Brandon Lockhart is a 26 year old 185cm guard from St Louis, Missouri that is playing his third professional season and first with German team ScanPlus Baskets Elchingen (Germany-ProB) As a rookie he played for BK Levicki Patrioti (Slovakia-Extraliga) playing 34 games: Score-5(16.7ppg), 3.8rpg, Assists-5(4.3apg), Steals-1(3.0spg), FGP: 50.2%, 3PT: 28.5%, FT: 78.9%. He played at Drury (NCAA2) from 2009-2013 and as a senior played 35 games averaging 12.5ppg, 3.9rpg, 6.1apg, 2.9spg, FGP: 50.9%, 3PT: 48.3%, FT: 77.1%. Last season he played for the Giants TSV 1861 Noerdlingen (Germany-ProB) playing 29 game averaging  16.8ppg, 4.1rpg, 5.7apg, 2.5spg, FGP: 49.6%, 3PT: 26.8%, FT: 81.1%. He spoke to German Hoops after the 87-81 win against his ex team.

Brandon thanks for talking to German Hoops. 2017 is here and we already have February. Are you a guy that likes to make new years resolutions or don´t you bother with it?

Hello Miles I make them but I like to make them with others so we can hold each other accountable. It really helps to stick with the resolution.

The ScanPlus Baskets had some ups and downs recently, but currently are riding a three game winning streak. Is the team playing the correct ScanPlus Baskets basketball at the moment?

 It’s nice to be on a winning streak currently but I believe there is still room for improvement. We just want to make sure we are playing our best basketball around this time as we head into playoffs next month.

You swept your ex team Giants Nordlingen in an offensive shoot out. Did the excitement for you wear down a bit in the second game in comparison to the first meeting last year?

I don’t think that it did. I actually preferred the second game because it was at their gym and I was able to see many people that I saw often last season. Even though I enjoyed seeing everyone, getting the win was more enjoyable.

Nothing seems to be going right for the Giants Nordlingen this season as they are 3-15. How surprising has it been too you that the club has struggled so much?

It’s somewhat surprising because I know they are better than their record shows. They’ve been in some close games this season and the ball just didn’t bounce their way in those games.

Do you feel like that special Mario Matic magic is missing in Nordlingen?

That just might be the reason the season is going differently this year. Mario is not only a good coach, but he is a good person. But Nordlingen is in good hands with their coach and management. So hopefully they have a good close to the season and bounce back next year.

The ScanPlus Baskets led 51- 26 at the break. Was this the best team defense the club had played this season?

That’s hard to say because they missed some shots that could have cut into our lead. We did play with good energy and high intensity in the first half so I guess we contributed to those misses. However we did not finish possessions with rebounds, which is a part of defense, so I’m not sure if it was our best.

In the last interview you stated, “I believe we can defend better, we just have too many mental breakdowns throughout the game”. The team had a massive defensive break down in the third quarter allowing Nordlingen back into the game allowing 30 points. How can you explain these kind of breakdowns so late in the season?

 In this game, I think we got too comfortable with the big lead we had and started to play timid. In the second half, they were way more aggressive on offense and defense than us. We had poor offense which led to us having many defensive and easy buckets for them.

The Germans Brian Butler and Filmore Beck hit big buckets in the fourth quarter to preserve the win. Did you feel like defensively the team rebounded a bit from the poor third quarter?

 I would say that we did because Nordligen had all the momentum on their side but we were still able to get out of their place with the win. With such a big halftime lead, you would like the ending to be less suspenseful, but a win is a win.

The ScanPlus Baskets continue to be the best offensive team in the Pro B. Is it more about going into the playoffs consistent on the offensive end or do you still see potential in the offensive ability of the club?

There are still some areas that we need to clean up on the offensive end, but right now we are more focused with improving our defense. We know if we play good defense, it allows us the chance to have more quality possessions on offense.

The Pro B south is very tight with the first four teams battling, but it seems like PS Karlsruhe will end the regular season in first place. Do the ScanPlus Baskets still fell they could catch them?

Since PSK beat us both times, we would need some help from other teams if we wanted to get the top seed. Then we would also have to take care of business on our end. But finishing top 4 is not bad and guarantees us home court in the first round.

How much fun was it watching Brian Butler with the 2017 EasyCredit BBL slam dunk contest. Did you know early on that it would be his day?

It’s always exciting to see a teammate, but more importantly a friend, do well! I didn’t know what the other players were like but once I saw a couple dunks from them all, I really believed Brian had a shot at winning it. He didn’t disappoint

Do you believe his success winning the slam dunk contest has given him an extra push in his play in the last weeks?

 I would think yes since he was able to perform well on a big stage as an unknown name to most watching.

How has Taevaunn Prince developed as a rookie on the defensive end?

Tae came in already as a solid defender but I think as he got more comfortable with the team and system we run, he became more vocal. Talking is really important to being successful on the defensive end.

You stated in our last interview that you would love to average around 10 assists per game. In the last four games you have been doing that. Are you playing your best basketball at the moment in the playmaking department?

 All the credit goes to my teammates on averaging that many assists. I don’t think so because I still have a turnover or 3 in those games. And as a basketball player, I always feel that there is room for improvement. I would like to be playing close to my absolute best when playoffs are happening.

With the Pro B playoffs around the corner, what kind of Brandon Lockhart do you want to be in the playoffs this season?

 With the playoffs quickly approaching, I want to be the best Brandon Lockhart I can be when they arrive. Playoffs are when you want to be playing your best basketball. We’ve had a good season to date and don’t want to waste it with a disappointing performance in the playoffs.

If Tom Brady wins a fifth Super Bowl, where will that put him with the all-time greats in all professional sports?

TB12 is already the GOAT at the quarterback position for me! When he wins his 5th Super Bowl, it will only solidify it. As for all professional sports, when you talk about top players in their respective sports, you won’t be able to mention football without mentioning Tom Brady.

Isaiah Thomas of the Boston Celtics is having an excellent season his best as a professional and has proven recently to be a fourth quarter killer. Where do you rank him at the moment in best NBA point guards?

A couple teammates and I were discussing this not too long ago. I don’t believe we ever settled on a true ranking, but I think we all agreed that he is currently a top 3 PG in the league. He is playing at an extremely high level right now.

What was the last movie that you saw?

Safe, starring Jason Statham

Thanks Brandon for the chat.