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Euroleague.net this week is talking with some of the newest head coaches in the Euroleague, a list that would not be complete without Tolga Ongoren, the young boss on the bench at Ulker of Istanbul. Ongoren has the highest aspirations for his team, and it's 4-2 record to start the season in Group C show that his players believe, too. Ongoren, 39, comes with a unique coaching career path. His first stop after a long playing career was an assistant's job at Purdue University in the Unites States. And though he has never completed a full year as head coach, Ongoren has already won a Turkish League title, with Tofas Bursa in 2000, after taking over the team at midseason. After that, Ongoren joined the Turkish national team as an assistant for its successful silver-medal run at the 2001 European championships. Now, in this Euroleague.net interview, Ongoren says the sky is the only limit for the new Ulker. "We changed the philosophy and mentality of the team this season," Ongoren said "We pushed both the Turkish and foreign players to adapt to this new system quickly. And we were lucky, because they did it even more quickly then we expected."
First, tell us about what it's like being a new coach in the Euroleague at a time when European basketball is more popular and respected than ever. How do you feel being part of it all?
"Of course, this is a very exciting thing that I am proud of. It's wonderful to be a part of a competition that is the most prestigious after the NBA. This is something a coach dreams about it his whole life. I was the assistant coach of the Turkish national team in the 2001 European championship and I coached Tofas for seven matches when they last time became the champions of Turkey in 2000. Now, I am very enthusiastic and I want to be successful in this very important competition."
What have been your first impressions of European basketball at its highest club level, the Euroleague?
"The quality of this organization is on the highest level. When I was working for the Purdue University basketball team in the NCAA, I felt like I was part of a top competition. And now I feel that I am working in a competition that has a lot of similarities to the NBA. The level of European basketball is coming close to NBA. Especially the defensive movement in European basketball is becoming much more effective. And it's very good to see that the referees are whistling very, very correctly. They are objective and the high winning percentage of the away teams shows that they are not giving any concession to the home teams' pressures. This shows the honesty of this organization."
Your team is now undefeated in Turkey and 4-2 in a Group C. What have been the most important parts of that success so far?
"First of all, we changed the philosophy and mentality of the team this season. We changed the defensive concept and paid a lot of attention to this. We also pushed both the Turkish and foreign players to adapt to this new system quickly. And we were lucky, because they did it even more quickly then we expected. Secondly, the organization of Ulker is close to perfection. With the leadership of our general manager, Lutfi Aribogan, the club is working very well towards the right goals. And finally we are very lucky that our foreign players - Melvin Booker, Joseph Blair and Virginius Praskevicius - are excellent players who help their teammates to become a good team together."
In the Euroleague so far, your team has relied on those three players - Booker, Blair and Praskevicius - for 65% of its scoring. Is that by design or has it just happened that way?
"No, you don't plan like that. But when you look at which players play most of the minutes you can understand why it happens. Our new starting five player, Serkan Erdogan, was just starting to play again after his doping punishment. Harun Erdenay is a big weapon for us for scoring, but he was tired from the World Championships and is just starting to adapt to the Euroleague. Haluk Yildirim is a player who always plays both sides of the game equally, defense and offense, and Kerem Gonlum also plays mostly defensive roles in the game. The configuration of our team and our offensive style - maybe some accidental things, too - have caused this result. We always bring down the ball inside to Blair because he is very effective in that position. Also, Praskevicius is the kind of player who can score inside and outside, and Melvin Booker plays perfect one-on-one. So this is a normal, that they score more then the others. It happens both tactically and accidentally. But everybody will see that there are more scorers at Ulker starting in December."
You are one of a few European coaches who have gone to the United States for a season, in your case Purdue University of the NCAA. How does that experience influence the way you coach now ?
"The basketball philosophy and the organisation of the head coach of Purdue University, Mr. Gene Keady, gave a new kind of vision to my basketball life. His approach to basketball, giving 15 or 16 hours of his day for basketball, and his excellent relationship with his players affected me a lot. Those are things I never experienced in Turkey before. The way that he motivates his players, pays attention the players' family affairs and education, plus all the other things, helped me to improve myself. This is the biggest reason for my success."
What has been the key game for your team in the Euroleague so far?
"It was great for us that we had a very important win in Wroclaw against Ideal Slask. And our win in Istanbul against Bologna was also very prestigious. Those two games helped us to learn a lot about our own personality. And those wins are also important for us to feel our self-confidence."
What will be the key for Ulker after this break, as it strives to make the Top 16?
"According to me, this is a question of the calendar of the European basketball. Honestly, I am also wondering how it's going to affect us, too. We had a very good momentum before we stopped playing the Euroleague matches. If we play the game against Partizan before the break, maybe it could be a good result for us. We still have that same opportunity now, but we will see. We had seven players leave for their national teams, so we cannot say anything about the near future until we see how they are."
One last question. As one of the youngest coaches in the Euroleague, what is your aim for the future?
"Individually, my target is to have a good record with all the teams that I coach. I also want to help to improve the basketball in my country. I want to do everything the best I can as a coach."
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