The basketball players from ratiopharm Ulm have one foot in the final of the Basketball Bundesliga. What are the reasons for the success of the Swabians?
ratiopharm Ulm is the surprise team in this year’s playoffs of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL). After the 3-1 quarter-final win over champions Alba Berlin the Swabians now have the next title contender on the verge of defeat. “The players improve and play with a lot of energy and vigour,” praises Ulm’s coach Anton Gavel.
In the semi-final series (best of five) against cup winners Bayern Munich, the Swabians are 2-0 after two away wins. Ulm now has three match points, is only one victory away from the final and can make the sack on Friday (7:00 p.m.) in the home arena.
ratiopharm Ulm: Big upheaval in summer 2022
A starting position that hardly anyone had expected from Ulm. Only last summer there was a major upheaval on the Danube. Long-time successful coach Jaka Lakovic was followed by Anton Gavel, a coach who had never coached in the BBL before. As a player, Gavel represented success and a high basketball IQ. As a coach, his experience was limited to youth teams and the Ulmer third division team.
There were also changes in the squad. The top performers of the past season left the club and veteran Per Günther ended his career. Newcomers included 18-year-old Spanish talent Juan Nunez and Brazilian international Yago dos Santos, who had previously played in South America.
Started the season as the “lucky bag” of the BBL
Promising newcomers with no BBL experience and a rookie head coach in good standing. While the side were credited with great potential, it was unclear how quickly they would bring it to the table. Short: Ulm was considered a grab bag in the basketball Bundesliga.
This season, the young team with a young coach got off to a bad start. In the cup, the Swabians were knocked out in the first round, and the first four games in the league were lost. In Ulm they remained calm. “We always aim to develop further during the season,” says Ulm’s sports director Thorsten Leibenath in the podcast “Basketball Department” and adds “that’s why we like to take a younger team”.
NBA Experienced additional commitments complete the squad
However, this young team has been decisively strengthened during the current season. With the American Brandon Paul and the Brazilian Bruno Caboclo, Leibenath signed two players with NBA experience. Both turned out to be lucky strikes. At the end of the regular season, Ulm was in 7th place and qualified for the playoffs with 18 wins from 34 games.
There are several reasons why Ulm is so convincing in the playoffs. Important newcomers from last summer, such as the defenders Nunez and dos Santos, have overcome their initial difficulties and are convincing across the board. Sports director Leibenath had expected this: “I was sure that the two of them would really surprise me over the course of the season, and they did.”
The reasons for success
The follow-up signings also hit the mark and integrated wonderfully into the team. Caboclo is just becoming one of the best center players in the BBL. With his experience, Paul exudes a lot of security, which is good for the young team. The German players also fill their roles well. Karim Yallow has improved significantly this season and has been in good form for a few weeks. Philipp Herkenhoff is getting better and better after a long injury break, for example he was one of the match winners in the decisive game 4 against Berlin.
Last but not least, Anton Gavel is doing an excellent job in his first season as a BBL coach. “He can really show people what it means to be successful or how to become successful,” Leibenath praised his coach. As a player, Gavel stood above all for unbelievable ambition and will. “All of this now also characterizes him as a coach,” says Leibenath.
Ulm plays its best basketball when it counts
All in all, the people from Ulm are now reaping the fruits of their excellent work. Sports director Leibenath has apparently put together a squad that fits well together. Coach Anton Gavel has developed this young team over the season. Ulm is now playing its best basketball when it matters most and hasn’t let the initial difficulties from October or November upset it.
Despite their supposedly comfortable 2-0 lead in the semi-final series against FC Bayern, Ulm is initially cautious. “Nobody can dream of anything. It’s 2-0 and that’s only a partial success,” warned Coach Gavel, looking ahead to the third playoff duel with Munich on Friday.
