Who could forget the tantalizing breathtaking scenes in Wurzburg last summer as 2011 NBA NBA champion Dirk Nowitzki returned home to his old basketball battle ground receiving a heros welcome looking more like a sea of fans at a soccer winners presentation than that of a basketball jubilation. With Beko BBL basketball back in Wurzburg for the first time in six years, it seems like the Nowitzki festivities was just the start of better things to come to the Bayern city where German basketball names like Dirk Nowitzki, Demond Greene, Robert Garrett and Marvin Willoughby were successfully selling the brand name basketball in the late 90s in fine style. New s. Oliver Baskets Wurzburg head coach John Patrick  may have blond hair with a spray touch of orange and blue eyes like Nowitzki and never get the hero status of the NBA superstar, but the American coach could continue to use his magic hidden wand which he must have hidden in his pocket at each game and continue to somehow transform his incredible success from BG Goettingen where he led the club to three of four playoffs and won the Eurochallenge in 2010 and possibly become the second most famous basketball blond in Wurzburg that has given the world the tasty Franken wine. Its is no secret that Dirk Nowitzki was a tennis ace before he played basketball and John Patrick has blond hair with a touch of orange just like 1985 17 year old Wimbeldon winner Boris Becker. Patrick might not have that big serve on the court, but surely had the right stimulating successful boom boom words that has inspired his players the last years in Goettingen. “Well John Patrick is a great coach and will do a great job in Wurzburg. If they continue to win games then I think that he could become a very well known Basketball name in Wurzburg”, commented TBB Trier guard John Bynum. It doesn´t really matter where Patrick is, his basketball philosophy seems to stand for success as he also won a title in Japan and seems to know how to reach his players. “I think he just gets the best out of his players and they always play hard. His style differs from most coaches in the BBL and it is fun to play against and I am sure its fun for his players as well”, stressed John Bynum.

Basketball was more or less born in 1997 as the club came into the beko BBL mostly due to a 19 year old tall blond talent named Dirk Nowitzki. The team stayed in the top German league until 2005 as it developed future German national players with Robert Garrett, Demond Greene and Marvin Willoughby. The team then wasn´t able to successfully stay in the league and also had a dark ominous cloud of bankruptcy hovering over the team. However the club was able to escape any financial problems and started new in the second Bundesliga as Mainfranken Basket. The club wanted to rely on German players, but this experiment failed as they won only one game and departed the second league. The team then rechanged their name to the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg and started new again in the Regionaliga and the club steadily started their rise back to the Beko BBL first reaching the PRO B in the 2008-2009 season winning all 24 games in the Regionaliga. In 2009-2010, the s. Oliver Baskets Wurzburg reached third place in the PRO B and had some fortune as the Hertener were financially unable to play in the PRO A, so the Wurzburg team was able to move up to the PRO A after all. Their dramatic rise continued in the PRO A as they finished the season in second place with a record of 21-7 and reaching the Beko BBL again after 6 years of being away.

The first order of business in Wurzburg was finding a head coach and the team did that reeling in American John Patrick early in the summer. Patrick started to quickly build his new team, but as the new season approached his roster looked very much different than two months earlier as his hire and fire tactics that he had practiced in Goettingen were also put to good use with his new team. He released Americans Patrick Flomo(Gloria Giants), Tim Burnette(Furstenfeld, Austria), Achmadschah Zazai(Giessen 46ers) and American Mike Tisdale had to pack their bags early and in the mean time, the American hauled in new players with Chris Kramer and Robert Tomaszek. The way Patrick functions may not always be favorable to a player, but in the long run, he has had success with his style of players and should know best. “Coach has his way and his ways seem to be successful and if a player doesnt fit into what he is trying to accomplish why should he keep him. It is his team and his system and he knows what is best for his team”, warned John Bynum. Patrick did a smooth and intelligent act bringing in three ex Goettingen players with Jason Boone, Ben Jacobson and John Little who won the Eurochallenge in 2010 and have much experience that will help the younger players in Wurzburg. “Anytime you have a familiar face in your corner it is always a good thing because you know things about the guys already instead of bringing in guys that you may not know about besides their stats. Character takes you a long way and if you already know what your getting then it is an advantage”, warned John Bynum. “The best part about being reunited with these guys is the fact that we’ve become accustomed to a certain level of success. And any time one of us, or our teammates is not 100% focused on pursuing that level, we are there to put each other in check. We missed a little of that this season in Gottingen but I’m confident Ben Jacobson will bring that back with him. He brings the best out of John and I”, added Jason Boone.  Patrick also brought in talented Americans Gilbert Brown and Rickey Harris and also wants to show his love for German youth development by bringing in Oliver Clay and Alex King who isn´t 18 anymore, but is a player who could get extended minutes in Wurzburg. Ivan Elliot might be one of the big winners in the roster, because last season he was in the Beko BBL with Bremerhaven got cut and went to the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg helping the team reach the PRO A. Patrick decided to keep the American and already has become an important force in the first two games.

The s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg have gotten off to a superb start of 2-0 beating an always tough defensive minded TBB Trier and crushing the LTi Giessen 46ers 85-60 in the Osthalle. In the 73-67 win against TBB Trier, they showed their defensive qualities forcing TBB Trier to 16 turnovers and In Giessen held a new formed 46er team to 60 points holding them to 38% from the field and 29% from the parking lot while forcing 21 turnovers. American Rickey Harris has quietly been the go to guy amassing 43 points total in the first two games. John Patrick had been known in his years in Goettingen to play a special brand of basketball called 40 minutes of hell where his team plays pressure pressure and pressure bringing the opponent often to the brink of despair. Last season, the 40 minutes of hell seemed to have dipped to 20-25 minutes of hell. If Patrick will have this pressure play in Wurzburg like he had in Goettingen is hard to say, but his pressure style will somehow always be in his blood. “I think the pressure was more in Gottingen but dont let that comment think that you dont see a lot of pressure. They disrupt your flow of the game and often you have to rush your sets because you get the ball back to the point guard with around 17-18 seconds and thats what you have to work with your offense”, warned John Bynum. Can John Patrick make the s.Oliver Baskets a steady playoff team the way he did with BG Goettingen? “Wurzburg can be a playoff team if they protect their home court and get some away teams. Their type of play differs from most teams in the league and teams struggle playing against them”, added John Bynum.

s. Oliver Baskets Wurzburg signed Jason Boone who is a 26 year old 198cm power forward/center from Sugar Loaf, New York who played his four seasons with Goettingen. Four years ago, he made the jump from the Regionalliga to the BBL, which is similar as if a professional baseball player jumped from A ball to MLB. Last season for BG Goettingen, he played 37 games: 8.5ppg, 5.9rpg, FGP: 59.8%, FT: 34.9%; EuroCup: 14 games: 9.1ppg, 6.2rpg, Blocks-4(1.1bpg), FGP: 59.8%, FT: 36.0% . “Jason Boone is a strong athlete who likes to finish around the rim and is not a shooter at all. One should give him the jump shot and don’t let him penetrate. He is a strong offensive rebounder and goes to the boards each time. He isn´t  a good free throw shooter and don’t give him any easy layups. One should attack him on defense and despite his athletic body, doesn´t move his feet so well and he is foul prone”, Frankfurt still will have to keep an eye on him in the paint”, added 2009 Beko BBL top scorer Omari Westley.  “Boone is probably one of the strongest low post players in the BBL. He can move anybody with his strength down low”, added Ricky Hickman who is playing his second season in Italy.” I always want to improve my game, and I feel like coming into this season fully healthy will help me establish myself as a top center in this league. In retrospect I think, on a personal level, last season was a “down” year for me, but it taught me a lot and I’ll be entering this season with a focus that I have not yet possessed”, commented Jason Boone. The team also brought in another familiar face from the Beko BBL with Ben Jacobson. Jacobson is a 28 year old 188cm guard that is a big Time Point Guard, very good defender and a great scorer who can create his own shot. Before coming to BG Goettingen in 2007, he played at Northern Iowa with teammate John Little and in other German places like Erdgas Ehingen and the Mitteldeutscher BC. His most successful season was 2009-2010 where he helped BG Goettingen win the Eurochallenge playing Big Time Point Guard, very good defender and a great scorer who can create his own shot. Last season he played for Ikaros Kallitheas (Greece-A1, starting five), only pre-season, in Dec.’10 moved to Boulazac Basket Dordogne (France-ProB, starting five): 19 games: 12.8ppg, 3.5rpg, 4.1apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 47.4%, 3PT: 34.9%.

The third member to arrive from BG Goettingen is John Little who is a 27 year old 180cm guard from Peoria, Illinois. He played four seasons with BG Goettingen. He played at Northern Iowa from 2002-2006. In 2007-2008, he wanted to play for the Peoria Kings of the ABA league, but the team folded, so he returned to Northern Iowa and finished the season as assistant coach. Last season, he played EuroCup: 9 games: 6.1ppg, 2.4rpg, 1.4apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 48.5%, 3PT: 45.5%, FT: 80.0%; German League: 33 games: 6.3ppg, 3.6rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 47.3%, 3PT: 21.0%, FT: 75.0% “Little is their energy guy. He brings  a lot of energy and athletic ability from the bench. He doesn´t have much of a shot and likes to drive to the hoop and finish at the rim. He is  a good rebounder for his size. He is possibly the best defender on the team. He has long arms and plays the passing lanes well and is their best on ball defender”, stressed Omari Westley. “He is probably one of the scrappiest players in the league and always plays hard and gives 100% every minute on the court”, added Ricky Hickman. The team kept two players from the 2011 second placed PRO A team and one is Ivan Elliot. Elliot is a 24 year old 203cm power forward/center from San Francisco, California. He is a very versatile on the offensive end, able to shoot the 3-pointer with confidence, slash to the basket, and play underneath the basket with his physical strength and overall skills, is the ultimate team player who always gives everything he has in every practice and game, highly motivated and willing to do the extra work to become the best player. He has experience having played for SK Valmiera (Latvia) as a rookie and two years ago for MBC. Last season for the s. Oliver Baskets Wurzburg, he played 30 games: 10.6ppg, 6.0rpg, FGP: 59.3%, 3PT: 41.0%, FT: 77.8%. The club also brought in Rookie American Gilbert Brown who is a 24 year old 198cm forward that played at Pittsburgh (NCAA) from 2007-2011. In his senior year in the NCAA, he played 34 games: 11.3ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.7apg, FGP: 45.8%, 3PT: 41.3%, FT: 78.9%. Last summer he took part at the well known Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (Pre-NBA Draft): 3 games: 12.0ppg, 2.7rpg, 1.3apg, 1.0spg. The Boston Celtics have interest in the American and should they have interest in him when the NBA lockout ends could sign him. He is still looking to explode in the Beko BBL and is averaging 5,0ppg and 1,0rpg in his first two games. “Gilbert Brown is athletic and has a great upside, I think he will show more as the season goes along”, added John Bynum. “Growing up in NY I’m a big Big East fan. It’s the best conference in the country and he was a top player in that league. I’m excited for the way his game can translate to the European style and think if he works hard he’ll be able to dominate the BBL”, warned Jason Boone.

Ricky Harris is playing his first season in the Beko BBL. He is a 24 year old 188cm guard from Baltimore, Maryland. He played at Massachusetts (NCAA) from 2006-2010. In his senior year, he played 31 games: 19.8ppg, 3.5rpg, 2.9apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 42.7%, 3PT: 30.2%, FT: 72.9%. Last season as a rookie, he saw much of the world playing for BC Siauliai (Lithuania-LKL): Lithuanian League: 8 games: 7.3ppg, 2.1rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 40.6%, 3PT: 30.8%, FT: 61.5%; EuroCup: 5 games: 12.6ppg, 1.6rpg, 1.4apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 47.6%; Baltic League: 14 games: 10.2ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.9apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 37.2%, 3PT: 29.2%, FT: 66.2%, in Jan.’11 moved to Ferro-ZNTU Zaporozhye (Ukraine-Superleague): 29 games: 9.9ppg, 2.0rpg, 3.4apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 39.6%, 3PT: 35.1%, FT: 67.4%, then moved to B-Meg Llamados (Philippines-PBA). Recently with the hire and fire tactic of John Patrick, the team hauled in Robert Tomaszek who is a 30 year old 204cm forward Polish-German. He is an aggressive but an average defender, he is mostly an offensive player, with a nice middle distance shooting touch, and good low post offensive skills; is also a good passer. He also has much experience having enjoyed the Colorado countryside at Aspen high school and attending Texas Tech playing with Ronald Ross and for legendary coach Bobby Knight. He has experience having played in Italy, Czech Republic and in the Ukraine. He won the Czech championship in 2009 with CEZ Basketball Nymburk. Last season, he played with ex Skyliner Konrad Wysocki for PGE Turow Zgorzelec (Poland-PLK, starting five): 40 games: 7.0ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.1spg, FGP: 54.8%, FT: 50.4%. The club recently also brought in 23 year old 191cm Chris Kramer from Huntington, Indiana. Kramer had a solid career at Purdue and in his senior year played 35 games: 6.5ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.3apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 56.5%, 3PT: 27.3%, FT: 74.7%. At Purdue, he won the Big ten tournament in 2009 and reached the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2010. He also was the All-Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2010. Last season as a professional rookie, he played for Fort Wayne Mad Ants (D-League, starting five): 41 games: 13.8ppg, 4.0rpg, 2.8apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 56.7%, 3PT: 36.7%, FT: 81.9%. In June 2011, he signed at Mets de Guaynabo (Puerto Rico-BSN, starting five): 12 games: 8.8ppg, 4.0rpg, 2.9apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 30.8%, FT: 69.8%.

The s. Oliver Baskets Wurzburg also has its share of German players including Alex King who moves to his third Beko BBL team. King is a 26 year old 200cm forward from Munich, Germany. King started his basketball career in Frankfurt playing for The Deutsche Bank Skyliners from 2002-2008. In that span he won the German league title in 2004 and was a finalist in 2005 and played a total of 129 BBL games for Frankfurt. He played for the Telekom Baskets Bonn from 2008-20011 playing a total of 101 Beko BBl games. Last season for Bonn he played EuroChallenge: 6 games: 2.5ppg, 4.0rpg; German League: 31 games: 4.9ppg, 2.3rpg. The team also brought in young German Oliver Clay who is a 24 year old 205cm power forward/center from Berlin. He started his basketball career in 2006 for TUS Lichterfelde Berlin (2.Bundesliga): 25 games: 3.2ppg, 2.7rpg. He then played for Alba Berlin playing mostly for the Regionaliga team where he German Regionalliga (North Group) Champion in 2010. Last season, he played for TBB Trier (1.Bundesliga): 33 games: 2.5ppg, 1.9rpg. Christoph Henneberger also stayed with the team. Henneberger is a 27 year old 188cm guard who has seen the ups and downs of Wurzburg basketball since 2003. Last season, he played 30 games: 4.6ppg. The team also has young talented Maximilian Klebber on the roster who is a 19 year old 196cm forward. He started his basketball career in 2008 with SCH Wuerzburg Baskets (Regionalliga). Last season he played 2 games for the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg averaging 2.5ppg, and also played at TG 48 Wuerzburg (Regionalliga.

The s. Oliver Baskets Wurzburg arrive in the Fraport arena looking to remain unbeaten and win their third game in a row. The Fraport Skyliners return home with a 1-1 record reeling off a big 73-66 win in Tubingen. The Fraport Skyliners hope to have point guard Michael Thompson back who is liking to make his Beko BBl debut, while the boards may still have a void without ex NBA player Jermario Davidson. An interesting duel under the basket will be Marius Nolte against Jason Boone. “I am looking forward to playing against Jason Boone. He is very physical and we have had some big battles in the past. It is always tough to play against him”, warned Marius Nolte. BG Goettingen have their strengthes and so do the Fraport Skyliners who will be looking to concentrate on theirs. “Wurzburg is a young team that like to push the ball forward and play solid defense. We have to work hard, execute on offense and defense and just play our style”, stressed Michael Thompson. John Bynum will be in Artland looking for the second win of the season for TBB Trier and expects a great game in Frankfurt. “I think the strength of Wurzburg is their depth at the guard position but I think they need to have a low post presence that can score with his back to the basket. Boone is a great rebounder and does a lot but they could use one more body down low. Frankfurt just has to dictate the tempo and just play solid at both ends of the floor. Wurzburg needs to take Frankfurt out of their sets and just dictate both ends of the floor”, warned John Bynum. The Fraport Skyliners host the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg October 12rh at 19:00.