Jack Eggleston is a 24 year old 203cm power forward from Noblesville, Indiana that is playing his third year as a professional for the Bayer Giants Leverkusen in the German Pro B. He played at  Pennsylvania (NCAA) from 2007-2011. He played a total of 125 NCAA games. In his senior year he played 28 games: 13.2ppg, 8.0rpg, 2.1apg, FGP: 50.4%, 3PT: 45.1%, FT: 73.5%. As a rookie  for Leverkusen he played  23 games: 14.0ppg, 6.0rpg, 2.1apg, FGP: 49.5%, 3PT: 37.1%, FT: 71.2%. Last season he played 33 games: 15.3ppg, Reb-2(11.1rpg), 3.4apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 51.2%, 3PT: 34.1%, FT: 74.7%He spoke to German Hoops before the game against BG Karlsruhe.

Congrats on the important 72-62 win against Gotha snapping their three game winning streak. Leverkusen kept it close trailing only by three points at halftime, but had a big 23-6 run in the third quarter. Did Leverkusen make any adjustment and what was key for this massive turnaround?

Thanks Miles. I don’t think we make any big adjustments. We just did a better job of executing on both ends. The ball moved much more crisply on offense, and we eliminated some silly mistakes on defense.

Leverkusen did a very good job defending the three point line. How key was it limiting them in this area and keeping American Chase Griffin at bay?

Especially after they shot the ball so well against Cuxhaven, we knew we needed to slow them down from the perimeter. Marc Sonnen did an amazing job making things difficult on Griffin and taking away any easy looks.

You had a solid 24 point, 12 rebound and five assist effort in the win. How much did the five turnovers bother you in the aftermath of the win? Was it rushing too much or some big defensive plays from Gotha that resulted in the five turnovers?

Turnovers are always frustrating to me. I tried to force some passes into tight spaces when I should have just made the easier pass. Hopefully next game I can clean up those mistakes.

There is an intense battle with Cuxhaven, Magdeburg and Paderborn to stay in the league. Does the pressure build from week to week and how confident are you that Leverkusen will continue to win games?

There definitely is some pressure as we come down the stretch and things are still up in the air, but I am confident that we can step up and do the things we need to do as a team in order to stay in the Pro A.

 

How challenging was is it playing against American Dennis Tinnon this season? He is averaging double double stats and had 20 points and 14 rebounds in their win against Leverkusen this season.

 

Tinnon is a very talented player. He is a good ball handler, a good shooter, and an active rebounder. When guarding him I just try to be aware of where he is at all times and match his energy level.

 

What are your memories of the 78-75 loss to BG Karlsruhe at home?

 

The first game against Karlsruhe was my first game back after missing two months with a broken hand. We have come a long way as a team since that game so I’ll be interested to see how we match up with them now.

Are you surprised that a team like BG Karlsruhe is in the cellar? What will be key in getting the win?

 

I know they’ve had some misfortune with injuries and some tough losses in close games. We will need to defend well and rebound in order to pull out a road win against them.

What are your memories of the 24 points from Oliver Komarek? He once belonged to the German B National team in 2009 and could of had a Beko BBL career, but opted to study.

I remember it was his first game of the season with the team and he came out and hit 5 threes in the first half. He shoots the ball well, and we need to do a good job of limiting his open looks from the perimeter.

 

How content were you with the roster changes that the Indiana Pacers did recently? Could this be the year that they dethrone the Miami Heat in the east?

 

I was more intrigued than excited by the recent moves from the Pacers. Although the moves are essentially low risk gambles, I worry that they could distract from the team’s core identity. This definitely could be the year they take down the Heat, but Indiana’s play over the last month or so hasn’t been too impressive.

 

Were there any surprises for you in the 2014 NCAA draw? Who are your favorites and sleepers?

Honestly I don’t follow college basketball too closely anymore. All I know is that our Penn women’s team made the tourney so I’ll be rooting for them.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

The last movie I watched was Blue is the Warmest Color.

 

Thanks Jack for the chat.