Over the years seeing Holy Cross players battle in the German BBL have been as seldom as seeing a massive Boston Red Sox blowout of their arch rivals New York Yankees of 19-3 which happened this summer as the amount of e x Crusaders that have played in Germany could be picked off of one hand. Ok if my calculations are correct, it has been 6 players that have played in Germany, but only 5 in the BBL as Chris Rojik carved out a fine second Bundesliga career in Germany. The first guy to make it to Germany was Pat Elzie in 1984 playing with Giessen and future German legends like Michael Koch and Henning Harnisch and has been a coach since 1996 and is still active now coaching Pro B club Itzehoe Eagles since 2015. Then came the athletic and fine shooter Keith Simmons in 2008 who many remember as winning the 2009 BBL slam Dunk contest in Mannheim and later becoming a Banvit lifer in Turkey playing seven seasons. Timonthy Clifford came the same season as Simmons and played his rookie season with the Telekom Baskets Bonn playing 29 games, but averaged only 6,9 minutes and 1,9ppg and then retired. Then came the controlled and fine pass first guard Kevin Hamilton who gave the meaning playmaker and team first mentality a new name as he was in the top 4 in assists in the BBL in three of his five seasons in Germany. Finally it was Malcolm Miller who strapped on the Alba Berlin jersey in 2016-2017 and averaged 7,0ppg and 3,4rpg which was solid, but not mind boggling, but one did notice he had something special combining that unending athleticism with a good shot and sharp defense. He then signed with the Toronto Raptors and just ended his second season hoisting the first NBA title in Canada and the rest is history. So who is the next extra special basketball catch to come from Holy Cross and enrich the BBL? MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg head coach John Patrick has made it possible hauling in the next gem with Jehyve Floyd. He is the best example of a guy who had his difficulties at first at Holy Cross, but kept at it, continued to work hard and never give up and finished his last two seasons strong. But it wasn´t only his own determination and will to overcome all hardships, but also believed in the basketball process and took full advantage of what Holy Cross gave it´s students. Torey Thomas has never played in Germany, but was teammates at Holy Cross with Hamilton and Simmons and has carved out a fine professional career spanning 12 seasons and displaying his winner mentality winning titles in Poland, Cyprus, Macedonia and France is more than excited about Floyd starting his professional basketball career in Germany. “I definitely follow the Holy Cross program. I know that Jehyve is a dynamic player. He plays both sides of the ball well. He’s athletic and physical. Yes he definitely will be an impact player in the BBL as a rookie his upside is very high. It’s very vital for a player to play at Holy Cross because it is high IQ basketball. It is High Academics and a lot of film work besides the work you need to put in on the court. You learn important things on and off the court. Time management, you are amongst all the students it isn’t sectioned off to only athletes. You get a full experience at Holy Cross. On the court you get a unique big school feel because basketball is historical at Holy Cross”, warned Torey Thomas. “I’ve had the opportunity to meet Torey Thomas. He’s been a great mentor throughout this new process and has given me guidance that has been very beneficial. He’s been a pro for a long time so his legacy means a lot”, stressed Jehyve Floyd.

            Jehyve Floyd is a 22 year old 206cm forward that was born in Sayreville, New Jersey and grew up in Parlin, New Jersey. It isn´t necessarily his game what really stands out at first, but his name Jehyve which will surely take a few Germans sometime to pronounce correctly. “My name Jehyvé is the combination of Jehovah and Jireh which means “The Lord will provide”. Still to this day, people mispronounce it but it doesn’t bother me as much as it did growing up. I take pride in having a different name nowadays”, stressed jehyve Floyd. He played at Sayreville War Memorial High School averaging 17,5ppg and 10,7rpg in his senior year. He was Selected for his fine play as Sayreville’s Breakout Player of the Year in 2013-2014 and was also named to the Newark Star Ledger’s All-Low Post and All-Dunking teams.Even before he got to Holy Cross, he achieved greatness in that he became the first player from his high school to reach the NCAA and sign a professional basketball contract. “I’m really proud to be able to achieve this level of success. I remember dreaming about this moment back in high school and I’m glad I was able to make it turn into a reality. I hope I can be that role model for the younger generation to know that they can achieve whatever they put their minds to”, stressed Jehyve Floyd.

                The American who credits NBA player Cheick Diallo as being his toughest cover in the NCAA then commenced play at Holy Cross in 2015 and in his four year career played a total of 124 games. After being a big shot in high school where he dominated on the court, he first had to pay his dues in his first two seasons. He played a total of 58 NCAA games in his first two years, but never averaged more than 3,0ppg. Despite averaging only 9,7 minutes as a freshman, he did have highlights being ranked 11^th in blocks in the Patriot League and led the team in blocks in 10 games. He hit Loyola MD for 10 points and three boards while hitting all five shots. He also had his first experience playing in the NCAA tournament against #5 ranked Oregon posting 2 points, 4 rebounds and a block. “It was a great experience. I will always remember that I felt like I belonged”, stressed Jehyve Floyd. He also knew then that Oregon forward monster Jordan Bell who now plays for the Timberwolves was a special player. “. He was very athletic and played defense at an elite level”, stressed Jehyve Floyd. After coming from the bench as a freshman, he was able to start 3 games in his sophomore campaign and raise his minutes to 12,2. He continued to make strides on the defensive end ranking seventh in blocks in the Patriot league and led the team in blocks in 15 games. He shot a respectable 54,5% from the field and scored 8 points and had 2 rebounds against Rhode Island. Even if he had his moments in his first two years at Holy Cross any rigid competitor wouldn´t have been happy with his playing times. He knew that something had to change in his junior season. “After my sophomore year I gave myself an ultimatum that if I didn’t do well my junior year that I will have to figure out another profession. That drove me to work harder and present results on the court my junior year and it was only up from there”, expressed Jehyve Floyd.

                His true Holy Cross break out occurred in his junior year. His minutes rose from 12,2 to 30 and he played 30 games averaging 12.2ppg, 5.5rpg, 1.6apg, 2.2bpg, FGP: 66.9%, FT: 48.5%. He scored in double figures in 19 games and registered one double double. He had 22 points, 5 rebounds and 6 blocks in an exciting 60-57 victory over American and 20 points against Navy in a 81-65. Win. He suffered a tough 71-67 loss against Lehigh, but showed his amazing qualities of filling the stat sheet and showing versatility scoring 15 points, grabbing 9 rebounds, dishing out 4 assists, getting 6 blocks and 2 steals. He had so many achievements like hitting 20 field goals in a row and led the Patriot League in field goal percent and blocked shots, while being 11th in total rebounding, 11th in defensive rebounds and 18th in scoring. He also ranked fourth in the nation in field goal percent and 30th in blocked shots. He also snagged numerous awards like Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, was chosen to third team All-Patriot League and to the Patriot League All-Defensive Team. He also received a Crusader Award as Holy Cross’ Male Athlete of the Year. In his senior year he averaged 31,1 minutes and played 33 games averaging 12.9ppg, 6.1rpg, 3.5apg, 2.4bpg, FGP: 67.4%, FT: 47.9%. He scored in double figures in 23 games and posted 3 double doubles. His best scoring games occurred against Lafayette and Bucknell where he poured in 25 points apiece. He had his way with Lafayette again scoring 24 points and hit Lehigh for 22 points. He didn´t score the most points in the win over Stony Brook, but showed that he is a stat filler with an incredible 10 point, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 7 blocks. “I think the Stony Brook game is the most memorable. It’s something about piling up blocks and assists that makes me pretty excited especially after a win”, added Jehyve Floyd. He Led the team in blocks 26 times, rebounding 18 times, assists 15 times, scoring 13 times and steals eight times.  He broke the school single-season records for field goal percentage and blocked shots and led the Patriot League in field goal percentage and blocked shots, while ranking seventh in offensive rebounds, eighth in overall rebounding and assists, ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio, 10th in defensive rebounds and 19th in scoring. He finished his senior year third in the nation in field goal percentage, and 12th in blocked shots. The American who would never lose a one on one in practice against teammate Matt Faw also wouldn´t have had the success that he had without the proper guidance form head coach Bill Carmody who once told him that being a special player comes with a lot of baggage something he witnessed at the start. “ Under Coach Carmody, I was able to see the game of basketball differently and my IQ grew tremendously. He was hard on me from the jump and it took me awhile to accept that. Once I understood, I took it with a better approach and just wanted to keep getting better. He stressed the importance of consistency”, stressed Jehyve Floyd. He was a shy guy when he got to Holy Cross, but after the growing pains, he erupted from his shell and became a leader something he will take to the pro ranks now. “I was able to use my success as a platform to show others how much hard work is important to growth and development”, added Jehyve Floyd.  He finished his career as the all-time Holy Cross and Patriot League leader with a .656 field goal percentage (417 of 636) and also ranked second all-time at Holy Cross in career blocked shots with 193 and fourth in career games played with 124.

            Now the versatile 206cm forward is ready for the new challenge of testing the professional ranks. This summer he took some time to rest at beautiful Myrtle beach in Sorth Carolina, was in Ludwigsburg to convince John Patrick and Co of his abilities, worked out at Holy Cross and also spent some valuable time in Boston with MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg assistant coach Joey King working on different drills the team uses to develop their players during the season. So what kind of a player will basketball Germany witness in the 2019-2020 season with Jehyve Floyd? It is always interesting to see which NBA player a player will compare his game to, but every so often you get a response like this. “I wouldn’t be able to compare myself to another NBA player, I leave it up to others to do that. . I like bigs who can pass the ball well and have a great feel for the game”, warned Jehyve Floyd. When dissecting his game the term modern forward comes to mind as he is a guy that can do it all knowing how to fill the stat sheet ,but he actually sees it a bit differently. “I don’t think I’m a modern forward. I think I’m an athletic player who has a great feel for the game who has a lot to learn to succeed at the pro level”, warned Jehyve Floyd. Also taking the three hasn´t been part of his game yet as he attempted only 3 in his NCAA career, but he knows that developing one will be vital for him to continue to rise up the basketball ladder. “I’m willing to do whatever that will allow me to become the best player I can be”, added Jehyve Floyd. Not only his offensive abilities will be on display in the BBL, but he should belong to the top blockers in the BBL as he averaged 2 per season in his last two in the NCAA. “ I think I’ve gotten a lot smarter on defense. Timing is very important on defense and I believe I was able to get better at blocking shots as time went on”, said Jehyve Floyd. A triple double isn´t rare if your named Russell Westbrook or Nikola Jocic, but achieving that in European basketball is difficult, but last season EWE Baskets Austrian terror Rashid Mahalbasic mastered it four times with points, rebounds and assists. Floyd demonstrated often that he can fill the stat sheet well, but also with blocks and one notices that the triple double is a fascinating concept for him. “I dream of doing whatever is possible to secure a win for my team. If that includes a triple double, I will definitely be satisfied”, stressed Jehyve Floyd. Even if he uped his assist average from 1,6 to 3,5 in his last few years, he still feels that people aren´t quite aware of his fine passing skills. “I think my passing separates me from other guys my size. I’ve always enjoyed passing the ball and I think it can allow me to get to the highest level”, warned Jehyve Floyd.

                So now the New Jersey native who lists Corey Taite, Rob Seraji,  Brian Gay, Malik Pressley and Michael Valentin as his five best teammates of all-time is ready to to start his professional career. He is very excited about the opportunity with the MHP Riesen and BBL and knows what ex Holy Cross player Malcom Miller was able to do after his second season in Germany. “ I’m really excited! It’s a dream come true and I’m blessed to have the opportunity! I don’t know much about Germany and basketball but I know this can be a very good situation for exposure for my main goal which is the NBA”, stressed Jehyve Floyd.  It was a no brainer for him choosing John Patrick and the Riesen as his first professional experience. “I chose the MHP Riesen because they gave me the best opportunity to develop into the best player I can be. They also were the first team to offer me a contract and it’s something about the first teams who see something in me that I like. Coach Patrick has a great resume of developing young guys and turning them into great pros”, warned Jehyve Floyd.  Not only Torey Thomas has a lot of confidence in the American, but he himself knows that making this next step won´t be easy, but one where he could thrive from. “I hope what I was able to do in college can translate to the professional level. I know it will be a process and it will take time to get accumulated with the transition”, added Jehyve Floyd. Even if Floyd who lists Lebron James. Shaq. Kobe Bryant. Allen Iverson as his four to grace the NBA Mount Rushmore is the most famous basketball player coming from Sayreville War Memorial High School, he isn´t the most famous alumnist. There are some people that have gone on to Hollywood to act with most notable Greg Evigan, but Rock star legend Jon Bon Jovi takes the cake as being the best known. Times do change and if you were to ask some Sayreville War Memorial High School students today, it would be an interesting poll to know how many don´t even know who he was. “Personally, I don’t understand the magnitude of Jon Bon Jovi. I’m sure kids knew about him, but I don’t think his history were important to the kids of my generation coming out of Sayreville”, stressed Jehyve Floyd. If Floyd can make an impact as a rookie and then continue to move up the basketball ranks like a Malcolm Miller, he will make a name like Bon Jovi in due time even more forgotten at his old high school as he carves his legacy as a professional basketball player.