Tiago Splitter ( 2.10;1985)
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He is a talented and amusing young Brazilian power forward(he has recently been 18). Spite of being so young he has already felt "very strong and varied sensations" on basket being like playing in a worldchampion tournament. Besides, Tiago is a player assigned to mark an age, as much as in European Basketball (ACB above all) as in the NBA (where his evolutions are being followed closely). This boy doesn´t stop surprising everybody, day by day, due to his wisdom and clear ideas. These kind qualities are very difficult to find in boys at this age.
Tiago was born on 1st January 1985 in the Brazilian maternity of "Dona Helena", located in the Brazilian town of Joiville (Santa Catarina), in the bosom of an upper-middle class family originating from German. His great-granparents (German) settled down in Santa Catarina state, in which there are a high number of German population. He is Cassio´s son, an exbasketball player who played with Joinville (Santa Catarina) some years ago, forced to give up profesional basketball being still very young, due to physical problems, injuries and so on. Nowadays Cassio is a well-known lawyer specialized on Tributary Law. Tiago mother is called Elizabeth and she works as a music teacher in Blumenau (Santa Catarina)about 130 kilometres from Joinville.
Blumenau is famous for all its German, Italian and even Norwegian population, for its textile industry and for its famous Oktobertfast; that is a reedition of the Beer Day which takes place in Munich (Germany) every year.
Tiago has got two brothers, Marcelo and Michelle, he speaks four languages (English, German, Portuguese and Spanish). Tiago is an excellent student, he is 6’9 tall. his weight is about 106 kg (260 pounds), he plays as a center (although he can play as a power forward).
In present (02/03 season) he is playing for Bilbao Basket Berri in the League LEB (second division in Spain), transferred (temporary) from the TAU Cerámica (ACB). Nowadays he has only a Brazilian passport but he will have got no problems to get the Community passport because of his German ancestors (possibly he will get it this year). He has been international with Bazil in every lower ranks (cadet, júnior, sub-20 etc), reaching his truly culminating moment during last Indianapolis World Champions 2002, when he started in the Brazil Absolute Selection being also the youngest player playing in a World Champions at age of 17 years old.
Tiago Spliters’ basketball story:
He started playing basketball at 6, when he joined Ipiranga Basketball School (Blumenau) in 1991, encouraged by his father and family. He stayed at Ipiranga Club until 99/00. For two years he decides to stop playing basketball and try playing volleyball. Thanks to volleyball he gets other skills such as coordination and leap improvements.
It can be said that 99/00 season is a crucial season in his private as much sporting life, since he "explodes" as a basketball player ,
showing his level and talent in several Brazilian local tournaments. During the summer 2000 Tiago lines up the Brazilian Cadet Selection to play the Southamerican Cadet Championship hold in Chile in the year 2000, at 15, and there he is discovered by Arturo Ortega (agent) and Alfredo Salazar, (TAU Cerámica, ACB) who was also in Chile. They just needed to watch Tiago playing in three matches played for deciding to take him to Spain. Inmediately they contacted Tiago by phone and offered him a seven years contract. Tiago didn´t hesitate and he accepted to. But it wasn´t the same with his family who doubted it until the last moment. Nevertheless The TAU Cerámica (ACB) also had to compete against the Brazilian team Vasco de Gama (CBB), which offered the boy much more money than TAU, but Tiago prefered to jump into Spanish basketball.
In the season 00/01, Tiago lined ud Araba Gorago (EBA), team formed by TAU, there he was trained by Iñaqui Iriarte, called. A Cerámica (ACB). During that season 00/01 Tiago started showing all his potencial, physical and technical since being only 15 and 16, averaged 16 points and 5.2 rebounds per match. Further more being chosen twice MVP of the week 00/01 EBA League E group. Moreover he trained regularty with the first TAU Cerámica 00/01 team under Dusko Ivanovic´s orders. In the summer 2001 he played the Fuenlabrada Summer League with the TAU Cerámica (ACB).
The season 01/02 Tiago Splitter (2.10;1985) lined up the Bilbao Basket Berri (LEB 2), transferred from the TAU Cerámica (ACB), who was in the LEB 2 League that season. Tiago joined the Bilbao Basket Berri (LEB 2) transferred from the TAU Cerámica (ACB) since Bilbao Basket Berri (LEB 2) is considered in Vitoria as an ideal destination for him. He played as a foreigner. It was a good experience, since he become champion of the LEB 2 Cup and LEB 2 League along with his team. He averaged 12.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per match spite of being injured at the beginning of the season, So he was promoted to 02/03 LEB League.
During the summer he played with the Brazil Júnior Selection the Júnior Panamerican Championship 2002, taking place in July in Isla Margarita (Venezuela). His selection didn´t play a good championship, since they got the 6th position, and they couldn´t manage to win a place to play Croacia World Championship 2003; but Tiago played very well becoming the maximun scorekeeper of the championship, and he was chosen in the championship ideal team (quintet) along with: the Puerto Rican José Barea (1.81;1984), the Venezuelan Kenji Urdaneta (1.86;1985), Carmelo Anthony (2.03;1984) from the United States and Miguel Marriaga (2.05;1984) from Venezuela.
After playing the Panamerican Junior 2002, Tiago hear the best news of all his career: he was included in the Brazilian pre-selection for Indianapolis World Championship 2002 by Helio Rubens. Finally Tiago was included in. Only at 17 he became the youngest player in an absolute World Championship in recent history. Tiago averaged 3.8 points per mach (13 against Spain).
Now days Tiago is playing well for Bilbao, now in LEB, in spite ot this injuries on a shoulder, Tiago is averaging 10.5 points and 6 rebounds per mach. he will very probably achieve his Community passport, so he would likely line up TAU Cerámica (ACB) next season.
Tiago Splitter ( 2.10;1985) technical features
Tiago is a very mature player, very coordinated, skilful. I personally think that this boy is and will be a center not power-forward. He usually shoot basket from half-long distance, although he isn´t very generous with it. Because he gets most of his basket in the paint. He has an acceptable play view. It is not strange seeing him assisting his playmates. He handles the ball pretty well and joyably, wich allows him to play really well, facing forwards basket and basket back. He never avoids the ball at the decisive moments, he receives a lot fouls but he should improve his free throws.
He is good at defence, he controls the blockades well, he should improve the rebounds, although he is an acceptable rebounder, he should be careful ot his fouls because when he defends "very tough" pivots it´s difficult for him to control it. He is a great intimidating.
Txemi Urtasun (teammate) on TIAGO SPLITTER
For me he almost hasn’t defects. He is clever, when his defender is a small forward he used to play in the paint, but when his defender is a center he plays out.Tiago is pretty good physically, he is atletic
Tiago is a quite good defender, in one and one too. He cant block because he can leap high and quick, that lets him grab a lot of bounds. Besides he runs the floor so fast, don’t forget he is a big man. Good handing the ball, last season, in the playoff, againts Palma (team), he drove the ball through the court like a guard.
He has to improve in shooting. Sometimes he is a little bit inexperienced, above all about offensive things, such as making decisions, but he is very young. He needs to gain more weight in order to be able to compete with the best pro.
