TalTech Basketball

TalTech Basketball, also known as TalTech/ALEXELA for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball team based in Tallinn, Estonia. They are a part of the Tallinn University of Technology Sports Club. The team plays in the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League and the Korvpalli Meistriliiga (KML). Their home arena is the TalTech Sports Hall.

TalTech/ALEXELA
Leagues	Korvpalli Meistriliiga Latvian–Estonian Basketball League European North Basketball League
Founded	1948; 77 years ago (1948)
History	List TPI (1948–1989) TTÜ (1989–2018) TalTech (2018–present)
Arena	TalTech Sports Hall
Capacity	1,050
Location	Tallinn, Estonia
Team colors	Black, White, Magenta
Head coach	Alar Varrak
Championships	8 Estonian Championships 8 Estonian Cups
Website	taltech.ee/spordiklubi/korvpall
Home Away

Tallinn University of Technology teams have won eight Estonian League championships and eight Estonian Cup titles.

History

Basketball was first played at Tallinn Tehnikum, the predecessor of the Tallinn University of Technology, on 4 February 1928, when the Tallinn Tehnikum team defeated the visiting University of Tartu 21–19.^[1] TPI Spordiklubi (Tallinn Polytechnic Institute Sports Club) was formed in 1948.^[1] TPI made their debut in the Estonian Championship in 1951 under coach Jaroslav Dudkin, who would stay with the team for the next 32 seasons. They established themselves as a major force in Estonian basketball in the 1960s, when Tõnno Lepmets and Priit Tomson led the team to six consecutive league titles from 1961 to 1966. August Sokk took over as head coach in 1982 and guided the team, led by his son Tiit Sokk and Margus Metstak, to two more championships in 1984 and 1985.^[1] In 1989, TPI changed its name back to TTÜ. The team began to struggle in the early 1990s as more professional basketball clubs joined the top division, and after the 1993–94 season, they withdrew from the league.

In 1999, TTÜ became affiliated with Tallinna Ülikoolid-A. Le Coq (formerly BC Tallinn). In 2001, the team moved to the newly renovated TTÜ Sports Hall and changed their name to TTÜ-A. Le Coq. After the 2001–02 season concluded, TTÜ and A. Le Coq shifted their sponsorship to BC Hotronic, who changed their name to TTÜ/A. Le Coq.^[2] Coached by Heino Enden and led by veterans Aivar Kuusmaa and Rauno Pehka, the team won the Estonian Cup in 2003.

On 6 September 2005, TTÜ announced that they will withdraw from the forthcoming KML season.^[3] They returned to the league for the 2006–07 season. In 2010, TTÜ Korvpalliklubi merged operations with Tallinna Kalev and became TTÜ/Kalev.^[4] However, the partnership ended after just one season, and TTÜ Korvpalliklubi continued independently. They have won the International Students Basketball League (ISBL) three times, in 2013, 2016 and 2017.^[5] In 2018, the university adopted TalTech as its official abbreviation.

Sponsorship naming

• TTÜ/A. Le Coq: 2001–2005
• TalTech/OPTIBET: 2021–2024
• TalTech/ALEXELA: 2024–present

Home arenas

• TalTech Sports Hall (1975–present)^[6][7]

Players

See also: Category:TTÜ KK players

Current roster

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

TalTech/ALEXELA roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht. Wt. Age PG 1 Post, Siim-Markus 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 28 – (1997-02-13)13 February 1997 PF 2 Jurkatamm, Taavi 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 27 – (1997-10-10)10 October 1997 PG 3 Lindeberg, Meiko 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 19 – (2005-08-31)31 August 2005 C 4 Arop, Birk Birger 2.09 m (6 ft 10 in) 87 kg (192 lb) 20 – (2005-03-24)24 March 2005 PG 5 Välb, Kaarel 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 81 kg (179 lb) 20 – (2004-09-12)12 September 2004 PF 6 Metsalu, Oliver (C) 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 31 – (1993-12-04)4 December 1993 PG 9 Tamm, Herman 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 19 – (2005-11-08)8 November 2005 PF 11 Kitsing, Kristjan 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 105 kg (231 lb) 34 – (1990-12-11)11 December 1990 SG 14 Tassa, Aleksander 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 91 kg (201 lb) 21 – (2004-02-12)12 February 2004 PG 15 Pehka, Ran Andre 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 85 kg (187 lb) 23 – (2001-06-15)15 June 2001 SF 16 Andre, Rasmus 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 91 kg (201 lb) 21 – (2004-05-26)26 May 2004 SF 17 Sunelik, Indrek 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 25 – (2000-02-09)9 February 2000 SF 27 Mägi, Espen 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) 20 – (2005-03-19)19 March 2005 PF 33 Saal, Patrik 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 98 kg (216 lb) 24 – (2000-06-16)16 June 2000 SG 41 Jürgens, Carlos 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 26 – (1998-10-27)27 October 1998	Head coach Alar Varrak Assistant coach(es) Toomas Annuk Legend (C) Team captain Injured Roster Updated: 28 November 2024

Depth chart

Pos.	Starting 5	Bench 1	Bench 2
C	Birk Birger Arop	Patrik Saal
PF	Oliver Metsalu	Kristjan Kitsing	Patrik Saal
SF	Rasmus Andre	Espen Mägi
SG	Aleksander Tassa
PG	Siim-Markus Post	Kaarel Välb	Meiko Lindeberg

Coaches

• Jaroslav Dudkin 1950–1982
• August Sokk 1982–1986
• Andres Liinat 1987
• Märt Kermon 1987–1989
• Alar Sõnajalg 1989–1992, 1993–1994
• Mihkel Reinsalu 1992–1993
• Heino Lill 2004–2005, 2011–2012, 2014–2015
• Priit Vene 2005–2007
• Aivar Kuusmaa 2007–2010
• Üllar Kerde 2010–2011
• Tiit Sokk 2012–2014
• Rait Käbin 2015–2019
• Gert Kullamäe 2019
• Kris Killing 2019–2021
• Alar Varrak 2021–present

Season by season

Season	Tier	Division	Pos.	Estonian Cup	Baltic competitions		Regional competitions
2006–07	1	KML	9th	First round
2007–08	1	KML	10th	First round
2008–09	1	KML	3rd	Runner-up	BBL Challenge Cup	QF
2009–10	1	KML	4th	Third place	BBL Challenge Cup	4th
2010–11	1	KML	3rd	Fourth place	Baltic Basketball League	13th
2011–12	1	KML	5th	Fourth place	BBL Challenge Cup	QF
2012–13	1	KML	5th	Quarterfinalist	Baltic Basketball League	RS
2013–14	1	KML	5th	Quarterfinalist
2014–15	1	KML	7th	Fourth place	Baltic Basketball League	RS
2015–16	1	KML	7th	Fourth place	Baltic Basketball League	RS
2016–17	1	KML	5th	Quarterfinalist	Baltic Basketball League	EF
2017–18	1	KML	7th		Baltic Basketball League	RS
2018–19	1	KML	4th		Estonian-Latvian Basketball League	5th
2019–20	1	KML	7th[a]		Estonian-Latvian Basketball League	–[a]
2020–21	1	KML	5th	Quarterfinalist	Estonian-Latvian Basketball League	RS
2021–22	1	KML	4th	Third place	Estonian-Latvian Basketball League	7th
2022–23	1	KML	6th	Fourth place	Estonian-Latvian Basketball League	9th	European North Basketball League	RS
2023–24	1	KML	5th	Quarterfinalist	Estonian-Latvian Basketball League	9th

Trophies and awards

Trophies

• Estonian League

Winners (8): 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1983–84, 1984–1985

• Estonian Cup

Winners (8): 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1970, 2003

• International Students Basketball League

Winners (3): 2012–13, 2015–16, 2016–17

Individual awards

KML Best Young Player Matthias Tass – 2018 Ralf Küttis – 2022

KML All-Star Five Bambale Osby – 2011 Kristjan Kitsing – 2016 Toomas Raadik – 2019 Rasmus Andre – 2025

Notes

1. The season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.