BK Ventspils

Latvian basketbal club

BK Ventspils

Leagues| Latvian–Estonian Basketball League
Founded| 1994
History| BK Ventspils
1994–present
Arena| Ventspils Olympic Center
Capacity| 3,085
Location| Ventspils, Latvia
Team colors| Yellow and Blue

President| Ģirts Štekerhofs
Head coach| Gints Fogels
Championships| 10 Latvian Championships
1 BBL Championships
1 Latvian-Estonian Basketball League
Website| bkventspils.lv

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BK Ventspils is a professional basketball club that is located in Ventspils, Latvia. The club competes in the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League.

## History

[edit]

BK Ventspils was founded in 1994. In first years Ventspils proved themselves as relevant part of Latvian basketball, but major step came in 1997 when Ventspils Olympic Center was built. At that time Ventspils started to play in international competitions playing in 1997–98 edition of FIBA Korać Cup, which was followed by playing in FIBA Saporta Cup. Meanwhile, in the Latvian League Ventspils reached finals in both 1998 and 1999, but in 2000 they won their first domestic title and then went on to win seven consecutive from 2000 to 2006. The team won its eight Latvian League championship in 2009.[1]

During that championship run Ventspils also had great performances in European competitions. In the 2002–03 season Ventspils reached FIBA Champions Cup Final Four, where they finished third. In the 2003–04 season Ventspils debuted in the ULEB Cup competition, making eighthfinals. In the 2004–05 ULEB Cup season, Ventspils reached new heights and missed semifinals after, losing by one point in two game series against Hemofarm. Before the 2009–10 season, Ventspils participated in the EuroLeague Qualifying round, becoming the first Latvian team to do so.

Ventspils has been a team for many players to establish themselves on the European stage, such as Mire Chatman, Marijonas Petravičius, Jānis Blūms, Brent Wright, and others, who later had successful careers at the EuroLeague level.

In 2013, BK Ventspils became the first Latvian club to have won the Baltic Basketball League, after winning the first leg by a score of 69:91,[2] and losing the second, by a score of just 70:73,[3] in the finals against Prienai, from Lithuania. In the following season, BK Ventspils won their first Latvian League title since 2009, becoming the champions of the 2014 Latvian Basketball League campaign.

## Honours

[edit]

### League

[edit]

* Latvian-Estonian League

Winners (1): 2019

* Latvian League:

Winners (10): 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2014, 2018

Runners-up (12): 1998, 1999, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023

Bronze (6): 1996, 2008, 2010, 2016, 2020, 2024

* Latvian Cup

Runners-up (1): 2022

* Baltic League

Winners (1): 2013

Runners-up (1): 2015

Bronze (2): 2007, 2010

* North European Basketball League

Bronze (1): 2002

* FIBA Europe Champions Cup

Bronze (1): 2003

## Season by season

[edit]

Season  | League  | Pos. | Baltic League | Pos.  | European competitions

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1993–94  | LBL | 7th  |  |
1994–95  | LBL | 6th  |  |
1995–96  | LBL | 3rd  |  |
1996–97  | LBL | 4th  |  |
1997–98  | LBL | 2nd  |  | 3 Korać Cup | R16
1998–99  | LBL | 2nd  |  | 2 Saporta Cup | R16
1999–00  | LBL | 1st  |  | 2 Saporta Cup | R32
2000–01  | LBL | 1st  |  |
2001–02  | LBL | 1st  |  |
2002–03  | LBL | 1st  |  | 3 FIBA Champions' Cup | 3rd
2003–04  | LBL | 1st  |  | 2 ULEB Cup | T16
2004–05  | LBL | 1st  | Elite Division | 4th  | 2 ULEB Cup | QF
2005–06  | LBL | 1st  | Elite Division | 5th  | 2 ULEB Cup | T16
2006–07  | LBL | 2nd  | Elite Division | 3rd  | 2 ULEB Cup | T16
2007–08  | LBL | 3rd  | Elite Division | 6th  | 2 ULEB Cup | T32
2008–09  | LBL | 1st  | Elite Division | 7th  | 3 EuroChallenge | RS
2009–10  | LBL | 3rd  | Elite Division | 4th  | 1 Euroleague | QR1
2 Eurocup | RS
2010–11  | LBL | 2nd  | Elite Division | 4th  | 3 EuroChallenge | QF
2011–12 | LBL | 2nd  | Elite Division | 6th  | 2 Eurocup | QR
3 EuroChallenge | QF
2012–13  | LBL | 2nd  | Champion | 3 EuroChallenge | L16
2013–14 | LBL | 1st  | Quarterfinalist | 3 EuroChallenge | L16
2014–15 | LBL | 2nd  | Runner-up | 2 Eurocup | RS
2015–16 | LBL | 3rd  |  | 3 FIBA Europe Cup | R16
2016–17 | LBL | 2nd  |  | 3 Champions League | POQ
2017–18 | LBL | 1st  |  | 3 Champions League | RS
4 FIBA Europe Cup | R16
2018–19 | LBL | 2nd  | Lat-Est BL | 1st  | 3 Champions League | RS
4 FIBA Europe Cup | R16
2019–20 | LBL | 3rd  | Lat-Est BL |  | 3 Champions League | QR2
4 FIBA Europe Cup | RS
2020–21 | LBL | 2nd  | Lat-Est BL | 6th

## Roster

[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

BK Ventspils roster

Players | Coaches
| Pos. | No. | Nat. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Age |

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SG |  |  | Eduards Hāzners | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)  | 87 kg (192 lb)  |  26 – (1997-12-28)28 December 1997  |
G | 2 |  | Artūrs Ausējs | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)  | 90 kg (198 lb)  |  33 – (1990-12-16)16 December 1990  |
PG | 5 |  | Michael Randolph Jr | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)  | 90 kg (198 lb)  |  25 – (1999-11-18)18 November 1999  |
PG | 7 |  | Renārs Birkāns | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)  | 82 kg (181 lb)  |  27 – (1997-06-26)26 June 1997  |
F | 10 |  | Roberts Bērze | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)  | 94 kg (207 lb)  |  23 – (2001-08-01)1 August 2001  |
F | 11 |  | Zac Watson | 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)  | 98 kg (216 lb)  |  24 – (2000-02-04)4 February 2000  |
PF | 13 |  | Rūdis Donis | 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)  | 85 kg (187 lb)  |  18 – (2006-11-12)12 November 2006  |
SG | 15 |  | Valters Vēveris | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)  | 82 kg (181 lb)  |  24 – (2000-04-21)21 April 2000  |
C | 30 |  | Ronalds Zaķis | 2.07 m (6 ft 9 in)  | 110 kg (243 lb)  |  37 – (1987-07-08)8 July 1987  |
C | 31 |  | Edvards Mežulis | 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in)  | 115 kg (254 lb)  |  24 – (2000-01-14)14 January 2000  |
SF | 35 |  | Mihail Miseailo | 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in)  |  |  22 – (2002-08-01)1 August 2002  |
PG | 44 |  | Jānis Censonis | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)  | 75 kg (165 lb)  |  19 – (2005-02-08)8 February 2005  |
G | 51 |  | Kārlis Šķiliņš | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)  |  |  17 – (2007-05-12)12 May 2007  |
PG | 55 |  | Tailers Tīģers | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)  |  |  17 – (2007-09-12)12 September 2007  |
G | 69 |  | Roberts Prūsis |  |  |  26 – (1998-07-22)22 July 1998  |

Head coach

*   * Gints Fogels

Assistant coach(es)

*   * Andris Gūtmanis
*   * Edgars Seredjuks

* * *

Legend

* (C) Team captain
* Injured

* * *

* Roster

Updated: November 1, 2024

### Depth chart

[edit]

Pos.  | Starting 5  | Bench 1  | Bench 2  |  |

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C | Ronalds Zaķis | Edvards Mežulis |  |  |
PF | Zac Watson | Rūdis Donis |  |  |
SF | Roberts Bērze | Mihail Miseailo |  |  |
SG | Artūrs Ausējs | Valters Vēveris |  |  |
PG | Michael Randolph Jr | Jānis Censonis | Renārs Birkāns |  |

## Notable players

[edit]

* Rihards Lomažs
* Artis Ate
* Ainars Bagatskis
* Dairis Bertāns
* Artūrs Bērziņš
* Jānis Blūms
* Sandis Buškevics
* Kaspars Cipruss
* Raitis Grafs
* Māris Gulbis
* Uvis Helmanis
* Kristaps Janičenoks
* Mareks Jurevičus
* Ernests Kalve
* Rihards Kuksiks
* Toms Leimanis
* Mārtiņš Meiers
* Kārlis Muižnieks
* Ivars Timermanis
* Jānis Timma
* Mārtiņš Skirmants
* Artūrs Strēlnieks
* Jānis Strēlnieks
* Andrejs Šeļakovs
* Aigars Šķēle
* Armands Šķēle
* Žanis Peiners
* Juris Umbraško
* Raimonds Vaikulis
* Arnis Vecvagars
* Sandis Valters
* Ronalds Zaķis
* Uģis Viļums
* Aigars Vītols
* Akselis Vairogs
* Marijonas Petravičius
* Kęstutis Šeštokas
* Simas Buterlevičius
* Edgaras Želionis
* Vladimir Štimac
* Bojan Bakić
* Georgios Tsiakos
* Dušan Jelić
* Nikos Gkikas
* Akin Akingbala
* Weyinmi Efejuku
* Emmanuel Ubilla
* Mike Lenzly
* Rashad Anderson
* Jimmy Baxter
* Tyrone Brazelton
* Rasheed Brokenborough
* Dominez Burnett
* Folarin Campbell
* Tweety Carter
* Warren Carter
* Mire Chatman
* Willie Deane
* Daeshon Francis
* John Gilchrist
* Jerai Grant
* Steven Gray
* Blake Hamilton
* Brandon Hunter
* Ted Jeffries
* Michael-Hakim Jordan
* Justin Love
* Bernard King
* Willie Kemp
* Chester Mason
* Dan McClintock
* Gerry McNamara
* Eddie Shannon
* Casey Shaw
* Jamaal Tatum
* Terrance Thomas
* Lorenzo Williams
* Brent Wright
* Jahmar Young

## Notable coaches

[edit]

* Armands Krauliņš
* Kārlis Muižnieks
* Agris Galvanovskis
* Guntis Endzels

* Gundars Vētra
* Gašper Okorn
* Silvano Poropat
* Algirdas Brazys

* Roberts Štelmahers
* Artūrs Visockis-Rubenis

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## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Tronī uzkāpj 'Ventspils' (2000-2006; 2009)". 3 October 2012.
2. ^ BC Prienai - BK Ventspils : 69:91 (Match report) ScoresPro.com
3. ^ BK Ventspils - BC Prienai : 70:73 (Match report) ScoresPro.com

## External links

[edit]

* Official Website (in Latvian)
* Eurocup Team Page
* FIBA Europe Team Page
* Baltic League Team Page
* Latvian League Team Page
* Eurobasket.com Team Page

* v
* t
* e

Latvijas Basketbola līga

Clubs|

* VEF Rīga
* BK Ventspils
* Valmiera/ORDO
* Betsafe/Liepāja
* BK Ogre
* Latvijas Universitāte

Seasons|

* 1991–92
* 1992–93
* 1993–94
* 1994–95
* 1995–96
* 1996–97
* 1997–98
* 1998–99
* 1999–00
* 2000–01
* 2001–02
* 2002–03
* 2003–04
* 2004–05
* 2005–06
* 2006–07
* 2007–08
* 2008–09
* 2009–10
* 2010–11
* 2011–12
* 2012–13
* 2013–14
* 2014–15
* 2015–16
* 2016–17
* 2017–18
* 2018–19
* 2019–20
* 2020–21
* 2021–22
* 2022–23
* 2023–24

Authority control databases |

* VIAF

|

*[Pos.]: Position(s)
*[No.]: Jersey number
*[Nat.]: Nationality
*[Ht.]: Height
*[Wt.]: Weight
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*[e]: Edit this template