Saint Quentin Basket Ball

Player to Watch : Ousman Krubally

The oldest player in the French league, just behind the ever-present David Holston, Ousman Krubally has embarked on his 13th different adventure by signing for Saint-Quentin. After spending four seasons with the Georgia State Panthers, the power forward immediately swapped the university courts for the Netherlands. From 2012 to 2024, he changed clubs every year. Greece, France, Cyprus, Germany… During those years, he won the FIBA Europe Cup, was named MVP of the Slovenian first division as well as the Italian second division, and won the Kazakhstani league title.

That’s what you’d call a particularly unpredictable career! It wasn’t until his arrival at Boulazac that the American-Gambian finally stayed with the same club for more than one season. A key figure in the Périgord side’s promotion, Ousman Krubally has proved his worth at the very top level of French basketball. This versatile player, a master of the rebound, is a true warrior who will undoubtedly make a huge contribution to Saint-Quentin’s paint.

Playing style

Like Ousman Krubally, Raphaël Pascual also stands out because of his age. As the league’s youngest coach, the 36-year-old head coach is firmly rooted in his generation. In the Nationale, his team was recognised as having one of the best attacking lines in France. They didn’t generate a huge volume of shots, but relied more on a slow, methodical style of play designed to put the shooters in the best possible position.

This well-oiled attacking system compensates for a rather instinctive defence. Their marking is almost man-to-man and extremely aggressive. The aim is clearly to stifle the opposition’s ball-carrier, switching defenders if necessary.

Club History

Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball was formed in 1973 following a merger between Amicale Jumentier and Union sportive des Cheminots. This enabled the club to compete in the regional Excellence league from the outset, before moving up to the national level in 1979 following an unbeaten season. Its first major success came seven years later. As well as gaining promotion to N2, SQBB reached the final of the 1980 Coupe de France before lifting the trophy once and for all in 1987 against Montpellier (102–86). It is worth noting that the format was somewhat unusual, as from 1982 to 1995 this competition was contested without the N1 clubs or the top teams from N2.

This remarkable journey was cemented in 1987 with the arrival of Chris Singleton as player-manager. The Brooklyn native soon gave up his dual role to focus solely on coaching. It was a bold move, as in his second season he led Saint-Quentin to the top flight. This steady rise was reflected in the results. The northerners racked up nine consecutive victories and finished fifth in the table during their second campaign in the top flight. Then, in 1991, SQBB competed in the Korać Cup (C3). This continental interlude was marked by that legendary two-legged tie against Panathinaikos.

But to achieve such rankings, the club spent lavishly. Saint-Quentin paid dearly for its poor management. Initially relegated to N1B, the northerners eventually went into administration in 1993 and started again in N4. Apart from a brief spell in Pro B, SQBB bounced up and down between the lower divisions for six years. The turn of the millennium marked the Saint-Quentin side’s return to the top flight.

Under Olivier Hirsch, the club reached two quarter-finals and two semi-finals of the promotion play-offs over eight seasons… before being relegated once again. This time, the spell in the lower division lasted just three years. Buoyed by a N3 championship title, Saint-Quentin were promoted, only to be relegated again in 2017, before finally returning to Pro B in 2019 following a decisive victory over Le Havre.

For their third comeback to the step below the top flight, the northerners were saved by COVID. It was a disappointing campaign, marked by the mid-season arrival of the future face of the team: Julien Mahé. Having started the season at the bottom of the table, Saint-Quentin finished on the podium, though they did not contest the play-offs due to the pandemic. The crowning moment came in 2023. Thirty years on, SQBB reached the top flight once again thanks to a better points difference (+3) over Chalon.

Despite being tipped as well and wide behind the competition, Saint-Quentin Basketball has defied all the odds. Having secured a solid 6th place, the club has reached the Betclic ÉLITE play-offs and clinched its place in the first Leaders Cup in its history. Having qualified for the Basketball Champions League (C3), SQBB cemented its status in 2025 with an impressive European campaign coupled with a solid top-10 finish in the league. Julien Mahé left the blue-and-white side in style during the summer. What followed, however, proved far less impressive, with a second-to-last-place finish resulting in relegation. But on the eve of the 2026–2027 season, Monaco’s financial woes led to a last-minute administrative rescue that kept the club in the top flight.

Zoom : Rudy Gobert Camp

Although he trained in Cholet, it was in Saint-Quentin that Rudy Gobert first discovered basketball. Now regarded as one of the very best defenders in the history of the sport, having won four NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards, the centre has not forgotten where he came from. Since 2015, the two-time Olympic silver medallist has been organising a camp ‘in his own image’ to ‘pass on his values to young people: respect, sharing and pushing oneself to the limit’.

In partnership with Saint-Quentin Basket Ball, the Rudy Gobert Camp welcomes young people aged between 10 and 17. At the end of these few days of training, two MVPs are chosen based on their performances and their exemplary attitude. The prize is an insight into Rudy Gobert’s daily life with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Number : 3

This was the number of players on the court for Saint-Quentin towards the end of their match against Chalon on Saturday 4 May 2024 – due to five players having committed five fouls each (Johnson, Pfister, Rayman, Dossou-Yovo, Olejniczak) and two being injured (Schwartz and Traoré).