2026 Fiba Masters Open Champion Moritz Wohlers Knew That There Was A Risk Of Losing But That Was Never An Option For Germany

Pic credit: Armin Cicic

Moritz Wohlers (203-PF-1984, college: MSUB) is an ex German professional player that enjoyed a stellar 17 year career that took him to Scotland for 2 seasons with the Scottish Rocks (United Kingdom-BBL) and the rest was in Germany. He played his rookie season in the easyCredit BBL with the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven and also played with teams like Wolfenbuettel, FC Bayern Munich, Munchen Basket and MTSV Friendsfactory Schwabing. He played the longest with TSV Oberaching for 8 years. He also spent some in the USA with Benton Cons High School,Lewis & Clark Community College (NJCAA), McKendree College (NAIA) and Montana State – Billings (NCAA2). He spoke to germanhoops.com after winning the Gold medal in the Fiba Masters Open.

Thanks Moritz for talking to germanhoops.com. You recently took part at the Fiba Masters Open. How did that come about?

We play regularly together at FC Bayern Munich, where we’ve now won three German championships in a row. When we heard about the inaugural FIBA Masters Open, it sounded like an excellent competition, so we decided to organize a team. Since this was the first time FIBA had officially hosted the event, we were motivated to become the tournament’s first-ever winners.

You retired 4 years ago. Do you still keep in shape? In what kind of shape did you go into the tournament?

We normally play here at Bayern once a week in a open gym format. It was started as an over 35 team and as we got older we moved once up to the above 40s. Besides playing trying to stay active with other sport activities. This could be regular fitness training, hiking, tennis, paddle or anything that comes around. Having played a similar event last year for the first time, we all knew that we needed to be in good shape. So there was a bit more training and intensity in order to prepare for that many full games in a short period of time.

The tournament was in Greece. Did it feel like a little vacation at the time?

It was a great tournament and we all needed to take vacation from our regular jobs, so there was a mix of competitive basketball and a vacation character as well. On the off day we visited highlights of Athens and of course had some fun together as well. But we also tried to be as professional as possible doing regenration practice, had a physio with us and even did some Yoga 😉

With guys 40 or over, how did Germany prepare for this tournament? How much can one prepare when guys are 40 or over?

The main core of the team plays together at FC Bayern but we also had some joining from other locations so we had really never played all together and needed to find together as a team quickly. I guess it helps that we are over 40 and all have a lot of experience in order to make it work. The other piece is of course to be in good shape to be ready for such a tournament.

The conditions were state of the art. Talk a little about how nice everything was? There was featuring wooden flooring, and air conditioning, Did it compare to first league conditions?

The courts were really nice and almost all locations had video streaming so that the families, friends and fans could follow our games. This was really nice for all that could not travel onsite. In general the gyms were really nice but I think now a days the first league conditions here in Germany have an even higher standard. With the high temperatures the air conditioning was of course helpful.

Talk a little about the competition. How good were the other countries in general and were there some notable players from back in the day?

The group phase started with a tough team from Greece and we managed to win by 4 points. As we needed to come together we knew that the first game will be a difficult one for us. In general the Group stage was a good start for us and for the semi final and final the competition level really peaked! Probably the most famous player was former NBA Player Nikoloz Tskitishvili who played for Georgia which we faced in the semi final. He was still a tough match up, but we managed to overcome them in a tough game.

Talk a little about your teammates. There were some known guys like Steffen Hamann, Dirk Madrich Daniel Lieneke Omari Knox and Daniel Dorr. What was it like playing with them? Were you ever teammates with any of them?

Some of them I know already for a long time. With Dirk I already played back in the day with the A2 National Team and for a long time I played for example against Omari and later together with him at Oberhaching. Overall the basketball World is very well connected and that is what it makes fun to play with these guys and there are connections in every direction that have grown over the years.

Who was in best basketball and physical shape between Hamann, Madrich Doerr and Lieneke?

It is not for me to single one out, If I would ask them they all would say themselves. But I think this also shows the competitiveness of this team: Everybody came prepared in good shape and that is of course a big factor for the team success. It also helped to prevent any injuires, whihc we did not have.

What was it like being teammates with 2005 Euro Silver medalist Steffen Hamann? He still seems to be in good shape isn´t he?

As our captain he was leading by example by not only being in good shape! We play together once a week and of course it is a lot of fun to play with a player like him where you can also benefit of his style and level of play.

How did you present your game? How content were you with your game?

We won gold, so I am happy! Of course I wanted to bring and deliver all I got to help the team win, and I was happy with my contribution. But since we all had one common goal it was not really important to look at one individual. We knew we have many options as a team and all only wanted to win and this spirit I was the most happy about.

What was the biggest challenge for a guy your age in this tournament besides the in shape aspect?

Having full games, also back to back, the recovery is probably even more important than ever. In order to balance this with the aspect that we are not professionals anymore is a tough task to manage, but we managed quiet well.

Germany won the final against Italy 69-66. How exciting was this game? Was there any doubt that Germany wouldn´t win this game?

It was a very close game and very physical one as well. We were leading a long time, had a little draw down in the 4th quarter, but kept fighting as a team. Making the important stops, getting the right options and making good decisions. The risk of losing was there, but was not an option for us.

Talk a little about the last play. Omari Knox made the last shot. How exciting was that play?

I think for everyone that has not seen the match, they should watch the last 1:30min. We were down by 3 when Omari got the steal and went for a fastbreak 3 and made it. Afterwards we played a good defense, secured the ball and then I knew Omari had the confidence to close this game. The way he scored the last 3 was crazy!

What was it like being teammates with Omari Knox? What have you always appreciated most about his game?

He is a very humble person, but can really take over games. Back in the day he was at times a one man show doing everything, so I was really happy that we got him onboard. With his level of play and basketball intelligence it is always a lot of fun to share the court with him.

What was your own personal favorite play on the court during the whole tournament?

I don´t think there was one play in particular. It was more the overall experience and how good we as a team worked together. It looks like we trained together for a long time and that was really the best feeling.

What does the Fiba Masters Open Gold Medal mean to you? Where do you rank it in your whole career?

I mean you have to put it into perspective: It is above the age of 40 competition, but who can call themselves World Champions? Of course it is different to playing when I was younger, but I am really happy that we achieved this success!

When you look back at this experience in 20 years, what will you remember most from it?

We created memories that will last: on the court and off the court even more! I think that is the beauty of a team sport of basketball and why we all love to play. Being together as a team, competing in a good competition, having fun, what can be better?

Do you think like you will take part in more of these kind of tournaments down the road?

I think this was not the last tournament we played in. I mean we saw other teams play in other ages categories and it was really fun to watch. It had a unique Basketball character where Basketball generations around the world came together, which was very enjoyable.

Who wins a 1-1 on the court in 2026, you or Daniel Doerr?

100% me – but Daniel probably has a different opinion.

Thanks Moritz for the chat.

Danny Egbe Takes Charge Again Leading Germany To 5th Place Beating Greece 85-77 At the 2026 U-16 Euro

Pic credit: FIBA

It was one more game for fifth place a do or die game for Germany, a game they wanted to win for their coach Dirk Bauermann as it was his last game for Germany, but also for themselves to give themselves real satisfaction for weeks and weeks of hard work that they had invested. However they knew that it wouldn´t be a cake walk against Greece who were also dreaming of a fifth place finish. Greece had a 3-3 record coming into the game and had beaten Slovenia earlier in the tournament and played eventual champion Latvia tough despite losing. Germany had finished fifth twice before at the Euro in 2012 and 2023 and did a third time beating Greece 85-77. It was a real battle as Germany led for the most part except for a short stint in the second quarter where Greece led. Germany mostly had the lead, but could never fully get away from Greece as they let them hang around, but in crunch-time Germany had the better nerves and execution to seal the big win. “We wanted to end the tournament with a win and reward ourselves. The guys did that impressively. Greece is a big basketball nation and to win 7 games in 9 days isn´t easy. We once again invested a lot being able to defend at a high level and moved the ball well on offense and played as a team. We deserved to win and had the best result for a German U.16 team with fifth place”, stressed Frankfurt Skyliners U-16 head coach Lukas Scherer. Just like against the game against Romania a day earlier, Germany set the tone right form the tip off gaining the early momentum and snuck out on a rapid 11-2 lead. In the run, Germany spread the love around instantly as all 5 players scored. Elija Pohlack of Alba Berlin began with a pull up jumper, followed by a Danny Egbe (197-G-2010) (Hamburg) lay in, Johan Meinberg of Hamburg added 3 points as his forceful play inside flourished again, Marko Volf connected on a free throw while Oliver Papez had his usual calmness stroking home a trey. Defensively Germany found a defensive rhythm quickly forcing 2 turnovers with aggressive on ball defensive while Meinberg was a rock inside. But that basketball is a game of runs was proved once again as Greece shocked Germany with 7 unanswered points from 204cm forward Ioannis Spanos of the DEKA U18 team. He exposed his fine game with 2 drives and a pretty floater as Germany couldn´t handle him well. Suddenly Greece trailed only 11-9 with 4,00 minutes to play. Both teams punched back as Germany began with a 5-0 run to lead 16-9 as Papez was Mr reliable again with a trey and Egbe followed with a drive lay in. Greece countered again following with a 6-0 run as Angelos Sasloglou hit a trey and Haralambos Christodoulou of Olympiacos Piraeus took advantage of a Germany turnover with a transition bucket to trail 16-15. Jaroslaw Zinn of Frankfurt added a lay in to give Germany the 18-15 advantage after 10 minutes. It was a usual first quarter where both teams had had runs and both were at eye level.

In the second quarter both teams raised their scoring another notch combining for 48 points, but Germany had the slight edge 44-39 at half-time. Greece fought hard and had the lead twice in the first 5 minutes of the second quarter and began with a slick 8-2 run to lead 23-20. Andreas Barlos who logged 32 minutes off the bench added 5 points including a trey while Angelos Sasloglou added 3 points in the run. Greece was aggressive at both ends and capitalized on 1 Germany turnover. However Germany didn´t let that Greece burst of energy detour their game as they stayed calm and added 7 points to lead 27-25. Johan Meinberg showed his scoring in bunches again with 4 points in the paint while Pohlack erased his turnover earlier with a three point shot. It was a game where both teams were fighting for that fifth place status. Greece was a real hard cookie to crack as they just kept bouncing back and executing and retained the lead once more at 25-24, but after that Germany got the lead back at 33-31 as Egbe continued to find his three point range and Ulm´s Marko Volf used his massive quickness to always find ways to score easily with his drive. Yorgos Monama made a lay in, Stavros Kapsalis a lay in and Eleftherios Adamopoulos a lay in. Greece attacked the German zone fiercely and kept finding cracks and their execution was spot on to stay close. Germany wouldn´t trail again as they closed out the second quarter with the upperhand controlling the lead. Volf continued to dazzle with his pretty game making a floater while Meinberg continued to be unstoppable making a drive lay in for the 37-31 advantage. Greece always had answers to stay on Germany´s tail as Athanasios Spanoulis the son of Greek legend Vassilis made a trey to trail 37-34. However Germany had no offensive let downs, but always had an answer when Greece threatened. Papez made a pretty reverse lay up while Egbe like in so many other games had the hot hand and nerves dropping another trey as Germany had the slight 5 point lead at the break.

Greece won the third quarter 21-20, but couldn´t get over the hump as Germany stayed strong never relinquishing the lead as they led 64-60 after 30 minutes. Germany got instant support and energy from Danny Egbe to start the second half as he made a lay in and offensive rebound and putback. He was such an instrumental force in these last 2 games as he had 42 points in the last being so vital for the German success. “Danny had a lot of ups and downs this summer. But he never hung his head and showed a lot of moral and was rewarded. The last games showed just how good he is and how much potential he has. Everyone knows he can score, but vital was that he can be an impact and dominate at both ends of the court. He showed that and helped us. But everyone is a part of the success, even the 13th and 14th players and 15th who didn´t make the cut this summer. This team was so good and so close together and were the reason why we were so successful”, warned Lukas Scherer. Greece kept attacking and fighting and got close again with a Haralambos Christodoulou lay in to trail 48-45. Two Marios Karavasilis free throws brought Greece to 50-49, but Germany always had an answer as Justus Reintjes who had been quiet this game connected on a trey and Meinberg scored inside again as Germany led 57-49. Germany continued pouring on the offensive power as Lino Ohr of the HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim scored 4 points for Germany to lead 64-54 as it seemed like Germany was going to pull away. But Greece stayed alert and strong and ended the third quarter with a 6-0 run to trail only by 4 points. Andreas Barlos made a lay in and Athanasios Spanoulis hit another clutch trey to keep Greece close.

It was a nail bitter of a game and 10 minutes left and now it was all about who wanted it more. head coach Dirk Bauermann had the correct words before the start of the fourth quarter as his boys jumped all over Greece with a lethal 9-2 run to lead 73-62 and Germany would never look back even if Greece would get dangerously close one more time to trail only by 3 points down the stretch. In the run, Germany again showed their penetration strength getting lay in´s from Volf, Meinberg and Reintjes while Egbe again hit a big trey as he shot 75% from down town in the game. Any other team could of laid down and died, but not Greece as they never stopped fighting. They got key baskets from Spanos and Monama to trail 75-69 and stay on Germany´s heels with 5,16 to play. But Germany continued to be efficient and again had an answer as Schenk scored in the paint and Germany led 77-69. Crunch-time was arriving and Greece gave their last bit of energy as Monama added 5 points including a trey as Greece trailed only 77-74 with 2,37 to play. Germany missed 2 free throws and might have showed a few nerves in this phase. Greece were extra alert on the boards with an offensive rebound and defended for the whole shot clock. Germany then got 4 free throws in a row with 3 from Egbe and 1 from Meinberg for the 81-74 advantage with 1,06 to play. Barlos then hit a clutch trey for Greece to trail 81-77 with 52 seconds to play. Germany then stayed cool and got Ohr free throws and a Schenk transition basket to close out the win and 5th place finish. “Our crunch time results had distinguished us the whole tournament. We always stuck together and kept going and defended well at the end as a team. It is great that the guys could reward themselves for their performance and go home with a win”, stated Lukas Scherer. Germany was led by Danny Egbe with 22 points and Johan Meinberg had 14 points while Greece was led by Ioannis Spanos with 16 points and Andreas Barlos had 13 points. Germany shot 46% from the field and 35% from outside and had 45 rebounds and 17 turnovers. Greece shot 36% from the field and 30% from outside and had 41 rebounds and 15 turnovers. Dirk Bauermann ended his time as German U-16 coach and now heads to Greece to coach club basketball again. Did he get a shower in the dressing room? “Coach let Linus Ohr give him the shower who decided the game at the end with 2 important free throws. But he already had gotten a shower from one or the another guys before that. Of course everyone will say their farewells to coach in one way or the other. One can´t say enough how thankful we all are for how much he has done for the German basketball. I´m also really grateful that I could work with him the last 4 years. We all wish him the best in Patras”, said Lukas Scherer.

Danny Egbe Leads Germany To Easy 79-52 Victory Against Romania Keeping Their Chances For 5th Place Alive

Pic credit: FIBA

After a tough 82-75 defeat to Lithuania in the quarterfinal game where Germany ran out of gas in crunch-time, the guys led by head coach Dirk Bauermann now had their goal of finishing in fifth place. Germany now had to deal with dangerous team Romania who came into their game having been destroyed by France 108-69. They had a 2-3 record coming in, but had shown extreme nerves beating Serbia 75-73 and getting by Turkey 71-62. Germany had to be awake for 40 minutes if they wanted to come away with a victory. Germany had a lightening start and took that momentum early and rode with it for 40 minutes easily disposing of Romania 79-52 setting up a do or die game against Greece tomorrow for 5th place. “We were very concentrated and played with much energy for 40 minutes. We built the foundation for the win with our defense. We did a good job finishing the game strong”, stressed Frankfurt Skyliners JBBL U-16 coach Lukas Scherer. Germany had an incredible start scoring the first 11 points of the first quarter and led 18-11 after 10 minutes. In the run, Germany was bolstered by Johan Meinberg of Hamburg with 4 points as he took control in the zone while Ulm´s Justus Reintjes and Lukas Schmidt of Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg were aggressive attacking the rim while Marko Volf of Ulm also dropped a trey. Germany was sharing the ball well and defensively were aggressive forcing two turnovers and Meinberg had the first of six blocks on the afternoon. “The 11-0 start was extreme important for us. We were ready from the first second and brought energy and were able to mentally get control of the game early. That gave us a lot of security for the rest of the game”, added Lukas Scherer. Luca-Andrei Dogaru of BC CSU Sibiu 2nd team (Liga I) got Romania´s first points of the game with a lay up at the 5,15 minute mark. Germany kept being aggressive getting a lay in from Volf and Lino Schenk of Hamburg connected on free throws while Hamburg teammate Danny Egbe (197-G-2010) got his first points with a trey. Romania had found their offensive rhythm and got lay in´s from Radu-Ioan Dusan of CS SCM Timisoara U18 team and from Eric Craciun of ACS Dan Dacian Bucharesti U16 team, but trailed by 7 points after 10 minutes.

In the second quarter Germany continued to be consistent in scoring while defending solidly and were rewarded with the overwhelming 41-24 advantage at half-time. Romania actually had the better start in the first few minutes going on a 11-7 run to trail only 25-22 at the 5,36 minute mark. Germany nailed early three´s from Oliver Papez from Bonn and Reintjes of Ulm, but that didn´t faze Romania as they punched back as they received major support from George-Mircea Ciurea of U-Banca Transilvania Cluj Napoca II (Liga I) who added 7 points showing his 3 level scoring with a trey, lay in and mid distance jumper. But Germany took a time out and then demonstrated that basketball is a game of runs closing out the first half with a lethal 16-2 run. In the run Germany was led by Danny Egbe who supplied 7 points. Germany continued to attack the rim getting lay in´s from Berin Nurkic of FC Bayern Munich and Elija Pohlack of Alba Berlin while Meinberg was very efficient adding 4 points. He would finish the day shooting a potent 5/7 from the field and adding a double double. Germany stepped up their defense and Meinberg was a real force controlling the pain area as if it were his own living room. He added another block and also hauled down an offensive rebound.

Germany continued to manage the game well in the third quarter and won their third quarter in a row 19-16 and, because of that Romania was unable to make any ground and trailed 60-40 after 30 minutes. The momentum and defensive mindset of the last minutes of the second quarter carried over into the third quarter as Germany began with a mini 4-0 run as Pohlack and Volf steals led to transition buckets by them and the 45-24 advantage. Viktor-Jozsef Balogh of CS Municipal LPS Oradea 2nd team (Liga I) stopped the run, but Germany was keen on punching right back and did responding with a lethal 9-0 run to up their lead to 52-27 with 5,22 to play in the third quarter. In the run, Germany was led by Meinberg who added 4 points while Egbe hit 3 consecutive free throws while Pohlack made a lay in. Germany defended the three point line well and Meinberg was a wall inside swatting away another ball. Romania closed out the third quarter solidly with a 13-8 run. They did a good job attacking the rim and got easy lay in´s from Robert-Andrei Vladeanu of ACS Stomart Iasi U18 team, as well from Viktor-Jozsef Balogh and from Alexandru-Stefan Hategan from U-Banca Transilvania Cluj Napoca II (Liga I), Germany could of totally decided the game in this phase with more stops, but they still led comfortably by 20 points with 10 minutes to play.

In the fourth quarter there were no massive let downs by Germany as they won the quarter 19-12 setting a date with Greece. Both teams traded buckets in the first minutes as Germany got a trey from Papez and 4 points by Nurkic with a lay in and jump shot as he finished with 6 points in 13 minutes. Romania got input from Rashard Prodan from Dolomiti Energia Trentino U18 team and from Andrei Vomir-Bizo, but couldn´t make any ground as they trailed 67-44. Romania had a long trek up the hill, but still had a little energy left and went on a 8-0 run to trail 69-52 with 6,06 to play. Romania let it rain three´s in the run by Eric Craciun and George-Mircea Ciurea and Dirk Bauerman called a time out. The time out did wonders as Romania wouldn´t score again in the game as Germany slammed the door shut with a 10-0 run. In the run, Germany was led by Schenk with 4 points while Egbe had the range on this day dropping his third three of the day and Jaroslaw Zinn of Frankfurt made a lay in with 0,19 seconds to play. Lino Schenk was instrumental in the run giving strong support on the boards as he hauled down 4 rebounds with 2 offensive rebounds in the run. “We had a really good defensive game plan today and the guys executed it well. We wanted to take their 2 best players out of the game from the start and did that. Justus Reintjes did a great job, but also got good support from the rest. We played really good team defense”, stated Lukas Scherer. Germany was led by Danny Egbe with 20 points while Johan Meinberg added a 13/10 game while Romania was led by from George-Mircea Ciurea with 11 points. Germany shot 42% from the field and 25% from outside and had 46 rebounds and 11 turnovers while Romania shot a miserable 29% from the field and 16% from outside and had 46 rebounds and 18 turnovers. “This will be a special game for us since it will be Dirk Bauermann´s last game. We want to end the tournament with a win. Only two other U-16 teams have done that and that is the best result of a u-16 German team. We want to once again invest everything and play with even more energy and intensity. If we do that, then we will have a good chance to win”, warned Lukas Scherer.

French Baby Jokic Jakob Milling´s(Mulhouse Basket Agglomeration) 4 Year USA Stay Made Him More Aggressive And A Better Communicator

Jakob Milling (203-G-2003, college: MSUB) is a French 203cm forward playing his first season with Mulhouse Basket Agglomeration (NM1). He got early experience in his homeland with Limoges CSP U21 (ProA U21): 8 and Hyeres-Toulon Var Basket (NM2). He then went to USA and played 2 seasons with San Diego Miramar College (JUCO) averaging 8.4ppg, 9.9rpg, 2.5apg, FGP: 38.1%, 3PT: 30.0%, FT: 73.5% and 15.7ppg, 12.2rpg, 2.9apg, FGP: 48.8%, 3PT: 31.7%, FT: 74.5%. He then played a season at Sonoma State University (NCAA2) averaging 10.8ppg, 5.9rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 47.2%, 3PT: 30.9%, FT: 73.0% and finished at Montana State University Billings (NCAA2) averaging 8.5ppg, 5.7rpg, 1.8apg, 1.1spg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 40.6%, 3PT: 27.4%, FT: 61.1%. He spoke to germanhoops.com before a test game in Germany against the EPG Baskets Koblenz.

Thanks Jacob for talking to germanhoops.com Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life treating you?

I am in Mulhouse right now going through preseason training and as of right now I couldn’t be happier with my basketball life. I am living the dream I have been chasing all my life and I couldn’t have any complaints about it.

You are a French player playing for Mulhouse Basket Agglomeration (NM1). After 4 years in the States, how are you a different and better players then before that?

Before going to the States, I was developed to play basketball the true European way which is with a lot of passes and always looking for the extra pass and trying to play the right way. When I got to JUCO, I quickly learned that if I’m not more selfish, I’m not going to be able to get on the floor as much. So I am more aggressive offensively than before and I also think my communication on both sides of the floor is better because that was a big emphasis from my coaches.

Your playing a test game in Germany against the EPG Baskets Koblenz. How have you followed German basketball the last years? Are you aware that they are defending World and Euro winners?

I haven’t followed German basketball at all before and I honestly didn’t know anything about Koblenz but I am excited to play a team with such a good reputation and history. For my first game back in Europe, this is a perfect matchup in my opinion.

What were the main reasons for joining for Mulhouse Basket Agglomeration (NM1). What was so special about this organization?

I joined Mulhouse because of the reputation they have in NM1 as a winning club and also I used to play for Frank Kuhn when I was in high school and I know that he is a great coach and will get the best out of me. I love the feeling of family that this club has within the team and the organization as well.

How did the talks go with head coach Frank Kuhn? What did you appreciate most about his basketball philosophy?

The talks with Frank Kuhn went great, like I said I have known him for years and it felt good to reconnect with him. We have very similar basketball philosophies when it comes to proving yourself no matter your past seasons. With Frank, it doesn’t matter who you are, you have to perform to be able to get on the court and that means everyone has a chance to prove themselves.

Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 203cm forward. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would bets fit the description?

With my teammates in the USA, they have told me baby Jokic because I play at my own pace and I am good at finding passing angles. I am also capable of hitting the tough shots Jokic sometimes shoots because I shoot with the ball over my head so you can’t really block my shot either.

You’re a good offensive player that can do many things. Talk about your offensive game and it´s strengths?

I think the best thing I provide offensively is my versatility. I am able to play multiple positions and also I’m very adaptable depending on what role is needed at the time. I can become the guy who scores or the glue guy at any time during the game.

Your three pointer is still a work in progress. How do you see the development there and what are your main goals with your shot this season?

I am confident in my three point shot, I just have to be more consistent. The more game like reps I get in the better it will be. My biggest problem with my shot in my opinion is my balance and I am currently working on it.

Your also a very solid defender. Talk about your defensive game. What kind of a defender are you at the moment and what kind of defender do you still want to become?

I would say my defensive game is similar to my offensive game in the versatility aspect. I can guard almost anywhere on the court and I want to become better at guarding guards. I am pretty good defending on the inside because I use my speed as an advantage but with guards I still sometimes have trouble keeping up with their speed.

On what areas of your game are you working on most at the moment so you can continue to grow as a player?

Consistency and physicality are the two main things I work on, Getting more consistent at making my shots is something I been working on for a while now and playing against bigger and stronger guys now means that my physicality has to get better as well.

You played 2 seasons with San Diego Miramar College (JUCO) averaging 8.4ppg, 9.9rpg, 2.5apg, FGP: 38.1%, 3PT: 30.0%, FT: 73.5% and 15.7ppg, 12.2rpg, 2.9apg, FGP: 48.8%, 3PT: 31.7%, FT: 74.5%. Every player that I have interviewed that have played JUCO have reported that JUCO was a grind but an experience that they wouldn´t have traded the world for. How was it with you?

I am extremely grateful to have gone through the JUCO route. It taught me a sense of grind and work ethic like nothing I could’ve imagined. If you can make it though the JUCO grind, you can make it through anywhere.

How valuable was head coach Nick Gehler in your development in JUCO? You made big strides in your game those 2 years?

Coach Gehler was big in finding my confidence in my game from the start of my experience. He was always there to push me to be the best version of me every day and I still talk to him regularly and still has a big impact on me to this day

You then played a season at Sonoma State University (NCAA2) averaging 10.8ppg, 5.9rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 47.2%, 3PT: 30.9%, FT: 73.0%. How vital was head coach Rich Shayewitz for your development? What strides did you make under him?

Playing under coach Shayewitz was unique. Our sports program went through something unique so it had an effect on all of us. At Sonoma State, I would say I learned to truly trust in my instincts and do anything possible to win.

You then finished with Montana State University Billings (NCAA2) averaging 8.5ppg, 5.7rpg, 1.8apg, 1.1spg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 40.6%, 3PT: 27.4%, FT: 61.1%. What could you take from this season?

This was a great season. For me personally, it wasn’t the best stat wise, but I filled my role as a glue guy on that team to the best ability as I can. I had so much fun playing at MSUB and wouldn’t trade that year for anything.

How did head coach Luke Fennelly groom and prepare you best for a professional career?

Coach Fennelly has sent a lot of players in his program to a professional career so he taught me how to be more physical than before and also improve my decision making speed as well.

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Jonas la Tour?

I don’t think I lost once against Jonas lol. He is a very good player and an even better person off the court but in 1-1 he couldn’t do anything against me.

Who is the toughest player that you ever faced in the NCAA that reached the NBA?

I didn’t play against him in an official game but I played against Jaylen Wells who is an incredible defender and his shot making that day was something I have never seen before. I knew from that day that he would make an impact in the NBA.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Damien Miller, Cam Barry, Alex Mirhosseini, James Nobles, and Mason Landdeck

Please list your personal NBA Mount Rushmore?

Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem and Dirk Nowitzki

Who is your GOAT?

Kobe Bryant had such an impact on me growing up and it was also easy to pick him because my older brother was a Celtics fan.

Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn´t they have left it alone?

No I haven’t seen it and that probably means they should’ve left it alone lol

Thanks Jakob for the chat

Germany Isn’t Rewarded With Furious Comeback as Lithuania Hold On To Win 82-75 To Reach Semis at 2026 U-16 Euro

pic credit: FIBA

Lithuania came into the 2026 U-16 Euro unbeaten with an immaculate 4-0 record. They disposed of Serbia by 16 points and Poland by 16 points while beating Romania and Italy by 8 points a piece. They were a potent offensive team averaging 83 points per game. Germany definitely had no cake walk ahead of them after winning a real nail bitter against Israel in the round of 16. Germany had to find a way to slow down their shooters while trying to be the more aggressive and physical team on the boards. Germany gave a good fight, but allowed Lithuania to control the game from the second quarter until the middle part of the fourth quarter. Germany then made a big comeback, but lost steam in the last two minutes losing 82-75. “Despite the loss, I am very proud of how the team played”, stressed Frankfurt Skyliners JBBL head coach Lukas Scherer. Germany knew that this quarterfinal game wouldn´t be easy and they got off to that desired start giving the word inside out a new definition. They got their 3 ball going getting three´s from Ulm guards Justus Reintjes and Marko Volf while also getting Hamburg´s big man Johan Meinberg involved as Germany had to take advantage of his height advantage down low leading 10-5. However Lithuania also got their offense going getting buckets from Zalgiris Kaunas guard Danielius Jasikevicius (178-G-2010) who is the son of legend Sarunas. The 178cm guard added 7 points keeping Lithuania in striking distance as Germany led 12-10. His aggressive play led to a drive and pretty floater for his team. Lithuania remained aggressive and took the 15-14 lead as they had done a good job getting to the free throw line as 8 of their 15 points were free points. It wasn´t only Jasikevicius who could score in bunches but so could Lukas Andrulis of Siauliu KA Saule ASKA U16 team who scored 7 consecutive points foiling Germany with a trey and lay in for the 17-14 lead as Lithuania had gotten their first momentum of the game. Germany stayed on Lithuania´s tail getting a pretty floater from Reintjes to trail 17-16 with 2,01 to play. Andrulis continued to be a thorn in Germany´s side as he scored his 9th point in a row for the 19-16 advantage. But Germany continued to pressure Lithuania with their slick guard play as Volf added a jumper to trail 19-18. Arnas Ramanauskas of V.Knasiaus KM Klaipeda added a clutch trey with 9 seconds to play as Lithuania led 23-18 after 10 minutes. Lithuania shot 46% from the field and 40% from outside and had 10 rebounds and 2 turnovers while Germany shot 41% from the field and 25% from outside and had 7 rebounds and 2 turnovers.

In the second quarter Lithuania kept up their precise offensive execution keeping Germany guessing as their inside out game was fluid as Rapolas Klisauskas of Sostines KM Vilniaus finished nicely while Andrulis kept his scoring rampage alive with another trey while Jasikevicius made a free throw for the 29-22 Lithuanian lead. Elvinas Bajus of Sostines KM Vilniaus added free throws and Jasikevicius made a lay in as Lithuania had totally broken open the game with the 33-22 advantage as Germany took a time out at the 5,59 minute mark. Lithuania continued to make smart decisions on offense and got great support from their bench while Germany didn´t move the ball well and had problems on the glass securing defensive rebounds. However after the time out, Germany´s shots continued not to fall and Lithuania punished them with a Jonas Birzinis of Sostines KM Vilniaus lay in and Jasikevicius hit a trey for the commanding 38-22 advantage. Volf stopped the run with free throws, but Lithuania always had an answer and punched back with 5 consecutive points as Kostas Korsakovas of Vilniaus Rytas-MRU hit a trey while Jasikevicius made a lay in for the 43-23 advantage. Lithuania continued to have so many weapons especially from the bench which Germany couldn´t present yet in the game. Germany couldn´t muster much but did get some free throws from Lino Schenk of Hamburg and a lay in by Reintjes to trail 43-27. Lithuania closed out the first quarter strong getting a lay in from Korsakovas and free throws from Klisauskas for the 46-29 half time lead. Even if Lino Schnek delivered a thunderous dunk, all in all Germany was too harmless at both ends and were getting hammered on the boards. Plus Meinberg had been hit with 3 fouls and played only 6,53 which hurt Germany´s play on the glass. “His foul trouble was bitter. He had dominated, but Linus Schenk played very well and had a big part in our strong moral performance”, stated Lukas Scherer. Lithuania shot 43% from the field and 41% from the three point line and had 24 rebounds and 4 turnovers while Germany shot 36% from the field and 16% from the three point line and had 11 rebounds and 6 turnovers.

In the third quarter Lithuania continued to manage the lead well and led 66-48 after 30 minutes. Germany came out refreshed getting a lay in from Elija Pohlack of Alba Berlin, but couldn´t contain Lithuania and string along a row of stops as their offensive machine continued to execute well. Lithuania received a lay in from Raigardas Ciunys of Rytas Vilnius and a three point play by Adas Kernagis of Vilkaviskio Perlas (NKL) to lead 51-32. Germany executed here and there getting baskets from their guard duo of Volf and Pohlack and a trey from Papez to trail 51-39, but they just couldn´t get over the hump. Germany couldn´t execute that big run to get back into the game, but instead gave up a 8-2 run to trail 59-41. In the run, Lithuania got 4 points from Ciunys and a lay in from Andrulis while Jasikevicius hit free throws. Lithuania punished Germany time in and time out again with their penetration which Germany had no solution for. Both teams traded baskets until the end as Danny Egbe of Hamburg added 5 points and Berin Nurkic of FC Bayern Munich added a floater while Lithuania got production from Klisauskas and a trey from the top of the key from Andrulis as Lithuania led comfortably 66-48 after 30 minutes. Lithuania shot 42% from the field and 31% from the parking lot and had 34 rebounds and 8 turnovers while Germany shot 40% from the field and 25% from the parking lot and had 20 rebounds and 12 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter Germany began spirited going on a 10-5 run led by Johan Meinberg who had been hampered with foul trouble, but showed just how lethal he can be as he added 7 points dominating the paint and added a dime to Lukas Schmidt f Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg who drilled home a trey as Germany trailed 72-58. Lithuania took a time out at 6,25, but that didn´t faze Germany as now their big run was finally alive. They continued their offensive romp after the time out rattling off 5 points off in a row as Justus Reintjes showed his scoring in bunches talent. Germany´s intensity had risen at both ends and suddenly Germany trailed only 72-63. Germany defended more aggressively and got more confidence stringing along stop after stop. The pressure was getting to Lithuania as Korsakovas missed 2 free throws and Reintjes continued his offensive rout with 2 free throws as Germany was chipping away play by play and trailed 72-64 with 5,25 to play and Germany had the momentum. The Volf and Reintjes show continued as Volf did good of his turnover getting a steal and dishing to Reintjes for the next trey as Germany trailed 72-67 with 4,13 to play. The incredible Germany come back continued as Pohlack made a steal which led to a Volf transition bucket 72-69 with 3,45 to play. Lithuania couldn´t come to terms with Germany´s aggressive defense and made the next turnover which led to a Schenk dunk as Germany trailed 72-71 with 3,05 to play. “Once again the guys showed incredible moral fighting back. I´m sure everyone out there didn´t believe in us, but we all knew we had a chance to come back. The loss hurts so much more now since we didn´t get the win”, said Lukas Scherer. After more than 4,00 minutes of no points, Ignas Martinkus of BC Telsiai (Lithuania-NKL) finally made free throws for the 74-71 advantage with 3 minutes to play. Raigardas Ciunys then made a clutch trey with 2,35 to play as Lithuania led 77-72 as Germany took a time out. However Germany wouldn´t be rewarded with their comeback as Lithuania kept their cool in crunch-time and buckled down on defense to force 2 airballs and a turnover. Free throws by Martinkus and Ciunys secured the 82-75 win. “Unfortunately the momentum didn´t go in our direction. I was sure that we would turn the game down 1 point. We couldn´t get the momentum back, because when we made a mistake, they capitualized on it and we got unneeded fouls called against us. They got nervous at the end and we had a chance for the semi-final, but in games like this, it is the little things that decide the game and today the little things didn´t go well for us. But tomorrow we will concentrate on 5th place and in 2 weeks, we will all be proud of our performance”, warned Lukas Scherer. Lithuanian was led by Danielius Jasikevicius and Lukas Andrulis with 17 points a piece while Germany was led by Marko Volf and Justus Reintjes with 16 points a piece. Lithuania shot 41% from the field and 33% from outside and had 45 rebounds and 18 turnovers while Germany shot 42% form the field and 30% from outside and had 29 rebounds and 15 turnovers.

Germany Stop Last Israeli Possession Staying Alive To Win 78-75 And Gain A Quarterfinal Ticket Against Lithuania At U-16 Euro

Pic credit FIBA

After a day of rest, recuperation and preparation for the next opponent, Germany was back at it facing Israel in the round of 16. Germany entered the game having had a 1-2 record losing badly to Slovenia and France while Israel came into the match with a 2-1 record. Israel had disposed of Georgia easily while winning a nail bitter over Greece and then got crushed by Spain 101-62. Germany led for most parts of the game, but could never shake Israel and had to watch the game come down to a last possession, but they stayed strong getting the stop and 78-75 victory over Israel to reach a quarterfinal clash against Lithuania. “This was an unbelievable important and big win for us. We have been working for this goal the last 7 weeks and the boys really worked hard for the win. It was a deserving win and I´m really proud of the team”, stressed Frankfurt Skyliner JBBL (U-16) coach Lukas Scherer. After sustaining some really poor starts, Germany didn´t let that happen this time against Israel as they exploded for a 9-0 run to start. Germany´s three point percentage had been terrible in the first games, but they let it rain three´s right away with two from Bonn guard Oliver Papez and one form Hakro Merlins Crailsheim guard Linus Ohr. Big Man Johan Meinberg was a rock under the basket getting the defensive rebounds off the first two misses of Israel. Marko Volf (185-PG-2009) who had missed the last game hit his first jump shot as Germany led 11-1. Israel then called a time out at the 7.11 minute mark. However that things can go so fast in basketball is no secret as the next time out came at the 5,03 minute mark by Germany as Israel suddenly had punched back scoring 11 unanswered points to trail 15-11. In the run Israel was carried by David Rotem of Maccabi Tel Aviv who added 8 points including 2 three´s. Maor Sela of Hapoel Tel Aviv also added a lay in on transition as the game had become an even affair. After the time out Germany still wasn´t able to get Rotem under control as he scored his 10th point on a jump shot. Germany finally ended the 13-0 Israeli run as Marko Volf got going scoring 6 points and giving Germany the 23-16 lead. Volf is so important for Germany as he is the leader and a player that just lives by carrying his team in crucial situations. However Israel didn´t let loose, If Germany had their Marko Volf, then they had their David Rotem. He was on fire and connected on two more three´s to have 16 points on 6/7 shooting as Germany led only 23-21. Israel also got good support from Itay Kedem of Maccabi Tel Aviv who scored twice to keep Israel close traling 24-23 in a very high scoring first quarter. Germany kept attacking getting a lay in from Hamburg´s Danny Egbe and a trey from Ulm´s Justus Reintjes as Germany led 29-25. Germany shot an incredible 66% from the field and 57% from outside and had 7 rebounds and 3 turnovers while Israel shot 67% form the field and 50% from outside and had 7 rebounds and 4 turnovers.

In the second quarter both teams continued to execute well, but Germany had the slim 45-40 lead at half time.. Volf continued to be aggressive and scored on transition after making a steal and made two free throws while Meinberg also scored being 2/2 in the game from the field. His scoring game continues to suffer with the German guard attack doing a big part of the scoring. Israel got buckets from Kedem and a trey from Omer Zvi of Maccabi Tel Aviv to stay on Germany´s back door trailing 34-30. Israel continued to chip away and got huge support from their bench as Yanai Lachmanovich of Hapoel Emek Hefer gave the team great energy with 2 steals and transition baskets that gave them the 35-34 advantage and Germany took a time out at the 5,02 minute mark. The game in the last minutes continued to be a tight affair as Israel had the slim 38-37 advantage as Yanai Lachmanovich had the hot hand and carried his team. Germany was defending solidly, but having difficulty on the offensive execution as good looks and misses and missed free throws kept them from taking the lead. The game was tight and it was time for Marko Volf to step up as he added 3 points and Meinberg continued to be super efficient scoring in the paint and Reintjes ended the first half with a steal and transition basket for the 45-40 Germany lead. Germany shot 61% from the field and 40% from the three point line and had 15 rebounds and 8 turnovers while Israel shot 47% from the field and 33% from the three point line and had 15 rebounds and 8 turnovers.

In the third quarter Germany was able to keep the lead as whenever Israel scored, Germany was able to punch back. Germany began very well continuing to keep Johan Meinberg involved in the paint with touches. He continued to make buckets as his teammates found him for two easy lay in´s. Germany continued to mix it up well keeping their guard terror in tact as Papez and Volf scored to keep Germany up with the comfortable 60-50 advantage. Israel had to play catch up basketball and Germany did a good job keeping David Rotem in check. He had only mustered 2 points since his 16 points in the first quarter. Israel couldn´t muster much offense as Yanai Lachmanovich was the only real bright spot scoring 4 points and keeping Israel from not totally losing control of the game. Israel also got baskets from Ilay Serruya from Maccabi tel Aviv and Ido Ziv from Maccabi Tel Aviv, but trailed 60-53 with 3,16 to play in the third quarter. Israel continued to be aggressive at both ends and kept fighting not allowing Germany to get away and decide the game early. Down the stretch, Israel got good support from Lachmanovich and Kedem with lay in´s as Germany led 65-59 after 30 minutes. Germany shot 58% from the field and only 28% from the parking lot as shots weren´t falling as well anymore and had 28 rebounds and 13 turnovers while Israel shot 42% from the field and 27% from the parking lot and had 23 rebounds and 9 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter Germany didn´t waste anytime jumping all over Israel starting with a 7-0 run to lead 71-59. Instrumental in the run was Jaroslaw Zinn of Frankfurt steering 5 points. After scoring 9 points in the first game against Belgium, he hadn´t been a factor in the last 2 games, so getting this incredible push from the bench from him must have had Dirk Bauermann smiling on the bench. “I´m really proud of him. Of course I spoke a lot with him since his situation isn´t that easy. I always told him to stay ready, because he could become very important for us. In a tournament like this, you need everyone. What really stands out for him is that he is never shy of big moments and is a big competitor. When we needed him, he was ready to help us”, stated Lukas Scherer. While Germany continued to have major difficulty hitting the trey and executing on offense, they were able to keep the 74-64 lead through strong defense. There was no clear path to the basket for Israel as there was always a German big standing ready to swat the ball away. Reintjes like Volf is another guy that loves the big moments as his lay in with 3,48 to play caused Israel to call a time out. They came back strong with Kedem free throws and a Ziv trey to trail 75-69. Germany called a time out and regrouped as Egbe hit a trey, but Germany just couldn´t shake Israel as they got 2 buckets form Rotem and Kedem to trail 77-73 with 1,41 to play. Germany had problems closing out the game as Marko Volf missed 2 free throws which led to Rotem free throws with 42 seconds to go to trail 78-75. Egbe hurled up an airball with 21 seconds to go and Israel had one last chance to send the game into overtime, but a last heave by Rotem missed giving Germany the exciting 78-75 win. “Key at the end was that we fought until the end and gave all we had on defense. We led the whole game, but we knew that they would never give up and fight until the end. We held our nerves and deserved to win the game. I think that the guys will first realize what they have achieved in two weeks. We have a lot of self-confidence now. We aren´t at the end yet. Lithuania is a big basketball nation, but if we play good team defense and believe in ourselves and invest all we have then we have a good chance. We want to reach the semi-final”, warned Lukas Scherer. Germany was led by Marko Volf with 20 points while Johan Meinberg produced a 12/12 game while Israel was led by David Rotem with 22 points while Yanai Lachmanovic added 15 points. Germany shot 54% from the field and 30% from outside and had 38 rebounds and 17 turnovers while Israel shot 35% from the field and 22% from outside and had 38 rebounds and 11 turnovers.

Winning The Fiba Masters Open Was One Of Daniel Doerr´s Biggest Achievements In His Career Along With His Jersey Retirement

Pic credit: Armin Cicic

Daniel Doerr is a former German professional player that enjoyed a 15 + year career in Germany retiring in 2018. He played most of his career in Lich, but also played in Crailsheim and for the Giessen Pointers playing 380+ pro games. He recently took part at the Fiba Masters open and won the Gold medal. He spoke to germanhoops.com about his experience in Greece.

Thanks Daniel for talking to germanhoops.com. You recently took part at the Fiba Masters Open. You retired 8 years ago. Do you still keep in shape? In what kind of shape did you go into the tournament?

I still try to stay in shape. I work out 2-3 a week and never really stopped doing sports . In think my condition was pretty ok for my age

The tournament was in Greece. Did it feel like a little vacation at the time?

Sometimes it felt a little bit like vacation but we didn’t really had time off. We only had 2 off days out of 10. Most of the times we were practicing, doing yoga or lifting weights to keep our focus .

With guys 40 or over, how did Germany prepare for this tournament? How much can one prepare when guys are 40 or over?

We had a 3 day training camp in May to prepare a little bit , all guys play in over 40‘s league so they basically stay in shape the whole year . More than half of the players are from Bayern Munich who won the German Championship 3 years in a row. So they know each other pretty well which helps a lot.

The conditions were state of the art. Talk a little about how nice everything was? There was featuring wooden flooring, and air conditioning, Did it compare to first league conditions?

The conditions were pretty solid , I wouldn’t say first league standard but pretty good.

What was it like for you playing 3X3? Was this something you have done over the years?

I didn’t play3x3 in a lot of years

Talk a little about the competition. How good were the other countries in general and were there some notable players from back in the day?

Thr competition was really good. I was surprised . A lot of former First league players from Greece , Italy , Georgia etc. Georgia even had an former NBA player ( Tskisvhli) on their team .

Talk a little about your teammates. There were some known guys like Steffan Hamann, Dirk Madrich Moritz Wohlers Omari Knox and Daniel Lieneke. What was it like playing with them? Were you ever teammates with any of them?

Just a great group of guys , we really had great chemistry. I only knew Dirk Mädrich from the under 20 National team . And I played against Hamann , Wohlers and Lieneke in the Pro A.

Who was in best basketball and physical shape between Hamann, Madrich Lieneke and Wohlers?

I would say Hamann and Lieneke were in the best shape.

You never played in the BBL. What was it like being teammates with 2005 Euro Silver medalist Steffen Hamann? He still seems to be in good shape isn´t he?

Actually not true . When I played for Lich I a had a double license for the BBL team 46ers and played a couple of minutes in the 2003 BBL playdowns and in some cup games as well. But I never was a BBL player, I was a solid 2 league player . It was a great experience to play with a basketball legend like Steffen. He still got serious game .

How did you present your game? How content were you with your game?

I really struggled offensively and I was a little disappointed in the beginning. But then I started to focus more on rebounds and defense to help the team and give Moritz and Dirk some rest . The longer the tournament went on , the more I adapted the role of getting rebounds and playing defense . We had enough scorers anyway. I really enjoyed this role after a while because since I struggled offensively I think this was the best way to help the team

What was the biggest challenge for a guy your age in this tournament besides the in shape aspect?

The biggest challenge probably was that you had 5 games in 7-8 days with workouts in between. Even for a 25 year old , that’s not easy to handle for the body

Germany won the final against Italy 69-66. How exciting was this game? Was there any doubt that Germany wouldn´t win this game?

I knew Italy gonna be a tough matchup because besides us they were in the best shape . But I also knew if we play hard from the beginning, we were going to win it

Talk a little about the last play. Omari Knox made the last shot. How exciting was that play?

Omari last two plays were some of the craziest things I ever saw live on a basketball court . He was ice cold crazy, I went nuts on the bench

What was your own personal favorite play on the court during the whole tournament?

My favorite play definitely was when Omari stole the ball in the finals against italy with down by 3 points . Instead of making a wide open layup, he stopped on the 3 point line a swished the 3 with 50 seconds on the clock . That was Jordanesque

What does the Fiba Masters Open Gold Medal mean to you? Where do you rank it in your whole career?

The Gold medal is probably the biggest achievement in my career along with my jersey retirement . For me it is really really special

When you look back at this experience in 20 years, what will you remember most from it?

What I will remember the most is probably the special group of guys. So many different characters working for one goal . It really was a great time and we all enjoyed the time we spend together .It was special

Do you think like you will take part in more of these kind of tournaments down the road?

We will see, if my body feels good i’ll probably play in some more tournaments.

Who wins a 1-1 on the court in 2026, you or Daniel Lieneke?

One on one i’ll probably win because I’m the better low post player, which helps a lot in one on one games.

Thanks Daniel for the chat.

France Tear Apart Germany 87-58 To Reach The Round Of 16 At The 2026 U-16 Euro

Pic credit: FIBA

Germany wanted to bounce back after their brutal loss to Slovenia which put them at 1-1 in the U-16 Euro competition. However in their third game, they definitely had no cake walk as they had to encounter 2-0 France who had defeated their first 2 foes Slovenia and Belgium by an average amount of 24 points. Germany had to clean up their team defense against France, improve their three point shooting and have less turnovers. But for the second day in a row, Germany was outclassed losing 87-58 to France. Germany was pounded on the boards and their three didn´t fall. On top of that, they were without Marko Volf. “We knew what we were up against, but still were unable to match their unbelievable athleticism and physicality. We had a bad start and had no solution for their aggressive defense. But like in the games before, we showed that we had a lot of moral and character. We never gave up and kept fighting. Other teams would have given up and hung their heads. We fought back and were able to have a more even second half against France. They can be really proud of that”, stressed Frankfurt Skyliners JBBL coach Lukas Scherer. France wasted no time attacking Germany and before anyone knew what was, France led 10-0 and soon after 17-2 as Germany had experienced the worst case scenario for a start. Germany began with little energy and let France get out on transition and take advantage of their early turnovers. Emmanuel Destom of FC Barcelona Lassa 2nd team (Spain-Tercera FEB) scored 6 of France´s first 8 points as he electrified the crowd with a dunk and two lay in´s. France was playing unselfish ball from the get go spreading the love around as Liham Eleka of BCM Gravelines Dunkerque Grand L. U21 team (ProA U21) also scored twice on transition while Liam Kabeya of Pole France Paris (NM1) hit a trey to show that France wasn´t only potent on the drive. Germany was down by 15 points with 5,46 to play and they had already suffered 4 turnovers. Germany´s only bright spot was a lay in by Hamburg´s Danny Egbe. Hamburg´s Lino Schenk then responded with a lay in, but Germany was too inconsistent on offensive execution as France struck again for it´s next run going on 9 consecutive points to lead 26-4. In the run, France mostly attacked the rim with success as Taïg Nonga Drieux of Pole France Paris (NM1) scored 6 points and Deston dropped a trey. Germany didn´t have the needed defensive intensity and made it very easy for France to get easy looks and baskets. The whole first quarter wasn´t a washout for Germany as they closed out the first quarter with a 11-6 run to trail 32-15. Oliver Papez of Bonn scored 6 points showing his inside out game and Johan Meinberg was aggressive inside getting 2 buckets.

In the second quarter Germany took the momentum of the last quarter and allowed only 15 points being more aggressive on the defensive end, but had little solutions on the offensive end scoring only 11 points to trail 47-26 at the break. Germany defended better in the second quarter, but also had some fortune that France missed some key free throws, but still were getting beaten on the boards as offensive rebounds led to easy baskets like for Taïg Nonga Drieux who scored twice as well as Livio Mendes who gave good support from the bench with 5 points including a three pointer as France still had the commanding and overwhelming 41-21 advantage. Germany couldn´t muster much offense except for a Justus Reintjes lay in on transition and 4 points from Lukas Schmidt of Porsche BBA / BSG Basket Ludwigsburg. Germany didn´t have the needed aggressiveness as the absence of Marko Volf really hurt the German offense. ”Losing your best player hurts a lot. Mark´s good experience and qualities would have helped us a lot against them. But other guys stepped up and took more responsibility. Guys like Linus Ohr and Oliver Papez did a good job taking responsibility with scoring”, stated Lukas Scherer. Linus Ohr of the HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim gave the team good energy in the last minutes with 5 points, but all in all Germany was facing a massive uphill battle against a hungry and athletic French side who had total control of the game. France shot 54% from the field and 30% from outside and had 24 rebounds and 5 turnovers while Germany shot 34% from the field and 15% from outside and had 12 rebounds and 9 turnovers.

In the third quarter France was in the drivers seat with a big lead and continued to manage the lead well and won the quarter 22-17 to lead comfortably 69-43 after 30 minutes. Liham Eleka found his spots well and made a jump shot to get France on the board first in the second half, but then came another strong phase by Germany as they rushed out on a 8-2 run to trail only 51-34 as there was a little hope again for Germany, but they were still a long way from being near France. In the run, Germany found some aggressiveness again attacking the rim the way a Volf would of as 4 different guys scored with Meinberg, Schenk, Pohlack of Alba Berlin and Egbe. However that basketball is a game of runs is no secret as Germany couldn´t hold the momentum and allowed France to go on a 11-2 run to up their lead to 62-36. In the run, France was led by Messie-Guethan Iwani of PFYM INSEP Paris U18 team with 4 points while Isaac Ramphort (186-PG-2010) of Olympique Antibes Juan Les Pins U18 team gave good energy from the bench with 5 points. France continued to show their bench worth as they always had guys stepping up. Germany got a few buckets in the last minutes with a lay in from Papez, a lay up from Jaron Braun of Braunschweig and a trey from Berin Nurkic from FC Bayern Munich, but Germany was already in such a big hole that they now needed a major miracle in the fourth quarter. France shot 50% from the field and 23% from the three point line and had 35 rebounds and 9 turnovers while Germany shot 38% from the field and 18% from the three point line and had 21 rebounds and 14 turnovers.

That miracle didn´t occur in the fourth quarter as France managed their big lead well defending well allowing 15 points while adding 18 points to close out the simple victory. Germany begam with a bang as Oliver Papez hit for 5 unanswered points to trail 69-48. However that didn´t faze France as they demonstrated just how strong they could be as they punched back rattling off 11 points in a row to up their lead up again to 80-48. They had been pretty quiet with their three ball, but now decided to let it rain three´s as they connected for 3 as Iwani, Ilian Toholin of Pole France Paris (NM1) and Laynce Mendy of Pole France Paris (NM1) all connected from the parking lot. That was the final dagger in the heart of Germany as the game was a real rout with 4,52 to play. Germany closed out the game well outscoring France as Egbe scored on a lay up, Schenk scored twice including a dunk and Reintjes made a lay in. For the second day in a row, Germany was schooled by a very good team that attacked from the get go and never stopped until the final buzzer. “Now the tournament really starts. France is simply better at this age. But we know that we can beat every other team if we can play our game for 40 minutes. We have shown character, never given up and always believe in ourselves. Now we have a day to rest and prepare for Israel”, added Lukas Scherer. France was led by Nonga Drieux with 16 points while Isaac Ramphort added 15 points while Germany was led by Oliver Papez with 13 points. France shot 47% from the field and 35% from the parking lot and had 47 rebounds and 12 turnovers while Germany shot 38% from the field and 19% from the parking lot and had 32 rebounds and 20 turnovers.

Slovenia Take Total Control In The Third Quarter Overpowering Germany To 93-70 Win At The U-16 Euro

Pic credit FIBA

Germany came into game 2 at the U-16 Euro against Slovenia with the needed extra self confidence having disposed easily of Belgium 82-60. After winning a Bronze medal at the 2025 U-16 Euro, Slovenia began their quest for the next medal with a brutal 93-68 loss to France. Slovenia was hammered on the glass and suffered 27 turnovers while shooting only a dismal 25% from the parking lot. Slovenia obviously needed a win against Germany and Germany had to be careful not to go into the game underestimating the Slovenian side. However a slow start by Germany and an unforgettable third quarter by Germany paved the way for Slovenia winning 93-70. “Congrats to Slovenia. That is a real good team that will surely play for a medal. We began bad into the game with no concentration and weren´t ready to defend. But we fought back and showed moral. We stayed together as a team and fought. But in the end, Slovenia was clearly better, fitter and played with more intensity on defense”, stressed Frankfurt Skyliner JBBL (U-16) head coach Lukas Scherer. Germany began the game with an aggressive mind set on the defensive end getting back to back steals from Elija Pohlack of Alba Berlin and Johan Meinberg of Hamburg that led to easy transition baskets and the early 4-2 advantage. However Slovenia found an offensive groove that was led by 211cm athletic big man Tim Hegic who added 8 points as he really unraveled everything from his trick basket making lay ups, a dunk and pretty hook shot. Tobias Blazic of Avantgard Radovljica added a dunk on transition for the 16-9 lead as Slovenia´s rapid 14-5 run at the 4,11 minute mark led to a Germany time out. Slovenia´s scrappy play led to Germany turnovers as they were reeling to find a smooth offensive rhythm. Germany was unable to capitalize after the timeout as Slovenia heightened their lead to 19-9 following a Zan Terbovc of KK Zlatorog Lasko lay in on transition. Germany had enormous difficulty taking care of the ball as Danny Egbe coughed up the ball that led to free throws by Blazic as the run continued and Slovenia led 21-9. Germany was in an annoying hole in Romania. Germany was far from a rhythm, but at least got on the board again getting free throws from Bonn guard Oliver Papez and Ulm´s Marko Volf to trail 23-12. Germany connected on their first trey from Linus Ohr of Crailsheim, but they couldn´t get consecutive stops allowing Jure Cvelbarof KK Krka Novo Mesto 4 points as Slovenia led 27-15. Head coach Dirk Bauermann who has been known as having good defensive teams couldn´t have been happy with his kids defensive mindset and execution in the first 10 minutes. Germany got a key trey from Mr reliable Oliver Papez at the end, but trailed 29-19 after one quarter. Slovenia shot 69% from the field, but 0% from outside and had 8 boards and 5 turnovers while Germany shot 40% from the field and 33% from outside and had 6 boards and 8 turnovers.

In the second quarter, Germany began continuing to have problems controlling the ball as Egbe and Ohr had turnovers, but Slovenia couldn´t capitalize from it. However Germany was good for a run and finally achieved it with a 8-2 run to trail only 31-27. The turning point was Danny Egbe drawing a foul form behind the 3 line and connecting on all. Ohr added a trey and Volf 2 free throws. Germany defended better and Meinberg swatted away a ball getting that big play feeling to Germany. Slovenia called a timeout and needed a solution to break Germany´s offensive rhythm. But Germany kept the momentum as Linus Ohr made a steal which led to a trey by him and suddenly Germany was back in the game trailing 31-30. After another Slovenia turn over, Marko Volf gave Germany the 32-31 advantage with a pull up jumper. The game was an even affair now and Germany got a clutch trey from FC Bayern Munich player Berin Nurkic, but Slovenia kept the slim 39-35 lead as they also got key production form their bench as Maj Tomsic Vujkovic of GIBB Ilirija Ljubljana added 4 points with a lay in and free throws with 3,19 to play in the first half. But Germany stuck together as Egbe had that clutch moment again and displayed his scoring in bunches with 2 buckets and a free throw to give Germany the 41-39 lead with 2,21 to play. But that flash of brilliance by Egbe didn´t faze Slovenia as they ended the second quarter strong with a 7-2 run to lead 46-43 at the break. Key in the run were lay in´s by Vujkovic and Terbovc and Dos Santos drilled home a key three pointer to end the first half. Slovenia continued to shoot well from the field and 55% and 25% from the three point line and had 16 rebounds and 9 turnovers while Germany shot 40% from the field and 31% from the three point line and had 18 rebounds and 12 turnovers. Slovenia did a good job containing Marko Volf to only 6 points on 1/7 shooting.

In the third quarter Slovenia kept their momentum from the last 2 minutes of the second quarter and began with a 8-2 run to lead 54-45. In the run Slovenia received baskets from four different players as Terbovc made a floater, Roman Kolka of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana made a lay in and Blazic and Vujkovic made free throws. However Germany had an answer for that run with a 5-0 run to trail only 54-49 as Volf was finidng his spots better and made his second basket of the second half and Nurkic answered again with a three pointer. But Germany just couldn´t find an answer to stop Slovenia´s offense as they retaliated with a lethal 11-0 run to lead 65-49. Slovenia had so many weapons as Jure Cvelbar of KK Krka Novo Mesto scored inside and Anze Auer of FC Barcelona made a pull up jumper. Slovenia also remained witty getting to the free throw line as Terbovc and Kolka scored. Germany got some much needed offensive support down the stretch with another Ohr trey and Papez and Meinberg lay in´s, but all in all, their execution wasn´t satisfactory as they trailed 72-57 after 30 minutes to play. “We fought back strong before the break and led and wanted to keep that up in the third quarter. But Slovenia did a good job adding a gear up on defense and made life difficult for us and always kept forcing us to easy turnovers. We also invited them too many easy baskets. We couldn´t match their intensity on the defensive end”, added Luaks Scherer. Slovenia had overpowered Germany in the third quarter and Germany was looking up a steep hill to get out of this hole. Slovenia shot Slovenia shot 55% from the field and 20% from the parking lot and had 28 rebounds and 12 turnovers while Germany shot 38% from the field and 27% from the parking lot and had 26 rebounds and 17 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter Slovenia did a great job of managing the lead and despite some early solid execution from Germany, then never lost focus, but closed out the game well defending until the end and winning easily 93-70. In the first minutes, Germany got some vital support from Berin Nurkic who added 7 points with a trey, floater and free throws to trail 84-67. Slovenia understood to use their whole bench as Ziga Podgornik of KK Maribor mladi also got into the scoring attack with 5 points including a trey. However Germany never found a clear path on the defensive end and continued to trade buckets with Slovenia as that made it impossible for them to come back. With 4.22to play, time was running out and Germany had simply ran out of gas. They got some added points from Lucas Schmidt of Porsche BBA / BSG Ludwigsburg and free throws from Jaron Braun of Braunschweig, but it was too little to late for team Germany. “We were often a step to slow and not clever enough with drawing fouls. We have to do a better job with the 50/50 balls. We had too little of them today. We will learn from this game and tomorrow against France, it will get a bit harder and it will be a real moral test for the boys”, warned Lukas Scherer. Slovenia had 4 guys score in double figures led by Maj Vujkovic (190-PG-2010) with 16 points while Zan Terbovc added 14 points and Roman Kolka 13 points while Germany was led by Berin Nurkic and Linus Ohr with 12 points a piece. Slovenia shot 53% from the field and 40% from outside and had 38 rebounds and 16 turnovers while Germany shot 36% from the field and 25% from outside and had 33 rebounds and 23 turnovers.

Marko Volf Leads Germany To Sparkling 82-60 Romp Over Belgium To Start The 2026 U-16 Euro

Pic credit: FIBA

Germany came into the 2026 U-16 European championships with a sort of a chip on their shoulder having finished last year in 9th place. In their first game, they had to face Belgium who had reached the final last year in the B group. Germany came into the game as the favorite being coached from German basketball legend Dirk Bauermann who had won numerous titles with the Bayer Giants Leverkusen in the 90´s and in the 2000´s won titles with Bamberg and the silver with the German national team and Dirk Nowitzki in 2005. Germany began the 2026 U-16 Euro on a positive note beating Belgium 82-60. “We were concentrated and began well. Bost most importantly always stuck together in tough situations and never let our heads hang and always believed on our strength. We defended well in crucial phases and made the extra pass on offense. A first game is never easy, but the guys had good solutions and got extra confidence for the next game”, stressed Skyliner JBBL coach Lukas Scherer. Germany stormed out to a rapid 7-3 lead as ratiopharm Ulm´s big talent Marko Volf (185-PG-2009) scored consecutive buckets in the paint. He is a player that likes to get hot quickly and didn´t waste any time. Germany added a trey from Skyliner Jaroslav Zinn who is the future of the organization. “I´m so proud of Jaroslaw and how he played today. He was nominated so late for the Euro and then to begin the game as the starting point guard isn´t easy. One has to really laud how relaxed and sure he was. Is primary task was to put a lot of pressure on the ball and to have responsibility on offense to control the game and to organize it. He did both well. He also was able to create well for his teammates and himself. He also proved that he had no fear to take responsibility at this level. It was a really strong Euro debut for him. He can be proud of himself and I´m sure his performance will give him more security and confidence for the next games”, commented Lukas Scherer. Zinn finished with 9 points in 15 minutes on 3/3 shooting. Belgium forward Gabriel De Coninck from Orange Academy who is familiar with the German players struck back with a clutch three pointer to trail only 7-6. However Germany kept up the pressure and went on a 7-0 run and led comfortably 17-11 after one quarter. In the run Germany continued to be aggressive attacking the rim as Volf scored and Elija Pohlack of Alba Berlin hit free throws while big man Jaron Braun of SG Junior Löwen Braunschweig made a lay in. Braun also has a brother Elijah who plays in Braunschweig as both are the sons of former German national player Oliver Braun. Germany had been aggressive and disciplined on the defensive end not allowing anything easy for Belgium and had the edge on the glass.

In the second quarter Germany had a soild start managing their lead well leading by as much as 9 points, but let up a little in the last minutes and only led 33-32 at the break. Hamburg Towers electric athletic beast Danny Egbe gave Germany some real energy scoring 6 consecutive points. He showed just how lethal he can be when unleashed as he scored a lay in, free throws and a thunderous dunk. His 3 level scoring is evident. Zinn and Volf also added buckets inside while 2026 JBBL (U-16) champion with Bonn Oliver Papez nailed a trey for the 29-20 advantage for Germany. Germany continued to defend well and were securing the defensive rebounds well. However Germany was unable to hold the momentum and allowed a 12-2 run to Belgium to close out the first half. Belguim´s run was led by Alexander Triki who scored twice inside including once off a turnover while Joah Ikoma Yaliko also scored off a steal. Belgium upped their intensity on the defensive end as Germany had to fight hard to get good shots. Jeremiah Tchekouyep also added a lay in as Belgium also turned on the aggressiveness on the offensive end. Germany shot 39% from the field and only 16% from outside and had 20 rebounds and 11 turnovers while Belgium shot 39% from the field and 25% from outside and had 16 rebounds and 11 turnovers. Germany´s big talent under the hoop Johan Meinberg wasn´t a force scoring, but did a great job filling the stat sheet and being that genuine rim protector.

In the third quarter Germany came out cooking as head coach Dirk Bauermann had them prepared with the right state of mind as they hit Belgium with a nasty 10-0 run to extend their lead to 43-32. Pohlack and Meinberg scored inside while Papez demonstrated his fierce range again from outside connecting from the parking lot while Marco Volf added 3 free throws. Belgium coughed up the ball twice in the run and also missed a few lay ups. Belgium recovered getting buckets from Mats Pepermans and free throws from Youssef Zagdoud, but Germany was always able to punch back as Danny Egbe fired 2 three´s keeping Germany ahead 49-35. Egbe shows that he has a very versatile scoring game unveiling his outside shot in this phase. Belgium actually cut Germany´s lead down to 6 points with Lowie Van de Vyver free throws, but Germany remained mentally strong closing out the third quarter with 4 Egbe free throws. He is a player that loves carrying his team and did so in this phase. Germany got added scoring insurance from Egbe teammate Lino Luca Schenk (Hamburg Towers) as Germany led 56-49 after 30 minutes. Germany shot 40% from the field and 27% from the three point line and had 26 rebounds and 14 turnovers while Belgium shot 42% from the field and 20% from the three point line and had 25 rebounds and 17 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter Germany kept Belgium within 10 points, but after a few minutes went on a lethal run to decide the game in their favor. Belgium got two quick lay in´s from Youssef Zagdoud, but it was Oliver Papez again who showed again why he is Mr reliable always coming up big with the massive three as Pascal Roller did back in the day with the Frankfurt Skyliners to lead 59-51. Germany then went on a 12-4 run to slam the door shut on Belgium leading 71-55. Team leader Marko Volf led the charge with 3 buckets in the paint as Belgium had no remedy how to slow down his drive while his team Justus Reintjez who had been quiet in the game scored 2 lay in´s while Lino Schenk also scored in the paint. The German guards were a force, but the German bigs seemed to always give good support in needed moments. Belgium had little energy left in crunch time as Reintjez scored another lay in while Zinn added a trey for good measure as Germany easily led 76-57 with 3,01 to play in the game. Role player Linus Ohr of the Harko Merlins Crailsheim also got into the scoring trend dropping a trey for Germany as did Lukas Schmidt (Porsche BBA, BSG Basket Ludwigsburg) as Germany had full command leading 82-60 with 33 seconds remaining. It was a great start for the German U-16 team in the 2026 Euro championships. “Our biggest strength today was that we always stayed together as a team and never stopped believing in ourselves. Even when Belgium played better and made the game tighter, we were always able to make the right decisions and we deserved to win the game. Also our better team defense in the second half was an important factor”, stated Lukas Scherer. Germany was led by Marko Volf who had 20 points while Danny Egbe added 16 points while Belgium was led by Youssef Zagdoud with 13 points and Joah Ikoma Yaliko added 10 points. Germany shot 48% from the field and 37% from outside and had 38 rebound and 19 turnovers while Belgium shot 38% from the field and 15% from outside and had 32 rebounds and 20 turnovers. Germany next battle Slovenia tomorrow.

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