Pic credit: DBB

During Easter weekend 2026, the paths of Caspar Vossenberg (200-F-2009) and Ivan Kharchenkov couldn´t have been more different. Ivan Kharchenkov had been a easyCredit BBL player for years and even the youngest who ever played a game at age 16 and took the step this season to take advantage of the NIL and played with Arizona (NCAA). He had a great season and made it to the NCAA Final 4, but on that holy weekend, his season ended to the hands of Michigan. For Vossenberg on the other hand, the young German battled at the Albert Schweizer tournament for the second time in his career and played a massive role in Germany winning it´s third AST in the tournament´s 31 year existence. Despite a 3 year gap between both boys, both actually suited up last season to win the 2025 NBBL (U-19) title in Berlin. That was the memorable final where Kharchenkov took the train from Weissenfels to take a break from the BBL playoffs and play the final. Despite being concentrated for AST, was the young German able to follow Kharchenkov´s NCAA Final 4 weekend in Indianapolis? “Unfortunately I couldn´t follow it too much. It was really too bad that he didn´t win. However I feel like Ivan can still be really happy about his season. A big future is awaiting him”, warned Caspar Vossenberg. Did the 2 aggressive players that have an incredible drive have any kind of relationship last season? “We didn´t. He played most of the season with the Munich Euroleague team. Despite that he was still like a mentor for me though. One could see how good of a player he was. He is a really nice guy, hard worker and very humble”, remembered Caspar Vossenberg. “I can´t remember too much about Caspar since I only played one game with him, but he is a good guy”, said Ivan Kharchenkov.

Pic credit: DBB

Germany played Bahrain first at AST and used it as a warm up destroying the Asian team 116-59. Germany totally controlled the boards 55-31 and had 6 players score in double figures led by Lucai Anderson with 16 points. “To be honest I feel like at first it wasn´t our goal to win the AST. We saw the AST initially as a preparation for the World Cup this summer. But I think that we all realized in the semi-final that we could win it. We had taken our game to another level. It was key playing Bahrain first so everyone could get used to each other”, stressed Caspar Vossenberg. Jamie Edoka had a solid first game scoring 11 points and filled the stat sheet and was on his way to becoming one of the best players in the tournament. Could he be the next German after Isaac Bonga from the Skyliners to reach the NBA? “Jamie is a cool guy and we understand each other really well. It was extremely important to have him as our captain and have his leadership skills. He is one of the best players in his year. He definitely has NBA potential”, warned Caspar Vossenberg. Germany next faced Slovenia and had their toughest challenge of the tournament. Germany started slow and had to play catch up basketball for most of the game. Germany picked up the intensity in the fourth quarter at both ends and won it with the masterful game winner by Jamie Edoka. “We were behind most of that game and even trailed by 15 points. We learned that game that if you fight, you can turn the game around. We brought that belief in our come back. I think that game was a learning lesson for our whole career”, warned Caspar Vossenberg. Edoka closed out the game with a pretty step back jumper on the baseline where the basketball God let it bounce around on rim and back board before finally rolling in. “I passed Jamie the ball. The idea was for him to get the ball. He did his thing. His mid range game is very good. We all trust him to make that shot. At first my heart sank when it was on the rim and back board, but when it went in, I was very happy. Jamie is made for those kind of shots”, stated Caspar Vossenberg. Germany controlled the boards again 41-33 with 16 offensive rebounds and had 4 guys score in double figures. Lucai Anderson was top scorer with 16 points and nailed big three´s when Germany needed it in their come back. Big man Leonard Kroger stepped up big bring great energy with a superb 11/6/3 game. “Leonard is a real hustler in the zone. He is very dangerous in the zone, can block shots well and finish. He also has a really good shot for a big man”, added Caspar Vossenberg. Germany next faced Turkey where many Turkish fans showed up adding to a beautiful atmosphere. Germany was in control in the first half, but had a horrible third quarter being outscored 24-4, but retreated in the fourth quarter demonstrating that they can flip the switch at any time exploding for 29 points and winning easily 95-80. “I didn´t play against Turkey. Turkey was a really good opponent. However we played strong and rebounded well. We really grew as a team in this game”, commented Caspar Vossenberg. Germany once again dominated the boards 44-26 and offensive rebounds 20-8 and shot a potent 46% from outside. Germany was led by Lucai Anderson with 26 points and had 4 players in double figures. Fin Borczwanoski had a solid game of 13 points, but was in the shadow of Lucai Anderson´s brilliant scoring game. “Fin had a great impact on the team. He is a very versatile player and it was really fun to play with him”, remembered Caspar Vossenberg.

pic credit: Lukas Adler

Germany then faced Sweden in the fourth game and won 91-56. After a tight first quarter, Germany then played consistent ball in the last 3 quarters averaging 22 points and allowing only 11 points on the way to a comfortable victory. Germany led by as much as 35 points and won the rebound duel 61-32. They also forced them to 6/37 shooting from outside. “Sweden was another good opponent for us. Over time we also were able to get away from them and outrun them. We showed our domination over them”, expressed Caspar Vossenberg. Germany spread the love around with scoring once again totaling 5 players in double figures led by Edoka´s 15 points. Not only did Kiehlneker have a dominant double double, but so did Alba Berlin talent Anton Kemmer. “I like how big and athletic Felix is. He is always a lob threat. He has a really good feel for the game and is another player that is fun to play with”, said Caspar Vossenberg. The German domination continued against Japan winning 103-78. After a tight first quarter, Germany then exploded for 62 points in the second and third quarters paving the win. “Japan had a good pace and played very fast. Key was rebounding that helped us get the win. We out ran them”, stated Caspar Vossenberg. Germany was led by Caspar Vossenberg with 17 points and had 4 guys score in double figures and won the rebound battle again easily 61-32 with 20 offensive rebounds. Germany was 5-0 and now met Brazil in the semi-finals. Was any one going to stop them? Germany witnessed a tight scoring first half leading 51-50, but stepped it up in the third quarter exploding for 31 points and took it up another notch in the last frame with 39 points winning 121-98 “We had a slow start and they hit three´s well. I think that we defended better in the second half. They were physical and rebounded well, but we boxed out better in the second half and were able to match their physicality and just played our game”, remembered Caspar Vossenberg. Anderson and Edoka combined for 47 points as Anderson led all scorers with 26 points. “Lucai is a very calm player and has a really good feel for the game. His shot is incredible and he can get hot at anytime”, warned Caspar Vossenberg. Germany won the rebound battle again 40-24, shot 42% from outside and only coughed up the ball 9 times.

Pic credit: DBB

The final was a close battle against Slovenia. Germany led 46-38 at the break, but in the second half Slovenia led briefly until Germany got the lead back and never looked back despite winning the second half only 41-37. “When the buzzer sounded, it was an indescribable feeling. It was very emotional as it was only the third time Germany had won the AST. We were all overjoyed. We had beaten them once before and were unbeaten coming into the final. We also had great fan support. Our tank was empty in the last few minutes, but we pushed until the end. We simply wanted it more than they did”, stressed Caspar Vossenberg. Germany was led by Edoka with 17 points and had 4 guys score in double figures and won the rebound battle again 49-36. ”Our biggest strength during the tournament was that we found each other quickly. We had great individual quality, athleticism, depth and played well together”, added Caspar Vossenberg. After the win, coach Alan Ibrahimagic was greeted with a massive shower in the dressing room. There was a team dinner and then most guys were on their way home except for Anderson and Dopfer who left Sunday to travel back to the states. The German who lists player Alessanco Vazquez Dos Santos of Brazil as the player that impressed him most during the tournament had a solid tournament averaging 11/3/1per game “I was very content with how I played at AST. I rebounded well, but I still have a lot of room to improve”, warned Caspar Vossenberg. He played against 5 different nations and against the best youth players on earth which helped his game make another step. “My game grew during the week. It was great playing against some non European countries like Brazil and Japan. My IQ grew”, said Caspar Vossenberg. It was the first time that he played for head coach Alan Ibrahimagic and was able to learn so much in such a short time. “Alan is a really good coach and it was a lot of fun to play for him. He always stuck behind the team and gave everyone so much trust. He always wanted to play fast. I enjoyed that”, stated Caspar Vossenberg. Did he have a special personal moment on the court? “My favorite own play was my poster dunk against Japan and when the clock went tom 0 and we had won the title”, stressed Caspar Vossenberg, It will be interesting to see how Caspar Vossenberg´s career continues to go. At the moment he is concentrated on helping his NBBL team FC Bayern Basketball win a do or die game against Ulm.

pic credit: photosbykellz

Last summer young German Leonard Kroger (205-C-2008) had his first experience playing for the German U-16 national team finishing in 7th place averaging 3/3. He saved his best for last hitting Turkey with a 12/7 game getting the 73-64 victory. He had to wait 9 months to get that next experience with a youth national team competing at the Albert Schweitzer tournament recently and winning the Gold medal. “The rosters at AST was a totally different one than at the Euro-18 last summer. I feel like we had a totally balanced roster at AST. Last summer we had a very good player with Mathieu Grujicic who was at a totally different level. There were also different coaching philosophies and we played a lot faster this time”, said Leonard Kroger. The young Paderborn center experienced a week that he will never forget where he helped Germany have an incredible 7-0 record to win Germany´s third title at AST. He was so fortunate to have a massive family gathering at every game. “I was so relived when the buzzer sounded in the final. Slovenia was a very tough team. I´m happy that we could pull it out despite them coming back. I was so happy that we won. We had a great team. It was such a great experience. It was even nicer to win in front of so much family. The brother of my father lives near Mannheim. I had cousins and uncles there. There were always 5-6 family members at every game. It was fun talking about the game and just seeing their support and them believing in me was special”, stressed Leonard Kroger.

pic credit: photosbykellz

Germany played Bahrain first at AST and used it as a warm up destroying the Asian team 116-59. Germany totally controlled the boards 55-31 and had 6 players score in double figures led by Lucai Anderson with 16 points. “Of course it was vital having an easier opponent in the first game. We had never played together as a team and only practiced a few times together. This game gave us the chance to make mistakes and get adjusted to each other better”, stressed Leonard Kroger. Jamie Edoka had a solid first game scoring 11 points and filled the stat sheet and was on his way to becoming one of the best players in the tournament. Could he be the next German after Isaac Bonga from the Skyliners to reach the NBA? “Jamie is a really good guy with a lot of potential. He is very athletic and is a super teammate. I really appreciate how he will accept criticism like when you tell him you were open and he didn´t pass the ball. He definitely has NBA potential”, stated Leonard Kroger. Germany next faced Slovenia and had their toughest challenge of the tournament. Germany started slow and had to play catch up basketball for most of the game. Germany picked up the intensity in the fourth quarter at both ends and won it with the masterful game winner by Jamie Edoka. “We learned from that first Slovenia game that we had to play better defense. We also realized that we had to play even faster. We played to their tempo and simply had to play our game”, remembered Leonard Kroger. Edoka closed out the game with a pretty step back jumper on the baseline where the basketball God let it bounce around on rim and back board before finally rolling in. “The shot also looked a bit long to me. I was right under the basket and saw everything. At first I thought that I had to jump in and try to make the basket, but luckily it fell in”, said Leonard Kroger. Germany controlled the boards again 41-33 with 16 offensive rebounds and had 4 guys score in double figures. Lucai Anderson was top scorer with 16 points and nailed big three´s when Germany needed it in their come back. Caspar Vossenberg added 13 points and was one of those silent hero´s during the tournament stepping up in so many ways. “Caspar is a really good player and is a really good dribbler. He also pushed the ball well and attacked the rim well. He is an allrounder and we could always rely on him to do his job”, added Leonard Kroger. Germany next faced Turkey where many Turkish fans showed up adding to a beautiful atmosphere. Germany was in control in the first half, but had a horrible third quarter being outscored 24-4, but retreated in the fourth quarter demonstrating that they can flip the switch at any time exploding for 29 points and winning easily 95-80. “Turkey was an annoying opponent. Even after that weak third quarter, we always stayed together. We played really well after that and we always got extra new energy from the bench that helped us get win”, expressed Leonard Kroger. Germany once again dominated the boards 44-26 and offensive rebounds 20-8 and shot a potent 46% from outside. Germany was led by Lucai Anderson with 26 points and had 4 players in double figures. Fin Borczwanoski had a solid game of 13 points, but was in the shadow of Lucai Anderson´s brilliant scoring game. “Fin is a very athletic player. I had never seen him play before AST. I felt like he fit really well into our system. He is long, can shoot and finish. We definitely always had an advantage on transition with his game”, remembered Leonard Kroger.

pic credit: DBB

Germany then faced Sweden in the fourth game and won 91-56. After a tight first quarter, Germany then played consistent ball in the last 3 quarters averaging 22 points and allowing only 11 points on the way to a comfortable victory. Germany led by as much as 35 points and won the rebound duel 61-32. They also forced them to 6/37 shooting from outside. “I didn´t play so well this game. Felix and Anton had very good games. When we are able to win the win the rebound s and have more possessions, it makes it easier to win”, said Leonard Kroger. Germany spread the love around with scoring once again totaling 5 players in double figures led by Edoka´s 15 points. Not only did Kiehlneker have a dominant double double, but so did Alba Berlin talent Anton Kemmer. “Felix is very athletic. His biggest strength is on the offensive rebound and likes getting the alley-ops”, commented Leonard Kroger. The German domination continued against Japan winning 103-78. After a tight first quarter, Germany then exploded for 62 points in the second and third quarters paving the win. “Key in beating Japan was that we had a big advantage under the basket. We beat them easily on the rebound. Japan had a good answer against our fast game so we had to find another way to beat them and did so on the glass”, added Leonard Kroger. Germany was led by Caspar Vossenberg with 17 points and had 4 guys score in double figures and won the rebound battle again easily 61-32 with 20 offensive rebounds. Germany was 5-0 and now met Brazil in the semi-finals. Was any one going to stop them? Germany witnessed a tight scoring first half leading 51-50, but stepped it up in the third quarter exploding for 31 points and took it up another notch in the last frame with 39 points winning 121-98 “Key in beating Brazil was that they were too slow. In the second half, we picked up our offense to the next level. After making a few fast break baskets and a three pointer, our self-confidence rose. Plus we continued to get new energy from the bench which made it easier to play”, stressed Leonard Kroger. Anderson and Edoka combined for 47 points as Anderson led all scorers with 26 points. “Lucai is really quick and a great shooter. He was a real game changer in the first game against Slovenia after making many three´s in a row. He put our game at another level”, explained Leonard Kroger. Germany won the rebound battle again 40-24, shot 42% from outside and only coughed up the ball 9 times.

pic credit: DBB

The final was a close battle against Slovenia. Germany led 46-38 at the break, but in the second half Slovenia led briefly until Germany got the lead back and never looked back despite winning the second half only 41-37. “We never got scared or let up when they came back. We just played our game until the end getting rebounds and playing fast”, remembered Leonard Kroger. Germany was led by Edoka with 17 points and had 4 guys score in double figures and won the rebound battle again 49-36. ”Our biggest strength in the AST was that we were very athletic and all defended well. We also were consistent pushing the ball well. We were able to overrun all teams. Even when teams scored on us, we always had an answer being able tom push the ball”, warned Leonard Kroger. After the win, coach Alan Ibrahimagic was greeted with a massive shower in the dressing room. There was a team dinner and then most guys were on their way home except for Anderson and Dopfer who left Sunday to travel back to the states. The German who lists player Alessanco Vazquez Dos Santos of Brazil as the player that impressed him most during the tournament had a solid tournament averaging 8/9/1/1per game “I was very content with how I played at AST. I feel like I did my part to help the team be successful. I finished, rebounded and was a rim protector”, warned Leonard Kroger. He played against 6 different nations and against the best youth players on earth which helped his game make another step. “I think that I gained a lot of extra experience. It was great playing against non European countries like Brazil and Japan. It was also great being able to work with a different coaching staff and receive different view points”, added Leonard Kroger. It was the first time that he played for head coach Alan Ibrahimagic and was able to learn so much in such a short time. “He didn´t give me one special tip, but I was alert to be ready to take small things that he said. For example keeping the ball at my chin after a rebound so small guards can´t steal the ball. It was a lot of fun playing for Alan´s philosophy and playing fast”, said Leonard Kroger. Of course seeing his family after games was a huge highlight off the court, but he also had an on court favorite moment. “My favorite own play was my last dunk against Slövenia that helped put us in winning position”, said Leonard Kroger. It will be interesting to see where Leonard Kroger´s basketball journey will go in the future. At the moment, he is focused on winning a do or die NBBL playoff game at home against Alba Berlin and finishing the Pro A season strong with Paderborn.

Pic credit: photosbyKellz +Joshua Hoffmann

That successful German coach Florian Flabb is a basketball junkie is no secret. The guy just loves the game. On top of that he is also a nice guy who had a heart for my work last summer when he took time out of his long summer days supplying me with key quotes to single Germany games during the 2025 U-18 Euro championships. He led Ulm to the NBBL top 4 last season and this season led Pro B team Orange Academy with an average age of 18 to the best record in the league and now is battling to win the title. He also has an incredible knack of helping develop young talent and it is only logical that he supports his own players as best he can. It didn´t surprise me when I saw him at the Albert Schweizer tournament in Mannheim recently. His player Felix Kiehlneker (210-F-2008) was playing with Germany against Slovenia and he took time on his free Sunday to drive 200 + kilometers to help support him. “I knew that he would watch the Slovenia game, but I was very happy that he supported me like that. This is now my second season playing for Flo. I didn´t play so much last season because I was from the youngest year, but this season I began to play Pro B and he gives me a lot trust. I really appreciate his feedback after practices, games and timeouts. He told me at the start of the season to work on my physicality and energy and I have worked on it”, stressed Felix Kiehlneker.

Pic credit: photosbyKellz +Joshua Hoffmann

Germany played Bahrain first at AST and used it as a warm up destroying the Asian team 116-59. Germany totally controlled the boards 55-31 and had 6 players score in double figures led by Lucai Anderson with 16 points. “It was my personal goal to win the title, but I have to admit, I didn´t expect that we would win most games so easily. I think that we didn´t 100% need to start against a weaker opponent like Bahrain, but it was still good. We had never played together and only practiced 5 days before. All in all, it was good to begin against a team like Bahrian”, stressed Felix Kiehlneker. Jamie Edoka had a solid first game scoring 11 points and filled the stat sheet and was on his way to becoming one of the best players in the tournament. Could he be the next German after Isaac Bonga from the Skyliners to reach the NBA? “I have known Jamie since he is 14. He is a good friend, but also a great talent. With a lot of hard work, he could make the NBA”, warned Felix Kielneker. Germany next faced Slovenia and had their toughest challenge of the tournament. Germany started slow and had to play catch up basketball for most of the game. Germany picked up the intensity in the fourth quarter at both ends and won it with the masterful game winner by Jamie Edoka. “We definitely learned a few things from that game that we then did better in the final against Slovenia. We played overall better team defense, rebounded better and defended the pick and roll better in the final”, remembered Felix Kiehlneker. Edoka closed out the game with a pretty step back jumper on the baseline where the basketball God let it bounce around on rim and back board before finally rolling in. “The shot looked a bit far and we were a bit lucky that it went in, but in the end all that counts is that we won. We were so happy after that we all ran on the court”, said Felix Kiehlneker. Germany controlled the boards again 41-33 with 16 offensive rebounds and had 4 guys score in double figures. Lucai Anderson was top scorer with 16 points and nailed big three´s when Germany needed it in their come back. Caspar Vossenberg added 13 points and was one of those silent hero´s during the tournament stepping up in so many ways. “Caspar´s energy was so important for us, but also his support for everyone. He was always happy for everyone else”, remembered Felix Kiehlneker. Germany next faced Turkey where many Turkish fans showed up adding to a beautiful atmosphere. Germany was in control in the first half, but had a horrible third quarter being outscored 24-4, but retreated in the fourth quarter demonstrating that they can flip the switch at any time exploding for 29 points and winning easily 95-80. “We had problems in the third quarter. Edoka and I had gotten our fourth fouls. But we never broke down, but everyone fought back including everyone from our bench. We fought until the end”, warned Felix Kiehlneker. Germany once again dominated the boards 44-26 and offensive rebounds 20-8 and shot a potent 46% from outside. Germany was led by Lucai Anderson with 26 points and had 4 players in double figures. Fin Borczwanoski had a solid game of 13 points, but was in the shadow of Lucai Anderson´s brilliant scoring game. “Fin also was so key for our success not only in this game, but in every game. I didn´t know him before AST and was a little surprised how good a player he was. A big factor that helped us was how good of a scorer he was”, added Felix Kiehlneker..

Pic credit: photosbyKellz +Joshua Hoffmann

Germany then faced Sweden in the fourth game and won 91-56. After a tight first quarter, Germany then played consistent ball in the last 3 quarters averaging 22 points and allowing only 11 points on the way to a comfortable victory. Germany led by as much as 35 points and won the rebound duel 61-32. They also forced them to 6/37 shooting from outside. “I remember that we played extremely hard against Sweden. I had one of my best games. We passed the ball really well and won the rebound battle which was our goal to do every game”, expressed felix Keihlneker. Germany spread the love around with scoring once again totaling 5 players in double figures led by Edoka´s 15 points. Not only did Kiehlneker have a dominant double double, but so did Alba Berlin talent Anton Kemmer. “I love Anton´s energy. He is very communicative. He will be so happy for you when you make a big play like a dunk and will slap you. He is always talking”, said Felix Kiehlneker. The German domination continued against Japan winning 103-78. After a tight first quarter, Germany then exploded for 62 points in the second and third quarters paving the win. “Japan was very quick and hard to control. They ran very well, but we still were too strong for them and outpowered them”, said Felix Kiehlneker. Germany was led by Caspar Vossenberg with 17 points and had 4 guys score in double figures and won the rebound battle again easily 61-32 with 20 offensive rebounds. Germany was 5-0 and now met Brazil in the semi-finals. Was any one going to stop them? Germany witnessed a tight scoring first half leading 51-50, but stepped it up in the third quarter exploding for 31 points and took it up another notch in the last frame with 39 points winning 121-98 “I think the game changer was in the third quarter where we were able to put our tempo at another level. We ran more something we didn´t do as well in the first half. I had a phase where I made 8 points in a row. Everyone contributed”, stated Felix Kiehlneker. Anderson and Edoka combined for 47 points as Anderson led all scorers with 26 points. “I had never played with Lucai before, but what impressed me the most was his ability to shoot the ball so well. He shot over 40% from outside. His extreme confidence in shooting the ball was amazing considering he was a year younger than us”, remembered Felix Kiehlneker. Germany won the rebound battle again 40-24, shot 42% from outside and only coughed up the ball 9 times.

Pic credit: photosbyKellz +Joshua Hoffmann

The final was a close battle against Slovenia. Germany led 46-38 at the break, but in the second half Slovenia led briefly until Germany got the lead back and never looked back despite winning the second half only 41-37. “I think that we wanted it more than they did. It was our mentality to fight until the end no matter if we were up by 50 points against Bahrian or 1 point against Slovenia. We always wanted to play with more energy than the opponent”, warned Felix Kiehlneker. Germany was led by Edoka with 17 points and had 4 guys score in double figures and won the rebound battle again 49-36. ”Our biggest strength at AST was our tempo. Nobody could stop us. We always pushed the ball so well and were a very strong offensive team that played very well together”, stated Felix Kiehlneker. After the win, coach Alan Ibrahimagic was greeted with a massive shower in the dressing room. There was a team dinner and then most guys were on their way home except for Anderson and Dopfer who left Sunday to travel back to the states. The German who lists player Alessanco Vazquez Dos Santos of Brazil and Turkish forward Darius Karatasu as the players that impressed him most during the tournament had a solid tournament averaging 6/7per game “It was an Ok tournament for me. My 1 point game took me down a bit. But I feel like averaging 6/7 was solid. I definitely have things that I can work on this summer”, said Felix Kiehlneker. He played against 5 different nations and against the best youth players on earth which helped his game make another step. “I think that I adjusted to play against the physicality and also was able to play with tempo and hold my own against the top quality of players”, added Felix Kiehlneker. It was the first time that he played for head coach Alan Ibrahimagic and was able to learn so much in such a short time. “Alan is a really good coach. He gave me total trust. He always gave positive feedback how I could improve my game. I remember in the game against Bahrain when I missed my first 2 shots, he told me to up my energy as it was down. Another valuable piece of advice that he gave me was not to dribble extra in the zone, but go up right away for the dunk”, remembered Felix Kiehlneker. It will be interesting to see where Felix Kiehlneker´s journey will go in the next few years. However for now he is totally focused on helping Orange Academy win the Pro B title and help Ulm reach the NBL Top 4 in Berlin.

pic credit: VGjosh

How cool must it be for a kid living in the States to come overseas and play internationally at the youth level? In Germany in the last years there have been guys who have had that opportunity like Sam Griesel who grew up in Nebraska, but has German roots won a Bronze at the 2020 U-20 European championships. But there have been other examples in the last years like the Anderson brothers with Christian and Lucai. Their dad Christian is German and played professionally for Bamberg and married an American woman. Christian has had an amazing track record for Germany since making his debut in 2022 at the U-16 Euro winning a Gold. He then won a Bronze at the U-18 Euro in 2023, then a Gold at the U-18 Euro in 2024 and a Bronze the same year at the Albert Schweitzer tournament and last year came up short losing to USA at the U-19 world Cup winning the silver. His younger brother Lucai helped Germany win the Gold at this years Albert Schweitzer tournament as did William Dopfer. Dopfer is a red head kid from Georgia who got to spend his Easter break in Germany and along the way pick up a Gold at AST and play against some of the worlds best U-18 junior players. But how exactly do his roots to Germany look like? “My whole family is from Germany including my parents. I have been in Germany a lot before. I was the first American born in my entire family including my ancestors. So when I was born, I was registered in Berlin and have dual citizenship. He must have had special stories to tell his classmates the week after? “Yes I did. It was great spending Easter in Germany. I didn´t go to church, but it was still awesome playing at AST. Playing against such elite competition and playing a very different style of basketball was very eye opening for me”, stressed Will Dopfer. It didn´t take him long to feel like home in Germany. “I liked how everyone spoke English. But actually how nice everyone was. Once I got to know everyone and started speaking to them, they opened up and were all really nice”, remembered Will Dopfer.

pic credit: I am Wosz

Germany played Bahrain first and used it as a warm up destroying the Asian team 116-59. Germany totally controlled the boards 55-31 and had 6 players score in double figures led by Lucai Anderson with 16 points. “It was key to have an easy win under our belt. It was our first game playing together, being able to knock the rust off and get a feel of each other in a game where we were the superior opponents was a confidence boost and also a learning period”, said Will Dopfer “Dusan Ilic had 12 points and gave great energy from the bench. Was his quickness or his motor most beneficial for the team? “Dusan was great. He played extremely hard, and that really helped us a ton. On the offensive end, being a point guard and able to play fast isn’t easy. He did a great job handling the ball and not turning the ball over while maintaining the speed and energy he plays with”, remembered Will Dopfer. Germany next faced Slovenia and had their toughest challenge of the tournament. Germany started slow and had to play catch up basketball for most of the game. Germany picked up the intensity in the fourth quarter at both ends and won it with the masterful game winner by Jamie Edoka. “We learned this wasn’t going to be easy, winning this whole thing. We knew there was a chance we could play them again. But in that game, we all came together and played for each other, which propelled us to the win. And if we did that again, we can definitely win this thing”, remembered Will Dopfer. Edoka closed out the game with a pretty step back jumper on the baseline where the basketball God let it bounce around on rim and back board before finally rolling in. “Jamie is a special player. He does a lot of things really well. He gets to his spot like no other. He plays with poise and confidence. He knows when he needs to take over, but also where the ball needs to be if someone is hot or there is a mismatch. His game winner was amazing, knowing we had come back from that deficit was a great feeling, and seeing that ball drop was the cherry on top. The nerves were there the whole 4th quarter, and as the ball went up, you could definitely feel the air get sucked out of the gym”, added Will Dopfer. Germany controlled the boards again 41-33 with 16 offensive rebounds and had 4 guys score in double figures. Lucai Anderson was top scorer with 16 points and nailed big three´s when Germany needed it in their come back. Caspar Vossenberg added 13 points and was one of those silent hero´s during the tournament stepping up in so many ways. “Caspar is relentless; he plays super hard and physical, which not a lot of people do. His excelling at that was a key factor in our success”, commented Will Dopfer.

Germany next faced Turkey where many Turkish fans showed up adding to a beautiful atmosphere. Germany was in control in the first half, but had a horrible third quarter being outscored 24-4, but retreated in the fourth quarter demonstrating that they can flip the switch at any time exploding for 29 points and winning easily 95-80. “I don´t remember but, we shot the ball really well. I think over 40% from 3 on quite a lot of attempts, which really helped us pull away”, said Will Dopfer. Germany once again dominated the boards 44-26 and offensive rebounds 20-8 and shot a potent 46% from outside. Germany was led by Lucai Anderson with 26 points and had 4 players in double figures. Fin Borczwanoski had a solid game of 13 points, but was in the shadow of Lucai Anderson´s brilliant scoring game. “Fin was an X factor for us. When Fin played good the team thrived. We was crucial for us, hitting tough shots, playing hard, and guarding”, expressed Will Dopfer. Germany then faced Sweden in the fourth game and won 91-56. After a tight first quarter, Germany then played consistent ball in the last 3 quarters averaging 22 points and allowing only 11 points on the way to a comfortable victory. Germany led by as much as 35 points and won the rebound duel 61-32. They also forced them to 6/37 shooting from outside. “ I remember how dominant we were. I didn’t play in that game so I was able to watch and nitpick everything. After the game I came into the locker room and said that we looked like the better team for all 40 minutes. In every other game there were stretches were we looked worse but against Sweden it was dominance for 40 minutes”, stressed Will Dopfer. Germany spread the love around with scoring once again totaling 5 players in double figures led by Edoka´s 15 points. Orange Academy big man Felix Kiehlneker had a great game of 12/13. “I remember how active Felix was for us. He is constantly working on both ends of the floor. He’s athletic, has great timing on shot blocking and crashes both sides of the glass”, commented Will Dopfer.The German domination continued against Japan winning 103-78. After a tight first quarter, Germany then exploded for 62 points in the second and third quarters paving the win. “ his win was another confidence boost heading into bracket play”, said Will Dopfer. Germany was led by Caspar Vossenberg with 17 points and had 4 guys score in double figures and won the rebound battle again easily 61-32 with 20 offensive rebounds

pic credit: Iamwosz

Germany was 5-0 and now met Brazil in the semi-finals. Was any one going to stop them? Germany witnessed a tight scoring first half leading 51-50, but stepped it up in the third quarter exploding for 31 points and took it up another notch in the last frame with 39 points winning 121-98 “ We decided we needed to be more physical; we were getting out-rebounded and they just out physicaled us the whole first half. At the break, we knew if we played harder and tougher, we could win this”, warned Will Dopfer. Anderson and Edoka combined for 47 points as Anderson led all scorers with 26 points. “Lucai is an effortless scorer and a brilliant shot maker. He scores like no other. He shoots the ball at a very high clip. Has a tight handle and is definitely a 3-level scorer”, warned Will Dopfer. Where would he rate Lucai´s play compared to his brother Christian´s play at that age? “I never watched Christian at Lucai’s age, but right now Lucai is bigger size-wise so that’s an advantage he has. But it will definitely be interesting to see how he pans out compared to Christian”, stressed Will Dopfer. Germany won the rebound battle again 40-24, shot 42% from outside and only coughed up the ball 9 times. The final was a close battle against Slovenia. Germany led 46-38 at the break, but in the second half Slovenia led briefly until Germany got the lead back and never looked back despite winning the second half only 41-37. “We just stuck together, if we turned on each other and started playing for ourselves, it wouldn´t go well. We knew if we played selflessly, looked for the best shot on offense, and played team defense, we will win”, remembered Will Dopfer. Hearing the buzzer to win the AST was definitely a very special moment. “I felt a lot of different emotions, happiness, completion, and hunger. It was just so cool to play for my country, and it was such a blessing to play there. It felt like my hard work paid off”, stated Will Dopfer. Germany was led by Edoka with 17 points and had 4 guys score in double figures and won the rebound battle again 49-36. ”Obviously, winning the whole tournament was the goal going in. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but if we all bought in, we knew we were very capable of winning. Our pace was our biggest strength in the tournament. We averaged over 95 points. Playing fast, it allowed us to really put the beating on our opponents. But you can’t play fast if you don’t rebound and play defense, so those definitely were big contributors to our pace as well”, stressed Will Dopfer. After the win, coach Alan Ibrahimagic was greeted with a massive shower in the dressing room. There was a team dinner and then most guys were on their way home except for Anderson and Dopfer who left Sunday to travel back to the states.

The German who lists player Alessanco Vazquez dos Santos of Brazil, Darius Karatasu of Turkey Maks Ciperle of Slovenia, and Kenichiro Benedict Of Japan as his toughest opponents at AST had a solid tournament averaging 6/3/1/1. “I feel like I impacted where I could. I definitely could’ve scored the ball better but my role was to bring energy and be the glue guy and I think I did that very well”, stressed Will Dopfer. Was it a tough adjustment coming from US high school ball and playing euro ball? “It was definitely an adjustment. The rules obviously are different here in HS vs out there. The travel rule was big for me, and the 24-second shot clock was fun to get used to”, said Will Dopfer. He played against 5 different nations and against the best youth players on earth. He did at both ends of the court. “I wouldn’t say my game grew as much but my IQ definitely did. I learned lots from the coaches and understanding how they play here. I did a great job showcasing my two way ability. guarding multiple positions, blocking shots and then scoring in transition on the other end”, added Will Dopfer. It was the first time that he played for head coach Alan Ibrahimagic and was able to learn so much in such a short time. “European coaches are very team oriented. and where as Americans are team focused but also very player oriented and 1 on1 compared to getting everyone involved. It was fun playing for coach Ibrahimagic. I always enjoy learning from different coaches, seeing what each one emphasizes and how they teach. he definitely helped a lot with IQ, teaching pick and roll reads and defensive decision making”, remembered Will Dopfer. There were so many great highlights during AST for Germany, but what about his favorite own plays? “My favorite personal game highlights was put back dunk, and then my hammer in the championship game”, stressed Will Dopfer. Dopfer has committed to Longwood and it will be interesting how his game grows at the next level. It will also be interested to see if Will Dopfer plays for Germany again. I definitely would love to see him compete again for Germany and I´m sure the German coaching staff will as well in the future.