Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Ron Howard in Germany in 2017

(181-PG-1984, college: Mayville St.) is an ex player that spent many years overseas and since retiring has focused his energy on helping unknown players get exposure by organizing games and in many cases helping them find professional jobs. He founded Howard Hoops in 2013 where he brought numerous players overseas to help them find jobs and since 2018 has started the Howard Hoops academy where he helps train unknown players and help find basketball jobs. He started Revizion Sports International which helps players get placed on professional clubs. He brought the Howard Hoops Pro Combine to Milan Italy this summer and spoke to eurobasket about basketball.

Thanks Ron for talking to eurobasket.com. Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life treating you?

At the moment I’m in Las Vegas on vacation with my wife. The Basketball life has been going great, so many new opportunities for players that I can’t wait to share.

We last spoke 2 years ago. How have you been? How did you survive COVID in terms of work and basketball?

It has been two years since our last interview. Time flies so fast. Covid was a rough period, that taught us a lot about self-care. Not only does self-care have positive outcomes for you, but it also sets an example to younger generations as something to establish and maintain for your entire life.

Talk a little about what your doing besides organizing Combines. You also dabbled a bit with being an agent. You were managing guys like Max Montag.

Yes, we’ve had our combines this summer with it being held in Minneapolis Minnesota, where I reside. I have been dabbling in the agency world as I’ve partnered with dagger basket agency. This gives my new clients the advantage to be placed with professional jobs overseas by a highly respected European agency. Our new clients will have promising careers. Kasey Kidwell will be playing in Germany and Deja Francis will be playing her first year in Serbia in the Adriatic league while Chance Hunter will be starting his career off in Iceland.

You developed Hoop Spot 2 years ago. How has that gone?

Hoop spot is going really good right now we just started back our runs and are planning to start a fall league.

You also have been coaching Girl’s teams and working as a skill trainer in Minneanapolis. How has that been going for you?

I love coaching girls I have recently excepted a new position as the head coach of St. Louis Park high school in St. Louis Park Minnesota. This was a special job for me even though I am not from Minnesota. It has been my home and being able to coach where my wife, her sister and brother went to high school, and to where my oldest daughter could possibly have the opportunity to play for me in a couple years is something I could have never dreamed of. For me, being a School trainer has always been fun and excites me being able to create improve and develop talent is something that is essential and needed with this new generation.

You had told me last year you weren’t gong to be doing Combines anymore, but you still do them. I guess your desire to help hungry unknown players will never leave you?

Yes, the desire to help out unknown players will never leave me. I just had to make things more exclusive. I have so many more combines and events for players on the way in the summer of 2024. Being able to help players achieve their dreams it’s something that gives me satisfaction. There’s been so many people around the world, scamming players, and not giving them opportunities that they deserve so I have made it my duty to make sure I protect players like they were my own brother or family.

You have had your Combines in Germany for years but this summer will be in Italy. Talk a little about how that came about?

I’ve had combines in Germany for the last eight years. I’ve been working with a close friend from Italy Paolo Remonti for the last couple years helping the youth boys come to Minnesota with a friend Jordan Kappan. So this is something that I’ve been planning for a couple years now. I’m happy that we’re finally able to make it work and it will be amazing for all participants coming. We will be back in Germany summer 2024.

How excited are you about doing this in Milan? Have you ever been there?

I’m extremely excited to do this. Combine in Milan I visited. I have been there a few times and love the culture the food and basketball.

How will the Combine run in Milan, Italy. Is it pretty much the same procedure as the ones you did in Germany in the last years?

The players arrive August 28 that day they will participate in a practice with a few coaches watching on August 29. They will practice in the morning with me. I will take them through a high-level collegiate type of practice so they understand what I expect out of them, and what other European coaches expect out of them in order to be able to be considered to get a job later that night, we will play our first game against a strong Italian U20 team. On August 30 we will have a practice again in the morning that will involve school development training shooting and special guest speakers later that night we will play another game against Luino (serie C). This will be a very cool game because a close friend of mine from California is the coach of the team and is a legend in italy Alex Acker. On the 31st the guys will play their hardest game combined against the host team BBG (serie B) Gallarate. 1 september Day off (visit Varese or Maggiore Lake). 2 september 17.00 scrimmage vs Robbio or 20.00 scrimmage vs Gazzada.

How challenging was it picking the players for the combine in Italy. What do you enjoy most about the process?

This year it wasn’t a big challenge picking players for this combine. What I enjoy the most about the process is being able to build a relationship with each player who attends my events. This summer it seems like there are more guys that are coming straight out of college and a few still in school.

Is the reality of getting a job for guys who have been in the ABA and minor leagues going down?

We do have a ton of guys coming out of college this year and this is something that I’ve been wanting more of in the previous years although in the states semi pro basketball has evolved, there’s more opportunities now available for semi pro players. So I wouldn’t say it has gone down. We have to give the USA more credit on building more programs that are amounting into players success.

Talk about some of the players. Which guys do you see a shaving the best chances of getting signed?

Well, I don’t want to give too much away, but I’ll start with Christian Simmons. He is a player who will be signed to play in Ireland and won’t have to participate in the combine in Italy. I have some talent coming out to this combine.

I’m looking forward to seeing Kareem green. He has an amazing story. I really enjoyed interviewing Kareem Green. What an incredible story. Talk a little about your relationship to him. He talks very highly of you.

Kareem is a great young man. He came to my combine in Minnesota last June and was very impressive. That’s just a bit about him he used to be 600 pounds and now has dropped all the way down tremendously. I can’t wait to see him in action in Milan.

How have you observed the overseas job market in the last 10 years since you began combines. Is the opportunities getting better or lesser now than back in 2013?

I feel like the opportunities are about the same now it’s a little more easier to get overseas due to social media and the fact that every GM’s agent coach can get a hold of you just buy a simple click on their phone. The good thing about now is that there’s other people around that care to help others achieve their goals so it allows players even more of an opportunity to be seen but you have to be careful because everybody who says they can get you a job may not be able to put you in the positions you’re looking for.

Were you scared when you saw the roster of Team USA for the 2023 World Cup?

I’m not even going to lie when I saw the roster for team USA I said there’s no way they’re winning the World Cup. The problem with USA is we don’t take pride in being the best country.

Can USA win the Gold over experienced countries?

Don’t get me wrong I always feel like no matter what NBA players they put out there if they have the same mentality like European players that they would die for their country then I believe we can’t be beat. But when players have a selfish mentality and it’s all about me, me me, then you will see it will be a big problem because these European countries teams play hard physical together and for the love of their country.

Why aren’t super stars playing? Have the priorities changed for them in the last years?

I don’t think so much. The priorities have changed with them in the past year’s impact players are getting a lot older and I feel they don’t have the same outlook as other NBA European players have for playing for their home country.

What 3 players will be the impact players?

Anthony Edwards Brandon Ingram Jaren Jackson Jr

Germany has 5 NBA players. Can they challenge for the Gold?

I’m always rooting for Germany in the Olympics the world cup, so I’ll be rooting for them again hoping they can medal.

Which 3 teams will get the medals?

USA , Slovenia, France.

Thanks Ron for the chat.

Tags : RONALD HOWARD, EVL BASKETS LIMBURG, GERMAN BASKETBALL