University of Tartu | |||
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Leagues |
Korvpalli Meistriliiga Basketball Champions League Baltic Basketball League |
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Founded | 1937 | ||
History |
List
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Arena | University of Tartu Sports Hall | ||
Capacity | 1,650 | ||
Location | Tartu, Estonia | ||
Team colors | White, Black, Gold |
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President | Priit Kaasik | ||
Head coach | Priit Vene | ||
Championships |
26 Estonian Championships 16 Estonian Cups 1 Soviet Championship |
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Website | basket |
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Uniforms | |||
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BC Tartu, commonly known as University of Tartu (Estonian: Tartu Ülikool), is a professional basketball club based in Tartu, Estonia. The team plays in the Korvpalli Meistriliiga (KML) and internationally in the Basketball Champions League. The team was founded in 1937 as division of the University of Tartu Academic Sports Club. Their home arena is the University of Tartu Sports Hall.
University of Tartu have won a record 26 Estonian Championships, a record 16 Estonian Cups and 1 Soviet Championship.
The team was founded in 1937 by Herbert Niiler as Tartu Estonian Academic Sports Club (Estonian: Tartu Eesti Akadeemiline Spordiklubi), or simply Tartu EASK. The team won the regional series and was promoted to the top-tier Estonian Championship. Led by Estonia national team players Oskar Erikson, Aleksander Illi, Heino Veskila and Ralf Viksten, the team won the 1938 Estonian Championship and managed to defend the title in the two following seasons. The club's success was cut short by the World War II and the Soviet occupation.
University of Tartu returned to the Estonian Championship in 1948. On 28 August 1948, the team defeated Tartu Dünamo with a record score of 132–6, with Ilmar Kullam scoring 40 points. Led by a generation of star players such as Kullam, Heino Kruus and Joann Lõssov, the team won five consecutive Estonian Championships from 1948 to 1952. In 1949, the team also won the Soviet Championship.