View source for BC Astana

{{Distinguish|Astana Tigers}}

{{Infobox Basketball club
| color1        = #FFCB05
| color2        = #008B9A
| name          = BC Astana
| nickname      = 
| logo          = BC Astana Logo.png
| imagesize     = 240px
| leagues       = [[Kazakhstan Basketball Championship|Kazakhstan Championship]]<br>[[VTB United League]]<br />[[FIBA Europe Cup]]
| founded       = 2011
| history       = '''BC Astana'''<br>(2011–present)
| arena         = [[Saryarka Velodrome]]
| capacity      = 9,270
| location      = [[Astana]], [[Kazakhstan]]
| colors        = Gold, Teal<br> {{color box|#FFCB05}} {{color box|#008B9A}}
| president     = [[Valeri Tikhonenko]]
| coach         = [[Ilias Papatheodorou]]
| championships =  '''4''' [[Kazakhstan Basketball Championship|Domestic Titles]]<br>'''4''' [[Kazakhstan Basketball Cup|Domestic Cups]]
| website       = [http://bcastana.kz/en bcastana.kz]
| h_pattern_b   = _bcastana14h
| h_body        = _bcastana14h
| h_shorts      = _bcastana14h
| h_pattern_s   = _bcastana14h
| a_body        = _bcastana14a
| a_shorts      = _bcastana14a
| a_pattern_b   = _bcastana14a
| a_pattern_s   = _bcastana14a
}}

'''Basketball Club "BC" Astana''' ({{lang-kk|Астана баскетбол клубы}}; {{lang-ru|Баскетбольный клуб "БК" Астана}}) is a Kazakhstani professional [[basketball]] club that is based in the capital city of [[Astana]], in [[Kazakhstan]].

Founded in 2011, it has competed in the [[Kazakhstan Basketball Championship]] and the [[VTB United League]] since, obtaining a slew of domestic titles in the process.

==History==
BC Astana was created in March 2011, with the aim of competing in the [[VTB United League]], [[Valery Tikhonenko]] was chosen as the general director. 
There were doubts expressed by other clubs in the league, due to the lack of basketball tradition in Kazakhstan, but the side answered all the admission requirements, including their budget, stadium (a revamped [[Saryarka Velodrome]]) and the proximity of hotels, and an international airport. The side received the totality of its funding from the [[Samruk-Kazyna]] sovereign wealth fund.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bcastana.kz/en/news/id/1024 |title=A brand of our country is well-known all around the world |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=BC Astana |access-date=26 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bcastana.kz/en/news/id/850 |title=Report on the use of property, BC Astana for the year 2012 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=BC Astana |access-date=26 June 2015}}</ref>

They would sign a number of Kazakhstani players from successful side [[Astana Tigers]], also recruiting their coach [[Vitaly Strebkov]] to serve as assistant coach.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vtb-league.com/en/news/valeriy-tihonenko-cel-astany---vozvraschenie-bolshogo-basketbola-v-kazahstan.htm |title=Valery Tikhonenko: The goal of "Astana" - is return big basketball to Kazakhstan |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=13 June 2011 |website=[[VTB United League]] |access-date=19 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sports.kz/news/novyie-tigryi/comment/370556 |script-title=ru:Русский |title=Новые "Тигры" |last=Ibraev |first=Serik | date=6 April 2011 |website=Sports.kz |publisher=Np.kz |via=Sports.kz |access-date=26 June 2015 |language=Russian |trans-title=New Tigers}}</ref>

===2011–2012 season===
In their first season in the [[VTB United League|VTB United regional league]], the team from Kazakhstan won 7 games out of 16 during [[2011–12 VTB United League|2011–12 season]], including against strong sides such as [[BC Žalgiris|Žalgiris]] and holders [[BC Khimki|Khimki]], nearly reaching the playoffs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vtb-league.com/en/news/we-are-ready-to-bring-multiple-surprises-in-the-upcoming-season.htm |title=Valeriy Tikhonenko: We are ready to bring multiple surprises in the upcoming season |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=3 September 2012 |website=[[VTB United League]] |access-date=26 June 2015}}</ref>
They had more success on the domestic front, winning the [[Kazakhstan Basketball Championship|Kazakhstani championship]] and the [[Kazakhstan Basketball Cup|Kazakhstani cup]].

The team became a part of the [[Astana Presidential Sports Club]] multi-sports club, when it was formed in December 2012.

==Arenas==
[[File:BC Astana - BC Azovmash 2014-02-02.JPG|thumb|right|BC Astana vs. [[BC Azovmash]], [[VTB United League]] regular season game in 2014, at [[Saryarka Velodrome]].]]
BC Astana plays its home basketball games at the [[Saryarka Velodrome]].

==Roster==
{{Basketball roster nationality note}}
{{Basketball roster header
| team = BC Astana
| color1 = white
| bg1 = #008B9A
| color2 = white
| bg2 = #FFCB05
}}
<!-- list of players -->
{{player3 |num = 0  |nat = USA |first = Rod |last = Odom            |pos = PF |m = 2.05 |kgs = 105 |year = 1991 | month = 9  |date = 23}}
{{player3 |num = 3  |nat = USA |first = Robert |last = Lowery       |pos = G  |m = 1.88 |kgs = 82  |year = 1987 | month = 12 | date = 23 |dab = basketball}}
{{player3 |num = 5  |nat = USA |first = Ousman |last = Krubally     |pos = F  |m = 2.02 |kgs = 100 |year = 1988 | month = 3  | date = 13}}
{{player3 |num = 9  |nat = KAZ |first = Vadim |last = Shcherbak     |pos = G  |m = 1.94 |kgs = 88  |year = 1993 | month = 5  | date = 24}}
{{player3 |num = 10 |nat = KAZ |first = Rustam |last = Murzagaliev  |pos = PG |m = 1.96 |kgs = 84  |year = 1992 | month = 5  | date = 24}}
{{player3 |num = 11 |nat = KAZ |first = Anton |last = Ponomarev     |pos = PF |m = 2.08 |kgs = 114 |year = 1988 | month = 10 | date = 31}}
{{player3 |num = 13 |nat = KAZ |first = Rustam |last = Ergali       |pos = SG |m = 1.94 |kgs = 92  |year = 1986 | month = 12 | date = 20}}
{{player3 |num = 14 |nat = GRE |first = Leonidas |last = Kaselakis  |pos = F  |m = 2.02 |kgs = 108 |year = 1990 | month = 6  | date = 1}}
{{player3 |num = 15 |nat = KAZ |first = Ilyas |last = Dunasarov     |pos = G  |m = 1.92 |kgs = 80  |year = 1998 | month = 9  | date = 18}}
{{player3 |num = 17 |nat = KAZ |first = Alexander |last = Zhigulin  |pos = PF |m = 2.05 |kgs = 100 |year = 1994 | month = 4  | date = 26}}
{{player3 |num = 19 |nat = KAZ |first = Dmitry |last = Klimov       |pos = SF |m = 2.02 |kgs = 92  |year = 1988 | month = 9  | date = 5|dab = basketball}}
{{player3 |num = 21 |nat = GRE |first = Dimitris |last = Katsivelis |pos = PG |m = 1.97 |kgs = 96  |year = 1991 | month = 10 | date = 1}}
{{player3 |num = 22 |nat = KAZ |first = Denis |last = Degtyarev     |pos = SF |m = 1.98 |kgs = 90  |year = 1990 | month = 10 | date = 5}}
{{player3 |num = 24 |nat = KAZ |first = Dmitriy |last = Gavrilov    |pos = F  |m = 2.04 |kgs = 94  |year = 1986 | month = 11 | date = 27}}
{{player3 |num = 25 |nat = KAZ |first = Maxim |last = Marchuk       |pos = SF |m = 1.98 |kgs = 88  |year = 1994 | month = 1  | date = 17}}
{{player3 |num = 44 |nat = USA |first = Ian |last = Miller          |pos = G  |m = 1.90 |kgs = 85  |year = 1991 | month = 9  | date = 28 |dab = basketball}}
<!-- end list of players -->

{{Basketball roster footer
| head_coach = {{player||GRE|[[Ilias Papatheodorou]]}}
| asst_coach = {{player||GRE|Dimitrius Menoudakos}} 
{{player||LTU|Renatas Kurilionokas}}
| roster_url = http://www.pbcastana.kz/en/team/?category=composition&season=2017&team=1
| accessdate = 13 December 2016
}}

==Championships==
'''[[Kazakhstan Basketball Championship]]:'''
*'''4x Champions''': 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
'''[[Kazakhstan Basketball Cup]]:''' 
*'''4x Winners''': 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

==Season by season==
{|  class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
! rowspan=2 | Season
! colspan=4 | Domestic competitions
! rowspan=2 | [[Kazakhstan Basketball Cup|Kazakhstani Cup]]
! colspan=3 | Regional competitions
! colspan=3 | Continental competitions 
|-
!Tier
!League
!{{Tooltip|Pos.|Position in regular season}}
!Postseason
!League
!{{Tooltip|Pos.|Position in regular season}}
!Result
!Tier
!League
!Result
|-
|style="background:#efefef;"|2011–12
| align="center"|1
| [[Kazakhstan Basketball Championship|KBC]]
| style="background:gold"  align="center"| 1
| style="background:gold"| Champion
| style="background:gold"| Winner (x2)
| <center> [[2012–13 VTB United League|VTB]] || <center>{{Tooltip|7|Group A}} || {{n/a}}
| colspan=3 align="center" | DNP
|-
|style="background:#efefef;"|2012–13
| align="center"|1
| [[Kazakhstan Basketball Championship|KBC]]
| style="background:gold"  align="center"| 1
| style="background:gold"| Champion
| style="background:gold"| Winner
| <center> [[2012–13 VTB United League|VTB]] || <center>{{Tooltip|5|Group A}} || bgcolor=E8FFD8 | <center> {{Tooltip|1R|First Round}}
| colspan=3 align="center" | DNP
|-
|style="background:#efefef;"|2013–14
|align="center"|1
| [[Kazakhstan Basketball Championship|KBC]]
|style="background:gold"  align="center"| 1
|style="background:gold"| Champion
|style="background:gold"| Winner
| <center> [[2013–14 VTB United League|VTB]] || <center>{{Tooltip|5|Group B}} || bgcolor=E8FFD8 | <center> {{Tooltip|1R|First Round}}
| colspan=3 align="center" | DNP
|-
|style="background:#efefef;"|2014–15
| align="center"|1
| [[2014-15 Kazakhstan Basketball Championship|KBC]]
| style="background:gold"  align="center"| 1
|style="background:gold"| Champion
| DNP
| <center> [[2014–15 VTB United League|VTB]] || <center>8 || bgcolor=E8FFD8 | <center> {{Tooltip|QF|Quarterfinals}}
| <center>3 || [[2014–15 EuroChallenge|EuroChallenge]] || bgcolor=E8FFD8 | <center> {{Tooltip|T16|Top 16}}
|-
|style="background:#efefef;"|2015–16
| align="center"|2
| [[2015-16 Kazakhstan Basketball Championship|KBC]]
| style="background:silver"  align="center"| 2
| style="background:silver"| Runners-up
| DNP
| <center> [[2015–16 VTB United League|VTB]] || <center>15 || {{n/a}}
| <center>3 || [[2015–16 FIBA Europe Cup|FIBA Europe Cup]] || bgcolor=ECECEC | <center> {{Tooltip|RS|Regular season}}
|-
|}

==Head coaches==
* [[Matteo Boniciolli]] 2011–13
* [[Aleksandar Trifunović (basketball)|Aleksandar Trifunović]] 2013–15
* [[Ramūnas Butautas]] 2015–present

==References and notes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==

{{Astana Presidential Sports Club}}
{{VTB United League}}

[[Category:BC Astana| ]]
[[Category:Astana Presidential Sports Club]]
[[Category:Basketball teams established in 2011]]
[[Category:2011 establishments in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Basketball teams in Astana]]