Latvijas Universitāte men's basketball
| Latvijas Universitāte | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | LU Studenti (Students) | ||
| Leagues | Latvian Basketball League Latvian-Estonian Basketball League | ||
| Founded | 1929 | ||
| Arena | Oskara Kalpaka Rīgas Tautas daiļamatu pamatskola (school hall) | ||
| Capacity | 258 | ||
| Location | Riga, Latvia | ||
| Team colors | Blue and White | ||
| President | Kārlis Dārznieks | ||
| Head coach | Marts Ozolinkēvičs | ||
| Championships | 7 Latvian Championship | ||
| Website | bk.lu.lv | ||
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The Latvijas Universitāte men's basketball team represents the University of Latvia in Riga, Latvia, also known as LU. and it plays in the Latvian Basketball League and Latvian-Estonian Basketball League.
History
The team is organized by the Universitātes Sports society, founded on 29 January 1929 under the auspices of the LU, and the LU Sports Center (LU Sporta centrs). The team used the Universitātes Sports name from 1929 until the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940, and again shortly around 2014.[1][2]
The LU once won seven Latvian championships in the 1930s and returned to the Latvian League Division 1 before the 2010–11 season. The biggest accomplishment so far has been 4th place in the 2011–2012 season.
Youth side
A youth side of the team was formed together with the Riga Basketball School with the name of LU/BS Rīga, which last played in the second-division Ramirent Nacionālā basketbola līga (NBL, former LBL2) in the 2023/24 season.[3] In 2024, they were succeeded by Mārupes NSS/LU, as the university partnered up with the Mārupe Municipality Sports School.[4][5]
Season by season record
| Season | League | Regional | Latvian Cup | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Latvian League Did not qualify |
Latvian–Estonian League 15th place |
Latvian Cup Quarterfinals |
Marts Ozolinkēvičs |
Players
Current roster
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.
| Latvijas Universitāte 2025-26 roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Updated: February 4, 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Depth chart
| Pos. | Starting 5 | Bench 1 | Reserve |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Rūdis Donis | Daniils Smirnovs | Dāvids Grīnbergs |
| PF | Mārtiņš Piternieks | Verners Drava | Harijs Kaupmanis |
| SF | Brody Clyde Fox | ||
| SG | Marlon Xavier Short | Artūrs Kazāks | Timurs Peiners |
| PG | Zion Styles | Francis Neilands | Oto Bergmanis |
Squad changes for the 2025–26 season
InNote: Flags indicate national team, as has been defined under FIBA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIBA nationality.
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OutNote: Flags indicate national team, as has been defined under FIBA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIBA nationality.
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* Left/joined the team during the season
Coaches
- Mārtiņš Zībarts: 2010–2011
- Artūrs Visockis-Rubenis: 2011-2016
- Guntis Endzels: 2016–2022
- Gunārs Gailītis: 2022–2025
- Marts Ozolinkēvičs: 2025–present
References
- ^ "Vēsture". www.bk.lu.lv. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
- ^ Kresa-Katkovska, Inita (2014-04-12). "Vecākā sporta biedrība Latvijā «Universitātes Sports» svin 85. jubileju" [Universitātes Sports, the oldest sports society in Latvia, turns 85]. eng.lsm.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 2025-09-10.
- ^ Caballero.lv. "Turnīra komandas". NBL (in Latvian). Retrieved 2025-09-10.
- ^ "Basketbols Latvijas Universitātē". www.lu.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 2025-09-10.
- ^ "BK Mārupe/LU komandas izveidošana ir... - Mārupes NSS Basketbols". Facebook. 2024-11-27.
External links
- Official website (in Latvian)