Pic credit: Zibart.de

Alex Barcello (188-G-1998, college: BYU) is a 26 year old 188cm guard from Arizona playing his third professional season and first with easyCredit BBL club MLP Academics Heidelberg. Last season he played Acunsa Gipuzkoa BC San Sebastian (Spain-LEB Gold) averaging19.6ppg) 4.1rpg, 3.1apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 55.9%, 3PT: 43.3%, FT: 90.0%. He played his rookie season with Kolossos H Hotels Rodou (Greece-GBL) averaging 4.0ppg, 1.8rpg, in Nov.’22 moved to Filou Oostende (Belgium-Pro Basketball League) averaging 7.3ppg, 2.1rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 52.5%, 3PT: 47.3%, FT-1 (94.7%). He began his basketball career at Corona del Sol high school and then played 2 years at the University of Arizona and then finished at Brigham Young University (NCAA) averaging 16.1ppg, 4.7rpg, 4.3apg, FGP: 55.2%, 3PT: 47.7%, FT: 85.6%, 16.8ppg, 3.7rpg, 3.3apg, FGP: 47.9%, 3PT: 42.1%, FT: 86.5%. He spoke to germanmhoops.com after the road win in Frankfurt.

Congrats Alex on the massive 95-72 win over the Frankfurt Skyliners. How big was this win for the team after the tough blow out loss to Bonn?

The win in Frankfurt was huge. It helped give us momentum again with guys coming back. We showed that we could win against good teams without a full roster.

You guys seem to be a bank on the road. Is the team getting more comfortable with every new win?

Yes we are. Each game in the BBL is tough. To be able to travel and win games is huge.

The MLP Academics ran away with the game in the second half. It is no secret that the three point shooting was huge in the win. Did that opening night extravaganza of the Celtics rub off on the team?

I like that. Maybe you could say so. I think it began on defense. We had had some hiccups on defense. We stepped up our defense in the second half and hit more three´s. It all went well together.

What words of wisdom did coach Danny Jansson give the team at halftime? Did the team want to make any adjustments?

He told us to say true to what we were doing and that was defending well. We were lacking a bit on ball pressure, and communication. We also did a better job of getting loose balls. We cleaned it all up.

When Parsons and Calvin have strong games, Frankfurt has very good chances to win. They were soldi but not great. How big was it shutting them down in the game plan?

I think that it was a point of emphasis. They are good players. We just tried to make it as tough as possible for them.

Frankfurt did a super job on the offensive boards. Is rebounding something that the team has to address more?

I think that anytime that we get more rebounds, it is good. We stress getting stops. But we do have more upside on rebounding.

Horne and Weathers combined for 34 points. What do you appreciate most about their games?

I like how much energy Michael brings. He puts a lot of pressure on ball and even when he gets beat, he is great on the recovery. Dj is a great scoring talent. You saw it in the game. It is great to have such versatility at the guard position. It is nice to have them on the team.

How big was the game of Ryan Mikesell? He seems to be a guy that can do everything. Is he the team´s Swiss army knife?

I think that Ryan has some experience. He has played for coach Danny before and can do so much on the court. He gets rebounds, stops, can dish and score. He is the type of guy that you always want on the team. He plays the game the right way.

You had 2 solid scoring games, but your 24 points was your break out game. How motivated were you going in after being 3/10 in the first 2 games?

I don´t put too much thought into it. Each game is different. I just try to give my best each game and trust my work ethic. It was definitely nice to see the ball go in. I´m always confident in my shooting.

You have always been a scorer in your career, but Heidelberg has many options. Could you imagine not being as consistent as a scorer this season, but still being versatile?

I don´t think I can imagine that. I just try to do what I can to help my team win. If the team needs me to get assists then I will do it, or if they want me to score then I will. The biggest thing in my career is to win games. I think that with our team versatility we can do that.

Heidelberg is one of the surprise teams in the easyCredit BBL. What has been the secret to the success?

I think it has to do with the group of guys that we have and the coaching staff that have done a good job bringing us together. Our identity is our defense, but we have many that can score. Our defense translates to offense. We are an unselfish group of players that focus on what the coaching staff wants.

I have heard playoff talk concerning the MLP Academics. How well is head coach Danny Jansson keeping the team grounded?

He is doing a great job. Each day is new and our practices are hard and physical. We know that it is still a long season. We have a lot to prove. We won a few games, but have bigger goals.

The team continues to be up and down on the defensive end. What areas of the defense need to be tweaked most at the moment?

We have to be more comfortable with each other. We have to communicate better, get on the same page and limit mistakes.

The MLP Academics next play Wurzburg. They are another highly talented team. What will be key to getting the win?

I sound like a broken record, but it will be defense. They are a talented team. We have to be on the same page.

Thanks Alex for the chat.