Harm-Ubbo Horst is a German head coach currently coaching the Rasta Acadcemy NBBL (U-19) team. He began his coaching career in Vechta and then coached 2 years in Dresden where he was an assistant coach with the Pro B team Titans and also the NBBL coach. Last season he led the Young Rasta dragons to the NBBL title. He spoke to germanhoops.com about being defending champions.

Thanks Habo for talking to germanhoops.com. Welcome back to the NBBL top 4. How does it feel as defending champion?

It feels really good heading to Berlin as defending champion. We have more experience and are calmer than last year. The guys are really excited and have great memories from last year. The guys are all really hot for the game against Munich to begin.

Vechta Academy had a super season being 15-3 and swept Oldenburg and Paderborn. How is the mental state of this team going to Berlin and do you feel pressure?

We may have had a good looking record, but to be honest it wasn´t always so clear during the season that we would be successful. We didn´t find our defined game style until after the regular season game against Rostock. I don´t believe that we feel pressure. The guys are excited and have freedom and positive feelings.

Vechta Academy lost some key players like Jack Kayil, Joshua Bonga and Karl Buehner and others. Is the team on paper this year a bit weaker than last season?

Yes I would say so. Last season´s team was different. We had a clear definition of players playing the positions 3-5. I still believe that we have a lot of talent this year and have more guards than last season.

I guess you could never replace a potent guard duo like Jack Kayil and Joshua Bonga, but you did get Roy Krupnikas. He didn´t play many games because he was mostly with the Vechta Pro A team. He once was at the top 4 with Rostock in the JBBL top 4 in 2022. Could this be the moment for him to really step up`

I would hope so. But I don´t know if it will be necessary. We are very deep at the guard position. We have many ball handlers and shooters that can make a play. That is a big weapon of ours. Each player can make that next deciding play.

Talk a little about big talent Peja Strobel. How have you witnessed his development and what is his biggest strength?

He needed some time to get used to the Euro game. He was in the States last season and played well at the high school level. After some time in the NBBL, he showed that he could be a scorer. He is a great shooter. He hit the deciding three pointer against Paderborn to put the game into overtime.

In the last years you were very fortunate to have great bigs like Johan Grunloh and Karl “Mr rebound” Buehner. This season there is only one real true big man with Fynn Lastring. Do you feel like he can make an impact in Berlin?

I think that he can. His spacing qualities are really good. He is an inside out player and you don´t see that so often.

Noah Koch continues to develop very well. He shows that he can help the team in so many ways. Is he becoming like a Swiss army knife?

That is a great description for him. He can create for himself and others, make the game fast, get second chances and defend many positions.

Moritz Gruss also is one of the most talented 16 year old on your team. How have you seen his development. Is he more than just a 3 and D player?

Yes he is. But we have many talented players from the year 2008. He can defend many positions, is a good ball handler and reads the game very well. He is like a secret weapon for us that gives the team a push forward.

Is it fair to say that Marko Petric is your star player or is a better description your leader?

Leader sounds better. Our team has a star ensemble with guys like Koch, Krupnikas and Lastring. Marko showed in the Oldenburg series just how much he wanted to win and pushed his team forward.

Talk a little about newcomers Louis Sutor and Felix Chrisiansen. What do they bring to the table?

Sutor is very versatile. He is moble and defend many positions. Christiansen gives good pressure on the ball and is a good shooter. He does a lot of the little things not seen on the stat sheet

How have you developed further as a coach this season? On what areas of your coaching have you worked on most?

We already played small ball 2 years ago in the JBBL top 4, but nobody noticed. A big challenge was not being able to practice as a team regularly. We play a different style this season different from what the guys played with the men´s teams. It was a challenge adjusting from the styles from the men´s to the NBBL.

You have worked many years with Hendrik Gruehn and I´m sure you have a great friendship as well. How has he developed further this season as a coach despite a tough pro A season?

I think that he developed well this season. We always talk after games and practices and are critical with each other. His biggest strength is being able to give his players energy on the court and them being able to implement it on the court. He lost a lot of talented players and got new ones and had to develop them further in the Pro A. That is hard to do.

Do you observe how a guy like Martin Schiller operates? What have you learned from him?

Martin is very interested in our youth program. He always gives one extra practice per week for the young players. He is very good and schooling habits and repeating them over and overt. He has an immense presence in practice. It was great being able to experience that this season.

You face tough FC Bayern Munich in the semi-finals. They have incredible guards. What will be key to getting win?

I believe that we will win with our character. We will be ready to battle FC Munich and defend aggressive and believe in ourselves. We will probably play less tactical than them, but we will play with heart and dive for every ball.

Who will win the other semi final with ratiopharm ulm and Alba Berlin?

That is tough to predict. I know that Vladi Bogojevic will have his team ready. I really like Florian Flabb´s coaching as well. But I think that ratiopharm Ulm has the upper hand because Alba Berlin played two 3 game playoff series.

What is your opinion of many young German guys going overseas to play college basketball? That will hurt all leagues in that the quality of Germans will go down.

I think that it will lead to problems. On one hand with many leaving, that will give other players a chance. We will have to get adjusted to it. I think now instead of preparing guys for the NBA, it will be preparing guys for college. We have to make the best out of it.

Thanks Habbo for the chat