2008-09 Club Profile: Benetton Fribourg
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 Benetton Fribourg Olympic is linked to Swiss basketball since the sport arrived in the country. In fact, basketball started in Fribourg in 1935 when Club Athletique de Fribourg was founded. Two more clubs, Freiburg Basket and Olympic Basket, were created in the late 1940s. Those teams became archrivals over the years, but it was Olympic who won the battle when it was promoted to the Swiss first division in 1955.
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Olympic Fribourg Roster 2008-09
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| Name |
Pos.
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Height
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| DJ Harrison |
F
|
2.01
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| Ramel Allen |
C
|
2.10
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| Pascal Perrier-David |
G
|
1.75
|
| Vladimir Buscaglia |
F
|
1.97
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| Tresor Quindome |
G
|
1.92
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| Dave Esterkamp |
F
|
2.00
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| Oliver Vogt |
C
|
2.09
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| Valentin Wegmann |
G
|
1.92
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| Ian Savoy |
G
|
1.90
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| Alex Zimnickas |
F
|
2.03
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| Bruce Fields |
F
|
1.97
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| Stefan Petkovic |
G
|
1.82
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| Jonathan Kazadi |
G
|
1.89
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| Milos Bozovic |
F
|
1.98
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| Florent Remseier |
F
|
1.98
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| Brian Savoy |
G
|
1.92
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| Damian Leyrolles |
Head Coach |
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On April 27, 1961, both teams merged to become Freiburg Olympic and since that day, the newborn squad has always belonged to the Swiss first division, for as many as 46 consecutive seasons. Its first Swiss League title came in 1966, followed by a Swiss Cup trophy in 1967. Coaches like Celestin Mrazek, Robert Koller, Ed Miller or Joe Whelton or players like Greg Howard, Tom Lockhart, Cornel Warner or Billy Ray Bates helped the team to win eight Swiss League titles and reach four other finals between 1971 and 1985. Olympic overcame several obscure years when veteran superscorer Dusko Ivanovic arrived in the team. He single-handedly helped Fribourg to reach three consecutive Swiss League finals from 1994 to 1996. Fribourg already had its own star in Harold Mrazek and had already won both the Swiss League and Swiss Cup titles in 1997, but Ivanovic opted to start his coaching career in the team, leading it to a new golden age. Ivanovic won back-to-back Swiss League titles in 1998 and 1999, as well as a Swiss Cup trophy in 1998. Fribourg has kept its name among the very best in Swiss basketball, reaching the league finals in 2002, 2003 and 2004, but no more titles came until last season. Fribourg conquered a triple crown by winning the Swiss League, Swiss Cup and Swiss League Cup titles in a historical 2006-07 season. With Mrazek back in the team, players like Lorenzo Orr or Dave Esterkemp led Fribourg to its biggest success ever. Its ULEB Cup debut came last season and even when Fribourg win three of its opening five games, it could not advance to the elimination rounds. Fribourg stayed strong at home, winning its 15th Swiss League title with just five losses in the entire season. Fribourg, the first Swiss team to join the ULEB Cup, is back in the competition and hopes to use its experience to do even better in 2008-09.
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Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Eurocupbasketball.com
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