above danger from relegation. Currently one game ahead of 5-13 Breitengussbach, Stuttgart does have the advantage of smashing 'gussbach 84-62 in their head to head meeting earlier this year. Both Ehingen and Weiden enter Saturday's game with 6-12 records and (along with Stuttgart and 'Gussbach) need some wins over the next months 2.Bundesliga South action to establish some breathing room.
Unfortunately, Stuttgart has struggled through personnel changes this season. Financial issues have limited the teams ability to add players but American wings Philip Godfrey and Dainmon Gonner came and went over the last few months of the season. Rumours of an addition persist and a name familiar to Ulm has surfaced as a possibility --- former Ulm forward Ed Williams was rumored to have been in contact with MTV Stuttgart, but injury rehabilitation seems to be preventing Ed's return to the 2.Bundesliga South. Certainly, Stuttgart Takis Genikosidis will work tirelessly to improve the team. As if the import hole on their roster and financial limitations were not enough, key veteran leader Kresimir Miksa was injured in a traffic accident a few weeks ago and the shooting guard has missed action with a concussion. Listed as unlikely to play as he recovers from his concussion, Miksa brings many intangibiles to the table for his team. Picking up the slack, Radi Tomasevic will look to heat up for a big game against his favorite opponent. Seemingly always hot against Ulm, Tomasevic has enjoyed a 30 point effort in a huge game against Ulm for Tubingen and a terrific 29 point night in this season's first matchup in Ulm. Big man Peter Huber-Saffer provides a double double every night averaging 10 points and 11 boards while establising a presence in the paint for his team. The former Bonn center, Huber-Saffer is a strong offensive rebounder pacing his team with 3.2 O rebounds per game. Along with Huber-Saffer, Stuttgart boasts another talented big man in Andreas Bloch who gave Ulm 20 points 10 rebounds back in October. Bloch, a bullseye perimeter shooter with inside-out skills, played collegiately at Villanova and professionaly in Italy before joining Stuttgart earlier this year. In fact, Bloch made his Stuttgart debut against Ulm before momentarily leaving the team as he explored contract options in Iceland. Realizing his situation in Stuttgart was best for him for this year, Bloch has returned to average a solid 12.3ppg and 8.5reb. Together, Huber-Saffer and Bloch give Stuttgart one of the top frontcourts in the league. Providing depth inside, experienced sharpshooting big man Tom Klemm scores 7.5ppg with 4.5 rebounds while leading the team in steals. Finally, big point guard Radiza Zdravkovic pushes the ball extremely well in transition, attacks the basket hard off drives and plays outstanding defense for Stuttgart. Interestingly, each player mentioned has first league experience at one time or another. Saturday night --- if Miksa remains out and no American is added --- Tomasevic, Zdravkovic, Huber-Saffer, Bloch and Klemm look to pull off the upset they nearly accomplished in Ulm.
Jan Sprunken (9) played a key part in Ulm's comeback win over Stuttgart earlier this season by making big shots and playing solid D down the stretch.
Meanwhile, ratiopharm Ulm remains on a roll after doubling up USC MainFranken Baskets from Wurzburg 120-60 last Saturday at Sportszentrum Kuhberg making the third straight game the team has scored over 100 points. Reaching the highest point total of the season (120), Ulm also established a new team best for largest victory margin at home (60) tying the team best for victory margin on the road (60, 119-59 last season at MTV Kronberg). The addition of energetic forward Konrad Wysocki has jolted Ulm forward to their best basketball of the season. The versatile and active forward has demonstrated defensive intensity and offensive skill in making a mark with his new team. Wysocki has filled out the Ulm roster and assimilated well with his new teammates. Along with the addition of Wysocki, Ulm point guard Martin Thuesen has returned from Christmas Break with a new spring in his step. Playing his best basketball of the season over the past month, Thuesen has also been an added spark to the Ulm performance as he settles into the system and finds places he can make plays. For the past month, Ulm has receieved high level production from all 9 players in the rotation making them a difficult team to deal with.
Since returning from Christmas Break, Ulm point guard Martin Thuesen (4) has been in top form.
Saturday night in Stuttgart, Ulm is focused to bring a concentrated, focused and intense effort to the floor. Follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm basketball action all season long on Taylorhoops.com!
GO ULM!
MIKE T
SCOUTING REPORTS
Emeka Erege: Great leadership/terrific talent/model Ulm player
Jonathan Levy: Ulm's scoring leader
Jeff Gibbs: 21pt 11r v Wurzburg/14pt 20r 1st meeting v Stuttgart
Maksym Shtein: C looks for big game against former coach Takis
Martin Theusen: excellent play since Christmas has sparked team
Christian Grosse: key perimeter shooter off Ulm's bench
Florian Mobius: key post sub for Ulm/grew up in stuttgart area
Konrad Wysocki: aggressive/energy off the bench/11ppg w Ulm
Jan Sprunken: super team player/ veteran/ smart/ CRAFTY
Antonis Sivorotka: talented prospect also developing
Benni Gulde: young guard developing daily with hardwork
Radi Tomasevic 6' crafty scorer/lefty/3 range/ 20.6ppg 42% 3pt
Kresimir Miksa 6'2 vet guard/3pt threat/ smart player/ 12.4ppg
Tom Klemm 6'5 deep shooting threat/ 75.ppg/leads team in stls
Peter Huber Saffer 6'9 skilled big man/10pt 11reb
Andreas Bloch 6'9 shooting big man/12.3pt 8.5reb
Zdravkovic 6'4 big PG ballskilled/pushes ball/strong defender
