Matthew Strange (180-PG, college: SE Louisiana) is a 180cm guard from Houston, Texas playing his rookie season in Germany with the VfL SparkassenStars Bochum (Germany-ProA). Prior to coming to Germany he played a season at New Mexico Junior College (JUCO and 4 years at Southeastern Louisiana University (NCAA) playing 94 NCAA games. He spoke to germanhoops.com before a game against the Fraport Skyliners.

Thanks Matthew for talking to germanmhoops.com. Your playing your rookie season in Germany for VFL SparkassenStars Bochum. What kind of an experience has it been for you coming from Texas to Germany. What have you learned to appreciate most about your new home?

Prior to coming to Germany I had never ventured out of the United States so as you can imagine there was a lot of adjustment at first. However, after a couple weeks time and becoming more familiar with Bochum I have enjoyed it a ton! I’ve gotten to meet a lot of great people and seen a lot of amazing parts of the world.

The World Cup win by Germany will never be taken seriously in UISA mainly because no superstars of USA played, but how doesa it feel playing in the country that just won the World Cup. What have you appreciated about the way Germans play basketball?

In Germany I have come to appreciate the skill and IQ that the players have for the game. So it is not surprising to me that they won the world cup. I think it is an awesome experience getting to be a part of the growth of basketball in this country. Basketball will only continue to revolutionize and increase in popularity.

What has it been like being teammates with Quinn Nelson? What have you appreciated most about his game?

Having Quinn as a teammate has been awesome! Besides him being a great player that can really shoot the basketball he is also a great person off the court. Being an import, as well as being far from home in a new enviornment you tend to grow close with the other imports. With that being said Quinn has been a great teammate to have a long in this new experience.

The club also reeled in another sniper with David Cohn. What else will he bring to the table besides shooting?

David brings a lot of other things to the table besides shooting. David is a great point guard that can really distribute and facilitate as well as bringing lots of positivity everyday. He is also a spectacular person off the court and has been great to be around!

Two other key players are Germans Tom Alte and Vincent Friderici. What qualities do these 2 guys possess that helps the team each day?

Tom and Vincent are both really good players. Tom has a big presence down low that the team needs complimented by his extreme athleticism. Vincent is a very tenacious young player that is very skilled. I’ve seen him grow tremendously throughout these 4 months being in Bochum and he plays a big role in our upcoming success.

Your a 180cm guard. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?

I would say my NBA player comparison would be JJ Reddick. I would say with my exceptional shooting ability, quickness and athleticism, playstyle, on top of having a similar build would make this a good comparison.

You stated in the press release on your signing that your a shooter. What other great abilities do you have besides being able to score on your shooting?

Besides my shooting abilities I would say that I also have exceptional ball handling skills, defense and feel for the game.

What kind of defender are you right now and what kind of defender do you still want to become?

I feel my defense right now is a good aspect to my overall game. Playing defense is part of the reason that I have gotten to play at such high levels because in order to play you must be able to guard. However, there is always room for improvement on the defensive end.

Your a very physical player and can shoot, but on what other areas are you working on most now so you can continue to develop well was a player?

One of the areas I work on the most is to develop my offensive IQ. Whether it´s making the correct reads off the pick and rolls, coming off off-ball screens, or just making the correct pass. I believe this is a very important part of the game because the biggest separation between players is not so much skill yet it is intelligence.

You played 5 years at South Eastern Louisiana University and a year at Juco. Most guys that I talk to say that JUCO ways tough but an experience that they wouldn´t have given up for anything. How was it for you?

Junior College was a great experience for me although I had dealt with many injuries this year. In junior college I met many great people and teammates that I will have lifelong relationships with.

You showed in a 60 point win over SE Baptist that you can shoot nailing 7 three´s and 23 points in 26 minutes. Was that your fondest game there?

This game was a very memorable one! I would say that my fondest game at Southeastern was last year at Texas A&M Commerce because I was able to hit a 3 at the buzzer to push overtime after a full court inbounds with 3 seconds remaining. This resulted in us getting the win in overtime and was a momentum shifter in our season!

How did head coach David Kiefer groom and prepare best for a professional career?

Coach Kiefer was a great coach that taught me so much about the game! Over the years with him he pushed me individually and implemented me with great work ethic and discipline. Coach Kiefer is not only one of the best coaches I’ve played for but is also an awesome person off the court!

Who won a 1-1 in practgice you or Roscoe Eastmond?

Unfortunately I don’t think Roscoe and I ever got to play a real 1-1 game in our time together. However, Roscoe is a super quick and shifty point guard so I would say he would definitely be a tough match up!

Who was the toughest player that you have ever faced in your career that reached the NBA?

I would say Trae Young was the toughest player I ever had to match up with in my career. Trae Young and I are both the same age so we had many aau matchups growing up. I can say he was always something special even at a young age.

Please list your 5 best teammates of all-time?

My best 5 teammates of all time would be Marlain Veal, Moses Greenwood, Terrence Lewis, Jaylen Hinton, and Gideon George. Even though this was hard to choose!

Please name your personal NBA Mount Rushmore?

My NBA mount rushmore would be Steph Curry, Kobe Bryant, Micael Jordan, Lebron James and Nikola Jokic.

Who is your basketball Goat and why?

My goat is Lebron James because he has had the most impressive resume. Even though it’s hard to argue with Michael Jordan!

Did you see the sequel to the classic coming to america? Shouldn´t they have left it alone?

Yes, I do believe they should have just kept it to one movie!

Thanks Matthew for the chat.