Torpan Pojat

Summary

Torpan Pojat, shortened to ToPo, is a basketball club based in Helsinki, Finland. Torpan Pojat has their men's and women's team playing in national 1st division and many minor and junior teams in different age categories.

Torpan Pojat
LeaguesI division A
Founded1932; 92 years ago (1932)
HistoryTorpan Pojat
(1932–present)
ArenaTöölö Sports Hall
LocationHelsinki, Finland
Championships9 Men's Finnish Championships
4 Men's Finnish Cups
Websitetopo.fi

History edit

 
Former logo of Torpan Pojat, which consisted of a star

The club was formed in 1932 as a sports club for a school in the neighbourhood of Munkkiniemi in Helsinki. Their men's team played for the first time in the predecessor of Korisliiga in 1956 and continued to play a total of 51 seasons in Korisliiga and seven seasons in lower divisions between 1956 and their dissolution in 2013. The women's team played in the highest tier for the first time in 1962, but never managed to establish itself in the league.[1]

Torpan Pojat also played in international competitions. They got their first international match in the 1960–61 season of the FIBA Champion's Cup. The men's team played BC Sparta Prague in the first round, losing both legs (56–65, 47–68). They appeared in the competition also in 1966–67, 1981–82, 1983–84 and 1986–87. The men's team played twice in the Korać Cup (1988–89 and 1989–90) and four times in the Saporta Cup (1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99 and 1999-00). Torpan Pojat made their record attendance of 9626 in the 1996–97 season of the cup in a game against CSK Samara.[2] They also played once in the VTB United League (2011–12).[3]

Former NBA players Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen have played for Torpan Pojat. Rodman played one game on 6 November 2005, against Espoon Honka. Rodman played 28 minutes, scored 17 points, and grabbed 6 rebounds. Fifteen of his 17 points were made behind the 3-point line, with a total of 13 attempts from beyond the arc. Pippen played two games in 2008. He played on 4 January 2008 against Porvoon Tarmo scoring 12 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in 23 minutes. On 5 January, against Honka, he had 9 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in 29 minutes.[4][5]

Torpan Pojat was unable to acquire a license to play in Korisliiga for the 2012–2013 season, and were then relegated to a lower division. After the 2012–2013 season spent in a lower division, Torpan Pojat men's team was dissolved and their place in the second level of Finnish basketball, Division I A was transferred to the newly formed Helsinki Seagulls along with the remaining players.[6][7]

Honours edit

  • Korisliiga
    • Winners (9): 1960, 1966, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1996, 1997, 1998
  • Men's Finnish Cup
    • Winners (4): 1980, 1992, 1996, 1997

Season by season edit

Men edit

  • 1956 to 1972–73: Korisliiga
  • 1973–74: Miesten I Divisioona (English: Men's First Division)
  • 1974–75 to 1999–00: Korisliiga
  • 2000–01: Miesten I Divisioona A (English: Men's First Division A)
Season Domestic competitions Finnish
Cup
European competitions Regional competitions
Tier League Pos. Postseason Tier League Result League Pos. Postseason
2001–02 2 Divisioona I A 3
2002–03 2 Divisioona I A 8
2003–04 2 Divisioona I A 7
2004–05 2 Divisioona I A 1 Promoted
2005–06 1 Korisliiga 6 QF
2006–07 1 Korisliiga 4 QF
2007–08 1 Korisliiga 2 SF SF
2008–09 1 Korisliiga 8 QF Runner-up
2009–10 1 Korisliiga 3 Runner-up R16
2010–11 1 Korisliiga 8 QF Runner-up
2011–12 1 Korisliiga 5 Third placed[8] QF VTB 1QR
2012–13 2 Divisioona I A 2 SF 2RND
  • 51 seasons in Korisliiga
  • 7 seasons in Miesten I Divisioona (English: Men's First Division)

Women edit

  • 1962 to 1964–65: Naisten Korisliiga
  • 1965–66: Naisten I Divisioona (English: Women's First Division)
  • 1966–67: Naisten Korisliiga
  • 1967–68 to 1970–71: Naisten I Divisioona (English: Women's First Division)
  • 1971–72 to 1975–76: Naisten Korisliiga
  • 1976–77: Naisten I Divisioona (English: Women's First Division)
  • 1977–78: Naisten Korisliiga
  • 1978–79 to 1996–97: Naisten I Divisioona (English: Women's First Division)
  • 1997–98 to 1998–99: Naisten Korisliiga
  • 1999–00 to 2004–05: Naisten I Divisioona (English: Women's First Division)
Season Domestic competitions Finnish
Cup
European competitions Regional competitions
Tier League Pos. Postseason Tier League Result League Pos. Postseason
2005–06 1 Naisten Korisliiga 10 Relegated
2006–07 2 Naisten I Divisioona 2
2007–08 2 Naisten I Divisioona 7
2008–09 2 Naisten I Divisioona 10
2009–10 2 Naisten I Divisioona 1 Promoted QF
2010–11 1 Naisten Korisliiga 4 SF SF
2011–12 1 Naisten Korisliiga 6 QF QF
2012–13 1 Naisten Korisliiga 4 QF 2RND
2013–14 1 Naisten Korisliiga 3 Third placed
  • 19 seasons in Naisten Korisliiga
  • 33 seasons in Naisten I Divisioona (English: Women's First Division)

Updated as of season 2013–14

Current roster edit

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

Torpan Pojat roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name
PG 2   Miki Kuusisto
G/F 4   L. D. Williams
G 8   Sami Marouf
G/F 10   Juuso Kauppinen
PG 11   Ilpo Pehkonen
F 13   Teo Niinimäki
F/C 15   Baboucarr Ceesay
F 16   Joel Jokinen
F/C 24   Milton Jennings
F 34   Jonis Heikkinen
F 45   Alvar Michelsen
G 77   Tuomo Antikainen
Head coach

  Pekka Konttinen

Assistant coach(es)

  Markus Rautala


Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  •   Injured

  • Roster
Updated: 29 September 2017

Notable players edit

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

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time
  • Played at least one official NBA match at any time.

References edit

  1. ^ "Torpan Pojat / Sarjan Historia". Basket.fi. Finnish Basketball Association. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  2. ^ "Korisliigan yleisöennätys 7420 katsojaa". basket.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Basketball Federation. 7 November 2005. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  3. ^ "Finnish Clubs / Statistics". sathanasias.bravepages.com. Sotiris Athanasias. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  4. ^ "Dennis Rodman". basket.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Basketball Federation. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  5. ^ "Scottie Pippen". basket.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Basketball Federation. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  6. ^ "ToPo jäi ilman liigalisenssiä". Iltasanomat (in Finnish). 13 June 2012. Archived from the original on 2 July 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  7. ^ "Nostaako tämä seura Helsingin takaisin Korisliigaan?". Iltasanomat (in Finnish). 16 August 2013. Archived from the original on 18 August 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  8. ^ "ToPo jäi ilman liigalisenssiä". iltasanomat.fi (in Finnish). Iltasanomat. 13 June 2012. Archived from the original on 2 July 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2014. Torpan Pojat relegated due to financial difficulties

External links edit

  • Official website (in Finnish)
  • Women's team in Naisten Korisliiga