Cholet Basket

Cholet Basket
Leagues Pro A
Founded 1975
History 1975 – Present
Arena La Meilleraie
(capacity: 5,191)
Location Cholet, France
Team colors Red and White
         
President Patrick Chiron
Vice-president(s) Alain Lafat
Head coach Erman Kunter
Championships 1 French League
2010
2 French Cups
1998, 1999
La Semaine des As Cup
2008
Website cholet-basket.com
Uniforms
Home
Away

Cholet Basket is a professional basketball club that is based in Cholet, France. The club plays in the French Pro A League. Their home arena is La Meilleraie.

Contents

History

Establishment

The team debuted in the 1st division in the 1987–88 season and after managing to get to the premier league in only 12 years. The team were able to sustain themselves in the league, and were consistently in the top 10 teams having a highly successful youth system. This youth system has allowed the club to produce professional players season after season. After winning the National Cup in 1999, Cholet got automatically qualified for its first participation to the Euroleague (3 victories – 13 defeats). During the 2004–05 season 10 of the 12 players in the first team derrived from the youth system. Some of the most illustrious players who had their debut in the team are Antoine Rigaudeau, Jim Bilba and Mickaël Gelabale.

During the 2008–2009 season, Cholet was defeated by Virtus Bologna in the EuroChallenge's Final (75–77).

In 2010, Cholet finished 1st of the 2009–2010 Pro A League regular season and won the championship after defeating Le Mans in the Play-Offs Final (81–65). Thanks to its national champion title, Cholet is automatically qualified for the 2010–2011 Euroleague season. Cholet was eliminated during the first round (4 victories – 6 defeats) of the 2010–2011 Euroleague after defeating prestigious (and at the time unbeaten) Fenerbahçe Ülker (82–78).

In 2011, Cholet, defending its title finished 1st again of the 2011-12 Pro A League regular season and was only defeated during the finals by SLUC Nancy (74-76).

Youth Academy

Cholet Basket is intensively focusing on its Youth Academy to provide players to its professional squad. During the 2004–05 season, 10 of the 12 players of the Pro squad have progressed through the club Youth Academy. It is also one of the only six European clubs to have provided two players to the same NBA draft in 2009, beside Real Madrid (2005), Joventut Badalona (2009), Fenerbahçe Ülker (2008), KK Partizan (2002) and Pau-Ortez (2003).

Notable Players that have progressed through the Cholet Youth Academy (Espoirs)

Current roster

Players Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Ht. Wt. Age
SG 5 Causeur, Fabien 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 90 kg (198 lb) &1000000000000002400000024
SF 6 Fofana, Vafessa (R) 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 92 kg (203 lb) &1000000000000001900000019
PF 7 Vebobe, Luc-Arthur 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) 91 kg (201 lb) &1000000000000003100000031
PF 9 Dozier, Robert  2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 102 kg (225 lb) &1000000000000002600000026
SG 11 Hite, Robert 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 84 kg (185 lb) &1000000000000002800000028
C 13 Duport, Romain 2.17 m (7 ft 1 in) 115 kg (254 lb) &1000000000000002500000025
C 14 Falker, Randal (C) 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 104 kg (229 lb) &1000000000000002600000026
C 15 Gobert, Rudy (R) 2.13 m (7 ft 0 in) 96 kg (212 lb) &1000000000000001900000019
PG 16 Ona Embo, Carl 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 85 kg (187 lb) &1000000000000002200000022
SF 17 Gradit, William 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) 96 kg (212 lb) &1000000000000002900000029
PF 19 Nichols, Demetris 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 98 kg (216 lb) &1000000000000002700000027
PF 20 McGrath, Donnie 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 92 kg (203 lb) &1000000000000002700000027
SG 21 Nelson, DeMarcus 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 91 kg (201 lb) &1000000000000002600000026
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • Injured

Roster
Updated: 2011-11-12

Note: Jerseys #4 and #10, respectively worn by Antoine Rigaudeau and Jim Bilba when in Cholet, are both withdrawn.

Achievements

Notable players

France
 United States
Other countries

Head coaches

External links