Michael Thompson is a 23 year old 177cm point guard from Chicago, Illinois that is playing his first season in France for  ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne Basket (France-ProA, and hiss econd season as a professional. He played at Northwestern from 2007-2011. In his senior year, he played : 34 games: 16.3ppg, 2.2rpg, 4.3apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 45.2%, 3PT: 39.3%, FT: 82.5%. Awards/Achievements in his career have been HS: Chicago Public League All-Academic Team -07, All-Big Ten Honorable Mention -10, All-Big Ten 3rd Team -11, Big Ten All-Tournament Team -11, and NIT Elite Eight -11. Last season he played for the Fraport Skyliners playing EuroCup: 6 games: 7.0ppg, 4.0rpg, 3.3apg, FGP: 34.8%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 83.3%; German League: 27 games: 8.5ppg, 1.7rpg, 1.7apg, FGP: 47.4%, 3PT: 44.4%, FT: 76.1%. This past summer he played  NBA Pro Summer League in Las Vegas (New Orleans Hornets): 4 games: 4.0ppg, 1.3apgHe took some time to talk to German Hoops about his current season in France.

Your playing your first season in France for Asvel Villurbane. How do you like it there?

I really am enjoying my time here in France. It was really an easy transition coming to France from Germany. I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates in Frankfurt and coaching staff that got me prepared to play here.

You play in Lyon now. It is an old city. Is the biggest difference to Frankfurt not having skyscrapers?

Yes that is the biggest difference, but there also is no mall here where I live. But I still live close enough that I can walk to practice just like I did in France. Lyon is a nice city and second biggest in France.

Was there a chance last summer that you would of remained with the Fraport Skyliners?

There was some talk in early summer with my agent and Fraport Skyliners, but they didn´t know how their budget was going to be so I waited a bit, but as the summer progressed I decided to sign with the team in France.

How were you able to improve as a rookie with the Fraport Skyliners?

I got a lot better as a rookie with Frankfurt. I played with very good players and had a good coaching staff where I could learn a lot from. Justin Gray also helped me a lot who is playing in France now as well. I was always asking him questions and I really learned a lot from him.

What was the most spectacular thing that you saw Quantez Robertson do last season?

I just recently watched the highlight film against ratiopharm Ulm from last season. I remember that Tez was under the basket and the opponent had the ball at center court and he chased him down and stripped the ball from him. You could see just how fast and athletic he was on that play.

Who was your best opponent last season in the Beko BBL?

Bobby Brown was the toughest guy that I played against. He is a great player. He was always tough to guard and you always had to be watching him.

How would you make Jermareo Davidson laugh?

If you go up to him and do his rhymes and raps then he would smile.

What do you miss most from Frankfurt?

I miss living in the mall. It really was a luxury to be able to shop and eat whenever I wanted to and just having it in walking distance.

You played for the New Orleans Hornets Summer league team in 2012. What is your fondest memory of this time?

Just being able to experience it all. It was great playing with and against great NBA players. It was also great to see how NBA player act on and off the court.

What was your impression of Anthony Davis? Do you think that he can become an impact big man like Blake Griffin of Kevin Love in the future?

Yes I think that he can. I didn´t have the opportunity to play with him, because he was already preparing for the Olympics with the Dream team 2012.

You haven´t needed any time to adjust in the French Pro A. How have you been able to make the transition so smooth?

The Fraport Skyliners prepared me well, but also the style of play is very athletic and reminds me of playing during the summer in pick up games. It is very much up and down the style in France.

What is the biggest strength within the team?

We are very versatile as the players can do many different things. We also make the opponent work hard for their shots.

There are only two Americans on the team with you and Tim Abromatis. How are you adjusting to the French way of life?

The transition really has been easy as everyone speaks English. Me and Tim Abromatis are very close and we played against each other in college. I am also learning French now.

What has been the most spectacular thing that you have seen Amara Sy do?

He can do so much, shoot the three, pass or penetrate. He also makes many crazy fade away jumpers that I sometimes have to say wow how did he make that shot with a guy in his face.

Asvel  Villurbane had a spectacular victory in the first game of the season beating 2012 France champion Chalon. What will you remember most from his game?

Schilb is a great player. I remember him playing at Loyola here in Chicago. He can do it all, scoring, rebounding and finding the open man. He really knows how to stuff the stat sheet.

Have you found a favorite French food yet?

I haven´t found a favorite French food yet. It is still the same like in Germany. I go eat at Vaipiano which has great pasta.

How will the Chicago Bulls do this season?

They had a good start and have many good veterans back and I am awaiting the return of Derrick Rose.

Were you surprised how well the New York Knicks started?

I am not surprised with their start. Everyone knew that they can play offense, but they are showing that they play defense this season.

Can we see you in Frankfurt sometime this season?

I want to return and will. We usually have games on Friday´s and have the weekend off. I want to come back and watch Tez and support the guys.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

In Time with Justin Timberlake.

Thanks Juice for the chat.

Derrick Parker is playing his first season for TSV Troester Breitenguessbach (Germany-Pro B). He is a 198cm forward from Louisiana that played at LSU-Shreveport (NAIA) from 2008-2012. In his senior year he played 35 games: 19.2ppg, 11.5rpg, 3.1bpg, FGP: 49.5%, FT: 63.9%. He spoke to German Hoops after the 71-49 loss.

A tough 71-49 loss to the Fraport Skyliners juniors. What was the main reason for the loss?

They played well for 40 minutes and we did for 30 minutes and we just couldn´t come back.

How did if feel blocking a Taylor Brown dunk?

It is part of the game. I have had blocks like that before.

You came late to TSV Troester Breitengussbach. How difficult was the player market for you?

It was a tough time waiting. My agent just told me to stay ready and then I got this offer in January.

Do you think coming from NAIA that professional teams shy away from giving those players a fair chance?

Yes I think it is that way, but it is understandable. There are many talented players in division one and teams look for them first.

You had 19,2ppg and 11,5rpg as a senior. Do you think that 25ppg and 14rpg would have made getting a job easier?

Yes of course. Better stats always help you more.

You are from Louisiana and now play in Breitengussbach. What are the biggest geographical differences?

The area is similar to home. My town in the States is German made. The weather is a lot colder here. It is 75 degrees now at home.

How happy are you with your current stats in the PRO B of 12,4ppg and ,7rpg?

I am not happy, because I know that I can give more. It is a work in progress. I just came to the team recently and still need to come together with them.

On what areas of your game do you still need to work on?

I need to work on everything. Shooting, dribbling and post moves.

What is a strength in your game that doesn´t get noticed right  way?

My leadership abilities.

When you see the Brose Baskets Bamberg play, do you dream of being on the court?

Yes I do, but I still need to improve my game  a lot to be able to play at that level.

You were on the court with Casey Jacobson once. What kind of experience was that for you?

It was great, but I don´t think he knew who I was. He is a great player that plays with real poise and he is a real professional. I like his calmness on the court.

You play with German talent Daniel Schmidt. What is your impression of him?

He is a very talented player. I played with him once before and he was the reason we won the game.

How does Ivan Pavic make you laugh?

He is an old school dude. He is a smooth guy. He is a leader and will talk to you about things when you need advice.

What was the most important thing that Chad Mcdowell taught you?

He taught me too have passion for the game and and always compete and go as hard as I can in every game.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I hope I am still playing professional ball.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

Friday.

Thanks Derrick for the chat.

For A Lebron James or Kobe Bryant, scoring 30 plus points in an NBA games is a normal routine and is really as simple for these Americans as it is for Phoenix Hagen 200cm forward American Dino Gregory to swat away at least one ball during a Beko BBL game as he has done most times this season, Telekom Baskets Bonn classic point guard Jared Jordan finding Tony Gaffney last season  each game for an ally-op dunk or Walter Tigers Tuebingen big man Ohio native Kenny Frease chewing gum during each game and possibly annoying some opponents and getting them off track with his unorthodox method of using his teeth to get all 100% of the gum. Phoenix Hagen also has something quite unusual to brag about this season besides their almost always potent and annoying run and gun power house offense, that they also have currently four players that have scored 30 plus points in the Beko BBL at some time in their career. American point guard Davin White who has gone from mini Dashaun Wood to a player that is putting up similar Wood type scoring stats from his 2011 MVP season finally eclipsed the 30 point mark last weekend in a crushing win against ratiopharm Ulm where he netted home 33 points as no player could keep him in check. This season, he came close already once in a loss to FC Bayern Munich scoring 29 points. Scoring has been nothing new for White as he has been a scorer all his life once averaging 28ppg in Mexico. Another guy that can shoot out the lights on a regular basis is American David Bell is a guy that can assault any game and already two seasons ago showed his scoring touch in a Phoenix Hagen uniform finishing third in the league scoring. He has a very compact body and could pass for baby Shaq, but he is all business on the court as this season he scored 31 points against the Telekom Baskets Bonn dropping six three pointers. This season, he has been very close to 30 points scoring 29 against FC Bayern Munich and 28 points against Giessen and Bremerhaven. Adam Hess is no stranger to the Beko BBL as he played three seasons for the Artland Dragons. He may not score as much in the past, but still has that scoring touch. In his first season in the Beko BBL in 2005-2006, he lite up BG Karlsruhe for 33 points. The last Hagen player that has scored 30 plus points is Mark Mr fantastic Dorris who is a very spectacular player and could probably make some side money making a weekly dunk contets with his friend Quantez Robertson. Dorris is a type of player like Wood also that can score 30 plus points and on the next night when his team needs his playmaking dish out 10 assists. He already came close this season to the 30 point mark canning 29 against the Neckar Riesen Ludwigsburg and had good memories of that team scoring 35 back in his first season with Phoenix Hagen in 2010-2011. With so much scoring power with Phoenix Hagen, the Fraport Skyliners had to be very focused defensively not only keeping these four scorers in check, but just giving an all around top defensive performance against the aspiring playoff team. “Phoenix Hagen is the quickest team in the league. They have one of the best point guards in the league, great shooters and athletic guys like Larry Gordon and Dino Gregory who makes opponents crazy. I don´t think its so important that they have guys that have scored 30 points before in a game, but the most important thing is that they can use all that potential on any given night to their advantage. When they are hot, they can beat any team in the league”, stressed basketball expert Steven Clauss. Phoenix Hagen had five players in double figures, but no player could eclipse the 30 point mark as the Fraport Skyliners never let Phoenix Hagen play their game hanging on in crunch time for the convincing 81-78 win.

After the convincing win against the Walter Tigers Tuebingen last weekend where the Fraport Skyliners snapped their five game losing streak, they came back to work and wanted to win on the road again after losing four games in a row and had to meet the leagues best offense with Phoenix Hagen. After their very disappointing 107-102 loss in Frankfurt against Phoenix Hagen where they let themselves get run into the ground with the opponents run and gun game, they came prepared and this time didn´t let themselves get involved with a fast paced game. The Fraport Skyliners won their second game in a row and played nothing like a 17^th placed team being the eight placed team Phoenix Hagen. “We did a good job controlling the tempo tonight. Robinson did  agreat job controlling the tempo. We rebounded very well, played good transition defense and just had the will to win the game at the end”, commented Fraport Skyliner captain Marius Nolte. For Phoenix Hagen, they continue to be a very up and down team. Two weeks ago they get crushed by 30 points in Tuebingen, but last week return home and beat top team ratiopharm Ulm. Against the Fraport Skyliners, Phoenix Hagen was unable to play their game as Frankfurt did their notes on how to stop a run and gun system by their opponent. “The Fraport Skyliners had a very good game plan and they never let us get into our offensive rhythm. Frankfurt forced us to take shots that we normally don´t want to take. They forced us to take bad shots and that showed with our poor shooting percentage”, stressed Phoenix Hagen assistant coach Steven Wriedt. For ex Giessen 46er Ryan Brooks after losing so much in Giessen getting another win put an extra smile on his face as well as stopping the biggest strength of Hagen. “This was a very important win for me and Laquan Prowell. This was our first back to back wins this season and we really enjoyed it with the team. We did a great job stopping their transition. We watched a lot of video last week and we were advised to sprint back as soon as we scored, because Davin White is always ready to push the ball and it was to our advantage if he saw four blue jerseys back already instead of only one”, warned Ryan Brooks.

Dawan Robinson had been out for eight months because of an injury and after his slow start with the team, some were getting critical of his play, but in the last two weeks, he hast upped his game 108 degrees scoring 21 points against Tuebingen and  a game high 25 points against Phoenix Hagen. Robinson is slowly getting fitter each week and it is showing in his play as he is a penetration monster. He is slowly becoming unstoppable as he can do as pleases forcing himself into the lane and almost always finishing with a layup or drawing a smart foul. “Robinson got to the rim a lot. We wanted him to run the line and get contested by Dino Gregory, but our help wasn´t always there. He really showed that he is a good guard”, stressed Oakland, California native David Bell. Robinson wasn´t oblivious to the criticism and was as motivated as ever to show the basketball world that there are other strong guards besides a Davin White. “I really like the challenge when playing against big time players. I really get sick of hearing how good they are. I try to step up and show that I can play with guys like that. Not only on offense, but also on defense. I take pride in my defense. I remember when I was growing up, I didn´t have a good shot and people kept telling me to let him shoot. When the feet are planted is when I have the chance to go around guys. I always try to get the defense off guard, play mind games and change the pace of the game”, stressed Dawan Robinson. Robinson is getting more and more respect of his teammates. “He has been reading the defense very well in the last two games. He is very smart finds the open man or when he has space penetrates and finshes strong to the hole”, added Fraport Skyliner guard Ryan Brooks.

An interesting note for all basketball players concerning hard work and dedication is what makes top players go was the sighting of Davin White as the first player on the court in warm ups 1.45 minutes before game time. Fraport Skyliners young players Johannes Voigtmann and Konstantin Klein were seen in the stands have a long conversation with Phoenix Hagen point guard Ole Wendt. When the game finally did begin, 3,145 people were in the stands and might have been a bit surprised to see Beko BBL top scorer Davin White on the bench. Bernd Kruel sat out the game due to injury and Fraport Skyliner centers Marius Nolte and Johannes Voigtmann didn´t play on account of the quick play of Phoenix Hagen. It was important that the Fraport Skyliners wouldn´t let Phoenix Hagen get off to a quick start as they took control of the pace early going on a quick 8-2 lead as they got hot fast getting two three pointers from Quantez Robertson and Dawan Robinson. Frankfurt then scored on the fast break as Tez found Robinson for quick points. Robertson continues to have that offensive spirit and zeal as he penetrated hard to the hole finishing with his left hand. Prowell then tested his 50% three point accuracy nailing from the parking lot as Frankfurt led 13-6 Frankfurt quickly showed Phoenix Hagen who was master in their living room not letting them play run and gun and along the way hitting their shots early. However one can never get to comfortable, because if Phoenix Hagen catches you off guard then they can quickly get  back into the game going on a 6-0 run to cut the Frankfurt lead to 13-12. Bell started the run with a tough jumper over Klein, Bell then set up Dino Gregory for a thunderous dunk and White made a difficult floater over Danilo Barthel. Ex Artland Dragon Adam Hess then made a free throw to tie the socre at 13-13. However this lightening run didn´t discourage Frankfurt as they ended the first quarter strong with their own flash of brilliance going on a 10-2 run to lead 23-15 after one quarter. Frankfurt was finding many ways to score as Robinson hit free throws, Zack peacock snuck inside from the baseline with a reverse lay up and Robinson struck from downtown. Hess finished the first quarter scoring with a three pointer. “Frankfurt hurt us with four three pointers. We couldn´t stop them and we missed some easy shots”, said Phoenix Hagen assistant coach Steven Wriedt. “The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 40% from the two point area and 80% from outside while Phoenix Hagen was shooting 67% from the two point area and 0% from outside. Frankfurt had the 8-6 rebounding edge and both teams had five turnovers a piece.

The Fraport Skyliners held the lead in the second quarter and led by as much as 12 points before Phoenix Hagen was able to come back and get back into the game and trail by only three points at the intermission. Davin White scored on a fast break as Phoenix Hagen showed really how lethal and fats their transition works. However Frankfurt kept hurting Phoenix Hagen inside as Devin Gibson set up Barthel inside for an easy bucket and Robinson scored on one of typical I´ll mow you down if you get in my way penetration and Robertson also scored with his left hand and Prowell connected on a running hook shot as the Fraport Skyliners had the 31-20 advantage. Barthel then smashed home one of his two monster dunks of the night as Quantez Robertson found him inside giving him a bullet pass. Frankfurt then got a taste of what Dino Gregory can do on the defensive end as he got a pair of blocks including denying Tez. Devin Gibson may have been held scoreless the last two games, but his energy on defense remained high as he got a steal which led to a Peacock bucket and 34-24 Skyliner lead. David Bell who is like baby Shaq in a guards body is afraid of nothing and challenged Peacock and hit a huge three pointer over him which was answered by a quick pass from Peacock inside to Prowell for a fast lay in as Frankfurt led 36-29. After a pull up jumper by White, Peacock and Robinson followed with free throws as Frankfurt seemed to be heading into halftime with the comfortable 40-31 lead. However Phoenix Hagen didn´t have their feathers ruffled as they started one last spurt catching Frankfurt off guard squirming into the break with a annoying 6-0 run to trail 40-37. Mark Mr fantastic Dorris hit a fade away jumper that looks as beautiful as the sunset in his home town Cincinnati, Gordon scored inside, and White stole the ball from Robinson and mid court and went coast to coast for the lay up. “We finally had our rhythm on offense, wore them down a bit and had the better conditioning”, stressed Steven Wriedt. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 48% from the field and 40% from the three point line while Phoenix Hagen was shooting 50% from the field and 13% from the three point line. Frankfurt had the 19-14 rebound edge, but 10 turnovers while Phoenix Hagen had six turnovers.

The third quarter remained the tightest of the game as their were five lead changes and Phoenix Hagen had the slim lead after three quarters. Larry Gordon who last season played in Austria for Furstenfeld and played 59 minutes in a triple overtime game against ex Phoenix Hagen American Quentin Pryor still had much energy helping on the offensive end with a floater over Barthel and nailing a three pointer. For Frankfurt Ryan Brooks was slowly getting warm after playing only 3.32 in the first half after getting hit with two fouls. “I was shooting consistent in the second half and my pull up jumper is my biggest strength”, added Ryan Brooks. Mark Dorris had been rather quiet in the first half, but he also got going as he scored a lay up and then showed his dunk qualities dunking form the wing after cutting in getting a pretty no look feed from Davin White as Phoenix Hagen led 53-49. Frankfurt then went on an 8-0 run to retake the lead 57-53. Frankfurt took advantage of the Dino Gregory foul trouble scoring easily inside three times from Brooks, Robinson and Prowell. Frankfurt got a bit clumsy coughing up the ball twice to 24 second shot clock violations, but the score of the game came as Danilo Barthel dunked over Abe Lodwick with the sheer brute showing in his face that looked like there will be even harder ones coming in the future. Barthel has dunked so much this season that it is hard to keep up with them. “It has been many dunks, but I still like the one against Bonn. I really don´t remember the dunk over Lodwick. I will have to check the video”, smiled Danilo Barthel. “He really sparked Frankfurt. He gave them momentum and did a good job”, stressed David Bell. Robinson was very focused with his forceful penetration, but was aware of the damage of Bartel. “He is very athletic and has a bright future. He really is a white man that can jump. If he can play with even more confidence then he won´t be in Germany that much longer. He can be an euroleague player”, warned Dawan Robinson. Wriedt remembers Barthel from years ago. “I remember him when he was 16 or 17 when we played them in the PRO A against Heidelberg. He is quick and athletic for his size. When he adds a consistent outside shot then he can be a national player”, added Steven Wriedt. The Fraport Skyliners then left sharp shooter Adam Hess open twice and he burned them with consecutive three pointers as Frankfurt trailed 62-61 after three quarters. “I thought that we tried to slow down the game a bit too much. We didn´t take advantage of getting easy buckets in the third quarter”, expressed Dawan Robinson. Phoenix Hagen was shooting 62% from the two point area and 36% from the parking lot while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 63% from the two point area and 35% from the parking lot. Phoenix Hagen had the rebound edge 22-21 and only nine turnovers while Frankfurt had 12 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter, the Fraport Skyliners would take the lead and let Phoenix Hagen tie the game twice, but never let them lead again. Robinson started the fourth quarter with a lay in which was met by a Bell jumper over Peacock to tie the game at 64-64. Brooks then got to the free throw line twice hitting only twice and hitting a jumper over Bell as Frankfurt led 68-64. However Phoenix Hagen never gave up going on a mini 4-0 run to dead lock the game at 68-68 as White hit a floater with one second left on the shot clock and Gordon scored inside. Frankfurt continued to hit with consistency as it seemed like they might have decided the game going on a 7-0 run to lead 75-68. Brooks made an off balance jumper, Prowell dropped a three pointer and Barthel muscled down an offensive rebound and put back. Phoenix Hagen continued to fight going on a 5-0 run as Bell got to the free throw line and Gordon nailed a three pointer as Phoenix Hagen trailed 75-73 with two minutes to go. Then came maybe the two most emotional buckets which just kept everybody in awe as both teams just didn´t want to lose. Robinson who had had his own penetration clinic scored his most beautiful basket of the evening weaving inside and finishing with a finger tip role as Frankfurt led 77-73, but Davin White struck back with a crunch time three pointer where he was as cool as  Larry Bird back in the day at that moment where it mattered most as Frankfurt led only 77-76. The last minute remained exciting as Robinson hit free throws and Bell finished with  alay up high off the glass as Frankfurt still led 79-78. With time running out Brooks blocked Bell which led to Robinson scoring on the penetration one last time. Phoenix Hagen then had the chance to send the game into overtime, but White missed from outside giving the Fraport Skyliners the win. “Frankfurt executed very well at the end. We weren´t able to make our shots. They forced White to take a tough shot. We live with him taking tough shots”, added David Bell. “This was a big win for us. We as the 17^th place team beating the 8^th place team brought us back into the league. Our fans really supported us tonight. We really worked hard tonight, nothing was easy for us”, stressed Fraport Skyliner head coach Muli Katzurin. “Barthel made a big offensive rebound. Gregory fouling out didn´t help us and Robinson was always penetrating which hurt us as well”, stressed Steven Wriedt.

The Fraport Skyliners were led by Dawan Robinson with 25 points. Ryan Brooks added 14 points and Laquan Prowell chipped in with 13 points. Danilo Barthel produced 11 points, while Quantez Robertson contributed 10 points. Phoenix Hagen was led by Davin White and Adam Hess who both hit for 16 points each. Larry Gordin added 14 points and six rebounds and David Bell chipped in with 11 points and Mark Dorris produced 10 points. The Fraport Sklyiners shot 52% from the field and also won the rebounding duel 32-28. The new players Brooks and Prowell continue to get integrated better as well as finding their rhythm while Dawan Robinson is getting fitter. Frankfurt showed another solid team effort for 40 minutes and continue to show that they are a much better team than what their place in standings shows. “Our biggest strength tonight was our rebounding, staying together and team defense”, stressed Dawan Robinson. The Fraport Skyliners will have to continue to up their game as the next three games are against Berlin, Ulm and Bamberg. Thier confidence is high as their game is slowly getting into shape.

Mike Smith is a 25 year old 198cm forward from Vandalia, Missouri that wa sunder contract with the Iowa Energy, but injured himself in training camp. Last season as a rookie he played the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven playing  34 games: 8.3ppg, 3.5rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 41.6%, 3PT: 37.0%, FT: 85.4%. He played at E. Tennessee from 2007-2011. In his senior year, he played 35 games: 17.9ppg, 6.8rpg, 1.9apg, FGP: 46.9%, 3PT: 36.7%, FT: 78.9%. In the summer 2011, he took part at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (Pre-NBA Draft): 3 games: 10.0ppg, 8.3rpg, 1.7apg, 1.3spg, 1.0bpg. He was a A-Sun Tournament Winner -09, 10, and All-A-Sun Player of the Year -11. He spoke to German Hoops about basketball.

Mike thanks for talking to eurobasket.com. After a solid rookie season in Germany, you have had a lot of misfortune this season. How tough has this season been for you?

It has been extremely tough, anytime you put so much effort and hard work into the game and end up with an injury really stinks. But I have had a good supporting cast through this whole process to make thinks a little easier.

You broke your hand in the second week of training camp with the Iowa Energy. How was that training camp going for you before you broke your hand?

Training camp was going really well for me, I was playing at a very high level. Shooting the ball probably the best I have ever while continuing to rebound and do all of the little things.

How was the rehab? Was that your first real serious injury in your young career?

Rehab went really well, I worked with a months. How did you stay focused during rehab?hand specialist for 7 weeks to get my hand back to 100%. This has been my first real serious injury in my career

How tough was this time for you the last

It has been extremely tough, but I know things happen for a reason and something good will come out of this situation. I have had a lot of support during this time and keeping my faith in God has been a huge help! It was easy to keep my focus during rehab because I knew this was something I had to take serious to get back to the game I love.

The Iowa Energy have really been struggling at 7-25. Would you have thought in training camp that they would be struggling so much?

I would have not thought they would be struggling, we had a good group of guys in there with the same mind set to win games. It was a surprise to me to see them struggle this much.

How would you have seen your chances of getting playing time for them had you been fit? They have many talented players there?

I felt I would of been a great fit for this program and definitely helped them in all aspects of the game.

After a solid rookie season with Eisbaeren Bremerhaven (Germany-1.Bundesliga, starting five): 34 games: 8.3ppg, 3.5rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 41.6%, 3PT: 37.0%, FT: 85.4%, you didn´t return? Was there any talks with Doug Spradley as to what the status was for you to return?

Yes I spoke with Doug several time about my return to Bremerhaven. Things just didn’t work out for me.

Would you like to have returned back to Germany? Was the job market so tough last summer that you decided to try the D-league?

Yea I would have loved to return to Germany, great basketball, amazing fans, and a beautiful country!

You scored in double figures 17 times for a team that had good scorers. How happy were you with your rookie season?

It was a solid rookie season for myself, I felt that I could have done a lot more. The beginning of the season started slow playing behind former All-Star Torrell Martin, but when that chance came for me to play I had to make the most out of it and I thought I did well.

What was your best game? I remember you scoring 19 points against the Brose Baskets Bamberg.

Yea I had a couple nice games, 20 points against Braunschweig, 19 against Oldenburg, then 19 on Bamburg.

Who was the best player that you played against last season in the Beko BBL?

Bobby Brown

Terrell Everett is back with Bremerhaven. He is a very versatile player. What was the most important thing that you could learn from him?

The most important thing I learned from Terrell would be to play hard every second, no possessions off.

You are fit now and would like to be added to a team for the stretch run. Why could you help any team in the Beko BBL now?

I see myself as a big guard at 6’6″ that is very versatile, Can shoot very well, take you off the dribble, post up, rebound and defend. I would definitely be an asset to any team right now.

What have you missed from Germany and what would you like to see in Germany soon again?

Thing I have missed most about Germany would be the fans, I love playing in those types of environments that the BBL has to offer every game!

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

Lawless.

Thanks Mike for the chat

When looking at the Phoenix Hagen roster there are numerous names that ring a bell and go click in your mind especially on the offensive end before other players who fulfill the typical role, but are just as important as the scorers, because they help carry the team in many ways. For years Phoenix Hagen head coach Ingo Fryer has crafted and molded teams each season that are very dominant on offense and can score 100 plus points on any night as easily as a 10 year old boy can come up with a music rapper that has resemblance to ex Charlote Bobcat Jermareo Davidson, the Boston Celtics were able to go on an eight game winning streak without their playmaking genius Rajon Rondo or as the ease and grace in which St Louis native Jimmy Mckinney can sit parked behind the three point line in the corner and sink three pointers as if he was playing basketball battle ship. It is no different this season in Hagen that the offense is firing away at all cylinders and scoring over 90 points on a regular basis. On most days the offense is carried and led by Davin White who has shown this season that his high scoring in the last few months in the 2011-2012 season was no fluke. He may have made a name in Mexico and be like a mini Dashaun Wood with his scoring ability, but if he continues at this rate will not need anymore mini Wood comparisons, as his name Davin White be fully accepted as he has shown on a consistent level this season that he belongs to the top players in the Beko BBL as he can also set up his teammates and get 7-8 assists in a game. Another player in the offensive attack is David Bell who looks like a mini copy of a baby Shaq in a guards body, but can fire away all night long and get you down quickly and could possibly even hit from Oakland across the bay to San Franscico. Adam Hess may not score as much and on a consistent rate as three or four years ago, but the Vaughn Duggins look alike can still heat it up on any night and just be carried by the offense by the others. Then there is Larry Gordon who is a 196cm forward, but can guard guards has shown that after three solid seasons in lower leagues in Holland and Austria that he can dominate in the Beko BBL. Gordon may see himself more as a streaky shooter than pure shooter, but has been one of the best three point shooters this season. But it is his rebounding that really stands out as he is a relentless worker on the offensive boards and keeps many plays alive. One should also put Mark Mr fantastic Dorris into the mix as he is a guard that can score 30 one night and dish out 10 plus assists the next night. With the offense flowing as smoothly on most nights like a Budweiser brewery, one tends to forget defensive specialists especially in a team that was giving up 92 points in the last six games. When you hear the word Maryland basketball, the name Len Bias pops up quicker than Dino Gregory who hails from charm city Baltimore, but the American had a solid senior year and last season played for  Sundsvall Dragons (Sweden) playing 40 games: 13.2ppg, 6.5rpg, 1.0apg, Blocks-1(1.5bpg), FGP: 54.0%, 3PT: 30.0%, FT: 73.0%. He had good offensive stats in a lower league and led the league in blocks. He has shown that his blocking skills haven´t been a fluke as he leads the Beko BBL in blocks. The American has shown that he is as important for his defensive skills as the offensive forces on the team and teams take notice. “Teams watch film they know we have a beast down there to defend the rim. Every game we watch how guards change their approach when driving to the basket against Dino. He has been real important to us, because his ability to block shots is huge for us. It makes opposing guards and big man think twice about how to score inside the paint. His role is huge, he guards the paint very well. Our game against Bremerhaven he had 7 blocks, with one he caught it in mid air. It was Crazy“, stressed teammate Larry Gordon. With everyone talking about the offense, Gregory has no problem just doing his magic under the basket defending the opponent. “ I take  a lot pride in being the anchor of our defense or the guy who protects the rim. My teammates do an excellent job pressuring their guys to take tough lay ups and im there to clean it up with a block or alter their shot even more. I love being the rim protector”, warned Dino Gregory. Gregory also understands that it isn´t just him, but it is good team work that makes a team excel on the defensive end. “My teammates really appreciate my defense just like I appreciate there’s. I allow them to pressure guys more and not worry if their guy sometimes beats them to the basket. They allow me to go for block shots and not worry about my man having an easy lane to the basket. I can guard multiple positions and that makes it easier for my teammates. I think what makes me a good shot blocker is my jumping ability and I have good timing. But people dont understand it not just me sitting in the lane blocking shots its a total team effort when guys like Mark Dorris and Davin White are pressuring their guys, the person they are guarding are so worried about getting there shot off against them they dont even notice me and boom a block shot leading to a fast break”, added Dino Gregory. He remembers having eight or nine blocks in high school and recently swatted away seven Bremerhaven shots. “When I had 7 blocks in that game that was a great experience as our defense was clicking and everybody was rotating well. I go for a block somebody rotated to box my man out. Our defense was a total team effort and I just did my part”, commented Dino Gregory. He may come from Baltimore that is known as charm city, but when he is under the boards, he is anything but charming, but a real defensive beast that won´t get any high marks in delighting any opponents with his play.

Last season, Phoenix Hagen were forced to do a sort of house cleaning simply because guys like Jacob Burtschi, Mark Dorris and Quentin Pryor were to expensive to hold. With costs on making more seating capacity possible in their old arena Ischeland arena, the team had hug expenses which didn´t help for the player budget for last season. It also isn´t easy when players see Hagen as a town where they can make a name for themselves and then get better offers from other teams the next season. Eight players left the club including scoring guard David Bell as well as young German talents Andreas Buchert and Malte Schwarz. Important was that the team was able to hold three important players with experienced German Bernd Kruel, versatile inside out player Zygimantas Jonusas and inside beast Edward Seward. The club knew that money was scarce, so they had a lot of home work to do that summer in getting the best possible players for the cheapest price. The team returned two ex Beko BBL players with Brandon Brooks who got his feet wet with the Eisbaeren playing a solid rookie season under Doug Spradley learning the ropes from starting point guard Louis Campbell and Marc Carter who had played in Duesseldorf and on any night can light up scoreboards in the Beko BBL with the best of them. The team also brought in Tristian Blackwood who made a name for himself in Holland, second year man Jordan Hasquet who is there to help under the boards and veteran Jason Crowe who was playing his 13^th professional season and Germany was the 11^th country where he had played. Crowe left the team earlier in the season. The team then picked up Davin White who brings experience to the point guard position at 30 years old and 186cm. The team had ex Tuebingen player Patrick Sparks earlier, but released him as he couldn´t find his rhythm White who played preseason for the Phoenix Suns years ago had shown in his first 7 games that he can play point guard averaging 16,4ppg and 5,4apg. He had shown that he can score in the weaker Mexican league where he averaged 28,0ppg recently for Mineros de Cananea (Mexico-CIBACOPA):

Last  season wasn´t been pretty for Phoenix Hagen as they show glimpses of brilliance, but then again played horrible basketball finishing the season in 15^th place with a record of 11-23. They had a 3-7 record as the two teams met for the first time in December and defense continued to be a problem as they allowed an average of 93 points in the first ten games. It seems to be the norm for years for Phoenix Hagen, that the team is content just to outscore their opponents with defense being out on the back burner. Hagen seemed to have a major focus on the offensive end and not so much on the defensive end. “There isn´t much help side and their pick and role defense isn´t great either. If their quick shots don´t fall, it can lead to easy fast break points for the opponent. Due to their athleticism, they should be able to get more steals”, warned Tiger guard Josh Young last season. Ingo Freyer prides offense and that is something that works most of the time for the team. “They were an extremely dangerous offensive team. They had so many weapons. They were great in transition and very good on one on one. Their biggest strength was their three point shooting, offensive rebounding and speeding up the game. You had to watch Carter and Jonusas very much”, warned Josh Young. Since the loss to Frankfurt in December, nothing had really gone right as the team had a good span around Christmas winning three in a row including against the always tough s.Oliver baskets Wurzburg, but since then have a 2-12 record until their return visit to Frankfurt which they lost. They ended the season with a strong 3-0 record including their biggest win of the season beating the LTi Giessen 46ers at home on the last game day to stay in the beko BBL. Their other biggest win was against Alba Berlin which they have beaten twice in a row at home in the last two seasons.

AS is so often the case, Phoenix Hagen made a house cleaning as 11 players went and eight new players came. The team had more budget this season than last and did the best that they could despite the circumstances. The biggest heartache was losing Zgyimantas Jonusas who smelt the euro´s in Italy going to Juve Caserta. The club was able to hold German dinosaur Bernd Kruel that is palying his 16^th season there and scoring point guard David White that can also pull a Dashaun Wood when the shooting isn´t on and focus on the playmaking. Oliver Herkelmann brought in a mix of experience, young guns from the NCAA and two familiar faces to round out a competitive roster. Two smart moves was bringing back David Bell for a second tour of duty as he can shoot out the lights in any arena and fan favourite Mark Dorris who had an unspectacular season in Ludwigsburg and comes back with a lot of ambition and his fantastic play. Another big signing was versatile Adam Hess who recently got the German citizenship. Hess is a team player that will need to help the team in scoring. Larry Gordon was brought in to give scoring nd rebounding aid. The American had a strong season in Austria and is ready to make the next step. Two risky transactions were bringing in Abe Lodwick and Dino Gregory, but both have proved that they can play in the Beko BBL. Lodwick has been consistent and preforms his role well from the bench while Gregory has shown his defensive eagerness and talent in the early going. Young German Ole Wendt was also hauled in and promised to receive minutes to help further his development. The strength of Phoenix Hagen as always will be their offense. They are a team that loves to score and also practice that run and gun game. Weakness are their defense as when they can´t score a lot of points then they have problems to score. They have given up 80 or more points in six of the first ten games. A weakness also could be their rebounding as they have no dominant big man. After 10 games, their rebounding has been more than solid as they have averaged 36 rebounds per game, but 196cm forward Larry Gordon is their top rebounder. They need help from eact player on the boards in each game.

The Deutsche Bank Skyliners swept the season series in 2009-2010 with Phoenix Hagen stomping all over them in Hagen 93-64 as Derrick Allen led all scorers with 22 points, Aubrey Resse chipped in with 18 points and Grayson Moyer had one of his best games as a Skyliner with 15 points and five assists. In the return game in Frankfurt, Phoenix Hagen lost 89-76. Skyliner captain Pascal Roller led Frankfurt with 18 points and five assists and Derrick Allen produced 17 points. Last season, The Deutsche Bank Skyliners outrebounded Phoenix Hagen 66-49 in both games. Last season, the Skyliners also won the season series with a 90-85 win as Jermaine Bucknor led the team with 19 points and six rebounds and 92-53 romp at home getting 24 points and eight rebounds from Roger Powell and only six points and seven assists from Dashaun Wood. In the first game this season, the Fraport Skyliners romped Phoenix Hagen 83-65 as fans saw the last Beko BBL game of Jon Leuer who erupted for 27 points and Jimmy Mckinney had 21 points. In the return game, the Fraport Skyliners stomped all over Phoenix Hagen 92-47. Five players scored in double figures as the team was led by Devin Gibson with 16 points. The Fraport Skyliners lost the first game against Phoenix Hagen in their own living room in embarrassing fashion 107-102 as they their opponent gave them a display of how to play run and gun basketball. Phoenix Hagen shot an amazing 51% from the field and 60% from the three point line. Currently Hagen is resting on a playoff seat in eighth place with a record of 11-11 and are coming off a huge home win against 2012 Beko BBL finalist ratiopharm Ulm. They continue to play with a lot self confidence and are always hard to beat at home as Alba Berlin has seen twice in last two seasons. The Fraport Skyliners are coming off a huge home win against Tuebingen snapping their five game losing streak. They will travel to Hagen this time knowing what not to do wrong this time. “We have to take Hagen out of their rhythm. In Frankfurt they found their rhythm fast and we can´t let them do that again. When they get going then it is hard to stop them if your playing defense or not”, warned Devin Gibson. “The key for Frankfurt will be the transition game. Frankfurt will have to get back fast each time they miss a shot and focus on them in the first seconds after they get possession”, stressed Vaughn Duggins.

Phoenix Hagen is led by 30 year old 186cm point guard Davin White who is playing his second season in Hagen. The Phoenix, Arizona native played at  Chandler-Gilbert Community College (NJCAA) before transferring to Cal.St.-Northridge (NCAA) in 2003 and playing there until 2005. In his senior year he played 31 games: 12.5ppg, 2.6rpg, 3.3apg, 1.8spg, FGP: 43.4%, 3FGP: 38%. He played in the ABA and D-league briefly and also gained European experience in Serbia, but he has gotten most of his experience in Mexico. There he made a name for himself with his scoring. Last season he played for Halcones UV Xalapa (Mexico-LNBP, starting five): 39 games: 12.9ppg, 3.3rpg, 4.6apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 54.2%, 3PT: 28.1%, FT: 71.3%, in Mar.’12 moved to Phoenix Hagen (Germany-BBL, starting five): 11 games: 17.3ppg, 2.2rpg, 5.0apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 47.7%, 3PT: 44.7%, FT: 75.4%. David Bell is a 31 year old 186cm guard from Oakland, California that is playing his second season for Phoenix Hagen. He is a A 1/2 guard who simply assaults any game he plays. He is an outstanding 3 pt. shooter, can penetrate and dish with the best. Offensively can carry a team, also is a top defender. He played at Montana(NCAA) and in his senior year played Montana (NCAA) 30 games: 17.6ppg, 2.6rpg, 2.7apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 41.5%, 3PT: 38.7%, FT: 83.6%. He started his professional basketball career in 2003 and played in Switzerland, Finland and France before spending the last years in the D-league. In 2010-2011, he played for  Phoenix Hagen (Germany-1.Bundesliga): 31 games: Score-3(16.5ppg), 2.2rpg, 3.5apg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 37.1%, FT: 78.1%. Last season he played for  GasTerra Flames Groningen (Holland-Eredivisie): EuroCup: 6 games: 15.0ppg, 3.2rpg, 1.8apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 40.5%, 3PT: 37.5%, FT: 88.2%; Dutch League: 36 games: 13.7ppg, 4.1rpg, 2.6apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 49.1%, 3PT: 34.7%, FT-3(84.3%).

Larry Gordon is a 25 year old 196cm forward that is playing his first season for Phoenix Hagen. He played at Cal Poly Pomona (NCAA2) from 2005-2009. He turned professional in 2009 and played for  Landstede Basketbal Zwolle (Holland-Eredivisie, starting five): 36 games: 14.0ppg, 8.1rpg, 1.8apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 33.7%, FT: 75.8%. He played for  ECE Bulls Kapfenberg (Austria-A Bundesliga) the last two seasons and last season played  38 games: 14.7ppg, Reb-3(8.4rpg), 1.8apg, FGP-3(65.2%), 3PT: 36.2%, FT: 77.1%. Gordon is the leading rebounder on the team despite his only 196cm frame and he fits well into the style of Ingo Freyer. “I think it fits perfectly, I love the concept coach is teaching us. I love the fast break and to score easy buckets off of it. That kind of pace to the game is great and it makes us more of a threat. My rebounding ability is perfect for this team, we have a lot of talented rebounders and Im just going to add on to that with my strong rebounding”, stressed Larry Gordon. RE bounding has always been a strength in his game. “I cant really explain it, its just something that is embedded into my game. Its a lot of heart and relentless effort to get the rebound that makes me so good at it. When the ball goes up you will always see me near the rim no matter what. That is just what I do”, added Larry Gordon. Abe Lodwick is a 24 year old 201cm swingman from Bend, Oregon that withstood a try out with Phoenix Hagen and has solidified a position on the roster. He played at Washington State from 2007-2012 including with Euroleague player Taylor Rochestie. In hiss enior year, he played  Washington St. (NCAA): 21 games: 5.2ppg, 3.8rpg, FGP: 23.5%, 3PT: 45.1%, FT: 66.7%. It isn´t only his offense that he wants people to remember this season in the Beko BBL. “My defense is something I take a lot of pride in. It bothers me when my man scores and I think it is invaluable to have players who lock up on defense. I know Phoenix Hagen likes to run and shoot, so I am hoping my defense will stand-out at times and help us”, stressed Abe Lodwick.

Adam Hess started his third tour of duty for the Artland Dragons last, but this season moved to Phoenix Hagen. The trend the last years has always shown that Hess can´t stay away for more than two years from Artland as He played the first time with the Dragons in 2006 and the second time in 2008 and the third in 2011-2012. Hess is a 31 year old 201cm forward from Michigan. He is a quick forward with not so great athletic skills, but very effective at the scoring department. He’s a tough player, however, and knows how to battle inside for a rebound and he defends well and has a great attitude. He played at William & Mary and also has gained experience playing in Italy, Czech Republic, France and Spain. In the Czech republic he won the league title twice with Nymburk and the Czech Rep. League All-Star Game -05 (3-Points Shootount Winner) in 2006. In 20092010, he played for C.B. Tarragona 2016 (Spain-LEB Gold, starting five): 34 games: 14.8ppg, 5.6rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 45.4%, 3PT: 40.7%, FT: 88.1%. He had much success in the Czech Republic winning the league title in 2005 and 2006 and showing his shooting ability winning the 2005 Allstar game three point shooting contest. Last season for the Artland Dragons he played EuroCup Qualifications: 2 games: 3.0ppg, 1.5rpg; EuroChallenge: 11 games: 10.2ppg, 2.9rpg, FGP: 57.7%, 3PT: 51.3%, FT: 84.6%; German League: 39 games: 6.2ppg, 1.9rpg, FGP: 54.5%, 3PT: 42.2%, FT: 86.5%. 36 year old 210 cm center Bernd Kruel has played most of his career in Hagen starting with Brandt in 1993, but leaving in January 2004 as the team folded. He got rewarded by winning a BBL title with the Opel Skyliners. After playing some years in Frankfurt and Bonn, he came back to Hagen in 2008-2009 helping the team get back into the BEKO BBL. He may not be the youngest anymore, but he will bang with anyone and can still play at a very high level. In 2009-2010 he played 32 games averaging 7.4ppg, 4.8rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 53.4%, 3PT: 8.3%, FT: 69.0%.His quickness, leaping ability, shot selection and rebounding are his main strength. He is a good athlete, can shoot, can dribble and plays inside and outside. He played in the BEKO BBL Allstar game in 2000, reached the BEKO BBL Cup final in 2002 and 2004 and was a BEKO BBL finalist in 2005 and 2008 with The Telekom Baskets Bonn. Last season, he played 33 games: 6.9ppg, 2.9rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 59.3%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 75.6%.

Dino Gregory is a 23 year old 200cm forward from Baltimore, Maryland that is playing hiss econd professional season. He played at Maryland(NCAA) from 2007-2011 playing a total of 107 NCAA games. In his senior year, he played 33 games: 9.1ppg, 5.8rpg, 1.3bpg, FGP: 51.0%, 3PT: 50.0%, FT: 76.4%. Last season he was a rookie playing for Sundsvall Dragons (Sweden-Basketligan, starting five): 40 games: 13.2ppg, 6.5rpg, 1.0apg, Blocks-1(1.5bpg), FGP: 54.0%, 3PT: 30.0%, FT: 73.0%. . Mark Dorris is a 27 year old 188 cm guard that returned back to Hagen after playing last season for EnBW Ludwigsburg.. He was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio and visited Princeton high school. He then attended St. Catharine College for a year before transfering to Marshall where he played from 2005-2008. In his senior year, he played 30 games averaging 13.6ppg, 4.0rpg, 2.4apg, 1.8spg, FGP: 39.1%, 3Pts: 34.3%, FT: 75.9%.For Cuxhaven, he played 29 games: 18.3ppg, 4.8rpg, 3.7apg, Steals-3(2.3spg), FGP: 55.4%, 3PT: 26.7%, FT: 77.3%. In 2010-2011 for Phoenix Hagen, he was invited to the Beko BBL Allstar game and for Hagen played 34 games: 15.3ppg, 3.0rpg, 3.6apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 49.0%, 3PT: 24.4%, FT: 72.8%. Last season for Ludwigsburg he played 33 games: 9.8ppg, 2.8rpg, 2.9apg, Steals-4(1.4spg), FGP: 45.2%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 84.5%. The team also brought in 20 year old 190cm point guard Ole Wendt that was born in Kiel, Germany. He started his basketball career in 2007 for  Itzehoe Eagles (Regionalliga). He then played for Paderborn Baskets II (Germany-2.Regionalliga) and Benslips Baskets Salzkotten. He played for the  Webmoebel Baskets Paderborn (ProA) the last two seasons and last season played 32 games: 6.2ppg, 2.8rpg, 3.8apg, FGP: 57.8%, 3PT: 24.5%, FT: 69.0%. He recently played at the European Championships U20 in Slovenia -12: 6 games: 2.7ppg, 3.3rpg, 2.3apg. The team also brought bulk under the basket with Bjorn SChoo who is a 31 year old 213cm center that is playing his first season with Phoenix Hagen. He has a lot of experience having played in the NCAA for Northern St. (NCAA2), Greece, France and Hagen is his seventh station in Germany. He played for USC Heidelberg (ProA) the last two years and last season played  25 games: 8.8ppg, 6.2rpg, FGP: 55.8%, FT: 81.8%

 

 

 

It is never easy coming to a new team and then playing on the road for three straight games and just having to wait and wait and wait to getting that first taste of the Fraport arena. For Americans Ryan Brooks and Laquan Prowell having to wait 12 days before playing their first home game in front of the energetic home crowd  must have been as difficult as school grades being delayed and straight A students not being able to brag for a while, Rajon Rondo tearing his ACL and having to miss the rest of the season and recuperate and having to have to wait until next season to play again and typical D-league players who have to wait for their call up never knowing when the NBA limelight will shine into their faces like a floodlight giving off glittering dollar signs. Many fans enter the Fraport arena to see the next amazing dunk battle on the court between Quantez Robertson and Danilo “white men can jump” Barthel, seeing if a Sebastian Jung or Alex Meier are sitting courtside to help support the home team or if a Kamil Novak made the trip back to Frankfurt to help cheer on the Skyliners. Of course there were many fans also that wanted to see the two ex LTi Giessen 46ers Ryan Brooks and Tez buddy from Auburn Laquan Prowell and watch them strut their basketball tricks. Both guys were on the floor highly motivated and gave the fans a show as always as they combined for 25 points, but Quantez Robertson/Reggie Redding duel was really what many were waiting for and cleaning the drool from their mouthes, but Air Tez left the floor with the satisfying 92-78 win. Redding had fond memories from last season as he stepped on the floor in the Fraport arena having his best point game of the season netting 24 points and help lead Tuebingen to the late season win after the playoff train had already been derailed. Just observing basketball duels on the court is always a delectable basketball delight, because no matter how delicious the serving is, the munchies will always last you until breakfast and the next game. “This is a great duel. I really like Reggie Redding. He is the sparkplug and heart and soul of the team. When Redding is on then so are the Tigers, but when he isn´t then the Tigers aren´t either. It is interesting to see how both player play and use their advantages like Redding with his physical play and Robertson with his athletic play. It is always wise to get Redding in foul trouble. I always like to look at how the players use their strength and how the coaches figure out ways to help them. It is always interesting to see how Tez plays against bigger players. One saw that he had problems against the bigger Robin Benzing in Munich”, stressed basketball expert Steven Clauss. Fraport Skyliner American Taylor Brown watched the Tez-Redding duel from the first row behind the Skyliners bench and was amazed at their play. “They were both banging down low and were very physical. Redding didn´t have his best shooting day, but that was because of the defense of Tez. If Frankfurt could of limited the passing of Redding, then they would of led at halftime. Redding is a good passer and not selfish at all and knows how to make the right passes”, stressed Taylor Brown. Robertson was as soft spoken as always and saw as just another day at the office guarding Redding. “Redding is always a challenge to guard. He is one of the best wings in the league. I just tried to contain him and not give him any open looks”, expressed Quantez Robertson. “Robertson played very well, making the big plays and grabbing rebounds and getting steals”, added Reggie Redding. Devin Gibson might be the second best defender on the Fraport Skyliners and has to concentrate on his man, but even he was able to catch glimpses of this Cincinnati-Philadelphia battle. “It is always fun to watch Tez play defense. He always has to defend the other teams best player. He is the best defender that I have ever played with. I have never seen an opponent have his way with him”, added Quantez Robertson.

Dawan Robinson was playing his ninth Beko BBL game for the Fraport Skyliners and has been up and down so far. He had good scoring games with 16 in Giessen, 12 points in Munich and 14 points in Bayreuth, but then again weaker games like 0 points against the Artland Dragons. He may not have a high assist rate, but he is able to find his teammates if he has to. His biggest strength is his penetration which just exploded against the Walter Tigers Tuebingen. Robinson finished with 21 points on 7/9 shooting and just killed the Schwaben team with his quick penetration. Robinson hails from Philadelphia and has that sweet Philly touch in his game. However according to the 30 year old, there was nothing sweet Philly about his potent driving to the basket. “There was nothing sweet about my penetration, but it was hard and ruthless and as hard as nails”, smilied Dawan Robinson. Robinson was as aggressive as ever in the set play finding the holes and not losing any time getting to the hole as well as getting quickly out on the fast break and getting easy buckets. “This is the best that I have seen him play. He seemed to attack more than ever and I think that he finally has his stamina after his injury. He is quick, but very smart how to use his body”, expressed Fraport Skyliner guard Devin Gibson. Robertson quickly got on the fast break and often found Robinson down court for the easy lay up. “He didn´t do much in the first half, but going in the second half. He got to basket and used the pick and role well and got wide open on the fast break. Having a big body and getting to the free throw line was also important”, stressed Quantez Robertson.

The Fraport Skyliners desperately needed a win and were looking to snap their five game losing streak and instead of starting slowly came in very focused and a high intensity showing the Walter Tigers Tuebingen quickly that they had come to play. It was high noon for the Fraport Skyliners and they understood how important the game was and just played top team basketball. “Coach Katzurin was pissed at us after the Braunschwieg loss. Last Thursday, we didn´t even practice, but just watched video of that game. We came into this game with a sense of urgency and we just knew how important this game was. We played with a lot of energy and just came out with passion and desire”, explained Dawan Robinson. For the Walter Tigers Tuebingen, they have never been this close to the playoffs at position nine so late in the season and were looking to get a tighter grip on the playoff picture. The Walter Tigers Tuebingen played a solid first half, but in the second half seemed to be a bit surprised at the stronger and improved play of the Fraport Skyliners and just couldn´t match their intensity and just couldn´t play consistent defense to derail their the offense of Frankfurt. “Points came easily for both teams in the first half. We took the whole situation to comfortable and they came out at us in the second half. We had many turnovers and just couldn´t get over the hump. We had stupid turnovers at crucial times and just made uncharacteristic mistakes on defense”, warned Dashaun Wood buddy Vaughn Duggins.

The Walter Tigers came out on a mission in the first quarter leading 6-0 before the Beko BBL mascot had even introduced itself to Fraport Skyliner mascot Dunking Kong. Tuebingen started to attack Frankfurt inside early as Duggins and Notre Dame alumnist Tyrone Nash scored inside. This quick force of offense didn´t hinder Frankfurt from getting points fast as ex LTi Giessen 46er Ryan Brooks who was making his debut in a Skyliner uniform in Frankfurt nailed a three pointer and then scored inside driving past Vaughn Duggins as Frankfurt trailed 6-5. The game was high paced as both teams were in an offensive furry. The Fraport Skyliners got some buckets from Robinson and Peacock, but Tuebingen kept the lead, mainly because they also scored at leisure. Duggins scored on a runner and big man Kenny Frease who can chew a stick of gum with the best baseball players scored on the fast break as Tuebingen led 14-11. After Cameron Wells found Redding for a back door reverse lay up and 16-13 Tigers lead, Frankfurt took a 5-0 run to lead 18-16 for the first time getting a big boost from the German kids Johannes Voigtman making a mid distance jumper and Danilo Barthel hitting from down town. Wells and Barthel then exchanged free throws as Frankfurt led 20-18. Tuebingen had one last possession and Houston native Wells hit a three pointer with one second on the shot clock as the Frankfurt trailed 21-20 after one quarter. “Frankfurt played at a good tempo. Frankfurt had a good flow on offense and taking good shots. Frankfurt had problems securing that first rebound which hurt them”, expressed Fraport Skyliner junior Taylor Brown. The Walter Tigers Tuebingen was shooting 64% from the two point range and 33% from outside while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 50% from the two point range and 40% from outside. Both teams secured seven rebounds and Tuebingen had three turnovers and Frankfurt two turnovers.

The Walter Tigers Tuebingen kept up their fats tempo offense going on a 5-0 run as Oklahoma native Josh Young was the recipient of making all five points and giving Tuebingen the 26-20 lead. A 6-0 Tuebingen run was followed by a 5-0 Frankfurt run as the Skyliners understood to keep their offense in rhythm and not let it sputter for minutes and let the opponent go on a high lead something that had happened in the past. Barthel hit his second three pointer of the game and Peacock took his money shot the mid distance jumper cutting the Tuebingen lead to 26-25. Once Peacock gets going nothing can really stop him except for maybe some let loose alligators from the Everglades, but even then the Miami native could probably shoot over them. Peacock made a step back jumper and tied the game at 29-29 with free throws. Nash then made a tip in off a Duggins miss and Super Tez scored with a hard penetration drive with his left hand to dead lock game at 31-31. Tuebingen kept attacking the Frankfurt bucket and making the Skyliners penetration defense look harmless as Frease and Redding scored for the 35-31 lead. “We had problems with their drive and dish. We were unable to stop penetration earlier”, added Dawan Robinson. Laquan Prowell then scored on a lay in as the Fraport Skyliners did a super job freeing themselves from a full court Tiger press. Redding then found Duggins for a back door cut and Robertson closed out the scoring with a lay in as the Walter Tigers Tuebingen led only 39-37 at halftime. “Frankfurt was giving up too many easy baskets inside. On offense Frankfurt made some bad decisions, but they continued to fight as they showed they knew how big this game was”, stressed Fraport Skyliner junior Benedikt Nicolay. The Walter Tigers Tuebingen were shooting 48% from the field and 33% from the three point line while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 45% from the field and 33% from the three point line. Tuebingen had the 18-12 rebound edge, but six turnovers while Frankfurt only had three turnovers.

The third quarter remained a very tight game until the last few minutes where the Fraport Skyliners were able to regain the lead again. After Peacock scored inside after getting a slick pass from Barthel, the Walter Tigers Tuebingen escaped out on a 4-0 run to lead 44-39. Young scored inside getting past Ryan Brooks and Frease made a baby hook shot. Frankfurt got free throws from Brooks and Robertson, but Tuebingen was still very aggressive inside as Duggins gave Frease a no look pass and then scored himself past Barthel as Frankfurt trailed 49-43. When your behind and in need of scoring, then you call on a Peacock who could be called Mr scoring in bunches. He scored three times showing just how explosive he can be tying the game at 49-49. Frankfurt had a great offensive rhythm and were finding open shots. They were looking for Peacock and if they had been a bit more aggressive on defense would have been leading. “Skyliners fed of the energy of Peacock”, added Taylor Brown.  Tuebingen then took two leads as Redding scored inside getting the perfect bounce pass form Nash and Duggins scored high of the glass, but Frankfurt tied the score twice as Tez scored and Robinson scored as the game was knotted at 53-53. However Frankfurt closed out the third quarter strong getting buckets from Robinson, Prowell and Brooks and stepping up their defesne forcing some Tiger turnovers. Ohle closed out the scoring with a lay in as Frankfurt led 62-59. “Zack Peacock already got involved in the second quarter, but really got going in the third quarter. He got comfortable and we fed off his energy”, stated Dawan Robinson. “We didn´t come out as strong as we needed to. We just didn´t attack enough at both ends of the court”, stressed Reggie Redding. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 54% from the two point area and 36% from the parking lot while the Walter Tigers Tuebingen were shooting 63% from the field and 25% from the parking lot. Tuebingen had the 25-16 rebound advantage, but 11 turnovers while Frankfurt had only three turnovers.

The Fraport Skyliners kept their high intensity in the fourth quarter as they kept their lead and never looked back. Despite Devin Gibson turning the ball over at the start and being punished by a Wells lay up, the Fraport Skyliners went on a 6-0 run to lead comfortably 68-61. Little used captain Marius Nolte exerted some extra team energy with a bucket inside, Robinson hit free throws and Prowell took advantage of the mismatch against the smaller Wells and shot a hook shot over him. Lischka and Redding answered cutting the Frankfurt lead to 68-65, but Frankfurt never let up on offense continuing to attack inside weakening the Tigers. Robinson scored inside as Frankfurt led 71-65. Tuebingen once again scored on the Drive and dish as they had so often as Redding found Ohle inside for a difficult with contact lay up cutting the Frankfurt lead to 71-67. “We actually focused on the Drive and dish in this game. Their help was so good that we did more drive and dish and were able to finish well”, added Vaughn Duggins. “Our rotations was a problem on their drive and dish”, stressed Dawan Robinson. Frankfurt continued to attack on offense and defense getting steals that led to fast break points from Robinson and Brooks as Frankfurt led 77-67. Tuebingen had big problems against the Frankfurt penetration as they could do what they wanted and were attacking with passion. “Our penetration opened it up on the pick and role. We were able to find each other due to our aggressive play”, said Dawan Robinson. However Tuebingen wasn´t down and out yet as German Johannes Lischka reeled his team back with a lightening 5-0 run dropping a three pointer and finishing on the fast break cutting the Frankfurt lead to 77-72. However Frankfurt continued to be too strong  for Tuebingen as they continued to score any which way as Tez stole the ball from Nash´s hands under his bucket or the smaller Brooks hitting over FRease as Frankfurt led 81-74 with time running out. After Duggins free throws, the Fraport Skyliners sealed the victory with back to back steals from Brooks and Robinson leading to transition buckets from Robinson and Brooks. “Frankfurt made big steals in the last minutes leading to easy transition baskets. Brooks had the icing on the cake with a big shot. They played great team basketball at the end”, stressed Taylor Brown. “We were able to cut it down to five points, but then they were up again. Then we had two big turnovers. It was tough having to come back then”, commented Reggie Redding.

The Fraport Skyliners were led by Dawan Robinson with 21 points. Zach Peacock added 20 points and five rebounds. Ryan Brooks contributed 19 points, five rebounds and four assists. Quantez Robertson added 12 points and Danilo Barthel 10 points. The Walter Tigers Tuebingen were led by Vaughn Duggins with 15 points. Kenny Frease added 13 points. Reggie Redding produced 11 points, six rebounds and five assists. Tyrone Nash has 10 points, six rebounds and three assists. The Fraport Skyliners had a much needed win with an offense that had sputtered much this season, but finally broke out of its funk managing 92 points. When you shoot 55% from the field and 42% from outside and defend well, then you will win on many nights. Frankfurt lost the rebound battle 30-22 and had problems with the constant inside pounding of their drive and dish, but took good care of the ball coughing it up only seven times. Frankfurt simply had so many positives on this night. “Our biggest strength was our cohesiveness. We just stayed together today”, stressed Dawan Robinson. Tigers Vaughn Duggins saw anything but a team close to the bottom of the standings. “Frankfurt was a totally different team to what we saw before Christmas in Tuebingen. The addition of Prowell and Brooks have helped. They were feeling their way around in the first games, but are here now. Danilo Barthel was very strong one more player that we had to worry about and Robinson had a big second half”, added Vaughn Duggins.

Steven Bennett is a 24 year old 173cm point guard from Los Angeles that is playing his first season for the Spot Up Medien Baskets Braunschweig (Germany-ProB). He is one of the few special players that has a tenacity and will to win that is unmatched; it is impossible to judge him based upon height alone because he can compete with anyone in the world. He has proven this in the Maui Invitational division I tournament in 2010, and was recognized as one of the top players (All-Maui Award) from a field of other top US point guards such as Kemba Walker, Kailin Lucas and Brandon Knight. Bennett is known for his great court vision and passing ability, and is able to get in the lane at will and finish against anyone with either left or right hand. Every team bases their defensive strategy around Bennett and is forced to take create his own shot and take his three point shots off the dribble. He is an excellent shooter, but wants to continue to improve his already respectable 40% three point percentage. Steven is known for having excellent leadership skills, and is highly respected by all of his peers and coaches. He played at Citrus JC (JUCO) from 2007-2009 and then played at  Chaminade (NCAA2) He spoke to German Hoops about basketball.

You finished school in 2011 at  Chaminade (NCAA2), but didn´t play professional until 2012. Did you sit out a year?

No I didn´t. I was done with basketball in 2011, but I wanted to get my degree so I finished school getting my degree in communications.

You started your professional career this year for Ydra Asfalistiki ENAD Agios Dometios (Cyprus-Division A): 4 games: 5.0ppg, 2.5rpg, 1.8apg, 1.3spg. Why did you leave early?

It was a difficult situation in Cyprus. I had problems adjusting to the coaching staff. The team was losing and I felt that I wasn´t getting a fair chance. WE had four Americans on the team and they all left early.

Now you are playing for the German PRO B team Spot Up Medien Baskets Braunschweig. You are tearing up the league averaging 24,0ppg. Is the PRO B too easy a league for you?

I am just getting a chance to take shots here. I came here knowing that thy needed me to do everything with scoring, getting rebounds, assists and being a leader. My whole life I have been a player where I have done what the team needs me to do. If I have great guys around me then I pass them the ball, but in Braunschweig they have a young team and need me to score here.

How would you compare the PRO B with NCAA 2?

The NCAA 2 is more athletic while the PRO B relies more people using their team as a whole even if the players might not have as much talent. The NCAA 2 really isn´t any less good than NCAA 1. Many guys in NCAA 2 are there because of some situation like grades. There are many talented players in NCAA 2.

I watched you closely in practice how intense you were following the words of head coach Liviv Calin. What is the most important thing that you have learned from him in the short time?

Right from the start, he made me feel very comfortable. He gives me a lot of freedom. He knows I have dreams and still want to go places. But he also knows that I am before the team before anything else.

What is a strength in your game that doesn´t get noticed right away?

I think my ability to make other players around me better. For example helping our four man play better pick and role defense.

What is the most common thing that you hear about your size?

“Do you really play basketball”? I have always heard that, but as soon as they see me play they are amazed at my jumping ability and quickness.

You are a small point guard. What NBA player is your role model?

I watch all point guards. I like the IQ of Chris Paul who plays for my favorite team Los Angeles Clippers. I also like Mike Conley who is a left hander like me, Rajon Rondo for his passing and Nate Robinson make sure he impacts the game somehow.

What is your relationship to the young German kids on the Braunschweig team?

It was a bit twisted in Cyprus as we had no good relationship, but here in Braunschweig I have  agood relationship with all of them. The German kids right away became my friends and that made me very comfortable.

You played at the Maui Invitational division I tournament in 2010, and was recognized as one of the top players (All-Maui Award) from a field of other top US point guards such as Kemba Walker, Kailin Lucas and Brandon Knight. How was this experience for you?

This was the greatest basketball experience for me so far. One of the reasons why I went to Chaminade (NCAA2) was to be able to see how good I could be and keep up with these great players. After that tournament, I realized that I was as good as them.

Who was the toughest opponent at the Maui Invitational?

Kalin Lucas who played at Michigan State. That school likes setting screens and it was difficult chasing him around screens all night long.

When you practice in the Volkswagon arena you must dream a lot about where you could be?

Yes I dream much. I practice with The Phantoms and It is a great learning experience and I strive to play in a league like the Beko BBL one day.

What is your impression of Dennis Schroeder? Is he NBA material?

He could go to the NBA. He has a very tough mentality and is so quick. He has a great IQ for a young guard. We go at it in practice. We pressure each other in the pick and role.

Kobe or Lebron?

I have to pick Lebron. He just makes everyone better on the court. He just makes sure no matter how talented the players are that they are an asset no matter what. Kobe is a great scorer, but Lebron is an all round great player.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

The FAB 4.

Thanks Steven for the chat.

Chicago Cub fans wish for a World Series win since 105 years, just about every little basketball crazied kid pretends to be Michael Jordan on the court, ex Dawson Creek star James Van Der Beek finally came out of the closet reveling that he dreams of being on the cover of People Magazine cover for the Sexiest man alive issue and 2013 Jungle camp winner Joey Heindle striving to be one of the few DSDS candidates to have a successful singing career. It is no secret that Walter Tiger Tuebingen have die hard fans and also have dreams of making the Beko BBL playoffs for the first time since arriving in the Beko BBL in 2004. It is no secret that the club has a limited budget and is more of a stepping stone for players showing their skill and then going to better teams with higher budgets. A tiger is regarded as a guardian that drives away evil spirit and a sacred creature that brings good luck – the symbol of courage and absolute power. There is no doubt that Tiger mascot Walter has the right attitude at games as do the players and this attitude determines your altitude and more than anything else, I believe, is a vitally important ingredient in seeing your dreams come to fruition. Of course many things have to come together concerning the other teams and how they play, but all teams are in the same boat. Currently there are seven teams that are as close to the playoffs as Quantez Robertson is to winning the Fraport Skyliner team rebound title as a small forward and as the Cincinnati native is like a middle big Jeff Gibbs on the boards. In the last years the Walter Tigers Tuebingen have had some late season runs, but then faltered in the last weeks not reaching the playoffs. The club has a pretty nice schedule until the end and so far no serious injury problems and could just sneak into the playoffs this season if many factors work in their favor including having six of their last 10 games in their own pink living room the Paul Horn arena. The Walter Tigers Tuebingen are always capable of making surprises or even being able to beat teams totally silencing their strength as they did with Phoenix Hagen last weekend taking their part of a high scoring tiger machine and scoring over 90 points while keeping them to under 70 points. Despite all this potential, the dream of the Beko BBL playoffs will seem to continue to be a dream that could be realized in a few years if certain components are met by the front office. “Tuebingen is a very young team and had some personal changes this season as they got  Cameron Wells who hasn´t been the dominant point guard. They are  atypical young team with potential. Igor Perovic and Robert Wintermantel have done a super job getting the right players the last years. They could defend a bit more. If they have good offense then they pick up their defense, but if their offense isn´t working then they have problems picking up their defense. They probably will not reach the playoffs this season, but if they can continue to find a way to keep the team together than they could be a playoff team in 1-2 years”, stressed basketball expert Steven Clauss. Currently the Walter Tigers Tuebingen are in ninth place and are as close to the playoffs as never before. They have been known for late season runs and running out of gas, but possibly this season the Tigers will be fortified with an extra helping of pigs to help keep their energy until the end.

Last 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 in 2010-2011 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 last 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. In 2010-2011, Tuebingen already had established Beko BBL players like Dane Watts and Chris Oliver, but last season the team has their youngest team ever having six guys that were only 23 years old. 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 in 2010-2011 and born in 1988, Igor Perovic speculated that these guys would have to perform right away getting their feet wet quickly. Perovic had 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 were inserted into 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 BV Chemnitz guard John Bynum last season. 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 was 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 that Campbell was the key but we had to see what the newcomers would 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 last season. One Skyliner that was motivated to play against so many NCAA rookies was fellow rookie Michael Thompson. “I was 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. You always 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.

The speculating really played dividends for head coach Igor Perovic despite starting with a six game losing streak, the team finished at the end of the 2011-2012 season with a record of 15-19 and in 12^th place. 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  Braunschweig and Bonn displaying that they are  a talented 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 the team showed a lot of grit and fighting power and already had many people speculating over the summer what would be possible in 2012-2013 with so many players staying on board and team chemistry staying intact.

Usually the job of a team is to try to keep key players over the summer, but the Walter Tigers Tuebingen did something very untraditional, but something that earns a lot of respect, but giving their four Americans contract extensions during last summer. Guys like Vaughn Duggins who had a solid rookie season often shining with his scoring, power forward Tyrone Nash that at times seems invisible, but at the same time so present under the basket, top 5 Beko BBL player Reggie Redding that could make the break to a top European team if his stats improve even more this season and solid Josh Young that made the jump from PRO B to the Beko BBL with flying colors and more often than not had guys searching for their jock straps on the baseline. The team also kept likeable German Ruben Spoden. Of course the high quality of living in Tuebingen may be a reason for players staying, but another reason is simply that everyone understands each other and like to be around each other including big brother type head coach Igor Perovic. Perovic still had the duty of getting some good pieces to fit the missing parts. A valuable acquisition was German Johannes Lischka who has developed into a fine Beko BBL player that can shoot, penetrate and play nasty under the court, but still hasn´t reached his full potential yet. The club also got two big men with American Kenny Frease who had a strong career at Xavier and can be the vocal leader on the court and bang on the boards and German Robert Ohle who is supposed to bring stability from the bench. Perovic has been very fortunate last season to get rookies that made an impact, but this season pulled a blank with Douglas Davis who was unable to fill the expectations. Perovic recently brought in a second year professional with Cameron Wells who has shown more progress than a Davis after playing a strong season in Holland. The biggest strength of the Tigers is that they kept  a core of players and there is a healthy team chemistry already intact. The team also is more of a presence inside this season with Frease and Ohle which will make the team more flexible on both ends of the court. Weaknesses could be their youth and thin bench. If the team sustains one or two injuries then they will be reeling for some kind of help that just wont be there. The Walter Tigers Tuebingen have been playing very good basketball in the last weeks winning two of the last three games. They trounced the LTi Giessen 46ers 107-71, beat Phoenix Hagen at their own game 99-69 and showing when they do defend that they can easily beat an offensive machine. They lost a bitter 71-69 game in Berlin. The Fraport Skyliners continue to sink farther and farther into the basketball cellar having lost five games in a row. The offense continues to be lukewarm and just not ready to be hot. The biggest strength of the Fraport Skyliners is their defense and possibly that could finally spark the offense? “We have to as always start on defense and then execute on offense. We need to get some easy buckets from our bigs and just compete”, warned Quantez Robertson. The Fraport Skyliners know that its more than do or die Sunday against Tuebingen. “We can´t talk anymore now, but we just have to win. It is a duty to win. We have to defend and play fast break basketball like in the last quarter in BRaunschweig and just all play with heart”, warned Johannes Voigtmann.

Since the 2005-2005 season, the Frankfurt Skyliners have a record of 10-4. After losing the season series in 2005-2006, the Frankfurt Skyliners had some glorious years winning seven games in a row. In the 2007-2008 season, Frankfurt won both games as Derrick Allen totally dominated both games scoring 27 and 21 points. Even in the third game in a row the next season, Allen was top scorer with 22 points. Who could forget the 25 point effort of Keith Simmons in 2009 in a 72-59 victory. Two seasons ago, the Frankfurt Skyliners swept the season  series as 2011 Beko BBL MVP Dashaun Wood had 34 and 22 points to lead all scorers. In the first meeting of the season last year, the Tigers lost to the Fraport Skyliners 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. In the return game in Frankfurt, Tuebingen got revenge winning 96-89 as Reggie Redding led all scorers with 25 points. In the first meeting this season, The Walter Tigers Tuebingen played an alla round solid game defeating Frankfurt 87-75 and had six players in double figures as Kenny Frease had 18 points, Vaughn Duggins chipped in with 17 points and Reggie Redding and Tyrone Nash contributed 12 points each. The Fraport Skyliners were led by Zach Peacock with 18 points and Ted Scott with 13 points. Tiger Josh Young knows what Frankfurt is capable of and how to stop Devin Gibson. “ Frankfurt is a solid team every year. I don’t think their record really tells how good of a team they are. Devin is a solid PG. He does a great job of getting to the rim and finishing. We will have to limit that as much as possible”, warned Josh Young.

 

The Walter Tigers Tuebingen are led by The team also brought in Reggie Redding who is playing his third professional season despite being only 24 years old. Redding is a 196cm guard from Philadelphia and possesses a great feel for the game, moves well without the ball, offers size and the ability to score from the guard position. He played at Villanova (NCAA) with ex BG Goettingen forward Dwayne Anderson and in his senior year played 23 games: 7.3ppg, 4.7rpg, 2.4apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 40.8%, 3PT: 39.5%, FT: 63.8%. he reached the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2008.  As a rookie he played for InterCollege Etha Engomis (Cyprus-Division A) winning the league and cup title and played 16 games: 9.5ppg, 4.3rpg, 2.1apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 46.1%, 3PT: 44.4%, FT: 73.9%; EuroChallenge: 8 games: 7.0ppg, 3.4rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 40.0%, 3PT: 31.3%, FT: 62.5%. Last season for Tuebingen he played 34 games: 13.2ppg, 5.8rpg, 3.3apg, Steals-3(1.4spg), FGP: 50.6%, 3PT: 41.4%, FT: 69.0%. For his strong season in the Beko BBL, he received Eurobasket.com All-German Bundesliga 2nd Team -12, Eurobasket.com German Bundesliga All-Imports Team -12, and Eurobasket.com German Bundesliga All-Newcomers Team -12. Vaughn Duggins is playing his second season in the Beko BBL rookie and is a 25 year old 187cm guard from Pendelton, Indiana. He played at Wright State from 2006-2011 including his freshman season with 2011 Beko BBL MVP Dashaun Wood as has fond memories of the Alba Berlin guard on the court and their one on one battles. “Every once in a while at practice I’d be walking by Dashaun and he would stop me and tell me exactly how he was going to score on his opponent that next possession and sure enough he would go out there and do that exact thing and look at me and laugh while running down the court. Thats easy! Dashaun beat me 9 out of 10 times on one on one.  I was a young puppy out of high school and he was the horizon league player of the year. I don’t remember him having any weaknesses other than he was smaller than me so I could post him up”, stressed Vaughn Duggins. In his senior year, the American played 33 games: 18.0ppg, 3.8rpg, 2.2apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 44.7%, 3PT: 31.1%, FT: 82.2%. Beko BBL teams will have to be aware of the dangerous game of the American. He is a scorer, but also has hidden attributes. “My jumping ability isn´t always noticed. I’ve surprised a lot people when I get up to block a shot or dunk”, warned Vaughn Duggins. Last season as a rookie, he played  34 games: 13.0ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.0apg, FGP: 50.9%, 3PT: 41.0%, FT: 77.8%Another. Tyrone Nash is a 23 year old 203cm forward from Queens, New York. He played together with FC Bayern Munich guard Ben Hansbrough at Notre Dame and in his senior year played Notre Dame 34 games: 9.5ppg, 5.9rpg, 2.6apg, FGP: 48.7%, 3PT: 50.0%, FT: 68.9%. Last season with the Tigers he played 34 games: 9.1ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 55.1%, 3PT: 31.6%, FT: 56.6%. Josh Young is playing his second season with the Walter Tigers Tuebingen made the jump from the PRO B to the Beko BBL. Young is a 24 year old 185cm guard from Shawnee, Oklahoma. He played at Drake from 2006-2010 including two years with ex Skyliner Adam Emmenecker. In his senior year, he played 32 games: 14.4ppg, 3.9rpg, 2.7apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 44.0%, 3PT: 35.8%, FT: 73.0%. In 2010-2011 he came to Germany and played for Bayer Giants Leverkusen (Germany-ProB) tearing up the league playing  11 games averaging 26.7ppg, 6.4rpg, 3.0apg, 2.3spg, FGP: 45.2%, 3PT: 45.3%, FT: 79.0%. Last season for the Tigers he played 34 games: 10.3ppg, 2.9rpg, 2.6apg, FGP: 52.5%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 76.0%.

25 year old 203cm power forward Johannes Lischka is playing his first season with the Walter Tigers Tuebingen. He can hurt you with his three pointer and has a very dangerous penetration into the lane where he can finish in many different ways He started his professional basketball career with TV Lich in 2004 and played for the Giessen 46ers from 2007-2010 while also playing for TV Lich. In 2008-2009 for TV Lich he led the PRO A in scoring with 23,7ppg, 8,8rpg, 2,2apg and 1,8spg. He was bitterly disappointed in 2009 not being invited to the Euro Championships in Poland. The next calamity happened in the second game of the season, as he injured his hand in Frankfurt missing seven games. In 2009-2010, he played games: 5.4ppg, 3.5rpg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 30.8%, FT: 56.1%. In three seasons for Giessen, he played 86 games. He was a member of the German A-2 national team in 2009 and then played at the University Games in Belgrade (Serbia) -09: 7 games: 10.6ppg, Reb-5(10.4rpg), 2.0spg, FGP: 41.0%, FT: 77.4%. He played for EnBW Ludwigsburg from 2010-2012. Last season he played  34 games: 8.5ppg, 4.7rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 46.4%, 3PT: 32.1%, FT: 66.2%. Kenny Frease is playing his first season for the Walter Tigers Tuebingen and is a Beko BBL rookie. He is 23 years ole and 213cm and hails from Massillion, Ohio. He played at Xavier from 2008-2012 playing  atotal of 137 NCAA games and reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 three times. In his senior year, he played  36 games: 10.2ppg, 6.1rpg, 1.1apg, 1.1bpg, FGP: 51.4%, FT: 56.9%.Frease knows exactly what he has to do as a rookie. “I want to come in and be as much of a force as I can be down low. Rebound and score when its needed. Defensively, I could see myself becoming a vocal leader because I am in the back of the play and can see most of the court, so that is something I will have to focus on as we go through our preseason. Something that comes naturally to me and is one of the most fun parts of the game is being able to pass the ball out of the post. Finding open shooters and cutters from the post is something that is difficult to stop for a defense”, stressed Kenny Frease.

Cameron Wells is a 24 year old 185cm guard from Houston, Texas that is playing his second professional season. He played at Citadel(NCAA) from 2007-2011 playing a total of 137 NCAA games. In his senior year he played 32 games: 17.2ppg, 5.1rpg, 4.3apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 43.7%, 3PT: 24.7%, FT: 82.7%. Last season as a rookie he played for Landstede Basketbal Zwolle (Holland-Eredivisie, starting five): 36 games: 14.0ppg, 3.9rpg, Assists-4(3.6apg), Steals-1(2.4spg), FGP: 45.5%, 3PT: 30.0%, FT: 78.1%. Last summer he played NBA Pro Summer League in Las Vegas (Milwaukee Bucks): 4 games: 4.3ppg, 2.0rpg, 1.3apg. The team also signed 24 year old 209cm center Robert Ohle who started his basketball career in Paderborn playing together with Fraport Skyliners captain Marius Nolte. He already got Beko BBL experience from 2007-2010 playing a total of 35 beko BBL games and already played a Beko BBL game as a 19 year old. In 2010-2011, he played a year in the PRO A to sharpen his skills and get more playing time for the Saar-Pfalz Braves playing 26 games: 8.4ppg, 5.7rpg, FGP: 48.3%, FT: 64.6%. He played at the European Championships U20 Division B in Targu Mures (Romania) -08:(Champion): 6 games: 5.8ppg, 3.2rpg, 1.0bpg, 2FGP: 73.7%, FT: 77.8%. Last season with Giessen he played 34 games: 4.1ppg, 2.3rpg. Rueben Spoeden is a 23 year old 202cm forward from Frankfurt that is playing his third season in Tuebingen. He started his basketball career with Eintracht Frankfurt an dthen played for TV Langen where his teammate was Robin Benzing. He also has a license for Ergas Ehingen. Last season he with the Walter Tigers Tuebingen he played  8 games: 1.3ppg; also played at ErdgaEhingen/Urspringschule (ProB): 28 games: 7.4ppg, 3.8rpg, FGP: 50.4%, 3PT: 21.7%, FT: 60.7%. German American Akeem Vargas rounds out the roster. He is a 21 year old 190 cm guard that started his basketball career with the SG Urspringschule junior team in 2005. In 2009-2010, he got experience in the States playing for Iowa Lakes CC (JUCO): 31 games: 5.6ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.5apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 53.0%, FT: 94.0%. In 2010-2011with Tuebingen, he got into 12 games: 0.4ppg; and also had also a license to play for Erdgas Ehingen/Urspringschule (2. Bundesliga Pro B)playing 27 games: 8.6ppg, 3.7rpg, 1.9apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 50.4%, 3PT: 25.5%, FT: 77.6%. Last season he played 29 games: 2.4ppg, 1.5rpg.