GER - Trier extend deal with Whelton

TRIER (BBL) - TBB Trier may be struggling this season in the German BBL league at 8-11, but management have nevertheless extended the contract of American coach Joe Whelton for three seasons.

The 51-year-old Connecticut native arrived Trier from German club Giessen 46ers in 2003 and led Trier to the German Cup Final Four in 2003 and 2004.

He previously coached in England and Switzerland before coming to Germany in 1997.

"Of course I'm happy that we were able to keep our head coach until 2009-2010. Joe Whelton is not only an excellent coach with excellent know-how and contacts. But he also fits into our club perfectly," Trier manager Lothar Hermeling said.

"We will start planning for next season as soon as possible. On the top of our list is contract extensions with team captain James Gillingham and Tommy Adams," the coach said.

Promoted side ratiopharm Ulm have signed a two-year extension with power forward Jeff Gibbs.

The American is ranked third in the German BBL league in rebounding with 9.4 per game, despite being undersized at 1.88m.

Gibbs, who also averages 14.6 points, 1.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks, is playing his second season at Ulm.

He played his collegiate basketball at NCAA Division III Otterbein College in Ohio, where he won the NCAA III title in 2002.

Gibbs, who also starred at Otterbein as an American football player, has become a cult figure in Ulm, where local police said posters of him have been stolen by fans throughout the city.

"I'm really happy that Jeff will play in Ulm for the next two years. That's the best news there is. Jeff has so much potential to develop, and now we can plan the future with him," Ulm's American coach Mike Taylor said.

Elsewhere, EWE Baskets Oldenburg added some help in the post, bringing in Lithuanian Saulius Kuzminskas until the end of the season. The 24-year-old played one season at the University of California before returning to his homeland.

Kuzminskas helped Lietuvos Rytas win the ULEB Cup in 2005 and played earlier this season in the Euroleague with Slovenian side Olimpija Ljubljana.

While Oldenburg added a big man, Artland Dragons will be without their big man Chad Prewitt for three months after the former Arizona State star went down with a left knee injury.
"He's gone for the regular season," Artland coach Chris Fleming said.

BBL league co-leaders Alba Berlin suffered a minor loss this week as 21-year-old German talent Philip Zwiener is expected to miss at least two months with a broken finger on his right hand playing for Alba's second division affiliate Lichterfelde.

David Hein
FIBA