2008-09 Club Profile: Artland Dragons
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 After a long, steady climb to the heights of German basketball, Artland Dragons enter the 2008-09 Eurocup with high hopes to maintain their winning momentum. Last year, success included Artland's first trophy, the German Cup, as well as a surprise run to the ULEB Cup's second elimination round. Such rewards spent a long time coming to the club, which was born as QTSV Quakenbruck in 1955.
Artland Dragons Roster 2008-09 | | Name | Pos. | Height | | Flavio Stuckemann | G | 1.87 | | Lamont McIntosh | G | 1.90 | | Paul Johnson | F | 1.98 | | Jan Rohdewald | F | 1.94 | | Darius Hall | C | 2.02 | | Drew Neitzel | G | 1.83 | | Chad Prewitt | F | 2.04 | | Axel Jarchow | G | 1.91 | | Adam Hess | F | 2.01 | | Daniel Krause | G | 1.94 | | Dirk Madrich | C | 2.12 | | Leo Niebuhr | F | 2.06 | | Darren Fenn | C | 2.08 | | Zack Whiting | G | 1.92 | | Thorsten Leibenath | Head Coach |
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The club bounced around the German minor leagues for more than 15 years before breaking into Germany's second division. Withing a decade, Artland had made a jump all the way to the first division, too. Now better known as the Dragons, the club has made its presence in the German League felt lately by reaching the German League playoff quarterfinals in 2005 and semifinals in 2006. The next season boosted the trend further as, despite finishing as the last German League playoff qualifier, the spot Dragons upset regular-season champ Alba Berlin in the quarterfinals and rallied all the way to the finals, although losing there to Brose Baskets Bamberg. Far from being done, the Dragons returned last season to win the German Cup, beating Ludwigsburg in the title game, and to make a smashing European debut. Despite being a newcomer to European club competitions, the Dragons survived the ULEB Cup regular season and shocked everyone by downing mighty Triumph Lyubertsy of Russia in the Last 32 round before Unics Kazan stood on the way to the Final Eight. Over the summer, Artland has reenforced its roster considerably, bringing back the team's former shooting ace, Adam Hess, along with newcomers like big men Darren Fenn and Leo Niebuhr, guards Drew Neitzel and Flavio Stueckemann, and swingman Zack Whiting. They join a group of holdovers led by Darius Hall, Chad Prewitt, Lamont MacIntosh and Dirk Madrich, who will be expected to guide Artland's transition to the Eurocup. No time has been like the present for the Dragons, who hope to prove to everyone that their glory days have just started.
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Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Eurocupbasketball.com
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