TalTech Basketball

TalTech Basketball, also known as TalTech/OPTIBET 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.

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. TPI Spordiklubi (Tallinn Polytechnic Institute Sports Club) was formed in 1948. 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. 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. 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. They returned to the league for the 2006–07 season. In 2010, TTÜ Korvpalliklubi merged operations with Tallinna Kalev and became TTÜ/Kalev. 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. In 2018, the university adopted TalTech as its official abbreviation.

Sponsorship naming

 * TTÜ/A. Le Coq: 2001–2005
 * TalTech/OPTIBET: 2021–present

Home arenas

 * TalTech Sports Hall (1975–present)

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

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

All-KML Team
 * Bambale Osby – 2011
 * Kristjan Kitsing – 2016
 * Toomas Raadik – 2019