There is always a certain kind of risk in life when speculating if it is playing your luck on the stock market, playing the lottery one too many times and realizing at the end of the week that there is no extra money for the misses, a 15 year old hanging out in New York at one of the 275 hotels and hoping that Justin Bieber is staying there for his concert, going with Duke in the 2012 NCAA tournament or booking a summer trip to the UK in hopes of not catching unending rain. This season, two teams gambeled heavily in the Beko BBL with BG Goettingen and the Walter Tigers Tuebingen with new young player signings and the success rate wa slike night and day. In Goettingen, the team brought in 5 NCAA players and only Paris Horne was able to make an impact while the club had to say farewell to the other four during the season. In Tuebingen, the club brought in three NCAA players with Vaughn Duggins, Adnan Hodzic and Tyrone Nash, second year man Reggie Redding and PRO B player Josh Young and despite a slow start by the team, this core of players who were younger than 24 have been a big reason for the Tigers breathing a little bit of playoff air even though the season goal of the team was to land somewhere in no mans land between the end of the standings and the playoffs places. Not only did the speculation of Igor Perovic work, but he managed to already keep one third of the team for next season by giving Americans Tyrone Nash, Josh Young, Vaughn Duggins and Reggie Redding together and showing that he wants to build for the future by giving these players the chance to further develop in Tubingen. With a bad start where the Walter Tigers Tuebingen started the season with a six game losing streak, the team was able to stay on the same page with has to do a lot with coach Igor Perovic and the solid play by Nash, Young, Redding and Duggins which stayed very consistent with the two Beko BBL rookies and other two that have combined two years professional experience before coming to the Schwaben town. “ I’m very happy that the team was able to bounce back from adversity and show their true character. It’s not easy losing a lot of close games, especially early in the season, and then to bounce back the way they have is really special. I think Igor’s attitude went a long way in helping the team achieve their success. He’s a very calm and easygoing person, so it’s good that he didn’t get rattled early on and just approached every practice day by day, just like chipping away at a large deficit in a game. You don’t get it all back at once, you have to remain patient and continue working, and that’s exactly what they have done”, stressed ex Walter Tiger Tuebingen Canadian Velimir Radinovic.

SincecomingintotheBBLin2004-2005,theWalterTigersTuebingenhavebeentreadingwaterintheBBLmiddlestandingsandattimesscrappingthederegulationarea.Thebestfinishoftheclubwas2006-2007astheyfinishedin10thplace.TheTigershavebeenmoreaharmlesscreaturethatseemstohavetheirmouthsealedwithlittlepowerescapinginsteadofshowingtheirabsoluteunconquerablequalitiesofatigeronthecourt.TheteamhasbeenknownfordevelopingahealthyfanbaseandlettingguyslikeRaskoKaticandAJMoye(hisfirstyear)developintotopBBLplayers,butthenagainalsohavegonetheusualBBLrouteofsigninganabundanceofAmericansandclosinganeyeforfurtherdevelopingGermanplayersandtheorganizationalsohasbeenpronetogettinginvolvedwithminorscandalslikein2006withTamienTrentandMikeMotenwhowerebannedbytheGermanbasketballfederationfollowingadrugtest.MakingthejumptotheBBLisnoteasyandifoneweretoaskexpertsintheTuebingensurrounding,onewouldalwaysheretwothings.AslimbudgetandnotgettingtherightmixofplayersseemedtobethemostimportantreasonswhytheclubhasneverbeenabletoplaygamesinMaywhenitcountsmost.SinceenteringtheBekoBBLin2004,theteamhasalwayshoveredbetween10^thand15^thplaceandtheirbestfinishwas2007astheywerein10^thplace.

Last season, The Walter Tigers Tuebingen finished in 12^th place with a record of 15-19. Lacking more consistence at home in the Paul Horn arena showed with their 9-8 record. Last season the team celebrated huge victories against The EWE Baskets Oldenburg, Alba Berlin and The Telekom Baskets Bonn before the Allstar break, but then again showed their inconsistency losing games to teams like the Mitteldeutscher BC or Phoenix Hagen. Just like the season before, The Walter Tigers Tuebingen made a dash for the Beko BBl playoffs in winter winning six games in a row and heightening the playoffs hopes for the fans with big wins against Bonn Oldenburg and Ulm. However then as if each player had seen a black cat and then walked under a ladder for so called bad luck went on an unlucky losing streak losing six games in a row and finishing the season 2-7 and once again not making the playoffs. A 40 point loss to Bamberg in the heat of their six game winning streak and an 18 point loss to the LTi Giessen 46ers just seemed uncharachteristic after their successful run. “It was an up and down season. The season started rough, then we had a nice winning streak, but then had a long losing streak, but closed out the season well. We hurt ourselves with our inconsistency. We were unable to bring the same effort night in and night out which killed us”, stressed ex Walter Tigers Tuebingen forward Chris Oliver who is playing in France this season with SIG Strassburg.

This season, The Walter Tigers Tuebingen might use a motto that German basketball player Christian Standhardinger might be using after a few miscues in the NCAA and always coming back to try his luck in the NCAA with “If you don´t succeed at first then try try again” in hopes of reaching the Beko BBL playoffs. However if a strong starting five last season with Bane Ratkovica, Johannes Herber, Chris Oliver, Dane Watts and Anatoly Kashirov wasn´t potent enough for May basketball, how does the team see making an impact this season in the even stronger Beko BBL and a new starting five? Guys like Dane Watts had a very strong season whereas other starters solid seasons, but were still able to double their market value and get better financial contracts with other teams. Some teams play for titles, while other teams play for the playoffs and in the last years , The Walter Tigers Tuebingen seem to be a team that brings in younger talented players guaranteeing them playing time so they can develop further and then go to more attractive and more lucrative teams. “You can expect a group of guys that play with a lot of passion and play extremely hard. We will defend well and can score with anybody in the Bundesliga”, warned Vaughn Duggins. Last season, Tuebingen already had established Beko BBL players like Dane Watts and Chris Oliver, but this season the team has their youngest team ever having six guys that were only 23 years old this summer. With Beko BBL babies Vaughn Duggins, Tyrone Nash and Adnan Hodzic coming from the NCAA and Americans Reggie Redding and Josh Young coming off their rookie years last season and born in 1988, Igor Perovic has indirectly shown that these guys will have perform right away getting their feet wet quickly. Perovic has much experience with thirty something players Lou Campbell and Velomir Radiovic and Nicolai Simon who has title experience with Alba Berlin, but still many young bucks that will be in a nasty shark infested basketball pool each weekend. “. I think if you have a good chemistry of players then it is a good thing. Experience is key in close games early in the season but once your out on the court all that age goes out the window in most cases. It is risky but if you got good chemistry it will help in a lot of ways. I think the team will play hard and will surprise a lot of teams. Young teams are usually hungry and they may struggle at times but just like most young teams we may not know which team may show up. But they will be a team that competes just like the rest of the BBL”, warned TBB Trier guard John Bynum. Still having so much youth can also be a positive thing. “I think their strength will be them playing hard, I didnt really get a chance to see them in preseason but on paper they have some solid individual players. I really dont know about weaknesses but I’m sure that will show up as the season goes along”, added John Bynum. “We just need to continue to get better as a whole. Our ceiling with how good we can be is so high because we are so young. If we get better every day we will be fine during the season”, added Walter Tigers Tuebingen guard Vaughn Duggins. The glue for the Walter Tigers Tuebingen will be Lou Campbell and teams will learn quickly that keeping the American in check will make basketball life on the court very difficult for the Tigers. “I think they Campbell is a key but we have to see what the newcomers bring to the table as well. To put so much pressure on one guy meaning Campbell isnt fair but I think they got some young guys who can make a difference as well”, stressed John Bynum. One Skyliner that will be motivated to play hopefully his first official professional game and against the NCAA players is Michael Thompson who is aware of the NCAA rookies in Tuebingen. “I will be great to be on the court with those three great players with Duggins, Nash and Hodzic. All three had great careers in the NCAA. I played against Nash. We will have to keep an eye on him. He can do it all, shoot the three, play with his back to the basket and play aggressive defense”, warned Michael Thompson. “Tuebingen isn´t the same team that we played at the start. They have improved their chemistry and can compete with any team. They are a very good offensive team that are good on the transition and switch a lot on defense. They are coming into the game with no pressure and this can always lead a team to play better”, stressed Skyliners head coach Muli Katzurin.

The speculating really played dividends for head coach Igor Perovic despite starting with a six game losing streak. Much like the Fraport Skyliners, the Walter Tigers Tuebingen didn´t have any luck with their draw at the start getting opponents like Bamberg, FC Bayern Munich, Artland, Alba Berlin and ratiopharm Ulm. However they finally got their first win in Bremerhaven and from then on slowly got going getting out of the Beko BBL cellar. After an unneeded loss at home against BBC Bayreuth followed a three game winning streak as they beat Phoenix Hagen and potential playoff teams B raunschweig and Bonn displaying that they are atalented team that can play with anyone. In February followed the highlight of the season where they went on a four game winning streak beating FC Bayern Munich and the EWE Baskets Oldenburg at home. It wasn´t quite enough for the Beko BBL playoffs, but this team should be stronger next season with the core that is staying and it will be interesting to see if they can bring back point guard Lou Campbell. In the first meeting of the season, the Tigers lost to the Fraport Sklyiners 73-66 in a game that was on the line in crunch time and a game they could of won. Duggins brought the Tigers to 66-69 with 1.13 to play, but a Jon Leuer bucket and Justin Gray free throws sealed the win for Frankfurt.

The first and most important signing this past summer for the EWE Baskets Oldenburg was Lou Campbell whoisa32yearold190cmpointguardfromNewJerseythatplayedthreeyearsinJapanwaseasilythetopplaymakerintheBEKOBBLin2009-2010.HadhebeenwithOldenburgin2009-2010,hemighthavemadethedifferencebetweenanearlyexitintheplayoffsandasecondchampionship.AftergettingajumpstartinGiessenfrom2004-2006,heplayedfortheEisbaerenBremerhavenin2009-2010leadingtheteamintotheplayoffsplaying43gamesaveraging13.0ppg,3.6rpg,Assists-2(5.7apg),1.1spg,FGP:48.7%,3PT:35.2%,FT:81.6%.Hecanguideanoffense,butalsoscorewhenneededespeciallyincrunchtime.HoweveralotofthemagicthathehadforDouglasSpradleytwoyearsagowasn´tpresentlastseasonforPredragKrunicandtheEWEBasketsOldenburgasheplayed40gamesaveraging9.8ppg,2.4rpg,3.4apg,1.1spg,FGP:49.6%,3PT:27.8%,FT:82.1%.Howeverwhatmanydidn´tknow,CampbellhasaseriousAdductorinjury.Mostguyswouldofsatout,buthecontinuedtoplay,becauseOldenburghadnootheralternativeatthepoint. The team brought in 29 year old 210cm Lithuanian Paveles Cukinas who has Good size, Good turn around jumper, can control the game, is smart player and hasery soft hands for a man his size. He played for top team Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius from 2002-2006 playing 12 Euroleague games. He then came to Germany in 2006-2007 and helped EnBW Ludwigsburg reach the playoffs playing 40 games: 9.8ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.0apg, 2FGP: 53.0%, 3FGP: 27.3%, FT: 56.2% . Since then he has played in countries like Latvia, Italy and Lithuania. EventhoughNicolaiSimonisonly24andshouldbelongtotheyoungergeneration,isthethirdmostexperiencedplayerontheroster.Heisa191cmguardthatisplayinghissecondseasoninTuebingen.HeismadeacomebackinTheBEKOBBLin2009-2010aftercomingintotheBEKOBBLin2006-2007afterbeingheraldedasabigGermantalent.In2006-2007,hewasabletoplay33gamesforAlbaBerlindespitebeingonateamwithadeeproster.In2007-2008,heinjuredhimselfplayingonlyfivegames.Lastseason,hetookastepbackandplayedforErgasEhingenintheGermanPROBaveraging8,9ppg,2,4rpgand5,2apg.andtodevelopfurtherasaprofessionalbasketballplayer.In2009,heplayedattheWorldUniversitygamesinBelgradaveraging4,1ppg,3,6rpgand1,4apg.LastseasonforTuebingen,heplayed31games:2.8ppg,1.4rpg.

 

 

VaughnDugginsisaBekoBBLrookiethatisa24yearold187cmguardfromPendelton,Indiana.HeplayedatWrightStatefrom2006-2011includinghisfreshmanseasonwith2011BekoBBLMVPDashaunWoodashasfondmemoriesoftheAlbaBerlinguardonthecourtandtheironeononebattles. “EveryonceinawhileatpracticeI’dbewalkingbyDashaunandhewouldstopmeandtellmeexactlyhowhewasgoingtoscoreonhisopponentthatnextpossessionandsureenoughhewouldgooutthereanddothatexactthingandlookatmeandlaughwhilerunningdownthecourt.Thatseasy!Dashaunbeatme9outof10timesononeonone.Iwasayoungpuppyoutofhighschoolandhewasthehorizonleagueplayeroftheyear.Idon’trememberhimhavinganyweaknessesotherthanhewassmallerthanmesoIcouldposthimup”,stressedVaughnDuggins.Inhissenioryear,theAmericanplayed33games:18.0ppg,3.8rpg,2.2apg,1.5spg,FGP:44.7%,3PT:31.1%,FT:82.2%.BekoBBLteamswillhavetobeawareofthedangerousgameoftheAmerican.Heisascorer,butalsohashiddenattributes. “Myjumpingabilityisn´talwaysnoticed.I’vesurprisedalotpeoplewhenIgetuptoblockashotordunk”,warnedVaughnDuggins.AnotherBekoBBLrookiethisseasonisTyroneNash.Nashisa23yearold203cmforwardfromQueens,NewYork.HeplayedtogetherwithFCBayrenMunichguardBenHansbroughatNotreDameandinhissenioryearplayedNotreDame34games:9.5ppg,5.9rpg,2.6apg,FGP:48.7%,3PT:50.0%,FT:68.9%.AnotherBekoBBLrookiefortheTigersisAdnanHodzicwhoisa23yearold203cmforwardfromBosniaandHerzegovina.HeplayedatLipscomb(NCAA)from2007-2011togetherwithBGGoettingenguardJoshSlaterandinhissenioryearplayed30games:17.7ppg,7.5rpg,1.0apg,FGP:56.3%,3PT:12.5%,FT:72.6%.Despiteplayingforalessknownschoolandlosingsomecredibilityofhisworth,hehadsomegreatperformancesattheNCAAlevelwhichbroughtnotice. “Itdidhurtabit,however,someofmybestgameswereagainstbiggerschoolsandbettercompetition.ThebestplayerIplayedagainstintheNCAAwasmyjunioryear.IplayedagainstDerrickWilliams.Ihad34pts13rebIjustplayhardeverynight.Thecriticsanddoubterswillalwaysbethere”,warnedAdnanHodzic.Hodzicalsohasahiddenstrength. “Onestrengththatisveryoverlookedismyabilitytoshootfromoutside.AllspringandsummerIhavebeenworkingonexpandingmygame.Ihavedevelopedagoodmidrangeandlongrangeshot.Iamalsogoodatdrivingtheballtotherim”,stressedAdnanHodzic.

TheteamalsobroughtinReggieReddingwhowillbestartinghissecondprofessionalseasondespitebeingonly23yearsold.Reddingisa196cmguardfromPhiladelphiaandpossessesagreatfeelforthegame,moveswellwithouttheball,offerssizeandtheabilitytoscorefromtheguardposition.HeplayedatVillanova(NCAA)withexBGGoettingenforwardDwayneAndersonandinhissenioryearplayed23games:7.3ppg,4.7rpg,2.4apg,1.4spg,FGP:40.8%,3PT:39.5%,FT:63.8%.hereachedtheNCAASweet16in2008.LastseasonheplayedforInterCollegeEthaEngomis(Cyprus-DivisionA)winningtheleagueandcuptitleandplayed16games:9.5ppg,4.3rpg,2.1apg,1.0spg,FGP:46.1%,3PT:44.4%,FT:73.9%;EuroChallenge:8games:7.0ppg,3.4rpg,2.3apg,FGP:40.0%,3PT:31.3%,FT:62.5%.TheclubalsobroughtinJoshYoungwhomakesthejumpfromthePROBtotheBekoBBL.Youngisa23yearold185cmguardfromShawnee,Oklahoma.HeplayedatDrakefrom2006-2010includingtwoyearswithexSkylinerAdamEmmenecker.Inhissenioryear,heplayed32games:14.4ppg,3.9rpg,2.7apg,1.0spg,FGP:44.0%,3PT:35.8%,FT:73.0%.LastseasonhecametoGermanyandplayedforBayerGiantsLeverkusen(Germany-ProB)tearinguptheleagueplaying11gamesaveraging26.7ppg,6.4rpg,3.0apg,2.3spg,FGP:45.2%,3PT:45.3%,FT:79.0%.RuebenSpoedenisa22yearold202cmforwardfromFrankfurtthatisplayinghissecondseasoninTuebingen.HestartedhisbasketballcareerwithEintrachtFrankfurtandthenplayedforTVLangenwherehisteammatewasRobinBenzing.HealsohasalicenseforErgasEhingen.LastseasonhewiththeWalterTigersTuebingenheplayed8games:1.3ppg;alsoplayedatErdgaEhingen/Urspringschule(ProB):28games:7.4ppg,3.8rpg,FGP:50.4%,3PT:21.7%,FT:60.7%.GermanAmericanAkeemVargasroundsouttheroster.Heisa21yearold190cmguardthatstartedhisbasketballcareerwiththeSGUrspringschulejuniorteamin2005.In2009-2010,hegotexperienceintheStatesplayingforIowaLakesCC(JUCO):31games:5.6ppg,3.0rpg,1.5apg,1.2spg,FGP:53.0%,FT:94.0%.LastseasonwithTuebingen,hegotinto12games:0.4ppg;andalsohadalsoalicensetoplayforErdgasEhingen/Urspringschule(2.BundesligaProB)playing27games:8.6ppg,3.7rpg,1.9apg,1.4spg,FGP:50.4%,3PT:25.5%,FT:77.6%.